Thyagaraja's Geyanatakas

Carnatic composers (other than performing vidwans)
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AditiShastri
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Joined: 21 Mar 2020, 22:43

Thyagaraja's Geyanatakas

Post by AditiShastri »

What are Thyagaraja's 3 geyanatakas?

I am only able to find 2 of them online, Prahalada Bhakti Vijayam and Nauka Charitram.

TIA!

MaheshS
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Re: Thyagaraja's Geyanatakas

Post by MaheshS »


nAdopAsaka
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Joined: 20 Jul 2020, 17:05

Re: Tyagaraja's missing ? siTArAma vijayam nAtaka

Post by nAdopAsaka »

TyAgarAjas missing? siTArAma vijayam nAtaka kritis

In the footsteps of NAdajyoti SriTyAgarAja swAmi..

It is interesting (at least to me) to try to ascertain what other kritis/kirtanas of TyAgarAja classify as
representative of the Uttara RAmayana, which is suggested as inspiration for this third NAtaka..
..namely "sitArAma vijayam"

I do not find Vanaja-nayana in typical lists, but instead vArija-nayana in Kedaragowla.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f9D5os8qAtI

If sitA is considered one focus of this nAtaka (and therefore mA jAnaki appears valid for this)
some others could be ??

sari yevvare sri jAnaki - sri ranjani

sri janakatanaye - kalakanthi
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lMZlQM0hz9A

dehi tava pada bhakti - sahanA

yet others could be (though not necessarily with sITA as focus)

manasA ramachandruni - iSamanohari

emidova balkumA - sAranga

bhaktuni charitramu - begada
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ykYw196djOc

with sAketa nagara in mind, perhaps also
kArubAru seyurAvu - mukhari
MSS version
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bbmApVBhijE
Ramnad Krishnan (quite possibly the last word in Mukhari ?)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4AFtHqKHxE8

sAketa niketana -kannada

(in the sea of words that are these blogsites, it is probably good to remind us with the music so i give some examples
from top vidushis and others)

any corrections etc. welcome...

thanks for introducing a new topic which is a good excuse to listen to some of these kritis..

nAdopAsaka
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Re: Thyagaraja's Geyanatakas

Post by nAdopAsaka »

In the footsteps of NAdajyoti SriTyAgarAja swAmi..

GhantA of the PrahlAda bhakti vijayam

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r-MnXAUpnGk

rajeshnat
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Joined: 03 Feb 2010, 08:04

Re: Thyagaraja's Geyanatakas

Post by rajeshnat »

Mods
Simple merge, merge it to original thyagaraja thread.


viewtopic.php?t=824&start=450

nAdopAsaka
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Joined: 20 Jul 2020, 17:05

Re: Thyagaraja's Geyanatakas

Post by nAdopAsaka »

In the footsteps of NAdajyoti SriTyAgarAja swAmi..

there are several ghanTA kritis by tyAgarAja

unnatAvuna
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pYOdEJZVzDs

a rarer ghanTA of tyagaraja appears to give raga mudra in first charanam !!

pallavi
innALLu nannEli endukI gEli

anupallavi

pannuga nApAli bhAgyamA vanamAli

caraNam 1

bAluDaina nA paritApamula jUci tALu tAlumani dhairyamu baliki
jAli dIra vEDka salpucu mari nI k lAgu buddhiyani krIkaNTa jUcucu

as usual there are several additional charanams only one shown here

nAdopAsaka
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Joined: 20 Jul 2020, 17:05

Re: Thyagaraja's Geyanatakas

Post by nAdopAsaka »

If mA jAnakI is one of the so-called SitArama Vijayam geyanAtaka
kritis, this veena rendition of kAmboji is a great set up for it !

the veena peals like a bell !
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r6sTSuvVFZg

nAdopAsaka
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Joined: 20 Jul 2020, 17:05

Re: Thyagaraja's Geyanatakas

Post by nAdopAsaka »

In keeping with the theme above to search for the so-called “missing” SitArAma Vijaya geyanAtaka kritis
the kriti "kanugontini" in timeless Bilahari could be a candidate..

Some popular lore associates this with the TyAgarAja finding idols discarded by his family.

But it could also be the forlorn & quarantined sitA Devi waiting and ultimately finding her rescuer and his
victorious retinue who are also named, appropriately in vira-rasa Bilahari.

The Karaikudi school captures this Bilahari on veena

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HU887MO0xHA

Indeed the entire Vidushi RanganayAki R. collection is exceptional

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IuZ6i2Xhz_I

a crackling vocal by senior vidushi illustrates well the breathless urgency of the tyAgarAja
striving to capture in words and song the torrent of his vision !
…..as if he would lose it if he did not fix it immediately..musical sculpture at its finest,

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xzkXCevTNMU

nAdopAsaka
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Re: Thyagaraja's Geyanatakas

Post by nAdopAsaka »

The exercise unfolding in this thread is to track down possible candidates for other kritis in the theme
corresponding to the so-called SitArAma Vijaya opera of tyAgarAja

The mA jAnaki kAmboji is the only known kriti (so-far) considered formally to be part of this missing GeyanAtaka..

Other candidates are discussed in previous posts by me above…

Another one can be added to that list..

In mA jAnaki, the entirety of rAma’s greatness is ascribed to his taking the hand of siTA !!

Similarly in SrI raghukula, his taking the hand of siTA is considered by tyAgarAja as
equal to his birth in the Raghu-kula !

Indeed other references to vAlmika-rAmayana can be discerned in this kriti, ..

In my opinion, if there is truth to the existence of such an opera, “Sree raghukula mandu” is a serious contender for this geyaNataka, based on the lyrical content and context..

here is the inimitable MDR , always one with the rAga ,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=52C5zqewMZQ

the GNB school is of course in warp-speed
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GpwB5CIWNQs

nAdopAsaka
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Re: Thyagaraja's Geyanatakas

Post by nAdopAsaka »

"rAma raghukula jalanidhi" in kApi is also good candidate for this so-called siTArAma Vijaya opera..

- it declares the establishment of vibHISana , and names rAma's retinue as well after the victory over vibHISana's brother..

fine vocal version
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ry-d9MAfeA8

the bell-like veena is also a good example
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AXl-R9fmhU0

so far
mA jAnaki, Sri raghukula, Kanukontini and rAma raghukula jalanidhi seem sound choices.

sari-yevvare Sri jAnaki, sri janaktanaye and dehi tava pada can be looked at more closely..

nAdopAsaka
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Re: Thyagaraja's Geyanatakas

Post by nAdopAsaka »

In the beautiful ChutAmu rArE in Arabhi the tyAgarAja brings together the ancient Srirangam viSnu deity with the avatAra rAmachandra …some references to this are made in the vAlmika rAmayana.

It is of course distinct from the Chutamu rArE in kApi which addresses krSnA and which is part of another more famous opera of tyAgarAja, the naukA-Caritram.

It is also distinct from the other major tyAgarAja Arabhis, namely the sAdinCane, tsAla kalla, or the devi kriti Sundari ninnu varnimpa and carries many interesting features

[1] it has multiple “alliterative” type uses of words that end in -data, -ata – udata..
such as chandr-udata, pujy-udata, ..I count about 13 !

[2] it uses the Urdu (and later English) word "shaal" = “shawl” (an upper body covering)
in the first charanam as “shAlu-vata” presumably this shawl being draped over the idol at Srirangam

[3] The last charana uses the descriptor “Akhila-jagat-pAl-udata” and links the viSnu the protector with the role of rAma avatAra as vanquisher of vibHiSana’s brother, which could qualify it for the sitArAma Vijaya opera theme being reconstituted in this thread…

Some historical information on this opera (but not the kritis themselves) has been noted on other sites ..I post one such extract from the sangeetapriya site…
Seetharama Vijayam is not so well known as two other operas. The story of this opera relates to Uttara Ramayana. The bare text of this opera was published in 1868 at Madras by Loka Narayana Shashtrulu. Not a single copy of it is now traceble. This is the first opera to be attempted by the great composer


All this is just an excuse to listen to this Arabhi again of course..

an older lively version by Madurai Mani Iyer with LalgudiJ and pAlghat Mani

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kVn2iv7u-RY

a modern version by a top vidushi is also available (many thanks)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Rp6_gCYepc

The Lost Melodies
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Re: Thyagaraja's Geyanatakas

Post by The Lost Melodies »

This is the first opera to be attempted by the great composer
I feel this information is to be verified and not relied on totally till then.

Venkataramana Bhagavatar has composed a sloka wherein he specifically mentions the operas composed by Svamigal - Nauka Caritramu and Prahlada Bhakta Vijayamu. If at all Sita Rama Vijayam existed, it could have been composed posterior to these works.

nAdopAsaka
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Re: Thyagaraja's Geyanatakas

Post by nAdopAsaka »

In general, I think that the tyAgarAjas intensely communicative words and song carry very clear messages , at least for most rasikAs, that can be relied on…..(although I would not recommend that they be relied on to walk on water or fly off a cliff without a parachute)

Both the questions raised (in post # 1 and in post # 12 ) appear to be reasonable , although the elusive nature of this so-called 3rd opera over the last 200 years, suggests it may be hard to verify, by the standard methods, such as finding reputable reports , documents/records etc.

At least one major shishyA line (as noted above) doesn’t seem to acknowledge it, in relation to the other two operas.

Even V. Raghavans excellent thesis, in his and C. Ramanujachari’s magnificent “The Spiritual Heritage of Tyagaraja” circa 1958, doesn’t seem to mention this.

I agree there seems to be a consensus of sorts that the tyAgarajA himself organized the 2 confirmed operas, one each for an avatar of viSnu different than rAma, a before-rAma-avatar period and an after-rAma-avatar period.

There is no question however that the rAma avatara is the major basis for the tyAgarAja's travels in nAdACala
and his experiments with musical and spiritual truths.

At first it could seem redundant or even irrelevant that a separate subset collection/opera (either by tyAgarAjas own hand or otherwise) is necessary for this third or rAma-avatar period , …unless…there is an aspect of this third period that stands out in some way.

In my opinion, this so-called “sitArAma Vijayam” theme, qualifies as a major aspect..i.e. rAma is endowed with the ability to influence tyAgarAja and his music only thru his (i.e. rAma’s) association with siTa.

Now the question remains whether the tyAgarAjas songs (words and melodies) can be “relied on” to allow identifying this theme in multiple kritis. I believe this to also be the case.

Evarikai avatAramu , KsirasAgara Sayana , pAhi rAma rAma yanuchu , samukhAna nilva , kanta chudumi sri raghuvara etc. etc. are other good illustrations of this inseparable siTArAma vision, that permeates the nAdayogis songs.

In summary I think that even if there is no formal/notarized affidavit (either now or never) regarding this third opera, there is a reasonable basis to look for it and the search, at least for me, is meaningful.

this is KVN's fine rendition of "evarikai avatAram" devamanohari, which is a good candidate as well..
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aa-wBohkGN0

nAdopAsaka
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Re: Thyagaraja's Geyanatakas

Post by nAdopAsaka »

another good candidate for this so-called sitArAma vijayam theme list is the pantuvarali vAderA daivamu
which ends with the meaning that rAma ‘s birth in the solar dynasty, pradyOta anvaya, is
merely a stepping stone to his earning the right to be called sitApati.

some other vAlmiki rAmayana references are also seen in the kriti.

two nice renditions
vocal
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-cnFRKylFgk

veena
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vvdIfOWpGDo

nAdopAsaka
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Re: Thyagaraja's Geyanatakas

Post by nAdopAsaka »

The impact of this so-called “sitArAma” vision, that is being probed in this thread,
is visible in the prahlAda bhakti vijayam.

A tremendous example is the vibrant “daya seya vayya” in yadukula kAmboji which describes
in much detail, prahlAda’s desire to be taken by the hand just like Sri rAma took the hand of the sitA devi herself.

kriti/shloka start at 1.4 minute or so…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qsMPy_Aers0

It is interesting to compare “daya seya vayya” with the other yadukula kAmboji that is also in the prahlAda bhakti vijayam…. the very much more rarer “Celimini jalajakSu”..where the focus of prahlAda is his natural savior i.e. viSnu/hari himself.

Both are in adi tAlam, so their presence in the same geyanAtaka (assuming picked by tyAgarAja himself) suggests that the sitA viewpoint (which is not in Celimini J. ) needed or deserved separate articulation.

In fact tyAgarajA’s confirmed nAtaka’s or operas have many kritis in the same rAgas (especially punnAgavArali and sourAStra ). This is an interesting feature that may shed light on the rAga choice for the nAtaka and the bhAva intended.

Celimini jalajAkSu is rare but a couple of fine renditions are available that could make that problem go away..

AlatUr SI/MSG/TrichyS

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ag4s4L7pv9s

a nice 90’s dance interpretation is also available preceded by the Melukovayya Bauli Utsava prabandha as a bonus

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0CMAQz6yq_o

There has been a debate whether these geyanAtakas were ever intended to be performed or were ever actually performed at the time of the tyAgarAja as conventional dance operas.

It matters little, I think, since the dance of the tyagArAja’s imagination has enriched our existence.

SrinathK
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Re: Thyagaraja's Geyanatakas

Post by SrinathK »

You should retitle this thread to "What if Thyagaraja's Seetharama Vijayam actually existed?"

nAdopAsaka
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Re: Thyagaraja's Geyanatakas

Post by nAdopAsaka »

I have zero doubt that the kritis noted in this thread so far "actually exist" and that they conform to
a common and unique theme, which is a distinct subset of the many other kritis of the tyAgarAja.

I have some doubt whether ANY of the geyanAtakAs were ever really conducted as dance/operas.

I have complete doubt whether reframing the question changes anything ?
unless it is supposed to change the burden of proof on whether tyAgarAja himself signed off on this third "opera".

i.e. we look for evidence (somewhere, somehow) that proves tyAgarAja did NOT organize this third set formally
or informally.

Some parties are already looking for this type of conclusive evidence (maybe under gravestones
or in some other ruins )

The question I suggest is open and will remain open, is whether the so-called rAma vision of tyAgarAja , is undeniably and inextricably tied to his simultaneous vision of sitA.

And whether his music in song and words can guide the search for an answer.

Here is another example of a kriti, that exists, in the rare rAga kolAhalam,

where tyAgarAja suggests that sitA has not advocated for him enough to the rAma-avatAr.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aV1uGdrJjxA

kolAhalam itself (to me) is a distant and impoverished relative of SankarAbharanam,
who seems not to have been bequeathed much when the 29th mela family will was created..
..also amazing how much a missing rishabham in arohana can change things..

nAdopAsaka
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Re: Thyagaraja's Geyanatakas (the ‘darSana” kritis of the tyAgarAja and the sitA-rAma union.)

Post by nAdopAsaka »

the ‘darSana” kritis of the tyAgarAja and the sitA-rAma union.

On the occasion of dipAvali, it is completely relevant, in fact completely necessary for the nAda-upAsaka, to reflect on the indivisibility of rAma from sitA, which is an undeniable union that I will argue the great vAggeyakAras have sensed and seen.

This post does not mean anything and should not mean anything to the hard-headed and hard-hearted rasikA who perhaps sees everything only from the prism of mere permutations of svarAs and tAlas.

Of course these hedonists also argue that ALL the kritis are arrived at merely by “the infinite monkey theorem”, where an uncountable number of monkeys supplied with typewriters (and the mElakarta scales) , have randomly struck all keys over the millenia and in their chattering cacophony statistically generated all the notation books and the entire output of all the vAggeyakAras. Oh well.. everyone is entitled to their version of reality.

For the nAda-upAsaka, reality (or madness) emanates from the words and music which capture the great vAggeyakAras experiences and visions.

And so back to dipAvali and the sitA-rAma.

This thread is related to the “supposedly missing” sitArAma vijaya geyanAtaka set of the tyAgarAja kritis.

Whatever the historical traces of this nAtaka may be, it is the nAdOpAsakas way to examine how the tyAgarAja has enshrined this particular vision of the lord, indivisible from the dEvi, in his choice of words/kriti/rAga.

It becomes another dimension (for the nAda-upAsaka) to probe and revel in the wondrous gift of the vAggeyakAra.

Along these lines, no one thinks that there is any kind of similar/formal sitA-rAma collection of the Dikshitar. BUT, the nAdOpAsaka knows that pretty muchEVERY ONE of the Dikshitars kritis to the rAmaCandra, makes reference to the sitA dEvi, invoking her via unique and melodious names for rAma himself (bhumijA nAyaka, mahijAkAma, kSitijA-ramana, even “sItA kalyANa mahOtsava vaibhava” in the Sri ranjani). So the union is clearly significant and meaningful to the Dikshitar.

Similarly the majestic kritis of the tyAgarAja can and should be heard and read and understood by all, not just musicians and musicologists, to perceive this union.

In fact , the two most prominent “darSana” kritis which are considered evidence of the tyAgarAjas personal vision of the lord (aka bhagavad-anubhava) giripai nelakona in sahana and kanugontini in bilahari carry the unmistakeable unified sitA-rAma construct.

In “giri-pai nelakonna”, of course, rAma is installed on the symbolic mountain, the “giri” where once “giri-rAja”, the father of sitA resided. Unquestionably the janaka is replaced by rAma , the new lord of sitA, with sitA by his side.

And in “kanu-gontini” the tyAgarAja says compellingly, that rAma’s very birth in the “ina-kula” (the raghu-vamSa) was to become the sitAnAyaka !

I collect here the other sitA-rAma kritis listed in this thread so far.. mA jAnaki – kAmboji, Sri raghukula – hamsadhwani, sari yevvare sri jAnaki - Sri ranjani, sri janakatanaye – kalakanthi, dehi tava pada bhakti – SahanA, vArija nayana - kEdAragaula, madilOna yoCana – kolAhalam, vAderA daivamu – pantuvarAli, evarikai avatAramu - devamanOhari
kSira-sAgara Sayana – devagandharI, kantha chudumi - vACaspati Sri raghuvara - kAmbOji
rAma raghukula jalanidhi – kApi, pAhi rAma rAma yanuchu , samukhAna nilva. At some point I will go into each.

Today I add to this luminous list two more special kritis, that may not have been considered in past but are entirely consistent with this theme. Indeed they also classify as “darSana” kritis.

dorakuna ituvanti sEva in bilahari and nannu pAlimpa in mohana.

In dorakuna-bilahari, the tyAgarAja sees the lord as sitAkAnta on the golden swing alongside the dEvi, “Sri mat kanakapu totla paina

and in the timeless nannu pAlimpA, the lord with sitA “dharani-tanaya tO” approaches his devotee on foot, no doubt entranced by the mOhana.

On this dipAvali and also always , I rejoice in the gift of the vAggeyakAras.

We are fortunate that ALL the beautiful stanzas of this fantastic bilahari have been sung at least in one rendition..

dorakuna
manda sudhA rAni illustrates all 3 stanzas
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5gInzSBR1p0

the MDR version is also a treat
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=imj0xDArbqo

nannu pAlimpa

here vidUSi sudha R does justice to the mOhana

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=31EEalVB7Dg

so does this rare bidaram krishnappA rendition !

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I-4HtmUBOog

nAdopAsaka
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Re: Thyagaraja's Geyanatakas (sitA-rAma vijaya union, paramAtmA and jivAtmA)

Post by nAdopAsaka »

the paramAtmA and the jivAtmA

An important kriti that merits a place in the sitA-rAma vijaya nAtaka being illustrated in this thread has to be gyAnamOsagarAda - purvi kalyAni.

In 6 short powerful phrases of the great kriti, the unmistakeable union of sitA and rAma, is visualized once and for all by the supreme nAdayOgi.

The reference to the "garuda-gamana" in the gaman-Asrama derivative is noted. Verily has it been said, “Coincidence is just the lords ways of remaining anonymous”.

Elsewhere the tyAgarAja also establishes Sri-rAma as sitA’s paramAtma in the anupallavi of the Sri-ranjani “sari yevvarE Sri jAnaki “.

The sitA-rAma union is reiterated in the mention of the 14 worlds (padi nAlugulu lOka), since sitA is of course the bhu-lOka dEvi. , see also the “Catur-daSa bhuvana bharanAyai” of the Dikshitars dEvi constructs..

The tyAgarAja reaches the zenith of his vision of the never-ending flood of bliss at “paripurna niS-kalanka niravadhi sukha-dAyaka”,

And then one has to wonder, Sri-rAma is niS-kalanka (blemish-less) only because he put the sitA dEvi through the agni-parikSA.

Sri-rAma is niSkalanka because sitA-dEvi is niSkalanka.

She is the gift of Sri-rAma’s penance, of Sri-rAma’s vow-upholding, of Sri-rAma’s sacrifices.

And this shining vision/gyAnam/enlightenment is granted to the supreme vow-upholder, the tyAga-rAja, no two ways about it.

several excellent renditions of this important kriti are available.

Many thanks to artistes and upload agencies.

gyAnamOsagarAda

vidUSi alamElu mani
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iYQGplJvdVM

harmonium by Palladam VR
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m-h8N4f1YZg

flute hEramb/hEmanth
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FSBLPR3KudI

vidwAn n. Santhanagopalan
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VcYBB-ky2yQ

RSR
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Joined: 11 Oct 2015, 23:31

Re: Thyagaraja's Geyanatakas

Post by RSR »

@nAdopAsaka
Sir,
A very fine theme of Jaanaki.
-
All the kruthis cited by you can belong to general and predominant Raamayan group.. They need not have been conceived as a separate opera.
Generally, in our Hindu pantheon, Devi always refers to Parvathy only. She is the Mother Goddess. ...Durga, and Himagiri putri. Janani..Consort of Lord Siva.
-
Occasionally, Sri.MD only has given kruthis on Goddess Lakshmi. but very few.
-
Sri.Shyama Sastry has not sung on Lakshmi.
---
According to our tradition, though Rama and Vaidehi are incarnatiions of MahaaVishnu and his consort, the narration is so full of pathos.
No avathar of Vishnu, except this, ever suffers.
-
By Indian tradition of Drama, no play should end in tragedy. Uttara Raama Charitham is heart-rending as if the suffering of Sita Devi in Lanka was not enough for a lifetime.
-
It is difficult to imagine that Thyagaraja Swami would have had the heart to even think of subjecting his 'mother' to such grief....
'
yah sokavahnim janakatmajaya
adhaya thenaiva dhadhaha lankaam;
..
what poignant lines!. Vaidehi and Hanuman could have easily destroyed Raavana but as is said, they did not , lest, the glory is denied to Lord Rama.
--
The kruthi ' Dehi thava paadha' is indeed nicely worded. but there is some confusion of narrative. The lyrics are more about Goddess Lakshmi and just fleetingly of Vaidehi..
Goddess Lakshmi ,like Vishnu is ever in bliss.
---
Doubtful.. .kruthi..

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