Carnatic Musing 40 – Sadachaleshwara – Raga Bhoopalam

Composer:

Muthuswamy Dikshithar. Pl ref http://musicinfoguide.blogspot.com/2007/08/muthuswami-dikshitar-1775-1835.html

Audio Link:

Take your time and listen to this wonderful rendition (including raga Alapana and Swaram) by Trichur Brothers.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/dhndiepa4lq3eij/Trichur%20Brothers%20-%20sadAcalEshvaram%20bhAvayEham%20-%20bhUpaLaM%20-%20dIkshitar-SJJ3RaOjVBE%281%29.mp3?dl=0

Sanskrit Verses

सदाचलेश्वरम् – रागं भूपाळम् – ताळं आदि

पल्लवि

सदाचलेश्वरं भावयेऽहं

चमत्कार पुर गेहं

(मध्यम काल साहित्यम्)

गिरिजा मोहम्

अनुपल्लवि

सदाश्रित कल्प वृक्ष समूहं

शरणागत देवता समूहं

(मध्यम काल साहित्यम्)

उदाज्य कृत नामधेय वाहं

चिदानन्दामृत प्रवाहम्

चरणम्

चमत्कार भूपालादि प्रसाद –

करण निपुण महालिङ्गं

छाया रहित दीप प्रकाश –

गर्भ गृह मध्य रङ्गम्

समस्त दुःखादि हेतु भूत –

संसार सागर भय भङ्गं

शम दमोपवृत्यादि संयुक्त –

साधु जन हृदय सरसिज भृङ्गम्

(मध्यम काल साहित्यम्)

कमल विजय कर विधृत कुरङ्गं

करुणा रस सुधार्णव तरङ्गं

कमलेश विनुत वृषभ तुरङ्गं

कमल वदन गुरु गुहान्तरङ्गम्

variations –

करण निपुण – कर निपुण

शम दमोपवृत्यादि – शम दमोपरत्यादि

Meaning in Tamil

பல்லவி

திருஆரூரில் உறை அசலேஸ்வரனை

அன்னை உமையவளின் அன்பனை

எந்நேரமும் பணிவேனே நான்…..திரு ஆரூரில்

அனுபல்லவி

அன்டியவருக்கு எந்நேரமும் அபயம் அருள் கற்பக மரம்

வின்னவர் குழாம் சரனடைந்து போற்றும் பாதம்

தன்னீரை பசுந்நெய்யென மாற்றிய நாமம்

அமிழ்தெனப் பொழியும் பேரின்பம் …..திரு ஆரூரில்

சரணம்

சமத்கர அரச வளம் காரண வித்தக மகாலிங்கம்

நிழல் விழா தீப ஒளிக்கருவறை நடு உறையும்

அல்லலின் வித்தாம் பிறவிப்பிணி அச்சமகற்றும்

கட்டுண்ட சலனமிலா மனமுடை நல்லோரின்

கமல மலர் இதயம்தனை கருவண்டெனச் சுற்றிடும்

கமலமலர் கரமதனில் பொன் மான் ஏந்தும்

அலையெனப் பொங்கும் அமிழ்தெனும் கருணை ரசம்

அலைமகள் மகிழ் மாயவன் துதிக்கும்

விடையொரு பாகனாய் விளங்கும்,

கமலமுக குருகுகனின் அன்பனெனும்…….திருஆரூரில்

English Transliteration

pallavi

sadAcalESvaraM bhAvayE(a)haM

camatkAra pura gEhaM

(madhyama kAla sAhityam)

girijA mOham

anupallavi

sadASrita kalpa vRksha samUhaM

SaraNAgata dEvatA samUhaM

(madhyama kAla sAhityam)

udAjya kRta nAmadhEya vAhaM

cidAnandAmRta pravAham

caraNam

camatkAra bhUpAlAdi prasAda –

karaNa nipuNa mahAlingaM

chAyA rahita dIpa prakASa –

garbha gRha madhya rangam

samasta duHkhAdi hEtu bhUta –

saMsAra sAgara bhaya bhangaM

Sama damOpavRtyAdi saMyukta –

sAdhu jana hRdaya sarasija bhRngam

(madhyama kAla sAhityam)

kamala vijaya kara vidhRta kurangaM

karuNA rasa sudhArNava tarangaM

kamalESa vinuta vRshabha turangaM

kamala vadana guru guhAntarangam

variations –

karaNa nipuNa – kara nipuNa

Sama damOpavRtyAdi – Sama damOparatyAdi

Meaning in English

I meditate (bhAvayEham) on Lord Sadachaleshvara, He who has his abode (geham) in Chamatkarapura, and is the beloved (moham) of Girija.

Like a Kalpa tree (vrksha), He is always (sadA) a refuge (Ashrita) for everyone(samUham=group), including the  celestials (dEvatA  samUham) who seek sanctuary(sharanAgata = literally, they who come to His feet), he who is known (nAmadhEya, literally titled) as the one who turned water (uda) to ghee (Ajya), he is like a flow (pravAham) of nectar (amrtam)  of bliss (chidAnanda).

He is Mahalinga (shiva) who causes (karaNa) the well-being (prasAda) of king (bhUpAla) Chamatkara etc (Adi).

His shadow-less (chAyA rahita) sanctum (garbhagRha madhya rangam=the inner room in the middle of the house) is lit by a lamp (dIpa prakAsha). 

He removes (hetu bhoota, literally causes to be past) all sorrows (dukha) etc (Adi) and removes fear (bhaya bhanga) of this ocean (sAgaram)  like life (samsAra).

Like a bee (bhRnga) which hovers (implied) over a lotus (sarasija), He hovers  over the hearts (hrdaya) of good people (sAdu jana) who are tranquil (shama) and self-controlled (dama), senses etc (unsure: cannot findpavrti in dictionary)  in unison (samyukta).

His lotus-like (kamala) victory-giving (vijaya kara) hands (implied) holds (vidhRta) a deer (kurangam),

he is like a nectar-filled (sudha maya) wave (taranga) of compassion (karuna rasa).

He is worshipped (vinuta) by Vishnu (kamalesha), he is mounted (turangam) on a bull (vRshabha), he is dear to the lotus-faced (kamala vadana) Guruguha (subrahmanya).

Meaning of the Sanskrit Words

पल्लवि

सदा – always

अचल- mountain (that which doesn’t move)

ईश्वरं – lord

भावये- worship

अहं – i

चमत्कार पुर – According to the Skanda Purana, Tiruvarur is also called Chamatkara-pura, after a king who ruled the place

गेहं – resides

गिरिजा – மலைமகள், Goddess Parvati

मोहम्. – loves

अनुपल्लवि

सदा- always

आश्रित – to the surrendered

कल्प वृक्ष समूहं – grove of wish fulfilling trees

शरण आगत देवता समूहं – (the one in whom) the  legions of Devas seek refuge,

उद-आज्य कृत नामधेय वाहं – the one bearing the name and fame of converting water to ghee,

चित्-आनन्द-अमृत प्रवाहम् – the  flood of bliss of consciousness

चरणम्

चमत्कार भू-पाल-आदि प्रसाद -करण निपुण महा-लिङ्गं – the one in the form of a great Linga, adept at bestowing grace  to the King Chamatkara,

छाया रहित दीप प्रकाश -गर्भ गृह मध्य रङ्गम् – the one at the centre of the sanctum lit  by  a lamp that casts no shadow,

समस्त दुःख-आदि हेतु भूत -संसार सागर भय भङ्गं

शम दम-उपवृत्ति-आदि संयुक्त -the one who removes the fear of the ocean of Samsara (worldly existence) which is the root cause of all misery,

साधु जन हृदय सरसिज भृङ्गम् – the honey bee that hovers  in the heart-lotus of saints endowed with tranquility, self-restraint, endeavour etc.

कमल विजय कर विधृत कुरङ्गं – the one who holds a  deer in his hand that surpasses a lotus (in beauty)

करुणा रस सुधा-अर्णव तरङ्गं – the wave from the ambrosial ocean of compassion,

कमला-ईश विनुत – the one worshipped by Vishnu (lord of Lakshmi),

वृषभ तुरङ्गं – the one who rides a bull,

कमल वदन गुरु गुह-अन्तरङ्गम् – the one dear to the lotus-faced Guruguha.

kshEtra – tiruvArUr – acalESvara – araneri

uda Ajya – lamp lit with water – nami nandi aDigaL – Tamil Website

Comments:

• This kriti is in the second Vibhakti

• The phrase ‘camatkAra bhU-pAla-Adi prasAda’ contains the Raga Mudra

• According to the Skanda Purana, Tiruvarur is also called Chamatkara-pura, after a king who ruled the place

• The reference to converting water to ghee is connected to the Saivite saint  Nami Nandi aDigaL (one of the 63 Nayanmars), who took up a challenge from the Jains who were occupying the place to light a lamp with water.

• The reference to the lamp not casting a shadow is again from the Skanda Purana. Shiva appeared before King Camatkara and told him that the lamp would not cast a shadow in the sanctum sanctorum.