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Garuda Dandakam

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Tatachar • March 29, 1996 


Sri Sampat has posted uplifting articles on Garudalvar recently. In the
recent past, Mr. Sadagopan introduced Garuda Dandakam and I am not sure
whether he posted the translation of the Same. Here is my attempt as I was
recently going over a vyakhyanam (in Kannada)  on Garuda Dandakam wrttten by
my father and published in the sixties.  I hope to do one charanam at a time.
Here is the first charanam.
Garuda Dandakam (First Charanam):
Original :
Garudam akhila- veda- neeDaadhirooDham (neeDa + adhirooDhanam),
dwiShatpeeDanOthkanTita (dwiShat + peeDana +uthkanTita)
akunTa VaikunTa - peeTee- krita - skandham,
eeDe,
swaneeDa-agati - preeta - rudraa - sukeerti - sthanaa- bhoga - gaDhOpagooDha
- sPuratkantaka - vraata - vedha -vyathaa - vepamaana - dwigihvaadhipa -
aakalpa- viShpaaryamaaNa-sPataavaaTkaa-ratna-rOchiscHataa-raaji-neeraaajitam,
 Kaanti-kallolinee-raajitam. 

Transation: (Anvayartham)
I PRAISE  GARUDA
(WHO IS) GLOWING WITH A FLOOD OF TEJAS
(WHO IS) ESTABLISHED IN THE VEDAS  
(WHO) LOVES TO PUNISH THE WICKED
(WHO IS) INVINCIBLE
(WHO IS)  THE VEHICLE OF VISHNU
(WHO IS) ILLUMINED BY THE AARATI FROM A ROW OF GLOWING GEMS FROM AN ARRAY OF
SHAKING HOODS OF THE CELEBRATED SERPANTS,  WHO ARE TREMBLING WITH PAIN CAUSED
BY THE ROMANTIC OUTBURSTS , WHEN RUDRA AND SUKEERTI (TWO WIVES OF GARUDA) OF
SUMPTUOUS BOSSOMS, INTIMATELY EMBRACED HIM(GARUDA) WHEN HE RETURNED
(VICTORIOUS) TO THEIR NEST.



(pratipadartham)

Garudam eeDe

I PRAISE (SUCH A) GARUDA

akhila- veda- neeDaadhirooDham (neeDa + adhirooDhanam)

Established or residing (adhirooDham) in the nest or cage (neeDa) made of
 all the 4 Vedas (akhila-veda): 

(WHO IS) ESTABLISHED IN THE VEDAS  

dwiShatpeeDanOthkanTita (dwiShat + peeDana + uthkanTita)

Rejoices (uthkanTita) in punishing (peeDana) enemies (dwiShat):

(WHO) LOVES TO PUNISH THE WICKED

akunTa

Can not be stopped by anyone

(WHO IS) INVINCIBLE

 VaikunTa - peeTee- krita - skandham

Made (krita) his back (skandham) the seat (peeThee) for Vishnu (VaikunTa)
(WHO IS)  THE VEHICLE OF VISHNU

swaneeDa-agati - preeta - rudraa - sukeerti - sthanaa- bhoga - gaDhOpagooDha
- sPuratkantaka - vraata - vedha -vyathaa - vepamaana - dwigihvaadhipa -
aakalpa- viShpaaryamaaNa-sPataavaaTkaa-ratna-rOchiscHataa-raaji-neeraaajitam

Garuda Illuminated  by arati (neerajitam)  
emnating from a row (raaji) of  
 glowing precious gems (ratna-rOchiscHataa)
 located on the wide open (viShpaaryamaaNa)
 trembling (vepamana)
array of  hoods (sPataavaaTkaa) of the
 decorated (aakalpa) serpant kings (dwigihvaadhipa),
trembling (vepamaana) due to   pain  (vyathaa) caused (Vedha)
by the romantic outbursts (sPuratkantaka - vraata) when Garuda was intimately
embraced  (gaDhOpagooDha) at their sumptuous bossoms (sthanaa- bhoga) by
rudra and sukeerti, the two wives of Garuda (rudraa - sukeerti) who were
overcome by joy (preeta) when Garuda returned (aagati) victorious to their
nest (swaneeDa). 

(Who is) ILLUMINED BY THE AARATI FROM A ROW OF GLOWING GEMS FROM AN ARRAY OF
SHAKING HOODS OF THE CELEBRATED SERPANT  WHO ARE TREMBLING WITH PAIN CAUSED
BY THE ROMANTIC OUTBURSTS CAUSED WHEN RUDRA AND SUKEERTI OF SUMPTUOUS BOSSOMS
INTIMATELY EMBRACED HIM(GARUDA) UPON HIS RETURN TO THEIR NEST.

 Kaanti-kallolinee-raajitam 

(who is) GLOWING WITH A FLOOD OF TEJAS

Garudalvar thiruvadighale sharanam
K. Sreekrishna (Tatachar).