Need wording and meaning for two Shlokas
Suresh Kolichala
article <3549dn$4...@Emerald.tufts.edu> in rec.music.indian.classical:
>Agajanana Padmarkam Gajananam ahar Nisham
>^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ <== Particularly curious about the meaning of this
>Anekha dam tam bhaktanam eka dantam upasmahe
agajAnana padmArkam, gajAnanam aharniSam
anEkadam tam bhaktaanaam Eka dantam upasmahe
agajAnana padmArkam = agaja + aanana padma + arkam
aga = mountain; (also "naga" = mountain)
agaja = daughter of mountain => pArvati
aanana = face (as in charuraanana = one with four heads, bhrahma)
padma = lotus
arka = sun
Giving meanings to these words is easy, but trying to give
an interpretation is difficult. Initially, I thought the word
"arka" may also have a meaning of "son" (apart from meaning "Sun").
Then one can justify this reference to ganESha as "the son of paarvati".
Even then, why are these extra words "padma" and "aanana" here ?
A long distance call to Atlanta proved that my speculation is
wrong, and the word "arka" does not have any meaning of "son" !
Then suddenly flashed my mind was the question that I posed to
SrI Ramakrishna Pillalamarri gAru, some time back to explain
the phrases that are often used to describe "rAma," like
"raghu vamSa sudhaambudhi chandra SrI"
"ravi kula vaardhi chandra"
"ina kulaabdhi sOma"
and many similar phrases, all with a meaning of "the moon to the Ocean
of Raghu's vamSa", or "moon to the Ocean of Soorya-vamSa." The explanation
he gave was simple.Ocean ebbs and flows as the moon wanes and wax. Looking
at a complete moon, the ocean rises (with joy). Similarly, looking at "rAma"
the "raghu vamSa (or soorya vamSa)" bloats with pride. rAma to "raghu vamSa"
is as the moon is to the ocean. Also remember here the putative relationship
between moon and the ocean as Son and father respectively.
(Mr. Moon is son of Mr. ksheera saagara! lakshmi is ksheeraabdhi-kanyaka)
Then explaining, "agajAnana padmaarkam" becomes easy.
Sun causes the lotus to blossom. Ganesh (ganESa) is the like sun
to the lotus-face of paarvati. Looking at ganESa, the lotus face
of paarvati blossoms. Any better explanation ?
As it is apparent, this SlOka uses excellent word-play in both the lines.
The first line has "agajaanana" and "gajaanana". And the second line has
"anEkadam tam" and "Eka damtam". In the second line, the meaning for
"anEkadam tam bhaktaanaam," as explained to me by Ramabhadra Dokka of Atlanta
is "the giver (dam) of many (anEka) to your (tam) bhaktaas (bhataanaam)."
The complete meaning of this SlOka with above interpretations can be
written as :
agajAnana padmArkam, gajAnanam aharniSam
anEkadam tam bhaktaanaam Eka dantam upasmahe
Oh, the Sun (ark) to the lotus (padma) face (aanaana) of paarvati,
Oh, the one with the face (aanana) of elephant (gaja),
Oh, the bestower(tam) of many(anEka) varaas to your(tam) bhaktaas(bhaktaanam)
Oh, the Lord of One (Eka) tusk (damtam)(is this word "tusk" right?)
I/We((a)mahE?) worship (upaas) you ever (ahar niSam - actually meaning
day and night).
Sanskrit wizs are welcome to make corrections to what is said above.
Regards,
Suresh.