A Musical tribute to Sri RamachandrA :Hari KaambhOji Raaga Krithis: Part II

[Guest guest]

Dear Raama BhakthAs :

 

We will cover the meLa Raaga krithis first and then

move on to Janya Raaga krithis next to enjoy the range of

Bhagavath anubhavam of Sadhguru SwamigaL . The eleven Krithis

in the 28th meLam are :

 

1.UnDEthi RaamudakadE

2.YentharAni tanakentha pOni

3.Yenthuku Nirdhaya yevarunnArurA ?

4.DinamaNi Vamsa Tilaka LaavaNya

5.Sani thEdi dEvE oh manasA

6.Oka maaDa Oka BhANamu oka pathni vrathutE

7.Raama Nannu bhrOvarA

8.vallakA tanaka SeethA vallabhaa

9.VinathA sutha Vaahanutai

10.RarA PaNi Sayana Ravi Jaldhija Nayana

11.Laali Laaliyani

 

We will cover the first four Krithis in

this posting .

 

The greatness of Sadhguru SwamigaL has been

highlighted by his primary disciple , Mahar nOnbu

Chaavadi Venakta Subbaiyar . In his DevaghAndhAri

Krithi , the disciple eulogized his Guru and cousin

this way and wondered :

 

Swaamiki Sari yevvarana vathsu

svara raaga sudhA nidhi chandhrudE

 

Vara SangIthamu Mokshadhamani yenchi

ParamAthmudaina Sri Raamuni Bhajinchina

( Swamiki Sari Yevvarana vathsu )

 

(Meaning ) : Who can equal Sadhguru SwamigaL ,

who is like the full Moon that made the ocean

of Svaram and Ragam rise up with joy ? Who can

equal Sri ThyagarAja SwamigaL , who knew very well

that Uttama SangItham is the ladder to Moksham

and worshipped paramaathmA Sri Ramachandran by

seating Him first in his heart lotus (temple) ?

 

Such is the purport of the Saint's Krithis . We will

now focus on the Hari kaambhOji krithis one by one

and then move on to the Janya Raaga Krithis .

 

1 .UNDEthi Raamudu krithi

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This krithi starts with the Panchama yeduppu and is set

in Roopaka TaaLam . Here , the saint converses with his

mind . He counsels his mind about Parabrahma Tattvam :

" Oh my mind ! Sri Raamachandran is the only supreme God .

Please do not go astray by worshipping anya dhaivams

forgetting this cardinal fact . The One seen as the glorious

effulgence in the center of the Soorya mandalam with limitless

rays is none other than Sri Raaman ( ChaNDa MaarthaNda Madhya

mandalamunu chelangu UNDEthi Raamudu ).He is the most auspicious

divya purushan who is beyond thriguNAs and MaayA ( taamasadhi

GuNa Rahithudu DhArmAthmudu Sarva samudu KshEma karuDu

TyAgarAja Chittha HithuDu ) . The saint's Sanskritized

Sundara Telugu is easy to understand and flows striaght

from the depth of his heart.

 

His sthira Bhakthi to his Ishta Dhaivam has been

clearly stated in many of his krithis past his

middle life , after he returned from Srirangam .

We will quote a few passages from his krithis

that express his unalloyed devotion ( sthira Bhakthi )

to Sri RaamA .

 

In his Janaranjani Krithi , ViDajAladhurA ; naa manasu

vinurA , this Raama BhakthA says : " Listen , My Lord !

It is impossible for my mind to let go off Your sacred

and redeeming feet .

 

In his VarALi krithi , " Dharanu nee Sari Dhaivamu

gAnarA Raghuvara " , In all this universe , I have not

come across any God , who is superior to You . Your

sacred feet are the one and only object of my DhyAanm

and Your dayA is my wealth as well as undiminishing bliss .

 

In the MaaLavi Raaga Krithi , " nenarunchinAnu ;

anniDiki nidhAnDani nEnu ; needhupai " ,SwamigaL

states with pathos that Sri Raaman is the sole

upholder of everything in this universe and therefore

he has fixed his mind on the Lord's holy feet .

 

In the VegavAhini raaga krithi , " Challaga nAthO

balkumi Raama !",Sadhguru endearingly addresses the Lord

as " Saarasa Vadhana ! Saadhu SanthrANa ! NikhilAdhAra !",

and begs the Lord to whisper a few gentle words to

him . Swami says that his heart is irresistably

attached to his Lord , Sri Raamachandhran .

His sthira bhakthi flows in this krithi like

a VegavAhini river rushing down the mountains .

 

In the BegadA raaga krithi , "NeevErA Kuladhanamu

Santhathamu -nee vErA Jeevanamu " ,he firmly declares

that Sri Ramabhadran is his family wealth just as

Swami Desikan declared ," Asthi mE Hasthi sailAgrE

Vasthu pathAmaham dhanam ". You will forever be my

life . Raaghava ! SarvOnnadha !SvaprakAsa ! JaanakIsa !

You are my entire occupation and preoccupation .It

is my fault that I have not known this untill now.

Pray forgive me and bless me . Oh My Lord RamachandrA !

 

This single minded bhakthi to Lord goads sadhguru

SwamigaL to address Sri Raama as " DharmAthmudu ,

Sarva samudu (soulabhyam ) and ThyagarAja

chittha hithuDu " in "UNDEnthi Raamudu " krithi.

In this hariKaambhOji krithi , he ends up counseling his

mind not to go astray with the thought that

there is some other God , who is superior

to Sri Raamabhadhran .

 

Krithi 2 In Hari KaambhOji : YentharAni tanakentha pOni--

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

 

In this krithi , Sadhguru Swami states firmly that

whatever be his lot in life , good or bad , he will

not leave the proximity of Sri RaamA . He explains why

next . AagamOtthamA ! Did n't Paramasivan stand by

Your side serving You as HanumAn during Your avathAram

as RaamA ? Did n't AdhisEshA serve You day and night

standing next to You as LakshmaNA ? Did n't the greatest of

sages, VasishtA stay close to You as Your AchAryan ?

Did n't DevAs take the roles of Monkeys and Bears

to be close to You and serve You? Taking these as

examples , I will not leave Your proximity , whatever

happens to me . This Krithi starts with NishAdha eduppu

and is set in Aadhi TaaLam .

 

Krithi 3 : Yenthuku Nirdhaya yevarunnArurA ?

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

 

This krithi is set in panchama Eduppu and Aadhi TaaLam .

He addresses Sri RaamA as " Indhu nipAnana , Ina kula

chandana , Parama Paavana ! ParimaLApagana ! "( Oh Lord

who has the facial beauty reminding one of Full Moon !

Oh Lord , who is like a wish-fulfilling chandana

tree of Deva Lokam ! Oh most sacred One !

Oh sarva gandha! ) ; after this endearing salutations ,

Swami describes to Sri RaamA his helpless state :

" nE paradEsi paapavE ghAsi , yenthuku nirdhaya

YevarunnArurA ? " ( Oh Lord ,who treats Your enemies

and friends in the same manner ! I am living in this

karma BhUmi away from Your auspicious company and

I feel like a ParadEsi (foreigner ) here . Please

have mercy on me and remove my sorrows . I have no one

except You ! Please do not be heartless ! Please do

not forsake me !

 

Krithi 4 : DinamaNi Vamsa Tilaka LaavaNya ! Dheena SaraNya!

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

 

In this krithi rendered movingly by SangItha Kalanidhis

MaharAjapuram santhAnam and Srimathi DKP , Sadhguru

SwamigaL salutes the most beautiful Tilakm of Soorya-

Vamsam,Sri Raamachandran and rcognizes Him as the refuge

for the meek and helpless ones . He goes on to ask

Sri RaamA a few questions : NirikAra GuNa Nirmala !

Kara dhrutha parvatha ! ThyAgaraja Sarvasva ! Who

is there to protect me , if You abnadon me ? Why

are You so haughty , when You can not come to my

rescue ? You have the most powerful hand that lifted

the mighty Govardhana Giri in Your avathAram as

KrishNan . For some one of such demonstrated

prowess , would it be too difficult to give Your

hand and lift adiyEn from my misery ?

 

How can Sri RaamA ignore such a plea ?

 

Sri Raamachandra parabrahamaNE Nama:

Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchArii Sadagopan