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 அளிஇப்

புவிஈன்ற அன்னையே அரன் நாயகியேசங்கரி

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’.

Carnatic Musing 23 – Navarathri – Day 1 – Composition on Goddess Raja Rajeshwari

Composer

Maha Vaidyanatha Iyer (1844-1893). Pl refer to https://sriramv.wordpress.com/2019/01/18/maha-vaidyanatha-sivan-a-life/ for the life history.

Audio Link

Bombay Jayshree and KJ Yesudashttps://www.dropbox.com/s/t0d1a4a7kv0r52a/Pahimam..Sri..Raja..Rajeswari…%28%20Yesudas.Bombay%20Jayashree%29-cT48qGK0ctk.mp3?dl=0

Meaning in English

Goddess Raja Rajeshwari, please protect me; oh compassionate one and wife of Sankara. You are the one who provides ultimate happiness. You ride on a lion. You are a river of kindness and the enchanting one. You are the one who destroyed the demons: Bhanda, Chanda, Munda and Mahisha. You are pleasing and pure. You nourishes “guhadaasa” (the composer). You have sweet voice and speech, oh slayer of enemies and granter of boons.

Meaning in Tamil

பல்லவி

ரட்சிப்பாய் எனை அருள்மிகு ராஜ ராஜேஸ்வரி

கிருபாகரி சங்கரி …..ரட்சிப்பாய்

அனுபல்லவி

அளவிலா ஆனந்தம் அளிக்கும் சிம்ம வாகினியே

வற்றா ஆறாய் கருணை பொழியும் ஆனந்தியே

சரணம்

பண்ட சண்ட முண்டனை வதைத்து மகிடனை அழித்த

ரஞ்சனி, நிரஞ்சனியே ! பண்டிதன் குகதாசனைப் பேணிக்காக்கும்

இனிய குரல்வளம்மிகு அன்னையே பகைவருக்கு அச்சம் விளைத்து

அடியார்க்கு வரமளிக்கும் பூரணியே……ரட்சிப்பாய்

Sanskrit Verses

Pallavi

पाहिमां श्री राजराजेश्वरी क्र्पाकरि शङ्करी

Anupallavi

एहि सुखं देहि सिंहवाहिनी दया प्रवाहिनी मोहिनी

Chittaswaram

पा प म रि स ध प प म म रि रि स रि स रि ग म पा सा रि ग

म पा ध प म प ध प नि स प नि स रि स रि ग म रि

सा सा ध प म रि सा रि ग म

Charanam

भण्ड छण्ड मुण्ड खण्डानि महिश भनजनि रञ्जनी निरन्जनि

पण्डित श्री गुहदास पोशनि सुभाशिनि रिपु भीशणि वर भुशनि

English Transliteration

pallavi

pAhimAm shrI rAjarAjEshvari krpAkari shankari

anupallavi

Ehi sukham dEhi simhavAhini dayA pravAhini mOhini

ciTTa swaram

pA pa ma ri sa dha pa pa ma ma ri ri sa ri sa ri ga ma pA sA ri ga

ma pA dha pa ma pa dha pa nI sa pa ni Sa Ri Sa Ri Ga Ma Ri

SA Sa dha pa ma rI sA ri ga ma

caraNam

bhaNDa chaNDa muNDa khaNDani mahiSa bhanjani ranjani niranjani

paNDita shrI guhadAsa pOSaNi subhASiNi ripu bhISaNi vara bhUSaNI

Meaning of the Sanskrit Words

Pallavi

पाहि माम् – protect me

श्री राजराजेश्वरी – Sri Rajarajeswari (Wife if the emperor)

क्र्पाकरि – one who grants favor/compassion/pity

शङ्करी – Sankari (wife of Sankara)

Anupallavi

एहि – unsurpassed (this is it) /ultimate

सुखं – delight/comfort

देहि – provide/bestows

सिंहवाहिनी – Having Lion as Her vehicle/mount

दया – compassion/pity

प्रवाहिनी – streaming/abound in streams /river

मोहिनी – enchanting/fascinating woman

Charanam

भाण्ड – Demon Banda

चन्द – Demon Chanda

मुण्ड – Demon Munda

खण्डानि – destroy

महिस – Demon Mahisa in the form of a Buffalo

भनजनि – break/defeat/kill

रञ्जनी – pleasant/delightful

निरन्जनि – pure/spotless/Supreme Being

पण्डित – Learned

श्री गुहदास – Pen name of the composer Guruguha, serving

पोशनि – nourish/protect

सुभाशिनि – gentle speaking

रिपु – enemy

भीशणि – frightens

वर – blessings/boon/royal/grand

भुशनि – adorned/decorated