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A Musical tribute to Sri RamachandrA

From the Bhakti List Archives

Sadagopan • March 22, 1999 


Dear BhakthAs : Sri RaamyaNa NavAha Patanam is a tradition , 
where the seven cantos  of Srimadh RaamAyaNam is recited
over 9 days prior to Srirama Navami. On Sri Raama navami day ,
PattabhishEkha sargam is recited and Special ArAdhanam is 
performed for Sri SitA sametha Raamachandran . Sri HanumAn
sits in front of the Koil AzhwAr with folded hands and 
tear-brimming eyes in raptourous attention . What I started 
on March 17 in the spirit of navAham through the postings 
on Saint ThyagarAjA's adbhuda Anandha anubhavam of Sri Raaama-
Chandra parabrahmam will come to a conclusion this year 
on March 25 . I will now continue with the select janya
Raaga Krithis of Hari KaambhOji MeLam in this posting .
There are a total of 28 Krithis to be covered yet. We
will cover the first seven in today's posting : 

1.DevamanOhari (KannataNDri naapai)
2.GhAnavArithi( dayajUsudaku )
3.IsamanOhari ( manasA Sri Raamchandhruni maravaKE yE maravE)
4.UmAbharaNam (Nijamarammulanu telisinavArini)
5.Kamas (Sujana Jeevana SuguNa BhUshaNa RaamA )
6.KaapiNAARAAYANI ( sarasa Saama DhAna BhEdha DhaNda chathura ) 
7.KuntalavarALi( sara sara samaraika soora )
**********************************************

08.Kedaaragoulaa ( karuNA jaladhi Daasarathi 
   kalyANa suguNa nidhi ) 
09.KarnAtaka BehAg (nEnandhu vEdakudurA Sri Hari)
10.Kokhiladhvani ( koniyAte naayeta Daya velagu)
11.PrathApa VarALi ( VinanAsakoni)
12.ChenchukAmbhOji( VararAga layaj~nulu )
13.ChAyAtarangiNi ( Ithara dhaivamuluvalla ilanu
   soukhyamA Raama )
14.Navaraskannada ( ninnu vinA maa ma dhenthu nilvathE Hari Hari)
*****************************************************************


15.NAARAYANI ( RaamA neevE ghAni)
16.NAARAYANAgoulaa (kathalE vaadu Raamudu )
17.Naatta Kurinji ( Kuvalaya DaLa NayanA )
18.Bangalaa ( SaakshilE tanuthsu SaadhimpakE )
19.YadhukulakAmbhOji( daya sevayyaa sadhaya RaamachandrA )
20.RavichandrikA (Niravdhi sukhadha nirmala roopa ) 
21.Raagapanjaram ( VaradhA navanIthAsA paahi)
*********************************************

22.SahAnA ( dEhi tava padha bhakthim VaidEhi pathitha paavani)
23.Sarasvathi ManOhari ( yenthavEdukOntu Raagava bhantha mElarA )
24.SaamA (santhamu leka soukayamu lEthu)
25.Suddha SaavEri ( KaalharaNamElarA HarE Sri SeethArAmA )
26.SupOshiNi ( raminthsuvArevurA RaghUtthama ninu vinA )
27.Surati( GeethArthamu SangIthAnandhamu)
28.SvaravarALi ( PrArabhdhamitlunDukA )
***************************************

We will cover 7 krithis on each of the remaining four days .
Today ,we will cover the krithis in the RaagAs DevamanOhari ,
GhAnavAridhi,IsamanOhari ,UmAbharaNam ,Kamas, Kaapi NaarAyaNI 
and KunthalavarALi .

1.DevamanOhari Krithi:Kannna tanDri Naapai
*******************************************
In this morning Raagam , Saint ThyagarAjA has
composed three krithis including the above . 
Kanna TanDri Naapai is a plaintive cry for 
the Lord's DayA . Sadhguru asks : " Oh My 
Father ! Please do not hold back your compassion 
for me . I can not bear the suffering caused by Your
neglect. Please do not ever deny me Your DayA on
the grounds that (1) I am just going through the daily 
routines of life such as eating  and sleeping and 
leading an animal edition of human existence (2)I do
not have the resolution and faith to possess ceaseless
devotion to You and (3) I do not understand the relationship
between me as a Sesha Jeevan and Yourself as a SarvasEshi 
and my supreme Master .

2.GhanavAridhi Krithi: Sva-Yogya kathanA krithi
************************************************
The pallavi starts with a prayer: Daya jUchuDa kidhi
vELarA ; DaasarathE . manjuLAkArA !This indeed is the time
to confer on me Your grace.Oh Lord , who is the lion against
the fierce elephant of SamsAric afflictions! The work You
assigned me has been carried out now with happiness .Please
bless me with Your grace . A mood of Aarthi Prapathti sets in .

3.IsamanOhari Krithi:ManasA Raamachandhruni 
********************************************
This is a Maanasa SambhOdhana ktithi , where 
the Saint appeals to his mind not to forget 
Sri Raamachandran .He says: " Please do not get deluded 
over the thought  that He took the human form (mere mortal).
Please always reflect on the truth that He is
the Supreme Being appearing in Human form . Please
read the third and the sixth chapters of Srimadh 
RaamAyaNam to remind yourself that He is the Supreme
Lord who incarnated as the son of King Dasarathan 
at the request of the suffering BrahmA and the DevAs . 
Please remember that He has assigned the duties of 
Srushti (creation ) ,Pushti ( protection ) and nashti 
( destruction ) to the thri-mUrthys as belonging to 
a lower order and  is concentrating on what He likes 
to do the most (viz).,engagement in the act of granting 
boons to His dear devotees .

4.UmAbharaNam Krithi: Nija marmamulanu delisina vaarini
********************************************************
Oh RaamachandrA ! Why do You take pleasure in harassing &
testing even those vivEkis , who are well aware of the real truth/
nija Marmam (viz).,that it is You , who created the demi-gods 
and assigned them duties appropriate to their sthAnams . 
These vivEkis are aware that it is You who create DehAthma-
Bramai ( the delusion that the perishable body is the same as
the eternal aathman ) even amongst those who are experts in
Veda-Saasthra-PurANams , who comprehend the six Vaidhika Mathams ,
who recite Your names and who are rulers of the Earth .Why
do You taunt even these VivEkis , who fully understand Your
nija marmam and avathAra rahasyams ? Is it fair ?

5.Kamaas Raaga Krithi: Sujana Jeevana SuguNa BhUshaNa Raama
************************************************************
Kamas is known for many JaavaLis . In Saint ThyagarAjA's time ,
it was an UpAngha Raagam . His lineage of disciples grew its
ranjakathvam over time and made it into a BhaashAnga Raagam 
that it is today . The heart of the krithi is a prayer to
the Sujanan Jeevanan , Sri Raaman to protect him . The Saint
in a ripe mood of Bhakthi calls the Lord with delectable naamAs
and requests his Ishta Dhaivam to protect him .Some of the sweet
names chosen by the Saint for Sri RaamA here are : Chaaru nEthra 
( One with beautiful eyes ), Sri kaLathra ( SithA PirAtti's
husband ), Sriramya gAthra ( one with beautiful appearance ),
Taaraka Naama ( One of redeeeming naama mahimai) , Sucharithra
( One of auspicious history) , Dharma paalaka (one who is
the protector of Dhramam/DharmO vigrahavAn ) and Nirmala
(One who is free of any inauspiciousness ). Sangeetha KalAnidhi
Srimathi DKP has rendered this krithi majestically with bhAvam .

6.Kaapi NaarAyaNi Raagam : Sarasa Saama DhAna Bedha Danda-- 
**********************************************************
This Krithi was made famous by SangItha KalAnidhi , Madhurai
Mani Iyer . Here Sadhguru celebrates the greatness (mahAthmyam)
of Sri Raamamoorthy .He admiringly says: " Oh RaamA ! Can there 
be anyone equal to You in statesmanship and in handling the Raaja
neethi ? Even among Gods , there are none , who could match Your 
skills in using the four expedients , conciliation (Saama) ,
DhAna ( winning the enemy over thru choice gifts), Dividing
the enemies ( bhEdha ) and punishing them by military means
( DhaNdaa ).Even , the great Siva BhakthA , RaavaNA could not
gauge these crafts adequately . You used Saama through Your
benevolent advice to him , which he did not care to heed .
You offered him AyOdhyA in the event that he gave up his bad
ways and sought Your protection (DhAnaa). You were ready to 
deed him AyOdhyA , since LankhA was already promised to
VibhishaNA at Sethukkarai . You displayed BhEdhA skills , 
when You offered the kingdom of LankhA to VibhishaNA ,
even when his brother was on that throne .Finally You 
destroyed the evil RaavaNA in war ( DhandhA ). Thus You
displayed to the full Your statecraft .

7. Kunthala VarALi Krithi: Sarasara samaraika soora 
****************************************************
This krithi made famous by SangItha KalAnidhis ,
AlatthUr Brothers celebates Sri RaamA's many valorous
deeds as Raghuveeran . This is a Rishabha-GhaandhAra
Varja Oudava upAnga Raagam .Here , the Saint asks
for the protection of SoorAdhi Sooran, Raghuveeran for 
His protection and reminds Him of the many heroic deeds
that he performed .Our Sadhguru salutes them this way :
" Oh Great One who empowered a blade of grass as the mighty
BrahmAsthram ! Oh hero of matchles valour , who single handedly
destroyed the moola bhalam of RakshasAs in DaNdakAraNyam !
Oh mighty One , who quelled the pride of the King of Oceans!
Oh proud One , who were the fire to the cotton bales of 
RavaNA's reserve forces ! Oh , who served as the awesome axe
to chop down the forests of sins accumulated by people
from previous births ! Oh Lord of incomparable prowess,
who broke the collosal bow of SivA into two , a feat 
that was beyond the power of anyone in the world !
Please bless me and protect me .

Sri Raamachandra ParabrahmaNE Nama:
Oppiliappan Koil Varadachari SadagOpan