The moment my husband walks in from work, I grab his Telegraph for my puzzle-fix. With the advent of an IPad into my home, I continue the evening doing tougher puzzles during the commercial breaks on the telly.  I love the logical structure of Sudoku. You work through it methodically, eliminate logically and voila, you have a perfect solution! What a pleasure that is!

While I do my Telegraph puzzle, I also finish the word game based on anagrams which is featured on the same page. Now this is a very different kettle of fish to Sudoku. The only way I can work out anagrams is to jumble up the letters, removing the linearity, then staring at them until the answer comes to mind. I love the magical ‘pop’ of the answer into my head! Though I have a very good success rate, I have no control over it. There is neither logic nor method in this.

‘But why is she going on about puzzles in a music blog?’ I’m sure you are puzzling over that right now! Well, there is a connection…..

We Carnatic Music rasikas have our own puzzles, you see. It is called ‘What raga is this?’! Whenever you hear a song, that is the first question that comes to mind. So what is it exactly that we recognize as a raga? Mind you, there is a difference between remembering and recognizing. If you hear a kriti and you know that it is of a certain raga, that is remembering. If you hear an improvised alapana or an unknown kriti, and then can name the raga, that is recognizing.

With the caveat that my knowledge is meagre indeed, I believe there are three major characteristic-sets to ragas:

• The Notes : Arohanam and Avarohanam define the set of permitted notes. There are further conditions of use for these notes; for example, some are Jiva swaras or ‘life giving’ notes while others are Amsa Swaras, notes which occur frequently. As Carnatic Music uses a variable scale depending on the pitch of the musician, surely what our mind registers are the presence of frequency-intervals? To use these rules in raga recognition, you need to be able to translate a tune or an alapana to its notes on the fly. Sadly, I cannot.
• The Ornamentation: Ragas have rules regarding gamakas or oscillations and slides between notes. Again, raga recognition by this is difficult for untrained rasikas as it demands you to recognize the notes as they are sung.
• The Characteristic Phrases: Prayogas and Sancharas are essentially little micro-tunes made up of a few notes, a combination by which a raga can be identified.  Of the three, this is the easiest for a musically uneducated listener. If you have a mental database of what these characteristic phrases sound like, you could compare them to what you are listening. With my limited ability, I just cannot spot micro-tunes amongst the barrage of notes that the musician spouts out.

So what is my method? This is not a puzzle like Sudoko which I can approach in a methodical and logical manner. Instead, somewhat like my anagram puzzle, I have to wait for the answer to ‘pop’ into my mind. See, I told you there was a connection! My very unscientific method rests on listening to the alapana, waiting for my mind to have the incredible urge to belt out some kriti for which I already know the raga. Recognizing the raga is based solely on this urge! A method prone to errors, I assure you. Yet I can recognize many ragas based on this unscientific method!

So coming to my song choice of the day..

Last week I was listening to a nice kutcheri by Sanjay Subrahmanyan on youtube while rolling out the chapatis for dinner, head nodding, rolling-pin going back and forth in perfect tala, saying ‘besh besh’ when the music warranted it. I was a happy woman indeed! A new alapana started and as usual I waited for my mind to offer a raga-match. My mind obligingly offered up ‘Valachi Va-a-a-chi-i-i-i’ in a confident manner.  Now I knew that this varnam is a ragamalika but what is the first raga? For the life of me, I could not remember! You are no doubt sniggering at me now if you know the answer! I waited for an alternate kriti to pop out, getting more and more frustrated with myself for being so inept and clueless. The kriti started and this too was unfamiliar. I finally gave up and went back to enjoying the music. That’s when I heard myself mutter ‘Hmmmm not a bad Kedaram, maybe I should feature this in my next post?’.  I stopped short and grinned as my chapati burnt to a crisp. Puzzle solved!

For those who are new to Carnatic Music and for those who would like to train themselves in raga recognition, I propose a simple strategy here.

Instead of presenting the song I was listening to, I am presenting a good reference song in Kedaram, the song which my mind should have logically ‘popped’ out. Muthuswami Dikshithar’s Ananda Natana Prakasham is a very interesting, and mystical song, I am doing it injustice by not discussing the lyrics in detail. Oh well, some other time maybe..

Since last week I have been listening to multiple versions of this song. Sanjay Subrahmanyan’s rendition in his CD Keshtra Chidambaram is gentle as a lullaby. Vijay Siva’s rendition is brisk and energetic. T.M.Krisha’s rendition in his CD Panchabhutam brings out all it’s mysticism.   But there is no match, I think, for M.D.Ramanathan’s deep-voiced leisurely exploration of the song. Somehow MDR’s voice and style seem a perfect match for this song. What do you think? There is a slightly better quality recording in Sangeethapriya (free membership).

Footnote (Lyrics) :

Language: Sanskrit

पल्लवि
आनन्द नटन प्रकाशं चित् सभेषम्
आश्रयामि शिवकामवल्लीशम्

अनुपल्लवि
भानु कोटि कोटि सङ्काशम्
भुक्ति मुक्ति प्रद दहराकाशम्
दीन जन संरक्षण चणम्

मध्यम काल साहित्यम्
दिव्य पतञ्जलि व्याघ्रपाद
दर्शित कुञ्चिताब्ज चरणम्

चरणम्
शीतांशु गङ्गा धरम्  नील कन्धरम्
श्री केदारदि क्षेत्राधारम्
भूतेशम् शार्दूल चर्माम्बरम् चिदम्बरम्
भूसुर त्रिसहस्र मुनीश्वरम् विश्वेश्वरम्
नवनीत हृदयम् सदय गुरुगुह तातमाद्यम्
वेद वेद्यम् वीत रागिणमप्रमेयाद्वैत प्रतिपाद्यम्
संगीत वाद्य विनोद ताण्डव जात बहुतर भेद चोद्यम्

Transliteration :

pallavi
Ananda naTana prakAsham chit sabhEsham
AshrayAmi shivakAmavallIsham

anupallavi
bhAnu kOTi kOTi sa.nkAsham
bhukti mukti prada daharAkAsham
dIna jana samrakshaNa chaNam

madhyama kAla sAhityam
divya patanjali vyAGra pAda
darshita kunchitAbja charaNam

charaNam
shIta.nshu gangA dharam nIla kandharam
shrI kEdArAdi kshEtrAdhAram
bhUtesham shArdUla charmAmbaram chidambaram
bhUsura trisahasra munIshvaram vishvEshvaram
navanIta hrudayam sadaya guruguha tAtamAdyam
vEda vEdyam vIta rAgiNampramEyAdvaita pratipAdyam
sangIta vAdya vinOda tAnDava jAta bahutara bhEda chOdyam

Translation:

Pallavi
He who is lustrous (prakAsham) with the dance (naTana) of bliss (Ananda), the   Lord (Isham) of the court (sabhA) of the soul (chit) [also Lord of Chidambaram]. I take refuge (AshrayAmi) in the Lord of Shivakamavalli [shivakAmasundari is the name of the Goddess at Chidambaram].

Anupallavi
His appearance (sa.nkAsham) is like millions (kOti kOti) of suns (bhAnu). He is the provider (prada) of pleasure (bhukti) and salvation (mukti). He is  the form of the yogic space of daharAkAsha (deep psychic world). [Yoga Upanishads talk of three etheric planes: chit-AkAsha=space of the mind, hrudaya-AkAsha=space of the heart and daharAkAsha=space of the psychic world. Note also that Chidambaram is the one which represents Akasha amongst the pancha-bhoota sthalams of Lord Shiva]. He is famed (chaNam) as the protector (samrakshaNam) of the wretched (dIna jana). His lotus-like (Abja) bent (raised?) (kunchita) feet (charaNam) are those seen by the divine (divya) Patanjali and Vyaghrapada [sages who were given a vision of the dancing Lord at Chidambaram].

Charanam

He who holds (dharam) the moon (shItAnshu) and the Goddess Ganga. He is blue (nIla) necked (kandharam). He is the foundation (AdhAram) of sacred places (kshEtra) such as (Adi) Kedara [note: also name of Raga]. He is the Lord (Isham) of all living beings (bhUta). His apparel (ambaram) is the skin (charma) of a tiger (shArdUla). He resides (implied)  in our consciousness (chit) and ether (ambara) [also temple of Chidambaram]. He is the Lord (Ishwaram) of the three thousand (thri-sahasra) Brahmin (bhUsura) sages (munI). He is the Lord (Ishwaram) of the universe (vishva). His heart (hrudayam) is soft as (implied) fresh butter (navanItam). He is the compassionate (sadaya) one, the father (tAtam) of Guruguha [Lord Subramanya, also signature of composer], He is the primal (Adyam). Celebrated (vEdyam) in the Vedas, He is dispassionate/calm (vItarAga). He is immeasurable (apramEya). He is expounded (pratipAdyam) in the Advaita philosophy.  He takes pleasure (vinOda) in music (sangIta), instrumental music (vAdya) and dance (tAnDava) causing (jAta) different kinds of (bhEda) great (bahutara) astonishment (chOdya). [there can be multiple interpretations of this last phrase; this is just one possibility.]

Footnote (Raga) :

The scales of Raga Kedaram are as follows :

Aarohanam (Ascending) :  S M1 G3 M1 P N3 S’
Avarohanam (Descending) : S’ N3 P M1 G3 R2 S

Aarohanam

Avarahonam

It is a Janya raga, derived from Dheera Shankarabharanam which is 29th on the Melakarta Scale (see below).

‘A regal raga that is auspicious, commanding and exuding veera (heroic) rasa, is Kedaram’ says Charulata Mani in an article on the subject. This mood enhancing and uplifting raga is suitable for singing in the mornings. It is not very common to hear long elaborations of this raga. The best known kritis are Ananda Natana Prakasham by Muthuswami Diskhithar, Rama Nipai by Tyagaraja and Samayamide and the first part of the Varnam Valachi Vachi by Patnam Subramanya Iyer. The song ‘Sundari Neeyum’ in the film Michael Madana Kamaraj is also a lovely example of this raga.

Tamil speakers may enjoy this episode of Charulata Mani’s Isai Payanam program :

Note : The 12 notes in the octave are named as below. Please note that C is used as Sa for the sake of simplicity as the scale is relative in Carnatic Music. Also note that the scales paint only a superficial picture of the raga as the gamakas(ornamentations) and prayogas (signature phrases) are a very important part of a raga.

And to think that I learnt of this concert quite coincidentally on the net! Held at the The Ali Akbar College of Music in Basel, it is about 225 kms from where I live. My husband may not have the burning passion that I have for music but he enjoys it well enough and is always happy to drive me to whichever place I demand that he take me. I have once made him drive me 300+ kms each way for a concert, all in one day, and he made nary an objection! I am grateful to him for that, for this is quite beyond my own stamina.

And this was how I came to hear Ustad Shafqat Ali Khan’s wonderful concert last Saturday. What a singer! I wonder, if you have 500 years of musicians as ancestors, does you DNA get altered? Do you transcend from being a mere mortal into a superhuman being whose vocal chords can perform acrobatics of the perfect 10 variety?  Belonging to the Sham Chaurasi gharana, his ancestors Mian Chand Khan and Mian Suraj Khan have sung in the court of Mughal emperor Akbar as contemporaries of the great Mian Tansen.  Shafqat Ali Khan’s father Salamat Ali Khan and uncle Nazakat Ali Khan were greatly respected Maestros from the recent past and his grandfather Vilayat Ali Khan was a great Dhrupad singer from before. A thought: is the whole Gharana system enhanced by Epigenetic Inheritance ?

Shafqat Ali Khan started his concert with an elaborate Raga Aiman (Yaman). This was followed by a Thumri in Mishra Pahadi. After that there was a superb Raga Malkauns and finally a Multani Kafi in Sindhi Bhairavi. When it came to the last number, my eyes were flowing, headless of the surroundings; I was in a ‘zone’ and when that happens only the music exists, all else ceases to be.

Today’s song choice is the  Thumri in Mishra Pahadi ‘Saiyyan Bina Ghar Soona’ of which I found an older recording. The lyrics are simple

सैय्याँ बिना घर सूना
सांवरिया ना आये (मोरे)
याद तिहारी जियारा जलाए मोरा
चैन जिया नाहि पावे 

My home is desolate without my beloved
my beloved has not come
My heart burns with the thought of you
there is no peace for my soul

Enjoy!

The last song of the performance was Sanwal Mor Moharan, a Kafi in Multani written by Khwaja Ghulam Farid. ‘Turn back home my beloved’ urges the singer; unfortunately that is all I understand of the lyrics. But sometimes lyrics are unimportant; all you need to hear is the emotion. I found this priceless gem of a performance by Ustad Salamat Ali Khan (father of Ustad Shafqat Ali Khan) which I would urge you to listen to. I find it incredibly beautiful!

I was seven or eight when I first heard of the Bhagavat Gita. My mother registered my sister and me into Chinamaya Mission’s program for young ones. Chanting the Gita was one of the activities. I even learnt the whole of chapter 7 by heart for a competition, and what’s more, I won a prize for it too!

Not that I understood anything much at that time. Subsequently I have read some summaries and heard some lectures but have not really delved into the Gita. I would tell myself ‘I really should read it at least once from end to end’  but I never got around to it. Well, last week I finally embarked on my long time goal. I hope to have the two-fold benefit of understanding the basic ideas of the Gita and improving my Sanskrit at the same time. I am not going to rush through it, after all, what is the hurry?

Why am I telling you all this? Well, if you see me quote from the Gita every now and then, don’t take me for some erudite vidushi! I am just stumbling along my first word-for-word read of the Gita and no doubt it will filter down into this blog as well.

For those who do not have the time to read it, here is the gist of Chapter 1 which I have just finished. Sanjaya, the charioteer and seer for Dhritarashtra is our narrator. Dhritarashtra asks in the first verse of his seer, ‘What’s up in the battleground ?’. Or rather, he says elegantly in Sanskrit

धर्मक्षेत्रे कुरुक्षेत्रे समवेता युयुत्सवः |
मामकाः पाण्डवाश्चैव किमकुर्वत सञ्जय ||१- १||

What did Pandu’s son and my sons do when they assembled on the sacred (Dharmic) plain of Kurukshetra, eager for battle, O Sanjaya?

Note how he refers to the battleground as धर्म क्षेत्र  or the field of Dharma, a word which encompasses so much from righteousness, duty, religion, virtue, justice, morality, propriety to law. That is the field for which the Gita was written.

The theme of this chapter is Arjuna’s grief. Those who know the Mahabharata know that the Pandavas had come upon this point after many years of injustice, treachery, insults and even murder attempts. They had not lightly decided on this course of war with their kin. Yet when Arjuna sees his grandfather, uncles, gurus, sons, grandsons, in-laws, cousins and friends arrayed before him on either side of the battlefield, he is overcome with the magnitude of what is happening. ‘What am I doing it all for?’, he seems to ask Krishna, his charioteer, in this verse.

न काङ्क्षे विजयं कृष्ण न च राज्यं सुखानि च |
किं नो राज्येन गोविन्द किं भोगैर्जीवितेन वा ||१- ३२||

I desire not victory, O Krishna, nor kingdom, nor pleasures. Of what avail is dominion to us, O Govinda? Of what avail are pleasures and even life?^*

He is a shaken man. His limbs tremble, his skin feels as if it burns, his mouth is dry. We can hardly recognize the great and experienced warrior that he was in these descriptions. His main fear seems to be that of accumulating the great sin of destroying his family.

अहो बत महत्पापं कर्तुं व्यवसिता वयम् |
यद्राज्यसुखलोभेन हन्तुं स्वजनमुद्यताः ||१- ४५||

Alas! We have resolved to commit a great sin, inasmuch as we are endeavouring to slay our kinsmen out of craving for the pleasures of dominion.

It seems to me that he was more worried about gathering sins than the loss of dear ones. Whatever it was, I feel most sympathetic with him and wonder how the story would have gone if he had walked away from the battlefield then?

There are some verses (40-48) which I found rather objectionable in this chapter. His idea of a adharmic future is the impiety of women (not men!), the intermingling of castes due to which all the forefathers will go to hell without offerings of pinda and water! I suppose it struck at me personally as a woman who not only married outside her caste but also outside her region. To be accused of impiety and the ‘sin of intermingling of castes’ seems rather harsh! What can be wrong about the intermingled origins of my two wonderful children? Two such intelligent and empathetic citizens of the world, both doctors who aid people everyday, surely the Gita does not question the propriety of their existence? Ah well, different times, different mores. I am not one to take the scriptures too literally…

The theme song of the day? What came to mind immediately was ‘Sthirata Nahi Nahi Re’ by Sadasiva Brahmendra. ‘There is no stability of mind’ says the poet. ‘We are engrossed in this ocean of three kinds of sorrow, caged by arrogance and egotism’ he says. Arjuna too felt deep sorrow at his situation, a situation which came about partly by arrogance and egotism as well. ‘Minds wrapped up with the bond of things, perplexed by wrong or contrary knowledge’.  Interesting that vishaya can be interpreted as objects but also as country or land. Is that not what the Pandaves were, bound to their desire for land? For lyrics and translation, see footnote.

The song was made his own by the incomparable Maestro Balamuralikrishna. I believe it was set to music by him for the film Dharma Nirnayam but I cannot confirm this.  It is set to Raga Amruta Varshini here but this poem has been sung in different ragas by different artists.

Alternate link : Click here

Language : Sanskrit

स्थिरथा नहि नहि रे मानस ।
स्थिरथा नहि नहि रे ॥

तापत्रय सागर मग्नानाम् दर्पाहन्कार विलग्नानाम्  ॥

विषय पाश वेष्टित चित्तानाम् विपरीत ज्ञान विमत्तानाम्  ॥

परमहंस योग विरुद्धानाम् बहु चन्चलतर सुख सिद्धानाम्  ॥

Transliteration :

sthiratA nahi nahi rE mAnasa
sthiratA nahi nahi rE

tApatraya sAgara magnAnam darpAhankAra vilagnAnAm

vishaya pAsha veshTita chittAnAm viparIta jnAna vimattAnAm

paramahamsa yoga viruddhAnAm bahu chanchalatara sukha siddhAnAm

Translation :

There is no stability of mind
There is no stability.

We are engrossed in this ocean of three kinds of sorrow (note: Adidaivika (Divine), Adhibhoutika (of the body) and Adhyatmika (of the soul)), caged by arrogance and egotism.

Minds wrapped up with the bond of things, perplexed by wrong or contrary knowledge.

Opposed to union with ascetics, their achieving of joy is very uncertain.

Footnote (Raga) :

The scales of Raga Amruta Varshini are as follows :

Aarohanam (Ascending) : S G3 M2 P N3 S’
Avarohanam (Descending) : S’ N3 P M2 G3 S

This raga is a Janya Raga, derived from Chitrambari (scales below), 66th on the Melakarta scale. Some musicologists consider it to be derived from Jalavarali (39th Melakarta) or Mechakalyani(65th Melakarta).

The moods associated with this raga are joy and exuberance. There are not many compositions in this raga. The ones I have heard and enjoyed are are Anandmrutakarshini by Muthuswami Dikshitar, Sarasiruha Nayane by Tyagaraja and Sudhamayi Sudhanidhi by Muthiah Bhagavatar.

Note : The 12 notes in the octave are named as below. Please note that C is used as Sa for the sake of simplicity as the scale is relative in Carnatic Music. Also note that the scales paint only a superficial picture of the raga as the gamakas(ornamentations) and prayogas (signature phrases) are a very important part of a raga.

My thoughts today are triggered by the discussion with my readers in my last musical post. The late Jon Higgins, an American, and Yesudas, an Indian Christian are both well known names in the Carnatic Music arena. As Carnatic vocalists they cannot but sing in praise of Hindu Gods all the time. Even otherwise, if their lives’ work is not a worship of Goddess Saraswati then I don’t know what is! Yet both were denied entry to certain temples on account of their not being Hindu. Who could be more deserving? Anyway, if it depended on what we deserved, the halls of temples would be empty indeed!

In fact, even Hindus of the lowest-classes used to be denied entry into temples. A terrible thing, this injustice meted out in the name of caste. I have had non-Indians talk to me as if this was true of Indians alone, this class-based injustice. I think not; this kind of injustice is a disease of humankind. Did the people of Israel get just treatment from the ruling Egyptians at the time of Moses? Or the African-Americans get justice in their slavery? What of the Aboriginals in Australia hunted like animals? Or the ethnic cleansing in Serbia in recent history? Oh the shame of it!

Such was case of Nandanar who was born in servitude, at the bottom of the caste ladder. He lived around the 5th/6th AD in South India. His caste was such that he was denied even entry to the temples. Yet he was one of the greatest devotees of Lord Shiva. Overcome with the desire to get just a glimpse of his Lord in the temple, he set off once to Thiruppungur. Standing outside the door, he tried to peer in to see the sanctum sanctorum but the great statue of Shiva’s bull, Nandi, blocked his view. It is said that on hearing his plea, the statue moved aside so that he could have a glimpse of the sanctum. Even now at this temple, Nandi is not in his usual place but a bit aside. This very Nandnar, denied even entry to temples, is now revered as one of the 63 Nayanmar saints whose statues decorate the halls of Shiva temples all over South India. What a come about!

One version of Nandanar’s life story was written as an upanyasam (musical discourse) by Gopalakrishna Bharathi (1811-1896). His songs were used in the film Nandanar made in 1942. If you enjoy Carnatic music, this is a recommended watch. In addition to songs by Gopalakrishna Bharathi, we also get to hear songs written by the great poet-composer Papanasam Sivan and Kothamangalam Subbu (1910-1974) of Thillana Mohanambal fame. The wonderful vocalist Dandapani Desikar plays the lead and impressive Serukalathur Sama plays his Brahmin overlord.  You can watch a good quality print of this film here (no subtitles).

My song choice of today is written by Gopalakrishna Bharathi in his Nandanar Charithram.  ‘Alas, my view is blocked by a mountain-like bull which is lying down’ says he. ‘Even after coming to this town, will not this sinner of Parayan caste have his sins pardoned?’ he goes on to ask.  He accepts that he cannot enter the temple. ‘It is enough if I can see you from the chariot stop, I will not enter the temple’ he says and begs ‘Will not your bull move just a little?’. For lyrics and translation, see footnote.

The song is sung in Raga Todi in the film; I believe Gopalakrishna Bharathi composed it in Todi as well. The version I have chosen for you is presented in Nattakurinji by the melodious and incredibly talented sisters Ranjani & Gayathri. I find the slow and meditative quality of the song very touching indeed.

In his next song in Nanadanar Charithram , Gopalakrishna Bharathi has Lord Shiva saying to Nandi – சற்றே விலகி இரும் பிள்ளாய் சந்நிதானம் மறைக்குதாமே ‘Do move a little, my son. It seems you are blocking the view of the sanctum’. And that is what I say to the priests of the temples who deny entry to anyone at all – சற்றே விலகியிரும், சந்நிதானத்தை மறைக்காதீர் ‘Move aside, don’t block the sanctum’.

Footnote (Lyrics) :

Language : Tamil

பல்லவி
வழி மறைத்திருக்குதே மலை போலே
ஒரு மாடு படுத்திருக்குதே

அனுபல்லவி
பாவி பறையன் (Alternates : நந்தன், ஏழை ) இந்த ஊரில் வந்து என்ன (Alt: வந்தும் இவன்)
பாவம் தீரேனோ (உந்தன்) பாதத்தில் சேரேனோ ஏறேனோ சிவலோக நாதா (Alt: நாதன்)

சரணம்
தேரடியில் (Alt: தேரடியிலே) நின்று தரிசித்தாலும் போதும்
கோயில் (Alt: கோயிலில்) வர மாட்டேனே (Alt: மாட்டேன் ஐயே)
ஓர் அடி விலகினால் போதும் இங்கே நின்று
உற்று பார்க்க (alt: பார்க்கவே) சற்றே ஆகிலும் விலகாதோ உந்தன் மாடு

Transliteration :

pallavi
vazhi maraittirukkudE malai pOlE
oru mADu paDuttirukkudE

anupallavi
pAvi paraiyan (alt: nandan, Ezhai) inda Uril vandu enna (alt: vandum ivan)
pAvam tIrEnO (undan) pAdattil sErEnO ErEnO sivalOka nAdA

charaNam
tEraDiyil (alt: tEraDiyilE) inDRu darisittAl pOdum
koyil (alt: koyilil) vara mATTEnE (alt: mATTEn aiyyE)
Or aDi vilaginAl podum ingE nindRu uTRu pArkka (alt: pArkkavE)
chaTRE Agilum vilagAdO undan mADu

Translation :

Alas, my view is blocked by a mountain-like bull which is lying down!

Even after coming to this town, will not this sinner of Parayan caste have his sins pardoned? Will I not reach your feet? Will I not ascend to your abode, O Lord Shiva?

It is enough if I can see you from the chariot stop (note: this is outside the temple gates), I will not enter the temple. It is enough if your bull moves by one foot for me to peer from here today. Will not your bull move just a little?

The scales of Raga Nattakurinji are as follows :

Aarohanam (Ascending) : S R2 G3 M1 N2 D2 N2 P D2 N2 S’
Avarohanam (Descending) : S’ N2 D2 M1 G3 M1 P G3 R2 S  

It is a Janya raga, derived from Harikamboji which is 28th on the Melakarta Scale (see below).

This gentle raga which evokes devotion and compassion. Opinions differ as to the suitable times to sing this raga; some say daytime others say evenings. As this raga does suit elaborations, it is not unusual to see it chosen as one of the major pieces of a concert.  Well known krithis in this raga Manasu Vishaya by Tyagaraja, Vazhi Maraithirukude by Gopalakrishna Bharati, Budham Ashrayami by Muthuswami Dikshithar, Mamava Sada Varade by Swati Tirunal and Paal Vadiyum Mugam by Oothukadu Venkata Subbaiyer.

Tamil speakers may enjoy this episode of Charulata Mani’s Isai Payanam program :

Note : The 12 notes in the octave are named as below. Please note that C is used as Sa for the sake of simplicity as the scale is relative in Carnatic Music. Also note that the scales paint only a superficial picture of the raga as the gamakas(ornamentations) and prayogas (signature phrases) are a very important part of a raga.

Can you really describe what goes into making a music concert near perfect ? Is it the quality and reputation of the artistes ? Is it their mood on that day ? Is it the choice of the ragas and kritis that they choose to feature ? Does the chemistry between the artistes matter ? Do the acoustics of the hall have a bearing ? Is a majestic arena a requirement for great music ? Does a knowledgeable and attentive audience make a difference ? Do artistes need the appreciation of the audience to rise to excellence ? Is it the listener’s mood which makes the difference between the drab and the divine?

Do I hear you say, all of the above ?

Well, yesterday, I went to a violin recital by Mysore Manjunath and Mysore Nagaraj held in open air;  acoustically, you could not have thought of a worse place. In addition, the obligatory generator humming in one corner was louder than the shruti being strummed. Traffic honked by in the road 50 yards away. As is very often the case, the mike system was continually being adjusted for the first 30 minutes of the concert.

The crowd was sparse , perhaps some 300 in all. As it was a free concert, quite a few families had come, with a bunch of adorable babies and kids having their own fun running around.

I wasn’t in the best of moods either. My drive across Bangalore to attend the concert had left me with such a bad back that I stood much of the time. Rightfully it should have been a disaster.

But then something happened. Manjunath and Nagaraj were simply inspired. Their choice of ragas seemed almost perfect. As they warmed up, Sudhindra and Jayachandra Rao on the mridangam started to synch beautifully. They had all become one unit and were egging each other on. The less than perfect setting turned out to be an intimate one where the audience almost connected personally with the artistes. Just the starting notes of Tera Tiyaga Rada set the mood for something special. Manjunath dealt with Vasanta raga with great flair and Seethamma Mayamma followed with brilliant artistry. Nagaraj’s Kharaharapriya inspired such frenzied gesticulating in the audience that surely some would have sprained their wrists! Swarams built up to breathtaking crescendos. Despite the exodus at the start of the thani avarthanam, Sudhindra and Jayachandra Rao had got infected with the mood and simply excelled themselves. If I were to tell you that they attempted one artiste playing only with the left hand and the other only with the right hand to create a perfect mridangam beat, you’ll probably get the picture. They built the finale up so well that both Manjunath and Nagaraj almost stood up to give them an ovation.

At the end there were probably only some 50 of us. When they struck the notes for the Mangalam, we almost were sad that this was ending. They had created some real magic. I had to sigh and expel the breath I had held. The notes are haunting my mind even after a full day has passed.

You see, the recipe was all wrong. But it was a near perfect concert.

I deeply mourn the passing of the great Maestro. Today my music rests silent.

Dickens was a clever fellow, wasn’t he? I reckon he hit the nail on the head with the Ghost of Christmas Past. Just as Scrooge was haunted by this Ghost, I too feel the presence of the Ghost of Ramanavami Past all around me today. Is this how it is for everybody? Do we all go through life shaped and then haunted by an unchangeable past and hemmed in by an unpredictable future? I wonder, what past am I creating today? How will it haunt me later?

Thankfully for me, unlike Scrooge’s Ghost, my Ghost only shows me warm and wonderful memories of Ramanavami. From its annals of collective memory, it shows me the joy of Lord Rama’s birth and from my own personal memory, it shows me the joys of celebrations past.

As I pick the song for today I am haunted more than by just Ramanavami. This song has sent me hurling back in time to my school years. Every morning I would be woken by Vividh Bharati’s 6 am devotional music program which featured songs like my choice of the day.  I would sip my tea standing on the veranda, watching the sun make its way up the horizon, listening to the songs on the radio accompanied by mum’s voice joining in as she busied herself in the kitchen. She would have woken much earlier, for she would have showered, then finished her half-hour morning puja, made filter-coffee and be well into making lunch. On festival days and holidays, this morning devotional music would be followed by Venkatesha Suprabhatam and Vishnu Sahasranamam on my father’s favourite possession – a Grundig tape recorder that he bought in Germany in the 1960s. For the rest of the festival day, there would be non-stop Carnatic Music.

What a feast my mum would lay out for us! There would be panagam and kosumalli in addition to the festival menu of many dishes with vadai & payasam. How many hours she would have spent in the kitchen! Why don’t I remember thanking her? Forget festivals, did I even thank her for getting up early enough to pack me a cooked lunch everyday? I can’t remember.  So after all, I too have a ghost which haunts me –the Ghost of ingratitude, of taking my mother’s love for granted, for were not her meals just edible love?

Today’s song is by the great poet-saint Tulsidas (1532-1623). He extolls Rama’s beauty in wonderful verse, calling him equal to ‘innumerable Cupids’, like a ‘lustrous white lightning in his yellow garments’. The sounds of the words ring as pleasingly as the description of his Lord. For lyrics and translation, see footnote. His prayer is basically for the Lord who is the ‘destroyer of the great fears of life’ to ‘live in the lotus of my heart’. Is that not our prayer too?

So here is the voice which sang so beautifully through my growing years, Lata Mangeshkar, singing Sri Ramachandra Kripalu Bhaja Mana.

For those who are unfamiliar with the life of Tulsidas, there is a Hindi film made in 1954 which is available on youtube with subtitles. Though it does stretch what is essentially quite a short story, I still enjoyed watching it; I do like the innocence of old films.

Footnote (Lyrics) :

श्री रामचन्द्र कृपालु भज मन हरण भव-भय दारुणम् ।
नव-कंज-लोचन कंज-मुख कर-कंज पद-कंजारुणं॥१॥

कंदर्प अगणित अमित छवि नव नील नीरद सुन्दरम् ।
पट पीत मानहु तड़ित रूचि शुचि नौमि जनक सुता वरम् ॥

भज दीन बन्धु दिनेश दानव दैत्य वंश निकन्दनम् ।
रघु नन्द आनंद कंद कोसल-चंद दशरथ नन्दनम् ॥

शिर मुकुट कुण्डल तिलक चारु उदार अङ्ग विभूषणम् ।
आजानु भुज शर चाप धर सङ्ग्राम जित खर दूषणम् ॥

इति वदति तुलसीदास शङ्कर शेष-मुनि मन रञ्जनम् ।
मम हृदय कंज निवास कुरु कामादि खलदल-गंजनं॥

shrI rAmachandra kripAlu bhaja mana haraNa bhava bhaya dAruNam
nava-kanja-lOchana kanja-mukha kara-kanja pada-kanjAruNam

kandarpa agaNita amita chavi nava nIla nIrada sundaram
paTa pIta mAnahu taDita ruchi shuchi naumi janaka sutA varam

bhaja dIna bandhu dinEsha dAnava daitya vansha nikandanam
raghu nanda Ananda kanda kOsala chanda dasharatha nandanam

shira mukuTa kuNDala tilaka chAru udAra anga vibhUshaNam
AjAnu-bhuja shara chApa dhara sangrAma jita khara dUshaNam

iti vadati tulasIdAsa shankara shEsha muni mana ranjanam
mama hrdaya kanja nivAsa kuru kAmAdi khaladala ganjanam

O Mind (mana)! Pray (bhaja) to compassionate (kripAlu) Ramachandra who destroys (haraNa) the great (dAruNa) fears of life (bhava-bhaya). With eyes (lOchana) like a new (nava) lotus (kanja), with a face (mukha) like a lotus (kanja), and feet (pada) like a crimson (aruNa=dawn) lotus (kanja).

With boundless (amita) splendour (chavi) like innumerable (agaNita) cupids (kandarpa), he is as beautiful (sundaram) as a new (nava) blue (implies rain?) (nIla) cloud (nIrada). I bow (noumi) to that groom (varam) of Janaka’s daughter (sutA), who is like  (mAnahu) a lustrous (ruchi) white (shuchi) lightning (taDita) in his yellow (pIta) garments (paTa). 

I bow (bhaja) to the Sun-like (diNesha) friend (bandhu) of the wretched (dIna),  destroyer (nikandanam) of the demons (dAnava & daityA) dynasties (vansha). Son (nanda) of the Raghu dynasty, root (kanda) of joy (Ananda), gladdens (chanda) the Kosalas (his mother’s dynasty),  son of Dasharatha.

Beautiful (chAru) with a crown (mukuTa) on his head (shira), earrings (kunDala), and mark on his forehead (tilaka) and limbs (anga) generously (udAra) decorated (vibhUshaNam). With long hands to his knees (AjAnu-bhuja), holding (dhara) a bow (chApa) and arrow (shara) , winner (jIta) of the battle (sangrAma) with khara and dhUshaNa.

Thus (iti) says (vadati) tulasIdAsa. He who pleases (ranjana) the minds (mana) of Shankara and Adisesha (sEsha muni), who has contempt (ganjanam) for the wicked things (khala-dala) like (Adi) desire (kAma), please dwell (nivAsa kuru) in the lotus (kanja) of my heart (hridaya),

Happy New Year to all my Tamil readers! In Southern India the New Year signals the start of the extreme heat to follow but here in Europe, Spring is in the air and a spring is in my step. We set back the clocks a couple of weeks ago and light streams into my home until late in the evening and the lake glints outside my windows as if diamonds were scattered on it. The French Alps that I see across the lake are still snow-capped but only the highest of them will remain so through summer. The quality of light has changed from the cool blue-greys of winter to brilliant warm light of the summer sky. The gardeners are busy everywhere, planting small flowering plants in the roundabouts and the flower beds which abound in the city. Today when I went for my morning walk I noticed that the first of the daffodils are out. Perhaps next week I’ll go out a bit further to see the fields of narcissus. The tulips will be out soon and like each year, I will set out to see the multi-coloured blooms. There is joyfulness in the air and I am infected by it.

This phenomenon of an upward mood swing with the coming of spring is fairly common. In fact, there is a syndrome called seasonal affective disorder (SAD) which occurs during fall and winter, when the days are shorter, and goes away with the advent of spring. The chemistry of our bodies is an extraordinary thing, isn’t it? And the workings of our mind is even more marvellous. Just as light can affect the way our body works, and hence the mind, so too can music affect our minds, and hence our bodies. How do we bring Spring into our minds with music? Obviously with the Raga Vasanta which means Spring! I am always seduced by the elegance of this raga, it’s beautiful slides and upbeat mood. I have a recording of Sri Kamakshi by the violin maestros Ganesh & Kumaresh which stands amongst the most-listened in my music library. I must say that Vasanta sounds simply magical in their hands!

Recently the maestros performed in Geneva. I had written an email to their website before their arrival, requesting that they perform Vasanta and they kindly obliged. I was delighted to hear Sri Kamakshi live; a week has passed and I am still in an ‘enhanced’ state!

In this lovely and uplifting Kriti, the poet-composer Tiruvarur Ramaswami Pillai* refers to the Goddess Kamakshi as the embodiment of Music and  begs her to come and remove his emptiness and loneliness. With this song, I too pray that the good Goddess, the very embodiment of vasantam (Spring), scatter away the emptiness and loneliness of winter and usher in the blooming of devotion and joy in my heart.

I present this fantastic rendition by the young geniuses on the violin, the Maestros Ganesh and Kumaresh. It is a radio recording and the sound quality is not the best but it is still superb (26 mins).

Alternate link in Sangeethapriya.

For a vocal version, listen to Jon Higgins, our own American bhagavatar, singing this song with astonishing ease (6 mins).

Alternate link in Sangeethapriya.

* There seems to be some confusion regarding the composer of this kriti. It is ascribed to Subbaraya Shastri in a number of places yet there seems to be a convincing case for those who say it is by Ramaswami Pillai. Without having real knowledge, I have opted to use the latter’s name in my blog.

Footnote (Lyrics) :

Language : Tamil

பல்லவி
ஸ்ரீ காமாக்ஷி கடாக்ஷி

அனுபல்லவி
ஏக வச்துவாக எங்கும்/எங்குமே நிறைந்தாயே
போக மோக்ஷம் பக்தர்க்கு புரிந்திடும் எந்தன் தாயே

சரணம்
வேதாகம சாஸ்திர நாத ச்வரூபிணியே
வேகமே வந்திப்போதென் வறுமையை நீக்குவாயே (alt: போக்குவையே)
ஆதாரம் எனக்கு நீ வேதபுரீச்வரியே
அம்பா சித்தம் இறங்கி அடிமையை பாலிப்பாயே
மாநிலம் தனில் தேவி நின் மகிமையை சொல்ல
மாலயனாலும் ஆகுமா உனக்கு சமானம் இனி
தெய்வமா நிஜமா குமாரனை ரக்ஷி

Transliteration

pallavi
shrI kAmAkshi kaTAkshi

anupallavi
Eka vastuvAga engum/engumE niraindAyE
bhOga mOksham bhaktarkku purindiDum endan tAyE

charaNam
vEdAgama shAstra nAda svarUpiNiyE
vEgamE vandippOden (vandu+ippo+en) varumaiyai nIkkuvAyE
AdhAram enakku nI vEdapurIshvariyE
ambA chittam irangi aDimaiyai pAlippAyE
mAnilam tanil dEvi nin mahimaiyai solla
mAlayanAlum AgumA unakku samAnam ini
deivamA nijamA kumAranai rakshi

Translation

O Kamakshi, she with the sidelong glance (it is said that even a sideways glance of the Devi is filled with compassion and grace, so kaTAkshi implies the compassionate one)

You who are all pervading as the One, you who provide prosperity and salvation to your devotees, my mother.

You who are the essence of the Vedas and Agamas, you are the embodiment of music. Please come now and remove my loneliness and emptiness. (note: vaRumai means poverty but also emptiness and loneliness; the latter meaning seems more appropriate here). You are my support, the Goddess of Vedapuri. Have compassion for this servant of yours and protect me. In this world who can describe your glory, not even Vishnu or Brahma! There is no deity equal to you! In truth come and protect your son.

Footnote (Raga) :

The scales of Vasanta are as follows :

Arahonam (Ascending):  S M1 G3 M1 D2 N3 S’
Avarohanam (Descending) : S’ N3 D2 M1 G3 R1 S

It is a Janya raga, derived from Suryakantam (below), 17th on the Melakarta scale.

This very old raga is considered an auspicious raga and suitable for singing in the evenings. In old Tamil music, it is called Andi Pan. It is upbeat and joyful, yet some of the slides in the avarohanam can evoke introspection. The raga shines in medium and fast speeds. Some well known compositions in Vasanta are Seetamma Mayamma by Tyagaraja, Ramachandram Bhavayami  and Harihara Putram by Muthuswami Dikshithar, Natanam Adinar by Gopalakrishna Bharathi.

Tamil speaking readers may enjoy this presentation of the raga by Charulata Mani.

Note : The 12 notes in the octave are named as below. Please note that C is used as Sa for the sake of simplicity as the scale is relative in Carnatic Music. Also note that the scales paint only a superficial picture of the raga as the gamakas(ornamentations) are a very important part of a raga.

One day while Yashoda was sitting churning butter, He came along demanding to be fed. She stopped her work and picked Him up with pleasure, feeding Him and loving Him. Noticing that the milk pot on the fire was about to overflow, she kept Him down half-way fed to attend to her work. The little scamp, enraged at being put down before He had His fill, broke the butter churn with a stone and started eating the butter. When Yashoda came back, He was feeding the rest of the butter to a monkey!

Always she had given in to His cajoling ways but today she had caught Him red-handed! Is it not the job of a mother to discipline as much as to love? Hardening her heart, she grabbed Him and looked for a rope to tie Him to the big stone mortar. The oddest thing was that whichever rope she found, it was always short by a two-finger length. Even when she tied all the ropes together, it was still short by the same two-finger length! The watching neighbourhood ladies, who had all suffered from Krishna’s mischief, laughed at her efforts which discomfited her. Seeing His mother’s discomfiture, Krishna allowed Himself to be tied. When she left Him, He dragged Himself, mortar and all, to the two trees which stood close by. Pulling the mortar between the trees, He uprooted them and released the curse on the two sons of Kubera who stood grateful before Him.

This story from Srimad Bhagavatam is the one that the poet-composer Papanasam Sivan refers to in my song choice of today, the charming Enna Tavam Seydanai set to raga Kapi. ‘What penances did you do Yashoda that the ultimate Brahman who is everywhere called you Mother?’ he asks. ‘What penances did you do that you could hold the One who created the fourteen worlds in your arms, loving Him, nursing Him, and rocking Him to sleep?’. We Hindus believe that good Karma is what gets us the privilege of a good life. But a life as the mother of God? Is it not beyond any good Karma that we can possibly do? ‘Making even Brahma and Indra envious, you tied Krishna to the mortar and made Him beg you to release Him’ he continues. For the full lyrics and translation, see footnote.

What exactly does this story indicate? It is true that the ultimate Brahman is beyond our grasp, our understanding even.  This is symbolised by the rope being too short in our story above. And yet when Krishna sees the mother who loves Him struggle to contain Him, He contains Himself and allows her to grasp Him. And likewise does the Nirguna Brahman who is beyond description takes form as the Saguna Brahman for the sake of those who love Him, a form which even our limited understanding can grasp. Yashoda’s love tied Krishna to the stone mortar, our love ties God to the stone or metal idols which we worship.

Today I have chosen to present a couple of unusual performances. First listen to a light, non-classical approach by  talented playback singer Karthik, sung in a leisurely style.

For an instrumental version, I have chosen a more traditional approach by a couple of untraditional musicians – the two young ladies Lavanya & Subbalakshmi on the saxophone. Their brisk delivery is an interesting contrast to Karthik’s easy paced one. Click here to listen.

But I have to say that what gives me most pleasure is this beautifully calming version by Kanyakumari or this emotional rendition by Sudha Raghunathan. I am such a traditionalist! 

Footnote (Lyrics) :

Language : Tamil

பல்லவி
என்ன தவம் செய்தனை யசோதா
எங்கும் நிறை பரப்ரம்மம் அம்மா (வெ/)என்றழைக்க

அனுபல்லவி
ஈரேழு புவனங்கள் படைத்தவனை
கையில் ஏந்தி சீராட்டி பாலூட்டி தாலாட்ட, நீ

சரணம் 1
ப்ரம்மனும்(/பிரமனும்) இந்திரனும் மனதில் பொறாமை கொள்ள
உரலில் கட்டி வாய் பொத்தி கெஞ்சவைத்தாய், தாயே

சரணம் 2
சனக்காதியர் தவ யோகம் செய்து வருந்திச்
சாதித்ததை புனித மாதே எளிதில் பெற, நீ

Transliteration :

pallavi
enna tavam seydanai yashOdA
engum niRai parabrahmam ammA (v)endrazhaikka

anupallavi
IrEzu bhuvanangaL paDaittavanai
kaiyil Endi shIraTTi pAlUTTi tAlATTa nI

charaNam 1
brahmanum (/biramanum) indranum manadil poRAmai koLLa
uralil kaTTi vAypotti kenjavaittAy tAyE

charaNam 2
sanakAdiyar tavayOgam seydu varundi
sAdittadai punida mAtE eLidil peRa

Translation :

What penances did you do Yashoda that
the ultimate Brahman who is everywhere called you Mother?

(What penances did you do that ) you could hold the One who created the fourteen worlds in your arms, loving Him, nursing Him, and rocking Him to sleep?

Making even Brahma and Indra envious, you tied Krishna to the mortar and made Him beg you (implied: to release Him)

(What penances did you do) O Holy Mother, that you achieved with ease what the Sanakadi* rishis achieved with great effort and yogic austerities?

*Sanakadi is the combined name for the four sons of Brahma, the rishis Sanak, Sanandana, Sanaatana and Sanatkumara, also knows as the Kumaras.  To read about them, click here.

The scales of Raga Kapi are as follows :

Aarohanam (Ascending) :  S R2 M1 P N3 S’
Avarohanam (Descending) : S’ N2 D2 N2 P M1 G2 R2 S

This raga is most beautiful when rendered in slow or medium-slow speeds. It gives a sense of sadness and pathos as well as devotion. Some well known compositions in Kapi are Jagadodharana by Purandaradasa, Enna Tavam Seydanai by Papanasam Sivan, Meevalla Gunadosha and Inta Sowkhyama by Tyagaraja. 

Kapi is a janya raga, derived from Kharaharapriya (below), 22nd on the Melakarta scale.

Tamil readers may enjoy this Isaipayanam episode on Raga Kapi  by Charulata Mani.

Note : The 12 notes in the octave are named as below. Please note that C is used as Sa for the sake of simplicity as the scale is relative in Carnatic Music. Also note that the scales paint only a superficial picture of the raga as the gamakas(ornamentations) are a very important part of a raga.

For those who believe in God, there is one armour which is above all else. We Hindus have special mantras, called kavacha (armour) which invoke the Gods to act as a shield for us. For myself, I use a visualisation technique in which I place myself in a cocoon of God’s power and inside, I feel invulnerable. Believers also wear talismans or amulets (காப்பு, தாயித்து, ताबीज/ताबीज़, कवच) to protect themselves. Do all these really work? I don’t know. Perhaps it is enough that we believe; perhaps the belief itself is our armour. And sometimes there are stories which make you pause..and think. Here is such a story.

It was a long time back, close to 40 years ago. In a little lane in North Calcutta there lived a kindly woman who was known for her generous alms-giving. Almost everyday somebody would knock at her door with a sad tale of want or perhaps just a silent plea and she would give whatever she could. She must also have been known in the Sadhu-Sanyasi grapevine for never turning away holy mendicants. Her children scolded her thinking that she was falling for cheats but she always did what she believed in.

One day when her son was playing cricket on the street, a sadhu-baba beckoned him and asked to meet his mother. When the boy took him home, his mother smilingly greeted the sadhu-baba and turned to get some alms for him. He stopped her saying ‘Ma, wait! I have something for you’.

Surprised she turned to him. Normally it was she who was the giver. Removing something from a knot in his garment, he put it in her hand. It was an amulet on a string.

‘This is for your son. Tie this around his neck. It will keep him safe, he is in danger’ . So saying he walked away without receiving any alms.

The lady had to force her rather disbelieving sixteen year old into wearing the amulet but he gave in to his mother’s pleading. A month later he fell under a bus and was in a coma for 3 months. The pelvic region was badly damaged and the doctors hardly expected him to live. Even if he lived, they told each other, he would never lead a normal life. For 4 months he lay in a hospital bed, struggling through operations and infections which ate away at his insides. But he fought. The next year he was at school and proceeded to live the normal life that all young men lead – studying, fooling around, getting into trouble and playing sports all day. Years later when his doctors saw him, they would still shake their heads in amazement. ‘It was a miracle’  they would say.

His mother always thought it was the talisman which protected him. And perhaps the young man did too.  Because, you see, forty years have passed and my husband still wears that talisman around his neck. The blessing of a holy man and the prayers of a mother together had been an armour which even the bus which ran over him could not penetrate.

For those who don’t know esoteric mantras and are not blessed with visits by mysterious sadhu-babas, what is the way? You can pray to God, like Tyagaraja did, for the Lord to be his ‘companion, in front, back and on both sides’. To be surrounded by God on all sides is the ultimate armour, isn’t it? The rest of the song is in praise of the Lord. Set to the majestic raga Darbar, this invitation to Lord Rama to be one’s armour is a beautifully composed and deeply meditative piece of music. I am especially touched by the entreaty in the words ‘rA rA’ (come, come) repeated throughout the composition.

Today I have chosen a wonderful musician whom I have not featured before. The great Maestro Voleti Venkateswarulu (1928-1989) sings this song with astonishing ease, great bhava and does great justice to this composition.

For an alternate link (needs free membership to Sangeethapriya), click here.

Strangely, I have hardly heard many instrumental renditions of this song. I wonder why? However, here is a good rendition by the magician on the flute, S.Sashank.

Language : Telugu

As always, I note that I do not speak Telugu and I use various internet resources for the translation. I listened to multiple renditions of  the song to verify the lyrics and the pronunciation. This time, I had the support of a kind reader, Srinivas Vuruputuri, who verified the trasliteration and translation for me; my grateful thanks. 

पल्लवि
मुन्दु वॆनुक इरु पक्कल तोडै
मुर खर हर रा रा

अनुपल्लवि
एन्दु  कान नी अन्दमु वलॆ रघु-
नन्दन वेगमे रा रा

चरणं
ओ गज रक्षक ओ राज कुमार
ओंकार सदन रा रा
भागवत प्रिय बाग (alternate: बागुग) ब्रोववय्य
त्यागराज नुत (alternate: त्यागराजार्चित ) रा रा

Transliteration

pallavi

mundu vEnuka iru pakkala tODai
mura khara hara rA rA

anupallavi
endu kAna nI andamu vale raghu-
nandana vEgamE rA rA

charanam
O gaja rakshaka O rAja kumArA
OmkAra sadana rA rA
bhAgavata priya bAga (alternate: bAguga) brOvavayyA
tyAgarAja nuta (alternate: tyAgArchita) rA rA

Translation

Please come as my companion in front, in the back and at my two sides, O vanquisher of the Mura and Khara (note: these were two Rakshashas).

Nowhere is there someone as charming as you, O son of the Raghu dynasty.

O protector of the king of elephants, Oh Prince! You dwell in Omkara (the sound of Om), please come. O Lord who is dear to devotees, protect us well. O Lord worshipped by Tyagaraja, please come.

The scales of Darbar (Durbar) are as follows :

Arohanam (Ascending) : S R2 M1 P D2 N2 S’
Avarohanam (Descending) : R2’ S’ N2 S D2 P M1 R2 G2 G2 R2 S

The Ascending scale :

The descending scale uses all the notes of its parent raga, Kharahapriya (below) which is 22nd on the Melakarta scale. 

This raga is a comparatively recent entry to Carnatic Music, possibly in the earlier part of the 18th century. This is not a raga which suits elaboration. A slightly different version is Darubaru of the Dikshithar school. A raga which is suited to both slow and brisk renditions, Tyagaraja’s many compositions act as a how-to manual for this raga. His very racy Yochana Kamalalocha contrasts well with his slow-paced Mundu Venuka. His Aparadhamula and Ramabhirama are also often heard in concerts. Chalamela Varnam by Tiruvottriyur Tyagayyar is another composition that is often heard in concerts. For further details, read a good discussion of this raga here.

Note : The 12 notes in the octave are named as below. Please note that C is used as Sa for the sake of simplicity as the scale is relative in Carnatic Music. Also note that the scales paint only a superficial picture of the raga as the gamakas(ornamentations) are a very important part of a raga.