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!