(Kalidasa was perhaps the greatest of the Sanskrit
poets. He has written great dramas like Shakunthalam and great epics like
Kumara Sambhavam, Malavikagni mithram , the message poetry called Megha
Sandesham etc. He is extremely famous for the use of appropriate similes and
metaphors. Shyamala Dandakam is perhaps the greatest stotra written by him
eulogizing the mother goddess –Shyamala.
He has employed a poetic style called
Dandakam in writing this prayer. Dandakam is that poetry where some of the
lines have more than 26 syllables. It very much resembles prose. In this case,
the entire Dandakam is a single sentence from start to the end. I have
attempted to retain the same style
There is a folk story about how he came about
to write this stotra. He was a foolish wood cutter. The courtiers of a proud
princess made him act as a wise man and made the princess marry him. The
princess advised the wood cutter to enter in to a temple of kali, when she goes
out for a walk and lock himself in. When Kali came back, the wood cutter
refused to allow her in , unless she makes him wise. She did that. Shyamala
Dandakam is supposed to be the first prayer of this wood cutter to Kali after
he became wise.)
Manikhya veenaam upalalayanthim,
Madalasam manjula vaag vilasam,
Mahendra Neela dhyuthi komalangim,
Mathanga kanyam manasa
smarami. 1
Chathurbhuje Chandra kala vathamse,
Kuchonnathe kumkuma raga sone,
Pundrekshu pasangusa pushpa bana,
Hasthe namasthe jagadaika
matha.
2
Matha marakatha shyama, Mathangi madha
shalini,
Kuryath kadaksham kalyani kadambha vana
vasini. 3
Jaya Mathanga thanaye, Jaya Neelolpala
dhyuthe,
Jaya Sangeetha rasike, Jaya Leela shuka
priye.
4
Dandakam
Jaya janani,
sudha samudranthar udhuyanmani dheepa
samrooda vilwadavi Madhya
Kalpadhruma kalpa kadambha vasa priye,
krithivasa priye,
sarva loka priye.
Sadararabdha sangeetha
sambhavana a sambhrama lola neepasraga badha chooli sanadathrike,
Sanumath puthrike,
Shekhari bhootha sheethamsu leka
mayookhavalibadha susnigdha neelaalaka sreni sringarithe,
Loka Sambhavithe,
Kama leela dhanusannibha brullatha
pushpa sandoha sandeha krullochane,
Vak sudha sechane,
Charu gorchana panga keli
lalabhirame ,
surame,
rame,
Prollasad valika moukthika srenika
chandrika mandalothbhasi lavanya gandasthalanyatha kasthurika
pathra rekha samudbhootha sourabhya sambhrantha brungangana geetha
santhree bhavan mantra thanthreesware,
Susware,
Bhasware,
Vallaki vadana prakriya lola thali dhala
badha thadanga bhoosha viseshanwithe,
Sidha sammanithe,
Divya halamadho dwelahelala
sachakshurandholana sri samakshiptha karanaika neelothphale ,
poorithasesha lokapi vanchapale,
sreephale
Sweda bindulla sathphala lavanya
nishyandha sandhoha sandeha krunnasika moukthike,
Sarva viswathmike,
Kalike,
Mugdha mandasmithodhara vyaktha
sphural pooga thamboola karpoora gandolkare,
Jnana mudhrakare,
Sarvasampathkare,
Padmabaswathkare,
Sreekare,
Kunda pushpa dhyuthi
snigdha dantha vali nirmala lola kallola,
Sammelanasmera sona dhare,
Charu veena dhare,
Pakwa bimbha dhare,
Sulalithayouanarambha
chandrayodhvela lavanya dughdarnawavir bhava th kambhu
bibhoka bruth kandhare,
Sathkala mandhire,
Mandhare,
Divya rathna prabha
banduhrachaanna haaradhi bhoosha samudhyotha mananavadhyanga
shobhe,
Shubhe,
Rathna keyura rasmi chada
pallava prollasath dhorlatha rajithe,
Yogibhi poojithe,
Viswa ding mandala vyapi
manikhya theja spurath kankanalangruthe,
Vibhramalankruthe,
Sadhubhi poojithe,
Vasararambha vela samjrumbhamana
aravinda prathi dwandwi panidwaye,
Santhothdhyaddhaye,
Adwaye,
Divyarathnormika dheethithi
sthoma sandhyaya mananguli pala vodhyanna khendu prabha mandale,
Sannadha ghandale,
Chith prabha mandale,
Prollasath khundale,
Tharaka jala neekasa haraa valee smera
charu sthana bhoga bharanamanmadhya vallee valee schedha veechi
samudhyath samullasa sandarsithakara soundarya rathna kare,
Vallevibruthkare,
Kimkara sreekare,
Hemakumbhopamothunga vakshoja
parava namre,
Trilokavanamre,
Lasadvrutha gambheera nabhee
sarastheera saivala sangakara syama romavalee bhooshane,
Manju sambhashane,
Charu sinchath kati soothra
nirbarsthinanga leela dhanu sinchineedambare,
Divya rathnambare,
Padmaraghollasanmekhala moukthi
sreni shobajitha swarna bhoo bruthale.
Chandrika seethale,
Vikasitha navakimsuka thara divyamsuka
channa charooru shobha para bhootha sindhoora sonaya manendra matanga
hasthargale,
Vaibhavan argale,
Syamale,
Komala snighdha
neelothpalothpaditha ananga thunnera sangakare dara jangalathe,
Charu leela gathe,
Namradik pala seemanthini
kunthalasnighdha neela prabha punja samjatha durvangurasangi
saranga samyoga ringanna khendujjwale,
Projjwale,
Nirmale,
Prahwa devesa lakshmeesa
bhoothesa thoyesa vaneesa keenasa daithyesa
yakshesa vayvagni koteera manikhya sangushta bala thapodhama
lakshara sarunya tharunya Lakshmi graheethangri padme,
Supadme,
Ume,
Suruchira navarathna peeta sthithe,
Susthithe,
Rathna padmasane,
Rathna simhasane,
Sankapadmadvayopasrithe,
Vishruthe,
Thathra vignesa durga vatu ksethra
palairyuthe,
Matha mathanga kanya samoohanvithe,
Bhairavair ashtabhir veshtithe,
Manjula menakadhyanga namanithe,
Devi vamadhibhi shakthihi sevithe,
Mathurka mandalair mandithe,
Yaksha gandharwa sidhangana
mandalair archithe,
Pancha banathmike,
Pancha banenarathya cha
sambhavithe,
Preethibhajaa vasanthena chaanandithe,
Bhakthi baajam param sreyase ,
kalpase yoginaam manase dhyothase,
Geetha vidhya vinodhati trushnena
krishnena sampoojyase,
Bhakthimaschedasa vedhasa sthooyase,
Viswa hrudhyena vadhyena
vidhyadharair gheeyase,
Sravana harana dakshinakwanaya
veenaya kinnarair gheeyase,
Yaksha gandarwa sidhangana
mandalair archyase,
Sarva soubhagya vanchavahirvadhudhir
suranam samaradhyase,
Sarva Vidhya viseshathmakam, chadu gatha
samuchaaranam,
Kanda mulolla sadwarna raji thrayam,
Komala syamalo dhara paksha dwayam,
Thunda shobhathi dhoori bhavath
kisukam tham shukam,
Lalayanthi parikreedase,
Pani padmadwaye nakshamalamapi
sphatikeem jnanasarathmakam pustakangusam pasa bibrathiyena
sanchinthyse,tasya vakthrantharal gadya padyathmika bharathi nissareth,
Yena vaa yavaka bhakruitheer bavyase
tasya vasya bhavanthi sthriya purusha yena vaa sathakumbhadyuthir
bhavyase sopi Lakshmi sahasarair parikreedathe,
Kinna sidhyedwapu shyamalam
komalam Chandra choodanwitham thavakam dhyatha thasya kelivanam
nandanam thasya bhadrasanam bhoothalam, thasya gheer devatha
kimkari thasya chajnakari sree swayam,
Sarva Theerthathmike,
Sarva mantrathmike,
Srava yantrathmike,
Sarva shakthyathmike,
Sarva peedathmike,
Sarva thathwathmike,
Sarva vidhyathmike,
Sarva yogathmike,
Sarva nadathmike,
Sarva shabdathmike,
Sarva viswathmike,
Sarva vargathmike,
Sarva sarvathmike,
Sarvage, Sarva roope, Jagan mathruke,
Pahi maam, Pahi Maam, Pahi maam,
Devi thubhyam nama, Devi Thubhyam nama.
Devi thubhyam nama.