Inta Saukhyamani

नववर्षाभिनन्दनम्, புத்தாண்டு வாழ்த்துக்கள்! Ramanavami is just a few days away, so I convey my greetings for that occasion too! रामनवमी शुभाशयाः ! ராமநவமி வணக்கங்கள்! If you are lucky enough, perhaps you will get to hear a lot of live Carnatic Music at this time of the year. My ‘cultural’ immersion was last month.

March started with a concert by Sanjeev Abhyankar. I have adored his music ever since I chanced upon his videos some 10+ years back. So, it was very exciting for me to finally hear him live. Oh! What a wonderful, ecstatic experience it was! His voice is just out of the world! What mastery! Ah! I floated in a little cloud of perfect music for the few days following. It’s quite impossible to convey one’s experience of music or art to someone else, is it not? My experiences are a result of multiple factors – the acuity of my senses (or lack thereof), cultural heritage, understanding of the music, past experiences, frame of mind and so on. Sadly, music to my ears, finally, is music particular only to my ears. Yet, here I am, somehow trying to share my experience with you all!

Back to March, I also had the pleasure of listening to a series of lectures by the very popular Dushyant Sridhar – seven days on Srimad Bhagavatam. His knowledge is impressive, as is his memory. He has excellent presentation skills; the discourses are peppered with touches of humour and music too. It is easy listening and quite entertaining. Did I come away with a lot of new information? I don’t think so. The subject is a familiar one as I have heard a few Bhagavata Saptahams online. But I genuinely enjoyed rushing off every evening to listen to him. What I didn’t enjoy is seeing the rising pile of saris waiting to be ironed in my cupboard! Fellow NRI ladies will appreciate my pain….

Then it was தலைவர் Sanjay Subrahmanyan’s concert which was quite wonderful! He has such stage presence! It has been many years since I heard him live. I think his voice sounds the best it has ever been. His knowledge and skills are, of course, quite amazing. My heart and soul were musically replete by the end of the concert.

With this happy state of my heart, I have chosen a kriti for you in which Tyagaraja explains exactly what I feel! Inta Saukhyamani in Raga Kapi gives such saukhyam! It is also my small comment on the furore currently raging in Carnatic Music circles. Tyagaraja says that – I paraphrase it here – Very few can relish the great, indescribable bliss which is the sweetness of Rama Nama mixed in with the nectar of music. Note – it clearly states how music is mixed in with devotion! I have been examining CM lyrics since I started this blog in January 2011. It is undisputably evident Carnatic Music is, in essence, Hindu devotional music. As a theist spiritual seeker, I consider listening to this music to be just as much of an act of devotion as going to a temple or performing puja. There is a ‘Places of Worship Act’ in India, so as to prohibit conversion of any place of worship and to maintain the religious character as it existed on the 15th August, 1947. Please, can we have a ‘Music of Worship Act’ too so as to stop the cultural misappropriation which seems to be happening here?

To present this music, I have chosen a rendition by P.Unnikrishnan whose soft and gentle voice is particularly suited to the gentility of Kapi, I think. I must say that most of the 10+ renditions I have listened to in the past few days were all good. There is something quite beautiful about this composition. I confess, I do have a tendency to listen to my favourite artists repeatedly (I heard 3 versions by KVN, my current addiction – do listen to him too. I should try and find one from the 1960’s, when he was younger.).

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Footnote: Lyrics and Translation

Composer: Tyagaraja
Raga: Kapi
Language: Telugu
Note- I do not speak Telugu; I have used various online resources for the lyrics and translation, in particlar the site Thyagaraja Vaibhavam.

Transliteration in Devanagari

पल्लवि
इन्त सौख्यमनि ने जॆप्प जाल
ऎन्तो एमो ऎवरिकि तॆलुसुनो

अनुपल्लवि
दान्त सीता कान्त करुणा
स्वान्त प्रेमादुलके तॆलुसुनु कानि

चरणम् 
स्वर राग लय सुधा रसमन्दु
वर राम नाममने कण्ड चक्कॆर –
मिश्रमु जेसि भुजिञ्चे
शंकरुनिकि तॆलुसुनु त्यागराज विनुत

Transliteration in English

pallavi
inta saukhyamani nE jeppa jAla
entO EmO evariki telusunO

anupallavi
dAnta sItA kAnta karuNA-
svAnta prEmAdulakE telusunu kAni

charaNam
svara rAga laya sudhA rasamandu
vara rAma nAmamanE kaNDa-
chakkera mishramu jEsi bhujinchE
shankaruniki telusunu tyAgarAja vinuta

Translation

pallavi
So great (inta) is this bliss/happiness (saukhyamu) that I (nE) an unable (jAla) to express it (jeppa)! Who (evariki) knows (telusunO) what (EmO) and how great (entO) it is?

anupallavi
The bliss/happiness (implied from pallavi) is known (telusunu) only to those (AdulakE) self-restrained people (dAnta) having innate (svAnta) compassion (karuNA) and love (prEma) for the spouse (kAnta) of sItA (=Lord Rama), otherwise (kAni) who knows what and how great it is? (from pallavi)

charaNam
That bliss/happiness (implied) is known (telusunu) by Lord Shiva (shankaruniki) who consumes/enjoys (bhujinchE) the sugar-candy (kaNDa chakkera) called (anE) the supreme/precious (vara) name of Rama (rAma nAma) after mixing (mishramu jEsi) in (andu) the nectarine (sudhA) essence (rasa) of music (implied) made of notes (svara), melodic framework (rAga) and rhythm (laya).

I also quote the following translation from ‘Lines of Devotion’ by A.V.S.Sarma Pulished in 1954
What Happy Ecstasies are enjoyed by those
Who chant the name of Rama nectar-like!
All those that conquer self and love the Lord,
Sita, and the great Siva, who combines sweet
Ambrosia of Swara, Raga, Laya
With Candy sugar of the name of Ram!

Notation is available here: http://www.shivkumar.org/music/intasaukhyamani-kapi.pdf

Hecharikaga Ra Ra

जय श्री राम ! ஸ்ரீ ராம ஜெயம் ! Hail Lord Rama!

I have been following the news about Ayodhya for quite some time. Now that it has reached its date for प्राण प्रतिष्ठा (prANa pratishTHA) when the विग्रह (vigraha) will be ceremoniously consecrated, the internet has been inundated with content on Ayodhya. It has all reached a feverish pitch now, hasn’t it! I have been spending more time on checking out these videos than I should, I confess. Well, I couldn’t let the moment pass without posting a suitable song to celebrate the occasion. So here I am, rather sooner than normal!

So, what have I learnt in the recent past? Quite a bit, actually. I am halfway through reading a book called The Battle for Rama, Case of the Temple at Ayodhya by Meenakshi Jain, published in 2017. The author gives many historical references to the जन्मस्थान (janmasthAna) from various sources, including Arabic, Persian, Urdu and European language manuscripts. They have all noted the devotion of Hindus and their worship, notwithstanding the presence of the Masjid. Babar, it seems, came to Ayodhya first on 2nd April, 934. His memoir resumes only in September; it is proposed that Babri Masjid was constructed during that period.

The first instance of a formal dispute was in 1822, where a note was submitted to the Faizabad Court. There is evidence of continuing dispute from then on, with riots breaking out in 1912, 1934 and the destructive one in 1992. In 1949, unnamed persons entered the Masjid and placed an idol of Sri Rama. What puzzles me is the claim that leftist Hindus sided with the Muslims, going so far as saying that Rama worship is an 18th-19th century phenomenon! I wonder, for those Hindus who spread such falsities, does political identity come before religious affiliation? That seems so contrary to what I feel!

The book also notes the archeological evidence, about which I had learnt earlier last year from an interview by K.K.Mohammed. This was very interesting; I recommend listening if you have the time. I still have to find books on the period before Babar as temples must have been constructed and re-constructed from ancient times. There are some references in this talk between Nityanand Misra and Ami Ganatra. I often listen to Nityanand Misra, just for the pleasure of listening to such pure and beautiful Hindi!

I am waffling on about this, aren’t I! When I think about all the temples which were destroyed, the conversions by Muslim and Christian rulers (in Goa especially) under torture, the insidious conversions by missionaries, the taking over of our holiest sites like Mathura by the Muslim rulers, the way our own ancient history has been coloured and changed to suit the Eurocentric worldview, and so on, I am so very saddened by all this history. Like many other Hindus, I have always had a very secular mindset. Our thinking is influenced by our scriptures which say things like:

इन्द्रं मित्रं वरुणमग्निमाहुरथो दिव्यः स सुपर्णो गरुत्मान् । एकं सद्विप्रा बहुधा वदन्त्यग्निं यमं मातरिश्वानमाहुः ॥
indram mitraṃ varuṇam agnim Ahur aTHO divyaḥ sa suparNO garutmAn | ekaṃ sad viprA bahudhA vadanti agniṃ yamam mAtarishvAnam Ahuḥ ||
They have styled (him, the Sun), Indra, Mitra, Varuṇa, Agni, and he is the celestial, well-winged Garutmat, for learned priests call one by many names as they speak of Agni, Yama, Mātariśvan.
Rig Veda 1.164.46

ये यथा मां प्रपद्यन्ते तांस्तथैव भजाम्यहम् | मम वर्त्मानुवर्तन्ते मनुष्या: पार्थ सर्वश: ||
ye yathA mAm prapadyantE tAnstathaiva bhajAmyaham
mama vartmAnuvartantE manuṣhyAḥ pArtha sarvashah
O Arjuna! In whatsoever form one seeks Me, I reach him in that form, for all mankind are but following the paths I laid down for them.
Bhagavat Gita, Chapter 4, Verse 11

I quote Shashi Tharoor “Tolerance, after all, implies that you have the truth, but will generously indulge another who does not; you will, in an act of tolerance, allow him the right to be wrong. Acceptance, on the other hand, implies that you have a truth but the other person may also have a truth; that you accept his truth and respect it, while expecting him to respect (and accept) your truth in turn. This practice of acceptance of difference—the idea that other ways of being and believing are equally valid—is central to Hinduism and the basis for India’s democratic culture.“. Herein lies the problem, I think. We assume that just as we respect their truth, others will respect ours. But that is anathema to Abrahamic religions, is it not. Their faith demands that ‘infidels’ be either converted or destroyed. If one keeps tolerating, finally there will be none left to do the tolerating! Yet, we are what we are. If we change this idea of tolerance and acceptance, we will no longer be following our faith. A dilemma.

But let us set all that aside and celebrate the new temple at Ayodhya with some music, shall we?

I have chosen this beautiful kriti by Tyagaraja in raga Yadukula Kambhoji to celebrate the day. It is no surprise that Tyagaraja, who had devoted his life to Lord Rama, celebrated Him every day (nityotsavam). The Utsava Sampradaya Kritis were used by Tyagaraja for his daily worship, from waking him up, welcoming him to his dais every morning, then admiring his form, celebrating his wedding with songs for every occasion, and songs for putting him to bed at night. These songs were not written for others to listen or admire; they were a very personal dialogue between a devotee and his Lord. Hecharikaga is the first of those kritis, which welcome Lord Rama with beautifully descriptive words. With the same words, let us welcome Rama to the new Ayodhya temple.

To present this song, I have chosen a rendition by the great Balamurali Krishna; I have had this CD from the nineties and have an affection for it.

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Footnote (Lyrics and Translation):

Composer: Tyagaraja
Raga: Yadukula Kambhoji
Language: Telugu
Note- I do not speak Telugu; I have used various online resources for the lyrics and translation.

Transliteration in Devangari

पल्लवि
हॆच्चरिकगा रारा हे राम चन्द्र
हॆच्चरिकगा रारा हे सुगुण सान्द्र

अनुपल्लवि
पच्च विल्तुनिगन्न पालित सुरेन्द्र

चरणम् 1
कनक मयमौ मकुट कान्ति मॆरयगनु
घनमैन कुण्डल युगमुलु कदलगनु
घनमैन नूपुर युगम्बु घल्लननु
सनकादुलॆल्ल कनि सन्तसिल्लगनु

चरणम् 2
आणि मुत्याल सरुलल्ललाडगनु
वाणि पतीन्द्रुलिरु वरुस पॊगडगनु
माणिक्य सोपानमन्दु मॆल्लगनु
वीण पल्कुल विनुचु वेड्क चॆल्लगनु

चरणम्
निनु जूड वच्चु भगिनि करम्बु चिलुक
मनसु रञ्जिल्ल नी महिमलनु पलुक
मिनु वासुलॆल्ल विरुलनु चाल जिलुक
घन त्यागराजु कनुगॊन मुद्दु गुलुक

Transliteration in English

pallavi
hechcharikagA rArA hE rAma chandra
hechcharikagA rArA hE suguNa sAndra

anupallavi
pachcha viltuniganna pAlita surEndra

charaNam 1
kanaka mayamau makuTa kAnti merayaganu
ghanamaina kuNDala yugamu kadalaganu
ghanamaina nUpura yugambu ghallananu
sanakAdulella kani santasillaganu

charaNam 2
ANi mutyAla sarulallalADaganu
vANi patIndruliru varusa pogaDaganu
mANikya sOpAnamandu mellaganu
vINa palkula vinucu vEDka cellaganu

charaNam 3
ninu jUDa vachchu bhagini karambu chiluka
manasu ranjilla nI mahimalanu paluka
minu vAsulella virulanu chAla jiluka
ghana tyAgarAju kanugona muddu guluka

Translation

pallavi
O (hE) Lord rAmachandra! O (hE) Lord (implied) full of (sAndra) good qualities (suguNa)! Come (rArA) carefully (hechcharikagA)! [I think that perhaps hechcharika is ‘Hail’, equivalent to பராக்கு parAkku in Tamil, to call attention before the Lord enters. But most sources translate it as ‘carefully’ so I have followed suit]

anupallavi
O begetter (anna) of the one with the having green (pachcha, implying sugar cane) bow (villu) (Note-Manmatha holds a sugar cane bow)! O protector (pAlita) of Indra (surEndra)!

chanaNam 1
With the lustre (kAnti) of the golden (kanaka mayamau) crown (makuTa) gleaming (merayaganu), with a pair (yugamu) of great (ghanamaina) ear ornaments (kuNDala) swaying (kadalaganu), with a pair (yugambu) of great (ghanamaina) anklets (nUpura) tinkling (ghallanu – making a sound like ‘ghall’), as Sanaka and others (Adulu), everyone (ella) exults (santasillaganu) on beholding (kani) you (implied) – come carefully.

charaNam 2
With necklaces (sarulu) of faultless (ANi) pearls (mutyAla) swinging (allalADaganu), with Brahma, the husband (pati) of Sarawati (vANi), and Indra (indrulu) praising (pogaDaganu) on both (iru-two) sides (varusa-rows), on (andu) the bejewelled (maNikya) steps (sOpAnamu), listening (vinuchu) to the gentle (mellaganu) sound (palkula) of the Veena, to our delight (vEDka chellaganu) – Come carefully.

charaNam 3
With the mind (manasu) delighting (ranjilla) in your (nI) glory (mahimalanu) spoken (paluka) by the parrot (chiluka) in the hand (karambu) of your sister (bhagini) who comes (vaccu) to see (jUDa) you (ninu), with all (ella) celestials (minu-heaven, vAsulu-dwelling) showering (jiluka) lots of (cAla) flowers (virulanu), so that this honoured (ghana) Tyagaraja may behold (kanugona) your beauty (muddu) spread (guluka–ooze) – Come carefully.

Ee Vasudha

Yet one more year is coming to a close. Has it been a good one for you? 2023 was a hard one for me. I clung to my faith for strength. I honestly don’t know how people without faith manage! Thankfully, I have made it safely to the end of this year with God’s blessings. I am sharing my story with you, my dear readers, in the hope that those with major health issues may take heart from it. It’s a long story; if you only want the music, just jump on to the end!

This post is about me and so is the picture. Taken in October 2023, in front of Ma Durga.

But first, a very Happy New Year to all of you! May the good Gods bless us all!

17 May 2023
I am aware of being aware. Nothing more. I hear some voices. They sound familiar. My daughter “Can she hear us?”. Then a stranger’s voice “Yes, speak to her, it will do her good“. My husband “Suja..Suja“. My daughter’s hand strokes my bare shoulder. Bare? Why? Her voice “You are okay“. Was I not? I say something it seems. Then I fade out.

Pain. A stranger’s gentle presence. An angel wipes my forehead. I can feel her kindness radiating through. A name – Daisy. More pain. The night comes and goes in a hazy fog. Did I exist?

18 May 2023
Very early in the morning my awareness drifts back, much stronger this time. Daisy is buzzing about. “Oh Good, you are awake!” she says “Drink some water“. She wipes me down, brushes my hair. I am like a child, reborn. I am told later that my son visits me, but I have no recollection.

The nursing shift changes. Lou is another angel. She says I have to sit up in a chair for a while. It is torturous even with all the drugs. My surgeon comes with reassuring words, so does the physician in charge. My husband stays the whole day. He seems weary. Yesterday he sat in the waiting area from 1 pm when they took me in to prep for surgery to 9 pm when they wheeled me out to ICU. There were some complications it seems. Waiting is hard.

That day they take me to Radiology. Two nurses help me down off the bed and stand me up for the X-Ray. For a few seconds I have to stand without support. The agony! A second X-Ray, sideways this time. I stand, my gown gaping open at the back, holding up a bag of urine, tubes draining at my feet, in so much pain that tears stream down my face of their own volition. A low point. After that, the world fades away into a haze. I have family visitors, but I can’t remember much. At some point they transfer me from ICU to a ward.

19 May 2023
I wake up at 3 am in pain. I have a button for self-medicating morphine, but it does not help. The nurse comes in with more heavy weight drugs. It is a day of pain. I do get up to go to the bathroom but afterwards I have uncontrollable shivers. My son comes in with his wife and baby. I try to put on a smiling face. I receive phone calls. But the pain is still acute. I just want to be left alone in my misery.

20 May 2023
A better day. The pain is much reduced. The physio comes and makes me walk to the door of the room and back; the effort drains me, and I fall asleep in exhaustion. My daughter comes in for a visit. Just one month left for her delivery. She looks as exhausted as I am!

I think back to the 4th of May when I stepped off the bed and almost doubled over with the excruciating pain down the back of my leg. “I’ll rest today” I think “I’ll be better tomorrow“. The next morning at 4 am I can’t feel my toes. I look at my husband silently. It doesn’t look good. I call the Nurse-on-Call service to ask what I should do. “You need to go Emergency at once” she says and calls the ambulance service for me. I stay in Emergency for the day and night; the medications don’t seem to solve the problem. They want to transfer me to a ward. My daughter, a doctor, is ready with a list of recommended spine surgeons. There is one at a nearby hospital and thankfully they have a bed for me. I see the surgeon; I like him. They take me for an MRI and then he comes to see me the next day. It’s not good news. He asks, “Surgery or Wheelchair?“. I choose surgery, of course. I go home armed with medications to wait for surgery, but every day is painfilled. That was the 6th of May.

So, today, on the 20th, I see a reduction in pain for the first time in over two weeks. I am grateful. I was very lucky with my surgeon. He is a bit abrupt but also kind. For the eight days I was in the hospital, he does not miss a single day in visiting me, often in scrubs straight after surgery. Blessings come in many guises; mine came in the competency of my surgeon and the care in his heart.

25 May 2023
I have made vast improvements in the last four days. I’m walking around the ward many times a day with a walker. I am taking care of my own hygiene needs, change of clothes etc. I’ve enjoyed visits from the family including my eldest grandson. I’m even enjoying my meals!

In the afternoon, an ambulance arrives to transfer me to a Rehab hospital. I remember the pain filled ambulance ride when I first came to the hospital. This ride is a breeze. I meet a physiotherapist and an occupational therapist; they set up a schedule for me. The ward Physician is a pain specialist. She is very good. The nursing care is equally good.

1 June 2023
Home once more! Oh I’m so glad! I am so much better! I’ve done all the exercises under the supervision of the physio in the gym in Rehab. I have walked and walked in the gym and around the ward; I am up to 4000 steps a day!

6 June 2023
My 4-year-old grandson comes for his day with us. I cook his lunch, glad to be in the kitchen again. He says, “It makes me happy to be with you Patti“. My heart overflows with love. I can’t yet sit up for more than 15-20 mins. It is easier to stand or walk. “Sleep well so you can get strong enough to play with me” are his instructions as he leaves that evening!

17 June 2023
My first walk in the neighbourhood. Just 2500 steps, not much. But outdoors. Yay!

26 June 2023
A day of celebration! My daughter has presented us with one more grandson, her 3rd child and my 4th grandson! We have her 4-and-a-half-year-old and the almost-2-year-old since yesterday. They will be here for 5 days. Our son and daughter-in-law help, and my son-in-law spends his time between the hospital and his children here. I am glad that I am well enough to cope with them. I’ve come a long way since my surgery.

28 Dec 2023
I have made much progress in the past six months. I am almost back to normal, but I do tire easily. I’ve managed to do quite a few 8 km walks but that leaves me worn out so I can’t do it often. I manage almost all the tasks I normally do at home. I’ve kept my mind strong and worked hard at getting better. However, I acknowledge that nothing really was or is in my control and I owe everything to Divine Grace. Thank you, God.

It was my faith which kept me strong this year. Every moment of every day, I am aware of the blessings that God has showered me with. To acknowledge this, I have chosen a Tyagaraja kriti with very apt lyrics. He says, “For those who happily happen to be in residence for even half a minute in Your town, You remove all weariness in their minds and give a lot of wealth, longevity, devotion and vigour/health“. The kriti refers to a particular town, but isn’t His town the one populated by His devotees? Then surely, I too am a resident! Indeed, Tyagaraja has said the truth; I have been blessed with all that he says. If longevity hasn’t been proven yet, no matter, for I am content with whatever it is. Set in the soothing Raga Sahana, the composer’s devotion is palpable across the centuries.

I have chosen a lovely rendition from an old favourite, T.N.Seshagopalan. Enjoy!

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Footnote: Lyrics and Translation

Composer : Tyagaraja
Raga: Sahana
Kshetra: Kovur Sundareshwarar Temple
Language: Telugu
Please note that I do not speak Telugu and depend on various online references for word meanings. As I do not know the Telugu script, I am using Devanagari script.

Note: Notation with chittaswarams available here

पल्लवि
ई वसुध/वसुधा नीवण्टि दैवमु नॆन्दु कानरा

अनुपल्लवि
भावुकमु कल्गि वर्धिल्लु कोवूरि सुन्दरेश गिरीश

चरणम्
आसचे अर निमिषमु नी पुर वासमॊनर जेयु वारि मदि
वेसटलॆल्लनु तॊलगिञ्चि​ धन रासुलनायुवुनु
भूसुर भक्तियु तेजमुनॊसगि भुवनमन्दु कीर्ति कल्ग जेसे
दास वरद त्यागराज हृदय निवास चिद्विलास सुन्दरेश

Transliteration

pallavi
I vasudha/vasudhA nIvaNTi daivamu nendu kAnarA

anupallavi
bhAvukamu kalgi vardhillu kOvUri sundarEsha girIsha

charaNam
AsachE ara nimishamu nI pura vAsamonara jEyu vAri madi
vesaTalellanu tolaginchi dhana rAsulanAyuvunu
bhUsura bhaktiyu tEjamunosagi bhuvanamandu kIrti kalga jEsE
dAsa varada tyAgarAja hRdaya nivAsa chidvilAsa sundarEsha

Translation

Pallavi
In this (I) world (vasudha), a God (daivamunu) like (vaNTi) you (nI) cannot be seen (kAnarA) anywhere (endu).

Anupallavi
O Sundaresha of Kovur town (kOvUri) which has (kalgi) the good fortune (bhAvukamu) of thriving (vardhillu)! O Lord (Isha) of the Mountains (giri)!

Charanam
For those who (implied) happily (AsachE – with desire) happen to (Onara-jEyu) be in residence (vAsamu) for even half a minute (ara nimishamu) in your (nI) town (pura), you (implied) remove (tolaginchi) all weariness (vEsaTalu ellanu) in their (vAri) minds (madi) and give (Osagi) a lot of (rAsulanu) wealth (dhana), longevity (Ayuvunu), devotion (bhaktiyu) and vigour/health (tEjamunu). For your (implied) devotees (dAsa), you give the boon (varada) of bringing about (kalga jEsE) fame (kIrti) in this (andu) world (bhuvanamu). O Lord Sundaresha who lives (nivAsa) in the heart (hRdaya) and shines (viLasa) in the consciousness (chit) of Tyagaraja!

Sudha Madhurya Bhashana

Happy Music Season to all Carnatic Music fans! I’m sure you are all immersed joyfully in listening to one concert after another, just as I am! I am rather envious of those who can attend live concerts. But as you know, I have been musically isolated for many years and am quite used to online concerts. It has it’s own advantages. There is no travel time, no limitation on how long you can listen, and you can pick and choose concerts depending on your mood. This year, like last, I bought myself tickets for Musically Margazhi and Yours Truly Margazhi, both from Kalakendra’s site. Since the 1st of December, I have listened to Palghat Ramprasad and Sandeep Narayan on Arkay Ramakrishnan-YouTube, and Saketharaman, Vignesh Ishwar, Sanjay Subrahmanyan, Vijay Siva, Mysore Brothers, Sriranjani Santhanagopalan, Malladi Brothers, Gayathri Venkataraghavan and Ramakrishna Murthy on Musically Margazhi-Karthik Fine Arts at Kalakendra’s site.

While listening to all these concerts, it occurred to me that I have deep biases for or against ragas. Those who have studied physics in school will remember tuning forks ? It seems to me that when I listen to some ragas, like a string touched by a tuning fork, my soul tunes into the same vibrations as the raga. I have noticed that I merge deeply into old-and-familiar ragas like Madhyamavati, Kalyani, Todi etc. It is as if the familiarity removes some kind of barrier to being absorbed into the music. Like everyone, I love the crowd-pleaser Hindustani imports like Behag, Desh or Ahir Bhairav but I really can’t ‘sink’ into them. I also seem to have a hidden morose-streak in me which wallows joyously in the unalloyed misery of Shubhapantuvarali, Shivaranjani and the like. My head may nod to dynamic ragas like Natta and Hamsadhwani but it is the introspection of Varali, Abheri or Saveri which appeals at a deeper level. What I am getting to is that my enjoyment of a concert is very personal because it is very dependent on these raga-biases which I have within me. That is, I believe, a very good reason to desist from any kind of concert reviews. That said, I will write a separate post at the end of the music season about the concerts I listened to and the renditions I enjoyed the most.

I confess, I seldom give concentrated attention to any concert because I am always multi-tasking! I don’t watch concerts, I listen while doing chores. And this week in particular, I’ve been very busy. My first grandson celebrated his 3rd birthday for which we had a nice party at home. Thanks to Covid, this was the first gathering in ages. ‘Am I grown up now?‘ he asked me that day! Yesterday, when I was putting him to bed for his nap, I sang a song that I hadn’t sung for quite some time. He listened quietly and then said ‘You used to sing it a long, looooong time back when I was a little boy‘. Then added ‘Dinosaurs lived a long, looooong time back‘. Ah, my little fellow, he gives me such laughter and joy! And for all those who sent so many wishes and prayers after my last post – thank you. My little grandson is now 3 months old, and is off his oxygen for a whole month now! He is growing well and is a happy little chappie.

So I come finally to my song choice of the day. The Mysore brothers played Sudha Madhurya as the first item in their concert, a really good choice as it has a brisk pace and an uplifting melody. I couldn’t quite remember the name of the song or the raga but thankfully the video shows the details for those who, like me, obsess about a tune which they can’t quite place. Then it clicked. I do have the song in my collection sung by Dr. Balamuralikrishna but I haven’t heard it in a ‘long, looooong time’, not since the dinosaurs roamed the earth! It is composed by Tyagaraja in a rare raga called Sindhuramakriya, a janya of Mayamalavagowla. It is a very lovely song, a short one, just perfect for this busy season. I have chosen a video by S.Ramanathan for your listening pleasure.

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Footnote (Lyrics and Translation) :

Composer – Tyagaraja
Raga – Sindhuramakriya
Language : Telugu
Please note that I am not a Telugu speaker. The translations have been taken from internet sources, mainly here. If you are a student, it is best to refer to your guru. This blog is meant only for music appreciation.

Transliteration in Devanagari

पल्लवि
सुधा माधुर्य भाषण सुधाकरानन

अनुपल्लवि
कथामृतमुचे बहु कालमु
आकलि तीरियुन्नानु ब्रोवुमु

चरणम्
दुरात्मुलगु भूकिरातकुल चेर रादनुचु सुन्दराकार नी
परायणुल चॆलिमि रा कोरु त्यागराज नुत ओ परात्पर सुगुण

Transliteration in English

pallavi
sudhA mAdhurya bhAshaNa
sudhAkarAnana

anupallavi
karthAmrtamu chE bahu kAlamu
Akali tIriyunnanu brOvumu

charaNam
durAtmulagu bhU kirAtakula chEra rAdunuchu sundarAkAra nI
pArAyaNula chelimi rA kOru tyAgarAja nuta O parAtparA suguNa

Translation

O Lord (implied) who is as sweet (madhurya) spoken (bhAshaNa) as nectar (sudhA)! O Lord (implied) whose face (Anana) is as beautiful (implied) as the moon (sudhAkarAnana)!

Having imbibed (chE) of your nectarine story (kathA amRthamu) for a long time (bahu kAlamu), I am (unnAnu) satiated (Akali tIri). Protect me (brOvumu)!

O Lord (implied) with the beautiful (sundara) form (AkAra)! I (implied) desire (kOru) to reach/come (rA) the companionship (chelimi) of those dedicated (parAyuNula) to you (nI) so as (anucu) to not (rAdu) associate (chEra) with the wicked (durAtmulagu) barbarians (kirAtakula) on earth (bhU). O excellent (suguNa) supreme one (parAtpara) worshipped (nuta) by Tyagaraja!

Makelara Vicharamu

It is the season of big changes in my life. Here I was, happily chugging along in my ‘normal’ life, in a set, familiar pattern.  Then it was as if someone picked up the kaleidoscope of my life and gave it a good shake. For a while now there has just been a jumble of shapes and colours, in a movement too fast for a pattern to emerge. I know that soon it will settle down into a brand new pattern. I imagine our good Lord holding the kaleidoscope and smiling with mischief when he gives that one last whirl! But at the moment, like a piece of coloured glass being whirled around, I see nothing but a revolving world.

It all started early on Mar 30, 2018 when our daughter announced that we are to be grandparents by the end of the year. Our plan was always to return home to Australia when we become grandparents. My husband and I left India when we were very young. Our children were born overseas and though they saw their grandparents once a year or two, they never established a close relationship with them. “My children lost out on their grandparents“, I told myself, “but I will not do that to their children. I’ll be there for them.“. So with the news of impending grandparenthood, we set our plans in motion. We started putting our affairs in order and faced the prospect of a move back to Australia after 18 years of being away.

In December, we did become grandparents to a gorgeous little boy. It was with a heavy heart that I returned to Switzerland in March. Over the last few months I have missed his special achievements. I never saw the first time he turned over on his stomach, his achievements in commando-crawling, his growing dexterity etc. Sad. In the meanwhile, there has been much to do here. We are getting through it all step by step. Not long to go now; we’ll be home in early July.

While we did all the physical sorting and packing, I have had to do some mental sorting out as well. After all this time in Switzerland, I am bonded to this country. Even familiar sights take on a certain poignancy. I look at the lakes and mountains which surround me and think ‘I won’t see you again in my daily life‘. I thought I was reconciled but as I write this, involuntary tears run down my cheeks. How can I be sad when I have the most precious bundle to play with in Australia? Grief and joy disturbingly co-exist in my heart.

So back to my theme of ‘puppet on a string‘. When such massive changes take place in our lives, there is a feeling of helplessness, a feeling of being rushed headlong towards something, an inevitability, all of which may be attributed to fate and God’s hand as a puppeteer by those who believe in these things. I do.  This belief gives great comfort. When my stress levels become too high, I say to myself ‘Why should I worry? I will leave it all in God’s hands‘. For those who don’t believe, it may all seem a bit self-delusional! I too have my own doubts. Don’t our own actions chart the path of the future? Why would God bother about such a petty thing as my life? Still, my song choice of today reflects my need for believing in a God who will bother about me. Makelara Vicharamu is a composition of Tyagaraja set to raga Ravichandrika. The Saint refers to Lord Rama as the puppeteer who makes us dance in the drama of life.

I have listened to nothing but Makelara for the last few days! A popular kriti, there are many excellent renditions freely available online. I have chosen two interesting renditions for your listening pleasure. The first is by S.Kalyanaraman, a very clean, melodious rendition which sounds quite lovely to me. For some kritis, I like ‘drama’; for this one, I enjoyed the simplicity.

Click here to listen.

I think the lyrical beauty of the Raga is displayed very beautifully in this violin rendition by Ganesh & Kumaresh. I grew up listening to Lalgudi’s version of this song, so for me, the violin is just perfect for this kriti.

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Footnotes (Lyrics and Translation) :

Composer : Tyagaraja
Raga : Ravichandrika
Language : Telugu
Please note that I do not speak Telugu. The translations are sourced from various internet sources, which I have tried to verify using dicionaries.

Transliteration in Devanagari

पल्लवि
माकेलरा विचारमु
मरुगन्न श्री राम चन्द्र

अनुपल्लवि
साकेत राज कुमार
सद्भक्त मन्दार श्रीकर

चरणम्
जत कूर्चि नाटक सूत्रमुनु
जगमॆल्ल मॆच्चग करमुननिडि
गति तप्पक आडिञ्चॆवु (alt: आडिञ्चॆदवु) सुमी
नत त्यागराज गिरीश विनुत

Transliteration

pallavi
mAkElarA vichAramu
maruganna shrI rAma chandra

anupallavi
sAkEta rAja kumAra
sad bhakta mandAra shrI kara

charaNam
jata kUrci nATaka sUtramunu
jagamella mechchaga karamunaniDi
gati tappaka ADinchevu (alt: Adinchendavu) sumI
nata tyAgarAja girIsha vinuta

Translation

Why (ElarA) should we (mAku) have worries (vichAramu) O Lord Rama (shrI rAma chandra), father of Manmatha (maruganna**)?
(**Note:  The site Tyagaraja Vaibhavam breaks this word as maruku – Cupid/Manmatha and anna – father. However, I could not verify maruku as Manmatha in any dictionary. Musicians sing it as maruganna. Marugu seems to be translated as something hidden. Is Cupid referred to as the hidden one? There is a comment by another blogger that mamuganna makes more sense, translated as ‘my father’.)

O Prince (rAja kumAra-son of king) of Ayodhya (sAkEta), the wish-fulfilling tree (mandAra, another name for Kalpavriksha) of true (sad) devotees (bhakta)! O One who bestows prosperity (shrI kara)!

Holding (-iDi) the strings (sUtramunu) of the puppets (implied) in the hands (karamunanu) and balancing (jata kUruchi) the drama (nAtaka) (implying the drama of life), you make us dance (ADinchevu) with an infallible (tappaka) pace (gati) to the extollation (mechchaga) of the whole world (jagamella), O Lord who is praised (vinuta) by Lord Shiva (girIsha), to whom this Tyagaraja bows (nata).

Rama Ni Samanamevaru

Yesterday I listened to two concerts on YouTube. Now this is a more momentous occasion than the statement reflects. I don’t often get time to listen non-stop to music so this was special. As usual my life feels like a runaway train with me hanging by my fingernails! But I’ll leave my life be for the moment. As I said, I was listening to concerts of two young men whose music I enjoy. Both have excellent gurus. Both have glorious voices, a remarkable stage presence and styles which have the mark of their guru on them. Actually, I find myself listening more and more often to young artists nowadays. I enjoy their energy and verve, and if they stumble now and then, they have a lifetime to fix it so I don’t worry about it.

The first concert I heard was by Sandeep Narayan. Since hearing him do a fantastic Bhairavi during the season in 2016, I have been clicking on his concerts online. This was a nice concert; I particularly liked the order and mix of kritis chosen which is a skill in itself. His dwijavanti was pleasing, his take on chalanatta was interesting and the hamsanandi thillana at the end and karpagame to conclude were both quite lovely. The main item on the menu was a solidly performed pakkala nilabadi in Kharaharapriya.

Next I turned to Vignesh Ishwar. I haven’t had the pleasure of listening to him live but I have really enjoyed a number of his concerts online. I was happily nodding to his singing when the young man launched into Kharaharapriya and I thought ‘Hey, I can do a one-to-one comparison now, can’t I!’. Alapana done, the kriti taken up was ‘Rama Ni Samanamevaru‘ which made me laugh. Here I was all set to do a comparison and there was Tyagaraja with ‘There is none to compare with you Rama!’. I was happy to find a theme for my blog post – our tendency to make comparisons. The rest of the concert was good. The main piece was in Begada, not my favourite raga, but I still enjoyed it.

The kriti set me thinking about how very judgemental we human beings are. We are forever judging others on the things they say and do, on their achievements and failures, on their character and abilities and so on. It is rather non-stop, isn’t it! Or is it only I? I talk confidently on a collective when all I am sure of is myself! I love my children equally, or so I hope, but I confess to comparing them especially when one of them makes me sad. ‘He is so oblivious to my needs‘ I’ll say to myself , ‘She would never have left me like this‘.  Or ‘She is so sharp, are girls always this unkind? He is so much kinder‘.   Of course, we also compare people to themselves. ‘He was so much better in his previous film‘.  ‘Oh, she looked nicer in red than in green, didn’t she!‘. It is not always unkind or negative.  We may as easily say ‘Amma, this is the best rasam you have ever made!‘ Still, the comparisons are more often negative than positive. Is it just our need to categorise and put things in order? As a Carnatic Music fan, I am often critical of performances. Even while I am listening to one musician, I may well be racking my brain thinking of some other artist, some other occasion when I felt a turn of a phrase may have sounded better! What a waste of time! Instead of being in the moment and enjoying the pleasure of what falls into my ears, my mind is scrambling elsewhere! Is it a common failing or is it just me? Whatever the case, it is high time to stop it I think…

As Vignesh Ishwar inspired this post, let us first listen to him singing Rama Nee Samanamevaru in Kharaharapriya. Alapana starts at 16:12 and the kriti at 28:15. Dr Hemalatha on the violin sounds very good.

And for a second rendition, who other than T.M.Krishna, who is Vignesh Ishwar’s guru. Maybe you will, like me, enjoy noting the stylistic similarities passed from guru to shishya.

And for an instrumental, I present the very talented vainikas from my own home town of Melbourne, the Iyer Brothers. The recording is a bit tinny but it is still enjoyable. They are accompanied by their daughters. The sound of four Veenas synchronised has such a majestic quality!

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Footnote (Lyrics and Translation) :

Composer : Tyagaraja
Raga : Kharaharapriya
Language : Telugu
(Note: I do not speak Telugu; the details below are based on a number of online resources)

Sanskrit Transliteration :

पल्लवि
राम नी समानमॆवरु रघु वंशोद्धारक

अनुपल्लवि
भामा मरुवम्पु मॊलक भक्तियनु पञ्जरपु चिलुक

चरणम्
पलुकु पलुकुलकु तेनॆलॊलुकु माटलाडु
सोदरुलु गल हरि त्यागराज कुल विभूष मृदु सुभाष

English Transliteration :

pallavi
rAma nI samAnamevaru raghu vamshOddhAraka

anupallavi
bhAmA maruvampu molaka bhaktiyanu panjarapu chiluka

charaNam
paluku palukulaku tEneloluku mATalADu
sOdaralu gala hari tyAgarAja kula vibhUsha mRdu subhAsha

Translation :

Who (evaru) is equal (samAnamu) to you (nI), O Rama, the uplifter (uddhAraka) of the Raghu dynasty (vamsha)?

Like a parrot (chiluka) in a cage (panjarapu) of devotion (bhaktiyanu) of your wife (bhAma) who is as gentle (implied) as the shoot (molaka) of sweet marjoram (maruvampu). (Note: There seem to be a number of interpretations of this line – is it Sita who is like a parrot in the cage or is it Rama? Who is enslaved by devotion? The devotee or the devoted?)

You (implied) who have (gala) brothers (sOdaralu) who speak (mATalADu) like honey (tEne) drips (oluku) at each word (paluku palukulaku)!  You who youself (implied) are so gently well-spoken (mRudu subhAsha)!  O Hari (name of Vishnu), you are (implied) the ornament (vibhUsha) of Tyagaraja’s family (kula)!!

Nada Loludai

A Happy New Year to all those who celebrate it today! I wish you the very best for a year of personal, professional and spiritual achievement!

Can we divorce the musician from the music he/she creates? This question has been buzzing in my brain since I read some comments in a music group that I follow in Facebook. There were some pithy comments about the politics of a particular musician and the resulting rejection of his music by some. Others seemed to think that his politics had nothing to do with his music. As I walk the shores of Lake Léman on this cold spring day, this question seems an important one to address in this blog.

This is not a new question; it has arisen a number of times over the years. I remember my father making disparaging comments about a flautist from yesteryear whose love for alcohol was well-known. And yet, my father would never miss his concerts! I remember my own goggle-eyed reading of the crazy antics of a great Bollywood playback singer whom I admired very much. ‘How am I to see this man?‘ I used to wonder, ‘As a madman or a genius?‘. I remember my friend from Berlin describing her experiences with helping host very famous Hindustani musicians – the amazing vocalist who came so drunk to the stage that he almost fell off, the very senior maestro of the topmost echelon and his unusual sleeping arrangements with his much younger lady disciple and so on. ‘Stop‘, I had cried out to my friend ‘I don’t want to know!!‘.  I was right, every time I listen to their music I have this annoying niggle at the back of my mind which I just don’t want to have. And what of those wonderful musicians from the Western world of the sixties whose music came from a drug-induced haze? And then we come back to this musician whose politics and even ideas on music don’t sit well with me, but oh, his singing is so divine!

This is not limited to music alone, of course. Van Gogh is well-known for having insurmountable mental health issues. I still spent hours in the Van Gogh museum in Amsterdam, drooling over his canvases. The great Michelangelo’s scorn and misbehaviour towards his young rival Raphael is well know, yet I worshipped at his creations as I did at Raphael’s. And who can top my very favourite Caravaggio who murdered someone and came to an untimely death!  But it was in front of his canvas that I unshamedly shed tears in appreciation to a master of his craft.

So it comes back to the question, can we admire the art without admiring the artist? It should be stressed that I am not making a quality judgement here in as to who is admirable and who is not; that is for you to decide. The pragmatic part of me thinks that only the most delusional amongst us can afford to cast the first stone. And where do we draw the line? Alcohol is ok but not drugs? Socialism is ok but communism is out? Are we not venturing into McCarthyism and the Hollywood Blacklist ? But what do we do with this feeling of distaste that we have for certain artists? I categorically refuse to watch Woody Allen films; I just cannot disassociate the art from the man.

Dear readers, don’t look to me for answers, I only have questions today! But for myself, I have a theory that the musician is just another instrument, a pathway between Nada Brahmam and the listener. The songs I hear have started their journey a long time back, as a germ in the mind of a composer, in a raga which may have originated hundreds of years before even he was born, a composition heard and sung by disciples generation after generation until finally it is there in front of me and I am listening to it. The creativity the musician adds to it is just one more step in a long process of creation. Inside my head, heart and soul it reaches completion, added on to all the music I have ever listened to, in this life and all the lives I have lived before, like a mountain stream which has joined the ocean. Who worries about what pen a story was written in? Why would I worry about the musician when all I wish to hear is the Nada? Tyagaraja says ‘Attain supreme bliss by being immersed in the Nada‘ in the composition I have selected to present today. I take his advice and concentrate on the Nada alone.

My first and last love in Carnatic Music will always be Lalgudi Jayaraman, who cajoles and beguiles with the violin which bows to his mastery. I fell for his Kalayana Vasantam eons ago and still turn to him for a ‘fix’ when I have a longing. Here is his short 7 min rendition.

Alternate Link : Click here

For an immersion in the beauty of Kalyana Vasantam for 30 minutes, listen to this vocal rendition by Maharajapuram Santhanam. The alapana gently sweeps and ushers us into the lyrical kriti. How can a voice be both majestic and sweet?

Alternate Link : Click here  (needs free membership to Sangeethamshare)

Lastly, any post on Kalyana Vasantam is incomplete without a rendition by Kadri Gopalnath who has made this raga his very own. On his Saxophone, the raga takes almost a strident note, demanding immediate attention.

Alternate rendition (I could not find my version online) : Click here 

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Footnote (Lyrics and Translation) :

Composer : Tyagaraja
Raga : Kalyana Vasantam
Language : Telugu
(I do not speak Telugu and the information below is dependent on various web sources)

पल्लवि
नाद लोलुडै ब्रह्मा-
नन्दमन्दवे मनसा

अनुपल्लवि
स्वादु फल प्रद सप्त
स्वर राग निचय सहित

चरणम्
हरि हरात्म भूसुर पति
शर जन्म गणेशादि
वर मौनुलुपासिञ्च रे
धर त्यागराजु तॆलियु

Transliteration

pallavi
nAda lOluDai brahmA
nandamandavE manasA

anupallavi
svAdu phala prada sapta
svara rAga nichaya sahita

charaNam
hari harAtma bhUsura pati
shara janma gaNEshAdi
vara maunulupAsincha rE
dhara tyAgarAju teliyu

Translation

O Mind, attain (andavE) the rapture of absorbtion on the Brahman (brahmAnanda) by immersing (loluDai) in music (nAda, literally sound), which includes (sahita) the seven (sapta) svara (notes) and a multitide (nichaya) of ragas (rAga) that bestow (prada) sweet (svAdu) results (phala).

Vishnu (hari), Shiva (harA), Brahma (Atma bhU – self born), Indra (sura pati – Lord of the Gods), Kartikeya (shara janma – born in reeds), Ganesha, great sages (vara maunulu), etc (Adi) workship (upAsincha) nAda (implied), of this Tyagaraja is aware (teliyu) on this earth (dhara).

Shobhillu Sapta Svara

Have you ever thought about how so many different cultures use music as a form of worship? We all know of the wonderful choral music traditions of the Christians, the chantings of the Buddhists, the kirtans of the Sikhs, the emotional outpourings of the Sufis and the many traditions of musical worship of the Hindus. Some are simply sacred music, like bhajans, their primary purpose being worship. Others, like Carnatic Music, have a deep thread of devotion running through them but retain an identity apart from their devotional roots. So yes, the use of music as a means of worship is common enough. But it is not very common to have music itself as the divinity being worshipped. That is the concept which I approach in my post today.

As a devotee of music, this concept pleases me greatly! To those of us who agree that divinity is omnipresent, this is no stretch of imagination. If divinity can be found everywhere, why not in music?  To those of us who search for that spiritual feeling in places of worship to allow us to connect with divinity, this makes it even easier. For music is there, real and accessible to most of us in one way or the other. We need not search for places of worship; we may worship the music right within us.

Sound as a divine principle comes to us Hindus from the Vedas. We all know the importance of AUM, I shall not venture there. The Vedas themselves are also called Shruti meaning ‘That which is heard‘,  emphasising both their divine origin and their oral tradition. Samaveda, in particular, ‘the Veda of Songs‘ includes notated music, perhaps the oldest surviving tunes of this world.  An interesting aside – the word vEd or knowledge comes from the Proto-Indo-Iranian word ‘weyd‘ meaning ‘to know, to see’.  The Latin videō meaning ‘to see, perceive, look‘ comes from the same root word. So a sentence like ‘I have a video of the vedas‘ is etymologically quite amusing ! But I digress..

Coming back to the divinity of music, the Vedas refer to the divine nature of vAk वाक् or voice.  This divinity is said to be present in AUM. The Upanishads refer to Shabda-Brahman शब्दब्रह्मन् meaning The Cosmic Sound.  The word Nada-Brahman नादब्रह्मन् (nAda also means sound) is used instead of Shabda-Brahman in later treatises like Brihaddeshi by Matanga Muni (date unknown, speculated 6th-8th century CE). In this Nada is linked with various divinities.

न नादेन विना गीतं न नादेन विना स्वराः
न नादेन विना नृत्तं तस्मान् नादात्मकं जगत्
नादरुपः स्मृतो ब्रह्मा नाद रूपो जनार्दनः
नादरूपा पराशक्तिः नाद रूपो महेश्वरः

Without Nada, there is no music. Without Nada, there are no musical notes. Without Nada, there is no dance. Therefore the whole universe is composed of Nada. Brahma is known to be incarnate in Nada, as is Vishnu, Parashakti and Shiva.

In Sangeeta Makaranda by Narada (~11 century CE), there is an explanation of the passage of Nada through our body.

तम् नादम् सप्तधा कृत्वा तथा षड्जादिभिः स्वरैः
नाभी हृद् कण्ठ तालूषु नासादन्तोष्ठयोः क्रमात्
षड्जश्च .ऋषभ गान्धारौ मध्यमः पञ्चमस्तथा
धैवतश्च निशादश्च स्वराः सप्त प्रकीर्तिताः

that nAda, passing through the naval, heart, neck, tongue, nose, teeth, and lips, generates the seven svaras, shadjam, rishabham, gAndhAram, madhyamam, panchamam, dhaivatam and nishAdam.

-Article by P.P.Narayanaswami in Carnatica

There is a similar passage in Sangeetaratnakara by Saragadeva (13th century CE) in which the author links musical notes with Chakras (centres of spiritual centre within the body) and Nadis (subtle energy channels within the body), describing the passage of nAda through the body .

आत्मा विवक्षमाणोऽयम् मनः प्रेरयते , मनः |
देहस्थम् वह्निमाहन्ति स प्रेरयति मारुतम्  ||
ब्रह्मग्रन्थिस्थितः सोऽथ क्रमादूर्घ्वपथे चरन् |
नाभि हृत् कण्ठ मूर्धास्येष्वाविर्भावयति ध्वनिम् ||

Desirous of speech, the individuated being impels the mind, and the mind activates the battery of power stationed in the body, which in turns stimulates the vital force. The vital force stationed around the root of the navel, rising upwards gradually manifests nada in the navel, the heart, the throat, the cerebrum and the cavity of the mouth as it passes through them. 

from Sangita Ratnakara translation by R.K.Shringy

R.K.Shringy explains that ‘Nada is not merely an object of the sense of hearing. The concept of nada refers to the perception when subject and object are not differentiated‘. Normally when we name objects, we are naming the perception of that object in our consciousness. As such, the subject in our consciousness and the object outside have a relationship but are always apart. Nada on the other hand refers to the melding of the sound and its presence in our consciousness, when they become one. Nada is both the energy and its manifestation.

All this is but a lead up to my song choice of today. Tyagaraja has composed this masterpiece in homage to the divinity of music residing in the seven notes. He worships the divinities resident in the navel, heart, throat, tongue and nose, similar to the quotes from Sangeeta Makaranda and Sangeeta Ratnakara above. He refers to himself as the auspicious Tyagaraja; if for no other reason, surely the presence of the divinities within him makes this a just description! Set to the beautiful raga Jaganmohini (that which charms the universe), it is a favourite amongst Carnatic Music fans.

I have chosen this song today for a particular reason. When Dr.Balamuralikrishna passed away late last year, I was travelling and did not write a post in his honour. One of my readers wondered about it in a comment but it was not really forgetfulness on my part. You see, as I have mentioned in previous posts, my childhood home always rung out with Carnatic Music. Be it Semmangudi, Madurai Mani Iyer, G.N.Balasubramaniam, M.D.Ramanathan, M.S.Subbulakshami, S.Balachandar, Lalgudi Jayaraman, Balamuralikrishna and myriad others, they were all voices of my childhood, familiar and very very dear. Over the years, one after the other, they have passed away. With each passing it seems that I wave goodbye to one more dear one, to my past, to my history. Dr. BMK was particularly dear to me because he was my mother’s favourite. I can never listen to him without remembering my mother’s pleasure in his voice. His passing adds one more goodbye in my life and deepens the sorrow of my own losses. Sigh! Shobhillu Sapta Svara is a song I associate with him and I selected it as a tribute to a man who was the ultimate Nadopasaka, a devoted worshipper of the Nadabrahman.

Alternate link : Click here and choose song 2 (free membership of Sangeethapriya required)

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Footnote (Lyrics and Translation) :

Composer : Tyagaraja
Raga : Jaganmohini
Language : Telugu
(Note – I do not speak Telugu; the translation here is from various internet resources)

पल्लवि
शोभिल्लु सप्त स्वर सुन्दरुल भजिम्पवे मनसा

अनुपल्लवि
नाभि हृत् कण्ठ रसन नासादुलयन्दु

चरणम्
धर ऋक् सामादुललो वर गायत्री हृदयमुन
सुर भूसुर मानसमुन शुभ त्यागराजुनियॆड

Transliteration

pallavi
shobhillu sapta svara sundarula bhajimpavE manasA

anupallavi
nAbhI hRt kaNTHa rasana nAsAdulayandu

charaNam
dhara Rk sAmAdulalO vara gAyatrI hRdayamuna
sura bhUsura mAnasamuna shubha tyAgarAjuniyeDa

Translation

Worship (bhajimpavE) the radiant (shObhillu) beautiful (sudurula) divinities (implied) of the seven (sapta) svara (notes), O mind (manasA)!

Worship the divinities glowing (implied) in (andu) navel (nAbhi), heart (hRt), throat (kaNTHa), tongue (rasana) and nose (nAsa) etc. (Adula).

Worship the divinities glowing in (implied) the sustaining (dhara) Vedas such as (implied) Rg, Sama etc. (Adulalo), in the heart (hRdayamuna) of the foremost (vara) gAyatrI mantra, in the minds (mAnasamuna) of the celestials (sura) and Brahmins (bhU-sura), and within (eDa) this auspicious (shubha) Tyagaraja (tyAgarAjuni) .

Ninne Bhajana Seyu

Are you a one-God man/woman? Do you restrict yourself to praying to your One and no other?

I pray on an everyday basis to a number of Hindu deities. I do have my own One, the One who always listens with a sympathetic ear to whatever  I happen to go on about. I also have a Second-to-the-One for days when I am not on speaking terms with my One. What, you don’t have ‘I’m-SO-annoyed-with-you’ moments with your One? You must be much better tempered than I am!! Of course I also pray to different deities for their expertise in specific matters. I am most certainly not a one-God woman!

My meanderings arise from something I heard recently. I had mentioned a few weeks earlier that I have taken to listening to upanyasams (lectures on spiritual matters), mainly by Velukkudi Krishnan, Dushyant Sridhar and Visaka Hari. Velukkudi Krishnan is especially erudite; his depth of knowledge is quite astounding! Is it possible to learn this much in a lifetime? I am all admiration! Much as I admire his knowledge, I confess that at times I am confounded by some of his pronouncements!! For example, he says in one of his lectures that people should sleep in what they wear ‘normally’ and not change into night-clothes! Really??!! Leaving pronouncements such as this aside, there was one repeated advice which caught my attention. He says that if you serve Lord Vishnu, then you should pray to none other as otherwise He would be offended! Again – Really???? Surely these kind of feelings are human, not Divine? Velukkudi Krishnan does add that it is the same for whichever religion/deity you adhere to; ‘stick to your One’ he says.

I assume that these ideas are Sri Vaishnavite ones as proposed by Ramanuja, the extraordinary theologian and philosopher (11-12 CE). In his times, the Chola kings ruled in South India. Though the kings were predominantly Shaivite, the society was a secular one. Not only other Hindu sects but even Buddhists and Jains had many followers in those times. Under the circumstances, Ramanuja’s preaching that one must follow Lord Vishnu and none other was no doubt a way to preserve Sri Vaishnavism from all the other religious influences. Are his one-God-only ideas just part of the politics of religion?  Is this kind of thought even valid amongst today’s Hindus?  That said, I admit to total ignorance on the subject; I am merely thinking aloud…

I personally do not know even one single Hindu who prays to only one deity! When the Hindu pantheon offers a veritable smorgasbord of deities, each with their own domain expertise, is it not human nature to pray to as many of them as you can relate to? Leave alone Hindus, even in a strictly monotheistic religion like Christianity, prayers are offered to not just their God, but also to His messenger Jesus Christ and to his mother Mary as well as any number of Saints. Many of the Saints have their own speciality ‘domains’ too! I have visited many Catholic places of worship; there are as many candles in front of the Saints as there are in front of Jesus! Listening often to Sufi music, I see that even Muslims sing in praise of and in prayer to their many Saints. Many of us, it seems, spread our prayers wide!

Coming to Carnatic Music, our great composers wrote in praise of many different deities though they were known for their devotion to particular ones. For example, Tyagaraja was a devotee of Lord Rama, Dikshithar was a worshipper of Goddess Shakti, and Oothukkadu Venkata Subbaiyer was entranced by the young Lord Krishna.  Yet in my song choice of today, Tyagaraja says ‘I am the one who chants only your name, I shall not beseech others!’. Set to Raga Natta, it is a lovely composition which appeals to me greatly. I always enjoy Natta with its vigorous and rousing feel. But today the first rendition I have chosen for you has a more contemplative mood. M.D. Ramanathan has a unique sound, one I enjoy immensely, especially in songs such as this. For your ease of listening, I have chosen the rendition loaded in YouTube. The sound quality is poor, but the music is anything but. Listen to my ‘Alternative’ for slightly better sound and a longer rendition.

Alternative : Click here and play song 2. Free membership needed to Sangeethapriya.

The second rendition I would like you to listen to is by Jayanthi Kumaresh on the Veena. I find that the  resonance of the instrument is particularly suited for Natta, don’t you? This talented artist has gifted us with a hypnotic rendition. Don’t miss this!

Alternate link : Click here and play song 1. You need free membership to Sangeethapriya.

And for a third, listen to this energetic and vibrant performance by Sikkil Gurucharan here.  I really enjoyed the kalpana swarams. Again, the recording quality is not the best.

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Footnote (Lyrics and Translation) :

Composer : Tyagaraja
Raga : Natta
Language : Telugu
Please note that I do not speak Telugu; the lyrics and translations are credit to various online resources.

पल्लवि
निन्ने भजन सेयु वाडनु

अनुपल्लवि
पन्नग शायि परुल वेड लेनु

चरणम्
स्नानादि जप तप योग ध्यान
समाधि सुख प्रद
सीता नाथ सकल लोक पालक
त्यागराज सन्नुत

Transliteration

pallavi
ninnE bhajana sEyu vADanu

anupallavi
pannaga shAyi parula vEDa lEnu

charaNam
snAnaAdi japa tapa yOga dhyAna
samAdhi sukha prada
sItA nAtha sakala lOka pAlaka
tyAgarAja sannuta

Translation

I am a worshipper (bhajana sEyu vADanu) only of you (ninnE).

O One recumbent (shAyi) on a snake (pannaga)! I shall not (lEnu) plead (vEDa) to anyone else (paralu).

You are the provider (prada) of happiness and well-being (sukha) which come from (implied) bathing in holy waters (snAna), repeated prayers (japa), penance (tapa), Yoga, meditation (dhyAna), deep concentration leading to identification with the object of meditation (samAdhi) etc (Adi). O Consort (nAtha) of Sita! O Guardian (pAlaka) of the entire (sakala) world (lOka)! O One praised (sannuta) by Tyagaraja!

Kamakshi Bangaru

Happy Navaratri, Dussera and Durga Puja to all my readers! I hope you are all enjoying the festivities of this season!

I feel very blessed by the Goddesses this week; we’ve had some very good news in the family. My son has just been accepted into the College of Psychiatry, a dream he has had for a long time.  For those who haven’t read my occasional forays into personal life, my son (25) is a doctor currently working as a Resident. He has long dreamed of becoming a Psychiatrist. His getting a placement as a Psych Registrar is a very big step in the many steps that it has taken to embark on his chosen career. It feels especially good to get this news during Navaratri.

I believe he owes his success to his worship of the Goddesses, but not in any way you imagine. In fact, much to my distress, he claims to be somewhere between atheistic and agnostic. So why do I say that he worships the Goddesses? Is it possible to get blessings without a single shlOka or puja, without even acknowledging the existence of the Goddesses? Let me share my thoughts…(Note: I am in a mood to ramble, so if you want just the music, jump right ahead!)

We believers think that our Gods and Goddesses are omnipresent. That they are present both in those who acknowledge them and those who don’t. Let us search for Shakti first. She is manifest as energy all around us. Touch your skin – even the warmth there is but a manifestation of the energy your cells create. But just as in a temple we need to perform a prANa pratishTHa to consecrate the idol and bring the power of the deity within it, we too need to ‘consecrate’ ourselves to let her manifest her powers within us. How can we do that? I have a theory..

Is Shakti not energy? So if we follow our goals with energy and vigour, surely it is a celebration of her! Shakti is prANa, the life energy itself. How better to worship her than by looking after the health of our bodies and minds? Shakti is courage. By developing our self-confidence and courage, we invite Her to take residence in our hearts. As a baby my son was afraid of the whole world. I could not even enter a lift if there were others there! It took years of coaxing for him to accept the world outside our family. As a boy, he was shy and retiring. He would hardly meet anyone’s eyes when he talked. I remember a moment of pride when at sixteen he voluntarily walked up to a visitor at home and introduced himself; it felt as if he had crossed an important threshold! When he bravely presented a research paper at a Psych conference at 21, almost a decade younger than the next youngest conference attendee, I was bursting with pride. I have seen him slowly build on his courage, his self-confidence to a level that he performs very well in interviews. If this is not the prANa pratishTHa  of Shakti, what is?

Lakshmi too is ever present in our lives. Every time anything good has happened to you, every time you have felt lucky, every time you have enjoyed a sense of well-being and happiness, it is but Lakshmi kaTAksham – Her eye has fallen on you. Or so I believe. She may look in our direction but unless we have done the groundwork to receive it, her blessings may slip and fall from our fingers! In his last rotation, my son was lucky enough to have the Head of Psych Training of another leading hospital as his supervisor. That was Lakshmi kaTAksham. She gave a glowing reference saying that ‘I’ll be happy to work with him as my colleague’! By working hard and well enough to gain such a reference, he prepared himself to receive Lakshmi’s blessings; I see it as Lakshmi pratishTHa.  At another conference he attended, he learnt that one of the interview panellists was there. That was Lakshmi kaTAksham. He walked up to him and introduced himself, talking of the job he hoped to get. That is Lakshmi pratishTHa. A senior nurse he worked with happened purely by chance to meet one of the panellists. She remembered my son voluntarily and spoke well of him. That was Lakshmi kaTAksham. That he had established a good relationship with the nursing staff, that is Lakshmi pratishTHA.

Where would we be without Saraswati? Knowledge governs our life at every turn. An infant who recognizes his mother as his source of nourishment and succour, even that infant has an important piece of knowledge. We are bombarded with information in this world, we absorb only a minute fraction of which even a smaller fraction gets converted into knowledge. As to wisdom, I don’t know how one gets that but I hope that one day our knowledge leads us to wisdom! Is not Saraswati in all sources of knowledge,  in all wisdom? When we convert information to knowledge and then into wisdom, what is it but Saraswati pratishTHa? Even with his limited income as an intern and a resident, my son made the effort to attend many seminars and conferences in Psychiatry over the past two years. I myself was surprised when I saw his CV – ‘When did he get the time to do all that?’ I wondered. When we pursue knowledge we are but paying homage to the Goddess!

I have rambled on a bit, haven’t I? But then a proud mama is allowed to gloat a while! But back now to music. My song choice today is a composition by Shyama Shastri in the Raga Varali. ‘Please protect me’ says the composer, invoking the many qualities and symbolisms of the Goddess. He was a priest at the Kamakshi temple in Tanjavur; his love for his Goddess is very evident in this composition. I present below this beautiful song in the mellifluous voice of Bombay Jayashri.

Alternate link : Click here

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Footnote (Lyrics and Translation) :

Composer : Shyama Shastri
Raga : Varali
Language : Telugu
Note – As I do not speak Telugu, the lyrics are transliterated in Devanagari. I referred to various internet sources for the translation.

पल्लवि
कामाक्षि बङ्गारु कामाक्षि (अम्बा)
नन्नु ब्रोववे

अनुपल्लवि
तामसमेले रावे
साम गान लोले सुशीले

चरणम्
श्याम कृष्ण परिपालिनी
शुक श्यामळे  शिव शङ्करी
शूलिनी सदा शिवुनिकि राणी
विशालाक्षि  तरुणी  शाश्वत रूपिणी

स्वर  साहित्य
ना मनविनि विनु देवी
नीवे गतियनि नम्मिनानु
मायम्मा  वेगमे करुण जूडवम्मा
बङ्गारु बॊम्मा

Transliteration

pallavi
kAmAkshi bangAru kAmAkshi (ambA)
nannu brOvavE

anupallavi
tAmasamElE rAvE
sAma gAna lOlE sushIlE

charaNam
shyAma kRshNa paripAlinI
shuka shyAmaLE shiva shankarI
shUlinI sadA shivuniki rANI
vishAlAkshi taruNI shAshvata rUpiNI

svara sAhitya
nA manavini vinu dEvI
nIvE gatiyani namminAnu
mAyammA vEgamE karuNa jUDavammA
bangAru bommA

Translation :

Note : I do not speak Telugu; I have sourced the translation from multiple web sources.

O Kamakshi! O Golden (bangAru) Kamakshi! Please protect (brOvavE) me (nannu). Why (Ela) delay (tAmasam)? Please come (rAvE)!  O Enjoyer (lOlE) of recitation (gAna) of sAma vEda! O Virtuous One (sushIlE)!

O One who protects (paripAlinI) shyAma kRshNa (signature of composer)! O dark-skinned One (shyAmaLE) who holds a parrot (shuka)! O Consort of Shiva (shiva shankarI)! O One who holds a trident (shUlinI)! O Queen Consort (rANI) of shivA (shivuniki)! O Large-eyed One (visAlAkshi)! O youthful One (taruNI)! O One who is manifest (rUpiNI) eternally (shAshvata) !

O Goddess (dEvI)! Please listen (vinu) to my (nA) plea (manavini). I trust(namminAnu) you alone (nIvE) to be (ani) my refuge (gati)!! O my (mA) mother (ammA)! Quickly (vEgamE) show (jUDu) mercy (karuNa) O Mother (ammA)! O Golden (bangAru) Idol (bommA)!