abhayAmbAShtakam ** Eight case structure

[Guest guest]

I beg to deviate form Dr. Sadagopan's commentary in this post. As he has

dealt ‘kamalambA navAvaraNam’ in detail before this, he gives a beautiful

analogy of kamalambA and abhayAmbA krithis here. This portion may not be of

much interest until we are familiar with both of them. I plan to explain the

basic structure of abhayAmbAShTakam and the various sentiments expressed in

different cases of Sanskrit language to give an overall idea that would

enable better appreciation.

 

In Sanskrit language, the relationship between noun and verb is indicated by

a case ending added to the noun called vibhakti. There are seven such

grammatical relationships.

 

bAlA kAmakalA sadA vijayate, bAlAm baje mAnasa

bAlaya rakShitoham sadA bhagavatI, balAmbikAyai namo .

bAlayAH nasti parAyaNam parataram, bAlAsya dAsosmyaham

bAlAm chittalayaH sadA bhavatu me, he bAle kR^ipAle namo .. **

 

In the above verses the word 'bAlA' is used in all seven (+1) vibhaktI-s.

PrathamA - bAlA kAmakalA sadA vijayate,

DvitIyA - bAlAm baje mAnasa

tritIyA - bAlaya rakShitoham sadA bhagavatI,

caturthi - balAmbikAyai namo

panchamI - bAlayAH nasti parAyaNam parataram

shaShTi - bAlAsya dAsosmyaham

saptamI - bAlAm chittalayaH sadA bhavatu me

sambodhana - he bAle kR^ipAle namo

 

Strictly speaking there are only seven vibhaktI-s, but sambodana, which is

used to address people is normally considered as the eighth case. It's

actually a special use of the first case ending. An AShTakam of dIkshitar

consists of eight compositions set in these eight cases sequentially. A

dhyAnam and a maN^gaLam are added to it. In kamalAmbA navAvaraNam as there

are nine AvaraNam-s the ninth composition is constructed in all these eight

cases.

 

abhayAmbAShTakam commences with a dhyana kriti in raga tOdi. 'dakShAyaNI

abhayAmbike'. This kriti is constructed in the eighth case. A multi-lingual

mangaLa kriti in raga Sri concludes the series. The mood of the composer and

the content conveyed differ according to the selection of the vibakti or a

specific case of expression.

 

Pratama vibakti or the nominative case is well suited to acclaim the deity

with reference to her anugraHa shakti. The first laud 'kalyANi' kriti of

abhayAmbAShtakam ornate the greatness of AbhayAmbA with sangIta puShpA. The

sankalpam of the deity is first needed for her worship, ‘ninaruLAle nintAL

paNindu’. Then comes the effort of the sAdaka. So first dikshitar sets the

goal as ‘AtmasvarUpa pratibimbA’ and pleads abhayAmbA to protect him

‘samrakshatu’.

 

DvitIyA vibakti or the accusative case is well suited to deal with an object

and action. Mostly dIkShitar uses this to instruct his mind to contemplate

on paradevatA. The Bhairavi piece ‘Aryam abhayAmbAm bhajare re chitta’ is a

well structured massive one with lofty ideas glittering with long drawn

phrases. AnukUlasankalpam and pratikUlya varjanam are the sentiment

expressed. ‘mAyAmaya hR^it tApam thyaja’, ‘tApatrayam thyaja’, avidyA kArya

kalanAm tyaja’, ‘kalpita mAyAmaya kAryam thyaja’ are categorized as

prAtikulya varjanam. The devotee abides to ShastrAs and avoids niShida

karmAs. He indulges in nitya and naimittika karmAs and sets a determination

to always contemplate on devi and act according to her wishes ‘AryAm

bajare’.

A comparative study of all second case compositions of dIShitar would be of

immense profit as they show several paths that yield to GYAna. In this

abhayAmbAShTakam kaN^karyam is emphasized and prescribed as the path to

liberation.

 

Dikshitar uses Tritiya vibakti or Instrumental case to conform that he was

well protected by the deity and is totally fearless. It also implies that

the instruction that he gave to his mind in the previous one was carried out

properly and as a result the mind has settled down peacefully and fells that

it is always being sheltered by her grace. The third case suite instrumental

and committed expressions with the agent in a passive construction.

MahAvishvAsum is the anubhavam of the bakta at this stage. Both in kamalAmbA

and abhayAmbA series, dIShitar uses raga shankarAbharaNam to express this

sentiment. DIkshitar elaborates the doctrine of samayAcAra here. The under

lying idea conveyed is that, samaya mArga is the one to be followed to get

to liberation and only in this approach that a seeker is totally fearless.

 

ChaturtyA vibakti or the dative case is well suited to offer salutations and

expresses the gratitude of a devotee. The double salutation namaste namste

is often found in this case. The various glories of the deity that is being

saluted is exalted and expressed in a lofty language. Yarukula kAmboji is

the rAga selected by dIkshitar to express this sentiment in the

abhyAmbAShTakam. 'vandanam' is the bakti mood of a devote at this stage. He

expresses his gratitude to devi for the shelter that she has provided

mentioned in the former vibakti.

 

Ananya bakti or aIkAntya bakti is expressed in the kedAra gowla krithi

constructed in the fifth ablative case. dIkshitar claims that he does not

know any one other than abhyAmbA who would lead him from paroksha to

aprarokshAnubhUti.

 

The sixth, Genitive case is used in a possessive sense, dIkshitar takes

pride in being a baktA of devI in this krithi. The most crisp and concise

version of kundalini yoga sAra with AShTAnga yoga fills the charaNam in this

kedAra krithi. Only highly elevated souls can interpret such esteem

anubhavam-s. The aparokShAnubhUti that is pleaded in the former case is

obtained here and hence explained. 'dAsyam' is the mode of bakti expressed.

 

Bakti replenish our heart when listening to the saptama vibakti krithis of

dikshitar. As bakti is also ‘phalarUpA’ dikShitar continues to do bakti even

after aparokShAnubhuti. SahAna is the raga selected; which is full of

kAruNya rasa. Its interesting to note that both in kamalAmba as well as

abhayAmba series dikshitar uses sahAna for the seventh case. As seventh is a

locative case it expresses not only the location, circumstances etc but also

the goal of the motion.

 

Vocative 8th case is used to address the deity. As sAkxAtkAra is obtained

and devi manifests before dIkshitar, he starts addressing her and offers his

salutations. The heavy chAmara kriti ‘sadAShraye abhyAmbike’ is full of

sAkxAtkArAnubhUti and flows down with verses glomming the fragrance of devIs

saundarya and dhivya dhAma lakshaNas. The devotee unites with the divine.

 

MangaLa kriti requires a special mention as it is constructed in tamil,

sanskrit and telugu. This type of a construction is known are maNipravALa.

CintanAnubhUti or smaraNa bakti is chosen for benediction in raga Sri. Sri

raga is the maN^gaLa raga in Dikshitar’s school.

 

DIxitar has composed six sets of group compositions with this eight case

structure. Not all these six are of the same construction. A dhyAna and

maN^gaLa kriti is found in abhayAmbhA, tyAgarAja aShTakams and also in

kamalAmbA navAvaraNam. Guruguha, ramaAShTakams do not have an explicit

dhyanam and mangaLam. NIlotpalambA series can be best categorized as

'gauLanta nava ratna mAlikA'.

 

It's erroneous to call nIlotpalambA and abhayAmbA kritIs as navAvaraNa

kritis. They have nothing to do with the nine AvaraNas. The one and only

navAvaraNam is 'kamalAmbA navAvaraNam'. AbhayAmbAShTakam and nIlotpalAmbA

gauLanta navaratna mAlA are the right ways to categorize the other sets.

 

Sri Sadagopan Sir has commented on all these and I will be attempting to

translate them. As though to leave some place for me he has not commented on

the dhyAna kriti of this abhayAmbAShTakam. A word regarding this would

clarify confusion for some rasikAs. I plan to consider the tOdi kriti

'dakshAyaNi abhayAmbike' as the dhyana krithi and 'sadAShraye abhayAmbike'

as the eighth one. Sundaram iyer, Dr. S. Ramanatan and others have

considered the chaamaram piece as the dhyanam and tOdi as the eighth one.

Though both of them are set to the eighth case, tOdi kriti suits the dhyAna

pattern more than the chAmaram kR^itI. Its proper to commence with tOdi as

dikshitar commences even his kamalAmbA navAvaraNam with tOdi. Dr. V.

Sadagopan has also considered the chamara piece 'sadAShraye' as the eighth

one though he has not said any thing regarding the dhyana kriti. I have seen

some more scholars holding this idea. I would also like to stick to this and

expect this to be dIkshita hR^idayam.

 

...lekhani daNdarUpoham lekho.api sayevahi..

Aravind

 

(** I constructed this Shlokaa to fit all the eight cases. Dr. P.P Narayana

swami pointed that there may be a problem with the guru lagu in the second

line as it is set to ‘ShArdhUla vikrIDitam’. If you know of any other shloka

for feminine ‘I’ in all 8 cases, please post it to the list.)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

____