Friday, December 30, 2016

Thamizh Songs in Carnatic Music—28a--என்னேரமும் ஒரு காலைத் தூக்கி--- ennEramum oru kAlait tUkki


Thamizh Songs in Carnatic Music—28a

என்னேரமும் ஒரு காலைத் தூக்கி-- ennEramum oru kAlait tUkki
rAgam: tODi  (தோடி) tALam: Adi (ஆதி)


Composer: MArimuttA  PiLLai



Raising one leg forever …..

Composition:  ennEramum oru kAlait..
Composer:     mArimuttAp piLLai
mudrA:           tillai
(signature):   
rAgam:           tODi ( hanumattODi, 8th mELam)    
tALam:           Adi
ArOhaNam:   SR1G2 M1PD1N2 S
AvarOhaNam: SN2D1PM1G2R1S

பல்லவி:            
என்னேரமும் ஒரு காலைத் தூக்கிக் கொண்டிருக்கிற வகை ஏதய்யா?

அனுபல்லவி:    
பொன்னாடர் போற்றும் தொல்லை நன்னாடர் ஏற்றும் தில்லை
பொன்னம்பல வாணரே இன்னும் தானும் ஊன்றாமல்        (என்னேரமும்)

சரணம்:      
எக்கிய நெருப்பவிக்க தக்கன் வீட்டில் நடந்தோ                                                                      
 யமனை உதைத்தபோது எதிர்ச் சுளுக்கேறி நொந்தோ
சிக்கெனெவே பிடித்து சந்திரனை நிலத்தில் தேய்த்த போதினில் உறைந்தோ
                        
உக்ர சாமுண்டியுடன் வாதுக்காடி அசந்தோ
உண்ட நஞ்சுடம்பெங்கும் ஊறிக் கால் வழி வந்தோ
தக்க புலி பாம்பிருவர்க்கும் கூத்தாடி ஆடி
சலித்துத் தானோ பொற்பதம் வலித்துத் தானோ தேவரீர்                (என்னேரமும்)

Lyrics in Roman script

Pallavi:            ennEramum oru kAlait tUkkik koNDirukkiRa vagai EdayyA?

Anupallavi:    PonnADar pOTRum tollai nannADar ETRum tillai
                        Ponnambala vANarE innum tAnum UnRAmal                  (ennEramum)

CaraNam:       ekkiya neruppavikka takkan vITTil naDandO
                        yamanai udaittapOdu edirc cuLukkEri nondO
                        cikkenevE piDittu candranai nilattil tEytta pOdinil uRaindO  (ennEramum)    
                       
                        ugra cAmuNDiyuDan vAdukkADi asandO                                           
                        uNDa nanjuDambengum URik kAl vazhi vandO
                        takka puli pAmbiruvarkkum kUttADi ADi
                        salittut tAnO poRpadam valittut tAnO dEvarIr                (ennEramum)
                                    
                                                                                                                                   
Meaning:

Pallavi:
Oh, Lord, what is the purpose of your keeping one leg raised all the time?

Anupallavi:
The people of the golden land praise the antiquity of this city (Cidambaram) and the folks in the prosperous land sing the glory of tillai  Cidambaram). You are the resident Lord of this golden hall and the city. You haven’t rested your leg yet.

CaraNam:      
Is it because you attempted to extinguish the fire (in which your consort  PArvati immolated herself) in haughty Dakshan’s palace?

Or did you sprain your leg when you kicked yaman (the Lord of death) to save Markandeyan?

Or did your foot freeze when you picked the waning moon (due to the curse of his father-in-law) and stomped on it in the ground to relieve the moon of the malady?
                                  
Or did you get tired upon competing with the ferocious Shakti (cAmuNDi) in dance?

Or did the primordial poison (from the milky ocean) spread through your body and exited through the leg?

Or is it because you got tired after doing the cosmic dance at the request of the sages vyAgrapAdA (puli, tiger’s foot) and patanjali (pAmbu, the avatar of AdisEshan) and your foot got hurt?

Is it why you keep one leg raised all the time?




General Comments:
This song belongs in the class of “nindAstuti” or “vanjcappugazhchi aNi” (in Thamizh it is a figure of speech in which apparent ridicule of the subject is skillfully implied to suggest the opposite). The two composers who were well-versed in this style of writing were MArimuttA PiLLai (MMP) and PApanAsa MudaliyAr.

This song contains references to several episodes from shivapurANam or tiruviLaiyADal purANam, which deal with the heroic and benevolent acts of Lord Shiva. It describes various praiseworthy acts but camouflaged in a mock ridicule. Here the composer is asking Lord Nataraja the reason for the raised left foot and in doing so narrates the various heroic acts. It is interesting that Arunacala Kavi (a contemporary of MMP) also adopted this style in his song, “En paLLi koNDIrayyA…” wherein he is asking Lord Ranganatha of Srirangam the reason for his reclining posture---whether he was tired after war activities against Ravana, walking through Mitilai to wed Sita, or riding the boat with Guhan, or even killing the demoness tATakai.

The composer was so much dedicated to tillai and enamored of Lord Nataraja both of which find adorable expression in this song.

Composer’s Bio:
MArimuttA PiLLai (1712-1787) was born in Thillaividangan near Cidambaram, also known as tillai. tillai was named after a forest of trees of that species, known by the botanical name Excoecaria agallocha, which grows wild in the marshy tidal shores.

Sekkizhzar, the medieval Thamizh poet wrote his classic work Periya Puranam in Cidambaram. He sang the glory of tillai thus:

            AdiyAi naDuvum Aki aLavilA aLavum Akic
            cOdiyAi uNarvum Akit tOnRiya poruLum Aki
            bEdiyA EkamAkip peNNumAi ANum Aki
            bOdiyA niRkum tillaip podunaTam pOTRi pOTRi

SEkkizhAr talks about Lord Shiva who manifests as the beginning, the immeasurable, the effulgence, the meaning of the inscrutable, the division as well as  the union of the male and the female, and the universal knowledge that is represented by the cosmic dance---all represented by the cosmic dance performed only at tillai.

MMP, who is inseparable from tillai, was born in a devout shaivaite family. He was a great Thamizh composer well-known for writing prabhandham (a musical composition).  His very first composition was the famous “puliyUr veNbA” in praise of the city of Cidambaram.  Only 25 of his songs on Lord Nataraja are now available. Many of the themes of his songs are connected with Lord Shiva and more particularly Nataraja of Cidambaram.

MMP,   Arunacala Kavi, and Muttut tANDavar are hailed as members of the Thamizh trinity (Thamizh mUvar) in recognition of their contributions to Thamizh music.
            
Not very many compositions of MMP have survived the test of time. Some of his compositions that are sung in music concerts are: kAlait tUkki ninRu (yadukula khAmbhOji), orukAl sivacidambaram (Arabhi), and Edukkittanai mODi tAn (suraTi).


Audio clips

Listen to Nithyasri here        or here

Listen to Palghat Ramprasad here  

View/listen to  KunnakkuDi Balamurali Krishna    here

View/listen to Rithu Vinod    here



Reference:


Monday, December 26, 2016

Thamizh Songs in Carnatic Music—1b--இனி நமக்கொரு கவலையுமில்லை--ini namakkoru kavalaiyumillai

Thamizh Songs in Carnatic Music—1b
இனி நமக்கொரு கவலையுமில்லை--ini namakkoru kavalaiyumillai
Composer: KOTIswara ayyar (கோடீஸ்வர அய்யர்)

rAgam: bilahari (பிலஹரி)     tALam: rUpakam(ருபகம்)

 



29 dheera shankaraabharaNam janya
ArOhaNam: S R2 G3 P D2 S
avarOhaNam: S N3 D2 P M1 G3 R2 S

For a biography of the composer click here

பல்லவி
இனி நமக்கொரு கவலையும் இல்லை என்றும் இன்பமே மனமே
அனுபல்லவி
புனித த்யாகராஜ ஸ்வாமி நம் கனவில் வந்து காக்ஷி தந்ததால்  (இனி)
சரணம் 1
கந்தர்வ கானலோல கனஸீல த்யாகராஜ                                                                          
சுந்தரர் சேவை கண்ட நம் சுகீர்த்தமே சுகீர்த்தம்
சரணம் 2
ராக கவிராஜ த்யாகராஜ மஹாராஜன்                                                                            வாகதாகவே வந்து கந்தனருள் தந்ததாலே பாலன் பாலே
சரணம் 3
பாவல குஞ்சரதாச நாவலன் நாம் த்யாகராஜ                                                                    காவலன் அருளும் பெற்றோமே சேவலங்கொடியோன் அருளால்

Lyrics in Roman script
pallavi
ini namakkoru kavalaiyum illai enRum inbamE manamE
anupallavi
punita tyAgarAjasvAmi nam kanavil vandu kAkshi tandadAl  (ini)
caraNam 1
gandharva gAnalOla ghanashIla tyAgarAja sundarar sEvai kaNDa nam sukIrtamE sukIrtam
caraNam 2
rAga kavirAja tyAgarAja mahArAjan                                                                vAgadAgavE vandugandaruL tandadAlE  nampAl anbAlE
caraNam 3
pAvala kunjaradAsa nAvalan nAm tyAgarAja                                                                    kAvalan aruLum peTrOmE sEvalankoDiyOn aruLAl

Meaning:
Pallavi: We do not have any worries.  It will all be a pleasure.

Anupallavi: Since the lord tyAgaraja (of tiruvArUr) appeared in our dreams and graced us we do not have any worries.

CaraNam 1: He likes gandharva music. We had a vision of the noble lord tyAgaraja. Our fortune is immense.

CaraNam2: Lord tyAgaraja who cared for us showered his kindness upon us. Hence we do not have any worries.

CaraNam3:  Poet Kavi kunjaradAsan is the ward of the protector tyAgaraja and got his grace as a result of the compassion of Lord Murugan (who has the banner of a rooster)

Some audio/video clips
Listen to T V Shankaranarayanan here
Listen to Neyveli Santhanagopalan here
Listen to Mohan Santhanam  here     

Wednesday, December 21, 2016

Thamizh Songs in Carnatic Music 34-- இந்த பராமுகம் ஏது---inda parAmukham Edu

Thamizh Songs in Carnatic Music 34
இந்த பராமுகம் ஏது---inda parAmukham Edu

Composer: Shankardas SvAmi (could also be KavimaNi DEsika vinAyakam PiLLai)


rAgam: pUrvikalyANi         tALam: Adi







It is generally accepted that this song is by Shankaradas Svami, although some sites credit the authorship to one skandar svAmi or KavimaNi DEsika VinAyagam PiLLai.  This song is on Lord Subramanya in tiruchchendUr (in toottukkuDi district in ThamizhnADu). The composer (not much is known about Shankardas Svami) makes an appeal to Lord Murugan in this shrine.  It is a typical lamentation that many composers indulge in pouring their hearts out.

Read about the shrine tiruchchendUr (Thamizh text) here.

Of the six shrines( known as ARu paDai vIDu---ஆறு படை வீடு) for Lord Murugan, five of them (tirupparankunRam, pazhamudircOlai, swAmimalai, pazhani, and tiruttaNi) are located on  hilltops. Only tiruchchendUr is on the seashore (flat land). In this particular song there is reference to “senthil parvatam” (செந்தில் பர்வதம்), which refers to a hill. Apparently there was a sandal hill (சந்தனமலை) on the seashore which vanished over the ages (perhaps eroded from the winds blowing from the sea) but the parvatam name is still in vogue. One can read the details in the reference given about the shrine in the first paragraph. To reproduce the detail here (in Thamizh),“இக்கோயில் கடற்கரையில் இருக்கும் "சந்தனமலை'யில் இருக்கிறது. எனவே இத்தலத்தை, "கந்தமாதன பர்வதம்' என்று சொல்வர். காலப்போக்கில் இக்குன்று மறைந்து விட்டது. தற்போதும் இக்கோயிலின்  இரண்டாம் பிரகாரத்தில் பெருமாள் சன்னதி அருகிலும், வள்ளி குகைக்கு அருகிலும் சந்தன மலை சிறு குன்று போல புடைப்பாக இருப்பதைக் காணலாம்.  Now for the song,

பல்லவி:
இந்த பராமுகம் ஏது ஏழை என் மீது
அனுபல்லவி:
அந்தரத்தோர் தினம் வந்தடியே பரவும்                                                                          
செந்தில் பர்வதம் உவந்த கந்தசாமி
சரணம்:
நீ ஒரு சிலையோ நீ என் முறை கேட்டிலையோ                                                             
வர ஈதென்ன தொலையோ வந்தால்                                                                                        
என் குறை மலையோ க்ருபை இல்லையோ

Lyrics in Roman script

Pallavi:
inda parAmukham Edu Ezhai en mIdu

Anupallavi:
andarattOr dinam vandaDiyE paravum                                                                                                   sendil parvatam uvanda kandasAmi

CaraNam:
nI oru silaiyO nI en muRai kETTilaiyO                                                                                                            vara Idenna tolaiyO vandAl                                                                                                                     
en kuRai malaiyO krupai illaiyO

Meaning:

Pallavi: I am a destitute. Oh, lord why are you ignoring me?

Anupallavi: You took dwelling here in senthil parvatam  (tiruchchendUr) coming from the heavens to bless your devotees.

CaraNam: Are you a just stone idol? Don’t you hear my appeal? Is it too distant for you to come and bless me? Even if you do come,  is my misery monumental (for you to eliminate)? How come you don’t have any compassion/mercy for me?


Some audio/video clips
Listen to Madurai Mani Iyer here






Friday, December 16, 2016

Thamizh Songs in Carnatic Music—11a varmamA en mIdil---- வர்மமா என்மீதில்

Thamizh Songs in Carnatic Music—11a

varmamA en mIdil---- வர்மமா என்மீதில்


Composer(s): Anai-Ayya Brothers

                   

Why this malice towards me?

Composition: varmamA enmIdil ….
Composer:     Anai Ayya Brothers
mudrA:           umAdAsan
(signature):   
rAgam:           sAvEri (janyam of mELam 15, mAyAmALava gauLai)
ArOhaNam:     SR1M1PD1S
AvarOhaNam: SN3D1PM1G3R1S
tALam:            rUpakam

பல்லவி:           
வர்மமா  என்மீதில்  தர்மம்வர்தனி  ஈஸ்வரி                            (வர்மமா)

அனுபல்லவி
கர்மம் விலக்கும் நிர்மல சிவ-காரணி என்னைக்
காக்க இன்னமும்                                                                        (வர்மமா)

சரணம்1:    
அஞ்சு வயது முதலாயுனது கஞ்ச மலர் பதம் தனை யான்
 தஞ்சமென்றே அஞ்சித் துதிக்கும் நெஞ்சம் அறிந்தும்
 கொஞ்சிடும் சுகம் ஒழியாயிந்த வஞ்சகம் செய்வதென்ன நியாயம்
 பஞ்ச நதீசர்க்குகந்த பஞ்சாக்ஷரி கருணை பொழிய             (வர்மமா)


சரணம்2:     
செஞ்சடையினில் பிஞ்சு மதியும் நெஞ்சில் கொடு நஞ்சணிந்திடும்
செஞ்சொல் மதுரத்தமிழ் வாக்கருள் சப்யேசர்க்கு ராணிமானே
செஞ்சிலம்பொலி மிஞ்சியதால் கொஞ்சும் என் மொழி கேட்டிலையோ
என் சொல்லுவேன் உன் சரித்திரம் என் சொல்லைக் கேட்டருள் இன்னமும்           (வர்மமா)


சரணம்3:    
 மஞ்சடர் தென்னஞ்ச் சோலையும் கஞ்ச மலர்த்தடவாவியும்
 மஞ்சள் கதலி இஞ்சி மாத்துருஞ்சி பலாக்கனியும்
 ரஞ்சிதமாயோங்கும் எங்களஞ்சு நதிக்கரசாகிய
 வஞ்சி உமாதாசன் துதிக்கும் சஞ்சீவி அபரஞ்சி இன்னமும்                (வர்மமா)


Lyrics in Roman script

             
Pallavi:            varmamA enmIdil dharmasamvardhani Isvari           (varmamA)

Anupallavi:    karmam vilakkum nirmala siva-kAraNi ennaik kAkka innamum   (varmamA)

CaraNam1:     anju vayadu mudalAyunadu kanja malar padam tanai yAn
                        tanjamenRE anjit tudikkum nenjam aRindum
                        konjiDum sukham ozhiyAyinda vancakam seyvadenna nyAyam
                        panca nadIsarkkuganda pancAkshari karuNai pozhiya             (varmamA)


CaraNam2:     sencaDaiyinil pinju matiyum nenjil koDu nanjaNindiDum
                        sencol madhurattamizh vAkkaruL sabyEsarkku rANimAnE
                        sencilamboli minjiyadAl konjum en mozhi kETTilaiyO
                        en solluvEn un carittiram en sollaik kETTaruL innamum           (varmamA)


CaraNam3:     manjaDar tennanj cOlaiyum kanja malarttaDavAviyum
                        manjaL kadali inji mAtturunji palAkkaniyum
                        ranjitamAyOngum engaLanju nadikkarasAgiya
                        vanji umAdAsan tudikkum sanjIvi aparanji innamum                (varmamA)



Meaning:
Pallavi:            Oh, dharmasamvardani, Iswari, do you entertain malice towards me?

Anupallavi:     You, blemishless consort of Siva who can cure all ills, hesitate to offer                                your protection to me!        
           
Caranam1:     
You are aware that I have been seeking refuge at your lotus feet right  from the age of five and yet you do not cure my ills—Why this cruelty? You, the consort of pancanadIswarar (of Tiruvaiyaru), are reticent to  shower your grace on me!

Caranam2:     
You are the queen of Lord Sabesan who has the tender moon on his red locks of hair, the primordial poison at his throat, and who has sweet Thamizh words to utter to his devotees. Is it because the sound of your anklets overwhelms the sound of my request that you do not hear my  appeal? How can I speak effectively of your greatness? Please pay heed  to my request.
                       
Caranam3:     
You are the consort of the Lord who is the ruler of this Tiruvaiyaru which is resplendent with tall coconut trees which touch the clouds, lotus flowers-filled pond, turmeric, plantain, and ginger plants, mango and jack  fruit trees. I, umAdAsan, worship you the dispenser of relief from all ills.
           
General Comments:
This song is typical of the age in which the Anai-Ayya Brothers were living. Most people agonized over their fate and aspired to achieve salvation by worshipping their favorite deities. It is customary for composers to believe they did something wrong in not receiving divine grace. In general, their songs appealed to the Lord or Devi to take pity on them and offer solace.

This particular song addresses Dharmasamvardhani, the consort of the presiding deity at Tiruvaiyaru. The song describes the splendor of the town Tiruvaiyaru, surrounded by the five rivers (KAviri, KudamuruTTi, VeNNAru, VeTTAru, and VadavAru with all the plantations fostered by the fertile soil around the five rivers. Anai-Ayya brothers sing the glory of Dharmasamvardhani and invoke Her blessings.

It is noteworthy that the pallavi and Anupallavi lines have the same rhymes (etugai) for the two lines while the 12 caranam lines have a different sequence of rhyme but all of them same, containing significantly precise syllables.


Composer’s Bio:
Anai Iyer and Ayya Iyer were the cousins of Doraiswamy Iyer, the father of the composer-musician brothers, Ramaswami Sivan and Maha Vaidyanatha Sivan. They lived in the early to mid-part of 19th century and taught music to the two Sivans. They were junior contemporaries of the composers, Thyagaraja, Syama Sastri, and Muttuswamy Dikshitar, collectively known as the Trinity of Carnatic music. They lived in Vaiyacheri and Tiruvaiyaru in Thanjavur district. They were patronized by the king Serfoji II of Thanjavur. Together they wrote at least 26 Thamizh and 12 Telugu compositions that are currently available.

Their theme was devotion sprinkled with philosophy. They sang as a pair on Lord Siva and Devi. Their favorite deities are Mangalambika of Vaiyacheri, Dharmasamvardhani (aRam vaLartta nAyaki in Thamizh) of Tiruvaiyaru (the subject of the song under discussion), and PranatArtiharA/pancanadIswarar (also known as ayyArappan in Thamizh) of Tiruvaiyaru.

Other songs of Anai Ayya Brothers that are devotional and philosophical are: paruvam pArkka (dhanyAsi) http://inikkumtamizhisai.blogspot.com/2016/07/thamizh-songs-in-carnatic-music11.html
 bhajanai seyyavE (kEdAram), inda paraka (nAdanAmakriyA), and amba nannu, a Telugu song (tODi).

Audio clip

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