Translation of Kantimati Annai please

[narayara000]

kAntimati annai
raagam: kAnaDA
Composer: Paapanaasam Shivan
Language: Tamil

P:
kAntimati annai nI gati
kAttaruL karuNAnidhi amba

A:
shAnti pera engum tEDi vandaDainda
kumbha munik-karuL shambhu uLam kavar

C:
gaNya mighu tiru vidigaLilangum kaniyinum iniya tamizh marai muzhangum
puNya nadhiyil shiranda tAmiraparNi vaDakarai nellai padi vaLar

[rshankar]

Here you go:

pallavi
kAntimati annai nI gati kAttaruL karuNAnidhi amba
Oh mother (annai), kAntimati [1], you (nI) are my refuge (gati)! Oh repository (nidhi) of compassion (karuNA)! Mother (ambA)!

anupallavi
shAnti peRa engum tEDi vandaDainda kumbha munik-karuL shambhu uLam kavar (kAntimati annai…)
(Oh mother kAntimati) who blessed (aruL) Sage Agastya (kumbha muni)[2] who came (vandu) (to you) and attained (aDainda) (refuge) after having searched (tEDi) everywhere to attain (peRa) peace (SAnti), and who captivates (kavar) the heart/mind (uLam) of Siva (Sambhu) (you are my refuge…).

caraNam
gaNyamigu tiru vIdigaLil angum kaniyinum iniya tamizh maRai muzhangum
puNya nadiyiR siRanda tAmiraparNi vaDakarai nellai pati vaLar (kAntimati annai…)
(Oh mother kAntimati) who resides/dwells (vaLar) in the city (pati) of Tirunelveli (nellai) on the northern (vaDa) shore (karai) of the tAmraparNi (tamiraparNi), the best (siRanda) among the holy (puNya) rivers (nadiyiR), where chants of sacred works (maRai) in tamizh [3], (a language) sweeter (iniya) than fruits (kaniyinum) reverberate and resonate (muzhangum) in the extremely (migu) respectable (gaNyam) and divine (tiru) streets (vIdigaLil) there (angum) (you are my refuge…).

FOOTNOTES
[1] The dEvi in nellai is kAntimati (she with great resplendence/bright features), and not gAndimati or gAndimadi – unless she is somehow related to Gandhi’s mind
[2]Agastya is supposed to have been born from a pitcher and is therefore called kumbhaja OR kumbha muni - I am not aware of the story of pAravti blessing Sage Agastya
[3] maRai typically refer to the vEdAs, upanishads, and the Agama texts, but they can also refer to other scared works (does tamizh maRai specifically mean the tirukkuRal?)

[narayara000]

Thank you!

[vgovindan]

kAntimati being Saiva goddess, tamizh maRai would refer to 12 tirumuRai by nAyanmAr - appar, sambandar, tirunAvukkarasar, sundaramUrti nAyanAr and others (63 total). In case of vaishNava gods and goddesses, it would refer to nAlAyira prabandam of nammAzhwAr. Many include - in Saiva category - vaLLalAr (tiruvaruTpA fame) and avvaiyAr also - she was gaNapati worshipper. tirukkuRaL does not form part of religious literature, because tiruvaLLuvar did not compose his work in praise of any specific god. Some would call him a Jaina.

[Pratyaksham Bala]

FOOTNOTES
[1] The dEvi in nellai is kAntimati (she with great resplendence/bright features), and not gAndimati or gAndimadi – unless she is somehow related to Gandhi’s mind

Admirable !
Thank you !

[Pratyaksham Bala]

... 12 tirumuRai by nAyanmAr - appar, sambandar, tirunAvukkarasar, sundaramUrti nAyanAr and others (63 total) ...

Nayanmar :

In praise of 60 prominent Shaiva devotees of his time, Thiru Sundaramurthi wrote ‘Tiruthonda Thogai’ a song of 11 stanzas.

Subsequently Sekkizhar wrote Periyapuranam, singing in praise of these 60 devotees, and also Sundaramurti and his parents, making the total of devotees to 63, who are collectively called Shaiva Nayanmars.

Nayanmars were great devotees; not all were poets.

Tirumurai :

The hymns of the poet-Nayanmars and many non-Nayanmars are contained in 11 Volumes or Tirumurais, and Sekkizhar’s Periyapuranam is included as the 12th Tirumurai.

[vgovindan]

Pb,
Thanks for detailed information.

[rshankar]

Thank you VGV and PB!