Sri Kamalamba Jayati

Happy Navami everybody! These nine days have flown past, haven’t they? This Navaratri I have been featuring Dikshithar’s Navavarana kritis. It has been an intense nine days for me, reading about the philosophy, examining the ideas behind it and charting my own take-homes. Today we have arrived at the culmination point, the kriti dedicated to the ninth Avarana, सर्व आनन्दमय चक्र Sarva Anandamaya Chakra (Suffused with Complete Bliss). The presiding deity is Tripurasundari. Here reside Shiva and Shakti, unified as one and are represented by a bindu (dot). This bindu represents the sum total of all possibilities of the Universe.

In this celebratory kriti, Dikshithar says प्रीति युक्त मत् चित्तं विलयतु  ‘Intent upon Her love, let my mind dissolve’. If you have reached this stage of the Sri Yantra upasana, there is no more philosophy, no more logic, no more ritual, nothing but the merging of your mind into the absolute. So let us immerse ourselves in our own musical upasana as we let our minds seek Kamalamba.

This kriti is set to the deeply meditative raga Ahiri, perfect for quieting our minds. It is beautifully presented to us today by Sumithra Vasudev (from 7:16). What a lovely song, and what a lovely way to finish this series! May the Goddesses be with you!

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Footnote (Lyrics and Translation) :

Composer : Muthuswami Dikshithar
Raga : Ahiri
Language : Sanskrit

पल्लवि
श्री कमलाम्बा जयति अम्बा
श्री कमलाम्बा जयति जगदम्बा
श्री कमलाम्बा जयति शृङ्गार रस कदम्बा मदम्बा
श्री कमलाम्बा जयतिचिद्बिम्ब प्रतिबिम्बेन्दु बिम्बा
श्री कमलाम्बा जयति
(मध्यम काल साहित्यम्)
श्री पुर बिन्दु मध्यस्थ चिन्तामणि मन्दिरस्थ
शिवाकार मञ्च स्थित शिव कामेशाङ्कस्था

अनुपल्लवि
सूकराननाद्यर्चित महा त्रिपुर सुन्दरीं
राज राजेश्वरीं श्री-कर सर्वानन्द-मय –
चक्र वासिनीं सुवासिनीं चिन्तयेऽहम्
(मध्यम काल साहित्यम्)
दिवाकर शीत किरण पावकादि विकास-करया
भी-कर ताप-त्रयादि भेदन धुरीण-तरया
पाक रिपु प्रमुखादि प्रार्थित सु-कळेबरया
प्राकट्य परा-परया पालितो-दया-करया
चरणम्
श्री मात्रे नमस्ते चिन्मात्रे सेवित रमा हरीश विधात्रे
वामादि शक्ति पूजित पर देवतायाः सकलं जातम्
कामादि द्वादशभिरुपासित कादि हादि सादि मन्त्र रूपिण्याः
प्रेमास्पद शिव गुरु गुह जनन्यां प्रीति युक्त मच्चित्तं विलयतु
(मध्यम काल साहित्यम्)
ब्रह्म-मय प्रकाशिनी नाम रूप विमर्शिनी
काम कला प्रदर्शिनी सामरस्य निदर्शिनी

Transliteration

pallavi
shrI kamalAmbA jayati ambA
shrI kamalAmbA jayati jagadambA
shrI kamalAmbA jayati
shRngAra rasa kadambA madambA
shrI kamalAmbA jayati
chidbimba prati-bimbEndu bimbA
shrI kamalAmbA jayati
(madhyama kAla sAhityam)
shrI pura bindu madhyastha chintAmaNi mandirastha
shivAkAra mancha sthita shiva kAmEshAnkasthA

anupallavi
sUkarAnanAdyarchita mahA tripura sundarIm
rAja rAjESvarIm shrI-kara sarvAnanda-maya
chakra vAsinIm suvAsinIm chintayEham
(madhyama kAla sAhityam)
divAkara shIta kiraNa pAvakAdi vikAsa karayA
bhIkara tApa trayAdi bhEdana dhurINa tarayA
pAka ripu pramukhAdi prArthita sukaLEbarayA
prAkaTya parA-parayA pAlitO-dayA-karayA

charaNam
shrI mAtrE namastE chinmAtrE
sEvita ramA harIsha vidhAtrE
vAmAdi shakti pUjita para dEvatAyAH sakalam jAtam
kAmAdi dvAdashabhirupAsita –
kAdi hAdi sAdi mantra rUpiNyAH
prEmAspada shiva guru guha jananyAm –
prIti yukta maccittam vilayatu
(madhyama kAla sAhityam)
brahma maya prakAshinI nAma rUpa vimarshinI
kAma kalA pradarshinI sAmarasya nidarshinI

Translation

May Kamalamba be victorious (jayati)! O Mother (ambA)! May Kamalamba be victorious! O mother of the world (jagat ambA)! May Kamalamba be victorious (jayati)! My (mad) mother, who is the sum total (kadambA) of the pleasure of love (shRingAra rasa)! May Kamalamba be victorious! The image (bimbA) of the spark (indu) of reflection (pratibimba) of the form (bimba) of consciousness (chit)! May Kamalamba be victorious! She who resides (sthita) in the bindu (dot) in Sripura, in the middle (madhyastha) of Brahma’s (chintAmaNi) temple (mandira) (I think it implies our body, as it is the temple created by Brahma for the soul), sitting (sthita) on pedestal (mancha) which is the body (AkAra) of Shiva, situated (-stha) on the lap (anka) of Shiva, the Lord of Love (kAma Isha).

I meditate upon (aham chintayE) on the great (mahA) Tripurasundari, the ruler of all rulers (rAja rAjeshwari), the respected one (suvAsinI), who is worshipped by (archita) by Varaha (sUkara), etc (Adi) (I don’t know what Anana means),  the one who causes prosperity (shrI kara), the one infused with (-maya) complete (sarva) bliss (Ananda). By She who causes (karayA) growth(vikAsa) to the sun (divAkara), moon (shItakiraNa), Agni (pAvaka) etc (Adi).  By She who is charged with (dhuriNa tarayA) relieving (bhEdana) fear (bhIkara), the three (traya) afflictions (tApa) (=physical, mental, supernatural). By She who has the beautiful su-) form (kaLEbara) worshipped by (prArthita) the chief (pramukha) enemy (ripu) of Paka (=Indra), etc (Adi). By she who is manifest (prAkatyA) as both past (para) and future (apara). By she who is compassionate (dayAkarayA) to those who cherish (pAlita) her.

Salutations (namastE) to the auspicious (shrI) mother (mAtR), the mother (mAtr) of consciousness (chit). The Goddess (ramA) Mother (vidhAtrI) worshipped (sEvita) by Vishnu (hari) and Shiva (Isha). The Shakti worshipped by (pUjita) by Vama etc (Adi), from whom was born (jAtam) all other (para) Gods (dEvata) (unsure about this). Honoured (upAsita) by the twelve (dvAdasha) like Cupid (manmatha) etc (Adi) (dont know what is abhi). The embodiment (rUpinI) of the mantras starting with ka, ha, sa, etc. The seat (Aspada) of love (prEma) of Shiva, the mother (janani) of Kartikeya (guruguha, also signature of composer). Intent (yukta) upon Her love (prIti), let my (mat) mind/consciousness (chittam) dissolve (vilayatu). She who shines (prkAshinI) suffused (-maya) by the Brahman, the ultimate consciousness. She is the imparter (vimarshinI) of all names (nAma) and forms (rUpa). She is displayer (pradarshinI) of the art (kalA) of love (kAma). She is the knower (nidarshinI) of essence (rasa) of Sama veda.