Prayer to Kothanoor Kalai magal(Prayer to Saraswathi in Tamil)

Prayer to Kothanoor Kalai magal

By

Smt.Soundara  Kailasam

Translated by   

P.R.Ramachander

(Koothanur which   is in the village of Poonthotam  in  THiruvarur   district  of  Tamil Nadu  has a great temple which is dedicated to Goddess  Saraswathi on the banks of river  Arasalaru. It is perhaps the only temple in India   where the main deity is Goddess  Saraswathi. She has a pretty three eyed form   sitting with one leg folded in the Yogasana patern. Anothere speciality is that   she  does not hold a Veena in her hands.She is seated on a wg hite lotus  , holding  a book made of palm leaves and An Akshamala(Rosary) in her hands,.  It is believed that   she grants knowledge , intelligence   and welfare to all  her devotees. Thousands of people come to her temple to start  Aksharabhyasa(to start learning) to this temple . Others come here   with mentally retarded children and pray the goddess   to  make them alright. Normally devotes buy pens and  get it worshipped before her and take them  back home to be used by their children.

      The poet who wrote this prayer is Smt.Soundara  Kailasam   who is a great poetess    and n mother in law of   the former home minister  P.Chidambaram  .She passed away in 2010 at the age  of 83.)

1.Nan mugan konda  naavile  veethiruppai,

Vaan pugazh  Kamban chonna  vaakile  oli padaippai  ,

Then thamizh   koothan   cheitha chirantha   nar kovil kolvai  ,

Menmaigal kodi choozha   vizhainthu nee  varamum   eevai.

1.You would sit on the toungue  of the  four headed  Brahma  ,

You would   create light in  the words of Kamban,  whose fame rose up to the sky,

You would make your own the temple   built by   the honey like poet Otta  Koothan,

And surrounded by crores of greatness , you would also willingly give boons.

2.Perum kavi  Otta koothan perinai thangi nirkkum,

Arum pathi   athanil thangi   arivoli  yengum  nalgum,

Karumbinai otha   engal kalaimagal thaane  , Unnai,

Virumbiye  vanagukindrom  , vethigal  tharuvai Amma.

2.Oh  sugarcane like daughter  of arts  who  lives ,

In the great town having the name  of the h great poet Otta koothan,

We salute you  willingly  , please  grant  us victories.

3.Arikari yendre othi  arasalaar   yezhil kuvikka,

Viri viri  yendre nitham  vilaivinai   nilam virikka,

Yeri yeri yendru  makkal   irulinai yerithirukka,

SAi sari yendru kaakum  Saraswathi thaye  Pothri.

3,With Arasal river making   sounds ari kari  and piling up of prettiness,

With fields  spreading and spreading   and increasing yields ,

With people repeating burn , burn and   destroying the   darkness ,

Oh mother  Saraswathi   who protects us chanting “yes, yes” , I salute you.

4.Karangalil  kalasam  vedam  kavin jepa malayodu  ,

Nirambiya   jnana muthirai   nerthiyai  vilakkam katta,

Aravinda malarin mele   arul mukham  kizhakku nokka.

Karum jada  mudiyum   thangi karunayodu  amarmthiruppai.

4,Holding a   pot , pretty   rosary   and,

Showing  properly  the complete seal  of wisdom ,

Along with  jet black hair   you would be sitting,

On the lotus flower    showing  great  mercy.

5.Nal  vithai vadanamaga  , naan marai karangalaaga,

Chollidum yen yezhuthu   thulangidum   kankalaaka,

Melliya keerthangal   vilangidum   thanangalaaka,

Nallara  smrithi   undran  nadu  vayirenavum kondaai.

5.With good knowledge as her face  , with the four Vedas   as her hands,

With the letters and numbers that we say  as her shining eyes,

With   the    sweet songs    becoming    her breasts  ,

And the Vedas which teach Dharma  as her   belly.

6,Bhoothalam  poththi cheyyum  puranangal , ithihasangal  ,

Padangalaka  kondu   parellam  bhavani povaai,

Geethangal  isaikkum  yaazhai  kilarthidum  omkarathil,

Nadangal   thamai parappi   nallulakanaithum   aalvai,

6.Making  the  epics and works of literature praised,

By all the world as your legs you   would move around the world,

And   after spreading the  musical notes  on the sound Om,

Which arises from the  Yaazh  singing songs, you would  rule the  world.

7.Kachapi yenum  veenai kalippudan   isaithiruppai,

NIchayam un nenjil  ninaippavar  vaazvil  nitham,

Achamum  azhivum indri   , aathralum arivumyeithi  ,

Ucha nan  nilayai   yetta  ulagathu  nee   arulvai  Vani.

7.Playing your Veena Kachapi  , you would remain happy,

And definitely in the  heart of those who  remember you  daily  ,

You would remove fear and destruction  and create capability and wisdom,

And Oh Vani  you would bless  them to reach  great good positions.

8.Kayyile   thaangukindra   kamandaluthulla   neerai,

Poyyaru dharbai pullal  punithamai thelithu  , theemai,

Cheithidum  pagaivar  veezha cheithu   nee indha  vayyam,

Uyvura   arulkindaraai  , un  kazhal   Saranam  devi.

8.After  sprinkiling auspicious water   in the sacred water pot  ,

Using  the Durba grass   which cuts off all lies , you would,

Make fall the enemies   who do evil  and  you are ,

Ruling the entire earth so that  it would improve , Oh Goddess I surrender at your feet.

9.Akilathu mandirangal anaithukkum  neeye annai ,

Magimai cher  iymbathu ondru   akharangal,

Thakavura  kothu minnum   japa mani  maalai  kondai,

MIga unnai vanangukindrom , menmaikal  cherppai  Abirami.

9.You are  the  mother to all   chants of the  entire world,

OhGoddess who  holds the  rosary   , which is  made,

By properly using the fifty one  alphabets   as beads  ,

We are saluting you greatly  , Oh Abirami  please  add more greatness.

10.Daarani   sarath kalathil   thayunai thozhuthale  ,

Saaaradai   yena  vilangi   saaramam arivai eevaai,

Seeruyar  kalagal thanthu   nikazh kalai  magal nee yendrum  ,

Perarivaliyai   kandu   pirangum  bharathiyum aavai.

10.Oh Darani  , by  saluting    you  mother in the autumn(Sarad),

You would shine in the name of Sarada   and  so  please give me essence of wisdom,

You are always   the  daughter of arts   who gave I us the  very great arts,

And   you would also become Bharathi    who showers on us the great  light of wisdom.

11.Ulagelaam pothrum vannam   , oru thani koil konde <

Kalaimagal   unai kana kanakila   bhakthar  kootam,

Alai kadal  poale  Kothan  Azhagu nalloril koodum,

Vilai yilathendrum  ulla  vithaye    vendi nirkkum.

11.You have occupied a separate   temple , which is praised  by the world,

In the pretty   city  of Otta Koothan  where the crowd of  innumerable devotees,    

Come like  a ocean with waves to see   you who is the Goddess  of arts

Requesting  you   to  grant them   , the gift of  invaluable  knowledge.

12.Ulmanam  nindru  nenjam  urugiye  vananguvorkku,

Nannayam  kodi kodi  naalum  nee  vazhangukindrai  ,

Chinna oar  magavum pesi   chezhumkalai  thiranil onga,

Annai nee   anbinaale  arul vizhi   nookukindrai.

12.To those who  stand  and salute  you  with a melted  mind,

You grant them good things  and luck in crores and crores,

And when a small child  talked and  became great in all arts  ,

You as mother  look at him with  great love with your merciful eyes.

13.Andru nee koothanukkum  , arut  kave vaanarukkum,

Nandrarul   cheithathe  poi  nadiya   yengalukkum,

Yindru arul  puriya vendi  , iru karam  koopukindrom,

Kandrena karuthi   yemmai  kathida varuvai thaaye.

13. At that  time in the past    you gave   your grace  ,

To poet Otta Koothan and   the divine great  poet,

And we salute you   with folded hands   so that  ,

You consider  us as  your calves , shower  your grace on us,

And  oh mother  , please come   to protect us.

14.Thinniya  mei jnanathin  chinnamai   olirukindra ,

Venniram undran   meni  melolir udayum  venmai,

Yenniye  Balaa   unnai  “iym, kleem sau”   yendru odhi,

Nannuvor thamakku  jnanam   nayanthu nee  tharuvai.

14.Your white  form    shines   as the   symbol,

Of  the very great   true knowledge  and your dress  is also white.

Thinking like this Oh Bala  , oh mother   you would give  ,

Divine wisdom to those   who tell “Iym, kleem , Sau “ and approach you.

15.”Hamsa hamsaya Vidmahe  parama  hamsaya  Dheemahi  ,

THanno hamsa  prachodhayaath   santhatham “, ivvarothi ,

Annaye   unathu  thooya   adi malar  vanangukindrom,

Ponnoli  parappi  vaazhum  punniyam vazhangu thaye.

15.”Let me meditate  on her who is like swan riding on a swan  ,

Oh  Divine swan    give me higher   intellect  ,

And illuminate   my mind in the  form of swan always,”

After chanting this  , oh mother   we would salute  your pure feet,

And Oh mother   give us  the blessing to live   spreading the golden night.