Pariyaachakama maata

Raga Vanaspati , Mela 4
Aa: S R1 G1 M1 P D2 N2 S Av: S N2 D2 P M1 G1 R1 S
Taalam: Rupakam

Lyrics: Pallavi: pariyācakamā māṭa? padigurilō pogaḍinadi Anupallavi: verapuna nanu mānambuna vesanambuna nē kōri śaraṇāgata rakṣaka! ninnu santatamunu śaraṇanaga  Charanam: oka munikai draupadi dvārakā nilayā! śaraṇanaga oka māṭaku vibhīṣaṇuḍu ōrva lēka śaraṇanaga sakalēśvara! prahlādu  jālicē śaraṇanaga hitakaruṇḍai brōcitivē tyāgarājuni māṭa

English verse: Do I seem the droll of the shire, As I sing of You at the town square? Refuge of All! In pain, fear and doubt, I ever seek refuge at Your redoubt! Has not Your Hand from afar, reached, The queen, as before the sage, she winced? When upon a single taunt, Brother fled brother's haunt, And when a prince cried out in grief, Did You not take them to Your fief? And yet, O Lord of all,  Are my words alone, Mocked and left alone?

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Comments:

Incidents from  the Mahabharata, the Ramayana and the Bhagavatam are serially referred to here. 

Queen ... sage: When the Pandavas were exiled to the forest, Duryodhana and his cronies bade the irascible sage Durvasa, an incarnation of Shiva, to visit them at their hermitage. The sage was known for his ready curse and ravenous appetite. Duryodhana contrived that the sage would arrive with his retinue at the hermitage after the Pandavas had had their meal of the day, and there was no food left. Durvasa was expected to run into a rage and wreak great curses upon the Pandavas. Draupadi, upon the sage's arrival, prayed to Krishna who was at the time, across the country, in Dwaraka. Krishna, with His divine powers, came to her aid and forestalled the sage.

Brother fled brother's haunt: Vibheeshana, the youngest brother of Ravana, counseled him to turn over Sita to Rama and seek his refuge. In response to Ravana's anger at this counsel, Vibheeshana defected to Rama's side and was crowned the king of Lanka after the war.

Prince cried out: Prahalada, though the son of an evil demon, somehow grew up to be a devotee of Vishnu and after repeated attempts on his life, by his father, the terrible Hiryanakashipu, who was protected by a boon from Brahma that made him all but immortal, was saved by Vishnu, in his most terrifying incarnation, as the Narasimha or man-lion. The incarnations of Vishnu are detailed in the Bhagavatam, where details not in the Ramayana or Mahabharata, may be found. Tyagaraja alluded to Prahalada several times, as he is a symbol of the "Bhakti marga" or the path of personal devotion, that is considered accessible to all, irrespective of birth and creed. Prahalada, though an Asura or demon, was expressly saved by Vishnu. This is in fact, the only case in Hindu mythology, when a major incarnation interceded solely to deliver an Asura. Tyagaraja, of course, composed the Prahalada Bhakti Vijayam, an entire cycle of songs about the Prahalada events.

Vanaspati is one of the seventy two  melakarta or foundational ragas, and one of the forty that includes vivadi swaras or dissonant notes including R3, G1, D3 and N1, in the notation scheme we use. There is some controversy between certain quarters about whether such ragas should be used in the Carnatic system or not. In reality, it reflects the development of the theory of Carnatic music over time, rather than whether these ragas can produce elaborate, consistent and pleasant melodies or not, into which debate the controversy somehow turned.

The regular reader might find that the verse translations are far too frequently in couplets. This could indeed get tiresome. The sole reason for the frequency of couplets is that, while generally preserving word and sentential order in the original, I also try to match Tyagaraja's flow. Due to his particular, music composition style, Tyagaraja's lyrics, when rendered into readable English, just naturally fall into couplets. I have my own style of writing poetry, as would anyone, but it is quite clear that anyone else writing a verse translation that tries to match the flow of the original, would also use couplets.

A COMPARATIVE STUDY: Here is a piece from Philip Massinger's 1624 play, The Bondman, which quite succinctly captures both the idea behind the path of Bhakti Yoga or Marga, and Prahalada's own ascent. As might be expected from a Renaissance playwright, the original thought is from Horace. But, it has been handled more directly and so, effectively, by Massinger here. The Sabaeans of Horace's time, were a people from the south of the Arabian peninsula, who had become wealthy from trading in fragrances, particularly frankincense and myrrh, which was indigenous to the area.

                                 The immortal gods
  Accept the meanest altars, that are raised
  By pure devotion; and sometimes prefer
  An ounce of frankincense, honey, or milk,
  Before whole hecatombs, or Sabaean gems,
  Offered in ostentation.

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Raka Shashi Vadana

Raga Takka, 15 Mayamaalava janya
Aa: S G3 M1 P M1 G3 M1 D1 N3 S Av: S N3 D1 M1 P M1 G3 M1 R1 G3 S
Taalam: Adi

Lyrics: Pallavi: rākā śaśi vadana! iṅka parākā? Anupallavi: nīkāguṇamu kārādavanīkānta! karuṇāsvānta! Charanam: nammiyunna nija dāsulaku nammikalanosagi maṛaturā! tammi kanulanoka pāri nanu daya jūḍa rādā? mariyādā ? pāri pāri ninnanudinamukōri kōrina vārini yīdāri brōcitivā? māyādhāri! rārā! ēlukōrā! nīvē telusukonduvanucunu bhāviñcucunu nēnu nī pada sēva jēsiti mahānubhāva! tyāgarājunipai

English verse: Does it befit You to lack in grace, O Lord of the moon-like face? Does it befit You to break Your word, Lord of the Earth of infinite mercy, To forget the faithful and clemency? Deny me Your gaze and turn untoward? Was such the refuge given, To we who daily prayers proffered? Fount of all worldly illusion, Hasten, hasten, raise me heavenward. Sure was I, as I served at Your feet, That ere long You would note, O Mighty Prince, at Your feet, Lay one You must now dote.

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Comments:
There is not much to note in this song except that this is again in a raga in which Tyagaraja contributed a single song that we know of. In fact, no other songs in this raga are known in the common concert repertoire. But, the odd thing is that it is not a neglected or nascent raga in his time, one that Tyagaraja successfully deciphered like most of the other ragas where he contributed a single song. In fact, it is an ancient raga with more popular cognates and descendants. It was found in different parts of India and today is found both in the Northern and Southern systems. It is supposed that it takes its name from the peoples of the ancient Takka country, which the Rajatarangini by Kalhana, which chronicles the kings of Kashmir, considers to be outside ancient India and therefore possibly a northwesterly country in Persia or Central Asia, though nothing else is known about them other than this reference. Ragas named after ancient peoples are considered to have moved with them into different parts of the country. But, the Rajatarangini is from roughly around 1000 C.E., though Takka strains seem to have been known much earlier even in the remote south of India. 

"Earth", here, is the earth personified as Bhudevi, one of the consorts of Vishnu. It is line with Tyagaraja's specific Vedantic doctrine to hold all the world as an illusion and the Supreme Self as the only reality.

As we have seen earlier, the very first verses of the Ramayana describe Rama as most compassionate and having a full moon like face indicates the compassion expected of a ruler according to Indian astrology.

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Extra Comments:
If I were to speculate, I would think that the Takkas referenced here, were a Turkic people who lived to the north west of the kingdom of Kashmir. It is known from the Rajatarangini that some other Turkic peoples served the kings of Kashmir.

This is not a frequently heard raga or song. We shall revisit some details about the musical terms associated with different peoples later.

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Vandanamu Raghunandana

Raga Shahana, 28 Harikamboji janya
Aa: S R2 G3 M1 P M1 D2 N2 S Av: S N2 S D2 P M1 G3 M1 R2 G3 R2 S
Taalam: Adi

Lyrics: Pallavi: vandanamu raghunandana! sētubandhana! bhaktacandana! rāma! Charanam: śrīdamā! nātō vādamā? nē bhēdamā? idi mōdamā? rāma!   śrīramā hṛccāramā! brōvabhāramā? rāyabhāramā? rāma! viṇṭini nammukoṇṭini śaraṇaṇṭini rammaṇṭini rāma! ōḍanu bhakti vīḍanu orulavōḍanu nīvāḍanu rāma! kammani viḍemimmani varamukommani paluku rammani rāma! nyāyamā? nīkādāyamā? inta hēyamā? muni gēyama rāma!  cūḍumī kāpāḍumī mammu pōḍimigā kūḍumī rāma! kṣēmamu divya dhāmamu nityanēmamu rāma nāmamu rāma! vēgarā karuṇāsāgarā śrītyāgarājuni hṛdayāgra rāma!

English verse: Son of Raghu! To You, In prayer my hands lock. As you bridged the ocean's lock, So you lavish upon your flock. Must we in argument lock? "We aren't one", do you mock? Even Wealth flows from You; Will this charade amuse You?   In Wealth, Your ken; Is saving me a burden? Another plea from me, Must you hearken? Of You, having heard, I meekly surrendered; All my trust I duly kept. "Come!", in prayer wept. Never shall I fail, nor falter; Nor ever leave Your altar; Another I shall not entreat, Bound am I to Your feet. Bid me draw near, Betel leaves in honor, As befits that sweet essence, Grant of Your munificence. Is it at all fair? Or a gainful affair? Such ill will? In You of sages' trill? With a glance, save me; Rightly consort with me. Shelter and shrine are found, By Your name profound. Hasten to my side, Most kind! Ever in my heart and mind!

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Comments:
This song is another from the Prahalada Bhakti Vijayam cycle. Its simple structure, rhyme and metrical symmetry make it suitable for group singing in a call-response form as well as normal rendition by a single performer.


The fastidious may note a mythological anachronism in this song. As it is from the Prahalada cycle, we can surmise that it appears to Tyagaraja that Prahalada prays thus to Rama. However, in commonly held mythology, Prahalada figured in the fourth incarnation of Vishnu, that of Nrsimha or the Man-Lion. Rama was the seventh incarnation and was born ages after Prahalada's time. Even the line of the Raghus had not yet been founded. This song too, thus shows Tyagaraja's propensity for Ishta Devata Aradhana, or worship of a personal deity, a concept discussed elsewhere. This concept makes the seeming anachronism consistent, for we next encounter the reference to Wealth being His consort, rendering this as a case of pars pro toto.

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Extra Extra Comments:
In my opinion, Shahana is one of the gems of the Carnatic system. It is not easily imparted and needs some maturity for an exposition, but it can convey extraordinary emotional content. There is a tradition in many parts that this raga must not be taught by a teacher lest the tutelage would break prematurely. It is often postponed to the end of the training period. As can be concluded from its complex ascent and descent schema, it may not be easy to compose such simple lyrics and music for it as in this song without oversimplification. From personal experience too, I think it can sometimes be hard to compose in it. Compare this with the song emaanticchevo, which we shall soon cover. That is a more mature work in terms of sustention of phrases, shows the complex layers of Shahana more and contains rich emotional expression.


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Alakallalalaadaga

Madhyamavati Raga , 22 Kharaharapriya janya
Aa: S R2 M1 P N2 S Av: S N2 P M1 R2 S
Taalam: Rupakam

Lyrics: Pallavi: alakalallalāḍaga kani yarāṇmuniyeṭu poṅgenō Anupallavi: celuvu mīraganu mārīcuni madamaṇacē vēḻa Charanam: muni kanu saika telisi ṣiva dhanuvunu viricē samayamuna tyāgarāja vinutuni mōmuna rañjillu

English verse: As His curls gracefully swayed, How the sagely heart swelled.   As He rent evil Maricha's pride; All limits His charms did elide.   As curls His face lighted, The royal sage delighted. And so, the sage winked "Now!" Lo! He'd rent the Great Bow!

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Comments:
This song about Rama's valor and beauty is a fine example of Tyagaraja's poetry. He visualizes the scenes of Rama's conquering pestilential demons and breaking the great bow under Vishvamitra's tutelage. Through the eyes of the sage, he marvels at the beauty of Rama which shone through even whilst performing such exploits. Throughout the common concert repertoire, we seldom encounter the vivid images and emotional expression of Tyagaraja's songs. This sets him apart as the artist among composers. Then comes the fine musical detail. Tyagaraja's songs, like this one, belong as much to the musician as to the poet. If you hear this song sung softly, you will see how both the cadence of the lyrics, and the musical scheme, imitate the gentle tossing of forelocks in the wind. It takes extreme skill to concurrently create such music and poetry- simple, yet graceful. 


Vishvamitra, unlike other sages of the highest rank (Brahmarishi), had originally been a king. Against the entreaties of His father, King Dasharatha, this sage took Rama and Lakshmana away into the forest with him, under the pretext of subduing the demons who destroyed his penances and sacrifices at his hermitage. The king thought Rama was too young. But, his guru, Vashishta, foremost of sages and Vishvamitra's former adversary, counseled the king that Vishvamitra was well capable of subduing the demons by himself. There must have been some ulterior motive, to Rama's benefit, that made him demand Rama to guard him. And there was indeed. The sage first invested Rama with celestial weapons and two powerful chants, Bala and Adibala that made Rama impervious to hunger and thirst. Rama subdued several demons, among whom was the conjurer Maricha, an uncle and vassal of Ravana. He reappeared as the golden buck that Rama chased as Ravana abducted Sita. Rama's travels with Vishvamitra culminated in his shattering the Great Bow of Shiva at Janaka's court, and claiming Sita for his wife. This song alludes to those famous episodes. Even in times of performing such feats, Rama's countenance was exceedingly beautiful, as his shining curls tossed about, as Tyagaraja tells us. As Tyagaraja himself and other sources tell us, He was still in His teens and yet He remained calm and assured when fighting powerful demons like Maricha. When attempting what so many great kings had failed at, He showed not the slightest fear or hesitation and strung and shattered the Great Bow of Shiva. How do we find such counter-intuitive and precocious greatness of character in Rama? The Ramayana describes His many virtues. (..contd in the next post)


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Mokshamu kalada

Raga Saraamati, 20 Natabhairavi janya
Aa: S R2 G2 M1 P D1 N2 S Av: S N2 D1 M1 G2 S
Taalam:Adi

Lyrics: Pallavi: mōkśamu kaladā bhuvilō jīvanmuktulu gāni vāralaku (mōkśamu kaladā) Anupallavi: sākśātkāra nī sadbhakti saṅgītajñāna vihīnulaku (mōkśamu kaladā) Charanam: prāṇānala samyōgamu valla praṇava nādamu saptasvaramulai paraga vīṇāvādana lōludau śiva manōvidhamerugaru tyāgarāja vinuta  (mōkśamu kaladā)

English verse: Seek not to rise heavenward; When bereft of love for the Maker, And unwise of musical strains. Salvation for the Freed, remains. The first sound with fire finds, The notes of the seven kinds; O Lord, of this they know not, Nor of the bliss Siva enjoys, In the strings of His fancy; And from You are ever barred.

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Comments:
This is another song where Tyagaraja extols "Music worship". The goal for the pious in Hinduism is salvation of the individual and merging with the Lord. It is not for example, eternal life in Paradise. This is Moksha. The Freed refers to Jivanmukhtas. They are liberated souls who have by virtuous deeds, expended their stock of Karma, or demerits accrued over their souls' previous manifestations. They are freed from the cycle of life and death and shall not be born again. Great souls who have attained the stage of Jivanmukhti will live out their normal lives. At the end of this life they will rise to heaven. In the Mahabharata and in works based on it, Jivamukthas are described as inhabiting a level of the heavens and shining as celestial bodies. Although a Jivanmuktha may be liberated from transmigration or the cycle of births, he may not yet be worthy of Moksha or eternal liberation and merging with the Lord. 


Prana is considered the life-breath, life-force or vitality of a living being. Anala, literally fire, in this song, but not always, signifies the energy or active force. In the human body, Anala is the fire of the gastric system or the digestive juice. Prana and Anala, together with the primordial sound generated by the mystic syllable, Om, are said to create the seven notes of the octave. "Strings of His fancy" refers to the veena. The allusion to Siva and a veena hearkens to various episodes where His devotees, including Ravana, the demon king, so pleased Siva with skillful veena play, that He bestowed upon them boons of limitless power. Rama is not directly mentioned, but it is He who is being invoked. Siva's association with music, Om and the Sama Veda are mentioned by Tyagaraja in several songs. 

The reader new to Hindu culture may find the practice of choosing a personal deity (ishta devata aradhana) as seen here, interesting. In Hindu praxis, as is consistent with the concept of Brahman, the Supreme Self being manifested as the various divinities and as all else, the faithful each choose a personal deity for daily worship in line with their antecedents and milieu. The personal deity, irrespective of the deity's position in the pantheon, then subsumes all attributes of all the gods and becomes the Great God in daily worship. Laymen might be far removed from the concept and pursuit of the Brahman in daily worship and solely identify themselves as devotees of Rama or Krishna or Shiva and so on but would not be fully correct as the manifestation of the Brahman as such, is a constantly upheld notion in Hindu scriptures. Thus, though according to Hindu lore, Rama was born a mortal, was only an incarnation of Vishnu, one of the Trinity, and certainly not equal to one of the Trinity, and prayed to Shiva on numerous occasions Himself, here and elsewhere, He is alluded to as the causer (correctly materialize) of the world and as a transcendent divinity, subsuming the functions of all others. This may seem inconsistent according to mythology at the outset, but it is certainly consistent with Hindu theology.  Interestingly, when western scholars started studying Hinduism in the 19th century, this practice caused some bewilderment among them.

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Extra Comments:
The keen reader may note that in the verses, I have swapped the positions of the pallavi and anupallavi. However, the color coding should clarify the word and line order.

It is quite possible to see too much in this song, given the lofty reference to Moksha with which it starts and one or two authors have done this. However, in terms of the actual lyrics and sentiments in the song, it completely in line with other songs and has little novelty in this regard. However, as we do not know the exact order in which all the songs were composed, we cannot say if this song echoes others that are in this vein, or if other songs hold reflected light.

For the keen reader, many details on historicity, accuracy and rigor, as adopted in this site, are given in this essay.

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Durmarga chara

Raga Ranjani, 59 Dharmavati janya
Aa: S R2 G2 M2 D2 S Av: S N3 D2 M2 G2 S R2 S
Taalam: Rupakam

Lyrics: Pallavi: duṛmārgacara adhamulanu dora nīvana jālarā! Anupallavi: dharmātmaka! dhanadhānyamu daivamu nivaiyuṇḍaga Charanam: paluku boṭini sabhalona- patita mānavulakosage khalula neccaṭa pogaḍani śrīkara! tyāgarāja vinuta!

English verse: Not for me to call him master, Not the villain of evil ways! Wealth and grain come after, A touch of Your upright grace. Speech, ne'er shall I barter, Where fiends hold court. Nor nod to another's sale, O Lord of wealth and vale!

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Comments:
This is not a commonly heard song; nor is it involved in musical or lyrical detail. But, the thoughts Tyagaraja expresses in it, tell us a lot about his path in life and why he composed such music and such poetry. Cf. with the famous "Nidhi Chala sukhama" song we saw earlier, where he denounces wealth. Here, he is critical of serving the base for pecuniary benefit and considers this a taint upon the learning of men. Speech personified as here, refers to Sarasvati and to learning. Such revulsion for wealth was common among men of learning of his time. Learning was considered an aid to illumination and the Highest and not as a path to wealth. While Tyagaraja was perhaps the most austere of the Trinity, none of them served the great kings of the time as court musicians nor sought extensive royal patronage.

Such renunciation among the pious and scholarly is peculiar to his culture. In the west, we find a starkly different case. Many of the great masters of the classical music there, did not fight shy of wealth and some did acquire it. Mozart, a figure comparable to Tyagaraja in the West, predated him by only a few decades. Much is known about his various patrons and his considerable fees for composition. It has been of some interest whether he died a pauper or not. The Pythagorean notion of finding the sublime in music had long been dead in his time.

Unlike in the west, learning itself was and is considered sacred in his culture and profiting from learning is considered sinful. Tyagaraja's brother who too lived in their ancestral house was said to be highly covetous and eventually, fell out with him. Tyagaraja's devotion to Rama was his sole avocation in life. To his brother's chagrin, Tyagaraja considered wealth as precluding his quest for Rama. So, we hear of the episode alluded to in the earlier song, in which his idol of Rama was lost and found. Such abhorrence of wealth and comforts as pollutants is an ancient and consistent teaching in Hinduism. It is held that they cannot be sought and attained without the debasement of the individual self.

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Extra Extra Comments:
Resumption of this website and changes to style:
Friends, I think it is time to resume this website. However, based on the feedback from readers and a review of the new approach I use here, I am making two key changes. Previously, I used to write one song each day and planned to write up to five, so that I covered most of Tyagaraja's oeuvre quickly. Now, subject to health and other vagaries, I plan to write no more than 2-3 songs a week. But, the commentary on the songs will be much more elaborate and comprehensive. I think this will serve the purpose of this website more, as my intent is not to merely provide a compendium of the songs, but to impart, clarify and augment the songs and the wealth in their lyrics.

Final form of this website:
I receive many requests for the book form of this site (Volume 1) and also some questions. I used to send out what was mainly a download of this site, as a pdf document. I have been revising this book form into a much more readable actual book. I will start sending this revised 'Volume 1' out, once it is ready. Once I am sure that I have covered most of thematic content in the songs, on this website, I do fully intend printing this new approach as a serious academic work, as a book set in two volumes.

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Ennadu Jutuno

Raga Kalavati , 15 Chakravaham janya
Aa: S R1 M1 P D2 S Av: S D2 P M1 G3 R1 S
Taalam: Adi

Lyrics: Pallavi: ennaḍu jūtunō? inakula tilaka! nin(nennaḍū) Anupallavi: pannagaśayana! bhaktajanāvana! punnama candurubōlu mukhamunu Charanam: dharaṇijā saumitri bharata ripughna vānarayūdhapativaruḍāñjanēyuḍu karuṇanu okarikokaru varṇimpa nādaraṇanu bilicē ninu, tyagarajārccita!

English verse: When ever will I see You, when? Finest of the sun-kings! When? Reclined on the great snake, You tend to Your flock's sake. The bright full moon's wake, Your visage shall soon atake. In Your retinue, each sings Of all that Your grace brings, As kindly You draw each to Your side, My worshipful Lord, glory betide!

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Comments:
The context of this song, in popular legend, is Tyagaraja's desperate search for the missing idol of Rama. The idol of Rama with Sita, Lakshmana and Hanuman, that was part of his daily worship, went missing one day in his middle age. In common legend, this is held to be the handiwork of his jealous brother. Tyagaraja lapsed into a state of shock, fearing that he had been deserted by his beloved Rama as punishment for some unknown trespass. In the months that followed, before he retrieved the idol from the banks of the Cauvery, came an outpouring of many of his most moving songs, as he pleaded with Rama to reveal Himself and not torture his devotee so. This song is one of the finest from that period and among the most moving of all of Tyagaraja's lyric poetry. The simple familiarity with which he begins, "When ever will I see You?", is most direct and most touching. It clearly conveys the theme that he was once one with Rama, and though removed from Him now, shall some day reunite with Him; there is neither doubt nor distance, only hope held for some remote day. Cf. with the notion in the hymn, Amazing Grace:

"I once was lost but now am found.
Was Blind but now I see."

It is true that great many questions are raised about the historicity of many of the events popularly attributed to Tyagaraja. This song however, due to its power, seems to be, by itself, proof that Tyagaraja might well have lost his Rama, agonized long and eventually found Him again.

The slow and soft plaintive notes to which he has set the underlying melody, most naturally fit the lyrics and its situation. Few other choices could have existed. Due to its simplicity and appropriateness, I have even wondered if he might have just burst forth into the song and much later, worried about the musical structure he had given. Emotion might well have preceded method, much in the tradition of lyric poetry.

About the verses: I have mirrored the simplicity of the original lyrics in my verses. The only thing to note is "Rama's retinue". In most iconic representations of Rama with His retinue, Sita, Lakshmana and Hanuman are included. Here, Sugriva, king of the apes, Bharata and Shatrughna are also mentioned among the retinue. Incidentally, one of the icons of Tyagaraja's daily worship, is still preserved by some of his descendants, in the southern city of Thanjavur.


What makes a poet, one? As the legend goes, Tyagaraja felt that Rama, displeased with his service, had walked out of his home in anger. Penitence and plea filled Tyagaraja as he desperately searched for Rama and his outpouring showed a poet's extraordinary sentiment and sensitivity. This fineness of vision is not given to all. It is the sole preserve of the poet. A poet, one may say, sees the world very differently. It is far more panoramic to him. There is depth, color, beauty and reason to every speck and sparkle a poet sees. And so, we find Tyagaraja missing his Rama and seeing Him with His retinue, vividly in his mind's eye. Another would merely have had another idol made and invested it for worship the next day, as customs demand that a family icon must be replaced immediately. But, no, not to Tyagaraja. It is this gift of a unique vision, that empowers a poet with creativity and spontaneity.

Yet, there are times when even the most ethereally inclined poet, realizes that some in his audience might be of different turn of mind, and chained to the mundane. He then finds the need to reconcile the world as he sees it, with the colorless world that others without the gift of poetic vision and sensitivity, might see, for only when it reaches them too, can he really trumpet the transcendence of his art.

A comparative study: We have seen that Tyagaraja's songs often reflect how far away and above the world he was. Yet, here is a case where Kalidasa, the king of poets, wants to reconcile with the mundane and justify himself. One of the finest poems in Sanskrit, and indeed, in all of world literature, is his Meghadutam or "The Cloud Messenger". It contains some of the finest imagery ever written by man. Meghadutam tells the tale of a Yaksha (a celestial being akin to a demigod, who typically serves Kubera, the god of wealth), who has been exiled from the Yaksha city of Alakapuri in the Himalayas to the south of the country. He is separated from his beloved who is in Alakapuri, and convinces a passing cloud to carry a profession of his lasting love to her. Realizing it to be a beautiful but very unique conception, Kalidasa finds the need to justify himself. How can such a thing as a message carrying cloud be? From the first canto of Megadhutam:

dhūmajyotiḥ salilamarutāṁ sannipātaḥ kva meghaḥ |
saṁdeśārthāḥ kva paṭukaraṇaiḥ prāṇibhiḥ prāpaṇīyāḥ ||

ityautsukyādaparigaṇayanguhyakastaṁ yayāce|
kāmārtā hi prakṛutikṛupaṇaścetanācetaneṣu||

Whither a cloud,- a mess of lightning, water and wind! Whither the meaningful message of an articulate being!

Yet, with immeasurable anxiety did the Yaksha beseech the cloud. Verily, only the lovelorn fail to differentiate between the sentient and the insentient!

And so, we learn that it is not the poet who is flighty in making a messenger out of a cloud! No, it is his lovelorn subject who enlists the cloud. It is the Yaksha's fault! It is the fault of love itself.

Many such accounts of extraordinary messengers of love exist in Sanskrit literature. For example, in the older Mahabharata, Nala and Damayanti had a swan for a messenger. There were several imitations of the Meghadutam itself in the centuries that followed.

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Extra Comments:
I am sorry for the long absence. It was triggered by acute illness and computer and other problems. But I simply couldn't resist writing something on the occasion of the Tyagaraja Aradahana at Tiruvaiyyar.

This post is dedicated to reader Karthik S., who sent some rousing comments from Gandhigram. We do get notes of appreciation and congratulations off and on, but none has been as profuse or as uplifting. It is always a pleasure to write for the discerning reader. His comments prompted me to write today about poets and their unique ways. Here are the gentleman's comments:

" I read your blog and I must say that I am a fan of yours. You have a deep knowledge of Western and Indian poets. I am reminded of Tilak's great work Gita Rahasya wherein which he effortlessly brings the work of Spencer, Mill and Kant and other Western philosophers to match with the Eastern philosophy of Vyasa, Valmiki, and other vedic seers.

Also you possess a poet's heart which makes the reading even more fantastic. The joy that you must have felt when translating his work should be unmatched and need no other trophies for it. May Sri Rama who gave such an ecstcasy to Sri Thyagaraja and Mahatma Gandhi (I am currently on the banks of Sabharmati, very near the Ashram sanctified by his feet - Ahmedabad) bless you ! "

He continued in another email:

"Was very happy to hear that your guru had been at the ashram and even also a freedom fighter. I am eagerly looking forward to your write up on Bhaja Govindam and MSS. I believe that your writings are simple and beautiful, very soon you will get a publisher and great reception for your writings... As you have included Mahakavi's work on the blog, similarly I am looking forward to read all the great Indian writings from Kabir's Andar Ram, Bahar Ram jahan deko vahan Ram to Appar's Kunitha puruvammum , Kovai Sevvayum !

Please continue your service, it's a great contribution to Indian Literature !
Dorakuna ituvanti seva !"


Thank you Karthik S., and to others who wrote. Thank you all, and do keep writing.

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Sogasu Juda

Raga Kannadagowla, 22 Karaharapriya janya
Aa: S R2 G2 M1 P N2 S Av: S N2 D2 P M1 G2 S
Taalam: Deshaadi

Lyrics: Pallavi: sogasu jūḍa taramā! nī Anupallavi: niganigamanucu kapōla yugamucē merayu mōmu! Charanam: amarārcita pada yugamō! abhaya pradakara yugamō! kamanīya tanu ninditakāma! kāma ripunuta! nī vara bimba samādharamu vakuḻa sumambula- yuramu karadhṛta śara kōdaṇḍa! marakatānga! varamaina ciṛu navvō! mungurulu mari kannulatēṭō! vara tyāgarājarcita! vandanīya! iṭuvaṇṭi

English verse: Can another of such beauty be? Glimmering cheeks and shining face Feet adored by the celestial race, Hands that are the saving grace; Allures that Love does shame, His Bane exalts Your name, Kept, the Great Bow ever at hand, Of crimson lips and bright blue arms, O Finest Grace of divine charms! A smile and curls over the face lie As my worship's clear eyes rest high Venerable past all is beauty such.

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Comments:
A simple song that describes the beauty of Rama's Person. Here we see some poetic art in the similies drawn. We also note that this was lyricist writing, than a poet, for a poet of Tyagaraja's sub-culture, would have easily gone overboard with vivid imagery. Extensive imagery was indeed the state of the craft there. Tyagaraja instead, had to satisfy the melodic scheme intended for the song. We have encountered most of the other allusions in other songs.

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Extra Comments:
Sorry for the long absence. This time, first I was out of town due to health problems and then it was my computer. The various in-house software I use for this project just wouldn't work on my other machines. It took a morbidly long time to type and format this song on one of my spare machines. But, now, we are back.

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Manavini Vinuma

Raga Jayanarayani , 22 Karaharapriya janya
Aa: S R2 G2 M1 P D2 S Av: S N2 D2 P M1 G2 R2 S
Taalam: Adi

Lyrics: Pallavi: manavini vinumā! marava samayamā? Anupallavi: kanugona kōri duṣkalpana māniti kanikaramuna ninu pāḍucunna nā Charanam: parulaku hitamagu bhāvana gāni ceracu mārgamula cintimpa lēnu parama dayākara! bhakta manōhara! dharādhipa karārcita tyāgarāju!

English verse: Hark the cry from my heart, O Lord! Now from Your mind, am I barred? I purged evil but to see You, O Lord! Mercy! For I sing of You ever 'n hard! Nary an evil thought toward one and all, Carry did I,- only goodwill toward all. Most kind, Joy of the flock, the hands of all Kings, in Your worship lock! Heed my call!

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Comments:
A key focus of this site is viewing Tyagaraja as a lyric poet. This is close to the justifiably overworked description of Tyagaraja's songs as being Bhava or emotion filled, that is prevalent in Carnatic music circles. So, in this song, we return to that theme. What more emotion can a poet convey than to speak of the pain in his heart? Is emotional expression not the point of music? When Man first broke out into song, was it not a spontaneous expression of emotion?

One thing we did not note while discussing the kriti 'Raga Sudha Rasa' is the fact that it was in Andolika, a raga not used before Tyagaraja and therefore generally ascribed to him. That song is also the one popular song in that raga in the mainstream concert repertoire. The raga of this song, Jayanarayani, is also similarly ascribed to him. There is always a question about the eighty odd ragas in which he has only one or two songs, as to whether each was created or pioneered by him. Some explanations are given for this extensive introduction by Tyagaraja. There are interesting legends about how Tyagaraja came to possess many long lost books on music, often believed to be through the intercession of the celestial sage Narada. Tyagaraja had access to rare texts on the theory of music, imbibed them expertly and experimented successfully with then unheard ragas with unprecedented frequency- this much is clear. Of course, we shall hold back on musical details for some more time.

About the verses: There is not much mystery to this song. 'Marava Samayama':Literally, is this the time to forget? 'Bhakta manohara':He that enlivens the hearts of His worshipers- taken to be Rama, though he is not directly mentioned in the song.

A Comparative Study: The theme of this song is that Tyagaraja, having cleansed himself of all base thoughts and deeds, and armed with the power of virtue, now finds himself eligible for Rama's grace, and so registers his plea afresh. The merit of virtue is a frequent theme across all cultures. Here is Wordsworth, on "The Moral Law":

THE MORAL LAW

All true glory rests,
All praise of safety, and all happiness,
Upon the moral law. Egyptian Thebes,
Tyre by the margin of the sounding waves.
Palmyra central in the desert, fell !
And the arts died by which they had been raised.
Call Archimedes from his buried tomb
Upon the plain of vanished Syracuse,
And feelingly the sage shall make report
How insecure, how baseless in itself,
Is that philosophy, whose sway is framed
For mere material instruments : — how weak
Those arts, and high inventions, if unpropp'd
By virtue.

Tyagaraja makes his case to Rama based on his being virtuous. Virtue is universally seen thus, as a requirement for divine approval and bounty. Here is Milton, on the reward for virtue, in Paradise Regained:

This is true glory and renown, when God
Looking on the Earth, with approbation marks
The just man, and divulges him through Heaven
To all his Angels, who with true applause
Recount his praises.

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Brova Bhaarama

Raga Bahudari, 28 Harikambhoji janya
Aa: S G3 M1 P D2 N2 S Av: S N2 P M1 G3 S
Taalam: Deshaadi

Lyrics: Pallavi: brōva bhāramā? raghurāmā! bhuvanamella nīvai nannokani Anupallavi: śrī vāsudēva! anḍa kōṭla kukṣiṇi- yuncakō lēdā? nannu Charanam: kalaśāmbudhilō dayatō namarulakai- yadigāka gōpikalakai koṇḍaletta lēdā? karuṇākara tyāgarājuni

English verse: Scion of the Raghus, is it too much to bear, Saving a single soul, kept by Your care? Yet, You pervade all that exists, And You are all that exists! Blessed prince! The universe boundless, You hold in Your Person endless. Mountains you have moved and borne, And that, twice at least, haven't I known- The king of mounts, For the gods, to find nectar, A hill upon your finger, To give Your flock, shelter. Compassion for all You find, This bard has You in a bind.

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Comments:

The theme of this song is that, as the Lord has borne far greater preponderances and is all pervasive and omnipotent, could He not attend to the meager task of saving a humble bard?

About the verses: Blessed prince: As Vaasudeva, or the son of Vasudeva, Krishna was a prince of the Yadavas. "Kukshini": the stomach; literally "The corners (borders) of the universe are bound by Your stomach." or "You contain the universe within Your Person." One epithet frequently applied to Vishnu is "aparyapta" or limitless, He of the limitless form. He has appeared in this Cosmic Form, stretching across the universe, and embodying all of it, in a number of episodes. Mandara, the king of mounts was borne by Vishnu, as the churn, when the gods and demons churned the Ocean of milk for nectar. This was in his incarnation as the Great Tortoise (koormaavatara). "Your flock": The cowherd people of Gokula, ('gopikaas' in the original, signifying the women), among whom Krishna spent his childhood. In this episode, Krishna to humble the vain Indra, instructed his people to stop worshipping a vengeful and undeserving Indra. The wrathful thunderer Indra sent down torrential rain to wipe them all out. But, Krishna merely lifted up the Govardhana hill on His little finger and sheltered His people under it. For nine days Indra tried to drown them with his rains. Having failed, the humbled Indra sought and obtained Krishna's pardon. Here again Tyagaraja sees Rama as Krishna and Vishnu also.

We saw two different flavors of all-pervasiveness in the two previous songs. Here, we see two more flavors. In the first, totality, the Lord, is considered the sum total of the Universe ('You are all that exists'). So, He is "all the universe", as in the kriti. The next flavor is subsumption. The whole universe is said to be contained in His person. That is, He contains all that is in existence, and all that is existence, within Himself. He is above and beyond the universe. In a famous episode, on being chided by his mother Yashoda for eating sand, the child Krishna opened His mouth wide to reveal all the universe within it. But, this image of all the universe being contained in Vishnu's stomach, is from the Srimad Bhagavatam, specifically, verse 3:33:4.

Once again, here are the four flavors of all-pervasiveness we have seen:

• He is within one or one is He.
  
• He pervades all beings in the universe.
• He is the sum total of all beings in the universe.
• He contains the universe within Himself, as a small part.

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Extra Comments:
Usually, in such discourse, the common practice is to quote from the relevant Hindu scriptures and sacred lore. Scholarly quotations would abound. Since our aim on this site is to reach a wide range of readers, from all heritages and persuasions, we will generally summarize what is relevant from those sources, in an accessible form and quote only when absolutely necessary. Sometimes we may give the verse number, so that the more interested reader may indeed try and should try, to read from the source too. We will quote more extensively, but from literature, in the comparative studies.

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Marugelara

Raga Jayantashree, 20 Natabhairavi janya
Aa: S G2 M1 D1 N2 S Av: S N2 D1 M1 P M1 G2 S
Taalam: Deshaadi

Lyrics: Pallavi: marugēlarā ō rāghavā! Anupallavi: marugēla carācara rūpa parātpara sūrya sudhākara lōcana! Charanam: anni nīvanucu- anatarangamuna tinnagā vētagi telisikoṇṭinayya ninnēgāni madinennajāla norula nannu brōvavayya tyāgarājanuta!

English verse: Son of Raghu, must You still evade? All beings alive, Your Person make. You transcend all; All you pervade. The sun and moon, for eyes, You take. You are all that is, now I've learned, Looking hard within, as my mind turned. You fill my mind; all others I've spurned, Save this bard,- for so much, I've earned.

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Comments:
In this song, as in the previous one, Tyagaraja continues his quest for Rama. Here, he searches hard within himself and finds a slightly different answer to the question, "Where is Rama?".

About the verses:"Son of Raghu": Literally, a descendant of Raghu. "Charachara": All living things, those that move (generally fauna) and those that don't (generally flora). Interestingly, as we have cases such as coral reefs that don't move, and some diatoms that can move, we cannot say one class is fully motile and the other is not. "Paratpara": Literally superlative of superlatives, hence, transcendent. "Sudhakara": literally nectar giving; usually the moon, due to moonlight being cool; "Antarangamu": Anything that is interior; here, Tyagaraja's mind, in the sense of looking within himself.

I have said before that though, true to his lineage, there are abundant Advaitin (Monist/Non-dualist) references in Tyagaraja's songs, here and there he does make some allusions more typical of Vishistadvaita (Qualified Monism/Non-Duality) and other schools. He is somewhat syncretic, as are many modern Hindus. Here, he clearly describes how the various beings and entities of the universe, fill the person of Rama, that is the Brahman, which notion is often considered a trademark of the Vishishtadvaita school, though not exclusively so. In this school, the Paramatma can thus be called that Supreme Being who is the sum total of all beings and things in the universe, (as the universe is His Person), and he is the "Sarva-vyapi" or the all-pervasive Being. The Paramatma is also the "Sarva Sheshi" literally, He that is the Final Remainder or the only everlasting Being, the essence of all.

The discussion from the last song continues here. As Tyagaraja saw the light within himself there as the Lord is all pervasive, he now sees him pervade all other elements of the universe, that is all other elements save Tyagaraja himself. In that song, he restricted himself to seeing the Paramatma only within himself. Here he is moving close to pantheism, seeing the Paramatma everywhere. Now, if we loosely reckon the relevant Vedanta concept here as pantheism, we can find a few parallels to it in the rest of the world. Also, while Advaita usually is practised through the Shanmata or six-path worship or six-level worship, this school explicitly offers a single path, that of directly seeking refuge in the Lord, forsaking all other paths, in line with an injunction from the Gita. Tyagaraja's statement in the Charanas, that he shall no longer turn to anyone else in his mind but Rama, is reminiscent of this teaching about the one true path.

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Extra Comments:
I may be making bold a bit here, in deriving syncretism in Tyagaraja and see him swerve from Advaita, but I think this is an interesting line of discussion, even if I receive trenchant refutations. Any credible line of inquiry that facilitates greater understanding of our august subject, I think is good.

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Maaru balka

Raga Sriranjini , 22 Kharaharapriya janya
Aa: S R2 G2 M1 D2 N2 S Av: S N2 D2 M1 G2 R2 S
Taalam: Adi

Lyrics: Pallavi: mārubalka kunna- vēmirā mā manōramaṇa Anupallavi: jāracōra bhajana jēsitinā sākēta sadana Charanam: dūra bhāramandu nā hṛdayāravindam andu nelakonna

English verse: Quiet You remain, O joy of Wealth! But, why? For, never have I hailed loot and lust! At once here, there, afar and hard by, And now seated in my chest in must, Quiet You remain, for I've seen the light. And so, I sing of my Lord and delight.

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Comments:
This is a moving song. The sentiments expressed in this song are typical of a lyric poet, because Tyagaraja is expressing his innermost feelings. He did live during the time of English lyric poetry and was contemporary to the younger Romantic poets, although history tells us also, that he was far removed from those happenings.

Looking all around for it, and then finding something hidden in plain sight, is something all of us have experienced. In this case, Tyagaraja finds God Himself within him.

About the verses:"Joy of Wealth": In the kriti, mother is given. Mother in Tyagaraja's context refers to Sita or alternatively, to Lakshmi or Wealth (personified). "Loot and lust":In the kriti, "philanderers and thieves". "Saketa sadana": resident of Saketa or Ayodhya, hence Rama (licensed out). "Chest in must": must here is a noun, meaning new juice. Tyagaraja's heart, may be said to have been overflowing with the new juice of new found joy of realization. "I have seen the light": In the original, "I have seen the path", i.e. he realizes that the all-pervasive Lord, pervades within him too. Also, with some license, I infer with the second, "Quiet You Remain", that Rama knows Tyagaraja would soon find Him within, and so did not trouble Himself to respond to Tyagaraja's calls; or Quiet, He remained, leaving Tyagaraja to his devices, i.e. I hearken back to the initial statement of the song, the pallavi.

Unexpected subtlety: This is the shortest song we have seen. But, note that two deep philosophical statements are subtly intertwined here. First, by finding God within himself, Tyagaraja evokes many Advaitin or Monist(Non-Dualist) teachings in the song. "Aham Brahmasmi", or "I too am Brahman" is one of the tenets of Vedantic philosophy common to all three schools. It is an often stated and expounded vakya or assertion. In line with Tyagaraja's heritage, let's keep close to the Sankara or Advaita version here. It may seem for a second that I am seeing too much in Tyagaraja's casual statement in finding God within him. But, consider how he characterizes Rama- as being all pervasive, at once here, there and everywhere, and in his own heart. This is purely a trait of Brahman, the Supreme Self. And then, more tellingly, he states he is overjoyed that he now knows the path and is no longer despondent that Rama doesn't answer his call. He now realizes that Rama, considered Brahman, abides in him too, and there is no need for any further fruitless quest or supplication to Rama. Speaking quite loosely but not inaccurately, this is really the state of seeker, steeped in enquiry and slowly ascending the path of self-realization. Towards the end, he starts to view himself as one with the Brahman, and one with all of existence, and all that is in existence, as that all dissolves away. In short, he finds the light within himself. As Tyagaraja does here. The points that Tyagaraja makes about finding God everywhere and hence within us, are all often made in the mundane daily speech of pious Hindus. But, they are in fact laced with such a deep meaning if we consider their origination.

Note that the Vishistadvaita and Dvaita schools give us a slightly different route for seeing the light.

A comparative study: So we have the teaching, "I am Brahman", as a central principle in Hindu Philosophy. This is fairly unique among philosophical systems of some antiquity in the world. Although we may find related conceptualizations in philosophical discourse, if we look through both the secular and the religious poetry and music of the west, we may not find many examples we can relate the Hindu concept to. A visualization of God as a Master and judge over all, to be obeyed than realized is more common in the west. So, we have Milton saying this in his sonnet "On His Blindness", i.e. God is "Kingly":

...
God doth not need
Either man's work or his own gifts, who best
Bear his milde yoak, they serve him best, his State
Is Kingly. Thousands at his bidding speed
And post o're Land and Ocean without rest:
They also serve who only stand and waite.

"Who only stand and wait" is now a famous phrase to describe vacillators and those of little faith. Note also, that in line with the sonnet form, Milton asks a question then digresses and resolves it in the sestet, just as Tyagaraja himself asks the question and resolves it in the Charanas.

Now, here is a verse from Emily Bronte's "No Coward Soul Is Mine", that is fairly close to what we saw in the song.

O God within my breast,
Almighty ever-present Deity!
Life, that in me hast rest
As I, undying Life, have power in thee!

Even in philosophy, the classic problems discoursed in the west vastly differ from the Hindu (Vedantic) system. The primary philosophical problem in the Indian or Hindu systems current today, pertains to the Supreme Self and the particular Self, and then only produces a theory of matter and the universe, as an aid and afterthought to that discussion.


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Ksheerasagara Shayana

Raga Devagandhari, 29 Dheerashankarabharanam janya
Aa: S R2 M1 P D2 S Av: S N3 D2 P M1 G3 R2 S
Taalam: Adi

Lyrics: Pallavi: kṣīrasāgara śayana! nannu cintala beṭṭavalēna rāma? Anupallavi: vāraṇa rājunu brōvunu vēgamēvaccinadi vinnānurā rāma! Charanam: nārīmaṇiki jīraliccinadi nāḍē nē vinnānurā dhīruḍau rāmadāsuni bandhamu dīrcinadi vinnānurā nīrajākṣikai nīradhi dāṭina nī kīrtini vinnānurā tārakanāma tyāgarājanuta dayatō nēlukōra rāma!

English verse: In the Ocean of Milk, when Your bard is vext, Should it please You to languidly repose? You rushed on the king-tusker's pretext, For so I've heard; now may I impose? You clothed a queen, when her kings failed. You saved another bard, when he was jailed. To save your doe-eyed bride, You crossed the ocean; Your mere name takes me Across the worldly ocean. Your exploits are famed far and wide. In Your grace, Lord, may I abide.

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Comments:
Tyagaraja cites several 'precedents' in this song, asking for Rama's intercession on his behalf. Without going into fine musical details, as a rudiment of music appreciation, we can still remark that the pallavi when sung, clearly conveys the mood and graphic description of Vishnu resting amid the mildly turbulent waves of the Ocean of Milk. We can actually notice a little wave in the phrases and a marked and appropriate languor to the start of the kriti. Just visualize the image described in the song.

About the verses: The Ocean of Milk, is considered the site of Vishnu's home, Vaikunta. There, He is seen reclining on the many headed great white serpent Adi Sesha, with His consort, Lakshmi or Wealth, seated at His side. "The king-tusker": A celebrated exploit of Vishnu, from the Bhagavatam was when He rushed to the aid of the king of elephants, Gajendra. Gajendra had been a great devotee of Vishnu in his previous birth, and was born in that form, due to a curse. One day, when he went to the waterfront for a drink, a crocodile attacked him. Gajendra, receiving the worst of it, prayed to Vishnu, who alacritously interceded on his behalf. The point is that the Lord hears the prayers of all beings. Allegorically, Gajendra may be taken to be man, and the crocodile, the burden of sins, or just the coils of worldly existence. We may conclude from the story that Vishnu may deliver man from his sins and help him see the light, if only man would appeal fervently.

"Clothed a queen": The kriti alludes to a "nari mani" or gem among women. In the Mahabharata comes the episode in which, Draupadi, the queen of the Pandavas is dragged into the Kaurava court, to be the slave of the Kauravas. The Pandavas had lost her, and their own freedom, in a game of dice. The Kaurava Dushasana sought to disrobe her, being so instructed by his senior, Duryodhana. The Pandavas, now slaves, being barred from fighting for her dignity, she appealed to Krishna, the all knowing. He, from afar, miraculously clothed her in an endless robe, that much as Dushasana kept disrobing her, she still remained fully clothed. In the end, Dushasana fainted tired from his efforts. This divine intercession prompted the Kuru elders to annul the game of dice, and return their kingdom to the Pandavas. But, the Pandavas were again tricked into a game of dice, which they lost and were forced into a thirteen year exile. Their kingdom not being restored after the agreed term of exile, the great war of the Mahabharata was fought. At its beginning, the Gita was taught. At the end of the terrible war, every house in Aryavarta or ancient India, had suffered at least one of its own dead. The Pandavas gained both kingdoms, theirs and the Kauravas' and ruled well for decades. Eventually, they ascended to Heaven. Krishna, the prime mover of the Mahabharata, met a mortal end, accidentally shot in the foot, by a hunter in a forest, as he was resting. Thus, this incarnation or Avatara of Vishnu, is considered the only Purnavatara, or Complete Incarnation, for all the others culminated in a miraculous ascent to Heaven or merging with Vishnu. One avatar, Parashurama, is considered immortal and still penancing in the Mahendra hill of the Himalayas. However, his "amsa" or "incarnated element" of Vishnu, is thought to have merged with Vishnu, once the purpose of that avatara was fulfilled.

"Another bard": Tyagaraja refers to a saint-composer named Bhadrachala Ramadas, who preceded Tyagaraja by about a century. The popular version of his story is this. Being appointed the tax collector for a district in Golconda, a post of some consequence in those times, he chanced upon the dilapidated but historic and important, Rama temple in Bhadrachalam. He proceeded to renovate the temple. The local ruler presumed that Ramadas had squandered some of the tax money on the temple and sought to be compensated. Ramadas, having exhausted his personal wealth, could not do indemnify the ruler and so, was incarcerated. After twelve years of jail, it is said, Rama deigned that Ramadas had paid for his sins in a previous birth and so was fit to be liberated. He and Lakshmana appeared miraculously one night, before the ruler, and compensated him with gold coins bearing Rama's own seal. The overwhelmed ruler released Ramadas and made a rich donation to the temple. Ramadas lived out his life singing the praises of Rama. Ramadas was a learned composer who has left behind hundreds of songs in Telugu. He used the earlier Keertanam form of songs, as opposed to the Kriti form used since Tyagaraja's time. Some of his works are more correctly shlokas or verses. Tyagaraja draws a parallel between his life far from Rama, being the same as Ramadas' incarceration.

"Your mere name": Rama Naama or Rama's name is considered a Taraka Mantra, or a prayer that can stop even death. It can also deliver man, over the ocean of worldly ties, and into enlightenment. Incidentally, some of the most famous songs of Bhadrachala Ramadas, such as E teeruga nanu, and Tarakamantramu, refer to Rama and Rama's Name delivering one across worldly ties and into bliss. This is a common theme for poets and composers who belong to the school of devotion to Rama (Rama Bhaktas). Those devoted to Krishna, by contrast, speak of his various Leelas or life exploits, for the key difference between the philosophy of these two avataras, is that the Rama incarnation had implicit divinity- Rama lived as a mere mortal and exemplar. Never once is Rama described as having using divine powers. Krishna on the other hand, led a life full of divine miracles, commencing with his birth. Thus, to those who synthesize both schools, which is the majority of modern Hindus, as the lines are not strictly drawn, Rama is meant to be followed in life as a model, and Krishna is meant to be prayed to as a god and Supreme Teacher.

"Crossed the ocean": This is the famous episode of Rama crossing the ocean, over a floating bridge of stones, into Lanka, to fight Ravana, who had abducted Sita. Sita is referred to as "lotus eyed" in the kriti, which I have given as "doe eyed", the implication of either being, large, beautiful and kindly eyes.

"The worldly ocean": In Hindu literature, material life, or family life is often viewed as an ocean to be crossed, in the process of attaining enlightenment. The Taraka Mantra of Rama's name, is considered particularly potent to deliver one from death and across the worldly delusions.

There is another song by Tyagaraja, "Ksheera Sagara Vihara", in the Ananda Bhairavi raga, in which too he expresses similar sentiments.

One strange point is that we don't encounter the Ocean of Milk in the Rig Veda. We encounter it in the Epics, the Bhagavatam and other books. We can make several incidental observations about this song. Although, canonically, Rama is seen as an incarnation of Vishnu and all but one of the episodes mentioned here, are considered exploits of Vishnu rather than episodes of the Ramayana, Tyagaraja, in his devotions, sees Rama as being Vishnu Himself, as well as Krishna. This is a frequent practice in Hindu worship; the deities of daily praxis, eventually lead to the concept of the eternal and unknowable Brahman.

Speaking of the reclining form of Vishnu, there is a tradition that when Tyagaraja visited Sri Rangam, he was slighted by the throng during a Brahmotsava festival, and the Lord prevented the procession from moving forward. All attempts and prayers by the temple grandees failing to budge the Lord, Tyagaraja was found and the slight discovered. Tyagaraja pacified the Lord with his "Vinarada na manavini" and the procession could move forward. Thereafter, Tyagaraja was greatly honored by the temple staff and during an Ekantha darshana, rendered his "O Rangasayi". Fairly similar to the Tirupati incident during Tyagraja's travels.


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Nadasudha rasambilanu

Raga Arabhi , 29 Dheera Shankharabharanam janya
Aa: S R2 M1 P D2 S Av: S N3 D2 P M1 G3 R2 S
Taalam: Roopakam

Lyrics: Pallavi: nādasudhā rasambilanu narākṛti yāyē manasā! Anupallavi: vēda purānāgama śāstrādulaku ādhāramaina Charanam: svaramūlu ārunnokaṭi ghaṇṭalu vara rāgamu kōdaṇḍamu; dura naya dēśyamu triguṇamu niratagati śaramurā; sarasa sangati sandarbhamu gala giramūlurādhara; bhajana bhāgyamurā tyāgarāju sēvincu.

English verse: The nectar of Music, O Mind, Here, in human form, find! For Scripture and Epic, the basis, The seven notes, the bells of stasis, To such music and its Maker, I bow- The blessed melodies make the Great Bow, Their note, tone and join, the bow string, A steady taut beat, the true arrow speeding, His fitly said word, the sweetly varied phrase, A boon it is to sing in His praise.

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Comments:
This is a song in which Tyagaraja combines his path of Ramabhakti or Devotion to Rama with his method or vehicle of Nadopasana or music as worship. He sees Music as arising from the Person of Rama.

About the verses: "Bells of stasis": Unlike the European crossbow of the Middle Ages, the Indian great bow or longbow, was unique to each great archer, was considered to have its own signature, and was celebrated along with him. Even the twang of each bow was said to be unique and identified its wielder. Thus, Rama had the Kothanda bow referred to here, and Arjuna of the Mahabharata had the Gandeeva. Shiva has the Pinaka. Among the many names of Rama and Siva are Konthandapani and Pinakapani, signifying that the bow each wields. Each such bow, was also heavily ornamented, and was part of the warrior's usual attire, even during social or festive occasions. It was also custom to tie two little bells, one at either end of the bow, where the bowstring was lashed to the bow's frame. Detailed sculptures and paintings will often show these bells. "Scriptures and Epics": Tyagaraja mentions the Vedas, Puranas, Agamas and Shastras. Usually, only the Ramayana and Mahabharata, the two Itihasas (literally Histories) are called Epics, because they deal with a common thread of a single family of heroes. The Puranas are also epic-like works that, more anecdotally, develop the mythology of the Trinity. Each of the Trinity is given one set of Puranas, the "Srimad Bhagavatam" or Bhagavata Purana of Vishnu being one of the largest, and the most widely read. Agamas are books that codify worship such as in temples. Separate Agamas exist for the worship of Siva temples and Vishnu temples. The Shastras lay out extensive rules for general life, function and conduct including law and the arts. "The Great Bow": Here, the Kothanda of Rama.

Some concepts of music: From this point, several musical concepts pertaining to Carnatic music and improvisation are mentioned in succession in the kriti. Since we are not looking at musical detail yet, I shall only briefly mention them. We know that Raga stands for the melodic scale or schema in which songs may be composed. "Note, tone and join": Tyagaraja mentions dura(ghana), naya and deshya. These correspond to the three ways in which ragas might be appreciably demonstrated in a concert. Some times only syllabary or tone based exposition using syllables such as "ta","na","aa" is done; sometimes note based exposition, using key phrases comprised of the notes allowed in that raga is used and sometimes both. Which of these expositions is chosen depends on the raga, and to an extent on the performer. Hence, "note, tone and join", with some license being taken. These three are said to make the three strands of the bowstring of the Kothanda. The arrows then denote the temporal variations or gatis. Sangatis constitute the different methods in which the phrases in the lyrics might be sung elaborately, expounding the features of a raga. So they may be seen as short musical statements, that are varied and return in various forms, but often serially and not interleaved, when a kriti is being rendered. Usually, a phrase of the lyrics is picked up and expanded in this form, then another phrase is picked and so on. The lyrics stay the same- the same phrase, but the music is varied each time and the phrase is stylized and rendered differently. An analogy would be the many ways the same statement, "How is the dinner?" could be asked, stressing each different word, thereby altering the meaning. E.g "How is the dinner?" and "How is the dinner?", might mean two different things. Although sangatis may be freely interpreted by a performer, for most of the songs in the mainstream concert repertoire, there are sangatis tied to each song that are familiar to or expected by the listeners. Tyagaraja sees the art of sangatis in Rama's words to those around Him. Tyagaraja is said to have invented Sangatis. (see extra comments)

Thus, in Rama's Person, Tyagaraja finds the origins of Music, reconciling his devotion to Rama with Nadopasana. We may also note from what Tygaraja has described in this song almost 200 years ago and the history of the art during his times, that, what are considered the major elements of the Carnatic art have remained fairly constant since then, shorn of the major upheavals in the music of the other parts of the world.

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Extra Comments:
As mentioned earlier, we don't follow any canonical order in posting songs here. We actually go by the lyrical imprint and the development of common themes in Tyagaraja's oeuvre. So, here, we see another flavor of his Nadopasana or music as worship. We have seen many kritis of Nadopasana already.

Tyagaraja is generally said to have invented sangatis. But, in my opinion, which is in line with the view of only a minority, he was only probably the first well known proponent to use them extensively. Due to the fundamental nature of the sangati concept, it is well possible that in the centuries before him, sangatis were known in some form, but not widely studied or adopted.

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