Sri Kamakshi Amman's Kataksham - Jnana Paal - A STORY !

[Guest guest]

dear Devotees of Sri Kanchi Kamakshi Amman:

 

Today, i would like to narrate a story on the 'Jnana Paal' ( milk of

Knowledge) given by Shri Kamakshi Amman to Her Great devotee Shri

Shyama Shastri, one of the Trinity of Carnatic music!

 

here it goes :

 

on the group page , the lyrics are by Sri Shyama Shastri, a great sri

vidya upasaka - a devotee of Kanchi Kamakshi , his ishta nishta!

 

here is a reason why Sri Shyama shastri ends all his compostions with

this refrain Shyama krishna sodari ( shyama krishna's sister)

 

SHYAMA SASTRI, one of the Music Trinity, was christened Shyamakrishna

at birth. What made him address Devi Kamakshi of Thanjavur as his

sister (Shyamakrishna Sodari) in all his kritis is an interesting

story handed down by the temple archakas of his time, according to

Swaminantha Atreya, the asthana Sanskrit vidwan of the Kanchi mutt.

 

Those were the days when the temple for Goddess Kamakshi was being

built by Thulajaji, the Maratha ruler of Thanjavur. Shyama would

practise the songs in his wonderful voice sitting on the tower meant

for the temple bell. His aunt who was fond of him used to send him

milk through her little daughter. One day the girl came calling

him " Anna " (brother), placed the bowl of milk by his side and

disappeared. Shyama noticed her angelic charm that day with the

necklace of the deity adorning her neck. He at once ran home only to

reprimand his mother for having sent her decked with the deity's

jewel. When he learnt that she had not sent the girl that day, as she

was not available he knew that Goddess Kamakshi had come to enslave

him. The first kriti that flowed from his lips praising Her grace

was " Oh, Jagadamba' in Ananda Bhairavi which was later followed by

about 300 kritis with his mudra `Shyama Krishna Sodari'. Did she not

address him as " Anna " ?

 

(The Hindu, Friday, May 10, 2002)

 

It is said that Adi shankara bhagvadapada also drank the 'milk of

knowledge' provided by Devi /ambaal - hence, all his stotras reflect

ambaal's infibnite Karunyam on HIM!

 

HERE IS A COMPOSTION OF SRI SHYAMA SHATRI ENDING WITH THE REFRAIN

 

dEvi shrI kAmAkSi tarunamIdamma tripurasundari tanayuni brocuTaku

Avirbhava shrI kalasha rUpini Anandabhairavi Adi parasakti

maNi mantra hariNi mangaLa rUpiNi madhukara bhASiNi marakatAngi rANi

shivuniki rANi (purANi) kalyANi karuNAkari shivasankari srikari

*shyAmakrSNa sOdari*

 

Yes! It is so 'nice' to look upon ambaal as a sister . Mother - She

is everyone's 'bandhu' ( relative)

 

Om Salutations to Kanchi Kamakshi Amman!

[Guest guest]

Dear devotee,

Your story brought tears to my eyes - how blessed are those with whom our

Divine Mother is kind enough to interact in a 'human' relationship! What

great good fortune!

Thank you for sharing this wonderful story.

Regards

2008/6/18 adi_shakthi16 <adi_shakthi16:

 

> dear Devotees of Sri Kanchi Kamakshi Amman:

>

> Today, i would like to narrate a story on the 'Jnana Paal' ( milk of

> Knowledge) given by Shri Kamakshi Amman to Her Great devotee Shri

> Shyama Shastri, one of the Trinity of Carnatic music!

>

> here it goes :

>

> on the group page , the lyrics are by Sri Shyama Shastri, a great sri

> vidya upasaka - a devotee of Kanchi Kamakshi , his ishta nishta!

>

>