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.
TanDavinchenu parama sivuDu
rAgam: Valaji
tAlam: Adi
Lyrics: Aparna Munukutla Gunupudi
Music: Sreelakshmi Kolavennu
Language: Telugu
Pallavi
tAnDavinchenu parama sivuDU
taruNi pArvati paravasembai
takiTa dhimi dhimi tajheNu jheNu jheNu
teyyatom ani tanivi tIraga
charaNam 1
arunarAgamulalaragA
sandhya kAntulu viriyagA
kiNa kiNankiNa dhimi dhimIm dhimi
Dikkulanniyu merayagA
charaNam 2
uttunga gangA jharulatO
swararavambulu pAdagA
AdagA nAtyamAdaga tadheem dheem ani Ananda
charaNam 3
jagatinElu janakuni jataga gUdi jagatjanani
jhemta keriNa jheNuta jhenutaka
jhamtanomtani jagamulUpaga
Meaning:
tAnDavinchenu – danced
parama sivuDU – lord siva
taruNi – lady
pArvati – pArvati
Paravasembai – involved immensely
takiTa dhimi dhimi tajheNu jheNu jheNu – verses for dance steps
Teyyatom – verse for dance steps
ani tanivi tIraga – to their heart’s content
charaNam 1
arunarAgamulalaragA – painted with red color
sandhya kAntulu viriyagA – colors from the sunset spread across
kiNa kiNankiNa dhimi dhimIm dhimi – verses for dance steps
Dikkulanniyu merayagA – shining in all directions
charaNam 2
uttunga – rising high
gangA – ganges
jharulatO – flowing waters
Swara – musical notes
Ravambulu – tunes
pAdagA – sung
AdagA – playful
nAtyamAdaga – dancing
tadheem dheem – verses for dance steps
ani Ananda – as they dance happily
charaNam 3
jagatinElu – ruler of this world
Janakuni – father
Jataga gUdi – joining together
Jagatjanani – mother of the universe
jhemta keriNa jheNuta jhenutaka – verses for dance steps
Jhamtanomtani – verses for dance steps
jagamulUpaga – swinging the universe around
Summary:
This song portrays the joyous dancing by the cosmic dancer, Lord Siva and his consort Goddess PArvati in the dusk/evening (Ananda tAnDavam). PArvati and Siva danced together to their heart’s content to the metered dance verses, while the colors of the sunset and dim dusk painted the sky in all directions. And they happily danced to the playful tunes of ever flowing ganges from the high hills. The father and mother of the universe danced together to the rhythmic patterns of dance verses to make the universe go around.
It is said that lord Siva is the cosmic dancer Nataraja (king of dances)! He is the originator of dance as well as the alphabets. Equally talented, goddess PArvati happily joins him to dance together and they are the foremost couple (Adi dampathulu) and universal parents (jagatjanani and jagadeka pitA). The couple are embodiments of love, compassion, unity, harmony and cooperation! They dance to the energy (nAdam) and the rhythm (laya) generated from movement of the universe which creates the day and night, and cause the effects of the elements – earth, water, fire, air and space to keep them in perfect harmony and balance with creation (srushTi), preservation (sthithi) and dissolution (samhara) for the life to sustain on the earth! Lord Siva, also known as the foremost teacher, dakshiNamurthy (Adi guru), is worshiped for his untainted love and compassion towards his devotees and Goddess PArvati for her love, power and strength! Darkness and chill are spread during the month of kArtIkam and we encourage you to drive away the chill and darkness by listening to this song and the song from November essay and joyously dancing to your liking to keep you active, warm, happy and healthy!
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.
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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.