Lyrics of "varadaraja ninnu" Song with Meaning

స్వరభూషణి - రూపకం 

వరదరాజ నిన్ను( (నినుఁ) గోరి వచ్చితి మ్రొక్కేరా  || వ || 

సురులు భూసురులు చుట్టి చుట్టి సేవించే         || వ || 

వరగిరి వైకుంఠమట - వర్ణింప( దరముగాదట - ని

ర్జరులను తారకములలో( - జంద్రుడై  మెఱయు(దువట

వర త్యాగరాజనుత - గరుడసేవ జూడ               || వ || 

varadaraaja ninnu( gOri vacchiti mrokkEraa

surulu bhuusurulu chuTTi ChuTTi sEvinchE

varagiri vaikunThamaTa - varNimpa( DaramugaadaTa-ni

rjarulanu taarakamulalO( - jandrudai me~rayuduvaTa

vara tyaagaraajanuta - garuDasEva juuDa

Ninnu (ninu) = you; kori = desiring; vacchiti = have come; mrokkEra = (I) pray to you, salute you;

Surulu = devatas; munulu = the rishis; bhu-surulu = vipras, Brahmin devotees; chutti = going around, circumambulate; sevinche = serve with devotion; 

nirjarulanu = the celestials, devatas; tarakamulalo = among the stars; (among the stars of celestials O Varadaraja, You are like the Moon. Thus You outshine all others with all the splendor)

(A quick detour (digression) here: Tyagaraja shares with us some secrets of "upasana = ఉపాసన". That is in the tradition of bhakti, how do we approach the Lord (Rama)? It could be a flower, a leaf, scented water, uttering His attributes, or simply a physical act or gesture. The most important thing is - right now, at this moment how to focus on Varadaraja and put our total attention on the procession in the precincts of holy temple. 

Earlier I used to think (prematurely without proper exhaustive study) that only Annamacharya composed lyrics with exceptional picturesque imagery – bringing to our eyes the exact scenes with utmost fidelity and detail. I presumed (without scholarly evidence) in a hurry that Tyagayya’s compositions lacked vivid colorful painting of “an incident or scene”. I was utterly wrong; I changed my immature opinion right after this song. Of course, the songs in “Nauka-Charitramu” tucked away in some old cassette box also depict beautiful scenery. 

Now coming to the second stanza (pallavi): For a quick comparison (for those people who never got a chance to visit Kanchi City, TN), the Garuda seva function happens in Tirupati also every year. In the procession primacy is given to Lord Varadaraja. He (i.e., the utsava murti ఉత్సవ మూర్తి ) is ensconced (rather enthroned) in royal attire at the center with all other devatas surrounding on the slowly moving chariot; the car being pulled by Garuda, the celestial carrier of Lord Vishnu. There at the center every perfume (floral scent), light, flowers, offerings, and colors abound. All the other performers take a subordinate role (position) and act accordingly to serve the Lord (Narayana).  The procession proceeds slowly with stops (pauses) in between; there would be attractive glittering dances and chorus singing interspersed with divine chants along the procession. Obviously the composer visited the temple on such a special festive occasion and composed the song, probably extemporaneously on the spot. Here are the links to YouTube videos:

Rendition by Amritha Murali  

Though the song is quite brief with one stanza (pallavi) it captures our attention due to the undulating melody – like the undulating flight of a dove the sound stays vibrating in the air (and in our inner mind) for a long time. The famed temple is worth visiting at least once in a lifetime; luckily our parents visited as part of the pilgrimage to Tirupati. Lord Narayana (other than the peda Venkanna పెద వెంకన్న  at Tirumala) always is more accessible to the devotees, it seems. Of course we have to climb more than twenty steps to enter the main inner Sanctum Sanctorum.

If I may, I will conclude my comments with an observation thus: In our obscure yet modest vibrant village there were a number of temple processions. Often they used bring the "utsava murthis" on a cart drawn either by people or ox during the night, usually after 9 or 10 pm. The nights used to be a bit cooler then. Our mother would wake us up from deep sleep and we would go into the street with a platter full of rice, jaggery, turmeric, kumkum, and some flowers. With some luck mother would put a few rupees as a small token of "gratitude" to the priest. With half closed eyes we would stretch our necks to get a glimpse of our local "Venugopala Swamy" (or Siva) seated on the cart. Those little innocent acts of devotion taught us very invaluable insights into bhakti, tradition, and faith. For the young it is very important to put some reserve account in ones spiritual account; preferably it should start very early in life. Later the "peer pressure" and other worldly influences would interfere in spiritual growth. By sheer grace this post was completed at the auspicious eve of Janmashtami (Lord Krishna's birth).

Copyright 2026 by the author. 

Lyrics of "jaya jaya vaishnavi" Song

జయ జయ వైష్ణవి దుర్గే (అంబ) జయ జయ కల్పిత సర్గే
 జయ జయ తోషిత భర్గే (అంబ) జయ జయ కుచ జిత దుర్గే  

1. శ్రీకర సద్గుణ జాలే (అంబ) సిందూర  రంజిత ఫాలే 
పాకశాసన మణి నీలే (అంబ) ప్రాలేయ భూధర బాలే 

2. పాలిత కిసలయ చాపే (అంబ) పార్వతి లోకైక దీపే 
కాళిక కోమల రూపే (అంబ) ఖండిత త్రిభువన తాపే 

3. భక్త జనామర భూజే (అంబ) భాసిత లోక సమాజే 
రక్త మృదుల పాదాంభోజే (అంబ) రంగ దుత్తుంగ వక్షోజే 

4. శంకరి సత్కృపా పూరే (అంబ) సంభృత సన్మణి హారే 
సాంక వలిప్త శరీరే (అంబ) సంగ తాంగ కేయూరే 

5. వీణా వినోదిని గిరిజే (అంబ) విద్రుమ మణి సన్నిభ గిరిజే 
మానిత లోకసమాజే (అంబ) మదన గోపాలక సహజే 

jaya jaya vaishNavi durgae (aMba) jaya jaya kalpita sargae

jaya jaya tOshita bhargae (aMba) jaya jaya kucha jita durgae 

1. Sreekara sadguNa jaalae (aMba) siMdoora ramjita phaalae 
paakaSaasana maNi neelae (aMba) praalaeya bhoodharabaalae 

2. paalita kisalaya chaapae (aMba) paarvati lOkaika deepae 
kaaLika kOmala roopae (aMba) khaMDita tribhuvana taapae 

3. bhakta janaamara bhoojae (aMba) bhaasita lOka samaajae 
rakta mRdula paadaaMbhOjae (aMba) raMga duttuMga vakshOjae 

4. SaMkari satkRpaa poorae (aMba) saMbhRta sanmaNi haarae 
saaMka valipta Sareerae (aMba)  saMga taaMga kaeyoorae 

5. veeNaa vinOdini girijae (aMba)  vidruma maNi sannibha girijae 
maanita lOkasamaajae (aMba) madana gOpaalaka sahajae 

Sarge = creation, swarga; jalE = web, crown; phalE = forehead;

bhujE = kalpa-taruvu, a celestial tree that readily gives boons; 

(It gives me great pleasure to write about this extraordinary composer, Sri Narayana Tirthulu. His origins trace to Andhra Pradesh but he left his footprints across India from Varanasi to a village in Tamil Nadu. If my memory is correct I remember seeing such dance ballet compositions on the stage in my village. We used to have a small ashram run by two ascetic sanyasinis (సన్యాసిని, యోగిని, తపస్విని)  nestled beautifully next to the agricultural feeder canal. The ladies would pick pitchers of fresh water from the canal during early morning hours - thus preserving their spiritual purity, inner chanting, and solemn meditation. They would train the local high school girls in music and dance. Narayana Tirthulu's compositions are quite well known much of south India and Varanasi. There are several versions of this song on the Internet at :YouTube. I liked the voice of Sri Voleti Venkateswarlu and his tune. Here is the link: 

Audio Song Voleti

 I may have to visit this song in detail again sometime to explore its profound meaning. The Devi in Vijayawada comes to my mind while learning this song. In Telugu we fondly refer to this composer as "నారాయణ తీర్థులు". That "lu" is a honorific ending, it means "Sri Narayana Tirtha Sir". Certainly he deserves all the respect. Once the Devi or Lord Krishna appeared to him and fed him "పాయసము" (sweet rice pudding).  It happened when he had to lock himself in a room and avoided contact with the public - thus shunning even the daily alms seeking. Lord Krishna helps his devotees in mysterious ways, no doubt. That was his word in the Gita.) Copyright 2026 by the author

Reflections and Retrospective (Of a Blogger)

Reflections and Retrospective (Of a Blogger)

It is not for want of ideas or topics that I am writing this post. Purely I want to take a little break from all the noise of current wars, the lingering aftereffects of Covid pandemic (ex: children’s falling school grades), and the food shortage, etc.. At times it seems appealing to wade into controversial topics (ex: politics, religion) but one can get stuck in the muck of the moment and lose the larger picture of life. Any way there is no point in getting the blood pressure up and losing mental equanimity over the price of milk, gas, fad (the Zeitgeist, a fancier word) of the moment (ex: AI, Artificial Intelligence), or the ubiquitous temperamental weather. 

Years ago I started blogging on poetry, Telugu literature, Carnatic music, science, and gardening. There were some miscellaneous topics like bodily upkeep too. The articles were mostly non-controversial and they helped me polish my writing (communication) skills and share some hidden beauty in (500 year old) ancient musical compositions and nature. That the blogs cumulatively attracted more than a million (~1,000 k) page views speaks some thing about the sites’ durability and continued interest among its readers. And the readers are scattered all over the world; bulk of the visitors are from US and India with a smattering of page views from Canada or Australia. Occasionally a dance student or Carnatic music fan requested for the lyrics of a rare Kshetrayya padamu or the meaning of a popular Ramadasu kirtana. I’ve always acceded to such requests and posted the musical pieces on my site. All this work I assiduously did with care within my time constraints and without any reward per se (except a pair of pearl earrings!); I simply considered this as part of paying tribute to my homeland, teachers, and family. To my surprise some of the articles have withstood the test of time and they turned out into a set of “benchmark critical essays”. Whether any of these posts influences the Indian youth (or contemporary Telugu generation) – I cannot comment. Literary or musical interests do not rub on everybody easily; it does not matter whether they are of highbrow or lowbrow type. Some get it and some don’t – that’s the beauty of life. Hobbies, i.e., non-monetary idle diversions – ideally they should be honed during the prime of life, if they have to be of any help or lasting value in life. 

So like the little sparrow (see a Puranic story about Garuda) on the sandy beach, I’ve kept on writing, adding attractive nature photos, several original Telugu compositions, and a few exploring pieces on the timeless ancient Sanatana faith (dharma). Through these writings I too have benefited. It sharpened my abilities in observation, expression, translation, science, and arts. Here, at this juncture I just want to express my thanks to all the visitors, the random browsers, and keen readers of both the websites: Google and Sulekha. Though I do not know the readers personally, though I’ve not seen any of them personally like many authors I feel a special kinship with all of them. One may consider such a relation as purely a figment of imagination, but then the conscious world is not the only tangible worldly thing in this universe. I am sure a Viswanatha or Tagore would agree, even Adi Sankara will nod in unison! Like pure aural music this mode of communication works wonders only through words, sentences, and passages; it is shorn of all other glitzy bling-bling as in a video clip or reel. The early morning chirping bird catches our attention though it is invisible and far away tucked in the branches; yet occasionally a flying pileated woodpecker or blue jay betrays its identity through a raucous screechy call. Copyright 2026 by the author

The Reception Hall (Short Story)

The Reception Hall (A tete-a-tete)

There I was in front of another patient in the reception room. I had to while away forty minutes waiting. This was before the Corona virus pandemic and so we could chitchat without the masks and all that hoopla. Of course, the privacy regulations of healthcare (HIPPA) were in force already.

“Hi, how are you? Are you too waiting for the physical therapy?”

“I am alright. My daughter is getting the therapy. Actually first I’ve to get spinal surgery done and then follow it up with post operative PT.”

“Your daughter, she must be young?”

“Yea, she is young but with modern computer screens, etc., they develop neck or shoulder pains quickly. And that’s why she is getting some massage and exercise.”

“You must be from here, I suppose. I mean locally from Fayetteville, this part of Finger Lakes.”

“I am and I am not. Originally I graduated from here, studied Environmental Science. Got a job and married and all that. Then got separated and now I am trying to connect with my daughter. I left my job here and went to Rochester to live with my parents.”

“You did. Why? What happened?”

“Well my parents both needed home care in their twilight years. First it was my father, he was in wheelchair and needed full time supervision. I did not want to put him in some old age nursing home and leave his fate to careless caregivers. So, I left my job and went to live with them in the Kodak city.”

“Was it difficult for you? Making the decision, the financial burden and daily work.”

“It was. But I had to do it. As parents they did everything for me while growing up. They did without expecting anything from us.”

“But, still you had to do the cooking, cleaning bed, and bath.”

“Yes, father was ok till the last one year or six months. Then he went downhill rapidly, with the loss of bodily functions and memory. I did not mind the work. But slowly I became more understanding. It can happen to anybody. He was a proud father, came up through bootstraps, and he provided us with everything.”

“And then you provided the same care to mother also?”

“Yes. They both were good friends and supported each other. After father’s passing, she barely lived couple of years. But I am fortunate to be with them during their last days.”

“Looks, now you’ve to pick up the pieces. What? How long it has been?”

“Now I will come back here and look for a job after almost six years. This is where I still have a few friends. And most of all I like the peaceful beautiful nature around.”

“Yea, I too am captivated by the clean lakes, the fall colors, and clean air. No complaints about the vibrant nature around. Your work is close to nature, I suppose.”

“We do environmental assessment, its impact by new developments, construction, and the safeguarding of fresh water lakes. We are trying to drastically reduce the use of salt in winter and its spillage into the streams and creeks around.”

“I see. So, I cannot blame the PWD if there is a bit of snow and roads less passable in winter. We just have to cope up with it with less salt. Just learn to drive cautiously, I suppose.”

We’re almost close to our conversation. His last words still ring in my mind and they’re etched forever in memory.

“My parents did the diapers, tolerating my cranky childhood tantrums, fed, and educated me up to college. At least I took care of them in their neediest moments. If I have to do it again, I’ll do it without the slightest twinge.”

So, here is an educated gentleman who put his life on hold to serve elderly parents. Maybe there were some assets involved or it could involve minor obligations for the son. But still in this age who would do it? I’ve seen some families shunting off their decrepit mother or father to the nearest nursing home shirking off familial responsibilities. It is happening now in the Indian subcontinent back home too. 

I think I understand these difficult issues by reading Ramayana (Sravana Kumar) or Panduranga’s life. How mistaken I was! They say every society will be judged finally by the care shown to children and elderly parents. No wonder – the Green Lakes, the intense azure blue skies, and the bountiful apple trees bear a testimony to my friend’s goodness and love towards his parents. As they say, some are always like want, want; and some others know nothing but giving. (To All the wonderful Fathers. Father's Day falls on the third Sunday in June here.) Copyright 2026 by the author

Lucy Gray Poem (Telugu Translation)

Lucy Gray Poem (Telugu Translation)

(This poem was a part of our High School English course. Wordsworth is considered  as one of the giants of nature poetry; he had an almost mystic connection with the natural surroundings, the vibrant outdoor environment, and the flora. He had that uncanny insight into the “soul of nature”. Though we studied his poems (Daffodils, Lucy Gray, Lines Composed A Few Miles  above Tintern Abbey) we did not fully imbibe their beauty, sensitivity, and the silent music beneath the surface. I do not blame our English teachers – they did their best to communicate the poetic essence. But the barrier of a foreign terrain, climate, plants, and linguistic curtain remained in our classrooms. Now having lived in snowy mountains with vast stretches of wetlands for many years and with brief European visits  I’ve developed the perception to appreciate these bygone romantic poets. 

Often on the International Mother Language Day (February 21) or the Andhra Pradesh Formation Day (November 1) I find the urge (pull) to pen a poem, piece, or essay to highlight the beauty of my mother tongue. Here is a much belated effort to make amends. I give the Telugu translation of this unique Wordsworth poem – it pulls at the hearts of parents and children alike. I did not try to follow any prosodic meters; but the reader will glean through some natural sound or rhyme. My sole concern is to bring fidelity to the theme and story of Lucy Gray. I hope both the young and grownups will find this work “poetically interesting” and captivating. Children are the blooms of future; they are the sole custodians of innocence, beauty, and carefreeness. The present chaotic times sorely need the laughter of children. No AI tools were used for this translation)  

లూసీ గ్రే 

1. తరచు విన్నాను లూసీ గ్రే గురించి

అలా అడవుల్లో తిరిగేటప్పుడు 

తెల్లవారు ఝామున 

కనిపించేది ఆ ఒంటరి పిల్ల 

2. నెచ్చలి గాని,  చెలికాడు గాని  

ఎవరు తెలియదు లూసీ కి 

ఓ వెడల్పైన చిత్తడి బీడు మీద ఉండేది 

ఆ ముద్దుల పొన్నారి కుటీరపు ఇల్లు 

3. అల్లా ఎక్కడో జింక పిల్ల ఆడుతూ 

ఆకుల్లో కుందేలు చెవులు కదులుతూ ఉంటాయి 

చూడచ్చు వాటిని ఇప్పటికీ అక్కడ 

కాని మనోహర లూసీ మొగము 

ఎన్నడూ కన్పించదు ఇక   

 

4. “ఈ రేయి గాలివాన, మంచు తుఫాను 

(హిమ గాడ్పు) వస్తుంది,పట్టణానికి వెళ్ళాలి నువ్వు. 

ఆ, లాంతరు తీసుకొని వెళ్ళు అమ్మాయి 

అమ్మకి మంచులో వెలుతురుకి

దారి కనిపించడానికి” 

5. “వెళ్తాను, తండ్రీ ముదముతో

ఇంకా మిట్ట మధ్యాహ్నమే 

గడియారము రెండు కొట్టింది ఇప్పుడే …అదిగో  

చందమామ దూరంలో తొంగి చూస్తోంది”

6. అంటూ, తండ్రి కట్టెల త్రాడు తెంచాడు 

ఎండు కఱ్ఱలని వరుసగా పేర్చాడు 

ఇంతలో లూసీ హరికేన్ లాంతరు

తీసుకొంది చేతులోకి 

7. చడీ చప్పుడు లేకుండా, కొండ మీద జింకలా 

ఎగురుతూ, కాళ్లతో దుమ్ము (బరఫ్) లేపుతూ 

ఓ తెల్ల మేఘాన్ని సృష్టిస్తూ …

8. అనుకోకుండా ముందుగానే వచ్చింది 

ఆ (బరఫ్) తుఫాను

ఆ పిల్ల అటు ఇటు తిరిగింది 

లూసీ ఎక్కింది ఎన్నో కొండలు, ఎన్నో గుట్టలు 

కాని నగరం చేరలేదు  

9. ఆ దురదృష్టపు తల్లితండ్రులు 

తిరిగారు సుదూర ప్రాంతాలికి 

కానీ ఆ నిశ్శబ్దపు కటిక చీకటిలో 

ఎటువైపు పోయేది? దారి ఎటువైపు?

ఎక్కడ వెదికేది?

10. తెల్లవారగానే చూస్తే వాళ్ళు కొండమీదున్నారు 

పైనుంచి చూస్తే ఆ బరఫ్ తో నిండిన

పిండి వెన్నల లాంటి  

తెల్లటి చిత్తడి బీడు దూరంలో కనిపిస్తోంది 

అదిగో అల్లంత దూరంలో - ఉంది ఓ చెక్క వంతెన

వాళ్ళ ఇంటికి రెండు వందల గజాల దూరంలో 

11. భొల్లున ఏడ్చారు - ఇంటివైపు తిరుగుతూ 

విలపిస్తూ దారి పొడుగునా 

“స్వర్గం లో కలుస్తాము మరల” 

అక్కడ బరఫ్ లో లూసీ చిట్టి పాద ముద్రలు 

పసి గట్టింది వాళ్ళ అమ్మ 

12. మరల వాటిని వెంబడిస్తో 

ఆ కొండ దిగువకు జారుతూ 

ఆ పిల్ల అడుగుల వెనకాలే, వాటి వెంట వెళ్తూ 

అంతలో తెగిపోయిన ముళ్ల కంచెలోంచి 

నిడువైన రాతి గోడ ప్రక్కనుంచి 

13. ఆ తర్వాత, వాళ్ళు దాటారు విశాలపు మైదానం 

అవే గుర్తులు, అడుగులు 

వాటి వెంటనే వెళ్లారు, క్రమంలో విడువుకుండా

ఆ వంతెన దగ్గరకు వచ్చారు  

14. అక్కడ (బరఫ్ నిండిన) తెల్లని కాలువ గట్టుపై నడుస్తూ 

ఒకదాని వెంట ఒకదాని అడుగుల వెనకాల 

ఆ చెక్క బల్ల వంతెన మధ్య దాకా …

ఆ తర్వాత పాద ముద్రలు లేవు 

15. ఇప్పటికి ఈ నాటికి అంటారు: 

“ఆ పిల్ల బ్రతికే ఉందని,

ఆ తీయని లూసీ గ్రే 

ఎక్కడో ఆ పొదల్లో ఉందేమో” అని 

16. ఎత్తు పల్లాల్లో ఎగురుతూ 

కేరింతలు కొడుతూ వెళ్తుంది ఆ పిల్ల 

వెనక్కి చూడకుండా 

ఓ నిరాల పాట పాడుతూ 

ఆ ఈల పాట గాలిలో తేలుతూ …

Copyright 2026 by the author

 

  

 

  

 

  

 

  

  

Brittle Dry Leaves (Nature Poem)

Brittle Dry Leaves

There
Yonder just a
Few clusters of
Dried leaves
They hang on the denuded
Maple, walnut, oak, or hawthorn
I can see them through
Our bedroom glass window

Often I wondered
About them
Why still cling on to
The mother tree
In this wintry 
Season
Why?
For the utilitarian
Modern man
They serve no purpose
Normally the tree shuts
Off all fluid during the 
Chilly autumn, then a sudden
Night freeze, a snap
The leaves turn up
Rather, display
Their colorful underwear!
And still keep a loving company
To the mother
These barren trees with dry bark
Barely enough to protect from 
The wind chill –
Enow, this spectacle alone
To trigger the image of “the world’s
Wretched, helpless poverty-stricken
Naked human mass of black hole”
Who talks to these trees?
In this dark cloud covered
Overcast season
In these freezing, frigid
Temperatures, tell me?

No, the world - particularly
The nature is not so
Cruel as we seem to think
The trees get visits from
The wandering deer
The bushy tailed squirrels
The blue jays, chickadees,
The hammering woodpeckers
The crows, doves, and even an 
Intermittent osprey
Even in this dead of winter
But these dried brittle leaves
Talk to the tree
In hushed whispers
As I watch them
I can see the winds
They record every single
Rustle, the slightest movement 
Of wind
No disturbance escapes ’em
They are almost like the
Sensitive tip of an atomic
Force microscope (AFM)
I cannot listen to the 
Whistling wind currents
But I can see each
Passage of aerial currents
They, together with the underneath
Murmuring waterfall
And the happy wooden
Landscape
With a flickering snowy veil
Brings a much needed
Morning cheer to us
The leaves, one may think
Them dead – but they
Are more alive now 
One day they may
Decorate the nest of a
Pregnant red squirrel!
Nay, there is more life
Among those dry
Brittle leaves
Than I can ever think of  

Copyright 2026 by the author

"Minakshi Me Mudam" Song - An Exploration

Mina lochani = One (the Devi) with the eyes of a fish; [There is an interesting story about fish and its children. Similar to the Guru, a fish supports its children with just its looks or gaze. This is true of turtles also (see the Wiki about Olive Ridley Turtles)]. Many think that raising the young or caring for a plant or pet requires direct touch and feeding. Yet in nature life happens and grows on its own, perhaps under the loving gaze of mother Earth or the Mother. 

Many birds feed their young with delicate nutritious food, at times even slightly masticated (or regurgitated) protein rich portions. But the swans are a little different; they guide and watch their babies (cygnets) wander on soft spring grass and nibble the little green shoots. No direct feeding like the cardinal or robin birds. 

Here in this composition Sri Dikshitar simply asked Meenakshi Devi for “indescribable joy”. He begged only for the elusive joy. Many things in the world can be given a name, a meaning, or apt description. But what is joy? This is something like a blob of mercury – if you try to catch it, it slips and rolls away from your hand. Yet we all know (feel) it is there some where, in some form; we come across such descriptions of joy in poetry (Keats line: “A thing of beauty is joy forever”. Also the Telugu song by Samudrala Jr. “andame anandam  అందమె ఆనందం" ) 

Maana matru = respected Mother; matangi = Parvati; mEyE = worth knowing; 

Siva jaye = Lord Siva’s consort, the form of energy, (loosely) companion of Lord Siva. The epithet (jaaye) also connotes a wife who begets children, here in this context (for) Siva. For the entire creation and its peaceful existence the Mother becomes the source of Lord Ganesa and Kumara Swamy (Sri Subrahmanya Swamy). Earlier during the birth of Kumara Swamy She had put an injunction on all the Devas thus: there would be no additional members (offspring) to the Devas, thereby limiting the number of Devas to just thirty-three crores (see Tyagaraja kirtana “endaro mahanubhavulu”). Of course Devas can bless humans or Yakshas and indirectly gift children (ex: Arjuna was born through the blessing of Indra). 

vidhu vidambana vadane = a face that compares or excels the effulgence of Moon.  

One has to make the pilgrimage to the temple town (Madurai) in Tamil Nadu and visit Minakshi Devi. The whole city and its neighborhoods are under the purview of Devi; like Annapurna in Varanasi, here in the south Minakshi keeps a watchful eye on its people, animals, and nature surroundings. From M. S. Subbulakshmi, Madurai Mani Iyer, to Sri Ramana Maharishi many great personalities are associated with Madurai. Minakshi's compassion and benediction are beyond human imagination; Her grace brings peace and much needed relief to the devotees.

Complete lyrics will be given in the next post. Also, the missing stanzas or phrases will be incorporated through editing soon.