Sri Shrii Devi KumAr"s suggestion for Sri Rama Navami Celebration

[Guest guest]

Dear Rama BhakthAs :

 

The suggestion of Sri KumAr is a most welcome and

timely one . The Taaraka , pOshaka Naamam of Sri Rama

saluted by the 108 NaamAs of His ArchanA was used by

Saint ThyagarAja to offer his salutations every day . Sri Rama Navami

MahOthsavam was celebrated in great style by this divine bard

of ThiruvayyAru . On the banks of the sacred cauvery , he sat and

composed song after song and offered them as fragrant garlands

to Sri RamachandrA . On one occasion , he composed the Krithi

in Ragam Naatai , which starts with the pallavi of " JagadhAnandha-

kaaraka " ,. This is the first of the Gana Raaga Pancharathna Krithis

sung today from ThiruvayyAru to Tokyo and from Srirangam to Sydney

on the AarAdhanA day of this supreme Rama BhakthA .

 

Independent of the merit of this krithi from the Musical aspect ,

a noteworthy future of this immortal song is that it has 108 salutations

to Lord RamabhadrA woven into a wonderful garland . Few years ago,

I had the good fortune to write about the Pancharathna Krithis of Saint

ThyagarAjA and release it at Madras as a book in a sathas

presided by the great Sangeetha Kalaanidhi

Semmangudi Sri Srinivasa Iyer and our family friend

Sangeetha KalA nidhi Sri K.V.NarayaNaswaamy Iyer .

 

I will cover the 108 names that Saint ThyagarAja used

in the Nattai krithi to salute the Raajeeva Lochana Raghuveeran

through few postings. On another occasion , I will touch upon

the fourth Pancha Rathnam composed

in RagA VarALi that celebrates the sarvAngha Soundharyam of

LaavaNya Raman . One day , the Saint had completed the Thirumanjanam

(AbhishEkam ) for the Lord and was engaged in drying the Lord with

his Vasthram . At that time , he was overcome by the beauty of

the Lord (SaamudrikhA LakshaNam ) and broke forth

in to a rapturous song known today as the fourth Pancharatham

( Kana Kana Ruchidara kanaka vasana ninnu )

 

NamOasthu Raamaya salakshmaNasya

dEvyai cha tasyai JanakAthmajAyai : I

 

Om JagadhAnanthakaarakAya Nama:

 

Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri Sadagopan