O Lord! In my mind, which is now very agitated due to mental and physical afflictions, may Thy beautiful form manifest, which is of the nature of Knowledge-Bliss absolute. This will excite me with supreme devotion causing horripilation all over the body and tears flowing in ecstasy and in such a thrill, my endless sorrows will melt into insignificance.
The festival of Meenakshi Thirukalyanam celebrates the divine wedding of Meenakshi Amman with Lord Shiva. This grand celebration is held in Madurai, the cultural capital of Tamil Nadu and is one of the biggest events here.
This annual event takes place in the famous ‘Meenakshi Amman Temple’ at Madurai and devotees from all corners of the world come to witness this magnificent event. A part of the renowned Chithirai festival, Meenakshi Thirukalyanam is held on the 10th day. On this auspicious day thousands of devotees from Madurai and adjoining areas come to the ‘Sri Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple’ to observe the celestial wedding of Lord Sundareswarar (Lord Shiva) and Meenakshi (Goddess Parvati). Devotees throng the temples in large numbers to seek the divine blessings from their lords.
Legend has it that the emperor Kulasekhara Pandyan was the founder of the ancient city of Madurai. He was succeeded by Malayadwaja Pandyan. Malayadwaja Pandyan and his consort Kanchanamala who did not have any children of their own, worshipped with the desire of obtaining progeny. During the course of their ceremonial prayer, a baby girl appeared in the sacrificial altar miraculously.
The Royalcouple brought up this child as their own and named her Tataatakai. An odd feature about the baby was that it had three breasts instead of two, and that a divine prophecy decreed that the third one would miraculously disappear, at the princess’s sight of her consort to be.
Tataatakai grew up to be a valorous queen; she was also known as Meenakshi, the one endowed with fish like eyes. Tataatakai embarked upon a DigVijaya or a tour of victory, across the length and breadth of the Indian subcontinent. In the course of her travels she came to Mount Kailash where she encountered Shiva; upon standing in front of Shiva her third breast disappeared and a valorous warrior princess transformed into a blushing bride.
Lord Siva directed Meenakshi to return to Madurai and promised her that he would join her in eight days as her groom. Accordingly Meenakshi returned to Madurai, and at the appointed time, the divine wedding was celebrated with pomp and splendour. Maha Vishnu, believed to be the brother of Meenakshi is said to have given the bride away.
The legend of Meenakshi Kalyanam brings together four of the six main streams in popular Hinduismi.e. the Saiva, Shakta, Vaishnava and Skanda faiths – and this grand culmination of faiths is still celebrated in great splendour today, in an enactment of Meenakshi Kalyanam each year, when images of Skanda and Vishnu are brought to the Madurai Meenakshi temple from Tirupparankundram nearby. Also of significance is the grand procession of Kallazhagar towards Madurai from the AlagarKoyil temple in the outskirts of the city.
How fortunate I am to attempt to translate the Meenakshi Pancharathnamala, a garland of 5 exotic flowers filled to the brim with bhakti by Adi Sankara. Indeed I am very lucky.
vidhuuya kleshaanme kuru charaNayugmaM dhR^itarasaM
bhavatkshetrapraaptau karamapi cha te puujanavidhau |
bhavanmuurtyaalOke nayanamatha te paadatulasiiparighraaNe
ghraaNaM shravaNamapi te chaarucharite ||
Tamil Transliteration
விதூ₄ய க்லேஶாந்மே குரு சரணயுக்₃மம் த்₄ருதரஸம்
ப₄வத்க்ஷேத்ரப்ராப்தௌ கரமபி ச தே பூஜநவிதௌ₄ |
ப₄வந்மூர்த்யாலோகே நயநமத₂ தே பாத₃துலஸீ-
பரிக்₄ராணே க்₄ராணம் ஶ்ரவணமபி தே சாருசரிதே || 7||
Meaning in English
O Lord! Be graceful to remove all my afflictions so that my two feet will take delight in reaching Thy temple, my hands in performing worship to Thee,my eyes in seeing Thy enchanting form, my nose in enjoying the fragrance of the Tulsi leaves offered at Thy feet and my ears in hearing the stories of Thy glories and great deeds
“The magic of music can bring about that experience of contention-free connectedness to the whole …
I see music as a blessing of Ishvara for the self-conscious, self-judgmental human to survive and experience, for the time being, the reality of the oneness with the total, the Lord, without any qualifications for it.”
Swami Dayanananda Saraswati, the composer thus spoke about music. His compositions have simple, yet soul stirring verses.
Here is one on Lord Rama. My understanding of the composition and translation in Tamil is presented here for the Rama Navami Festival.
Pray the rain bearing cloud coloured Lord Rama Hey mind
Pray the rain bearing cloud coloured Lord Rama by words
Anupallavi
He is the essence of all the Vedas. He is the cause for everything in the Universe.
Charanam 1
Vibheeshana and Anjaneya are delighted by offering their obeisance to his lotus feet.
He is the Vedic heart of Sage Vasishta and other great Seers and Saints
He is the controller in Human form of the seductive Maya. He is the Lord of the three types of bodies of all humans (sthula, sukshma and karana sareera)
Charanam 2
He is blue like a rain bearing cloud. He forever maintains Dharma.
He is the protector of Humans and holds the mighty bow “Kodandam”.
He vanquishes evil forces. He is the one who liberates us from the cycle of birth and death and provides relief from Old age , disease , sorrow and sins.
சிறந்த யோகிகள், முனிவர்கள் போன்றவர்களின் இதயத்தில் என்றும் வசிப்பவளும், வேண்டும் அனைத்துப் பொருட்களையும் தருபவளும், எல்லாவிதமான பூக்களாலும் அழகு பெற்ற திருவடிகளை உடையவளும், நாராயணனாலும் அருச்சிக்கப்பட்டவளும், நாதபிரம்ம உருவானவளும், உயர்ந்ததிலும் உயர்வானவளும், அனைத்துப் பொருட்களிலும் உள்நின்று இயக்குபவளும், கருணைக்கடல் ஆனவளும், பெரும் செல்வம் ஆனவளும் ஆன மீனாட்சியை அடியேன் எப்பொழுதும் வணங்குகிறேன்.
Meaning in English
5.1: Residing within the hearts of various great Yogis and Munis, She bestows various Siddhis (spiritual accomplishments),
5.2: Her Lotus Feet adorned with various Flowers (of Devotion of Devotees) is adored by Narayana Himself (Who is fond of Pure Devotion),
5.3: She is the embodiment of Nada Brahman, beyond all Existences, pervading everything as their innermost Soul (i.e. innermost Essence),
5.4: (Meditating on Her within the heart) I Bow down again and again to Devi Meenakshi, Who is an Ocean of Compassion.
O Lord! devotion to Thee is sweet right from the beginning because of Thy glorious attributes. When such devotion becomes intense, it removes all sorrows of the devotee. At the final stage of devotion, the devotee experiences pure absolute Bliss coupled with knowledge of the Self. What more is there for one to seek !
சுந்தரேசருடைய நாயகியும், அடியவர்களுடைய பயத்தை நீக்குபவளும், அடியவர்களுக்கு பேரறிவை (ஞானத்தை) நல்குபவளும், குறையொன்றும் இல்லாதவளும், கருநீல நிறம் கொண்டவளும், தாமரையில் அமர்ந்திருக்கும் பிரம்மனால் அருச்சிக்கப்பட்ட திருவடிகளை உடையவளும், நாராயணனுடைய தங்கையும், யாழ், குழல், மிருதங்கம் முதலியவற்றின் இசையை இரசிப்பவளும், பல்விதமான உயிர்களுக்கு அன்னையும, கருணைக்கடல் ஆனவளும, பெரும் செல்வம் ஆனவளும் ஆன மீனாட்சியை அடியேன் எப்பொழுதும் வணங்குகிறேன்.
Meaning in English
4.1: (Even though Her infinite Creations and Transformations brings Fear) Seeing Her as the Beautiful Presiding Deity (as the Source of everything), takes away Fear, bestows Knowledge, and makes us Pure,
4.2: (Taking meditative delight in) Her Dark Form, (visualizing) Her Feet being worshipped by the one seated on Lotus (i.e. Brahmadeva), (I worship Her), Who is the younger sister of Sri Narayana,
4.3: She takes delight in various musical instruments like Veena, Venu (Flute) and Mridanga; and assuming various Forms as Mother (She plays Her play of Creations),
4.4: (Seeing Her as the Source behind all) I Bow down again and again to Devi Meenakshi, Who is an Ocean of Compassion.
மறைகல்வி வடிவானவளும், சிவபெருமானின் இடப்பாகத்தில் வசிப்பவளும், ஹ்ரீம் என்ற வித்தெழுத்து மந்திரத்தில் (பீஜாக்ஷர மந்திரம்) ஒளி வீசி இருப்பவளும், ஸ்ரீசக்ரத்தின் நடுவட்டத்தில் வசிப்பவளும், சுந்தரேசுவரனின் சபைக்குத் தலைவியும், ஆறுமுகனான முருகனையும் தடைகளை நீக்கும் விநாயகனையும் பெற்றவளும்; உலகங்களை மயக்குபவளும், கருணைக்கடல் ஆனவளும், பெரும் செல்வம் ஆனவளும் ஆன மீனாட்சியை அடியேன் எப்பொழுதும் வணங்குகிறேன்.
Meaning in English
3.1: (Behind the splendour of Her rising Form is rising the) Sri Vidya shining with the splendour of Hrimkara Mantras, where She is residing as the left-half of Shiva, …
3.2: … within the Bindu, at the center of the Sri Chakra; and presiding over the assembly of Deities (in the Sri Chakra),
3.3: She Who is the Mother of Shanmukha (Sri Muruga) and Vighnaraja (Sri Ganesha), is the Mother of the Universe, Enchanting all (by Her infinite Creations and Transformations),
3.4: (Seeing Her form of Sri Vidya) I Bow down again and again to Devi Meenakshi, Who is an Ocean of Compassion.
என்ற கந்த புராணம் உரைத்த, நம்முள்ளே நின்ற ஆதி அந்தமிலா அந்த மெய்ப்பொருளை உணர்ந்திட, நாம் முதலில் ஈசனை பக்தியுடன் அடிபணிய வேண்டும் என்பதில் எந்த ஐயமுமில்லை.
காட்டானை மேலேறிக் கடைத்தெருவே போகையிலே
நாட்டார் நமை மறித்து நகை புரியப் பார்ப்பரன்றோ
நாட்டார் நமை மறித்து நகை புரியப் பாரத்தாலும்
காட்டானை மேலேறி என் கண்ணம்மா கண் குளிரப் பாரேனோ
என்று ஒரு சித்தர் அருமையான கவியில் விளக்குகிறார். காட்டான் என்றால் தன் இருப்பை உணரக் காட்டிக் கொள்ளாதவன், உருவமற்றவன் என்று ஒரு பொருள். இத்தகைய காட்டான் எனும் உருவமற்ற நிலை, பேரியக்க மண்டலம் முழுவதும் நிறைந்து இறைவனாகவும், ஒவ்வொறு சீவனிலும் அறிவாகவும் உள்ளது. எனவே காட்டான் என்ற சொல் அறிவையும் குறிக்கும்.
காட்டான் எனும் அறிவு, காட்டான் எனும் பரம்பொருளை உணர்ந்து அதனோடு இணைய முயலும் போது, நாம் நாடி பற்று கொண்டு அனுபவித்த வினைப் பதிவுகள் எல்லாம் நாட்டாரென நமை மறித்து நகையும். அந்நாட்டாரை நாம், வினைத்தூய்மை, மனத்தூய்மை இவற்றால் நீக்கிவிட்டு காட்டானை (அறிவு) ஏறி, காட்டானை (இறைதனை) கண் குளிரப் பாரேனோ என சித்தர் கூறுகிறார்.
அவன் அடி பணிந்து பக்தியுடன் உருகி வேண்டினால் கருணைக் கடலாம் கருணாகரன், நமது அறியாமையை அகற்றிட அருள் புரிவான்.
Sivananda Lahari literally means a torrential wave of Bliss (Ananda) from Shiva). It is a devotional hymn that consists of one hundred stanzas of poetry in various metres in Sanskrit. It was composed by Adi Shankaracharya, the greatest philosopher, saint and exponent of Advaita Vedanta. It is believed that this hymn was composed by Shankara while staying in Srisailam, a pilgrimage town, in Kurnool District of Andhra Pradesh.
Shankara packs the Shivananda Lahari with ardent emotional fervor of devotion together with a spontaneous poetic elegance. It is nothing but Shankara’s experiences of Oneness with the Ultimate Reality passed on to us as a hymn. There is a Spirit who is hidden in all things, as cream is in milk and who is the source of all knowledge and self-sacrifice. This is Brahman, the spirit Supreme. This is exactly what Adi Shankara saw in the woods of SriSailam. He always felt that God resides in him and imagined that He is present wherever he went and in whatever actions he performed. He sees his mind as a monkey, a Swan, a peacock, a Jacobean Cuckoo, a ruddy goose, a pheasant etc and sees God in the blue sky, dark clouds, Sun, moon, rain, spring, autumn etc. He visualizes God as a thief, a hunter, a Lion, a flower, a bird, a Yogi and a friend etc.
Affectionate mental disposition, purity of thoughts, effective mind control and constant communication through meditation are the essence of devotion (Bhakti) that the great Acharya brings out in Shivananda Lahari for Seekers like us to understand and practice in our daily life..
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Product details
ASIN : B09CK8MZM8
Publisher : Independently published (August 14, 2021)
Language : English
Paperback : 331 pages
ISBN-13 : 979-8455969140
This book is a humble attempt to provide the Slokas in Sanskrit, their transliterations in English, word by word meaning in English and the translations in English and Tamil. It should be noted that the translations are not in the same metre as the original and the translations are not in poetic form either. The Sanskrit words and their transliterations have not been standardised in this book; however the intended meaning has been kept intact.
Prabhu's Ponder 