Dikshitar's Navagraha Krithis and their scientific aspects- Angarakam(MARS)

Angarakam

Raaga-Surati                                                                                             Roopaka Taala

Krithi

angArakaM ASrayAmyahaM 
vinatASrita jana mandAraM
(madhyama kAla sAhityam)
mangaLa vAraM bhUmi kumAraM vAraM vAram

SRngAraka mEsha vRScika rASyadhipatiM
raktAngaM raktAmbarAdi dharaM Sakti SUla dharam
mangaLaM kambu gaLaM manjuLa-tara pada yugaLaM
mangaLa dAyaka mEsha turangaM makarOttungam


dAnava sura sEvita manda smita vilasita vaktraM
dharaNI pradaM bhrAtR kArakaM rakta nEtram
dIna rakshakaM pUjita vaidya nAtha kshEtraM
divyaughAdi guru guha kaTAkshAnugraha pAtram
(madhyama kAla sAhityam)
bhAnu candra guru mitraM bhAsamAna sukaLatraM
jAnustha hasta citraM caturbhujaM ati vicitram

Translation:

angArakaM ASrayAmyahaM vinatASrita jana mandAraM-
I seek shelter under Angaaraka,who is like a wish-yielding tree to his devotees. The one who rules over Tuesday, and is the son of Earth.

SRngAraka mEsha vRScika rASyadhipatiM-The lord of the beautiful signs of the zodiac,Aries and Scorpio.

raktAngaM raktAmbarAdi dharaM Sakti SUla dharam -The red-coloured one,who is wearing red silk.The one bearing the weapons shakthyaayudha and shoola.

mangaLaM kambu gaLaM manjuLa-tara pada yugaLaM -The auspicious-one,who is conch-necked, with lotus-like feet.

mangaLa dAyaka mEsha turangaM makarOttungam –One who is the harbinger of auspiciousness ,who is exalted in Capricorn.

dAnava sura sEvita manda smita vilasita vaktraM-The one worshipped by the demons and gods and the one who has a smiling face.

dharaNI pradaM bhrAtR kArakaM rakta nEtram -The bestower of land,the significator for brothers,who is red-eyed.

dIna rakshakaM pUjita vaidya nAtha kshEtraM -The protector of the weak,who is worshipped at the kshethra of Vaidhyanaatha ie Vaidhiishwaran koil.

divyaughAdi guru guha kaTAkshAnugraha pAtram -The beneficiary of the grace of the gods and of guha.

bhAnu candra guru mitraM bhAsamAna sukaLatraM -The one who is the friend of the Sun,moon and Jupiter and has a beautiful consort.

jAnustha hasta citraM caturbhujaM ati vicitram -The one who has four hands and is seated with his hands on his knees.

Scientific significance of this Krithi

Mars is the second smallest planet after mercury in our solar system. There are several instances in this krithi ,which says there are similarities between earth and mars.

Bhoomikumaram: Son of Earth

Scientific significance: Mars is probably the most similar planet to earth in our solar system. Following are some of the list of similarities which is observed astronomically:

-          Both are within the “inner planets”

-          Both are considered small

-          Made of proportional amount of rock and metal

-          Spin slowly

-          Have few moons

-          Don’t have rings

-          Have oxygen rich atmospheres

-          Have weak magnetic fields

raktAngaM raktAmbarAdi dharaM: Red planet

Termed as a red planet because of the iron oxide prevalent on it’s atmosphere.

manda smita vilasita vaktraM- One with a smiling face

Astronomical evidences say, a crater named Galle on Mars, is known as a happy face crater, because, the illusion of a smiley, is created by a curved mountain range in the southern part of the crater and 2 smaller mountain clusters further north.

Mars and it's physical features have been neatly personified in this Krithi by Sri Dikshitar.