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Sri Shrii Devi KumAr"s suggestion for Sri Rama Navami Celebration

From the Bhakti List Archives

V. Sadagopan • April 12, 1997 


Dear Rama BhakthAs :

The suggestion of Sri  KumAr is a most welcome and 
timely one . The Taaraka , pOshaka Naamam of Sri Rama 
saluted by the 108 NaamAs of His ArchanA was used by
Saint ThyagarAja to offer his salutations every day . Sri Rama Navami 
MahOthsavam was celebrated in great style by this divine bard 
of ThiruvayyAru . On the banks of the sacred cauvery , he sat and 
composed song  after song and offered them as fragrant garlands 
to Sri RamachandrA . On one occasion , he composed the Krithi 
in Ragam Naatai , which starts with the pallavi of " JagadhAnandha-
kaaraka " ,. This is the first of the Gana Raaga Pancharathna Krithis 
sung today from ThiruvayyAru to Tokyo and from Srirangam  to Sydney
on the AarAdhanA day of this supreme Rama BhakthA . 

Independent of the merit of this krithi from the Musical aspect ,
a noteworthy future of this immortal song is that it has 108 salutations
to Lord RamabhadrA woven into a wonderful garland . Few years ago,
I had the good fortune to write about the Pancharathna Krithis of Saint 
ThyagarAjA and release it at Madras as a book in a sathas 
presided by the great Sangeetha Kalaanidhi 
Semmangudi Sri Srinivasa Iyer and our family friend 
Sangeetha KalA nidhi Sri K.V.NarayaNaswaamy Iyer . 

I will cover the 108 names that Saint ThyagarAja used 
in the Nattai krithi to salute the Raajeeva Lochana Raghuveeran 
through few postings. On another occasion , I will touch upon 
the fourth Pancha Rathnam composed 
in RagA VarALi that celebrates the sarvAngha Soundharyam of 
LaavaNya Raman . One day , the Saint had completed the Thirumanjanam
(AbhishEkam ) for the Lord and was engaged in drying the Lord with 
his Vasthram .  At that time , he was overcome by the beauty of 
the Lord (SaamudrikhA LakshaNam ) and broke forth 
in to a rapturous song known today as the fourth Pancharatham 
( Kana Kana Ruchidara kanaka vasana ninnu )

NamOasthu Raamaya salakshmaNasya 
dEvyai cha tasyai JanakAthmajAyai : I

Om JagadhAnanthakaarakAya Nama:  

Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri Sadagopan