ಶ್ರೀ ಗಣಪತಿ ತಾಲಮ್

• ವಿಕಟೋತ್ಕಟಸುನ್ದರದನ್ತಿಮುಖಮ್ (vikaṭotkaṭasundaradantimukham)whose tusker's face is huge, towering and handsome
• ಭುಜಗೇನ್ದ್ರಸುಸರ್ಪಗದಾಭರಣಮ್ (bhujagendrasusarpagadābharaṇam)who wears the king of snakes and a mace
• ಗಜನೀಲಗಜೇನ್ದ್ರಗಣಾಧಿಪತಿಮ್ (gajanīlagajendragaṇādhipatim)dark as an elephant, lordliest of elephants, master of the ganas
• ಪ್ರಣತಃ (praṇataḥ)bowed
• ಅಸ್ಮಿ (asmi)I am
• ವಿನಾಯಕ (vināyaka)Vinayaka
• ಹಸ್ತಿಮುಖಮ್ (hastimukham)whose face is an elephant's

anvaya ವಿಕಟೋತ್ಕಟಸುನ್ದರದನ್ತಿಮುಖಮ್ ಭುಜಗೇನ್ದ್ರಸುಸರ್ಪಗದಾಭರಣಮ್ ಗಜನೀಲಗಜೇನ್ದ್ರಗಣಾಧಿಪತಿಮ್ ಹಸ್ತಿಮುಖಮ್ ವಿನಾಯಕ ಪ್ರಣತಃ ಅಸ್ಮಿ

chandas Toṭaka, 12 syllables in each of 4 pādas

ತಾಲ tala — Tala is the beat a piece is set to. This hymn is named for its beat, and in places it drops the words and gives the drum syllables themselves.

ವಿಕಟೋತ್ಕಟ huge and towering — Vikata and Utkata are also names of Ganesha in their own right, so the line praises him twice while it describes him.

note A piece made for performance. Verses of praise alternate with passages of solkattu, the syllables a drummer speaks aloud.

• ಸುರ ಸುರ (sura sura)god, god
• ಗಣಪತಿ (gaṇapati)Ganapati
• ಸುನ್ದರಕೇಶಮ್ (sundarakeśam)with beautiful hair
• ಋಷಿ ಋಷಿ (ṛṣi ṛṣi)sage, sage
• ಯಜ್ಞಸಮಾನಮ್ (yajñasamānam)who is the sacrifice itself
• ಭವ ಭವ (bhava bhava)world, world
• ಪದ್ಮಶರೀರಮ್ (padmaśarīram)whose body is a lotus
• ಜಯ ಜಯ (jaya jaya)hail, hail
• ದಿವ್ಯನಮಸ್ತೇ (divyanamaste)divine salutation to you

anvaya ಸುರ ಸುರ ಗಣಪತಿ ಸುನ್ದರಕೇಶಮ್ ಋಷಿ ಋಷಿ ಯಜ್ಞಸಮಾನಮ್ ಭವ ಭವ ಪದ್ಮಶರೀರಮ್ ಜಯ ಜಯ ದಿವ್ಯನಮಸ್ತೇ

chandas Irregular, set to the beat rather than to a metre

ಭವ ಭವ world, world — Bhava is what comes into being, and also a name of Shiva. Doubled here for the beat, as sura and rishi are doubled in the lines before.

note Each line doubles its first word. The doubling is for the drum as much as for the sense.

• ಗಜಮುಖವಕ್ತ್ರಮ್ (gajamukhavaktram)with the face of an elephant
• ಗಿರಿಜಾಪುತ್ರಮ್ (girijāputram)son of Girija
• ಗಣಗುಣಮಿತ್ರಮ್ (gaṇaguṇamitram)friend to the ganas and to what is good in them
• ಗಣಪತಿಮ್ (gaṇapatim)Ganapati
• ಈಶಪ್ರಿಯಮ್ (īśapriyam)dear to Shiva

anvaya ಗಜಮುಖವಕ್ತ್ರಮ್ ಗಿರಿಜಾಪುತ್ರಮ್ ಗಣಗುಣಮಿತ್ರಮ್ ಈಶಪ್ರಿಯಮ್ ಗಣಪತಿಮ್

chandas Irregular, a short verse of two lines

ಗಿರಿಜಾ Girija — Born of the mountain: Parvati, daughter of Himavan.

• ಕರಧೃತಪರಶುಮ್ (karadhṛtaparaśum)with an axe held in his hand
• ಕಙ್ಕಣಪಾಣಿಮ್ (kaṅkaṇapāṇim)with bracelets on his wrists
• ಕಬಲಿತಪದ್ಮರುಚಿಮ್ (kabalitapadmarucim)whose beauty swallows the lotus
• ಸುರಪತಿವನ್ದ್ಯಮ್ (surapativandyam)to whom the lord of the gods bows
• ಸುನ್ದರನೃತ್ತಮ್ (sundaranṛttam)whose dancing is lovely
• ಸುರಚಿತಮಣಿಮಕುಟಮ್ (suracitamaṇimakuṭam)whose jewelled crown is finely made

anvaya ಕರಧೃತಪರಶುಮ್ ಕಙ್ಕಣಪಾಣಿಮ್ ಕಬಲಿತಪದ್ಮರುಚಿಮ್ ಸುರಪತಿವನ್ದ್ಯಮ್ ಸುನ್ದರನೃತ್ತಮ್ ಸುರಚಿತಮಣಿಮಕುಟಮ್

chandas Irregular, set to the beat rather than to a metre

ಕಬಲಿತ swallowed — Kabalita is taken in at a mouthful. To say his beauty swallows the lotus is to say the lotus is left with nothing of its own.

ಪರಶು the axe — The axe he carries to cut through what holds a person back, and the weapon his father gave him.

• ಪ್ರಣಮತ (praṇamata)bow
• ದೇವಮ್ (devam)to the god
• ಪ್ರಕಟಿತತಾಲಮ್ (prakaṭitatālam)who has shown the beat plainly
• ಷಡ್ಗಿರಿತಾಲಮ್ (ṣaḍgiritālam)the shadgiri tala
• ಇದಮ್ (idam)this is
• ತತ್ತತ್ (tattat)ta-t ta-t, a drum syllable

anvaya ಪ್ರಕಟಿತತಾಲಮ್ ದೇವಮ್ ಪ್ರಣಮತ ಇದಮ್ ಷಡ್ಗಿರಿತಾಲಮ್ ತತ್ತತ್

chandas Irregular, set to the beat rather than to a metre

ಷಡ್ಗಿರಿತಾಲ the shadgiri tala — The beat the piece is set to, named here inside the words of the piece itself.

ತತ್ತತ್ ta-t ta-t — Solkattu: the spoken syllables of drumming. They stand for strokes and carry the beat.

• ಲಮ್ಬೋದರವರ (lambodaravara)O best of the hanging-bellied
• ಕುಞ್ಜಾಸುರಕೃತ (kuñjāsurakṛta)from the work done on the asura Kunja
• ಕುಙ್ಕುಮವರ್ಣಧರಮ್ (kuṅkumavarṇadharam)wearing the red of kunkuma
• ಶ್ವೇತಸಶೃಙ್ಗಮ್ (śvetasaśṛṅgam)white, with his tusk
• ಮೋದಕಹಸ್ತಮ್ (modakahastam)with a modak in his hand
• ಪ್ರೀತಿಸಪನಸಫಲಮ್ (prītisapanasaphalam)fond of the jackfruit

anvaya ಲಮ್ಬೋದರವರ ಕುಞ್ಜಾಸುರಕೃತ ಕುಙ್ಕುಮವರ್ಣಧರಮ್ ಶ್ವೇತಸಶೃಙ್ಗಮ್ ಮೋದಕಹಸ್ತಮ್ ಪ್ರೀತಿಸಪನಸಫಲಮ್

chandas Irregular, set to the beat rather than to a metre

note The words ಕುಞ್ಜಾಸುರಕೃತ are not clear in this printing. They are taken here as what was done to an asura named Kunja, which would account for the red he wears.

• ನಯನತ್ರಯವರ (nayanatrayavara)O best of the three-eyed
• ನಾಗವಿಭೂಷಿತ (nāgavibhūṣita)decked with snakes
• ನಾನಾಗಣಪತಿದಮ್ (nānāgaṇapatidam)giving the many forms of Ganapati
• ತತ್ತತ್ (tattat)ta-t ta-t, a drum syllable
• ನಾನಾಗಣಪತಿ (nānāgaṇapati)the many Ganapatis
• ತಮ್ (tam)him

anvaya ನಯನತ್ರಯವರ ನಾಗವಿಭೂಷಿತ ನಾನಾಗಣಪತಿದಮ್ ತತ್ತತ್ ನಾನಾಗಣಪತಿ ತಮ್

chandas Irregular, set to the beat rather than to a metre

ನಾನಾಗಣಪತಿ the many Ganapatis — The thirty-two forms of Ganapati counted in the tantras, each with its own number of arms and its own colour.

note The lines repeat as they would in performance, with the drum syllables taking over between them.

• ಧವಲಿತಜಲಧರ (dhavalitajaladhara)the cloud turned white
• ಧವಲಿತಚನ್ದ್ರಮ್ (dhavalitacandram)the moon turned white
• ಫಣಿಮಣಿಕಿರಣವಿಭೂಷಿತಖಡ್ಗಮ್ (phaṇimaṇikiraṇavibhūṣitakhaḍgam)whose sword is lit by the rays of the snake's jewel
• ತನುತನುವಿಷಹರ (tanutanuviṣahara)taking poison out of every body
• ಶೂಲಕಪಾಲಮ್ (śūlakapālam)with the trident and the skull
• ಹರ ಹರ (hara hara)Hara, Hara
• ಶಿವ ಶಿವ (śiva śiva)Shiva, Shiva
• ಗಣಪತಿಮ್ (gaṇapatim)Ganapati
• ಅಭಯಮ್ (abhayam)who puts fear away

anvaya ಧವಲಿತಜಲಧರ ಧವಲಿತಚನ್ದ್ರಮ್ ಫಣಿಮಣಿಕಿರಣವಿಭೂಷಿತಖಡ್ಗಮ್ ತನುತನುವಿಷಹರ ಶೂಲಕಪಾಲಮ್ ಹರ ಹರ ಶಿವ ಶಿವ ಅಭಯಮ್ ಗಣಪತಿಮ್

chandas Irregular, set to the beat rather than to a metre

ಫಣಿಮಣಿ the snake's jewel — The gem held in a cobra's hood, which lights up whatever is near it.

note The verse borrows Shiva's own marks, the trident and the skull, and calls on him by name.

• ಕಟತಟವಿಗಲಿತಮದಜಲ (kaṭataṭavigalitamadajala)the must running down the slope of his temples
• ಜಲಧಿತ (jaladhita)become a sea
• ಗಣಪತಿವಾದ್ಯಮ್ (gaṇapativādyam)the music of Ganapati
• ಇದಮ್ (idam)this is
• ತತ್ತತ್ (tattat)ta-t ta-t, a drum syllable

anvaya ಕಟತಟವಿಗಲಿತಮದಜಲ ಜಲಧಿತ ಇದಮ್ ಗಣಪತಿವಾದ್ಯಮ್ ತತ್ತತ್

chandas Irregular, set to the beat rather than to a metre

ವಾದ್ಯ music — Vadya is what is played on an instrument. The line calls the drumming that follows the god's own music.

ಸೋಲ್ಕಟ್ಟು solkattu — The spoken language of South Indian drumming. Each syllable stands for a stroke, so the passage can be recited, clapped or played.

note The words drop away here and the beat is left on its own.

• ತಕತಕಿಟ (takatakiṭa)ta-ka-ta-ki-ta, a drum syllable
• ತತ್ತೋಂ (tattoṃ)tat-tom, a drum syllable
• ಶಶಿಕಲಿತ (śaśikalita)marked with the moon
• ಮೌಲಿನಮ್ (maulinam)crowned
• ಶೂಲಿನಮ್ (śūlinam)carrying the trident
• ವಿಮಲಶುಭಕಮಲಜಲಪಾದುಕಮ್ (vimalaśubhakamalajalapādukam)whose sandals are the clear bright water of the lotus
• ಪಾಣಿನಮ್ (pāṇinam)in his hands
• ಧಿತ್ತಕಿಟ (dhittakiṭa)dhi-t-ta-ki-ta, a drum syllable
• ಪ್ರಮಥಗಣಗುಣಕಥಿತಶೋಭನಮ್ (pramathagaṇaguṇakathitaśobhanam)beautiful in the telling of his qualities by the pramatha ganas
• ಶೋಭಿತಮ್ (śobhitam)adorned
• ಪೃಥುಲಭುಜಸರಸಿಜವಿಷಾಣಕಮ್ (pṛthulabhujasarasijaviṣāṇakam)broad-armed, holding lotus and tusk
• ಪೋಷಣಮ್ (poṣaṇam)who nourishes
• ಪನಸಫಲಕದಲಿಫಲಮೋದನಮ್ (panasaphalakadaliphalamodanam)delighting in jackfruit, banana and sweet rice
• ಮೋದಕಮ್ (modakam)the modak
• ಪ್ರಣತಗುರುಶಿವತನಯಗಣಪತಿ (praṇataguruśivatanayagaṇapati)O Ganapati, son of Shiva, to whom the teacher bows
• ತಾಲನಮ್ (tālanam)the beating of the beat
• ಗಣಪತಿತಾಲನಮ್ (gaṇapatitālanam)the beat of Ganapati

anvaya ತಕತಕಿಟ ತತ್ತೋಂ ಶಶಿಕಲಿತ ಮೌಲಿನಮ್ ಶೂಲಿನಮ್ ವಿಮಲಶುಭಕಮಲಜಲಪಾದುಕಮ್ ಪಾಣಿನಮ್ ಧಿತ್ತಕಿಟ ಪ್ರಮಥಗಣಗುಣಕಥಿತಶೋಭನಮ್ ಶೋಭಿತಮ್ ಪೃಥುಲಭುಜಸರಸಿಜವಿಷಾಣಕಮ್ ಪೋಷಣಮ್ ಪನಸಫಲಕದಲಿಫಲಮೋದನಮ್ ಮೋದಕಮ್ ಪ್ರಣತಗುರುಶಿವತನಯಗಣಪತಿ ತಾಲನಮ್ ಗಣಪತಿತಾಲನಮ್

chandas Irregular, set to the beat rather than to a metre

ಪ್ರಮಥಗಣ the pramatha ganas — Shiva's rough band of followers, over whom his son is set as lord.

note The last passage alternates a line of drum syllables with a line of praise, so that the two are heard together. The piece ends on its own name.