55. श्यामलाङ्गी śyāmalāṅgī
श्यामलाङ्गी–कृत–वामभाग कोमलाङ्गज–शर–भङ्ग |
śyāmalāṅgī-kr̥ta-vāmabhāga kōmalāṅgaja-śara-bhaṅga |
Translation:
śyāmalāṅgī kr̥ta vāma bhāga – O One who has made (kr̥ta) Parvati, who has a dark-hued (śyāmala) body (aṅga), take your left (vāma) side (bhāga) !
kōmala aṅgaja śara bhaṅga – O One who caused the destruction (bhaṅga) of the tender (kōmala) arrows (śara) of Manmatha (aṅgaja) !
O One who has made (kr̥ta) Parvati, who has a dark-hued (śyāmala) body (aṅga), take your left (vāma) side (bhāga) ! O One who caused the destruction (bhaṅga) of the tender (kōmala) flower arrows (śara) of Manmatha (aṅgaja) !
Notes:
Ardhanaareeshvara – Artist S Rajam
- Manmatha’s arrows are flowers and are therefore described as tender.
- Destroying the arrows of Manmatha implies conquering desire.
56. षण्मुखप्रिया ṣaṇmukha-priyā
षण्मुख–प्रियङ्गुप्रिय–जनक हिरण्मयाङ्ग–नत शरभाङ्ग |
ṣaṇmukha-priyaṅgupriya-janaka hiraṇmayāṅga-nata śarabhāṅga |
Translation:
ṣaṇmukha priyaṅgu priya janaka – O Father (janaka) of the six-faced (ṣaṇmukha) Subrahmanya, to whom Priyangu is dear (priya) !
hiraṇmaya aṅga nata – O One worshipped (nata) by Brahma, who has a golden (hiraṇmaya) body (aṅga) !
śarabha aṅga – O One who took the body (aṅga) of a Sharabha !
O Father (janaka) of the six-faced (ṣaṇmukha) Subrahmanya,to whom Priyangu is dear (priya) ! O One worshipped (nata) by Brahma, who has a golden (hiraṇmaya) body (aṅga)! – O One who took the body (aṅga) of a Sharabha !
Notes:
Sharabeshwara on a pillar in the Madambakkam temple
- Priyangu refers to the millet (panicum italicum) known as “tinai” in Tamil. The offering of the flour of this millet, cooked and served with honey, “tenum tinaimavum”, is traditionally a favourite of Subrahmanya.
- Shiva once took the form of a Sharabha, a form which is part-man, part-lion and part-bird, with wings, four hands and four legs. He assumed this to quell the pride of Narasimha (Vishnu as a man-lion). Shiva as Sharabeshvara is worshipped in many temples.
57. सिंहेन्द्रमध्यम siṁhēndramadhyama
हर सिंहेन्द्र–मध्यमार्धाङ्ग नरसिंहाजिनाम्बर |
hara siṁhēndra-madhyamārdhāṅga narasiṁhājināmbara |
Translation:
hara – O Shiva!
siṁha indra madhyamā ardha aṅga – O One with half (ardha) of your body (aṅga) as Parvati, whose waist (madhyama) is like that of the king (indra) of lions (siṁha) !
nara siṁha – O Lion (siṁha) among men (nara) !
ajina ambara – O One who wears the skin (ajina) [of a tiger and an elephant] as garments (ambara) !
O Shiva, who has half (ardha) of your body (aṅga) as Parvati, the slender one, whose waist (madhyama) is like that of the king (indra) of lions (siṁha) ! O Lion (siṁha) among men (nara) ! O One who wears the skin (ajina) [of a tiger and an elephant] as garments (ambara) !
Notes:
- The lion’s middle is often used as a simile to describe the form of gods and goddesses. Eg ‘karihara madhyē’ in the Geetham ‘kamala sulōcana’.
58. हेमवती hēmavatī
पुरहर हैमवती–मनोहर हर रक्षित–सुरनिकर |
purahara haimavatī-manōhara hara rakṣita-suranikara |
Translation:
pura hara – O destroyer (hara) of the three cities (pura) !
haimavatī manō hara – O One who captivates (hara) the heart (manō) of Parvati, the daughter of Himavan !
hara – O Shiva !
rakṣita sura nikara – O One who has protected (rakṣita) the assembly (nikara) of gods (sura) !
59. धर्मवती dharmavatī
विदित–धर्मावतिकायजिद्रामौ मुदितमनास्त्वं रक्षितवान् |
vidita-dharmāvatikāyajidrāmau muditamanāstvaṁ rakṣitavān |
Translation:
mudita manāḥ – With a pleased (mudita) heart (manāḥ),
tvaṁ – you
rakṣitavān – have protected
atikāya jid – Lakshmana, the victor (jit) of Atikaya,
rāmau – and Rama,
vidita dharmau – [who are] well-aware (vidita) of righteousness (dharma) !
With a glad (mudita) heart (manāḥ), you (tvaṁ) protected (rakṣitavān) Rama as well as Lakshmana who conquered (jit) Atikaya, both of them knowing (vidita) Dharma well.
Notes:
- Atikaya is the son of Ravana and Dhanyamalini, and is one of the principal heroes killed in battle by Lakshmana.
60. नीतिमती nītimatī
नीतिमतीह जनेSतिप्रियोसि प्रीति–मतिरहितान् शिक्षितवान् |
nītimatīha janēStipriyōsi prīti-matirahitān śikṣitavān |
Translation:
asi – [You] are
atipriya – very affectionate
nītimati – towards righteous
janē – persons,
iha – here, [in this world].
śikṣitavān – [You] have punished
prīti mati rahitān – those devoid (rahitān) of love (prīti) and intelligence (mati) !
You are tenderly affectionate (atipriya) towards people (janē) with ethical values (nītimati)
here (iha), in this world. You have punished (śikṣitavān) those without (rahitān) of affection (prīti) and wisdom (mati) !
Notes:
- Being devoid of love, kindness and wisdom implies a demoniac or Asura nature.