Bhairavi Swarajathi - Shyama Sastri

[madhan]

Hello Can someone help me with the lyrics (which im guessing are in telugu) and meaning of the Bhairavi Swarajathi (Kamakshi) composed by Sri Shyama Sastri? Thanks! The audio can be found here.. http://dhanyasy.org/go/2010/01/01/swara ... sra-chapu/

Special request to Lakshman ji and Shri rshankar!

[Lakshman]

kAmAkSi amba anudinamu (svarajati). rAgA: bhairavi. cApu tALA.

P: kAmAkSi amba anudinamu maravakanE nI pAdamulE dikkanucu nammitini shrI kanci
C1: kundaradanA kuvalaya nayanA tallI rakSincu kambugaLa nIrada cikurA vidu vadanA mAyammA
2: kumbha kuca mada matta gaja gama padma bhava hari shambhu nutapadA
shankari nIvu nA cittalu vEvEga dIrcammA vinammA
3: bhaktajana kalpalatikA karuNAlayA sadayA giri tanayA
kAvavE sharaNAgatuDu gadA tAmasamu sEyaka varamosagu
4: pAtakamulanu dIrci nI pada bhakti santatamIyavE
pAvanI gadA moravinavA parAkElanammA vinammA
5: durita hAriNi sadA nata phaladAyakiyani birudu
bhuvilO galigina doreyanucu vEdamulu moraliDaganu
6: nI pavana nilayA sura samudayA kara vidrta kuvalayA mada
danuja vAraNa mrgEndrA ashrita kaluSa dahana ghanA aparimita
vaibhavamugala nI smaraNa madilO dalacina janAdulaku bahu
sampadala niccE vipuDu mAkabhayamIyavE
7: shyAmakrSNa sahOdari shivashankari paramEshvarI
hari harAdulaku nI mahimalu gaNimpa taramA sutuDambAyabhi-
mAnamu lEdA nApai dEvI parAkEla brOvavE ipuDu shrI bhairavI

[madhan]

Thanks Lakshman Sir!! I would be happy if someone could help me with word by word or line meanings!

[rshankar]

Madhan - here is my attempt. I hope Sri VGV, Smt. Savitri, Shrutilaya and Keerthi will have a go at fixing errors and helping with the interprettation of caraNam 6.

pallavi
kAmAkSi amba anudinamu maravakanE nI pAdamulE dikkanucu nammitini shrI kanci
Oh kAmAkshi of kAncIpuram (kanci)! Oh mother (amba) I have believed (nammitini) that your (nI) feet (padamulE) alone are my refuge (dikkanucu), without forgetting (maravakanE) it everyday (anudinamu).

caraNam 1
kundaradanA kuvalaya nayanA tallI rakSincu kambugaLa nIrada cikurA vidu vadanA mAyammA
Oh mother(talli) with pearly teeth (radana) like jasmine (kunda), and eyes (nayana) like lotuses (kuvalaya), a throat (gaLa) like a conch (kambu), curly locks (cikura) like a black rain-bearing cloud (nIrada), and a face (vadana) like the moon (vidu), please protect me (rakshincu), my mother (mAyammA).

caraNam 2
kumbha kuca mada matta gaja gamana padma bhava shambhu nutapadA
shankari nIvu nA cintalu vEvEga dIrcammA vinammA
Oh lady with breasts (kuca) like pitchers (kumbha) and a majestic gait (gamana) like a virile (mada) and proud (matta) elephant (gaja), one whose feet (padA) are worshipped (nuta) by brahmA, who appeared (bhava) in a lotus (padma), and Siva (Sambhu)! Oh consort of Sankara (Sankari), please listen (vinammA) to me, and you (nIvu) please put an end (dIrcammA) to my (nA) worries (cintalu) post haste (vEvEga)!

caraNam 3
bhaktajana kalpalatikA karuNAlayA sadayA giri tanayA
kAvavE sharaNAgatuDu gadA tAmasamu sEyaka varamosagu
Oh tender-hearted (sadayA) daughter (tanayA) of the mountain/himavAn (giri) who is the wish (kalpa)-granting creeper (latikA) [1] for her devotees (bhaktajana), please protect (kAvavE) me, for am I not (kadA/gadA) some one who has sought refuge (SaraNAgatuDu) in you? Please grant (osagu) the boons (varamu) I desire without creating (sEyaka) any more delay (tAmasamu).

caraNam 4
pAtakamulanu dIrci nI pada bhakti santatamIyavE
pAvanI gadA moravinavA parAkElanammA vinammA
Please destroy (dIrci/tIrci) all my sins (pAtakulanu) and grant (iyavE) me the blessing of devotion (bhakti) at your (nI) feet (pada) forever (santatamu) [2]. Are you not (kadA/gadA) the pure one (pAvanI)? Will you not listen (vinavA) to my (nA) entreaties (mora)? Why are you turning your face (parAkElana) away from me, oh mother (ammA)? Please listen (vinammA) to me!

caraNam 5
durita hAriNi sadA nata phaladAyakiyani birudu
bhuvilO galigina doreyanucu vEdamulu moraliDaganu
The vEdas (vEdamulu) proclaim (moraliDaganu) that (yani/anucu) you are the one who destroys (hAriNi) evil (durita) and always (sadA) grants (dAyaki) boons (phala) to those that worship (nata) you, and the mistress (dorE) who awards/grants (galgina/kalgina) titles/awards (birudu) in this world (bhuvilO)!

caraNam 6
nIpa vana nilayA sura samudayA kara vidhrta kuvalayA mada
danuja vAraNa mrgEndrArcita kaluSa dahana ghanA aparimita
vaibhavamugala nI smaraNa madilO dalacina janAdulaku bahu
sampadalaniccEvipuDu mAkabhayamIyavE
Oh resident (nilayA) of the kadamba (nIpa) forrest (vana), surrounded by the entire pantheon/group (samudAya) of the gods (sura), who is worshipped (arcita) by the king (indra) of beasts (mRga)who warded off (vAraNa) the evil (mada) demon (danuja) who captured/held (vidhRta) the earth (kuvalaya) in his hands (kara), who burns (dahana) our sins (kalusha) way! Oh dEvi who has given (iccEvu) enormous (bahu ghana) wealth (sampadalanu) to all the people (jAnadulaku) who have shown/kept (talacina/dalacina) thoughts (smaraNa) of your (nI) boundless (aparimita) grandeur (vaibhavumugala) in their minds/hearts (madilO), please grant (iyavE) us (mAku) the boon of freedom from fear (abhayam) [4] at this time (ipuDu).

caraNam 7
shyAmakrSNa sahOdari shivashankari paramEshvarI
hari harAdulaku nI mahimalu gaNimpa taramA sutuDambAyabhi-
mAnamu lEdA nApai dEvI parAkEla brOvavE ipuDu shrI bhairavI
Oh sister (sahOdari) of the dark (SyAma)-hued kRshNa, the one who purifies (SaMkari) Siva (SivaSaMkari), the supreme (parama) goddess (ISvarI), do even the gods lead by vishNu (hari) and Siva (harAdulaku) have the capability (taramA) to enlist (gaNimpa) your (nI) greatness (mahima)? Oh consort of bhairava (bhairavI), do you not take/have (lEdA) pride (abhimAnamu) in me (nApai), your son (sutuDu)? Oh dEvi, without turning your face away (parAkEla), please protect (brOvavE) me, now (ipuDu)!

FOOTNOTES
[1] kalpalatika is one of the three desire-granting things in indra's gardens - the kAmadhEnu, the kalpavRksha, and a variant of it, the kalpalatikA - pArvati is usually described as the 'kamanIya kalpalatikA' - the most beautiful creeper that grants wishes
[2] santatamu literally means 'daily'
[3] It is not nI pavana nilayA, but nipa vana nilayA - nIpa is the kadamba
[4] abhayam as Sreenadh pointed out is the state of santuary

EDITED with suggestions from Smt. Savitri, Sreenadh, enna_solven and Lji....

[madhan]

OMG! We are all indebted to people like you, lakshman sir, and all others who contribute to lyrics and its interpretation, forever.. its like "vaazha pazhatha urichi kaila kudukkardhu".. making things so easy for the performer.. Thanks a lot!

[Enna_Solven]

rshankar, excellent translation. I think if you separate all the attributes with a comma in caraNam 6, it will come together. I think mRgEndra ASRta stands by itself - worshipped by Indra.

nI pavana nilayA, sura samudayA, kara vidrta kuvalayA, mada
danuja vAraNa, mrgEndrA ashrita, kaluSa dahana

[Lakshman]

caraNa 6 is translated by Mrs. Srividya thus:


dweller in the great forest! one is the assemblage of the Gods
one who holds a lotus in her hand!
one who is to the demon, as a lion to the intoxicated tusker!
one who burns the sins of (her) devotees!
on people who meditate on your boundless excellence
you shower immense wealth now,
please grant me fearlessness

[vs_manjunath]

rshankarji & lakshmanji- Excellent Work !!!

madhan- The Greatness of this Swarajathi is quite well known.
This was SSI's masterpiece !
PS: All of us know Swarajathi is learnt before Varnams.
See the level of his disciples in which Shyama Shastri expected to sing Swarajathi !!! Just amazing.
If one masters and sings this swarajathi, he can sing Bhairavi excellently.

The greatest beauty of this swarajathi is :

The charanams are designed in such a way the Arohanam of Bhairavi is accomplished with Sa, Ri, Ga, Ma etc one by one. Swaras first ,followed Excellent Sahithyam.

The complexity of the swarajathi is Thalam is`Misra Chapu.
Hats off and sincere Pranamams to Sri Shyama Sastri- the Senior most of the Trinity !!!

[ShrutiLaya]

6: nI pavana nilayA sura samudayA kara vidRta kuvalayA mada
danuja vAraNa mrgEndrArcita kaluSa dahana ghanA aparimita
vaibhavamugala nI smaraNa madilO dalacina janAdulaku bahu
sampadala niccE vipuDu mAkabhayamIyavE

Mrs.Srividya's translation given by Lakshman ji is very close, I think. However, line 3 is farfetched in my opinion. My translation:

O dweller of the great forest!
One who is the equal of all the gods!
One who holds a lotus in her hands!
One who is worshiped even by the proudest demon, elephant or lion (mRgarAju, king of beasts)!
O great one who destroys impurities (sins),
To those people who silently contemplate your boundless glory, you give immense wealth
(can you not) Now please grant us sanctuary. (giving abhayam means assuring you that you have nothing to fear, i.e giving you protection or sanctuary)

- Sreenadh

[ShrutiLaya]

I asked my friend and expert Mohan Rao garu, and here are his corrections:

1. The first phrase should be written as

nIpa vana nilayA

nIpa vanamu means kadamba vanamu and the phrase is equivalent to kadamba vana vaasinI, dweller of the celestial "kadamba" forest.

2. vidRta kuvalayaa madadanuja vaaraNa mRgEMdraarcita

kuvalayA here means "the earth". The line means roughly

Worshipped by the one who is like a lion to the elephant-like mighty rakshasa who grabbed the earth (presumably Vishnu?)

- Sreenadh

[aaaaabbbbb]

rshankarji,
you have done a great job.
only a couple if changes are needed.
"sura samudAya" is "a group of gods"
"Oh! resident of the kadamba forest, surrounded by the group of gods "
may be suitable.
" Oh!dEvi you have granted enormous wealth to people who have the
thoughts of your boundless grandeur in their minds."
may be more meaningful.

Regards
savitri

[rshankar]

I asked my friend and expert Mohan Rao garu, and here are his corrections:

1. The first phrase should be written as

nIpa vana nilayA

nIpa vanamu means kadamba vanamu and the phrase is equivalent to kadamba vana vaasinI, dweller of the celestial "kadamba" forest.

I figured that out when I tried to split he word before 'vana'....

2. vidRta kuvalayaa madadanuja vaaraNa mRgEMdraarcita

kuvalayA here means "the earth". The line means roughly

Worshipped by the one who is like a lion to the elephant-like mighty rakshasa who grabbed the earth (presumably Vishnu?)[/bquote]
Makes sense, but I think vAraNa here is 'one who warded off', and not an elephant.

Smt. Savithri - I will make the corrections you have suggested, they make perfect sense.

[ShrutiLaya]

Thanks, Ravi, for consolidating everything. Now everything is all in one place ..

Quick suggestion: "abhaya" can perhaps be better expressed as "freedom from fear" instead of "fearlessness" which suggests "courage".

- Sreenadh

[rshankar]

"abhaya" can perhaps be better expressed as "freedom from fear" instead of "fearlessness" which suggests "courage".

Done! Thank you!

[aaaaabbbbb]

Sri Shyamashstriji"s sahitya is supposed to be "kadali paka"
It is as easy as eating bananas.Sri Tyagaraja swamy"s are like *draksha paka"
as easy as eating grapes.Sri Muttuswamy Dikshitar"s is like *narikela paka*
a bit hard like eating a coconut.

[keerthi]

1. the first 'carana' here, has two carana's stuck together. [happens sometimes to jalebis in the frying pan]
caraNa 1
kunda-radanA! kuvalaya-nayanA! talli rakSincu (kAmAkSI)

carana 2
kambu-gaLa! nIrada-cikurA! vidhu-vadanA! mAyamma ! (kAmAkSI)


2. mada-matta-gaja means an elephant in rut. When the male elephants are in oestrus, they have an exhudate flowing down their temples, and then their gait is even more regal .


3. caranam 5 (actually # 6)it should be dorayanucu, not doreyanucu.

The vedas proclaim ('submit' may be a more fitting translation for moralidaga)that you, in this world, have the title of being the destroyer of sins, and the giver of boons.

4.
kara-vidhRta-kuvalayA - You hold a lotus in your hand. [adjective for kAmAkSI]

mada-danuja-vAraNa- mrgEndrA - You are like a lion (mRgEndra)that kills the elephants personified by the conceited demon(s)mada-danuja-vAraNa.

arcita-kaluSa-dahana-ghanA !

You are the most revered cloud that quenches the fires of sin.

aparimita-vaibhavamu-gala nI smarana(m) - thinking of you, who is endowed with immeasurable virtues

nI smaranam madilo dalacina janAdulaku has a slight tautology, in that it translates to 'those who remember the memory of you'; but should be taken like 'those who think thoughts about you', which is a more prevalent and acceptable tautology.

...janulaku...iccEvu ipudu mAku abhayamIyavE - you who grant prosperity to those [see above janulaku ] people, now give me your blessing/ reassurance.

5. the last carana should have sutuDamma not sutuDamba.

parAku Ela - why this indifference?

[srikant1987]

This svarajati has very complicated lyrics with unusual words compared to other SS works!

[Sundara Rajan]

In my opinion charaNam #7, "abhimAnamu lEdA" may be translated as "won't you have affection/compassion towards me" instead of "do you not have PRIDE in me ".

[rshankar]

Keerthi thanks for the clarifications. Makes much more sense. parAku, I thought was similar to pArAmukham in tamizh, which literally means turning your face away (due to indifference). Does it work the same way in Telugu too?

[aaaaabbbbb]

rshankarji,
you are right.Even in kannada, the word"parAku" has the same meaning.
*parAkEla sarasvati*[telugu]
*parAku mADade parAmbarisi*[kannada]
"parAkElanayya rAma"[telugu]
And *parAnmuKhamElanamma parADhIna patita nA pai*[telugu]

[mukta]

* parAku* literally means"absent minded"
*parAnmuKha" is "turning the face away"

[jay8080]

in the pallavi of the swarajathi most of them sing as kanchi kaamakshi and not kaanchi kaamakshi. is it not suppose to be kaanchi kamakshi? (ext of 'a' kaanchi)

tnx js