Vignesh Ishwar-Shyama Shastri kritis@Thane on 20/02/2011

Vocal - Vignesh Ishwar
Violin - Smriti Sunderrajan
Mridangam - Rohit Prasad
Kanjira - Karthik Srinivasan

Vignesh presented an outstanding 2.5 hr chamber concert at Thane today morning. Vignesh is a disciple of Anatharama Bhagavathar of Mumbai and also Sri T.M.Krishna. The audience consisted of youngsters from Mumbai, all learners and serious practitioners of music.

The stellar list was as follows:

1. himAdri sutE - kalyANi - Adi -tisra naDai - N,S @ shyAma krishNa
2. kAmAkSI - yadukula kambodi - misra cApu - R (sketch)
3. mIna lOcana - dhanyAsi- misra cApu - R,N,S @ kAmapAlini
4. mAyammA - nATTaikkurunji - Adi
5. sari evvarammA - bhairavi - khaNDa jhampa -R,N,T @ parama pAvani
6. kanakashaila vihAriNi - punnAgavarALi- Adi
7. pAlincu kAmAkSI - madhyamAvati -Adi

Vignesh started off the concert with a brisk himAdri sutE; the neraval and kalpana swarams were done very well! Smriti's replies were also apt and to the point. After a lilting kAmAkSI, the dhanyasi alapana was done beautifully, bringing out the beauty of the raagam. Neraval and swarams at kAmapAlini were very well done!

mAyammA was rendered with deep emotion.The mature and the slow rendering brought out the bhAvam of the rAgams and the composers very well. The kAlapramanam was just perfect! I would be failing in my duty if I did not praise Rohit's vAdyam here!

sari evvarammA seems to be Vignesh's forte! I had missed his Academy concert (where he sang this) and he more than made up for it! The AlApana was extremely mature and soaked in bhAvam! Vignesh's neraval at parama pAvanI was brilliant! Im going to be humming this for a long long time now!

My personal favorite of the concert was kanakashailavihAriNi. At my request, he ended with pAlincu kAmAkSI, most of the audience joined with him. That was like a crown on the top of the tribute to the great composer.

Except for some initial voice trouble and distraction, the whole concert was very memorable. Smriti's bhairavi Alapana was excellent and so was her dhanyasi. Her sharp piDis brought many AhAs from the musically sound audience.

Rohit's accompaniment was brilliant, especially to the slow kAmAkSI, mAyammA, sari evvarammA and kanakashaila. The tani was good; perhaps a little change to the routine Adi tAlam sollus to fit the structure of the khanda jAti jhampa tALam would have enhanced the performance. Karthik was sharp with his playing and played just at the right places, lifting the overall effect!

Vignesh is very hard working, gifted with a smooth but powerful voice and his music is very mature. 

TNS Krishna @ Nadopasana, Dombivli, Mumbai on 6/2/2011

I am a big fan of TNS and his son. 

The list up to 9:00 pm was as follows:

vandanamu -sahAna - Adi -T- R
shObillu- jaganmohini - rUpakam - T - S @ saptaswara
sAmajavara - hindOLam - Adi - T -R,N,S @ vEdashirO
gAnamUtE- gAnamUrti - Adi -T
sItAvara- dEvagAndhAri - Adi- T
alagallAla - madhyamAvati- T

B.Govind at Shanmukhananda, Mumbai-26/12/2010

Govind's voice has an amazing tonal quality that made the kEdAragowLai AlApanai a treat. Govind's pAThAntaram of kritis was impeccable, diction was superb. Although there was a small sag during the rendition of tuLasi bilva, which was still beautiful and bhAva-laden in that pace, Govind's concert was traditional and evoked deep bhakti rasam.

The list was as follows:

varnam- kAmavardhini- Pallavur Mani Iyer
rAma nI pai - kEdAram - Adi- T- S@pallavi
shanmuka guhanE - chakravAkam-rUpakam- composed by R Shrinivasan of Trivandrum (?)
tuLasi bilva - kEdAragoWLai- Adi- T- R
gaTTigAnu - bEgaDa - Adi, tisra naDai- T
nI cittamu - vijayavasanta-Adi - T
narasimhAgaccha - mOhanam- misra chApu-MD- RNST @ dhIratara
toli nE jEsina - shuddha bangALa - Adi-T
RTP - kharaharapriya - khanDa tripuTa with trikAlam
nenjanil- dwAdasha ranjanimAlikA -Adi- N.S.Chidambaram -set to tune by T M Thyagarajan
darikkum - tiruppugazh in Arabhi
maNgaLam


The chakravAkam song was beautiful. The pAThAntaram of tuLasi bilva was a bit new to me, with the pallavi starting at the samam (anupallavi and charanam lines were at the usual arai iDam). The detailed mohanam compensated for the lack of neraval and swarams till the main item. trikAlam for the pallavi was done well, barring a small slip, may be because of distraction due to a sudden soreness in the throat. The neraval in the main piece deserves special mention. It was sung without deviation from the actual placement of the syllables. This requires a great amount of control and Govind did a good job

Smriti's kharaharapriya was brilliant . Karthik Srinivasan on Mridangam supported Govind well with really cool sollus . He was even gracious to share one sollu that he played in the short and sweet tani with me after the concert .

All in all, a wonderful,weighty concert that everyone enjoyed.

Sri T N Seshagopalan @ Fine Arts Society, Chembur, Mumbai on 15th August 2010

T. N.Seshagopalan - vocal
Nagai Sriram - Violin
R Ramesh - Mridangam
K.V.Gopalakrishnan - Kanjira

Sri TNS gave an amazing concert on 15th August. At the end of three hours, the list was as follows:

1.) mEru samAna - mAyA mALava gowLai - Adi - T (R, N,S @ gaLamuna)
2.) endarO mahanubhAvulu - sri - Adi - T (R,N,S @ rAmabhaktu)
3.) ADa mODi - chArukEsi - Adi -T (R,S @ mATalADa )
4.) nagumOmu - AbhEri - Adi - T (R,N,S,T)

Had to leave after tani so not sure what he sang after this.

The concert started on time. Nagai Sriram gave excellent support. Shri R. Ramesh and KVG were brilliant, they could follow all the mathematical patterns that TNS sang. The best part of the kutcheri was the swarams at mATalAda mODi, due its rare eDuppu (27 aksharams talli). Although the patterns were vintage TNS ones, they sounded very fresh and interesting. Only a vidvan like TNS can handle ragas like Abheri without making them sound light. nagumOmu was brilliantly rendered followed by a very detailed round of neraval and swarams, which were again vintage TNS patterns! It felt as if I was listening to the TNS that I have heard on tapes! The tani was good, with many intelligent patterns in mishram and sankeerna naDai.

A special mention about the endarO mahAnubhAvulu. It was outstanding. The AlApana was the best I have heard for this rAga. The kalpana swarams and neraval were also very beautifully done. I got at least five messages from known people attending the concert that this was the most beautiful srI they had heard.

TNS sir is truly a legend. Had a nice evening. No shruti problems (my third TNS kutcheri in a row without such). Excellent acoustics and a sensitive audience. All in all, a kutcheri that made my weekend!

nirvANa SaTakam

प : माये त्वं याहि ! मां बाधितुम काहि ?

अ. प: ध्याये ध्येये त्वामेहि ! मुदं देहि !मां पाहि !

च १ गाये गेये याहि काहि एहि देहि पाहि !

२ : उपाये पेये सरसकाये रसकाये सकाये आये !

३ समुदाये गुरुगुहोदाये सुधातरङ्गिणी अन्तरङ्गिणी

[Oh mAyA! you (tvam) go away (yAhi)! Why (kAhi) do you trouble (bAdhitum) me (mAm)?

(The following is addressed to ambAL, Who is the "saguNa" form of the brahman Itself) The one who is absorbed in meditation (dhyAyE) and the one who is fit to be meditated upon (dhEyE) ! Please come (Ehi) , bestow (dEhi) on me happiness (muda) and protect (pAhi) me (mAm)!

The one who is the song (gAya) and The one Who is being praised in the song( gEyE) ! Please move(yAhi), be satisfied (kAhi), come (Ehi) , give (dEhi) and protect me (pAhi). You are the means (upAya), You are the one to be tasted i.e the destination (pEya), You are the one with the elegant (sarasa) body (kAya), You are the one with the fluid (rasa) body (kAya), You are the one with form (sakAya) Do come (AyE)!

You are the total one (i.e. the One Who encompasses everything)(samudAya), You are the cause (udaya) of guruguha, the one who resides in the form of Guru in the cave of the mind. You are the river (taraGgiNI) of nectar (sudhA)! You are the One Who resides in the heart (antaraGgiNI) (of the bhaktA)]

(muthuswAmi dikSitar: rAga tanGgiNI, tALa: Adi, rendition by MS and Semmangudi thatha is available here)

I am charmed by the concept of advaita. Our paramaguru zri Adi zaGkarAcArya has shown us a wonderful path, a path of jnAna, a philosophy which transcends the domains of the physical world. The theory of advaita is such a radical theory that I doubt if any other concept or scientific discovery would match its profundity. nirvANa SaTakam is a par excellence composition of zri Adi zaGkara that describes advaita in six simple verses. In these verses He has verily described what brahman is. He explains that brahman is pure consciousness and eternal bliss and that everything else is mAya, an illusion. The poem is in the first case. It is a personified brahman addressing us and telling us what It is about, and mostly what It is not. "nirvANa" means liberation and "Satakam" means a collection of six. Thus nirvANa Satakam is a collection of six verses describing the true nature of liberation.

It is indeed amazing that a young man (zaGkara was surely no human, He was undoubtedly paramEzvara incarnate) of around 25 (zri zaGkara attained samAdhi at the tender age of 32) could compose anything so beautiful and simple and yet so profound. And this is just one of his numerous compositions. The other day, Karthik , my friend was reading out the vivEka cuDAmaNi, another masterpiece of His and all that came to my mind was " What a futile life I am leading!" There was so much truth in the cUDAmaNi that I was instantly overwhelmed, and a surge of enthusiasm sprang in me, whence I commenced to write about this composition. nirvANa Satakam was taught to me by my school Principal, Miss. Nirmalajyoti. Nirmala madam was my firt spiritual Guru and I owe her a lot for all that she taught me and for all her encouragement, during my school days. She has set this to such a touching tune that I am almost always lost in its beauty. Here is a rendition of the same by this servant( I am unable to think of a proper English counterpart for the tamizh word "adiyEn: அடியேன் ")





मनोबुद्ध्यहङ्कार चित्तानि नाहम्
न च श्रोत्रजिह्वे न च घ्राणनेत्रे /
न च व्योमभूमिः न तेजो न वायुः
चिदानन्द रूपः शिवोहम् शिवोहम् //

zri zaGkara starts off by saying that: " I am not the mind (manas) , perception (buddhi) or the ego (ahaGkAra); I am not the memory (cittam) , neither am I the ear (zrotra) nor am I the mouth (jihvA). I am not the nose (ghrANa) or the eyes (netre). I am not the space (vyoma) or the earth (bhUmih). I am the very form of cit i.e. the intellect and Ananda i.e. ethereal bliss. I am ziva, the auspicious one."

Just pause for a moment here and contemplate on the elegance of each word. Every line has in it, the ultimate purpose of nirvANa and advaita. What can be more beautiful than this! While I write this, my heart is filled with the peace that I have been looking for, in this mundane, egocentric life, for so long. praNams, to this paramaguru and all my Gurus! The next verse goes like this :

न च प्राणसंज्ञो न वै पञ्चवायुः
न वा सप्तधातुः न वा पञ्चकोशः /
न वाक्पाणि पादौ न चोपस्थपायुः
चिदानन्द रूपः शिवोहम् शिवोहम् //

Now zri zankara says that " I am not the life giving breath (prANa), or the five airs (paJca vAyuh). I am not the seven elements ( sapta dhAtuh) or the five sheaths supposed to invest the soul (paJca kOza). I am not speech (vAk) , the hands (pANi) or feet (pAda) and I am also not the genitals (upastha) or the anus (pAyu). I am the form of the intellect and eternal bliss (cidAnanda rUpa). I am ziva."

This verse consists of such unfathomed truths about the nature of the absolute. Adi zaGkara says that the brahman is not some part of the body or any life giving force. It is immaculate consciousness and Ananda. Let me explain some terms here, before we proceed.
The panca vAyus are the five vital airs which control our body and health. They are :
1.) prANa is the vital force essential for respiration

2.) apAna is the force dealing with excretion: This air moves downwards and out of the anus,

3.) udAna is centred in the throat and rises upwards,

4.) samAna is the vAyu situated around the navel and is the force guiding digestion

5.) vyAna is the vital air which circulates and is diffused through the body.

In the Ayurvedic tradition, they talk of seven elements or sapta dhAtus, which are the basic tissues that our body is made up of. These tissues are:
1.) rasa (fluid) dhatu is derived from the digested food. It nourishes each and every tissue and cell of the body and is analogous to the plasma.

2. )rakta (blood) dhatu is regarded as the basic of life, it is analogous to the circulating blood cells. It not only nourishes the body tissues, but also provides physical strength and colour to the body.

3.) mAmsa (muscle) dhatu is the muscle tissue, its main function is to provide physical strength and support for the mEdas dhatu.

4.) mEdas (fat) dhatu – consists of adipose tissue providing support to aSti dhatu. It also lubricates the body.

5.) aSti (bone) dhatu – comprising of bone tissues, including cartilages, its main function is to give support to the majja dhatu and provide support to the mAmsa dhatu.

6.) majja (marrow) dhatu – denoting the yellow and red bone marrow tissue, its main function is to fill up the aSti.

7.) zukra (semen) dhatu – The main aim of this reproductive tissue is to help reproduction and strengthen the body.

Every dhAtu is composed of numerous cells (paramaNu). These cells have channels and pores to exchange energy and forces. Even if one paramaNu is affected, it leads to dOSA(s). There can be three reasons for a dOSa to occur: vAta (wind emitted from the body), pitta (a bilious fluid secreted between the stomach and liver) and kapha (tamizh kavam: phlegm). The actual pathology, however takes place in the dhAtus, whichever is/ are weak.

The paJca kOza, refers to the five sheaths or levels in which our body is supposed to be enclosed in. These five sheahs are:
1.) annamaya kOza : This is the first level, the external manisfestation and physiological processes that take place in a human body.

2.)prANamaya koza: This comprises of the vital force giving airs(the paJca vAyu), which are essential for the proper functioning of the body. One can control these vAyus by means of prANAyAma.

3.) manOmaya kOza: As the name suggests, the manOmaya kOza is responsible for mental health. All kinds of responses, stimuli etc are governed by this level.

4.)vijnAnamaya kOza: While the manOmaya kOza is related to mental health, this level is concerned with the ability to discern, to comprehend and discriminate. This level is responsible for intellectual well being.

5.) Anandamaya kOza: The Anandamaya kOza is what governs happiness , ecstasy, bliss and such emotions. When one's health rests in this level, the body is free from distractions and confusions.

When Adi zaGkara says that the brahman is not a form of even these vital forces, it is indeed frustrating to visualise what the truth is. But that is exactly what advaita is all about. One needs to sit and experience it on his own. The truth cannot be explained.

न मे द्वेषरागौ न मे लोभमोहौ
मदो नैव मे नैव मात्सर्यभावः /
न धर्मो न चार्थो न कामो न मोक्षः
चिदानन्द रूपः शिवोहम् शिवोहम् //

In this verse, zri zankarAcArya says that the brahman is not any of the plebeian emotions: " I am not hatred (dvESa) or anger (rAga), or covetousness (lObha) or infatuation (mOha). I am neither intoxicating (mada) or prejudiced by nature (mAtsarya bhAva). I am not righteousness (dharma) , wealth (artha), desire (kAma) or even salvation (mOkSa). I am the form of intellect and bliss. I am ziva, the auspicious one."

Ha, look at how sarcastically the paramaguru mocks at us! Who amongst us has fully done away with kAma, or anger or passion? Attachment to material pursuits is so deeply rooted in our minds that we can hardly ever understand that this world is, but a gigantic mirage. Yesterday I was listening to Nochur zri Venkataraman's upanyasam. This upanyasam has practically been an eye opener for me. Sri Venkataraman lashes out strongly against hypocrisy and asks what is the use of spiriyual pursuits when we have not been able to conquer our senses. A Ph.D. in say Physics cannot help us to achieve mOkSa. That will in fact shove us in the wrong direction. Western education is required only to enable us to live, but for salvation, which is the ultimate goal of life, we need to understand all our karmAnuSthAnas and perform them with shraddha. Parallelly, we must search for knowledge of the self, under the guidance of an able Guru. We must shun away our ahankAra. We call our family deity "kola daivam" instead of " kula daivam"(kola, in tamizh means to kill: this has been an ironical morph!) , but God is indeed the "kola daivam", one who kills. He kills our individuality, our ego, the sense of "I". Only if we do away with this sense can we embark on our journey in search of the truth, without any distractions.


न पुण्यं न पापं न सौख्यं न दुःखम्
न मन्त्रो न तीर्थं न वेदा न यज्ञाः /
अहम् भोजनं नैव भोज्यं न भोक्ता
चिदानन्द रूपः शिवोहम् शिवोहम् //

Here zaGkara says that : " I am not some meritorious deed (puNyam) or sinuous crime (pApam). I am not comfort ( sowkhyam) or difficulty (duhkham). I am not some incantation (mantra) or sacred water (tIrtham). I am not the vEdas or the rituals (yajna) therein. Neither am I a meal (bhOjanam) or a sweet (bhojyam) or a king (or lover : bhOktr). I am the form of the intellect and Ananda. I am ziva."

Do ponder over the above lines. zaGkara says that the brahman is not any of the senses or objects that would give one sensual pleasures. But are we mortals even close to conquering the senses? Can we live without thinking of having our favourite sweet dish or can the mind rest if we decided to give up all our somatic pleasures?

One thing that one must be clear about is that when zaGkara says that the brahman is not any of the rituals, He means only that. We must not decipher from this statement that rituals are of no value. or that the vEdas are mundane. We have to keep in our mind that to attain this truth, to achieve the union of the jIvAtma and the paramAtma, one has to follow the three fold path of karma, bhakti and jnAna. Each of the three paths are interlinked with each other and to attain salvation, one must adhere to one's karma, have bhakti and become a jnAni. This is basically required to instill discipline in an individual. Only when the truth is achieved by steadfastly following this path will one rise above the boundaries imposed by the vedAnta. And in that awakened state, there are no rituals emotions, caste, religion ,etc. And this is so logical. Does the paramAtma have a religion?? It is we, mortals who need to bind ourselves from the vicious senses and passions that veritably consume us. Once we have achieved communion with God and realised the true nature of brahman, we transcend all boundaries.

न मे मृत्युशङ्का न मे जातिभेदः
पिता नैव मे नैव माता न जन्म /
न बन्धुर्न मित्रं गुरुर्नैव शिष्यः
चिदानन्द रूपः शिवोहम् शिवोहम् //

" I am not death (mRtyu) or fear ( zaGka) or any caste (jAtibhEda)" says zankara, of the brahman: " I am not the father (pitR) or the mother (mAtR) or birth (janma). I am not any relation (bandhu) or friend (mitr) , or preceptor(guru) or disciple (ziSya). I am the form of knowledge and bliss. I am ziva."
zaGkara says in all the above verses what the brahman is NOT! Then what is the brahman? What is its nature? As I told you before, it has to be self realized. However in the final verse of this exquisite poem, zaGkara describes what brahman is all about. This is the crux of advaita :

अहम् निर्विकल्पो निराकाररूपः
विभुर्व्याप्य सर्वत्र सर्वेंद्रियाणि /
सदा मे समत्वं न मुक्तिर्न बंधः
चिदानन्द रूपः शिवोहम् शिवोहम् //

Describing the characteristics of brahman, zaGkara says: " I am unalterable and permanent (nirvikalpa) , I am formless (nirAkArarUpa) , I am all- pervading (vibhu) and permeable (vyApya) everywhere (sarvatra). I am all the senses (sarva indriyANi). I am always (sadA) neutral (sama). I am not free (mukti) or bound (bandha) . I am veritably the form of knowledge and bliss. I am ziva, the auspicious one."

What more can be said about zri zaGkara's poetic mastery ? I am still left wondering how a 30 year old man could think so much. Imagine how mature He should have been! What a futile, immature life I am leading!

Kindly correct me if you found any errors in the translation above.

May the all pervading, all knowing form of sat, cit and Ananda shower His grace on everyone and enable us to cross this bhavasAgara. May we be unraveled from this bondage of life and be given the strength to realize the satyam.

praNams to all!

zri kRSNArpaNamastu!

jananI ninnuvinA - rItigauLa

माता मरकत श्यामा मातङ्गी मधुशालिनी

कुर्यात् कटाक्षं कल्याणी कदम्बवनवासिनी /

जय मातङ्गतनये जय नीलोत्पलद्युते

जय सङ्गीतरसिके जय लीलाशुकाप्रिये //

( Oh Mother (mAta) ! Who is dark complexioned like the marakata jewel! Who is mAtaGgI, the daughter of the sage mAtaGga, Who is sweet as honey (madhuzAlini) , Who is auspicious (kalyANi), Who is the resident (vAsini) of the kadambA forest (vana), kindly protect us! (katAkSham kuryAt)

Victory to the MotherWho is the daughter of sage mAtaGga, Who is lustrous like the blue lily (nIlOtpaladyutE), Who is a connoissuer (rasikA) of music (saGgIta) and Who loves (priyA) the charming (lIlA) parrot (zuka)

(kAlidAsA: zyAmaLA danDakam)

I thought of taking up this kriti in order to highlight the mahimai of Subbaraya Shastri's finesse in composing fantastic kritis. His compositions are filled with bhakti and bhAva. The tempo of his kritis is generally slow, barring a few madhayama kAla kritis. A worthy son to a great father indeed! Here are the lyrics (Only the commonly sung caraNam has been included)

pallavi

jananI ninnuvinA (trilOka)
dikkevarammA? jagamulOna gAna (trilOka)

anupallavi

manasija mAnasa sammOdini!
vinavE nA manavini vini nannu brOvumu
(cittai swaram)

svaram sAhityam

niravadhika- sukha- dAyaki ! anucu vini ninnu cAla goliciti
niratamuga tanayuni moralu vini nI valanE brOcuTaku evarika dharalO
vinumA idi ghanamA taruNamidi krpa salupa durusuga
sarasIruha - lOcani ! suvAsini ! tAmasamu sEyakane brOvumu
(jananI)

caraNam 3:

vanajAyata - nEtri! kumAra - janani! kAmitadAtri !
ghana - pApa - latAlavitri ! sanakAdi - munulella - sannuta pAtri !

Subbaraya Shastri proved to be a worthy son to his father, zri Shyama Shastri. The greatness of this composer lies in the fact that he was a disciple of not only his father but also learnt from zri Tyagarja Swami and Muthuswami DikSitar. The vidvat of all the three stalwarts is reflected in his compositions. His compositions are generally rarely sung as they are few in number and also, according to me, it takes some effort and time to master his kritis. Now to the kriti.

With utmost supplication to the mother Goddess kAmAkSi zri Subbaraya Shastri questions Her: " Oh mother ( janani) of the three worlds (trilOka) ! Who (evarE) else in this world (jagamulOna) can be my refuge (dikku) other than you (ninnu vinA) ? "

The emotions in this line are well brought out by the rAga bhAva , that is so enticing in the mandra sthAyi. The mandra sthAyi beginning, along with the soothing sAhitya makes the kriti really pleasant and weighty. Like I said in an earlier post, a composition by the Shastri family gets attached to the rAga. janani is one such. This is surely because of ambAL's karuNai and kRpai.

After the soft mandra sthAyi , Subbaraya Shastri goes on to plead in the tARa sthAyi , beginning with an abstract swarAksharam at "ma":

He calls ambAL : "manasija - mAnasa - sammodini", i.e. " One whose mind (mAnasa) is delighted (sammOdini) by the God of love (manasija)" and appeals to her: "Please listen (vinavE) to my (nA) troubles (manavini) and kindly protect (brOvumu) me (nannu) "

As is the case with the Sastri kritis, the swara sAhityam is touching and this one is specificifically moving:

" Having heard (vini ) that (anucunu) that you are the bestower (dAyaki) of unceasing (niravadhika) happiness (sukha), I beseeched (goliciti) you (ninnu) so much (cAla)! Who else (evarika) is there in this world (dharalO) to protect (brOcutaku) like you (nI valanE) , after hearing (vini) the appeals (moralu ) of this child (tanayuni) endlessly (niratamuga) ? "

Subbaraya Shastri's surrender to the Mother is so evident her. He kind of chides Her that She has not protected him from the tentacles of the worldly miseries. However he is very prompt to acknowledge ambAL as the only one in this world Who can listen to his troubles and free him from his worries.

Subbaraya Shastri continues further in this beautiful svara sAhityam: "Now (idi) please listen, Oh Mother (vinumA), is this (idi) ghanama (tiresome) ? Now is the opportune moment (taruNam idi) to quickly (durusuga) Please protect me (brovumu) without (sEyaka) delay (tAmasamu) , oh Mother, Who has eyes (lOcanI) like the lotus (sarasIruha) and Who is fragrant (suvAsini) !

The caraNam begins like the pallavi in the mandara sthAyi and beautifully unfolds into the higher octaves. The mark of this kriti is the svara sAhityam!

Sri Shastri describes ambAL as " vanajAyata- nEtrI i.e. the one with large (Ayata) eyes (nEtri) like the blue lotus flower (vanaja: vanaja means born in the forest, it also refers to a wild lotus flower found in the forest lakes) " and as "kumAra janani (mother of kumara: subrahmanya svAmi) " , kAmitadAtri : One who gives (dAtrI) whatever is desired (kAmita) "

After this the kriti reaches a climax like the anupallavi, but the transition is so gradual and grand (do I have to even attempt to write about the elegance of the M-N-S part of rItigauLa??) that one gets easily lost in its subtlety!

ambAL is now referred to as : "ghana pApa latA lavitrI", i.e One who is like a scythe (lavitrI) to the creepers ( latA) of evil (ghana) sins (pApa) (in short, the One Who destroys all sins) (Someone, please verify this!!!) and "sanakAdi munulella sannuta pAtri" : One who is worthy (pAtrI) of the panegyric (sannuta) of sanakA and all (ella) other (Adi) sages (munulu).

The "tri" antya prAsa in the caraNam is really captivating and utmost bhakti is required to present this kriti impeccably. SSI, MS and KVN recordings are available abundantly, but my favourite rendition is by my own GurunAthar, (which can be found here. ) and by Brindamma, of course (available here). Brindamma's rendition actually gives you goosebumps!

May the ambAL, the Mother of the three worlds protect everyone!

zrI kriSNArpaNamastu!

zri mAtrbhUtam : kannada rAgam

रत्नैः कल्पितमासनं हिमजलैः -स्नानं च दिव्याम्बरं

नानारत्नविभूषितम् म्रृगमदा -मोदाङ्कितम् च्न्दनम् /

जातीचम्पकबिल्वपत्ररचितं पुष्पं च धूपं तथा

दीपं देव दयानिधे पशुपते ह्र्त्कल्पितं गृह्यताम् //

( Oh Lord (dEva), the one who is the ocean (nidhi) of mercy (dayA) , oh pazupati! kindly accept (grhyatAm) these offerings of mine imagined (kalpita) in my mind (hRt) : an imaginary (kalpita) throne (Asana) bedecked with jewels (ratnai:) , a bath (snAnam) in the waters of the Himalayas (himajalai:) and a divine (divya) robe (ambara) adorned (vibhUSita) with different (nAnA) gems (ratna) , sandalwood (candanam) that is marked (aGkita) by the fragrance (mOda) of musk (mRgamada) , jAti and campaka flowers laced with (racita) bilva leaves (bilva patra), incense (dhUpa) and lamp (dIpa).

(Adi zankara: ziva - mAnasa- pUjA)

I will now be writing about a grand composition by a grand composer zri Muthuswami Dikshitar. The lyrics are as below:

pallavi:

zrI mAtRbhUtam triziragiri-nAtham
hRdi cintayE sugandhi kuntalAmbA samEtam

anupallavi:

sOmasakham nata- zuka-sanakam naLa-
kAmAdi - vijaya - kamanIyAGgam
sOmam zirOdhRta - sUryagaGgam
kOmaLakaradhRta kuraGgam gurugAntaraGgaliGgam

caraNam:

vAsavAdi - dEva - vandita - caraNam
vaizya- jAti - strI- vESa- dharaNam
vAsudEva - mahitam - bhavataraNam
vAsanAdi- rahitAnta: karaNam darahAsa- tripurAdi-haraNam
vAsukI-pramukhAbharaNam
bhAsamAna- na- vAvaraNam dAsajanasantOSa:karaNam su-
vAsita - navajavanti - puSpa - vikAsapriya - hRdayayam -sadayam
mAsavarSha- pakSOtsava- vibhavam sadAzivam paramazivam

This rAga is one of my favourites. Its S M G M D N S ArohaNam makes it really special. Things can go really out of hand if one cannot give the proper gamakams at the right places. The best rendition that I have heard is that of Brindamma and then Ramnad Krishnan(who I believe has learnt it from Brindamma). Their pAthAntara differs a lot from the version given in the sangIta sampradAya pradarzini and the version popularised by Semmangudi Mama. The pallavi is entirely different. However their soft, gamaka laden rendition fills with the heart with a serenity that one can associate much with the rAgabhAva that dikSitar might have intended to bring out of this mammoth composition.

This kriti is on zrI mAtRbhUtEzvara, the pesiding deity of the Rock Fort Temple at Trichy. It is best that we know the legends associated with this deity as they are really interesting and throw light on most part of the sAhitya of this kriti. The Rock Fort temple complex houses three deities:

1. two pillaiyArs ( manikka vinAyakar at the foot of the hill and Ucci pillaiyAr at the top i.e ucci of the hill),
   
2. zri mAtRbhUtEzvara
3. sugandhi kuntalAmba
   

Hence this hill is called "tri- shikhiram" or "triziragiri" and that is how perhaps tirucchirApaLLi got its name too. The Rock Fort hill is considered as a piece of the Meru mountain itself. Legend has it that AdishEsha and vAyu were indulged in a spat when the former challenged the wind God to dislodge him, as He coiled around the Mount Meru. The dispute continued for days vAyu couldn't budge the giant, divine snake and conceded defeat. During this process, a small tip of the mountain broke and fell off at Trichy. This small piece is what is the famous Rock Fort Hill.

The Lord mAtRbhUtEzvarar , who is popularly called as tAyumAnavar ( தாயுமானவர் ) is called so because the Lord descended to the world of mortals to help his staunch devotee during her times of pain and misery, in the disguise of a mother (mAtR, தாய்) . It is said that Ratnavati, a pious woman belonging to the vaizya caste ( the merchant caste) was an unswerving devotee of the Lord of the triziragiri. Despite the fact that she lived on the other side of the river kAvEri, she would visit her Lord even during her days of pregnancy. On the day of her delivery, she was unable to visit the temple and hoped fervently for her mother to be present. However, due to heavy floods that day, her mother who lived on the other side of the river, could not visit her. So Ratnavati prayed to Lord Shiva and got prepared to go through the ordeal all by herself. Her labour pains began to intensify when miraculously her mother came and served as her midwife and disappeared. It was then that she realised that her Lord had deigned to come to His ardent devotee and help her during her time of distress. So the Lord of the trziragiri is called "tAyumAnavar" or " mAtRbhUtEzvarar".

ambAL is called sugandhi kuntalAmba, which means: " the Mother who is fragrant (sugandhi) like an intoxicating perfume (kuntala) "

tAyumAnavar is supposed to like javanti flowers as mentioned in the caraNam. The legend is that "originally the entrance to the temple was facing east but the Lord in anger turned to the west. What made Him angry is another story. Saramamunivar was a great devotee who grew javanti flowers to worship the lord. One day he found a guard of King Parantaka Chola's palace taking away the flowers. The munivar complained to the king. The king, on enquiry, found that the flowers were being given to his queen. He took no action to stop the theft of the flowers. A distraught sage complained to the Lord. He turned away to the West in anger. At that precise moment a rain of sand started falling on Uraiyur where the king's palace was located. The people prayed to Vekkali Amman, who pacified the Lord and saved Uraiyur. "
(taken from here . )

I had the bhAgyam of visiting this temple last year and believe me, it is heaven!

Now to the kriti. The entire kriti is the accusative case. So the theme is like this : I think of (" cintaye") ..................."

In the pallavi dIkSitar prays to the Lord thus: " I think (cintayE) about zri mAtRbhUta, who is the Lord of triziragiri and who is united with (samEta) sugandhi kuntalAmbA. "

The pallavi rendition of Brindamma's school is really unique and exquisite. The gamaka at "tR" (of the word zri mAtRbhUtam) and the subtlety with which she slides to "bhU" always give me the goosebumps. The "samEtam" part is all the more divine

In the anupallavi , dIkSitar describes the Lord in the following manner:

(I think of (cintayE) :)
sOmasakham : One who is the friend (sakha) of the moon (sOma)

nata- zuka-sanakam: One who is praised (nata) by the sages zuka and sanaka

naLa-kAmAdi - vijaya - kamanIyAGgam : One who has a body (aGga) that surpasses (vijaya) that of naLa and cupid i.e manmata (kAma) in beauty ( kamanIya)

sOmam: One who is with Uma (sa+Uma)

zirOdhRta - sUryagaGgam: One who holds ( dhRta) the river Ganga and the arka flower (sUrya) on His head (zira) (zirOdhRta).

kOmaLakaradhRta kuraGgam: One who holds( dhRta) a deer (kuraGgam) in His soft (komala) hand (kara).

guruguhAntaraGgaliGgam : One who manisfests as a zivaliGga in the heart (antaraGga) of guruguha i.e. Lord Muruga.

Just pause for a minute and look at the beauty of every word! The lilting rhythm of the kriti, which I believe is an inherent characteristic of any composition in misra chApu tAla, and the beautifully rhyming sAhitya , along with the lofty shades of kannada that are revealed here, transport you a realm of immaculate classicism and Ananda. To top everything, the rAga mudra has been included so subtlely (sanakam-naLa) that makes one wonder if dikSitar was indeed a mortal!

The caraNam contains the legend mentioned before. I have arranged the lyrics of the caraNam a little wierdly to highlight the wonderful alliterations.

vAsavAdi - dEva - vandita - caraNam : One whose feet (caraNam) are worshipped (vandita) by Indra (vAsava) and other (Adi) Gods (dEva)

vaizya- jAti - strI- vESa- dharaNam : One who donned (dharaNa) the garb (vESa) of a woman (strI) of the vaizya caste (vaizya jAti)

vAsudEva - mahitam : One who is honoured (mahita) by vAsudeva

bhavataraNam : One who helps to cross over (taraNa) (the ocean) of worldly existence (bhava)

vAsanAdi- rahitAnta: karaNam: One whose heart (anta: karaNam) is devoid (rahita) of desires (vAsana), etc (Adi)

darahAsa- tripurAdi-haraNam : One who destroyed (haraNa), tripura (the three cities) with a smile on the face (dara hAsa) (for more details on this, please click here.)

vAsukI-pramukhAbharaNam : One who has vAsuki as the principle(pramukha) adornment (AbharaNam)

bhAsamAna- navAvaraNam: One who has nine (nava) garments (AvaraNam) (which are lustrous) like (samAna) the stars (bhA).

dAsajanasantOSa:karaNam : One who makes (karaNa) the devotees (dAsajana) happy (santOSa)

suvAsita - navajavanti - puSpa - vikAsapriya - hRdayayam : One who has a heart (hRdaya) which loves to (priya) expand (vikAsa) with fragrant (suvAsita) flowers (puSpa) like the new (nava) javanti. (i.e He becomes kinder when propitiated with javanti flowers)

sadayam : One who has mercy (daya)

mAsavarSa- pakSOtsava- vibhavam : One whose greatness (vibhava) is celebrated during monthly (mAsa), varSa ( yearly) and fortnightly (pakSa) festivals (utsava).

sadAzivam : One who is always (sadA) auspicious (ziva)

paramazivam : One who is the most (parama) auspicious (ziva).

Words cannot describe dikSitar's skills at composing. So I am not going to make any vain attempt! I guess that one must himself listen to this kriti and derive the happiness. Do listen to Brindamma's rendition of this kriti. This can be downloaded from here

May the Lord bestow peace and prosperity on us!

zri kriSNArpaNamastu!