ThiruvahIndhrapuram RathnAngi Kaimkaryam series: Part 52: ThyagarAja SwamigaL's three Krithis on Jaanaki PirAtti : Part I

[Guest guest]

SrI:

 

There are two Ghoshtis , when it comes to paying

reverence to SrImad RaamAyanam . One is the SitA GhOshti ,

who prefer to rename RaamAyaNam as SitAyaNam (SitAyA's

Charitham Mahath) and the other is the Raama GhOshti.

Our Lord really belongs to SitA GhOshti. Swamy ParAsara

Bhattar belonged to the SitA GhOshti (SlOkma 50

of SrI GuNa Rathna Kosam) and Sage VaalmIki too.

Sage Vaalmiki named RaamAyaNam as SrImad RaamAyaNam

to position the SrImad Sabdham in front of RaamAyaNam ,

it seems for that reason.

 

Saint ThyagarAja SwamigaL (Vaalmiki avathAram) out of reverecne

for his Jaanaki MaathA did not openly declare like Swamy ParAsara

Bhattar that he belonged to the SitA GhOshti . The MahA pathivrathai

and Loka MaathA would not hear of it . Hence , ThyagarAja

SwamigaL composed more krithis on the Lord , Jaanaki RamaNan ,

which pleased His divine consort and She cast Her benovolent

glances on Her son , ThyagarAja .

 

There would be times in which ThyagarAja Swamigal could not

contain himself and he will burst forth in songs that would salute

the matchless nature of Jaanaki Piraatti and Her bravery in

following Her Lord to the terrifying forest , a place that

certainly was not fit for the daughter of a king , Janaka

MahA RaajA .

 

There would be times , when ThyagarAja Swamigal would

be overwhelmed by the auspiciousness conferred by Jaanaki

MaathA on Raamachandran through PaaNigrahaNam and VivAham

with Him. SwamigaL would wonder and ask : " Oh RaamA !

What would have become of You , if You had NOT taken

the hand of our SitA (in marriage) . Could You have hoped to

get the title of RaavaNA's vanquisher and claimed to be

called Raghuveeran , Vijaya Raaghavan? Here SwamigaL would

speak as a citizen of JanakA's kingdom with justifiable

pride about the power of VaidEhi to confer such auspiciousness

and glory on AyOdhyA Raaman . SwamigaL would taunt Raamabhadran

and say on these occasions : " Our SitA , the MahA pathivrathai

could easily have reduced RaavaNa to a heap of ashes with Her

one glance ; She did not however do it because She wanted

the credit and glory of killing RaavaNA to go to You so

that You can be saluted as RaavaNAnthakan .

 

There would be times, when SwamigaL will think of

the PattAbhishEkam scene on SrI Raama Navami day

and will salute Her as SarvAlankAra Sundari adorned

with exquisite Jewelery , who blessed every one ,

who bowed before Her in the company of Her Lord with

immeasuarable soubhAgyams .

 

Four beautiful krithis dedicated to SitA PirAtti

reveal the depth of devotion that ThyAgarAja Swamigal

had for Jaanaki MaathA . These Four krithis are:

 

1. Sari yevvarE? SrI Jaanaki ! Nee

(SrI Ranjani Raagam and DEsAdhi Taalam)

 

2. Maa Jaanaki cheDDa BaDDaga (KaambhOji Raagam

and DesAdhi Taalam)

 

3. SrI Janaka TanayE! Sritha-KamalAlayE !

( Raagam: KalakanDi, Aadhi Taalam)

 

4. dEhi Tava padha Bhakthi VaidEhi !

Pathitha-pAvani mE sadhA (SahAna Raagam , Aadhi)

 

There would be many other krithis , where

SwamigaL would salute the Lord as Sriya: Pathi ,

Jaanaki RamaNan , SitA ManOharan and many other

nAmAs linked to SitA PirAtti , which follows

the central doctrine established in Dhvaya

Manthram , which can be rephrased for this occasion

as :

 

SrImann Raamachandra CharaNou SaraNamaham prapadhyE;

SrImathE RaamachandrAya Nama:

 

let us enjoy an interactive session , where students of

ThyAgarAja SwamigaL"s krithis can identify the Keerthanams

which recognize Lord Raamamchandran as the Consort of

Jaanaki MaathA . adiyEn will list the phraseology chosen by

SwamigaL and provide the name and RaagAs for some of the krithis,

where SwamigaL slautes SrI Raamachandran as the blessed

consort of SitA PirAtti (Lord as SitA DEvi's Husband):

 

1. SeethA-vara ( DEvaghAndhari Raagam)

2. SeethA-NaayakA

3. SeethA-ManOhara

4. SeethA-lOla .

5. Jaanaki-Pathi (Naadhupai BalikEru: MadhyamAvathi)

6. AvanijA-lOla

7. AvanijAdhipa

8. BhUjaa-lOla

9. BhoojA-Naayaka

10. JanakajA-SamEthA

11. SeethA-Raama (Raama SeethA- RAma, SankarAbharaNam ,

KaalaharaNa mElarA? HarE! SeethA-Raama: SuddhA SAvEri,

jE jE SeethA-Raama: SaavEri)

12. BhoojA-Kaantha

13. SeethA-Kantha (DhorakunA: Bilhari Raagam)

14. Bhooja-ManOhara

15. Jaanaki-Vara

16. Seetha-Raaghava

17. DharasuthA-RamaNa

18. JanakasuthA-Ramana

19. Jaanaki-Ramana

20. Jaanaki-ManOhara( SrI Jaanaki ManOhara: IsamanOhari Raagam)

21. SeethA-Ramana ( HusEni Krithi: Raama Raama Raama

SeethA-RamaNa Paapa-Harana)

22. SeethA-Pathi ( vErevvarE gathi: Surutti Raagam,

Raama KOdhaNDapANi : Bhairavi Raagam)

23. SeethA-ManOramaNa

24. BhUjeswara( Krithi: NaarAyana Hari ;

YamunA KalyANi Raagam)

25. SeethA-Hrujjaladhi sOma( SaavEri Raagam)

26. SarilEni Seetha (matchless Seetha saluted

in ManOhari Krithi : ParithApamu)

 

In this series on ThiruvahIndhrapuram RathnAngi

SamarpaNa kaimkaryam , adiyEn will focus on

the Three krithis of ThyagarAja Swamigal

that are exclusively dedicated to salute

the glories of SitA PirAtti , which advocates

the reasons for SrImad RaamAyaNam to be renamed

as SeethAyaNam .SitA PirAtti is the divine consort

of Lord DevanAthan at ThiruvahIndhrapuram

with the name of SrI HemAmbhuja Naayaki .

adiyEn seeks her blessings to raise the funds

needed for Her Lord's RathnAngi that She would

dearly love to see Him adorn in Her company.

 

Volumes have been written about SrI Tatthvam

by our AchAryas based on the revelations of the Lord

Himself about the centrality and significance of

His Consort ( Lakshmi Tantram , SrI Sooktham ,

et al).adiyEn will focus on SrImad Raamyanam

or better still SitAyanam related incidents

in the coming postings on these three krithis of

ThyAgarAja SwamigaL.

 

SrI HemAbhja Valli SamEtha DevanAtha CharaNou

Saranamaham PrapadhyE,

Daasan , Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri Sadagopan