Meera alias M.S.Subbulakshmi

I Know that I am in no capacity to write abt one of the greatest doyens of modern day classical music. As a small child I was seeing Mira Bai movie with my parents and infact was awed by the divinty in the music and the singer. Infact from that day I even thought the queen of music who portrayed Mira was indeed the real Mira . Post facto I still think that my thought could have been true. MS amma as she is known could have been a reincarnation of Mira herself . Just listen to "Katriniley varum Geetham " and I know as the song says , your heart will melt for her music.

If you by any chance listen to classical music , you would have for sure not missed listening to MS. The beauty in MS songs lie in the fact that the listener attains a trance state . We all get elevated due to the divinty that her songs posses . For one instance I listened to "O Rangasayee " by her in Kambodhi and started to collect songs in Kambodhi only to realise that the song's beauty lies in the voice of the singer and not in the song itself.

So many awards , money , fame had not deterred the Vaak Saraswati from charity. Her service to humanity through Maitreem Bhajatha which she included in all her concerts sings for itself. Anything special that made me write abt this art form today ? She attained mukti on Dec 11 ,2004 . But her music remains in all of us at least in me till I remain .

Madhu
-an atom writing abt a galaxy

Kalyani---

Kalyani if I remember correctly is of 65 th Mela. The arohanam and avarohanam goes as
S R2 G3 M2 P D2 N3 S
S N3 D2 P M2 G3 R2 S
Obviously the speciality of Kalyani is the Madhyamam. We wouldnt have missed kalyani and we cant afford to miss this sampoorna ragam. This is one ragam any singer would prefer to do a Ragam Thanam Pallavi (RTP) in his concert . If you have even learnt a few geethams or varnams, I challenge that you would have learnt " Vanajakshi"..
Ilayaraja, one of the greatest musicians of our era has been the best exponent of this raagam in film songs. If a listener has not listened to "Amma endru azhaikadha" - ( Mannan) the I am sure he has not listened to Tamil songs at all . Illayaraja has composed innumerable songs in Kalyani .
Some of them are "Sundari Kannal oru seithi - Dalapathi" ," Janani Janani - Thaye Mookambika" a small piece in Sethu , I think it starts as "Sharanam bhava", "Nirpathuvae nadapathuvae "These are some of the gems I could remember just like that. There are many more . I just have question raja ...Why do you like Kal + Aani ?

Madhu

Maitreem Bhajata

This song is also one of the pieces very close to my heart . The essence of the song revolves around Universal Peace . . MS has the distinction has first Indian Artist to perform in the UN. This song was composed by Sri HH Chandrasekara Saraswati Swamigal for this special occasion. The song is known for its poetic and literary excellence as well . We see the use of "Da" deftly by the poet from the Brhad Aranyaka Upanishad. ( Mail me to know the exact story )
Like my previous song list , Let me try to put its meaning along with the words ,etc.


The Song is rendered in Ragamalika . Meaning Pallavi is song in a particular raaga , anupallavi in another while the charanams in others.
Now to the Song :

maitrIm bhajata, akhila hrit jaitrIm |
Atmavad Eva parAnn api pashyata |
yudhham tyajata, smardhAm tyajata |
tyajata parEShu akrama-AkramaNam ||

jananI prithivI kAma-dukhArtE |
janako dEvah sakala dayALuh |
'dAmyata, datta, dayadhvam' janatA |
shrEyO bhUyAt sakala janAnAnAm ||

Its Meaning :
Maithreem - Friendship , Bhajata - Pray ,
Akhila - Whole world , Hrit - heart Jaitreem - Conquer
Atmavath = Self , Paraath- Others - Api - Also , Pashyatha - See
Yudham - War , Tyjata - Leave,refrain
Smardan - Competition
Pareshu - others , Akramam - Agresssion


Janani , Prithvi - Mother Earth , Kama - Desires , Dukarte -Satisdfy
Janako Devaha - King Janaka ( Father ), Sakala - Among all , Dayalu - compassionate
Damyata - Self Control , Datta - Give , Dayadvam - Kind
Shreyo - Happy , well being , Bhooya - be , Sakala - All , Jananam - Beings .

The coherent meaning is

``Cultivate friendship which will conquer all hearts.

Look upon others as thyself.

Renounce war; forswear competition.

Give up aggression on others which is wrong.

Wide Mother Earth, our Mother is here ready to give us all our desires.

We have the Lord, our Father, compassionate to all.

Ye peoples of the World!

Restrain yourselves, Give, Be kind.

May all people be happy and prosperous".

Madhu

- one who believes in Maitreem Bhajata .. probably the modern day terrorists need this song .



NB: I was just thinking shd a particular raaga be sung for a particular mood. Isnt this is general conception.Mukhari is supposed to be a sad raaga . But to my surprise , " Anandam Anandam ..." is in Mukhari

Seethamma Mayamma

I listen to a lot of carnatic music ..Not that I cant sing.But listening aspect is far superior to singing capability :( . Mostly all of the songs are in Telugu as most of the musicians sing the great saint Thyagayyar's krithis .
The great Saint has composed all his krithis in Bakthi Rasa and the only God he knew was Lord Rama. Lord Rama was his father and Seeta was his Mother . In this aspect I would post the song which brings out the meaning . Once in a while I would also try to put in songs which I have enjoyed listening and want others to enjoy as well . I would also try to put the meaning along side the song.
http://www.musicindiaonline.com/


Sithamma maayamma

Raagam: vasantaa

Aa: S M1 G3 M1 D2 N3 S
Av: S N3 D2 M1 G3 R1 S

TaaLam: roopakam
Composer: Tyaagaraaja
Language: Telugu

Pallavi

sItamma mAyamma shrI rAmuDu mA taNDri


Anupallavi

vAtAtmaja saumitri vainatEya ripu mardana
dhAta bharatAdulu sOdraulu mAku O manasa

CharaNam

paramEsha vashiSTha parAshara nArada shaunaka suka surapati gautama lambOdara guha sanakAdulu
dharaija bhAgavatA-grEsaru levvarO vArellaru vara tyAgarAjuniki parama bAndhavulu manasA

Transliterating the song is not a good job..I think Tamil version shd be better..

சீதம்மா மாயம்மா

ராகம் : வசந்தா

சீதம்ம மாயம்மா ஸ்ரி ராமுடு மா தன்றி

Anupallavi

வாதாத்மஜ சௌமித்ரி வைனதேய ரிபு மர்தண
தாத பரதடுலு சோத்ருலு மாக்கு ஓ மனசா

சரனம்

பரமேஷ வஷிஷ்டா பராஷர நாரத ஷௌனக சுக
சுரபதி கௌதம லம்போதர குஹ சனகாடுலு
தரைஜ பாகவதாக்ரேசருலு எவ்வரோ
வாரெல்லரு வர த்யாகராஜுனிகி பரம பாந்தவுலு மனசா

Now the meaning :
Pallavi

சீதம்ம மாயம்மா ஸ்ரி ராமுடு மா தன்றி

சீதம்ம - Sita மாயம்மா - My mother ஸ்ரி ராமுடு - Sri Rama மா - my தன்றி - Father
Sita is my mother , Lord Rama is my father

Anupallavi

வாதாத்மஜ சௌமித்ரி வைனதேய ரிபுமர்தண தாத பரதடுலு சோத்ருலு மாக்கு ஓ மனசா

வாதாத்மஜ - Lord Anjaneya சௌமித்ரி - Lakshmana வைனதேய - Garuda ரிபுமர்தண - Shatrugna தாத( thatha ) - Jambavan பரதடுலு - Bharatha சோத்ருலு மாக்கு - My brothers ஓ மனசா - O mind

All the mentioned above are my friends .

சரனம்

பரமேஷ வஷிஷ்டா பராஷர நாரத ஷௌனக சுக சுரபதி கௌதம லம்போதர குஹ சனகாடுலு தரைஜ பாகவதாக்ரேசருலு எவ்வரோ வாரெல்லரு வர த்யாகராஜுனிகி பரம பாந்தவுலு மனசா

பரமேஷ - Shiva , வஷிஷ்டா - Sage Vasishta

பராஷர நாரத ஷௌனக சுக சுரபதி கௌதம லம்போதர குஹ சனகாடுலு _ all rishis like Parashara , narada , Saunaka, Suka ,Gauthama , Lord Ganesh , muruga ,etc

தரைஜ - In this mother earth பாகவதாக்ரேசருலு - Great Bhagavatas எவ்வரோ - Who ever வாரெல்லரு - All those பரம பாந்தவுலு - Close relatives வர த்யாகராஜுனிகி - Thyagaraja's மனசா - mind

Oh My mind ..all the above mentioned are my relatives ..So beware ..

Thanks to my couple fo colleagues to decipher some of the telugu sandhis ..

Madhu