Raksha Pettare
From Sahityam
[edit] Lyrics
[edit] Pallavi
1rakSa peTTarE doraku Show Details | Let’s apply auspicious mark to ward off evil to the Lord. |
[edit] Anupallavi
vakSa sthalamuna velayu Show DetailslakSmI ramaNuniki 2sAya (rakSa) | To the beloved of Lakshmi – who shines in His chest, let’s apply auspicious mark to ward off evil at dusk. |
[edit] Charanam
sItA karamunu paTTi celagina doraku Show DetailsvAtAtmajuniki 3ceyi vazamaina doraku puruhUtAdula rakSimpa 4bAhujuDaina doraku saGgIta priya tyAgarAja gEyuDaina dorakaizvarya5 (rakSa) | (a) To the Lord who shines as consort of Sita, (b) to the Lord who is in the control of Anjaneya – mind-born of Wind God, (c) to the Lord who became a king in order to protect Indra and others, (d) to the Lord who is fond of music, and (e) who is sung about by this Tyagaraja, let’s apply auspicious mark for His prosperity to ward off evil. |
[edit] Variations
- 1rakSa peTTarE doraku – rakSa peTTarE doraku rakSa peTTarE
- 2sAya – jaya : sAya - is the appropriate word.
[edit] References
- 3ceyi vazamaina – a true devotee can bind the Lord – there are many such instances – Sahadeva binding Krishna is one such example; that is why Sri Tyagaraja states that the Lord is in the control of Anjaneya.
- The following assurance of Lord from Srimad-Bhagavad-Gita, Chapter 9 is relevant –
-
ananyAzcintantO mAM yE janA: paryupAsatE |
tESAM nityAbhiyuktAnAM yOgakSEmaM vahAmyahaM || 22 ||- “Persons who, meditating on Me as non-separate, worship Me in all beings, to them thus ever zealously engaged, I carry what they lack and preserve what they already have.”
- Notes – ‘I carry etc’. Because while other devotees work for their own gain and safety, those who do not see anything as separate from themselves, do not do so; they even do not cherish a desire for life; so the Lord secures to them gain and safety. (Translation and Notes by Swami Swarupananda)
- 4bAhuja – literally this means ‘arm-born’; the warrior (Kshatriya) race is stated to sprung up from the arms of the Lord – Please refer to Purusha Suktam [Purusha Suktam]
-
brAhmaNO asya mukhamAsIt | bAhU rAjanya: kRta: |
Uru tadasya yad vaizya | padbhyAM zUdrO ajAyata || 13 ||- “The Brahmin was the mouth and Rajanya, the warrior-princes were both arms, His thighs became Vaisya and His feet became Sudra.”
- 5aizvarya – prosperity or wealth. It is believed that there are eight kinds of these (aSThaizvarya), but there seems to be no uniform definition as to what these eight are.
- In Tamil (Internet) Dictionary, these are given as – dominion, off-spring, relations, gold, gems, grains, conveyance and attendants. Wives, cows and long-life are mentioned in lieu of some of these.
- In Monier’s Sanskrit Dictionary, the state of being mighty Lord which includes sovereignty, supremacy, power, sway, dominion, super-human powers etc are mentioned. Also, such powers as vision, audition, cogitation, discrimination, and omniscience; and of active powers such as swiftness of thought, power of assuming forms at will, and faculty of expatiation.
- Eight kinds of Siddhis – Anima etc are also considered as aSThaizvarya.
[edit] Commentary
- 1rAkSa – this is one of the activities performed at regular intervals by mothers to their children (and to newly-wed couples or at any other auspicious occasions like house-warming ceremony etc) to ward off evil (eye) and to bring prosperity. It is generally applied on the fore-head. This is done after a harathi with water mixed with turmeric. harati with a smouldering worn-out broom-stick is also made. Sacred ash is also applied as Raksha. After Homa, the ashes of sacred fire mixed with water or ghee is applied on the fore-head. Raksha is some-times worn at the wrist – Raksha Bandhan (North India) and Garuda Panchami (South India) performed by sisters for long-life of their brothers. Karva chaut (North India), Karadaiyan Nonbu (Tamil Nadu) and Naga Pancjami (South India) performed by wives for the long-life of their husbands is also a Raksha. Raksha is also worn as amulet either on the upper arm or as attachment to chain. A black-mark with anjana (colliriyum) is applied on the cheeks of babies against evil-eye. The tilaka worn by girls is sometimes applied a little off-centre as a Raksha.
- 2sAya rakSa – performed at time of evening twilight (Sandhya) in Tamizh it is called 'Andikkappu’. Please visit the website for complete explanation about how Periyazhvar also sang of ‘Saya Raksha’, assuming himself to be Yasoda - [Andikkappu]
- For all the ten Pasurams of ‘Andikkappu’, please visit site – [Andikkappu - English version]
- For original Tamil version, please visit website – [(Page 33) Andikkapuu - Tamil]
