Bhadrachala Raam Daas - Part II

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Taken from RaamaBhakthi Messages

Bhakta Ramadas& His Bhakti/Music legacy: Part 2Musical Legacy & Raama Bhakthi of

Ramadaas***************************************************************************The

Bhagavad anubhavam of Bhadrachala Ramadaspoured forth from his heart and lips in

the form of many krithis and Divyanamas. 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 and Pandithaas .Professor

P.Sambhamoorthy, the great musicologst hasclassified 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 "Ishvaku Kula Tilaka"

referred to by Rajiv is an example of such a mood.Another example of this type

of plain talk is provided in his Kambhoji 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 soulful rendering 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, Please speak to him on my behalf and create a compassionate mood

in Him.Please Remind Him of my sufferings and and ask Him to cast His merciful

glances at me. Thru another Krithi , he will experienceKarpanyam (another anga

of Saranagathi) and will say "I do not know in which way you are going to come

to my rescue. O Paramatma! How can I succeed in swimming in these Samsaric

Ocean withoutyour 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 theTaraka Nama Upadesam from Bhaktha

Kabir Das ,another great Rama Bhaktha in his dream .Kabir Das precededRamadas

by two hundred Years. After receiving his Upadesam ,Ramadas sung his Danyaasi

Krithi " Taraka Mantramu " , where heproudly announced that He has been blessed

and that he hasfound his salvation. He made his first trip to Bhadrachalam

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

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

Ragam. At this temple, Sri Rama has Sitaseated on his left thigh and carries

chakram in the left hand andsankham on his right hand. Lakshmana stands by in

vigil to 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 heart of 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