1999 Sri Raama Navami :Sadhguru SwamigaL's Salutations -Part V: Hari KambhOji Janya Raaga Krithis

[Guest guest]

Dear BhakthAs :

 

We will cover the Hari KambhOji Janya Raaga krithis

in the next postings . Saint ThyagarAja"s talents as

a composer and his Stature as parama BhagavathA are blended

together inextricably here . With very slight variations in Savrams ,

he was able to touch the heart muscle of the Janya Raagams and

let us join with him to enjoy these naadha naivEdhyams for

his Ishta Dhaivam , Sri Raamachandran .

 

His mastery of the manipulatiuon of the Rishabha svaram

in Pancharathna Krithis has been well documented by Sri

Nagesvara Rao and John Barlow this way . I have referred

earlier to it in my postings on the five pancharathna krithis:

 

" The five RagAs of pancharathnam are in a state of

equalibrium . The balance among them pivot around

the changing character of the note Ri ( Rishabha svaram ).

The Rishabham of NatA is high (sharp) pointing and striving

upwards , while the low (flat) Rishabham of GouLA falls

back to the tonic (1st degree of Sa/Shadjamam).

 

Aarabhi blaances the ascension and depression with its

median Rishabham ( natural Ri). The Rishabham

of VarALi lies in the shadow of the more powerful

GhAndhAram . It is a point highly touched upon in

the fall from the flat GhandhAram .In the Sri Raagam ,

the Rishabha savra sthAnam rises again to its natural

position and presents itself in its simplest , purest

form , an unvaried tone freed now from the curves and

implied directionality , which it carried in the previous

four raagAs .This tonal purity is the melodic correlate

of silence ; as the silence resolves the rhythmic movement,

so the natural , unornamented Rishabha Svaram resolves in

stillness the striving of the tonal movement ".

 

That is the genius of Saint ThyagarAjA , who had learnt

about the mysteries of SvarAs from Sage NaaradhA . The Saint

is also an incarnation of Sage ValmIki , the Adhi kavi .

Hence ,the Raama Bhakthi of the Saint is but natural .

 

We will now start brief summaries of the krithis .

Due to the need to keep these annotated commentaries

short , I would be skipping a lot except to highlight

very select passages from the Janya Raaga krithis .

 

Janya Krithis 1 and 2 : AandhALi/AandhOLikA & Gunjari

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Both are dealing with appeals to Sri RaamA for His

abhimAnam and ask why He is hard hearted . AandhOLi

means a swing .The saint's mind is like a swing rocking

wildly over the sorrow arising from the poor attention

Sri RaamachandrA was paying to him .He chose AandhOlikA ,

the nishAdhAnthya UpAnga Raagam to express his dejected

state of mind .

 

In pallavi , as the devout Bhaktha , the Saint asked :

" abhimAnamu lEdhEmi nee vabhinaya vachanamu lAdEthEmi?".

Why has Your abhimAnam(aadharavu )become rare ? why

wont You speak to me with affection? Why this rejection?

I am not used to Your neglect . Please do understand

my state of mind and bless me.I believe in You being

my Master ( Raaju neevani namminAnu); I know the story

of your rakshaNam of GajEndra( Gaja Raajunna vithamu

vinnAnu);I have never sought Your blessings to benefit from

Manmathan's boons( Rathi Raaja dhAsula vEtalEnu); Do n't You

remember that I carry my name as Your daasan/Bhruthyan ?

 

In the second Krithi set in Raagam , Gunjari , the Saint

begs for the abhimAnam of the Lord :

 

Pallavi: abhimAnamennadu galkurA ,

anAthuDaina naadhupai neeku

 

Anupallavi: aparAdahamulanni mannimpumayaa ! AbhirAma-

PattabhirAma naa yenthu ( abhimAnamennaDu)

 

CharaNam : kanna talliyu, kanna taNDriyu ,

anniyu nevEyani nammalEdhA ,

ninnu vinA gathi naakevarulErE ,

nannu bhrOvu ThyagarAja vinutha (abhimAnamennaDu)

 

(Meaning ): AbhirAma GuNAkara DhAsarathE ! When will

Your grace fall on me as I continue on without any

protection ? I feel like an orphan. Please forgive me

of all the trespasses and aparAdhams. I consider You

as my Father and Mother.I do not have any refuge except

You . Please protect me from my samsAric afflictions .

 

3. Krithi in AtANA Raagam : yE paapamu jEsithirA Raama ?

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This dEsIya BhAshAnga raagam with two kinds of GhAndhAram

and multiple nishAdha sanchArams were selected by the Saint

to house this moving krithi , when he was in a deep state of

NirvEdahm.This DhainyOkthi krithi has seven charaNams and

brims with rigtful indignation over the Lord's parAmukham

( indifference ).

 

Samplings of the saahithyam paasages depicting the sad-angry

mood of the Bhakthan are: " What sin have I committed for experiencing

this disgrace of not receiving even a little attention from You ?

I keep on praying for the darsanam of Your sacred feet and

You pretend as though You are not hearing me. I have reposed

my total faith in You and You alone...Am I a condemned person ?

Is there no one to plead my case before You ?How long am I

to bear this unbearbale sorrow ? Have I ever abused You ?

Am I not relying on You ? Are You to show all Your deceitful

ways (kapata naatakam ) to me ? Should one, who trusts

You to suffer from sins still ? Does it reflect well on

the glory of Surya vamsam of Yours ? Should You ,who is

a avyAja KaruNA moorthy behave with such indiffernece

towards me ? You are the honey bee in my heart lotus .

Wont You show me Your enchanting face ?

 

Krithi 4: BahudhAri Raagam( amarsha rOsha rOshOkthi mood)

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

This krithi is set in an UpAnga Rakthi Raagam . Oh Embodiment

of Mercy ! Is it really such a burden for You to protect

a single Jeevan like me ? In the past as vatapathra Saayee ,

You protected all the worlds in Your tiny stomach . As Kurma-

avathAran , You bore the burden of holding the mighty mandaraa

mountain on Your back . You lifted the giant Govardhana Giri

to protect the worried GopAs and Gopis . Why is it so

difficult for You to protect me now ?

 

Krithi 5: KhAmbhOji Raaga krithi-Oh RangasAyee

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The context of this Sriranga pancharathna krithi

enjoying the Mutthangi Sevai of Sri Ranganaathan

in His garbha gruham and the meaning of this krithi

has been discussed in one of my earlier postings

on Srirangam .It was one of the 18 postings relating

to Sri RanganAtha Temple construction at PomOnA , NY .

Here , this Bhaktha SirOnmaNi teases the lord with

the question : " Oh Ranga PrabhO! If You forget other

duties of Yours and give Yourself upto enjoying solely

the company of Sri RanganAyaki at the BhUlOkha Vaikuntam

of Srirangam , when will there be an end to all

of my worries and sorrows ?

 

KaambhOji is one of those Janya Raagams , which

is more famous than its parent meLa raagam . Saint

ThyagarAja has composed many moving krtihis in

KaambhOji raagam .Examples of such krithis set

in KaambhOji are : " Yevari maata " made famous by

sangItha kalAnidhi Ariyakkudi RaamAnuja Iyengar ,yElarA

Sri KrishNa , mari mari ninnE muRalida , maa Jaanaki and

Raghuvara PrEmEya celebrated by the Naathasvaram mastero ,

SangItha kalAnidhi , Sri T.N.Raajarathnam PiLLai .

 

Krithi 6: NaagasvarALi Raaga krithi--SripathE!

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

In this krithi brimming with MahA VisvAsam ,

the Saint declares that the meditation on

Lord RamachandrA's sacred feet is his very

life and sustenance( SripathE ! neepadha-chinthana

Jeevanamu ). I am a forlorn being (nE paradEsi).

Please remove my sorrow with compassion ( naa ghAsi-

BhApavE chanuvuna dayajEsi ). RaajAdhi Raaja !

ravi-kOti tEja! Sripathi! daya jEsi .

 

SangItha kalAnidhi Sri K.V.NarAyana Swami's

soulful rendering of this krithi is a delight

to listen to .

 

Krithi 7: Balahamsa Raagam: Raama yEva Dhaivatham

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This upAngha Raagam was very dear to sadhguru SwamigaL.

He composed 8 krithis in this Raagam . Each one is a gem .

The krithi , " Raama yEka Dhaivatham " is one of the fourty

Uthsava sampradhAya krithis .With chipLa Kattais in one hand

to keep time and with tampurA in the other hand for

sruthi and with Gajjai on his ankles for dancing , this

Raama chaithanyA declared his total loyalty to Sri Raamabhadran.

The ananya Bhakthi of the Saint is fully captured here.

He celebrates his ananyagathithvam with the declaration :

" RaamA alone is my God. He is the destroyer of

the mental distress of His devotees ".This sahithyam

is full of gem-like naamArchanai to the Lord :

Vimala hrudhaya subha paladhan; Bhaktha chittha

Taapa haran ; NaagarAja Vara sayanan ; bhAvuka

dhAna chathuran .

 

Krithi 8: nenarunchinAnu ; anniDiki nidhAnuDuni nEnu;needhupai

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This krithi is a gem of expression of the Saint's sthira Bhakthi

to Sri Raamachandran .Memories of Listening to the legendary

Veenai DhanammAL playing it on her samall Veenai , Kaarukuricchi

ArunAchalam playing it on Naathasvaram , Semmangudi and MLV

singing this moving piece with midukku at the Madras Music academy

go thru my mind .Last year , when we carried the DivyAbharaNams

of ANDAL on our heads around the Raaja Veethis of Sri VilliputthUr ,

this MaaLavi Raaga Krithi was rendered by the Koil Naathasvara

VidhvAn . It was a thrilling experience .

 

Here the saint states : " Oh Lord !I have fixed my mind

on Your divya svarUpam and sacred feet , since You are

the sole upholder of every thing in this universe.

Thou art like a wind that drives away the cloud of

accumulated sins .In this wicked kali yugam , I can not

stoop to engage in nara sthuthi and become deceitful .

Instead , I have fixed my entire mind on You .

 

Poygai AzhwAr's Paasuram comes to mind in this context:

He says aloud: " I will always seek only Your feet ; I will

sing only Your glories ; I will wear only Your sacred

feet as alankhAram on my head , if I have to wear

anything ; for one blessed with such bhAgyam ,

what does it matter to me if I reside in bhU lokam

or svarga lOkam or narakam ? The sukhams and dukkams

arising from these experiences wont touch me at all ".

 

That is also the state of mind of Saint ThyagarAjA .

Bhagavan will always be there , wherever His BhakthAs are.

It is in this context that Saint ThyagarajA declares :

maakEkarA VichAramu" in a spirit of Rakshishyathi VisvAsa:

Elsewhere , the Saint says:

 

nee chitthamu naa Bhaagyamayaa

yojinchi KaaryamulEdanuchu

noka paari SaraNanu KoNtinayaa

 

(Meaning): I am Yoursand Your will is my fortune.

Why Should I be brooding meaninglessly , when I have ,

once for all taken refuge in You ?".

 

The SaraNAgathAs take comfort in the Lord's assurance:

 

ananyAschintayanthO Maam yE JanA; paryupAsathE

tEshAm nithyAbhiyukthAnAm Yoga kshEmam vahAmyaham

 

The burden of RakshaNam is His once we have performed

Bara SamarpaNam .

 

Sri Raamachandra ParabrahmaNE Nama:

Oppiliappan Koil Varadachari Sadagopan