The experience of listening to a concert is very
different from the experience of listening to a Sangeetha Upanyasam. A
Sangeetha Upanyasam not only gives you the context at which the song was sung
but also elaborates life, qualities of the composer, and locates the song in
the context of vedas, agamas, puranas and sashtras while a concert just
presents the song showcasing its musical elements and aspects. So, one is
expected to be musically knowledgeable to enjoy and appreciate a Carnatic
concert, but any layman with hunger and appetite for “bhagavan and bakthi” will
enjoy and appreciate a sangeetha upanyasam. One cannot deny “bhagavan and
bakthi” is the nucleus of every Carnatic composition. Nevertheless, both Carnatic
Concerts and Sangeetha Upanyasams have its devout audience who fill large halls
in minutes and who derive immense pleasure from sharavanam and keerthanam.
After giving this music season a miss, I decided to
attend Erode Sri Balaji Bagavathar’s Sangeetha Upanyasam on “Thayagaraja
Ramanayam” at Narada Gana Sabha. He had presented the same topic on Sankara
Television a year ago.
Srimad Ramayana has inspired so many saints
including Thyagaraja, who is considered an incarnation of Valmiki, and the
enjoyment and inspiration from reading the mahakaavyam is the reflected in all
of Thyagaraja’s krithis. It is believed that Thyagaraja sang 24,000 krithis,
one for every sholkam in Ramayana, but there are only a fewer krithis available
today. It is believed that what Valmiki couldn’t express while writing
Ramayana, found a chance to express through his compositions when he incarnated
as Thyagaraja. Thyagaraja krithis brings another dimension of bakthi and bhava
to the mahakaavyam, Srimad Ramayanam.
Be it a musician, a composer or a saint, establishing
and embellishing bhavam turns the rendition, composition and the person immortal.
Thyagaraja has enjoyed Rama in so many bhavas, which is evident from his
krithis.
Paamalai
is superior to Poomaalai
In the krithi Raga ratnamaalikache in Ritigowali,
Thyagaraja conveys his wish to offer a garland of ragas to Rama and testifies
this as a way to realization. He says these krithis contain the meaning of
Vedas, the six Sastras, the (eighteen) epics and Agamas; singing these
krithis leads one in the path of realization and invites people to join him on
the musical journey to sanmarga.
Thyagaraja
has simplified the job for us. He has selected the
apt ragas to convey various bakthi bhavams and devout singing of these krithis
will raise ones kundalini from Moooldhara Chakra to Sahasraham Chakra thereby
giving him moksha.
Bakthi: Upeyam and Upayam
Avathara Purushas like Sadashiva Brahmendral don't
stop expressing their bakthi through keerthanams even after seeing the Lord and
realizing self. In the Sama raga krithi, Maansasancharare, Sadashiva
Brahmendral gives the address for Parabrahmam (Shreeramani Kucha Durga Vihaare)
and asks the mind to go there. He also extols the qualities (alankrutha
chikure, sevaka jana mandira mandaare, Parama hamsa mukha chandra chakorey, Paripoorita Muraliravadhare) in the krithi.
Thyagaraja, in his Bakthi Biksha krithi in
Sankarabharanam, pleads to the Lord to grant him devotion without desire. He
also says desire-less devotion superior to moksha. In the charanam, he asks
what is the use of chanting and discoursing on Vedas, Aagamas and Puranas with desire?
And he compares this to tying a golden turban to a corpse and decorating it with exquisite
diamond jewellery on the chest.
In the Purvi Kalyani Krithi, O Rama nee Naamam,
Badhrachalam Ramasadar extols the virtue of Rama nama mahima and describes the
delectable taste of Rama nama.
Thyagaraja
earns to be a Sevaka
Imagining a relationship between them and almighty
and assuming various roles and impregnating bhava has helped our Saints and
Composers traverse the deeper realms of bakthi. Thygarajara brings out his desire for sevaka
bhavam and to be in the sannadhi of Rama in the Hamasnadham krithi
Bantureethi Kolu. In the Pallavi, he describes the attributes one must
possess to be a Sevaka.
In the charanam, he says, goosebumps from waiting to
serve Rama becomes his kavacham (Romancha mane Ghana kanchukamu), the only
identity he wants is being called a Rama bakthan (Rama bakthudane mudhra),
and the only weapon we wants to carry his Rama namam (Rama namam vara kadga
mivi).
Swadheena
Bakthi of Thyagaraja
In the Chakravaha krithi, Sugunamule Cheppu Konti,
Thyagaraja says he has forgotten to do pilgrimages, take holy dips and perform
austerities because he has been busy chanting Rama nama and extolling the gunas
of Rama (Sundara Raghurama) and pleads not to consider him as an unclean soul.
The
three Inseparables: Rama and music, bakthi and music and moksha and music
In the Aarabhi raga krithi, Nadha Sudha Rasa,
Thyagaraja describes music and its elements being a part of Rama. In the
Pallavi, he says Sri Rama is the nectar and embodiment of Nadha and in the
anupallavi, he says the nectar from all the Vedas, agamas, sastras and puranas
are in the human form called Rama. In the charanam, he says, the sacred raga is
bow and the bells in the bow are seven swaras of the raga. He describes the
three parts of the bow -Dhuram, naya and deshyam - trigunam and speed of arrows
becomes the gathi, and concluded that the words of spoken by Sri Rama
turns into sweet thematic variation and it is Thyagraja’s fortune to do repeat
the names of lord and perform bhajana. This krithi shows the sangeetha guna of
Rama and without bragging the musical proficiency of Thyagaraja.
In the Saramathi Krithi, Mokshamugalada –Thyagaraja
doubts if anyone can ever attain moksha with sangita devoif of bakthi. In the anupallavi, he asks if emancipation is
attainable for those who are bereft of knowledge of music combined with true
bakthi? In charanam, he says neither people understand
omkara nadha manifests as saptaswara nor they understand the blissful state of Lord Siva - the
great connoisseur of music played on veena.
Three
concoctions for moksha: Sadh bakthi, tat
bhavam and mridhanga thalamu
In the Sriranjani krithi, Sogasuga mridhangam
thaalamu, Thyagaraja says any resolute person who enamors you with the words
from upanishads with the purity of swara and attuned to the beat of mridhangam reaches
you is truth - Nigama shirothama galgina nija vaakkulathi svara suddhamuto. In the charanam he says, krithis with words as
sweets as grape juice (draksha rasa) infused with navarasa (navarasa krutha
che) along with true devotion and rhythimic patterns of words, swaras and
appropriate pauses and questions if they are within the reach of Thyagaraja?
In the Asaveri krithi, E Paniko, Thyagaraja expresses
his desire to extol the virtues of Rama through krithis in the same way many
sages including Vaalmiki composed. He asks Rama if that desire of his will be
fulfilled.
Everything
begins with Guru bakthi
In the Gowrimanohari raga krithi, Guru lekha
yetuvanti, Thyagaraja confirms that true enlightenment comes as a result of
Guru krupa and Guru bakthi and not from talent and proficiency. He also says
that only a Guru can assuage pain by penetrating your mind and heart and helps
you deforest the wilderness of samsara and through tatvabodha.
In the Vasantha raga krithi, Etla dorkitivo, Thyagaraja
questions his merit to attain Rama as his Lord and asks if it was a result of Rama’s
grace (padha mahimo), blessings of great and good men (aashirvadaha balamo) or dedicated
worship through nadhopasana (nadha phalamo)?
More to continue…
Your erudite explanation of Sangeeta Upanyasam helps me to appreciate the true purpose of Sangeetam, the bhakti.
ReplyDeleteMy warm regards,