Meaning of Shloka at the beginning of this dance

Classical Dance forms & related music
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kzivraj
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Joined: 24 Jul 2008, 19:41

Meaning of Shloka at the beginning of this dance

Post by kzivraj »

Hello,

May I request the meaning of the Shloka sung at the beginning of this version of Natanam Adinar? Many thanks in advance! :)

https://youtu.be/LRJEsBUIUdI

Lakshman
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Joined: 10 Feb 2010, 18:52

Re: Meaning of Shloka at the beginning of this dance

Post by Lakshman »

gangA taranga namanIya jaTAsalahu
gaurI nirantaravibhUSita vAmabhAgam
nArAyaNa priyam alangavatapaharam
vArANasipura patim bhaja vishvanAtham

aaaaabbbbb
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Joined: 31 Jan 2010, 14:19

Re: Meaning of Shloka at the beginning of this dance

Post by aaaaabbbbb »

This is the first Shlokam of SrI Vishwanatha ashtakam

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sbvkm-JxDXw

This is the link.

Sorry for the wrong link provided earlier.
Last edited by aaaaabbbbb on 22 May 2015, 22:07, edited 1 time in total.

aaaaabbbbb
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Joined: 31 Jan 2010, 14:19

Re: Meaning of Shloka at the beginning of this dance

Post by aaaaabbbbb »

Some corrections::

Gangaa Taranga Ramaneeya Jataa Kalaapam ..Gauree Nirantara Vibhooshita Vaamabhaagam Naaraayana Priyamananga Madaapahaaram ..Vaaraanasee Purapatim Bhaja Vishvanaatham.

Rsachi
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Joined: 31 Aug 2009, 13:54

Re: Meaning of Shloka at the beginning of this dance

Post by Rsachi »

Gangaa Taranga Ramaneeya Jataa Kalaapam
With matted locks beautified by the constant cascade of Ganga ( Shiva has Ganga in his locks streaming down)
..Gauree Nirantara Vibhooshita Vaamabhaagam
Always decorated with the presence of Gauri = Parvathi seated on his left thigh,

Naaraayana Priyamananga Madaapahaaram

Dear to Narayana (Vishnu), the one who destroyed the pride of Manmatha (since Shiva burnt him with his third eye, Manmatha lost his body=anga and became an-anga)

..Vaaraanasee Purapatim Bhaja Vishvanaatham.
I bow down to Vishwanatha=Shiva, the Lord of Varanasi city

kzivraj
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Joined: 24 Jul 2008, 19:41

Re: Meaning of Shloka at the beginning of this dance

Post by kzivraj »

Thank you so much for the clear explanation! Much appreciated!

rshankar
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Joined: 02 Feb 2010, 22:26

Re: Meaning of Shloka at the beginning of this dance

Post by rshankar »

RSachi - gaurI nirantara vibhUshita vAmabhAgam doesn't refer to pArvati seated on Siva's left thigh, but rather occupying the left half of his body. It is refering to Siva as ardhanArI.

PS: From the iconography I have seen, it is lakshmIvarAha svAmi that is consistently depicted with lakshmi seated on varAhasvAmi's left thigh.

Rsachi
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Joined: 31 Aug 2009, 13:54

Re: Meaning of Shloka at the beginning of this dance

Post by Rsachi »

Ravi,

I have come across several depictions of Parvathi seated on the leftside/left thigh of Shiva. In fact I can't recall which but a famous CM song in Tamil says the same thing.

See these two I picked in Google just now:

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/199284352234082480/


https://books.google.co.in/books?id=Njk ... gh&f=false


The word vibhUshita clearly implies adornment. To say that the left half of Shiva is actually Parvathi would demand a different type of language.

The esoteric concept of ardhanArIshwara is not relevant in this shloka which is describing Shiva per se.
But by stating Parvathi is always (nirantara) by his side, we are conveying the idea of Shiva & Shakti being together.

aaaaabbbbb
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Joined: 31 Jan 2010, 14:19

Re: Meaning of Shloka at the beginning of this dance

Post by aaaaabbbbb »

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sbvkm-JxDXw

This is the link for vishvanatha ashtakam lyrics and meaning.

Rsachi
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Joined: 31 Aug 2009, 13:54

Re: Meaning of Shloka at the beginning of this dance

Post by Rsachi »

This is an authentic version for you, too:
http://www.greenmesg.org/mantras_slokas ... htakam.php

rshankar
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Joined: 02 Feb 2010, 22:26

Re: Meaning of Shloka at the beginning of this dance

Post by rshankar »

Thank you for the links...
I do think that vAma bhAga nilaya or vAma bhAga bhUshaNa mean the same - the inseparable unity in duality - Siva and pArvati as two and as one at the same time, that one cannot be invoked without the other.
Rsachi wrote:This is an authentic version for you, too:
http://www.greenmesg.org/mantras_slokas ... htakam.php
This says left half...
The umA mahESvara icon doesn't show pArvati on his thigh - she's leaning into his left arm around her - In addition, IIRC, the choreograhic interpretation of the umAmahESvara aspect is differnt from how vAmabhAga nilaya or vAma bhAga bhUshaNa is represented.
Last edited by rshankar on 23 May 2015, 11:52, edited 1 time in total.

Rsachi
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Re: Meaning of Shloka at the beginning of this dance

Post by Rsachi »

Ravi, we can disagree, no problem!

Another depiction, 10c CE:
Image

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