Carnatic Compositions – The Essence and Embodiment
– Aparna Munukutla Gunupudi
Our intent for this essay is to highlight the great features of the language, emotion and melody (rAgam) of a krithi (song/composition) and also to provide the song for your listening pleasure. Most of you may know these krithis, but when you discover the distinct features of a krithi, you may enjoy a new beauty or an attribute in the krithi.
Note: Krithi is defined as a song containing pallavi, anupallavi and charanam that have high musical value and can be sung elaborately with improvisations. Whereas, Keerthana also has a pallavi, anupallavi and charanam but is sung in a single form or simpler pattern.
Sivudu Darinchina MAtru rUpam
raagam: Vasantha
taaLam: Adi
Composer: SAmavEdam Shanmukha Sarma
Language: Telugu
SivuDu dharinchina mAtru rUpamidi chinmayi gourI mAtA
bhavAni dAlchina pitru rUpamidi mahAdevuDI SivuDU
SivapArvatuluga gOcarinchinadi SivuDokkaruDe kaTTeduTa
pAvana nirmala SuddhakAntitO bhAsinche koluvU
vivaSulamai maimarichi tilakinchi vinutincheda mipuDu
SivASivulu mana jananee janakulu chekUrturu Sivamu
ambaye SambhuDu haruDe pArvati Adimoola paratatvamunu
tryambakulu BaktAntaranguli rAjakaLAdharulu
ambara vAyvAdulu ninDinadau avyayatatvamu mIru
ambASamBhulu shaNmuKa vinutulu AdukonE vibhulu
Meaning:
SivuDu Darinchina – the form taken up by Siva
mAtru rUpamidi – is the form of mother
chinmayi gourI – Chinmayi Gouri
mAtA – Oh mother
bhavAni – goddess Bhavni
dAlchina – assumed
pitru rUpamidi – the form of father
mahAdEvuDI -lord MahAdeva
SivuDU – is Siva
SivapArvatuluga – like Siva and PArvati
gOcharinchinadi – appeared
SivuDokkaruDe – but only Siva
kaTTeduTa – in front of us
pAvana – pious
Nirmala – unblemished
SudhdhakAntitO – clear brightness
bhAsinche koluvuU – shines
vivaSulamai – immersed in devotion
Maimarichi – engrossed
Tilakinchi – watch
Vinutincheda – praise
mipuDu – now
SivASivulu – SivA and PArvati
Mana – our
jananee – mother
Janakulu – father
chekUrturu – provide
Sivamu – happiness
Ambaye – Goddess Amba is
SambhuDu – Sambhu
haruDe – Siva is
pArvati – pArvati
Adimoola – are the origin
Paratatvamunu – it is the philosophy
Tryambakulu – trayambakas – celestial bodies
BaktAntaranguli – devoted at their heart
rAjakaLAdharulu – royal artists
ambara – sky
vAyvAdulu -in the air
ninDinadau – filled
Avyayatatvamu – indescribable philosophy
mIru – you two
ambA – goddess Amba
SamBhulu – Sambhu
shaNmuKa – ShaNmukha, their son
Vinutulu – praised
AdukonE – they are protecting
Vibhulu – lords
Summary:
Mother Gowri is none other than the Siva in that form and father Siva is none other but goddess Bhavani taking that form. In other words, both Siva & Bhavani are one and the same. Though they appear as Siva & Parvati, yet it is only Siva in front of you who is pious, unblemished and shining bright! Immersed and engrossed with devotion we watch and praise him. Siva & Parvati are our mother and father and they provide happiness to all! Goddess Amba is Sambhu and Hara is PArvati and that is the origin of the philosophy. The celestial bodies like Tryambakas, devotees and other royal artists have spread this indescribable philosophy of your union across the skies, air and the universe! Amba and Sambhu are the saviors for all of us and are praised and worshiped by Shanmukha!
The author in this song has beautifully brought out the philosophical union of Siva & PArvati and how seamlessly, they have assumed each other’s role depicts the male, female equality! Similarly, they also are portrayed as unison in protecting, providing as parents and are capable of taking on both roles of parenting. Parenting is an important yet a difficult task and Siva and PArvati have shown us a guiding light for us to follow. Lord Siva is an embodiment of parenting in excellence, as he showers unconditional, untainted and insatiable love upon all his devotees. This melodious and powerful song is for all the parents to enjoy and our highest respects to lord Siva, our forefather and to every father in this world! Have a great time listening to this song with your father!
The power of music is profound
The joy of music is sweet and sound
The awe of music is abound
Music makes the world go round
Sreelakshmi Kolavennu is an accomplished musician, composer and music director. She has given a number of concerts in India as well as in the San Francisco bay area. She has provided score and set many dance ballets to music. She also set many AnnamAchArya compositions to music. She lives in the San Francisco bay area.
Vasantha Lakshmi Kolavennu is an accomplished physician and a musician. She learned vocal music from her mother Sreelakshmi Kolavennu and violin from Sri Arvind Lakshmikanthan. She has performed a number of solo concerts and provides vocal support to her mother in the San Francisco bay area. She lives in the San Francisco bay area.
Venu Madhav Kolavennu is an engineer and an accomplished veena player. He learned vocal music from his mother Sreelakshmi Kolavennu and veena from Sri Srikanth Chari. He has performed a number of solo concerts and provides veena support to his mother in the San Francisco bay area. He lives in the San Francisco bay area.
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Aparna Munukutla Gunupudi is a poet, lyricist and short story writer. She has written dance ballets such as Queen of Jhansi, Prasanna Ashtalakshmi, Usha Kalyanam, Sneham, Jamsetji Tata and they were performed in Kuchipudi and Bharatanatyam styles. She wrote songs for “Prema Tarangini” an audio cassette released by noted music director Sri Manohar Murthy. She considers her parents, who provided and encouraged her in book reading, are her “gurus” and Sri Jandhyala Payayya Sastri as her writing mentor.