ଶ୍ରୀ ଗଣପତି ତାଲମ୍

• ଵିକଟୋତ୍କଟସୁନ୍ଦରଦନ୍ତିମୁଖମ୍ (vikaṭotkaṭasundaradantimukham)whose tusker's face is huge, towering and handsome
• ଭୁଜଗେନ୍ଦ୍ରସୁସର୍ପଗଦାଭରଣମ୍ (bhujagendrasusarpagadābharaṇam)who wears the king of snakes and a mace
• ଗଜନୀଲଗଜେନ୍ଦ୍ରଗଣାଧିପତିମ୍ (gajanīlagajendragaṇādhipatim)dark as an elephant, lordliest of elephants, master of the ganas
• ପ୍ରଣତଃ (praṇataḥ)bowed
• ଅସ୍ମି (asmi)I am
• ଵିନାଯକ (vināyaka)Vinayaka
• ହସ୍ତିମୁଖମ୍ (hastimukham)whose face is an elephant's

anvaya ଵିକଟୋତ୍କଟସୁନ୍ଦରଦନ୍ତିମୁଖମ୍ ଭୁଜଗେନ୍ଦ୍ରସୁସର୍ପଗଦାଭରଣମ୍ ଗଜନୀଲଗଜେନ୍ଦ୍ରଗଣାଧିପତିମ୍ ହସ୍ତିମୁଖମ୍ ଵିନାଯକ ପ୍ରଣତଃ ଅସ୍ମି

chandas Toṭaka, 12 syllables in each of 4 pādas

ତାଲ 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.

ଵିକଟୋତ୍କଟ 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.

• ସୁର ସୁର (sura sura)god, god
• ଗଣପତି (gaṇapati)Ganapati
• ସୁନ୍ଦରକେଶମ୍ (sundarakeśam)with beautiful hair
• ଋଷି ଋଷି (ṛṣi ṛṣi)sage, sage
• ଯଜ୍ଞସମାନମ୍ (yajñasamānam)who is the sacrifice itself
• ଭଵ ଭଵ (bhava bhava)world, world
• ପଦ୍ମଶରୀରମ୍ (padmaśarīram)whose body is a lotus
• ଜଯ ଜଯ (jaya jaya)hail, hail
• ଦିଵ୍ଯନମସ୍ତେ (divyanamaste)divine salutation to you

anvaya ସୁର ସୁର ଗଣପତି ସୁନ୍ଦରକେଶମ୍ ଋଷି ଋଷି ଯଜ୍ଞସମାନମ୍ ଭଵ ଭଵ ପଦ୍ମଶରୀରମ୍ ଜଯ ଜଯ ଦିଵ୍ଯନମସ୍ତେ

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

ଭଵ ଭଵ 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.

• ଗଜମୁଖଵକ୍ତ୍ରମ୍ (gajamukhavaktram)with the face of an elephant
• ଗିରିଜାପୁତ୍ରମ୍ (girijāputram)son of Girija
• ଗଣଗୁଣମିତ୍ରମ୍ (gaṇaguṇamitram)friend to the ganas and to what is good in them
• ଗଣପତିମ୍ (gaṇapatim)Ganapati
• ଈଶପ୍ରିଯମ୍ (īśapriyam)dear to Shiva

anvaya ଗଜମୁଖଵକ୍ତ୍ରମ୍ ଗିରିଜାପୁତ୍ରମ୍ ଗଣଗୁଣମିତ୍ରମ୍ ଈଶପ୍ରିଯମ୍ ଗଣପତିମ୍

chandas Irregular, a short verse of two lines

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

• କରଧୃତପରଶୁମ୍ (karadhṛtaparaśum)with an axe held in his hand
• କଙ୍କଣପାଣିମ୍ (kaṅkaṇapāṇim)with bracelets on his wrists
• କବଲିତପଦ୍ମରୁଚିମ୍ (kabalitapadmarucim)whose beauty swallows the lotus
• ସୁରପତିଵନ୍ଦ୍ଯମ୍ (surapativandyam)to whom the lord of the gods bows
• ସୁନ୍ଦରନୃତ୍ତମ୍ (sundaranṛttam)whose dancing is lovely
• ସୁରଚିତମଣିମକୁଟମ୍ (suracitamaṇimakuṭam)whose jewelled crown is finely made

anvaya କରଧୃତପରଶୁମ୍ କଙ୍କଣପାଣିମ୍ କବଲିତପଦ୍ମରୁଚିମ୍ ସୁରପତିଵନ୍ଦ୍ଯମ୍ ସୁନ୍ଦରନୃତ୍ତମ୍ ସୁରଚିତମଣିମକୁଟମ୍

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

କବଲିତ 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.

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

• ପ୍ରଣମତ (praṇamata)bow
• ଦେଵମ୍ (devam)to the god
• ପ୍ରକଟିତତାଲମ୍ (prakaṭitatālam)who has shown the beat plainly
• ଷଡ୍ଗିରିତାଲମ୍ (ṣaḍgiritālam)the shadgiri tala
• ଇଦମ୍ (idam)this is
• ତତ୍ତତ୍ (tattat)ta-t ta-t, a drum syllable

anvaya ପ୍ରକଟିତତାଲମ୍ ଦେଵମ୍ ପ୍ରଣମତ ଇଦମ୍ ଷଡ୍ଗିରିତାଲମ୍ ତତ୍ତତ୍

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

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

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

• ଲମ୍ବୋଦରଵର (lambodaravara)O best of the hanging-bellied
• କୁଞ୍ଜାସୁରକୃତ (kuñjāsurakṛta)from the work done on the asura Kunja
• କୁଙ୍କୁମଵର୍ଣଧରମ୍ (kuṅkumavarṇadharam)wearing the red of kunkuma
• ଶ୍ଵେତସଶୃଙ୍ଗମ୍ (śvetasaśṛṅgam)white, with his tusk
• ମୋଦକହସ୍ତମ୍ (modakahastam)with a modak in his hand
• ପ୍ରୀତିସପନସଫଲମ୍ (prītisapanasaphalam)fond of the jackfruit

anvaya ଲମ୍ବୋଦରଵର କୁଞ୍ଜାସୁରକୃତ କୁଙ୍କୁମଵର୍ଣଧରମ୍ ଶ୍ଵେତସଶୃଙ୍ଗମ୍ ମୋଦକହସ୍ତମ୍ ପ୍ରୀତିସପନସଫଲମ୍

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

note The words କୁଞ୍ଜାସୁରକୃତ 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.

• ନଯନତ୍ରଯଵର (nayanatrayavara)O best of the three-eyed
• ନାଗଵିଭୂଷିତ (nāgavibhūṣita)decked with snakes
• ନାନାଗଣପତିଦମ୍ (nānāgaṇapatidam)giving the many forms of Ganapati
• ତତ୍ତତ୍ (tattat)ta-t ta-t, a drum syllable
• ନାନାଗଣପତି (nānāgaṇapati)the many Ganapatis
• ତମ୍ (tam)him

anvaya ନଯନତ୍ରଯଵର ନାଗଵିଭୂଷିତ ନାନାଗଣପତିଦମ୍ ତତ୍ତତ୍ ନାନାଗଣପତି ତମ୍

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

ନାନାଗଣପତି 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.

• ଧଵଲିତଜଲଧର (dhavalitajaladhara)the cloud turned white
• ଧଵଲିତଚନ୍ଦ୍ରମ୍ (dhavalitacandram)the moon turned white
• ଫଣିମଣିକିରଣଵିଭୂଷିତଖଡ୍ଗମ୍ (phaṇimaṇikiraṇavibhūṣitakhaḍgam)whose sword is lit by the rays of the snake's jewel
• ତନୁତନୁଵିଷହର (tanutanuviṣahara)taking poison out of every body
• ଶୂଲକପାଲମ୍ (śūlakapālam)with the trident and the skull
• ହର ହର (hara hara)Hara, Hara
• ଶିଵ ଶିଵ (śiva śiva)Shiva, Shiva
• ଗଣପତିମ୍ (gaṇapatim)Ganapati
• ଅଭଯମ୍ (abhayam)who puts fear away

anvaya ଧଵଲିତଜଲଧର ଧଵଲିତଚନ୍ଦ୍ରମ୍ ଫଣିମଣିକିରଣଵିଭୂଷିତଖଡ୍ଗମ୍ ତନୁତନୁଵିଷହର ଶୂଲକପାଲମ୍ ହର ହର ଶିଵ ଶିଵ ଅଭଯମ୍ ଗଣପତିମ୍

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

ଫଣିମଣି 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.

• କଟତଟଵିଗଲିତମଦଜଲ (kaṭataṭavigalitamadajala)the must running down the slope of his temples
• ଜଲଧିତ (jaladhita)become a sea
• ଗଣପତିଵାଦ୍ଯମ୍ (gaṇapativādyam)the music of Ganapati
• ଇଦମ୍ (idam)this is
• ତତ୍ତତ୍ (tattat)ta-t ta-t, a drum syllable

anvaya କଟତଟଵିଗଲିତମଦଜଲ ଜଲଧିତ ଇଦମ୍ ଗଣପତିଵାଦ୍ଯମ୍ ତତ୍ତତ୍

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

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

ସୋଲ୍କଟ୍ଟୁ 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.

• ତକତକିଟ (takatakiṭa)ta-ka-ta-ki-ta, a drum syllable
• ତତ୍ତୋଂ (tattoṃ)tat-tom, a drum syllable
• ଶଶିକଲିତ (śaśikalita)marked with the moon
• ମୌଲିନମ୍ (maulinam)crowned
• ଶୂଲିନମ୍ (śūlinam)carrying the trident
• ଵିମଲଶୁଭକମଲଜଲପାଦୁକମ୍ (vimalaśubhakamalajalapādukam)whose sandals are the clear bright water of the lotus
• ପାଣିନମ୍ (pāṇinam)in his hands
• ଧିତ୍ତକିଟ (dhittakiṭa)dhi-t-ta-ki-ta, a drum syllable
• ପ୍ରମଥଗଣଗୁଣକଥିତଶୋଭନମ୍ (pramathagaṇaguṇakathitaśobhanam)beautiful in the telling of his qualities by the pramatha ganas
• ଶୋଭିତମ୍ (śobhitam)adorned
• ପୃଥୁଲଭୁଜସରସିଜଵିଷାଣକମ୍ (pṛthulabhujasarasijaviṣāṇakam)broad-armed, holding lotus and tusk
• ପୋଷଣମ୍ (poṣaṇam)who nourishes
• ପନସଫଲକଦଲିଫଲମୋଦନମ୍ (panasaphalakadaliphalamodanam)delighting in jackfruit, banana and sweet rice
• ମୋଦକମ୍ (modakam)the modak
• ପ୍ରଣତଗୁରୁଶିଵତନଯଗଣପତି (praṇataguruśivatanayagaṇapati)O Ganapati, son of Shiva, to whom the teacher bows
• ତାଲନମ୍ (tālanam)the beating of the beat
• ଗଣପତିତାଲନମ୍ (gaṇapatitālanam)the beat of Ganapati

anvaya ତକତକିଟ ତତ୍ତୋଂ ଶଶିକଲିତ ମୌଲିନମ୍ ଶୂଲିନମ୍ ଵିମଲଶୁଭକମଲଜଲପାଦୁକମ୍ ପାଣିନମ୍ ଧିତ୍ତକିଟ ପ୍ରମଥଗଣଗୁଣକଥିତଶୋଭନମ୍ ଶୋଭିତମ୍ ପୃଥୁଲଭୁଜସରସିଜଵିଷାଣକମ୍ ପୋଷଣମ୍ ପନସଫଲକଦଲିଫଲମୋଦନମ୍ ମୋଦକମ୍ ପ୍ରଣତଗୁରୁଶିଵତନଯଗଣପତି ତାଲନମ୍ ଗଣପତିତାଲନମ୍

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

ପ୍ରମଥଗଣ 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.