Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Sai Baba's Arati in Shirdi
Uttaa paandurangaa aataa prabhaatasamayo paatalaa
Vaishnawaancha melaa garudapaaree daatalaa
Garuda paarapaasunee mahaadwaaraa paryanta
Suravaraanchee maandee ubhee jodooniyaa haat
Suka sanakaadika naarada tumbara bhaktyanchyaa kotee
Trisool damaroo ghewooni wubhaa girijechaa patee
kaleeyugeechaa bhakta Namaa ubhaa keertanee
Paatteemaage wubhee dolaa laavuniyaa janee
Translation
Oh Lord Panduranga, the day is about to break. The coterie of the devotees of Vishnu throng by the
garuda dhwaja {the temple flagstaff };
Thence up to the main door of the sanctum sanctorum all gods wait in an echelon with folded
hands for thy darshan;
Not only great sages such as Suka and Sanaka and celestial minstrels such as Narada and Tumburu,
but also Lord Siva, the consort of goddess Girija, holding his trishul (trident) and damaru (a two-sided
hand-drum), call on thee;
Namdev, thy devotee par excellence in this Kali Age sings thy glories. Janabai, his maidservant,
stands by gazing agog to have a glimpse of thee.
"Arati Sai Baba"
(Book of Shirdi Aratis)
English Transliteration of the Original Marathi arati songs
with an English Translation, Introduction and commentary
Pandharpur
Pandharpur, a town in Maharashtra on the west coast of India, is a famous pilgrimage centre. Thousands of people from far and near visit Pandharpur round the year for a bath in the Chandrabhaga River and darshan of Vithal, the presiding deity. For several hundred years, the saint-poets of Maharashtra have sung in praise of Vithal. The compositions of Sant Gyaneshwar, Sant Eknath, Sant Namdev, Sant Tukaram and the poetess Mukta Bai, though written hundreds of years ago, are current even now. These compositions guide one to the path of piety, truthfulness, devotion and dedication.
Pandharpur is famous for the image of Vithal in the temple. As the legend has it, Pundlik, an obedient and dutiful son, lived in Pandharpur ages ago. For him the sole purpose of life was attending to his aged parents. Nothing else mattered. It is said that Lord Vishnu was so impressed by his devotion to his parents that he decided to express his appreciation in person. He, therefore, came to Pandharpur and announced himself. But Pundlik had no time for Him because he was busy attending to his parents. He threw a brick and asked Lord Vishnu, who had appeared in a human form as Vithal, to stand on it and wait. So, Vithal has been standing ever since on the brick, with his arms akimbo, waiting for Pundlik to find time for Him!
Tuljapur
Tuljapur
Tuljapur is a city and a municipal council in Osmanabad district in the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the administrative seat of Tuljapur taluka.The town is home to a famous temple dedicated to the Hindu Goddess Bhavani. The town received much importance in past centuries, since the temple enjoys a special association with the Bhonsale clan to which Chhatrapati Shivaji belonged. Goddess Bhavani was the family deity of the Bhonsale clan. The temple-town of Pandharapura, the Dharashiv caves, the fort of Naldurg all lie within easy reach.