Download Venkata Kavi app
Shanmukha
Subrahmanya or Shanmukha, the favourite God of Tamilians, has been addressed with a lot of adulation through many compositions by Venkata Kavi. The six abodes of Subrahmanya have been mentioned in various compositions and it is evident that he has also visited temple towns like Sikkil, Pazhani, Tanikachalam and Pazhamudir Sholai.
Senaapate namostute (Gowla) is a short and brisk composition, composed at Sikkil. The Goddess at this temple – Nadum vel kanni has been beautifully described as Shaktyaayataakshi in Sanskrit, in this composition.
pulinda kanyaa manamohana lola
bhoota ganaadi sevita paala
sanaka sanandanaadi munigana sannuta
shanmukha gnyaana dayaapara (Shiva senapate…)
In another composition, Adi mudi kaanaada (huseni), the composer addresses the Lord through a very interesting reference.
adi mudi kaanaada deivattin mel eri
anju mukham kanda deivame engal
aarumukham konda deivame
"You have climbed upon the Lord, whose beginning and end are unknown (referring to Lord Shiva) even to Brahma and Vishnu, and seen five faces there and you yourself sport six faces, oh Lord of Pazhani."
Gajamukha anujam (Kedaram) is a masterpiece, in which the poet describes the Lord through the minutest of details in lilting Sanksrit.
nirantara natana mayoora vaaham
nuta suramuni gana sujana samooham
sura ripu hara nava veera vyooham
sundaresha vaamaankaroham
"One who has an eternally dancing peacock as his vehicle; one who is worshipped by sages, devas, ganas; one who planned innovative war strategies to win over the devas, sits on the right lap of Lord Sundaresha."
A list of some of the compositions of Shanmukha is given below.
aḍi muḍi kāṇāda | | |||||||
āḍinān viḷaiyāḍinān | | |||||||
alaivāippazham udirum shōlai | ||||||||
gajamukha anujam |
| |||||||
manṛuḷāḍi mahizhndē | ||||||||
manṛuḷāḍum paraman | ||||||||
ninṛingunnaruḷ | ||||||||
sēnāpatē namōstutē |
| |||||||
tēḍariya shelvamē | ||||||||
tēril vandānō | ||||||||
vāngum enakku iru kai | ||||||||
varamonṛu tandaruḷvāi |
1 | aḍi muḍi kāṇāda | Husēni | Ādi | | |||||||
2 | āḍinān viḷaiyāḍinān | Shāmā | Ādi | | |||||||
3 | alaivāippazham udirum shōlai | Mōhanam | Ādi | ||||||||
4 | gajamukha anujam | Kēdāram | Ādi |
| |||||||
5 | manṛuḷāḍi mahizhndē | Bhairavi | Roopakam | ||||||||
6 | manṛuḷāḍum paraman | Pantuvarāḷi | Mishra chāpu | ||||||||
7 | ninṛingunnaruḷ | Bilahari | Ādi | ||||||||
8 | sēnāpatē namōstutē | Gowḷa | Ādi |
| |||||||
9 | tēḍariya shelvamē | Vasantā | Ādi | ||||||||
10 | tēril vandānō | Husēni | Roopakam | ||||||||
11 | vāngum enakku iru kai | Kāmbhōdhi | Ādi | ||||||||
12 | varamonṛu tandaruḷvāi | Shaṇmukhapriya | Ādi |