aduvum solluvAL.. by Subbarama Iyer

mahakavi · Post by **mahakavi** » 03 Apr 2007, 23:03

This padam by Vaideeswarankoil Subbarama Iyer describes the gripe that the nAyaki has against her rival (sakkaLatti?) who is now the favorite of Lord Murugan. I thought it was a general padam about a generic nAyaki against another generic rival maiden. But I came across an MIT 2005 nAtyAnjai feature (an annual dance program by MIT students in Cambride, MA) that this padam denotes the complaint of DeivayAnai (the first spouse of Murugan) against vaLLi (the second one). The description mentioned that vaLLi being a gypsy girl was poor to begin with but then became the privileged one after marrying Murugan. Is this interpretation a figment of imagination by the MIT group or is there any truth to that? Did Subbarama Iyer indicate anywhere to this possibility?

Umesh · Post by **Umesh** » 04 Apr 2007, 09:29

This is an interesting interpretation but I don't think it fits the song quite right. To my knowledge, Subbarama Iyer makes no reference to either wife in the padam, only Lord Murugan. The song is centered on the fact that a young woman used to come to the heroine's house asking for things because she had nothing, and now she has everything so she no longer does so. Did Valli come to Deivayanai begging for saris and the like?

mahakavi · Post by **mahakavi** » 04 Apr 2007, 18:51

Umesh:
I was surprised to read such a description myself. You can visit the site and look at item #7
http://web.mit.edu/bnaatyam/www/natyanj ... ali05.html

I wrote an article almost 3 years ago featuring this song at the following site.

http://www.chennaionline.com/musicnew/t ... song22.asp

rshankar · Post by **rshankar** » 04 Apr 2007, 20:09

AFAIK, the only composition that explicitly deals with deivayAnai and vaLLI's rivalry is Subbudu's varNam - annamE.

Lakshman · Post by **Lakshman** » 30 Mar 2008, 23:44

Does anyone have the words for the second caraNa that starts with kaiyil illAdavar ...
Thanks.

meena · Post by **meena** » 31 Mar 2008, 04:03

Lji

Here is a dance video performed by Janaki , u'll find the missing 2nd charanam:
DELETED

Lakshman · Post by **Lakshman** » 31 Mar 2008, 17:02

Meena: Thanks. I had seen the video but the audio level is low and it is difficult to make out some words.

Lakshman · Post by **Lakshman** » 31 Mar 2008, 18:50

I listened to a different audio clip and here are the words. Corrections requested.

aduvum sholluvAL (padam). rAgA: saurASTra. Adi tALA.

P: aduvum sholluvAL avaL anEkam sholluvAL avaL mIdu kuTram ennaDi aDiyE pODi
A: matiyum nadi aNinda vaidIshvaran nATTin patiyAna murugEshan sheida kAryattirkku
C1: ennEramum ingE vandu nagai ennum tuNi enrum iraval kETTa nAL pOccE
enakkediriyAga avaL sannakAramiTTa mettai vIDum uNDAccE
unnatam unnatamAna kaTTilAccu mettaiyAccu uyarnda mahamal nINDu paTTu puDavaiyumAccu
tannaiviDa bhAgyashAli kiDayAdenr-eNNamAccu taniyE irundavaLkku tAdimArgaL uNDAccu
2: kaiyil illAdavaL reNDu kAsai kaNDavuDanE garuvam mIri pOccE
karu maNikkum vazhi illAdu inrE vaittu kazhuttil kaNTha saram uNDAccE
reNDu kaikkum tangattinAl kAppum golusumAccu ratnangaL izhaitta jaDai nillai kaDai nAgamAccu
kaNDeDattil ninravaLkku kaTTu kAval uNDAccu karandu kuDikka oru koTTil mADum uNDAccu

rshankar · Post by **rshankar** » 31 Mar 2008, 21:03

Lji,

I had to look at each word of this lovely padam to see if it made sense. Your effort is excellent as usual. The only word that is not clear is in C2...I wonder if it should be nILa instead of nillai.

I can post the translation if anyone is interested.

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 31 Mar 2008, 21:16

Lakshman,
Ravi would be of more help, but here is my understanding of it. There is a no nonsense approach in spelling out things here. Complaints and jealousies are not disguised by borrowing the names of gods.
Yes, a secular piece and I don't think highly of the lyrics. Yet, in the context of dance, it give room for expression, I suppose. I wouldn't care to listen to it on the concert stage (sorry, views differ). If musically folks think it is worthy of rendering, I would still say, there are plenty of other compositions to sing which can beat this one hollow.

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 31 Mar 2008, 21:40

corrections:
P: anEgam SolluvAL; kuTRam

A.P: madiyum; padiyAna; vaiddISvaran (could be viaddESvaran too)
murugEsan Seida kAriyattiRku

C 1: enRum; enRum; meddai
bAgyaSAli; enReNNamAccu

C2: mIRippOccE; inRE; jaDai billai; kanDa iDattil ninRavarukku
kaRandu

note: There is the word 'meddai' occuring twice with different
meanings.
1: meddai vIDu=a house with more than one floor;
2: meddai=mattress
jaDai billai (corrupt of villai--disc like hair ornament piece)

rshankar · Post by **rshankar** » 31 Mar 2008, 22:17

Lji,

Here is my translation - jaDai villai - rAkkoDi - thanks Arasi...

aduvum sholluvAL (padam). rAgA: saurASTra. Adi tALA.

P: aduvum sholluvAL avaL anEkam sholluvAL avaL mIdu kuTram ennaDi aDiyE pODi
A: matiyum nadi aNinda vaidIshvaran nATTin patiyAna murugEshan sheida kAryattirkku

I am sure she (avaL) would have made that (aduvum) statement (SolluvAL), as well as many others (anEkam) that are derogatory and taunting! But, how can (ennaDI) the fault (kuTram) lie with (mIdu) her (avaL) my friend (aDiyE), when it is the actions (kAryattirkku) of/committed by (Seida) the ruler (patiyAna) [muruga (murugESan)] of this land (nATTin) belonging to Lord vaidISvaran, who bears the gangA (nadi) and the crescent (ma(d)tiyum) that are to blame? Go away/leave me alone (pODI)!

C1: ennEramum ingE vandu nagai ennum tuNi enrum iraval kETTa nAL pOccE
enakkediriyAga avaL sannakAramiTTa mettai vIDum uNDAccE
unnatam unnatamAna kaTTilAccu mettaiyAccu uyarnda mahamal nINDu paTTu puDavaiyumAccu
tannaiviDa bhAgyashAli kiDayAdenr-eNNamAccu taniyE irundavaLkku tAdimArgaL uNDAccu

Gone (pOccE) are the days (nAL) when she would come (vandu) here (ingE) at all times (ennEramum) and ask (kETTa) to borrow (iraval) my jewels (nagai) and clothes (tuNi)! He (muruga) seems to have set her (avaL) up as my (enakku) rival (ediyAga) â€“ she now seems to have a grand house (vIDum unDAccE) [a multi-storied (meddai) building, finished with fine plastering (sannakAram iTTa)]. And, in this house, to entertain him, she has exemplary (unnattamAna â€“ repeated for emphasis) cots (kaTTil Accu), and mattresses (mettai Accu). She also seems to own high quality (uyarnda) velvet (makmal/mahamal) and silk (paTTu) sArIs (puDavaiyum Accu) with long/tall (nINDu) zarI borders. With these material things, and the attention of my Lord (muruga) has come the feeling (eNNam Accu) that there is no one (kiDaiyAdu enra) more fortunate (bhAgyaSAlI) than she (tannaiviDa). Why won't she speak uncouthly? After all, she suddenly finds herself with handmaidens (tAdimArgaL uNDAccu) to wait on her every whim, when all she was used to was living (irundavaL) alone (taniyE) without the support of any man!

2: kaiyil illAdavaL reNDu kAsai kaNDavuDanE garuvam mIri pOccE
karu maNikkum vazhi illAdu inrE vaittu kazhuttil kaNTha saram uNDAccE
reNDu kaikkum tangattinAl kAppum golusumAccu ratnangaL izhaitta jaDai nillai kaDai nAgamAccu
kaNDeDattil ninravaLkku kaTTu kAval uNDAccu karandu kuDikka oru koTTil mADum uNDAccu

It is not her fault! She was after all, an uncultured and penniless woman (kaiyil illAdavaL) â€“ as soon (uDanE) as she's seen (kaNDavuDanE) a couple (reNDu) of pennies (kAsai), it is not surprising that she is overwhelmed by (mIri pOccudE) pride (garuvam). For someone who did not have (illAdu) the means (vazhi) to afford a mere string of black (karu) beads (maNikkum), these days (inrE vaittu) she is bedecked with jewels: exquisite necklaces (kaNTha saram unDAccE) around her neck (kazhuttil), bracelets (kAppu) made of gold (tangattinAl) for her arms (reNDu â€“ both kaikkum), and anklets (golusum Accu), and a rAkkoDi (jaDai villai) set with (izhaitta) with precious stones (rattinangaL) and a snake-like ornament (jaDai nAgam) at the tip/end (kaDai) of her long braid. For woman who stood (ninravaLukku) boldly at strange (kaNDa) places (eDattil) looking for support, she now boasts of her own security (kaTTu kAval unDAccu) like a modest lady who has lead a very sheltered life. For someone who was struggling for 3 square meals a day, she now has a cow (mADum unDAccu) in a shed (oru koTTil) and access to fresh (karanda) milk to drink (kuDikka).

With such a phenomenal change in her circumstances, it is certainly not surprising that this uncultured woman, unaccustomed to these luxuries has let it go to her head, and she now speaks uncouthly of me, her former friend.

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 01 Apr 2008, 01:10

As always, a super interpretation, Ravi.
As for rAkkoDi, I think it is the larger circular ornament which sits on the back of the head by being woven into the hair with a tiny braid. jaDavillai has a screw at the back and gets fixed to the long braid somewhere in the middle of it. Nowadays, I wouldn't be surprised if they have velcro in the back!

Lakshman · Post by **Lakshman** » 01 Apr 2008, 01:22

Thanks arasi and ravishankar.

rshankar · Post by **rshankar** » 01 Apr 2008, 01:42

arasi wrote:As always, a super interpretation, Ravi.
As for rAkkoDi, I think it is the larger circular ornament which sits on the back of the head by being woven into the hair with a tiny braid. jaDavillai has a screw at the back and gets fixed to the long braid somewhere in the middle of it. Nowadays, I wouldn't be surprised if they have velcro in the back!

Thanks Arasi! Illuminating!

meena · Post by **meena** » 01 Apr 2008, 01:44

arasi
U got it right. Rakkodi is also mounted top of a bun.

rshankar · Post by **rshankar** » 09 Jan 2014, 22:37

Two different takes on this padam:

1) The first, by a young dancer, who is more literal, and a bit hurried...she presents both the caraNas - but her vocal suppoet is not all that great
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fk4HJ3SKiq0

2) And the second, by a living legend is a much more sedate and mature take on the same - a mere movement of the wrist conveying helplessless, a fractionally raised eyebrow conveying anguish and jealousy - in this piece, only the first caraNa is presented - but the orchestra is superb!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sNw2dqen3ck

I found the first clip to be good, but the second clip was a truly sublime experience for me...(it's all in the rasAnubhava)!!

rasikas.org

aduvum solluvAL.. by Subbarama Iyer

Re: aduvum solluvAL.. by Subbarama Iyer