Raama Bhakthi of Saint ThyagarAja(PART II): Dhivya Naama Krithis

[Guest guest]

SRI:

 

Dear Raama BhakthAs:

 

In the context of the Creation of a special list

for saluting Raama ChaithanyAs like Saint ThyagraajA ,

adiyEn is copying the wider lists for two or three more

postings . After that , I will release the postings

in fewer lists including the RaamaBhakthi List:

 

RaamaBhakthi-

 

The Range of RaagAs chosen for the Dhivya Naama Krithis

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Today , we will focus on the 20 of the 40 plus immortal krithis of

Saint ThyagarAja , which are like veritable dhivya sahsara

nAmams for Lord Raamachandran . They are set in 22 Raagams.

Some of them are mELa Raagams (ThODi, KalyANi , SankarAbharaNam,

VarALi); Some are beautiful rakthi rAgams that evoke great

sense of tender devotional anubhavam of the Lord of SaakEtha

Nagaram (PunnAgavarALi , Mohanam , JunjooDi , YamunA KalyANi ,

NaadanAmakriyA , SourAshtram , Aananda Bhairavi et al).

 

" Land-based versus Mobile Krithis" that soared above

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Together with Uthsava SampradhAya Krithis , the Dhivya Naamaa

Krithis occupy a special place in the history of the devotional

music of India . These dhivya naamaa krithis are widely sung

and have simple and sweet diction embellished with melodious music.

 

If Uthsava SampradhAya Krithis were created to accompany

the SamarpaNam of Various UpachArams in front of the Sannidhi

of Lord Raamachandra at the Saint's PoojA graham , the dhivya

nAmA krithis were created during the Veedhi PradhakshaNam ,

when the Saint and his ghOshti of sishyAs went on Unchavrutthi

daily . The great VairAgyasAli ,Saint ThyagarAja , who rejected

the monetary gifts from the MaraattA king of Tanjore with

the KalyANi song ( Nidhi chAla Sukhamaa ? Raamuni sannidhi

sEva sukhamA ? nijamuga Balku manasA!)sustained himself

and his family with alms given respectfully by

the citizens living in the Raaja Veedhis of ThiruvayyARu

as he went around singing the names of the Lord .

During these morning travels on those Raaja Veedhis

of ThiruvayyARu , the Saint used to compose extempore

devotional songs and performed Naama KusumAnjalis to

Lord Raaamabhadran.

 

The way in which the Saint's Krithis were preserved

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The sishyAs used to repeat the sAhithyam passages after their

AchAryan and sang with him .In those days , there were

no paper and pencil to write down the saahithyams of the bard.

One sishyan will absorb a portion of the Krithi , go to

a quite place and write it down with chalk on slate ,

memorize the sangathis and musical fine points and

practise it and then return to the GhOshti . The next

sishyan will do the same and at the end of the day ,

all the sishyas will piece together the portions of

the krithis that poured out of heart of the Saint

and sing it in front of their AchAryan and make him

happy.

 

Some disciples like Chowna Venkatachalapathy Bhaagavathar

of nearby AyyampEttai village were so overcome by the beauty

and the madhura bhAvam of these dhiya Naama and Uthsava

sampradhAya krithis that they learnt only these two types

of Krithis.

 

The Long CharaNams of dhivya Naama krithis

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Thyaga Brahmam has blessed us with 31 krithis in the 8th MeLa

Raagam of ThOdi to demonstrate the extraordinary range of

this MeLa Raagam . One of the thirty one krithis has been

cast as a dhivya nAmA krithi (HariyanuvAri sari yevvarE ?).

This has 4 charaNams . The main streets of ThiruvayyARu

are long and multiple haltings have to be made to

recieve the Bikshai from householders ; therfore

number of the dhivya nAma krithis had large number

of CharaNams . For instance the BouLi dhivya nAmA

krithi , " DhIna JanAvana SrI Raama , DhAnava HaraNa

SrI Raama " had 10 charaNams. After the Veedhi PradakshiNam ,

Swamy arrived at his home in Thirumnajana Veedhi and

got ready for the AarAdhanam of his Lord with ShOdasOpachArams .

Swamy's dharma pathni took the morning's unchavrutthi

proceeds and prepared the naivEdhyam for the Lord .

 

List of the Dhivya Naama krithis

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

1. ThOdi : HariyanuvAri sari yevvarE? (4 Charanams)

 

2. AsaavEri: DasaraTa Nandhana , DhAnava Mardhana

Dayayaa Maam Paahi HarE ! (7 CharaNams)

 

3. AsaavEri: Nammaga nE mOsa pothudairA NatarAja

vinutha ( 6 CharaNams)

 

4. PunnaagavarALi: "Paahi KalyANasundara Raama mAm

(12 CharaNams ).

 

5. PunnAgavarALi: "Tava DaasOham Tava DaasOham DaasaraTE

(7 CharaNams)

 

6. PunnAgavarAli or DesIya ThOdi:" NamO NamO RaaghavAya anisam"

(8 CharaNams ); said to be the first composition of

ThyagarAjaa as a boy assisting his father , Raama Brahmam ,

in his aarAdhanam of their Kula dhanam , yEka Peeta Raaman.

This vigraham is worshipped today by the descendants of

ThyAga Brahmam at Varahappaiyer Lane , Tanjore.

 

7. PunnAgavarALi: Maanasa sanchararE RaamE (7th case) with

10 CharaNams.

 

The last six are Janya Raagams of (Hanuma)ThOdi .

PunnAgavarALi Raagam is KrauNA Rasa PradhAna Raagam

like AsAvEri.

 

8. NaadhanAmakriyA: KaruNA jaladhi DaasaraTI

KamanIyAnana SuguNa nidhi (9 CharaNams);

MaayAMaaLava Gowlai MeLa Raaga janyam;

SampoorNa Raagam .

 

9. SaavEri : Intha kanna telpa taramA JagadhIswara

nE neeki taramA neethO (6 CharaNams); Sarva Svara

gamaka rAgam . Rakthi poorNa raagam . MaayAmALava

GowLai's janya Raagam.

 

10. SaavEri: SrI Raamachandra Raaghava Sakala-lOkAdhAra

ThvamEva , Maamava ( 9 CharaNams)

 

During the morning hours on the banks of CauvEri river,

this raagam, where the savram "Saa" almost becomes "rI ",

(SaavE ReeyAha mAruvathu) it must have been an exquisite

pleasure to hear the dhivya NaamAs of the Lord sung

in SaavEri and blessing every one within ear shot.

 

11. BhouLi: "DheenajanAvana SrI Raama DhAnava HaraNa

SrI Raama" (Ten CharaNams); MaayAmaaLava GouLai

Janyam ; ideal for singing in the early morning hours.

 

12. SourAshtram : "Paahi Paahi DhInabandhO Maam

Paahi ParAnandha SindhO" (8 CharaNam); MangaLa

Ragam ; Janyam of the 17th MeLa Kartha , Soorya

Kaantham. Sarva Svara Gamaka Rakthi BhaashA Raagam.

 

13. SourAshtram:"Paahi Maam HarE , MahAnubhAva Raaghava !"

(6 CharaNams)SourAshtram is used often to worship Soorya-

MaNdala Madhyastha Raama NaarAyaNan of Soorya Kulam.

Vide: SrI Dikshithar's Navagraha krithi for Soorya

Moorthy set in SourAshtra Raagam.

 

14. Bhairavi:" Raama KOdhanda Raama , Raama KalyANa Raama,

Raama PattAbhi Raama , Raama SitApathi neevE gati"

( 6 CharaNams).In this wonderfully moving Krithi,

Raama Naamam is invoked 26 times . ThyAga Brahmam

declares his ananya gathithvam and aakinchanyam

in this Dhivya Naama Krithi addressing saraNAgatha

Rakshaka Raama Prabhu.

 

15. Bhairavi: "NaaTa BrOvavE , RaghunATa BrOvavE "

(7 CharaNams).He addresses his Master, RaghunATan

as a matchless one and begs Him to protect him.

 

16. MukhAri: "Indhukaa ee tanuvunu bhEmchina " (7 charaNams).

In a mood of melancholy over not recieving anugraham from

Lord Raamachandran, ThyAgarAja SwaamigaL laments for

the poor lot of those who do not stretch their arms

to worship the Lord , but instead use it for recieving

gifts from haughty ones.Swamy asks: " Is it for this that

this body has been nurtured ?"

 

17. MukhAri: "YenthaninnE VarNinthuni Sabari BhAgyamu"

How can I describe the BhAgyam of Sabari , who performed

AarAdhanam for the Lord on the banks of the Pampa river

and offered special fruits picked with her own hands

and was blessed with MokshAnugraham by the Lord ?

SwaamigaL is eager to have such a bhAgyam of darsana

soubhAgyam of the Lord .

 

18. Aanandha Bhairavi: " Raama Raama neevAramu gAmA

Raama Raama SitA RaamA Saadhujana PrEma Raa Raa"

(7 Charanams). In this krithi, SwaamigaL endearingly

invites Raamachandran to come near him quickly

and bless him . Another great devotee of Raamchandran

must have been walking with the Saint as he went around

singing these dhivya Naama krithis on the streets of

Panchanatha Puram ( ThiruvayyARi)(viz)., HanumAn .

 

19. Aananda Bhairavi: " KshIra Saagara VihAra aparimitha

GhOra Paataka vidhAra " (2 charanams). Nada Bhairavi MeLa

Raaga janyam. Sarva MangaLakara Raagam .

 

20. Yadhukula KaambhOji: " Paahi Raamachandra Raaghava-HarE Maam "

( 9 CharaNams); Janyam of HarikAmbhOji. MangaLa Raagam

that can be sung at all times. This krithi is set in

a mood of remonstrance and is a moving One:

 

" Oh RaagavA ! Please peotect me! I have no refuge

except You. Hence , Rush to my protection quickly.

Although I prayed for Your protection often , it is

a mystery that You do not show even a small amount of

mercy to me. I have been repeatedly appealing to You as

my Ishta dhaivam to banish my samsAric ills. Wont You

look in my direction soon ? Without Your anugraham ,

there is no purpose for my existence . What is going to

happen to me ? For You , it may be a sport to keep me

at bay. Am I a fit person for Your sport ? Is it

laudable that some one so great as You should behave

in this indifferent manner? This is the time for Your

karuNA katAksham to fall on me.I can not wander around

and beg for protection.I have no one else to ask for

rakshaNam and there is no God , who is Superior to You.

You are worshipped by the king of kings and You

are the Lord of ThyagarAjA (RaajarAja poojitha PrabhO

HarE ThyAgarAjarAja Raaghva prabhO)!

 

Each of these dhivya Naama Krithis have the distillation

of the essence of Bhagavath anubhavam and are densely

adorned with the many names of the SarvalOka SaraNyan ,

SitA Pathi.

 

adiyEn will cover the remaining 20 plus Dhivya Naama

Krithis in the next posting. Devotees ! Please add

the audio files of these dhivya Naama krithis in

the Oppiliappan or Raama Bhakthi Lists , if you

happen to have their renditions . Thanks.

 

AmbhujAksha vEga jooDurA , nee kadAkshambhu

lEni janmamElarA ( Paahi Raamachandra )

 

DaasOham , Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri SadagOpan