Shankari shamkuru

I am excited to learn my 1st ever composition of Shyama Shastri in one of my favorite rAgas, sAveri.

pallavi

śaṅkari śaṃ-kuru candra-mukhi akhilāṇḍeśvari śāmbhavi sarasija-bhava-vandite gauri amba

anupallavi

saṅkaṭa hāriṇi ripu vidāriṇi kalyāṇi sadā nata phala-dāyike hara-nāyike jagaj-janani

caraṇam 1

jambū-pati-vilāsini jagad-avanollāsini kambu-kandhare bhavāni kapāla-dhāriṇi śūlini

caraṇam 2

angaja ripu toṣiṇi akhila bhuvana poṣiṇi mangala prade mṛḍāni marāla sannibha gāmani

caraṇam 3

śyāmakṛṣṇa sodari śyāmaḻe śātodari sāmagāna lole bāle sadārti bhanjana śīle

Meaning:

pallavi

śaṅkari – O consort of Shankara (Shiva), independently also the word means ‘one who is propitious’, śaṃkuru – bless us, candra-mukhi – one whose face is as pleasant as the full moon, akhilāṇḍeśvari – the ruler of all the universes, śāmbhavi – the consort of Shambhu (another name for Shiva), sarasija-bhava-vandite – one who is worshipped by creator Brahma, who was born in a lotus, gauri – Gauri (another name for Parvati), amba – o mother!

Indian cosmology held that there are several universes. In the expression akhilāṇḍeśvari, (akhila- all, anda- the cosmic eggs, Iswari- ruler), the word anda means an egg. The universe was described as egg-shaped. All the words in this line are in vocative case, addressing the goddess.

anupallavi

saṅkaṭa-hāriṇi – one who removes all anxieties, ripu-vidāriṇi – one who destroys the enemies, kalyāṇi – one who is propitious, sadā – always, nata-phaladāyike – ensures success of her devotees, hara-nāyike – one who is the partner of Hara (Shiva), jagaj-janani O mother of the universe! All the words in the line are in the vocative case.

caraṇam 1

jambū-pati vilāsini – one who revels with Jambupati, (Shiva at Jambukeswaram), jagad-avanollāsini – one who is enthusiastic in protecting the universe, kambu-kandhare – one who has conch-shaped neck, bhavāni – consort of Bhava (Shiva), kapāla-dhāriṇi – one who holds kapāla, a skull, śūlini – O goddess with a trident in hand!

Shiva and Shakti are worshipped as inseparable. Hence the form of Ardhanarisvara, half man and half woman. In Vedanta, Shiva represents Supreme Reality, consciousness and Shakti is its manifestation in the form of the universe. Hence, she too is described as holding a skull, and a trident.

All the words in the line are in the vocative case.

caraṇam 2

angaja-ripu-toṣiṇi – one who (toṣiṇi) pleases the (ripu) enemy of Angaja, the god of love, also known as Manmatha, akhila bhuvana poṣiṇi - one who (poṣiṇi) is the nourisher of the whole universe, mangala-prade – one who is benevolent, mṛḍāni – the consort of Mrida (Shiva), marāla-sannibha- gāmani - one whose graceful gait resembles that of a royal swan.  

caraṇam 3

śyāma-kṛṣṇa-sodari – O (sodari) sister of dark-skinned Krishna (śyāma-kṛṣṇa), śyāmaḻe – one with dark complexion (the goddess appears in both fair and dark complexions in different occasions), śātodari – having slender waist, sāma-gāna-lole – one who takes delight in when Sama-Veda is sung, bāle – one who had created herself as bālā during the battle with demons Sumbha and Nisumbha, sadā-ārti-bhanjana-śīle – one who (sadā) always has the nature of (bhanjana) destroying the (ārti) distress/suffering.

The expression śyāma-kṛṣṇa-sodari shows the signature of the composer, Shyama shastri. All the words in the line are in the vocative case.

Once again, I used my phone to record the class and didn't get a chance to take a video. Video will be updated during one of my practice sessions. :)