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A Musical tribute to Sri RamachandrA

From the Bhakti List Archives

Sadagopan • March 17, 1999 


Dear Raama BhakthAs :

As Sri Raama Navami approaches , I thought it will be
nice to celebrate Sri RamachandrA through the divine 
krithis of a Raama chaithanya, Sri ThyagarAja SwamigaL 
and explore their meanings to illustrate the deep
Raama Bhakthi of the Bard of ThiruvayaaRu .

For a Sri Vaishnava like Saint ThyagarAja , any Raagam 
which had the sambhandham of Hari was dear . Hari Naama 
Sangeerthanam was his life .It is no wonder therefore 
that the bard focussed on the 28th MeLam ,Hari KaambhOji
as a favorite Raagam for his many krithis . May be the fact 
that the number 28 is made up of 2 followed by  8 , Dhavayam
and AshtAksharam sent him into raptures , when he composed 
HarikAmbhOji krithis like " DinamaNi vamsa Tilaka laavaNyaa ,
Dheena saraNyA " .

Not only did Saint Thyagarajaa compose Krithis full
of Bhakthi BhAvam , MahA VisvAsam in HarikaambhOji , but 
he also selected many janya RaagAs of this MeLa raagam
of BhaaNa chakram to construct exquisite garlands for 
decorating Sri Raamachandran . HarikAmbhOji has atleast 
105 janya raagams .Saint ThyagarAjA chose many of the gems 
among the janya raagams to make his musical naivEdhyam to 
the Lord of AyOddhi . Some of these beautiful janya raagams of
HarikAmbhOji chosen by Saint ThyagarAjA are listed below .
Many a Great SangItha VidvAns have sung these krithis
of Sadhguru SwaamigaL in divya desams and Bhajana Matams .

Each of these krithis are gems in their own right from their 
Bhakthi BhAvam and artha gouravam . I will summarize the meanings
of these krithis in the subsequent posts . The other Most
favorite MeLa Raagam of Saint ThyagarAjA is Hari Hara priyA
( Karahara PriyA ) and its Janya Raagams . We will reserve
a study of them for another occasion . For now , we will
focus on the HarikAmbhOji MeLa Raaga Krithis and its
Janya Raaga krithis . One of the Krithis in the particular
Janya Raagam is included in paranthesis below : 


1.AandhOLikA (AbhimAnamu lEthEni)
2.AtaaNA ( Naaradha Gaana lOla natha jana paripAla)
3.BahudhAri ( BhrOva BhAramA )
4.BalahamsA( Raama SeethA Raama ,Raama Raaja Tanaya )
5. DevamanOhari (KannataNDri naapai)
6.GhAnavArithi( dayajUsudaku )
7.IsamanOhari ( manasA Sri raamchandhruni maravaKE yE maravE)
8.UmAbharaNam (Nijamarammulanu telisinavArini)
9.KadanakuthUhalam 
10.Kamas (Sujan aJeevana SuguNa BhUshaNa RaamA )

11.KhAmbhOji (Oh RangasAyee and Maa Jaanaki )
12.KaapiNAARAAYANI ( sarasa Saama DhAna BhEdha ) 
13.KuntalavarALi( sara sara samaraika soora )
14.Kedaaragoulaa ( karuNA jaladhi Daasarathi 
                klayAN asuguNa nidhi ) 
15.KarnAtaka BehAg (nEnandhu vEdakudurA Sri Hari)
16.kokhiladhvani ( koniyAte naayeta Daya velagu)
17.PrathApa VarALi ( VinanAsakoni) 
18.ChenchukAmbhOji( VararAga layaj~nulu )
19.ChAyAtarangiNi ( Ithara dhaivamuluvalla ilanu
                 sukhyamA Raama )         
20.NataNAARAAYANI

21.Navaraskannada ( ninnu vinA maa ma dhenthu nilvathE Hari Hari)
22.NagasvarALi ( Sripathi nee chinthanE Jeevanamu)
23.NAARAYANI ( RaamA neevE ghAni)
24.NAARAYANAgoulaa (kathalE vaadu Raamudu )
25.Naatta Kurinji ( Kuvalaya DaLa NayanA )
26.Bangalaa ( SaakshilE tanuthsu SaadhimpakE )
27.BalahamsA (Raama yEva Dhaivatham )
28.Gunjari ( AbhimAnamennadu galkurA )
29.MaaLavi(NenarunchinAnu )
30.YadhukulakAmbhOji( daya sevayyaa sadhaya RaamachandrA )

31.RavichandrikA (Niravdhi sukhadha nirmala roopa ) 
32.Raagapanjaram ( VaradhA navanIthAsA paahi)
33.Valaji
34.SahAnA ( dEhi tava padha bhakthim VaidEhi pathitha paavani)
35.Sarasvathi
36.Sarasvathi ManOhari ( yenthavEdukOntu Raagava bhantha mElarA )
37.SaamA (santhamu leka soukayamu lEthu)
38.Suddha SaavEri ( KaalharaNamElarA HarE Sri SeethArAmA )
39.SupOshiNi ( raminthsuvArevurA RaghUtthama ninu vinA )
40.Surati( GeethArthamu SangIthAnandhamu)
41.SvaravarALi ( PrArabhdhamitlunDukA )

Krithis in HarikAmbhOji MeLam 
******************************
1.UnDEthi RaamudakadE 
2.YentharAni tanakentha pOni
3.Yenthuku Nirdhaya yevarunnArurA ?
4.DinamaNi Vamsa Tilaka LaavaNya
5.Sani thEdi dEvE oh manasA
6.Oka maaDa Oka BhANamu oka pathni vrathutE
7.Raama Nannu bhrOvarA
8.vallakA tanaka SeethA vallabhaa
9.VinathA sutha Vaahanutai
10.RarA PaNi Sayana Ravi Jaldhija Nayana
11.Laali Laaliyani 

The intense Bhakthi-laden krithis in HarikAmbhOji 
and its many janya raagams are testaments to the 
devotional ecstacy of this Raama BhakthA par excellence .
We will enjoy the meanings of some of the krithis 
in the subsequent postings .

Sri Raamachanhra parabrahmaNE Nama:
Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri Sadagopan