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 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-