Syama Sastry Kriti

Meaning - Gist

O Mother!
O mInAkshI!
O Resident of madhurA puri! O Mother whose feet lotus are served by sarasvati and lakshmI! O Slayer of asuras madhu and kaiTabha! O kAtyAyanI! O Swan gaited! O Mother found in upanishads!
O SivA! O ambA! O SankarI! O Mother worshipped by brahmA, indra and others!
O SyAmaLA holding parrot! O Sister of dark hued vishNu – SyAma kRshNa! O kaumArI! O Blemishless Mother who sports crescent! O Mother whose lips resemble bimbA fruit!
O Majestic gaited like elephant in rut! O Consort of Siva! O Mother who is eager to protect those who supplicate!

Please listen.
Who else than You is refuge for protecting me in this World?

I always trusted whole heartedly that You alone are the protector of those who have sought refuge.
You alone are the boundless Ocean of Mercy for protecting me.
In this World, You are the Only One, for happily bestowing results, if people extol You, meditating in their hearts on You as their refuge and mentally never forgetting You.

I besought You contemplating on Your holy feet.
I shall not extol others.
Please grant me boons.
Granting boons, please protect me quickly.
Is this a burden for You?
Aren’t You very munificent?

Who else than You is refuge for protecting me in this World?

Word Division - Word-by-word meaning

pallavi
mari vErE gati-evaru-ammA
mahilO nannu brOcuTaku

O Mother (ammA)! Who (evaru) else (vErE) than (mari) You is refuge (gati) (gatiyevarammA) for protecting (brOcuTaku) me (nannu) in this World (mahilO)?

anupallavi
SaraNu-Agata rakshaki nIvE-ani
sadA nammiti nammitini mIna-akshI (mari)

O mInAkshI (literally fish eyed)! I always (sadA) trusted whole heartedly (nammiti nammitini) that (ani) You alone (nIvE) (nIvEyani) are the protector (rakshaki) of those who have sought (Agata) refuge (SaraNu) (SaraNAgata).
O Mother! Who else than You is refuge for protecting me in this World?

caraNam
caraNam 1
madhurA puri nilayA vANI
ramA sEvita pada kamalA
madhu kaiTabha bhanjanI kAtyAyanI
marALa gamanA nigama-anta vAsinI (mari)

O Resident (nilayA) of madhurA puri! O Mother whose feet (pada) lotus (kamalA) are served (sEvita) by sarasvati (vANI) and lakshmI (ramA)!
O Slayer (bhanjanI) of asuras madhu and kaiTabha! O kAtyAyanI! O Swan (marALa) gaited (gamanA)! O Mother found (vAsinI) (literally abiding) in upanishads (nigama anta) (nigamAnta) (literally vEdAnta)!
O Mother! Who else than You is refuge for protecting me in this World?

caraNam 2
varamu-icci SIghramE brOvu
SivA ambA idi nIku baruvA
nera dAtavu nIvu gadA SankarI
sarOja bhava-Adi sura-indra pUjitE (mari)

O SivA! Granting (icci) boons (varamu) (varamicci), please protect (brOvu) me quickly (SIghramE). O ambA! Is this (idi) a burden (baruvA) for You (nIku)?
O SankarI! Aren’t (gadA) You (nIvu) very (nera) munificent (dAtavu)? O Mother worshipped (pUjitE) by brahmA – abiding (bhava) in lotus (sarOja), indra – Lord (indra) of celestials (sura) (surEndra) and others (Adi) (bhavAdi)!
O Mother! Who else than You is refuge for protecting me in this World?

caraNam 3
Suka SyAmaLA ghana SyAma kRshNuni
sOdarI kaumArI
akaLanka kalA dharI bimba-adharI
apAra kRpA nidhi nIvE rakshimpa (mari)

O SyAmaLA holding parrot (Suka)! O Sister (sOdarI) of dark hued (ghana) (literally rain cloud) vishNu – SyAma kRshNa (kRshNuni)! O kaumArI!
O Blemishless (akaLanka) Mother who sports (dharI) crescent (kalA)! O Mother whose lips (adharI) resemble bimbA fruit (bimbAdharI)! You alone (nIvE) are the boundless (apAra) Ocean (nidhi) of Mercy (kRpA) for protecting (rakshimpa) me.
O Mother! Who else than You is refuge for protecting me in this World?

svara sAhitya
pAda yugamu madilO dalaci kOriti
vinumu mada gaja gamanA
parula nutimpaganE varamu-osagu
satatamu ninu madi maravakanE
madana ripu sati ninu hRdayamulO
gati-ani dalaci stuti salipitE
mudamutO phalamu-osaguTaku dharalO
nata-avana kutUhala nIvEgA (mari)

Please listen (vinumu), O Majestic gaited (gamanA) like elephant (gaja) in rut (mada). I besought (kOriti) You contemplating (madilO dalaci) on Your holy feet (pada yugamu). I shall not extol (nutimpaganE) others (parula). Please grant (osagu) me boons (varamu) (varamosagu).
O Consort (sati) of Siva – enemy (ripu) of manmatha (madana)! O Mother who is eager (kutUhala) to protect (avana) those who supplicate (nata) (natAvana)!
In this World (dharalO), You are the Only One (nIvEgA) for happily (mudamutO) bestowing (osaguTaku) results (phalamu) (phalamosaguTaku), if people extol (stuti salipitE) You, meditating (dalaci) in their hearts (hRdayamulO) on You (ninu) as (ani) their refuge (gati) (gatiyani) and mentally (madi) never forgetting (satatamu maravakanE) You (ninu).
O Mother! Who else than You is refuge for protecting me in this World?

Notes

Variations - (Pathanthara)
¹ - mahilO nannu brOcuTaku - mahilO brOcuTaku.
² - sadA nammiti nammitini mInAkshI - sadA nammiti nammiti mInAkshI - sadA ninu nammitini mInAkshI.
⁴ – SIghramE – tIvramE.
⁵ – pUjitE – pUjita.
⁶ - SyAma kRshNuni - SyAma kRshNa.
⁷ - parula nutimpaganE - parulu nutimpaganE : In the present context, ‘parula’ is the appropriate form.
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⁸ – ninu madi maravakanE – ninu mati maruvakanE : ‘madi’ is the telugu form of Sanskrit word ‘mati’. As the whole kRti is in telugu, ‘madi’ is considered appropriate here. ‘maravakanE’ and ‘maruvakanE’ : both forms are correct.
⁹ – ninu hRdayamulO – nanu hRdayamulO: In the present context, ‘nanu’ does not seem to be appropriate.
¹⁰ – nIvEgA – nIvEga – I vELa. In the present context, ‘nIvEga’ is not appropriate.
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References
³ – madhu kaiTabha bhanjanI – Please refer to dEvi bhAgavatam.
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Comments

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