Interesting sahitya images

narayan · Post by **narayan** » 29 May 2009, 08:51

Keerthi suggested sometime back that there could be some discussion on striking metaphors and the like, used in lyrics of some of our popular or less-than-popular kritis. I am the wrong person to start this, because I am language challenged (i.e. I know very little of Telegu, even less of Tamil and even less of Sanskrit and anything else). However, let me just say what interests me and leave it at that.

Standard images abound: Fish like eyes, lotus feet, etc. etc. Self deprecation is common, epsecially in tyagaraja songs. The one that attracted me (struck me is probably more accurate!) in VK's Koniyadina was "durita vana kutara" which keerthi translated as "Ax to the forest of my sins". Powerful! The other reference to this in Janani ninu vina is probably in one of the lesser known charanams?

Other things that I found interesting are to do with the 'heart of the matter'. That organ, or set of muscles is given a lot of poetic importance. Two noteworthy ones: Tyagaraja inviting Rama to rest in his heart to refresh himself (which is what I believe the pallavi of Bhavanuta conveys) and then the third degree connection of Rama as the bee in the lotus of T's heart (which is what I believe is the content of the first line of the last charanam in E papamu). With these, I invite more qualified people to have their say and if so, I would sit back and read quietly.

srinivasrgvn · Post by **srinivasrgvn** » 29 May 2009, 09:06

Some other beautiful metaphors of Thyagaraja Swami are:
In jagadAnandakArakA, 'amara-tAraka-nicaya kumudahita' which means, O Moon!, In the constellation of gods. The moon is referred to as kumudha's friend as the the flower blooms in moonlight!

Also, 'OmkAra panjara kIra' which means, O Parrot, living in the cage of Omkara!

Also, in 'kamalApta kula', he refers to rAma as 'kamalApta kula kalashAbdhi chandra' which means O Moon born in the ocean of Solar - generous to the Lotus - dynasty! So beautiful!!

keerthi · Post by **keerthi** » 29 May 2009, 14:11

narayan wrote:Keerthi suggested sometime back that there could be some discussion on striking metaphors and the like, used in lyrics of some of our popular or less-than-popular kritis. I am the wrong person to start this, because I am language challenged (i.e. I know very little of Telegu, even less of Tamil and even less of Sanskrit and anything else). However, let me just say what interests me and leave it at that.

Standard images abound: Fish like eyes, lotus feet, etc. etc. Self deprecation is common, epsecially in tyagaraja songs. The one that attracted me (struck me is probably more accurate!) in VK's Koniyadina was "durita vana kutara" which keerthi translated as "Ax to the forest of my sins". Powerful! The other reference to this in Janani ninu vina is probably in one of the lesser known charanams?

Isn't this the popular caraNa, the one with the mudrA..?

vanajAyata - nEtri! kumAra - janani! kAmitadAtri !
ghana - pApa - latAlavitri ! sanakAdi - munulella - sannuta pAtri !

ghana-pApa latA-lavitrI is axe to the dense shrubbery of my sins..

Closer home, that favourite victim of the instrumentalists - Sara-sara-samaraika sUra has in the first line of the caraNa -
toli nE jEsina pApa-vana-kuTara..

These were rather conventional metaphors, but thyagayya and kuppayyar both have used it to great effect..

Other standard metaphors used :

1) to indicate victory - You are the cyclone wind to the cloud that is xyz
(xyz being pain/misery/sin/demon)
- you are the forest fire that burns the forest that is xyz..
- you are the lion to the elephant that is xyz..
- you are a mace/thunderbolt to the hill/boulder that is xyz..
- you are the sun to the ice/darkness that is xyz..
- you are the fire to the moths that are xyz..

2) to indicate favour/love/pain of separation - the lotus and the sun
- the lily and the moon
- the chataka and rainclouds
- the cakOra and the moon
- the bee and the flower(usually lotus)

ramakriya · Post by **ramakriya** » 29 May 2009, 21:36

narayan wrote: The one that attracted me (struck me is probably more accurate!) in VK's Koniyadina was "durita vana kutara" which keerthi translated as "Ax to the forest of my sins".

Veena Kuppaiyyar may be influenced by Tyagaraja here - remember the charnNa in kuntalavarALi song (Sara Sara samaraika SUra) - that goes as toli jEsina pApa vana kuThArama.

-Ramakriya

keerthi · Post by **keerthi** » 29 May 2009, 23:16

ramakriya wrote:
Veena Kuppaiyyar may be influenced by Tyagaraja here - remember the charnNa in kuntalavarALi song (Sara Sara samaraika SUra) - that goes as toli jEsina pApa vana kuThArama.

-Ramakriya

See previous post.. I say something more or less to the same effect..

keerthi · Post by **keerthi** » 01 Jun 2009, 12:32

One interesting poetic convention is that of calling the snake vAtASana - air-eater.. It was a belief that the snake put out its tongue to sip in air, which it could sustain itself on..!

TyAgarAja uses this epithet in his ramAmanOhari song -sItA-manOhara in the beginning of the anupallavi..

narayan · Post by **narayan** » 03 Jun 2009, 09:37

keerthi wrote:
1) to indicate victory
- you are the fire to the moths that are xyz..

Keerthi,
I'm pretty sure that moths and flame deal with separation (a la shama parwana or Fatal Attraction!) and not victory.

keerthi · Post by **keerthi** » 03 Jun 2009, 11:24

narayan wrote: Keerthi,
I'm pretty sure that moths and flame deal with separation (a la shama parwana or Fatal Attraction!) and not victory.

the shama-parwana theme for self-destructive love is only in persian and urdu poetry.. In sanskrit poetry and lyric, is it in keeping with the theme I suggested.. See swati tirunal's songs..

1. in the mAnjI piece, 'Harasi mudA kimu' he says 'smaradahanE mA shalabhatAmEhi' meaning do not become a moth to the fire of passion..

2.In pAhi tarakSupurAlaya (anandabhairavi), he says phala-nayana! shalabhIkrta-manmatha! meaning, For your forehead-eye's fiery glance, cupid was a moth..

PUNARVASU · Post by **PUNARVASU** » 03 Jun 2009, 11:50

keerthi wrote:
In pAhi tarakSupurAlaya (anandabhairavi), he says phala-nayana! shalabhIkrta-manmatha! meaning, For your forehead-eye's fiery glance, cupid was a moth..
I am amazed at the imagination of these great composers! thanks for providing thes intersting titbits.
BTW, 'shalabhI krita'- is 'chvI prayOgam' isnt it?
ashalabham shalbam kritam- still remember a little bit of what I learnt long back.

narayan · Post by **narayan** » 03 Jun 2009, 14:32

keerthi wrote:the shama-parwana theme for self-destructive love is only in persian and urdu poetry.. In sanskrit poetry and lyric, is it in keeping with the theme I suggested..

Well, well! Live and learn. Thanks for the info (I've not heard or even heard of either of the ST songs - I doubt if I would have been any the wiser about this even if I had!).