Carnatic Compositions – The Essence and Embodiment-64

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.

smarAmyaham sadA rAhum
raagam: rAmapriyA
taaLam: rUpaka
Composer: Muttuswaamee Dikshitar
Language: Sanskrit

pallavi
smarAmyaham sadA rAhum sUrya candra vIkSyam vikruta dEham

anupallavi
surAsuram rOga haram sarpAdi bhIti haram shUrpAsana sukhakaram shUlAyudha dharakaram

caraNam
karALa vadanam kaThinam kayAnArNa karuNArdrA pAngam caturbhujam khaDga kheTAdi dharaNam
carmAdi nIla vastram gomEdhikAbharaNam shani shukra mitra guruguha santOSa karaNam

Meaning:
smarAmy – think
aham – I
sadA – always
rAhum – the planet RAhu
sUrya – the Sun
Candra – the Moon
vIkSyam – look upon
Vikruta – unsightly
dEham – body

surA – celestial
asuram – demonic
rOga haram – curer of diseases
sarpAdi – snakes and other venomous creatures
bhIti – fear
haram – remover
shUrpa – woven flat mat
Asana – seated
sukhakaram – comfortably
shUlAyudha – weapon like javelin
Dharakaram – holding in his hands

karALa – fearful
vadanam – faced
kaThinam – tough minded
kayAnArNa – the rAhu mantra – “kayAnschita Abhuva”
karuNArdrA – kind
apAngam – cares passionately
caturbhujam – four hands
khaDga – sword
kheTAdi -other weapons
dharaNam – holder
carmAdi – leather
nIla – black color
vastram – clothing
gomEdhika – gem hessonite
AbharaNam – adorned
Shani – the planet Saturn
Shukra – the planet Venus
mitra – friendly
guruguha – guruguha
santOSa – happiness
karaNam – provider

Summary:
Always think of the lord of Rahu, a nodal planet. He has an awkward body, and is constantly watching the Sun and the Moon. Though he is a demon by birth, he attained the status of a celestial body due to drinking the amrutam. He removes all the diseases and fear of snakes. He is comfortably seated in a flat woven mat and holds a weapon like a javelin. He has a tough and fearful face yet if people chant the rAhu mantra called “kayAnarNa” he is kind to them. He is armed with a sword, javelin and other weapons in his four arms. He wears black clothes and orange colored gem (hessonite) studded jewelry. He is a friend of Saturn and Venus and bestows happiness to Guruguha.

This krithi is one of the Navagraha krithis, nine kritis on the planets. This one is on the planet Rahu, a nodal planet 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). Rahu aspects the seventh house*. Aspecting refers to looking into or watching a house or the planets positioned in that house. Rahu is portrayed as a tough planet and bestows good health and removes fear of snakes.

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

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

Tanikella Chandra Bhanu is an accomplished Carnatic musician and a graded artist in All India Radio (AIR). She teaches music at Smt. Durgabai Deshmukh Music College. She has performed extensively in India and abroad. She lives in Bangalore.

*****