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.
shrI shukra bhagavantam
raagam: pharaj
taaLam: aTa
Composer: Muttuswaamee Dikshitar
Language: Sanskrit
pallavi
shrI shukra bhagavantam cintayAmi satatam sakala tattvagjnam
anupallavi
he shukra bhagavan mAmAshu pAlaya vruSa tulAdhIsha daitya hitOpadEsha
kEshava kaTAkSaika nEtram kirITa dharam dhavala gAtram
caraNam
vimshati vatSaroDu dasha vibhAgam aSTa vargam kavim kalatra kArakam
ravi nirjara guru vairiNam navAmsha horAdrekkANAdi vargOttama
avasara samayEvakrOcca nIca svakSetra vara kEndra mUla trikoNE
trimshAmsha saSTyAm shairAvatAmsha pArijAtAmsha gOpurAmsha rAjayoga kArakam rAjya pradam guruguha mudam
Meaning:
shrI shukra – the planet Venus
bhagavantam – lord
cintayAmi – thinking
Satatam – always
sakala – all encompassing
Tattvagjnam – knowledgeable
he – oh
shukra bhagavan – lord Venus
mAm – me
Asu – speedily
pAlaya – protect
vruSa – zodiac sign Taurus
tulA – Libra
adhIsha – ruler
Daitya – descendents of dithi, or demons
hitOpadEsha – advisor
kEshava – lord vishNu
kaTAkSa – kind action
eka – single
nEtram – eyed
kirITa – crown
dharam – decked
dhavala – fair complexioned
gAtram – body
vimshati – twenty
vatSaroDu – years
dasha vibhAgam – affected period
aSTa vargam – ashTa varga, astrological term
kavim – poet
kalatra – spouse
kArakam – bestower
ravi – the planet Sun
nirjara guru – ever young planet Jupiter
vairiNam – enemy
navAmsha – navAmsa, an astrological term
horA – hOra, an astrological term
drekkANAdi – drekkANa and other astrological terms
vargOttama – vargOttama, an astrological term
Avasara – necessary
samayE – time
Vakra – vakra, crooked
ucca – exalted
nIca – debilitated
svakSetra – own house
vara – boons
kEndra – center
mUla – corner
trikoNE – in the triangle
trimshAmsha – three parts, an astrological term
saSTyAmsha – six parts, an astrological term
irAvatAmsha – iravatAmsha, an astrological term
pArijAtAmsha – pArijAtAmsha, an astrological term
gOpurAmsha – gOpurAmsha, an astrological term
rAjayoga – royal treatment
kArakam – provider
rAjya – kingdoms
pradam – provider
guruguha mudam – makes guruguha happy
Summary:
Always think of the lord of the planet Sukra/Venus, the all encompassing wise one. Oh Lord of Venus, please come fast and protect me. He is the ruler of zodiac signs Taurus and Libra. He is the advisor to the sons of diti (daityas/demons). He loses his vision in one eye from the actions of Lord VishNu, in the court of king bali, during vAmanAvataram. He is fair complexioned and adorns a crown on his head. Venus’ planetary affecting period is for twenty years and ashTavarga is an attribute of Venus. He bestows poetic skills and initiates partnerships/marriages. He is the enemy to Sun and ever young Jupiter (see table below). NavAmsha, hOra drekkANa, vargOttama are different types of charts to interpret Venus’ aspects. Depending on the condition and the position the aspects such as exalted or debilitated may result in good or bad outcome. Similarly, trimshAmsha, saSTyAmsha, irAvatAmsha, pArijAtamsha, gOpurAmsha are all various formats of charts and they could bestow kingdoms and royal treatments. Venus bestows happiness to guruguha.
This krithi is one of the Navagraha krithis, nine kritis on the planets. This one is on the planet Venus 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). Venus rules Taurus and Libra and aspects the seventh house*. Aspecting refers to looking into or watching a house or the planets positioned in that house. Venus is portrayed as a wise and friendly planet and does not conflict with Mercury and Saturn. It is said that if Venus is positioned in a good house, he bestows poetic skills, fine arts, good partner, happy married life and royal treatment.
* House is a section of 30 degrees in the orbit.
| Planets/Ruler | Color | Friend | Enemy | Neutral |
| Sun | Red | Moon, Mars, Jupiter | Saturn, Venus | Mercury |
| Moon | White | Sun, Mercury | None | Mars, Jupiter, Venus, Saturn |
| Mars | Crimson Red | Sun, Moon, Jupiter | Mercury | Venus, Saturn |
| Mercury | Green | Sun, Venus | Moon | Mars, Jupiter, Saturn |
| Jupiter | Yellow | Sun, Moon, Mars | Mercury, Venus | Saturn |
| Venus | White | Mercury, Saturn | Sun, Moon | Mars, Jupiter |
| Saturn | Black | Mercury, Venus | Sun, Moon, Mars | Jupiter |
| Rahu (Nodal planet) | Ultra violet | |||
| Ketu (Nodal planet | Infra red |
*****
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.