"Pathikku oru Padal " by Navi MUmbai Srimathi SanthAna Lakshmi S. Jeejaa Bhai

[Guest guest]

SrI:

 

Dear AasthikAs :

 

Srimathy SanthAna Lakshmi is a gifted poetess and

Saahithyam Composing Musician as well as a Master

Teacher of Carnatic Music . She has many compositions

to her credit ; she has tuned them and recorded them .

One of them is Govindha Sathakam .

 

The most recent creation of Srimathy SanthAna Lakshmi

is " Pathikku Oru Paadal " . Our Twelve AzhwArs have performed

MangaLAsAsanam of the 108 dhivya dEsams through their

divine Paasurams . There are 4000 Paasurams in the dhivya

Prabahndham . Although dhivya Prabhandham experts have

recited these 4000 paasurams in one day without interruption ,

it is not an easy task in the context of modern day preoccupations .

Srimathy SanthAna Lakshmi has maee it easy for all of us by composing

one krithi for each of the 108 dhivya dEsams and set them to tune

in beautiful Karnatic Music MeLa raagams and their Janyams .

 

The series on the 108 dhivya dEsam ( One song for each dhivya dEsam=

Pathikku oru Paadal) starts with AchArya Vandhanam in ChArukEsi Raagam

and is followed by the BhUpALam krithi , which is a SamarpaNa krithi .

These two are followed by 108 Krithis , one for each of the dhivya dEsams

starting from Srirangam and concluding with Parama Padham . The raagams

range from rakthi rAgams , Upaanga, BhAshAnga and SampoorNa Raagams.

Some of them are unusual rAgams :

 

Deseeyam , BhAgEswari , Valaji ( ThiruvAli-Thirunagari) , Vallabhi

( Thirucchitthirakootam) , Naaga GAndhAri (ThirukkAragam) ,

Vijaya Vasantham ( ThirukkArvAna PerumAL ) , Saraswathy

ManOhari ( ThiruninRavoor) , Jayantha Sri (ChOLa Simhapuram ), Chittha

Ranjani (VitthuvakkODu) , JOnpuri ( ThiruvARanviLai) , NaLinakAnthi

( ThiruppuLinkudi) , Tilang ( ThirukkuLanthai) , SarsAngi ( Thenn ThiruppErai) ,

Paras ( ThirukkuruhUr-AzhwAr Thirunahari) ,Ranjani (SrivilliputthUr ) ,

Hamsa Brahamari ( Thiru TaNkal) , UmAbharaNam ( ThirukkUdal Mathurai) ,

Raama PriyA ( TirumOhUr) ,Simha Vaahini ( ThirukkOttiyUr) , AandhOlika

(Thirumeyyam ) , BrundhAvana Saaranga for NaimichAraNyam ,

Suddha Seemanthini ( Thirukkadinagar) , Suddha Desh ( BadarikAsramam) ,

NavrOz ( SaaLagrAmam) , Kathana KuthUhalam (Gokulam ) , Sivaranjani

(ThiruvEnkatam ).

 

Besides the selection of such assembly of beautiful RaagAs , the Saahithyams

are very meaningful . Some have one charaNam and the others like the krithis

on Srirangam , ThriuvEnkatam have muliple CharaNams .

 

Al the krithis have the names of PerumAl , ThAyAr, VimAnam and Theertham .

They also have an one liner on the uniqueness of the KshEthram . Pallavi ,

anupallavi and CharaNams have details about the KshEthram and

KshEthra Naathan and unusual insights . They all have the Composers'

"Mudhrai of SanthAna Lakshmi " .

 

Examples of unique insights in the body of Krithis

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1. BadrikAsramam : Naam uyya ashtAksharam bhOthittha perum Pathi :

The dhivya dEsam , where the Lord instructed as an AchAryan

the upadEsam of AshtAksharam for our upliftment . The Lord is

here in AchArya Roopam .

 

2. AadhanUr : Anupallavi(Raagam : Udhaya ravichandrikA )

 

AaNDavan aLappathaRkku talaippuram MarakkAlum

aLanthathai kuRippathaRkku idakkayil yezhutthANiyum koNDa ( AaNDaLakkum Iyyan )

 

Very few sevArthees would have noticed the Yezhutthu AaNi on the left hand

of the Lord in Sundara Sayanam . Smt.SanthAna Lakshmi such fine details

time and again. She concludes : "Sundara Thirucchayanam sEvikka udal

silirkkum " ( One would ahve mayirkkUcchal on seeing the beautiful

reclining pose fo the Lord ) at AadhanUr , where Thirumangai

AzhwAr and KaamadhEnu are present worshipping the Lord .

 

3.Thirukkudanathi AarAvamudhan: another Sayana PerumAL

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The composer salutes this dhivya dEsam as " siRappaana thEr Koil"

( a dhivya dEsam known for its huge Chitthirai ThEr ) . She salutes

the PerumAL un CharaNam as " thEmadhura kavyAna Thirumazhisai

AzhwArin Tamizhukku yezhuntha PerumAn " ( As the Lord , who rose up

in UdhyOga Sayanam to respond to the delectable Tamizh Paasurams of

Thirumazhisai ) . AzhwAr commanded the Lord : " kidanthavARu

yezhunthu pEsu " and the responded with alacrity .

 

4. ThiruveLLiyankudi Dhivya Desam : Kolavalli Raaman

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At this sthalam dear to Sukran , the composer points the special

vigraham of Garudan having Four hands ( Chathur Bhujam ) .

 

5. AhObilam: Kuranji Raaga Krithi

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Here the composer aptly describes the KshEthram as : " Yuga-yugamAy

irukkum talam , bhaya -bhakthi koNDOr sevikkum talam " ( a dhivya dEsam ,

which has been here for amny yugams and a KshEthram worshipped by

those with Bhaya bhakthi ).

 

6. Thiru AyOddhi : Raagam ChArukEsi

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The specialty of this KshEthram is pointed out as :

" NaaraNan maanidanAy avatharittha pathi " ( Dhivya

dEsam , where Sriman NaarAyaNan took the avathAram

as a Human being ) .

 

7. ThirumAlirum ChOlai Azhagan : Raagam ChArukEsi

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The composer salutes the Lord as : "Azhagar Malai Azhagan ,

Parama Swamy " . She refers to KaruppaNNa Swamy becoming Kaaval

dhaivam here and salutes His trip to Vaigai in Chitthirai and

His adoration of ANDAL this way :

 

" KaLLazhagan chitthirayil kuthirayil varuvAn

viruppamudanKothai soodiya maalai yERppAn "

 

8. ThirukkOttiyUr Uraha MellaNayAn : Raagam Simha Vaahini

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About the specialty of this dhivya dEsam , the charaNa Vaakyam says:

 

" RaamAnujar Thirumanthiram pothuvAkkiya uhr

rakshikka NarasimhanAha Hari thOnRiya uhr "

 

One can go on to describe the special talent of Smt.SanthAna Lakshmi ,

who composed these 108 Krithis on the 108 dhivya dEsams ( Pathikku

oru Paadal ) with exquisite balance of Sangeetham , Saahithyam ,

Sthala PurANam and the specialty of the dhivya dEsam . It is

a wonderful experience to read the Saahithyam and enjoy

the tuning talent of this bhakthi filled devotee and connesieur

of ArchAvathArams .

 

Prakrutham HH Srimath Srirangam Andavan has provided an

anugraha BhAshaNam in Jan 2004 for these recordings & booklets on krithis.

A set of 8 casettes on htrese krithis can be had from the composer-

Musician at the Navi Bombay address of her son :

 

Sri S.DEvanand

No.7,Saras 3 ,kalash udyan , sector 11

Kopar Khairane , Navi Mumbai 400 709

Tel: 2 754 0250

 

With prayers to the 108 dhivya dEsa EmperumAns

to bless Smt.SanathAna Lakshmi's Kaimakryam ,

 

Daasan , Oppiliappan KOil V. Sadagopan

[vaisarajay]

Hello Sir,

 

I was fortunate to attend few music classes conducted by Smt Santhana Lakshmi when I was in Navi Mumbai few years back.Since then I had lost touch.

Do you happen to have any contact information for Smt Santhana Lakshmi. If so can you please send it to me?

 

Regards

Jaya

[Gayathri Devi]

Hi Jaya,

 

I am Mrs. Santhana Lakshmi's second daughter Gayathri Devi. Amma is now in Chennai. You could contact her in 044 65874111.

 

Regards,

Gayathri