Remembering Semmangudi Mama – My Guru and God: Part 2

 

Saṅgita Pitāmaha, Padma Vibhushan Dr. Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer

 

 

Coming to the story of how Lalitha and myself became the Sishya-s of Semmangudi Mama- for a long tome we nurtured a deep desire to learn from Mama, but were hesitant to approach him since we felt that it was “Pērāśai”.

On one of our visits, along with our Amma, Smt. Subbulakshmi Muthuswamy who was his disciple, the inevitable happened ! Amma started introducing us but before she could finish he said `Teriyumē, Lalitha – Nandini, ippa kūda radiovila ivālōḍa katchēriyai kēṭṭen, rōmba nannā vāsikara, nalla vāsippu, nalla vazhi, Katcheri illada nāllila enkita anuppu, nan āvāḷukku sollitharēn’. (I know, Lalitha and Nandini, recently I heard their concert in the Radio and was very impressed, they play very well and have a good tradition, send them to me for advanced lessons when they are free).

We were speechless, shocked beyond words…it was unbelievable (even as I re-live those moments now, it is unbelievable… what a great blessing !) ….we wanted to ask him to accept us as his Sishya-s and lo ! even before we could ask he said that he would teach us. What a blessing, this is the greatness of Mama. But we soon gathered ourselves together to thank him and say that we would be would definitely come since it was a great blessing for us. We wanted to utilize this good fortune and started lessons with Mama immediately. He started lessons with the kriti “Mahā Gaṇapathē” in the Rāgā Naṭanārayaṇi.

As his sishya-s Lalitha and I had plenty of opportunities to listen, observe and imbibe his music from close quarters. As a musician Semmangudi Mama was a towering personality. His music was “The Ultimate”….there is so much for any musician to learn from him. His music is the perfect blend of all that you aspire or seek in Karnāṭaka Saṅgītam. (No wonder he is respected by one and all as the Pitāmahā of Karṅāṭaka Saṅgītam)

For instance if we take his Rāgā Ālāpanai-s, they are filled with rāga bhāvam but yet at the same time they are innovative, replete with unexpected sancārā-s that would immediately elicit a “sabāsh” from an listener. He was a master in portraying a complete picture of the raga irrespective of whether he sang it for 3 minutes or 15 minutes. Filled with long kārvai-s as well as subtle nuances (nagāsu vēlai), they are totally mesmerizing. He would slowly build up a rāga upto a climax – which would leave one yearning for more. He was a daring innovator as well. He invested life into rāgā-s such as Shanmugapriya and Hemavati, which found a more prominent place in the Carnātic Katcheri after Mama’s handling of these ragas.

His rendering of kriti-s is an aesthetic experience by itself. His renditions were  finely chiselled gems and possessed a remarkable sophistication. The sangati-s were built gradually – never more than what was necessary. Mama would always say “Saṅgatiya pōṭṭu tinikka kūḍādu”.   Kritis like Agastīśvaram – Lalitha, Janani – Rītigauḷa, Amba Nīlayadakśi – Nīlāmbari, Śri Rāmam – Nārāyaṇagauḷa, Dwaitamusukhamā – Rītigauḷa, O Raṅgasāyi – Kāmbhōji , Dēva Dēva – Māyāmāḷavagauḷa et al  bear his indelible stamp and have become synonymous with Mama. He has also set to tune several compositions of Sadāśiva Brahmendra, Nārāyaṇa Tīrtha. He has also set to tune Tirukkural Kriti-s.  

His Niraval & Kalpana Svara-s were free flowing and bear testimony to his creative genius. I often wonder how he could have such a wide manōdharma . He maintained a structure here as well. Initially they were simple filled with kārvai-s and then slowly increased in complexity, filled with brigā-s and other niceties. His singing of the niraval in madhyamakālam is a sheer joy, perfect in every sense. His niraval for “Śyāma Krishna Sahōdari” in Amba Kāmākśi is a personal favourite of mine. His long kārvai at “Śyāma Krishna Sahōdari in tārasthāyi rishabam is simply breathtaking. His Kalpana Svaram for Janani – initially with small āvarthanam –s and gradually building up in length, using the characteristic sancara-s of rītigauḷa is so typical of his style. In the madhyamakāla svaram-s his repetitive usage of the svara-s “grs” has an electrifying effect. His niraval and kalpanasvaram for Jātarūpa in “Dēva Dēva” have always left me yearning for more. There are several other favourites of mine, but then the list would be endless 🙂

There is always a sense of proportion and balance in his concerts. Whatever he sang, whether it was a rāga ālāpanai or kriti or niraval or kalpanasvaram or tānam – he knew the right aḷavu that had to be sung. There was so much of discipline in his singing. His style was truly majestic filled with azhutam, bhāvam & shuddham – values that ought to be emulated.

I realise that this post is quite long. The next part of this post on Semmangudi Mama will contain my personal experiences with him as a Siśya. I sign off with a video of Mama singing “Teliyalēru Rāma” – Dhēnuka in his inimitable style. Enjoy 🙂

 

Remembering Semmangudi Mama – My Guru and God: Part 1

 

"Sangita Pitamaha" Sri Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer

 

Today is the birth anniversary of Sangita Pitamaha Sri Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer. As I sat sipping a cup of hot orange tea this afternoon listening to Semmangudi Mama’s awesome “Ksheenamai” in Mukhari, my thoughts went back to the memorable experiences that my sister Lalitha and I have had with this great doyen of Carnatic Music. I thought that penning my experiences with mama would be an apt tribute to this music legend on his birth anniversary, hence this post on a day that will be fondly remembered by all aficionados of Karnāṭaka Saṅgītam .

My earliest memories of Semmangudi Mama, was listening to his LP’s that were played often at home. Listening to his “Dēva Dēva” – Māyāmāḷavagauḷa with an exhilarating Niraval at “Jātha Rūpa” and the majestic “Ō Raṅga Śāyi” in Kāmbhoji, were firmly etched in my mind, even in my childhood days. I never dreamed that in future I would be fortunate to learn the very same Ō Raṅga Śāyi from none other than mama himself ! (I thank my Sathguru for having blessed me with this wonderful opportunity in life, which I will treasure forever)

My mother, Smt. Subbulakshmi Muthuswamy was a disciple of Semmangudi Mama. We lived in the same street as mama did – Lloyds Lane in Madras, and she would frequent his house for learning from him. She would take Lalitha and me along with her to visit mama, especially on Vijayadasami. I vividly remember going to Mama’s house and entering the huge inviting hall with walls lined with photos of great musical doyens of yesteryears like Ariyakudi, Musiri amidst the photos of Sri Sathya Sai Baba and Raghavendra Svami. As soon as we entered mama’s face would light up and he would joyfully say “Vango , Vango”. My mother would always tell us about the greatness of her Guru and his music and all the compositions- Kamalāmba Navāvarnam, Navagraha Krithi-s of Śri Muthusvāmi Dikśitar et al, that she learnt from him. So even at a young age I was fill with awe, reverence and last but not the least, a lot of affection for this great persona – whom I regarded as my grandfather. 

To Lalitha and myself Semmangudi Mama (as we would call him) was like our own grand-father. My grand father Sri V. Lakshminarayana Iyer was a good friend of his and he would always talk about him. He would start of saying that “uṅga thāthāvum nānaum rōmba friends.” He would always refer to my father Sri. K. Muthuswamy as “Māpiḷḷai” – son – in – law. My parents would often take us to listen to Mama’s  Kutcheri’s . Today as I turn back to nostalgically remember those golden days, I feel blessed to have grown up listening to the magical music of Semmangudi Mama.

As we grew up we realised the great phenomenon that was Semmangudi mama. When we learnt to appreciate the fine subtleties, nuances and greatness of his music and a sense of awe set on thinking that we had the opportunity of closely associating with him and to be his sishya !

Well how did Lalitha and myself end up as his Sishya-s ? I will write more in my next post, meanwhile here is a fantastic rendition of Marivērē Gati of Syāmā Śāstri by Semmangudi Mama in Ānandabhairavi….. enjoy 🙂

On a Temple Trail – Tiruvānaikā

On my recent visit to India, I was fortunate to visit some of the ancient temples in Tamil Nadu. Even before I started my travel, I was very excited at the prospect of visiting temple towns rich in cultural legacy. To me, it brought back childhood memories of visiting the Kabālīśvarar Temple in Mylapore along with my father, who would keep chanting “Nāgēndra Hārāya” as we went around the temple in the morning. As a performing musician I had plenty of opportunities to visit different cities in India. My sight seeing always consisted of a visit to the local temples. Whether it is Bangalore or Pune or Calcutta or you name the city, I always enjoy visiting temples.

Though my visit to Madras (ugh… Chennai) was quite short I still managed to visit some beautiful temples down south. It is also a beautiful experience since I always associate the temple with a Kriti composed by the great Vāggeyakkāra-s of Karnāṭaka Sangītam. As I was going round the Jambukēsvarar – Akilānḍēśvari Temple at Tiruvānaikāval, Trichy I was singing to myself Dikśitar’s Akilānḍēśvari in Jujāvanti. It is one of the masterpieces of Dikśitar and every time that I hear this kriti, I am transported to a different world ☺. Before I write about the composition, let me give a few details about this Kśētram.

Tiruvānaikkāval also known as Gajāraṇyam, Jambukēśvaram, Jñānēndram and Amudēśvaram, is one of the Panca Bhūta Sthalam-s and is referred to as Appusthalam since Lord Śiva as Jambukēśvara is regarded as an embodiment of the element water. In fact in the shrine of Jambukēśvarar, one can see that the liṅgam is perpetually surrounded by water known as the Srimath Tīrtham. The priest told me that when the river Kāveri is flooded, the entire prakāram would also be flooded.

The Lord in this Kśētram is known as Jambukēśvarar and Sambhunāyagar. The Goddess is known as Akilāṇḍēśvari and Akilāṇḍānāyagi. This is a Pāḍal Petra Sthalam and pathikam-s have been sung by Appar, Sundarar and Sambandar.

Legend – 1

There are many legends associated with this temple. According to one such legend, this Kśētra was once upon a time a forest of Jambu trees. Two devotees of Lord Śiva, were born as an elephant and spider on account of a curse. Everyday the elephant would worship Lord Śiva by bringing water, flowers and fruit in its trunk from the forest. In the nearby Nāval tree, there lived a spider, which served the Lord by spinning a web above the Liṅgam to shelter Him from dust and dry leaves. The elephant on seeing the web, would destroy it, since it considered the web to be impure. One day the elephant came to offer worship even as the spider was spinning its web. Enraged, the elephant destroyed the web. This angered the spider, which entered the trunk of the elephant and caused its death by injecting its venom. The spider also died, since it could not find its way out of the elephant’s trunk. But on account of the good merit that they had accrued by worshipping Lord Śiva, the elephant went to Śivalōka where it became the leader of the Gaṇā-s. Meanwhile the spider was born as Cōḷā King Ko Chenkōt Cōḷā. On account of this legend, this Kśētram came to be known as Nāvarkā Ānaikā, Gajāraṇyam in Sanskrit and Tiruvānaika in Tamizh.

Legend – 2

Once there lived a sage called Jambu Mādhavan, who did penance in a forest. One day a white Nāval fruit fell on his lap. He took this fruit to Mount Kailāśa and offered it to Lord Śiva. Moved by the affection of his devotee, the Lord ate the fruit and spit out the seed. The sage regarded the seed as the prasādam of the Lord and ate it. This took root in the stomach of the sage and grew as a huge Nāval Tree. The Lord blessed the sage and asked him to go to a Nāval forest near the river Ponni, where the Lord promised to manifest as a Liṅgam beneath this tree. As promised Lord Śiva appeared beneath this tree, which is the Sthala Vṛikśam in this temple. Hence this Kśētra came to be known as Jambukēśvaram.

Legend – 3

Initially Goddess Akilāṇḍēśvari was an ugra dēvata. The credit for transforming her into a Śanthasvarūpini goes to Ādi Śaṅkarā. He adorned her with ear – rings known as tāḍaṅgam bearing the symbol of the Śri Chakram. He transferred her fierce power into the tāḍaṅgam-s. He also installed Prasanna Vināyagar, facing Goddess Akilāṇḍēśvari, which is instrumental in transforming her into a benevolent deity. Maha Periva, Sri Chandrasēkara Sarasvati, the Pontiff of Kañci Kāmakōṭi Pīṭham, renewed that tāḍaṅgam-s in 1980s.

Legend – 4

Once Goddess Pārvati mocked at Lord Śiva’s penance for betterment of the world. Enraged by her act, Lord Śiva directed her to go to the earth and perform penance there. The Goddess found a ‘Jambu’ forest at Tiruvānaika or Tiruvānaikoil to commence her penance. She made a Liṅgam from the waters of the River Kāveri also known as Ponni. She performed her penance under the ‘Venn Nāval’ tree (the tree from the sage Jambu). So, the Liṅgam is known as ‘Appu Liṅgam’ (Appu-Water).

Lord Śiva appeared before Goddess Akilāṇḍēśvari and bestowed on her Śiva Gñanam. The Goddess took ‘Upadēśa’ (lessons) facing east while the Lord faced west. Hence the deities in the temple are also installed in the same direction. Such places are known as ‘Upadēśa Sthalam-s’. Since the Lord was the Guru and the Goddess was his Siśya, the ‘Tiru Kalyaṇam’ (marriage) is not conducted in this temple.

Since Goddess Akilāṇḍēśvari worshipped Lord Śiva in this temple, at noon the ‘Archakar’ (priest) dresses like a female and performs pūja to Lord Śiva and ‘Gō Mātha’ (Cow) every day.

Such a legendary Kśētram has been immortalized in the kṛiti-s of Śri Muthusvāmi Dīkśitar. Dīkśitar has sung Jambupatē in rāgā Yamunākalyāni – tiśra ēkam in praise of Lord Jambukēśvarar (it is one of the Pañca Bhūta Kśētra Kriti-s) and Akilāṇḍēśvari in rāga Jujāvanti – ādi tāḷam in praise of Goddess Akilānḍēśvari. It is notable that he has used hindustāni rāgā-s for both compositions.

Akhilānḍēśvari rakśa mām

Rāgam: Jujāvanti                                                                                                   Tāḷam: Ādi
Vāgeyyakkāra: Śri Muttusvāmi Dikśitar

Pallavi

Akhilānḍēśvari rakśa mām
Āgama sampradāya nipuṇē śri

O Akhilānḍēśvari protect me!
One who is an expert in the tradition of the Āgamā-s.

Anupallavi

Nikila lōka nityātmikē vimalē
Nirmalē śyāmaḷē sakala kalē

The one who is the eternal life-force of the worlds. The one who is immaculate.
The one who is a dark. The one who encompasses all the arts.

Caraṇam

Lambōdara guru guha pūjitē
Lambālakōdbhāsitē hasitē
Vāgdēvatārāditē varadē
Vara śaila rāja nutē śāradē

Madhyamakāla Sāhityam

Jambhāri sambhāvitē janārdana nutē jujāvanti rāga nutē
Jhalli maddaḷa jarjhara vādya nāda muditē jñāna pradē

The one who is worshipped by Gaṇēśā and Śanmukhā.
The one who has long locks of hair on her forehead. The one with a smiling face.
The one who is worshipped by the Vākdēvatā-s and is a bestower of boons.
The one who is worshipped by the king of mountains, O Śāradā.
The one respected by Indrā, who is the enemy of the demon Jambhā. The one worshipped by Viṣṇu. The one praised by the Rāgā Jujāvanti.
The one who is pleased by the sound of the musical instruments such as Jalli, Maddaḷa and Jarjhara. The one who bestows Knowledge.

 

A soulful rendition of Akilāṇḍēśvari rakśa mām by MS Amma.

 

 

 

 

Jambu patē mām pāhi

 

Rāgam: Yamunākalyāni                                                                              Tāḷam: Tiśra Ēkam
Vāgeyyakkāra: Śri Muttusvāmi Dikśitar

Pallavi

Jambu patē mām pāhi nijānandāmṛtabōdham dēhi

Oh Jambupati, protect me and bestow me with the nectar of the knowledge of true bliss.

Anupallavi

Ambujāsanādi sakala dēva namana tumburunuta hṛdaya tāpōpaśamana
Ambudi gaṅgā kāveri yamunā kambukaṇṭhyakilāṇḍēśvari ramaṇa

He is honored by Brahma and other celestial beings. He mitigates the affliction of the heart of Tumburu. He is the form of water and the great ocean and rivers such as Gaṅga, Kāveri, Yamunā. He is the beloved consort of Goddess Akilāṇḍēśvari, whose neck is as beautiful as a conch.

Caraṇam

Parvatajā prārtitabliṅga vibhō pañcabhūtamaya prapañcaprabhō
Sarvajīva dayākara śambhō sāmajāṭavīnilaya svayambhō
Sarva karuṇā sudha sindhō śaraṇāgata vatsalārta bandhō
Anirvacanīya nādabindō nityamauli vidhṛta gaṅgendo

Madhyamakāla Sāhityam

Nirvikalpaka samādhiniṣṭa śiva kalpakatarō
Nirvi śeśa chaitanya nirañjana guruguha gurō

In answer to the prayers of Goddess Pārvati, the Lord manifested as a Liṅga representing water. He is the Lord of the universe, which is composed of five elements. He is Śambhu, who is compassionate towards all living beings. He manifested on his own in a forest inhabited by elephants. He is the nectar-like ocean of mercy, and is the saviour to those who seek refuge in Him. He is the indescribable Nādabindu. He always wears the Gaṅga and the crescent moon on His head. He is the Kalpaka tree, and is engaged in the state of Samadhi or supreme consciousness. He is the father of the pure, faultless knowledge in the form of Guruguha.

Tiger Varadācāriyār

As I was surfing the net I came across this rare picture of Tiger Varadācāriyār which I wanted to share with you. Tiger playing Kabbaḍi ( Courtesy : http://www.sawf.org) …. the other side of the musician 🙂

Puja & Rituals in a Saivaite Temple

Our South Indian Temples have various interesting and meaningful rituals and pujas as part of worship. For example, during the Veedhi Ula or Procession, as a contrast to the usual custom – where the devotee visits the temple to have a darshan of the Lord, the Lord leaves the Temple in order to visit his devotees and personally oversee their welfare.

Here are a few video clips of the Puja & Procession in a Saivaite Temple. I was personally captivated by the beautuful close-ups of the Siva Lingam. Absolutely divine. The Chanting and the singing by the priests is quite mesmerising !

Svāmi Ōmkārānanda’s Lecture

Yesterday I attended a lecture on the Gīta & Tirukkuraḷ by Svāmi Ōmkārānanda. It was quite an elevating experience. Before I go into the details of the lecture, a few words about Svāmiji.

Svāmi Ōmkārānanda was born in a traditional vedic family. He learnt vēdās at a very early age. In his early twenties, greatly inspired by the teachings of Svāmi Vivekānanda, he joined Rāmakṛṣṇa Tapōvanam at Tirupparaiturai and was given Sanyāsa Dīksha by Svāmi Chidbhavānanda Maharāj in 1985.

He studied Vēdānta under Svāmi Paramārthānanda, disciple of Svāmi Dayānanda Sarasvati. On completion of his studies he founded the “Sri Svāmi Chidbhavānanda Ashramam” at Theni.

Sri Svāmiji has succeeded H.H. Sri Sri Sānthananda Svāmigaḷ of Sri Sri Judge Svāmigaḷ Adhiśtāṇam, popularly known as Sri Bhuvanēśvari Avadūta Vidyā Pīṭham, at Pudukōttai.

Svāmi Ōmkārānanda is an authority of the Vēdānta and is an erudite scholar of Sanskrit and Tamil. He quotes verses in Tamil and Sanskrit with remarkable accuracy and ease. He greatness lies in his ability to simplify even the most complex topics of Vēdānta. This, combined with his delicate sense of humour and wit make his lectures exceptional.

Yesterday Svāmiji spoke about the Gīta and the Tirukkuraḷ – on the similarity of ideas & concepts contained in these 2 texts. The lecture itself was well –structured and was based on 3 key concepts –

1. “Definition” of God
2. Mode of worship and
3. The benefits that one would derive out of worship.

Svāmiji elaborated these concepts using references from the Tirukkural, Gīta, songs of Tāyumāṇavar, Bhārathiyār etc. Svāmiji defines God as the Absolute Being who has to be worshipped with total faith (as opposed to blind faith). He said that the result that the Bhaktā would derive is Self- confidence.

The lecture was interspersed with Svamigaḷ’s renowned wit and humour. For example he made a distinction between a Tattvam and Mahātattvam.

Tattvam – is when a concept is expounded by a speaker with understanding, but is not understood by the audience.

Mahātattvam – is when a concept is expounder by a speaker, but neither the speaker nor the audience understand it ☺

On the whole an enjoyable and thought provoking talk.

Śiva Pañcākśari

The Śiva Pancākśari composed by Adi Śankarā, is one of my favourite Ślōkam-s, which I have heard since my childhood. As a child, my parents used to put me to sleep by singing this ślōkam. Our culture has a such nice methods of subtly introducing ślōkā-s to children.

Śiva Pancākśari composed by Adi Śankarā.

Nāgēndrahāraya Trilocanāya 
Basmāngarāgāya Mahēśvarāya 


Nityāya Śuddhāya Digambarāya 
Tasmai Nakārāya Namah Śivāya

 

Mandākini Śalila Candana Carchitāya 
Nandiśvara Pramatanātha Maheśvarāya

Mandārapuśpa bahupuśpa supūjitāya 
Tasmai Makārāya Namah Śivāya

 

Śivāya Gauri vadanābjavṛnda 
Sūryāya Dakśadhvara Nāśakāya 


Śrinīlakaṇṭhāya Vrushadhvajāya 
Tasmai Śikārāya Namah Śivāya

 

Vasishṭha kumbhōdbhava gautamārya 
Munīndra dēvārchita Śekharāya

Candrārkavaiśvanara lōcanāya 
Tasmai Vakārāya Namah Śivāya

 

Yakśasvarūpāya Jaṭādharāya 
Pinākahastāya Sanatanāya 


Divyāya Dēvāya Digambarāya 
Tasmai Yakārāya Namah Śivāya

 

Phalastuti

Pancākśaramidam Puṇyam Yah Paṭheśivasannidhau. 


Śivalōkamavapnoti Śivēna Saha Mōdatē.

 

Meaning

Salutations to Śiva, who wears the king of snakes as a garland, the three-eyed god, whose body is smeared with ashes, the great lord, the eternal and pure one, who wears the directions as his garment, and who is represented by the syllable “na”
.

I bow to Śiva, who has been worshipped with water from the Gaṅga (Mandākini) and anointed with sandalwood paste, the lord of Nandi, the lord of the host of goblins and ghosts, the great lord, who is worshiped with Mandāra and many other kinds of flowers, and who is represented by the syllable “ma”.

Salutations to Śiva, who is all-auspiciousness, who is the sun that causes the lotus face of Gauri (Pārvati) to blossom, who is the destroyer of the yajna of Dakśa, whose throat is blue (Nīlakanṭha), whose flag bears the emblem of the bull, and who is represented by the syllable “śi”
.

Vasiśṭha, Agastya, Gautama, and other venerable sages, and Indra and other gods have worshipped the head of (Śiva’s linga). I bow to that Śiva whose three eyes are the moon, sun and fire, and who is represented by the syllable “va”.



Salutations to Śiva, who bears the form of a Yaksha, who has matted hair on his head, who bears the Pinaka bow in his hand, the primeval lord, the brilliant god, who is Digambara (naked), and who is represented by the syllable “ya”.  



Anyone who recites this sacred five-syllable mantra, (Namah Śivāya) near the Śiva (linga), attains the abode of Śiva and rejoices there with Śiva.

Here is an excellent rendition of the ŚivaPancākśari by the inimitable MS Amma

Tiruñānasambandar and Mylāpore

Mylāpore Kabālīśvarar Temple and Tank

The Tēvāram-s are hymns which have never failed to mesmerize me. Besides their fervent devotional appeal, there are several aspects to them that are fascinating. I found this particular pathikam by Tiruñānasambandar very interesting. This pathikam gives interesting details about Mylāpore, as it was during the time of Tiruñānasambandar. I am sure that for every Mylāporean the Kabālīśvarar Temple is a symbol of “Mylāporianism”. Being a Mylaporean myself, I found that Tiruñānasambandar has painted a picture of Mylapore and the Kabālīśvarar Temple, which is very different from what it is today. Images of sea-shore & coconut palms reinstate the fact that the original location of the temple was adjacent to the Bay of Bengal.

Main Gōpuram of Mylāpore Kabālīśvarar Temple

This pathikam also has an interesting story behind it. Śivaneśa Cettiār was a merchant who was an ardent Śiva Bhakta. He was inspired by the hymns of Tiruñānasambandar and wished to give his daughter Pūm Pāvai in marriage to the Saint from Sīrgazhi. Unfortunately, this young maiden died of snake bite as she was gathering flowers in the garden. The disconsolate father cremated his daughter and preserved the ashes, which he presented to Tiruñānasambandar on his arrival to the Mylāpore Kabālīśvarar Temple. Tiruñānasambandar sang the hymn given below and brought the maiden back to life. But he refused her hand in marriage as he had given her life. Hence Mylāpore Kabālīśvarar Temple, is a Pāḍal Petra Sthalam & this is the Pathikam in its praise.

திருமயிலாப்பூர் பண் : சீகாமரம்

மட்டிட்ட புன்னையங் கானன் மடமயிலைக்
கட்டிட்டங் கொண்டான் கபாலீச் சரமமர்ந்தான்
ஒட்டிட்ட பண்பி னுருத்திர பல்கணத்தார்க்
கட்டிட்டல் காணாதே போதியோ பூம்பாவாய்.

மைப்பயந்த வொண்கண் மடநல்லார் மாமயிலைக்
கைப்பயந்த நீற்றான் கபாலீச் சரமமர்ந்தான்
ஐப்பசி யோண விழாவு மருந்தவர்கள்
துய்ப்பனவுங் காணாதே போதியோ பூம்பாவாய்.

வளைக்கை மடநல்லார் மாமயிலை வண்மறுகில்
துளக்கில் கபாலீச் சரத்தான்றொல் கார்த்திகைநாள்
தளத்தேந் திளமுலையார் தையலார் கொண்டாடும்
விளக்கீடு காணாதே போதியோ பூம்பாவாய்.

ஊர்திரை வேலை யுலாவு முயர்மயிலைக்
கூர்தரு வேல்வல்லார் கொற்றங்கொள் சேரிதனில்
கார்தரு சோலைக் கபாலீச் சரமமர்ந்தான்
ஆர்திரைநாள் காணாதே போதியோ பூம்பாவாய்.

மைப்பூசு மொண்கண் மடநல்லார் மாமயிலைக்
கைப்பூசு நீற்றான் கபாலீச் சரமமர்ந்தான்
நெய்ப்பூசு மொண்புழுக்க னேரிழையார் கொண்டாடும்
தைப்பூசங் காணாதே போதியோ பூம்பாவாய்.

மடலார்ந்த தெங்கின் மயிலையார் மாசிக்
கடலாட்டுக் கண்டான் கபாலீச் சரமமர்ந்தான்
அடலானே றூரு மடிக ளடிபரவி
நடமாடல் காணாதே போதியோ பூம்பாவாய்

மலிவிழா வீதி மடநல்லார் மாமயிலைக்
கலிவிழாக் கண்டான் கபாலீச் சரமமர்ந்தான்
பலிவிழாப் பாடல்செய் பங்குனி யுத்தரநாள்
ஒலிவிழாக் காணாதே போதியோ பூம்பாவாய்.

தண்ணா வரக்கன்றோள் சாய்த்துகந்த தாளினான்
கண்ணார் மயிலைக் கபாலீச் சரமமர்ந்தான்
பண்ணார் பதினெண் கணங்கடம் மட்டமிநாள்
கண்ணாரக் காணாதே போதியோ பூம்பாவாய்

நற்றா மரைமலர்மே னான்முகனு நாரணனும்
முற்றாங் குணர்கிலா மூர்த்தி திருவடியைக்
கற்றார்க ளேத்துங் கபாலீச் சரமமர்ந்தான்
பொற்றாப்புக் காணாதே போதியோ பூம்பாவாய்

உரிஞ்சாய வாழ்க்கை யமணுடையைப் போர்க்கும்
இருஞ்சாக் கியர்க ளெடுத்துரைப்ப நாட்டில்
கருஞ்சோலை சூழ்ந்த கபாலீச் சரத்தான்றன்
பெருஞ்சாந்தி காணாதே போதியோ பூம்பாவாய்

கானமர் சோலைக் கபாலீச் சரமமர்ந்தான்
தேனமர் பூம்பாவைப் பாட்டாகச் செந்தமிழான்
ஞானசம் பந்த னலம்புகழ்ந்த பத்தும்வல்லார்
வானசம் பந்தத் தவரோடும் வாழ்வாரே

(Tamizh Translation from “Poems to Śiva” : Indira Vishwanathan Peterson)

Pumpavai, O beautiful girl!
Would you go without having seen feasts
In which our Lord who loves the temple
In beautiful Mayilai,
Whose beach is lined with fragrant punnai trees,
The Lord who dwells in Kapaliccaram shrine,
Feeds his many devotees who love him ?

Pumpavai, o beautiful girl!
Would you go without having seen the feast
Enjoyed by holy men
At Aippaci’s Onam festival
Held at the Kapaliccaram shrine
Of our Lord whose sacred ash is our blessing,
In great Mayilai,
Town of beautiful young women
With sparkling, kohl-darkened eyes?

Pumpavai, O beautiful girl!
Would you go without having seen,
On the rich streets of great Mayilai,
Town of beautiful young women with bracelets,
And town of our Lord in Kapaliccaram temple,
The flawless celebration of the ancient Karttikai feast
At which young girls
With sandal paste on their breasts
Light many lamps?

Pumpavai, O beautiful girl!
Would you go without having seen,
The atirai festival day
In great Mayilai town with wave washed shores,
In whose settlements live strong heroes
Who win battles with their sharp spears,
Town of our Lord who dwells in Kapaliccaram shrine
Surrounded by dark woods?

Pumpavai, O beautiful girl!
Would you go without having seen,
The Taippucam festval
Celebrated by women who feed guests
With good boiled rice and ghee,
In the great town of Mayilai,
Home of many beautiful women
With sparkling kohl-darkened eyes,
Town of our Lord with the sacred ash,
Who dwells in the Kapaliccaram shrine?

Pumpavai, O beautiful girl!
Would you go without having seen,
In Mayilai,
Fringed with coconut palms with broad fronds,
And town of our Lord who dwells in Kapaliccaram shrine,
The festival of bathing in the sea
In the month of Maci,
At which women dance, singing the praise
Of the feet of the Lord
Who rides the mighty bull?

Pumpavai, O beautiful girl!
Would you go without having seen,
On the streets of great Mayilai,
Always busy with festive crowds,
The festival of Pankuni Uthiram
With its great sound of celebration,
At which beautiful women
Sing and distribute alms,
At the Lord’s Kapaliccaram shrine
Center of many festivals?

Pumpavai, O beautiful girl!
Would you go without having seen,
To your heart’s content
The festival of the eighth day,
In honor of Siva’s eighteen ganas,
Resounding with melodious hymns,
In glorious Mayilai, at the Kapaliccatram shrine
Of the Lordwho blessed the furious demon
By crushing his arms?

Pumpavai, O beautiful girl!
Would you go without having seen,
The ceremony of the golden swing.
Held for him who dwells in Kapaliccaram shrine,
Where devotees praise the feet of the Lord
Whom the four-headed god on the lotus seat
And Narayana himself
Could not fully comprehend?

Pumpavai, O beautiful girl!
Would you go without having seen,
At the Lord’d Kapaliccaram temple
Surrounded by green groves,
The festival of the great purification
Slandered by the naked Jains
And the base Buddhists in voluminous robes?

They will attain release,
Who know these ten fine verses of praise,
Composed by Nanacampantan in pure Tamil,
As a song for Pumpavai, the beautiful girl
With the sweet, flower-adorned hair,
In praise of the Lord who dwells
In Kapaliccaram shrine
Set among fragrant groves.

Glimpses of Cambridge

Recently I visited Cambridge and fell in love with this very picturesque town. There is an old-world charm about this town – a “University town” with many colleges, each having its own chapel & choir. It is the perfect setting to pursue academic excellence. It was an overwhelming experience to enter the portals of colleges, which in the past had been the Alma Mater of greats such as Sir Isaac Newton, Francis Bacon and our own Amartya Sen. Here are some pictures of Cambridge.

My Supervisor, Dr. Widdess

SATHGURU ŚRI ŚĀNTHĀNANDA SVĀMIGAḶ-s JAYANTI

Today is the Jayanti of Sathguru Śri Śānthānanda Svāmigaḷ. He is a Siddha Mahā Purusha and an Avatāra Purusha.

Sathguru Śri Śānthānanda Svāmigaḷ

For more details of Svāmigaḷ, please visit the blog http://santhananda.wordpress.com & the website http://www.chennaiomsriskandasramam.com