abhayAmbA jagadambA

kalyANi Adi dIkSitar saMskRta kRti

Sahityam

Pallavi

abhayAmbA jagadambA rakSatu
AtmarUpa pratibimbA madambA

May Goddess Abhayamba, the mother of the universe protect me, the one who is a reflection of the supreme self, the one who is my mother.

Anupallavi

ibhavadana zrIguruguha jananI
IzamAyUranAtha1,2 raJjanI
(madhyama kAla sAhityam)
abhayavaradapANI alivENI AzritamAvANI kalyANI³

Show Word Meanings

The mother of the elephant faced(Lord GaNesha), and of the auspicious Lord guruguha, The one who delights Lord Mayuranatha, The one whose hands bear the abhaya and varada mudras (palms offering fearlessness and protection)to Her devotees, The one who has dark black tresses resembling the color of bees;The one who is worshipped by lakShmi and sarasvati, The one who is kalyANi, the ever auspicious

Charanam

bhakta nAgaliGga⁴ paripAlinI
bhAsamAna⁵ navaratna mAlinI
vyakta samasta jagadvizAlinI
vyadhikaraNa⁶ haraNa nipuNa zUlinI
rakta zukla mizra prakAzinI⁷
ravi kOTi kOTi saMkAzinI
bhakti⁸ mukti mAnasa nivAsinI
bhAva rAga tALa vizvAsinI
(madhyama kAla sAhityam)
bhukti phalaprada dakSa mRDAnI⁹
bhaktiprada nipuNatara bhavAnI
zakti saMpradAyaka zarvANI
bhukti mukti vitaraNa rudrANI

Show Word Meanings

The one who protected the devotee nAgalinga The one who wears sparkling necklace made of nine gems. The one who illuminated the perceptible universe (dwells in all that is seen); She is shUlini (one holding a trident), the one adept at destroying the dualities The one who shines with a blend of red and while colors; The one who shines like crores and crores of sUrya; The one who resides in the minds of devotees who seek liberation; The one who revels in music filled with bhAva, rAga, and tALA (mood, melody and rhythm) She is mRDAnI, the one who is adept in bestowing various types of enjoyment; She is bhavAnI, the one who is adroit at bequeathing the power of devotion; She is sharvANI, the one who imparts the knowledge of the traditional path of the shakti worship; She is rudrANI, the one who gives worldly pleasures and liberation.

Variations

² mAyUra nAtha - mayUra nAtha
⁸ bhakti mukti mAnasa - bhukti mukti mAnasa

Commentary

’’’ Kshetram - Mayavaram ’''
¹ svarAkSarams -tAra sthAyi ri sa ma corresponding to “Iza mA"yUranAtha adds untold beauty to the anupallavi.
³ kalyANI -A direct incorporation of the rAga mudra while at the same time using yet another name of the Goddess.
⁴ The reference to the devotee nAgaliNga has been a topic which has intrigued many musicologists. There are no stories or folklores showing the Goddess to have protected a devotee by this name. The same devotee has been referred to in the Anandabhairavi krithi abhayAmba nAyaka harisAyaka composed in praise of Lord mAyuranAtha at the same kSetra .
⁵ svarAkSarams -madhya sthAyi sa ma corresponding to bhA"sa mA" .
⁶ vyadhikaraNa -Perception as a distinguishing attribute present in a substratum other than its own, ie in essence , the idea that there are several realities as opposed to The one truth. Hence translated as remover of dualities.
⁷ raktazuklamizraprakAzinI -This is a reference to the concept of caraNa tatvAs . The rakta and zukla caraNAs stand for creation and protection, the mizra for dissolution.Also creation occurs due to the outward dynamism of the effect (rakta) also representing Shakti, the inward directed force (Shiva) and the union of the two which is mizra due to which the unfoldment of the jIva and the universe occurs. This confluence of the red white and the mixed colors and the Goddess as illuminating this is referred in these lines.
⁹ mRDAnI,bhavAnI,sharvANI and rudrANI -All these names are found in lalitA sahasranAmam , thus making this krithi ideal for devi upAsana

References

[http://guruguha.org/wiki/abhayambaJagadamba.html Guruguha Wikipedia]
[http://nadhasudharasa.blogspot.com/2008/01/abhayamba-jagadamba-raksatu-kalyani.html Nadhasudharasa Blog]