Sri. Jayadeva's Ashtapadi

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hariharan
Posts: 677
Joined: 14 Apr 2008, 21:57

Post by hariharan »

Dear Rasikas,
I wish to post an information, that highlights some of un-known factors/truth about sri. Jayadeva's Ashtapadi Maha Kavyam. Please read this and also listen to the links posted hereunder and get benefited by all. Ashtapadi (Geetha Govindam) itself is a very popular Maha-Kavyam, being sung and heard sung for years and holds a prime position among list of other Devotional renderings. Ashtapadi is still continued to be sung as a 'sopana sangeetham' in almost all temples in Kerala in the very early hours of the day. It is sung in the Katcheries as well, both CM as well as HM programmes. It is sung as operas/dance dramas. It is sung in all types of Sampradaya Bhajans in South India as well as in all other parts of our Country. Infact, any celestial wedding programmes like Radha Madhava Kalyanam, Sit Kalyanam, Padmavathi Kalyanam, Parvathy Kalyanam, Valli Kalyanam etc conducted in the Bhajan Sampradaya, the followed practice for centuries is to sing the 22nd Ashtapadi, which is called the ' Kalyana Ashtapadi ' followed by the marriage rituals. Ashtapadi No.21 is compulsorily sung in Dolotsavams /Vasanthotsavams signifying that Radha, the Jeevatma, merges with Krishna, who is The Paramatma. The 19th Ashtapadi is said to have been completed by Lord Krishna Himself, after having come to Jayadeva's house, disguised as Jayadeva himself, when Jayadeva had gone out, gave His darshan to Padmavathy and blessed them.

Having known these facts that singing or listening to Ashtapadi is very auspicious in general, one would have rarely understood the importance and influence of singing/listening to the Ashtapadi No.8, in particular. Please listen to the link below, where Sri. Rajasimhan alias Sri. Ramanujam Bhagavatar of Chennai had given a lecture about the significance of Ashtapadi and more information on Ashtapadi.No.08. It is believed that this particular Ashtapadi contains all words known as 'shodasaashari' of the ' Sreevidhya' faith. The link is

http://rapidshare.com/files/198263215/A ... i.mp3.html

Please listen to the audio link below for Ashtapadi-08 sung by Sri. Thanjavoor Thyagaraja Bhagavatar in Rag. Sourashtram. This same Ashtapadi is also sung in the rag Kaanada in the Sampradaya bhajan Padhathi. The lyrics is also given for the benifit of rasikas.

Ashtapadi-08

http://www.mediafire.com/?viqzjwdux3d

The lyrics:
Ragam: Sourashtram / Kaanada

1. nindati candanamindu kiraNamanu vindati khEdamadhIram
vyAla nilayamilanEna garalamiva kalayati malaya samIram
sA virahE tava dInA
mAdhava manasija vishikha bhayAdiva bhAvanayA tvayi lInA

2. aravilani patita madana sharAdiva bhavadavanAya vishAlam
sahrdaya marmaNi varma karOti sajala nalinIdala jAlam
(sA virahE)

3. kusuma vishikha sharatalpam analpa vilAsa kalA kamanIyam
vratamiva tava parirambha sukhAya karOti kusuma shayanIyam
(sA virahE)

4. vahati ca galita vilOcana jaladharam Anana kamalam udAram
vidhumiva vikaTa vidhuntudadanta dalana galitAmrta dhAram
(sA virahE)

5. vilikhati rahasi kurangamadEna bhavantam asamashara bhUtam
praNamati makaramadhO vinidhAya karE ca sharam navacUtam
(sA virahE)

6. pratipadam idamapi nigadati mAdhava tava caraNE patitA aham
tvayi vimukhE mayi sapadi sudhAnidhirapi tanutE tanudAham
(sA virahE)

7. dhyAnalayEna puraha parikalpya bhavantam atIva durApam
vilapati hasati viSidati rOdati cancati muncati tApam
(sA virahE)

8 . ShrI jayadEva bhaNitam idam adhikam yadi manasA naTanIyam
hari virahAkula vallava yuvati sakHi vacanam paTanIyam
(sA virahE tava dIna)

I will be happy to know rasikas views on this posting.

Radhekrishna
Hariharan.
Last edited by hariharan on 15 Feb 2009, 11:56, edited 1 time in total.

gobilalitha
Posts: 2056
Joined: 03 Feb 2010, 07:12

Post by gobilalitha »

since ashtapatis are sung only as tukkadas in a concert, vidwans choose any raaga they fancy. gobilalitha

hariharan
Posts: 677
Joined: 14 Apr 2008, 21:57

Post by hariharan »

Ashtapadis are never set to a particular raga. It is a
' Sringara Maha Kavya ' describing various situations of the minds between the Jeevathma with Paramatma, then their 'viraha' and again re-union and sringara. Here Radhika Devi is Jeevatma and the Lord Krishna, the Paramatma. The Ashtapadis are therefore sung in different ragas, according to the situations. In whatever ragas it is sung, it is really very attractive and have direct influence on the singer/listener. Hence it is great.

In the Sampradaya Bhajan Padhathi, Sri. Sadguru Swamigal of Maruthanallur had set each Ashtapadi in seperate ragas and that is still followed, I repeat only in the Bhajan Padhathi.

In Katcheries, Ashtapadi is not sung fully. Instead, the first and the last charanams are only sung. I donot know if this is a correct practice or not, but I can surely say that to derive the full spiritual benefit, one has to sing/listen the full version of each Ashtapadi, that too in a very devotional/spiritual surroundings. Ashtapadi Bhajans are very popular where the Bhagavatar sings all the 24 Ashtapadis, including all the slokas. After singing each Ashtapadi it is a practice to offer 'Nivedyam" and Harati before commencement of the next one. This is the traditional method of singing Ashtapadi.

Radhe Krishna
Hariharan.

gobilalitha
Posts: 2056
Joined: 03 Feb 2010, 07:12

Post by gobilalitha »

I am very happy to tell you that my wife Smt. Lalitha BALASUBRAMANIAN, while we were on a visit to SINGAPORE last year, taught the 24 ashtapathis with the respective slokas to a group of ladies whose devotion to learn was astonishing. they were in carnatic raagas. My wife Lalitha was a disciple of sri Ramakrishnan of GOBICHETTIPALAYAM, 50 YEARS BACK. They have been posted in the bhakti thread last may. bY sri KRISHNAN of Singapore They were rendered in a very simple manner avoiding big sangathis, neravals, so that they can be learnt easily, which was her sole purpose. What a happy coincidence. yesterday we attended a Radha kalyanam function. I am posting this after having been immersed with joy , hearing songs fom bhajanspecialists gobilalitha

hariharan
Posts: 677
Joined: 14 Apr 2008, 21:57

Post by hariharan »

Gobilalitha, One should be very fortunate to attend a live Radha Kalyanam, as one's participation in such occasion brings glory, prosperity and Mangalam to the participants. It has been prooved for centuries that conduct of Radhakalyanam brings marriages in the family as well as re-unions.
This is an age old belief and still holds very true. During the Radhakalyanam rituals there is recitation of 8 mangala slokas called the ' Lagnaashtakam' before the Mangalya dharanam. The meaning of these 8 slokas reveals who all the 'Devatas' r will be present during the auspicious occasion. It is believed that all the 9 grahas (navagrahas)also arrive at the venue, occupying their own houses(which is a rarest of rare situation) and bless all those present at the Radhakalyana function. Hence all those attend Radhakalyanam also get fully blessed by the Navagrahas. Rasikas, please do not miss to attend Radha Kalyanams when ever an opportunity is brought to your knowledge.

Sri. OS Sundar had brought out a CD containing all the 24 Ashtapadis. The rendition is very simple and easy to follow for all, sung in the traditional ragas set by Sri. Sadguru Swamigal.

Sri. Udayaloor Kalyanaraman and Sri. Tanjavoor Thyiagarajan Bhagavatar, have also released Ashtapadi Cds individually. They too are excellent renditions in the traditional styles and the Audio quality is excellant.
Last edited by hariharan on 16 Feb 2009, 10:12, edited 1 time in total.

devanathan
Posts: 5
Joined: 18 May 2009, 16:34

Post by devanathan »

dear Sri Hariharan,
Thank u for posting one sloka of ashtapathy.


May i request you or any other members to post all of the ashtapathis which are rendered in a simple manner so that a lay person, with no carnatic or any music background like me,can follow it?

My advance thanks.

devanathan.b
Last edited by devanathan on 08 Jun 2009, 12:42, edited 1 time in total.

rrengamani
Posts: 42
Joined: 16 Apr 2009, 13:01

Post by rrengamani »

Sri. Devanathan,

Ashtapathies (Gita govindham) 24 songs and lyrics in pdf are available at www.geetham.net
search under devitional-Music / Slokas. (Gita Govindham -Udayaloor Kalyanaraman) d/l and enjoy.

RR

jayasrichandran
Posts: 18
Joined: 27 Dec 2011, 17:54

Re: Sri. Jayadeva's Ashtapadi

Post by jayasrichandran »

Radhekrishna.
Do we have any quiz on namasankirthanam.Since every one wanted to know more about Namasankirtanam,Bagavathas,composers,Paddhathi etc but not a single book is available in this world today(Though we have books on various discipline).I have requested many leading bagavathas but no one is prepared to give out.They say little in between bhajans like a brief pravachanam.Is there any way we can come to know about bhajans as a quiz though i sing and enjoy more bhajans too.Please give url of postings available if any in net.Thanking you in anticipaion.Radhekrishna.

bhakthim dehi
Posts: 539
Joined: 24 Feb 2014, 21:28

Re: Sri. Jayadeva's Ashtapadi

Post by bhakthim dehi »

Can anyone post ragas of the ashtapathis sung in bhajana paddhathi?

sureshvv
Posts: 5523
Joined: 05 Jul 2007, 18:17

Re: Sri. Jayadeva's Ashtapadi

Post by sureshvv »

Any background info on who, when and how the Ashtapadi was popularized in the Carnatic music concert platform?

vgovindan
Posts: 1865
Joined: 07 Nov 2010, 20:01

Re: Sri. Jayadeva's Ashtapadi

Post by vgovindan »

Ashtapadi is a regular feature in the bhajana ghOshThis. Most of the Bhagavatas were adept musicians. It would have percolated to CM circuit from there.

Rsachi
Posts: 5039
Joined: 31 Aug 2009, 13:54

Re: Sri. Jayadeva's Ashtapadi

Post by Rsachi »

Agree. Also, many Carnatic concert repertoire items have diffused from dance repertoire - Mohiniyattom, Bharatanatyam, Odissi, all use Ashtapadis in Carnatic ragas. So that would also have been a factor.

I think some musicians like KVN and MDR didn't sing Ashtapadis in concerts. MDR was against the idea. He said so in a lec-dem.

rshankar
Posts: 13754
Joined: 02 Feb 2010, 22:26

Re: Sri. Jayadeva's Ashtapadi

Post by rshankar »

Aren't the ashTapadis in mOhiniATTam sung in the sOpAnam style?

Ponbhairavi
Posts: 1075
Joined: 13 Feb 2007, 08:05

Re: Sri. Jayadeva's Ashtapadi

Post by Ponbhairavi »

Reg post #9:
The following is the serial order of ragas in which the ashtapathis are traditionally sung in Sampradaya Bhajans:
sowrashtram,bhairavi,vasantha,Panthuvarali,thodi,kamboji,boopalam,sowrashtram, ,bilahari,anandabhairavi,kedaragowlam,sankarabaranam,ahiri/nilambari,
Saranga,saveri, punnagavarali,arabhi,yadukulakamboji,mukhari, kalyani, kanta,madhyamavathi,nadanamakriya, mangalakowsikam.
There is a recent DVD album of all ashtapathis sung in bhajanai sampradayamby Nadukaveri shri Krishnamoorthi bhagavathar. It is available at chennai contact no 22241674

bhakthim dehi
Posts: 539
Joined: 24 Feb 2014, 21:28

Re: Sri. Jayadeva's Ashtapadi

Post by bhakthim dehi »

Thank you ponbhairavi.

CRama
Posts: 2939
Joined: 18 Nov 2009, 16:58

Re: Sri. Jayadeva's Ashtapadi

Post by CRama »

I would like to inform about the Ashtapadis sung by Sankaran Namboodiri- a set of 3 CDs. I purchased this in TVM by a chance hearing in a temple. But now it is a treasure for me. For many years I was searching for the Ashtapadis sung in carnatic ragas as sung in the traditional bhajana paddhati which I have heard in my child hood. Nowadays Ashtapadis are sung in all Hindustani ragas. This CD- it says it is in the sopanam style. But my friend who heard this said, it is not in sopanam style, simply one edakka is played. I think it is sung mostly in the ragas mentioned above. But all the charanams are sung for each ashtapadi. The melodious and bhava laden singing of Sankaran Namboodiri with minimal but very attractive musical interludes is really haunting. It is produced by some unknown company and the marketing is poor. I could not see this in CD shops in Chennai.


CRama
Posts: 2939
Joined: 18 Nov 2009, 16:58

Re: Sri. Jayadeva's Ashtapadi

Post by CRama »

Thanks Prathyaksham Bala for immediately posting the url. But this Vaikam Sankaran Namboodiri is a different person. Not the carnatic singer Sankaran Namboodiri whom I have mentioned.

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