Carnatic Compositions – The Essence and Embodiment-60

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.

angArakam AshrayAmyaham
raagam: suraTi
taaLam: rUpaka
Composer: Muttuswaami Dikshitar
Language: Sanskrit

pallavi:
angAraka mAshrayAmyaham vinatAsritajana mandAram
mangaLavAram bhUmi kumAram vAram vAram

anupallavi:
shringAraka mESa vrushcika rAshyAdhipatim
raktAngam raktAmbarAdi dharam shakti shUla dharam
mangaLam kambugaLam manjuLatara padayugaLam
mangaLa dAyaka mESa turangam makarOttungam

caraNam:
dAnava sura sEvita mandasmita vilasita vaktram
dharaNI pradam bhrAtru-kArakam rakta nEtram
dInarakSakam pUjita vaidyanAtha kshEtram
divyaughAdi guruguha kaTAkSAnugrahapAtram
bhAnu candra guru mitram bhAsamAna sukaLatram
jAnustha hasta citram caturbhujam ati vicitram

Meaning:
angArakam – the planet Mars
AshrayAmy – seek refuge/protection
aham – me/I
vinatArita – humbly seeking protection
Jana – people
mandAram – kind/hibiscus flower
mangaLavAram – lord of Tuesday
bhUmi kumAram – son of earth
vAram vAram – again and again

shringAraka – handsome
mESa – zodiac sign Aeris
Vrushcika – zodiac sign scorpio
rAshya – of those zodiac signs
adhipatim – lord
raktAngam – body with red hue
raktAmbarAdi – red clothes
Dharam – wears
Shakti – strong
shUla – javelin
Dharam – holder
mangaLam – auspicious
kambugaLam – with a neck like a conch
manjuLatara – very delicate
pada yugalLam – pair of feet
mangaLa – good things
dAyaka – provider
mESa – goat
turangam – like a horse
makara – crocodile
uttungam – broad and high shoulders

dAnava – demons
sura – celestial bodies
sEvita – worshiped
Mandasmita – gently smiling
Vilasita – shining
Vaktram – face
dharaNI – land
pradam – provider
bhrAtru – brother
kArakam – causes to have
rakta – bloody
nEtram – eyes
dIna – destitute
rakSakam – protector
pUjita – worshipped
vaidyanAtha – VaidyanAtha
kshEtram – temple premises
divyaughAdi – group of celestial bodies
Guruguha – guruguha
kaTAkSa – kindness
anugrahapAtram – blessed
bhAnu – the planet Sun
candra – the planet Moon
Guru – the planet Jupiter
mitram – friendly
bhAsamAna – radiant
sukaLatram – good spouse
jAnustha hasta – hands up to the thighs
citram – shown
caturbhujam – four hands
ati vicitram – very unique

Summary:

I seek refuge/protection with the lord of planet AngAraka/Mars. He is one of the wealthy lords among the planets. It is said that he is kind and gentle like a hibiscus flower to the humble people who seek protection. He is the lord of Tuesday and known as the son of the earth. He is handsome with a conch shaped neck and delicate feet, shining with red hues and wearing red clothes. He is the ruler of the zodiac signs Aries and Scorpio. He is broad and high shouldered (like a crocodile), strong, holds a javelin in his hand and rides a goat as his stead. He is an embodiment of auspiciousness and bestows auspicious things.

He is worshipped by the demons as well as celestial bodies. His eyes are shining with blood red hue and face with a gentle smile. He is the bestower of fixed assets like land and buildings and male siblings (brothers). He protects the destitute and is worshipped in the temple Vaidyanatham. He is kindly blessed by Guruguha and other celestial bodies. He is friendly with planets Sun, Moon and Jupiter. He is very unique, possesses four long arms (up to to his thighs) and shines beautifully with his virtuous spouse.

This krithi is one of the Navagraha krithis, nine kritis on the planets. This one is on the planet Mars and the composer described all the attributes of the planet. In astrological theory, the planets and zodiac signs are related by sign rulership or adhipatis (see below table). Mars rules Aries and Scorpio and aspects fourth, seventh and eighth houses*. Aspecting refers to looking into or watching that house/the planets positioned in that house. Mars is portrayed as a wealthy, kind and friendly planet and does not conflict with Sun, Moon and Jupiter. It is said that this planet bestows good health, lands and buildings, wealth and people to have brothers.

* House is a section of 30 degrees in the orbit.

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