Kalidasa's Vara Mangalashtakam

Vara Mangalashtakam
By
Poet Kalidasa
Translated by
P.R.Ramachander
(This prayer is supposed to be chanted before starting any action and not the end of an action. Essentially the prayer requests the blessing of all the greats of our religion to shower their blessings on us. It is supposed to be composed by poet Kalidasa, but is not in the list of Mahakavi Kalidasa’s works. Not only that ,it is more of a statement bereft of any similes and metaphors, casting doubt as to its authorship to him. But it is a great prayer)

Srimath pankaja vishtarou Hariharou,
Vayur Mahendro anala,
Chandro Bhaskara vithapala varuna,
Dharmadhiraja Graha,
Pradhyumno Nalakoobhara sura gaja,
Chinthamani kousthubha,
Swami Sakthidharasthu langala dhara,
Kurvanthu no Mangalam. 1

Let Lord Brahma, Lord Vishnu and Lord Shiva,
Let the God of wind, Indra and god of fire,
Let the Moon god, Sun god, Kubhera and Varuna,
Let the god of Dharma and death and the planets,
Let Pradhyumna, Nala koobhara and the Lord Ganesa,
Let the wish giving gem and he who holds the Shakthi
And he holds the plough, do all that is good to us.

Kubhera is god of wealth, Varuna the God of rain, Pradhyumna the son of Lord Krishna, Nala Khoobara the son of Kubhera, Subramhanya holds Shakthi and Balarama holds the plough

Gowri Sriradhithischa kadru subhaga,
Bhoothi suparnee shubha,
Savithri cha Saraswathi vasumathi,
Droupadryahalya sathi,
SWaha Jambhavathi su rukma bhaginee,
Duswapna vidwamsani,
Vela cha ambunidhe sumena makara,
Kurvanthu no Mangalam. 2

Let Goddess Parvathi, Lakshmi,
The comely Adhithi and Kadru,
Who are like the trees granting welfare,
Savithri, Saraswathi and Vasumathi,
Droupadhi Ahalya and Sathi,
Swaha , Jambhavathi and the sister of Rugmi,
Who all destroy bad dreams,
The sea coast , the treasure of water,
The good Mena and the god of love,
Do all that is good to us.

Adhithi is the mother of all devas, Kadru the mother of all snakes , Savithri and Saraswathi the wives of Brahma, Vasumathi the wife of Lord Vishnu, Swaha the wife of fire God, Jambhavathi the wife of Lord Krishna and daughter of Jambhavan , Rukmani the sister of Rugmi and wife of Lord Krishna and Mena the wife of Himalayas

Netraanaam trithayam Shivam, pasupathe-
Ragnithrayam Pavanam,
Yathad Vishnu pada thrayam Tribhuvanam,
Khyatham cha rama thrayam,
Ganga vaha padhathrayam suvimalam,
Vedathrayam brahmanam,
SAndhyaanaam trithayam Dwijai suvihitham,
Kurvanthu no Mangalam. 3

Let the god Shiva with his three eyes,
Let Pasupathi with his eyes which are three holy fires,
Let Lord Vishnu who with his three feet measured the world,
Let the very famous three Ramas,
Let he who carried the Ganga and took three steps,
Let the three Vedas learned by Brahmins,
And let the holy acts done at dawn, noon and dusk by Dwijas,
Do all that is good to us.

Three Ramas are Parasurama, Rama and Balarama, Shiva carried the ganges, Rik, Yajur and Sama are the three Vedas and dwijas are the twice born.

Aswatho Vata vruksha Chandana tharu,
Mandara kalpa drumou,
Jamboo nimba kadamba chootha sarala,
Vrukshascha yeh ksheerina,
Sarve they phala samyutha prathi dinam,
Vibhrajanam rajathe,
Ramyam chaithra radham cha nandana vanam,
Kurvanthu no Mangalam. 4

Let the banyan, fig tree and sandalwood tree,
Let the flowering coral tree and the wish giving tree,
Let the Jamun, Lime, Kadamba , mango and the pine tree,
Which are the chose ones among trees,
And which daily are fruitful,
And create rules of plenty,
Let the pretty chaithra forest and garden,
Do all that is good to us.

Chaithra radham is a forest on the top of Maha Meru

Valmiki ,Sanaka, Sanandana tharu,
Vyaso, Vasishto, Brugu,
Jabalir Jamadagni , kacha ,Janaka,
Gargo , Angeerasa Gouthama,
Mandathaa, Ruthuparna , Vaina, Sagara,
Dhanyo Dhilipo Nala,
Punyo Dharma sutho Yayathi Nahushou,
Kurvanthu no Mangalam. 5

Let Sages Valmiki, Sanaka and Nandana,
Let sages Vyasa, Vasishta and Bhrugu,
Let Sages Jabali, Jamadagni and father of Kacha,
Let Sages Garga, Angeeras and Gouthama,
Let kings Mandatha, Ruthuparna, Vaina and Sagara,
Let the blessed kings Dileepa and Nala,
And let the great kings Yayathi and Nakusha,
Do all that is good to us.

These are a list of great sages and great kings of the puranas

Brahma Vedapathi, Shiva pasupathi,
Suryascha Chakshu pathi,
SAkro deva pathi, Yama Pithrupathi,
Skandascha sena pathi,
Yaksho Vithapathi, harischa jagatham,
Vayu pathi praninaam,
Ithyethe pathaya samethya sathatham,
Kurvanthu no Mangalam. 6

Let Brahma , the lord of Vedas,
Let Shiva , the lord of all beings,
Let God sun who is the lord of the eyes,
Let Indra , the lord of all devas,
Let Yama, the lord of all manes,
Let Skanda , the commander in chief,
Let Kubhera , the lord of all riches,
Let Hari, the lord of the universe,
And let God wind the lord of all animals,
Join together daily ,
And do all that is good to us.

Ganga ,Sindhu Saraswathi cha Yamuna,
Godavari, Narmadha,
Kaveri, Sarayur mahendra thanaya,
Charmanwathi vedhika,
Kshipra vethravathi , maha sura nadhee,
Kyatha cha yaa Gandaki,
Poornaa poorna jalai , samudra sahitha,
Kurvanthu no Mangalam. 7

Let the rivers, Ganges, Indus , Saraswathi and Yamuna,
Let the rivers Godavari and Narmada,
Let the rivers Kaveri, Sarayu who is the daughter of Indra,
Let the vedic river Charmavathi,
Let Kshipra and Vethravathi the great river of gods,
Let the very famous Gandaki,
And let the ocean with its completely full water,
Do all that is good to us.

Great rivers of Indian sub continent are listed out.

Lakshmi , kousthubha parijatha kasura,
Danwanthareischandrama,
Gava Kamadugha, sureswara gaja,
Rambhadhi devangana,
Aswa saptha mukha , sudha haridhanu,
Sankho visham cha ambudhe,
Rathnanithi chathurdasa prathi dinam,
Kurvanthu no Mangalam. 8

Let Lakshmi, the gem Kousthubha, the Parijatha tree,
Let Gods Dhanwanthari and Lord Moon,
Let the wish giving cow Kamadhenu and the elephant of Indra,
Let the celestial maidens like Rambha,
Let the horse with seven faces ,nectar and the bow of Vishnu,
Let the conch , the poison and ambrosia,
And let the gems , which are altogether fourteen ,
Daily do all that is good to us.

The asuras and devas churned the ocean of milk for getting nectar and these 14 persons/objects came out of it.

Ihyehath Vara Mangalashtakam,
Paapou cha vidhwamsanam,
Punye samprathi kalidasa kavina,
Vipra prabhandhee krutham,
Ya pratha srunyath samahitha mana,
Nithyam padeth Bhakthiman,
Ganga sagara sangame prathi dinam,
Prapnothyasou Mangalam.

This holy blessed octet of Mangalam,
Which is the destroyer of sins,
Written presently due to blessings by the poet Kalidasa,
A work written for those learned in Vedas,
If heard with devoted attention in the morning,
Daily by the devotee of God,
Would give him blessings equal to,
Taking bath daily in the confluence of Ganges and the sea.