Budham Asrayami
A hymn to Budha, associated in the lyric with learning, poetry and a book held in the hand.
| Music | Detail |
|---|---|
| Composer | Muttuswami Dikshitar |
| Raga | Natakuranji |
| Tala | Misra-jati Jhampa |
| Type | Kriti |
| Language | Sanskrit |
Lyrics
Pallavi
budhamāśrayāmi satataṃ
sura vinutaṃ candra tārā sutam
Anupallavi
budha janairvēditaṃ bhūsurairmōditaṃ
madhura kavitā pradaṃ mahanīya sampadam
Charanam
kuṅkuma sama dyutiṃ guru guha mudākṛtiṃ
kuja vairiṇaṃ maṇi makuṭa hāra
kēyūra kaṅkaṇādi dharaṇam
kamanīyatara mithuna kanyādhipaṃ
pustaka karaṃ napuṃsakaṃ
kiṅkara jana mahitaṃ kilbiṣādi rahitaṃ
śaṅkara bhakta hitaṃ sadānanda sahitam
Meaning
The singer seeks refuge in Budha, praised as the child of Chandra and Tara. Learning and verbal beauty stand near the centre of the portrait: wise people recognise him, poetry is his gift, and he carries a book. The later lines include traditional iconographic and astrological attributes alongside devotional praise.
Musical context
Misra Jhampa has ten counts arranged 7 + 1 + 2. It therefore differs in internal shape from the ten-count Matya cycle: equal totals do not mean the hand pattern or musical placement is the same.