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Dear sri vaishNava perunthagaiyeer,

 

Sri K.B. gopalam [alamkbg] has given a beautiful krithi of sri

annamaachaaraya and wanted a discussion on that krithi in the scholarly forum of

yours.

 

The krithi is in the raagam bauLi. Some sing this krithi in raagam kaamavardhani

- also known as panthuvaraali. It is also rendered as a 'raaga maalikaa' chain

with pallavi and anupallavi in brindhaavani and for charaNams in

maayaamaalavagoula, by other artists. However we will limit ourselves to 'bauli'

for our purposes.

 

About the raagam selection: 'Bauli' is a early morning raga. It is sung to wake

up the lord from bed. Like boopaala raagam this is also a morning waking up

raagam. The composer sri annamayya also throws up the paramount of an idea and

asks people to think universally, early in the morning.

 

A note on this raagam, as appearing in one of the music sites, reads - This is

an auspicious raagam belonging to the 'audava' group and its parent raagam is

the 15th mELa karthaa Maayaa maaLava gauLa. In this raagam the notes figuring

are

* Shadja^

* Sudha Ri^

* Antara Ga^ Pa^

* Sudha Dha and

* Kakali Ni.

This is a 'madhyama varjya' raagam and Ni is absent in aarOhaNam, a kampa vihina

upanga raagam, which belongs to the dhvitheeya ghana panchakam. In this

'thristhayi rakthi' raagam Pa and Ga are the amsa svaras and this is a soft,

tender raagam.

 

A "prabhaatha" raagam [early morning raagam], this is to be sung in the 4th

yaamam of the night [between 3 am and 6 am].

 

S.Kasim, grandson of the naadhaswaram maestro Late Sri Sheik Chinna Moulana

[kasim is also a naadhaswaram vidhvaan who accompanied his grand father in

concerts] writes about this raagam in www.sangeetham.com

<http://www.sangeetham.com> website - I want to share an experience we had in

Mumbai when we were performing at the Godrej school. It was a fine morning and

we were demonstrating the raagam 'bauLi' and how the doors of the South Indian

temples were opened to this raagam emanating from the Naagaswaram. The gathering

comprised children from K.G to 5th std. One small boy visualized the raagam

'bauLi' and wonderfully painted the theme in his notebook by drawing the temple

and the Naagaswaram player playing the raagam. As soon as we finished our

performance, he came to us and showed his notebook. My grandfather patted him on

the back and blessed him".

 

MGV: See the greatness of good music - a small child gets inspiration and uses

his familiar form of expression - may be art, may be sculpture, may be dance -

in this case art - Hmm - indeed a lucky and a gifted boy, lucky to get a pat

from a great artist of another form- music.

 

No we go into the krithi. Mr.gopaalam - I am sure you wont mind few corrections

I made in the transliteration.

 

raagam - BauLi / [also sung as raagamaalikai, with brindhavani for pallavi and

anupallavi and mayaamalava goula for charaNam]

 

pallavi:

entha maathramunanu evvaru talachina antha maathramE neevu |

anthara antharamulenchi chooDa piNDanthE nippadyannaatloo ||

 

KBG writes: The poet says in this song that GOD is as per the imagination of the

devotee. It is like people eulogizing the hot sun with hot embers. It is what

you imagine. People since cannot see much beyond them thought that GOD also

looks like a human and started describing him with the homo form.

 

MGV gives: hey lord srinivaasa, venkatapathy - who lords the hill sri vEnkatam -

in whatever way one things about you, you are that. People conceive you in a

form familiar to them - that is their own form [- with a little more extra

powers]. It is like describing sun has heat, which is well known.

 

charaNam 1 ||

koluthuru mimu vaishNavuloo koorimithO vishNuDanee |

palukuthuroo mimu vEdhaanthulu parabrahmam anuchu |

thalathuru mimu saivulu thakina bhakthulanoo sivuDanusoo |

alar ipogatuthuru kaapaalikulu aadhi bairavuDavanusoo ||

 

KBG gives: Vaishnavas worship you calling you Vishnu. Vedantins call you the

Para brahmam, The ultimate form. Saivites and other devotees call you as Siva.

Kaapalikaas praise you as Aadhi bhairava.

 

MGV adds: Sri vaishNavaas worship you realizing you are that supreme vishNu or

naaraayaNa. The vEdhanthi-s call you the Para brahmam - the supreme absolute,

the ultimate of all forms and formless. Saivites and such other devotees call

you as Siva. The kaapalikaas praise you as the basic or fundamental or supreme

bhairava - or aadhi bhairava.

 

A point: please note the order in which the poet places the names of the

supreme. First it is Vishnu. Next comes the nameless para brahmam. Next siva and

next bhairava etc. perhaps that is what our srivaishnava sampradhaayins also

puts as the order. Sri Vishnu is the supreme and all others are next in level to

him.

 

charaNam 2 ||

sari nennuthuru saakthEyuloo sakthiroopu neevanusu |

dharisanamula mimu naanaavidhulanu thalapula kolathula bhajinthuroo |

sirula mamanE alpa budhDhi thalachina vaariki alpambavudhuvoo |

karimala mimunE ganamani thalachina ghanabudhDhulaku ghanuDavu ||

 

KBG puts the meaning as: The followers of Sakthi take you for the form of

Sakthi. Many philosophies have seen you in many forms. If people, thinking of

you with their limited knowledge, for them, you manifest yourself equally

simple. For those who can imagine your grandeur you are a grand entity.

 

MGV places his point as: the people who worship you or follows you as energy

form call you as sakthi personified and as such they call themselves as

saakthaas. In many forms you are worshipped by many people according to their

thinking and philosophy. When people of simple mind or less capable in thinking

big then you appear simple to them. For people capable of grandiose in wisdom

and enlightenment you are grandest of the grand.

 

Point: the poet places here lord "is" as perceived by you. If you perceive as

your child, he is it- like yasodhaa's child krishNa. For arjuna, he is his

friend Krishna. For dhroupadhi he is the saviour in distress. Oh what a simple

way to put great thing?

 

charaNam 3 ||

neevalana korathE lEdhu mari neeru korathi thaamaravoo |

aavala bhaageerathi thari bhaavula aajalamE voorina yetloo |

sree vEnkatapathi neevaidhE dhanu chEkoni vunna dhaivamani

yeevalanE nee saraNa nedhunu yithiyE para thaththvamu naaku ||

 

KBG's meaning: the GOD is like the Lotus that rise to the level of water and

nothing is at loss from the side of the GOD. It is like digging a well next to

the banks of Bhagirathi. (The water therein is according to the depth to which

you can go) You are, after all, Shri Venkatapathi looking after all of us. This

is the ultimate truth for me [the poet as well as me],

 

MGV's point: You, oh vEnkatapathy - are like lotus which raises above the

surface level of water irrespective of the depth of water, always on the upbeat.

May be it is like digging for water on the banks of bhaagerathi - the river

ganga. When you are there the caretaker of my welfare, which is the reality, I

surrender unto you.

 

Comments and point: as already stated the sampradhaaya point of sri vEnkatapathy

is the supreme lord is brought out very emphatically here. Further the poet puts

the order of preferences clearly. Also for fickle minded he appears small and

limited is brought out nicely.

By bringing in the lotus example the poet also brings out clearly hey - rise

above the level of petty and controversial thoughts [called philosophies] - do

not get caught in the web of roots of the plant and in the slushy water, turbid

in nature - to enjoy the beauty of lotus, the vaasana -smell, as well the

sunshine, his glory.

 

Compliments to sri gopalam for bringing to light a nice krithi of annamacharya.

Comments and other points of view are welcome.

 

Dhasan

Vasudevan m.g.

 

PS: Since I am not sure whether his mail was a private one to me or sent to the

list, I add his mail also which reads as follows.

 

Dear friends! Just to initiate a discussion I am

putting some information here! Please react!

 

Following is the text of a Kirtanam of Annamayya with

some very exciting kind of ideas!

 

Pallavi:

enta mAtramuna evvaru talacina anta mAtramE nIvu

antarAntaramulu encEcuDa endaNTe nippaTiyannaTlu

 

C1: koluturu mimu vaiSNavulu kUrimitO viSNuNDani

Palukuduru mimu vEdAntulu para brahmbanucu

Talaturu mimu shaivulu tagina bhaktulunu civuDnucu

alari pogaDuduru kApAli kulAdi bhairavuDanucu

 

2: sari nennuduru sAktEyulu shakti rUpu nIvanucu

darshanamula mimu nAnA vidhuulanu dalapula koladula

bhajinturu

sirula mimu E alpa buddhi dalacina vAriki

alpambaguduvu

Garimala ninu ghanamani dalacina ghana buddhulaku

ghanuDavu

 

3: nIlavana nEmi koradE lEdu mari nIru koladi tAmaravu

 

Avala bhAgIrathIgani bhAvulu A kaNamE mArinayaTlu

shrI vEnkaTapati nIvaitE mamu cEkonna deivamani

nEvalaneyaniyeda idiye paratatvamu nAku

 

this is a song of annamacharya wherein he shows the

universal thinking of a Vaishnavite.

 

Mind you! I am no scholar. I do many things that I

wish people do1 Since nobody does, I take it upon me

to put my limited ideas before people. Please bear

with me and bring to my notice if there is any mistake

in what I say here.

 

The truth abiut GOD that he is Anoraneeyan Mahato

Maheeyan is well established. In almost the same style

Annamayya explains the various forms of the god as

ONE.He says in this song that

GOD is as per the imagination of the devotee.It is

like people eulogising the hot sun with hot embers. It

is what you imagine. People since can not see much

beyond themselves thought that GOD also looks like a

human and started describing him with the homo form.

 

Annamayya goes a bit further and talks about the

various forms of worship.

 

He says " Vaishnavas worship you Calling you Vishnu"

Vedantins call you the Parabrahmam, The ultimate form.

Shaivites and other devotees call you as Shiva.

Kapalikas praise you as Adibhairava

 

In the second charanam he says,

The followers of Shakti take you for the form of

Shakti.

Many philophies have seen you in many forms.

If people thinking of you with their limited knowledge

you manifest yourself equally simple.

For those who can imagine your gradeur you are a grand

entity.

 

In the third charanam he says that the GOD is like the

Lotus that rise to the level of water and nothing is

at loss from the side of the GOD.It is like digging a

well next to the banks of Bhagirathi. ( The water

therein is according to the depth to which you can go)

You are after all Shri Venkatapathi looking after all

of us. and this is the ultimate truth for US, says

Annamayya.

 

I could put a little of the wordly meaning though not

not in it's entirity thinking that some learned people

will throw some light on the theme nad discuss the

broadmindedness of Vaishnavism as I could see in this

song with my limited knowledge.

 

May I request people to react and say something?

Please make my day!

 

 

 

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