Ganesha

chathur maRai (viruttham)

சதுர் மறை (விருத்தம்)

sankaran maindhanE

சங்கரன் மைந்தனே

chathur maRai (viruttham)

சதுர் மறை (விருத்தம்)

Ragam: Bhoopalam

சதுர் மறை நாயகன் சங்கரி பாலன்

chathur maRai nAyakan sankari bAlan

சமரினில் வித்தகன் சதாசிவ நேயன்

samarinil vitthagan sadhAsiva nEyan

சர்வமும் சமம் என நோக்கிடும் செங்கோலன்

sarvamum samam ena nOkkidum sengkOlan

சகல பாப நாசகன் சரண் எனில் அரண் அவன்

sakala pApa nAsakan saraN enil araN avan

Translation

He is the chief of four vedas or scriptures, son of Goddess Sankari.

Expert in warfare; adores Lord Sadhasiva.

Everything is looked at as equal in his kingdom.

Destroyer of every evil deed; Becomes a fortress with just the utterance of surrender.

சங்கரன் மைந்தனே

sankaran maindhanE

Ragam: Thilang Talam: Adi

Pallavi

சங்கரன் மைந்தனே சங்கடம் களைவோனே

sankaran maindhanE sankatam kaLaivOnE

ஐங்கர வேந்தனே வந்தருள் தந்திடுக

aingkara vEndhanE vandharuL thandhiduga

Anupallavi

அருகம்புல் கொண்டு அருமருந்தளித்த அமரா

arugampul kondu arumarundhaLittha amarA

தீங்கருகல் மோதகச் சுவை உணர்த்திய இறையே

thIngkarugal mOdhagach chuvai uNartthiya iRaiyE

பர்வத குமரி உடல் காப்பினின்று உதித்தவனே

parvadha kumari udal kAppinindRu udhitthavanE

தெருமுனை நின்றும் வருவினை தவிர்ப்பவனே

therumunai nindRum varuvinai thavirppavanE

Charanam

ப்ரம்மாதி தேவர் தொழும் இறையே என்

brahmmAdhi dhEvar thozhum iRaiyE en

துங்க கரி முகத்து தூமணியே

thunga kari mugatthu thUmaNiyE

சுண்டெலி மீது ஏறி மண்டலி பைய வந்திடும் மாண்போனே

suNdeli mIdhu ERi maNdali paiya vandhidum mANbOnE

உடைந்த தந்தம் கொண்டும் உயரிய காவியம் சமைத்தவனே

udaindha thandham koNdum uyariya kAviyam samaitthavanE

சிறுமை என்று ஒன்றுமில்லை என உலகோர்க்கு

siRumai endRu ondRumillai ena ulagOrkku

பெருமை புகட்டிய சீரே இணையடி சரணம்

perumai pugattiya sIrE iNaiyadi saranam

Translation

Pallavi

You are the son of Lord Sankara, the remover of obstacles, and a king with five hands. Oh Lord, please come and bless us with your compassion.

Anupallavi

The immortal Lord Ganesha offered the world a rare medicament using a common weed, arugampul. He revealed the delicate taste of a simple caramelized dish, modhakam. He was born from the turmeric paste on the body of Parvathi, the daughter of the mountain king Himavan. Even while standing on a street corner without shelter, He is capable of warding off the evils that may befall His devotees.

Charanam

He is the Lord of Lords, worshipped by all the gods including Brahma. He is my eminent, elephant-faced, precious pearl. This Supreme Lord moves slowly but gracefully toward the ordained altar of worship in His chariot, driven by a tiny mouse. He created the magnificent epic Mahabharata, unbelievably writing the entire text with a single broken tusk. In doing so, He taught humans that nothing in existence is small or insignificant, setting the example through His own actions. We surrender unto His incomparable feet.

Author’s Note

The anupallavi of the song incorporates several legends associated with the life of Ganesha. It extols His glory by illustrating, through examples from His own life, that nothing on earth is small or menial. One such example is the modhakam dish he relishes,  which is a dumpling prepared by steaming an outer shell of rice-flour dough filled with a sweet mixture of grated coconut and jaggery, flavored with cardamom.

Once, Lord Siva granted a boon to the demon Analasura, allowing him to emit fire from his eyes to ensure that no enemy could come near him. Empowered by this boon, Analasura began tormenting the celestials, who then appealed to Ganesha for help. Ganesha assumed His Visvarupam and swallowed Analasura whole. However, the demon continued to hurl fireballs from within Ganesha’s stomach, causing Him excruciating pain. Neither gentle massaging with soft flower petals nor the cooling rays of the moon brought any relief. At last, Sage Kashyapa gathered dry durva grass (Bermuda grass) and offered it to Ganesha. The moment the grass touched His stomach, the agonizing pain disappeared. Relieved, Ganesha declared that He would be pleased by devotees who offered Him a garland of arugampul and that He would bestow His blessings upon them.

For more details see:

Durva grass or arugampul becomes a medicine for Ganesha’s Gastric pain

பிள்ளையார் புராணம், பதிப்பாசிரியர்: லேனா தமிழ்வாணன், எம்.ஏ., மணிமேகலைப் பிரசுரம், தபால் பெட்டி எண்: 1447; 4 தணிகாசலம் சாலை, தியாகராய நகர், சென்னை – 600017, மூன்றாவது பதிப்பு: 1996, பக்கம்: 162 – 165. 

Even the birth of Ganesha is attributed to the turmeric paste that Parvathi applied to her body during her bath. From this paste, she created a young boy and instructed him to stand guard outside her chamber so that no one could enter. When Lord Siva attempted to enter, Ganesha stopped him. Annoyed, Siva severed the boy’s head. Witnessing Parvathi’s grief and hearing the pleas of the other gods, Siva restored the boy to life by placing the head of an elephant upon his body. As atonement, he elevated Ganesha to be the chief of all the ganas—the attendants or spirits that always surround Siva—and ordained that everyone should worship Ganesha before commencing any new undertaking.

Turmeric paste story

The charanam of the song recounts how the great epic Mahabharata came into existence. Sage Vyasa conceived the divine tale of the Pandavas and Kauravas—the rise of enmity between the cousins, the Kurukshetra war, Krishna’s counsel to Arjuna on the battlefield, and the immense destruction that followed. Vyasa invoked Lord Brahma, who advised him to pray to Lord Ganapathy and seek His assistance as a scribe before beginning the work. Vyasa prayed to Ganesha and requested that He write down the verses at the same pace at which they were dictated. The five-handed Ganesha agreed on the condition that Vyasa should not pause or interrupt the narration. Vyasa countered with a condition of his own: that Ganesha should write only after fully understanding each verse. Recognizing the magnitude of the task, Ganesha broke off one of His tusks and used it as a quill, continuing to write tirelessly until the sacred epic was completed. The rest is history.

Ganesha’s broken tusk appears in mythology, notably in the Brahmanda Purana, where He confronts Parasurama. In a fit of anger, Parasurama throws his axe—given to him by Lord Siva—at Ganesha. Rather than evade the weapon and thereby show disrespect to His father, Ganesha received the blow, which broke His tusk. Although Veda Vyasa is traditionally regarded as the author of the Brahmanda Purana, extensive research suggests that multiple authors contributed interpolations and that the text was compiled into its current form much later. It is possible that a scribe from a later puranic period merged this incident with the origin story of the Mahabharata, portraying Ganesha using His broken tusk as a writing instrument.

For details see:

ஶ்ரீ மஹாபாரத ஸாரம், வேதவியாசர் அருளியது, உரை ஆசிரியர் “அண்ணா”, ஶ்ரீராமகிருஷ்ண மடம், மயிலாப்பூர், சென்னை 600004, பதிப்பு 2002 பக்கம் 3. 

Mahabharata, C. Rajagopalachari, Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Kulpati K. M. Munshi Marg, Bombay 400007, 26th Edition 1985, Page 17. 

Encounter between Ganesha and Parasurama

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kamalAlaya karai uRaiyum

கமலாலய கரை உறையும்

Ragam: Nattai Talam: Adi

Pallavi

கமலாலய கரை உறையும் கருணை பொழியும்

kamalAlaya karai uRaiyum karuNai pozhiyum

கயிலாயர் மனங்குளிரும் கஜமுகனே

kayilAyar manangkuLirum gajamukanE

Anupallavi

உருகி வரும் அடியார் இருவினை களைந்தே

urugi varum adiyAr iruvinai kaLaindhE

பெருகி வரும் அருளாலவர் வாழ்வில் மெருகு தரும்

perugi varum aruLAlavar vAzhvil merugu tharum

Charanam

மங்கியதோர் தங்கத்தே மண்ணும் மாசும் 

mangiyadhOr thangatthE maNNum mAsum

தங்கியதால் தரக்குறைவென்று எவர் உரைப்பினும்

thangiyadhAl tharakkuRAivendRu evar uraippinum

உப்பும் உவர் நீரும் இட்டு பொன்னொளி வீச

uppum uvar nIrum ittu ponnoLi vIsa

மட்டுரைத்து மதிப்பினை உயர்த்தி சட்டென மறைந்த

matturaitthu madhippinai uyartthi sattena maraindha 

Translation

Pallavi 

The elephant-faced Lord Ganesha is seated on the banks of the Kamalalaya Tank (pond) at the Thiruvarur Temple. He is the beloved son of Lord Siva.

Anupallavi

You remove the sins of both the present and past lives of your devotees. You bless them with a radiant life and elevate their stature through your boundless compassion.

Charanam

Sundarar, a great devotee of Lord Siva, once received gold coins from the Lord. He dropped them into the river at Virudhachalam and later recovered them from the Kamalalaya Tank at Thiruvarur. Some people, including professional goldsmiths, considered the gold to be of inferior quality because it was coated with soil, dust, and river sludge. However, you cleansed the ornaments by rinsing them with salt and tamarind water, restoring their brilliance and increasing their worth. After helping your father’s ardent devotee and friend Sundarar, you suddenly disappeared from the scene.

Author’s Note

The anupallavi of this song refers to the Vinayagar seated near the Kamalalaya Tank in the Thyagaraja Swami Temple at Thiruvaiyaru.The charanam refers to Vinayaga assessing the quality of the gold that Sundarar received from Lord Siva as Pazhamalainathar in Vriddhakasi (also known as Vriddhachalam or Thirumudukundram). According to the legend, Sundarar was not comfortable carrying all the gold with him. Lord Siva instructed him to toss it into the Manimukha River and retrieve it later from the Kamalalaya Tank in Thiruvarur.

Goldsmiths in both Vriddhachalam and Thiruvarur examined the gold. When the gold was recovered from the Kamalalaya Tank, its quality appeared inferior because it had accumulated deposits from the river and soil. It is said that Vinayagar filed or polished the gold to restore its original brilliance, thus earning his name.

The Sthalapuranam of the Virudhachalam Temple corroborates the story of Sundarar receiving gold coins from Lord Siva, casting them into the river there, and reclaiming them in Thiruvarur. For details, see:

Sundarar tosses gold coins in the river in Virudachalam 

Reference is made in the charanam of this song to the story of Matturaiththa (Matru Uraitha) Vinayagar temple/Thyagarajaswamy temple in Thiruvarur.  Sthalapuranam of Thiruvarur Thyagaraja Swamy temple, and the legend associated with Matru Uraitha vinayagar shrine at Kamalalaya tank, lend further support to the story:

Thiruvarur Temple Legends

For another version of the story based on legends of Thyagaraja Swamy temple in Thiruvarur, see:

Matruraittha Vinayagar Story 

Besides the sthalapuranams, see also Muthusamy Dikshitar’s Gowlai raga kriti, Sri Mahaganapathim Revathumam in:

Sri Muthuswami Dikshitar Keertanaigal (Second Edition) By Kallidaikurichi Vainika Vidwan A. Sundaram Iyer, Assisted By: Kallidaikurichi Veena S. Venkatesan, Music Books Publishers P.B.No. 379, Mylapore, Chennai 600004 (1998,Page 270). 

ஶ்ரீமஹாகணபதி ரவதுமாம்with editor’s comment: இது திருவாரூர் மாத்துரைத்த பிள்ளையார் மீது பாடப்பட்ட ஷோடசகணபதி கீர்த்தனை. அனு பல்லவி: கமலாலயத்தின் கரையில் வசிப்பவர் சரணம்: திருவாரூரில் தங்கத்தை உரைகல்லில் மாத்துரைத்த விக்னராஜர்.

Yet another fascinating version of the Mattu Uraitha Pillaiyar story goes like this:

Mattu Uraitha Pillaiyar is the presiding deity of the temple located on the banks of the Kamalalayam Tank, opposite the Thyagaraja Swamy Temple at Thiruvarur. During one of Sundarar’s pilgrimages to Keezhvelur, his wife requested that he buy her a new gold necklace. Lacking the means, Sundarar prayed to Akshaya Lingeswarar, the local deity, for assistance. In response, Lord Siva instructed him to go to a nearby kiln and collect five gold bricks. Sundarar gathered the dusty bricks, and to ensure their safety, Siva told him to place the bricks in the temple well at Keezhvelur, and retrieve them later from the Kamalalayam Tank in Thiruvarur.

When Sundarar brought the gold bricks to the temple goldsmith, the goldsmith declared that they were of inferior quality. Distressed, Sundarar prayed to Thyagaraja Swamy that night. Lord Siva assured him that he would send his son Ganesha to assist him the following morning.

As Sundarar walked to the goldsmith’s shop the next day, a young artisan named Muthanna Asari accompanied him. Upon arrival, Muthanna Asari took the bricks from Sundarar, rinsed them with salt water, then with tamarind water, and finally touched them gently. Miraculously, during the mattu uraithal (scraping) process, the bricks began to shine and were revealed to be pure, precious gold. Overjoyed, Sundarar looked around—only to find that the young artisan had vanished. He then realized that the one who had restored the brilliance of the gold was none other than Lord Ganesha, the divine son of Siva.

For a reference to this story and to Muthuswami Dikshitar’s kriti “Sri Mahaganapathiravatu Maam” in Raga Gowlai, see the link below:

Another version of Matruraiththa Vinayagar story

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gaNasEnApathiyE

கணசேனாபதியே

Pallavi

கணசேனாபதியே கணபதியே

gaNasEnApathiyE gaNapathiyE

மதிசேகரன் குலத் தோன்றலே 

madhisEkaran kulath thOndRalE

Anupallavi

இமையவரும் போற்றிடும் இணையிலா ஈசனே

imaiyavarum pOtRidum iNaiyilA IsanE

உமையவள் தன் உடலினின்று உதித்தவனே

umaiyavaL than udalinindRu udhitthavanE

Charanam 1

சுண்டெலி வாகனனே மோதக ப்ரியனே

suNdeli vAgananE mOdhaga priyanE

ஆனை முகத்தோனே பானை வயிற்றோனே

Anai mugatthOnE pAnai vayitROnE

தந்தைக்குபதேசம் செய்த கந்தனின் சோதரனே

thandhaikkupadhEsam seydha kandhanin sOdharanE

தாயிற் சிறந்ததொரு கோயிலிலை என போதித்தவனே

thAyiR siRandhadhoru kOyililai ena bOdhitthavanE

Charanam 2

தொடங்கிடும் செயலனைத்தும் குவலயத்தில் 

thodangidum seyalanaitthum kuvalayatthil

இடரின்றி நடந்திட துணைபுரியும் விக்னேஸ்வரனே

idarindRi nadandhida thuNaipuriyum vignEsvaranE

தந்தத்தை உடைத்தே அமலனின் கதையை

thandhatthai udaitthE amalanin kadhaiyai

தடையின்றி முடித்த தயாபரனே

thadaiyindRi mudittha dhayAparanE

பரிபூர்ண விநாயகனே பதம் பிடித்தேன்

paripUrNa vinAyaganE padham piditthEn

கரிசனையுடனே காத்தருள்வாயே

karisanaiyudanE kAttharuLvAyE

Translation

Pallavi

Lord Ganapathy, you are the chief of the army of ghosts; you are from the lineage of the Lord who adorns a moon on his matted locks.

Anupallavi

You are an incomparable Lord and all celestials sing your glory. You are born from Goddess Parvathi’s body.

Charanam 1

You ride a mouse as your vehicle; you are fond of caramelized sweet, modhakam; you possess an elephant face and have a pot belly; you are the brother of Kandhan who preached the inner meaning of the primordial sound Aum; you taught the universe the maxim that there is nothing more sacred than a mother.

Charanam 2

You ensure that all of the efforts by your  devotees proceed without obstacles. You acquired the name Vigneswaran. You are the compassionate one who helped to write the entire Mahabharata epic by breaking your own tusk and using it as the stylus for writing, as Sage Vyasa dictated. Oh, Paripoorna Vinyaka, I surrender at your divine feet. Please be considerate and protect me. 

Author’s Note

This is the first song from my writings that Smt. Asha Ramesh tuned, rendering it as a prayer song in her concert at the Concord Siva Murugan Temple. 

The second charanam of the song traces how the great epic Mahabharata became a reality for posterity. Sage Vyasa conceived the divine tale of the Pandavas and Kauravas, encompassing the development of enmity between the relatives, the Kurukshetra war, Krishna’s advice to Arjuna on the battlefield, and the destruction that ensued.  He invoked Lord Brahma, who suggested that he should pray to Lord Ganapathy before starting the work and seek his help for amanuensis. 

Sage Vyasa prayed to Ganesha and asked him to write down his dictations at the same speed as his narration. The five-handed Ganesha agreed on one condition: that Vyasa should not pause or break during the dictation. Vyasa suggested that Ganesha should write only what he was able to understand. Ganesha realized the immense task before him and broke his tusk and used the broken tusk as a quill to write  and continued until the sacred tale was complete. The rest is history.  Ganesha’s broken tusk is mythological and appears in Brahmanda Purana when Ganesha confronts Parasurama. In excessive anger, Parasurama threw his axe (which was given to him by Lord Siva) at Ganesha. Rather than duck and save himself, which would offend his dad (since he blessed the weapon), Ganesha accepted the axe which broke his tusk. Even though Veda Vyasa is accepted as the author of Brahmanda purana, researchers have concluded that several authors included insertions that were compiled much later.  It is possible that a scribe during a later puranic time combined this incident into the origin story of the Mahabharata, with Ganesha using his broken tusk to scribe. For details, see:

ஶ்ரீ மஹாபாரத ஸாரம், வேதவியாசர் அருளியது, உரை ஆசிரியர் “அண்ணா”, ஶ்ரீராமகிருஷ்ண மடம், மயிலாப்பூர், சென்னை 600004, பதிப்பு 2002 பக்கம் 3.

Mahabharata, C. Rajagopalachari, Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Kulpati K. M. Munshi Marg, Bombay 400007, 26th Edition 1985, Page 17.

Encounter between Ganesha and Parasurama

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thumbikkai iRaivA

தும்பிக்கை இறைவா

 Pallavi

தும்பிக்கை இறைவா துயர் களைய வா

thumbikkai iRaivA thuyar kaLaiya vA

அம்பிகை புதல்வா அருள் தரவே வா

ambikai pudhalvA aruL tharavE vA

Anupallavi

தம்பிக்காக தருணத்தே ஓடி வந்த தூயவா

thambikkAga tharuNatthE Odi vandha thUyavA

நம்பிக்கை தரவே வேகமாய் வா வேழமுகா

nambikkai tharavE vEgamAy vA vEzhamukA

Charanam

அம்மை அப்பரை வலம் வந்து ஊரறிய

ammai apparai valam vandhu UraRiya

நம்மைக் காப்பவரே உலகென்றாய் மறுமுறை

nammaik kAppavarE ulagendRAy maRumuRai

கல்நெஞ்சினில் புகுந்து மாயையும் புரிந்து

kalnenjinil pugundhu mAyaiyum purindhu

சில்லென்று மாற்றி உண்மைதனை உணர வைப்பாய்

sillendRu mAtRi uNmaidhanai uNara vaippAy

Translation

Pallavi

Oh Lord with the elephant tusk, remove our suffering. You are the son of Ambal Parvathi, Please offer us your blessings.

Anupallavi

You are the immaculate one who rushed to help your younger brother at the right moment. Elephant-faced Lord Ganapathy, please hasten to offer us hope in life. 

Charanam

You announced to everyone that your mother and father, who are our saviors, are the entire world. You then walked around them during a competition that required you to go “around the world”. Now you must enter the stone hearts of the people and perform magic. Convert those stone hearts to ones that are soft and pleasing, and make them understand the ultimate truth about life’s essence. 

Author’s Note

The first line of the Anupallavi refers to the episode where Ganesha rushed to the millet field as a wild elephant to  enable the tribal woman, Valli, to marry his brother Muruga. This story is detailed in Skandapuranam. 

For details, see:

ஶ்ரீகந்த புராணம், முதற் பாகம், பக்கம் 430-437, பதிப்பாசிரியர்: அரு. ராமநாதன், பிரேமா பிரசுரம், ஆறாம் பதிப்பு 1990. 

The first two lines of the charanam refer to the legend where Sage Narada brought a sweet mango during a visit to see Lord Siva in Kailash. Both of Lord Siva’s sons wanted the fruit. To avoid further quarrels, Siva asked them both to go around the world, stating that the winner of the contest would get the fruit. Muruga immediately took off in his vehicle, the peacock, while Ganesha simply walked around his parents. He argued that his parents are his entire world and walking around them is equivalent to going around the world. 

For details, see:

பழனித்தல வரலாறு, அருள்மிகு தண்டாயுதபாணி சுவாமி திருக்கோயில் பழனி 624601, திண்டுக்கல் மாவட்டம், திருத்திய பன்னிரண்டாம் பதிப்பு ஜனவரி 2005, பதிப்பாசிரியர் முனைவர் இரத்தின கிருட்டிணமூர்த்தி, பக்கம் 52-55.

Also see:

திருப்புகழ் விரிவுரை, திருமுருக கிருபானந்த வாரியார், வானதி பதிப்பகம், 13 தீனதயாளு தெரு, தி.நகர், சென்னை-17, மூன்றாம் பதிப்பு டிசம்பர் 1991, விநாயகர் கனி பெற்ற வரலாறு பக்கம் 4-9.

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pIthAmbaradharA pingala rUpA

பீதாம்பரதரா பிங்கல ரூபா

Pallavi

பீதாம்பரதரா பிங்கல ரூபா ப்ரயத்னங்களின்

pIthAmbaradharA pingala rUpA prayathnangaLin

ஆதார மூலா நின் பாதாம்புஜமே கதி

AdhAra mUlA nin pAdhAmbujamE gathi

Anupallavi

வக்ர நாசகா வாரண முக விநாயகா

vakra nAsakA vAraNa muka vinAyakA

சுக்ர திசையருள் சண்முகன் சோதரா

sukra thisaiyaruL shaNmugan sOdharA

Charanam

இகபர வினையறுக்கும் இணையிலா இன்னமுதே

ikapara vinaiyaRukkum iNaiyilA innamudhE

சுகமுற சௌபாக்யமே தரும் சோபன ரூபமே

sugamuRa sowbhAgyamE tharum sObhana rUpamE

கடைக்கண் பார்வையிலே காணற்கு அரிய

kadaikkaN pArvaiyilE kANaRku ariya

தடைகள் யாவும் பொடியாக்கும் பராபரமே

thadaigaL yAvum podiyAkkum parAparamE

Translation

Pallavi

You are dressed in a golden robe. You possess a golden complexion. You are the source and support for all worldly efforts. Your feet are the ultimate refuge.

Anupallavi

Oh, elephant-faced Lord Vinayaka, you are the destroyer of evil. You are the sibling of Lord Shanmuga who bestows abundant prosperity in the form of the planet Sukra. 

Charanam

You are the incomparable sweet elixir. You remove present and past sins. You are the personification of auspiciousness and grace, providing all comforts in life. You are the Supreme Lord that crushes all invisible and insurmountable obstacles with a single glance.

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vidhyA rUpamE

வித்யா ரூபமே

Pallavi

வித்யா ரூபமே விக்னேஸ்வரனே வினை தீர்த்தருள

vidhyA rUpamE vignEsvaranE vinai thIrttharuLa 

வேழ முகனே விழைந்து வா

vEzha muganE vizhaindhu vA

Anupallavi

சர்வாலங்கார சௌபாக்ய சங்கரி சுதனே

sarvAlangkAra sowbAghya sankari suthanE

சர்வாபீஷ்டமும் சித்திக்க சுமுகனே வா

sarvAbhIshtamum siddhikka sumukanE vA

Charanam

ஈரைந்து ஆண்டு நிறையும் இந்நாளில்

Iraindhu ANdu niRaiyum innALil

பார்மிசை லாஸ்ய நடனக் குழுவிசை பரவிட

pArmisai lAsya nadanak kuzhuvisai paravida

இன்று போல் என்றுமே லயமொடு அணங்கினர் இணைந்தாடிட

indRu pOl endRumE layamodu aNanginar iNaindhAdida

அரங்கில் வந்தோர் அனைவரும் மகிழ்ந்திட அனுக்ரஹி

arangil vandhOr anaivarum magizhndhida anugrahi

Translation

Pallavi

Lord Vignesvara, you are the embodiment of knowledge. Oh, elephant-faced Lord, please come willingly and remove all our obstacles.

Anupallavi

You are the son of Goddess Sankari who is gorgeously dressed and perpetually auspicious.

Charanam

Lasya Dance Company is celebrating its tenth anniversary on this day. Let all the dancers dance to the rhythm of the music and in unison always, just like they are today. Let the assembled audience enjoy the show. Bless this event and let the fame of this group spread far and wide. 

Author’s Note

This song was written as the prayer song for the tenth anniversary celebration of Lasya Dance Company. Smt. Vidhya Subramanian is the artistic Director of Lasya , based in Sunnyvale, CA.

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vikata chakra vinAyakA

விகட சக்ர விநாயகா

Pallavi

விகட சக்ர விநாயகா என் ஜீவ

vikata chakra vinAyakA en jIva

சகட விக்ன நாசகா விரைந்து வா

sakata vigna nAsakA viraindhu vA

Anupallavi

குதித்து வா என்னை மதித்து வா உமையுடல் 

kudhitthu vA ennai madhitthu vA umaiyudal

உதித்தவா (உன்) திருவடி சிரமதில் பதித்து வா

udhitthavA (un) thiruvadi siramadhil padhitthu vA

Charanam

ஆழியில் உறங்கிடும் அரங்கனையும் நொடி

Azhiyil uRangidum aranganaiyum nodi

நாழியில் குனிந்தெழச் செய்த குறும்பா

nAzhiyil kunindhezhach cheydha kuRumbA

பாரிடை அடியவர் பணிந்திட முறை செய்தவா

pAridai adiyavar paNindhida muRai seydhavA

சீருடை கலைகள் யாவும் நேரிடை அருள வா

sIrudai kalaigaL yAvum nEridai aruLa vA

Translation

Pallavi

Vikata Chakra Vinayaka, you are the one who crushes obstacles in the wheel of my life. Please hasten.

Anupallavi

Come dancing joyfully. Come here with grace and regard for me. You, who were born from Parvati’s own form, come and place your divine feet upon my head.

Charanam

You are the playful Lord who made even your uncle Vishnu, who is accustomed to resting comfortably in the milky ocean, pinch his ears, bow, and rise again and again. Through this, you established a sacred way for your devotees to worship you. Please come in person and bless your devotees with all the renowned arts of the universe.

 Author’s Note

The first line in the pallavi is a reference to the Ganesha in Ekambreswarar Temple in Kancheepuram. Kachiyappa Sivachchariar prays to Vikata Chakra Vinayagar in the first verse of his immortal composition, Kandha puranam. 

“திகட சக்கரச் செம்முக மைந்துளான் சகட சக்கரத் தாமரை நாயகன் அகட சக்கரை வின்மணி யாவூரை விகட சக்கரான் மெய்பதம் போற்றுவாம்”. For a complete version of Sivachchariar’s poetry in English, see below:

Kacchiyappa Sivachariar’s Poetry

There are several stories about this Ganesha and his name. One of the author’s favorite stories is narrated by Mahaperiyava. 

தெய்வத்தின் குரல், ஜகத்குரு ஶ்ரீ காஞ்சி காமகோடி பீடாதீச்வர ஶ்ரீ சந்திரசேகரேந்திர சரஸ்வதி சங்கராசாரிய ஸ்வாமிகளின் அருள் வாக்குகள், 1.29 – விகட சக்ர விநாயகர், ஆறாம் பகுதி, பக்கம் 106 -107, வானதி பதிப்பகம், 13, தீனதயாளு தெரு. தி. நகர், சென்னை – 17. 

In brief, Lord Vishnu brought gifts for his nephew on his birthday. Ganesha did not like any of them. Suddenly, he grabbed the Sudharsana Chakra from his uncle’s hand and swallowed it. With all his pleading in vain, Vishnu resorted to pinching his own ears with his hands, bending down a few times and getting up. This clownish dance of the uncle made Ganesha laugh out loud. The chakra fell and Vishnu picked it up. Such a clownish act became the standard practice to worship Ganesha and the deity acquired the new name, Vikata Chakra Vinayaka. Since Ganesha tricked his uncle to perform a clownish act by holding his chakra, the name was justified. This version of the story is included in the charanam of this song. 

The legends of Sri Ekambranathar temple are different in regards to  Vikata Chakra Vinayagar and the way the name came about. The lore describes Lord Vishnu during Dhaksha Yagna throwing his chakra at Veerabhadra, who was causing havoc at the yagna site. The discus fell on Veerabhadra’s garland of skeletons. One of the skeletons swallowed the chakra. Vishnu sent Ganesha to retrieve it. Vinayaka did a clownish dance by closing his ears with his hands, bending his knees, and getting up a few times. The skeleton in the garland could not take it and laughed out loud. The chakra fell and Vinayaka picked it up. The funny dancing Vinayaka with the chakra became Vikata Chakra Vinayaka. Remember that the Tamil word for clown is Vikata. 

Veerabhadra and Vikata Chakra Vinayaka 

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rAgamAlikA rasikanE

ராகமாலிகா ரசிகனே

Pallavi

ராகமாலிகா ரசிகனே ரம்ய ஸ்வரூபனே

rAgamAlikA rasikanE ramya swarUpanE

ஆகமப் பொருளே வேகமாய் வந்திடுவாய்

Agamap poruLE vEgamAy vandhiduvAy

Anupallavi

ஆண்டுகள் பத்து நிறைந்திடும் இந்நாளில்

ANdugaL patthu niRaindhidum innALil

வேண்டுதல் ஒன்றே இடரிலா இனியதோர் நிகழ்ச்சியே

vENdudhal ondRE idarilA iniyadhOr nigazhcchiyE

Charanam

வித்தாகும் கலையினை முத்தான ஆசானிடம் முறையாகப் பயின்றோம்

vitthagum kalaiyinai mutthAna AsAnidam muRaiyAgap payindROm

ஒத்தாகும் கருவியொடு உடன் பாடத் துணிந்தோம்

otthAgum karuviyodu udan pAdath thuNindhOm

பித்தாகும் மொழிகளிலே பண்ணிசைக்க முனைந்தோம்

pitthAgum mozhigaLilE paNNisaikka munaindhOm

சித்தாகும் சீரே குழுமியோர் ஆடலில் பாடலில் அகமகிழவே

sitthAgum sIrE kuzhumiyOr Adalil pAdalil agamagizhavE

Translation

Pallavi

Ganesha, you are the ardent lover of “Ragamalika”. You are the personification of charm and the inner meaning of the scriptures. Please hasten to the event.

Anupallavi

On this day, the tenth anniversary of this school of music, the only request we have for you is to ensure the event unfolds without any obstacles. 

Charanam

We have been meticulously trained in this sacred art form, guided by a teacher who is truly a gem. With courage, we joined in the melody, accompanied by harmonious instruments. We ventured to craft enchanting compositions in a variety of intoxicating languages. Oh, Ganesha, the embodiment of wisdom, we call upon you. Rush to this gathering and bless us, so that all who are present may delight in the music and dance.

Author’s Note

This song was written as a prayer song for the tenth anniversary of Smt. Asha Ramesh’s Ragamalika School of Music, Saturday, November 23, 2002, at CET Performing Arts Center, 701 Vine St, San Jose, CA 95110. 

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siRuvAlai enum sitRUr

சிறுவாலை எனும் சிற்றூர்

Pallavi

சிறுவாலை எனும் சிற்றூர் வந்தாருங்க

siRuvAlai enum sitRUr vandhArunga

நறுமலர் மாலையுடன் நின்ற வரத வினாயகருங்க

naRumalar mAlaiyudan nindRa varadha vinAyagarunga

Anupallavi

லட்சணமாய் மக்களெல்லாம் வந்தாருங்க

latchaNamAy makkaLellAm vandhArunga

லட்சார்ச்சனை நேமமாய் செய்தாருங்க

latchArcchanai nEmamAy seydhArunga

Charanam

திருமால் இருந்த ஊர் தானுங்க ஆனாலும்

thirumAl irundha Ur dhAnunga AnAlum

மருமான் பெயர் விளங்கச் செய்தாருங்க

marumAn peyar viLangach cheidhArunga

உருவில் பருமனார் நினைவில் அன்பர் மோதகம்

uruvil parumanAr ninaivil anbar mOdhakam

தெருவில் உள்ள ஜனங்களுக்கு நெறய தந்தாருங்க 

theruvil uLLa janangaLukku neRaya thandhArunga

Translation

Pallavi

Sri Varada Vinayagar came and stood wearing a fragrant flower garland, in a small village called Siruvalai.

Anupallavi

People, properly assembled, performed a prayer, rigorously chanting His name one hundred thousand times according to the procedures laid down in the scriptures.

Charanam

This is a place Lord Vishnu used to reside. He has made the name of his nephew known far and wide. After making an offering to the presiding deity, Ganapathy, devotees distributed a lot of modhakams, which are sweet dumplings made of rice flour, coconut, ghee, and jaggery. They were distributed to people  residing in the streets of Siruvalai. 

Author’s Note

The unwritten local legend (sthalapuranam) of the Varada Vinayagar temple in Siruvalai was verbally conveyed to the author in the 1980s by his late father, Sri G. Ramachandra Iyer. He recounted that a group of Brahmins, perhaps due to a drought, moved south from the village of Minmini near Kancheepuram and settled in Siruvalai. The village's original temple was dedicated to Lord Vishnu, but the settlers replaced the Vishnu idol with a Vinayaka statue from a different temple. This idol is now worshipped as Varada Vinayagar.

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siRiyadhOr eli mIdhamarndhE

சிறியதோர் எலி மீதமர்ந்தே

Pallavi

சிறியதோர் எலி மீதமர்ந்தே சீரியதோர்

siRiyadhOr eli mIdhamarndhE sIriyadhOr

பவனி வரும் புவனேஸ்வரி புதல்வா

bhavani varum bhuvanEswari pudhalvA

Anupallavi

மோதகத்தில் நிறைந்த சுவையே கலைஞர்

mOdhagatthil niRaindha suvaiyE kalainyar

சாதகத்தில் உறைந்த சிவபாலா சரணம்

sAdhakatthil uRaindha sivabAlA charaNam

Charanam

நடனமாடி வரும் நர்த்தன ஈசா நான்மறை

natanamAdi varum nartthana IsA nAnmaRai

நாவலர் ஓதிடும் வேதத்து போதனே

nAvalar Odhidum vEdhatthu bOdhanE

இழையணி இனியனே எளியேன் என்

izhaiyaNi iniyanE eLiyEn en

பிழை பொறுத்து இடர் நீக்கிச் சுடர் அருள்வாய்

pizhai poRutthu idar nIkkich chudar aruLvAy

Translation

Pallavi

Oh Ganesha, son of Bhuvaneswari, you arrive in an elegant procession, seated upon a tiny mouse.

Anupallavi

You are the flavor in the caramelized dish called modhakam. You are the son of Siva, dwelling in the arduous and disciplined practices of artists. Salutations to Thee.

Charanam 

You are the Supreme Lord who arrives by dancing gracefully. You are the teacher and the source of the sacred chants uttered by the scholars of the four Vedas. You are the benevolent one who wears the sacred thread. Please forgive mistakes made by this humble soul, remove all my obstacles, and bless me with the radiant glow of wisdom.

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