Janani Mamava

Happy Saraswati Puja! For those South Indians wondering if they have read right, yes, indeed it is Vasanta Panchami (वसन्तपञ्चमी) which is celebrated as Saraswati Puja in many parts of India. After 42 years of being married to a Bengali, I happily celebrate Her twice a year! The community here celebrates this annually but on a smaller scale than Durga Puja. Saraswati Puja is the day when young children will be initiated into their first steps in learning.

Our family too has seen young ones take their first steps of education during this month of தை or मघ. I’m happy to say that my eldest grandson, who is five years old, has just started school! This is the start of his primary education which will continue until he finishes grade 6. We went with the family for his first induction into Prep in October. He clung like a koala to his mum, cried when asked to sit inside the class and ran out at the first opportunity! Since then, there were two more days of acclimatisation. When the school opened in the last week of January, he went proudly and happily, even refusing to take off his uniform after coming home! His first steps into formal education have begun. My prayers to the Goddess for his continued well-being.

Learning and the blessing of the Goddess comes in many ways, does it not. My youngest grandson, just 7 months old, has also taken his first steps (crawl!) away from home. He has had to learn to be taken care of by his grandparents! He has put up a good protest, refusing milk and sleep that first day, refusing to be put on the mat, flooding our home with his tears and wails. But he is coming around. He has mastered the skill of ‘swimming’ on the floor; at present I observe him trying to get up on his hands and knees. My prayers to the Goddess for his everlasting well-being.

The Goddess has had to re-train his Patti (grandmother) too. I am re-learning the demands of a little one, with two-hourly naps, three-hourly bottles, pureed solid feeds, burps which get stuck and cause such pain, the agony of teething, the smell of regurgitated milk, and his beautiful and watchful eyes following me everywhere! May I warn future grandparents that the routine is a killer at our age! But I’m so grateful for him; when he rests in my arms for comfort, my soul gets comfort too. My gratitude to the Goddess for giving me one more chance to learn.

Whether young or old, we all have to keep learning and that capacity to learn is the Goddess incarnate, I think. I pray that She will bless us to learn what we need to and bless us even more by giving us the opportunity to keep learning as long as we live. May She shine the light of knowledge in all our minds.

I was looking to feature an artist from Kerala. On searching, I came upon this wonderful rendition by Vechoor Harihara Subramania Iyer. I am quite ashamed to say that I have not heard this illustrious musician before. More learning to do! Wanting to know more about him, I found this tribute by Prince Rama Varma, perhaps you’ll like to read it too. The Raga Alapana starts at 13:01 and the Kriti at 36:32. Enjoy!

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Footnote (Lyrics and Translation):

Composer: Swati Thirunal
Raga: Bhairavi
Language: Sanskrit

पल्लवि
जननी मामवामेये भारति जय सरसिजासन जाये

अनुपल्लवि
अनुपमित कमला वासे चारु हसित कृत कुन्द निरासे
देवि मुनिवरेडित विमल चरिते मोहनीय गुणौघ भरिते

चरणम्
तरुण वारिद निभ वेणि देवतरु किसलयोपम पाणि
कलित वरदाभीतिमुद्रे कल्याणि पूर्ण शरदिन्दु सम कान्ते वाणी
सुरुचिर नयन जितैणि परम करुणारस शिशिर वेणि
देवि चरणगत जन भरण निपुणे परमामृत मधुर भाषिणि

Transliteration

janani mAmavAmEye bhArati jaya sarasijAsana jAyE

anupallavi
anupamita kamalA vAsE chARu hasita kRta kunda nirAsE
dEvi munivarEDita vimala charitE mOhanIya guNaugha bharitE

charaNam
taruNa vArida nibha vENi dEvataru kisalayOpama pANi
kalita varadAbhItimudrE kalyANi pUrNa sharadindu sama kAntE vANi
suruchira nayana jitaiNi parama karuNArasa shishira vENi
dEvi charaNagata jana bharaNa nipuNE paramAmRta madhura bhAshiNi

Translation
pallavi
Protect (ava) me (mAm) O Immeasurable One (amEyE), mother (janani) Saraswati (bhArati), wife (jAyE) of Brahma (one with the lotus (sarasija) seat (Asana))!

anupallavi
O dweller (vAsE) on an incomparable (anupamita) lotus (kamalA)! Smiling (hasita) beautifully (chAru), you make (kRta) the jasmine (kunda) seem (implied) flavourless (nirAsa)! O Goddess (dEvi) implored (IDita) by the best of (vara) sages (muni) with spotless (vimala) conduct (charita)! O One full of (bharitE) an abundance (Ogha) of enchanting (mOhanIya) qualities (guNa)!

charaNam
With braided hair (vENi) similar to (nibha) fresh (taruNa) rain-clouds (vArida), with hands (pANi) like (upama) sprouts (kisalaya) of a divine tree (dEvataru), furnished with (kalita) gestures (mudrE) of boon-giving (varada) and fearlessness (abhIti), O Auspicious One (kalyANi), bright (kAnta) as an autumnal (sharada) full-moon (pUrNa-indu), O Saraswati (vANi – name of Saraswati)! Your radiant (suruchira) eyes (nayana) are more beautiful (implied by jita=wins) that of an antelope (aiNi)! O most (parama) compassionate one (karuNA rasa) with the moon (shishira) in your braids (vENi)! O Goddess (dEvi) expert (nipuNE) in supporting (bharaNa) the people (jana) who have fallen at your feet (charaNagata)! O One who speaks (bhAshiNi) as sweetly (madhura) as the best (parama) nectar (amRta)!

Notation is available here.