The third dimension – நாடகம் – Play – Understanding the dance through visual medium by enacting
In the first part of the “Dance of the Yuga”, I tried to understand Purandara Dasa’s description and Daskam 55 of Narayaneeyam. In the second part, I tried to get the grasp of Oothukadu Venkata Kavi’s description of the dance by listening to two generations of artists.
Seeing is believing, they say. In this part, we will watch three dance events. Dance is the third dimension and eyes are the medium through which we understand and absorb the event
Dr. Padma Subramanyam is a living legend in the South Indian Form of Dance called Bharath Natyam. We will link with her depiction of the event as described by Bhattathri in Narayaneeyam.
Team led by Bhairavi Venkatesan of Sridevi Nrithalaya presents the dance as composed by Oothukadu Venkata Kavi.
The third one is by the youngsters Janaki & Kalyani for the Purandara Dasa Krithi at Guruvayur where Narayaneeyam was written.
These three dances are available in the social media. We will link up with them.
Video 1 – Depiction of Narayaneeyam
Video 2 – Depiction of Oothukadu Venkata Kavi’s Composition by Sridevi Nrithyalaya
Video 3 – Depiction of Purandara Dasa’s Adidanao Ranga
Happy viewing. Tomorrow I will conclude the Dance of the Yuga with a prayer to Lord GuruvAyurappan. Please look out for the blog and visit again. Thanks
இசை – Music – Sensing the Dance through aural medium – Oothukadu Venkata Kavi.
We are now moving into the second dimension of the Dance of the Yuga. We will look at a composition which will provide visual images through the aural route !
Anyone who has the ability to sing or anyone who has the ability to listen to the composition will be able to understand the essence of the dance through rhythmic notes and lyrics. So this blog will only provide the translation of the composition.
Audio Link
This is as old as me (more than 65 years back) when the music industry was at its elementary level of technology in audio engineering. This particular composition was never presented in a classical Carnatic Music Concert in those days and was normally explained in bits & pieces in the traditional Hari Katha Kalakshebam (a musical discourse about a story related to God). Sri. Needamangalam Krishnamoorthy Bhagawathar is credited with the first exposition of this full composition and making it popular and reach out to the masses.
This link is from the current generation of young musicians Kuldeep Pai, Sooryagayathri & Rahul Vellal, with the latest technology in audio engineering in the Carnatic Music style.
(* Yuga – a Sanskrit term used to define a very large period of time spanning 1000s of years)
In the “Dvapara Yuga”, some say in 3228 BC an event happened on the banks of the River Yamuna in Mathura, a place near Delhi. This is about the dance of a little boy called Krishna. This is a dance with a difference – an young boy dances on top of a five headed King Cobra. The dance is called Kaliya Mardhan /Kaliya Daman in North of India and Kalinga Narthanam in South of India.
A Yuga later (in Kali Yuga) around the end of the 14th century and beginning of 15th century some one near Theerthahalli village in Shimoga Taluk in Karnataka broadly outlined the event through a composition in his native language Kannada.
In the middle of the subsequent century, another gentleman from Malayalam village Melpathur near Kurumbathoor in Mallapuram District of Kerala wrote a divine epic in Sanskrit language in a temple where it is is believed that the event was reproduced by the same boy who performed this act 5000 years ago. In that epic he wrote ten verses describing the entire event.
Two centuries later between 1700-1765, yet another one from a village in Oothukadu in Tanjore District of Tamil Nadu known for his compositions in Tamil, wrote in Sanskrit the way in which the boy danced.
In this current period we move to Chennai where we will witness one of the finest depiction of that dance (as envisaged by the man from Kurumbathoor in the fifteenth century) by a phenomenally talented and globally acclaimed lady.
The event is so imbibed in India’s culture that not a single year passes/will pass without someone somewhere in India celebrating that event through available medium of expression.
Now I will try to understand that immortal event through a series of blogs bringing out the three facets (3 dimensional) of the Indian Arts.
Only Three facets for Indian Arts ! I am not kidding. Well, I am just summarizing them into three categories like the Tamils of the Sangam era (300 BC – 200AD) viz, Iyal, Isai, Natakam (Prose/Literary, Music, Dance respectively).
The Literary description [ “Iyal – இயல் “] of the event
The gentleman from Theerthahalli is none other than Saint Purandara Dasa, the Grand Father(Pitamah) of Carnatic Music. he brings out in eloquent (yet even the ignorant can understand), the essence of the event in Kannada Language.
The gentleman from Kurumbathoor Village in his epic work called Narayaneeyam, devotes a set of ten verses (Slokas) to describe the event. Sri. Narayana Namboodhri called as Bhattathri brought Krishna from Mathura to every single home in south of India through his Naryaneeyam written in Sanskrit.
The works of these two great Saints drive devotion (Bhakti) through their works in a meta physical plane. It sets you thinking and appeals to the heart and soul of human beings through brain. I will try to understand these two works.
The Musical Description [ “Isai – இசை” ] of the event
Music in any language appeals to the heart and soul through the ears. This aural route requires that the lyricist/composer understands the nuances and brings out an integrated version of his thought processes about an event. An event like the dance of an young boy needs to be depicted taking into these factors.
The gentleman from Oothukadu who specialized in compositions in Tamil brought out a superb composition in Sanskrit about Krishna’s dance; ideally composed for the seamless integration of music with the dance movements. I will try and study the composition of Oothukadu Venkata Kavi.
The Dance [ “Natakam – நாடகம்” ] portrayal of the event
In this section we will watch three dance events. Dr. Padma Subramanyam is a living legend in the South Indian Form of Dance called Bharath Natyam. We will link with her depiction of the event as described by Bhattathri in Narayaneeyam.
Team led by Bhairavi Venkatesan of Sridevi Nrithalaya presents the dance as composed by Oothukadu Venkata Kavi.
The third dance by Janaki & Kalyani in Bharath Natyam style is for the composition by Purandara Dasa. This dance was performed at Guruvayur where Narayaneeyam was written.
These three dances are available in the social media. We will link up with them.These are just representative samples. Just type “Dances of India – Kaliya Daman”. You can view the dance in perhaps every single Indian Languages and in every type/style of Indian Dances like, Kathak, Manipuri, Kuchipudi etc.
Salutations to Goddess Varalakshmi, the provider of wealth, the one seated on the lotus flower, who is the abode of charm. I will bow to your beautiful feet repeatedly on every step and occasion.
You are the lady love of Sri Vishnu, the father of Manmadha. You as the one with golden splendour is more radiant and glittering than a crore of the Sun. You are easily accessible to your devotees; you protect people who pray to you. Oh, the one adorned with lotus garland, you are the epitome of absoluteness; you reside in the heart of Lord Vishnu.
On the fifth month of the year, the Friday before the full moon, many women led by Charumathi prays you. Devas and Guruguha offer gems studded garland/ornaments to you. You are an expert in saving the devoted downtrodden by showering them with gold. You are skilled in removing illusion from us and you are praised by Goddess Saraswathi. You provide the way for salvation and your hands provide the boon that is desired by the devotees.
श्रावण – fifth month of the year – normally august
पौर्णमी – full moon
पूर्वस्थ – शुक्र-वारे – most excellent, Friday
चारुमती – Charumathi /lovely lady
प्रभृतिभिः – beginning with
पूजिताकारे – prayed,
देव-आदि – devas and others
गुरु गुह – guru guha
समर्पित – offered
मणि-मय हारे – gems studded garland
दीन जन – down trodden
संरक्षण – save/protect
निपुण – expert
कनक धारे – gold, shower
भावना भेद चतुरे – illusion/imaginary, crack (भेदयति), clever/skillful/adept
भारती – Saraswathi (Voice)
सन्नुत वरे – praised, eminent
कैवल्य – salvation
वितरण परे – bestow, intent
काङ्क्षित – desired/wished
फल प्रद करे- fruit of desire, granting, hands
Note: For those of you who are interested to know the background of Varalakshmi vratham (Puja), here is an interesting story from the Puranas:
The Story behind VARALAKSHMI VRATHAM
The story happens in a beautiful town called Kundinagaram located in the Kingdom of Vidarbha (Vidarba Rajyam). In that Kundinagram town, Goddess Adilakshmi, being pleased by her devotion tells Charumathi in a dream and directed her to perform the vrata to enable Her to fulfil her desires. Charumathi wakes up and tells her husband about the dream. Charumathi along with some neighbourhood women takes bath in the wee hours and prepare a mandapam and invites Varalakshmi Devi. She recites the following sloka along with other women with utmost faith and devotion.
Lakshmi Ksheerasamudra rajatanyam sri rangadhameswareem Dasibootha samastha devavanitham lokaika deepamkuram
Sri manmanda kataksha labdhivibhat brahmendra gangadharam Twamtrayamlokyakutumbhineem sasijavandemukunda priyam
Then she wore nine threads Thoranam to right hand and offers naivadyam to Goddess Lakshmi Devi. On the completion of the first circumstance, she heard she found Gajjelu, Andelu and other ornaments. On the second circumstance, they found kankanams made of navaratnams to their hands. On completion of the third circumstance, they found immense wealth. Then Charumathi offers Tambulam to the brahmin priests and distribute the vrata prasadam to the relatives and lead a happy life. Since then, Hindu women perform this vrata with utmost faith and trust till today. With this, Lord Eswara concludes telling the story to Goddess Parvathi.
பற்றிடும் அடியார்தனை பொன்திரவியமென காக்கும் ஆண்டவன்
சரணம் 1
பூதப்பிரேத பிசாச கணநாதப் பரமேஸ்வரம் பிரபு
மூவினைவிளை பகைபாவமச்சம் களைவோனே
தில்லையம்பதிவாழ் மிளிர்பிறைதரி சிவனே
வேண்டும் வரமளிக்கும் உன் பொன்மலர்பாதமிரு பணிவேனே
மத்யமகாலம் – கண்டநடை
கருஒளிமிகு வடிவுடன் அழல் ஆதவன் விழிஉடையோன்
திரிசூலம் கபாலம் உடுக்கை பாசக்கயிற்றுடன்
கலீர்கலிரென ஒலி கால்தண்டை அணி ஞமலி வாகனன்
மின்னார் செஞ்சடையும் அநிசமாலையெனஅரவு அணியோன்
Meaning in English
I pray , the lotus faced, the Lord Swarna Kaala Bhairava. He has blood red colored flame in his hand and gas long curly hair who is compassionate and gas a dog as his mount. He holds the rope that pulls us out from this earth, skull and trident in his hand. He shines red like the flame and has auspicious eyes. He provides treasures to the devotees like the land lord to the peasants. He controls all the demons and spirits. He removes the sins (past, present & future), sorrows. He lives in Chidambaram. I pray and bow to the feet that provides whatever I wished for. He has dark blue lustre and has powerful eyes like sun. With trident, skull and the destiny rope, he walks with the anklets making majestic sound with his dog. With his red hair locks tidied up,, he wears the snake as garland. I salute the Swarna Kala Bhairava.
She is the principal lady of SrI kAma kOTi , resident of Himalaya ! Virtuous One! dEvi is prayed by brahmA and vishNu! Mother lalitA – daughter of himalayas! Consort of Sankara! the great tripura sundari! She is Conch necked! Lotus like faced! Her gait is Majestic like King Elephant! You reside in house of gems! Delighter of Siva! Siva Sankari! The mother who always speaks sweetly! The expert who killed asuras caNDa and muNDa! whose hands hold sugar-cane bow! She whose feet have been worshipped by vishNu! resident in tri-pura! Beloved of Siva! O SyAmaLA! You enable crossing the Ocean of Worldly Existence! protects SyAma kRshNa! kAmAkshi bestows desired Worldly objects! She is the Witness of all Worlds!
Prabhu's Ponder 