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.
budham AshrayAmi satatam
raagam: nATakuranji
taaLam: jhampa
Composer: Muttuswaami Dikshitar
Language: Sanskrit
pallavi:
budham AshrayAmi satatam suravinutam candra tArA sutam
anupallavi:
budhajanair vEditam bhUsurair mOditam madhura kavitApradam mahanIya sampadam
caraNam:
kumkuma samadyutim guruguha mudAkrutim kuja vairiNam maNi makuTa hAra kEyUra
kankaNAdi dharaNam kamanIya tara mithuna kanyAdhipam pustaka karam napumsakam
kinkara janamahitam kilbiSAdi rahitam shankara bhakta hitam sadAnanda sahitam
Meaning:
budham – planet budha (Mercury)
AshrayAmi – seek protection
satatam – always
sura – celestial bodies
Vinutam – praise
Candra – the moon
tArA – star
sutam – son
budhajana – gentle people
vEditam – known
bhUsura – learned and scholarly
mOditam – approved
madhura – sweet
kavitA – poetry
pradam – provider
mahanIya – immense
sampadam – wealth
kumkuma – kunkuma/vermilion
samadyutim – shines equal to that
guruguha – guruguha
muda – enchanting
Akrutim – the form
kuja – planet Mars
vairiNam – enemy
maNi – gem studded
makuTa – crown
hAra – necklaces
kEyUra – armlets
kankaNAdi – bracelets
dharaNam – adorned
kamanIya tara – beautiful
mithuna – Mithuna, zodiac sign of Gemini
kanya – th zodiac sign of Virgo
adhipam – lord
Pustaka – book
karam – holder
napumsakam – eunuch
kinkara – attending
Jana – people
mahitam – praising
kilbiSAdi – sins and blemishes
rahitam – free of
shankara – lord Siva
bhakta – devotees
hitam – friend
sadA – always
Ananda – happiness
sahitam – together
Summary:
Always seek refuge with the lord of planet Budha/Mercury. He is the son of Moon and the Star and is praised by the celestial bodies. He is notable and accepted by the gentle, learned and scholarly people. He bestows sweet poetic skills and immense wealth. He shines with red hue and his form is enchanted by Guruguha. He is adorned with gem studded crown, necklaces, armlets and bracelets. He is the ruler of zodiac signs Gemini and Virgo. He holds a book and promotes reading and he is a eunuch. He frees sins and blemishes of people who attend to him. He is a devotee of lord Sankara and is a friend of his devotees and always spreads happiness.
This krithi is one of the Navagraha krithis, nine kritis on the planets. This one is on the planet Mercury 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). Mercury rules Gemini and Virgo and aspects the seventh house*. Aspecting refers to looking into or watching a house or the planets positioned in that house. Mercury is portrayed as a rich and wise planet and does not conflict with Sun and Venus. It is said that if Mercury is positioned in a good house, he bestows poetic skills, knowledge, friendship and overall happiness.
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.
| 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 |
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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.