Kritis of Sri Ramasvamy Deekshitar from The Lost Melodies

Carnatic composers (other than performing vidwans)
Post Reply
The Lost Melodies
Posts: 78
Joined: 28 Jan 2021, 21:40

Kritis of Sri Ramasvamy Deekshitar from The Lost Melodies

Post by The Lost Melodies »

The Lost Melodies is involved in the propagation of the kritis of Sri Ramaswamy Deekshitar, Our interpretation from Sangita Sangita Pradarshini will be shared in this thread.

We start with a beautiful ragamalika 'samaja gamana'

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CuEO33mMs-Y

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

Re: Kritis of Sri Ramasvamy Deekshitar from The Lost Melodies

Post by rshankar »

Lovely! Thank you for sharing.
There are some minor differences in the sung version and the sAhitya posted...can that be corrected?
Example: The pallavi as posted is "sAmaja gamana ninnu korithirA salalita guna hArA", but in the recording it is sung as "sAmaja gamana ninnu korinadi rA salalita guna hArA"
In keeping with the the rest of the sAhitya, kOrinadi rA seems correct (the heroine, named Kalyani from Saurashtra, is being introduced [in third person] to Amarasimha Bhupala, the son of Pratapa Simhendra).

The Lost Melodies
Posts: 78
Joined: 28 Jan 2021, 21:40

Re: Kritis of Sri Ramasvamy Deekshitar from The Lost Melodies

Post by The Lost Melodies »

@rshankar
Thanks for your comments and observation. The kriti was sung considering the original Telugu version. Sahitya, I have typed by referring to some translated work. I will certainly change it.

A request from my side. Can you consider posting the entire translation?

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

Re: Kritis of Sri Ramasvamy Deekshitar from The Lost Melodies

Post by rshankar »

The Lost Melodies wrote: 03 Feb 2021, 09:25A request from my side. Can you consider posting the entire translation?
@TheLostMelodies:
Dr. Aravind: I would have loved to - but I am not an expert in Telugu. Smt Savitri (@aaaaabbbbb) should be able to help.

Here is what I picked up with my rudimentary knowledge of Telugu:

pallavi
sAmaja gamana ninnu kOrinadirA salalita guNa hArA

Oh one who wears a garland (hArA) of charming (lalita) qualities (guNa)! Who moves (gamana) with the majesty of an elephant (sAmaja), (this damsel) has desired (kOrinadirA) you (niinu)!

anupallavi
srI mahA hammIru pratApa simhendruni tanaya
chiranjIvi amarasimha bhupAla

In the anupallavi, the composer describes the person being addressed: He is the “long-lived (ciraMjIvi) King (bhUpAla), Amarasimha, who is the son (tanaya) of the mighty (mahA) and glorious (pratApa) warrior (ham-vIru), Simhendra.”

My take on other parts of this composition:
nATakAlankAra sAstramu ghana
nayamuga pATapADi vinipincura

Please sing/teach (pATapADi) with grace (nayamugA) and depth/expansiveness (ghana) the rules (SAstramu) of the theater (nATakAlankAra), and make us learn/hear it (vinipincurA).

cheluvu nI darubAru gAcinadirA = (this) beautiful woman (celuvu) has looked at/seen (gAcinadirA) your (nI) court (darubAru)

kannaDa sEyaku = do not disregard me (do not turn a blind eye to me)

mannE doravu pEru kalyAni rA = Oh forgiving (mannE) king/master (doravu), (her) name (pEru) is Kalyani

kuvalayAkshiki saurAstra dEsamu = saurAshTra is home (dEsamu) for this lotus (kuvalaya)-eyed (akshi-ki) (damsel).

SrinathK
Posts: 2477
Joined: 13 Jan 2013, 16:10

Re: Kritis of Sri Ramasvamy Deekshitar from The Lost Melodies

Post by SrinathK »

Wow. Thanks so much for this @rshankar. So just like old school varnams, this is a sringara composition.

Let's get all the way to the last line. Also one can see where RD has woven in the raga names in the lyrics as well. More on the musical aspects of this after the lyrics are done.

Actually this ragamalika of RD is a pioneer inspiring all the future ragamalikas composed in the Dikshitar family. The influence of this composition on Sri vishwanatham bhajeham as well as the ragamalikas of Subbarama Dikshitar is worth a full fledged discussion in itself.

Cheers.

Suryasriram
Posts: 59
Joined: 11 Sep 2015, 22:27

Re: Kritis of Sri Ramasvamy Deekshitar from The Lost Melodies

Post by Suryasriram »

@rshankar Thank you for the translation! Seems quite an interesting story Ramaswami Dikshitar is weaving here :D

The Lost Melodies
Posts: 78
Joined: 28 Jan 2021, 21:40

Re: Kritis of Sri Ramasvamy Deekshitar from The Lost Melodies

Post by The Lost Melodies »

Thanks a lot @rshankar .

Your translation reveals the other side of Ramasvamy Deekshitar, as a good storyteller. Waiting to see the way he related Tyagesa of Tiruvarur with Amarasimha Bhupala in the last caranam.

SrinathK
Posts: 2477
Joined: 13 Jan 2013, 16:10

Re: Kritis of Sri Ramasvamy Deekshitar from The Lost Melodies

Post by SrinathK »

Let's have the full lyrics for a translation (beware if the font doesn't clearly show the difference between capital I for "ee" and a small "l") - now the raga names are highlighted :

Samaja gamana - 20 Ragamalika - Adhi

Pallavi
sAmaja gamana ninnu kOrinadirA
salalita guNa hArA

Anupallavi
srI mahA hammIru pratApa simhEndruni tanaya
chiranjIvi amarasimha bhupAla

Caranam - 1
nATakAlankAra SAstramughana
nayamugapATapADivinu pincura
jUdigAnu mohanAnga tETa
sogasushAna nIsarasama vasaramuga

Caranam - 2
nIvE rasika shikhAmaNi ranguna
nErpu parAkA pilicAdarimchu
SrI vilasillani kaDaganTa jUdu
cheluva nI darubAru gAcinadirA

Caranam - 3
kannaDa sEyakumArAma rAma
kali
ginEnu kOrA vE vEgamE
mannE doravu pEru kalyANi rA
mA cakkani amara simhendra sAranga

Caranam - 4
kulukulAdi molanUlu ghaNTAravamulu
kuvalayAkshiki saurAshTra dEsamu
alaja varALiki municina dEmOhamu
AharIndruni pUjincu tyAgESukrpa nijamu

@rshankar Please finish the story. :mrgreen:

@vgovindan We will be very grateful for any help in RD and SD kritis, as your Thyagaraja lyric blog is the best lyric resource for his kritis.
Last edited by SrinathK on 08 Feb 2021, 07:04, edited 1 time in total.

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

Re: Kritis of Sri Ramasvamy Deekshitar from The Lost Melodies

Post by rshankar »

I’ll try... but I think it should be ghaNTAravamulu (sounds of a bell) in the 4th caraNam.

SrinathK
Posts: 2477
Joined: 13 Jan 2013, 16:10

Re: Kritis of Sri Ramasvamy Deekshitar from The Lost Melodies

Post by SrinathK »

Made the correction.

Post Reply