MOOKAPANCHASHATI – PADARAVINDA SATAKAM (SLOKAS 26 TO 50)

           मूकपञ्चशती (मूककवि प्रणीता)  
                             पादारविन्दशतकम्
              (slokas
26 to 50)
Mooka Panchashati is a
devotional composition by Muka Kavi dedicated to Kamakshi. The real name of the
poet is not known. Legend has it that he was born dumb but regained not only
his voice  by  the grace of Goddess Kamakshi but also became
a poet of considerable merit. Mooka Panchashati 
consists of five satakams, each Satakam containing 100 verses. The
Satakams  are Arya Satakam,
Padaravinda Satakam, Stuti Satakam, Kataksha Satakam and Mandasmita Satakam.
Goddess Kamakshi is
the presiding deity of Kancheepuram.  Her
consort is Ekamreshwara, an aspect of Lord Shiva.  Kanchi is the Central Peetham established by
Aadi Shankaracharya who installed and consecrated the  idol of Kamakshi and established the system
of worship there. The other  Peethams are
at Badrinath in the North, Dwarka in theWest, 
Puri in the East and Sringeri (Sringa giri) in the South.
The translation into
English of a hymn of this nature is a delicate task and readers may kindly
pardon the shortcomings, though every attempt has been made to make the
translation as close as possible to the intended or perceived meaning. 
मनोगेहे मोहोद्भवतिमिरपूर्णे
मम मुहु-
र्दरिद्राणीकुर्वन् दिनकरसहस्राणि
किरणैः
विधत्तां कामाक्षि
प्रसृमरतमोवञ्चनचणः
क्षणार्धं सान्निध्यं
चरणमणिदीपो जननि
ते ॥२६॥

O Mother Kamakshi! My mind-house is full of darkness arising out of my delusions and desires. Your lotus-feet are like a manidipa (lamp of brilliant gemstone)  brighter than a thousand suns and capable of dispelling the dense darkness in my heart.  Kindly therefore let your lotus feet be present in my heart, just for a moment, so that the darkness inside is dispelled. 
कवीनां चेतोवन्नखररुचिसंपर्कि विबुध-
स्रवन्तीस्रोतोवत्पटुमुखरितं हंसकरवैः।
दिनारंभश्रीवन्नियतमरुणच्छायसुभगं
मदन्तः कामाक्ष्याः स्फुरतु पदपङ्केरुहयुगम्
॥२७॥
O Kamakshi! the pair of your lotus feet are in contact
with the brightness of the nails (नखररुचि) even as
the mind of the poets is in contact with the taste of the nails(नखररुचि)
[poets, in their creative effort, often bite their nails while in deep
thought or imagination].   They are full
of sound of the tinkling  of the anklets (हंसकरवैः) just as the heavenly Ganga is full of sound of the
swans (
हंसकरवैः). 
They are also beautiful with a bright crimson tinge as the morning
sunrise. May Those lotus feet of Kamakshi shine in my heart.
सदा किं संपर्कात्प्रकृतिकठिनैर्नाकिमुकुटै-
स्तटैर्नीहाराद्रेरधिकमणुना योगिमनसा।
विभिन्ते संमोहं शिशिरयति भक्तानपि दृशा-
मदृश्यं कामाक्षि प्रकटयति ते पादयुगलम् ॥२८॥
O Kamkshi! Your lotus feet always come in contact with
the naturally hard crowns of the celestials (when they bow down at your feet).  They also come in contact with the valleys of
Himavan (as your the daughter of Himavan 
covered with snow) and the minds of yogis which are very subtle,
very minute.  Is it because of this that
they destroy delusion (because of their contact with hard objects) and cools
the hearts of devotees (because of their contact with snow-covered valleys) and
reveals things which are not visible to the naked eye (because of their contact
with the minds of yogis)?
पवित्राभ्यामम्ब प्रकृतिमृदुलाभ्यां तव शिवे
पदाभ्यां कामाक्षि प्रसभमभिभूतैः सचकितैः।
प्रवालैरंभोजैरपि च वनवासव्रतदशाः
सदैवारभ्यन्ते परिचरितनानाद्विजगणैः ॥२९॥
O Mother,  Consort
of Shiva! tender leaves  and lotuses are
threatened and frightened by your purifying and naturally soft lotus feet.  They therefore always start vanavasavrata
(vow to stay in the forest) initiated by    different kinds of birds. (It also could
mean they observed vanavasa guided by brahmins because द्विज
means birds as well as brahmins)    
चिराद्‍दृश्या  हंसैः कथमपि सदा हंससुलभं
निरस्यन्ती जाड्यं नियतजडमध्यैकशरणम्।
अदोषव्यासङ्गा सततमपि दोषाप्तिमलिनं
पयोजं कामाक्ष्याः परिहसति पादाब्जयुगली ॥३०॥
The lotus feet of Kamakshi is seen by paramahamsas
or yogis (हंसैः) after a long time but the lotus is easily
obtained by swans (हंससुलभं). The former drives away
dullness (जाड्यं) but the latter’s refuge is in the centre
of water (जडमध्यैकशरणम्). 
The former does not attach to anything bad but the latter is in contact
with muddy water.
Thus the lotus-feet of Kamakshi mocks at the lotus.
सुराणामानन्दप्रबलनतया
मण्डनतया 
नखेन्दुज्योत्स्नाभिर्विसृमरतमः
खण्डनतया ।
पयोजश्रीद्वेषव्रतरततया
त्वच्चरणयो-
र्विलासः कामाक्षि
प्रकटयति नैशाकरदशाम्
॥३१॥
O Kamakshi ! the actions of your feet reveal they are akin to the
moon.  Like the moon they enhance the joy
of the celestials as they bow to them.  
Like the moon, the rays from their toes dispel the darkness (of
ignorance).  Again like the moon, they
make the lotus unhappy because    they
compete with it in beauty, softness and colour.
सितिम्ना कान्तीनां
नखरजनुषां पादनलिन-
च्छवीनां शोणिम्ना
तव जननि
कामाक्षि नमने।
लभन्ते मन्दारग्रथितनवबन्धूककुसुम-
स्रजां सामीचीन्यं
सुरपुरपुरन्ध्रीकचभराः
॥३२॥
O Kamakshi! when celestial damsels bow
down at your feet, their locks get, as it were, 
a garland made of white mandara and red hibiscus flowers from the
bright whiteness emanating from your toe nails and the bright redness from your
lotus feet.
नखश्रीसंनद्धस्तबकनिचितः
स्वैश्च किरणैः
पिशङ्गैः कामाक्षि
प्रकटितलसत्पल्लवरुचिः।
सतां गम्यः
शङ्के सकलफलदाता
सुरतरु-
स्त्वदीयः पादोऽयं
तुहिनगिरिराजन्यतनये ॥३३॥
O Daughter of Himavan! the bright white
rays from your toe nails create the impression of white blossoms and the red
rays from your feet resemble the tender leaves. 
I  think that your lotus feet is
the wish-yielding tree of heaven which fulfils all wishes  and which is sought after by the good.
स्फुरन्मध्ये शुद्धे
नखकिरणदुग्धाब्धिपयसां
वहन्नब्जं चक्रं
दरमपि च
लेखात्मकतया।
श्रितो मात्स्यं
रूपं श्रियमपि
दधानो निरुपमां
त्रिधामा कामाक्ष्याः
पदनलिननामा विजयते
॥३४॥
Victory to the lotus feet of Kamakshi
which shine from the bright white rays of the toe nails resembling the waters
of the milky ocean, which  have fine lines
depicting the lotus, the disc and the conch, which have taken  the form of 
fish and which have  matchless
beauty.
वषट्कुर्वन्माञ्जीरजकलकलैः
हवींषि
प्रोद्दण्डं ज्वलति
परमज्ञानदहने।
महीयान्कामाक्षि
स्फुटमहसि जोहोति
सुधियां
मनोवेद्यां
मातस्तव चरणयज्वा
गिरिसुते ॥३५॥
O Daughter of Himavan Kamakshi! Your lotus
feet is the performer  of sacrifice (यज्वा). The mind of the wise is the platform where the
sacrifice is performed.  The tinkling
sound of your anklets is the Vashatkriya.  The waves of karma is the havis
which flares up and burns up all ignorance. 
 
महामन्त्रं किञ्चिन्मणिकटकनादैरिव
जप-
न्क्षिपन्दिक्षु स्वच्छं नखरुचिमयं
भास्मनरजः ।
नतानां कामाक्षि
प्रकृतिपटुरुच्चाट्य ममता-
पिशाचीं पादोऽयं
प्रकटयति ते
मान्त्रिकदशाम् ॥३६॥
O Kamakshi ! your feet exhibit the characteristics of a mantrika.  The tinkling of your diamond-studded anklets is
like chanting of mantras.  The rays of
pure white emanating from your toe nails is like the blowing of ashes by the mantrika.  Like the mantrika, your lotus feet,
naturally efficient, drives away the ghost from the mind.  The ghost in this case is egotism (the sense
of ‘I’ and ‘Mine’)  or attachment to
worldly objects
उदीते बोधेन्दौ तमसि नितरां जग्मुषि दशां
दरिद्रां कामाक्षि प्रकटमनुरागं विदधती
सितेनाच्छाद्याङ्गं नखरुचिपटेनाङ्घ्रियुगली-
पुरन्ध्री ते मातः स्वयमभिसरत्येव हृदयम् ॥३७॥
O Mother Kamakshi! When the moon of Knowledge rises and
the darkness of ignorance is dispelled, the damsel of your lotus feet,
manifesting love, covers herself with the white cloth of the bright rays of the
nails and secretly seeks out and enters the heart. 
दिनारंभः सध्र्यङ्नलिनविपिनानामभिनवो
विकासो वासन्तः सुकविपिकलोकस्य नियतं।
प्रदोषः कामाक्षि प्रकटपरमज्ञानशशिन-
श्चकास्ति त्वत्पादस्मरणमहिमा शैलतनये॥३८॥
O Kamakshi! Daughter of Himavan! the greatness of
remembering your lotus feet is that it makes the devotee a great poet like the
cuckoo in the spring season when the beginning of the day ( sunrise, earlier
life) is marked by the fresh blossoming of forests of lotuses ( the bright
crimson of your lotus feet) and the evening (sunset, later life) is marked by
the appearance  of the moon of Ultimate
Knowledge (the bright white rays from your toe nails). 
        
धृतच्छायं नित्यं सरसिरुहमैत्रीपरिचितं
निधानं दीप्तीनां निखिलजगतां बोधजनकम्।
मुमुक्षूणां मार्गप्रथनपटु कामाक्षि पदवीं
पदं ते पातङ्गीं परिकलयते पर्वतसुते॥३९॥
O Kamakshi! your lotus feet take on the position of the
Sun by providing shade (to devotees), by being friendly to the lotus, by being
the repository of all things bright, by imparting knowledge to all the worlds,
by showing the path to those who want to attain liberation.
शनैस्तीर्त्वा मोहाम्बुधिमथ समारॊढुमनसः
श्रमात्कैवल्याख्यां सुकृतिसुलभां सौधवलभीम्।
लभन्ते निःश्रॆणीमिव झटिति कामाक्षि चरणं
पुरश्चर्याभिस्ते पुरमथनसीमन्तिनि जनाः ॥४०॥
O Kamakshi! consort of the destroyer of the triple
cities!
Those who have slowly crossed this ocean of delusion
which is samsara and are desirous of ascending the mansion of kaivalya
(the highest state) get your feet as the ladder by devotional service at your
lotus feet.
  
 
प्रचण्डार्तिक्षोभप्रमथनकृते
प्रातिभसरि-
त्प्रवाहप्रोद्दण्डीकरणजलदाय
प्रणमताम् ।
प्रदीपाय प्रौढे
भवतमसि कामाक्षि
चरण-
प्रसादौन्मुख्याय स्पृहयति जनोऽयं
जननि ते
॥४१॥
O Mother Kamakshi ! your lotus feet are like the clouds from which
ensues torrential rains causing a flood of knowledge annihilating the greed and
anger of those who prostrate before you.  
I, on my part, would like to have the prasada (grace, blessing)
of your lotus feet, the lamp which would dispel the darkness of samsara  
मरुद्भिः
संसेव्या सततमपि
चाञ्चल्यरहिता
सदारुण्यं
यान्ती परिणतिदरिद्राणसुषमा।
गुणोत्कर्षान्मञ्जीरजकलकलैस्तर्जनपटुः
प्रवालं
कामाक्ष्याः परिहसति
पादाब्जयुगली ॥४२॥
The lotus feet of Kamakshi mocks at the
coral because 
the former is always moving as the wind
but the latter is without movement;  the
former is always bright red but the latter loses it shine as it ages and the
former has the good good quality of generating the sweet tinkling of its
anklets while the latter is good at creating only harsh  sound.
जगद्रक्षादक्षा
नलिनरुचिशिक्षापटुतरा
सुरैर्नम्या
रम्या सततमभिगम्या
बुधजनैः।
द्वयी
लीलालोला श्रुतिषु
सुरपालादिमुकुटी-
तटीसीमाधाम
तव जननि
कामाक्षिपदयोः ॥४३॥
The pair of your lotus feet are capable of
protecting all the worlds.  They are
skilled in teaching good conduct. The celestials bow down before it and they
are beautiful.  They are always
approachable by the wise (sages). The Vedas and Upanishads are their play
fields and they are the boundary for the crowns Indra and others wear on their
heads.
गिरां
दूरौ चोरौ
जडिमतिमिराणां कृतजग-
त्परित्राणौ
शोणौ मुनिहृदयलीलैकनिपुणौ।
नखैः
स्मेरौ सारौ
निगमवचसां खण्डितभव-
ग्राहोन्मादौ
पादौ मम
मनसि कामाक्षि
कलये ॥४४॥
O kamakshi! I see before my mind’s eye
your lotus feet which are far removed from words, which destroy dullness and
darkness of ignorance, which protect the worlds, which are good at playing in
the hearts of sages, which appear smiling from the brightness of the toe nails,
which are the essence of the Upanishads and which stop the madness of the
samsara-alligator
अविश्रान्तं
पङ्कं यदपि
कलयन्यावकमयं
निरस्यन्कामाक्षि
प्रणमनजुषां पङ्कमखिलम्।
तुलाकोटिद्वन्द्वं
दधदपि च
गच्छन्नतुलतां
गिरां
मार्गं पादो
गिरिवरसुते लङ्घयति ते
॥४५॥
O Kamakshi! though your lotus feet is
being dirtied (smeared) with the liquid lac dye 
they remove all the dirt from the mind of those who prostrate before
them. Though they wear two anklets (तुलाकोटि)
they are without comparison (अतुलता).
O Daughter of Himavan! your lotus feet transcend the path of words.  
प्रवालं सव्रीडं
विपिनविवरे वेपयति
वा
स्फुरल्लीलं बालातपमधिकबालं
दधति या
रुचिं सांध्यां
वन्ध्यां विरचयति
या वर्धयतु
सा
शिवं मे
कामाक्ष्याः पदनलिनपाटल्यलहरी
॥२.४६॥
Let the red tinge in the lotus feet of Kamakshi  make the leaf buds in the forest tremble,  let them playfully make the morning sunlight
still more red or make the brightness of evening twilight useless.  May the waves of redness in the feet of
Kamakshi increase my auspiciousness.
किरञ्ज्योत्स्नारीतिं
नखमणिरुचा हंसमनसां
वितन्वानः
प्रीतिं विकचतरुणाम्भोजरुचिः।
प्रकाशः
श्रीपादस्तव जननि
कामाक्षि तनुते
शरत्कालप्रौढिं
शशिशकलचूडप्रियतमे ॥४७॥
O Mother Kamakshi! Consort of Shiva who
wears the crescent moon on his head! your lotus feet radiates  moonlight by the white brightness of your toe
nails and please the hearts of saints. 
They are of the red colour of freshly blooming lotuses. Thus the
brightness of your pretty feet creates the season of sharat (the season
after the rainy season)    
नखाङ्कूरस्मेरद्युतिविमलगङ्गाम्भसि
सुखं
कृतस्नानं
ज्ञानामृतमलमास्वाद्य
नियतम्।
उदञ्चन्माञ्जीरस्फुरणमणिदीपे
मम मनो
मनोज्ञे
कामाक्ष्याश्चरणमणिहर्म्ये
विहरताम् ॥४८॥
O Kamakshi! the brightness radiating from
your toe nails which is like a bright smile resemble the sparkling waters of
Ganga in which mind takes a pleasant bath and having drunk to the heart’s fill
the nectar of Knowledge, may that mind of mine play at Kamakshi’s lotus feet
which are pretty and are lighted by the sparkling gems in the anklets  
भवाम्बोधौ
नौकां जडिमविपिने
पावकशिखां
प्रणम्रेन्द्रादीनामधिमुकुटमुत्तंसकलिकाम्।
जगत्तापज्योत्स्नामकृतकवचः
पञ्जरपुटे
शुकस्त्रीं
कामाक्ष्या मनसि
कलये पादयुगलीम्
॥४९॥
The lotus feet of Kamakshi are the boat
for crossing the ocean of this samsara
They are like fire in the forest of dullness.  They are the head ornament of Indra and other
celestials who bow down at them.  They
are like the moonlight for the heat (misery) of the worlds. They are like the
female parrot in the cage which is not closed.  
 
परात्मप्राकाश्यप्रतिफलनचुञ्चुःप्रणमतां
मनोज्ञस्त्वत्पादो
मणिमुकुरमुद्रां कलयते।
यदीयां
कामाक्षि प्रकृतिमसृणाः
शोधकदशां
विधातुं
चेष्टन्ते बलरिपुवधूटीकचभराः
॥५०॥
O Kamakshi! Your pretty feet act as a mirror of diamonds capable of
reflecting the effulgence of the Paratman (Higher Self) for those who prostrate before you.  It seems as if the naturally soft hair on the heads of celestial damsels tries to wipe this mirror clean, as they bow down at Your feet. 

Sri P R Ramamurthy Ji was the author of this website. When he started this website in 2009, he was in his eighties. He was able to publish such a great number of posts in limited time of 4 years. We appreciate his enthusiasm for Sanskrit Literature. Authors story in his own words : http://ramamurthypr1931.blogspot.com/

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