હરિદધીશ્વરં આરાધ્યપાદુકમ્ ।
અરિવિમર્દનં નિત્યનર્તનમ્
હરિહરાત્મજં દેવમાશ્રયે ॥ 1 ॥
- હરિવરાસનમ્ (harivarāsanam)whose seat is Hari's own
- વિશ્વમોહનમ્ (viśvamohanam)who draws the whole world to him
- હરિદધીશ્વરમ્ (haridadhīśvaram)lord of the quarters of the sky
- આરાધ્યપાદુકમ્ (ārādhyapādukam)whose sandals are worth worshipping
- અરિવિમર્દનમ્ (arivimardanam)who grinds down those who stand against him
- નિત્યનર્તનમ્ (nityanartanam)whose dance never stops
- હરિહરાત્મજમ્ (hariharātmajam)born of Hari and Hara
- દેવમ્ (devam)the god
- આશ્રયે (āśraye)I take refuge in
anvaya હરિવરાસનમ્ વિશ્વમોહનમ્ હરિદધીશ્વરમ્ આરાધ્યપાદુકમ્ અરિવિમર્દનમ્ નિત્યનર્તનમ્ હરિહરાત્મજમ્ દેવમ્ આશ્રયે
chandas Unnamed metre: 11 syllables in each of 4 pādas, every pāda in the pattern LLLGLGGLGLG
હરિહરાત્મજમ્ 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.
હરિવરાસનમ્ 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.
હરિદધીશ્વરમ્ 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, હરિહરાત્મજં દેવમાશ્રયે. The title is taken from its first word.
ભરણલોલુપં નર્તનાલસમ્ ।
અરુણભાસુરં ભૂતનાયકમ્
હરિહરાત્મજં દેવમાશ્રયે ॥ 2 ॥
- શરણકીર્તનમ્ (śaraṇakīrtanam)who is sung to with the cry of refuge
- ભક્તમાનસમ્ (bhaktamānasam)who lives in the minds of those who love him
- ભરણલોલુપમ્ (bharaṇalolupam)eager to keep and care for them
- નર્તનાલસમ્ (nartanālasam)whose dance is unhurried
- અરુણભાસુરમ્ (aruṇabhāsuram)shining red as daybreak
- ભૂતનાયકમ્ (bhūtanāyakam)leader of the hosts
- હરિહરાત્મજમ્ (hariharātmajam)born of Hari and Hara
- દેવમ્ (devam)the god
- આશ્રયે (āśraye)I take refuge in
anvaya શરણકીર્તનમ્ ભક્તમાનસમ્ ભરણલોલુપમ્ નર્તનાલસમ્ અરુણભાસુરમ્ ભૂતનાયકમ્ હરિહરાત્મજમ્ દેવમ્ આશ્રયે
chandas Unnamed metre: 11 syllables in each of 4 pādas, every pāda in the pattern LLLGLGGLGLG
શરણકીર્તનમ્ 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.
ભરણલોલુપમ્ 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.
નર્તનાલસમ્ 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.
પ્રણતકલ્પકં સુપ્રભાઞ્ચિતમ્ ।
પ્રણવમન્દિરં કીર્તનપ્રિયમ્
હરિહરાત્મજં દેવમાશ્રયે ॥ 3 ॥
- પ્રણયસત્યકમ્ (praṇayasatyakam)true to those who love him
- પ્રાણનાયકમ્ (prāṇanāyakam)lord of the breath of life
- પ્રણતકલ્પકમ્ (praṇatakalpakam)who shapes what those who bow ask for
- સુપ્રભાઞ્ચિતમ્ (suprabhāñcitam)about whom a fine light plays
- પ્રણવમન્દિરમ્ (praṇavamandiram)the house the sound Om lives in
- કીર્તનપ્રિયમ્ (kīrtanapriyam)who loves being sung to
- હરિહરાત્મજમ્ (hariharātmajam)born of Hari and Hara
- દેવમ્ (devam)the god
- આશ્રયે (āśraye)I take refuge in
anvaya પ્રણયસત્યકમ્ પ્રાણનાયકમ્ પ્રણતકલ્પકમ્ સુપ્રભાઞ્ચિતમ્ પ્રણવમન્દિરમ્ કીર્તનપ્રિયમ્ હરિહરાત્મજમ્ દેવમ્ આશ્રયે
chandas Unnamed metre: 11 syllables in each of 4 pādas, every pāda in the pattern LLLGLGGLGLG
પ્રણવમન્દિરમ્ 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.
પ્રણતકલ્પકમ્ 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.
વરગદાયુધં વેદવર્ણિતમ્ ।
ગુરુકૃપાકરં કીર્તનપ્રિયમ્
હરિહરાત્મજં દેવમાશ્રયે ॥ 4 ॥
- તુરગવાહનમ્ (turagavāhanam)carried by a horse
- સુન્દરાનનમ્ (sundarānanam)whose face is a fair one
- વરગદાયુધમ્ (varagadāyudham)whose weapon is the good mace
- વેદવર્ણિતમ્ (vedavarṇitam)spoken of in the Veda
- ગુરુકૃપાકરમ્ (gurukṛpākaram)whose kindness comes as a teacher's does
- કીર્તનપ્રિયમ્ (kīrtanapriyam)who loves being sung to
- હરિહરાત્મજમ્ (hariharātmajam)born of Hari and Hara
- દેવમ્ (devam)the god
- આશ્રયે (āśraye)I take refuge in
anvaya તુરગવાહનમ્ સુન્દરાનનમ્ વરગદાયુધમ્ વેદવર્ણિતમ્ ગુરુકૃપાકરમ્ કીર્તનપ્રિયમ્ હરિહરાત્મજમ્ દેવમ્ આશ્રયે
chandas Unnamed metre: 11 syllables in each of 4 pādas, every pāda in the pattern LLLGLGGLGLG
તુરગવાહનમ્ 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.
ગુરુકૃપાકરમ્ 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.
ત્રિનયનપ્રભું દિવ્યદેશિકમ્ ।
ત્રિદશપૂજિતં ચિન્તિતપ્રદમ્
હરિહરાત્મજં દેવમાશ્રયે ॥ 5 ॥
- ત્રિભુવનાર્ચિતમ્ (tribhuvanārcitam)worshipped in all three worlds
- દેવતાત્મકમ્ (devatātmakam)in whom the gods have their being
- ત્રિનયનપ્રભુમ્ (trinayanaprabhum)lord of the three-eyed one
- દિવ્યદેશિકમ્ (divyadeśikam)a guide of the clearest kind
- ત્રિદશપૂજિતમ્ (tridaśapūjitam)worshipped by the thirty gods
- ચિન્તિતપ્રદમ્ (cintitapradam)who gives what has only been thought of
- હરિહરાત્મજમ્ (hariharātmajam)born of Hari and Hara
- દેવમ્ (devam)the god
- આશ્રયે (āśraye)I take refuge in
anvaya ત્રિભુવનાર્ચિતમ્ દેવતાત્મકમ્ ત્રિનયનપ્રભુમ્ દિવ્યદેશિકમ્ ત્રિદશપૂજિતમ્ ચિન્તિતપ્રદમ્ હરિહરાત્મજમ્ દેવમ્ આશ્રયે
chandas Unnamed metre: 11 syllables in each of 4 pādas, every pāda in the pattern LLLGLGGLGLG
ત્રિદશ 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.
ત્રિનયનપ્રભુમ્ 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.
ચિન્તિતપ્રદમ્ 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.
ભુવનમોહનં ભૂતિભૂષણમ્ ।
ધવલવાહનં દિવ્યવારણમ્
હરિહરાત્મજં દેવમાશ્રયે ॥ 6 ॥
- ભવભયાપહમ્ (bhavabhayāpaham)who takes away the fear of being born again
- ભાવુકાવકમ્ (bhāvukāvakam)who guards those whose hearts are set on him
- ભુવનમોહનમ્ (bhuvanamohanam)towards whom the world turns
- ભૂતિભૂષણમ્ (bhūtibhūṣaṇam)whose ornament is ash
- ધવલવાહનમ્ (dhavalavāhanam)carried by the white one
- દિવ્યવારણમ્ (divyavāraṇam)the elephant of the gods
- હરિહરાત્મજમ્ (hariharātmajam)born of Hari and Hara
- દેવમ્ (devam)the god
- આશ્રયે (āśraye)I take refuge in
anvaya ભવભયાપહમ્ ભાવુકાવકમ્ ભુવનમોહનમ્ ભૂતિભૂષણમ્ ધવલવાહનમ્ દિવ્યવારણમ્ હરિહરાત્મજમ્ દેવમ્ આશ્રયે
chandas Unnamed metre: 11 syllables in each of 4 pādas, every pāda in the pattern LLLGLGGLGLG
ભૂતિભૂષણમ્ 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.
દિવ્યવારણમ્ 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.
ધવલવાહનમ્ 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.
કલભકોમલં ગાત્રમોહનમ્ ।
કલભકેસરીવાજિવાહનમ્
હરિહરાત્મજં દેવમાશ્રયે ॥ 7 ॥
- કલમૃદુસ્મિતમ્ (kalamṛdusmitam)whose smile is soft and sweet
- સુન્દરાનનમ્ (sundarānanam)whose face is a fair one
- કલભકોમલમ્ (kalabhakomalam)as tender as a young elephant
- ગાત્રમોહનમ્ (gātramohanam)the sight of whose body holds the eye
- કલભકેસરીવાજિવાહનમ્ (kalabhakesarīvājivāhanam)carried by elephant, lion and horse
- હરિહરાત્મજમ્ (hariharātmajam)born of Hari and Hara
- દેવમ્ (devam)the god
- આશ્રયે (āśraye)I take refuge in
anvaya કલમૃદુસ્મિતમ્ સુન્દરાનનમ્ કલભકોમલમ્ ગાત્રમોહનમ્ કલભકેસરીવાજિવાહનમ્ હરિહરાત્મજમ્ દેવમ્ આશ્રયે
chandas Unnamed metre: 11 syllables in each of 4 pādas, every pāda in the pattern LLLGLGGLGLG
કલભ a young elephant — The word appears twice in the verse, once for how tender he is and once for what carries him.
કલ 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.
શ્રુતિવિભૂષણં સાધુજીવનમ્ ।
શ્રુતિમનોહરં ગીતલાલસમ્
હરિહરાત્મજં દેવમાશ્રયે ॥ 8 ॥
- શ્રિતજનપ્રિયમ્ (śritajanapriyam)dear to those who have come to him
- ચિન્તિતપ્રદમ્ (cintitapradam)who gives what has only been thought of
- શ્રુતિવિભૂષણમ્ (śrutivibhūṣaṇam)the ornament of the Veda
- સાધુજીવનમ્ (sādhujīvanam)the life of the good
- શ્રુતિમનોહરમ્ (śrutimanoharam)sweet to the ear
- ગીતલાલસમ્ (gītalālasam)who longs for song
- હરિહરાત્મજમ્ (hariharātmajam)born of Hari and Hara
- દેવમ્ (devam)the god
- આશ્રયે (āśraye)I take refuge in
anvaya શ્રિતજનપ્રિયમ્ ચિન્તિતપ્રદમ્ શ્રુતિવિભૂષણમ્ સાધુજીવનમ્ શ્રુતિમનોહરમ્ ગીતલાલસમ્ હરિહરાત્મજમ્ દેવમ્ આશ્રયે
chandas Unnamed metre: 11 syllables in each of 4 pādas, every pāda in the pattern LLLGLGGLGLG
શ્રુતિ 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.
ગીતલાલસમ્ 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.
શરણં અય્યપ્પા સ્વામિ શરણં અય્યપ્પા ॥
- શરણમ્ (śaraṇam)refuge
- અય્યપ્પા (ayyappā)Ayyappa
- સ્વામિ (svāmi)lord
anvaya શરણમ્ અય્યપ્પા સ્વામિ શરણમ્ અય્યપ્પા શરણમ્ અય્યપ્પા સ્વામિ શરણમ્ અય્યપ્પા
અય્યપ્પા 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.