Devi Neeye Thunai

 

Ragam: Keeravani

                ARO: S R2 G2 M1 P D1 N3 S           ||

AVA: S N3 D1 P M1 G2 R2 S           ||

Talam: Adi

Composer: Papanasam Sivan

Version: C V Shankar

 

Pallavi:

Devi Neeye Thunai  (“Amba”) Thenmaduraivaal Meena Lochani

 

Anupallavi:

Devaadi Devan Sundaresan

Chitham Kavar Bhuvana Sundari

 

Charanam:

Malaya Dwajan Madhavame

Kaanchana Maalai Muthalvi Maharagni

Alaimagal Kalaimaghal Pani Keervaani

Amudanaya Iniye Muthamizh Valartthai

 

 

MEANING: (“Courtesy: R Shankar, rasikas.org”)

Oh dEvI with beautiful eyes (“lOcanI”) like a fish (“mIna”), who lives (“vAzh”) in southern (“ten”) mathurA (“madurai”), you (“nIyE”) are my only companion (“tuNai”) in this journey of life.

The most beautiful woman (“sundarI”) in the entire world (“bhuvana”)! You are the one that has captured/ensnared (“kavazh”) the heart (“cittam”) of that Lord (“dEvan”) of the Lords (“dEvAdi”), SrI sundarESvaran (“sundarESan”).

Oh dEvI (“mahArAgnI”)! As the fruit of mighty (“mA”) penance (“tavamE”) [1] performed by the pANDya king, malayadhvajan [2], you appeared/became the daughter (“pudalvi”) of the king, and his queen (“kAncanmAlai”). Oh lady with the speech (“vANI”) of parrots (“kIra”) [3] to whom lakshmI (“alaimagaL”) [4] and sarasvatI (“kalaimagaL”) bow down to (“paNi”), you are the one who nourished (“vaLarta”) the three forms of tamizh (“muttamizh”) [5] that are sweet (“iniya”) like nectar (“amudanaya”).

FOOTNOTES
[1] The childless malayadhvajan and kAncanamAlai perform the putrakAMEshThi yAgam - and a beautiful girl emerges from the sacrificial fire with beautiful fish-shaped eyes. The royal couple adopt her and name her 'aMkayarkaNNI' = aM (“beautiful”) + kayal (“fish”) + kaNNi (“eyed one”) - which in sanskrit is mInAkshI or mInalOcanI. The parents' joy was marred by the fact that they noted an extra nipple on the girl's chest. Just as they begin to worry, they hear a voice from the heavens tell them that when she meets her future husband the nipple will disappear. mInAkshI who is brought up as a warrior princess is crowned 'king' after her father, and she begins to expand her kingdom by successfully fighting wars with other kings, and she finds her way to mount kailAs. After she blows away the Siva gaNas, Siva himself comes to fight the ferocious queen. mInAkshi, who has every intention of winning the encounter, feels her extra nipple disappear when she sets eyes on Siva. Overcome by bashfulness, the suddenly shy queen coyly backs away, overcome by strange and feminine feelings. Siva, recognizing her, informs her that he would come to the pANDya dESam to seek her hand in marriage, and get married to her in madurai. Since malayadhvajan was no more, mInAkshi was 'given away' by vishNu, her brother. A beautiful fresco of the divine wedding with vishNu giving the bride away (“dArai vArttu koDukkiradu”) adorns the temple in madurai
[2] malayadhvaja pANDyan was called so because he had a mountain (“malai”) on his flag/standard (“dhvaja”)
[3] kIravANI - is also the rAga mudra. The speech of the parrot is considered to be pure and true - same as tattai mozhiyAL.
[4] alaimagaL = daughter (“magaL”) of the waves (“alai”), aka, ocean
[5] muttamizh - iyal, iSai, nATakam - madurai is the seat of the sanga tamizh, and the poTRAmarai kuLam - the pond of the golden lotus (“the temple tank”) - served as the arbiter of the literary value of new compositions - compositions were thrown into the pond, and if found worthy, would float back up on the golden lotus. As the pANDya king and queen, sundarESvara and mInAkshI are credited with having nourished the muttamizh

 

Pallavi:

Devi Neeye Thunai  (“Amba”) Thenmaduraivaal Meena Lochani

 

Oh dEvI you (“nIyE”) are my only companion (“tuNai”) in this journey of life.

 

snD         DN          S ;           ; ;            |  ; ;         ; ;            ; ;            , p D        ||

De-          -  -           vi -          - -            - -            - -            - -            Amba

 

snD         DN          S ;           ; ;            |  dS-   s    nd- P     M ;          P  D         ||

De-          -  -           vi -          - -               Nee- ye--  Thu     nai- -     Amba

 

NS           DN          S ;           ; ;            |  d n r-s  nd- P       M ;          ; ;            ||

De-          -  -           vi -          - -               Nee- ye--  Thu     nai- -     - - 

 

… with beautiful eyes (“lOcanI”) like a fish (“mIna”), who lives (“vAzh”) in southern (“ten”) mathurA (“madurai”),

 

mdpm    GR          G ;           M ;          |  P ;        d m- dp  ;  dn       , dn ,       ||

Then- -   Madu     rai           vaal          Mee      na-   Lo-     cha-      ni - -

 

srgr          sndn       S ;           ; ;            |  d n r-s  nd- P       M ;          ;  ;           ||

De-          -  -           vi -          - -               Nee- ye--  Thu     nai- -     - - 

 

gm pd   pm  -gR   G ;           M ;          |  P ;        d m- dp  ;  dn       N ;           ||

Then- -      Madu  rai           vaal          Mee      na-   Lo-     cha-     ni - -

 

srgr          sndn       snsr         , s ;          |  d n r- Srs nD,- P     M ;      ;  ;           ||

De-          -  -           vi -          - -               Nee- ye--      Thu    nai- - - - 

 

gm pd   pm  -gR   Mpm G  M ;          |  sndp    d m- dp  ;  dn       N ;           ||

Then- -      Madu  rai      -   vaal           Mee      na-   Lo-     cha-     ni - -

 

(“srsnD;”)

snD         DN          S ;           ; ;            |  ; ;         ; ;            ; ;            ;  ;           ||

De-          -  -           vi -          - -            - -            - -            - -            - -

 

 

 

Anupallavi:

Devaadi Devan Sundaresan

Chitham Kavar Bhuvana Sundari

 

You are the one that has captured/ensnared (“kavazh”) the heart (“cittam”) of that Lord (“dEvan”) of the Lords (“dEvAdi”), SrI sundarESvaran (“sundarESan”).

 

S g rs  N – S           R , r         ; ;            | ; ;          ; ;            rsS           ; ;            ||

De- vaa-    di         De van    Sun        - -           - -            - - -          - -

 

S g rs  N – S           R , r         ; S           | , r G       gr R         rs S          ; ;            ||

De- vaa-    di         De van    Sun        - -  da     re--          san-        - -

 

n srG rs  N – S       R , r         ; G           | ;  G        gr R         rs S          ; ;            ||

De- vaa-  -    di      De van    Sun        - -  da     re--          san-        - -

 

n srG rs  N – S       R , r         ; G           | ;  gp      mg R      R ;           gs ;          ||

De- vaa-  -    di      De van    Sun        - -  da     re--          san-        - -

 

The most beautiful woman (“sundarI”) in the entire world (“bhuvana”)!

 

S , r         G –    R   snD – D     N R     | ;  sn       D – D       DM    , n S            ||

Chi-         tham Ka var-    Bhu vana   -  Sun     -    da      ri  -     Amba

 

S , sr        G –    R   snD – D     N R     | ;  sn       D – D       DM    , n S            ||

Chi-         tham Ka var-    Bhu vana   -  Sun     -    da      ri  -     Amba

 

srs- r        G –    R   snD – D     N R     | sr sn      D – D       DM    , n S            ||

Chi-         tham Ka var-    Bhu vana    Sun     -    da      ri  -     Amba

 

Charanam:

 

Malaya Dwajan Madhavame

Kaanchana Maalai Muthalvi Maharagni

Alaimagal Kalaimaghal Pani Keervaani

Amudanaya Iniye Muthamizh Valartthai

 

Oh dEvI (“mahArAgnI”)! As the fruit of mighty (“mA”) penance (“tavamE”) [1] performed by the pANDya king, malayadhvajan [2], you appeared/became the daughter (“pudalvi”) of the king, and his queen (“kAncanmAlai”).

 

d   P – m  ; P          M ;          pdpd       | N D       mP ,        ; , g          , rg m      ||

Mala    ya  Dwa   jan          Ma--       dhava   me –       - -            - - -

 

d   P – m  ; P          M ;          pdpd       | N D       mP ,        mdpm    G     rg     ||

Mala    ya  Dwa   jan          Ma--       dhava   me –       Kaa—n   cha na-

 

M;           M- , d     P ;           P – dp     |  D ;        drsn  D  ; P             ; ;            ||

Maa       lai   Mu  thal         vi   Ma      ha-       ra - -         gni          - -

 

Oh lady with the speech (“vANI”) of parrots (“kIra”) [3] to whom lakshmI (“alaimagaL”) [4] and sarasvatI (“kalaimagaL”) bow down to (“paNi”)…

 

 

; ns          , d N        S S           S S         | ; r r        , S n        rgrg         R ;           ||

 Alai        magal   Kalai       maghal     Pani     Kee-       rvaa-      ni

 

; n rsS     - d N       S S           rg rs S    | , pd nsrg – rs S    rgrg         R ;           ||

 Alai        magal   Kalai       maghal     Pani        Kee-     rvaa-      ni

 

you are the one who nourished (“vaLarta”) the three forms of tamizh (“muttamizh”) [5] that are sweet (“iniya”) like nectar (“amudanaya”).

 

; sr           , g R        snD – D   N R       |  ; D        , n D        M –p      D N         ||

Amu       dana      ya--     I    niye        - Mu     thamizh   -  Va     lartthai