Minakshi Stotram

मीनाक्षीस्तोत्रम्

Mīnākṣīstotram

All 8 verses

Verse 1

श्रीविद्ये शिववामभागनिलये श्रीराजराजार्चिते श्रीनाथादिगुरुस्वरूपविभवे चिन्तामणीपीठिके श्रीवाणीगिरिजानुताङ्घ्रिकमले श्रीशाम्भवि श्रीशिवे मध्याह्ने मलयध्वजाधिपसुते मां पाहि मीनाम्बिके ॥१॥

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Editorial Advaita reflection

Word breakdown

श्रीविद्ये शिववामभागनिलये श्रीराजराजार्चिते: O Sri Vidya, dwelling on Shiva's left side, worshipped by the great king.
श्रीनाथादिगुरुस्वरूपविभवे चिन्तामणीपीठिके: Glory of the Guru-forms beginning with Sri Natha, on the wish-fulfilling throne.
श्रीवाणीगिरिजानुताङ्घ्रिकमले श्रीशाम्भवि श्रीशिवे: Lotus feet saluted by Sri, Girija, and Sarasvati, O Shambhavi, O auspicious Shiva.
मध्याह्ने मलयध्वजाधिपसुते मां पाहि मीनाम्बिके: At midday, O daughter of the lord of the Malaya-banner, protect me, O Meenambika.

Meenakshi is praised as Sri Vidya enthroned with Sundaresha, the Guru's own glory. Protection sought at midday is protection sought in the radiant center where Shiva and Shakti are one.

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Verse 2

चक्रस्थेऽचपले चराचरजगन्नाथे जगत्पूजिते आर्तालीवरदे नताभयकरे वक्षोजभारान्विते विद्ये वेदकलापमौलिविदिते विद्युल्लताविग्रहे मातः पूर्णसुधारसार्द्रहृदये मां पाहि मीनाम्बिके ॥२॥

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Editorial Advaita reflection

Word breakdown

चक्रस्थेऽचपले चराचरजगन्नाथे जगत्पूजिते: Seated on the wheel, unmoving, lord of the moving and unmoving world, worshipped by the world.
आर्तालीवरदे नताभयकरे वक्षोजभारान्विते: Giver of boons to those in distress, with hand granting fearlessness to the bowing, endowed with full breasts.
विद्ये वेदकलापमौलिविदिते विद्युल्लताविग्रहे: O Vidya, known to the crest where the Vedas rest as a quiver, of lightning-creeper form.
मातः पूर्णसुधारसार्द्रहृदये मां पाहि मीनाम्बिके: O Mother, with heart melted by the essence of full nectar, protect me, O Meenambika.

The Goddess unmoving at the wheel's center rules the whole moving world yet grants fearlessness to the distressed. Her heart steeped in nectar is the fullness of bliss that the restless mind seeks outside.

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Verse 3

कोटीराङ्गदरत्नकुण्डलधरे कोदण्डबाणाञ्चिते कोकाकारकुचद्वयोपरिलसत्प्रालम्बहाराञ्चिते शिञ्जन्नूपुरपादसारसमणीश्रीपादुकालङ्कृते मद्दारिद्र्यभुजङ्गगारुडखगे मां पाहि मीनाम्बिके ॥३॥

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Editorial Advaita reflection

Word breakdown

कोटीराङ्गदरत्नकुण्डलधरे कोदण्डबाणाञ्चिते: Wearing diadem, armlets, jewelled earrings, marked by bow and arrows.
कोकाकारकुचद्वयोपरिलसत्प्रालम्बहाराञ्चिते: Adorned with hanging garlands resting on coral-shaped breasts.
शिञ्जन्नूपुरपादसारसमणीश्रीपादुकालङ्कृते: Adorned with tinkling anklets, lotus feet, and auspicious sandals.
मद्दारिद्र्यभुजङ्गगारुडखगे मां पाहि मीनाम्बिके: O Garuda-bird to the serpent of my poverty, protect me, O Meenambika.

She who wears royal ornaments is also Garuda to the serpent of poverty. The Mother's grace destroys the lack that binds the soul to sense of want.

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Verse 4

ब्रह्मेशाच्युतगीयमानचरिते प्रेतासनान्तस्थिते पाशोदङ्कुशचापबाणकलिते बालेन्दुचूडाञ्चिते बाले बालकुरङ्गलोलनयने बालार्ककोट्युज्ज्वले मुद्राराधितदैवते मुनिसुते मां पाहि मीनाम्बिके ॥४॥

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Editorial Advaita reflection

Word breakdown

ब्रह्मेशाच्युतगीयमानचरिते प्रेतासनान्तस्थिते: Whose deeds are sung by Brahma, Shiva, and Vishnu, seated beside the corpse-throne.
पाशोदङ्कुशचापबाणकलिते बालेन्दुचूडाञ्चिते: Holding noose, goad, bow, and arrows, adorned with a young crescent crest.
बाले बालकुरङ्गलोलनयने बालार्ककोट्युज्ज्वले: Young one, with fawn-like restless eyes, blazing like millions of young suns.
मुद्राराधितदैवते मुनिसुते मां पाहि मीनाम्बिके: O deity worshipped through mudras, O daughter of the sage, protect me, O Meenambika.

The child-faced Goddess beside Shiva's cremation seat holds the weapons of inner discipline. Worship through mudra turns the senses from outer objects toward the radiant Self.

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Verse 5

गन्धर्वामरयक्षपन्नगनुते गङ्गाधरालिङ्गिते गायत्रीगरुडासने कमलजे सुश्यामले सुस्थिते खातीते खलदारुपावकशिखे खद्योतकोट्युज्ज्वले मन्त्राराधितदैवते मुनिसुते मां पाही मीनाम्बिके ॥५॥

Study note

Editorial Advaita reflection

Word breakdown

गन्धर्वामरयक्षपन्नगनुते गङ्गाधरालिङ्गिते: Praised by Gandharvas, gods, Yakshas, and serpents, embraced by Gangadhara.
गायत्रीगरुडासने कमलजे सुश्यामले सुस्थिते: Born from the lotus, seated on the Garuda-seat of Gayatri, beautifully dark, well established.
खातीते खलदारुपावकशिखे खद्योतकोट्युज्ज्वले: Beyond the sky, like wicked wood in fire's flame, blazing like millions of fireflies.
मन्त्राराधितदैवते मुनिसुते मां पाही मीनाम्बिके: O deity worshipped through mantra, O daughter of the sage, protect me, O Meenambika.

Dark and radiant, she is worshipped by gods and sages through mantra. The fire of her splendour burns away impurity as wood is consumed, revealing the established Self.

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Verse 6

नादे नारदतुम्बुराद्यविनुते नादान्तनादात्मिके नित्ये नीललतात्मिके निरुपमे नीवारशूकोपमे कान्ते कामकले कदम्बनिलये कामेश्वराङ्कस्थिते मद्विद्ये मदभीष्टकल्पलतिके मां पाहि मीनाम्बिके ॥६॥

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Editorial Advaita reflection

Word breakdown

नादे नारदतुम्बुराद्यविनुते नादान्तनादात्मिके: O Nada, praised by Narada, Tumburu, and the rest, essence of the sound beyond sound.
नित्ये नीललतात्मिके निरुपमे नीवारशूकोपमे: Eternal, of blue-lotus nature, incomparable, like a rice-shoot.
कान्ते कामकले कदम्बनिलये कामेश्वराङ्कस्थिते: Beloved, O Kamakala, dwelling in the kadamba grove, seated on Kameshvara's lap.
मद्विद्ये मदभीष्टकल्पलतिके मां पाहि मीनाम्बिके: My Vidya, my wish-fulfilling creeper, protect me, O Meenambika.

She is Nada, the sound beyond sound, and Kamakala united with Kameshvara. The devotee's own Vidya is the wish-fulfilling creeper rooted in the silence from which all mantra arises.

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Verse 7

वीणानादनिमीलितार्धनयने विस्रस्तचूलीभरे ताम्बूलारुणपल्लवाधरयुते ताटङ्कहारान्विते श्यामे चन्द्रकलावतंसकलिते कस्तूरिकाफालिके पूर्णे पूर्णकलाभिरामवदने मां पाहि मीनाम्बिके ॥७॥

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Editorial Advaita reflection

Word breakdown

वीणानादनिमीलितार्धनयने विस्रस्तचूलीभरे: With half-closed eyes from the sound of the vina, bearing a loosened pearl necklace.
ताम्बूलारुणपल्लवाधरयुते ताटङ्कहारान्विते: With lips red as betel-leaf buds, adorned with ear-ornaments and garlands.
श्यामे चन्द्रकलावतंसकलिते कस्तूरिकाफालिके: Dark one, adorned with a crescent crest, with musk on the forehead.
पूर्णे पूर्णकलाभिरामवदने मां पाहि मीनाम्बिके: Full one, with face beautiful as the full moon, protect me, O Meenambika.

Half-closed in vina-music, her face is the full moon of beauty. The bliss of aesthetic absorption images the mind's rest in the fullness that needs no outer object.

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Verse 8

शब्दब्रह्ममयी चराचरमयी ज्योतिर्मयी वाङ्मयी नित्यानन्दमयी निरञ्जनमयी तत्त्वंमयी चिन्मयी तत्त्वातीतमयी परात्परमयी मायामयी श्रीमयी सर्वैश्वर्यमयी सदाशिवमयी मां पाहि मीनाम्बिके ॥८॥

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Editorial Advaita reflection

Word breakdown

शब्दब्रह्ममयी चराचरमयी ज्योतिर्मयी वाङ्मयी: Consisting of sound-Brahman, of the moving and unmoving, of light, of speech.
नित्यानन्दमयी निरञ्जनमयी तत्त्वंमयी चिन्मयी: Consisting of eternal bliss, of the unstained, of principle, of consciousness.
तत्त्वातीतमयी परात्परमयी मायामयी श्रीमयी: Consisting of what is beyond principle, of the supreme beyond the supreme, of maya, of Sri.
सर्वैश्वर्यमयी सदाशिवमयी मां पाहि मीनाम्बिके: Consisting of all sovereignty, of Sadashiva, protect me, O Meenambika.

The final verse names her as everything: sound, light, bliss, consciousness, maya, and Sadashiva. The Goddess worshipped as all forms is the one reality the Advaitin discovers as the Self.

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