Namaskarams Rasikas,
An humble attempt to collect the River themed compositions from carnatic, folk and other reportires.
Please share your inputs in this thread.
Thank you,
Ajay Simha
Composition on Rivers
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nAdopAsaka
- Posts: 890
- Joined: 20 Jul 2020, 17:05
Re: Composition on Rivers - kAvEri and gangA
There are some good examples..
The kAvEri is central to the nAdayOgis and the panCanadi kSEtra
1. The tyAgarAjas asAvEri to the kAvEri that gives the clue why there are exactly 10 dEvi kritis at tiruvaiyAru
sAri vEdalina – rAga asAvEri
https://www.rasikas.org/forums/viewtopi ... 22#p380522
2. the kAvEri river that gives life (prAna) to the kSEtra- the vAyu bhuta kriti of the Diksitars panCa bhUta pujA at tiruvaiyAru
narmada kAvEri – rAga nAmadESi
https://www.rasikas.org/forums/viewtopi ... 99#p380499
3. The akhanda kAvErI set of the Dikshitars tirtha (pilgrimage) where he follows the ancient legend of Siva/dEvI worship, which starts at kulitalai, passes through ratnACala/ayyarmalai and culminates at tiru-ingOmalai.
https://www.rasikas.org/forums/viewtopi ... 08#p374608
gangA as jAhnavi – the janjUti- "gangE mAm pahI"
4. The Dikshitar gives the name for gangA as "jahnu-bAlE" in the kriti, referring to the gangA as daughter of jahnu from the "gangA-swallowing" legend. And it is precisely this name which also gives the rAga choice...since
ganga as the daughter of jahnU is also jahnu-sutA ( leading to jahnj-uta )
narmada kAvEri – rAga nAmadESi
vid. sowmya
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JxN4Bf2nf58
gangE mAm pAhi- rAga janjUti
anAhita/apurva
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mk9jhKQXf5Q
The kAvEri is central to the nAdayOgis and the panCanadi kSEtra
1. The tyAgarAjas asAvEri to the kAvEri that gives the clue why there are exactly 10 dEvi kritis at tiruvaiyAru
sAri vEdalina – rAga asAvEri
https://www.rasikas.org/forums/viewtopi ... 22#p380522
2. the kAvEri river that gives life (prAna) to the kSEtra- the vAyu bhuta kriti of the Diksitars panCa bhUta pujA at tiruvaiyAru
narmada kAvEri – rAga nAmadESi
https://www.rasikas.org/forums/viewtopi ... 99#p380499
3. The akhanda kAvErI set of the Dikshitars tirtha (pilgrimage) where he follows the ancient legend of Siva/dEvI worship, which starts at kulitalai, passes through ratnACala/ayyarmalai and culminates at tiru-ingOmalai.
https://www.rasikas.org/forums/viewtopi ... 08#p374608
gangA as jAhnavi – the janjUti- "gangE mAm pahI"
4. The Dikshitar gives the name for gangA as "jahnu-bAlE" in the kriti, referring to the gangA as daughter of jahnu from the "gangA-swallowing" legend. And it is precisely this name which also gives the rAga choice...since
ganga as the daughter of jahnU is also jahnu-sutA ( leading to jahnj-uta )
narmada kAvEri – rAga nAmadESi
vid. sowmya
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JxN4Bf2nf58
gangE mAm pAhi- rAga janjUti
anAhita/apurva
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mk9jhKQXf5Q
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HarishankarK
- Posts: 2216
- Joined: 27 Oct 2007, 11:55
Re: Composition on Rivers
Tunga Tarange gange - Sadasiva brahmendra
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nAdopAsaka
- Posts: 890
- Joined: 20 Jul 2020, 17:05
Re: Composition on Rivers - The river yamunA and the vAggeyakAras
The river yamunA and the vAggeyakAras
In Hindu consciousness, the river is a central theme.
Waves of life sustaining water , arising in sky-high mountains flow down to irrigate the dry plains and bring prosperity. Not only does this “soundarya-lahari” witness all life it is also the vehicle for the final journey of the ashes.
No discussion of rivers and vAggeyakAras can overlook the yamunA.
It is unique among all the rivers of the sub-continent.
It merges with another “river”, (gangA) instead of the ocean…yet it has an identity of its own.
And on its banks is vrndAvana, the abode of the rAsa-lilA of the viSnu avatAr.
The tyAgarAja celebrates the yamunA river with the kAmavardhani kriti “CudarE CElulAra yamunA dEvi"..from the naukA Caritram.
The choice of kAma-vardhani for this kriti is natural and relevant.
Indeed the reference to the flower arrows of kAma = Cupid appears in the kriti.
marudu kusuma Sarambu and is the indirect rAga mudra.
The river as an enabler of prosperity = kalyAni
The Dikshitars conception of yamunA is seen in his 3 yamunA kalyAni kritis.
See post dated mar 17, 2022 on “The water related theme of the Dikshitars three yamunA kalyAni kritis”
https://www.rasikas.org/forums/viewtopi ... 92#p375392
[1] yamunA as life-saving water – the “anirvaCaniya nAdabindu”:
the water linga kriti “jambupatE” of the jambukESwaram kSEtra
[2] yamunA as life-purifying water – the “krura pApaharam”
the purifying bath “krura pApaharam” of “parama SivAtmaja” after skanda destroys Sura etc.
“parama SivAtmajam” is based on the defeat and then pardon of Surapadma , the asurA who then transformed to the Sikhi vAhana according to the legend...(both emblems are seen in the kriti as “SuratarAkAdi haram” and “varaSikhi vAhanam”). The Dikshitar faithfully also calls the deity as “sura-sainya-nAtham” , i.e. the “commander of the armies” that defeated this asurA, as the story goes.
(and then reinstates it)
And finally
[3] nanda gOpAla mukunda gOkula, nandana yamunA tira vihAra
Just like the tyAgarAja, the Dikshitar also celebrates the celestial cowherd who sports in vrndAvana on the banks of the yamunA
CudarE CElulAra – rAga kAmavardhani
TSS
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AUFDc4QpArA
jambupatE – rAga yamunA kalyAni
rAji G
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N6eN-JsTbqo
parama SivAtmajam – rAga yamunA kalyAni
vidwAn R. SuryaprakAsh
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ojFwmQ12Vgs
nanda gOpAlA -rAga yamunA kalyAni
flute vidwAn J. Jayant
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TGV6f9Cib40
V SankaranArAyan
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y9QYx5ctI-E
In Hindu consciousness, the river is a central theme.
Waves of life sustaining water , arising in sky-high mountains flow down to irrigate the dry plains and bring prosperity. Not only does this “soundarya-lahari” witness all life it is also the vehicle for the final journey of the ashes.
No discussion of rivers and vAggeyakAras can overlook the yamunA.
It is unique among all the rivers of the sub-continent.
It merges with another “river”, (gangA) instead of the ocean…yet it has an identity of its own.
And on its banks is vrndAvana, the abode of the rAsa-lilA of the viSnu avatAr.
The tyAgarAja celebrates the yamunA river with the kAmavardhani kriti “CudarE CElulAra yamunA dEvi"..from the naukA Caritram.
The choice of kAma-vardhani for this kriti is natural and relevant.
Indeed the reference to the flower arrows of kAma = Cupid appears in the kriti.
marudu kusuma Sarambu and is the indirect rAga mudra.
The river as an enabler of prosperity = kalyAni
The Dikshitars conception of yamunA is seen in his 3 yamunA kalyAni kritis.
See post dated mar 17, 2022 on “The water related theme of the Dikshitars three yamunA kalyAni kritis”
https://www.rasikas.org/forums/viewtopi ... 92#p375392
[1] yamunA as life-saving water – the “anirvaCaniya nAdabindu”:
the water linga kriti “jambupatE” of the jambukESwaram kSEtra
[2] yamunA as life-purifying water – the “krura pApaharam”
the purifying bath “krura pApaharam” of “parama SivAtmaja” after skanda destroys Sura etc.
“parama SivAtmajam” is based on the defeat and then pardon of Surapadma , the asurA who then transformed to the Sikhi vAhana according to the legend...(both emblems are seen in the kriti as “SuratarAkAdi haram” and “varaSikhi vAhanam”). The Dikshitar faithfully also calls the deity as “sura-sainya-nAtham” , i.e. the “commander of the armies” that defeated this asurA, as the story goes.
(and then reinstates it)
And finally
[3] nanda gOpAla mukunda gOkula, nandana yamunA tira vihAra
Just like the tyAgarAja, the Dikshitar also celebrates the celestial cowherd who sports in vrndAvana on the banks of the yamunA
CudarE CElulAra – rAga kAmavardhani
TSS
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AUFDc4QpArA
jambupatE – rAga yamunA kalyAni
rAji G
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N6eN-JsTbqo
parama SivAtmajam – rAga yamunA kalyAni
vidwAn R. SuryaprakAsh
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ojFwmQ12Vgs
nanda gOpAlA -rAga yamunA kalyAni
flute vidwAn J. Jayant
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TGV6f9Cib40
V SankaranArAyan
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y9QYx5ctI-E