சிந்தாமணி ஷட்பதீ

• த்விரதவதந (dviradavadana)O you with the face of the elephant
• விஷமரத (viṣamarada)O you with the odd tusk
• வரத (varada)O giver of boons
• ஜய (jaya)be victorious
• ஈஶாந (īśāna)O lord
• ஶாந்தவரஸதந (śāntavarasadana)O you whose home is peace and blessing
• ஸதநவஸாதந (sadanavasādana)O you who lift a house out of its sinking
• தயயா (dayayā)out of kindness
• குரு (kuru)make
• ஸாதநம் (sādanam)the bringing down
• அந்தராயஸ்ய (antarāyasya)of the obstacle

anvaya த்விரதவதந விஷமரத வரத ஈஶாந ஶாந்தவரஸதந ஸதநவஸாதந ஜய தயயா அந்தராயஸ்ய ஸாதநம் குரு

chandas Irregular by syllable count; the ṣaṭpadī is measured in beats, six feet to the verse

ஷட்பதீ shatpadi — Shatpadi means six-footed: a verse of six feet, and also a bee, which has six legs. The last verse turns on that second sense.

விஷமரத with the odd tusk — Vishama is what does not divide in two. His tusks are odd in number, which is the polite way of saying one of them is broken.

அந்தராய the obstacle — Antaraya is what comes in between, the thing standing in the road. It is the exact word for what Ganesha is asked to remove.

note Attributed to Shankaracharya. ஸதநவஸாதந is read ஸதந and அவஸாதந, the sinking of a house; what is to be brought down is named at the end of the verse.

• இந்துகலாகலிதாலிக (indukalākalitālika)on whose brow the moon's crescent is set
• ஸாலிக (sālika)with the mark on the forehead
• ஶும்பத்கபோலபாலியுக (śumbhatkapolapāliyuga)whose two cheeks shine on either side
• விகடஸ்புடகடதாராதாரஃ (vikaṭasphuṭakaṭadhārādhāraḥ)whose broad temples run open with must, and who is the ground that holds
• அஸ்ய (asya)of this
• ப்ரபஞ்சஸ்ய (prapañcasya)spreading world

anvaya இந்துகலாகலிதாலிக ஸாலிக ஶும்பத்கபோலபாலியுக [த்வம்] அஸ்ய ப்ரபஞ்சஸ்ய விகடஸ்புடகடதாராதாரஃ

chandas Irregular by syllable count; the ṣaṭpadī is measured in beats, six feet to the verse

ப்ரபஞ்ச the spreading world — Prapancha is the world seen as a spreading out into five, the elements and everything made of them.

தாராதாரஃ the stream and the ground — One word doing two jobs: dhara is the stream of must, adhara the ground that bears a weight. The pun holds the verse together.

• வரபரஶுபாஶபாணே (varaparaśupāśapāṇe)O you with the boon, the axe and the noose in your hands
• பணிதபணாய (paṇitapaṇāya)for the stake that is offered
• அபணாயிதஃ (apaṇāyitaḥ)not to be bought
• அஸி (asi)you are
• யதஃ (yataḥ)since
• ஆரூஹ்ய (ārūhya)having mounted
• வஜ்ரதந்தம் (vajradantam)with teeth like adamant
• ஆகும் (ākhum)the mouse
• விததாஸி (vidadhāsi)you make
• விபதந்தம் (vipadantam)an end of trouble

anvaya வரபரஶுபாஶபாணே யதஃ பணிதபணாய அபணாயிதஃ அஸி [ததஃ] வஜ்ரதந்தம் ஆகும் ஆரூஹ்ய விபதந்தம் விததாஸி

chandas Irregular by syllable count; the ṣaṭpadī is measured in beats, six feet to the verse

பண a stake — Pana is what is put down in a wager or paid in a bargain. The line plays on the word three times over to say that he is not for sale.

ஆகும் the mouse — Akhu is the one that digs. His mount goes under what stands in the way rather than through it.

• லம்போதர (lambodara)O hanging-bellied one
• தூர்வாஸந (dūrvāsana)O you seated on durva grass
• ஶயத்ரு'தஸாமோதமோதகாஶநக (śayadhṛtasāmodamodakāśanaka)O you who eat the fragrant modak held in your hand
• ஶநகைஃ (śanakaiḥ)slowly
• அவலோகய (avalokaya)look
• மாம் (mām)at me
• யமாந்தராயாபஹாரிசாருத்ரு'ஶா (yamāntarāyāpahāricārudṛśā)with that lovely glance which carries off death and every obstacle

anvaya லம்போதர தூர்வாஸந ஶயத்ரு'தஸாமோதமோதகாஶநக யமாந்தராயாபஹாரிசாருத்ரு'ஶா மாம் ஶநகைஃ அவலோகய

chandas Irregular by syllable count; the ṣaṭpadī is measured in beats, six feet to the verse

தூர்வா durva grass — The grass offered to him in blades of twenty-one, and the only offering he is said to prefer to food.

ஶநகைஃ slowly — The poet asks not for a look but for an unhurried one, as one asks a busy person for a moment.

• ஆநந்ததுந்திலாகிலவ்ரு'ந்தாரகவ்ரு'ந்தவந்திதாங்க்ரியுக (ānandatundilākhilavṛndārakavṛndavanditāṅghriyuga)O you at whose two feet the whole company of gods, swollen with joy, bows
• ஸுகத்ரு'ததண்டரஸாலஃ (sukhadhṛtadaṇḍarasālaḥ)holding the sugar cane staff with ease
• நாகஜபாலஃ (nāgajabhālaḥ)whose brow is an elephant's
• அதிபாஸி (atibhāsi)you shine past all measure
• விபோ (vibho)O mighty one

anvaya ஆநந்ததுந்திலாகிலவ்ரு'ந்தாரகவ்ரு'ந்தவந்திதாங்க்ரியுக விபோ ஸுகத்ரு'ததண்டரஸாலஃ நாகஜபாலஃ அதிபாஸி

chandas Irregular by syllable count; the ṣaṭpadī is measured in beats, six feet to the verse

துந்தில swollen — Tundila is having a swollen belly. The poet gives the gods his own shape, swollen with joy as he is swollen with sweets.

ரஸால the sugar cane — Rasala is what holds juice: the mango, and the sugar cane he carries.

• அகணேயகுண (agaṇeyaguṇa)O you with qualities past all counting
• ஈஶாத்மஜ (īśātmaja)O son of the lord
• சிந்தகசிந்தாமணே (cintakacintāmaṇe)O wishing-gem of those who think of you
• கணேஶாந (gaṇeśāna)O Ganesha
• ஸ்வசரணஶரணம் (svacaraṇaśaraṇam)one who has taken refuge at your own feet
• கருணாவருணாலய (karuṇāvaruṇālaya)O sea of kindness
• தேவ (deva)O god
• பாஹி (pāhi)protect
• மாம் (mām)me
• தீநம் (dīnam)wretched

anvaya அகணேயகுண ஈஶாத்மஜ சிந்தகசிந்தாமணே கணேஶாந கருணாவருணாலய தேவ ஸ்வசரணஶரணம் தீநம் மாம் பாஹி

chandas Irregular by syllable count; the ṣaṭpadī is measured in beats, six feet to the verse

சிந்தாமணே O wishing-gem — The stone that gives whatever is thought of, which is where the hymn gets its name. The play is on chintaka, the one who thinks, and chintamani, the gem of thought.

வருணாலய the sea — The home of Varuna, that is, the ocean. Kindness is given its size.

• ருசிரவசோ'ம்ரு'தராவோந்நீதா (ruciravaco'mṛtarāvonnītā)carried up by the nectar-sound of lovely words
• நீதா (nītā)brought
• திவம் (divam)to heaven
• ஸ்துதிஃ (stutiḥ)the praise
• ஸ்பீதா (sphītā)full
• இதி (iti)so
• ஷட்பதீ (ṣaṭpadī)this six-footed poem
• மதீயா (madīyā)of mine
• கணபதிபாதாம்புஜே (gaṇapatipādāmbuje)into the lotus of Ganapati's feet
• விஶது (viśatu)let it enter

anvaya ருசிரவசோ'ம்ரு'தராவோந்நீதா ஸ்பீதா ஸ்துதிஃ திவம் நீதா இதி மதீயா ஷட்பதீ கணபதிபாதாம்புஜே விஶது

chandas Irregular by syllable count; the ṣaṭpadī is measured in beats, six feet to the verse

ஷட்பதீ the six-footed poem — The same word means a bee. The last line asks the poem to go into the lotus of his feet the way a bee goes into a flower, which is why the poem is built on six feet.

note The hymn ends by naming its own form and making a picture of it.