Sri Narada Naada

Raga Kanada , 22 Kharaharapriya janya
Aa: S R2 G2 M1 D N2 S Av: S N2 P M1 G2 M1 R2 S
Taalam: Rupakam

Lyrics: Pallavi: śrī nārada! nāda sarasīruha  bhṛṅga! śubhāṅga! Anupallavi: dīna māna rakṣaka! jagadīśa!  bheśa saṅkāśa!   Charanam: vedajanita varavīṇā-vādana tatvajña! khedahara! tritāparahita! khecara vinuta! yādava kulajāpta! sadāmoda hṛdaya! munivarya! śrīda! tyāgarāja vinuta! śrīkara! mām pālaya!

English verse: As a bee finds nectar, O rector, O sage! To music, your blessed visage! Prince of men, by you, save face, The meek, by your moon-like grace. From the Word, came the strings, From you their art was found, Your virtue the demigod sings, Gone be the pains that hound. Blissful kin to the divine Cowherd, Bounteous sage most honored, Might my prayer be heard, Your refuge be rendered.

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Comments:
This song is again reflective of Tyagaraja's Nadopasana or music as worship school of thought. Since the divine sage Narada, is considered the originator of the musical arts, he is Tyagaraja's patron saint and ideal. Tyagaraja constantly strives to emulate Narada, who attained the highest enlightenment through his music and not by tapas or penance as other sages did. Narada would also lose himself in paroxysms of joy while singing of the gods and Tyagaraja aspired for such bliss through his own music. Narada was generally venerated but not especially worshiped. He was seen as the finest devotee. Tyagaraja however, sees Narada as his savior and worships Narada, for having shown him the path of music as worship. No other composer has left behind so many songs to Narada. Although a beloved character in the Puranas and the Epics, he is not of any special veneration or adoration in daily praxis and is rarely featured along with the principal deities in temples, although he does appear in the panel art such as in the pillars or the walls surrounding the sanctum sanctorum. That Tyagaraja alludes to Narada routinely is itself a mark of his Nadopasana approach.


Note that Narada is not considered the originator of music per se, as it is said to arise from the Vedas, which of course are held part of the eternal and revealed scriptures. Narada was chiefly a votary of Vishnu. If we look for parallels elsewhere, we find that Narada somewhat fulfills the role of Orpheus in showing the ascent of man through music and the role of the Muses in furthering the musical and other arts, such as inducing Valmiki to compose the very first poetry in the form of the Ramayana or bestowing Tyagaraja with long lost sacred knowledge of music, as we saw in an earlier song. Able to travel through the universe at will, he is also a frequent intercessor in both epics and in several Puranas, where his arrival always results in mischief, which however, leads to a pleasant resolution and fulfills some important purpose. A number of musical works, some verses in the Rg veda and a work of aphorisms on perfect devotion, the Bhakti sutras are all ascribed to him.


Jagadisha is one of those strange adjectives. When applied to a divine being, it means, the lord of all that exists; when applied to a king, an emperor or high king and here, when applied to a sage, it signifies someone who transcends all men. Narada was born a human in some legends and rose to divinity by penance and by the power of his music and this allusion brings that to mind. Generally, he is considered a son of Brahma and a deva or celestial, by birth. The strings: the veena is considered the generating instrument of Carnatic music, and its sounds are said to arise directly from the Vedas or the Word. The Vedas were "heard" by the first sages, were eternal and were revealed. The Sama Veda in particular, the Veda that is sung and not chanted, is considered the source of music. The Gandharvas are a class of celestial beings, somewhat below the Devas in the pantheon and are associated with music and other fine arts. They are considered the court musicians of the Devas. "The pains that hound": Human distress, as meant here by the term tritaapa, is said to be of three kinds- arising due to oneself, from others and by the divine hand. Narada, constantly sings the praises of the lord and is therefore always in a state of bliss. The divine Cowherd is of course Krishna, Who was raised in stealth among cowherds, but belonged to the princely Yadava clan by birth.

We can understand Tyagaraja's Nadopasana thought a little more by comparing his perspective of Narada with that of the different schools of Vishnu worship, that arose during the Bhakti, or resurgence of personal devotion movement in the North and East of India roughly during the 13th-16th centuries. These schools arose from teachers such as Vallabhacharya and Chaitanya, and can today be found in some numbers in such places as Bengal, Orissa and Mathura. They are primarily devoted to Krishna and hold "Nama Sankeertan" or singing of the lord's glory alone, as the true path that exceeds all other requirements such as the study of scripture, meditation, inquiry and observance of religious rites and duties. Naturally, they see Narada as the perfect devotee, for he is always singing the lord's praises and so, has risen to be forever close to and dear to Vishnu. To them, the Bhakti Sutra aphorisms ascribed to Narada are therefore particularly important. However, it is only his constant and rapturous "Nama Sankeertan" that they seek to emulate, and do not concern themselves with his other aspects. Tyagaraja, who sees Narada as his patron saint and guru, does agree with this view of Narada being a paragon of Bhakti. In line with his Nadopasana approach, which is more involved than the simplistic "Nama Sankeertan" approach where the simplest song suffices when offered truly, Tyagaraja additionally finds that Narada, as the greatest exponent of Nadopasana, has unlocked the mysteries of the universe through his study of music and has thus attained divine knowledge and enlightenment, in addition to being one with Vishnu. Tyagaraja seeks to emulate both, his adoration in song, and his theological attainments through the inquiry and art of music. That is why, it is of some import that Tyagaraja consistently sees Narada as a guru and a philosopher whose penance was his music, and not just as the ideal devotee. Tyagaraja also consistently sees music as containing the essence of the universe, having arisen from the primordial sound of the Onkara and the Vedas, and as having endowed the gods with their divine powers. The other schools do not venture into such involved details, as they find penance, observances, study and inquiry much less valuable than simple psalms of worship. As mentioned elsewhere, in such a system of Nadopasana, we can find some parallels with Pythagorean thought, as here too music becomes an all pervasive and potent mechanism. We may further note that while Orpheus is a far more frequent subject in the music and opera traditions of the west, than Narada, who is his counterpart in certain aspects, is, in all of Indian music save that of Tyagaraja.

This song too is reflective of Tyagaraja's preferred structure to his lyrics- a premise being stated firstly,  followed by a restatement and a bhashya or an exegesis like development of the premise in the charanas. We can also note yet again, how different Tyagaraja sounds in his Sanskrit songs compared to his Telugu songs. He is clearly more studied. There is again not as much reflective detail and emotional fervor and the lyricism here borders almost on the impersonal, that we cannot uniquely tie this song to Tyagaraja based on its words alone, as we could a number of his other songs like nagumomu kanaleni or sri narada muni, where he clearly indicates a personal experience and possibly even an immediate experience that is reflected in song with spontaneity. Beyond this, some commentators tend to draw the line that Tyagaraja's diction in his singleton songs was intentionally simpler, as he considered them to be pedagogical, whereas his musical plays were more stylish as they were considered higher performance art. I am yet to be convinced about major distinctions. In many cases, we could extend the generalization on language even to the underlying musical structure. The adventurer and innovator more frequently, though not necessarily, rings through in the Telugu songs. When we get down to the tiny business of musical detail in some time to come, we shall study these variations also.  

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Extra Extra Comments:

Some concepts mentioned above, have already been encountered in other songs. They are repeated here for the sake of completeness, as I prefer each song be self-contained and allow easy reading.

Most authors will render Jagadisha as lord of the world or of the universe. This also happens when music scholars translate Tyagaraja's songs and all the main books including TKG's do that. The justification given when a being lesser than Vishnu or Shiva or the Brahman is so addressed, is that the lesser being is seen as a part of the Supreme Being, pars pro toto, unlike other unenlightened beings and hence worthy of such appellation. However, it is easier and more fitting to simply consider that the meaning of Jagadisha can vary by context. Here for example, we know that Tyagaraja sees Narada as a patron saint, guru and savior and not as Rama Himself. Therefore, the meaning I have read, follows. The other possibility that looms, is that the text might have elided over time, absent a contemporaneous printing and it may not have read Jagadisha at all. Alternate meanings can be derived for Jagadisha other than these common meanings. But, we know from his body of work, that Tyagaraja's technique and inventiveness lie elsewhere and that he was not given to word play or summoning up obscurities. We can even surmise that Tyagaraja turned hyperbolic, as poets often do and recall that he is not considered the most precise of the Trinity. Why am I splitting hairs on such a small point? Only to illustrate how we are often working with double blindfolds without a contemporaneous printing and how we may tackle such questions. Internal consistency is the main tool that helps us.


I tend to use exclamation marks to delineate the different epithets with which the composer addresses the subject, generally Rama and in this case, Narada. This is a convention used in Prof. T. K. Govinda Rao's book, as well as some prior works. It is one of the few prevalent conventions retained here. Technically, one could argue that it is not really a clean practice for Indian languages, as these norms of punctuation are based on western scripts and methods. In our case, it is useful to adopt, because we focus so much on lyricism and expression. 

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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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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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Sri Narada Muni

Raga Bhairavi, 20 Natabhairavi janya
Aa: S R2 G2 M1 P D2 N2 S Av: S N2 D1 P M1 G2 R2 S
Taalam: Adi

Lyrics: Pallavi: śrī nārada muni guru rāya! kaṇṭi- mē nāṭi tapamō, guru rāya ! Charanam: manasāra kōriti, guru rāya! nēḍu kanulāra kanukoṇṭimi, guru rāya! mī sēva dorikenu, guru rāya! bhava pāśamu dolagenu, guru rāya! nīvē sujnāna sukhi guru rāya! nīvēyajnāna śikhi, guru rāya! rājillu vīṇe gala guru rāya! tyāga- rājuni brōcina sadguru rāya!

English verse: Master of masters! Your boon to me O sage, Is perhaps by penance of an unknown age. Long, for you, was my heartfelt search, But this day, my eyes well up in joy. As you came down from your divine perch, I gained a door to your employ, And all my worldly coils lay ripped. The bliss of wisdom lights your face As nescience burns in the fire of your grace. Radiant's your veena twice-tipped, O great guru whom I've ever craved, By your hand, now, am I saved!

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On First Looking into Chapman's Homer:
Much have I travell'd in the realms of gold,
And many goodly states and kingdoms seen;
Round many western islands have I been
Which bards in fealty to Apollo hold.
Oft of one wide expanse had I been told
That deep-brow'd Homer ruled as his demesne:
Yet did I never breathe its pure serene
Till I heard Chapman speak out loud and bold:
Then felt I like some watcher of the skies
When a new planet swims into his ken;
Or like stout Cortez, when with eagle eyes
He stared at the Pacific—and all his men
Look'd at each other with a wild surmise—
Silent, upon a peak in Darien.

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Comments:
The Devarishi, or celestial sage Narada, is considered the father of classical music. Narada is a much beloved character in Hindu mythology. He is a frequent intercessor in both epics and several of the Puranas. He appears in various shades of character. He is a benevolent peacemaker, and a sprightly mischief maker whose tricks always end well and once, his arrogance over his supreme devotion to Vishnu was even put down. He is still considered a great bhakta. To Narada is also ascribed the Narada Bhakti Sutras, which laid out 84 tenets on the attainment and benefits of pure devotion and love for God. These sutras or rules are important to many schools of the Bhakti or Devotional movement. Narada is also said to have invented the Veena, which is the fundamental instrument of Carnatic music, to have laid the foundations of classical music by codifying its theoretical elements and to have constantly sung the praises of the gods.

Thus, to a Nadopasaka, who practised music as worship like Tyagraja, Narada is both the ideal or role model and the guru of gurus . There is even a legend about how Narada miraculously appeared before Tyagaraja, first as an old man and then as himself, and bequeathed to him, long lost treatises on music, including the 'Swararnava' and his own book, the 'Naradiya'. This served as a Rosetta stone for Tyagaraja to understand the higher intricacies of music; and so, Tyagaraja says, that his innermost wish was fulfilled in meeting Narada.

I have alluded to Narada's appearing before Tyagaraja as a boon; Tyagaraja considers his appearance the fruit of some "tapas" or penance he had unknowingly done. In Hindu mythology, one's intense penance to please the gods is eventually rewarded by their appearance and their granting of a boon.

This is not a kriti that is very frequently heard, and is sometimes heard as "Sri Narada mouni", but we learn a lot about Tyagaraja from it as below. Since Narada enables Tyagaraja's Nadopasana or music as worship, and Tyagaraja prays to him in this context, this song too can be considered an example of Nadopasana.

A comparative study: Let's consider another of Keats' poems, the sonnet "On first looking into Chapman's Homer". In the West, Homer had returned to wide reading among the educated, with the Renaissance. Education, then, mainly meant study of the classical Greek and Latin, philosophy, art appreciation and so on, unlike the more scientific education of modern days. So, most well educated people could read Homer in the Greek. Interestingly, Keats seems to have needed an interpreter for an intimate understanding of Homer. Scholarly translations of Homer by Pope and others existed long prior to Keats. But, the older Chapman's free translation of Homer, the first English translation, was innovative in making Homer's archaic turn of phrase, and circuitous descriptions, more accessible to lay readers, through simple paraphrase. Keats, as we may conclude from the poem, only "connected" with Homer's poetry and imagery, only when Chapman took him by the hand.

This is a well known sonnet, which, as could be tritely but truly said, is often quoted to describe the simple unadulterated pleasure a work of art can bring. Keats is said to have written this in spontaneous reaction to his delight at understanding Homer well. Quite parallel to Keats' joy at "meeting" Homer, Tyagaraja's too tells us of his spontaneous joy of "meeting" Narada and an innermost desire being fulfilled. In both works, we see the joy of a creative person, in being inspired by another light from an age past- Homer and Narada, that he is able to create many works of his own. Each now feels newly empowered to create many more works of art.

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Extra Comments:
Keats' poem is an Italian sonnet, a poem split into two parts, an 'octet' of eight lines and a 'sestet' of six lines. The octet introduces a main idea, and the sestet departs from it slightly, but resolves the theme of the poem. Interestingly, when made aware of the error that Balboa sighted the Pacific and not Cortez, Keats still left Cortez in, probably pleading license to keep his intended rhyme scheme and meter.

We could even reckon that, rather than in person, Tyagaraja "met" Narada in the words of the Naradiya, much like Keats found Homer, and so, is speaking figuratively.

Note on rhyme and structure: In some of the last few songs, I have strictly maintained a rhyming couplet scheme- "aabb" or "aa". This was more an artifact of the songs chosen, due to our intent to maintain line and word order as much as possible and to resemble the original and retain the flavor. After all, I am translating, and not writing my own. For instance, one of the first songs here, the Sanskrit "Manasa sancharare" itself was fully of rhyming couplets and I held that structure. Tyagaraja too, as here, seemingly rhymes often in couplets and this is apparent if he is read and not sung. We shall break the pattern here and in the next few kritis and also experiment when possible. We shall also look at more modern, free verse at some point, although that is a poor fit for something as structured as classical music. Here, I have used aa-bcbc-deed-ff.

Ancient veenas or more generally, lutes were often with two upturned ends, hence "twice tipped".

Why call Tyagaraja a "bard": Often, I render Tyagaraja's mudra ('stamp') of naming himself in his Kritis, as "bard". There is a hidden meaning in this. Historically, though a bard was a poet and singer, a bard was also someone who sang of kings, heroes and their exploits, just as Tyagaraja sang of Rama, a hero and a king, his virtues and his exploits, as well appealed to his divine mercy. Particularly, in the Utsava Sampradaya kritis, Tyagaraja speaks in the voice of a bard and Rama's court poet.

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"Extra" Extra Comments:
Friends, I am sorry for not posting over the last 4-5 days. I was down with a virus.

There is an indentation in the even numbered lines of the sonnet. But, even if I use the 'pre' tag, blogger seems to override it.

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Nadopasance (Nadopasana)

Raga Begada, 29 Dheera Shankarabharanam janya
Aa: S G3 R2 G3 M1 P D2 N2 D2 P S Av: S N3 D2 P M1 G3 R2 S
Taalam: Adi

Lyrics: Pallavi: nādōpāsanacē śaṅkara nārāyaṇa vidhulu velasiri ō manasā Anupallavi: vēdōddhārulu vēdātītulu viśwamella niṇḍiyuṇḍē vāralu Charanam: mantrātmulu yantra tantrātmulu mari manvantramulennō galavāralu tantrīlaya swara gāna vilōlulu tyāgarāja vandyulu swatantrulu

English verse: Know O mind, through worship by music divine, The Trinity, over all other beings shine. The Vedas, they could uplift, sustain and transcend, And the universe, pervade from end to end, Fill every mystic chant, rite and tablet, And witness many eons of the planet. Free masters of the strings, voice and beat! This bard worships their feet.

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Comments:
This is a kriti in which Tyagaraja directly names Nadopasana, worship of music, and describes its power. The kriti seems simple, but there is a lot of subtlety to its lyrics and to its rendition. Today, most of the concepts mentioned in the lyrics, would only be known in Tyagaraja's own hinterland, that too among a select few. In a cross-cultural context, or for those not of "the few", much explanation is needed. Some of this is given here.

Shankara as we have seen, means "He who does good". Narayana (patronymic of 'nara' or Man) is an epithet of Vishnu, that interestingly corresponds to "the son of Man", a phrase from elsewhere. Brahma is called "Vidhi" here. The word 'Vidhi' literally means a rule or destiny. When personified, it refers to Brahma, or the creator, because he creates and orders life in the universe i.e. he 'ordains' the destiny of all beings. Further, he is said to be responsible for keeping the four vedas that vest him his authority, and for executing the injunctions or rules ('vidhi' again) in them.

Mantra, Yantra and Tantra are the three ways in which mystical power might be used or accessed in Hinduism. Mantra refers to sacred chants. Yantra refers to sacred amulets, tablets, diagrams and plaques with sacred pictures, said to be invested with mystical force. Tantra refers to certain rites (and secret sciences) that allow the performer access to mystic powers. Yantra and Tantra are particularly esoteric in modern Hinduism, and are no longer widely sought as attainments. Modern Hindus mostly adhere to the more philosophical and less mystical schools of devotion, such as Vedanta.

Manvantara: To understand the concept of Manvantara, we need to know the Hindu time scale. The Hindu time scale is astronomical. One of the most common scales from the Srimad Bhagavatam, is given here. The internal details and the numbers might differ in other versions.

There are four ages of men or yugas, starting with the Satya, followed by Treta, Dwapara and Kali. Each of the succeeding ages is diminished by an extra quarter in length from the first. The Satya yuga is 1, 728,000 years long. The Kali yuga, the age we live in, is 432,000 years long and about 6000 years have lapsed since its onset. The four yugas correspond to the Golden, Silver, Bronze and Iron ages, and in each succeeding age, Dharma or righteousness diminishes by a quarter. The Satya yuga was when all mankind was pure; in the Kali, less than a quarter is. A cycle of these four ages is said to be a Mahayuga or a Great Age. A thousand cycles or Mahayugas, is said to make up a Kalpa or cosmic day. A Kalpa makes for a day in the life of Brahma, the creator. At the end of the Kalpa, there comes the Pralaya literally 'Deluge' or 'Dissolution', in which all creation is destroyed, and Brahma sleeps. A Pralaya or cosmic night is of the same length as a Kalpa. A Kalpa or a Pralaya is about 4.3 billion years long. When Brahma wakes up, another Kalpa starts and there is new life and new creation.

Fourteen Manvantaras make up each Kalpa. Each Manvantara has a unique Manu or progenitor. Manvantara literally means "the interval between two Manus or progenitors" or "the period of a Manu". Each Manvantara consists of 71 yugas. Each Manu is said to repopulate the world and preside over the life of his time.

In a Pralaya or Dissolution, life still exists in the heavens. For example, the first incarnation of Vishnu, the Matsyavatara or the Great Fish incarnation, which is the Hindu 'flood legend', mostly happens during a cosmic night as He delivers a Manu, across the floods of the deluge, to the new age.

Brahma is more a post than a unique person. Different personages have been Brahmas in the different ages. The Brahma of this age is said to be Hiranyagarbha, or "he born of the golden egg" (literally 'golden fetus'), signifying rejuvenation.

In their daily rites, each Hindu is required to identify to the gods, the temporal and spatial coordinates in which they offer their propitiation. The latter include identifying the continent, reckoning from the holy Mount Meru, the city, the river or temple tank, the temple and the temple spire by which they are then situated. The former include identifying the time of day, the star, the waxing or waning phase of the moon, season and so on, culminating in identifying the Manvantara and the Kalpa and so the present Manvantara is Vaivasvata, named after Vaivasvata Manu, a progenitor, and the Kalpa is Shwetavaraha or the Kalpa of the "white boar". This is said to be the seventh Manvantara of the present Kalpa.

Although there is rich mythology and a superabundance of aspects of daily worship, note that in their most pristine (and esoteric) forms, Hindu philosophy and religious practice focus purely on realizing Brahman or the one Supreme Self.

Cf. The concept of Kalpa and Pralaya with the now well known cyclic universal singularities, the Big Bang and the Big Crunch.

Due to the connection of a Manvantara with repopulation, in the verses, I have tied it to a geological "eon of the planet", in each of which a new kind of life-form seems to emerge and dominate the earth.

Tantri refers to any stringed instrument, generally the veena and 'laya' refers to percussion. A santoor was for instance called, a "Shata Tantri Veena" or 'the lute of a hundred strings'. Tyagaraja is describing experts of the various elements of music such as voice, melody and beat.

Svatantra means "independent" or "of free will". Svatantrin, or an autonomous agent, is a loaded word in the religious context. It does not merely refer to independence. It refers to such beings considered outside the orderly heirarchy of the cosmos and the control of preordained Fate. For example, Vishnu's frequent intercession on Earth in His different incarnations or avatars, and changing of the existing order of things, may be explained by His being Svatantra, i.e uncontrolled, or being able to act on free will, or by the "power of free will" alone, and so being able to seemingly tinker with Fate. Sometimes, great monks and sages are also conferred the title of "svantantra" to signify they are autonomous and unattached, such as to a monastery or a religious chair.

Lastly, note that in Hindu theology, the source of the power of the Trinity and other gods is said to be the sacred syllable 'OM', and the primordial sound or "nada" that it generates. This primordial sound is said to have led to music too. Hence, the connection made in this kriti.

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Extra Comments:
This short kriti is a study in cultural displacement, as mankind scattered across the globe. It contains many parallels to other cultures, such as progenitors, but still engenders a vast amount of explanation to demystify it.

Note that in this site, we capitalize pronominal references to Siva and Vishnu, but not those of Brahma. This is to reflect the status of the former as "great gods" whose daily worship, including in substantiated form, in temples and homes, is permitted. Such worship of Brahma is not permitted. In most of the Puranas and in the epics, he is always subordinate to one of the others. In fact, Brahma is son of Vishnu, having arisen from his navel in a divine lotus.

Strictly speaking, Nadopasana should be termed 'worship through music', 'worship by music' or 'music as worship'. I have preferred 'worship of music', employing "of" in the sense of "to speak of something", and certainly don't mean that music alone is worshiped.

We are very cautious not to be interpretive or speculative in this site, and to be faithful. But, we may note in passing, that some of the "strange" and loose usages in this kriti may be explained, or given alternate meanings so:

vedoddhara- Could refer to the Matsyavatara where Vishnu explicitly saved the Vedas. Could also refer to Vedavyasa who compiled the Vedas; or to Brahma himself, as he "executes" the Vedas and so uplifts them.
vedatitulu- "He, who is beyond the vedas"- usually refers to Vishnu and sometimes Siva, when considered "great gods". Can also refer to someone who has imbibed all the vedas, such as the seven sages, for having crossed or 'exceeded' the vedas and seen the light.
vishwamella nindiyunda varalu- This conveys omnipresence. Could refer to the fifth incarnation of Vishnu when He stretched across the universe in His cosmic form. Could also refer to Siva, from an episode in which He too stretched across the universe in a fiery form. Or a being such as Indra, Agni, Garuda, Agastya, Durvasa etc. who could appear anywhere at will, crossing the universe.

So, in a way, the three descriptions could, in order, qualify one of the Trinity. We may thus continue and attribute expertise in music to sage Narada (tantri villolu), and take that "living past eons" could refer to the devas or the seven sages or some such, and conclude that the kriti says such miracles were wrought for so many beings, by the power of worship through music alone.

This meaning makes it a more consistent narrative- because there is no need to inconsistently say in the Charanas, that the Trinity is long-lived past the Manvantaras, when the Trinity is said to be eternal. We could infer a consistent descending order of divine beings that match the attributes. It is also not wrong, because the grammar in the kriti, admits to such meanings too.

But before "decoding" the lyrics like this, I will however make two comments as a linguist of some part. Tyagaraja was not very precise in his lyrics as some other composers have been. He always prioritized the underlying melody over the lyrics; he used fillers and strange usages in many places. In his new phrase creation, we could see something of a Shakespeare in him. Secondly, two hundred years may have caused an amount of elision and juxtaposition. So, my personal opinion is that, absent a contemporary printing or such first hand sources, any radical interpretation, starting with mine, must be taken with a very large grain of salt.

So, we could simply take the reference to eons as a harmless allusion to the Trinity being eternal. He might merely have used manvantara to rhyme with mantra, given that much of the lyrics is indeed rhymed. The other clue is that, only gods could reside in and empower mantra, yantra and tantra.

As long as we are sailing in the ship of speculation, we can make a few interesting observations on Hindu chronology, but at the cost of perfidy to both theology and science... well anything to speak of 'out there' ideas or to have a good laugh :)

The length of a Kalpa of Cosmic day is about 4.32 billion years, which is not far off from the actual geologic age of the earth of about 4.7 billion years. This is the closest any of the ancient cultures came, to giving a time scale that matched matched the astronomical age.

Going further, only one or two Kalpas are known. Given that the age of the universe is about 13-14 billion years by present estimates, there has just been time for 1 Pralaya and 2-3 Kalpas.

As a Pralaya follows a Kalpa, so has another final singularity, the Big Crunch been postulated.

The 6000 odd years since the onset of Kali ties in with certain other calendars- such as the 4004 B.C. date given by some Christian Chronologies such as Ussher in the 17 century, when Adam and Eve sinned and were cast out of Paradise. Ussher's and other such chronologies are not widely accepted. But, I also think the 420,000 years left in Kali, is too much time for mankind to nuke itself out.

Each Manvantara, a new Manu takes over and repopulates the world. There is rejuvenation. Similarly, in the geological time scale, many mass extinctions and subsequent repopulations by newer life forms have been proved. Different kinds of life forms have emerged and dominated the earth in different "eons" in that time scale for example, aquatic life, insects, reptiles and mammals, all have had their period of dominance, culminating in the appearance of Homo Sapiens in the Quarternary period. If we neglect that a Manu is human and populates the world with human life, and consider all life, and that each Manu's reign is fixed, we could see some correspondence with what happens in geology over a 'geologic eon'. The 300 million years a Manu gets doesn't fit too badly with events such K-T extinctions and repopulation by other life-forms over "eons".

Flood legends are common in almost all ancient cultures. In some Amerindian and other cultures, it lasts no more than 2 days. In Hindu culture, it lasts the longest- 4.32 billion years.

Quite a bit of western Indological research literature, reflecting both the vigor of the 'Renaissance Man' romantic ideal of the 19th century, and the absence of tempering scientific rigor upon overenthusiastic speculation, deigned that Brahma and Saraswati as known in India, were learned, adopted and mistakenly deified, from contact with older West Asian peoples, who spoke of the patriarch Abraham and his wife Sarah. Today it seems a whole lot tougher to state and prove such things, though there are basket cases who "psycho-analyze" the god Ganesha, whom they personally haven't met, and then get a lucrative professorship in Texas. :)

Lastly, Hindu theology describes most geneses and creation, (such as in the Purusha Sukta, Brahma and Prajapati episodes), as being mind-born or being 'willed' into existence. This is not the same as the material and highly specific creation in six days described in the Genesis of the Old Testament. Though certain births and certain specific creations are described, much of this is more the creation of a concept, or a template, than substantiated entities. So, I flatter myself into thinking the mind-born method explicitly allows for evolution to work within the Hindu creator's framework, without making him obsolete! It doesn't seem as black and a white battle as between biblical creationism and evolution have in the United States.

Ok, now, let's cease this voyage of fancy, before we fall off the flat earth and wake up :) Thank you all for choosing to travel in our ship, the 'S.S. Speculation'.

I think this is the first and last time you will hear me on this site, with my speculative hat on and I will be scrubbing this speculation in a few days.


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Sobhillu Saptaswara

Raga Jaganmohini , 15 Mayamalavagowla janya
Aa: S G3 M1 P N3 S Av: S N3 P M1 G3 R1 S
Taalam: Roopakam

Lyrics: Pallavi: śōbhillu sapta swara sundarula bhajimpavē manasā Anupallavi: nābhi hṛt kaṇṭha rasana nāsādulayandu Charanam: dhara ṛk sāmādulalō vara gāyatrī hṛdayamuna sura bhūsura mānasamuna śubha tyāgarājuniyeḍa

English verse: O mind! Of the seven notes shining, Of their charming forms, must you sing! From the navel, heart, throat, nose and tongue, Arise these seven notes, when sung. They pervade in Rik, Saman and the others, In the very heart of the most sacred verse, In the minds of gods and the godlike, And in this goodly bard, alike.

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Comments:
This is another kriti on Nadopasana or worship through music. In the Carnatic music tradition, the seven notes of the scale, Sa-Ri-Ga-Ma-Pa-Dha-Ni are each personified and said to be resident in (i.e. arise from) a part of the vocal faculty in the human body. Each note is also associated with a presiding deity. It is this concept that is alluded to here. The text in the Pallavi literally reads something like "adore the beautiful (persons) of the lustrous seven notes". So I have given it equivalently as forms and have used "sing" as in a context of worship.

The four Vedas viz. Rg, Yajur, Sama and Atharva veda are alluded to in the Charanas. The Gayatri mantra or prayer is considered the most sacred of all. Note that the two vedas, Rg and Sama, and this mantra are all referred to by their poetic meters- Rik, Saman and Gayatri (literally 'trifold' song) respectively. Bhusuras or literally 'gods on earth' are mentioned along with the Suras or gods of Heaven. Bhusura is usually an epithet for Brahmans or the priests and scholars. But to be called a "Brahman" in adulation, as in the kriti, actually indicates a most holy and venerable attainment. It certainly does not refer to everyone of that station. To convey this particular sense, I have given Bhusura as 'the godlike'. These seven notes, i.e. music, is said to pervade and sustain all of them, as well as Tyagaraja himself.

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Extra Comments:
We may also note that this song on the sublimity of music, is incidentally set in a raga called 'Jaganmohini', which literally translates to "Enchantress of the world".

Lastly,

I plead for some license,
In the Anupallavi,
To convey the sense. :)

Literally, the seven notes are said to shine in the corresponding parts of the body.


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Sangita Jnanamu

Raga Dhanyasi , 8 Hanumatodi janya
Aa: S G2 M1 P N2 S Av: S N2 D1 P M1 G2 R1 S
Taalam: Adi

Lyrics: Pallavi: saṅgīta jñānamu bhakti vinā sanmārgamu galadē manasā Anupallavi: bhṛṅgi naṭēśa samīraja ghaṭaja mataṅga nāradādulupāsincē Charanam: nyāyānyāyamu telusunu jagamulu māyāmayamani telusunu durguṇa kāyajādi ṣaḍ-ripula jayiñcu kāryamu telusunu tyāgarājuniki

English verse: To know music without devotion, Is from the right, grave deviation. The son of Wind and the lord of dance, The bee and the dean of musical nuance, And he that emerged from a vessel,- From their worship, comes this counsel. In the world, I discern right from wrong, And see it's been an illusion all along. The six vices corporeal, have but one subjugation; This, I find, is the path of musical dedication.

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Comments:
This powerful and popular kriti is one of the greatest examples of Tyagaraja's Nadopasana or worship through music. The "right path", is of course, an allusion to the path to salvation. Thus, the message of this kriti is that music with devotion, is the path to salvation.

Natesha, literally, "the lord of dancers", is a reference to Siva. Hanuman is the son of the god of wind (or wind personified). The celestial sage Narada, a frequent intercessor in both epics and in several puranas, is also said to have invented the Vina and musical structure, and to have written the first work on the theory of music. Tyagaraja considered him the guru of gurus (hence the 'dean'), and composed a few kritis in his praise. The sage Bhringi, one of the chiefs of Siva's retinue, took the form of a 'bee' during his penances. Agastya, one of the Seven Sages, was said to have been miraculously born in a pitcher. He is mentioned by similar epithets in other kritis as well. Another great sage, Maatanga, whom I left out claiming poetic license, is also mentioned in this kriti. He too has appeared in several episodes in both the epics and in the puranas. Kama, krodha, lobha, moha, mada and matsarya are said to be the six great vices, or "six enemies" as in the kriti. They correspond in order to, lust, anger, greed, delusion, arrogance, and envy. In the pallavi, literally, he says if music is practiced without devotion, the right path shall remain elusive. So, to Tyagaraja, music is sublime.

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Extra Comments:
There is a vast difference between Nadopasana or worship through music, and 'sacred music' or music written for worship, such as chants and hymns. The latter is an aid to religion. But, to a Nadopasaka or votary of Nadopasana, music itself is the religion. The latter is intended to supplement select religious services, and general adoration. But, a Nadopasaka is totally immersed in the study of music and the musical exaltation of God. A Nadopasaka might still compose or perform 'sacred music'.

"Kayaja" is an unusual usage to signify "born of the body"; kaaya or a form of it like kaayam, refers to the body in several Indian languages. As Kama or lust is always mentioned first among the among the vices and as Tyagaraja frequently described persons and entities by specifying their origination, using the suffix "ja", and was fond of avoiding enumeration by using the et cetera or "aadi", this meaning is quite in line. He also mentions exactly six "enemies", which are unmistakable for anything other than the six great vices, given the context of this kriti, and the frequent mention they find in religious and philosophical literature.

As accents and pronunciations abound these days, note that I have required nuance and dance to be read as nuɑns/noo-ahns and dɑns/dahns respectively, to keep with the rhyme scheme in the Anupallavi verse.

Note that Tyagaraja's advaitin or monist heritage is apparent in his description of the world as a great illusion in the Charanas.


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Raga sudha rasa

Raga Andolika , 28 hairkhambhoji janya
Aa: S R2 M1 P N2 S Av: S N2 D2 M1 R2 S
Taalam: Deshadi

Lyrics: Pallavi: rāga sudhā rasa pānamu jēsi rañjillavē ō manasā Anupallavi: yāga yōga tyāga bhōga phalamosaṅgē (rāga) Charanam: sadāśiva mayamagu nādōṅkāra swara vidulu jīvanmuktulani tyāgarāju teliyu (rāga)

English verse: The nectar like juice of melody sip, O my mind, And joy therein, why don't you find? Rites, Meditations, austerity and pleasure, In such music, do their fruits come together. That in which Sadashiva pervades unbound- The notes from Om the primordial sound, They that are versed in them, the art profound, To the cycle of life and death are no longer bound. This is a verity, this bard has found.

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Comments:
There is a lot of subtlety to this kriti. This is again a Tyagaraja kriti focusing on Nadopasana or worship through music as the means to salvation, and is about the sublimity of music itself.

"Yaga, yoga, tyaga, bhoga" in the anupallavi, refers to the different paths of realizing God, namely, Ritualism, Meditations, Renunciation and pleasure. Music (Raga) is deemed to give all their fruits combined. See fuller description below. Om, the mystic syllable, generates the primordial sound. Shiva is described as permeating this primordial sound. From this sound, come the seven notes. Experts in the art of these seven notes, are said to be Jivanmukthas or those freed from the cycle of death and rebirth.

I have written 'manasa' literally. But, the literary device at play in "O Manasa" is soliloquy, though he also later says "Tyagaraja knows" in a more declarative form. It might be better to write addressing manas as addressing oneself is English.

Cf. the meter and structure I have written the anupallavi in, with the refrain in the English ballad "Scarborough fair", starting, "Parsley... love of mine" and the Charanas with portions of another famous ballad, 'The Solitary Reaper'.

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Extra Comments:
Due to the subtlety in the lyrics, I did a quick sweep of all my textbooks and some of the larger websites, and have this to say:

In the pallavi, the book by Prof. T.K. Govinda Rao, my main source for the lyrics (we write the translations from scratch), gives "rajillave" or shine. But, I have heard some of my favorite singers render it as "ranjillave" or rejoice. In Telugu, ranjillave is a better fit due to its meaning. To reason this more technically, I think "ranjillave" is a better fit, philologically. The original sanskrit expression comes from the association of "manas", mind, with the root "ranj". This root means gladden, redden, charm etc. and is often associated with manas, as in 'manoranjani'. These are loan words into Telugu and as the association of the two has also followed into Telugu, we can take the meaning directly from the original. In fact, Tyagaraja himself has used this expression in other places, such as the next kriti we post: Heccharikaga rara. It is most possible that this was just a typo in the said book, and not a variation in the lyrics needed such argumentation. But, isn't it nice that we can technically argue the point out too?

The reference to bhoga or pleasure in this kriti among well known religious paths like yagnya, yoga and tyaga might be counter-intuitive. But, this is so, if we think only about those common in Vedanta. If we include well known Tantric paths, even in some of the reputed schools, various pleasures, may be experienced- not base enjoyments- but those like the different levels of ecstasy arising out of various methods, like in Hatha or the rising Kundalini or certain other worships and propitiations. Alternatively, but less forcefully, we could tie 'bhoga' to 'phalam' as an adjective. But, as we know that statistically, Tyagaraja subordinated his lyrics to the underlying melody frequently, we could just innocuously take bhoga to be a filler and take it literally. It is always much more prudent with this composer, to take the more direct meaning as opposed to his junior contemporary in the music trinity. But we must always humbly remember that without a contemporaneous printing, we are only reasoning a posteriori.

Note that Meditations is in plural, to signify different contemplative and equivalent Yogic paths or the different Yogas, and is not in singular, to signify extended Meditation, ie Tapas or Penance.

Sadashiva means "Always pleasing", "Always auspicious or kind" and figuratively "Eternal Siva" or "The Eternal One in Whom all things abide". Sadashiva is certainly not the Siva of the Trinity. No, he is actually a Great God, one above the pantheon. But, though He is reckoned to be the Brahman in this distinct form by his adherents, He is not exactly synonymous with the concept of Brahman. This is similar to the notion of the all pervasive "Mahavishnu" among Vaishnava sects, as different from "Vishnu, the second of the Trinity" or the Vedic Vishnu. Cf. "Pratyaksham Brahman" or the "manifest/visible Supreme Self".

Jivanmukthas are noble souls freed from the cycle of rebirth and death. In some legends, they are said to inhabit one of the higher worlds above the earth and shine as stars. Souls that have attained salvation or mokhsa, are said to transit through their world before merging with the Paramatma. The order and depiction of these higher worlds and the positions of Jivanmukthas could vary.

The Charanas have always seemed to me like oddly befitting Sadashiva Brahmendra, a well known saint, music scholar and a reputed jivanmuktha who lived some time before Tyagaraja.

Actually, so much discussion comes up in this kriti because, many of the concepts mentioned in this kriti are very familiar in the prevalent sub-culture of Tyagaraja's region to this day, but are not known in other cultural contexts.

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Nada tanumanisham

Raga citta ranjani , 22 karaharapriya janya
Aa: S R2 G2 M1 P D2 N2 S Av: S N2 D2 P M1 G2 R2 S
Taalam: Adi

Lyrics: Pallavi: nāda tanumaniśaṃ śaṅkaram namāmi mē manasā śirasā Anupallavi: modakara nigamottama sāma- vēdasāraṃ vāraṃ vāram Charanam: sadyojātādi pañcavaktraja sarigamapadhanī vara saptaswara vidyālolaṃ vidalita kālam vimala hṛdaya tyāgarāja pālam

English verse: To Sankara, the embodiment of the musical art, I bow my head with all my heart. Of delightful Sama Veda, The acme of the Vedic domain, As He is the essence, I bow time and time again. From Sadyojata and the others of His five faces, The scale Sa-Ri-Ga-Ma-Pa-Dha-Ni, arises. Etudes of the fine seven notes, Death's bane, titillate, That guardian of Tyagaraja the immaculate.

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Comments:
As a Nadopaska, or one whose music was his worship, Tyagaraja frequently praised music itself, or its elements, and considered it the most exalted. This kriti is an example. Sama Veda is considered the origin of music, as singing its verses was the first sacred music. The other vedas are not sung. In his five headed form, Siva is considered the creator of music. Such themes appear in many places in Tyagaraja's kritis. Strangely, though Tyagaraja calls Siva the essence of Sama Veda, in his form as Rudra, or as one of the Rudras, Siva appears in the Sama Veda in only eight or nine verses of nearly two thousand. Sankara literally means "He who does good". Usually, the allusion to crushing Death, is taken as a specific reference to Siva saving the boy-sage Markandeya. But more generally, Siva as the destroyer of the Trinity, has overlordship over Kala, Yama, Dharma or Death, and is described as having saved several other devotees from death. That is why he is called Mrityunjaya, and when someone is at death's door, the Mrityunjaya Homa is performed to save them. Allusion to Mrityunjaya is more frequent. Vidalita Kaalam can in fact, be alternately given as Mrityunjaya literally, Victor over Death. Studies of the seven notes is a figurative reference to music, and literally can be taken as an etude.


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