Miscellaneous
Miscellaneous
Pallavi
சீரடி பாதையிலே சென்றிட வேண்டுமென்று
sIradi pAdhaiyilE sendRida vEndumendRu
சிருடி ஈசன் பதமலர் வருடி(யே) சரணடைந்திடு
sirudi Isan padhamalar varudi(yE) saraNadaindhidu
Anupallavi
மெல்லிய பாதத்தை நீ பற்றிடும் போது
melliya pAdhatthai nI patRidum pOdhu
துல்லியமாகவே உன் துயர் பறந்திடும் பாரு
thulliyamAgavE un thuyar paRandhidum pAru
Charanam
ஆருக்கு என்ன குறையென்று அறிந்தேயுன்
Arukku enna kuRaiyendRu aRindhEyun
பேருக்கு வருமிடரை தீர்க்க வல்லான்
pErukku varumidarai thIrkka vallAn
நேருக்கு நேர் நின்று கலி நீக்கிடுவான் அவன்
nErukku nEr nindRu kali nIkkiduvAn avan
சீருக்கு இணை இல்லை என்றுணர்ந்த பின்னே
sIrukku iNai illai endRuNarndha pinnE
Translation
Pallavi
Devotees, take refuge in massaging the Shirdi Lord’s (Sai Baba) feet to walk the righteous path.
Anupallavi
Look at how all your troubles fly away when you hold his divine feet.
Charanam
He is fully capable, with his foresight, of clearing all the troubles that befall every person. He will face your impending obstacles in troubled times and destroy them. After you learn that there is no comparison to his greatness, take refuge.
Pallavi
குண்டு மல்லியும் குங்குமச் சிமிழும் கற்பூர மணமும்
gundu malliyum kungumach chimizhum kaRpUra maNamum
காஞ்சி பட்டும் கபாலி கோயிலும் ஒருசேர மயிலாபுரி பாருங்கோ
kAnchi pattum kapAli kOyilum orusEra mayilApuri pArungO
Anupallavi
முத்து வளையலும் தங்க நகையும் சித்திடை மாதரும் சுத்தமாக
mutthu vaLaiyalum thanga nagaiyum sitthidai mAdharum sutthamAga
கத்து இசைக்கும் கர்நாடக பாடலும் காளத்தி கடையும்
katthu isaikkum karnAtaka pAdalum kALatthi kadaiyum
Charanam
குளக்கரையில் வரிசை வரிசையாய் அடுக்கிய
kuLakkaraiyil varisai varisaiyAy adukkiya
காய்கறிகளும் ஓதும் வேதியர் முழக்கும் வெள்ளீஸ்வரர்
kAykaRigaLum Odhum vEdhiyar muzhakkum veLLIswarar
சந்நிதியும் வாசனை மலரும் பூசனை பொருளும்
sannidhiyum vAsanai malarum pUsanai poruLum
அன்னை கற்பகமும் அறுபத்து மூவரும்
annai kaRpagamum arupatthu mUvarum
முத்துக்குமரனும் முண்டகக்கண்ணியும் வில்போல் புருவத்து
mutthukkumaranum muNdagakkaNNiyum vilpOl puruvatthu
அழகு மாதர் பழகு பரதமும் தீஞ்சுவைப் புகையும்
azhagu mAdhar pazhagu bharathamum thInjuvaip pugaiyum
Translation
Pallavi
Please come and see Mylapore. Witness everything it has to offer such as rounded jasmines, tiny caskets loaded with vermilion, the aroma of camphor, kancheepuram silks, and Kapaleeswarar temple.
Anupallavi
In Mylapore, you will find pearl bangles, gold jewelry, lovely slender ladies, Carnatic songs rendered after intense training and the age-old Kalathi shop.
Charanam
There are rows of decoratively arranged vegetables near the tank, and you will hear the chantings of scriptures by the brahmins or priests. You will find the veLLIswarar shrine, fragrant flowers, articles of worship, mother Karpagambika, sixty-three Saivite saints, Lord Muthu Kumaran or Muruga, Goddess Mundagakkanni, practices of Bharatanatyam by beautiful ladies with arched eyebrows, and clouds of smoke carrying the delicate flavors of cuisine rampant in the air. Please come to Mylapore and witness everything it has to offer.
Author’s Note
This is a song extolling and detailing the elegance of Mylapore, Chennai (around the famous Kapaleeswarar temple) with its shops selling everything from fragrant jasmines to exquisite Kancheepuram silk sarees. In Mylapore you will find musicians and dancers practicing the divine art forms with chants in the background of scriptures or vedas by the practitioners, and the sacred temples and festivities related to them. This poet has frequented the Kalathi store for its flavorful rose milk and the store has even become a landmark for Mylapore, surrounded by fabulous eateries and unforgettable aromas in the air. This poet is eternally addicted to the charm of this place and has remained so despite living far away for so long.
Pallavi
மதம் பலவென்று மடியும் நாளினிலே மனதில்
madham palavendRu madiyum nALinilE manadhil
இதம் தரவெனவே வந்த ஷிரிடி சாமியே தவசரணம்
idham tharavenavE vandha shiridi sAmiyE dhava charaNam
Anupallavi
அகமதில் ஒளி தந்து மகேசனாய் மாதவனாய்
agamadhil oLi thandhu magEsanAy mAdhavanAy
மஹமதாய் மாறி அருள் தந்த மாநிதியே சரணடைந்தோம்
mahamadhAy mARi aruL thandha mAnidhiyE charaNadaindhOm
Charanam
சிறுதொகை ஈந்தவர்க்கும் சீரான வாழ்வமைத்த
siRuthogai Indhavarkkum sIrAna vAzhvamaittha
பெருந்தகையே உன் கைத்திறனால் உடலினில்
perundhagaiyE un kaitthiRanAl udalinil
உத்தி பட்டால் போன உயிரே உடன் வந்து சேரும் நீரால்
udi pattAl pOna uyirE udan vandhu sErum nIrAl
ஊதி அணைக்கவல்ல விளக்கேற்றிய உத்தமனே தாள் போற்றி
Udhi aNaikkavalla viLakkEtRiya utthamanE thAL pOtRi
Translation
Pallavi
Lord of Shirdi, during the days when people fought about religion and died, you came as a calming spirit and I prostrated unto thee.
Anupallavi
We surrendered in you, the greatest treasure of the world, who gave radiance to our thoughts, transformed yourself as Siva, Vishnu, and Muhammad, and conferred grace on us.
Charanam
You are a broad-minded, gentle spirit that gave a fabulous life even to those who gave a small financial donation. When the sacred ash from your hands is smeared, a dead body will come alive instantly. Oh, great soul, we worship your feet, you who made a lamp burn with mere water.
Author’s Note
This song exalts the glory of the religious ascetic who lived around 1838-1918. He is accepted and worshipped by both Hindu and Muslim religions (Anupallavi suggests this unity aspect and how everyone saw in him either Siva/ Vishnu or prophet Muhammed). He lived wholly on alms and renounced everything. He lived and preached in Shirdi in Maharashtra.
Line 1 of the Charanam refers to Sai Baba’s compassion to his followers. Sai Baba had blessed devotees thronging the masjid offering monetary donations or only fruits, vegetables, oil, dry wood, etc. On occasion, Sai Baba used to demand money from certain individuals to test their devotion. However, any one who laid their foot in Shirdi had a peaceful and prosperous life as he took away their sufferings. For more details, see:
Shri Sai Satcharita, The Wonderful Life and Teachings of Shri Sai Baba, adapted from the original Marathi book by Govind Raghunath Dabholkar alias “Hemadpant” in English by Nagesh Vasudev Gunaji, Published by: Shri J.M. Sasane, Chairman, Shri Sai Baba Sansthan Trust, Shirdi, P.O. Shirdi, Dist. Ahmednagar, 22nd Edition 2009, 260 pages.
Lines 2 and 3 of the charanam refer to the miraculous acts of the saint. There was a patient who suffered from a seemingly incurable tubercular bone abscess (at that time), where physicians had tried different medicaments and surgeries and did not know of any other alternate approaches. They visited the divine presence of Sai Baba and he recommended rubbing Udi at the disease site, which led to miraculous results and the patient came back to functional status within a short time. Udi is the sacred ash prasadam offered to devotees in the Shirdi temples. Chapter 34 of Shri Sai Satcharita lists several such instances.
Line 4 of the charanam also refers to a mystical act performed by the ascetic. Sai Baba used to burn oil in earthenware lamps in masjid and temples, and depended on the kind hearts of local Shirdi shopkeepers to donate small amounts of oil. At some point in time, mean hearts took over and the grocers declined such generosities. One night, Baba lit the lamps simply with water and burnt the lights overnight. The grocers realized his divinity and fell at his feet. For details, see Chapter V of the above referenced book, Shri Sai Satcharita.