হরিদধীশ্বরং আরাধ্যপাদুকম্ ।
অরিবিমর্দনং নিত্যনর্তনম্
হরিহরাত্মজং দেবমাশ্রযে ॥ 1 ॥
- হরিবরাসনম্ (harivarāsanam)whose seat is Hari's own
- বিশ্বমোহনম্ (viśvamohanam)who draws the whole world to him
- হরিদধীশ্বরম্ (haridadhīśvaram)lord of the quarters of the sky
- আরাধ্যপাদুকম্ (ārādhyapādukam)whose sandals are worth worshipping
- অরিবিমর্দনম্ (arivimardanam)who grinds down those who stand against him
- নিত্যনর্তনম্ (nityanartanam)whose dance never stops
- হরিহরাত্মজম্ (hariharātmajam)born of Hari and Hara
- দেবম্ (devam)the god
- আশ্রযে (āśraye)I take refuge in
anvaya হরিবরাসনম্ বিশ্বমোহনম্ হরিদধীশ্বরম্ আরাধ্যপাদুকম্ অরিবিমর্দনম্ নিত্যনর্তনম্ হরিহরাত্মজম্ দেবম্ আশ্রযে
chandas Unnamed metre: 11 syllables in each of 4 pādas, every pāda in the pattern LLLGLGGLGLG
হরিহরাত্মজম্ born of Hari and Hara — Hari is Vishnu and Hara is Shiva. Ayyappa is worshipped as the son of both, which is why one name of his is Hariharasuta.
হরিবরাসনম্ whose seat is Hari's own — Read as hari-vara-āsana, the excellent seat of Hari. Hari also means a lion, so the line is read by some as the one whose seat is the lion throne.
হরিদধীশ্বরম্ lord of the quarters of the sky — Harit is a direction, one of the quarters. The compound makes him lord over all of them.
note Sung at Sabarimala every night as the sanctum is closed, so the hymn works as a lullaby: eight verses, each ending on the same line, হরিহরাত্মজং দেবমাশ্রযে. The title is taken from its first word.
ভরণলোলুপং নর্তনালসম্ ।
অরুণভাসুরং ভূতনাযকম্
হরিহরাত্মজং দেবমাশ্রযে ॥ 2 ॥
- শরণকীর্তনম্ (śaraṇakīrtanam)who is sung to with the cry of refuge
- ভক্তমানসম্ (bhaktamānasam)who lives in the minds of those who love him
- ভরণলোলুপম্ (bharaṇalolupam)eager to keep and care for them
- নর্তনালসম্ (nartanālasam)whose dance is unhurried
- অরুণভাসুরম্ (aruṇabhāsuram)shining red as daybreak
- ভূতনাযকম্ (bhūtanāyakam)leader of the hosts
- হরিহরাত্মজম্ (hariharātmajam)born of Hari and Hara
- দেবম্ (devam)the god
- আশ্রযে (āśraye)I take refuge in
anvaya শরণকীর্তনম্ ভক্তমানসম্ ভরণলোলুপম্ নর্তনালসম্ অরুণভাসুরম্ ভূতনাযকম্ হরিহরাত্মজম্ দেবম্ আশ্রযে
chandas Unnamed metre: 11 syllables in each of 4 pādas, every pāda in the pattern LLLGLGGLGLG
শরণকীর্তনম্ sung to with the cry of refuge — The cry is Swamiye Sharanam Ayyappa, which pilgrims call out the whole way up the hill. The verse makes that cry his praise song.
ভরণলোলুপম্ eager to keep and care for them — Lolupa is greedy or hungry for something. The word is strong on purpose: he wants the keeping of his people.
নর্তনালসম্ whose dance is unhurried — Alasa is slow or languid. At this hour of the night the dance is a slow one, which suits a hymn sung at closing.
note Each of the three lines before the refrain begins on the same sound, śa, bha, a, and the verse is built to be easy on the ear at night.
প্রণতকল্পকং সুপ্রভাঞ্চিতম্ ।
প্রণবমন্দিরং কীর্তনপ্রিযম্
হরিহরাত্মজং দেবমাশ্রযে ॥ 3 ॥
- প্রণযসত্যকম্ (praṇayasatyakam)true to those who love him
- প্রাণনাযকম্ (prāṇanāyakam)lord of the breath of life
- প্রণতকল্পকম্ (praṇatakalpakam)who shapes what those who bow ask for
- সুপ্রভাঞ্চিতম্ (suprabhāñcitam)about whom a fine light plays
- প্রণবমন্দিরম্ (praṇavamandiram)the house the sound Om lives in
- কীর্তনপ্রিযম্ (kīrtanapriyam)who loves being sung to
- হরিহরাত্মজম্ (hariharātmajam)born of Hari and Hara
- দেবম্ (devam)the god
- আশ্রযে (āśraye)I take refuge in
anvaya প্রণযসত্যকম্ প্রাণনাযকম্ প্রণতকল্পকম্ সুপ্রভাঞ্চিতম্ প্রণবমন্দিরম্ কীর্তনপ্রিযম্ হরিহরাত্মজম্ দেবম্ আশ্রযে
chandas Unnamed metre: 11 syllables in each of 4 pādas, every pāda in the pattern LLLGLGGLGLG
প্রণবমন্দিরম্ the house the sound Om lives in — Praṇava is Om. Mandira is a house or a temple, so he is spoken of as the place that sound is kept.
প্রণতকল্পকম্ who shapes what those who bow ask for — Kalpaka is the one who arranges or makes ready, the same word as in kalpavṛkṣa, the tree that gives whatever is asked.
note Five of the words in this verse open with pra, which is how the verse holds together as a sound before it holds together as a sentence.
বরগদাযুধং বেদবর্ণিতম্ ।
গুরুকৃপাকরং কীর্তনপ্রিযম্
হরিহরাত্মজং দেবমাশ্রযে ॥ 4 ॥
- তুরগবাহনম্ (turagavāhanam)carried by a horse
- সুন্দরাননম্ (sundarānanam)whose face is a fair one
- বরগদাযুধম্ (varagadāyudham)whose weapon is the good mace
- বেদবর্ণিতম্ (vedavarṇitam)spoken of in the Veda
- গুরুকৃপাকরম্ (gurukṛpākaram)whose kindness comes as a teacher's does
- কীর্তনপ্রিযম্ (kīrtanapriyam)who loves being sung to
- হরিহরাত্মজম্ (hariharātmajam)born of Hari and Hara
- দেবম্ (devam)the god
- আশ্রযে (āśraye)I take refuge in
anvaya তুরগবাহনম্ সুন্দরাননম্ বরগদাযুধম্ বেদবর্ণিতম্ গুরুকৃপাকরম্ কীর্তনপ্রিযম্ হরিহরাত্মজম্ দেবম্ আশ্রযে
chandas Unnamed metre: 11 syllables in each of 4 pādas, every pāda in the pattern LLLGLGGLGLG
তুরগবাহনম্ carried by a horse — Ayyappa is shown riding a horse in the story of his ride to hunt down Mahishi, and on other days riding a tiger or an elephant.
গুরুকৃপাকরম্ whose kindness comes as a teacher's does — Guru here can be read as great, giving great kindness, or as the teacher whose grace it is like. Both readings are current.
note The weapon named is the mace, which belongs to Vishnu. The hymn keeps handing him things from both his fathers.
ত্রিনযনপ্রভুং দিব্যদেশিকম্ ।
ত্রিদশপূজিতং চিন্তিতপ্রদম্
হরিহরাত্মজং দেবমাশ্রযে ॥ 5 ॥
- ত্রিভুবনার্চিতম্ (tribhuvanārcitam)worshipped in all three worlds
- দেবতাত্মকম্ (devatātmakam)in whom the gods have their being
- ত্রিনযনপ্রভুম্ (trinayanaprabhum)lord of the three-eyed one
- দিব্যদেশিকম্ (divyadeśikam)a guide of the clearest kind
- ত্রিদশপূজিতম্ (tridaśapūjitam)worshipped by the thirty gods
- চিন্তিতপ্রদম্ (cintitapradam)who gives what has only been thought of
- হরিহরাত্মজম্ (hariharātmajam)born of Hari and Hara
- দেবম্ (devam)the god
- আশ্রযে (āśraye)I take refuge in
anvaya ত্রিভুবনার্চিতম্ দেবতাত্মকম্ ত্রিনযনপ্রভুম্ দিব্যদেশিকম্ ত্রিদশপূজিতম্ চিন্তিতপ্রদম্ হরিহরাত্মজম্ দেবম্ আশ্রযে
chandas Unnamed metre: 11 syllables in each of 4 pādas, every pāda in the pattern LLLGLGGLGLG
ত্রিদশ the thirty — An old way of counting the gods: thirty three, shortened to thirty. Three words in this verse begin with tri, and the count is part of the play.
ত্রিনযনপ্রভুম্ lord of the three-eyed one — The three-eyed one is Shiva, his father. A son called the lord of his own father is the kind of turn these hymns like.
চিন্তিতপ্রদম্ who gives what has only been thought of — Cintita is what has been turned over in the mind. The asking need not be said aloud.
note The verse counts upward, three worlds, three eyes, thirty gods, and the sound tri carries it.
ভুবনমোহনং ভূতিভূষণম্ ।
ধবলবাহনং দিব্যবারণম্
হরিহরাত্মজং দেবমাশ্রযে ॥ 6 ॥
- ভবভযাপহম্ (bhavabhayāpaham)who takes away the fear of being born again
- ভাবুকাবকম্ (bhāvukāvakam)who guards those whose hearts are set on him
- ভুবনমোহনম্ (bhuvanamohanam)towards whom the world turns
- ভূতিভূষণম্ (bhūtibhūṣaṇam)whose ornament is ash
- ধবলবাহনম্ (dhavalavāhanam)carried by the white one
- দিব্যবারণম্ (divyavāraṇam)the elephant of the gods
- হরিহরাত্মজম্ (hariharātmajam)born of Hari and Hara
- দেবম্ (devam)the god
- আশ্রযে (āśraye)I take refuge in
anvaya ভবভযাপহম্ ভাবুকাবকম্ ভুবনমোহনম্ ভূতিভূষণম্ ধবলবাহনম্ দিব্যবারণম্ হরিহরাত্মজম্ দেবম্ আশ্রযে
chandas Unnamed metre: 11 syllables in each of 4 pādas, every pāda in the pattern LLLGLGGLGLG
ভূতিভূষণম্ whose ornament is ash — Bhūti is the ash worn by Shiva and by those who follow him. The same word also means well-being, and some read it that way here.
দিব্যবারণম্ the elephant of the gods — Vāraṇa is an elephant. From the root vṛ, to ward off, it can also be read as the divine warding away of harm, which fits the first line.
ধবলবাহনম্ carried by the white one — Dhavala is white. The white mount is taken as the white elephant, and in some readings as a white horse.
note Four words in a row begin with bha, and the verse is the most songlike in the hymn.
কলভকোমলং গাত্রমোহনম্ ।
কলভকেসরীবাজিবাহনম্
হরিহরাত্মজং দেবমাশ্রযে ॥ 7 ॥
- কলমৃদুস্মিতম্ (kalamṛdusmitam)whose smile is soft and sweet
- সুন্দরাননম্ (sundarānanam)whose face is a fair one
- কলভকোমলম্ (kalabhakomalam)as tender as a young elephant
- গাত্রমোহনম্ (gātramohanam)the sight of whose body holds the eye
- কলভকেসরীবাজিবাহনম্ (kalabhakesarīvājivāhanam)carried by elephant, lion and horse
- হরিহরাত্মজম্ (hariharātmajam)born of Hari and Hara
- দেবম্ (devam)the god
- আশ্রযে (āśraye)I take refuge in
anvaya কলমৃদুস্মিতম্ সুন্দরাননম্ কলভকোমলম্ গাত্রমোহনম্ কলভকেসরীবাজিবাহনম্ হরিহরাত্মজম্ দেবম্ আশ্রযে
chandas Unnamed metre: 11 syllables in each of 4 pādas, every pāda in the pattern LLLGLGGLGLG
কলভ a young elephant — The word appears twice in the verse, once for how tender he is and once for what carries him.
কল sweet, soft in sound — Kala is used of a low sweet sound, a birdcall or a murmur. Here it colours the smile.
note The third line names three mounts together, elephant, lion and horse, which is the fullest list in the hymn.
শ্রুতিবিভূষণং সাধুজীবনম্ ।
শ্রুতিমনোহরং গীতলালসম্
হরিহরাত্মজং দেবমাশ্রযে ॥ 8 ॥
- শ্রিতজনপ্রিযম্ (śritajanapriyam)dear to those who have come to him
- চিন্তিতপ্রদম্ (cintitapradam)who gives what has only been thought of
- শ্রুতিবিভূষণম্ (śrutivibhūṣaṇam)the ornament of the Veda
- সাধুজীবনম্ (sādhujīvanam)the life of the good
- শ্রুতিমনোহরম্ (śrutimanoharam)sweet to the ear
- গীতলালসম্ (gītalālasam)who longs for song
- হরিহরাত্মজম্ (hariharātmajam)born of Hari and Hara
- দেবম্ (devam)the god
- আশ্রযে (āśraye)I take refuge in
anvaya শ্রিতজনপ্রিযম্ চিন্তিতপ্রদম্ শ্রুতিবিভূষণম্ সাধুজীবনম্ শ্রুতিমনোহরম্ গীতলালসম্ হরিহরাত্মজম্ দেবম্ আশ্রযে
chandas Unnamed metre: 11 syllables in each of 4 pādas, every pāda in the pattern LLLGLGGLGLG
শ্রুতি the Veda, and hearing — Śruti is what is heard, so it means both the Veda and the ear. The verse uses it twice, once in each sense.
গীতলালসম্ who longs for song — Lālasa is longing. The last verse of a hymn sung at closing time says that the god wants the singing, and then it stops.
note The eighth and last of the verses proper. The chant after it is not part of the composition.
শরণং অয্যপ্পা স্বামি শরণং অয্যপ্পা ॥
- শরণম্ (śaraṇam)refuge
- অয্যপ্পা (ayyappā)Ayyappa
- স্বামি (svāmi)lord
anvaya শরণম্ অয্যপ্পা স্বামি শরণম্ অয্যপ্পা শরণম্ অয্যপ্পা স্বামি শরণম্ অয্যপ্পা
অয্যপ্পা Ayyappa — The name used in Kerala and Tamil Nadu for the god of Sabarimala. Ayya and appa are both words of respect for a father.
note The pilgrims' cry, repeated after the hymn rather than composed as part of it. There is no word order to rearrange in a chant, so the anvaya simply repeats it as it is called out. At Sabarimala this is what the crowd says while the doors are closed for the night.