Mayamma
A deeply personal address to Meenakshi: when I call you Mother, will you not speak to me?
| Music | Detail |
|---|---|
| Composer | Syama Sastri |
| Raga | Ahiri |
| Tala | Adi |
| Type | Kriti |
| Language | Telugu |
Lyrics
Pallavi
māyammā yaninē pilacitē māṭlāḍa rādā (nātō) ambā
Anupallavi
nyāyamā (mīnākṣammā) mīnākṣikidi ninnuvinā vērē dikkevarunnāru
Charanam 1
sarasija bhava hari haranuta sulalita nī padapaṅkajamula sthiramani nammiti nammiti nammitini
karuṇa jūḍavē kātyāyani kāḷikā bhavāni paramēśvari sundarēśu rāṇi bālāmbā madhuravāṇi
Charanam 2
vimutajana pāpa vimōcani ō jananī ghana nīlavēṇi vidaḷita dānava maṇḍala śamanī
vanaja lōcanā sudhākarānanā varadāyaki anayamu ninu kōriyunnānammā baṅgāru bommā
Charanam 3
abhayamosagi nannu brōvumu ō varadā niradātavu gadā ambikā biḍḍapai goppaga dayarādā akhilalōka
jananī anātha rakṣaki anēṭi birudu gādā vaibhavamugala śyāmakṛṣṇa sōdari vīra śakti tripurasundari
Meaning
The prayer begins with a question rather than a formal salutation: why does the mother remain silent when her child calls? The singer tells Meenakshi that there is nowhere else to turn. Repeated declarations of trust at her feet alternate with descriptions of her power, beauty and compassion. The final verse asks for freedom from fear and recalls her role as protector of the helpless. The emotional centre is the expectation that universal motherhood must also include care for this individual child.