Carnatic Musing 4 – Lord Krishna – Purandara Dasa – Raga Sindhu Bhairavi

Audio Link to the Song:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/74utb93i26n3wsc/Venkatachala%20Nilayam%20I%20Rahul%20Vellal%20I%20Purandara%20Dasa-97K3UUH5kG8.mp3?dl=0

Sanskrit Composition

पल्लवि

वॆन्कटाचल निलयम् वैकुण्ठ पुरवासम्

पन्कज नॆत्रम् परम पवित्रम् श्न्क चक्रधर चिन्मय रूपम्

(वॆन्कटाचल)

चरणम् १

अम्बॊत्भव विनुतम् अगणित गुणनामम्

तुम्बुरु नारद गानविलॊलम्

अम्बुधि शयनम् आत्माभुरामम्

चरणम् २

पाहि पाण्डव पक्शम् कौरव मधरणम् बाहु

पराक्रम पूर्णम् अहल्या शाप भय निवारनम्

चरणम् ३

सकल वॆद विचारम् सर्व जीव निकरम्

मकर कुण्डलधर मदन गॊपालम्

भक्त पॊशक श्रि पुरन्दर विट्तलम्

English Transliteration

Pallavi

vEnkaTAcala nilayam vaikuNTha puravAsam

pankaja nEtram parama pavitram shankha cakradhara cinmaya rUpam (venkaTAcala).

CaraNam 1

ambujOtbhava vinutam agaNita guNanAmam

tumburu nArada gAnavilOlam ambudhi shayanam AtmAbhirAmam.

CaraNam 2

pAhi pANDava pakSam kaurava madaharaNam bAhu

parAkrama pUrNam ahalyA shApa bhaya nivAranam

CaraNam 3

sakala vEda vicAram sarva jIva nikaram

makara kuNDaladhara madana gOpAlam

bhakta pOSaka shrI purandara viTTalam

Meaning of the Sanskrit words

Pallavi

वें – sin

कटा – destroys

चल – hill

(The holy place of Tirupathi is referred here as Venkatachala)

व्निलयम् – dwelling

वैकुण्ठ पुर – the city of vaikuntham

वासम् – resident

पन्कज – lotus

नॆत्रम् – eyes

परम – absolute/supreme

पवित्रम् – purity/holy

श्न्क – conch

चक्रधर – discuss/disc

चिन्मय – pure thought

रूपम् – form

CaraNam 1

अम्भुज – lotus

उद्भव – prop from

(अम्बॊत्भव) (the person who comes out of the lotus)

विनुतम् – Lord Brahma

अगणित – countless

गुण – virtue

नामम् – name

तुम्बुरु – sage tumburu

नारद – sage naradha

गान – song

विलॊलम् – captivated

अम्बुधि – ocean

शयनम् – recline

आत्मा – soul

अभिरामम् – delightful

CaraNam 2

पाहि – protect

पाण्डव – Pandavas

पक्शम् – side of

कौरव – Kauravas

मध – pride

हरणम् – destroy

बहु – plenty

पराक्रम – valour

पूर्णम् – complete

अहल्या – Ahalya

शाप – curse

भय – fear

निवारनम् – relief/remove

CaraNam 3

सकल – every/all

वॆद – Vedha

विचारम् – enquiry

सर्व- all

जीवन – lives

करम् – anchor/creator

मकर – carp shaped

कुण्डल – ear rings

धर – wear

मदन – handsome

गॊपालम् – cow protector

भक्त – devotees

पॊशक – protect

श्रि पुरन्दर विट्तलम् – Purandara Vittala (pen name ofPurandara Dasa)

Composition in Tamil

பல்லவி

வேங்கடமலைவாழ் வைகுந்த நகர் வாசனே

கமலக்கண்ணனவன் ஒப்புயர்வற்ற புனிதனே

சங்கு சக்கரமுமடன் தூய எண்ணமுடை வடிவனே….வேங்கட

சரணம் 1

ஆம்பல்முளை அயன் வணங்கும்

எண்ணற்ற நற்பண்பின் களஞ்சியமே

தும்புரு நாரத முனி இசை மகிழும்

ஆழிதுயில் உள்ளம் மகிழும் …….வேங்கட

சரணம் 2

ஐவரை அணைத்து கவுரவரின் ஆணவமழித்து

வெகுபல வீரபேராண்மை உடை நிறையோனே

அகலிகையின் தடுப்பருஞ்சாபம் நீக்கோனே …..வேங்கட

சரணம் 3

மறைநூலின் உட்பொருள் ஆராயலாய்

அனைத்துயிரின் ஆதாரமாயும்

மகர குண்டலமணி அழகான ஆநிரைமேயோனே

பக்தர்களை காக்கும் புரந்தர விட்டலமே …..வேங்கடம

Meaning of the composition in English

I pray the

One whose dwelling is Tirupati, whose residence is the city of vaikuNTha, one whose eyes are like lotuses, one who is supremely pure, one who bears a conch and a discuss and whose form is that of pure thought,

One who is worshipped by brahmA ,one who is the storehouse of countless virtues, one who is captivated by the music of sages such as tumburu and nArada, one who reclines in the ocean and is delightful to the soul

Protect me Oh ! The one who took the side of the pANDavas, and one who destroyed of the pride of the kauravas, one who is complete with multiple types of valor/courage/heroism, one who is the cause of the removal of the fear of ahalyA’s curse

One who is the focus of deliberation of all the vEdas, one who is the anchor/creator of all life forms, one who is madana gOpAla, wearing carp-shaped earrings, one who is SrI purandara viTThala, the protector/nourisher of his devotees

Composition in Kannada

Carnatic Musing 3 – Universal God – Sadasiva Brahmendra – Raga Madhuvanthi

Audio Link to the Song:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/329rw6g0f2y63ud/Sarvam%20Brahma%20mayam%20%20By%20sadavsiva%20brambendraaih%20%20Brothers1-BjztyfYsJbM.mp3?dl=0

Sanskrit Verses of the Composition

Pallavi

सर्वं ब्रह्ममयं रे रे

चरणं १

किं वचनीयं किमवचनीयं

किं रसनीयं किमरसनीयम् ……सर्वं

चरणं २

किं पठनीयं किमपठनीयं

किं भजनीयं किमभजनीयम् …..सर्वं

चरणं ३

किं बोद्धव्यं किमबोद्धव्यं

किं भोक्तव्यं किमभोक्तव्यम् (सर्वं..)

चरणं ४

सर्वत्र सदा हंस ध्यानं

कर्तव्यं भो मुक्ति-निदानम् (सर्वं..)

English Transliteration

pallavi

sarvam brahmamayam rE rE

CaraNam 1

kim vacanIyam kima vacanIyam

kim racanIyam kima racanIyam …..sarvam

caraNam 2

kim paThanIyam kima paThanIyam

kim bhajanIyam kima bhajanIyam …….sarvam

CaraNam 3

kim bOddhavyam kima bOddhavyam

kim bhOktavyam kima bhOktavyam …….sarvam

CaraNam 4

sarvatra sadA hamsa dhyAnam

kArtavyam bhO mukti nidAnam

Meaning of the Sanskrit words

Pallavi

सर्वं – everything/all

ब्रह् – The Absolute (God)

ममयं – belongs/consists

CaraNam

किं – what

वचनीयं – spoken

अवचनीयं – unspoken

रसनीयं – tasty/palatable

अरसनीयं – unpalatable

पठनीयं – fit to study/learn

अपठनीयं – unfit to study/learn

भजनीयं – to be revered/prayed

अभजनीयं – not to pray/sing

बोद्धव्यं – to be taught

अबोद्धव्यं – not to be taught

भोक्तव्यं – to be possessed/enjoyed

अभोक्तव्यं – not to be possessed/enjoyed

सर्वत्र – everywhere

सदा – continually

हंस – soul/spirit/god

ध्यानं – meditate

कर्तव्यं – duty

भो – that only

मुक्ति- salvation

निदानम् – primary cause

Meaning in Tamil

பல்லவி

அனைத்தும் ஆண்டவன் அனைத்திலும் ஆண்டவன்

சரணம் 1

சொல்லும் சொல்லாத சொல்லும்

உகந்ததும் ஒப்பாததும்….அனைத்தும்

சரணம் 2

கற்பதும் கல்லாததும்

மதிப்பதும் மதியாததும்…….அனைத்தும்

சரணம் 3

கற்பிப்பதும் புகட்டாதனவும்

அனுபவிப்பதும் அடையாதனவும் ……அனைத்தும்

சரணம் 4

எங்கும் எப்பொழுதும் இறைதுதி பணி ஒன்றே

பேரின்பவீடு அடைய மூலகாரணமன்றோ ……அனைத்தும்

Carnatic Musing 2 – Lord Siva – Papanasam Sivan Krithi – Raga HindOLam

Audio Link to the Song

https://www.dropbox.com/s/7m8551dkapp43zi/Samaganalolane%20-%20Hindolam-5dhRh2EDt5w.mp3?dl=0

Sanskrit Verse

पल्लवि

साम्गान लोलने शदाशिव

शन्करने दायाकरने जय………सामगान्

अनुपल्लवि

सॊमसुन्दर छन्द्रस्केकर

सॊमस्कन्दा श्रिथजन् सुभकर…… सामगान

चरणम्

कामारे पुररे कल्पक्क

नायिक नाथ करलकर

श्री महदेव देव कपालि

दीण रामदासन् जथदर……साम गान

English Transliteration

Pallavi

Saamagaana lolane Sadashiva |

Shankarane Dayaakarane jaya || (Saamagaana)

anupallavi

Soomasundara Chandrashekara |

Soomaskandaa Shrithajana Subhakara | (Saamagaana)

caraNam

KaamAre PuraRe Kalpakka |

Naayika NaaTha Karalakara ||

Shree Maha Deva DeVa KapAli |

DeeNa RamaDasan Jathadara || (Saamagaana)

Meaning of the Sanskrit Words

पल्लवि

साम -Saama Veda

गान – Music

लोल – desire/enjoy

शदाशिव – Sadasiva

शन्करने – Sankara

दयाकर – show compassion

जय- victory

अनुपल्लवि

सॊम – moon

सुन्दर – beauty

चन्द्र – moon

शेकर – crest

सॊम – moon

स्कन्दा – in this context it implies body

श्रिथ – seeking

जन् – people

सुभकर – do good

चरणम्

कामा – desire

रिपु: – enemy

कल्पक – the one that yields what one wishes.

नायिक – lady leader / heroine

नाथ – Lord / husband

करल – fear /terrible

कर – do

श्री – auspicious

महदेव – great Lord

देव – god

कपालि – wearing skulls

दीण – poor

रामदासन् – Ramadasan (the composer’s nickname)

जथ – hair

दर – having/holding

Meaning in English

Oh, one who enjoys saama (musical,vedic,appeasing) music, Oh omnipresent

Oh, Shankara, Oh merciful (giver of mercy), victory to you.

Oh, one adorned the moon, one having the moon on his head

One on whom the moon plays, one who does good for the people who seek his shelter

Oh, one who is the enemy of desires,

Oh. Lord of the goddess Kalpaganayaki , Oh, One who causes terrible things

Oh auspicious Great God, Oh, wearer of skulls

Oh, longhaired one worshipped by the meek Ramadasan.

Meaning in Tamil

பல்லவி

சாமவேத இசைப்பிரியனே சதாசிவனே

சங்கரனே கருணாகரனே வாகைசூடும் …..சாமவேத

அனுபல்லவி

நிலவெழிலோனே பிரைநிலவணியோனே

நிலவுலாமேனியனே அடியார்க்கு அருளும்……சாமவேத

சரணம்

இச்சைகளைவோனே கற்பகநாயகியின் நாதனே

அச்சம் விளையோனே அருள்மிகு ஆண்டவனே

கபாலம் அணியோனே எளியோன் ராமதாசன்

பணிந்திடும் சடைமுடிதரியோனே ………சாமவேத

Stress Buster Cocktail – HPK

These are strange and testing times. For many across the world, what next is a big question now. Anxiety and stress appears to be the key question that is lingering.

The answer to this question is not simple. For example, the answer by a Professional need not be applicable to the Retired; the Urban may have a completely different perspective to this question as compared to the Rural. It is a fact that the answer needs to be found out by everyone in their own way and at their own pace.

I am confined for nearly 3 months to the glass, metal & wood partitioned tiny space surrounded by “concrete jungle” in Manhattan. I was no exception to the universal phenomenon of “stress” stated above. Thanks to God and Blessings from elders, in life I am very lucky in several ways; one of them being “having access to a wonderful accommodation at a village in the Suffolk County” post retirement. Riding on my luck, I decided to go in for a heady cocktail of “HPK” (Hamptons and Poorvi Kalyani) twice a day for a week to bust the accumulated stress.

Wondering what is this cocktail about!

“Poorvikalyani” is one of my favourite “Raga (the melodic structure) in Carnatic Music. It is a Pleasant and Popular Raga and has six notes on the ascent and seven notes in the descent. The raga has a profound effect  on  reducing anxiety and  abdominal pain.

“Hamptons” is the near equivalent of Heaven for many upscale Newyorkers with beaches, sprawling bungalows and extensive greenery.

Combine these two. Wow! What a relief: what a magic this cocktail has done to rejuvenate me.

See for yourselves in this video

Music Courtesy: The Legendary Carnatic Music Flutist Dr N Ramani