ThiruvahIndhrapuram RathnAngi Series: Part 55,Two VenkatEsa Krithis of Saint ThyagarAja

[Guest guest]

SrI:

 

Dear Sri Raamachandra BhakthAs:

 

Today , we will study together the first of the two,

krithis of where ThyAgarAja SwamigaL on the Lord ofThiruppathi

Saothagiri , SrI VenkatEsEwara.

 

ThyagarAja Swamigal had arrived after a strenous climb

of the Seven hills and arrived at the Sannidhi of the Lord.

The previous poojA had just concluded and the curtains

had been drawn . SwAmigaL, who was longing to have

the darsanam of Lord SrInivAsan was very disappointed

and blamed his misfortunes and apachArams standing in

the way of curtain interfering with the soubhAgyam of

the darsanam of SeshAdhri Sekhara Vibhu. SwamigaL

was moved to compose spontaneouly a Krithi in GowLipanthu

Raagam and appealed to the Lord to remove his misfortunes

that stood in the way of having His darsanam.SwamigaL's

anguish , which broke out in the form of extemporenous

song touched the heart of Bhaktha ParAdhIna PerumAl .

As kali Yuga varadhan , Our Lord Of seven Hills responded

and the thick curtain fell sunder and the Lord presented

Himself before His Bhakthan , who thirsted for His sEvai.

 

ThyagarAja SwamigaL's happiness knew no bounds. He was

thrilled at the Lord's mercy . Thoroughly enchanted by

the beauty and majesty of the Lord , SwamigaL burst out

extempore in to another krithi in front of the Lord

and joyously acknowledged his great good fortune in

having the Lord's auspicious darsanam . That krithi

was set in the Subha Raagam of MadhymAvathi , which can be

sung at any time.

 

We will study together the two krithis of Thyaga Brahmam

on the Lord of Thirumala now.

 

GowLipanthu Krithi

*******************

Pallavi:

********

Thera theeyaga rAdhA ? lOni

Thirupathi VenaktaramaNa! mathsaramanu

 

Oh enchanting Lord of Thiruppathi with the beautiful name

of VenakataramaNa ! Won't You lift this curtain (veil)

of jealousy in me ? Oh Beloved Lord of the Sacred

Seven hills that destroys all sins ?

 

Anupallavi

***********

parama Purusha! dharmAdhi mOkshamula

paara dhOlu chunnadhi , naalOni

 

Oh Supreme Lord recognized as PurushOtthaman !

this cancerous jealousy residing in me is chasing

away the four fold PurushArthams : Dharma, ArTa ,

Kaama and Moksha .

 

CharaNam 1

***********

mathsyamu AakalingOni gaalamuchE

magnamaina reethi yunnAdhi

achchamaina dheepA sannidhini maru-

gaDDaBaDi cherachinattunnadhi

 

Just like a hungry fish looking for food

persihes by taking a bite at the baited

food on the hook , just like the bright jyOthi

(Jn~Ana) is eclipsed by the umbra of darkness

(aj~nAna) , this consuming jealousy in me is

chasing away all the four purushArTams.

 

CharaNam 2

***********

IravOndhaga bhujiyinchu samayamuna

yeegathagulu reethi yunnAdhi

HaridhyAnamu seyuvELa chitthamu

anthyajuvaadaku bhOyinaddunnadhi

 

Just like a fly stuck in one's throat

spoils the joyous occasion duirng the enjoyment

of a sumptous meal , just like the righteous mind

concentrating on Hari DhyAnam gets distracted

by the thoughts of the dark den of mahA paathakams

(dreadful evils) , this malignant jealousy in me

is chasing me away from the four purushArTams.

 

CharaNam 3:

***********

vaagura yani theliyaka mrugaganamalu

vachchi thagulu reethi yunnudhi

vegamE Nee mathamu nanusarinchina

ThyagarAjanutha! madha-mathsaramanu (Thera theeyaga raadhA ?)

 

Just as a herd of deer unknowingly walks straight

in to a net set for it by the hunter , this malignant

jealousy of mine is chasing away all the four auspicious

PurushArTams. Oh powerful Lord of the Seven Hills !

Oh Sarva Saktha Swamin ! won't You please lift quickly

and cast aside this maddening jelously that is blinding

my vision of You ?

 

At the end of this song , the curtain in front of the Lord

fell down and the Bhaktha Vathsala PerumAL blessed

the bard of ThiruvayyARu with His darsanam .

 

ThyAgarAja SwamigaL blames the brod of evils --Kaama,

krOdha , Lobha , Madha , mAthsarya-- within all of us

that blinds us from the pursuit of the four PurushArTams .

SwamigaL picks Maatsaryam as a representative of these

sextet of inauspicious guNAs that shroud us in a veil

of ignorance . SwamigaL appeals to the Lord to tear

the curtain of ignorance that stands between Him and

the BhakthA on behalf of all of us. This song of distress

over an asambhAvitham was turned in to an allegorical

prayer and the ever-merciful Lord responded affirmatively

to that request from a Parama Bhakthan .

 

SwamigaL's prayer reminds one of the Vedic prayer

that asks for help to move from from the orbit of asath

to Sath and from tamas (darkness) to JyOthi ( effulgence).

 

After this darsana soubhAgyam , SwamigaL was thrilled

and sang the MadhyamAvathi Keerthnam imbued with a sense of

utter gratefulness to the Lord His display of DayA .

 

SrI HemAbhja Valli SamEtha DevanAtha CharaNou

Saranamaham PrapadhyE,

Daasan , Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri Sadagopan