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.
nI velugu velluvanu
rAgam: Suddha sArang
tALam: Adi
Lyrics: Brahmasri Samavedam Shanmukha Sarma
Music Composer: Sreelakshmi Kolavennu
Language: Telugu
nI velugu velluvanu munigi
ee bratuku merayadA veligi
A kAnti sAgarame antA
andulo ala nEnu andhakAntA
nI kiraNajAlammu prasarinchitae chAlu
niTte nAlo yirulu niluvavinka
nI vibhUtulamayamugA velugu jIvitamu
akhilESa tula lEni Ananda dhAmamu
nEnu nIvADanani nilachi vEDiti kadA
nenaruto gAvumA nigamAnta chUdamA
kalimi nIvai danari balimigA niluvumA
Rajata giri nilaya naTarAja! shaNmukha nutA
Meaning:
nI velugu – your brightness
Velluvanu – flood of
Munigi – immersed
ee bratuku – this life
merayadA – will shine
Veligi – with light
A kAnti – that light
sAgarame – is ocean
antA – all over
Andulo – in that
Ala – wave
NEnu – me
Andhaka – darkness
antA – destroyer
nI – your
kiraNajAlammu – abundance of rays
Prasarinchitae – relayed
chAlu – enough
niTte – in a snap
nAlo – within me
Yirulu – miseries
Niluvavinka – will not stay
nI vibhUtulamayamugA – full of your vibhUti
Velugu – shines
jIvitamu – life
akhilESa – lord of universe
tula lEni – immeasurable
Ananda – happy
dhAmamu – abode
NEnu – I am
nIvADanani – your person
Nilachi – standing
vEDiti kadA – pleading
Nenaruto – to kindly
gAvumA – protect me
nigamAnta – end of vedAs/upanishads
chUdamA – adorned in his dreadlocks
Kalimi – wealth
nIvai – as you
Danari – affectionately
balimigA – as strength
niluvumA – stand by me
Rajata giri nilaya – dweller of silvery mountains
naTarAja – lord naTarAja
shaNmukha nutA – praised by shaNmukha
Summary:
Oh remover of the darkness, as we are immersed in your brightness, my life lights up and shines. I am a mere wave in that ocean of light. When the cluster of your rays are spread, all of my miseries disappear in a snap. Oh lord of the universe, my life shines from the blessings of your vibhooti and makes our home filled with immeasurable happiness. Oh lord you have absorbed and adorned the essence of upanishads in your head/dreadlocks. I am pleading that I am your devotee and kindly protect me. You are my wealth and please stand by me as my strength, oh NaTarAja, the dweller of the silvery mountains and you are praised by ShaNmukha.
This song beautifully describes the effects of lord siva on his devotees in driving away the darkness – physical and spiritual. Siva is known as the easily approachable god, and chanting a simple panchaksharI (five syllable) mantram (na mah si vA yah) pleases him immensely and he showers his blessings and bestows peace of mind. Actually, that mantram is so powerful that you can chant it at any time, any day and anywhere for calmness and peacefulness. If you combine it with a simple breathing exercise (sukha prAnayAma*) it can reduce hypertension and result in positive health effects.
*sukha prAnayAma – Sit in a lotus pose or a comfortable pose in a well ventilated area. Close both nostrils with the right hand using the thumb and ring finger. Release the thumb on the right nostril, inhale deeply and close the nostrils. Hold the breath in for a few seconds, release the ring finger to exhale from the left nostril. Next, inhale from the left nostril, hold the breath and exhale from the right nostril. That makes up one round! Repeat about 8 to 10 rounds while chanting “aum namah sivAyah”!
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 music to many Kuchipudi dance ballets. She also set music to many AnnamAchArya compositions. 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.
Ravi Gutala is an engineer and a highly accomplished tabla player. His training in Tabla started at an early age from Sri P. Anjaiah, a senior staff artist in AIR, Hyderabad and later received advanced training from Maestro Swapan Chaudhuri at the Ali Akbar College of Music in San Rafael, CA. He also has been teaching Tabla to a number of students. He currently lives in Florida.
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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.