| . |
|
|
By:
V SUNDARAM vsundaram@newstodaynet.com |
|
|
|
About
the Columnist |
|
|
Saturday, 10 October, 2009 ,
02:41 PM
Dr Nagaswamy, the internationally acclaimed archeologist, epigraphist, art historian, Sanskrit and Tamil scholar has invited my attention to an ancient work of Tamil translation of Adi-Shankara’s famous Sanskrit hymn Soundarya Lahari. This translation was done by a Chola Period poet called VIRAI KAVIRAJA PANDITHAR during the reign of Raja Raja II (1146-1172) in the 12th century at Thanjavur. This Chola Emperor built the temple at Darasuram. Virai Kaviraja Pandithar was a contemporary of Ottakuttan in the same Chola Royal Court. Dr.Nagaswamy has rendered a lasting service to the cause of advancement of historical research in the field of TAMILOLOGY by publishing the full Tamil text of Virai Kaviraja Pandithar’s translation o Adi-Shankara’s Soundarya Lahari in his electronic Journal, the cover page of which has been presented below for easy reference and retrieval.
The Soundarya Lahari meaning “Waves of Beauty” is a famous literary work in Sanskrit written by Adi Sankara. Its hundred and three shlokas (verses) eulogize the beauty, grace and munificence of Goddess Parvati / Dakshayani, consort of Lord Shiva. This most beautiful stotra work in Sanskrit has at least 36 commentaries and is widely read by the people of India. Soundarya Lahari meaning waves of beauty consists of two parts viz the first part known as Ananda Lahari meaning waves of happiness (first 41 stanzas) and the second part known as Soundarya Lahari (the next 59 stanzas). It is believed that Lord Ganesha himself has etched the Ananda Lahari on Mount Meru (Some people believe that Sage Pushpadanta did the etching). It was read from there by Sage Goudapada who taught it to Adi Sankara. Adi Sankara himself added the rest of the 59 stanzas and completed it.
The other version based on tradition and legend is that this work originated in the Himalayas, the abode of Lord Siva and that sage Pushpadanta wrote this work. Appreciating the beauty and content of the verses the saint Goudapada, the celebrated Guru of Adi-Sankara’s teacher Govinda Bhagavad pada, committed the whole text to his memory and taught the same to Adi-Sankara. According to certain accounts the second half of the work namely the Soundarya lahari was written by Adi Sankaracharya. According to Dr Nagaswamy there seems to be no critical edition of the text of Soundarya Lahari collating all the existing and known manuscripts.
The 100 stanzas of Soundarya Lahari are considered to be the foremost among Mantra literature. According to P R Ramachandar:’The Soundarya Lahari is not just a poem. It is also a tantra textbook, giving instructions on puja and offerings, many yantras, almost one to each shloka; describes tantric ways of performing devotion connected to each specific shloka; and details the results ensuing there from. It is also believed that by making suitable Yantras and reciting particular stanzas and worshipping the yantras in the manner and measure prescribed, it is possible to achieve almost anything in the world’.
Consciousness is beauty and Creation is an expression of consciousness. Beauty is present in all creation. Eastern philosophy sees beauty in the nature of all things, while western thought sees it as perception. Beauty creates an aesthetic thrill, it wakes up the sleeping consciousness. Beauty can also bring ecstasy and draw you into deep meditation. Beauty is not limited to excitement and activity, it also permeates sleep. Look at a sleeping baby, Buddha or Vishnu. There is an un- fathomable beauty there. To be able to perceive truth or beauty in creation, calmness of feeling is essential. An agitated mind can neither see the truth nor appreciate beauty. That’s why Satyam, Shivam and Sundaram always go together. The whole of Creation is nothing but ‘Waves of Beauty’.
Adi Shankara in the Soundarya Lahiri brings out the ‘Waves of Beauty’ arising from awakened spiritual states of consciousness of different aspects/vistas/symbols/dimensions of macroscopic and microscopic beauty or reality. That is why the great Maharishis, saints and sages of India have always adored beauty and made it a characteristic of the Divine. SATYAM or truth, SHIVAM or benevolence, tranquility and divinity, and SUNDARAM or beauty.
It is not therefore surprising to note that the Chola poet Virai Kaviraja Pandithar was overwhelmed by the waves of beauty radiated by Soundarya Lahari and came forward to translate into Tamil in the 12th century. In my view this is one of the earliest available translations from one Indian Language to another Indian Language. According to Dr Nagaswamy Kaviraja Pandithar has been able to transmit the letter and spirit of the unfathomable, the mysterious, the poetic and above all the cosmic elements in the original text of Soundarya Lahari to his work of Tamil translation.
Now to come to the work of Tamil translation done by Kaviraja Pandithar in greater detail. When I spoke to Dr.Nagaswamy about this work, he told me: “It seems to us that there is one source which has not been fully exploited to study some authentic information. The source is a beautiful Tamil translation of the whole work written by one Kaviraja Pandita of Virai who is said to have lived five hundred years ago. The village Virai from which the poet came is identified with one Viravanallur in south Pandinadu though there is no definte evidence for such an identification. There is a beautiful commentary on this Tamil work by one Saiva Ellappa Navalar who lived around the late 18th century. The commentary is remarkable for it gives each verse, its meaning, its poetic content and its embellishments. Interestingly the text has been published as early as 1800 when the printing was introduced for the first time showing its popularity”.
This Tamil version of Kaviraja Pandithar has a biographical introduction by the translator who gives the mythical origin of Soundarya Lahari and later how it came to be translated. The first verse starts with a salutation to Lord Ganapathi but it does not say that Ganapati wrote this on the Himalayan Mountain as mentioned in some texts. In the second verse it says that Goddess Saraswati showed her own compositions to Lord Siva. Siva smiled and directed her to see the slope of the Himalayas where an everlasting treasure of compositions were seen etched. These compositions were inscribed by Sage Pushpadanta. Later Saint Gaudapada appreciating its beauty and content memorized the whole composition and later taught this to Adi-Sankara who wrote the same for the benefit of the entire world. This will be clear from the following verse 4 of the Tamil work of Virai Kaviraja Pandidar:
According to this account the whole composition was written by Pushpadanta, and Sankara wrote it as he learnt it from Gaudapada. There is no mention in the Tamil work that Pushpadanta wrote the first 41 verses and that Sankara wrote the second half of 59 verses named Soundrya lahari.
The Tamil version of Soundarya Lahari is categorical that it was translated by one Kaviraja Panditan of Virai.. It says one Brhamadarayan rendered the meaning of each verse and Kaviraja translated them on that basis. So it is a joint work though the actual translation is that of Kaviraja. He is also referred to as ‘Kanalvil vel’ which means he had the name of Manmatha and probably the name would have been Madana-vel. Here the Tamil work gives some important clues as to its date. It refers to a King “Rajaraja Mannan” and “Mannavar Mannar” and Varodaya. It also refers to one ‘Brahmadarayan” who was probably his officer. It was the during the Chola rule that this title of ‘Brahmadarayan’ was widely in use for Brahmin high ranking officers. This work of Kaviraja Pandidar belongs to the period of the Chola King Raja Raja II (1146-1172) in the 12th century. All this will be clear from the following verse 5 of Kaviraja Pandithar:
According to Dr Nagaswamy the Tantric cult was very popular during the days of Kaviraja Pandithar in the 12th century. For example the Dakkayaga-barani of Ottakkuttan on Darasuram temple is a Sakta work par excellence for it extols the Goddess as the Supreme godhood.
 | Dr R Nagaswamy Winner of Dr MA Chidambaram Award |
That work says it is based on Yoga yamala Text which is an excellent Sakta work. Interestingly the Tamil Translation of Soundarya Lahari by Kaviraja Pandithar also extols the greatness Yamala tantram in more than two verses.
Virai Kaviraja Pandithar, the translator of Saundarya Lahari, calls the Tamil version as ‘ABHIRAMI PADAL’ meaning that the poem is on Goddess Abhirami. This becomes clear from verse 1 of the text (please see the last 2 lines in the following verse which have been underlined):
According to Dr Nagaswamy, Abhirama Bhattar who composed Abhirami Anadadhi on Goddess Abhirami of Thirukadayur in Thanjavur in the late 18th century was greatly influenced by the fact of Virai Kaviraja Pandithar giving the name of Abhirami Padal to Soundarya Lahari of Adi-Shankara in the 12th century.
I am delighted to note that Dr R Nagaswamy is being honoured with an award by MAC CHARITIES on 12 October 2009 at Raja Annamalai Manram for his life-long contribution to the field of art, archeology, religion, music and culture. This award has been instituted in memory of Dr M A Chidambaram Chettiar, son of Dr Rajah Sir Annamalai Chettiar, the great founder of Annamalai University.
(The writer is a retired IAS officer)
e-mail the writer at
vsundaram@newstodaynet.com |
| . |
|
|
   |
