Raama Bhakthi of Saint ThyagarAja(PART II): Dhivya Naama Krithis
From the Bhakti List Archives
• February 10, 2003
SRI:
Dear Raama BhakthAs:
In the context of the Creation of a special list
for saluting Raama ChaithanyAs like Saint ThyagraajA ,
adiyEn is copying the wider lists for two or three more
postings . After that , I will release the postings
in fewer lists including the RaamaBhakthi List:
RaamaBhakthi-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
The Range of RaagAs chosen for the Dhivya Naama Krithis
********************************************************
Today , we will focus on the 20 of the 40 plus immortal krithis of
Saint ThyagarAja , which are like veritable dhivya sahsara
nAmams for Lord Raamachandran . They are set in 22 Raagams.
Some of them are mELa Raagams (ThODi, KalyANi , SankarAbharaNam,
VarALi); Some are beautiful rakthi rAgams that evoke great
sense of tender devotional anubhavam of the Lord of SaakEtha
Nagaram (PunnAgavarALi , Mohanam , JunjooDi , YamunA KalyANi ,
NaadanAmakriyA , SourAshtram , Aananda Bhairavi et al).
" Land-based versus Mobile Krithis" that soared above
*****************************************************
Together with Uthsava SampradhAya Krithis , the Dhivya Naamaa
Krithis occupy a special place in the history of the devotional
music of India . These dhivya naamaa krithis are widely sung
and have simple and sweet diction embellished with melodious music.
If Uthsava SampradhAya Krithis were created to accompany
the SamarpaNam of Various UpachArams in front of the Sannidhi
of Lord Raamachandra at the Saint's PoojA graham , the dhivya
nAmA krithis were created during the Veedhi PradhakshaNam ,
when the Saint and his ghOshti of sishyAs went on Unchavrutthi
daily . The great VairAgyasAli ,Saint ThyagarAja , who rejected
the monetary gifts from the MaraattA king of Tanjore with
the KalyANi song ( Nidhi chAla Sukhamaa ? Raamuni sannidhi
sEva sukhamA ? nijamuga Balku manasA!)sustained himself
and his family with alms given respectfully by
the citizens living in the Raaja Veedhis of ThiruvayyARu
as he went around singing the names of the Lord .
During these morning travels on those Raaja Veedhis
of ThiruvayyARu , the Saint used to compose extempore
devotional songs and performed Naama KusumAnjalis to
Lord Raaamabhadran.
The way in which the Saint's Krithis were preserved
****************************************************
The sishyAs used to repeat the sAhithyam passages after their
AchAryan and sang with him .In those days , there were
no paper and pencil to write down the saahithyams of the bard.
One sishyan will absorb a portion of the Krithi , go to
a quite place and write it down with chalk on slate ,
memorize the sangathis and musical fine points and
practise it and then return to the GhOshti . The next
sishyan will do the same and at the end of the day ,
all the sishyas will piece together the portions of
the krithis that poured out of heart of the Saint
and sing it in front of their AchAryan and make him
happy.
Some disciples like Chowna Venkatachalapathy Bhaagavathar
of nearby AyyampEttai village were so overcome by the beauty
and the madhura bhAvam of these dhiya Naama and Uthsava
sampradhAya krithis that they learnt only these two types
of Krithis.
The Long CharaNams of dhivya Naama krithis
********************************************
Thyaga Brahmam has blessed us with 31 krithis in the 8th MeLa
Raagam of ThOdi to demonstrate the extraordinary range of
this MeLa Raagam . One of the thirty one krithis has been
cast as a dhivya nAmA krithi (HariyanuvAri sari yevvarE ?).
This has 4 charaNams . The main streets of ThiruvayyARu
are long and multiple haltings have to be made to
recieve the Bikshai from householders ; therfore
number of the dhivya nAma krithis had large number
of CharaNams . For instance the BouLi dhivya nAmA
krithi , " DhIna JanAvana SrI Raama , DhAnava HaraNa
SrI Raama " had 10 charaNams. After the Veedhi PradakshiNam ,
Swamy arrived at his home in Thirumnajana Veedhi and
got ready for the AarAdhanam of his Lord with ShOdasOpachArams .
Swamy's dharma pathni took the morning's unchavrutthi
proceeds and prepared the naivEdhyam for the Lord .
List of the Dhivya Naama krithis
*********************************
1. ThOdi : HariyanuvAri sari yevvarE? (4 Charanams)
2. AsaavEri: DasaraTa Nandhana , DhAnava Mardhana
Dayayaa Maam Paahi HarE ! (7 CharaNams)
3. AsaavEri: Nammaga nE mOsa pothudairA NatarAja
vinutha ( 6 CharaNams)
4. PunnaagavarALi: "Paahi KalyANasundara Raama mAm
(12 CharaNams ).
5. PunnAgavarALi: "Tava DaasOham Tava DaasOham DaasaraTE
(7 CharaNams)
6. PunnAgavarAli or DesIya ThOdi:" NamO NamO RaaghavAya anisam"
(8 CharaNams ); said to be the first composition of
ThyagarAjaa as a boy assisting his father , Raama Brahmam ,
in his aarAdhanam of their Kula dhanam , yEka Peeta Raaman.
This vigraham is worshipped today by the descendants of
ThyAga Brahmam at Varahappaiyer Lane , Tanjore.
7. PunnAgavarALi: Maanasa sanchararE RaamE (7th case) with
10 CharaNams.
The last six are Janya Raagams of (Hanuma)ThOdi .
PunnAgavarALi Raagam is KrauNA Rasa PradhAna Raagam
like AsAvEri.
8. NaadhanAmakriyA: KaruNA jaladhi DaasaraTI
KamanIyAnana SuguNa nidhi (9 CharaNams);
MaayAMaaLava Gowlai MeLa Raaga janyam;
SampoorNa Raagam .
9. SaavEri : Intha kanna telpa taramA JagadhIswara
nE neeki taramA neethO (6 CharaNams); Sarva Svara
gamaka rAgam . Rakthi poorNa raagam . MaayAmALava
GowLai's janya Raagam.
10. SaavEri: SrI Raamachandra Raaghava Sakala-lOkAdhAra
ThvamEva , Maamava ( 9 CharaNams)
During the morning hours on the banks of CauvEri river,
this raagam, where the savram "Saa" almost becomes "rI ",
(SaavE ReeyAha mAruvathu) it must have been an exquisite
pleasure to hear the dhivya NaamAs of the Lord sung
in SaavEri and blessing every one within ear shot.
11. BhouLi: "DheenajanAvana SrI Raama DhAnava HaraNa
SrI Raama" (Ten CharaNams); MaayAmaaLava GouLai
Janyam ; ideal for singing in the early morning hours.
12. SourAshtram : "Paahi Paahi DhInabandhO Maam
Paahi ParAnandha SindhO" (8 CharaNam); MangaLa
Ragam ; Janyam of the 17th MeLa Kartha , Soorya
Kaantham. Sarva Svara Gamaka Rakthi BhaashA Raagam.
13. SourAshtram:"Paahi Maam HarE , MahAnubhAva Raaghava !"
(6 CharaNams)SourAshtram is used often to worship Soorya-
MaNdala Madhyastha Raama NaarAyaNan of Soorya Kulam.
Vide: SrI Dikshithar's Navagraha krithi for Soorya
Moorthy set in SourAshtra Raagam.
14. Bhairavi:" Raama KOdhanda Raama , Raama KalyANa Raama,
Raama PattAbhi Raama , Raama SitApathi neevE gati"
( 6 CharaNams).In this wonderfully moving Krithi,
Raama Naamam is invoked 26 times . ThyAga Brahmam
declares his ananya gathithvam and aakinchanyam
in this Dhivya Naama Krithi addressing saraNAgatha
Rakshaka Raama Prabhu.
15. Bhairavi: "NaaTa BrOvavE , RaghunATa BrOvavE "
(7 CharaNams).He addresses his Master, RaghunATan
as a matchless one and begs Him to protect him.
16. MukhAri: "Indhukaa ee tanuvunu bhEmchina " (7 charaNams).
In a mood of melancholy over not recieving anugraham from
Lord Raamachandran, ThyAgarAja SwaamigaL laments for
the poor lot of those who do not stretch their arms
to worship the Lord , but instead use it for recieving
gifts from haughty ones.Swamy asks: " Is it for this that
this body has been nurtured ?"
17. MukhAri: "YenthaninnE VarNinthuni Sabari BhAgyamu"
How can I describe the BhAgyam of Sabari , who performed
AarAdhanam for the Lord on the banks of the Pampa river
and offered special fruits picked with her own hands
and was blessed with MokshAnugraham by the Lord ?
SwaamigaL is eager to have such a bhAgyam of darsana
soubhAgyam of the Lord .
18. Aanandha Bhairavi: " Raama Raama neevAramu gAmA
Raama Raama SitA RaamA Saadhujana PrEma Raa Raa"
(7 Charanams). In this krithi, SwaamigaL endearingly
invites Raamachandran to come near him quickly
and bless him . Another great devotee of Raamchandran
must have been walking with the Saint as he went around
singing these dhivya Naama krithis on the streets of
Panchanatha Puram ( ThiruvayyARi)(viz)., HanumAn .
19. Aananda Bhairavi: " KshIra Saagara VihAra aparimitha
GhOra Paataka vidhAra " (2 charanams). Nada Bhairavi MeLa
Raaga janyam. Sarva MangaLakara Raagam .
20. Yadhukula KaambhOji: " Paahi Raamachandra Raaghava-HarE Maam "
( 9 CharaNams); Janyam of HarikAmbhOji. MangaLa Raagam
that can be sung at all times. This krithi is set in
a mood of remonstrance and is a moving One:
" Oh RaagavA ! Please peotect me! I have no refuge
except You. Hence , Rush to my protection quickly.
Although I prayed for Your protection often , it is
a mystery that You do not show even a small amount of
mercy to me. I have been repeatedly appealing to You as
my Ishta dhaivam to banish my samsAric ills. Wont You
look in my direction soon ? Without Your anugraham ,
there is no purpose for my existence . What is going to
happen to me ? For You , it may be a sport to keep me
at bay. Am I a fit person for Your sport ? Is it
laudable that some one so great as You should behave
in this indifferent manner? This is the time for Your
karuNA katAksham to fall on me.I can not wander around
and beg for protection.I have no one else to ask for
rakshaNam and there is no God , who is Superior to You.
You are worshipped by the king of kings and You
are the Lord of ThyagarAjA (RaajarAja poojitha PrabhO
HarE ThyAgarAjarAja Raaghva prabhO)!
Each of these dhivya Naama Krithis have the distillation
of the essence of Bhagavath anubhavam and are densely
adorned with the many names of the SarvalOka SaraNyan ,
SitA Pathi.
adiyEn will cover the remaining 20 plus Dhivya Naama
Krithis in the next posting. Devotees ! Please add
the audio files of these dhivya Naama krithis in
the Oppiliappan or Raama Bhakthi Lists , if you
happen to have their renditions . Thanks.
AmbhujAksha vEga jooDurA , nee kadAkshambhu
lEni janmamElarA ( Paahi Raamachandra )
DaasOham , Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri SadagOpan
--------------------------------------------------------------
- SrImate rAmAnujAya namaH -
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