Syama Sastry Kriti

Meaning - Gist

O SrI kAmAkshI! O Mother with graceful glance! O Radiant One! O Resident of SrI kAncI pura!
O Consort of EkAmrESvara!
O Graceful limbed! O Mother kAmAkshi! O Mother! O Lotus petal eyed! O Protector of manmatha! O Queen Consort of Siva! O Ancient One! O Mother SyAmaLA! O kALikA! O Embodiment of Arts! O Mother who enjoys recitation of sAma vEda!
O Lotus Eyed! O Our Mother! O SyAmaLA! O SivA! O Mother who protects SyAma kRshNa!
O Daughter of Mountain!

Please protect me!

I do not know by which means You will have mercy on me.
Aren’t You the Goddess sought by people?
Is it burdensome to protect me alone who meditates on You one-pointedly?

You are indeed the empire for devotee lot who have come seeking You.
I am Your child who has besought You alone.
Please protect me.
Please show mercy.

I am Your servant who has adhered to You, as refuge, with a steadfast devotion.
Is it appropriate to ignore me who has reached Your holy presence?
Meditating on Your name is the only duty for me.
I do not know any other japa or penances.
Who is equal to You?

Please listen now to my appeal.
I sought You, coming happily.
Please relieve my sorrows.
Please grant me the gift of Your refuge without delaying.

Please protect me!

Word Division - Word-by-word meaning

pallavi
SrI kAmAkshI kAvavE nanu karuNA kaTAkshi
SrI kAntimatI SrI kAncI pura vAsini

O SrI kAmAkshI! Please protect (kAvavE) me (nanu)! O Mother with graceful (karuNA) glance (kaTAkshi) (literally side glance)! O Radiant One (SrI kAntimatI) (name of Mother at tirunelvEli)! O Resident (vAsini) of SrI kAncI pura!

anupallavi
Eka-Amra-ISvarI nIku ElAgu daya vaccunO
lOkulu kOrina daivamu nIvE gAdA
Eka bhAvuDaina nannu-okani brOva baruvA (SrI)

O Consort of EkAmrESvara (Eka Amra ISvara)! I do not know by which means (ElAgu) You (nIku) (literally to You) will have mercy (daya vaccunO) (literally mercy will come) on me. Aren’t (gAdA) You (nIvE) the Goddess (daivamu) sought (kOrina) by people (lOkulu)? Is it burdensome (baruvA) to protect (brOva) me (nannu) alone (okani) (nannokani) who meditates on You one-pointedly (Eka bhAvuDaina)?
O SrI kAmAkshI! Please protect me! O Mother with graceful glance! O Radiant One! O Resident of SrI kAncI pura!

caraNam
caraNam 1
kOri vaccina bhakta janulaku
kOmaLa-angI nIvE sAmrAjyamu
kAmAkshi-ammA ninnE vEDina biDDanu
kApADu-ammA karuNa jUDu-ammA
sArasa daLa nEtrI kAma pAlinI
sOma SEkharuni rANI purANI
SyAmaLA-ambikE kALikE kalE
sAma gAna mOdinI jananI (SrI)

O Graceful (kOmaLa) limbed (angI) (kOmaLAngI)! You are indeed (nIvE) the empire (sAmrAjyamu) for devotee (bhakta) lot (janulaku) who have come (vaccina) seeking (kOri) You.
O Mother (ammA) kAmAkshi (kAmAkshammA)! I am Your child (biDDanu) who has besought (vEDina) You alone (ninnE). O Mother (ammA)! Please protect (kApADu) (kApADavammA) me. O Mother (ammA)! Please show (jUDu) (jUDavammA) mercy (karuNa).
O Lotus (sArasa) petal (daLa) eyed (nEtrI)! O Protector (pAlinI) of manmatha (kAma)! O Queen Consort (rANI) of Siva – sporting (digit of) moon (sOma) on the head (SEkharuni)! O Ancient One (purANI)!
O Mother (ambikE) SyAmaLA (SyAmaLAmbikE)! O kALikA (kALikE)! O Embodiment of Arts (kalE)! O Mother (jananI) who enjoys (mOdinI) recitation (gAna) of sAma vEda!
O SrI kAmAkshI! Please protect me! O Mother with graceful glance! O Radiant One! O Resident of SrI kAncI pura!

caraNam 2
nIraja lOcanA sthiramu-ani bhaktitO
ninnE SaraNu-aNTina dAsuDu nEnu
nI sannidhini jErina nApai
nirIkshaNamu cEya tagunA
nI nAma dhyAnamE niyati vErE
japa tapamulu-eruganE mA-ammA
nI sATi-evaru SyAmaLE SivE
SyAma kRshNa pAlita jananI (SrI)

O Lotus (nIraja) Eyed (lOcanA)! I (nEnu) am Your servant (dAsuDu) who has adhered (aNTina) to You (ninnE) as refuge (SaraNu) (SaraNaNTina) with a steadfast (sthiramu ani) (sthiramani) devotion (bhaktitO).
Is it appropriate (tagunA) to ignore (nirIkshaNamu cEya) me (nApai) (literally on me) who has reached (jErina) Your (nI) holy presence (sannidhini)?
O Our (mA) Mother (ammA) (mAyammA)! Meditating (dhyAnamE) on Your (nI) name (nAma) is the only duty (niyati) for me. I do not know (eruganE) any other (vErE) japa or penances (tapamulu) (tapamuleruganE).
Who (evaru) is equal (sATi) (sATevaru) to You (nI)? O SyAmaLA (SyAmaLE)! O SivA (SivE)! O Mother (jananI) who protects (pAlita) SyAma kRshNa!
O SrI kAmAkshI! Please protect me! O Mother with graceful glance! O Radiant One! O Resident of SrI kAncI pura!

svara sAhitya
nA manavi vinumu-ika giri
tanayA mudamutO vacci kOriti
nA vetalanu dIrcavE mAku-abhaya
dAnamu-IyavE tAmasamu sEyakanE (SrI)

O Daughter (tanayA) of Mountain (giri)! Please listen (vinumu) now (ika) (vinumika) to my (nA) appeal (manavi)! I sought (kOriti) You coming (vacci) happily (mudamutO).
Please relieve (dIrcavE) my (nA) sorrows (vetalu). Please grant (IyavE) me (mAku) (literally us) the gift (dAnamu) (dAnamIyavE) of Your refuge (abhaya) (literally freedom from fear) without delaying (tAmasamu sEyakanE).
O SrI kAmAkshI! Please protect me! O Mother with graceful glance! O Radiant One! O Resident of SrI kAncI pura!

Notes

Variations - (Pathanthara)
⁴ - sthiramani bhaktitO – This is how it is given in all books. The meaning derived is ‘with unflinching devotion’. Therefore, in my opinion, this should be ‘sthiramaina’ and not ‘sthiramani’.

⁵ – SaraNaNTina – This is how it is given in all books. In my opinion, this should be ‘SaraNanina’.

⁶ – nIrIkshaNa cEya – This is how it is given in all books. The meaning derived is ‘be indifferent’. ‘IkshaNa’ means ‘look’. It is not clear whether the word ‘IkshaNa’ has been made negative by adding ‘nir’ to it. As per Sanskrit Dictionary ‘nirIkshaNa’ also means ‘to look’. Normally ‘nir’ which conveys a negative meaning, does not do so in the case of ‘nirIkshaNa’. There are some similar sounding words which convey the meaning ‘indifference’ – nir-Ihata’, ‘nir-lakshya’ (alakshya) and ‘upEksha’.

⁷ - nI nAma dhyAnamE - nI nAmamE dhyAnamE.
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References
¹ - SrI kAntimati – Name of Mother at tirunelvEli. However, as this kRti is addressed to kAmAkshi, literal meaning of the word has been taken.

² - kAma pAlini – One who protected manmatha – manmatha is stated to have been revived (without body – hence ‘ananga’) by Mother after he was burnt to ashes by Lord Siva. Please refer to 'saundarya lahari' (verse 6).

³ – kalE – In lalitA sahasra nAma (236), Mother is called ‘catuH-shashTi kalAmayI’. In regard to '64 Arts'.
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SrI kAmAkshI - rAga kalyANi