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.
srI jAlandharam
raagam: gambhIra nATTai
taaLam: catushra tripuTa
Composer: JayacamarAja WODeyaar
Language: Sanskrit
pallavi
srI jAlandharam AsrayAmyaham jalajAkSam
anupallavi
srI jAhnavI dharam sankaram
srI vidyA svarUpam sasidharam
madhyama kaalam
srI vAsam sarvam sivAramaNam phaNi gaNavara bhUSaNam
srIta janAnandAbhISTha phaladam srI sadAsivam anisham
caraNam
purAdevAthA kAryArtham tripura kAraka haram tryambakam
murAri dEvOttama pUjitAdi pavitra pAdayugaLa yuktam
tArakA vadhartam mahA sEna rUpa dharam dEvAdi pramukham
harAdyAkhila nAma pratipAdyam hamsam jagadvyApakam anantam
purandarAdi sannuta gambhIranATya pradarsaka nAgalingam
marakathamaNI sObhita lingam tAraka tEjOrUpa vAyu lingam
Meaning:
srI jAlandharam – siva, the one who holds the water/ganga
AsrayAmyaham – seek shelter
jalajAkSam – lotus eyed
srI jAhnavI – ganga
dharam – holder
Sankaram – sankara
srI vidyA – knowledge
svarUpam – in the form
Sasidharam – adorned with the crescent moon
madhyama kaalam
srI vAsam – he dwells in the wealth
sarvam – everything
sivAramaNam – siva ramaNa
phaNi gaNavara -group of snakes
bhUSaNam – adorned
srIta – virtuous
Jana – people
AnandA – happy
abhISTha – wishes
Phaladam – bestower
srI sadAsivam – sadAsivam
Anisham – always
purAdevAthA – for the gods
kAryArtham – towards the tasks
tripura kAraka – demon tripurAsura
haram – hara
Tryambakam – three eyed
murAri – the enemy of mura
dEvOttama – good people
pUjitAdi – worshiped
Pavitra – pious
pAdayugaLa – pair of feet
Yuktam – aptly
tAraka – demon tArakAsura
Vadhartam – destroyer
mahA sEna – enormous army
rUpa dharam – taking the form
dEvAdi – gods and others
Pramukham – primary
harAdi – the hara & others
akhila nAma – all names
pratipAdyam – proposed
hamsam – saintly
Jagat – the world
vyApakam – pervasive
Anantam – endless
purandarAdi – purandara and others
Sannuta – praised
gambhIranATya – majestic dance
Pradarsaka – performing
nAgalingam – lingam encircled by snake
marakathamaNI – emerald
shObhita – decked
lingam – lingam
tAraka – tAraka
tEjOrUpa – shining form
vAyu lingam – air lingam
Summary:
Seek the rescue of Siva, the one with lotus peteled eyes and the one who bears the Ganga in his matted locks. He is Sankara, the lord of jahnavi (Ganga), he is the embodiment of knowledge and the one who decks the crescent moon on his head. He dwells in the auspicious place, he pervades everywhere, adorned with gem studded jewels, he grants wishes and bestows happiness to good people and always bow to srI sadA sivam. The three eyed siva was tasked by the celestial bodies/gods to destroy the demon tripura. Lord vishNu and other gods aptly worship at his pious feet. He took the lead in charge of the large army to destroy the demon tAraka. VishNu and others proposed to name him as a saint as he is pervasive in the universe and endless. He is praised by Purandara and others and he performs the dance majestically encircled by snakes and decked with emerald jewelry, shining in the form of air lingam* (one of the five elements).
Lingam is a cylindrical rock formation as a symbol of Siva. Siva is only worshiped in the form of lingam and never in his human form due to curse by sage Bhrugu. He is known as “abhishEka priya sivah” which means he loves to be showered, with various ingredients such as water, milk, yogurt, honey, sandalwood paste, sacred ash (vibhUthi), flowers and so forth. That is why on the occasion of mahA sivarAtri festival, they perform abhishEkams in Siva temples all night to please him and attain his blessings.
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 provides violin support to many local artists. 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.