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Raama Bhakthi of Saint ThyagarAja(PART III): Dhivya Naama Krithis

From the Bhakti List Archives

Sadagopan • February 14, 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 one or two more 
postings . After that , I will release the postings
in fewer lists including the RaamaBhakthi List:

RaamaBhakthi-subscribe@yahoogroups.com 

In this posting , adiyEn will cover the rest of 
the twenty plus Dhivya Naama Krithis of Saint ThyAgarAja.

Prior to that , I would like to add a clarification 
regarding Unchavrutthi practised by Saint ThyagarAja.
He belongs to the category of Unchavruthti BhAgavathars .
They are some times invited by devotees to grace their
villages to have the blessings of sambhandham with 
such BhaagavathAs. Saint ThyagarAja was invited by 
the residents of MaanambucchAvadi , KarumtattAngudi
et al for such Unchavrutthhi Bhaagavantha visits.
These  are villages near Tanjore/ThiruvayyARu. 
At his own home town of ThiruvayyARu, ThyAga  Brahmmam
went once a week for Unchavrutthi around the Raaja
Veedhis of ThiruvayyARu , which was enough for him to 
gather rice and other food materials to take care of 
his family's jeevanam . The dhivya Naama krithis rose 
on those occasions. 
 
We will now continue with the next ten of the dhivya Naamaa
Krithis:

21) Yadhukula KaambhOji Raagam , Jampa TaaLam :
" SrI Raama raghurAma SrungAra Raamayani chinthinjarAdhE 
oh manasaa with 9 charaNams.

Here ThyAga Brahmam asks his mind (Maanasa sambhOdhanam)
as to why it wont meditate upon SrI Raama , the beautiful.
He reflects on the great soubhAgyam of Mother Kausalya ,
DasaraTA , LakshmaNA , VisvAmithrA, AhalyA , SivA , 
King  Janakaa, Jaanaki and Naaradha through their
various  connections to Lord  Raamachandra through
poorva janma sukruthams (Tapas)and longs for such 
blessings.

KausalyA's  soubhAgyam was the opportunity to 
kiss the shining cheeks of her darling child
(TaLuku chekkalu muddhu BhEddu Kousalya munu
tapamEmi jEsinO teliya ). DasaraTaa had the soubhAgyam 
of calling his dear son with affection as "Raamaa" .
Lakshmanan had ths great bhAgyam of serving his 
brother exclusively ( tanivAra paricharya sEya 
Soumithri munu tapamEmi jEsinO teliya). Sage VisvAmithra"s
soubhAgyam was to lead Raamachandran to SiddhAsramam 
(KousikudutapamEmi jEsinO telita). AhalyA had the association
with the PaadhAngri rENu ( the speck of dust  from the Lord's
Thiruvadi) ; SivA's bow had the sparsa soubhAgyam of
KalyANa  Raaman; King  Janaka had the good fortune of 
giving  away his daughter to the Lord as bride and feasting 
his eyes on the beauty of the wedded couple; Jaanaki had
the MahA soubhAgyam of holding RaamA's hand with 
ecstasy ( DaharamBhu karaga karamanu BhaDDa Jaanaki
tapamEmi jEsinO teliya). 

22)Yadhukula KaambhOjI krithi with 9 charaNams: another
Maanasa SambhOdhana Krithi , where he begs his mind to
to meditate on the Lord : " ChinthithsarAdhE Oh Manasaa".

23)SankarAbharaNa krithi with 7 charaNams : The dhvani of
the krithi shows his joyous mood in celebrating the Lord's
dhivya NaamAs: " vara Leela GhAnalOla SurapAla GuNa Jaala 
Bharitha neela gana hrudhAlaya sruthi moola sukaruNAlavAla 
paalayAsumAm "

24)SankarAbharaNa krithi:" Gatha mOhA sritha BaalAdhbhutha
SeethA RamaNA " . RaamAyaNam is recognized by Sage  VaalmIki
as " SeethaYaa: Charitham mahath" . Here , Saint ThyagarAjA,
who is an incarnation of Sage  VaalmIki salutes Lord 
Raamachandran appropriately as SeethA RamaNan. 

25)SankarAbharaNa Krithi: "ParipAlaya DaasaraTE Raama mAm
paripAlaya DaasaraTE" with 7  charaNams.

26) SankarAbharana Krithi: Paahi Raamachandra Paalitha 
SurEndhra " with 4 CharaNam.

27) SankaraAbharaNa Krihthi with 11 CharaNams: " SrI Raghuvara
DaasaraTE Raama".

28)Aarabhi Krithi : " Oh Raama Oh Raama OmkAradhAma 
Oh Raama Oh Raama Onarinchu prEma" with 11 charaNam.

29) Aarabhi Krithiwith 10 CharaNams: " PalukavEmi Pathitha 
Paaavana KaruNajilkavEmi sujana jeevana". The taaLam
is Tisralaghu. In  a mood of dejection , ThyAga Brahmam 
addresses the Lord as "Pathitha Paavan" ( Redeemer of 
the Fallen). ThyagarAja  SwamigaL questions the Lord  
tightly : " How is it that You will not talk to me ,
nor display me even a little of Your abundant compassion ,
though I endure any amount of distress , though I weep
and cry  aloud , though I study much about Your charithram,
though I contemplate on You constantly , though I perform 
Kaimkaryams for You with affection , though I adore You 
much , though I movingly  appeal to You to come to my rescue,
though I follow the angAs of SaraNAgathi such as Aanukoolya
Sankalpam, PrAthikoolya Varjanam , KaarpaNyam , MahA VisvAsam
and  GOpthruva VaraNam and Aathma samarpaNam , You do not
come to me quickly. Oh Ocean of DayA ! I am entirely Yours".

The dhvani of the krithi and the alliteration of 
the Saahithya passages are moving :
 
"aaDina ninnu paaDina yEntha vEDina koniyADina,
 kOrina marugu jErina ninnu dhUrina yEntha pOrina
 telisina buddhi galsina joochi solasina pEru delisina
 NaagarAja Sayana vEga raa SrI ThyAgarAjanutha gruNAsAgara " 

30)DevagAndhAri Krithi with 7 charaNams : " Paalaya SrI 
Raghuveera SukrupAlaya Raaja KumAra mAm" 

31) PoorNachandrikA Raaga krithi with 6 charanams:

"SrI Raama Raama JagathAthma Raama 
 SrI Raama RaghurAma paahi ParamAthma"

The nAmAs by  which ThyagarAja SwamigaL addresses
the Lord here in a mood of nirvEdha are moving :

JyOthirmayAkhaNda Roopa Paahi !
Sarva-grahAdhara bhUtha Paahi!
YOgijana HrudhayAbdha Mithra Paahi!
SrIdhAntha , BhOgisaayee ! Paahi
Saantha nirvANa Phaladha Paahi!
GeervANa Munivandhya ! sujanEshtadhAtha Paahi!
Dheera ! Bhava saagarOttharana Paahi!

He concludes in the fifth charaNam that there is
no one for him except the Lord :

Thvam vinA nAnyathra jaanE Raama 
Thvam vinA kO gathirjAnakIjAnE ?

Oh Soul of the Universe ! I know of none
except You to protect me.I know of nothing
beyond You! Without You , what gathi (direction)
is for me ? Please come to my rescue .

32) Junjoodi Raagam with 12 charaNams: 
" Raama Raama Raama Raama rArA SeethA Raama "

33) VarALi mELam with 6 CharaNams:
" Taranu Nee sari Dhaivamu ghAnara Raghuvara "

VarALi is an adhbhutha ghana Raagam chosen by
SwaamigaL for his Joyous Kana kana ruchira krithi.
He has  composed 15 krithis in Raaga  varALi and
five among them are Dhivya Naama krithis.In the other
MeLa Raagam of Dheera SankarAbharaNam , SwamigaL has
composed 31 krithis out of which five again are
Dhivya Naama krithis. 

34) VarALi Krithi with 8 charaMams:"Paahi ParamAthma
Sathatham mAm" 

35) VarALi Krithi with 8 CharaNams:" Paahi RamA Ramana 
mAm pAhi , SathguNa GaNa harE Raama "

36) VarALi Krithi with 12  Charanams: " Raama SrIraama
jitha Raama gatha Kaama " The glories of PrAsam and 
Laya Vimarisai of this krithi is exceptional to display
the genius of SrI ThyAga Brahmam as a Sahaja VaaggEyakArar
(Natural born composer) with a heart soaked in Raama Bhakthi. 

37) VarALi Raaga  krithi : SrI Raama Jaya Raama Sritha Jana 
ripu bheema, srungAra guNa dhAma " with 11 charaNams.

38) Panthu VarALi (51st MeLam): " Param Paavana GuNasAli
nannu paalimpavE VanamAli" 

39) SaarangA Krithi (MEcha KalyANi Janyam): with 6 charaNams:
" Maamava RaghurAma MaragathamaNi ShyAma " One of the 7 krithis
composed by the bard in this Raagam is this dhivya nAma krithi.

40) MOhana Raaga krithi with 11 charaNams : DayarAni DayarAni 
DaasaraTE Raama" 

The Bhagavd  anubhavam expressed by the bard is exquisite:

" When the desire for You comes up in me , the whole
universe looks like a trifle as a blade of grass "
( " aasinchu vELa jagamantha thruNamAyEnu Raama").

Here SwamigaL begs for the Lord's grace to flow unto him.
When that grace flows , SwamigaL says that his bliss
would be indescribable ; his whole body will become
thrilled;tears of joy  will roll down his eyes; all
my worries will disappear , when You are at my  side.  

41) KalyANi Raagam ( mEla Raagam )  . One of the 19 krithis 
composed by Saint  ThyAgarAja is this Dhivya Naama Krithi:
" BhajarE Raghuveeram Sara-bharitha DasaraTa KumAram" with 10 
charaNams.

Here the athyantha Raama Bhakthan invites us us to worship 
the Raghu Veeran , the RaajAthi Raajan , who has blessed 
him with many boons.The UpadEsams of the Saint in this krithi
are universally appropriate as an AchAryan:

" Give up greed and unworthy desires; do not engage in
slander of others; control your five senses , deeeming 
worldly  happiness as nothing but poison;understand that 
all things will not  serve your purpose , but go their
own way , knocking  about hither and thither; do not 
engage yorself in other distracting work. Do not put on
false garbs to decieve the world , like the proverbial tiger
in cow's skin. Abandon all mischevous pursuits. Let the crossing 
of the ocean of SamsAra be your sole aim. Take delight
in doing good deeds. Surrender all your actions to the Lord .
Join the company of true devotees and learn the path of
devotion. Have always in your mind SrI Raama ,who is 
outside the three guNAs and worship Him. Subjugate lust
and other inner enemies and achieve your lofty goal
(parama PurushArTam)".

42) YamunA KalyANi Krithi with 3  charaNams: " Raama Raama
Raama mAm Paahi" . There are 5 krithis composed by the Saint 
in this Raagam and this one is the only  Dhivya nAma  
krithi in this raagam.

There are number of other krithis , which will fit
the category of dhivya NaamAs on the basis of the assembly
of dhivya nAmAs in the Krithis. Few Examples are: 

1)HusEni Krithi,RaamA ninnE namminAnu nijamukha SeethArAmaa"

2) KedAragowlai krithi , ChApu TaaLam: " KaruNAjaladhi!
DaasaraTE ! kamaneeya suguNa nidhi" 

3) madhyamAvathi krithi : "Raama ! samayamu bhrOvarA 
nApAli Dhaivama" 

4) AsAvEri Krithi: " MaapAli vElasi"

The namskaraNams in this krithi suggest 
that this krithi could easily be classed 
as a dhivya Naama krithi :" DhIna Rakshaka! BhakthAdhIna! 
SaakEthanagarAdhIsa! SamAna rahitha! BhavasAgarAnthaka! 
SaraNAgathAptha! AapathbhAndhava! ThyAgarAja Vinutha! "

SrI Raamachandra ! Raksha mAm SaraNAgatham !
Raama Daasan , Oppiliappan Koil VardAchAri SadagOpan 
  

                                                                           


   
   
      
 

 
  










DaasOham , Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri SadagOpan  



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