Thamizh Songs in Carnatic Music—17-- குறை ஒன்றும் இல்லை --kuRai onRum illai

Thamizh Songs in Carnatic Music—17

குறை ஒன்றும் இல்லை --kuRai onRum illai

Composer: Chakravarthi Rajagopalachari (Rajaji)

rAgams: shivaranjani, kApi, & sindubhairavi

Composition:  kuRai onRum illai

Composer:     cakravarti rAjagOpAlAcAri

mudrA:           none

(signature):   

rAgam:           rAgamAlikai (see below for each segment)

1. சிவரஞ்சனி

பல்லவி:           

குறை ஒன்றும் இல்லை மறைமூர்த்திக் கண்ணா

குறை ஒன்றும் இல்லை கண்ணா

குறை ஒன்றும் இல்லை கோவிந்தா

அனுபல்லவி:    

கண்ணுக்குத் தெரியாமல் நிற்கின்றாய் கண்ணா

கண்ணுக்குத் தெரியாமல் நின்றாலும் எனக்குக்                                               

குறை ஒன்றும் இல்லை மறைமூர்த்திக் கண்ணா

சரணம் 1:   

வேண்டியதைத் தந்திட வேங்கடேசன் என்றிருக்க

வேண்டியது வேறில்லை மறைமூர்த்திக் கண்ணா

மணீவண்ணா மலையப்பா கோவிந்தா கோவிந்தா

2. காபி

சரணம் 2:    

திரையின்பின் நிற்கின்றாய் கண்ணா – உன்னை                                            

 மறை ஓதும் ஞானியர் மட்டுமே காண்பார் என்றாலும்                                     

குறை ஒன்றும் எனக்கில்லை கண்ணா

சரணம் 3:    

குன்றின் மேல் கல்லாகி நிற்கின்ற வரதா --குறை                                 

ஒன்றும் இல்லை மறைமூர்த்திக் கண்ணா

மணிவண்ண மலையப்பா கோவிந்தா கோவிந்தா

3. சிந்துபைரவி 

சரணம் 4:    

கலிநாளுக்கிரங்கி கல்லிலே இறங்கி

நிலையாகக் கோவிலில் நிற்கின்றாய் கேசவா

சரணம் 5:   

யாதும் மறுக்காத மலையப்பா – உன் மார்பில்

ஏதும் தர நிற்கும் கருணைக் கடல் அன்னை                                                

என்றும் இருந்திட ஏது குறை எனக்கு

ஒன்றும் குறை இல்லை மறைமூர்த்திக் கண்ணா

 மணிவண்ணா மலையப்பா கோவிந்தா கோவிந்தா

Lyrics in Roman script

1. sivaranjani

Pallavi:           kuRai onRum illai maRaimUrttik kaNNA
                        kuRai onRum illai kaNNA
                        kuRai onRum illai gOvi^ndA

Anupallavi:    kaNNukkut teriyAmal niRkinRAy kaNNA
                        kaNNukkut teriyAmal ninRAlum enakkuk
                        kuRai onRum illai maRaimUrttik kaNNA

CaraNam 1:    vENDiyatait ta^ndiDA vEnkaTEsan enRirukka

                        vENDiyatu vERillai maRaimUrttik kaNNA
                        maNIvaNNA malaiyappA gOvi^ndA gOvi^ndA
2. kApi
CaraNam 2:    tiraiyinpin niRkinRAy kaNNA – unnai
                        maRai Odum gnAniyar maTTumE kANpAr
                        enRAlum kuRai onRum enakkillai kaNNA

CaraNam 3:    kunRin mEl kallAki niRkinRa varadA
                        kuRai onRum illai maRaimUrttik kaNNA
                        maNivaNNa malaiyappA gOvi^ndA gOvi^ndA

3. sindubhairavi

CaraNam 4:    kalinALukkirangi kallilE iRangi
                        nilaiyAkak kOvilil niRkinRAy kEsavA

CaraNam 5:    yAdum maRukkAda malaiyappA – un mArbil
                        Edum tara niRkum karuNaik kaDal annai
                        enRum irundiDa Edu kuRai enakku
                        onRum kuRai illai maRaimUrttik kaNNA
                        maNivaNNA malaiyappA gOvi^ndA gOvi^ndA

                                                                Meaning:

Pallavi:           I do not have any grievance Oh, KaNNa the vEdAs personified! I do not have any problem, kaNNA! I do not have any complaint, Oh, gOvindA!

Anupallavi:    You are invisible, Oh, kaNNA! But even when you remain invisible, I still do not have any complaint, Oh, kaNNA!

Caranam1:     When there is lord Venkatesan to give us what we want, we shall not want anything, Oh, kaNNA! maNivaNNa! malaiyappA! gOvindA!

Caranam2:     You are standing behind a screen, kaNNA! Only the wise men who are well-versed in vEdAs can “see” you. Still I do not have a problem (if I cannot see you).

Caranam3:     You are standing as a stone (idol) on the hilltop. I do not have any problem still.

Caranam4:     You have taken this stone-form recognizing this kaliyuga. You are permanently here in this temple.

Caranam5:     You do not refuse the request from your devotees. The ever-merciful goddess Lakshmi is residing in your chest. In that situation what deficiency can I have? I do not have any complaint, kannA, maNivaNNa, malaiyappA, gOvindA!

General Comments:

This song is unusual in several ways. First of all it is a rare composition by a person who is not a regular composer or a musician. Although Rajaji was a popular writer he was not recognized as a composer.  It is mentioned that he had some help in writing this song from his friend, M. P. Somasundararm (1921-1999), a Thamizh scholar . Secondly, unlike other devotional songs which lament the status of the composer and request the Lord to save them (authors) in this and the next life, this song does not lament nor request special favors. Instead, the song describes the gratitude and contented state of mind of the composer. The composer does not want anything. He just admires the everlasting grace of Lord Venkatesa of tirumalai hills.

Rajaji does not make any distinction here between Lord Venkatesa of Tirupati and the incarnation Krishna (known as kaNNAn in Thamizh). He uses the names interchangeably. He expresses only a common concept that the Lord, though present in the stone form, is taking care of the needs of the devotees. However, the concept comes out so crystal-clear when one hears the song. Perhaps it is the melody because there is no splendor of diction in this song. The words used are so commonplace and repetitive too.

Another distinctive feature of this song is that this was first sung by Bharat Ratna Smt. M. S. Subbulakshmi (MS). The song was set to music by Kadayanallur Venkataraman who has worked with MS for decades. It is now a highly popular song in the concert circuit. Almost every musician keeps it in his/her repertoire to be rendered either as a regular item towards the end or to be rendered at the request of the audience.

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Composer’s Bio:

Rajaji (1878-1972) was born in Thorapalli in Salem district. He finished his B.A in Bangalore and obtained his law degree in Madras. He did not go to England to obtain a fancy degree. Perhaps he did not need that. He began his law practice in Salem and pretty soon became famous through brilliance of knowledge of law and speech.

He participated in the freedom movement and became one of the top leaders along with Gandhi and Nehru. Between himself and Nehru, the brain trust was formed. He became the governor-general of free India. He was Chief Minister of Madras state twice, once in 1937 and then in 1952. He had an impeccable record in administration, free of corruption and other misdemeanors.

He was a popular writer in Thamizh and English. He wrote 30 books covering history, philosophy, and religion. The two greatest works of his are: Ramayanam, and Mahabharatham. The English version of Mahabharatham is now used as textbook in a course on Oriental Studies in several American universities.

He was a good speaker and expressed his thoughts clearly to the ordinary man/woman. He was a true reformist in thought, word, and deed. He got his daughter Lakshmi married to Devadas, son of Gandhi. He introduced prohibition in Madras although the measure resulted in loss of revenue to the government. He also introduced compulsory education of Hindi in Madras.

In later life he differed with Nehru on policies for the nation and started a new party called “Swatantra Party” which emphasized private enterprise as opposed to government-run mega projects favored by Nehru. However, the party disappeared for lack of support after a decade of existence. It is an irony that his political philosophy of private enterprise is making a huge comeback now.

Audio and video links

Listen to/view M S Subbulakshmi here      

----another version here

A melodious rendition by (Latha Mangeshkar?)  here  

Sudha Ragunathan sings here

Bombay Jayashri sings here   

Nithyasri sings here

Priya Sisters sing here

K S Chitra sings here

The great-grand daughters of MS sing here

Bhushany Kalyanaraman sings here