Akhilandadevi-Jambukeshvara Stuti
A four-verse Sanskrit stuti to Goddess Akhilandadevi and Lord Jambukeshvara, composed by a Sringeri Jagadguru and linked to the Thiruvanaikaval temple.
Verses
O Goddess of the entire universe, ocean of compassion, sacred embodiment of Lord Jambukesheshwara! Even though I have committed thousands of offenses, please be gracious unto me.
Verse 1
I bow to Goddess Akhilandeshwari, who holds golden lotus flowers in Her upper two lotus-like hands and displays the Varada (boon-bestowing) and Abhaya (fear-dispelling) mudras with Her lower two hands.
Verse 2
In my heart, I worship that Goddess who is an ocean of forgiveness, who is like the morning sun's rays to the lotus-like mind of Lord Jambunatha (Lord Shiva), who previously blessed beings like Shambuka, whose beautiful neck and form resemble the conch and the mountain, and who is the very embodiment of water and earth.
Verse 3
I bow to Her who resides at the foot of the Jambu (jamun) tree, the beauty of whose neck humbles even the pride of a lustrous conch, who is the form of water and earth, and who bestows boons upon devotees such as Shambuka.
Verse 4
Thus concludes the 'Shrimad Akhilanda Devi Jambukesheshwara Stutih' composed by Sri Jagadguru Sri Sacchidananda Shivabhinava Nrisimha Bharati Swamigal of Sringeri.
Verse 5
Worship Guidelines & Chanting Benefits (Phalashruti)
Monday (Somwar) & Pradosham
Early Morning (Brahma Muhurta) or Evening Twilight (Sandhya)
Bilva leaves, Ganga water, Bhasma (sacred ash), Dhatura & White flowers
- Inner stillness, destruction of negative karma, and freedom from fear of death (Mrityunjaya)
Background
This stotra is a short four-verse hymn to Goddess Akhilandadevi (Akhilandeshvari) and Lord Jambukeshvara, the deities of the Jambukeswarar temple at Thiruvanaikaval near Tiruchirappalli. Its colophon names Sri Sacchidananda Shivabhinava Nrisimha Bharati, a Jagadguru of the Sringeri Sharada Peetham, as the composer. Jambukeshvara is the Shiva of the water element among the five Pancha Bhoota temples, and a freshwater spring is said to rise beneath the linga. The hymn asks the Mother for forgiveness and then praises her form and the Lord who dwells at the foot of the jambu tree.
Did You Know?
Author
The colophon names Sri Sacchidananda Shivabhinava Nrisimha Bharati as the composer. He was the 33rd Jagadguru of the Sringeri Sharada Peetham, who served from 1879 to 1912 and was known as a scholar and devotee.
Deities honoured
The stotra praises Goddess Akhilandadevi, whose name means the Lady of the whole universe, together with Lord Jambukeshvara, the Shiva of the water element. Their temple stands at Thiruvanaikaval in Tamil Nadu.
Temple connection
The Jambukeswarar temple is one of the five Pancha Bhoota Stalams and represents water. A freshwater spring is said to lie beneath the Shiva linga, and the jambu (rose-apple) tree is the temple's sacred tree.
Iconography of the Goddess
In verse 2 the poet bows to the Goddess who holds golden lotuses in her two raised hands, while her lower hands give the gestures of boon-giving (vara) and fearlessness (abhaya). This is a classic image of the Divine Mother.
Sound play
In verses 3 and 4 many lines end on the sound “-ambu”, as in Jambu, Shambu, Kambu and Ambu. Since ambu also means water, the sound recalls the water element of the shrine. The last verse bows to the Lord who dwells at the foot of the jambu tree.