Those, who follow meditation(dhyana) and contemplation (yoga), can’t see you; indeed the Goddess hidden in your own virtues. You are the energy behind Lord Parameshwara. Protect me oh Universal Mother, the liberator for salvation
Last year in 2019, it was July 19th. July is normally the month of Guru purnima. This year it is on 5th July 2020.
Last year being the first year of my blogging, I dedicated the blog to my Guru, my father. This year I was contemplating as to what to do. What better way to dedicate & observe this month than to try and understand the unique composition by the greatest legend who lived in the 20th century – Kanchi Maha Swami fondly known as Paramacharya, Kanchi Periavaa, Shri. Chandrashekarendra Saraswathi.
In this month starting July 3, on every Friday, over 5 blogs I will try and understand His Durga Pancharathnamala. The available information in the world wide web was of immense help to me in this process.
It is also a strange coincidence that the first Carnatic Music Composition that came to me for my Tamil translation work in July is on Goddess Kamakshi, the principal deity on whom Paramacharya Kanchi Maha Swami composed Durga Pancharathnamala. This is scheduled on July 5th.
I meditate upon the cowherd boy on whose feet my mind dwells always. He is Glorious in a girdle inlaid with precious stones and small bells tied to his waist which rings with a multitude of sounds; with radiant and lovable appearance while dancing, His cute little legs inclined and with the anklets tinkling; Hand engaged in providing butter, feet made beautiful by the prayers (bowing) of multitude of gods like Brahma and other demigods. Living in the hill of tiruvengkata, the incomparable Hari is the supreme being, the cowherd boy.
(The holy place of Tirupathi is referred here as Venkatachala)
व्निलयम् – dwelling
वैकुण्ठ पुर – the city of vaikuntham
वासम् – resident
पन्कज – lotus
नॆत्रम् – eyes
परम – absolute/supreme
पवित्रम् – purity/holy
श्न्क – conch
चक्रधर – discuss/disc
चिन्मय – pure thought
रूपम् – form
CaraNam 1
अम्भुज – lotus
उद्भव – prop from
(अम्बॊत्भव) (the person who comes out of the lotus)
विनुतम् – Lord Brahma
अगणित – countless
गुण – virtue
नामम् – name
तुम्बुरु – sage tumburu
नारद – sage naradha
गान – song
विलॊलम् – captivated
अम्बुधि – ocean
शयनम् – recline
आत्मा – soul
अभिरामम् – delightful
CaraNam 2
पाहि – protect
पाण्डव – Pandavas
पक्शम् – side of
कौरव – Kauravas
मध – pride
हरणम् – destroy
बहु – plenty
पराक्रम – valour
पूर्णम् – complete
अहल्या – Ahalya
शाप – curse
भय – fear
निवारनम् – relief/remove
CaraNam 3
सकल – every/all
वॆद – Vedha
विचारम् – enquiry
सर्व- all
जीवन – lives
करम् – anchor/creator
मकर – carp shaped
कुण्डल – ear rings
धर – wear
मदन – handsome
गॊपालम् – cow protector
भक्त – devotees
पॊशक – protect
श्रि पुरन्दर विट्तलम् – Purandara Vittala (pen name ofPurandara Dasa)
Composition in Tamil
பல்லவி
வேங்கடமலைவாழ்வைகுந்தநகர்வாசனே
கமலக்கண்ணனவன்ஒப்புயர்வற்றபுனிதனே
சங்குசக்கரமுமடன்தூயஎண்ணமுடைவடிவனே….வேங்கட
சரணம் 1
ஆம்பல்முளைஅயன்வணங்கும்
எண்ணற்றநற்பண்பின்களஞ்சியமே
தும்புருநாரதமுனிஇசைமகிழும்
ஆழிதுயில்உள்ளம்மகிழும் …….வேங்கட
சரணம் 2
ஐவரைஅணைத்துகவுரவரின்ஆணவமழித்து
வெகுபலவீரபேராண்மைஉடைநிறையோனே
அகலிகையின்தடுப்பருஞ்சாபம்நீக்கோனே …..வேங்கட
சரணம் 3
மறைநூலின்உட்பொருள்ஆராயலாய்
அனைத்துயிரின்ஆதாரமாயும்
மகரகுண்டலமணிஅழகானஆநிரைமேயோனே
பக்தர்களைகாக்கும்புரந்தரவிட்டலமே …..வேங்கடம
Meaning of the composition in English
I pray the
One whose dwelling is Tirupati, whose residence is the city of vaikuNTha, one whose eyes are like lotuses, one who is supremely pure, one who bears a conch and a discuss and whose form is that of pure thought,
One who is worshipped by brahmA ,one who is the storehouse of countless virtues, one who is captivated by the music of sages such as tumburu and nArada, one who reclines in the ocean and is delightful to the soul
Protect me Oh ! The one who took the side of the pANDavas, and one who destroyed of the pride of the kauravas, one who is complete with multiple types of valor/courage/heroism, one who is the cause of the removal of the fear of ahalyA’s curse
One who is the focus of deliberation of all the vEdas, one who is the anchor/creator of all life forms, one who is madana gOpAla, wearing carp-shaped earrings, one who is SrI purandara viTThala, the protector/nourisher of his devotees
Last Friday, the last of six verses of Nirvana Shatakam (Atma Shatakam) was posted along with the Tamil Translation thereof. This Shatakam addresses the very complicated inquiry of “Who am I?”. Though the answers provided by Adi Sankara appears very simple from an over all reading perspective, the subject itself is the essence of the Advaita philosophy and I can vouch for myself that my understanding is not even at the “skimming” level in this field. My attempt however provides me a reminder that what was attempted was just a drop of water in an ocean. This was also reinforced by the quality of comments that I received from my friends and relatives. One of them was in the form of a poetry rightly titled “Master Piece”. It simply moved me – what deep understanding of the subject and what an expression! The author wanted to remain Anonymous and clearly stated that “spirituality decreases when it is attributed to a person. I was but a scribe.” Here is that Masterpiece
निराकाररूपो (Niraakaara-Ruupo): Nature of Formless
रूप (Ruupa) = Form, Nature
विभुत्वाच्च (Vibhu-Tvaacca): Existing as the substratum
विभू (Vibhuu) = Existing
त्वच् (Tvac) = Cover
सर्वत्र (Sarvatra): Everywhere
सर्वेन्द्रियाणाम् (Sarva-Indriyaannaam): Everyone’s Sense Organs
सर्व (Sarva) = All
इन्द्रिय (Indriya) = Sense Organ
चासङ्गतं (Ca-Aasanggatam): And Attachment
च (Ca) = And
आसङ्ग (Aasangga) = Clinging, Attachment
मुक्तिर्न (Muktirna): Neither Freedom
मुक्ति (Mukti) = Freedom, Liberation
न (Na) = Not
मेयः (Meyah): Measurable
चिदानन्दरूपः (Cid-Aananda-Ruupah): Nature of Blissful Consciousness
चित् (Cit) = Consciousness
आनन्द (Aananda) = Bliss
रूप (Ruupa) = Nature
शिवोऽहम् (Shiva-Aham): I am Shiva, the Blissful Consciousness
शिव (Shiva) = signifying Consciouness
अहम् (Aham) = I
Meaning of the Verse
6.1: I am Without any Variation, and Without any Form,
6.2: I am Present Everywhere as the underlying Substratum of everything, and behind all Sense Organs,
6.3: Neither do I get Attached to anything, nor get Freed from anything,
6.4: I am the Ever Pure Blissful Consciousness; I am Shiva, I am Shiva, The Ever Pure Blissful Consciousness
6. I have neither dualities nor shape or form; I am present everywhere (omnipresent) and pervade all the senses; I am always equanimous; I am neither liberation nor bondage; I am of the nature of Pure Consciousness-Bliss-Absolute, I am Shiva, I am (verily) Shiva.
I begin the blog series with a prayer to Lord Ganesh by Sri. Muthuswamy Dīkshitar (with a pen name Guruguha), one of the Trinity of Carnatic Music. This composition in Raga Nattai in the 17th Century, is still one of the most sought after one by musicians across the world. The undercurrent of Nattai raga and the effervescence of the lyrics have withstood the test of time though hundreds of adaptations and fusions that have been tried out by scores of musicians.
I meditate (smarAmi) on the supreme (mahA) Ganapati who is worshipped (vandita) by Vasishta, the Vamadevas, etc (Adi). He, the son (sutam) of Lord Shiva (mahAdEvA), is praised (nutam) by Guruguha. He shines bright (prakAsham) like millions (kOti) of cupids (mAra). He is tranquil (shAntam). He loves (priyam) great poetry (mahA kAvya), drama (nAtaka), etc (Adi). He loves (priyam) the sweet Modaka. His mount (vAhanam) is a mouse (mUshika).
5.1: Neither am I bound by Death and its Fear, nor by the rules of Caste and its Distinctions,
5.2: Neither do I have Father and Mother, nor do I have Birth,
5.3: Neither do I have Relations nor Friends, neither Spiritual Teacher nor Disciple,
5.4: I am the Ever Pure Blissful Consciousness; I am Shiva, I am Shiva,
The Ever Pure Blissful Consciousness.
5. I have no apprehension of death; neither do I have any distinction of caste (or creed); I have neither father, nor mother, nor (even) birth; neither friend nor kith and kin; neither teacher (guru) nor disciple; I am of the nature of Pure Consciousness-Bliss-Absolute, I am Shiva, I am (verily) Shiva.
Prabhu's Ponder 