Sandhya Anand

 

Rāgam: Rāgamālika (Kāpi / Hamsānandi)

Tālam: Adi

Composer: Attributed to Adi Sankarācharya

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Vaidyānatha ashtakam is a beautiful hymn composed on Lord Shiva of Vaitheeswaran Koil. Shiva gets this name because he's the Lord of Doctors( vaidyas), curer of illnesses. He is mentioned in SriRudra as 'prathamo daivyo bhiṣak'. The sloka refers to HIM as the remover of diseases like Kushtha, Vaata, etc. and bestower of abilities to speak, see, hear and walk- to those who are bereft of these.

Though there is no direct reference to this temple in the stotra, interestingly it gives many references to other deities in Vaitheeswaran Koil. Balāmbika is HIS consort there. Kuja is Mars(Angāraka) who has a shrine there which makes the place one of the Navagraha kshetras. Shadānana is Subrahmanya who also is present there. Sri Rama and Lakshmana (Saumitri, सुमित्रायाः अपत्यं पुमान्) have worshiped Shiva at this place according to the Sthala purāna. The mighty Jataayu's cremation was performed here by Sri Rama; there is a Jat ā yu-kuṇḍa at the temple. The prasāda here is bhasma mixed with mud.

There are many inner meanings if we can dig deeper into the lines. I'll leave it to the readers here :). This is a humble attempt to combine vocal and violin.

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