Need meaning of the sloka (on Lord Ganapati)

[avnipriya]

girIndrajAmukhAmbuja pramodadAna bhAskaraM
karIndravaktramAnatAghasaMghavAraNodyatam |
sarIsRpesha baddhakukShimAshrayAmi santataM
sharIrakAnti nirjitAbjabandhubAlasantatim ||

I clearly make out only 2 lines :
- Whose face (vaktram) is that of the best elephant (karIndra).
- I always (santataM) take refuge (AshrayAmi) in Lord Ganapati,
whose belly (kukShim) is fastened (baddha) with the king cobra (sarIsRpesha).

I have a doubt about "abja-bandhu ", it means " friend of the lotus " that I'm nout sure this word refers to the sun or the moon.
there are many kinds of lotus flowers which blossom in daytime and nighttime,
but in the first line " bhAskara " says The Lord is bright as the sun.

Search the meaning of each word in online Sanskrit dictionary,
I never learnt Sanskrit, so interpretation and compilation are tough for me,
I need the meaning of the rest.

[keerthi]

girIndrajA-mukha-ambuja-pramoda-dAna-bhAskaraM
karIndra-vaktram Anata-agha-saMgha-vAraNodyatam |
sarIsRpEsha-baddha-kukShim AshrayAmi santataM
sharIrakAnti-nirjita-abjabandhu-bAla-santatim ||

girIndrajA-mukha-ambuja-pramoda-dAna-bhAskaraM

(You) who are the sun that causes the lotus face of UmA, to blossom with joy;[1]

girIndrajA- the daughter of the mountain king ( = pArvatI)
mukha-ambuja- face-lotus
pramoda-dAna- enlivening
bhAskaraM - Sun.

karIndra-vaktram Anata-agha-saMgha-vAraNodyatam |

The Elephant-headed one, who is ever ready to dispel the sins of his votaries;

karIndra-vaktram - (O) elephant-faced one!
Anata- those that salute you,
agha-saMgha- the mass of (their) sins
vAraNa - to remove
udyatam - One who is prepared.

sarIsRpEsha-baddha-kukShim AshrayAmi santataM

I take succour in Him, whose stomach is tied up with a snake-girdle.

sarIsRpa-Isha- the lord of reptiles (snakes)
baddha- tied up
kukShim - stomach
AshrayAmi - I take refuge
santataM - always


sharIra-kAnti-nirjita-abjabandhu-bAla-santatim

the son of Shiva/ UmA, whose ruddy complexion defeats the roseate rising sun.??

sharIra-kAnti- bodily splendour
nirjita- one (who) surpassed
abja-bandhu-bAla- the young sun [2]
santatim - son.


[1] Here the sun is used as a metaphor for ganapati, not as a simile; It is a common metaphor to say that A is the sun that causes the lotus of B's face/ heart to bloom. [vide agajAnana-padma-arkaM in the popular stOtra, and himAdri-tanaya-Anana-pankaja-hiraNyagarbhAya in MD's navrOz song].

Hence, G is not being compared to the sun, it is merely a metaphor.

[2] This is a long shot, and I am almost as puzzled as avnipriya.

abja can mean moon or lotus.

abja-bandhu hence, can mean moon friend (the cakOra bird??) or lotus-friend i.e. sun.

former is a dead end, latter less so.

abja-bandhu-bAla; in a pinch, I have translated as bAla-abja-bandhu; i.e, the young/ dawn sun.

Hence ganapati is the son of the one who is red as the sun in the morning. This could be either of his parents. given that girIndrajA is mentioned in the first line, i would presume that it is only fair, that daddy merit a mention in the last line.

suggestions are welcome.

[cmlover]

Very nice keerthi
Of course the last line is puzzling. Let me try
abja bandhu bAla santatim = the children ( bAla ) of the solar ( abjabandhu ) race( santatim ) (which includes Rama )
So the line would mean that Ganapati
supasses( nirjita ) in bodily ( sharIra ) effulgence ( kAnti ) the children of the solar race...
This however does not put down Lord Rama (who is sUryakOTi sama prakAsham)

[avnipriya]

Thank you very much, Keerthi. (next time I will emphasize long E vowel)
I really want the clear translation of this sloka.

I searched the meaning of these words :
sharIra = body
kAnti = splendour, a lovely colour, brightness (especially of the moon)
nirjita = conquered, subdued, won
abja = lotus, moon
bandhu = friend
(abja-bandhava = ' friend of the lotus ', the sun)
(sarasiruha-bandhu = ' friend of the lotus ', the sun)
(kamala-bandava = ' the friend of the lotus ', the sun)
(padma-bandhu = ' friend of the lotus ', the sun)
(kairava-bandhu = ' friend of the lotus flower ', the moon)
(kumuda-bandhu = ' friend of the lotus ', the moon)
bAla = newly risen, early ( as the sun or its rays ), new or waxing ( as the moon )
santati = a continuous line or series or flow, heap, mass, multitude

This is my opinion :
even the mass (santati) of rising (bAla) suns (abjabandhu) are conquered (nirjita) by the effulgence (kAnti) of your body (sharIra).

Thank cmlover and others who will try to translate this sloka !

[avnipriya]

vandE sindUrasandOhasundarAruNarOciSham |
stambEramAnanaM dEvamindrAdisuravanditam ||

Translate this shloka please.

[Rajani]

vandE sindUrasandOhasundarAruNarOciSham |
stambEramAnanaM dEvamindrAdisuravanditam

vandE - I salute
stambEramAnanaM - the elephant-faced
dEvam - god,
indrAdisuravanditam - who is worshipped by Indra and other gods,
sindUrasandOhasundarAruNarOciSham- whose effulgence is beautiful and red like a heap of Sindur(vermillion).

[avnipriya]

Thank you. next, I want the meaning of this sloka, especially the second line.

kiá¹…kiNIgaNaracitacaraNaH
prakaTitagurumitacArukaraNaH |
madajalalaharIkalitakapOlaH
shamayatu duritaM gaNapatinAmnA ||

[Pratyaksham Bala]

Here is the meaning of the Sanskrit slokam:-

kiá¹…kiNIgaNaracitacaraNaH:-
Having venerable feet (caraNah) that are decorated (racita) with a number of (gaNa) ankle bells (kinkini),

prakaTitagurumitacArukaraNaH:-
the clearly visible (prakaTita) very strong (gurumita) and beautiful (cAru) ears (karaNah),

madajalalaharIkalitakapOlaH
and cheeks (kapOla) drenched with (kalita) waves of (lahari) exciting temple secretion (madajala),

shamayatu duritaM gaNapati nAmnA
the One who mitigates (samayati) the difficulties (duritam), and the One who is known as Sri GaNapati (gaNapati nAmnA)!

[avnipriya]

I come back to this warm forum.

kalyANaM vo vidhattAM karaTamadadhunIlolakallolamAlA
khelallolabakolAhalamukharitadikcakravAlAMtarAlam |
pratnaM vetaMDaratnaM satataparicalatkarNatAlapraroha
dvAtAMkUrAjihIrSHAdaravivRtaphaNAshRMgabhUpAbhujaMgam ||

some words are not familiar to me.

[keerthi]

Avnipriya, this is a lovely verse. It is from the campUbhArata of Ananta bhaTTa (I think). Do post requests for new verses on a seperate post, with the first words in the title. It should then show up better on future searches.

I have made a few corrections in the text. Will post the translation soon.

kalyANaM vo vidhattAM karaTa-mada-dhunI-lola-kallola-mAlA-
khelallolamba-kolAhala-mukharita-dikcakravAlAMtarAlam |
pratnaM vetaNDa-ratnaM satata-paricalad-karNa-tAla-prarohad
vAtAMkUrAjihIrSHAdara-vivRta-phaNA-shRnga-bhUSA-bhujaMgam ||

[keerthi]

kalyANaM vo vidhattAM karaTa-mada-dhunI-lola-kallola-mAlA-
khelallolamba-kolAhala-mukharita-dikcakravAlAMtarAlam |
pratnaM vetaNDa-ratnaM satata-paricalad-karNa-tAla-prarohad
vAtAMkUrAjihIrSHAdara-vivRta-phaNA-shRnga-bhUSA-bhujaMgam ||


May they bring us good tidings - the directions/ space, Lord gaNEsha, , and his snake.

The directions that were as if filled up with the swarms of bees that came attracted by the scads of ichor that flowed from the elephant's temple; that primeval elephant, GanEsha, whose constantly flapping palm-frond-ears [to dispel the bees] created tiny windstorms/ eddies; which is food for, and thus attracted the snake that adorns his crest/ tusk; with its hood spread out.

Notes -

1. It is a poetic convention that when elephants are in oestrus [musth] the aromatic secretions from their temples attract bees.

2. another convention that snakes draw nourishment by eating air/ winds [which is why they keep sticking their tongues out]

3. shRnga can mean head/ crest or tusk. The latter is a rare usage, but is approporiate.

kalyANaM vo vidhattAM - Let (them) cause all auspiciousness to us!
karaTa-mada-dhunI-lola-kallola-mAlA - In the streams of ichor, flowing out in waves, from the forehead
khelat - sporting
lolamba - bees
kolAhala-mukharita-dikcakravAlAMtarAlam - That were excited and seemed to cover all the directions with their flight.

pratnaM vetaNDa-ratnaM - The ancient/ primordial elephant par excellence,
satata-paricalad-karNa-tAla-prarohad - whose constantly moving palm-frond-like ears gave rise to
vAtAMkUra - wisps of breeze
AjihIrSHAdara-vivRta-phaNA - Desiring which, with an expanded hood,
shRnga-bhUSA-bhujaMgam - a snake adorns his crest/ tusk.

[avnipriya]

Thank a lot for translation, Keerthi !

Here's where I got the shloka from.

[avnipriya]

Some words are unclear here :

AjihIrSHA is a desiderative form of root A-√hR (desire of eating), right ?
so next word is it dara, adara, or Adara ?

[Rajani]

Must be "dara" which means " a little"

[avnipriya]

Thank you Rajani !

Please someone explain to me, how come the word ‘dara’ is in this sentence ?
cause I'm not sure about its connection with near other words.

[keerthi]

I feel it is Adara, in the sense of interest, making the compound '....snake with unfurled hood, that (came out of) a curiosity and desire to eat those wisps of wind'

[Rajani]

Makes perfect sense, Keerthi. Thanks for the wonderful translation too.

[keerthi]

Rajani,

It is nice to be reminded of these nice verses.

[classicallover]

Dear Keerti & Avanipriya !!

In the sloka on Ganapati, the last line means, that the sharira kanti or tejas of the young Ganapati is equal to or more than that of the crimson scarlet rising sun ( balaabja bandhu ). No need to wonder anymore. Feel free to ask if you want anything else.

[classicallover]

Keerti,

The word may not be just 'dara' . There could be a typo error where in one matra is missing. It could be 'udara' for the pot belly of Ganapati which gives ashraya to the serpent or adorned by the hissing serpent "bhupabhujangam".

[keerthi]

Keerti,

The word may not be just 'dara' . There could be a typo error where in one matra is missing. It could be 'udara' for the pot belly of Ganapati which gives ashraya to the serpent or adorned by the hissing serpent "bhupabhujangam".

1. I haven't said the word is dara. I have said that it is Adara.

2. It can't be udara because then the word would have been AjihIrSOdara, which is not seen in either the 1895 telugu edition of the campUbhArata, or the 1864 sanskRt edition.

3. If the reference is to a snake round his stomach, this would have been a very sorry piece of poetry, since it defeats the lovely imagery of the snake stealing up to eat the wisps of wind created by the flapping of his ears. That is only possible, if the snake is either round his tusk or his head, [vide shRnga-bhUSA-bhujangaH].

4. I am confident that it is bhUSA and not bhUpA. It is a case of the print being smudged, since the dEvanAgarI characters for pa and Sha are similar. the editions I have referred to above have bhUSA.
[I checked after reading your post!]

Feel free to ask if you want anything else.

Thanks.

[classicallover]

Keerthi !

ajihiirshaadara & ajihiirShodara are different only by one maatra on top.

I do not have those books you referred to . My observation was just based on whatever text was posted and also the scanned image, which, on careful examination on even a high resolution monitor, appeared to be bhuupa only.

Also, it is common perception even in ancient days that snakes slip their split tongues in & out of the mouth only to perceive the electrical signals emanating from different sources. They sniff with their tongues and they differentiate the signals, analyse them and then decide on the source of the heat & signals. The modern day thermocouple used for measuring temperatures has the same principle. Our rishis had discovered this long time back.

[avnipriya]

Dear Keerti & Avanipriya !!

In the sloka on Ganapati, the last line means, that the sharira kanti or tejas of the young Ganapati is equal to or more than that of the crimson scarlet rising sun ( balaabja bandhu ). No need to wonder anymore. Feel free to ask if you want anything else.

Thank for discussion

[Pratyaksham Bala]

Keerti,
The word may not be just 'dara' . There could be a typo error where in one matra is missing. It could be 'udara' for the pot belly of Ganapati which gives ashraya to the serpent or adorned by the hissing serpent "bhupabhujangam".

Please check 9066-1 and 9066-2 in:-
http://sa.wikibooks.org/wiki/%E0%A4%AE% ... 6%E0%A5%A6

९०६६-१ कल्याणं वो विधत्तां करटमदधुनीलोलकल्लोलमाला- खेलद्रोलम्बकोलाहलमुखरितदिक्चक्रवालान्तरालं ।
९०६६-२ प्रत्नं वेतण्डरत्नं सततपरिचलत्कर्णतालप्ररोह- द्वातङ्कूराजिहीर्षादरविवृतफणाशृङ्गभूषाभुजंगं ।।


Keerti,
You are right !
.