meaning of sarasiruhasana nattai

Place to go if you want to ask someone identify raga, tala, composer etc or ask for sāhitya (lyrics) or notations or translations.
Post Reply
sp2003
Posts: 30
Joined: 16 Jan 2006, 17:16

Post by sp2003 »

Dear all,

Can someone please post the meaning of Puliyur Doraiswami Iyer's nAttAi composition - sarasIruhAsana priyE?

pallavi

,,saraseeruhaa- | sana priyE amba ||
,,sadaa veenaa gaanapriyE |
,sadaananda hrudayE mahisada- ||
yE saraseeruhaa- | sana priyE amba ||

anupallavi

,,sharaNaagatam |
,,maamava manjuLa caraNa kisala- ||
yE sharaNaagatam |
,,maamava manjuLa caraNa kisala- ||
yE sammOdita kavijana hruda- |
yE sarOja nilaiyE maNivala- ||
yE (sara) ||

caraNam

,,saraseeruhaa- | kshi yugaLe amba ||
,,sharaNaagata deena | ,,vatsalE amba ||
,,saradindu sundara | vadanE vimalE ||
saraswati ... | ... amba ||
saraswati | saditE sigaNuta guNajaalE ||
satatam vidyaa lOlE sadaa su- |
sheelE saamada kumba stana ||
yugaLe dhavaLE sakala saamraa- |
,,jya prada kara dhruta pustaka jaa- ||
lE (sara) ||

Thanks in advance.
Last edited by sp2003 on 26 Jan 2009, 04:34, edited 1 time in total.

rshankar
Posts: 13754
Joined: 02 Feb 2010, 22:26

Post by rshankar »

Since no one has responded to this request, I thought I'd have a go at translating this - one of my favorite compositions on sarasvatI - (ajana paTTadarANi)! Corrections welcome.

The words that are underlined do not make sense to me - hopefully, they can be corrected, or, someone will help me understand them:

pallavi
sarasIruhAsan priyE ambA sadA vINA gAnapriyE
sadAnada hridayE mahisadayE (sarasIruhAsana priyE ambA)


Oh mother (ambA), the one who is dear (priyE) to brahmA (sarasIruhAsana) [1]! One who always (sadA) delights (priyE) in the music (gAna) created from the vINA.

anupallavi
SarNAgatam mAmava manjuLa caraNa kisalayE
sammOdita kavijana hridayE sarOja nilayE maNivalayE


Please protect (ava) me (mAm), who has sought (Agata) refuge (SaraNa), Oh mother with feet (caraNa) that as as tender as buds (kisalayE). One whose heart (hridayE) is delighted (sammOdita) by the offerings of poets (kavijana)! One whose wrists are decorated with beautiful armlets (valyE) [2] made of precious gems/pearls (maNi)!

caraNam
sarasIruhAkshI yugaLE ambA SaraNAgata dIna vatsalE ambA
Saradindu sundara vadanE vimalE sarasvatI ambA
saditE sigaNanuta guNajAlE satatam vidyA lOlE sada suSIlE
sAmada kumbha sthana yugaLE dhavaLE sakala sAmrAjyapradE
kara dhrita pustaka jAlE


dEvI (ambA) with a pair (yugaLE) of lotus-like (sarasIruha) eyes (akshI), you shower motherly love (vatsalE) on the destitutes (dIna) that seek (Agata) refue (SaraNa) in you! Oh mother (ambA) sarasvatI, you have a face (vadanE) that is as beautiful (sundara) as the autumnal (Sarad) moon (indu), and you are the spotless/blemishless one (vimalE)! You are a repository of good character (guNajAlE), who always (satatam) delights in (lOlE) in knowledge (vidyA), and is always (sadA) pleasant/amiable (suSilE). With a pair (yugaLE) of water-jar/pitcher-like (kumbha) breasts (sthana) [3]! Attired in white (dhavaLE) [4], one whho is caplable of granting (pradE) all (sakala) kingdoms (sAmrAjya) to her devotees, one who holds (dhrita) books (pustaka jAlE) in her hands (kara)!

FOOTNOTES
[1] sarasIruhAsana - sarasIruha (lotus) + Asana (seat) - the one who is seated on a lotus - brahmA
[2] valaya can be both an armlet/bracelet, as well a waist-belt
[3] Breasts like 'water pitchers' are thought to be an auspicious symbol of motherly love
[4] dhavaLE could also mean spotless

Lakshman
Posts: 14185
Joined: 10 Feb 2010, 18:52

Post by Lakshman »

Here is the text of sarasIruhAsanapriyE:

sarasIruhAsana priyE. rAgA: nATa. Adi tALA.

P: sarasIruhAsana priyE ambA sadA vINA gAnapriyE sadAnanda hrdayE mahi sadayE
A: sharaNAgatam (ambA) mAmava manjuLa caraNa kisalayE sammOdita
kavijana hrdayE sarOja nilayE maNi valayE
C: sarasIruhAkSi yugaLE amba sharaNAgata dInavatsalE amba sharadindu sundara vadanE vimalE
sarasvati sati dEshikanuta guNashAlE satatam vidyAlOlE sadA sushIlE
sAmbuja kumbha stana yugaLE sakalE sakala sAmrAjyaprada karadhrta pustakajAlE

keerthi
Posts: 1309
Joined: 12 Oct 2008, 14:10

Post by keerthi »

Sati! dEshika-nuta-guna-jAlE! - Virtuous one! Repository of qualities, worshipped by AchAryas(DEshika)
gunashAle isn't wrong vis-a-vis meaning, but this is what I think it should be.

and it is sAmaja-kumbha-stana-yugaLE! - You, with breasts firm like the elephant's brow!


And the pallavi should be mayi sadaye - O goddess merciful towards me(mayi).

sammOdita kavijana hridayE means the delight of poets' hearts. For the meaning as given above, it would have been kavijana-sammOdita-hridayE..
Last edited by keerthi on 27 Jan 2009, 00:23, edited 1 time in total.

rshankar
Posts: 13754
Joined: 02 Feb 2010, 22:26

Post by rshankar »

Keerti,

Thanks...

Lakshman
Posts: 14185
Joined: 10 Feb 2010, 18:52

Post by Lakshman »

Keerthi: Thanks foir the corrections.

sp2003
Posts: 30
Joined: 16 Jan 2006, 17:16

Post by sp2003 »

You guys are the best. :) Many many thanks.

Post Reply