Kadai Muzhukku dinam/Tulaa SnAnam : Sri Tyagaraja Kriti Series: Kriti cAlu cAlu nI yuktulu raaga sAvEri

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SrI:

SrI raghunandana parabraHmaNe namaH

Kriti cAlu cAlu nI yuktulu

raaga sAvEri

In the kRti ‘cAlu cAlu nI yuktulu’ – rAga sAvEri, the gOpis desire union with srI kRSNa.

(Background – This is part of the dance-drama ‘nauka caritraM’ – The Boat Story. The gOpis meet kRSNa at the yamunA River and contemplate of travel in a boat. kRSNa says that it is not within the capacity of the women to steer boat and says he will do the job; however, the gOpis do not believe Him and think that He is up to some trick. After Lord convinces them, they all travel in the boat. kRSNa sports with each of the Gopi individually (taking so many forms). gOpis wonder as to what penances did they perform in order to enjoy the Lord like this . As kRSNa exhorts them now to row the boat in the Westerly direction, gOpis think that this is another ruse of kRSNa and they speak what is on their minds to him in this kRti).

Pallavi:

cAlu cAlu nI yuktulu naDavadu

sAras(A)kSa srI kRSNA

Anupallavi:

sUla dhar(A)dulak(a)rudaina mamu gUDi

sukham(a)nubhavimpavE srI kRSNA(cAlu)

CaraNam 1:

adhara radanamula kani sokkucu mEm-

(A)sinci vaccitimi

budha rakSaka salya sArathyam(o)narinci

boMkEd(e)rugamaitimi srI kRSNa(cAlu)

CaraNam 2:

kaNDa chakkera(v)aNTi palukulu vini mEmu

kAminci vaccitimi

uNDi(y)uNDi bAluni gilli mari toTla-

(n)UcEd(e)rugamaitimi srI kRSNa(cAlu)

CaraNam 3:

tyAgarAja nutuD(a)ni ati prEmatO

taruNulu vaccitimi

bhOgi sayana mA mATala mIraku

buddhisAli(v)audu sumI srI kRSNa(cAlu)

Gist

O Lotus Eyed srI kRSNA! O Protector of the wise! O Lord reclining on sESa (serpent)! It’s enough! Your designs won’t work. By uniting with us - who are rare even for Lord siva and others - experience the bliss. We came with longing enamored by beholding Your lips and teeth; we were not aware of (Your) indulging in guiles like the charioteering of King salya. We have come craving having heard Your words which are sweet like the sugar candy; we were not aware of Your whimsical double-dealing like pinching the baby and also rocking the cradle (to pacify it). We, the damsels came with great love thinking that You are the Lord praised by tyAgarAja; You won’t transgress our words; You are intelligent, ain’t You?

Word-by-word Meaning

P O Lotus (sArasa) Eyed (akSa) (sArasAkSa) srI kRSNA! It’s enough (cAlu cAlu)! Your (nI) designs (yuktulu) won’t work (naDavadu).

A O Lord kRSNA! By uniting (gUDi) with us (mamu) - who are rare (arudaina) even for Lord siva – wielder (dhara) (literally holds) of spear (sUla) – and others (Adulaku) (dharAdulukarudaina), experience (anubhavimpavE) the bliss (sukhamu) (literally comfort); O Lotus Eyed srI kRSNA! It’s enough! Your designs won’t work.

C 1 We (mEmu) came (vaccitimi) with longing (Asinci) (mEmAsinci)

enamoured (sokkucu) by beholding (kani) Your lips (adhara) and teeth (radanamula); O Protector (raKSaka) of the wise (budha)! O Lord kRSNA! We were not aware (erugamaitimi) of (Your) indulging (onarinci) in guiles (boMkEdi) (boMkuterugamaitimi) like the charioteering (sArathyamu) (sArathyamonarinci) of King salya; O Lotus Eyed srI kRSNA! It’s enough! Your designs won’t work.

C 2 We (mEmu) have come (vaccitimi) craving (kAmiJnci) having heard (vini) Your words (palukulu) which are sweet like (aNTi) the sugar candy (kaNDa chakkera) (chakkeravaNTi); O Lord kRSNA! We were not aware (erugamaitimi) of Your whimsical (uNDiyuNDi) double-dealing like pinching (gilli) the baby (bAluni) and also (mari) rocking (UcEdi) the cradle (toTla) (toTlayUcEderugamaitimi) (to pacify it); O Lotus Eyed srI kRSNA! It’s enough! Your designs won’t work.

C 3 We, the damsels (taruNulu) came (vaccitimi) with great (ati) love (prEmatO) thinking (ani) that You are the Lord praised (nutuDu) (nutuDani) by tyAgarAja; O Lord reclining (sayana) on sESa – the serpent (bhOgi)! O Lord srI kRSNA! You won’t transgress (mIraku) our (mA) words (mATala); You are (audu) intelligent (buddhisAlivi) (buddhisAlivaudu), ain’t You (sumI)? O Lotus Eyed srI kRSNA! It’s enough! Your designs won’t work.

Notes -

General – srI kRSNA – in the book of TSV/AKG, all the occurrences of this word in this kRti is given as kRSNA’ at the end, whereas in the book of TKG, these are given as ‘kRSNa’. This needs to be checked. Any suggestions ???---- Since it is sambhOdhanam, KrishNaa usage is correct ….V.Sadagopan

C1 - salya sArathyamu – This refers to the War of mahAbhArata. King salya is the brother of mAdri (kunti and mAdri are wives of king pANDu) – therefore, maternal uncle of nakula and sahadEva. Before the war, salya came to join the side of pANDavas, but was tricked by the kauravas to join them – mahabhArata – Book 5 – udyOg parva – Section 8 (Please visit the website for full story - http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/m05/m05008.htm); King salya, in turn, as the charioteer of karNa, ditched him (karNa) in the thick of the battle leading to the slaying of karNa by arjuna. This betrayal is referred here as ‘salya sArathyamu’. For complete story in mahAbhArata – salya parva - Please visit the site - http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/m09/index.htm.

C1 – boMkEderuga – this is how it is given in the book of TSV/AKG.

However, in the book of TKG, this is given as ‘boMkuTeruga’. This needs to be checked. Any suggestions ???

C2 - bAluni gilli toTlanUcEdi – this is a famous usage in tamizh and telugu to indicate double dealing – to make the child cry and then pacify it.

C2 – toTlanUcEderuga – this is how it is given in the book of TSV/AKG.

However, in the book of TKG, this is given as ‘toTlayUcanaderuga’. The former version seems to be approppriate and has been adopted. This needs to be checked. Any suggestions ???

C3 – prEmatO - this is how it is given in the book of TSV/AKG. However in the book of TKG, this is given as ‘prEmacE’. This needs to be checked.

Additional Comments By SrI V Sadagopan:

Saint Thyagaraja created the gEya Naatakam, Noukaa charitram to celebrate Lord KrishNaa’s Baala chEshtais. The ride in the Yamunaa river and the threat of capsizing of the boat to teach the haughty gopis a lesson is not mentioned in Srimad BhAgavatam. Saint ThyAgarAja used his imagination to construct this gEya Naatakam and enriched it with kritis in number of rakti raagams. The haughty gopis recognized the Iswaratvam of the child GopAla and performed SaraNAgathi to Him and He brought them safely back to the banks of the river. This kriti is set in the Raagam SaavEri known for the KaruNaa, SrungAra and Saanti rasams to fit the mood of the enchanted gopis, who invite the Lord to enjoy their company and stop playing any tricks on them.

SaavEri Raagam has been chosen by the Carnatic Music Trinity to compose a total of 28 Kritis. Ninteen of the 28 have been created by Saint ThyAgarAja. This Saaveri Raaga Kriti from Noukaa Charitram is rarely heard compared to other SaavEri Raaga Kritis of Sadhguru. This is said to be a thousand year old rAgam. SaavEri Raagam is a janyam of Maayaa MaaLava Goulai (15th Mela Raagam) with 5 svarams in AarOhaNam and 7 svarams in avarOhaNam. Hence it is an OUdava-SampoorNa Raagam.

It has Suddha Rishabham, Suddha Madhyamam (SaavEri Madhyamam), Suddha Dhaivatam in AarOhaNam and Kaakali NishAdham, Suddha Dhaivatam, Suddha Madyamam, antara ghAndhAram and Suddha Rishabham in avarOhaNam. The rishabham and Dhaivatam are PrAdhAnyam for the KaruNA rasam. The Madhyamam of SaavEri is unique and it sounds different from the normal Suddha Madhyamam. It is a BhAshAnga, rakti raagam sung in the first part of the Morning.

SaavEri raagam is a tri-sthAyi rAgam and therefore permits elaborate manOdharmam for AalApanai. The pleasing and extensive sanchArams of this Raagam is like a boat ride in a beautiful river like KaavEri or Yamunai. This drama takes place in the Yamuna river. Yamunai ThuRaivan (Lord of Yamuna) is the hero of this Naatakam. The sukAnubhavam of the immersion in the waters of Cauveri and the singing of the Kritis in SaavEri is described by the proverb: “Kaaveri SnAnam, SaavEri GhAnamâ€. The proverb says: Bathe in KaavEri and sing SaavEri. Mutthuswami Dheekshitar just did that. He composed a kriti in SaavEri (DHuNDi GaNEsam BhajarE KaavEri taDastam), took Tulaa Maasa snAnam in KaavEri and paid his tribute to KaavEri by saluting one of the GaNEsaas, who was enshrined on the banks of Cauveri at Maayavaram as “Kari kalApa Mukham, KaavEri TaDastitam dhuNDi GaNEsam bhajarE“. Few miles south of Maayavaram (MayilAduthuRai) is ThiruvayyARu on the banks of KaavEri, where Saint ThyAgarAja sat and composed his many kritis in SaavEri Raagam.

Sri Raama DhAsan, Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri Sadagopan

 

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