A Raga's Journey - The Royal Durbar



Raga Durbar in Carnatic Music:



Film Songs in Ragas Durbar and Nayaki:



Also, in "A Raga's Journey":
Full of surprises - Ragas Vasantabhairavi and Begada
Soothing the Senses - Raga Nilambari
A Rare Treat - Raga Saramati
Morning Ragas - Ramapriya and Rishabhapriya
Pious Notes - Ragas Nasikabhushani and Vagadeeshwari
Priya Principle - Ragas Rasikapriya and Ratipatipriya
Versatile Nattai
Positively Tranquil - Raga Harikambhoji
Catchy and Classical - Raga Sankarabharanam
Of Love and Longing - Chandrakauns and Surya
Godly Gowrimanohari
Kedaragowla’s Many Moods
The Royal Durbar
Joy of Hamirkalyani
Power of Three - Ragas Madhyamavati, Brindavanasaranga, Brindavani
Wake up to Valaji
Distinctly Classical - Ragas Gowla and Lalitha
Auspicious Sri
A Complex Beauty - Raga Dwijavanti
Tale of Two Varalis - Ragas Punnagavarali and Kuntalavarali
Morning ragas - Bilahari and Malayamarutham
Endearing Khamas
Light and Melodious - Raga Sindhubhairavi
Harmonious Symmetry - Raga Kiravani


Comments

  1. The pallavi was sung as 'mura hara hara' .mura khara hara is correct. The full song with meanings is given below (Courtesy :Sri V.Govndan)
    In the kRti ‘mundu venukayiru’ – rAga darbAru, SrI tyAgarAj seeks protection from the Lord around him.

    P mundu venuka(y)iru pakkala tODai
    1mura 2khara hara rArA

    A endu kAna nI(y)andamu vale raghu
    nandana vEgamE rArA (mundu)

    C1 caNDa bhAskara kul(A)bdhi candra
    kOdaNDa pANiyai rArA
    3aNDa kolucu saumitri sahituDai
    amita parAkrama rArA (mundu)

    C2 O gaja rakshaka O rAja kumAra
    4OMkAra sadana rArA
    bhAgavata priya bAga brOva(v)ayya
    tyAgarAja nuta rArA (mundu)

    Gist
    O Slayer of demons mura and khara! O Lord raghu nandana! O Moon born in the Ocean of the Solar dynasty! O Lord of limitless prowess! O Saviour of gajEndra! O Prince! O Supreme Lord abiding in the praNava! O Lord who is dear to great devotees! O Lord praised by this tyAgarAja!

    Please come quickly as my companion in front, back and on both sides.
    I do not find anywhere a charm like that of Yours.
    Please come wielding kOdaNDa.
    Please come accompanied by lakshmaNa who always serves from your proximity.
    Please protect me well.
    Please come.

    Word-by-word Meaning

    P O Slayer (hara) of demons mura and khara! Please come (rArA) as my companion (tODai) in front (mundu), back (venuka) and on both (iru) (venukayiru) sides (pakkala).

    A O Lord raghu nandana! I do not find (kAna) anywhere (endu) a charm (andamu) like (vale) that of Yours (nI) (nIyandamu);
    O Slayer of demons mura and khara! Please come (rArA) quickly (vEgamE) as my companion in front, back and on both sides.

    C1 O Moon (candra) born in the Ocean (abdhi) of the Solar – the fierce (caNDa) Sun (bhAskara) - dynasty (kula) (kulAbdhi)! Please come (rArA) wielding (pANiyai) (literally holding in hand) kOdaNDa;
    O Lord of limitless (amita) prowess (parAkrama)! Please come (rArA) accompanied (sahituDai) (sahituDaiyamita) by lakshmaNa – son of sumitrA (saumitri) –one who always serves (kolucu) from your proximity (aNDa);
    O Slayer of demons mura and khara! Please come as my companion in front, back and on both sides.

    C2 O Saviour (rakshaka) of gajEndra – the elephant (gaja)! O Prince (rAja kumAra)! O Supreme Lord abiding (sadana) in the praNava (OMkAra)! Please come (rArA);
    O Lord (ayya) who is dear (priya) to great devotees (bhAgavata)! Please protect (brOvu) (brOvavayya) me well (bAga); O Lord praised (nuta) by this tyAgarAja! Please come (rArA);
    O Slayer of demons mura and khara! Please come as my companion in front, back and on both sides.

    Notes –
    Variations –

    References –
    1 – mura - demon slayed by SrI kRshNa. This is part of the story pertaining to slaying of bhaumAsura (narakAsura) by SrI kRshNa related in SrImad bhAgavataM, Book 10, Chapter 59. Please visit web site for a brief of the story-http://www.harekrsna.com/philosophy/associates/demons/dwarka/mura.htm

    2 – khara – demon (brother of SUrpanakhA) slayed by SrI rAma.

    4 – OMkAra sadana - Please refer to kRti ‘jagadAnanda kAraka’ where SrI tyAgarAja describes the Lord as ‘OMkAra panjara kIra’ – ‘the parrot singing in the cage called OMkAra’. The following patanjali yOga sUtra is relevant –

    tasya vAcakaH praNavH (I.27)

    “The word which expresses Him is OM.”
    (Translation by Swami Prabhavananda)

    Comments -
    3 – aNDa kolucu – serve in proximity – as per meaning derived in the books, this has been applied to lakshmaNa. Apparently, that seems to the traditional meaning. However, 'aNDa' also means 'universe' and 'kolucu' also means 'to measure'. Taking such a meaning, this can be interpreted as 'one who measured (kolucu) the Universe (aNDa)' (in vAmAnAvatAra) and applied to SrI rAma.

    General - According to the great hari-kathA exponent, Sri TS Balakrishna Sastrigal (Thyagaraja Ramayanam), this song was sung when SrIi tyAgarAja and his entourage were on their way back from Tirupati and, near Nagalapuram forest, thieves surrounded them. According to him, the entourage was saved by two youngsters who came in the garb of soldiers.

    ReplyDelete
  2. The anupallavi
    “ sUcana teliyakanorula
    yAcana sEtunanucu nIku
    tOcenA” was wrongly sung as

    “ sUcana teliyakanorula
    yAcana sEtuvanucu nIku
    tOcenA”

    The meaning is
    ” Or, did it occur to You that, without understanding the hints (or indications) (in the absence of communication), I would beg others?”

    Couresy Sri.V.Govindan

    ReplyDelete
  3. Dear Madam,

    On the other day I was listening to Isai Payanam - Shuddha Dhanyasi.
    In your JayaTV programme, you mentioned that the MGR-BSD song is based on raga Madhyamavathi while the new song from NEW is based on Shuddha Dhanyasi. But in your Isai Payanam album, you say that both are based on Shuddha Dhanyasi - only they use complimentary notes.

    Which is correct? I know, you can derive one from other through graha bhedam.

    Regards,

    Dr Keshav

    ReplyDelete

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