Carnatic Musing 36 – Sankari SaMkuru Chandramukhi – Raga Saveri

Composer

Shyama Sastry . There is an excellent treatise on Shyama Sastry by Mr. Sreenivasa Rao in his 11 blogs . Pl visit https://sreenivasaraos.com

Audio Link

Whenever I talk about Carnatic Music Performance by siblings, the first one that comes to my mind cannot be anyone else except that of the legends DK Pattammal & DK Jayaraman. Here is their ageless rendition of Ragam Saveri. Pl listen and enjoy.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/zf6wt5jrqkhk7nj/DK%20Pattammal%20%26%20DK%20Jayaraman%20-%20shankari%20shamkuru%20candramukhi%20-%20sAvEri%20-%20syAmA%20sAstri-7PaWa3JVRhw.mp3?dl=0

Sanskrit Verses

पल्लवि

शङ्करी  शङ्कुरु  चन्द्रमुखी अखिलाण्डेश्वरी (श्री)

शाम्भवी सरसिज भव वन्दिते गौरी (अम्ब)

अनुपल्लवि

सङ्कट  हारिणी रिपु विदारिणी कल्याणी

सदा नत फल दायिके (alt: दायकी ) हर नायिके  (alt: नायकी) जगत् जननी

चरणम् 1

जम्बुपति विलासिनी जगदवनोल्लसिनी

कम्बु  कन्धरे भवानी कपाल धारिणी शूलिनी

चरणम् 2

अङ्गज  रिपु तोशिनी अखिल  भुवन पोशिनी

मङ्गल  प्रदे मृदानी मराल संनिभ गमनी

चरणम् 3

श्याम कृष्ण सोदरी श्यामळे शातोदरी

सामगान  लोले बाले सदार्ति भञ्जन  शीले

English Transliteration

In the kRti ‘Sankari SaMkuru’ – rAga sAvEri (tALa Adi), SrI SyAmA Sastry prays to Mother akhilANDESvari at tiruvAnaikkoil (jambukESvaraM).

pallavi

Sankari SaM-kuru candra mukhi 1akhil(A)ND(E)Svari

SAmbhavi sarasija bhava vanditE 2gauri amba

anupallavi

sankaTa hAriNi ripu vidAriNi kalyANi

sadA nata 3phala dAyikE hara nAyikE jagaj-janani (Sankari)

caraNam 1

jambu pati vilAsini jagad-avan(O)llAsini

kambu kandharE bhavAni 4kapAla dhAriNi SUlini (Sankari)

caraNam 2

angaja ripu tOshiNi akhila bhuvana pOshiNi

mangaLa pradE 5mRDAni 6marALa sannibha gamani (Sankari)

caraNam 3

SyAma kRshNa sOdari SyAmaLE 7SAt(O)dari

sAma gAna lOlE 8bAlE sad(A)rti bhanjana-SIlE (Sankari)

Meaning in Tamil

பல்லவி

சங்கரி தந்திடு மன அமைதி,

அகிலாண்டேஸ்வரி,

சாம்பவி, நாபிக்கமலம் உதய அயன் துதி கௌரி, அன்னையே

அனுபல்லவி

இடர்களை பகையழி கல்யாணி

துதிஉரை அடியார்க்கு அருள் அளி – இப்

புவிஈன்ற அன்னையே அரன் நாயகியே – சங்கரி

சரணம் 1

ஜம்புநாதனின் துணைவியே,புவி காத்து மகிழும்

சங்குமிடறு கொள் கபாலசூலம் அணி பவானியே

சரணம் 2

காமாரிதனை மகிழ்வூட்டும் அண்டம் பேணும்

மங்களம் வழங்கும் அன்னநடை பயிலும் அகிலாண்டேஸவரி….சங்கரி

சரணம் 3

நீல வண்ணனின் சகோதரி உமையே கொடி இடையாளே

சாமவேத கீதமகிழ் வினைதீர்க்குணமுடை நங்கையே….சங்கரி

Meaning in English

O Consort of Shankara/Shiva! Please create tranquility ! O Moon faced one ! O Goddess of the whole universe ! O ShambhavI! One worshipped by Brahma, the one born in a lotus ! O Mother Gauri !

One who removes/destroys danger/crises ! One who crushes enemies ! O Auspicious one ! One who gives reward to those who always bow to her. O Consort of Shiva ! O Mother of the world !

One who sports with Shiva , (from Jambukeshwara Temple of Tiruvanaikaval, where the Goddess is called Akhilandeshwari. This is one of the Pancha Bhoota Sthalams, representing water). One who takes joy in protecting the world ! One whose neck is like a conch ! O Bhavani ! One who carries a skull ! One who weilds a spear !

One who pleases the enemy of the God of Love ! One who nourishes the entire world ! One who provides good fortune/welfare/happiness ! O Consort of Shiva ! One who walks like a swan !

O Sister of the dark skinned Krishna (also signature of the composer)! O Shyamala ! One with a slender belly/waist ! One who takes pleasure in the chanting of Sama Veda! O Young one ! One whose nature is to always dispel grief !

Meaning of the Sanskrit Words

पल्लवि

शङ्करी  – Shankari

शङ्कुरु  – शम कुरु – tranquility do – give peace

चन्द्रमुखी – moon like face

अखिलाण्डेश्वरी – अखिल अण्ड ईश्वरि – Whole-universe-goddess – goddess of the whole universe

श्री – auspicious

शाम्भवी – Shambhavi – Siva’ wife

सरसिज – lotus

भव – produced

वन्दिते – pray

गौरी – Gauri

अम्ब – mother

अनुपल्लवि

सङ्कट  – crisis/danger

हारिणी – remove / dispel

रिपु – enemy

विदारिणी – breaking / crush/ destroy

कल्याणी – Kalyani (prosperous)

सदा – airways

नत – bowing to

फल – fruit / reward

दायिके (alt: दायकी ) – provider / bestowed

हर नायिके  (alt: नायकी) – consort of Lord Siva

जगत् – world

जननी – Mother

चरणं १

जम्बुपति – Lord Jambukeshwara of Thiruvanaikaval

विलासिनी – wife

जगदवनोल्लसिनी –

जगत् – universe

अवन – protect

उल्लासिनि – take joy or delight

कम्बु  – conch

कन्धरे – necked

भवानी – Bhavaani

कपाल – skull

धारिणी – carries/wearing

शूलिनी – trident holding

चरणं २

अङ्गज  – Manmathan – Lord of Cupid

रिपु – enemy

तोशिनी – pleases/delights

अखिल  – entire

भुवन – universe

पोशिनी – nourishes

मङ्गल  – auspicious/happy/welfare

प्रदे – provides / gives

मृदानी – Wife of Lord Siva (मृदा)

मराल – swan

संनिभ – similar to

गमनी – walk

चरणं ३

श्याम – dark colored कृष्ण – Lord Krishna (pen name of the author)

सोदरी – sister

श्यामळे – Ok Shyamala (Parvati)

शातोदरी- शात-उदरि – slender – waist

सामगान  – सम गान – Sama Veda – Music/chant

लोले – pleasure

बाले – oh girl

सदार्ति – सदा अर्ति – always grief

भञ्जन  – relieve

शीले – nature

Notes –

Variations –

2 – gauri amba – gauri.

3 – phala dAyikE – phala dAyaki.

References

1 – akhilANDESvari – name of Mother at tiruvAnaikka (tiruvAnaikkoil) – Consort of ‘jambukESvara’ (jambu pati). Please refer to tiruvAnaikkA – 1; tiruvAnaikkA – 2 (Tamil website)

4 – kapAla dhAriNi – According to above website, akhilANDESvari was a ‘ugra dEvatA’ who was pacified by Adi Sankara by installing SrI cakra in Her ears.

5 – mRDAni – Wife of mRDa – Siva. Please refer to lalitA sahasra nAma (564) – ‘mRDAnI’.

6 – marALa sannibha gamani – swan-like gaited. Please also refer to lalitA sahasra nAma (47) – ‘marALI manda gamanA’. Also refer to – discourse of kAnci mahAsvAmi on ‘saundarya lahari’ (91).

7 – SAtOdari – Slender waited. It also means ‘daughter of himavAn’ who is called ‘SatOdara’ (having hundreds of caves). Please refer to lalitA sahasra nAma (130) – ‘SAtOdarI’.

8 – bAlE – Mother tripura sundari is called ‘bAlA’ – please refer to lalitA sahasra nAma (965). A 9-year girl is called ‘bAlA’.