Madalasa - Great Women in Vedic tradition

Madalasa was the daughter of Vishvasu, the Gandharva king. She was also a great inspiration to her sons. Ritdhvaj, the son of the powerful king Shatrujit, was her husband. When Shatrujit died, Ritdhvaj took the position of king and engaged in the royal duties. In due course, Madalasa gave birth to a son, Vikrant. When Vikrant would cry, Madalasa would sing words of wisdom to keep him quiet. She would sing that he was a pure soul, that he has no real name and his body is merely a vehicle made of the five elements. He is not really of the body, so why does he cry?

Thus, Madalasa would enlighten her son with spiritual knowledge in the songs she would sing to him. Because of this knowledge, little Vikrant grew up to be an ascetic, free from worldly attachments or kingly activities, and he eventually went to the forest to engage in austerities. The same thing happened to her second son, Subahu, and her third son, Shatrumardan. Her husband told her that she should not teach the same knowledge to their fourth son, Alark, so that at least one of them would be interested in worldly activities and take up the role of looking after the kingdom. So to Alark she sang a song of being a great king who would rule the world, and make it prosperous and free from villains for many years. By so doing he would enjoy the bounty of life and eventually join the Immortals. In this way, she trained her son Alark from the beginning of his life in the direction he would take. This is how a mother can influence her child in whatever potential may be possible, whether materially or spiritually, by imparting noble thoughts to open the avenues of activities for her children.

Sanskrit Text:

शुद्दोऽसि बुद्धोऽसि निरञ्जनोऽसि

सँसारमाया परिवर्जितोऽसि

सँसारस्वप्नँ त्यज मोहनिद्राँ

मदालसोल्लपमुवाच पुत्रम्।

शुद्धोऽसि रे तात न तेऽस्ति नाम

कृतँ हि ते कल्पनयाधुनैव।

पञ्चात्मकं देहँ इदँ न तेऽस्ति

नैवास्य त्वँ रोदिषि कस्य हेतो॥

न वा भवान् रोदिति विक्ष्वजन्मा

शदोऽयमयाध्य महीशसूनूम्।

विकल्पयमानो विविधैर्गुणैस्ते

गुणाश्च भौताः सकलेन्दियेषु॥

भूतनि भूतैः परिदुर्बलानि

वृद्धिँ समायान्ति यथेह पुँसः।

अन्नाम्बुपानादिभिरेव तस्मात्

न तेऽस्ति वृद्धिर् न च तेऽस्ति हानिः॥

त्वम् कँचुके शीर्यमाणे निजोस्मिन्

तस्मिन् देहे मूढताँ मा व्रजेथाः।

शुभाशुभौः कर्मभिर्देहमेतत्

मृदादिभिः कँचुकस्ते पिनद्धः॥

तातेति किँचित् तनयेति किँचित्

अँबेति किँचिद्धयितेति किँचित्।

ममेति किँचिन्न ममेति किँचित्

त्वम् भूतसँघँ बहु मा लपेथाः ॥

दुःखानि दुःखोपशमाय भोगान्

सुखाय जानाति विमूढचेताः।

तान्येव दुःखानि पुनः सुखानि

जानाति विद्वानविमूढचेताः॥

यानँ क्षितौ तत्र गतश्च देहो

देहेऽपि चान्यः पुरुषो निविष्टः।

ममत्वमुर्व्यां न यथा तथास्मिन्

देहेऽतिमात्रँ बत मूढतैषा।

And here is the Sanskrit in Transliteration so you can sing along:

śuddo'si buddhosi buddho'si nirañjano'si

sam̐sāramāyā parivarjito'si

sam̐sārasvapnam̐ tyaja mohanidrām̐

madālasollapamuvāca putram।

śuddho'si re tāta na te'sti nāma

kṛtam̐ hi te kalpanayādhunaiva।

pañcātmakaṃ deham̐ idam̐ na te'sti

naivāsya tvam̐ rodiṣi kasya heto॥

na vā bhavān roditi vikṣvajanmā

śado'yamayādhya mahīśasūnūm।

vikalpayamāno vividhairguṇaiste

guṇāśca bhautāḥ sakalendiyeṣu॥

bhūtani bhūtaiḥ paridurbalāni

vṛddhim̐ samāyānti yatheha pum̐saḥ।

annāmbupānādibhireva tasmāt

na te'sti vṛddhir na ca te'sti hāniḥ॥

tvam kam̐cuke śīryamāṇe nijosmin

tasmin dehe mūḍhatām̐ mā vrajethāḥ।

śubhāśubhauḥ karmabhirdehametat

mṛdādibhiḥ kam̐cukaste pinaddhaḥ॥

tāteti kim̐cit tanayeti kim̐cit

am̐beti kim̐ciddhayiteti kim̐cit।

mameti kim̐cinna mameti kim̐cit

tvam bhūtasam̐gham̐ bahu mā lapethāḥ ॥

duḥkhāni duḥkhopaśamāya bhogān

sukhāya jānāti vimūḍhacetāḥ।

tānyeva duḥkhāni punaḥ sukhāni

jānāti vidvānavimūḍhacetāḥ॥

yānam̐ kṣitau tatra gataśca deho

dehe'pi cānyaḥ puruṣo niviṣṭaḥ।

mamatvamurvyāṃ na yathā tathāsmin

dehe'timātram̐ bata mūḍhataiṣā।

Please learn the translation in this video