Muthuswami Dikshithar's special tributes to Ambaa

[Guest guest]

As pointed out by Arvind Krishna, Muthuswamy Dikshithar the revered

Carnatic Music Composer has sung the glory of temples all over India.

Dikshita has composed devotional music on the glory of Ambaa (Parvati

Devi) shrines in Tamil Nadu. The three shrines - Akhilaandeshwari of

Jambukeshwaram near Thiruchi, Minakshi (Kadambavana Vaasini) of Madurai

and Kaamakshi (Kaamakotipita Vaasini) are the holiest of the Ambaa

shrines situated in Tamil Nadu. Dikshithar has composed and sung

special devotional music on the glories of these shrines. Dikshithar’s

poetic ability and his great depth on Hindu Scriptures and Puranas are

revealed through the krithis in praise of Ambaa shrines situated in the

above three holy cities. I am glad that Arvind Krishna has joined this

list and his great depth and interests in Dikshithar Krithis will help

us to understand more about Dikshitar Krithis.

 

Jambukeswaram

 

Jambukeswaram, is located in Srirangam, an island in the course of the

river Kaveri, near the city of Tiruchirappalli. Akhilaandeshwari, the

first lady of the Universe rules the universe from Jambukeshwaram or

Thiruvaanaikkovil. Legend says that this Akhilaandeshwari was an Ugra

(fierce) aspect of the Shakthi. Dikshithar has mentioned in the Begada

krithi, Ambaa as "Shri maathah Shivavaamaange,

Shrichakraroopathaatanke." Dikshithar describes that Aadi Sankara, the

shanmatha sthaapaka who cleansed the savage forms that haunted Hinduism

installed the thaatankas (ear-rings) with the shivachakra and

shrichakra engraved. To further calm down the fury of the Goddess,

Shankara installed the idols of Ganapathy and Subrahmanya. The Shakthi

was transformed into a benign mother looking upon her sons and this

world with love. Dikshithar says this as "Lambodhara guruguha

poojithe." That is worshipped by Vinaayaka (Lambodhara) and Guruguha,

in the song "Akhilaandeshwari" The padma puraana contains references to

Indra worshiping the Ambaa to get rid of the sin of killing the demon

Jamba and Dikshithar says, "Jambaari sambaavithe"

 

Madurai

 

Further South is the temple city of Madurai. The Goddess here is

Minaakshi.One of the most popular krithis on Madurai is "Minaakshi me

mudham-(Gamakakriya). In shakthi worship, the Goddess here is

identified as Rajamaathangi or mantrini, the minister of

Lalithathripura sundari. Worship of this form confers on the devotee

skill in music. Rajamaathangi is adept in playing the vallaki and hence

she is the creator of the ten kinds of gamakas of the vina,"

Vinaavaadhana dhashagamaka kriye." According to legends, she came to the

earth as the daughter of the Pandya king Malayadhwaja. Dikshithar hails

her as "Malayadhwaja Paandyaraaja thanaye." The goddess here is

greenish in colour. That is "marakathachaaaye. This kshetra is called

kadamba vana - forest of the kadamba trees. kadhamba is the sthala

vrksha of Madurai. He says of this as "kadhambavanvaasini" and the city

as "madhuraapuri nilaye." The Goddess dwells here with her consort

Sundaresha, "Mahaadeva Sundareshapriye." Her brother, Vishnu comes

across Vaigai from the nearby temple of Azhagarkoil. He is referred to

in "madhumuraripu sodhari," the sister of the enemy of the demons Madhu

and Mura ie Vishnu." The sthala bakshi is the parrot and those who

visit the Minaakshi temple can see the parrots inside a screened

enclosure, maintained by the temple. Another unique feature of Minaakshi

temple is the separate main entrances to Minaakshi and Sundareshvar.

This is to facilitate Ambaa Bhaktas who are ViraVaishnavas (those who

strongly believe in the superiority of Mahavishnu over Maheshwar).

Viravaishnavas use the separated temple entrance to worship Ambaa, the

brother of Vishnu to get Her blessings! Interestingly the Chithra

Festival (Festival celebrated during the month of Chithra - between the

middle of April and the middle of May) is well attended by Shiva and

Vishnu worshipers (Shivas and Vaishnavas). At the main entrance

(entrance to Minakshi shrine), we can witness the divine marriage

between Ambaa and Shiva with the presence of Vishnu through the

sculpture portrait of the marriage function!

 

Kanchi

 

Dikshithar calls Kanchi as "Nagareshu Kanchi" - the best among cities.

This ancient city is a great spiritual centre. It is the kaamakoti pita

and it is said that Adi Shankara installed the yogalinga here. The

krithi "Kaamaakshi (Sumadhyuthi) welcomes us here. The name kaamakoti

pita is mentioned here, as "Kaamakotipita vaasini." The signficance

here is that there is no garbhagriha for Devi in any of the nearby Shiva

shrines. While blessing Manmatha, Kamaakshi drew in all the shakthis

there. Later Brahma requested her withdraw and She granted that other

temples may have Devi shrines. The portion of the city in which

Kamaakshi reigns is called "Kamakottam" or "Kamakoshta." Here too we

find Vishnu in Karigiri as Varadharaja close by, for Kaamaakshi is

"Kamalesha sodhari" - the sister of Varadharaja, the Lord of Lakshmi.

 

Note: The Tamil saying, “Kanchi Kaamakshi - Kasi Visalakshi - Madurai

Minakshi” is to indicate the importance of these cities came only due to

the presence and blessings of Ambaa. The city name and the associated

Ambaa became synonymous.

[Guest guest]

AUM shrI mAtre namaH

 

Thanks to Sri Rama Chandran for his post on the three, diamond shrines sung

by dIikshitar.

 

Most of dIkshitar's life was spent in visiting several divya shhetrams and

singing the praise of deities enshrined. He made a trip to Kashi with his

Guru Chidambaranaatha yogi and stayed there for some years. After yogi's

samAdi he returned to the south, visited his parents who were in maNali and

started to Tiruthani as per his guru's command. There, he had the darshan of

Sri SubrammaNya and was blessed to sing. From that point he resided near

prominent temples and spent his life in singing the praise of deities and

visiting near by shrines. He attained mukthi on the celestial day of naraka

chaturdashi singing 'miina lochanii paashamoochanii'.

 

dIkshitar is considered as an incarnation of Sanath KumArA, (who manifested

as subrammaNya) the guru of nAradA. He was born on 'kritika' nakshhatra

during vasanta navarAtrI & attained mukthi on deepavali day (ie) six days

before skanda shhashhtI. H.H Sri chandrashekarendra saraswati swamigal used

to site these two incidences to indicate the association between subrammaNya

and diikshitar.

 

DIkshitar has offered beautiful krithi kusumaas to devi, enshrined in

different sannidiis from Kashmir to Kanyaakumaari. Each krithi of his is a

unique tribute that glitters like a diamond in elegant raga tAlAs.

Following is the list of devi shrines he has sung.

 

kaamaakshi - kaanchi

GYAnaprasunnambikaa - kaaLahasti

maragatavalli - virinchipuram

tripurasundari - aadipuri (tiruvetriuur)

shivakaamasundarii - chidambaram

baalaambaa - vaidyapuri (vaidiishwaran koil)

abhayaambaa - maayuuram

bruhatkuchambaa - madyaarjunam (tiruvidai maruduur)

mangaLaambaa - kumbakoNam

abhiraami - ghaTapuri (tirukadaiuur)

niilaayadaakshi - shivaraajadhani (naagapattaNam)

darmasamvardani - panchanadakshettram (tiruvaiyaaru)

kamalaambaa - shripuram

vanadurgaa - shripuram

niilotpalambaa - shripuram

reNukA devi - vijayanaga

baalakucaambaa - dakshhiNa kaashi

sugandhikuntalaambaa - trishiragiri (trichi)

akilaaNDeshwari - jambukeeshwaram

mangaLaambaa - shrivanchiyam

annapuuraNi - dakshhiNa kaashi

brimmavidyaambaa - shvetaaraNyam

vishaalaakshi - vaaraNaasI

annapuuraNi - vaaraNaasI

bangaarukAmAkshi - tanjapuri (Tanjore)

brihadiishwari - tanjapuri

Anandavalli - tanjapuri

GYAnaambA - tanjapuri

parvatavardhani - raameeshwaram

kaantimati - shaalivaTI (Tirunelveeli)

kumaari - kanyAkumari

miinakshi - madhurApuri (Madurai)

 

 

 

He has sung in praise of Sri Rangam Ranganaayaki and Kashmiir sarasvathi

apart from several general krithis on lakshmi and sarasvathi. He has also

composed krithis on devatas described in lalithopaakyaanam like

lalitaa,tiraskariNi, shoolinI, pratyangiraa, maatangi & bagalaa. Tirunelveli

baagavatars, used these compositions and several other related krithi’s to

do lalithopaakyaana kaalashhepams.

 

With my little knowledge on things I plan to present a series of postings

explaining krithis dedicated to the above devi shrines. Let's virtually

visit these devi shrines through the medium of dikshitar krithis.

 

 

AUM shrImAtre namaH

 

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