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INTRODUCTION
During the last five navarAtri seasons, we featured the
following thematic topics in Carnatica’s “Special Features” segment:
In addition, we also uploaded several stOtrams
on dEvi (saundaryalaharI, lalitA sahasranAmam,
and so on), appropriate for this festive occasion. They can be accessed
from the "shlOka bank" of Carnatica’s Composition Bank:
This
year, for a change, we deviate from this practice of discussing a selected
group of compositions on a single unified theme. Instead, we shall study
nine individual k.rtis composed by nine different composers, choosing one
k.rti a day for these nine days (we shall choose composers, from ancient to
contemporary, other than the trinity and mahArAjA svAti tirunAL, and rAgams
from popular to rare). The selection of songs, composers, and rAgams will be
completely arbitrary, with no special preferences, or any particular reasons.
Traditionally, the nine days
of the “navarAtri” festival are divided into three subgroups, the first
three days devoted to the worship of Goddess durga, the next three days
to lakSmi, and the final three days to sarasvati (culminating in
the Vijaya dashami on the tenth and concluding day). Following this practice,
we shall provide k.rtis on durga on the first three days, on lakSmi,
the next three days, and on sarasvati on the final three days. Each k.rti
will be preceded by a dhyAna shlOkam. Approximate meanings of the
material (within the limitations of my meagre knowledge) will also be
featured. Sincere thanks to Ms. Vidya (Jayaram) Ramji for reading an earlier
draft of this write-up, and for her valuable comments/suggestions/inputs.
[Click
here for the standard transliteration scheme]
Day 1 (durga)
dhyAna ShlOkam
ambA nUpuraratnaka”nkaNadharI
kEyUrahArAvalI
jAtIcampaka
vaijayantilaharIgraivEya vairAjitA |
vINavENuvinOda maNDitakarA
vIrAsanE saMsthitA
cidrUpI paradEvatA bhagavatI
shrI rAjarAjEshvarI ||
(from
shrI rAjarAjEshvari aSTAkam)
Meaning
ambA --
ambA (addressing the Goddess)
nUpura -- anklet
(foot/toe ornament)
ratna
ka”nkaNa – golden bracelet (wrist ornament)
dharI –
one who wears
kEyUra –
bracelet worn on the upper arm
hAravaII
-- collection of garlands
jAtI,
campaka, vaijayanti – names of various flowers
laharI –
a flood of
graivEya
– necklace (ornament of neck)
vairAjitA
– shining with
vINA,
vENu – the musical instruments, vINa and flute
vinOda –
playing
maNDIta
-- adorned
karA –
with hands
vIrAsAnE
– in a seat of great valour (magestic)
samsthitA
– seated
cid –
consciousness (mind)
rUpi --
with the form of
paradEvatA – ultimate Goddess
bhagavatI
shrI rAjarAjEshvarI -- Goddess shrI rAjarAjEshvari
Free Translation
Goddess ambA, shrI
rAjarAjEshvari is described with various attributes: She is adorned with
anklet, golden wrist bracelet, upper arm bracelet, and collection of garlands;
she shines with a flood of flowers (jAti, campaka, vaijayanti, and so on), and
various neck ornaments; she rejoices the sweet sounds of vINa, and flute
played by her hands; she is seated in a magestic throne; she is the abstract
consciousness, and eternal goddess; she is the divine consort, shrI
rAjarAjEshvari.
COMPOSITION
OF DAY 1
pAhi mAm shrI
rAjarAjEshvari
rAgam:
janara~njani, tALam: Adi
Composed by:
(mahA) vaidyanAthan shivan, rAmasvAmi shivan
pallavi
pAhi
mAm shri rAjarAjEshvari
k.rpAkari sa”nkari
anupallavi
Ehi sukham dEhi siMhavAhini
dayA
pravAhini mOhini
caranam
bhaNDa
caNDa muNDa khaNDani
mahisha bha~njani ra~njani nira~njani
paNDita shrI guhadAsa pOSiNi subhASiNi
ripu bhISaNi vara bhUSaNi
Meaning
pAhi mAm
– please protect me
shrI
rAjarAjEshvari – the auspicious rAjarAjEshvari (the goddess of the Kings of
Kings)
k.rpAkari
-- the embodiment of mercy
sha”nkari
– the one who causes auspiciousness (or, the consort of sha”nkara)
Ehi –
please come (near me)
sukham –
happiness
dEhi –
grant me
simhavAhini – one who rides the lion
dayA
pravAhini – the flow of kindness
mOhini –
the enchanting one
bhaNDa,
chaNDa – demons bhaNDa and chaNDa
muNDa –
head
khaNDini
-- one who cut off
mahiSa
-- the demon mahisAsura
bha~njani
-- slayer of
ra~njani
– the pleasing/delightful one
nira~njani -- one without blemishes
paNDita
– learned/scholarly
guhadAsa
– the servant of guha (the composer’s signature)
pOSini –
one who supports/nourishes
subhASiNi
– one with pleasant (sweet) speech
ripu
bhISaNi – one who threatens the enemies
vara
bhUSani -- decorarted with (the quality of granting) boons
Free Translation
Oh Goddess rAjarAjEshvari, the
merciful, and auspicious, and the wife of sha”nkara (or the one who is the
embodiment of auspiciousness). Please protect me!
Oh! The one who rides on a
lion, the flow of kindness, and the enchanting one,
Please come near me, and grant me unsurpassed
happiness
You are the one who separated
the heads of demons: bhaNDa, chaNDa, and you are the slayer of MahiSAsura.
You are very pleasing, and the one without any blemishes.
You protect (take care of) the
learned “guhadAsa” (the composer). You possess a pleasant speech. You cause
fear to the enemies, and you are adept in granting boons to the devotees.
rAgam
janara~njani
Janara~njani is a janyam
of mELam 29, dhIrasha”nkarAbharaNam.
ArOhaNam:
s r g m p d p n s
AvarOhaNam:
s d p m r s
The ArOhaNam is vakra – sampUrNam, and avarOhaNam omits
the notes ga and ni. It is an upa”nga rAgam, with ri,
dha, and ni as jIva svarams; the notes ni and
ri are rendered as dIrgha kampitam. It is a rAgam
that shines in madhyamakAla renditions, and is suitable for singing at
all times of the day.
Saint tyAgarAja has three popular compositions (viDajAladura,
smaraNe sukham, nADAdinamATa), and shyAma shAstri has one (nannu
brOva pada) in this rAgam. We have no k.rti by Muttusvami
dIkSitar in this rAgam.
Some books credit Maha VaidyanAtha Iyer as the composer of this k.rti, while
others mention the composer to be his brother rAmasvAmi shivan. It is quite
possible that this is a joint work of the shivan brothers (vaidyanAthan shivan,
and rAmasvAmi shivan).
The composer’s mudra, “guhadAsa” is incorporated in the
sAhityam. The k.rti has beautiful antyAkSara prAsams (chimes
at the end of each line).
A profile of MahA vaidyanAtha Iyer can be viewed
at
http://www.carnatica.net/composer/mahavaidyanathaiyer.htm
Also, a write-up on the composer, with emphasis on his monumental
mELarAgamAlika is available at
http://www.carnatica.net/special/mahavaidyanathaiyer.htm
Day 2 - himagiri tanayE hEmalatE -
shuddha dhanyAsi - muttayya bhAgavatar >> |
