Shyamala Dandakam Meaning — Line by Line
श्यामला दण्डकम्
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Meaning — Line by Line
Every verse of Shyamala Dandakam with its English meaning. Tap any word to hear it, or ▶ to recite the verse.
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dhyānam
ध्यानम् माणिक्यवीणामुपलालयन्तीं मदालसां मञ्जुलवाग्विलासाम् । माहेन्द्रनीलद्युतिकोमलाङ्गीं मातङ्गकन्यां मनसा स्मरामि ॥ १॥
dhyānam māṇikyavīṇāmupalālayantīṃ madālasāṃ mañjulavāgvilāsām | māhendranīladyutikomalāṅgīṃ mātaṅgakanyāṃ manasā smarāmi || 1||
MeaningMeditation: I call to mind the daughter of Matanga, who fondly plays a ruby-studded veena, languid with bliss, whose very play is the charm of sweet speech, her tender form glowing with the radiance of a great sapphire.
caturbhuje candrakalāvataṃse
चतुर्भुजे चन्द्रकलावतंसे कुचोन्नते कुङ्कुमरागशोणे । पुण्ड्रेक्षुपाशाङ्कुशपुष्पबाण- हस्ते नमस्ते जगदेकमातः ॥ २॥
caturbhuje candrakalāvataṃse kaconnate kuṅkumarāgaśoṇe | puṇḍrekṣupāśāṅkuśapuṣpabāṇa- haste namaste jagadekamātaḥ || 2||
MeaningO four-armed Goddess wearing the crescent moon, with high bosom reddened by saffron, holding in your hands the sugarcane bow, the noose, the goad and the flower-arrows — salutations to You, O sole Mother of the universe!
viniyogaḥ
विनियोगः जय जननि सुधासमुद्रान्तर्हृद्यन्मणीद्वीपसंरूढ- बिल्वाटवीमध्यकल्पद्रुमाकल्पकादम्बकान्तारवासप्रिये कृत्तिवासप्रिये सर्वलोकप्रिये ।
viniyogaḥ jaya janani sudhāsamudrāntarhṛdyanmaṇīdvīpasaṃrūḍha- bilvāṭavīmadhyakalpadrumākalpakādambakāntāravāsapriye kṛttivāsapriye sarvalokapriye |
MeaningVictory to You, O Mother, who delight to dwell in the grove of kadamba and the wish-tree, in the heart of the bilva forest that flourishes upon the Island of Gems within the ocean of nectar — O beloved of Shiva clad in hide, O beloved of all the worlds!
sādarārabdhasaṃgītasambhāvanāsaṃbhramālolanīpasragābaddha-
सादरारब्धसंगीतसम्भावनासंभ्रमालोलनीपस्रगाबद्ध- चूली-सनाथत्रिके सानुमत्पुत्रिके ।
sādarārabdhasaṃgītasambhāvanāsaṃbhramālolanīpasragābaddha- cūlī-sanāthatrike sānumatputrike |
MeaningO Mother, daughter of the mountain (Himavan), whose three-folded crown of hair is bound and graced with a garland of kadamba flowers, swaying in the eager rapture of song lovingly begun!
śekharībhūtaśītāṃśurekhāmayūkhāvalībaddhasusnigdha-
शेखरीभूतशीतांशुरेखामयूखावलीबद्धसुस्निग्ध- नीलालकश्रेणिशृंगारिते लोकसम्भाविते ।
śekharībhūtaśītāṃśurekhāmayūkhāvalībaddhasusnigdha- nīlālakaśreṇiśṛṃgārite lokasambhāvite |
MeaningO One adorned with rows of soft, glossy dark curls, crowned and haloed by the rays of the crescent moon set upon them, honoured by all the worlds!
kāmalīlādhanussannibhabhrūlatā-puṣkarairveṣṭitānekaśambāka-
कामलीलाधनुस्सन्निभभ्रूलता-पुष्करैर्वेष्टितानेकशम्बाक- रीशब्दगर्भोल्लसत्केकिनी-नादहारिणि ॥
kāmalīlādhanussannibhabhrūlatā-puṣkarairveṣṭitānekaśambāka- rīśabdagarbhollasatkekinī-nādahāriṇi ||
MeaningO One whose creeper-like brows are curved like the playful bow of Kama, whose speech, rich with meaning, enchants the heart like the sweet, resonant cry of the peacock!
Word-by-Word Breakdown
Origin & History
Source: Traditional hymn attributed to Kalidasa (Shakta / Sri Vidya tradition)
Author: Attributed to Mahakavi Kalidasa
Period: Classical (attributed to the age of Kalidasa)
The Shyamala Dandakam is sung to Devi Shyamala (Matangi), the Goddess of speech and music who serves as the minister of Sri Lalita Tripura Sundari. According to a beloved tradition, the poet Kalidasa was once dull of wit until the Goddess blessed his tongue, whereupon poetry poured from him; in gratitude he composed hymns to Her, of which this dandaka — adoring Her from the crown of flowering curls to Her lotus feet — is the most famous. It begins with two meditation verses and flows into the rhythmic dandaka praising Her ruby veena, her bow of sugarcane and her enchanting, meaning-rich speech.
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