devishyamalamatangikalidasa

ශ්යාමලා දණ්ඩකම්

श्यामला दण्डकम् in Sinhala · සිංහල

🕉️ hindu·📿 1× repetitions·🕐 Morning hours, on Fridays, and during Navaratri; before study, music or performance·📜 Traditional hymn attributed to Kalidasa (Shakta / Sri Vidya tradition)

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हिन्दी / देवनागरी తెలుగు தமிழ்ಕನ್ನಡ മലയാളം ગુજરાતી বাংলা ଓଡ଼ିଆ ਪੰਜਾਬੀ Englishසිංහල𑌗𑍍𑌰𑌨𑍍𑌥

Origin & Story

Traditional hymn attributed to Kalidasa (Shakta / Sri Vidya tradition) · Attributed to Mahakavi Kalidasa · 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.

✦ As told in scripture

Tradition holds that Kalidasa, originally a simpleton, became the greatest of poets the very night the Divine Mother of speech touched his tongue; devotees believe that sincere recitation of this dandaka likewise awakens eloquence, music and learning, and that those who chant it before study or performance find the Mother loosening every knot in their speech.

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Complete Text with Meaning

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Verse 1

ධ්යානම් මාණික්යවීණාමුපලාලයන්තීං මදාලසාං මඤ්ජුලවාග්විලාසාම් . මාහේන්ද්රනීලද්යුතිකෝමලාඞ්ගීං මාතඞ්ගකන්යාං මනසා ස්මරාමි .. 1..

dhyānam māṇikyavīṇāmupalālayantīṃ madālasāṃ mañjulavāgvilāsām | māhendranīladyutikomalāṅgīṃ mātaṅgakanyāṃ manasā smarāmi || 1||

Meaning:ध्यान: जो माणिक्य-जड़ित वीणा को प्रेमपूर्वक बजाती हैं, आनन्द से मदालस हैं, जिनका विलास ही मधुर वाणी का सौंदर्य है, तथा जिनका कोमल अंग महान् नीलमणि की द्युति से दीप्त है — उन मातंग-कन्या (श्यामला) का मैं मन से स्मरण करता हूँ।

Verse 2

චතුර්භුජේ චන්ද්රකලාවතංසේ කුචෝන්නතේ කුඞ්කුමරාගශෝණේ . පුණ්ඩ්රේක්ෂුපාශාඞ්කුශපුෂ්පබාණ- හස්තේ නමස්තේ ජගදේකමාතඃ .. 2..

caturbhuje candrakalāvataṃse kaconnate kuṅkumarāgaśoṇe | puṇḍrekṣupāśāṅkuśapuṣpabāṇa- haste namaste jagadekamātaḥ || 2||

Meaning:हे चतुर्भुजा, चन्द्रकला को आभूषण रूप में धारण करने वाली, कुंकुम के राग से अरुणिम उन्नत वक्ष वाली, जिनके हाथों में पुण्ड्रेक्षु (इक्षु) धनुष, पाश, अंकुश और पुष्पबाण हैं — हे जगत् की एकमात्र माता, तुम्हें नमस्कार है।

Verse 3

විනියෝගඃ ජය ජනනි සුධාසමුද්රාන්තර්හෘද්යන්මණීද්වීපසංරූඪ- බිල්වාටවීමධ්යකල්පද්රුමාකල්පකාදම්බකාන්තාරවාසප්රියේ කෘත්තිවාසප්රියේ සර්වලෝකප්රියේ .

viniyogaḥ jaya janani sudhāsamudrāntarhṛdyanmaṇīdvīpasaṃrūḍha- bilvāṭavīmadhyakalpadrumākalpakādambakāntāravāsapriye kṛttivāsapriye sarvalokapriye |

Meaning:हे जननी, तुम्हारी जय हो — जो सुधा-समुद्र के मध्य मणिद्वीप पर उगी बिल्व-वाटिका के बीच कल्पवृक्ष और कदम्ब के वन में निवास करना प्रिय मानती हो; हे कृत्तिवास (शिव) की प्रिया, हे समस्त लोकों की प्रिया!

Verse 4

සාදරාරබ්ධසංගීතසම්භාවනාසංභ්රමාලෝලනීපස්රගාබද්ධ- චූලී-සනාථත්රිකේ සානුමත්පුත්රිකේ .

sādarārabdhasaṃgītasambhāvanāsaṃbhramālolanīpasragābaddha- cūlī-sanāthatrike sānumatputrike |

Meaning:हे हिमवान् की पुत्री, जिनकी त्रिवली-युक्त केश-राशि सादर आरम्भ किए गए संगीत के सम्भ्रम में डोलती कदम्ब-माला से बँधी एवं सुशोभित है!

Verse 5

ශේඛරීභූතශීතාංශුරේඛාමයූඛාවලීබද්ධසුස්නිග්ධ- නීලාලකශ්රේණිශෘංගාරිතේ ලෝකසම්භාවිතේ .

śekharībhūtaśītāṃśurekhāmayūkhāvalībaddhasusnigdha- nīlālakaśreṇiśṛṃgārite lokasambhāvite |

Meaning:हे शिर पर धारण की हुई चन्द्ररेखा की किरण-पंक्तियों से बँधी कोमल, स्निग्ध, नील केश-श्रेणी से शृंगारित, समस्त लोकों से सम्भावित (पूजित) देवी!

Verse 6

කාමලීලාධනුස්සන්නිභභ්රූලතා-පුෂ්කරෛර්වේෂ්ටිතානේකශම්බාක- රීශබ්දගර්භෝල්ලසත්කේකිනී-නාදහාරිණි ..

kāmalīlādhanussannibhabhrūlatā-puṣkarairveṣṭitānekaśambāka- rīśabdagarbhollasatkekinī-nādahāriṇi ||

Meaning:हे कामदेव की लीला-धनुष सी भ्रू-लता वाली, जिनकी अर्थगर्भित वाणी मयूरी के मधुर केका-नाद की भाँति हृदय को हरती है!

Word-by-Word Meaning

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මාණික්යවීණාම්🔊māṇikya-vīṇāma veena (lute) studded with rubies

උපලාලයන්තීං🔊upalālayantīṃfondly playing upon / caressing

මදාලසාං🔊madālasāṃlanguid, gently intoxicated with bliss

මඤ්ජුලවාග්විලාසාම්🔊mañjula-vāg-vilāsāmShe whose play is sweet and beautiful speech

මාහේන්ද්රනීල-ද්යුති🔊māhendranīla-dyutiwith the radiance of a great sapphire (deep blue)

කෝමලාඞ්ගීං🔊komalāṅgīṃShe of soft, delicate limbs

මාතඞ්ගකන්යාං🔊mātaṅga-kanyāṃthe daughter of the sage Matanga (Matangi / Shyamala)

මනසා ස්මරාමි🔊manasā smarāmiI meditate upon (Her) with my mind

චතුර්භුජේ🔊caturbhujeO four-armed Goddess

චන්ද්රකලාවතංසේ🔊candra-kalā-vataṃseO One who wears the crescent moon as an ornament

කුඞ්කුමරාගශෝණේ🔊kuṅkuma-rāga-śoṇereddened with the hue of saffron / kumkum

පුණ්ඩ්රේක්ෂු🔊puṇḍrekṣuthe sugarcane bow

පාශාඞ්කුශ🔊pāśāṅkuśathe noose and the goad

පුෂ්පබාණ🔊puṣpa-bāṇathe flower arrows

හස්තේ🔊hastein (whose) hands (these are held)

නමස්තේ ජගදේකමාතඃ🔊namaste jagad-eka-mātaḥsalutations to You, O sole Mother of the universe

ජය ජනනි🔊jaya jananiVictory to You, O Mother!

සුධාසමුද්රාන්තඃ🔊sudhā-samudra-antaḥwithin the ocean of nectar (the cosmic ocean of immortal bliss)

මණීද්වීප🔊maṇī-dvīpathe Island of Gems (Manidvipa, the supreme abode of the Devi)

බිල්වාටවීමධ්ය🔊bilvāṭavī-madhyain the midst of the forest of bilva (bael) trees

කල්පද්රුම🔊kalpa-drumathe wish-fulfilling Kalpaka tree

කෘත්තිවාසප්රියේ🔊kṛttivāsa-priyeO beloved of Shiva (Krittivasa, the one clad in tiger-skin)

සර්වලෝකප්රියේ🔊sarva-loka-priyeO One dear to all the worlds

නීලාලකශ්රේණි🔊nīlālaka-śreṇirows of dark, glossy curls of hair

කේකිනීනාදහාරිණි🔊kekinī-nāda-hāriṇiO One whose speech enchants like the sweet cry of the peahen / peacock

Benefits of Chanting श्यामला दण्डकम्

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Invokes Devi Shyamala (Matangi), the Goddess of speech, music and the fine arts

✦

Traditionally recited for eloquence, command of language, and success in learning and the arts

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Said to bestow the grace of Saraswati and Lalita, sharpening intellect and creativity

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The flowing dandaka rhythm itself trains clear, melodious and confident speech

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Removes obstacles to study, performance and self-expression

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Cultivates devotion to the Divine Mother in Her gentle, blissful, music-loving form

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Bestows beauty of expression and the favour of the Mother who is 'minister' of the supreme Devi

How to Chant श्यामला दण्डकम्

Repetitions1times

Best TimeMorning hours, on Fridays, and during Navaratri; before study, music or performance

After bathing, sit facing east before an image of Devi Shyamala or Saraswati with a lamp and flowers. First recite the two dhyana verses ('Manikya-veenam...'), then chant the dandaka in a steady, flowing rhythm without breaking the cascade of epithets. Students, singers and speakers often recite it before study or performance to invoke clear speech and the Mother's grace. Conclude with a prayer for wisdom and eloquence.

Frequently Asked Questions

This page shows the complete श्यामला दण्डकम् written in the Sinhala script — the same Sanskrit/Hindi verses, transliterated character-by-character so you can read and chant comfortably. Tap any line (or the ▶ button) to hear it recited aloud.

Yes — only the script changes; the words and their meaning are the original. The verse-by-verse meaning, benefits and how-to-chant guidance on this page apply exactly the same.

Shyamala (also Matangi or Raja-Shyamala) is the dark-complexioned Divine Mother of speech, music and the arts. In the Sri Vidya tradition She is the 'Mantrini' or minister-commander of Sri Lalita Tripura Sundari, and She is closely identified with Saraswati as the deity of language and wisdom.

It is traditionally attributed to the great Sanskrit poet Kalidasa. A well-known legend says he received the gift of poetry by the grace of the Goddess, and this dandaka is sung as his offering of devotion to Her.

A dandaka is a special metrical form in Sanskrit poetry — a long, flowing composition built from extended compound words and a continuous rhythm, like an unbroken garland. The Shyamala Dandakam uses this form to praise the Goddess from head to foot in one cascading stream.

Because Shyamala is the Goddess of speech, music and learning, the hymn is recited for eloquence, sharp intellect, success in the arts, and the removal of obstacles to study and performance. The rhythmic recitation itself cultivates clear, confident speech.