I will always worship the elephant faced Siddhi Vinayaka who provides whatever we wish for
The saints, the demon clans of Yaksha and Kinna worship him. The entire universe knows about Ganapathy. He resides at the centre as the root and basis for existence in the body (the centre of மூலாதாரச் சக்கரம்). He has a sweet meat made of steamed rice.
The saints and the learned worship Him. The fourth day of the moon in Bhadrapada (August-September) is Vinayaka Chaturthi, the day of Ganesha’s birth. He holds the noose, the goad in his hand and has a fan and a royal umbrella. He has a peaceful and divine face devoid of anger and gory. Younger brother of the son of Rohini, Krishna worships Him (For info – On the advice of Narada, Krishna worshipped Ganesha to rid himself of the undeserved disrepute he acquired when the Syamantaka gem was lost. (Pl ref https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syamantaka for the story on the Shyamantaka gem). He is the son of Lord Siva and Parvathi. He is the elder brother of Guruguha (pen name of the composer) . He looks after the welfare of devotees by providing the wealth they need. He is radiant and has four hands
The Tamil Classic “Peria Puranam” narrates the incident of Sundaramurti Nayanar immersing 12000 gold coins in the river Manimutharu at a place called Thirumudukundram (near Viruthachalam, Cuddalore) and retrieving gold from the Kamalalaya tank at Tiruvarur and taking the help of this Vinayaka to assess its purity as per the directions of Lord Siva. Hence the Ganesha on the banks of the Kamalalaya Tank in Tiruvarur got the name Mattruraitha Vinakayar (Vinayaka who assayed)
This Kriti is in praise of “Mattruraitha Vinakayar (மாற்று உறைத்த விநாயகர் – Ganesha who evaluates gold and assess its purity) whose shrine is on the banks of the Kamalalaya Tank in Tiruvarur.
Please protect me the elephant faced Great Ganapathy, the provider of intellect and remover of obstacles.
You are worshipped by the Vishnu, the father of the Lord of Cupid (Manmatha), Brahma and Indra. You reside by the Lotus Tank. You have tender legs and hands like the stem of the water lily. You are the elder brother of Guruguha (Lord Subramanya & the pen name of the composer). You are the son of Lord Siva
The gold assayer and the lord of obstacles with lotus feet and moon on the forehead wears white garments and is praised by human beings and Gods. He has a protuberant belly and holds a water lily, his own tusk, a noose, a goad and steamed sweet meat in his hands. He is the boat that enables humans to cross the oceans of births. His nature is to be the root of the universe (cause). He is the embodiment of immense joy with a radiance brighter as thousand Suns. He is praised by the poets. He rides on a mouse and is worshipped by assembly of gods. He is the abode of eternal liberation.
वातापि – The name of an Asura devoured by Agastya. vāta wind, pā to drink. It also denotes the place “Vatapi”, today called as Badami in Karnataka. Paranjothi, the army chief of Narasimhavarman I (Pallava King), conquered Vatapi the capital of Chalukyas in 642 AD and brought a Ganapati (Ganesh) idol from the vatapi Fort to his native place Tiruchengattangudi. He constructed a Shiva temple where a separate shrine was constructed for installing Vatapi Ganapati. There is also a belief that the shrine in Tiruvarur was installed similar to the one in Tiruchengattangudi. Dikshitar in his composition referred to this Ganapathy in his composition.
Audio Link
There are hundreds of audios/videos available in the internet. I chose the link where we can listen to the Doyen Chembai Vaidhyanatha Bhagawathar
I worship Vatapi Ganapati, the elephant-faced giver of boons, the one whose feet are worshipped by the Bhuta-ganas etc., the one who protects the universe made of five elements and their derivatives, the one devoid of desires, the one saluted by Yogis, the cause of the universe,the preventer of obstacles.
Long ago, the one well-worshipped by the best of sages, Agastya( born from a Kumbha or pot), the one seated at the centre of a triangle, the one adored by gods led by Vishnu(the enemy of Mura), the resident of Tiruvarur,the one who embodies the four stages of speech beginning with Paraa, the one whose bent trunk has the shape of Om, the eternal one, the bearer of the crescent moon on his forehead, the one holding a sugarcane stalk with his left hand, the one whose lotus-like hands carry a noose and a pomegranate,the one far removed from sin, the one with a huge body,the one whose form pleases Shiva and Guruguha, the one known as Heramba Ganapati, who is adorned by the Raga Hamsadhvani …. I salute
I constantly salute the son of Gauri, the devotee of Vaasudeva who uses a snake as a couch. He is the Lord of the group of attendants of Shiva . Lord Indra and the Devas serve him. He wears a snake as a garland and is worshipped by sages. He holds his favorite sweetmeat (of liberation). He has an elephant face. He destroys the unlimited ego garva of Lord Chandra (moon). He grants happiness to those who bows to Him and protects His devotees who pray Him. He removes the obstacles fir our liberation.
I consider myself as extremely fortunate to make an attempt to understand the Dance of the Yuga from a three dimensional (Literary, Music and Dance) perspective. My learning has been immense. There is only one to thank – The Lord Himself. What better way to conclude these set of blogs than with a composition by Lalitha Dasar made universally popular by the legendary Carnatic Musician Chembai Vaidyanatha Bhagawathar and later on by Dr KJ Yesudass.
I surrender to the holy lord of the town created by Lord Guru and Lord Pavan (Guruvayur). The Lord is Sri. Krishna, who is dark like the rain bearing cloud and lives in the cattle rearing village (Gokulam). He is worshipped by Narada and Shiva and is the is protector of the three worlds. He is worshipped by Brahma and Indra ,shines greatly holding a flute and gives happiness to the damsels of his village. He cannot be defeated and is very magnanimous. He as pretty as hundred Gods of Love (Manmatha). He is a never ending source of mercy and is like the Chakora bird to the moon like face of Radha. He is the divine brother of Parvathi.
இசை – Music – Sensing the Dance through aural medium – Oothukadu Venkata Kavi.
We are now moving into the second dimension of the Dance of the Yuga. We will look at a composition which will provide visual images through the aural route !
Anyone who has the ability to sing or anyone who has the ability to listen to the composition will be able to understand the essence of the dance through rhythmic notes and lyrics. So this blog will only provide the translation of the composition.
Audio Link
This is as old as me (more than 65 years back) when the music industry was at its elementary level of technology in audio engineering. This particular composition was never presented in a classical Carnatic Music Concert in those days and was normally explained in bits & pieces in the traditional Hari Katha Kalakshebam (a musical discourse about a story related to God). Sri. Needamangalam Krishnamoorthy Bhagawathar is credited with the first exposition of this full composition and making it popular and reach out to the masses.
This link is from the current generation of young musicians Kuldeep Pai, Sooryagayathri & Rahul Vellal, with the latest technology in audio engineering in the Carnatic Music style.
On this auspicious day of Bhoomi Puja for the Ram Mandir at the birth place of Lord Sri Ram (05th August 2020), here is my humble offering – a translation of the epic bhajan by Goswami Tulsidas “Sri Ramachandra Kripalu Bhaja mana” in my mother tongue Tamil.
Audio Link
Pl listen to TM Krishna immersing himself in Yamuna Kalyani (Yaman Kalyan) praising Sri Ramachandra
“O Mind ! Pray to compassionate Ramachandra who destroys the great fears of life. With eyes like a new lotus, with a face like a lotus and feet like a crimson lotus.
With boundless splendour like innumerable cupids, he is as beautiful as a new blue cloud . I bow to that groom of Janaka’s daughter, who is like a lustrous white lightning in his yellow garments.
I bow to the Sun-like friend of the wretched, destroyer of the demons dynasties. Son of the Raghu dynasty, root of joy, gladdens the Kosalas, son of Dasharatha.
Beautiful with a crown on his head, earrings, and mark on his forehead and limbs generously decorated. With long hands to his knees, holding a bow and arrow, winner of the battle with khara and dhUshaNa.
Thus says Tulsidas “He who pleases the minds of Shankara and Adisesha, who has contempt for the wicked things like desire, please dwell in the lotus of my heart”
Prabhu's Ponder 