meaning of papanasam sivan krithi

[qchitra]

Hi Rasikas,

This is Chitra. I am new to rasika.org. I want to know the meaning of the papanasam sivan krithi "
Karthikeya Gangeya" in Thodi, mainly the Anupallavi part ( is it "Sheerthi meya thenparankunru..."). What does Sheerthi mean? and the Second charanam that starts with "Maal Maruga, shanmuga.....Suraru samara.

Plz can someone mail me the same?

Chitra

[rshankar]

Mod: PLEASE MOVE TO SAHITYA SECTION!

A majestic composition in an equally grand rAga that I first heard Sri. GNB sing (in a commercial release) - and since then, it has cast it's magnetic spell every time I hear it. The composition is so beautiful, that it invokes divinity even in 'not-so-good' renditions. Here is my attempt at translating this composition with deceptively simple words that are so pregnant with meaning. In the process, Chitra, I hope I have answered your questions.

kArtikEya gAngEya
rAgam: tODi


tALam: Adi
Composer: Paapanaasam Shivan
Language: Tamil

pallavi

kArtikEya gAngEya gowrI tanaya!
karuNAlaya aruL tiru

Oh kArtikEya (the one who was initially looked after by the six kritika maidens), son (tanaya) of the lord that bears the gangA on his head (gAngEyan, aka Siva) and his consort, gowrI (one who is very fair - gowra varNIm), please shower your divine (tiru) blessings (aruL), repository of compassion (karuNAlaya)!
anupallavi

shIrttimEya tenparankunRu tiru
sendil pazhani swAmimalai mElum vaLar

In the AP, the composer lets us know the different abodes (paDai vIDu) of kArtikEya): You are the one whose cherished abodes (mElum vaLar) include the renowned (shIrti mEvum = shIrti + mEvum = renown/famous + abode of/resides in) towns of tiruparankunram, tiruccendUr, pazhani and swAmi malai.
caraNam 1

kunRutORum azhagar kOyil tanilum
kunjariyum kuRakkoDiyum tazhuvutiN
kunRam anaiya IrARu tOLgaLODu
kunjaramena ulavum SaravaNabhava

Oh SaravaNabhava (one who was - bhava - in the forest - vana - of Sara grass)
you reside (ulavum) majestically like an elephant (kunjaram ena) with (uDan) twelve (IrAru = Iru Aru = two times six = 12) shoulders (tOLgaL) in temples (kOvil tanilum) for you Oh Handsome one (azhagA - murugA means handsome one)[1], enjoying the embrace (tazhuvutin) of your consorts, dEvayAnai (kunjari or dEva kunjari), and that slender creeper like dEvi from the gypsy clan (kura koDi), aka vaLLI, atop hills (kunRutORum).

[Not clear what kuRam anaiya means - could it be kunRam aNaiya?] [3]

caraNam 2

mAlmaruga shaNmug(kh)a muruga guhA
mahapatiyum vidhiyum tozhum
mAtanga vadana sahOdara azhagA
vEl maruvum amalakara kamalA
kuRunagai tavazh ARumug(kh)A
viraivukoL mayUrapari
mEl varum kumarA sUraRu samarA

Oh nephew (marugA) of vishNU (mAl), handsome one (murugA), six faced one (shaNmukhA = shaD + mukhA = 6 faces), guhA[2], you are invoked (tozhum) by the mighty indrA (mahapati) as well as brahmA (vidhi) himself. Oh handsome one (azhagA) you are the brother (sahOdara) of the elephant (mAtanga) faced (vadana) god (gaNapati).
Weilder (maruvum) of the powerful spear (vEl) in your immaculately clean (amala) lotus-like (kamala) hand (kara), with a mischevious smile (kuRunagai) flitting (tavazh) across your six (Aru) faces (mukh(g)A) - the victorious kumarA who comes (varum) resplendent on (mEl) the speedy (viraivukoL) peacock (mayUrapari) to do battle (samara) with the demons (sUrar - specifically, sUrapadma).

caraNam 3

kAmaripu abhirAmi suta nin tiru
nAmam maRavEn kuRai tAmadaminRit tavir
kaliyuga dEvataiyE - tiruvaDi
kaitozhuvAr nidhiyE - aDimaiyin
kAmam mudal pagaivaraic cidaittuk
kaTAkshi shaDaksharA rAmadAsan tozhum

I will not forget (maravEn) your (nin) divine (tiru) name (nAmam), Oh son (suta) of the enemy (ripu) of cupid (kAma - so, kAma ripu/mAra vairi is SivA) and abhirAmi (pArvati), the Lord (dEvatai) of kaliyug. You are the wealth (nidhi) of those that raise their hands (kai) in prayer (tozhuvAr) at your divine (tiru) feet (aDi).
SrI sivan concludes this kriti with the following plea: Oh lord of six (shaD) letters/syllables (akSarA) [Sa ra va Na bha vA] that I (rAmadAsan is Sri Sivan's mudra that appears in some, but not all of his compositions) pray to (tozhum), please destroy (cidaittu) all the sins/enemies (pagaivarai), including (mudal) but, not limited to desire (kAmam) of your devoted slave (aDimai) and bless me/shower your grace on me (kaTAkSI).

Editorial comments:
1. azhagar kOvil: while this may refer to temples of murugA, typically, they refer to vishNu temples - kUDal azhagar and kaLLar azhagar in and around madurai come to mind. I wonder if Sri Sivan is refering to the ancient controversy that the temple in tirumala was originally a murugan kOvil.......[I hope I am not creating the atmosphere for a storm to brew...::-):]
2. Someone - Rajani/Arasi - please explain the meaning of guha as a name for murugan.
3. Rajani/Arasi - please help with this.

[prashant]

Bale Ravi!!! Just like your translation of kANa vENDAmO opened my eyes to the beauty of that song, your work on this piece has motivated me to dig it out and polish it up now that the words are clear to me. Thanks!!!

[rshankar]

Prashant,
Thanks for making my day! You are VERY WELCOME!

[rbharath]

it is kunRam anaiya eerAru thOLgaLoDu...

meaning 12 shoulders as big as hills...

[arasi]

Ravi, for your mammoth efforts, as usual, my 'aNil at the service of rAmA' bits.

kunRam tOrum, azhagar kOyil tanilum: not only on other hills but also on azhagar hills. There is a murugan temple there too, not far from the vishnu temple (azhagar kOyil).

Continuing on Bharath's line, with such majestic twelve shoulders, kunjaram ena ulavum: one who walks about like an elephant in its grandeur

[arasi]

Googled and found a nice meaning for guhan: in dweller (not visible, the secretive one, as in sanskrit?) Is there also a 'cave' episode somewhere?

[rshankar]

it is kunRam anaiya eerAru thOLgaLoDu...

meaning 12 shoulders as big as hills...

Thanks, Bharath!
(I am certain I posted this earlier...must be in the Bermuda triangle of lost posts!)

And Arasi, thanks for the important additions/clarifications!
I too wondered about the cave bit.

[vgvindan]

Is there also a 'cave' episode somewhere?

Please read the explanation of the word 'guha' by Paramacharya of Kanchi.
http://www.carnaticcorner.com/articles/ ... slated.htm
(This link has been referred earlier under other threads too - sorry for repetition)

[Rajani]

Ravi : That was a beautiful translation.
Azhagarkoil near Madurai is the same as Pazhamudircholai(the 6th padai-veedu) . The Vishnu temple is at the base of the hill and Murugan's is higher up. (A holiday at his uncle's house -maybe )

[rhranjana]

Can anyone provide me the meaning for "aadikondar"- Mayamalava gowla of Gopalakrishna bharathi.
I also want to know the nuances of mallari. Is there any specifications with regard to choreography of a mallari?

[niyer]

the meanings posted here have enlightened me on this wonderful krithi. Thanks to all. I have one query. It seems five of the aaru padai veedus of Lord muruga have been referred in the song ( four in the anupallavi - tenparankunRu tiru
sendil pazhani swAmimalai mElum vaLar
) and one as cited above as Azhagarkoil near Madurai is the same as Pazhamudircholai(the 6th padai-veedu)

Is Tiruttani also referred to somewhere in the song . I am wondering how only one could be left out.

[rshankar]

Is Tiruttani also referred to somewhere in the song . I am wondering how only one could be left out.

'kunjariyum kura koDiyum' probably refers to tiruttaNi where the Lord appears with both his consorts...

[Rajani]

Strictly speaking, the 5th Padai Veedu is "KunrutORaDal" ( sporting on all hills) and it is a collective name for many sthalams, of which Tiruttani is generally regarded the main one.

This is referred to then as "kunRutORum"