Bhakta Ramadas & His Bhakti/Music Legacy : Part II

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Musical Legacy & Raama Bhakthi of Ramadaas

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The Bhagavad anubhavam of Bhadrachala Ramadaspoured forth from his

heart and lips in the form of many krithis andDivyanamas. They are

mostly in Telugu with the exception of two in Sanskrit. The simple

language used for these Bhakti-laden songs captured the minds of

paamaraas andPandithaas .Professor P.Sambhamoorthy, the great

musicologst has classified Ramadas krithis into three

categories:1.Those composed before his incarceration2.Those composed

during his incarceration3.Songs composed after his releaseHe can be

outspoken in his conversations with Ramalike Thirumangai in his

Madals .Saint Thyagaraja adopted this style in his anubhavam of Sri

Rama. The song "IshvakuKula Tilaka" referred to by Rajiv is an

example of such a mood.Another example of this type of plain talk is

provided in hisKambhoji krithi ,"Adarana Leni ": Ennaga Sabari

Yengili BhakshanamuChesinathi Vyabichari NivuNinnu Nammagarraadu !

Ninnu DaivaManaraadu ! Nijamu na mata Devuda ".At other times, he

will beg tenderly for Rama to appear before him(Ramararaa Sita

--Anandhabhairavi) ,Oh Rama Ni Nama Memi Ruchira --Purvikalyani). He

willsay in one Krithi , "Takkuvemi Manaku (Surykaantam Ragam )"and

explain: "What do we need, When Rama is at our side? "in a mood of

Maha Viswasam, an anga of Saranagathi.Elsewhere, he will appeal to

Sita Devi to come to his rescue and speak to Her Lord as an

expression of Her Purushakaaram.Two such songs are Ramachandrulu

Naapai(Asaaveri) andNanu Brovamani Cheppaveh (Kalyani). Sri

Balamurali"s soulfulrendering of these two Krithis in a 1977

recording are moving.He begs Sita Devi this way: " O Mother, My

mother! When You are alone with your Lord and my Father after the

day"s events, Pleasespeak to him on my behalf and create a

compassionate mood in Him. Please Remind Him of my sufferings and and

ask Him to castHis merciful glances at me. Thru another Krithi , he

will experience Karpanyam (another anga of Saranagathi) and will say

"I do not knowin which way you are going to come to my rescue. O

Paramatma! How can I succeed in swimming in these Samsaric Ocean

without your help? (Ea Theeruga Nanu Daya Choochedavo -Mayamalava

Gowlam ).Using Madhyamavati ragam, he will cry his heart out for the

protectionby Rama (Pahi rama Prabho )>.Examples of some other Krithis

reflecting his moods of Bhakthi(Sanchaari Bhaavas) are:1.Nirveda and

Dainyokthi(Despondency and Plaintive pleading):In Paluke

Bangaramayena(Anandhabhairavi), He asks the Lord:" O Rama! Why wont

you speak to me? I wont forget the chantingof your Taraka Nama even

in my sleep". He is said to have received the Taraka Nama Upadesam

from Bhaktha Kabir Das ,another great Rama Bhaktha in his dream

..Kabir Das preceded Ramadas by two hundred Years. After receiving his

Upadesam ,Ramadas sung his Danyaasi Krithi " Taraka Mantramu " ,

where he proudly announced that He has been blessed and that he has

found his salvation. He made his first trip to Bhadrachalam by boat

and at one bend of the river caught his first glimpse of the Lord"s

temple on the Badra Hill and sang with ecstacy "IdhigoBhadradri " in

Varali Ragam. At this temple, Sri Rama has Sita seated on his left

thigh and carries chakram in the left hand andsankham on his right

hand. Lakshmana stands by in vigilto serve His brother. Ramadas

landed from the boat and offered his profound salutations to Sri

Rama and sang in Suryakantam " Takkuvemi Manaku". Like Swami Desikan

, he expressed here his Vairagyam and said " What else do I need

,when Ramachandra is at our side?" He sang Pallandu to the Lord like

Periyaazhwaar in his Kurunji raga krithi,"Ramachandrayya " and hailed

" O Rama living in the heartof your devotee Ramadas, May ALL

auspiciousness befall You."The Bhagavad Anubhavam and the Bhakti

Prakaaras (Formsof Devotion ) of this great Rama Bhaktha set an

example to other great Rama Bhakthas like Saint Thyagaraja.Sri

Hanumat Lakshmana Sametha SitaramaParabrahmaneh Nama:Daasan ,

Oppiliappan Koil Varadachari Sadagopan