Ennaga Manasuku- The purpose of life

After having taken a long gap of  10 days..
We continue our journey with a soothing Neelambari (Dont doze off before reading..!!)..
A master piece Ennaga Manasu by Thyagarajar with the best rendition available ,That of SSI AND MSS..No other Rendition according to me captivates the listener as this one..!!!!
Indeed a Divine Unison..


The best"est" rendition-SSI & MSS (Click to download)


Ennaga Manasuku -Neelambari

29 janya
Aa: S R2 G3 M1 P D2 P N3 S                   Av: S N3 P M1 G3 R2 G3 S

Pallavi

ennaga manasuku rAni pannagashAAyi sogasu pannuga ganugonani
kannulElE kannu lElE kaNTi minnulElE

What for such eyes which could not nicely behold the Lord reclining on the couch of Sesha – the snake – whose elegance could not be comprehended even when pondered? What for such eyes and what for the sparkle of such eyes? 

caraNam 

mOhamutO nIlavAri vahana kAntini gErina shrI harini gattukonani
dEhamElE dEhamElE I gEhamElE

What for the body which could not embrace passionately the Lord Sri Hari who puts to shame the splendour of dark-bluish rain cloud – carrier of water? What for the body and what for even this house? 

sarasija malle tulasi viruvAji pArijAta virulacE bUjincani
karamulElE karamulElE I kApuramulElE

What for the hands which could not worship the Lord with flowers like lotus, jasmine, double jasmine, parijata etc and sacred thulasi leaves? What for such hands and what for even this household? 

mAlimitO tyAgarAju nElina rAmamUrtini lAlinci pogaDani
nAlikElE nAlikElE sUtra mAlikElE

What for the tongue which could not praise fondly the Lord who has affectionately governed Thyagaraja in the form of Sri Rama? What for the tongue and what for even this rosary of thread? 

Review:

The Raga Neelambari is set to have the effect of inducing sleep in the lsitener...The fact is that the Sacharas of the Raga a are filled with Melody and grace that the listener is elevated to a higher plane of purity...The sanchras descending from the upper shadjam to the panchamam touching the beautiful nishadam is just enough to fill your day..


As for the Krithi it has a structure perfectly apt for the Lyrical content..
Thyagaraja Swamigal establishes the fact that The eyes,the body,the ears,the Mouth and the hands should be used for Hari Seva..


Here I am reminded of the lines "NadanthAnai Ethatha NAvenna NAve ! NArAyanA enna nAvenna nAve !" of Ilangovadgal in the immortal "Vadavarayai mathakki" the sole property of Smt MSS which conveys a similar meaning...About that..Some other day..Hope not to take another Break..


For today It is the Unison of the Guru and his sishya (SSI & MSS) that mesmerizes the listener..That One...!!! Ahh..!!

Emani Vegintune - How Long should I wait..?

A striking tukkada piece popularized by Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer 
Here you go : 
Emani Vegintune-Huseni



In the krithi Emani vEgintunE in raga Huseni of Thyagaraja Swamigal's Immortal work "Prahlada Bhakthi Vijayam" Swamigal depicts the feelings of young Prahalada as to how long should he wait..It is "Viraha Tapa"
that centres the krithi..




An apt raga Huseni that depicts the feeling of seperation has been chosen by Thyagaraja Swamigal..It is filed with Karunyam

 It has the following structure

Aro: S R2 G2 M1 P N2 D2 N2 S |

Ava: S N2 D1 P M1 G2 R2 S

Pallavi

Emani vEgintunE zrI rAma rAma

O Lord rAma! With what Hope shall i keep Awake(Vegintune)?

Anupallavi
Emani vEgintun(e)ntani sairintu
nA muddu dEvuDu nanu bAsen(a)yyayyO (Emani)
With what hope (Emani) shall I keep awake (vEgintunu)? How long

(entani) (vEgintunentani) shall I endure (sairintu)?

Alas (ayyayyO)! my (nA) charming (muddu) Lord (dEvuDu) has

abandoned (bAsenu) me (nanu).

Charanams:


pAliJci lAliJci palumAru kaugiliJci
tEliJci nanu para dEzi sEya tOcenO (Emani)
Having nourished (pAliJci), fondled and pleased (lAliJci tEliJci) and

embraced (kaugiliJci) me many a times (palumAru),

now did it occur (tOcenO) to Him to treat (sEya) (literally make) me

(nanu) as an alien (para dEzi)?

ADina muccaTa nAd(a)ntaraGgamu niNDan-
(I)Du lEd(a)ni(y)uNTin(i)ndAka sarivArilO (Emani)
As my (nAdu) heart (antaraGgamuna) was filled (niNDanu) with the conversations (ADinamuccaTa) with the Lord,

so far (indAka) I remained (uNTini) content that (ani) there is none

(lEdu) (lEdaniyuNTinindAka) equal (IDu) (niNDanIDu) to me among my peers (sarivArilO);

eDa bAyaka tyAgarAjun(E)lu zrI harini tolli
baDalikal(A)rci nA ceyi paTTinadi talacucu (Emani)
As the Lord is separated (eDa bAyaka) from me, with

what hope shall I keep awake thinking (talacucu) of zrI hari (harini) – one who

governs (Elu) tyAgarAja (tyAgarAjunElu) –

about how earlier (tolli) He held (paTTinadi) my (nA) hand (ceyi)

relieving (Arcina) my weariness (baDalikalu) (baDalikalArci) ?

Review:

The composition depicts a solo melancholy of a sad Bhaktha who has waited too long For Hari Darshan..Thyagaraja Swamigal ascertains the fact that there is no better boon than Hari Darshanam and no Happiness as ultimate Bliss (Moksha)..One can imagine the plight of Prahladha and the Hardships that he came through with the karuna Kataksa Of his lord "Hari"

The raga Embodifies all these values in the prayogas that involve the rishabam and gandharam to merge thus producing a Nadam that sounds like Pleading to the lord Himself..Best of all the climax by the Pitamaha-By repeating the sangathi at emani Thrice,thus making it a worth hear song..!!!

One of those hundred songs that leaves you speechless even after hearing it once..!!

Enchanting...!!!

Dinamani Vamsa-Harikambhoji-Tribute to the King of the Solar Dynasty

Here is a clip from a memorable concert of Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer-Click on the song to Download..!

Dinamani Vamsa-Harikambhoji-SSI

Something about Dinamani Vamsa in the ragam Harikambhoji by Thyagaraja Swamigal

28 harikaambhOji mela

Aa: S R2 G3 M1 P D2 N2 S
Av: S N2 D2 P M1 G3 R2 S

pallavi

Dinamani vamsha tilaka lAvaNya dIna sharanya

anupallavi

manavini bAguga madini dalancucu canavuna nElu cAlugA jAlu

caraNam

sharva vinuta nanu samrakSincanu garvamu Ela gAcu vArevarE
nirvikAra guNa nirmala karadhrta-parvata tyAgarAja sarvasvamau

Meaning:

Gem of the solar dynasty of unmatched beauty! Refuge of the meek and oppressed! You have shown me sufficient indifference and disregard already ! It is time for you to make amends. Consider my appeal for you grace compassionately and respond with affection. O Worshipped by Shiva! Why be proud in spite of being indifferent to this helpless devotee? What is it that you have scored? Who else will protect me? O abode of virtues! O spotless one! You lifted by hand the Govardhana hill , you are everything to Tyagaraja.

1. The swaraprasthara at the end is the icing in the cake
2. Harikambhoji flows like a cascade
3. The pitamaha gives us his all time famous Sarvalaghu Prayogas
4. Visesha sarvalagu Prayogas : ga ga ma;ga ga pa;ga ga da; ga ga ni; ga sa* ni da pa da ni da da..
5. In the krithi part there is a beautiful Sangathi in the anupallavi at Madini dalanchuchu
6. Harikambhoji is indeed a raga with "first among the equals" status