ThiruvahIndhrapuram RathnAngi Kaimkaryam series: Part 50: Jayantha SrI Raaga krithi of Saint ThyagarAja SwamigaL: Part I

[Guest guest]

Dear BhakthAs of SrI Raamachandra!

 

Today , we will enjoy the moving dhainyOkthi krithi of

Saint ThyagarAjA set in the Raagam Jayantha SrI and DesAdhi

TaaLam . This krithi has been made famous by many Naadhasvara

VidvAns of the past . As the processional deity is taken around

the Raaja Veedhis of dhivya desams , the high pitched naadham

of the plaintive appeal of ThyagarAja Swamigal housed in this

krithi makes us take his side and propells us to wonder why

the most compassionate Lord would cause such a pain to His

dear BhakthA through His neglect or absent mindedness.

 

Before we get in to the description of the mind set of Swaamigal

during the time of the avathAram of these DhainyOkthi krithis ,

let us have some general comments about the mood of

DhainyOkthi (Dheena janam's ukthi= the speech of the meek

and powerless or wronged one) .Great BhakthAs of the Lord

from AzhwArs to ThyAgarAja SwamigaL have uttered

these dhainyOkthis during their anubhavam of the Lord.

 

DhainyOkthi is the mood of the Bhaktha (SanchAri BhAvam),

who laments pitifully (dhIna's Aakranthanam) about the Lord's

abandonment and plaintive plea for His anugraham and protection .

Some times , the plaintive pleading would include request for

pardon of earlier transgressions . This dhainyOkthi plea

will be tender usually and some times , it will be taunting and

will tightly question the Lord to account for the justification

for such an abandonment and neglect . Some times , it will seek

the Lord's understanding and ask him to spare such humiliation

before friends and relatives.It will movingly remind

the Lord about BhakthA's desolation and helplessness

as a result of the Lord's utter neglect and its devastating

consequences.Some times , the appeal will be couched

in the mood of utter bewilderment over the Lord's neglect

and indifference . Such a dhainyOkthi monolog with the Lord

will ask Him to reveal the source of the information

that made the Lord become disintersted in the bhakthan.

 

This dhainyOkthi mood in the case of ThyagarAja SwamigaL

will let him say:

 

" The times are such that the people of Kali yugam

have genuine doubts whether You are indeed powerful

enough to do the things like Bhaktha Rakshanam and

Anugraham that You as the Lord of the Universe have

vouched to offer to Your BhakthAs".

 

For instance in the SourAshtra Krithi,

" Raama Raama Govindha rakshincchu Mukhundha" ,

Swamigal taunts the Lord in this mood of DhainyOkthi:

 

" Kaliyuga Manujulu neeku mahAthmayamu kaladhu lEdhani

kAlamAyEga"

 

In this mood , ThyagarAja SwamigaL would some times

threaten to leave the side of His Lord since the indifference

was too much to bear (Very similar to Swamy NammAzhwAr's

paasuram , where Paraankusa Naayaki chases the Lord away from

Her presence because of His neglect and "deciet":

 

pOhu Nambee! unn thAmarai-kkaNNinayum sevvAy muRuvalum

aakulangaL seyya azhitaRkkE nOrrOmE yaamm?

 

kazharEl Nambee! Unn kaitthavam maNNum viNNUm nakaRiyum

--ThiruvAimozhi: 6.2.2 and 6.2.5

 

 

(meaning): Oh my ideal love! yes, clear out of here.

Go away from my presence. Your lotus like eyes and

red mouth with a smile resembling a beautiful flower

is torturing me to extinction.Oh my ideal beau! enough

talking ! All the worlds know Your deception .

 

After saying harsh words like this , Swamigal as always

will turn around quickly and declare most sincerely that

there is no use to his life without the true love for

the name of the Lord and devotion to His sacred feet .

He will question the worth of one, who does not turn

his mind to the Lord and meditate on Him:

 

"Raamachandra nee naamamanthu nija prEmalEni BrathukEmi ?

santhathamBhu tana yantharamBhuna nee chintha lEnivaa DEntha?"

--VaraLi Krithi: Paahi ParamAthama Sathatham mAm .

 

Some times in the mood of DhainyOkthi , SwamigaL

would invoke the most merciful SitA Devi as the pleader

of his case with Her husband as in the SaavEri Raaga Krithi:

 

" SrI Raama Raama Raama SeethA-hrujjaladhi sOma!

nee paadhamula bhakthi niNDAruga nOsagi kApADu;

naa pApammEpADi Raama ?"

 

Oh Raamachandra , the Moon for the ocean of Sita Devi !

Please listen to my plea and assure me deep bhakthi

to Your sacred feet and protect me from this samsAric

afflictions. For a great warrior like You , my sins

are nothing to destroy.

 

SwamigaL in the middle of his dhainyOkthi will restate

his MahA VisvAsam in the Lord and His dhivya Naamams:

 

"neevE dhaivamani nera namminAnu

Deva neethu naamamE namminAnu"

--6th CharaNam of SaavEri Raaga krithi : jE jE SrrthArAma ,

jE jE RaghurAma

 

(meaning): Oh RaghurAmA ! I have firmly believed in You

being the Supreme Lord and have solely relied on Your holy

name for my redemption.

 

In another dhainyOkthi krithi set in Raaga Soolini,

SwamigaL will plead intensively for the Lord of his

soul to rush to him and protect him( PrANanAtha!

BirAna BhrOvavE).

 

additional expressions of moving DhainyOkthi krithi

passages are:

 

1. KsheerasAgara-Sayana! nannu chinthala BeDDa BhalEnaa? Raama!

( Oh Lord resting on the milky ocean! Oh Raamachandra!

Should You subject me uch worries about your coming to

my protection )... DevaghAndhAri Krithi

 

2. Raama! neevEghAni nannu-rakshimchuvaa revvarE?

(Oh Raama! except You , who is there to protect me ?)

---NaarAyaNi Raaga krithi

 

3. Krupa jUchuDaku vELarA Raama !

( Oh Raama! This is indeed the time for You

to show me Your mercy)..ChAya TarangaNI Raaga krithi.

 

4. marugElarA? Oh Raaghava!(Why hide Yourself from me ?)

---Jayantha SrI Raaga Krithi

 

In the next posting , adiyEn would cover the meanings

of the above Jayantha SrI DhainyOkthi Krithi .

 

Please enjoy the darsana soubhAgyam of SrI HemAmbhuja Naayaki

SamEtha SrI DevanAtha PerumAl of ThiruvahIndhrapuram for whom

this NoothanaAabharaNam of RathnAngi is being created by

Master gold smiths from KeraLa. The Silver base kavacham

for the Lord has been made.The work on the embellishing of

the gold on Silver and the inlay of nava rathnams will

start soon with availability of additional funds :

 

http://www.ramanuja.org/sv/temples/tiruvahindrapuram/index.html

 

Please support his Kaimakryam for Lord DevanAthan and

Thank You all !

 

YentharO MahAnubhAvulu anthariki Vandhanamu,

SrI DevanAtha CharaNou Saranamaham PrapadhyE,

Daasan , Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri Sadagopan