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

[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 ( Hari KaambhOji )are :

 

**1.UnDEthi Raamudu

**2.YentharAni tanakentha pOni

**3.Yenthuku Nirdhaya yevarunnArurA ?

**4.DinamaNi Vamsa Tilaka LaavaNya

 

5.ThSani thOdi 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 Jaladhija Nayana

11.Laali Laaliyani

 

We covered the first four Krithis (**)in

the previous posting .In this posting , we

will cover the many moods of Bhakthi that

gave birth to the extraordinary krithis

of this Raama BhakthA .It will be useful to summarize

the sthAyi-Bhaavams of this Raama ChaithanyA ,

while he composed these and other krithis .

 

Dr.V.Raghavan has covered this topic extensively

in his classic monograph entitled " The Spiritual

Heritage of ThyagarAjA ". I will briefly summarize

his analysis here for reference . The many moods of

Bhakthi , Bhagavaht anubhavams and higher states of

devotion have been exquisitely analyzed by Dr.Raghavan.

 

The sanchAri BhAvAs ( the Moods of Bhakthi ) experienced by

Saint ThyagarAjA fall into the following twelve major categories ,

which are echoes of AzhwAr's Bhakthi-soaked Paasurams :

 

(1) Autsukyam -Deep desire for the Lord's

sannidhi (constant company ), darsanam( seeing Him and

receiving His kataaksham ), kirtanam ( Singing about

His glories ), SravaNam ( Hearing about His anantha

kalyANa guNams and adhbhutha leelAs ), SambhAshaNam

( Conversing with the Lord )and sevanam and Daasyam

( serving Him in every way ).

 

(2)NirvEdham ( Experiencing a State of despondency

over past mistakes that prevented him from receiving

the blessings of the Lord due to other preoccupations ).

 

(3) Athma GarhaNam and NaicchAnusandhAnam ( Self-depreciation

and recall of his own shortcomings , which put a distance

between himself and the Lord ).

 

(4) Dhainyam and DhainyOkthi ( plaintive and heart rending

appeals to and pleading with the Lord to bless him ).

 

(5) Amarsha rOsam and rOshOkthi ( Anger ,remonstrance at

the neglect of the Lord and expression of his grievance ).

 

(6) Vitarkam ( Doubt over the Lord's willingness to

come to his rescue and concomitant cogitation ).

 

(7) SraddhA and MahA VisvAsam ( Total Faith in the Lord

that He will accept the saraNAgathi ). Krutaj~nathA

( expression of gratitude for the Lord's blessings)

can also be included here .

 

(8) narma sthuthi , prArthanA and rOshOkthi ( Taking

liberty with the Lord in a playful mood ; it could be

praise , prayer or remonstrance expressed in a playful

mood ).

 

(9) Sva-yOgya kathanam ( Appealing to the Lord for

showering His mercy through reminding HIm about his

special credentials and claims in an assertive way ).

 

(10)Bhaktha shOdhanam ( Undergoing immense pains

from the trials and tribulations arising from

separation from the Lord and experiencing sorrow

over these trials and tribulations ).

 

(11)Maanasa SambhOdhanam ( Exhortations to his mind

to be patient and not to lose faith and asking it to

remember the Lord's infinite mercy ).

 

(12)MangaLAsAsanam ( Pronouncing blessings on

the Lord Himself in a high state of devotion ,

Just as PeriyAzhwAr did through his PallANDu ).

 

Through the divine sangItham , Saint ThyagarAja ,

a garbha Bhaagavathaa experienced all these states

and moods of Bhakthi and addressed Sri RaamachandrA

seated on the gem-bedecked throne created out of

OmkAra Naadham and placed at His sacred feet

Raaga-Rathna MaalikAs of infinite fragrance

and variety .

 

Later in his life , when he adopted the naamam

of "Naadha Bhramam " as he entered sanyAsAsramam ,

he seems to remind us of the Yaj~navalkya smruthi

Passage :

 

VeeNA Vaadhana tattvaJ~na:

Sruthi jaathi visAradha:

TaaLaj~nasccha apraayAsEna

Moksha Maargam niyacchathi

 

(Meaning ): He who knows the truth of VeeNA

music , he who is an expert in Sruthis of

music and their varieties , and has a clear

mastery of TaaLAs also , reaches effortlessly

the path of salvation .

 

We can map all the krithis of Saint ThyagarAjA

into one or other SanchAri BhAvAs . For instance ,

the Hari KambhOji Krithi , " UNDEdhi Raamudu -"

is an expression of his ananya Bhakthi , SraddhA

and mahA VisvAsam . In this krithi , he firmly

states : " There is RaamA , the One God. He is the soul

of all dharmAs . He bestows welfare and looks evenly

upon all ".

 

The second Hari KambhOji krithi that we discussed

in the earlier posting ( YentharAni tana kentha pOni),

belongs to the authsukhyam (longing) for the Lord's

sannidhi(constant company ).Here as the Raama Bhaktha ,

the bard says : " Whatever may come to me , whatever may

go away from me , I will never allow myself to be

separated from You ".

 

The third Hari KambhOji krithi discussed earlier was

" Yendhuku nirdhaya yevarunnArurA ? ". This belongs to

the Dhainya and DhainyOkthi mood ( plaintive appeals in

a mood of desperation ). Here , the saint cries out :

" Parama PaavanA ! ParimaLApaghana! Inakula Chandhana !

IndhunibhAnana ! Why wont You show DayA for me? Who else

is there for me in this world ? I am forlorn .

Pray banish my distress !

 

The fourth Hari kaambhOji Krithi discussed

in the previous posting was " DinamaNi Vamsa Tilaka

LaavaNyA , Dheena saraNyA ".This krithi also arose

out of dhainyam and hence belongs to the category

of DhainyOkthi . Here , the Saint pleads with pathos :

" Oh Refugee for the helpless ! Pray , give Your

most serious consideration to my appeal and protect me

with affection . Why do You hold back ? Who else is

there to save me ? You are everything to me ".

 

In all his krithis , the bard articulated the siddhAntham ,

" Raama yEva dhaivatham " as in the Balahmsa raaga krithi

and elaborated it further in Krithis like " nee Vanti

Dhaivamu nEgAna " set in Bhairavi : " Oh RaamachandrA !

After much reflection , I have come to the conclusion that

it is impossible for me to find another God like You .

There is none equal to or grater than You . If one wants

to speak, he should speak about You; if one wants to sing ,

he should sing about You; if one wants to praise , he should

praise You alone ; if one wants to associate with anyone ,

he should seek Your company alone". RaamA was the bard's

life breath and sarvasvam .

 

In the subsequent postings , we will continue with the other

Hari KaambhOji krithis of this illustrious Raama BhakthA .

 

Sri Raamachandra ParabrahmaNE Nama:

Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri Sadagopan