These kRtis were composed by muttusvAmI dIkSitar in praise of Goddess kamalAmbA of tiruvArur. They form perhaps his most impressive cycle, and have been published in the West by Emmie te Nijenhuis and Sanjukta Gupta in 1987.
This page was originally written by Santosh Rao, and has been updated (format & corrections) by Todd M. McComb. Credit also is due Vidyasankar Sundaresan. English has been provided originally by Sangeetha Kalanidhi T. K. Govinda Rao.
To Compositions of Muttusvami Dikshitar
Todd M. McCombkamalAmbikE AshritakalpalatikE caNDikE
kamanIyAruNAMshukE karavidhRta shukE mAmava
kamalAsanAdi pUjita kamalapatE bahuvaradE
kamalAlaya tIrthavaibhavE shivE karuNArNavE
sakala lOkanAyikE saHNgItarasikE
sukavitva pradAyikE sundari gatamAyikE
vikaLEbaramuktidAnanipuNE aghaharaNE
viyadAdi bhUtakiraNE vinOdacaraNE aruNE
sakaLEguruguhakaraNE sadAshivAntahkaraNE
akacaTatapAdivarNE akhaNDaikarasa pUrNE
Oh Kamalambike, You are the Kalpaka tree to those who seek refuge in You. You, the Candika-fierce one wearing beautiful red silk and sporting a parrot in the hand, protect me.
Her lotus-like feet are worshipped by Brahma and others. She who bestows abundant blessing, who is the cause of the glory of Kamalalaya Lake, consort of Shiva, ocean of compassion.
She, the sovereign ruler of all the world, is fond of music. She who bestows the talent of poesy and is lovely. She who is beyond Maya-delusion, expert in granting salvation, remover of distress, whose rays are the five elements i.e. ether, etc. She whose feet are beautiful and red in color, who is radiant, mother of Guruguha and resides in the heart of Sadashiva. She who is the personification of the alphabet i.e. A, Ka, Ca, Ta, Ta, Pa, etc. She is the only essence of all the pervasive universe.
kamalAmbA saMrakSatu mAM hRt
kamalAnagara nivAsinI
sumanasArAdhitAbjamukhI sundara manahpriyakara sakhI
kamalajAnanda bOdhasukhI kAntAtAra paHnjarashukI
tripurAdi cakrEshvarI aNimAdi
siddhIshvarI nitya kAmEshvarI
kSitipura trailOkyamOhana cakra
vartinI prakaTayOginI
suraripu mahiSAsurAdi marddinI
nigama purANAdi saMvEdinI
tripurEshI guruguha jananI
tripura bhaHnjana raHnjani
madhuripu sahOdarI talOdarI
tripura sundarI mahEshvarI
May goddess Kamalamba, who resides at the heart of Kamalangara, protect me.
Her lotus-like face is praised by virtuous people. She who is the beloved companion of Lord Sundara-Shiva, who revels in joy deriving from wisdom and is very beautiful. She is like the she-parrot in the center of the cage known as Tara.
She is suzerain of the Chakra cosmogram, i.e. tripura etc., goddess for the Siddhi powers such as Anima. She is eternal and beloved of Kameshvara-Nityakameshvari. She is the sovereign ruler of the Trailokya Mohana Chakra, the circle which beguiles the three worlds. She is the manifestation of Yogic power, conqueror of the enemies of celestials such as Mahishasura. She is revealed in holy scriptures. She is the spouse of Tripuresha-Shiva and the mother of Guruguha. She enjoyed the destruction of Tripura. She is the sister of Vishnu, who is the enemy of the demon Madhu. She is slender-waisted, Tripurasundari the great goddess and spouse of Maheshvara.
kamalAmbAM bhajarE rE mAnasa
kalpita mAyA kAryam tyajarE
kamalAvANI sEvita pArshvAm
kambujaya grIvAM nata dEvAM
kamalApura sadanAM mRdu gadanAM
kamanIya radanAM kamala vadanAM
sarvAshA paripUraka cakra svAminIM parama shiva kAminIM
dUrvAsArccita gupta yOginIM duhkha dhvamsinIM hamsinIM
nirvANa nija sukha pradAyinIM nityakalyANIM kAtyAyanIM
sharvANIM madhupa vijaya vENIM sad guruguha jananIM niraHnjanIM
garvita bhaNDAsura bhaHnjanIM kAmAkarSaNyAdi raHnjanIM
nirvishESa caitanya rUpiNIM urvI tatvAdi svarUpiNIM
Oh mind, worship goddess Kamalamba, and cast aside attachment to this illusory world.
She is attended on by Lakshmi and Sarasvati. The beauty of Her neck surpasses that of the conch. She is worshiped by the celestials and resides at Kamalapura. She speaks softly and has beautiful teeth. She possesses a lotus-like face.
She is the presiding deity of Sarvasha Paripuraka Chakra and is the beloved of Paramashiva. She is the mystic Yogini, worshiped by the sage Durvasa. She annihilates miseries. She is Hamsini, the supreme one in the company of great sages. She is the bestower of true bliss through salvation. She is the ever-auspicious one. She is also known as Katyayani and Sharvani. Her dark tresses exceed the dark hue of a swarm of bees. She is the mother of noble Guruguha and is blemishless. She destroyed the arrogant Bhandasura. She delights Shaktis such as Kamakarshani. She is the attributeless supreme spirit and is the form of the world.
shrI kamalAmbikayA kaTAkSitOhaM
saccidAnanda paripUrNa brahmAsmi
pAkashAsanAdi sakala dEvatA sEvitayA
paHNkajAsanAdipaHnca kRtya kRt bhAvitayA
shOkahara catura padayA mUka mukhya
vAkpradayA kOkanada vijaya padayA
guruguhatatraipadayA
anaHNga kusumAdyaSTa shaktyAkArayA
aruNavarNa saMkSObhaNa cakrAkArayA
anantakOTyaNDanAyaka shaHNkara nAyikayA
aSTa vargAtmaka gupta tarayA varayA
anaHNgA dyupAsitayA aSTadaLAbjasthitayA
dhanur bANadhara karayA dayA sudhA sAgarayA
Shri Kamalambika has cast Her gracious glance on me, and now I am identified with the nature of Absolute Brahman, the fullness of existence, consciousness and bliss.
Indra and other celestials attend on Her. She is adored by Brahma and others who perform the Pancakritya, the five cosmic acts. Her feet are adroit at removing grief. She endowed the gift of speech in Muka and made him a Kavi. Her victorious feet are like red lotus. She is the embodiment of the three-word mantra Tat-Tvam-Asi imparted by Guruguha.
Her form is of eight Shaktis, Anangakusuma and the rest. She is the color of dawn, Aruna, and is enshrined in the Samkshobhana Chakra. She is the consort of Shankara, who is the Lord of innumerable universes. She is of the nature of eternal and hidden Ashtavarga, the eight groups of alphabets. She is worshipful, seated on an eight-petalled lotus. She is worshiped by Ananga the Cupid. She holds a bow and arrows, and is an embodiment of the nectar of compassion. May Lord Tyagaraja, who conferred boons on Muchukunda, be victorious. He has beautiful hands, lotus-like feet, and sports an enchanting benign smile on his face. He is the all-pervasive one, adored by Mukunda the Vishnu, and has a fair-complexioned form. He makes Nandikeshvara happy and is worshiped by a host of celestials. He is the progenitor of Guruguha. May he be victorious.
kamalAmbikAyai kanakAMshukAyai
karpUra vIDikAyai namastE namastE
kamalA kAntAnujAyai kAmEshvaryai ajAyai
himagiri tanujAyai hrIM kAra pUjyAyai
kamalAnagara vihAriNyai khala samUha saMhAriNyai
kamanIya ratna hAriNyai kali kalmaSa parihAriNyai
sakala saubhAgya dAyakAmbhOja caraNAyai
saMkSObhiNyAdi shaktiyuta caturthyAvaraNAyai
prakaTa caturddasha bhuvana bharaNAyai
prabala guruguha sampradAyAntahkaraNAyai
akaLaHNka rUpa varNAyai aparNAyai suparNAyai
sukara dhRta cApa bANAyai shObhanakara manukONAyai
sakuHNkumAdi lEpanAyai carAcarAdi kalpanAyai
cikura vijita nIlaghanAyaicidAnanda pUrNa ghanAyai
I salute You, Kamalamba, You who wear golden clothes and enjoy camphor-flavored betal.
You are the younger sister of Vishnu, the spouse of Lakshmi. You are Kameshvari, and are the unborn one, daughter of Mount Himalaya, worshiped with the sound Hrim. You who reside in Kamalanagara destroy the lots of dishonest ones, wear lovely golden chains, and remove the sins we commit in the Kali age.
You possess lotus-like feet, which bestow all fortune. You embody the fourth Avarana containing the Shakti Samkshobhini, and rule the fourteen manifest worlds. You are the heart of the strong tradition to which Guruguha belongs. You are of flawless beauty and complexion. You are called Aparna[1]. You are the bird Hamsa[2]. You hold in Your charming hand a bow and arrows. You as the Chakra contain fourteen Konas triangles. You are besmeared with Kunkuma, etc. You are the creator of movable as well as unmovable phenomena. You whose black hair triumphs over the blue clouds are the plenitude[3] of consciousness and bliss.
shrI kamalAmbAyAh paraM nahirE rE citta
kSityAdi shivAnta tatva svarUpiNyAh
shrIkaNTha viSNu viriHncAdi janayitryAh
shivAtmakavishvakartryAh kArayitryAh
shrIkara bahirdashAra cakra sthityAh
sEvita bhairavI bhArgavI bhAratyAh
nAdamaya sUkSmarUpa sarva siddhipradAdi
dasha shaktyArAdhita mUrrtE
shrOtrAdi dashakaraNAtmaka kuLa kauLi
kAdi bahuvidhOpAsita kIrttE
abhEda nitya shuddha buddha mukta saccida
anandamaya paramAdvaita sphUrttE
Adi madhyAnta rahitApramEya guruguha
mOditasarvArtthasAdhakasphUrttE
mUlAdi navAdhAra vyAvRtta dashadhvani
bhedajHna yOgibRnda saMrakSaNyA
anAdi mAyA vidyAkArya kAraNa vinOda
karaNa paTutarakaTAkSa vIkSaNyAh
Oh mind, there is nothing other than the glorious Kamalamba, the one who is the essence of all categories from the earth up to Shiva.
She who is creator of Shrikanta, Brahma and others, She who created the universe, which is in essence nothing but Shiva, She is the agent of all actions, resides in the sacred outer Chakra possessing ten triangles, and is served by Bhairavi-Kali, Bhargavi-Lakshmi and Bharati-Sarasvati.
She who is of the subtle form Nada and is propitiated by the ten Shaktis, Sarvasiddhiprada, etc. She who is famous for being worshiped in various religious modes, such as Kula and Kaula, as the power identical with the ten sense and motor organs. She who is the manifestation of the supreme non-dual non-differentiated ever pure enlightened and free self, the reality of which is consciousness and bliss. She who is an integral whole without any parts such as the first, middle and the last. She who is knowledgeable and is entertained by Guruguha, She manifests as Sarvartthasadhaka Chakra, achieving all purposes. She who is inherent in the nine centers such as Muladhara, etc. and who, surpassing these, knows how to pierce through the sounds. She who protects the Yogis, Her mere glance is capable of dispelling beginningless delusion and ignorance and the laws of cause and effect.
kamalAmbikAyAstava bhaktOhaM
shrI shaHNkaryAh shrIkaryA saHNgItarasikAyAh shrI
sumasharEkSu kOdaNDa pAshAHNkusha pANyAh
atimadhurataravANyAh sharvANyAh kalyANyAh
ramaNIyapunnAgavarALi vijita vENyAh shrI
dashakalAtmaka vahni svarUpa prakAshAntardashAra
sarva rakSAkara cakrEshvaryAh
tridashAdinuta kacavarga dvaya maya sarvajHnAdi
dashashaktisamEta mAlinI cakrEshvaryAh
tridashaviMshadvarNa garbhiNI kuNDalinyAh
dashamudrA samArAdhita kauLinyAh
dasharathAdinuta guruguha janaka shiva bOdhinyAh
dashakaraNa vRtti marIci nigarbha yOginyAh shrI
I am the devotee of Kamalambika, who is the spouse of Shankara. She, the bestower of prosperity, is fond of music.
She who sports in Her four hands the arrows of flowers, sugar cane as bow, the rope noose Pasha, and the goad Ankusha. She whose speech is mellifluous, is the spouse of Shiva and the personification of goodness. She whose braided hair excels the beauty of lovely black bees which swarm around the Punnaga tree.
She is the goddess of the Chakra Sarvarakshakara, protecting all. Her essential nature is the fire. She is established in the ten Kalas and manifests in the inner circle having ten triangles. She is the goddess of the circle of Malini, which has ten Shaktis such as Sarvajna etc. She is of the form of the ten letters of the Ka and Ca groups and is worshiped by gods and others. She is Kundalini, encompassing the fifty letters. She is the goddess Kaulini, propitiated by ten Mudras. She is worshiped by Dasharatha and others, and bestows knowledge on Shiva, the father of Guruguha. The rays of Her inner radiance constitute the functioning of the ten Indriyas, the ten sense and motor organs.
shrI kamalAmbikAyAM bhaktiM karOmi
shritakalpa vATikAyAM
caNDikAyAM jagadambikAyAM
rAkAcandra vadanAyAM rAjIvanayanAyAM
pAkArinuta caraNAyAM AkAshAdi kiraNAyAM
hrIMkAra vipinahariNyAM hrIMkArasusharIriNyAM
hrIMkAra taru maHnjaryAM hrIMkArEshvaryAM gauryAM
sharIratraya vilakSaNa sukhatara svAtmAnu bhOginyAM
viriHnci harIshAna harihaya vEdita rahasyayOginyAM
parAdi vAgdEvatArUpavashinyAdi vibhAginyAM
carAtmaka sarvarOgahara nirAmaya rAjayOginyAM
karadhRta vINA vAdinyAM kamalAnagara vinOdinyAM
suranaramunijanamOdinyAM
guruguhavaraprasAdinyAM
I offer my devotion to my mother, Shri Kamalambika, to She who resides in the garden palace of the wish-fulfilling gem Kalpavatika, and to Chandika, the mother of the universe.
She who has a lovely moon-like face, whose eyes are like the lotus bud, whose feet are praised by Indra, whose rays are the five elements such as space, She is the gazelle-eyed in the forest of Hrim. She who is the embodiment of Hrim, She is the presiding deity for the Mantra Hrim. She is Gauri.
She rejoices in Her own self of supreme bliss, the self which transcends the three states of existence: the casual, the subtle, and the gross. She who is the mystic Yogini, known only to Brahma, Vishnu, Rudra, and Hayagriva, She is differentiated as the Shakti Vasini, etc. and as the four states of development, the deity of speech. She is the healing Raja Yogini, who removes all illness, which is essentially transient. She who plays the Vina, which She holds in Her hands, who delights the Kamalanagara, who charms the Gods, men and sages, grants Guruguha the boon of Her grace.
shrI kamalAmbikE avAva
shivE karadhRta shuka shArikE
lOkapAlini kapAlini shUlini lOkajanani bhagamAlini sakRdA
lOkaya mAM sarva siddhipradAyikE tripurAmbikE bAlAmbikE
santapta hEma sannibha dEhE sadAkhaNDaikarasapravAhE
santApahara trikONagEhE sakAmEshvari shaktisamUhE
santataM mukti ghaNTAmaNi ghOSAyamAna kavATadvArE
ananta guruguha viditE karAHNguli nakhOdaya viSNu dashAvatArE
antahkaraNEkSu kArmuka shabdAdi paHnca tanmAtra vishikhAtyanta
rAgapAsha dvESAHNkusha dharakarE atirahasya yOginIparE
May goddess Kamalambika, spouse of Shiva, She who holds a parrot in Her hand, protect me.
She is the protector of the world, adorning the Kapala skull and the Shula trident. Mother of the universe and also known as Bhagamalini, may She bestow Her glance on me, and confer all accomplishments on me. She is Tripurambika, the Balambika.
Her body is like burnished gold, and is the eternal stream of undifferentiated unique bliss. She is the remover of sufferings and resides in the Trikona triangle, which obliterates the three kinds of miseries. She is in the company of Kameshvari and a host of Shaktis. In the wide doorway of Her abode, wherein the jewelled bell constantly announces salvation, She is understood by Guruguha, who is eternal. From Her ten fingernails, She created the ten incarnations of Vishnu. She is the supremely secret Yogini, who holds in Her four hands the sugar cane bow symbolising the mind, five arrows symbolising the five Tanmatras - essences, sounds etc. of the five elements, the noose symbolising attachment, and the goad symbolising hatred.
shrI kamalAmbA jayati ambA
shrI kamalAmbA jayati jagadAmbA
shrI kamalAmbA jayati
shRHNgAra rasa kadambA madambA
shrI kamalAmbA jayati
cidbimbA pratibimbEndu bimbA
shrI kamalAmbA jayati
shrIpura bindu madhyastha
cintAmaNi mandirastha
shivAkAra maHncasthita shivakAmEshAHNkasthA
sUkarAnanAdyarccita mahAtripura
sundarIM rAjarAjEshvarIM
shrIkara sarvAnandamaya cakravAsinIM
suvAsinIM cintayEham
divAkara shItakiraNa pAvakAdi vikAsakarayA
bhIkara tApatrayAdi bhEdana dhurINatarayA
pAkaripu pramukhAdi prArthitasukaLEbarayA
prAkaTya parAparayA pAlitOdayAkarayA
shrImAtrE namastE cinmAtrE sEvita
ramA harIsha vidhAtrE
vAmAdi shaktipUjita paradEvatAyAh
sakalaM jAtam
kAmAdi dvAdashabhirupAsita
kAdi hAdi sAdi mantrarUpiNyAh
prEmAspada shiva guruguha jananyAm
prItiyukta maccittaM vilayatu
brahmamaya prakAshinI nAmarUpa vimarshinI
kAmakalA pradarshinI sAmarasya nidarshinI
Hail my mother, Shri Kamalamba. Hail to the mother of the world, Shri Kamalamba. You are the personification of Shringara Rasa, the essence of the sentiment of love. Oh my mother, You are the reflection of the entity of consciousness, Cidbimba, residing at the orb of the moon that shows the reflection of the original orb, void of consciousness. She who resides in Bindu Chakra, which is the center of Shripura, inside the temple, which is made of the wish-fulfilling gem Chintamani, She is in the embrace of Shiva on the couch of the form of Shiva.
I meditate on Mahatripurasundari, who is propitiated by the goddess with the boar's face, Varahi, and others, the suzerain empress, the auspicious one who dwells in the circle replete with all bliss. She is Suvasini. I am protected by Her. She makes the sun, the moon and the fire manifest themselves. She is skillful in removing the three terrible sufferings such as Adhyatmika, etc. She possesses the beautiful form assumed to grant the prayers of Indra and the other gods. She manifests both as the supreme and as empirical objects.
She is compassionate. I salute Her, auspicious mother, pure consciousness, worshiped by Lakshmi, Vishnu, Rudra, and Brahma. Everything is born of the supreme deity who is worshiped by the Shaktis such as Vama, etc. She has the form of the Mantra which begins with the letters Ka, Ha, Sa, etc., the mantra which is worshiped and meditated upon by the twelve savants, Kama and others. Let my loving mind be dissolved in Her, whose beloved is Shiva, and who is the mother of Guruguha. You embody the light which is Brahman, are the divine omniscience which contains all phenomena and their names, reveal Kamakala and the insights revealing one's perfect identity.
shrI kamalAmbikE shivE pAhimAM lalitE
shrIpativinutE sitAsitE shiva sahitE
rAkAcandramukhI rakSitakOlamukhI
ramAvANIsakhI rAjayOga sukhI
shAkambari shAtOdari candrakalAdhari
shaHNkari shaHNkara guruguha bhakta vashaHNkari
EkAkSari bhuvanEshvari Ishapriyakari
shrIkari sukhakari shrI mahAtripura sundari
Shri Kamalambika, the spouse of Shiva, oh Lalita, please protect me. You are worshiped by Vishnu and You are always with Shiva.
Your face is like the full moon, You who protected Kolamukhi-Varahi. You are the companion of Lakshmi and Sarasvati. You enjoy the Rajayoga, oh Shakambari, the mother of nature, of slender waist, oh wearer of the crescent moon. Oh benevolent one, You are fascinated by the devotees of Shiva and Guruguha. You are the single syllable Om, oh empress of the world, one who enchants Lord Shiva. You are the the bestower of prosperity and happiness. You are Shri Maha Tripurasundari.
To Compositions of Muttusvami Dikshitar
Updated 10/2/00 by