Though most of the Readers of Ramanis blog are objective and seekers of Truth,History based on Facts,there are a few who try to read hidden meanings and agenda.
To them, I would like to state that this blog is an attempt at finding our cultural and historical roots that have been destroyed /are twisted to suit the invaders.
Because of this misinformation,many/some tend to view our history and culture through the Prisms of Language and region.
What one must remember is that,though there were 56 Kingdoms and at least as many languages from the Vedic /Ramayana,Mahabharatha period, I am yet to come across a reference where the culture or languages of one region look down upon the others.
However,there were instances of religious bigotry between Hinduism,Jainism and Buddhism during the middle ages,no prejudiced views were there about languages,music and culture.
Each was given respect and each took the best out of the other and became better.
For example,Tamil customs were adapted to Vedic Traditions,like the Mangal Sutra(Thaali) and Apasthamba incorporated them in his sutras.
Similarly,thiugh the Tamils were not Fire Worshippers like the Vedic People,they followed Sanaatana Dharma.
This introduction is in the light of the information I am producing below,which is likely to raise the hackles of Carnatic Music lovers.
Tamil as a language consists of three parts.
Iyal,loosely translated as Prose ,is that which comes naturally in day to day Life,
Isai,Music,which is the origin of Language and
Natakam,Drama or Theatrics.
Isai is is from the word Asai, ‘Move’.
Music as we know is from Vibrations.
Vibrations are from Movement.
Whether it is Vocal or Instrumental Music ,it is from Movement,vocal chords,strings,or vibrations from instruments.
So The root word for Music Isai is from Asai,Move.
Isai also means ‘to be in tune with’ ‘agree’,’ go together’.
Recorded history from the earliest recorded Tamil Work Tholkappiam speaks about Isai ,called ,’Pann,.
Pann means that which is refined ,cultured,orderly and elevating.
One may note that Tholkappiyar was a disciple of Sage,Agastya,who wrote Veda Sutras and is considered as the co founder of Tamil along with Lord Shiva,Subrahmanya(Murugan in Tamil) .
Shiva in Tamil is associated with Dance as Natana Sabapathy,the Lord of Dais and He is also considered as the root of Music.
One may note that Sanskrit was born of Shiva’s Drum.
Even today Shiva is worsipped with Tamil Music,Pann from Thirumurai of Thevaram and Thiruvasagam in temples.
These are called Dravida Vedas.
Please listen you visit temples in the south when the priest performs the,Kaala Pooja,the Poojas conducted at specific times in Times( 5 or six Times a day,depending on the custom).
You may note the priest saying Dravida Vedam Sandhardhasyaami,we are offering You the Dravida Vedas.
This is followed by Tamil Pann speicified for the Time the pooja is performed.
This is followed by the priest announcing ‘ Veda Ghosham’
Then Veda is chanted.
*This practice seems to have originated just before the period or during the reign of Rajaraja Chola,1010AD.
In Vishnu Temples Naalayira Divya Prabhandham is sung.
The Pann,music of Tamil ,as of now is dated aroud 200 BC.
However, in the light of evidence from Poompuhar which is described in detail in Cilappadikaaram, one of the,Tamil Five Tamil Epics,the date of Tamil is pushed back by 30,000 years.
Then we have Arikamedu site,and a million year old site in Chennai.
Then 74,000 year old Nataraja near Kurnool,Andhra Pradesh( Telengana?)’
Thiruvannamalai ,Tamil Nadu which is 3.94 Billion years old,
Thirupathi,the Northern boundary of Tamils is 2100 million years old..
All this push the date of Tamil further back.
The surprise is that this ancient Tamil quotes Vedas and Vedas quote Tamil.
Please read my articles in detail on each topic.
There are 103 Panns.
Today 21,24 or 27 are used in Temples.
There are 72 Mela Kartha Raagas in Carnatic Music.
Please read my article on this.
Tamil is unique in that it assigns a particular Pann to one landmass.
There are five landscapes described.
Kurinji,Marutham,Neydhal,Mullai and Paalai.
Please read my posts on these labd divisions.
The first music instrument was Yaazh ,like Veena.
In Vedas Sama Veda is set to music and it is dedicated to Lord Shiva.
In Vedic traditions,Veena is decribed as the first musical instrument.
In Tamil, it is Yaazh , a type of Veena.
Goddess Saraswathi has it in her hands.
Also the the Drum of Shiva,Damaru.
In Tamil,’Parai’ Drum is also considered as the earliest musical instrument along with Yaazh.
‘
அசையும் சீரும் இசையொடு சேர்த்தி
வகுத்தனர் உணர்த்தலும் வல்லோர் ஆறே”
”
“
“இசைப்பு இசையாகும் என்கிறது”
*-That which is moved/vibrated is Music’”
இசைப்பு என்பது யாழ் போன்ற இசைக்கருவிகளை இசைத்தல் ஆகும் என்பது இந்நூற்பாவின் பொருள்.
“
அளபு இறந்து இசைத்தலும் ஒற்று இசை நீடலும்
உள என மொழிப இசையொடு சிவணிய நரம்பின் மறைய என்மனார் புலவர்’
”
இசையொடு பொருந்திய யாழ் நூலில் இசையிலே எழுத்து ஒலிகள் அளவுகடந்து ஒலித்தலும், ஒற்றுக்கள் நீண்டு ஒலித்தலும் உண்டு என்று அறிஞர் கூறுவர் என்பது இதன் பொருள்.
*In Yaazh,written letters sound long and the consonants short’
இசையைத் தொழிலாக கொண்ட மக்கள் உபயோகப்படுத்தும் இசைக்கருவிக்குப் பறை என்றும், இன்பமாக பொழுது போக்கும் மக்கள் பயன்படுத்தும் இசைக்கருவி யாழ் என்றும் தொல்காப்பியத்தில் இருவகை இசைக்கருவிகளைப் பற்றிக் குறிப்பிடுகிறார் தொல்காப்பியர், தொல்காப்பியம் பொருளதிகாரம்அகத்திணையியல் 18 ஆம் நூற்பா தமிழர் வாழ்க்கை நெறியின் அடிப்படைப் பண்பாட்டுக் கருவூலங்களைக் குறிப்பிடுகிறது.
“
தெய்வ முணாவே மாமரம் புட்பறை
செய்தி யாழின் பகுதியொடு தொகைஇ அவ்வகை பிறவும் கருவென மொழிப
”
இங்கு தெய்வம், உணா, மா, மரம், புள், பறை, யாழ் ஆகிய பொருள்கள் சொல்லப்பட்டுள்ளன. இந்த ஏழும் தமிழர் பண்பாட்டுக் கருப்பொருள்கள். ஏழு கருப்பொருளில் ஒன்று யாழ். மற்றொன்று பறை.’
Pann and Equivalent Carnatic Raagas.
‘பண்கள் மொத்தம் 103 என்று குறிப்பிடப்பட்டுள்ளன. தேவாரத்திலும் திருமுறைகளிலே குறிக்கப்பட்டுள்ள 24 பண்களைக் கீழே காணலாம். அவற்றுக்குச்சமமான தற்கால இராகங்கள் அருகே தரப்பட்டுள்ளன.
Oh Kamalambike, You are the Kalpaka tree to those who seek refuge in You. You, the Candika-fierce one wearing beautiful red silk and sporting a parrot in the hand, protect me.
Her lotus-like feet are worshipped by Brahma and others. She who bestows abundant blessing, who is the cause of the glory of Kamalalaya Lake, consort of Shiva, ocean of compassion.
She, the sovereign ruler of all the world, is fond of music. She who bestows the talent of poesy and is lovely. She who is beyond Maya-delusion, expert in granting salvation, remover of distress, whose rays are the five elements i.e. ether, etc. She whose feet are beautiful and red in color, who is radiant, mother of Guruguha and resides in the heart of Sadashiva. She who is the personification of the alphabet i.e. A, Ka, Ca, Ta, Ta, Pa, etc. She is the only essence of all the pervasive universe.
kamalAmbA saMrakSatu mAM hRt (AvaraNa 1)
rAga: Anandabhairavi / tALa: mishra cApu
pallavi
kamalAmbA saMrakSatu mAM hRt
kamalAnagara nivAsinI
May goddess Kamalamba, who resides at the heart of Kamalangara, protect me.
Her lotus-like face is praised by virtuous people. She who is the beloved companion of Lord Sundara-Shiva, who revels in joy deriving from wisdom and is very beautiful. She is like the she-parrot in the center of the cage known as Tara.
She is suzerain of the Chakra cosmogram, i.e. tripura etc., goddess for the Siddhi powers such as Anima. She is eternal and beloved of Kameshvara-Nityakameshvari. She is the sovereign ruler of the Trailokya Mohana Chakra, the circle which beguiles the three worlds. She is the manifestation of Yogic power, conqueror of the enemies of celestials such as Mahishasura. She is revealed in holy scriptures. She is the spouse of Tripuresha-Shiva and the mother of Guruguha. She enjoyed the destruction of Tripura. She is the sister of Vishnu, who is the enemy of the demon Madhu. She is slender-waisted, Tripurasundari the great goddess and spouse of Maheshvara.
kamalAmbAM bhajarE rE mAnasa (AvaraNa 2)
rAga: kalyANi / tALa: Adi (2 kaLai)
pallavi
kamalAmbAM bhajarE rE mAnasa
kalpita mAyA kAryam tyajarE
anupallavi
kamalAvANI sEvita pArshvAm
kambujaya grIvAM nata dEvAM
Oh mind, worship goddess Kamalamba, and cast aside attachment to this illusory world.
She is attended on by Lakshmi and Sarasvati. The beauty of Her neck surpasses that of the conch. She is worshiped by the celestials and resides at Kamalapura. She speaks softly and has beautiful teeth. She possesses a lotus-like face.
She is the presiding deity of Sarvasha Paripuraka Chakra and is the beloved of Paramashiva. She is the mystic Yogini, worshiped by the sage Durvasa. She annihilates miseries. She is Hamsini, the supreme one in the company of great sages. She is the bestower of true bliss through salvation. She is the ever-auspicious one. She is also known as Katyayani and Sharvani. Her dark tresses exceed the dark hue of a swarm of bees. She is the mother of noble Guruguha and is blemishless. She destroyed the arrogant Bhandasura. She delights Shaktis such as Kamakarshani. She is the attributeless supreme spirit and is the form of the world.
Shri Kamalambika has cast Her gracious glance on me, and now I am identified with the nature of Absolute Brahman, the fullness of existence, consciousness and bliss.
Indra and other celestials attend on Her. She is adored by Brahma and others who perform the Pancakritya, the five cosmic acts. Her feet are adroit at removing grief. She endowed the gift of speech in Muka and made him a Kavi. Her victorious feet are like red lotus. She is the embodiment of the three-word mantra Tat-Tvam-Asi imparted by Guruguha.
Her form is of eight Shaktis, Anangakusuma and the rest. She is the color of dawn, Aruna, and is enshrined in the Samkshobhana Chakra. She is the consort of Shankara, who is the Lord of innumerable universes. She is of the nature of eternal and hidden Ashtavarga, the eight groups of alphabets. She is worshipful, seated on an eight-petalled lotus. She is worshiped by Ananga the Cupid. She holds a bow and arrows, and is an embodiment of the nectar of compassion. May Lord Tyagaraja, who conferred boons on Muchukunda, be victorious. He has beautiful hands, lotus-like feet, and sports an enchanting benign smile on his face. He is the all-pervasive one, adored by Mukunda the Vishnu, and has a fair-complexioned form. He makes Nandikeshvara happy and is worshiped by a host of celestials. He is the progenitor of Guruguha. May he be victorious.
I salute You, Kamalamba, You who wear golden clothes and enjoy camphor-flavored betal.
You are the younger sister of Vishnu, the spouse of Lakshmi. You are Kameshvari, and are the unborn one, daughter of Mount Himalaya, worshiped with the sound Hrim. You who reside in Kamalanagara destroy the lots of dishonest ones, wear lovely golden chains, and remove the sins we commit in the Kali age.
You possess lotus-like feet, which bestow all fortune. You embody the fourth Avarana containing the Shakti Samkshobhini, and rule the fourteen manifest worlds. You are the heart of the strong tradition to which Guruguha belongs. You are of flawless beauty and complexion. You are called Aparna[1]. You are the bird Hamsa[2]. You hold in Your charming hand a bow and arrows. You as the Chakra contain fourteen Konas triangles. You are besmeared with Kunkuma, etc. You are the creator of movable as well as unmovable phenomena. You whose black hair triumphs over the blue clouds are the plenitude[3] of consciousness and bliss.
Notes
In Her deep penance and meditation to please Shiva, she refused all food, even the fallen leaf.
The Prana is envisioned as a wild goose.
This represents the grossest manifestation of Shakti belonging to the manifest worlds.
shrI kamalAmbikAyAh paraM nahirE rE citta (AvaraNa 5)
rAga: bhairavi / tALa: mishra jhaMpa (2 kaLai)
pallavi
shrI kamalAmbAyAh paraM nahirE rE citta
kSityAdi shivAnta tatva svarUpiNyAh
Oh mind, there is nothing other than the glorious Kamalamba, the one who is the essence of all categories from the earth up to Shiva.
She who is creator of Shrikanta, Brahma and others, She who created the universe, which is in essence nothing but Shiva, She is the agent of all actions, resides in the sacred outer Chakra possessing ten triangles, and is served by Bhairavi-Kali, Bhargavi-Lakshmi and Bharati-Sarasvati.
She who is of the subtle form Nada and is propitiated by the ten Shaktis, Sarvasiddhiprada, etc. She who is famous for being worshiped in various religious modes, such as Kula and Kaula, as the power identical with the ten sense and motor organs. She who is the manifestation of the supreme non-dual non-differentiated ever pure enlightened and free self, the reality of which is consciousness and bliss. She who is an integral whole without any parts such as the first, middle and the last. She who is knowledgeable and is entertained by Guruguha, She manifests as Sarvartthasadhaka Chakra, achieving all purposes. She who is inherent in the nine centers such as Muladhara, etc. and who, surpassing these, knows how to pierce through the sounds. She who protects the Yogis, Her mere glance is capable of dispelling beginningless delusion and ignorance and the laws of cause and effect.
I am the devotee of Kamalambika, who is the spouse of Shankara. She, the bestower of prosperity, is fond of music.
She who sports in Her four hands the arrows of flowers, sugar cane as bow, the rope noose Pasha, and the goad Ankusha. She whose speech is mellifluous, is the spouse of Shiva and the personification of goodness. She whose braided hair excels the beauty of lovely black bees which swarm around the Punnaga tree.
She is the goddess of the Chakra Sarvarakshakara, protecting all. Her essential nature is the fire. She is established in the ten Kalas and manifests in the inner circle having ten triangles. She is the goddess of the circle of Malini, which has ten Shaktis such as Sarvajna etc. She is of the form of the ten letters of the Ka and Ca groups and is worshiped by gods and others. She is Kundalini, encompassing the fifty letters. She is the goddess Kaulini, propitiated by ten Mudras. She is worshiped by Dasharatha and others, and bestows knowledge on Shiva, the father of Guruguha. The rays of Her inner radiance constitute the functioning of the ten Indriyas, the ten sense and motor organs.
I offer my devotion to my mother, Shri Kamalambika, to She who resides in the garden palace of the wish-fulfilling gem Kalpavatika, and to Chandika, the mother of the universe.
She who has a lovely moon-like face, whose eyes are like the lotus bud, whose feet are praised by Indra, whose rays are the five elements such as space, She is the gazelle-eyed in the forest of Hrim. She who is the embodiment of Hrim, She is the presiding deity for the Mantra Hrim. She is Gauri.
She rejoices in Her own self of supreme bliss, the self which transcends the three states of existence: the casual, the subtle, and the gross. She who is the mystic Yogini, known only to Brahma, Vishnu, Rudra, and Hayagriva, She is differentiated as the Shakti Vasini, etc. and as the four states of development, the deity of speech. She is the healing Raja Yogini, who removes all illness, which is essentially transient. She who plays the Vina, which She holds in Her hands, who delights the Kamalanagara, who charms the Gods, men and sages, grants Guruguha the boon of Her grace.
May goddess Kamalambika, spouse of Shiva, She who holds a parrot in Her hand, protect me.
She is the protector of the world, adorning the Kapala skull and the Shula trident. Mother of the universe and also known as Bhagamalini, may She bestow Her glance on me, and confer all accomplishments on me. She is Tripurambika, the Balambika.
Her body is like burnished gold, and is the eternal stream of undifferentiated unique bliss. She is the remover of sufferings and resides in the Trikona triangle, which obliterates the three kinds of miseries. She is in the company of Kameshvari and a host of Shaktis. In the wide doorway of Her abode, wherein the jewelled bell constantly announces salvation, She is understood by Guruguha, who is eternal. From Her ten fingernails, She created the ten incarnations of Vishnu. She is the supremely secret Yogini, who holds in Her four hands the sugar cane bow symbolising the mind, five arrows symbolising the five Tanmatras – essences, sounds etc. of the five elements, the noose symbolising attachment, and the goad symbolising hatred.
Hail my mother, Shri Kamalamba. Hail to the mother of the world, Shri Kamalamba. You are the personification of Shringara Rasa, the essence of the sentiment of love. Oh my mother, You are the reflection of the entity of consciousness, Cidbimba, residing at the orb of the moon that shows the reflection of the original orb, void of consciousness. She who resides in Bindu Chakra, which is the center of Shripura, inside the temple, which is made of the wish-fulfilling gem Chintamani, She is in the embrace of Shiva on the couch of the form of Shiva.
I meditate on Mahatripurasundari, who is propitiated by the goddess with the boar’s face, Varahi, and others, the suzerain empress, the auspicious one who dwells in the circle replete with all bliss. She is Suvasini. I am protected by Her. She makes the sun, the moon and the fire manifest themselves. She is skillful in removing the three terrible sufferings such as Adhyatmika, etc. She possesses the beautiful form assumed to grant the prayers of Indra and the other gods. She manifests both as the supreme and as empirical objects.
She is compassionate. I salute Her, auspicious mother, pure consciousness, worshiped by Lakshmi, Vishnu, Rudra, and Brahma. Everything is born of the supreme deity who is worshiped by the Shaktis such as Vama, etc. She has the form of the Mantra which begins with the letters Ka, Ha, Sa, etc., the mantra which is worshiped and meditated upon by the twelve savants, Kama and others. Let my loving mind be dissolved in Her, whose beloved is Shiva, and who is the mother of Guruguha. You embody the light which is Brahman, are the divine omniscience which contains all phenomena and their names, reveal Kamakala and the insights revealing one’s perfect identity.
Shri Kamalambika, the spouse of Shiva, oh Lalita, please protect me. You are worshiped by Vishnu and You are always with Shiva.
Your face is like the full moon, You who protected Kolamukhi-Varahi. You are the companion of Lakshmi and Sarasvati. You enjoy the Rajayoga, oh Shakambari, the mother of nature, of slender waist, oh wearer of the crescent moon. Oh benevolent one, You are fascinated by the devotees of Shiva and Guruguha. You are the single syllable Om, oh empress of the world, one who enchants Lord Shiva. You are the the bestower of prosperity and happiness. You are Shri Maha Tripurasundari.
he first Avaranam is Bhoopuram and the Chakram is Trailokyamohana chakra ‘enchants the three worlds’;The yogini is Prakata, the mental state of the aspirant is Jagrata, Chakra Iswari is Tripura and the Saktis are 28 that include the ten starting with Anima, the eight starting with Brahmya and the ten Mudra Saktis. [Ragam Anandhabhairavi: Kamalamba Samrakshatu]
The second Avaranam is Shodasa Dalam, and the Chakram is Sarvasaparipuraka chakra, ‘fulfills all expectations’; The yogini is Gupta Yogini. The mental state is Swapna, the Chakra Iswari is Tripurasi and the Saktis are the sixteen starting with Kamakarshini. [Ragam Kalyani: Kamalambam Bhajare]
The third Avaranam is Ashtha Dalam; The Chakram is Sarvasamkshobana chakra, ‘agitates all’; the Yogini is Gupta Tara Yogini. The mental state is Sushupti, the Chakra Iswari is Tripura Sundari and the Saktis are the eight starting with Ananga Kusuma. [Ragam Sankarabharanam: Sri Kamalambikayaa Katakshitoham]
The fourth Avaranam is Chaturdasaram; the Chakram is Sarvasaubhagyadayaka chakra, ‘grants excellence’; the Yogini is Sampradaya Yogini. The mental state is Iswara Vicharam, Chakra Iswari is Tripura Vasini and the Saktis are the fourteen starting with Samkshobhini. [Ragam Kambhoji: Kamalambikaayai Kanakamshukayai]
The fifth Avaranam is Bahirdasaram; the Chakram is Sarvarthasadhakachakra, is the ‘accomplisher of all’; the Yogini is Kulotteerna yogini. The mental state is Guroopa Sadanam; the Chakra Iswari is Tripura Sri and the Saktis are the ten starting with Sarva Siddhi Prada. [Ragam Bhairavi: Sri Kamalambikayaha Param Nahi re re chitta]
The sixth Avaranam is Antardasaram; the Chakram is Sarvaraksakara chakra, ‘protects all’; the Yogini is Nigarbha Yogini. The mental state is Upadesam; the Chakra Iswari is Tripura Malini and the Saktis are the ten starting with Sarvagnya. [Ragam Punnagavarali: Kamalambikayastava Bhaktoham]
The Seventh Avaranam is Asthakonam; the Chakram is Sarvarogahara chakra, ‘cures all ills’; the Yogini is Rahasya Yogini. The mental state is Mananam; the chakra Iswari is Tripura Siddhaa and the Saktis are the eight, starting with Vashini. [Ragam Sahana: Sri Kamalambikayam Bhaktim Karomi]
The eighth Avaranam is Trikonam; the Chakram is Sarvasiddhiprada chakra, ‘grants all perfection’; the Yogini is Ati Rahasya Yogini. The mental state is Nitidhyasanam; the Chakra Iswari is Tripuramba and the Saktis are the three starting with Kameshwari. [Ragam Ghanta: Sri Kamalambike Avaava]
The ninth Avaranam is the Bindu and the highest Chakram is Sarvanandamaya chakra, ‘replete with bliss’. The mental state is Savikalpa Samadhi; the Chakra Iswari is Maha Tripura Sundari and the Shakti is Maha Tripura Sundari, the very personification of Para Brahman. [Ragam Ahiri: Sri Kamalamba Jayati]
The Ultimate aim of Human Life, according to Hinduism , is Self Realization .
To see God in Yourself is Realization.
To realize God with Name and Form is Realization.
To see God in every living thing is Realization.
To see God in everything, animate and Inanimate is Realization.
The Reality is without name and Form.
One needs to take the first step of Realizing God with Name and Form.
Human Mind, as it is , can realize God with Name and Form easily.
It is emotional and it is emotion that drives us all.
Nama Sankirtana.
This short cut to Realizing God is given the name Bhakti Yoga, in Hinduism.
Yoga means Union.
In Bhakthi,Devotion, one identifies oneself with God.
Some times language is required, Art is required to kindle this emotional aspect.
Bhakti cult in Hinduism, has mastered this art.
This is a Part of Yoga, called Nada Yoga, where one gets lost in Music,no language, cultural barrier.
Music moves all.
Music when combined with suitable emotional content expressed through the medium of language, strikes a chord in you.
You are moved.
You do not need logic here.
Hinduism as I said earlier has developed this into an Art form.
Songs, lyrics have been composed for this.
The accompaniments are minimal .
Great Sanits like Thygaraja,Muthuswamy Dikshitar, Appayya Dikshitra, Sant Thukaram, Samartha Ramadas are some who have realized God through this form.
Their Keerthans, lyrics set to Carnatic music, are sung even to day in Music festivals, and on auspicious occasions.
There is another form of this where the slokas and Keerthanas, either written by the singer or they use the Keerthnas of Saints.
There have been great practitioners of this from. the latest being Swami Haridas Giri.
The other name for this Nama Sankirthana, chanting of the Lord’s name.
Colloquially it is called Bhajan.
Meera excelled in this form.
Special format for this type is found in Marathi,called Abhang.
Nama Sankeerthana is practiced even today at various places.
One such is being held at Malleswaram, Bangalore.
”
BHAJANA MELA 2014
On Sunday, 21st September, 2014
at Sringeri Shankara Mutt Complex,
6th Main, 11th Cross, Malleswaram,
Bangalore08:00 AM to 11:00 AM Sri J.S. Sriram & Party – Secunderabad11:00 AM to 02:30 PM Sri Chengottai Hari & Party02:30 PM to 05:30 PM Bhaktha Meera Bhajana Mandali – Lead by Smt. Chitra Jairam, Thrippunithara, Chochin.
05:30 PM to 08:30 PM
Sri Sattanathar & Party – (Disciple of Sri Sri Murlidhar Swamijee) Chennai
Keertana Yoga (Music Theraphy) is one of the best ways to beat stress and overcome tension. It is needless to mention about the importance of the access to Keertana Yoga to everyone living in Metro Cities like Bangalore. To preserve traditions, MBBM explores the possibility of spreading NAMASANKEERTHANAM by creating expanded platforms for Bhajans.
There is an association between the seed letter (Beejaaksharas) and Raagas with the presiding deities. Hence, devotees are encouraged to sing the Bhajans in that particular raga.
Let us cultivate the habit of singing, listening and learning God’s name with Love and Compassion.
Invitation to everyone to be part of this unique and august gathering.
Please call Girish Krishnan
for any further assistance in this respect at +91 – 97427 35307 or
Mail to pkg.blr@gmail.com
Thyagaraja(May 4, 1767 – January 6, 1847), a Great Composer who has composed over 24.000 Songs in Telugu-only 700 are available now,is considered as the Pithamaha of Classical, Carnatic Music.
He was born in Thiruvaiyaru.
His compositions are sung even today and they are hugely popular.
He was not only a Composer but a great saint who lived and breathed Lord Rama.
His songs are devoted to Lord Rama, though he had sung on other Deities as well.
Saint ThyagarajaPancharatna Kritis singing at Thiruvaiyaru
Tyagaraja Aradhana, the commemorative music festival is held every year at Thiruvaiyaru in the months of January to February in Tyagaraja‘s honour. This is a week-long festival of music where various Carnatic musicians from all over the world converge at his resting place. On the Pushya Bahula Panchami,[Note 2] thousands of people and hundreds of Carnatic musicians sing the five Pancharatna Kritis in unison, with the accompaniment of a large bank of accompanists on veenas, violins, flutes, nadasvarams, mridangams and ghatams.
A crater on the planet Mercury is named Tyagaraja.
On this occasion all the Musicians of Traditional style congregate at Thiruvaiyaru, where his statue is installed and render his Songs. called kritis, are sung in chorus.
About ten thousand Musicians sing his Pancharatna Kriti in unison in a Pandal, a special and unique enclosure.
Pancharatna Kritis.
The term pancharatna in Sanskrit means five gems: The Pancharatnas are known as the five finest gems of Carnatic music. All the Pancharatnas are set to Adi Talam. So far as Pancharatnas are concerned, a stable text has been handed over by the earlier musicians to the present day. Several musicians have brought out editions of Pancharatnas. However, Veenai Sundaram Iyer’s edition is the most detailed and comprehensive. All the compositions of Tyagaraja show the way for the systematic development of the respective ragas. However, in the Pancharatnas, Tyagaraja has given full, exhaustive and complete treatment as to how to systematically and scientifically develop a raga. The two fundamental conditions that must be satisfied for a systematic development of a raga are the arrangement of the solfa swaras in the natural order of Arohanam and Avarohanam of the Ragas so as to satisfy the sound principles of harmony and continuity. Pancharatnas satisfy these scientific principles in an unparalleled manner. The Pancharatnas are composed in perfect sarvalaghu swaras.
The first pancharatna is Jagadanadakaraka, in the raga Nata. It is composed in lucid and poetic Sanskrit. It praises Lord Rama as the source of all joy in the universe. Originally there were only six charanams for the song and when the disciples examined the song it contained ninety names of Lord Rama in mellifluous Sanskrit. The disciples requested Tyagaraja to slightly expand the song by adding two charanas containing eighteen more names of Lord Rama. The saint acceded to the request of the disciples and that is the reason why the song Jagadanadakaraka contains two mudras containing the name of Tyagaraja while the other four songs contain only one mudra each.
The next is Duduku gala in the raga gowla set to adi talam. In this song Tyagaraja takes the blame upon himself for all the misdeeds of men and ruminates as to who would come and save him from this deplorable situation.
The third is Sadhinchene in the raga Arabhi set to adi talam. In this song Tyagaraja lovingly cricises Lord Krishna for his cleverness in getting what he wants to be done. Sadhichene is a breathtaking lullaby.
The fourth song, Kana kana ruchira is in the raga Varali set to adi talam. In this song Tyagaraja describes the infinite beauty of Lord Rama.
The fifth pancharatna is Endaro Mahanubhavulu. It is said that a great musician from Kerala, Shatkala Marar visited Tygaraja and performed before him. Tyagaraja was enchanted with his performance and then was born Endaro Mahanubhavulu, the unparallelled rhythmic beauty in Carnatic music.
Other notable compositions by Tyagaraja include saamajavaragamana in hindolam ragam, aadamodigaladhe in charukesi ragam, raju vedale in todi ragam, ninne nami naanura in pantuvaraliragam, and nagumomu kanaleni in Abheri ragam.
Born in Madurai, Tamil Nadu on September 16, 1916, as Kunjamma, Subbulakshmi grew up surrounded by music. Initially, her mother Shanmugavadivu, a veena player, trained her.
Intrigued by gramophone records, Kunjamma would roll a piece of paper and sing into it for hours. She cut her first disc at the age of 10. The songs were maragatavadivu andOothukuzhiyinile in an impossibly high pitch.
From her formative years, MS worked hard to perfect her diction, understand the inner meaning of the composition and spent months memorising Sanskrit texts. Even in her seventies, she learnt new songs and recorded them.
“Music is an ocean and I am a student. For a vocalist, voice practice is important. It has been my habit to learn the meaning of songs I have to sing and the correct pronunciation of each word,” she once wrote in a magazine, when she was 73.
It was through the Columbia Gramophone Company records that she was first noticed in Chennai even before she was in her teens.
When she was 15 or 16, she was invited to sing at a wedding, where she sang for two hours while the audience sat mesmerised.
By 1932, she had become a sort of cult figure for a whole generation of youngsters. In 1932, her mother Shanmukhavadivu decided to shift to Chennai.
The move was a blessing in disguise, as MS got a break in films, acting in many successful ones, including the all-time Indian classic Meera.
In 1933, the year of the Mahamaham, a festival celebrated every 12 years in Kumbakonam, film director K Subramaniam organised a concert of MS in the town.
MS took the town by storm. It gave her a chance to give a concert at the Music Academy in Madras.
Magazines like Ananda Vikatan began reviewing her performances regularly and she was constantly referred to by the press as ‘Nightingale’.
It was at this time she met Thiyagaraja Sadasivam, a freedom fighter and fairly well-known figure in Chennai’s political scene as a protégé of the late C Rajagopalachari, popularly known as Rajaji. They fell in love and married in Thiruneermalai, near Madras, in 1940. From then on, her career took a new direction.
Subbulakshmi’s first movie Sevasadanam was released in 1938 in which she acted as a poor girl married to a rich old man. It was followed by Shakuntalai in which she played the lead, a glamorous role teaming her with G N Balasubramanian, the most attractive intellect of that time.
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