raama baaNam

[Guest guest]

Dear SrivaishNava perunthagaiyeer,

 

Many a times in hours of crisis like plane hijack, riots, violence,

etc, we hear from the news sources that the `special commandos'

trained in tackling such situations were deployed, and, they were

able to quell the impending disaster. Is it modern news or somebody's

modern idea of creating such a `commando force?' Perhaps experts in

the subjects of `political administration' and `sociology' fields can

comment on that. But I feel, it is as old as `raamaayaNam'. Evidence

of such a `force' existence is available in sreemadh raamaayaNam.

Perhaps the name of that commando force may differ.

 

After the famous and many an army groups led by indhrajith

[raavaNan's son], kumbakarNan, virupaakshan, et al along with their

leaders have been killed or destroyed completely in war with sri

raama, raavaNan commands his `special commandos army' – or his `core

inner commandos'. This, in raamaayaNam, is called raavaNan's `moola

balam'. In the yudhDha kaaNdam of sreemadh vaalmeeki raamaayaNam the

sargam 94 – 94th chapter – is on `moola bala yudhDham' – a war

between the core inner army of raavaNa and sri raama and his monkey

army.

 

In this `moola bala yudhdham' saint thyaagaraaja describes

raama's `bowing' power. This krithi is in the raagam saavEri. That

krithi is presented below.

 

Krithi: `raama baaNa' raagam: saavEri

thaaLam: aadhi Composer: thyaagaraaja Language: Telugu

15 maayamaaLava gowLa janya raagam

 

Aa: S R1 M1 P D1 S

Av: S N3 D1 P M1 G3 R1 S

 

pallavi:-

raama baaNa thraaNa souryam

Emani pogaDudhuraa O manasaa – raama baaNa

 

Meaning: hey mind – what can I say about the valour [sooraththanam]

of sree raamaa's bow in protecting its [His?] subjects (thraaNam -

protecting).

 

anupallavi:-

bhaamaku aasaabaDu raavaNa moola

balamula nEla goola jEyu nija - raama baaNa

 

meaning: the inner circle army of that raavaNaa, who desired seethaa,

was completely thrashed and destroyed of their strength – oh, that

true raamaa's bow [hey mind - – what can]

 

charaNam:-

thammuDu baDalina vELa suraripu

themmani chakkera pancheeyaga gani

lemmanuchunu indhira ari balka

samayammani lEvagaa

 

sammathithO nilabaDi kOdhaNDa

poojya ghOshamula aasanula jEsi thaa

nemmadi gala thODunu joochEnuraa

nijamaina thyaagaraaja nuthudaku sree - raama baaNa

 

charaNam first part: when the younger brother lakshmaNa fell

unconscious, that enemy of dhEvaas [viz. indhrajith] enjoyed by

distributing sweets. [Later] The enemy of Indhira [raavaNan] was

challenging to get up, raama thought it was time to respond and stood

up.

 

charaNam second part: raama stood up with complete determination,

with His bow twanging like a thunder, He looked at His younger

brother [anuja] who follows Him subserviently, to such a Lord, truly

praised by thyaagaraaja - Hey mind, what can....]

 

Points or comments:

1. This krithi is rarely sung in the kutchEry mEdais – music

concerts. This is not such a popular krithi.

2. The raagam selection by thyaagaraajaa is something very

special. The raagam name SaavEri, is probably derived from the

word 'Saavari'. This is a rakthi raga, apt for singing at the time

of `Soorya udhayam' - sunrise and Soorya asthamanam - sunset. Saaveri

is also one of the ragas confined to the realms of Carnaatic music.

 

3. In the comment on this raagam, the famous musicologist

Dr.V.V.Srivathsa says: Saaveri is an ancient raagam with many textual

references. This raagam is classified as a Bhaashaanga raagam in

Sangeeta Ratnaakaram, albeit with the name Saavari. This raagam has a

place of pride in Carnaatic music, as can be also seen in the

proverb, "KaavEri snaanam, SaavEri Gaanam", which is duly reflected

in a composition by Dikshithar. Each swaram has a significant role.

Gandharam and Nishadam, at Trisruti levels, render this raagam as

Bhaashaanga. Rishabham, Madhyamam and Nishadam are raaga-chhayya

swarams, which bring out the nuances of this raagam. Madhyamam is

unique, often called SaavEri Madhyamam. It is one of the select ragas

with compositions by all members of the Carnaatic Trinity. There is a

marked conceptual similarity between Dikshitar and Syaamaa Saastri.

Some rare sanchaarams can be found in "KarmamE Balavanta", a

Thyaagaraaja krithi. There is considerable esoteric significance in

some passages of the kriti "Sri Raajagopaala" by Dikshithar. Syaama

Saastri's first composition was in this raagam. Many post-Trinity

composers have used this raagam, unto recent times. A great legacy".

 

4. In the comment on this raagam, another musicologist Dr

Pramila Gurumurthy says: The earliest reference is by Parshwadeva

(11th Century). Naarada's classification under the time theory

details SaavEri as a derivative of Gauda, apt for rendition between

noon and 3 pm. Sarangadeva refers to raagam Sauviri only. The

Brihaddharma Purana mentions SaavEri as a janya raagam of Gowda mela.

Annamacharya and Purandaradasa have composed in this raga. Ramamatya

refers to SaavEri as a janya raagam of Saalanganaata mElam. The

references by Somanatha to a raga Saaveri as a derivative of the

Mallaari scale perhaps is in respect of Suddha saavEri. Venkatamakhin

opines that Saaveri is a derivative of Gowla mela. The melodic

identity of this raga is established in works like Raaga Lakshanamu,

Sangeeta Saaraamrita and Sangeeta Sampradaaya Pradarsini. The

Sangeeta Saaraamrita deems SaavEri to be a morning raagam. Shadjam is

used as Graha, Nyasa and Amsa swarams. Many compositions are

available with notation in the Sangeeta Sampradaya Pradarsini.

 

5. This raagam expresses `karuNaa rasam'.

 

6. Now let us see sreemadh raamaayaNam slokams on the moola bala

yudhdham – and see whether thyaagaraaja's krithi goes in similar

lines or picturises a different version. The `raama baaNa thraaNa

souryam' – the raama baaNam protecting its subjects? Why and how?

 

Raama is not the king at that stage of fighting the `moola bala

yudhdham'. In fact raama was fighting raavaNa, the enemy, based on

the help of sugreeva and his army of monkeys. Then how can

he `protect' his subjects?' Yes. The vaalmeeki slokam reads

 

raakshasair yudhdhya maanaanaam vaanaraaNaam mahaa chamoo: |

SaraNyam saraNam yaathaa raamam dhasaratha aathmajam || 6-94-17

 

Meaning: The big army of vaanaraas being fought by the raakshasa army

surrendered to the son of dhasaratha viz. raama.

 

Chinnam bhinnam sarair dhagDham prabhagnam sasthra peeditham |

balam raamENa dhadhrusur na raamam seegra kaariNam || 6-94-22

 

meaning: they saw [onlookers of war or the army on both sides

themselves?] the raakshasa army as burnt by the arrows of sri raama,

cut by the raama sasthrams, and broken with raamaa's weapons. But

they could not see raama [from where he is showering the arrows so as

to effectively destroy the enemy army]

 

So, when his own army surrendered to raama, expressing their

incapacity or at a weak moment of being attacked seriously by the

raakshasaas, naturally he has to protect them. That is what is

described by the krithi – `thraaNa' souryam. The souryam is being

described or available in above slokam.

 

7. When this moola bala yudhdham started? That question is

answered in slokam

 

sa sangraamO mahaan bheema: sooryOdhayanam prathi |

rakshasaam vaanaraaNaam cha thumula: samapadhyatha || 6-94-9

 

meaning: this war between the raakshasaas army and monkey army

started from the sunrise and was terrible and confusing.

 

Point: Now, dear readers, you understand why thyaagaraaja selected

saavEri raagam for this krithi – this raagam is a morning raagam. So

a krithi in the morning raagam describing an act happening in the

morning - to glorify that `raama baaNa souryam in moola bala

yudhdham'.

 

More points in the next part since the length of the post puts a

brake on me.

 

Dhasan

Vasudevan m.g.