Carnatic Compositions – The Essence and Embodiment
– Aparna Munukutla Gunupudi
Our intent for this essay is to highlight the great features of the language, emotion and melody (rAgam) of a krithi (song/composition) and also to provide the song for your listening pleasure. Most of you may know these krithis, but when you discover the distinct features of a krithi, you may enjoy a new beauty or an attribute in the krithi.
Note: Krithi is defined as a song containing pallavi, anupallavi and charanam that have high musical value and can be sung elaborately with improvisations. Whereas, Keerthana also has a pallavi, anupallavi and charanam but is sung in a single form or simpler pattern.
janani ninuvinA
rAgam: rIti gowLa
tALam: mishra caapu
Composer: SubbarAya SAstri
Language: Telugu
pallavi
jananI ninnu vinA (trilOka) dikkevarammA jagamulOna gAna
anupallavi
manasija mAnasa sammOdini vinavE nA manavini vini nannu brOvumu
(svara sAhitya)
niravadhika sukha dAyaki yanucu vini ninnu cAla goliciti
niratamuga tanayuni moralu vini nI valanE brOcuTaku evarika dharalO
vinumA idi ghanamA taruNamidi krupa salupa durusuga
sarasIruha lOcani suvAsini tAmasamu sEyakane brOvumu
caraNam
vanajAyata nEtri kumAra janani kAmitadAtri
ghana pApa latAlavitri sanakAdi munulella sannuta pAtri
Meaning:
jananI – Oh mother
ninnu vinA – but for you
trilOka – in the three world
dikkevarammA – who is the rescuer/director
jagamulOna – in this world
gAna – i don’t see
Manasija – born from heart
mAnasa – the mind
sammOdini – mesmerizer
vinavE – please listen
nA manavini – my plea
Vini – after listening
Nannu – me
brOvumu – protect
Niravadhika – uninterrupted
sukha – peace
dAyaki yanucu – so saying as a provider
vini – heard
ninnu – you
cAla goliciti – i worshiped you always
Niratamuga – constantly
tanayuni – your son
moralu vini – hearing the complaints
nI valanE – like you
brOcuTaku – to protect
Evarika – who else
dharalO – in this world
vinumA – please listen
idi ghanamA – is it too difficult
taruNamidi – this is the time
krupa salupa – show kindness
Durusuga – fast
sarasIruha – lotus
lOcani – eyed
suvAsini – good natured
tAmasamu – delay
sEyakane – don’t wait
brOvumu – protect
vanajAyata nEtri- eyes like flower petal (things born out of plants)
kumAra janani – mother of subramanya
kAmitadAtri – generous provider of wishes
Ghana pApa – deep sins
latA – creeper
Lavitri – sickle
sanakAdi – sanaka and others
Munulella – all sages
sannuta – praises
pAtri – receiver
Summary:
Oh mother of the three worlds, but for you, I can’t find anybody who can protect/direct me in this world. You mesmerize the thoughts that are provoked in our minds and please listen to my plea and after listening come protect me. I profusely worshiped you after hearing that you are the provider of uninterrupted peace. After listening to your son’s constant complaints, there is nobody in this world who can protect me like you. Please listen to me, is it a difficult task! Oh lotus eyed and good natured mother, please protect me without further delay. Oh flower petal eyed mother, you are the mother of Subramanya and generous provider of wishes. You are capable of chopping my deep sins like a sickle to a creeper, you are the receiver of the praises by sage Sanaka and others.
This is an ultimate surrender to goddess PArvati, the supreme mother. It depicts the untainted love of mother as the composer states that there is no other savior in this world other than her. He implies that she is kind, gentle, and generous to provide and protect her children no matter how they are and what they do. Such pure love could move someone out of sin, when you are in total surrender with the supreme being. Once a woman is a mother, she is the mother to the whole world and every child becomes her child. Mother’s love and protection knows no barriers. That is why motherhood is highly regarded and respected. Hats off to all the mothers in this world for their love, courage and endurance!
The power of music is profound
The joy of music is sweet and sound
The awe of music is abound
Music makes the world go round
Anupama Gunupudi is an engineer, works as a technical program manager. She is a vocalist and a violinist in Carnatic music and violist in Western classical. She is a disciple of Sri Arvind Lakshmikanthan and she resides in Los Angeles, CA.
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Aparna Munukutla Gunupudi is a poet, lyricist and short story writer. She has written dance ballets such as Queen of Jhansi, Prasanna Ashtalakshmi, Usha Kalyanam, Sneham, Jamsetji Tata and they were performed in Kuchipudi and Bharatanatyam styles. She wrote songs for “Prema Tarangini” an audio cassette released by noted music director Sri Manohar Murthy. She considers her parents, who provided and encouraged her in book reading, are her “gurus” and Sri Jandhyala Payayya Sastri as her writing mentor.