28 harikaambhOji janya
Aa:S R2 G3 M1 P D2 S
Av: S N2 D2 P M1 G3 R2 S N3 P D2 S

taaLam: Adi
Composer: Shyaamaa Shaastree
Language:

pallavi

dEvI nIdu pada sArasamulE dikku vErE gati evarammA nA

anupallavi

shrI velayu madhura nelakonna cidrUpiNI shrI mInAkSammA

caraNam 1

anAtha rakSaki anETi birudu nIkanAdi gadA lOkanAyaki dharalO krpAnidhi
nIkannA evarammA mAyammA kannAkula tAlavitrI nApai kaTAkSincavE
vEgamE cinnA vedalunIvu dIrci nannu rakSincuTakidi samayamammA

caraNam 2

kadamba kAnana mayUrI nIvE gadambA shankarI caNDa dAnava mada
khaNDitA mrDAnI shukapANI kalyANI sadA nI dhyAnamu sEyuvAriki gadA
sAmrAjyamu cidAnanda rUpuDaiyunna shrI sadAshivuni rANI madhura vANI

caraNam 3

umA ramA shyAmakrSNanutA giri kumArI nI samAnamevaru brOva
bhAramA jagat sAkSi mInAkSi tAmasamu jEsitE nIkidi nyAyamA inta jAgElanE
vEmArunI pada darshanamu labhinci nI mATalu vinaga vaccitinammA

Meaning:

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

Carnatic Compositions – The Essence and Embodiment
-Aparna Munukutla Gunupudi

Our intent for this essay is to highlight the great features of the language, emotion and melody (rAgam) of a krithi (song/composition) and also to provide the song for your listening pleasure. Most of you may know these krithis, but when you discover the distinct features of a krithi, you may enjoy a new beauty or an attribute in the krithi.

Note: Krithi is defined as a song containing pallavi, anupallavi and charanam that have high musical value and can be sung elaborately with improvisations. Whereas Keerthana also has a pallavi, anupallavi and charanam but is sung in a single form or simpler pattern.

Aswayuja masam begins in this month and brings the festivities of Dasara navarathri, where Trisakthi – Parvati, Lakshmi and Saraswati are worshipped. I was afraid that if I pick just one song in praise of one of three, then the other two may get angry. Therefore, I picked three songs, one for each. Also, Dasara is a festival of three powerful women in Indian mythology, celebrated by women and girls with doll arrangements. The American breast cancer society selected October as “breast cancer awareness month” and Navrathri also falls in October. I feel it is no coincidence but the goddess’ blessing. On that note, I encourage every woman to conduct regular self breast exams, make time to schedule mammograms, and make efforts to detect breast cancer as early as possible.

SrI Syama Sastry is an ardent devotee of dEvi and regularly worships srIvidya. His ancestors were appointed to worship the golden kAmAkshi (Kanchivaram) by srI Adi SankarAchArya. It is said that Syama Sastry felt the presence of goddess dEvi regularly during his worships and he was conversing with her. Many of his compositions were done during his immense worship of goddess dEvi. We can attribute to that as many of his compositions are on dEvi. He wrote nine krthis on goddess mInAkshi titled them as navaratna malika (garland of nine gems). This krithi is one among the nine. Like many other krithis, this also is in praise of goddess mInAkshi. In pallavi he pleads to her as her lotus feet are the only solace for him and there is no other way. In anupallavi, he describes her with charming and smiling mInakshi, situated in Madhura. In charanam, he literally converses with goddess mInAkshi as follows, he refers to her as the daughter of the king of mountain and no one is equal to her powers. Then he asks “is protecting me a big task for you?” Why are you waiting? Is it fair to delay it further? Please grant me to witness your lotus feet which are worshipped by umA, ramA and Syamakrishna, and I have come to listen to your sweet words.

As this krithi is relatively simple and easy to understand the meaning, let us talk about Syama Sastri’s commanding skill and his compositions. Though he was proficient in Sanskrit and Telugu, most of his songs are in Telugu that are simple and easy to understand and appreciate their beauty. Once he went to Madhura to sing the navaratna malika krithis, and as he was singing ‘mAyammA” in ahiri, goddess mInAkshi was pleased with him and invoked herself on a temple priest and told everybody that the singer is Syama Sastri and to duly recognize and honor him. Immediately the temple priest honored with the temple customary tradition. Even today, whoever visits the temple from his family, they will be honored in the same manner. Of the nine krithis, there are only seven available. The other six songs are sarOja daLa nEtri – Sankarabharanam, dEvi mIna nEtri – Sankarabharanam, mari vErE gati – Anadabhairavi, nannu brOvu lalitA – Lalita, mAyammA – Ahiri and mIna lOchani – Dhanyasi. Similarly, he composed three swarajatis on kAnchi kAmAkshi are superb in music as well as the language. They are kAmAkshi – Bhairavi, kAmAkshi – Yadukula kambhoji and rAvE himagiri kumAri – Thodi. Even though they are meant for dances, these krithis are noted for singing in major concerts. That is why they are named as “ratna trayam”, the three gems. Syama Sastry is not only talented in music but he was proficient in the rhythm (tALam). If a krithi is fixed to a single taLam, it is called “stApita tALam” which means the fixed rhythm. He composed a krithi “sankari sankuru chandra mukhi” in sAveri in two different tALams – rUpaka and Adi. In such cases, rUpaka tALam is stAapita tALam and Adi tALam is “soochita tALam” which means suggested rhythm. So this krithi could be sung in either tALams without corrupting the meaning of the song. Similarly, he wrote a krithi in three languages (Sanskrit, Telugu and Tamil) and such krithis are called “mani pravALa sAhityam”. Syama Sastri is noted for such puzzling exercises in his compositions. In addition, he composed some rare rAgams such as dEvi brova in chintAmaNI and pArvati ninu in KalgaDa. The language, emotion and devotion in his krithis are unparalleled. Not just in navaratna malika, ratna trayam but each and every krithi is a gem and with lilting melody, they touch every listener’s heart. Whenever you get a chance, I encourage you to listen to all of his compositions and it is not an exaggeration that this krithi is simply a blessing from goddess mInAkshi.

Notation:

Other information:
Lyrics contributed by Lakshman Ragde. Meaning contributed by Aparna Gunupudi via Neccheli.