The Romance Of Veenas

LORD SHIVA PLAYING RUDRA VEENA

The golden Veena of Rajamathangi had a life of its own. The Veena was filled by the breath of Rajamathangi. The Veena containing the breath of the Goddess stirred as soon as Lord Shiva held Thadadhagai's willing hand on the battlefield of Mount Kailash. 

Lord Shiva's Rudra Veena represents the masculine/Purusha (yang) of the Universe. While Goddess Rajamathangi's golden Veena epitomized the feminine/Prakrithi (yin) of the Universe. 

The fiery gaze of the Rudra Veena  melted the shy beauty of Rajamathangi Veena. At a speed of batting eyelids the divine breaths of the Prakriti-Purusha Veenas found each other between the regions of the Pandyan kingdom and Mount Kailash..... in passion beyond proportions.

GODDESS RAJAMATHANGI PLAYING VEENA

MEENAKSHI KALIVENBA

I have been trying to get Sri Meenakshi Kalivenba for quite a long time and realised that it's not available anywhere. Obviously this Tamizh stotram which is the essence of Sri Meenakshi tattvam is out of print/publication. Finally the Goddess willed me to get it through a very good friend in Madurai. It's indeed my pleasure and privilege to upload the same as this stotra parayanam would greatly benefit art aspirants in the 64 types of fine arts (chathushashti kalas).

The English essays given below the Kalivenba is not a translation of the stotram but a synopsis of the life of the Pandyan Empress.

MEENAKSHI KALIVENBA (11)

MEENAKSHI KALIVENBA

THE LORD OF MOUNT KAILASH, SHIVA RACED WITH ALL HIS WEAPONRY TOWARDS THE BATTLEFIELD. HE LOOKED MIGHTY AND FORMIDABLE.  HE SAW THADADHAGAI (RAJAMATHANGI)  STANDING GRACEFULLY AND ERECT AS A LIONESS. HER EYES WERE LIKE PRECIOUS GEMS AS THEY FEASTED ON THE APPROACHING FORM OF THE LORD OF KAILASH, DRAPED IN TIGER-SKIN AND WITH LONG, THICK PLAITS OF HAIR RUFFLED IN THE BLOWING WIND.

 SHE WAS OVERAWED BY HIS MAJESTIC AND FIERCE APPEARANCE. 

SHE FELT ENTICED BY HIS GRACE AND COMMAND. OVERCOME BY SHYNESS SHE DROPPED HER WEAPONS TO THE GROUND AND BENT HER HEAD IN BASHFULNESS. THAT VERY MOMENT HER THIRD BREAST VANISHED. THOSE AROUND THEM IN THE BATTLEFIELD WITNESSED THE SCENE WITH AWE AND WONDER. LORD SHIVA WAS OVERCOME BY LOVE AND APPROACHED THADADHAGAI TO CAPTURE HER HAND WHICH SHE WILLINGLY EXTENDED. THE CELESTIAL WEDDING OF LORD SHIVA AND THADADHAGAI/ MEENAKSHI WAS HELD IN MADURAI ON THE EIGHTH DAY OF THEIR DIVINE MEETING. 

 

MEENAKSHI KALIVENBA (10)

MEENAKSHI KALIVENBA

THADATHAGAI PIRATIYAAR (RAJAMATHANGI) BESIEGED MOUNT KAILASH WHICH IS THE ABODE OF LORD SHIVA.  COUNTLESS GANAS (THE LORD'S SERVANTS) WERE SENT BY LORD NANDHI, THE GUARD OF MOUNT KAILASH, TO FIGHT WITH THADADHAGAI. THEY ALL WERE DEFEATED EFFORTLESSLY BY THADADHAGAI. ON HEARING THAT MOST OF HIS MILITARY PERSONNEL WERE DEFEATED BY THADADHAGAI THE LORD HIMSELF BORE THE WAR WEAPONS AND CAME TO THE BATTLE FIELD.

 

MEENAKSHI KALIVENBA (9)

MEENAKSHI KALIVENBA

PLAYING HER GOLDEN VEENA IN HER KADAMBA GARDEN, THE WARRIOR EMPRESS THADADHAGAI (RAJAMATHANGI) FELT PANGS OF STRANGE LONGINGS. SHE INSTINCTIVELY KNEW THAT SHE HAD TO GO TO MOUNT KAILASH. SHE DECIDED TO PROCEED IMMEDIATELY TO ATTACK MOUNT KAILASH AND DEFEAT THE GANAS OF LORD SHIVA IN KAILASH.

 

MEENAKSHI KALIVENBA (8)

MEENAKSHI KALIVENBA

ON ONE AUSPICIOUS DAY, KING MALAYADHWAJA PERFORMED THE CORONATION CEREMONY TO APPOINT THADADHAGAI (RAJAMATHANGI)  AS THE RULER OF PANDYAN KINGDOM.  SHE RULED JUSTLY AND WITHOUT BLEMISH AFTER HER FATHER PASSED AWAY.

PEOPLE LIVED IN SHEER BLISS UNDER THE DIVINE VIRGIN RULER. ONLY HER MOTHER QUEEN KANCHANAMALA WAS CONSTANTLY WORRIED ABOUT HER DAUGHTER WHO STILL REMAINED A VIRGIN.

MEENAKSHI KALIVENBA (7)

MEENAKSHI KALIVENBA

WHEN THADADHAGAI'S (RAJAMATHANGI) MOTHER QUEEN KANCHANAMALA WORRIED ABOUT THADADHAGAI'S MARRIAGE, SHE REPLIED THAT HER MARRIAGE WOULD TAKE PLACE AT THE RIGHT TIME. FIRST AND FOREMOST THADADHAGAI WANTED TO ESTABLISH HER PROWESS ON THE EIGHT DIRECTIONS OF HER LAND. SHE PLEADED WITH HER MOTHER NOT TO WORRY ABOUT HER MARRIAGE.

 

MEENAKSHI KALIVENBA (6)

MEENAKSHI KALIVENBA

THE VALOROUS PANDYAN EMPRESS THADADHAGAI (RAJAMATHANGI) WAS A VIRGIN. SHE WIELDED INCREDIBLE COURAGE AND SKILLS ON THE BATTLEFIELD DEFEATING  POWERFUL RULERS OF HER TIME. THE LAND RULED BY THE VIRGIN EMPRESS WAS KNOWN AS 'KANNI NADU'.

 

MEENAKSHI KALIVENBA (5)

MEENAKSHI KALIVENBA

THE PANDYAN PRINCESS THADADHAGAI'S  (RAJAMATHANGI) FAME SPREAD AS SHE GREW UP TO BE A VALOROUS YOUNG WOMAN. SHE WAS AN EXPERT IN ARMOURY AND MILITARY SKILLS. SHE WAGED WARS CONQUERING MANY KINGS AND THEIR KINGDOMS.

 

MEENAKSHI KALIVENBA (4)

MEENAKSHI KALIVENBA

THE COSMIC VOICE OF LORD SHIVA ASSURED KING MALAYADHWAJA THAT HIS DAUGHTER THADADHAGAI'S (RAJAMATHANGI) THIRD BREAST WOULD VANISH WHEN SHE FINDS HER HUSBAND.  KING MALAYADHWAJA DECIDED TO BRING UP HIS DAUGHTER LIKE A SON.

 

MEENAKSHI KALIVENBA (3)

MEENAKSI KALIVENBA\

GODDESS MEENA DEVI (RAJAMATHANGI) WAS KNOWN AS THADADHAGAI PIRATIYAAR AS ORDERED BY LORD SHIVA. PANDYAN QUEEN KANACHANAMALA IN HER PREVIOUS BIRTH WAS KNOWN AS VIDYAVATHI. GODDESS ANGAYARKANNI (PARVATHI) PROMISED VIDYAVATHI THAT SHE WOULD BE BORN AS VIDYAVATHI'S DAUGHTER IN HER NEXT BIRTH AS THE PANDYAN QUEEN KANCHANAMALA. KING MALAYADHWAJA'S 'YAAGAM' FOR A VALOROUS SON YIELDED A THREE-BREASTED DAUGHTER. LORD SHIVA'S COMMANDED THROUGH HIS COSMIC VOICE THAT THE THREE-BREASTED GIRL SHOULD BE NAMED THADADHAGAI AND BROUGHT UP AS A SON.

MEENAKSHI KALIVENBA (2)

                                                         MEENAKSHI KALIVENBA

GODDESS MEENAKSHI (RAJAMATHANGI)AS A THREE YEAR OLD GIRL, CAME OUT OF THE HOLY FIRE OF A 'YAAGAM'   PERFORMED BY KING MALAYADHWAJA AND SHE SAT ON QUEEN KANCHANAMALA'S LAP. 

MEENAKSHI KALIVENBA (1)

MEEKASHI KALIVENBA

BORN TO THE PANDYAN KING MALAYADHWAJA AND QUEEN KANCHANAMALA,  GODDESS MEENA DEVI (RAJAMATHANGI) WAS BORN WITH THREE BREASTS AND NAMED THADADHAGAI.

 

RAJAMATHANGI

Meenakshi Gayathri Mantra-

UNNIDRIYAYAI CHA VIDHMAHE

SUNDARAPRIYAAYAI CHA DHEEMAHI

THANNO MEENA DEVI PRACHODHAYAATH