Asty uttarasyam disi devatama
Posted on: August 12, 2013
This article is written by Arunkumar Deshmukh, a fellow enthusiast of Hindi movie music and a regular contributor to this blog.
Today -12th August 2013-is the Third Monday of the holy month of SHRAVAN according to the Hindu calender followed in North India and the first monday according to the Hindu calender followed in South India, Maharashtra and Gujarat ! On this auspicious occasion, I present a song from the film YATRIK-1952.
” YATRIK” was a sort of a travelogue in Himalayas and the film contained scenes from the Himalayas,the famous Temples situated therein and wonderful Bhajans,Stotras and Aaratis. The film was a real treat for the religiously inclined audience. Looking at the responses earlier posting of Yatrik songs on this blog indicates that the senior readers were particularly very happy with it. As such for Mythological and Devotional films,there is a captive audience in India.People in our country,generally, God fearing, religious minded and with cultural roots.
The percentage of Nastiks-Atheists-or people who do not believe in God may be a single digit figure in India. This is mainly because of the cultural values that are imbibed in us from the childhood. Additionally,there is a huge cultural,Historical and Mythological storybase in every Indian Language that helps to shape the religious mentality of Indian people.
On the 9th of March this year, we have already enjoyed one Shiv-Stotra from the “Shiv Namavali Ashtakam”, titled Hey chandrchood madanaantak shoolpaaney , which was rendered melodiously by Pankaj Mallick in Yatrik-52. Many of our readers from all over the world had liked and appreciated it.
In fact, one of our readers from CROYDON, LONDON-U.K. Mr. Prabhulal Bharadiya ji, wrote me a letter in the month of June this year and requested me to post today’s song from film YATRIK-52. So this post is dedicated to MR. PRABHULAL BHARADIYA JI OF LONDON.
A lot has already been written about this film, including its story etc, on this Blog, so I will not repeat it here. You can read more information about YATRIK-52 here
Today we will enjoy yet another gem from this film- ” Astyutarasyam dishi devatatma “, again rendered by Pankaj Mallick and chorus.
This was the best song I liked when I heard it First time in 1953. It made an impact on my mind. Later I found out that it was the description and the appreciation of the Himalayas. These are the 5 verses from the book, ” Kumarsambhav ” by Kalidas.
Mahakavi Kalidas was a 5th Century poet, who wrote his best and finest literary works making them a paradigmatic example of Kavya (Poetry).
The legend goes that originally Kalidas was a lazy, illeterate person who indulged in only the pleasures of the world. Once he was admonished by his wife that if he had shown so much attachment to education and The God, he would have become Immortal. Stung by this remark, Kalidas left home. For many years he studied and became a Pandit. When he came back home, his wife asked him, ” are you enlightened ? ” . In reply he wrote 3 epics in a short time- Kumarsambhav, Meghdoot and Raghuvansh.
Today’s song verses are taken from the beginning of the First chapter of the first Sarga of ‘Kumarsambhav’. It describes the beauty of Himalayas, its enormity and its strengthts. Due to limitation of a film song, only 5 stanzas-from different shlokas- are included here.
Kumarsambhav is the story of the marriage of Lord Mahadeva and Devi Parvati-daughter of Himalaya, the conception of her son- Kumar Karthikeya (or Subramanyam as he is called in the south, I believe) and how Kumar destroyed the King of Asuras-Rakshasas- Tarkasur,thus saving all Gods from his menace.
I have given the original Sanskrit shlokas, their English version and its meaning in English. All this is taken from ” Kumarsmbhav by Kalidas’ written by C.R. Devadhar. My sincere thanks to him.
For those of you who wish to read the entire Epic, Kumarsmbhav,free,on line,here is the link for you-
I do hope that readers will enjoy this equally melodious rendition by Pankaj Mullick and others. So,Enjoy……
Lyrics and meaning (Courtesy ” Kumarsambhava of Kalidas,” edited by C.R.Devadhar)
asty uttarasyāṃ diśi devatātmā himālayo nāma nagādhirājaḥ /
pūrvāparau toyanidhī vigāhya sthitaḥ pṛthivyā iva mānadaṇḍaḥ // Ks_1.1 //
meaning- There is to the north,a mountain named Himalaya,whose soul is a Deity,with his spurs diving into the Eastern and Western oceans,he stands as the measuring rod of the Earth.
yaṃ sarvaśailāḥ parikalpya vatsaṃ merau sthite dogdhari dohadakṣe /
bhāsvanti ratnāni mahauṣadhīś ca pṛthūpadiṣṭāṃ duduhur dharitrīm // Ks_1.2 //
meaning- All the mountain looked upon him as their calf,while meru stood as the Milkman,intent on milking,they milked sparkling Gems and herbs of great potency,of the Earth,who had assumed the form of a cow,while prithu directed the operation.
āmekhalaṃ saṃcaratāṃ ghanānāṃ cchāyām adhaḥsānugatāṃ niṣevya /
udvejitā vṛṣṭibhir āśrayante śṛṅgāṇi yasyātapavanti siddhāḥ // Ks_1.5 //
meaning- persons on the way to Salvation,having enjoyed the shadows of the clouds fallen below the peaks,while these clouds scurry over the slopes being freightened by showers,resort to its peaks.
yaḥ pūrayan kīcakarandhrabhāgān darīmukhotthena samīraṇena /
udgāsyatām icchati kiṃnarāṇāṃ tānapradāyitvam ivopagantum // Ks_1.8 //
Meaning- Who,filling the hollows of the bamboos,by wind rising from the mouth of the Valley,as if to add melody to the song of Kinnaras,are about to start singing.
sa mānasīṃ merusakhaḥ pitṝṇāṃ kanyāṃ kulasya sthitaye sthitijñaḥ /
menāṃ munīnām api mānanīyām ātmānurūpāṃ vidhinopayeme // Ks_1.18 //
Meaning- He , obedient to the law Divine, married Mena,according to proper rites, the mind-borne daughter of the manes, for the continuation of his line, she who was respected by the sages and who was worthy of him in every way.
Song-Asty uttarasyam diśi devatātmā (Yatrik)(1954) Singer-Pankaj Mullick, Lyrics-Kalidas MD-Pankaj Mullick
Lyrics
asty uttarasyāṃ diśi devatātmā himālayo nāma nagādhirājaḥ /
pūrvāparau toyanidhī vigāhya sthitaḥ pṛthivyā iva mānadaṇḍaḥ // Ks_1.1 //
yaṃ sarvaśailāḥ parikalpya vatsaṃ merau sthite dogdhari dohadakṣe /
bhāsvanti ratnāni mahauṣadhīś ca pṛthūpadiṣṭāṃ duduhur dharitrīm // Ks_1.2 //
āmekhalaṃ saṃcaratāṃ ghanānāṃ cchāyām adhaḥsānugatāṃ niṣevya /
udvejitā vṛṣṭibhir āśrayante śṛṅgāṇi yasyātapavanti siddhāḥ // Ks_1.5 //
yaḥ pūrayan kīcakarandhrabhāgān darīmukhotthena samīraṇena /
udgāsyatām icchati kiṃnarāṇāṃ tānapradāyitvam ivopagantum // Ks_1.8 //
sa mānasīṃ merusakhaḥ pitṝṇāṃ kanyāṃ kulasya sthitaye sthitijñaḥ /
menāṃ munīnām api mānanīyām ātmānurūpāṃ vidhinopayeme // Ks_1.18 //
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Devnagari scripot lyrics
————————————————————————
अस्त्य् उत्तरस्यां दिशि देवतात्मा हिमालयो नाम नगाधिराजः ।
पूर्वापरौ तोयनिधी विगाह्य स्थितः पृथिव्या इव मानदण्डः॥१.१॥
यं सर्वशैलाः परिकल्प्य वत्सं मेरौ स्थिते दोग्धरि दोहदक्षे ।
भास्वन्ति रत्नानि महौषधीश् च पृथूपदिष्टां दुदुहुर् धरित्रीम्॥१.२॥
आमेखलं संचरतां घनानां च्छायाम् अधःसानुगतां निषेव्य ।
उद्वेजिता वृष्टिभिर् आश्रयन्ते शृङ्गाणि यस्यातपवन्ति सिद्धाः
यः पूरयन् कीचकरन्ध्रभागान् दरीमुखोत्थेन समीरणेन ।
उद्गास्यताम् इच्छति किंनराणां तानप्रदायित्वम् इवोपगन्तुम्॥१.८॥
स मानसीं मेरुसखः पित्ṝ्णां कन्यां कुलस्य स्थितये स्थितिज्ञः ।
मेनां मुनीनाम् अपि माननीयाम् आत्मानुर्ऊपां विधिनोपयेमे
8 Responses to "Asty uttarasyam disi devatama"
August 12, 2013 at 10:38 am
I am not very sure, whether the original kannada movie name is “Mahishaasura Mardhini(1959)
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August 13, 2013 at 6:19 am
Mahishaasura Mardhini(1959) is a Great film. Thanks a lot. After moving overseas, except on the internet no chance to listen to beautiful languages such as Kannada , Marathi , Bengali etc.
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August 14, 2013 at 11:26 pm
Here is Manikyaveenaam upalayantim from Telugu film Mahakavi Kalidasu, sung by Ghantshala
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August 15, 2013 at 12:07 am
“Manikya Veena “-Traditional Sanskrit Shloka-Video clip featuring
Late Raj Kumar, Nalini from the movie
” Kaviratna Kalidasa(1983)”
Singer:Dr.Raj Kumar
music:M.Ranga Rao
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May 30, 2014 at 1:40 pm
God bless you all for this wonderful interaction. Shri Deshmukhji I am immensely grateful to you for the Yatrik songs write up.
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Atul’s Song A Day- A choice collection of Hindi Film & Non-Film Songs 
August 12, 2013 at 7:36 am
Great upload indeed. Hats off to Shri Arunkumar Deshmukh for the exhaustive writeup. I request Arunkumar ji to kindly upload another beautiful composition of Mahakavi Kalidas in praise of Mata Saraswati (Shyamala Dandakam) in Hindi Film “Durga Mata” 1957(1960) sung by Manna da: “माणिक्यवीणामुपलालयन्तीं, मदालसां मञ्जुळवाग्विलासाम्
माहेन्द्रनीलद्युतिकोमलाङ्गीं मातङ्गकन्यां मनसा स्मरामि ”
The music is rendered by Shri G K Venkatesh, an associate of the famous ILAYARAJA. Thanks
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August 12, 2013 at 10:15 am
Mohan ji,
Thanks for your appreciation.Comments like these motivate me to continue doing this work.
The Manna Dey number you mentioned is -‘ Shri hari Murari Chakradhari Narayan Vanamali..’ from film ” Durgamata”-1960. This film,I think, was a dubbed film from Kannada as the main actors are Rajkumar,Saucar Jaanki,Sandhya,nagan Rajnala,Bhatt,narsimha raju etc.
No songs of this film are available from anywhere.
-AD
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August 13, 2013 at 6:11 am
Dear Arunkumar ji,
The song I have referred to in Hindi film Durga Mata 1957 starts with the stuti to The Goddess “Manikya Veena …”and later on the words are ” Jai Jai Shankari sarvajaneshwari Amba Brahmanand kari, Jai su Bhavani Jai Kalyani, Siddhi Vinayak Shanmukh janani sundar shivrani Jai he Jagadamba ……”. I may have seen the film countless times, and have the song on 78 rpm shellac record in Bombay. “Sri Hari Murari Chakradhari Narayan Vanamali” by Manna da is another beautiful song from the film. The Lyricist is Shri Ram Saaz. Although songs were out in 1957-1959, the film was released in 1961. Other notable singers in the film are P B Srinivas, S Janaki and P Susheela. An audio version of a few songs are available on YT.
Thanks and best regards
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