Sri ThyAgarAja swAmigal and many of his keerthanas are known and heard by many of us. There are many who enjoy listening to the kacheris of famous musicians and love to devote more time, feel satisfied in listening and learning about sangeetam, the musician, the composer and the nuances of ragas etc.
I never learnt sangeetham at the 'right' age. But very late in life, my interest in many of the saints automatically led me to the saint singers, their thought core and their adoration of the omnipotent Supreme Power by NAdopasana. Whatever little I tried to enjoy, I tried to understand; I love to share.
The first ThyAgaraja kruthi I heard was “Nagumomu gana leni nAjali delisi..” in the raga Aberi. The kirthanai will float in the early morning in full throated good voice with sincere devotion. I felt the meaning of the kruthy at the point where the pitch touched a high, at the words in the 3rd line in the charaNam -
When I was able to understand the meaning of that line of the composition, that moment marked the beginning of my pursuit of the devotional and the musical compositions of the many many saints and saint singers. Already I was a Sanskrit- student (Sanskrit chosen as the 2nd language from 9th std). With my love for the Sanskrit language, I was trying to learn all sthothras with meaning. So I began to accumulate the text and the meaning of as many as i could. Now with those treasures I added the texts, meaning of the compositions of the saint singers; I also collected the biographical details of the saints as well as that of the saint singers. Now I feel that all those efforts are worthwhile. All those peripherals had helped me a lot in enjoying the vast music-lyric field and the spirit of their inner dimensions.
Broadly speaking all saints and saint singers stand on the platforms which sprout from the roots of the Vedas, dharma shAstrAs, epics and the PurANAs. So, it is no wonder that they all award the same essence of bliss. Kindly excuse the rather long introduction which i offer in my effort to help you to share what I enjoy(ed).
PALLAVI -
Nagumomu gana lEni nA jAli delisi
Anupallavi - NagarAjadhra! Needu parivAru lElla
First I would like to stress that whichever word, thought-drops, or appealing expressions draw your attention the entire credit goes to some or other of the many great scholar cum bhakthas who had composed much of the appreciative literature on bhakthi .The adoration of bhakthi, or god-love straightaway blossomed as the off shoot of saints’ and saint-singers’ soulful experiences of the Divinity Itself.
A leading dedicated soulful musician properly stressed effacing her ego, “I have not done anything new or extra. The lore of those saints , saint singers, as well the self less lovers of the whole creation, and God-loving children of God have all laid the High way of bhakthi as well the welfare awarding highways for the man kind to use those Royal highways for each one’s emancipation.”
None of us can say "I have added something new”.
I never learnt sangeetham at the 'right' age. But very late in life, my interest in many of the saints automatically led me to the saint singers, their thought core and their adoration of the omnipotent Supreme Power by NAdopasana. Whatever little I tried to enjoy, I tried to understand; I love to share.
The first ThyAgaraja kruthi I heard was “Nagumomu gana leni nAjali delisi..” in the raga Aberi. The kirthanai will float in the early morning in full throated good voice with sincere devotion. I felt the meaning of the kruthy at the point where the pitch touched a high, at the words in the 3rd line in the charaNam -
“jagamElE paramAthma! Yevari tho nE moralidudu?”
The meaning of it, I was able to understand with the frame of mind of the composer. Saint ThyAgarAja almost feels dejected at his own pitiable condtion thus:-
The meaning of it, I was able to understand with the frame of mind of the composer. Saint ThyAgarAja almost feels dejected at his own pitiable condtion thus:-
“Oh Lord of the whole Universe! To whom am I to appeal?”.
“Ulaganaithththayum ALbavane! En kuraiyai yAridam muRaiyiduvEn?”
When I was able to understand the meaning of that line of the composition, that moment marked the beginning of my pursuit of the devotional and the musical compositions of the many many saints and saint singers. Already I was a Sanskrit- student (Sanskrit chosen as the 2nd language from 9th std). With my love for the Sanskrit language, I was trying to learn all sthothras with meaning. So I began to accumulate the text and the meaning of as many as i could. Now with those treasures I added the texts, meaning of the compositions of the saint singers; I also collected the biographical details of the saints as well as that of the saint singers. Now I feel that all those efforts are worthwhile. All those peripherals had helped me a lot in enjoying the vast music-lyric field and the spirit of their inner dimensions.
Broadly speaking all saints and saint singers stand on the platforms which sprout from the roots of the Vedas, dharma shAstrAs, epics and the PurANAs. So, it is no wonder that they all award the same essence of bliss. Kindly excuse the rather long introduction which i offer in my effort to help you to share what I enjoy(ed).
PALLAVI -
Nagumomu gana lEni nA jAli delisi
Nannu brOvaga rAda! Shree RaGuvara! Nee (Na)
Meaning:- Can you not realize the distress I am undergoing because of the fact that I am not privileged to see your smiling face, and that you are not blessing me.
Meaning:- Can you not realize the distress I am undergoing because of the fact that I am not privileged to see your smiling face, and that you are not blessing me.
Sree Raguvara! (The best of the kings of the dynasty of Ragu!)
Anupallavi - NagarAjadhra! Needu parivAru lElla
Ogibodana jEsEduvAralu garE? yituluNdudurE? Nee (Na)
Meaning:- Your attendants who regularly remind you of what you have to do are not at all likely to be partial and interested. Have they forgotten their duty? You who protected one and all in Ayarpadi-Gokulam from 7 days of lashing rains holding up the mountain Govardan! (ThyAgarAja swamigal says, your attendants are good and they would not have failed to draw your attention to my distress. The reason for my distress must be something else, I think).
Then SwAmigal brings out the possible reasons, in the first 2 lines of the charaNam.
Then SwAmigal brings out the possible reasons, in the first 2 lines of the charaNam.
charaNam:-KhagarAju nii yAnathi vini vEga chanalEdO?
GaganAni kilaku bahu dUram BaninAdO?
Meaning:- Does not Garuda obey your orders and act propmtly? Or does he say that
the earth is too far away for him from Vaikuntam?
JagamElla ParamAthmma!yevari thO nE moralidudhu?
Vaga chUpaku thALanu nannElu kOrA ThyAgarAjanutha! (Na)
Meaning:- In these 2 lines SwamigaL addressing Sri RAmA, as The Lord of the whole world, submits to Him, ”To whom can I complain for my redressal? No more cunningness, my Dear! I cannot tolerate any more. Come and bless me. One who is adored by ThyAgarAja!”
First I would like to stress that whichever word, thought-drops, or appealing expressions draw your attention the entire credit goes to some or other of the many great scholar cum bhakthas who had composed much of the appreciative literature on bhakthi .The adoration of bhakthi, or god-love straightaway blossomed as the off shoot of saints’ and saint-singers’ soulful experiences of the Divinity Itself.
A leading dedicated soulful musician properly stressed effacing her ego, “I have not done anything new or extra. The lore of those saints , saint singers, as well the self less lovers of the whole creation, and God-loving children of God have all laid the High way of bhakthi as well the welfare awarding highways for the man kind to use those Royal highways for each one’s emancipation.”
None of us can say "I have added something new”.
The dimensions of Bhakthi and Bhakthi-mArga are vast and varied. Here we are going to enjoy the treat offered by SwAmigal, “RAMABAKTHI”. Sri SwamigaL leads one by taking one’s hand and leaves them in the L.K.G. class to learn what Bhakthi is. In his kruthi “adhi kAdu bajana, manasA!...” He demands one to be true and sincere if he sits and does bhajan. He is a hard task master and is not ready to accept lighthearted tick against bhakthi.
The kruthi:- Pallavi-
The kruthi:- Pallavi-
adhi kAdhu bajana, ManasA!........................................(a)
The saint strongly objects saying it is not at all bhakthi if one does not contemplate on his heart’s deity and allows his mind to wander on sense objects. SwAmigaL reprimands his own mind, addressing it thus, ”ManasA!- Oh,Mind! You should not wander with thirst on sense objects, without contemplating on your heart’s deity. I don’t believe that you are doing bhajan.” That is how that great devotee of LordSri RAmA prescribed codes of bhakthi in the line of the spirit of our Vedas,the great epics, BhAgavatha, and the PurANAs.
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