Saint ThyagarAjA : A parama VaishNavA : Part 5

[Guest guest]

Dear BhakthAs :

 

In this posting on the SaraNAgathi aspects

immortalized in Saint ThyagarajA's four songs

listed below.It appears that one more postign is needed

to complete this series .That last posting would deal

with the sthira Bhakthi or ananya Bhakthi to Sriman

NaarAyaNan in his form as Sri Raamachandran .During the final

period of his life, Saint ThyagarAjA 's sthAyi Bhavam was

sthira Bhakthi in preparation for his SaraNAgathi .

 

There are four krithis , which were composed

almost during the last years of the Saint's life

that relate clearly to his performance of SaraNAgathi to

Sri Raama NaarAyaNan .It is instructive to contemplate

on the significance of the Raagams that Saint ThyagarAjaa

chose for these four krithis listd below:

 

1. MaakElarA VichAramu : RavichandrikA Raagam

(Ravi and Chandran are the two eyes of the Lord.

when you add the thrid eye on the lalaatam, He

becomes Sri Narasimha BhagavAn or Trayambhakan as

explaine by Sri MukkUr Swamy in His disussions on

Nrusimha Vaibhavam ; This is the view supported

by Nrusimha TaapanIya Upanishad and Swami DEsiakn's

KaamAsikhAshtakam .Our Saint was a great admirer

of Bhaktha PrahlAdha and created an Opera type of

work known as PrahlAdha Bhaktha Vijayam ).

2. nee chitthamu naa Bhagyamayya: Vijaya VasanthA Raagam .

Here in the contest between the Jeevan and SaraNyan ,

in the spirit of the Thirumanjana Kaattiyam dialog

between the SarvEsvaran and the deluded jeevan, our

Lord establishes the Vijaya Dhvajam . The victory is

like VasanthOthsavam celebration by the Muktha Jeeavn .

One can therefore say that the choice of Vijaya Vasantha

is very appropriate.

3. Raghu Naayaka ! nee paadha Yuga Raajivamula nE viDajAla

Hamsadhvani Raagam ( Hamsam refers to SanyAsis ; dhvani

is the auspicious sound here of the SanyAsi ).

4. SaraNu SaraNanuchu mOraliDina naa: MadhyamAvathi Raagam

( Saint ThyagarAjA has chosen this most auspicious

Raagam that can be sung at all times , which banishes

all DhOshams and cleases one ).

 

There are few other krithis , which are brimming with

Daasya Bhaavam like the one pointed out by Sri Rangaswamy

(Tava DaasOham -Raagam PunnagavarALi and others ( Bandu rIthi

Koluviyavayaa RaamA-Raagam HamsanAdham ,chEmthanE sadhaa

umchukOvayaaa--KunthalavarALi ) .There are Krithis on

Sthira Bhakthi that prepared the Saint for SaraNAgathi

listed below that I will come to in the concluding post:

 

1. Oh Raama Raama : NaagaghAndhAri

2.VidajaaladurA : Jana Ranjani Raagam

3. KoniyAdEdu :Kokiladhvani Raagam

4.Bhuvini DaasuDanE : Sri Ranjani Raagam

5.DinamaNi Vamsa Tilaka :Hari KaambhOji Raagam

6.Naa JivAdhaaramu : Bilahari Raagam and many more.

 

First , we have to understand the periods in the life

of Saint ThyagarAja to fully appreciate his

progression as a PrapannA .This will provide some answers

to Sri KrishNa Kalale's questions .

 

The periods In Saint ThyagarAjA's Life ( 1767-1847 A.D.)

*********************************************************

Roughly , the three periods are (1) 1767-1805 (2) 1805-1839

(3) 1839-1847 A.D.

 

In the first period , he assisted his father to perform

AarAdhanam for their Kula Dhaivam , Sri SItha-

LakshmaNa -Hanumath SamEtha Sri Raamachandran .He had

manthrOpadesam of Sri Raama Taaraka manthram , got married,

had a daughter, performed Unchivrutthi and composed many , many

songs on RaamA and occasional songs on ithara Dhaivams

( GaNapathi , Subramanyan , Sivan , AmbhAL ). He composed

PrahlAdha Bhaktha Vijayam , NowkhA charitham et al .He underwent

a lot of Sothanais and intensified his Raama Bhakthi .He had

the darsana soubhAgyam of RaamA and LakshmaNA as Yaaga

Rakshakars in front of his house in Thirumanjana

Veethi of ThiruvayyARu .

 

In the second period , he undertook KshEthrADanam

and visited Srirangam, Thiruppathi , Kaanchipuram ,

RaamEsvaram , NaagapattiNam , ThiruvorriUr , kOvUr ,

Laalgudi et al. During this pilgrimage , he

visited temples of Sivan and AmbhAl and

sang about them. At Srirangam , the Pancharathnam

was composed on Sri Renganathan and that could

have been the turning point .This pilgrimage covered

a few months . He returned home in time for celebrating

Sri Raama navami uthsavam .During the rest of the Years

in this second period , he underwent a total

transformation and intensified his ananya Bhakthi .

He sang many , many songs with ripe Raama Bhakthi .

He was rewarded with the visit of Sri Raama with

Sita and HanumAn to his house . He partook the meals

cooked by Hanuman for all the three.The famous Mohana raaga

krithi, Bhavanutha was born at this time .

 

In the final period of his life , intense Japa yOgam ,

GhAnAnjali and Raama Naama SankIrthanam was practiced.

With great nirvEdam , he wanted to quicken his time on

this earth and to reach the Lord's lotus feet . He performed

Prapatthi and was an aarthi prapannan .He followed the yathi

dharmam and took sanyAsam by performing Jeeva SrArdham

to get ready for the ascent to Sri Vaikuntam .He took SanyAsam

because it is considered TuriyAsramam , the UttamAsramam,

although he had adream in which Sri RaamA mentioned about

the possibiliy of one more life , before reaching his

Lotus feet. Just like MaNavAla Muni sought the holy feet of

Sri Adhi VaNN SatakOpa Jeeyar to enter into SanyAsramam ,

Saint ThyagarAja entered this fouth Asramam to cut

asunder completely any bonds that may remmain . During

these final days were born the moving krithis begging

RaamA to take note of his parithApa nilai and to take him

to the Lord's home : ParithApamu kaniyADina in ManOhari

Raagam and Giripai nela konna in SahAnA raagam .On the day ,

he predicted that Sri RaamA will take him to His lotus feet ,

(PaguLa Panchami ) he sang the glories of the Lord and

his skull shattered and a divya JyOthi left his body

and entered the Raama Vigraham .The earthly remains were

reverentially interred by his sishyAs at a BrindhAvanam

on the banks of the river Cauveri .

 

In my book on Pancha Rathna Krithis of Saint ThyagarAja

released in 1989 , I have dwelt at lenght the Veda

PramANams and Saasthra PraMAnams for SaraNAgathi in

the context of the illustrious life led by Saint ThyagarAjA .

I will confine my remarks here just to these four songs ,

although the saint's reference to SaraNAgathi is

found in many other krithis .

 

1.SaraNAgathi Krithi : MaakElarA VichAramu

 

In the anupallavi of this krithi ,Saint ThyagarAjA

lovingly calls his SaraNyan : SaakEtha Raaja kumAra !

Sadhbhaktha mandhAra and Srikara!

 

In the CharaNam , he addresses Sri RaamA as "Girisa Vinutha ! "

The One who is worshipped and praised by Sankaran

is the reminder .He is the MandhAra ( a kind of PaarijAtha

pushpam for the dear devotees and He is the Srikaran or

the one who brings auspiciousness to sadhbhakthAs (viz).,

the acceptance of the bharam of protection .

 

In this beautiful CharaNam , he lets RaamA know

that he has no concerns anymore , now that he has

laid the burden of his protection at the Lord's

thiruvadi .He then lets RaamA know why he is least

concerned with the statement : " Why should I feel

any concern , when You hold in Your hands all the leading

strings of all the Bhommais (jeevans ) in the BhommalAttam

( drama ) ,which You conduct with unerring rhythm

(perfectly according to the course of each jeevan's

karmA ) and to the immense happiness of the whole world ?

 

The saint has placed now the burden of Aathma RakshA Bharam

at the lotus feet of the SaraNAgatha Vrathi .He says: You have

now made me enjoy the Nirbharam((Freedom from fear and

anxiety ) resulting from this act of SaraNAgathi.After this ,

at the right time , "maam tvath paadham prApaya svayam " .

At the end of this life , please make me reach Your

lotus feet .I am now cetain about one thing : " Tvath sEshathvE

sthira dhiyam " ( firm about being Your sEshan ) ; I am also resolute

about having the sole purpose of enjoying nithya Kaimkaryam

to You and You alone ( Tvath PrApthi yEka PrayOjanam ).

Make me Your eternal servant ( Kuru maam Nithya Kinkaram ).

 

Second Krithi:Vijaya VasanthA krithi

 

Pallavi : nee chitthamu naabhAgyamayya :

NiruphAdhika ! neevADanayya

 

Anupallavi : YOchimchi kaaryamu lEdhanuchu

nOka paari SaraNanu kODinayya

 

CharaNam : PARADHAIVAMALU JUCHUNANTHANE

BHAVAMANTHU NEEVAI BHARAGEDHAVAYYA

DharalOna naa sarivAralalO

dahya jooDavayya; ThyagarAjanutha

 

Oh RaamachandrA ! My Master ! Your will is my

sowbhAgyam and I am always Yours. Realizing that it

is fruitless to be brooding , I have

once and for all sought refuge at Your holy feet .

WHENEVER I SEE OR THINK OF OTHER GODS , I ONLY

SEE YOU SHINING IN THEM. When I am in the company

of my compeers , please cast on me Your look

of Compassion (KaruNA kataKsham ).

 

Swami Desikan's words ( Sri NyAsa Vimsathi )

come to my mind , when I think of the strategy

of the Saint regarding his decision to perform

SaraNaagathi at the feet of this DheerAthi Dheeran .

The saint recognizes that the Lord is compassionate

( saanukrOsE ); he comprehends that the Lord is Samarthan

in handling SaraNAgathi as the SaraNAgatha DhIkshithan ;

he fully knows that the sages have recommended

this saraNAgathi to be blessed with Moksha Siddhi

( AbhIshta Siddhyai prapadhanam Rishibhi: smaryathE ).

 

The saint points out that he has MahA visvAsam

in the Lord to protect him and therefore , he has

no doubts( Nirvisankha: ).Swami Desikan uses a

beautiful word combination in NyAsa Vimsathi

that is applicable here , when the Saint says that

he has stopped brooding and plunged to perform

SaraNAgathi . Swami's words are: " SankhA parshiNigraha

arhA samayithum uchithA hEthubhi:tath tath arhai:".

Swami Desikan states here that Doubt does not pull him by

its hands anymore and his doubts have been destroyed .

 

3.Hamsaadhvani Krithi:

 

Pallavi :

 

RaghunAyaka ! nee paadhayuga raajivamula

nE viDajAla, SrI

 

Anupallavi:

agajAlamula vAra dhOli nandnAdharimpa

neevE gathi ghAdha , SrI

 

CharaNam :

 

bhavasAgaramu dhADlEka nE

bhalu gAsiBaDi nee mrugu jErithini

avanijAdhipAsritha rakshaka !

Aanandhakara !Sri ThyagarAjanutha!

 

(Meaning ) : Oh RaghunAyaka ! protector of

SaranAgathAs ! Grantor of Transcendental

bliss ! I can never consider giving up

Your blessed feet ! Are n't You the only

Being that has the power to burn all my sins

and protect me? Unable to cross the fearsome

ocean of SamsAram and having suffered immensely

untold misery , I HAVE NOW TAKEN SHELTER UNDER YOU .

Puhal onRumilA adiyEn has sought refuge

at Your sacred feet.

 

4.MadhyamAvathi Kruthi : SaraNu saraNanuchu --

 

This is a very long kIrthanam .Here saint says:

{{ Oh Lord , When I cry "saraNam , SaraNam , RaaghavA " ,

are You seriously listening ? Following You , I appeal

to You repeatedly and piteously .

 

When , unable to withstand Your BrahmAsthram , which chased

him ,KaakAsuran appealed to all demi-gods including his

father (Indran) to save him from certain death from Your

arrow . All the gods were afraid and they turned away stating

that it was Your arrow and they were powerless against it.

KaakAsuran rushed back with anxiety to Your feet and

performed SaraNAgathi .You accepted the saraNAgathi

of this MahaaparAdhi.SivA and others eulogised You

ardently at that time .

 

When Once the irascible sage DhurvAsA put Dhraupathi

to a severe test and she sought refuge in You with

mahA visvAsam , You immediately responded to her

out of Your SaraNAgatha Vaatsalyam ; the muni gaNams ,

the saadhus , gods , kings and men praised You at

that time.

 

Your feet protected AhalyA and removed her curse.

PRAY PROTECT ME WITH A HAPPY MIND , AND WITH YOUR GRACE ,

MAKE GOOD AAL MY DEFICIENCY }}.

 

To the Saint , Lord RamachandrA was the prop of his

life (naa jIvAdhAramu ), he is the strength of his

body (naa mEnu Bhalamu ) , his wealth ( naa Dhaanamu ),

his auspicious deeds ( naa sbha karmamau ), his mind's

delight ( naa chitthAnandamu ), my pleasure-filledanubhavm

( naadu SanthOshamu ) and naa manOharamu .

This is the mind-state of this great PrapannA .

 

AzhwAr, AchAryan , SaraNyan ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam ,

Oppiliappan Koil VradAchAri SadagOpan