Navarathri Krithis - Sri Gayathri Devi

Happy Dasara festival to all! Today is the second day (Sudda Vidhiya) of the Navarathri festival. On this day we worship the Goddess of Learning and the Veda Mata, Shri Gayathri Devi.The Devi at Kanaka Durga temple, Vijayawada is decorated (alankarana) as Sri Gayathri Devi. Gayathri Devi is shown with five heads and ten hands. The Gayathri Mantram is taught to children by their father during their Brahmopadesam or Thread ceremony. May Sri Gayathri enlighten our intellects and guide us to becoming better persons.

Sri Gayathri Devi alankarana at Kanaka Durga Temple, Vijayawada

Presented below are three compostions on Sri Gayathri Devi.

The first composition is by Sri Origala Veera Raghava Sharma (http://www.ogiralaveeraraghavasarma.com). He was a famous Devi upasaka and a composer of the modern era who has composed 86 songs on Sri Gayathri Devi in 4 volumes of his book "Srimad Devigaana Sudha". More information regarding the compositions can be found at http://www.ogiralaveeraraghavasarma.com/songs.html
His son and daughter have taken up the responsibility of spreading Sri Raghava Sharma's message. Some of his compositions have been sung by his daughter and more information & song download links can be found at http://rasikas.org/forum_flux/topic668-ogirala-veeraraghavasharma-gayathri-devi-upasaka.html

The song presented today is Sri Gayathri Devi SanAtani in Valaji Ragam and Aadi talam. This song was performed by Sri M Balamuralikrishna during a 1983 concert at Bangalore. The lyrics for this song can be found at http://www.karnatik.com/c1207.shtml in English and at http://www.ogiralaveeraraghavasarma.com/songs.html for Telugu and Tamil.The song is set in Valaji Ragam (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valaji) which is a symmetric pentatonic scale (audava-audava ragam). This ragam is considered to be derived from the 16th melakarta ragam Chakravakam. Chakravakam is also know as Ahir Bhairav in Hindustani music tradition. Valaji ragam is known as Kalavathi in the Hindustani music tradition. The arohana and avarohana structure for Valaji is-
Arohana: S, G3, P D2, N2, S
Avarohana: S, N2, D2, P, G3, S
The famous and ancient raga Malayamarutham is a hexatonic scale (shadava-shadava) is also derived from Chakravakam and can be obtained by just adding a Suddha Rishabham (R1) to Valaji ragam.

Listen to M Balamuralikrishna sing Sri Gayathri Devi SanAtani -




The next composition is Sri Gayathri Devi Vedamatrusvarupini in the raga Gamanashrama and Chatusra Jaathi Druva Talam. Please refer to http://www.rainer-pusch.com/scores-pdf/tala-and-raga-system.pdf for a dangerously brief introduction to the tala and raga system in Carnatic music. The composer for this song is Sri Jayachamaraja Wodeyar (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jayachamaraja_Wodeyar) who was a great patron of arts and a brilliant composer himself. He was a Devi Upasaka (Shri Vidya Upasaka) and composed many krithis on her. A detailed list of compositions and their compositions can be found at http://carnatica.net/test/?p=123 . His mudra for this song is also Shri Vidya.

This particular krithis is his only composition on Devi Gayathri. The lyrics for this song are reproduced from http://www.carnatica.net/lyrics/odeyar_eng.pdf

This song was performed by R K Srikantan for AIR Bangalore's Wodeyar series. Gamanashrama is the 53rd melakarta ragam and is known as Gamakakriya in Muthuswami Dikshitar School. The arohana and avarohana structure for this ragam is-
Arohana: S, R1, G3, M2, P , D2, N3, S
Avarohana: S, N3, D2, P, M2, G3, R1, S
Hamsanandi, which is a very popular janya of Gamanashrama is obtained by dropping the Pa (Panchama). Purvi Kalyani is another popular janya of Gamanashrama which drops Ni (Nishada) in the arohana.

Listen to R K Srikantan sing Sri Gayatri Devi -




The last composition on Gayathri Devi presented today is Sri Gayathrim in the ragam Jyothi Swarupini and Rupaka talam. The krithis has been composed by Sri Mangalampalli Balamuralikrishna as part of his Raganga Ravali series. This song belongs to the Raganga Ravali Volume 9 (http://www.sangeethamusic.com/index.php?m=ud&action=viewcapgm&id=&sid=&pid=413) 
A brief biography of Dr. M Balamuralikrishna can be found here: http://www.culturalindia.net/indian-music/classical-singers/balamurli-krishnan.html. I have heard Balamurali speak in a recent concert recording that he has been performing for about 75 years and close to 24,000 concerts.

The lyrics for this song are below:
Sri Gayathrim Bhakta Durita Latha Lavithrim
Yaga Phala Daathrim Uparthe Anisam

Yogi Hrtjanananaam Satvija Bhagadeyam
Chatur Vim-Dyakshara Roopam
(Sri Gayathrim..)

Pancha Varna Shobita VadaNam Jyothir Swaroopinim
Varada Abhayamkusha Kashadi Dharinim Trinetra
Varenyam Murali Gaana Vinodinim Abalam
(Sri Gayathrim..)

Jyothi swaroopini is the 68th melakartha raga (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jyoti_swarupini) and it Arohana-Avarohana structure is -
Arohana: S, R3, G3, M2, P D1, N2, S
Avarohana: S, N2, D1, P, M2, G3, R3, S
This raga uses shatsruthi rishabam, antara gandharam, prati madhyamam, suddha daivatham and kaisiki nishadham.

Listen to M Balamuralikrishna's own composition-



See you soon with more fantastic music!