Mathru Panchakam

🌹A Salutation To Mother Mathru Panchakam
By ~ Adi Shankara

Adi Sankaracharya was born at Kalady in Kerala in a Namboodiri Family. His mother was Aryamba. His father had died at a very early age when he was born. At the age of 4 he wanted to take up sanyasa, his mother was very much against it. Finally Adi Guru played a trick wherein his leg was caught by a Crocodile and he forced his mother to choose between his Sanyasa or Death & finally she agreed with a condition, that He should be present near her death bed and also he should perform her Karmas. Sankara agreed for this and took up Sanyasa. When he was at Sringeri, he realized that his mother was nearing death and he reached there immediately. He was near his mother at the time of her death and also performed the funeral ceremonies. It was at this time he wrote this five slokas which came out deep from his mind. This was possibly the only poem he wrote, which is not extolling any God and also not explaining his philosophy.

💐❤️ Here is the Mathrupanchakam with its translation.

aasthaam tavaddeyam prasoothi samaye durvara soola vyadha,
nairuchyam thanu soshanam malamayee sayya cha samvatsaree,
ekasyapi na garbha bara bharana klesasya yasya kshmo dhathum,
nishkruthi munnathopi thanaya tasya janyai nama.

🌹Oh my mother,
With clenched teeth thou bore the excruciating pain of delivery,
When I was born to you,
Shared the bed with me, which was made dirty by me for an year,
During those nine months that you bore me,
Your body became thin and tired,
For all these, Oh mother dearest,
I can never compensate,
Even by my becoming great.🌹

gurukulamupasruthya swapnakaale thu drushtwa,
yathi samuchitha vesham praarudho maam twamuchai
gurukulamadha sarva prarudathe samaksham
sapadhi charanayosthe mathurasthu pranaama.

🌹Clad in a dress of a sanyasin,
You saw me to my school,
In your dream you wept,
But smothered, embraced and encouraged me, Oh mother mine,
And all the teachers and students wept with you dear,
What could I do,
Except falling at your feet,
And offering my salutations.🌹

ambethi thathethi shivethi tasmin,
prasoothikale yadavocha uchai,
krishnethi govinda hare mukunde tyaho,
janye rachito ayamanjali.

🌹Oh my mother,
Crying, you shouted in pain,
During the hard labour,
“Oh mother, Oh father,
Oh God Shiva,
Oh Lord Krishna,
Oh Lord of all, Govinda,
Oh Hari and Oh God Mukunda,”
But in return,
Oh my mother dearest.
I can give you but humble prostrations.🌹

na dattam mathasthe marana samaye thoyamapi vaa,
swadhaa vaa no dheyaa maranadivase sraadha vidhina
na japtho mathasthe marana samaye tharaka manu,
akale samprapthe mayi kuru dhayaam matharathulaam.

🌹Neither did I give you water at the time of death,
Neither did I offer oblations to the to help the journey of death,
And neither did I chant the name of Rama in your ear,
Oh Mother supreme, pardon me for these lapses with compassion,
For I have arrived here late to attend to those.🌹

mukthaa manisthvam, nayanam mamethi,
rajethi jeevethi chiram sthutha thwam,
ithyuktha vathya vaachi mathaa,
dadamyaham thandulamesh shulkam.

🌹Long live,
Oh, pearl mine,
Oh jewel mine,
Oh my dearest eyes,
Oh mine prince dearest,
And oh my soul of soul,
These were the songs you sang to me,
But in return all the above,
Oh my mother dearest.
I give you but dry rice in your mouth.🌹

In simple words,

My mom carried me in her womb for nine months…
She felt sick for months with nausea, then she watched her feet swell & her skin stretch & tear;
She struggled to climb stairs, she got breathless quick; she suffered many sleepless nights.
She then went through excruciating pain to bring me into this world.
Then, she became my nurse, my chef, my maid, my chauffeur, my biggest fan, my teacher, & my best friend.
She’s struggled for me, cried over me, hoped the best for me, & prayed for me.

~ Speaking Tree

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