Mathru Panchakam (The greatness of mother)

This Sloka was Written by Adi Shankara during the death time of his mother.
You can find the context and meaning of this sloka below:
The great Acharya Sri Sankara with great difficulty got the consent of his mother, to adopt Sanyasa Ashrama at a very tender age of eight. The mother seeing the firm resolve of her son and also the plight in which her little son was caught in between the jaws of death in the form of a crocodile, ultimately reconciled herself to the inevitable and gave consent to Sankara to become a yati. But she imposed a condition that Sri Sankara should be at her bed side at the time of her death and that he must cremate her with all rites after death. Sri Sankara also agreed to this and promised his mother to do so.
The five verses which form the Matru Panchakam are found to be in tune with the episode. Sankara with his intuitive powers sensed that the last moment of his mother's life was nearing. Aryambal also thought of her beloved son Sri Sankara. The Acharya was at the time in Sringeri and soon by the dint of his yogic powers hastened to the side of his dying mother in his ancestral house at kalady. He stood reverentially with folded hands before his mother. He praises his mother ARYAMBAL in these five hymns.
In the first hymn he describes how the mother patiently undergoes the suffering from the time of conception to the moment of delivery. The unbearable pain at the time of giving birth to her son, the physical weakness during pregnancy, the misery she has to put up for one year with wet and dirty bed and agony of bearing the child in the womb for ten long months are highlighted in his salutations to his mother.
1. AASTAAM TAAVADIYAM PRASOOTISAMAYE
DURVAARASHOOLAVYATHA
NAIRUCHYAM TANUSHOSHANAM MALAMAYEE
SHAYYAA CHA SAAMVATSAREY
EKASYAPI NA GARBHAAR BHARAN KLESHASYA YASYA(a)KSHAMO DAATUM
NISHKRUTIMUNNATO(a)PI TANAYAHA TASYAI JANANYAI NAMAHA

In the Second hymn he tells the following - once when Sri Sankara was pursuing his studies in the Gurukula, Aryambal had a dream in which she saw her tiny son taking to sanyasa. She was severely shocked about what she saw in her dream. She could not control herself. She ran to the gurukula, the next morning to verify the truth. She became emotional and wept there loudly. Seeing her in that pitiable plight the entire gurukula also wept alongwith her and shared her grief. This was indeed a permonition to Aryambal about the crocodile incident and sankara getting permission from her to go into the samnyasa ashrama. Sri Sankara recalls this incident at the time of Aryambal's death in this second hymn.
2. GURUKULAMUPSRUTYA SVAPNAKAALE TU DHRUSHTVAA
YATI SAMUCHITH VESHAM PRARUDO MAAM TVAMUCCHAIHI
GURUKULAMATH SARVAM PRARUDHATTHE SAMASKSHAM
SAPADHI CHARANYOSTEY MAATURASTU PRANAMAHA
In the third stanza Sri Sankara laments that he could not perform any funeral rites because he is an ascetic. Sri Sankara was at the death bed of ARYAMBAL when she was fully conscious. She was indeed delighted to see her son at the right time. However Sankara describes the state of a son, who could not be present at the last moments of one's own mother. He recalls the paramount duty of a son to be present at the time of departure of her soul, offering the Ganges water in her mouth and uttering the KARNA JAPA namely the chanting of Taraka Rama nama into her right ear, by keeping the mother's head on his lap and finally offering oblations to the departed soul, chanting vedic mantras.
3. NA DATTAM MAATASTAE MARANASAMAYAE TOYAMAPI VAA
SVADHAA VAA NO DAEYAA MARANDIVASAE SHRAADDHAVIDHINAA
NA JAPTO MAATASTAE MARANASAMAYAE TAARAKAMANUHU
AKAALAE SAMPRAAPTE MAYI KURU DAYAAM MAATARATULAAM
In fourth stanza - To an affectionate mother who has given everything to her son with loving words, sankara laments that he has been placed in a pitiable position to offer nothing but mere dry raw rice in her mouth. Here Sankara anguishes with emotion and is not able to control himself. This fourth stanza is so moving that it reflects the intense feelings of a duty bound son.
4. MUKTAMANISTVAM NAYANAM MAMAETI
RAAJAETI JEEVAETI CHIRAM SUTA TVAM
ITYUKTAVATYAASTAVA VAACHI MAATAHA
DADAAMYAHAM TANDULAMAESHA SHUSHKAM
The fifth is the concluding stanza of this PANCHAKAM as implied by its name. Sankara once again remember the unbearable hardship his mother had suffered at the time of confinement for courage and support to withstand the pains. The great Acharya offers his gratitude to his loving mother, in this hymn.
5. AMBAETI TAATAETI SHIVAETI TASMIN
PRASOOTIKAALAE YADAVOCHA UCHCHAIHI
KRUSHNAETI GOVINDA HARAE MUKUNDAETYAHO
JANANYAI RACHITO(a)YAMANJALIHI
PS: Please take care of your Parents.. :)
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[@chandraswaminathan8251]

If every one knows about this sloka nobody will ill treat the mother,but very few only know about this,this should be taught in the school level.what a great sloka!

[@supriyasreeram2948]

a sloka which will move the heart of every loving child

[@krishnamoorthyk1517]

WHY NOT THIS IS A PRAYER FOR EVERYONE TO WHOM GIVEN BIRTH BY HIS/HER MOTHER. IT SHOULD BE. IT MUST BE. ALWAYS THINK OF MOTHER. THAT IS THE GRATITUDE TO BE SHOWN TO ONE'S MOTHER.

[@nandanrajesh9020]

Moving verses. Pranam to all mothers.

[@srinivasanvenkataraman8816]

I fully agree with mrs.chandra swaminathan. If the younger generation recite this, understand this sloka, there won't be any old age homes in our country any more. Take care of your parents. This will only save your sins present n past.

[@jayanthi646]

+Srinivasan Venkataraman Very appropriately said, reeling under the burden of sins for not being a faithful son.

[@rasucha]

Very beautiful!! I miss my mother :'(

[@sureshb.l.3572]

I salute Sri Adi Shankara for the shloka's with menaing on Mother

[@radharamanathan]

Thank you for sharing this invaluable piece of Adi Shankar's creation

[@Amritanandam]

Om Sree Mathru Devo Bhava ...

[@swaminathanramaswamy4182]

what scintillating sloka, first time i am listening. wasted my time by not learning all these slokas. thanks a lot

[@grs47]

Thank you very much for this invaluable shloka with elaborate meaning.

[@sivarajprsiva6161]

sadhakodi pranamam

[@seshusri]

who sang this album and where can we buy it

[@kanugop]

who sang this song? which album is it part of? This is so mesmerizing.

[@smarttiger1]

+Pavan Kanugo It is from a malayalam devotional song cd of lord Sreevallabha, Sreevallabha temple, Thiruvalla. I cant remember the name of the album...

[@vedachaithaya]

+smarttiger1 this is Sankara charya's Mathru Panchakam Mother devotional Song.

[@grs47]

Thank you very much for this invaluble shloka with elaborate meaning.