Let everyone fan the goddess with the bushy tail of the yak and instantly cool her off. Let devotion and worship increase amongst even ignorant people.

Charanam

Lord Siva who adorns the moon and a snake, burnt the demigod of Love Manmatha so that he was not distracted by lust. Thus, he eliminated any stray thoughts of physical love during his meditation. Devoid of any confusion or perplexity and with a singular focus on Lord Siva, the Goddess of Thiripuram matched his intensity and did severe penance amidst a burning fire. Oh, Mother Goddess, please bless us so that our tongue does not forget, and instead constantly chants your divine name and glory.

Author’s Note

The song is extolling Kamakshi amman in Mangadu near Chennai. The charanam lines refer to the severe penance that Goddess Kamakshi undertook sitting in the middle of five flames, thinking only about Lord Siva. For details see:

Goddess Kamakshi’s Penance

The reasoning for the penance

The intensity of the heat was felt by the residents of the area for a long time as Devi did not quench the flames when she went to Kanchi, per the suggestions from Siva. Adisankara who came by foot to the Mangadu area installed the Srichakram here and gradually the heat subsided. This and other details of how Ambal performed the penance over the flame are described in:

மாங்காடு அம்மன் அறுசுவை, ஸ்தல வரலாறு, பாடல்கள், வழிமுறைகள், அம்மன் சத்தியநாதன், K.M. சாமி ஐயர், அருள்மிகு அம்மன் பதிப்பகம், 212 ராயப்பேட்டை நெடுஞ்சாலை (அஜந்தா ஹோட்டல் எதிரில்), ராயப்பேட்டை, சென்னை 600014, பதின்மூன்றாம் பதிப்பு, செப்டம்பர் 1992, பக்கம் 8-11.

kaRchilai endRAlum

கற்சிலை என்றாலும்

Pallavi

கற்சிலை என்றாலும் உளம் குளிரும்

kaRchilai endRAlum uLam kuLirum

பொற்சிலை நீயல்லவோ தாயே

poRchilai nIyallavO thAyE

Anupallavi

சாந்த துர்க்கை என்றழைப்பதும் அம்பிகே

sAntha dhurgai endRazhaippadhum ambikE

பாந்தமான பெயரல்லவோ

pAnthamAna peyarallavO

Charanam

சுந்தர வடிவமும் சினம் தணிந்த விழிகளும்

sundhara vadivamum sinam thaNindha vizhigaLum

அந்தரர் போற்றும் மாண்பும் அன்பர்க்கருள்

andharar pOtRum mANbum anbarkkaruL

கரகமலமும் கலியின் வலியால் நலியும் ஜீவனின்

karakamalamum kaliyin valiyAl naliyum jIvanin

கருவாசம் நீக்கிடும் தாய்மனமும் ஒருசேரும் திருவே

karuvAsam nIkkidum thAymanamum orusErum thiruvE

Translation

Pallavi

Even if you are just a stone statue standing here, Mother, are you not the golden idol that leaves a devotee’s heart cool and satisfied?

Anupallavi

Oh Goddess, is it not apt to address you as Santha Durgai when looking at your image?

Charanam

You are the definition of charm, eyes devoid of even a trace of anger, greatness that even celestials worship, soft lotus hands that offer blessings to devotees, mother’s instincts that (out of infinite compassion) clear the birth cycle of devotees suffering the torture of Kaliyuga.

Author’s Note

This song is an appreciation of the beauty of Shantha Durga Devi in the temple located 33 kilometers from Panajim, Goa. This is an exquisite temple with a beautiful idol of Durga Devi who mediated between Vishnu and Siva in their fierce war and stopped it per the temple legend. Devi’s idol is flanked on either side by tiny images of Siva and Vishnu. The anupallavi of this song and the charanam line “அந்தரர் போற்றும் மாண்பும் (andharar potRum mANbum)” allude to this peace negotiation. The temple legend and history are provided in the following links.

Shantha Durga Devi Temple Legend

Temple History and Description

manthahAsini

மந்தஹாசினி

Pallavi

மந்தஹாசினி மகிஷ மர்த்தினி

manthahAsini magisha marddhini

மகேஸ்வரி மனதில் உறுதி தா நீ

magEswari manadhil uRudhi thA nI

Anupallavi

ஒலியில் ஓங்காரிணி வலியில் சம்ஹாரிணி

oliyil OngkAriNi valiyil samhArini

கலியில் அல்லலுறும் எந்தன் நலிவு நீக்கியே

kaliyil allaluRum endhan nalivu nIkkiyE

Charanam

ஆறுமுகனை அஞ்ஞானம் களைந்த சாமிநாதனை

Arumuganai anyAnam kaLaindha sAminAdhanai

மாறுருவாக்கிய மலர்க்கரங்களால் அணைத்திடு

mARuruvAkkiya malarkkarangaLal aNaitthidu

மாதவ முனிவரும் நாடிடும் மங்கள ரூபிணி

mAthava munivarum nAdidum mangaLa rUpiNi

சதா உனை நினைந்திட வரமீந்திடு சாம்பவி

sadhA unai ninaindhida varamIndhidu sAmbavi

Translation

Pallavi

Oh, Goddess Mageswari with the charming smile, the one who vanquished the demon Mahishasura, please bless me with courage in my heart.

Anupallavi

You are the primordial sound; you possess abundant strength to destroy all evil. Please remove all my troubles and the tortures of this time (kaliyuga).

Charanam

Please hug me with your divine, flower-like hands that transformed Lord Arumuga at birth into a six-faced god. You are sought out by saints who have performed great penance and are a personification of auspiciousness. Goddess Sambavi, please grant my wish to immerse in your thoughts.

Author’s Note

The charanam of this song alludes to Goddess Parvathi hugging the six children who were born out of the sparks from Lord Siva’s eye. Siva and Parvathi anxiously hurry to see the babies in the pond. Once they reach the Saravana lake, Parvathi is overcome with joy and emotion. She takes all six babies in her divine hands and hugs them. The six babies are instantly transformed into a single radiant child with six faces and twelve hands. The details of this transformation of the six babies are portrayed in Skandapuranam.

ஶ்ரீ கந்த புராணம், முதல் பாகம், பதிப்பாசிரியர் அரு. ராமநாதன், பிரேமா பிரசுரம், 35 ஆற்காடு ரோடு, கோடம்பாக்கம், சென்னை 600024, தொலைபேசி 420325, ஆறாம் பதிப்பு, ஏப்ரல் 1990, ஆறுமுகன் ஓர் உருவமான கதை, பக்கம் 128-130.

pongidum mangaLam

பொங்கிடும் மங்களம்

Pallavi

பொங்கிடும் மங்களம் தந்தருள்வாய் அம்பிகே ஶ்ரீ லலிதே

pongidum mangaLam thandharuLvAy ambikE srI lalithE

கிங்கிணி ஓசையுடனே எங்கும் நிறைந்த ஈஸ்வரியே வந்தருள்வாய்

kingkiNi OsaiyudanE engum niRaindha IswariyE vandharuLvAy

Anupallavi

வானினும் உயர்ந்தே நின்றிட அறிவும் திறனும்

vAninum uyarndhE nindRida aRivum thiRanum

வீணா கானமும் பல்கலையும் நல்கிடுவாய் நாமகளே

vINA gAnamum palkalaiyum nalgiduvAy nAmagaLE

எழிலே உருவான அலைமகளே கோமளவல்லியே

ezhilE uruvAna alaimagaLE kOmaLavalliyE

நெல்லிக்கனி ஒன்றினுக்கீடாய் பொன் மழை பொழிந்தாற் போல்

nellikkani ondRinukkIdAy pon mazhai pozhindhAR pOl

Charanam

கனலினை அணைத்திட சரவணமாய் நின்ற சியாமளே

kanalinai aNaitthida saravaNamAy nindRa syAmaLE

மூன்றுருவும் ஒருங்கிணைந்தே சர்வ சக்தி ரூபமாய்

mUndRuruvum orungiNaindhE sarva sakthi rUpamAy

நின்றே மகிஷனை மாய்த்தும் காலிடை கொண்ட காருண்ய ஜோதியே

nindRE magishanai mAytthum kAlidai koNda kAruNya jOthiyE

பதகமலம் பிடித்தே பாரெலாம் உய்ந்திட திடசித்தியுடனே

padhakamalam piditthE pArelAm uyndhida dhidasiddhiyudanE

Translation

Pallavi

Goddess Sri Lalitha, please bless us with prosperity. Oh, omnipresent goddess, please rush to us with the melodic sound of your swaying anklet and bestow your compassion.

Anupallavi

Goddess of knowledge, please enable us to stand as tall as the sky with intellect, skills, musical knowledge of the veena (string instrument), and mastery of several arts. Oh, beautiful goddess Komalavalli, who sprung from the ocean’s waves, please bless us with prosperity – just as you once showered gold, overwhelmed by the offer of a tiny gooseberry fruit by a poor devotee.

Charanam

Oh, Goddess of energy & tranquility, you took the form of the Saravana pond to hug the fire that emanated from the third eye of Lord Siva, causing the birth of Muruga. You stood combining the persona of all three divine forms together with infinite strength. You are the shining source of compassion, keeping even the evil Mahishasura under your divine feet after killing his evil mind. Bless all the people of the world, who have surrendered under your lotus feet, with willpower & eternal auspiciousness.

Author’s Note

Ambal Sri Lalitha is considered a combination of the three female goddesses: Saraswathi, Parvathi, and Lakshmi, per Hindu mythology, and the poet has espoused this idea in this song.

The charanam of this song includes the story of Parvathi absorbing Lord Siva’s sparks in the form of a mystical body of water called the Saravana pond. The sparks became six babies, which she hugged all together and transformed them into one form with six faces and twelve hands named Arumuga.

Six babies transformed into Arumuga

Parvathi’s body is the Saravana pond that accepted Siva’s six sparks. Parasakthi is the only one that could accept that kind of heat. Agni, Vayu, and the Ganges that carried the sparks struggled hard and then dropped and deposited them in the divine pond. This idea is derived from Mahaperiyava’s discussions. For details see:

தெய்வத்தின் குரல், ஜகத்குரு ஶ்ரீகாஞ்சி காமகோடி பீடாதீச்வர ஶ்ரீசந்திரசேகரேந்திர சரஸ்வதி சங்கராசாரிய ஸ்வாமிகளின்அருள்வாக்குகள், முதற் பகுதி, வானதி பதிப்பகம், 13 தீனதயாளு தெரு, தி.நகர், சென்னை – 17, ஒன்பதாம் பதிப்பு டிசம்பர்1992, பக்கங்கள் 672-673.

The charanam also has another legend associated with Goddess Lakshmi showering gold onto a poor lady who could only offer a gooseberry to Adisankara when he went to her home for alms. The young sanyasi burst out into Kanakadhara stotram, singing the praise of Lakshmi and pleading with the goddess to help the poor lady. The following link provides details of the compassionate act of the goddess.

Gooseberry and gold shower

sathi avathAramE

சதி அவதாரமே

Pallavi

சதி அவதாரமே சர்வசக்தி ஸ்வரூபமே பர

sathi avathAramE sarvasakthi swarUpamE para

ப்ரம்மம் தனைச் சார்ந்த ப்ரம்மசாரிணியே

brahmmam thanaich chArndha brahmmachAriNiyE

Anupallavi

இமவான் தனயே ராஜபோகம் துறந்தே

imavAn thanayE rAjabhogam thuRandhE

சதாசிவனிடம் ஒருமனதாய் உறைந்த

sadhAsivanidam orumanadhAy uRaindha

Charanam

நாரதன் கூற்றினை ஏற்று ஊணுறவு விடுத்து

nAradhan kUtRinai EtRu UNuRavu vidutthu

கரமதில் கமண்டலமும் ஜபமாலையும் தரித்து

karamadhil kamaNdalamum japamAlaiyum dharitthu

வெண்துகில் உடுத்து கடுந்தவம் புரிந்த கன்னியே

veNthugil udutthu kadundhavam purindha kanniyE

உள்ள உரமும் இகபர சுகமும் அருளவா தேவி

uLLa uramum igapara sugamum aruLavA dhEvi

Note: Last line charanam word சுகமும் (sugamum) may be replaced with இசையும் (isaiyum). Here the replaced word would mean fame or repute.

Translation

Pallavi

You are the incarnation of Siva’s consort Sati, the personification of all energies, and a celibate who finally attained reunion with Lord Siva.

Anupallavi

You are the daughter of the mountain king, Himavan. You renounced all the luxuries of a royal life and lived with a wholehearted focus to attain proximity to Siva.

Charanam

You listened to the words of wisdom from Sage Narada, giving up food and detaching from your relatives. You courted a simple life with a mendicant’s waterpot in one hand and a garland of sacred beads in another. You adorned a white saree and performed severe penance like a saint with only thoughts of Siva in your mind. Oh Devi, please come to bless us with a strong mind and happiness in this life and in the future.

Author’s Note

This song was written for the rendition by Smt. Asha Ramesh on the second night of Navarathri in 2021 on a videocast, organized by a Bay Area volunteer.

This song is in praise of Goddess Sati/Parvathi in deep penance with a single goal of attaining Siva after her immolation in the pyre of Daksha’s yagna. The penance was very harsh, She initially lived on fruits and vegetables then switched to dry leaves (hence the name Aparna). Later, she simply turned to air for sustenance. This is the figure or roopam of Devi that is worshipped on the second day of Navaratri. For details see:

Story of Brahmacharini Devi

Brahmacharini Slokas

Brahmacharini Prayers and Benefits

rAja rAjEswari

ராஜ ராஜேஸ்வரி

Pallavi

ராஜ ராஜேஸ்வரி ராகேந்து வதனி

rAja rAjEswari rAkEndhu vadhani

ரம்ய ஸ்வரூபிணி ராஜபோக தாயினி

ramya swarUpiNi rAjabhOga dhAyini

Anupallavi

ரகுகுலன் சோதரி ராகுகால நாயகி

ragukulan sOdhari rAgukAla nAyaki

ரதிபதி பாலினி ராம நாம ஸ்தாபினி

rathipathi pAlini rAma nAma sthApini

Charanam

பதறிய பாலகனுக்கு பாலமுதீந்த பாவையே

padhaRiya bAlaganukku pAlamudhIndha pAvaiyE

கதறிய காமன் துணைக்கு புனர்வாழ்வீந்த பூவையே

kadhaRiya kAman thuNaikku punarvAzhvIndha pUvaiyE

உமிழ்நீரால் ஊமைக்கு வாக்கருளிய வனிதையே

umizhnIrAl Umaikku vAkkaruLiya vanidhaiyE

நாவினில் மூகபஞ்சசதி நிலைத்த காமாக்ஷி அன்னையே

nAvinil mUkapanchasathi nilaittha kAmAkshi annaiyE

Translation

Pallavi

Goddess Raja Rajeswari, your face is as bright as the moon. You are the embodiment of charm and bestow luxuries to your devotees.

Anupallavi

You are the sister of Sri Rama, born of the solar dynasty. You are the chief of the period known as Rahu kaalam, dominated by planet Rahu. You protected Manmatha, the darling of the damsel Rathi. You have established the greatness of Lord Rama’s name.

Charanam

You are the divine one that offered the milk of knowledge to the crying baby Gnanasambandar. You gave a second chance at life to Cupid’s lamenting wife, Rathi.

You gave a speech to the nonverbal Mooka Sankara when he tasted the Tambulam (a mix of betel leaves, areca nut, and quicklime offered to a deity after worship) that was offered to you. You are the Mother Kamakshi who gave sacred knowledge to this devotee to spontaneously and synchronously compose 500 verses of Mooka Panchasathi.

Author’s Note

This song relates to several puranic stories. The second lines of Anupallavi & Charanam refer to Lord Siva burning Manmatha to ashes and Goddess Parvathi restoring his life. This is elaborated on by Mahaperiyava in his discourses. For details, see:

தெய்வத்தின் குரல், முதற் பகுதி, ஜகத்குரு ஶ்ரீ காஞ்சி காமகோடி பீடாதீச்வர ஶ்ரீ சந்திரசேகரேந்திர சரஸ்வதி சங்கராசாரிய ஸ்வாமிகளின் அருள்வாக்குகள், வானதி பதிப்பகம், 13 தீனதயாளு தெரு, தி. நகர்,சென்னை-17, ஒன்பதாம் பதிப்பு: டிசம்பர் 1992, காமாக்ஷியின் சரிதை, பக்கம் 823-837.

The anupallavi line “ ராமநாம ஸ்தாபினி (rAmanama sthApini)" is the author’s interpretation of the following story:

Lord Shiva once preached the greatness of Sri Rama to Sati and the reasons why he worshiped Rama each day. When they took a stroll through the forest later, Sati saw Rama yelling Sita’s name to the trees, bushes, and animals, as he looked for his abducted wife. Sati thought that he was an emotional or even crazy human, and decided to test his powers. Sati then played a trick, appearing before Rama disguised as Sita. Rama bowed to her and asked prophetically whether an opportune moment had come for her to be alone. Subsequently, Sati went through self-immolation in the Daksha yagna pyre. She had to be born again to wed Lord Shiva. She then realized the greatness of Rama and his nama.

Reference is made to Sivapuranam 2.2.25 and Ramacharitmanas 1.51 for details. Also see:

சிவபுராணம், எழுதியவர்: கார்த்திகேயன், பதிப்பகத்தார்: கிரி டிரேடிங் ஏஜென்ஸி, இரண்டாம் மறு அச்சு பிப்ரவரி 2000, பக்கம் 350 – 353.

Please refer to the book “The Shiva Purana” by J.L Shastri (1950) Chapter 24 -Sati’s test of Rama’s divinity. The original source for the book is from the link provided below:

Sati Tests Rama’s Divinity

The charanam line 1 refers to Parvathi offering the milk of knowledge to the crying baby resulting in the baby’s enlightenment. For details, see:

திருஞானசம்பந்த நாயனார் புராணம் in பெரியபுராணம், 64-வது நாயனார் தெய்வத்திரு திருமுருக கிருபானந்த வாரியார் சுவாமிகள், வெளியீடு குகஶ்ரீ வாரியார் பதிப்பகம், 107 சிங்கண்ண தெரு, சிந்தாதிரிப்பேட்டை, சென்னை 600002, தொலைபேசி 8535666, முதல் பதிப்பு செப்டம்பர் 2000, பக்கம் 422-427.

The charanam lines 3 and 4 refer to the story of His Holiness Mooka Sankarendra Saraswathy (398 AD – 437 AD), the 20th Acharya to head Sri Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam,who could not hear or speak from birth. His parents used to leave him in the Goddess Kamakshi temple in Kancheepuram, and he used to spend hours looking at her eyes and eating prasadams offered by the priests. One day he had the Ucchishta of Ambal. In other words he tasted the Tambulam offered to Ambal. He then spontaneously recited the Mooka Pancha Shati. For more details, see the following links:

The speech-impaired Muka Sankara spontaneously rendered 500 Slokas

தெய்வத்தின் குரல், முதற் பகுதி, ஜகத்குரு ஶ்ரீ காஞ்சி காமகோடி பீடாதீச்வர ஶ்ரீ சந்திரசேகரேந்திர சரஸ்வதி சங்கராசாரிய ஸ்வாமிகளின் அருள்வாக்குகள், வானதி பதிப்பகம், 13 தீனதயாளு தெரு, தி.நகர்.,சென்னை-17, ஒன்பதாம் பதிப்பு: டிசம்பர் 1992, கறுப்பும் சிவப்புமான காமாக்ஷி, பக்கம் 796-8

thanjam endRu vandhEn

தஞ்சம் என்று வந்தேன்

Pallavi

தஞ்சம் என்று வந்தேன் கற்பகமே

thanjam endRu vandhEn kaRpagamE

நெஞ்சம் நெகிழ அபயஹஸ்தம் தருவாய்

nenjam negizha abayahastham tharuvAy

Anupallavi

கறைகண்டன் கனிவோடு காணும் கல்யாணியே

kaRaikaNtan kanivOdu kANum kalyANiyE

கரைந்தே உருகி தீனரை ஆதரிப்பாய்

karaindhE urugi dhInarai AdharippAy

Charanam

மாமயிலாய் வந்த மாதவன் சோதரியே

mAmayilAy vandha mAdhavan sOdhariyE

மாமணிகள் அறுபத்து மூவரும் பணிந்த

mAmaNigaL aRupatthu mUvarum paNindha

மானவர் பாலினியே ஆம்பல் மலர்

mAnavar pAliniyE Ambal malar

மாவெழில் மயிலையின் மாதுமை மாண்பே

mAvezhil mayilaiyin mAdhumai mANbE

Translation

Pallavi

I came to seek refuge in you, Goddess Karpagambika. Please offer me your blessings with a compassionate heart.

Anupallavi

You are the auspicious one whom Lord Siva looks at with love. Your darling Siva got his neck stained blue when he drank poison to save the universe.

Charanam

You, the sister of Madhava, came as a peacock to this sacred shrine. You are the goddess that the sixty-three Saivite saints worshipped and the protector of all celestial beings. You are the great Goddess Uma of Mylapore, that picturesque town where water-lilies bloom.

Author’s Note

The charanam of this song tells the story of Goddess Uma coming to earth as a peacock in present-day Mylapore. The sthalapuranam of Kapaleeswarar temple in Mylapore provides details about Devi’s arrival in Mylapore and about Lord Siva coming to marry her as Karpagavalli.

Kapaleeswarar Temple Sthalapuranam

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