jambunāthāṣṭakaṃ By Shri Sridharavenkatesa
This hymn is about Jambunatha as Shiva is known at Jambukeshwaram (known as Tiruvanaikkaval in Tamil), a place of pilgrimage in Tamilnadu. It is on the northern bank of the river Cauvery and 5 K.M. north of Trichy. The temple is one of the largest (having a spread of nearly 18 acres) and historic temples in the country. It dates back to the 13th century and has been visited by the great saivaite saints who had sung hymns on the presiding deity – Lord Shiva in the temple. It seems that the temple was once a forest of jambu trees and there was a Shiva linga under one of the trees. So Shiva came to be known as Jambunatha or Jambukeshwara. This is a Shiva temple associated with one of the five great elements (viz.) water and so called pancha bhoota sthalam (pamca bhuta sthalam). The Shiva lingam in the sanctum is always surrounded by water and so is known as appu lingam (ap for water). The other places where Shiva is worshipped in the form of the great elements are Chidambaram (space), Kalahasthi (air), Tiruvannamalai (fire) and Tiruvarur (earth). The temple is known for the historical inscriptions and magnificent architecture. It suffered damages during the moghul invasion in the 14th century and worship in the temple was disrupted. The temple was restored during the Vijayanagar rule and the worship also revived. The goddess Parvathi in the temple has the name Akilandeshwari. She is said to have meditated on lord Shiva here. Her shrine is very famous and attracts large number of visitors. Adi Shankaracharya is said to have visited the temple and worshipped the Lord and goddess here. Legend. As said earlier the Shiva lingam was under a jambu tree. Two devotees of Shiva were born as a spider and an elephant in the forest due to a curse. Both were regularly worshipping the lord in their own way. The spider would weave a web over the lingam to protect it from the falling leaves.
The elephant brought flowers and water in its trunk for bathing the lingam before offering the flowers. But it would clear off the web the spider has built first. This act angered the spider very much. Soon a fierce fight broke out between the two resulting in the death of both. Pleased with their devotion Lord Shiva appeared before them and blessed them. Since Shiva was worshipped by an elephant (Anai in Tamil) here the place is called Anaikka.
ಜಮ್ಬುನಾಥಾಷ್ಟಕಂ Lyrics in Kannada:
ಕಶ್ಚನ ಜಗತಾಂ ಹೇತುಃ ಕಪರ್ದಕನ್ದಲಿತಕುಮುದಜೀವಾತುಃ ।
ಜಯತಿ ಜ್ಞಾನಮಹೀನ್ದುರ್ಜನ್ಮಮೃತಿಕ್ಲಾಂತಿಹರದಯಾಬಿನ್ದುಃ ॥ 1॥
ಶ್ರಿತಭೃತಿಭದ್ಧಪತಾಕಃ ಕಲಿತೋತ್ಪಲವನನವಮದೋದ್ರೇಕಃ ।
ಅಖಿಲಾಂಡಮಾತುರೇಕಃ ಸುಖಯತ್ವಸ್ಮಾಂಸ್ತಪಃಪರೀಪಾಕಃ ॥ 2॥
ಕಶ್ಚನ ಕಾರುಣ್ಯಝರಃ ಕಮಲಾಕುಚಕಲಶಕಷಣನಿಶಿತಶರಃ ।
ಶ್ರೀಮಾನ್ ದಮಿತತ್ರಿಪುರಃ ಶ್ರಿತಜಂಭೂಪರಿಸರಶ್ಚಕಾಸ್ತು ಪುರಃ ॥ 3॥
ಶಮಿತಸ್ಮರದವವಿಸರಶ್ಶಕ್ರಾದ್ಯಾಶಾಸ್ಯಸೇವನಾವಸರಃ ।
ಕರಿವನಘನಭಾಗ್ಯಭರೋ ಗಿರತು ಮಲಂ ಮಮ ಮನಸ್ಸರಶ್ಶಫರಃ ॥ 4॥
ಗೃಹಿಣೀಕೃತವೈಕುಂಠಂ ಗೇಹಿತಜಂಭೂಮಹೀರುಡುಪಕಂಠಮ್ ।
ದಿವ್ಯಂ ಕಿಮಪ್ಯಕುಂಠಂ ತೇಜಃ ಸ್ತಾದಸ್ಮದವನಸೋತ್ಕಂಠಮ್ ॥ 5॥
ಕೃತಶಮನದರ್ಪಹರಣಂ ಕೃತಕೇತರಫಣಿತಿಚಾರಿರಥಚರಣಮ್ ।
ಶಕ್ರಾದಿಶ್ರಿತಚರಣಂ ಶರಣಂ ಜಂಭೂದ್ರುಮಾಂತಿಕಾಭರಣಮ್ ॥ 6॥
ಕರುಣಾರಸವಾರಿಧಯೇ ಕರವಾಣಿ ನಮಃ ಪ್ರಣಮ್ರಸುರವಿಧಯೇ ।
ಜಗದಾನನ್ದಧುನಿಧಯೇ ಜಂಭೂತರುಮೂಲನಿಲಯಸನ್ನಿಧಯೇ ॥ 7॥
ಕಶ್ಚನ ಶಶಿಚೂಡಾಲಂ ಕಂಠೇಕಾಲಂ ದಯೌಘಮುತ್ಕೂಲಮ್ ।
ಶ್ರಿತಜಂಭೂತರುಮೂಲಂ ಶಿಕ್ಷಿತಕಾಲಂ ಭಜೇ ಜಗನ್ಮೂಲಮ್ ॥ 8॥
॥ ಜಮ್ಬುನಾಥಾಷ್ಟಕಂ ಸಂಪೂರ್ಣಮ್ ॥
Jambunathashtakam Meaning:
Let there be victory to that God,
Who by just a drop of his rain of mercy,
Removes the sorrows of birth and death,
And is the cause of this universe,
And carries the moon god on his head. || 1 ||
Let us be kept in a pleasant state by him,
Who has taken the oath to help others,
Who gives immense power to the forest of blue lotus,
And who is the result of great prayer of the mother of the universe. || 2 ||
Let him appear as a shower in my front,
Who used Lord Vishnu who was enthralled,
By the embrace of the Goddess Mahalakshmi,
And controlled the three cities,
And appears as a shower of mercy,
Below the great rose apple tree. || 3 ||
Let him remove all the dirt from my mind,
Who controlled the great fire of the God of love,
Who is worshipped by Indra and other Gods,
Who is the great luck of the town of Jambukeswara,*
And is a fish in the holy lake of my mind. || 4 ||
Let that god who is the flame of affection protect me,
Who made Lord Vishnu in the form of Mohini as his,
Who has a temple near the great rose apple tree,
And who is desirous of protecting all of us. || 5 ||
My salutations are to the God who shines,
As an ornament below the rose apple tree,
Who put an end to the pride of God of death,
Who has the Vedas as wheels of his charriot,
And who is depended upon by Idrea and other devas. || 6 ||
I am saluting to that ocean of mercy,
Who stays underneath the rose apple tree,
Who grants us universal happiness,
And who is worshipped by Brahma and other devas. || 7 ||
I worship that root of the entire universe,
Who wears the golden crescent on his head,
Who has a neck of the colour of blue,
Who is death to God of death himself,
And who stays in the root of the rose apple tree. || 8 ||