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

From the Bhakti List Archives

Sadagopan • April 21, 2003 


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    




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