Ayyaval's Jambunadhasthakam

Jambunathashtakam
(The octet on the lord of the rose apple)

By

Thiruvisai nallur Sridhara Ayyaval

Translated by

P.R.Ramachander

(Jambunatha or Jambukeswara is Lord Shiva as consecrated in the Temple of Thiruvanaikaval (known as Jambukeswaram in Sanskrit) in the town of Trichinapally of Tamil Nadu. The God is consecrated below the ground level and water keeps on flowing from all directions for all the time of the day. This God is classified as Appu Linga (Water linga).
Sridhara Ayyaval was the son Sri Sridhara Padmanabha who was a high ranking officer in the court of the king of Mysore. But he was spiritually oriented and took his residence in Thiruvisainallur in the banks of river Kaveri. Much more about this great saint can be got from the web site www.geocities.com/sri_ayyaval )

Kaschanajagathaam hethu kapadha kandalitha kumuda jeevathu,
Jayathi jnanamaheendurjanmamruthi klanthi hara Daya bindhu. 1

Let there be victory to that God,
Who by just a drop of his rain of mercy,
Removes the sorrows of birth and death,
And is the cause of this universe,
And carries the moon god on his head.

Sritha bruthi badha pathaaka kalitholpavana nava madodreka,
Akhilaanda mathureka sukhayathwasmaamsthapa pareepaaka. 2

Let us be kept in a pleasant state by him,
Who has taken the oath to help others,
Who gives immense power to the forest of blue lotus,
And who is the result of great prayer of the mother of the universe.


Kaschana karunyajata kamalaakucha kalasa kashana niseetha sara,
Sriman damitha Tripura sritha jambooparisarascha kasthu pura. 3

Let him appear as a shower in my front,
Who used Lord Vishnu who was enthralled,
By the embrace of the Goddess Mahalakshmi,
And controlled the three cities,
And appears as a shower of mercy ,
Below the great rose apple tree.

Samitha smaradava visara ssakraadhyaasaasya sevanaavasra,
Kari vana Ghana bhagyabharo girathumalam mama manassara saphara. 4

Let him remove all the dirt from my mind,
Who controlled the great fire of the God of love,
Who is worshipped by Indra and other Gods,
Who is the great luck of the town of Jambukeswara,*
And is a fish in the holy lake of my mind.

Grahaneekrutha vaikuntam gehitha jamboomaheeroodupakandam,
Divyam kimapyakuntam theja sthadhasmadvanasothkantam. 5

Let that god who is the flame of affection protect me,
Who made Lord Vishnu in the form of Mohini as his,
Who has a temple near the great rose apple tree,
And who is desirous of protecting all of us.

Krutha samana darpa haranam krutha kithara phaneethicharreeradha charanam,
Sakradhi sritha charanam saranam jambudrumanthikabharanam. 6

My salutations are to the God who shines,
As an ornament below the rose apple tree,
Who put an end to the pride of God of death,
Who has the Vedas as wheels of his charriot,
And who is depended upon by Idrea and other devas.


Karunarasa paridhaye karavani nama pranamra sura vidhaye,
Jagad Ananda dhunidhaye jambootharumoola nilaya sannidhaye. 7

I am saluting to that ocean of mercy,
Who stays underneath the rose apple tree,
Who grants us universal happiness,
And who is worshipped by Brahma and other devas.

Kanchana sasi choodalam kante kaalam dhayougha muthkoolam,
Sritha Jambutharu moolam sikshitha kalam bhaje jagan moolam. 8

I worship that root of the entire universe,
Who wears the golden crescent on his head,
Who has a neck of the colour of blue,
Who is death to God of death himself,
And who stays in the root of the rose apple tree.

Ithi Sri Sridharavenkataasarya krutha Jambunadhashtakam sampoornam.

Thus ends the octet on Jambunatha composed by Sri Sridhara Venkatasarya.