Saundarya lahari in Tamil
Dr. R. Nagaswamy
The most beautiful stotra work in Sanskrit on Devi is Saundarya Lahari which has at least 36 commentaries and is widely read by Indian people. There are several introductions to the text which give conflicting views about the author and his time. Most of the works however seem to agree that this work was composed by one Sage Puṣpadanta and Ādi Saṅkarachārya, the advaita exponent. According to the legendary accounts the work was in the Himalayas where Lord Śiva was residing and that sage Puṣpadanta wrote the work. Appreciating the beauty and content of the verses the saint Gauḍapāda the celebrated teacher (of Saṅkara's teacher Govinda bhagavadpāda), committed the whole to memeory and taught the same to Saṅkara. The work is divided into two parts; the first part consisting of 41 verses was called Ānandalahari and the second part consisting of 59 verses called Saundarya Lahari. According to some account the second half of the work namely the Saundarya Lahari was written by Ādi Saṅkaracharya. There seems to be no critical edition of the text collating manuscripts and also the accounts are all based on mythical accounts.
It seems to us that there is one source which has not been fully exploited to study some authentic information. The source is a beautiful Tamil translation of the whole work written by one Kavirāja pandita of Vīrai who is said to have lived five hundred years ago. The village Vīrai from which the poet came is identified with one Vīravanallur in south Pāṇdinādu though there is no definte evidence for such an identification. There is a beautiful commentary on this Tamil work by one śiva ellappa nāvalar who lived around the late 18th cent. The commentary is remarkable for it gives each verse, its meaning its poetic content and its embellishments. Interestingly the text has been published as early as 1800 when the printing was introdued for the first time showing its popularity.
This Tamil version has a biographical introduction by the translator who gives the mythical origin and later how it came to be translated. The first verse starts with a salutation to lord Gaṇapati but it does not say that Gaṇapati wrote this on the Himalayan mountain as mentioned in some texts. In the second verse it says that Goddess Sarasvati showed Lord Śiva about her works which are said to be her own compositions. Śiva smiled and directed her to see the slope of the Himalayas where an everlasting treasure remains inscribed. And she saw this composition inscribed by sage Puṣpadanta. Later Saint Gaudapāda appreciating its beauty and content memorized the whole composition and later taught this to Saṅkara māmuni who wrote the same for the benefit of the entire world.
அரன் கயிலைப் புறத்து எழுதப்படு நூலை
அருந்தவத்துப் புட்பதந்தன்
பரந்த வடவரை அழுத்த அதைக் கவுட
பாதர் உளம்பதித்து முற்றும்
தரம் பெறு சொல் அமுது எனப் பின் சங்கரமா
முனிக்கு அருள அந்த மேகம்
சுரந்து உலகில் வாடும் உயிர்ப் பயிர் தழைப்பச்
சொரிந்தது எனச் சொல்வர் நல்லோர்
According to this account the whole composition was written by Puṣpadanta, and Saṅkara wrote it as he learnt from Gaudapāda. There is no mention in the Tamil work that Puṣpadanta wrote the first 41 verses and that Saṅkara wrote the second half named Soundrya Lahari. As it is known the first writer was Puṣpadanta and if he had written only the first part then it would mean that he wrote only the Ānadalahari and not the second part which was written by Saṅkara. which also means that Gaudapāda learnt only the first part consisting of Ānandalahari. In verse 74 there is a reference to one Dravida sisu who obtained the blessing of the Goddess and composed great poems. Some commenators state that "draviḍa śisu" mentioned is none other than Saṅkara himself. This Translator in Tamil specifically mentions that the the child who had the blessings of the Goddess is the Kauṇḍinya from Śīrkāḻi, which is a direct reference to Thirujñāna-sambandar, the first of the Śaiva Tevaram saints from Tamilnad. The Tamil version carries in the colophon the story of the Śaiva saint Sundaramurthi being made his slave by Lord Śiva. Evidently the "Soundarya lahari" reflects the Tamil Traidition.
Regarding the translation we are on a better ground. This work is categorical that it was translated by one Kaviraja Panditan of Virai. It says one Brhamadarayan rendered the meaning of each werse and Kaviraja translated them on that basis. So it is a joint work though the actual translation is that of Kaviraja. Also gives his name at one place as 'Kanalvil vel' which means he had the name of Manmatha and probably the name would have been Madana-vel. Here the Tamil work gives some important clues as to its date. It refers to a King "Rajaraja Mannan" and "Mannavar mannar". Varodaya and the Brahmadarayan probably was his officer. It was the during the Chola rule that this title for Brahmin high ranking officers was very popular. We have one Chola king who had the name Vara Rajaraja who was the builder of the Darasuram temple. He ruled in the middle of the 12th cent. He established a suburb of modern Kumbakonam as the capital, named after him as Rajaraja-puri. He had many titles 'Varodayan', 'Mannar Mannan' and so on. In his court was a famous poet named Oddakkuttan, who was also called Gauda-kavi. He composed two groups of poems one called Ulās, a victorious procession and the other a great dance drama called 'Dakka yaga barani' in which he made the Presiding diety, Siva of the Darasuram temple as the lord who sent Virabhadra to destroy the Sacrifice of Daksha. Though it forms the subject of a Puranic theme of "Daksha yajña samhāra", it was used to extol the greatness of the Chola Rajaraja, the builder of the temple, his conquests and achievements and contributions. In this text the poet gives him the title Varodayan. Ottakkuttan was called in this dance drama "Kavi-chakravarti". In his Royal pedigree the king Rajaraja mentions one Kavirāja. It is not unlikely that the poet who translated the Soundarya lahari into tamil, was a poet under him. The village, Virai could be a contraction of any village, named Vira and there were many villages in the Chola land called Vira-cholanallur, or Vira-choalpuram and possibly that contracted to Virai. The coincidence of the name of the king as Rajaraja mannan, and Varodayan in this Tamil translation of Saundrya lahari certainly points to the close connection with Chola court.
It may also be remembered that it was the time when Tantric cult emanated predominantly in Tamilland. For example the Dakkayaga-barani of Ottakkuttan on Darasuram temple is a Sakta work per excellance for it extols the Goddess as the Supreme godhood. That work says it was based on Yoga yamala Text which is an excellent Sakta work. Interestingly the Tamil Translation of Saundarya lahari also the extols the greatness Yamala tantram in more than two verses.. As Ottakkuttan the author of Dakka-yaga-barani who adorned the court of Rajaraja chola II, was a Gauda kavi the connection between Bengal and Tamilnadu is well founded. There could be no doubt that the Tamil version of Saundarya lahari belongs to the age of the Cholas 12th cent. That would make the translation as one of the most ancient translation in a regional language from Sanskrit and the historical data provided may be very early about the authorship of this poem.
இன்ன தன்மைய நூலினைக் கவி
ராசராச வரோதய
மன்னன் நம் பிரமாதராயன்
வடித்து அரும்பொருள் கூறவே
கன்னல் அம்சிலை வேள் எனுங் கவி
ராசபண்டிதன் வீரையான்
சொல் நயம்பெறு காவியக்கவி
சொல்ல என்று தொடங்குவான்
Kaviraja, the translator of Saundarya lahari, calls tha Tamil version as 'Abhirami padal' meaning that the poem is on Goddess Abhirami. Here we may mention that a poem "Abhirami Antati" in Tamil is one of the most beautiful original composition by Abhirami Bhattar on the Goddess of Thiru-Kadaiyur. This composition shows what a tremendous mastery of Tamil words and their use in appropriate places with a swaying musical quality. The Tamil people are enchanted by the Abhirami antati and remain spell bound when it is sung. The author is dated to the beginning of 18th cent , A careful comparative study of Abhirami antati by Abhirami bhattar and the Soundarylahari in Tamil by Kaviraja panditar would immediately suggest an the Antati was inspired by the Saundarya lahari in Tamil. I have already mentioned that Kaviraja calls his Saundarya lahari as 'Abhirami padal'. The Antati follows the Saundarya lahari in Tamil in its diction and format.Kaviraja has used the following words to denote the Goddess which are almost his oft repeated word Ammae, Amalai,Vimalai, kamalai, Vani, Umai, Mayil, Kompe etc. He also mentions that the Tamil work was a Yamalam in verses 3, 98 and 102 at another place he calls his work Yoga Yamalam. Kaviraja also calls his work "Amuda kavi" "Poem of Nectar", I have also mentioned that Kaviraja was in the Court of the Chola where Ottakkuttan also flourished. Kaviraja seems to have been inspired by Ottakkuttan's Takkayagabarami. All these three poems are great contribution to Sakti worship in Tamil nad. While Bhattar was free to compose his poems freely withour any fetters, Kaviraja had to limit himself to the original Saoundarya lahari in Sanskrit. But inspite this limitation that he achieved admirable success shows that he was indeed a Kaviraja. i.e king among Poets.. Kaviraja at another place calls his work Kaviyak-kavi Beautiful Poem, in tune with the Sanskrit name 'Saundarya lahari'. The following verses of Kaviraja in Tamil Translation of Saundarya lahar are of excellent examples of his poetic talents 2,4,13,16,17,18,25,29,31,34,48. There are many other points that requires detailed study. It is also necessary to study the commentary of Saiva Ellappa navalar on this Tamil version of Saundarya lahari.
It becomes necessary to make a thorough study of these Devi poems in Tamil. There is already is a very good study of Abhirami antati by Dr Devaki Muthiah ammai. A detailed study in this direction might be of great use for the religious history.