shri chamunDEshwari
raagam: bilahari

29 dheera shankaraabharaNam janya
Aa: S R2 G3 P D2 S
Av: S N3 D2 P M1 G3 R2 S

taaLam: aadi
Composer: Mysore VaasudEvaacaarya
Language:

pallavi

shrI cAmunDEswari pAlaya mAm kripAkari shankari
shritajanapAlini mahAbalAdrivAsini
mahishAsuramardini

anupallavi

vAcAmagOcara mahimavirAjitE varaguNabharitE
vAkpatimukhasura vanditE vAsudEva sahajAtE

caraNam

rAkanishAkara sannibhavadanE rAjIvalOcanE
ramanIya kundaradanE rakshitabhuvanE maNisadanE

mUkavAkpradhAna vikhyAtE munijananuta suprItE
shrIkaratAraka mantra toshita cittE

Meaning:

By Aparna from Neccheli (original article here, reproduced with permission)

Carnatic Compositions - The Essence and Embodiment
-Aparna Munukutla Gunupudi

sree chamunDEswari - sree chaamundeswari
paalaya maam - protect me
kripaakari - kind person
Sankari - sankari
Sritajana - good people
Paalini - protector
Mahbalaadri - mount MahAbala
vaasini - lives
Mahishaasuramardini - destroyer of demon Mahisha
Vaachaama gOcara - one that provides the vision
mahimaviraajitE - dwells in the power
varaguNa - has the quality of blessing with boons
bharitE - full of it
Vaakpati - husband of Saraswati (the speech provider)
mukha - the face
sura vanditE - praised by celestial bodies
vaasudEva - Vaasudeva
sahajaatE - born together (sibling)
Raakanisaakara - one who handles the night (moon)
sannibha - equal to
vadanE - face
raajeevalOcanE - delightful eyed
ramaneeya - beautiful
kundaradanE - row of teeth
Rakshita - protector
bhuvanE - universe
maNisadanE - lives in a jeweled palace
Mooka - dumb
Vaak pradaana - provider of speech
vikhyaatE - renowned
Munijananuta - praised by the sages
supreetE - loved
Sreekara - holder of the wealth
taaraka mantra - mantra for liberation
toshita - contented
chittE - heart
sadA namastE - bow to you always

Mysore Vasudevacharya being from Mysore had to have composed the most beautiful krithi on Sree Chamundeswari, the prime deity in the nearby temple on Mount Mahabala. In pallavi, he says, oh! kind Sankari, please protect me and you do take care of the righteous. You have made Mount Mahabala as your abode and you are the one who killed the demon Mahishaasura. He later describes her in anupallavi as the one who has powers that can not be described in words, one with many virtues, as the sister of Vasudeva and is worshiped by Brahma and other celestial bodies. The charanam is the lynchpin of her qualities. He elaborates as her face is as radiant as the full moon, with vibrant eyes and beautiful teeth like jasmine buds, the protector of the world and dwells in a gem studded home, is famous for bestowing speech/knowledge to the dumb/ignorant, she is praised and favored by all the sages, she is delighted by the sacred taraka mantra, and he says to that powerful one, he bows to always.

Chamundeswari is known for her fierce and forceful strength, who wears garland of skulls, drinking blood from a skull cup and who has killed demons Chanda and Munda, thereby attaining her name. She is referred to as one of Parvati's forms. It is said that she attained fierceness from her association with Rudra, an angry form of lord Siva. In contrast to her attributes, Chamundeswari is depicted as very delicate, kind and beautiful in this krithi. It is typically said that the fierce force is always complemented with a kind gentle side. That is exactly what the composer portrayed - painting such a beautiful & gentle picture for this fierce goddess, unseen by laymen, in very simple words and a melodious raagam. You may notice how the swara sancharam ascends up for "Mahaabalaadri vaasini" when referring to the mountain.

Notation:

Other information:
Lyrics contributed by Lakshman Ragde. Meaning contributed by Aparna Gunupudi via Neccheli.