ammaa raavamma
raagam: kalyaaNi

65 mEcakalyaaNi mEla
Aa: S R2 G3 M2 P D2 N3 S
Av: S N3 D2 P M2 G3 R2 S

taaLam: jhampa
Composer: Tyaagaraajaa
Language: Telugu

pallavi

amma rAvamma tulasamma nanu pAlimpu mamma satatamu pAdamulE namminAnamma

anupallavi

nemmadini nI vihaparammulosagudu vanucu kamma viltunitaNDri galanaina bAyaDaTa

caraNam

nI mrdu tanuvunu gani parimaLamunu gani nI mahatvamunu gani nIrajAkSi
tAmarasa daLa nEtruDu tyAgarAjuni mitruDu prEmatO shiramunanu peTTu konnADaTa

Meaning:

By Aparna from Neccheli (original article here, reproduced with permission)

Carnatic Compositions - The Essence and Embodiment
-Aparna Munukutla Gunupudi

amma - Oh mother rAvamma - come tulasamma - holy Basil nanu pAlimpavamma - please protect me satatamu - constantly padamulE - your feet namminAnamma - I have trusted, oh mother

nemmadini - gently nI viha parammu - material and spiritual osaguduvu - giver anuchu - is said kamma viltuni - the one with floral arrows (Cupid) tandri - father kalanaina - even in dreams bAyadaTa - will not forget

nI mrudu - your delicate tanuvunu - body gani - observing nI parimalamunu - your fragrance gani - observing nI mahatyamunu - your powers gani - observing nIrajAkSi - one with eyes like lotus petals tAmarasa daLa - lotus petals nEtru - eyed tyAgarAjuni mitru - friend of Tyagaraja prEmatO - with love siramunanu - on the head peTTu konnAdaTa - adorned/decorated

This is a rare krithi describing the attributes and the prominence of Tulasi (holy basil) and equating it to Sri Mahalakshmi. In pallavi, Tyagaraja says he has always kept his full faith at her feet and pleads to her to protect him. He claims that she is kind and gently grants the worldly as well as spiritual wishes so her lord, the father of cupid (Vishnu) does not forget her even in his dreams. He then elaborates that after experiencing her delicateness (leaves), her fragrance and the powers, the lord Vishnu, the friend of Tyagaraja who has eyes like lotus petals, has affectionately adorned her on his head.

It is interesting that Tyagaraja referred to holy basil as something that Lord Vishnu has adorned dearly on his head, which shows its importance in the plant kingdom. Holy basil is a very prominent and sacred plant/herb that has countless medicinal benefits. It is also named as vrinda. Lord Krishna is known to have played raasaleela with the gopikas in his favorite vrindavanam, which is nothing but a garden of holy basil. Among all the garlands of gems, gold and silver, Lord Vishnu's favorite garland is Tulasi mala (Garland of basil leaves). The famous story of Sri Krishna Tulabharam, where Satyabhama puts Krishna on the weighing scale to possess him with all her gold, he doesn't yield until Rukmini brings a Tulasi leaf and places it on the scale, proving that a leaf of Tulasi is more valuable than gold and precious gems. Tulasi holds a very prominent place in Hindu Mythology and Indian Ayurvedic medicine. Tulasi is also known as queen of herbs and is widely cultivated in Southeast Asia and the leaves are used in many of their cuisines as well as a medicine to treat many ailments such as skin, respiratory and digestive systems. It is often referred as "paramoushadham" (super medicine) or "Sarva rOga NivariNi (preventer of all diseases)". As health is also considered as one of the wealths, it is indeed a form of Lakshmi. It is no surprise that Tyagaraja pleads to Tulasi to protect him and every household grows a Tulasi plant in their backyard.

Karteeka suddha dwadasi (12th day during waxing half of Kaarteeka month) is a festival called Ksheerabdhi Dwadasi, which is the day Maha Vishnu married Lakshmi Devi, after she emerged out of the milky ocean during the saagara mathanam (churning of the ocean). It is said that Lord Vishnu resides in an Indian gooseberry tree and Goddess Lakshmi resides in Tulasi plant. Therefore, many people celebrate this day by worshiping the holy basil and performing Tulasi Kalyanam by bringing branches of Indian Gooseberry and Tulasi plants together and perform a ceremonious wedding and recite Tulasi Ashtottaram. Wishing everyone a happy deepavali, ksheeraabdhi dwadasi and karteeka pournami!

From Compositions of Tyagaraja by TK Govinda Rao.

Mother Tulasi! Pray come and bless me, one who is ever devoted to your feet. Aware of your tranquil nature and the generosity with which you bestow temporal and spiritual blessings, father of Cupid-Lord Vishnu does not dream of separation from you.

Seeing your body delicate and soft, smelling with fragrance of your own, and knowing your glory, O Lotus eyed! Intimate to Tyagaraja, who delights in wearing your feet on his head. Corrections by Sethuraman Subramanian.

Notation:

Other information:
Lyrics contributed by Lakshman Ragde. Meaning contributed by Aparna Gunupudi via Neccheli and from Compositions of Tyagaraja by TK Govinda Rao.