śrī vināyakāṣṭakam

• śrīvināyakāṣṭakamthe Shri Vinayaka Ashtakam, the eight verses to Vinayaka

anvaya śrīvināyakāṣṭakam

aṣṭakam the eight verses — An ashtaka is a set of eight. Here each of the eight is built on one rhyming sound, and the sound changes when the verse does.

note The hymn is a feat of rhyme before it is anything else: within a verse every line closes on the same syllable.

• namaddevavṛndambefore whom the host of gods bows
• lasadvedakandamthe shining root of the Veda
• śiraḥśrīmadindumwith the fine moon on his head
• śritaśrīmukundamto whom Shri and Mukunda have come
• bṛhaccārutundamwhose belly is big and handsome
• stutaśrīsanandampraised by the blessed Sanandana
• jaṭāhīndrakundamwith the king of snakes and jasmine in his matted hair
• bhajeI worship
• abhīṣṭasandamthe giver of what is longed for

anvaya namaddevavṛndam lasadvedakandam śiraḥśrīmadindum śritaśrīmukundam bṛhaccārutundam stutaśrīsanandam jaṭāhīndrakundam abhīṣṭasandam bhaje

chandas Bhujaṅgaprayāta, 12 syllables in each of 4 pādas

vedakandam the root of the Veda — Kanda is the bulb a plant grows from. The Veda is pictured as a plant and he as the bulb under it.

sanandam Sanandana — One of the four boy-sages born from Brahma's mind, who stayed children and knew everything.

note Every line of this verse ends in -ndam.

• kiladdevagotramaround whom the family of gods is glad
• kanaddhemagātramwhose body shines like gold
• sadānandamātramwho is nothing but unending joy
• mahābhaktamitramfriend to those who love him most
• śaraccandravaktramwhose face is the autumn moon
• trayīpūtapātramthe vessel the three Vedas have made clean
• samastārttidātramthe sickle that cuts down every pain
• bhajeI worship
• śaktiputramthe son of Shakti

anvaya kiladdevagotram kanaddhemagātram sadānandamātram mahābhaktamitram śaraccandravaktram trayīpūtapātram samastārttidātram śaktiputram bhaje

chandas Bhujaṅgaprayāta, 12 syllables in each of 4 pādas

dātram a sickle — Datra is the curved blade used for reaping. The same spelling can be read as giver, but a sickle for pain is what fits the line.

trayī the three Vedas — Rig, Yajus and Saman together, called simply the three.

note Every line of this verse ends in -tram.

• galaddānamālamdown whom the must runs in a line
• caladbhogimālamon whom a garland of snakes moves
• galāmbhodakālamwhose throat is dark as a rain cloud
• sadāalways
• dānaśīlamgiven to giving
• surārātikālamdeath to the enemies of the gods
• maheśātmabālamthe very child of Mahesha
• lasatpuṇḍrabhālamwith a bright mark on his brow
• bhajeI worship
• lokamūlamthe root of the world

anvaya galaddānamālam caladbhogimālam galāmbhodakālam sadā dānaśīlam surārātikālam maheśātmabālam lasatpuṇḍrabhālam lokamūlam bhaje

chandas Bhujaṅgaprayāta, 12 syllables in each of 4 pādas

dāna must, and giving — Dana is both the fluid that runs from an elephant's temples and the act of giving. The verse uses it in both senses two lines apart, and means the pun.

note Every line of this verse ends in -lam.

• urastārahāramwith a string of pearls on his chest
• śaraccandrahīramwith a diamond like the autumn moon
• suraśrīvicāramwho watches over the welfare of the gods
• hṛtārttāribhāramwho has carried off the weight of pain and of enemies
• kaṭeon his temples
• dānapūrama flood of must
• jaṭābhogipūrama flood of snakes in his matted hair
• kalābindutāramholding the crescent, the point and the pupil
• bhajeI worship
• śaivavīramthe hero of Shiva

anvaya urastārahāram śaraccandrahīram suraśrīvicāram hṛtārttāribhāram kaṭe dānapūram jaṭābhogipūram kalābindutāram śaivavīram bhaje

chandas Bhujaṅgaprayāta, 12 syllables in each of 4 pādas

kalābindutāram the crescent, the point and the pupil — The crescent and the dot are the two marks written above Om, and tara is both a star and the dark of the eye. One word holds all three.

note Every line of this verse ends in -ram.

• karārūḍhamokṣamin whose hand liberation sits
• vipadbhaṅgadakṣamquick at breaking trouble
• calatsārasākṣamwhose eyes move like lotuses
• parāśaktipakṣamwho stands on the side of the highest power
• śritāmartyavṛkṣamthe wishing-tree for those who come to him
• surāridrutakṣamwho cuts down the enemies of the gods at once
• parānandapakṣamwhose side is the joy beyond all joy
• bhajeI worship
• śrīśivākṣamhim who is Shiva's own eye

anvaya karārūḍhamokṣam vipadbhaṅgadakṣam calatsārasākṣam parāśaktipakṣam śritāmartyavṛkṣam surāridrutakṣam parānandapakṣam śrīśivākṣam bhaje

chandas Bhujaṅgaprayāta, 12 syllables in each of 4 pādas

amartyavṛkṣam the wishing-tree — The deathless tree of heaven, which gives whatever is asked of it.

note Every line of this verse ends in -kṣam.

• sadāśamever the lord
• sureśamlord of the gods
• sadāalways
• pātumto protect
• īśamable
• nidānodbhavamrisen from the first cause
• śāṅkarapremakośamthe store of Shankara's love
• dhṛtaśrīniśeśamwearing the lord of night
• lasaddantakośamwhose tusk shines in its sheath
• calacchūlapāśamwhose trident and noose are never still
• bhajeI worship
• kṛttapāśamthe one who cuts the noose

anvaya sadāśam sureśam sadā pātum īśam nidānodbhavam śāṅkarapremakośam dhṛtaśrīniśeśam lasaddantakośam calacchūlapāśam kṛttapāśam bhaje

chandas Bhujaṅgaprayāta, 12 syllables in each of 4 pādas

niśeśam the lord of night — The moon, which he wears as his father does.

pāśa the noose — He holds a noose and he cuts one: the noose he holds draws the devotee in, the noose he cuts is what binds a person to being born again.

note Every line of this verse ends in -śam. The compressed sadāśaṃ is read sadā with īśam, which the rhyme has pulled together.

• tatānekasantamwho has spread himself out as many beings
• sadāalways
• dānavantamgiving
• budhaśrīkarantamwho makes the learned prosper
• gajāsyamwith the face of an elephant
• vibhāntamshining
• karātmīyadantamwith his own tusk in his hand
• trilokakaikavṛntamthe single stalk on which the three worlds are set
• sumandamslow-moving and gentle
• parantambeyond all of it
• bhajeI worship
• ahamI
• bhavantamyou

anvaya tatānekasantam sadā dānavantam budhaśrīkarantam gajāsyam vibhāntam karātmīyadantam trilokakaikavṛntam sumandam parantam bhavantam aham bhaje

chandas Bhujaṅgaprayāta, 12 syllables in each of 4 pādas

vṛntam the stalk — The stalk that holds a fruit to the tree. The three worlds hang from him as a fruit from its stalk.

note Every line of this verse ends in -ntam, and the last word turns from him to you.

• śivapremapiṇḍama lump of Shiva's own love
• paramthe supreme
• svarṇavarṇamthe colour of gold
• lasaddantakhaṇḍamout of whom a piece of tusk shines
• sadānandapūrṇamfilled with joy that does not end
• vivarṇaprabhāsyamwhose face shines past all colour
• dhṛtasvarṇabhāṇḍamholding a golden pot
• calaccāruśuṇḍamwhose lovely trunk is always moving
• bhajeI worship
• dantituṇḍamthe tusker's trunk

anvaya śivapremapiṇḍam param svarṇavarṇam lasaddantakhaṇḍam sadānandapūrṇam vivarṇaprabhāsyam dhṛtasvarṇabhāṇḍam calaccāruśuṇḍam dantituṇḍam bhaje

chandas Bhujaṅgaprayāta, 12 syllables in each of 4 pādas

piṇḍam a lump — Pinda is a rounded mass, the word used of the ball of rice offered to the ancestors. To call him a lump of Shiva's love is to say the love took a body.

note The last verse lets the rhyme slip: three lines end in -ṇḍam and the others do not.