Jada Fire Bondage. Siddivinayakam Anisham| Ajith Sundaresh | Fusion Kaapi

On this auspicious occasion of Ganesh Chaturthi, we are happy to offer this kirtanam - Siddhi Vinayakam Anisham - I Meditate on Lord Siddhi Vinayaka”.

Set in ragam- Shanmukhapriya, “Siddhi Vinayakam Anisham” is a Sanskrit composition by Muttuswami Dikshitar.

The kriti opens in the first stanza ( Pallavi) with the phrase “I meditate always on Siddhi Vinayaka, the great one who bestows special boons”. Siddhi refers to a state of “perfection”. It is a psychic power associated with the awakening of Chakra functions. Siddhi Vinayaka therefore, is the embodiment of perfection and has achieved control over nature, matter and mind. Vinayaka (another name for Ganesha), the remover of obstacles also confers Siddhi (translated also as success) to a spiritual seeker.

The second stanza ( Anupallavi) goes on to praise Ganesha as one who is worshipped by Siddhas, Yakshas, Kinnaras and others and who is renowned all over the world. This reference to Siddhas, Yakshas and Kinnaras as Lord Ganesha’s devotees points to the inclusive appeal that he holds for man, spirits, demi-gods and other celestial beings alike.

Ganesha is said to reside in the center of the Muladhara Chakra, which is at the root of our chakra system. It is this most basic and earthiest of Chakras that guides us towards a Higher spiritual awareness. When activated by sustained spiritual practice, the human consciousness expands allowing one to access hidden and subtle intelligences. Thus, by being present in the heart of the Muladhara Chakra, Ganesha represents the spiritual source that works from the lower levels, removing obstacles and uplifting human potential and consciousness to sublime levels. Further, each Chakra is symbolized by the lotus (Pankaja) flower with a particular color and number of petals.

Ganesha has a sweet modaka in his hand. Modaka is an addictive sweet delicacy made with rice flour and a stuffing of jaggery and coconut and steamed to perfection. Thought to be a favorite of Ganesha, It is a symbol of the Ananda (bliss), that is experienced by the devotees of Ganesha who engage in spiritual practice.

In the the third stanza (Charanam), Ganesha is praised as one who is worshipped by Brahmanas and others during the fourth day of the bright forthnight of the month of Bhaadrapada, the sixth month according to the Hindu lunar calendar (corresponding to the rainy season in august-september).This special day is referred to as Ganesh Chaturthi.

The kriti describes Ganesha as one who holds the noose (Pasa) and goad (Ankusa). The noose symbolizes worldly attachments and desires that cause us to be in bondage. The noose captures obstacles and clears the path for the spiritual aspirant to travel on. Ankusa is the goad found in Ganesha’s upraised right hand, it is the more “fierce” version of the noose used to drive the spiritual seeker along the right path after removing obstacles. Ganesha is honored with the umbrella (chatra) and fan (chamara)-both these objects are symbols of royalty and auspiciousness.

The song goes on to extol Ganesha as one who is devoid of anger and desire and is enshrined in the hearts of his devotees. He is revered by Krishna, the younger brother of Balarama (son of Rohini). The last two phrases describe his four lustrous hands and beautiful, lotus-like feet as conferring auspiciousness.

I meditate always on Siddhi Vinayaka.

This is the first video that we have been able to collaborate and make, in a “ Mission Begin Again “ setting, without the lockdown restrictions.
Due credit to my accompanying artistes : Mukund Ramaswamy on Violin, Aditya Rajagopalan on Mridangam and Kanjira, Britto K C on Acoustic and Bass guitar and Rahul Nair on Chenda with the recording and mixing done by Saikat Sarkar
The theme of the video is further enhanced by Natasha Iyer as the miniature sculptor and Urvija Ghurye as the Bharatnatyam dancer.

Anoj Nair has done a great job in directing, supported by Anhjin Kakar, the director of photography and both of them have been ably supported by their respective teams. This has truly been a collective team effort and the full credits are as listed on the last frame of the video.

Let us pray that Lord Ganesha continues to shower his blessings, remove all obstacles from our paths and guide us towards a new world order of peace and prosperity for all.

Hope you enjoy this effort of ours and appreciate if you could have the patience to listen to the full song, preferably with headphones.

Warm Regards