swara rAga sudhA

Sahityam

Pallavi

Anupallavi

Charanams

Renditions

Variations

• ⁷ mardala – maddaLa. In telugu it is called either ‘mardala’ or ‘maddela’ derived from Sanskrit word ‘mardala’. In Tamizh, this is called ‘mattalam’. Therefore, the Telugu word ‘mardala’ has been adopted.

References

• ² mUlAdhara – For graphic images - [[http://www.adishakti.org/subtle_system.htm Chakras]]
• In regard to Sapta Svaras and their relation to the seven charkras, - [[http://www.newtalavana.org/ebooks/saptasvarah.pdf#search=‘saptasvara’ Sapta Svara-2]]
• ⁸ tALa gati – to know intricacies of the Taala and Gati - [[http://www.carnatica.net/sangeet/layanubhava2.htm Laya]]

Commentary

• ¹ baka bhEka – The honey-bee is the one which can really enjoy the nectarine juice of (Lotus) flower. Interposing the Pallavi wherein Svara and Raga have been compared to nectarine juice, ‘a persons endowed with devotion together with (knowledge of) Svara and Raga’ seem to be the ‘honey-bee’.

• Therefore, the purport seems to be ‘only a devotee endowed with knowledge of Svara and Raga can enjoy the nectarine juice of the Lotus called the Supreme Bliss (Paramananda) of Nada’. Contrari-wise, anyone else – though knowledgeable in music but does not have devotion – cannot enjoy the Supreme Bliss of Nada – indeed, is an usurper on music like crane and frog on Lotus flower.

• ² mulAdhAraja nAdamu - “Para Nada (Vani): (The Transcendental Sound) The Primal Sound’s seat is at the Muladhara plane of Kundalini. It is undifferentiated sound, though it is the source of root ideas or germ thoughts. It is not within the reach of ordinary consciousness. Nada Yogis claim that Para Nada is a high frequency sound, so high that it does not stir or produce vibrations; it is a still sound” [[http://www.bhagavadgitausa.com/SOUND.htm Origin and manifestation of nAda]]

• ³ kOlAhala – Uproar, loud and confused sound. The reason why Sri Thyagaraja uses this word together with ‘sapta svara gRhamulu ’ is not clear.

• “Anahata sounds are the mystic sounds heard by the Yogin during his meditation”. Details of ‘Anahata Nada’ may be found in the e-book ‘Kundalini Yoga’ by Swami Sivananda – [[http://www.dlshq.org/ Kundalini Yoga e-book]]

• ⁴ sapta svara gRhamulu – It is not clear whether the seven chakras are meant to represent the Sapta Svaras; if that be so the correspondence would be – mUlAdhAra – sa; svAdhiSThAna – ri; maNipUra - ga; anAhata - ma;vizuddhi - pa; AjnA - da; sahasrAra – ni .

• “The notes are viewed to have an organic unity. Thus sa is said to be the atman, ri the head, ga the arms, ma the chest, pa the throat, dha the lips, and ni the feet. These seven limbs evoke a presence, and give birth to the devas.” Source - [[http://www.ece.lsu.edu/kak/manila.pdf Sapta Svara-1]]

• ⁵ bahu janmamulaku – In this regard, the following verse of SrImad Bhagavat Gita, Chapter 7 is relevant –

• bahUnAM janmanAmantE jnAnavAnmAM prapadyatE | vAsudEva: sarvamiti sa mahAtmA sudurlabha: || 19 ||

• “At the end of many births, the man of wisdom takes refuge in Me, realising that all this is Vasudeva (the innermost Self). Very rare is that great soul.” (Translation by Swami Swarupananda)

• ⁶ sahaja bhakti – Though ‘sahaja’ may be translated as ‘natural’ or ‘innate’, the kind of devotion which one imbibes from the childhood as that of Prahlada is what meant here. In this regard, the Kriti of Sri Thyagaraja ‘cinna nADE nA ceyyi paTTitivE ’ is relevant. Prahlada, Dhruva, Markandeya, Rukmani, Radha, Meera, Andal and Thiru Gnana Sambandar (Tamizh saint) are a few other examples of child Bhaktas. The bhakti of these personages is what Sri Thyagaraja terms as ‘sahaja bhakti’.

• ⁹ svarArNava – Though literally this means ‘Ocean of svaras’, it is stated that a treatise by that name came in the possession of Sri Thyagaraja by the grace of sage Narada whom Sri Thyagaraja considered as his guru. The story of how the treatise came in the possession of Sri Thyagaraja is told by the great Harikatha exponent Brahma Shri TS Balakrishna Sastrigal in his ‘Thyagaraja Charitram’. The full-story of the same may be found in the website – [[http://www.sangeetham.com/tsintro_13mar.htm Svararnavam]]

• General – In this Kriti, Sri Thyagaraja describes ‘nAdOpAsana ’ as a means of emancipation. However, in other philosophical treatises, like Srimad-Bhagavad-Gita, the subject of music is not at all discussed. Therefore, knowledge of music is not sine-quo-non for emancipation.