Hamsadvandam

A luscious blue river gushes and murmurs
songs of endearments for
the swan She has befriended.

Stoned on the drunkenness of their friendliness, borderless, boundless.
Twirling, gyrating, hearts extended.
-LA

In a certain verse of the Soundarya Lahiri, there is a poetical reference to the descent of the divine couple, Shiva and Shakti, to the Anahata chakra, using the allegory of a pair of swans, “hamsadvandvam”.

How beautifully is the word “hamsa” used in the context of a swan! The sounds “Ha” and “Sa” representing Purusha and Prakriti or Shiva and Shakti or the incoming and outgoing breath.

Thus, a hamsa came to epitomize the prana, the breath of life. The Swan symbolizing divine knowledge, cosmic breath (prana), and the highest spiritual accomplishment.