Devi Krithis - Birana Varalichchi and Emani Migula - Shyama Shastry

Hello and wish all of you a very happy Navarathri and Dasara festival. Hope all of you are having a nice time.

On the auspicious navami day of Navarathri festival, let us listen to a couple of fantastic krithis by the great composer and Devi upasaka Shyama Shastry.

The first on the list is 'Birana Varalichchi' in Kalyani ragam and rupaka talam.

Raga: kalyANi / Tala: rUpakam

P: birAna varAlicci brOvumu nera nammiti
A: purAri manOhAriNI shrI kAmAkSi
C1: tAmasamu sEyaka nIvu karuNAnidhi gAdA parAmukhamikanEla vinu sarOjamukhi
C2: kAmitArtthaphala dAyaki dEvi kalpalatikA purANi madhuravANi shivuniki rANi
C3: shyAmakRSNa sOdari gauri paramEshvari girijA anAtha rakSNambu salupaga rAvE

This song is set in the ever pleasing Kalyani ragam which is the 65th melakarta ragam in the sampurna mela scheme. Kalyani is also the famous Yaman/Kalyan mode/raag of the Hindustani muic tradition which has a lot of Persian influence. This is also the Lydian mode of the ancient Greek music and western classical music.

Let us listen to Shri K V Narayanaswamy sing this song -
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The second is 'Emani migula varnintu' in todi ragam and adi talam.


Raga: tODi / Tala: Adi

P: Emani migula varNintu I mahini nE nI mahimalu
A: sAmajagamanA dharmasam varddhanI ambA surulaku nI mAya teliyalEru shAmbhavI nImahAtmyamatishayamu
C1: nIrajalOcanA lOkamulO ninu hRdayamulO nilupina lOkulu dhanyulairigA nalugurilO sAramatI nanu dayatO gAHnci karuNiHncumu talli neRa nammiti cAlA mahAlIlagaligina shakti santatamu nIvE santOSa vati
C2: O janani karuNi bhavapriyA vinumavani Om anina janmasAphalyamAyE nIdu kathalanu vini O mOhAvRtalaiyunna janulanu talli ipuDu brOvumu O rAjAdhirAjEndra makuTa paTali maNi viracitapadA
C3: kaHnjanadAntuni kAmitAshubhacaritA prasannavadanA ghana kRpAsahitA shyAmakRSNa cintA giritanayA paHncanada kAvEri tIramuna nivasiHNcE umA paHncApakEshamuni nutA haimavatI parAshaktI

This song is set in the grand, intense and yet solemn ragam todi or also known as hanumatodi. This ragam is the 8th melakarta in the sampurna mela series and is called Jana Todi in the asampurna mela system followed by Muthuswami Dikshitar. The raga arohana and avarohana is like -
Ar: S R1 G2 M1 P D1 N2 S
Av; S N2 D1 P M1 G2 R1 S
It can be seen that the upper and lower halves of the ragam (either arohana and avarohana) are symmetrical. All the notes in this ragam are important (I believe all notes are jeeva swaras) but some special importance can be given to gandharam (Ga) and daivatha (Dha) swaras. This ragam is equivalent to the phyrgian mode seen in western classical music and olden greek music. Apparently, it is also known in middle eastern and Arabic music as the Kurd mode. It is amazing that many popular music systems throughout the world share similar scales/modes. But what differentiates Indian music from other musical schools is the use of gamakas and other melodic ornamentations.

Let us listen to Shri M Balamuralikrishna sing this song-


See you soon with more music!

Devi Krithi - Himadri Suthe Pahimam - Shyama Shastry

Hello to all and wishing you a very happy Navarathri/Dasara festival. My interest in music has peaked over the past couple of years.I am really fortunate to have friends with excellent tastes and deep knowledge in music. My heartfelt thanks to all of them. Please do keep sharing your knowledge and treasures with others. A lot of music has been composed on Devi. Shyama Shastry is part of the Musical Trinity of Carnatic Music (along with Thyagaraja and Muthuswami Dikshitar) and his music is really mind blowing. He has composed the least among the trinity (about 65) but each of his song is an exquisite gem.

Today let us listen to one such gem in Kalyani ragam called 'himAdri sUthe, pAhi mAm'.I have been a fan of this song for a long time now. This is one of my favs in Kalyani ragam. I first heard it when we were watching G V Iyer's 'Hamsageethe' which was an adaptation of a novel by TaRaSu. In that movie this song is sung by Balamurali for Anant Nag (and somebody else whose name I do not remember now for his guru). I must have watched this movie during high school time and since then this song has been one of my favs. The lyrics for the song -

Raga: kalyANi / Tala: rUpakam
P: himAdrisutE pAhimAm varadE paradEvatE
A: sumErumaddhya vAsini shrI kAmAkSi
C1: hEmagAtri paHNkajanEtri mataHNgAtmajE sarOjabhava harIsha sura munIndranutE
C2: ambujAri nibhavadanE mauktikamaNihArashObhamAna gaLE bhakta kalpa latE
C3: shyAmakRSNa sOdari gauri paramEshvari girijAla nIlavENi kIravANi shrI lalitE

I think the song is aptly set in Kalyani ragam. Kalyani (or mechakalyani) is the 65th ragam in the sampurna melakarta scheme. It should probably be the most popular and easily recognised ragam.

Please listen to Shri T V Shankaranarayanan sing this gem composed by Shyama Shastry -

Devi Krithis - Kavave Kanyakumari - sahanA ragam - Dr. Mangalampalli Balamuralikrishna

Happy Navarathri to all of you! Hope all of you are having a nice time and enjoying the relaxing holidays and lovely food. I was going through some songs composed (and sung) by Dr. Mangalampalli 'Bala'muralikrishna when I remembered this wonderful and brilliant composition of his in the ragam sahanA. He is one of the most prolific composers of our age. His compositions have a certain sweetness to them both musically as well as lyrically. This composition of his in sahanA is called kAvave Kanyakumari in misra chapu talam. the lyrics for this song goes like -


kAvave kanyAkumari nIve gativamma sukumari 
(kAvave...)


pAvanamu mukha kamalamu 
nA jeevanamu nee nAma gAnamu 
(kAvave...)


neeve karmalakElla kartavu
neeve karmala phAlamuliTTuvu
needu roopame nindu punnami
needu varnaname murali gAnamu
(kaaveve...)

sahanA ragam is a really beautiful and melodic ragam that converys shanta (peaceful) rasa. It is derived form the 28th melakarta ragam Harikambhoji (also know as Harikedaragowla in the asampurna melakarta scheme). The scheme of sahanA is like:

Ar: S, R2, G3, M1, P, M1, D2, N2, S

Av: S, N2, D2, P, M1, G3, M1, R2, G3, R2, S

It can be seen that the ragam has vakra sanchanrams in both the arohana and avarohana. In fact, it has two such vakra sancharams in the avarohana. This liberal use of vakra sancharams is what gives sahanA its very characteristic melody.

Let us enjoy Dr. Balamuralikrishna sing his own composition-

Navarathri Krithis - Saraswati Devi

Happy Navarthri and Dasara Festival to all! Today is Suddha Saptami and Moola Nakshatram and on this day we worship Saraswati Devi, the goddess of all Knowledge, Sciences (we can include technology too) and all the creative arts. She is a manifestation of the divine Shakti and has the Hamsa bird as her mount. Let us all pray that Shri Saraswati Devi gives all of us Knowledge though which we can achieve Anandam, Shanti and Saukhyam.

Famous painting of Saraswati Devi by Raja Ravi Varma -

The devi vigraham at Kanaka Durga temple, Vijayawada is dressed as Sri Maha Saraswati-

Shri Muthuswami Dikshitar, the great Carnatic composer and Devi upasaka has composed many krithis on Saraswati Devi. I have made a compilation of thirteen Dikshitar krithis on Saraswati Devi sung by various artists. In addition, there are many Nottuswarams of Dikshitar that have been composed on Saraswati devi. Maybe some day I will play them and upload them. The 13 songs on Saraswati Devi in the compilation are (in order of the song played in the compilation)-

1. shrI sarasvati.  rAgA: Arabhi.   rUpaka tALA.    Sung by M Balamuralikrishna

P: shrI sarasvati namOstutE varadE paradEvatE shrIpati gaurIpati guruguha vinutE vidhiyuvatE
C: vAsanA traya vivarjita varamuni bhAvita mUrttE vAsavAdyakhila
nirjara vara vitaraNa bahukIrttE dharahAsa yutA mukhAmburuhE adbhuta
caraNAmburuhE samsAra bhItyApahE sakala mantrAkSara guhE

2. vINA pustaka dhAriNImAshrayE.   rAgA: vEgavAhini.  jhampa tALA.  Sung by MS Amma

P: vINA pustaka dhAriNIm AshrayE vEgavAhinIm vANImAshrayE
A: ENAnkayuta jaTAjUTa makuTAntAm EkAgra citta nidhyAtAm vidhikAntAm
C: parAdyakhila shabda svarUpAvakAshAm paurNamI candrikAdhavaLa sankAshAm
karAravindAm kalyANadAm bhASAm kanaka campakadAma bhUSA vishEhAm
nirantaram bhakta jihvAgra vAsAm nikhila prapanca sankOca vikAsAm
narAdhamAnana vilOka shOkApahAm narahari hara guruguha pUjita vigrahAm

3. sarasvatI chAyAtarangiNi.   rAgA: chAyAtarangiNi.   Adi tALA.
Sung by Chembai V Bhagavathar

P: sarasvatI chAyAtarangiNi sakala kalA svarUpiNi
rakSatu mAm sakala durita bhanjanI vidhi ranjanI niranjanI
C: purandarAdi pUjitAbha mukhI budha janOpAsita saccit sukhI garuDa
vrSaturaga hari hara kari mukha guruguha mukhamati vitaraNa guNinI

4. sarasvatI vidhiyuvatI.   rAgA: hindOLa.  rUpaka tALA.  Sung by S P Ramh

P: sarasvatI vidhiyuvatI samrakSatu mAm shrI
C: muraLI vINA gAna vinOdinI samvEdinI cAru candra hAsinI sarasIruha lOcani
murAri guruguha mOdinI shabdArttha svarUpiNI hamsinI brahmANI AraktavarNa rUpiNI

5. vINAbhErI vENu.  rAgA:  AbhErI.  Adi tALA.   Sung by MS Amma

P:  vINAbhEri vENu vAdyAdi vinOdinI mOdinI rakSa mAm
C:  ghONI vadanAdi vinuta caritE guNa rahitE vidhi guruguha mahitE
ENI lOcani pApa vimOcani indirEsha sahOdari talOdari

6. sarasvatyA bhagavatyA.  rAgA: chAyAgauLa   triputa tALA.

P: sarasvatyA bhagavatyA samrakSitOham chAyAgaura tarayA varayA shrI
A: virinci prANa nAyikayA vINAvAdanOtsukayA sarasa sangIta sAhitya stanadvayayA parAdvayayA
C: catuSSaSTi kalAtmikayA samasta varNAtmikayAshruti pratipAditayA shubhra
vastrAvrtayAnatEndrAdyakhila dEvatayA nanda guruguha susEvitayA ratiramA girijArcitayA
ratnAbharaNAlankrtayAmati majjihvAgra sthitayA mangaLapradayA sadayayA

7. sarasvatImanOharI.  rAgA: sarasvatimanOhari.   Adi tALA.  Sung by M Balamuralikrishna

P: sarasvatImanOharI shankari sadAnanda lahari gauri shankari
A: sarasIruhakSi sadAshiva sAkSi karuNA kaTAkSi pAhi kAmAkSi
murahara sOdari mukhya kaumAri mUka vAkpradAnakari mOdakari
C: akArAdyakSara svarUpiNi antahkaraNa rUpEkSu cApiNi
prakAsha paramAdvaita rUpiNi parE tripurasundari tApini
prakalpita prapanca prakAshini prasiddha guruguha janani
pAshini vikalpa jaTila vishva vishvAsini vijaya kAncInagara nivAsini

8. namO namastE.  rAgA: gIrvANi.   cApu tALA.  Sung by S Sanjay

P: namO namastE gIrvANI nAdabindu kaLA shrENi
C: sumanOpAsita kalyANi surAsuranuta brahmANi umApati
ramApati viditE kumAra guruguha sammuditE

9. sharAvati taTavAsinI.   rAgA: sharAvati.   rUpaka tALA.  Sung by V Ambujam

P: sharAvatI taTavAsinI hamsinI sarasvatI vidhiyuvatI samrakSatu mAm shrI
C: carAcarAtmaka parapanca rUpiNi shabdArttha svarUpiNi brahmANi
murAri purAri guruguha mOdinI samvEdinI muraLI vINA gAna vinOdinI gIrvANI

10. kalAvati kamalAsana.  rAgA: kalAvati.   Adi tALA.  Sung by Vijayalakshmi

P: kalAvatI kamalAsana yuvatI kalyANam kalayatu sarasvatI
A: balA balA mantrArNa rUpiNi bhAratI mAtr-kAsharIriNi
malALi vidAriNI vAgvANI madhukara vENI vINApANi
C: sharat jyOsnA shubhrAkArA shashivadanA kAshmIra vihArA varA
shAradA parAnkusha dharA varadAbhaya pAsha pustaka karA
surArcita padAmbujA shObhanA shvEta pankajAsanA suradanA
purAri guruguha hrdaya ranjanI murAri snuSa niranjanI

11. shrI sarasvatI hitE shivE.   rAgA: mAnji.  Adi tALA.   Sung by S Kalpagam

P: shrI sarasvatI hitE shivE cidAnandE shivasahitE
A: vAsavAdi mahitE vAsanAdi rahitE
C: kAmakOTi nilayE karadhrta maNivalayE kOmaLatara hrdayE guruguhOdayE mAmava sadayE

12. bhAratI maddhiSaNA.   rAgA: dEvamanOhari.  rUpaka tALA. Sung by Prof. S R Janakiraman

P: bhAratI maddhiSaNA jADyApahE tvad bhakta kalpaka mahIruhE mukhAmburuhE shrI
A: kAruNya sudhA laharI kanjaja dEvamanOhari shAradE vAgadIshvarI shashikunda dhavaLa bhAsvari
C: vallakI pustakAbhaya varada kOmaLatara karE pallavAnghri yugaLa maNi prAkAsha manjIra dharE
phulla sarasijAkSi shrIpura svapIThAntarE vallabhEsha vidhi harihara vAnchitArtthapradE
varE mallikAdi sumArccitE mAyAkArya varjitE vallIsha guruguhanutE vAdikSAntArNayutE

and finally, I conclude with a song in Devakriya (or Suddha Saveri depending on your inclination) sung by G Shrikanth...

13. sandhyAdEvIm.  rAgA: dEvakriyA.   Adi tALA.

P: sandhyAdEvIm sAvitrIm vara gAyatrIm sarasvatIm bhajEham
A: vindhyAcala nivasita vishAlinIm vidhi guruguha sannuta varadAyinIm
C: guptatara mArga kuLa yOginIm guNinIm gOvinda jananIm naLinIm
satya sankalpa tamOpahAriNIm sakAra rUpiNIm sampradAyinIm
saptasvara mAtrkA rUpiNIm samsAra duhkkha shamanIm dhaninIm
tatpada lakSyArtha rUpiNIm samayAcAra pravarttinIm

All the songs have been added into this compilation which runs for about 68 minutes and is about 63 MB in size. Please listen/download this compilation at:

See you soon with more music!