ഹരിവരാസനമ്

• ഹരിവരാസനമ് (harivarāsanam)whose seat is Hari's own
• വിശ്വമോഹനമ് (viśvamohanam)who draws the whole world to him
• ഹരിദധീശ്വരമ് (haridadhīśvaram)lord of the quarters of the sky
• ആരാധ്യപാദുകമ് (ārādhyapādukam)whose sandals are worth worshipping
• അരിവിമര്ദനമ് (arivimardanam)who grinds down those who stand against him
• നിത്യനര്തനമ് (nityanartanam)whose dance never stops
• ഹരിഹരാത്മജമ് (hariharātmajam)born of Hari and Hara
• ദേവമ് (devam)the god
• ആശ്രയേ (āśraye)I take refuge in

anvaya ഹരിവരാസനമ് വിശ്വമോഹനമ് ഹരിദധീശ്വരമ് ആരാധ്യപാദുകമ് അരിവിമര്ദനമ് നിത്യനര്തനമ് ഹരിഹരാത്മജമ് ദേവമ് ആശ്രയേ

chandas Unnamed metre: 11 syllables in each of 4 pādas, every pāda in the pattern LLLGLGGLGLG

ഹരിഹരാത്മജമ് 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.

ഹരിവരാസനമ് 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.

ഹരിദധീശ്വരമ് 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, ഹരിഹരാത്മജം ദേവമാശ്രയേ. The title is taken from its first word.

• ശരണകീര്തനമ് (śaraṇakīrtanam)who is sung to with the cry of refuge
• ഭക്തമാനസമ് (bhaktamānasam)who lives in the minds of those who love him
• ഭരണലോലുപമ് (bharaṇalolupam)eager to keep and care for them
• നര്തനാലസമ് (nartanālasam)whose dance is unhurried
• അരുണഭാസുരമ് (aruṇabhāsuram)shining red as daybreak
• ഭൂതനായകമ് (bhūtanāyakam)leader of the hosts
• ഹരിഹരാത്മജമ് (hariharātmajam)born of Hari and Hara
• ദേവമ് (devam)the god
• ആശ്രയേ (āśraye)I take refuge in

anvaya ശരണകീര്തനമ് ഭക്തമാനസമ് ഭരണലോലുപമ് നര്തനാലസമ് അരുണഭാസുരമ് ഭൂതനായകമ് ഹരിഹരാത്മജമ് ദേവമ് ആശ്രയേ

chandas Unnamed metre: 11 syllables in each of 4 pādas, every pāda in the pattern LLLGLGGLGLG

ശരണകീര്തനമ് 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.

ഭരണലോലുപമ് 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.

നര്തനാലസമ് 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.

• പ്രണയസത്യകമ് (praṇayasatyakam)true to those who love him
• പ്രാണനായകമ് (prāṇanāyakam)lord of the breath of life
• പ്രണതകല്പകമ് (praṇatakalpakam)who shapes what those who bow ask for
• സുപ്രഭാഞ്ചിതമ് (suprabhāñcitam)about whom a fine light plays
• പ്രണവമന്ദിരമ് (praṇavamandiram)the house the sound Om lives in
• കീര്തനപ്രിയമ് (kīrtanapriyam)who loves being sung to
• ഹരിഹരാത്മജമ് (hariharātmajam)born of Hari and Hara
• ദേവമ് (devam)the god
• ആശ്രയേ (āśraye)I take refuge in

anvaya പ്രണയസത്യകമ് പ്രാണനായകമ് പ്രണതകല്പകമ് സുപ്രഭാഞ്ചിതമ് പ്രണവമന്ദിരമ് കീര്തനപ്രിയമ് ഹരിഹരാത്മജമ് ദേവമ് ആശ്രയേ

chandas Unnamed metre: 11 syllables in each of 4 pādas, every pāda in the pattern LLLGLGGLGLG

പ്രണവമന്ദിരമ് 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.

പ്രണതകല്പകമ് 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.

• തുരഗവാഹനമ് (turagavāhanam)carried by a horse
• സുന്ദരാനനമ് (sundarānanam)whose face is a fair one
• വരഗദായുധമ് (varagadāyudham)whose weapon is the good mace
• വേദവര്ണിതമ് (vedavarṇitam)spoken of in the Veda
• ഗുരുകൃപാകരമ് (gurukṛpākaram)whose kindness comes as a teacher's does
• കീര്തനപ്രിയമ് (kīrtanapriyam)who loves being sung to
• ഹരിഹരാത്മജമ് (hariharātmajam)born of Hari and Hara
• ദേവമ് (devam)the god
• ആശ്രയേ (āśraye)I take refuge in

anvaya തുരഗവാഹനമ് സുന്ദരാനനമ് വരഗദായുധമ് വേദവര്ണിതമ് ഗുരുകൃപാകരമ് കീര്തനപ്രിയമ് ഹരിഹരാത്മജമ് ദേവമ് ആശ്രയേ

chandas Unnamed metre: 11 syllables in each of 4 pādas, every pāda in the pattern LLLGLGGLGLG

തുരഗവാഹനമ് 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.

ഗുരുകൃപാകരമ് 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.

• ത്രിഭുവനാര്ചിതമ് (tribhuvanārcitam)worshipped in all three worlds
• ദേവതാത്മകമ് (devatātmakam)in whom the gods have their being
• ത്രിനയനപ്രഭുമ് (trinayanaprabhum)lord of the three-eyed one
• ദിവ്യദേശികമ് (divyadeśikam)a guide of the clearest kind
• ത്രിദശപൂജിതമ് (tridaśapūjitam)worshipped by the thirty gods
• ചിന്തിതപ്രദമ് (cintitapradam)who gives what has only been thought of
• ഹരിഹരാത്മജമ് (hariharātmajam)born of Hari and Hara
• ദേവമ് (devam)the god
• ആശ്രയേ (āśraye)I take refuge in

anvaya ത്രിഭുവനാര്ചിതമ് ദേവതാത്മകമ് ത്രിനയനപ്രഭുമ് ദിവ്യദേശികമ് ത്രിദശപൂജിതമ് ചിന്തിതപ്രദമ് ഹരിഹരാത്മജമ് ദേവമ് ആശ്രയേ

chandas Unnamed metre: 11 syllables in each of 4 pādas, every pāda in the pattern LLLGLGGLGLG

ത്രിദശ 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.

ത്രിനയനപ്രഭുമ് 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.

ചിന്തിതപ്രദമ് 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.

• ഭവഭയാപഹമ് (bhavabhayāpaham)who takes away the fear of being born again
• ഭാവുകാവകമ് (bhāvukāvakam)who guards those whose hearts are set on him
• ഭുവനമോഹനമ് (bhuvanamohanam)towards whom the world turns
• ഭൂതിഭൂഷണമ് (bhūtibhūṣaṇam)whose ornament is ash
• ധവലവാഹനമ് (dhavalavāhanam)carried by the white one
• ദിവ്യവാരണമ് (divyavāraṇam)the elephant of the gods
• ഹരിഹരാത്മജമ് (hariharātmajam)born of Hari and Hara
• ദേവമ് (devam)the god
• ആശ്രയേ (āśraye)I take refuge in

anvaya ഭവഭയാപഹമ് ഭാവുകാവകമ് ഭുവനമോഹനമ് ഭൂതിഭൂഷണമ് ധവലവാഹനമ് ദിവ്യവാരണമ് ഹരിഹരാത്മജമ് ദേവമ് ആശ്രയേ

chandas Unnamed metre: 11 syllables in each of 4 pādas, every pāda in the pattern LLLGLGGLGLG

ഭൂതിഭൂഷണമ് 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.

ദിവ്യവാരണമ് 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.

ധവലവാഹനമ് 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.

• കലമൃദുസ്മിതമ് (kalamṛdusmitam)whose smile is soft and sweet
• സുന്ദരാനനമ് (sundarānanam)whose face is a fair one
• കലഭകോമലമ് (kalabhakomalam)as tender as a young elephant
• ഗാത്രമോഹനമ് (gātramohanam)the sight of whose body holds the eye
• കലഭകേസരീവാജിവാഹനമ് (kalabhakesarīvājivāhanam)carried by elephant, lion and horse
• ഹരിഹരാത്മജമ് (hariharātmajam)born of Hari and Hara
• ദേവമ് (devam)the god
• ആശ്രയേ (āśraye)I take refuge in

anvaya കലമൃദുസ്മിതമ് സുന്ദരാനനമ് കലഭകോമലമ് ഗാത്രമോഹനമ് കലഭകേസരീവാജിവാഹനമ് ഹരിഹരാത്മജമ് ദേവമ് ആശ്രയേ

chandas Unnamed metre: 11 syllables in each of 4 pādas, every pāda in the pattern LLLGLGGLGLG

കലഭ a young elephant — The word appears twice in the verse, once for how tender he is and once for what carries him.

കല 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.

• ശ്രിതജനപ്രിയമ് (śritajanapriyam)dear to those who have come to him
• ചിന്തിതപ്രദമ് (cintitapradam)who gives what has only been thought of
• ശ്രുതിവിഭൂഷണമ് (śrutivibhūṣaṇam)the ornament of the Veda
• സാധുജീവനമ് (sādhujīvanam)the life of the good
• ശ്രുതിമനോഹരമ് (śrutimanoharam)sweet to the ear
• ഗീതലാലസമ് (gītalālasam)who longs for song
• ഹരിഹരാത്മജമ് (hariharātmajam)born of Hari and Hara
• ദേവമ് (devam)the god
• ആശ്രയേ (āśraye)I take refuge in

anvaya ശ്രിതജനപ്രിയമ് ചിന്തിതപ്രദമ് ശ്രുതിവിഭൂഷണമ് സാധുജീവനമ് ശ്രുതിമനോഹരമ് ഗീതലാലസമ് ഹരിഹരാത്മജമ് ദേവമ് ആശ്രയേ

chandas Unnamed metre: 11 syllables in each of 4 pādas, every pāda in the pattern LLLGLGGLGLG

ശ്രുതി 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.

ഗീതലാലസമ് 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.

• ശരണമ് (śaraṇam)refuge
• അയ്യപ്പാ (ayyappā)Ayyappa
• സ്വാമി (svāmi)lord

anvaya ശരണമ് അയ്യപ്പാ സ്വാമി ശരണമ് അയ്യപ്പാ ശരണമ് അയ്യപ്പാ സ്വാമി ശരണമ് അയ്യപ്പാ

അയ്യപ്പാ 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.