Monday, September 28, 2009

Nagaraju Eedara - Vocal

Late Sri Eedara Nagaraju was a fine vocalist of yester years.

A Sangeetha Bhuashanam those days only, he was one among the founder faculty of the Music College at Hyderabad.

Sri Nagaraju was also a fine composer with exceptional imagination.

His style is really unique and reminds of some stalwarts like SGKittappa et al.


Thanks to his Daughter Smt. Durga I bring you here some recordings of Sri Nagaraju.

You will notice that there are some of his own composition.

I desist from commenting lest I sound pushing you into listening him.


A couple of the items are from AIR recording.


Here is the list. Accompaniment details not available.



01 Terateeyagarada - Goulipantu


http://www.mediafire.com/?yiibejinn3e


02 Korinavaramu


http://www.mediafire.com/?lzndzzlywot


03 Geetamulalluduna


http://www.mediafire.com/?mq34jmmkdtm


04 Emanagaphalamemi


http://www.mediafire.com/file/52m3yw5z2ht


05 Intaku ni madi Yochana Yemo


http://www.mediafire.com/?1mdinmwtjym


06 Ashajendi ninu


http://www.mediafire.com/?yyug4q2wzg4


07 Tumburu Naraduletu


http://www.mediafire.com/?kvizymzgngi


08 Telisi Ramachintanato


http://www.mediafire.com/?dnjnicloumc


09 Chala kalla


http://www.mediafire.com/?m30zwayyzzm


10 Padamule gati


http://www.mediafire.com/?n0i5g3mcwjz


I have a few more files uploaded to the mediafire account and you are welcome to download them.

Here is my collection.

I will continue to upload more music to my collection.


Keep visiting frequently and you will not regret doing so.


The photograph in the entry is of Tyagaraja Swamy at Tirupati. You will also notice the main deity Sri Rama with Sita and Lakshmana.

Thursday, September 24, 2009

Vemana verses in Kandam metre


Vemana is not known to be composing verses in the Kandam metre.


Interestingly I found some Kandams in his collection.


I really do not know whether these verses are the works of Vemana.


It is for experts like my good friend Prof.Gopi to talk about it.


I am yet to read his thesis on Vemana.


However, I am sharing the padyams with you here.



For those who know Telugu, separately meaning need not be given, I feel.


Vemana’s language is really simple.


Only the poetic necessity makes him add some words that call for slight explanation.





ధనమెచ్చిన మదమెచ్చును


మదమెచ్చిన దుర్గుణంబు మానక హెచ్చున్


ధనముడిగిన మదముడుగును


మదముడిగిన దుర్గుణంబు మానును వేమా


Dhanamechchina madamechchunu


Madamechchina durgunanmbu manaka hechchun


Dhanamudigina madamudugunu


Madamudigina durgunambu manunu vema



With wealth high handedness increases. With that all the bad characters will increase. When wealth is gone the highhandedness also goes. Then vices also leave.



నడజీవులు స్థావరములు


వడచనిపోవంగ నెరిగి భావములోనన్


నిడువక బ్రహ్మము తలపరు


వడి చనిపోకుందురేమొ వసుధను వేమా


Nadajivulu sthavaramulu


Vada chanipovanga nerigi bhavamulonan


Niduvaka brahmamu talaparu


Vadi chanipokunduremo vasudhanu Vema



Even after seeing that what was thought as permanent perishes, people do not think of the eternal truth. Will they remain forever questions Vemana.




ధర గిరులు జలధులన్నియు


బరికింపగ ప్రళయమునను భస్మములయ్యా


సురలును మునులును జనగా


నెరయోధులిటుండగలరె నేర్పున వేమా


Dhara girulu jaladhulanniyu


Barikimpaga pralayamunanu Bhasmamulayya


Suralunu munulunu janaga


Nerayodhulitundagalare nerpuna Vema



When the great fire called the Pralayam comes even the mountains will turn into ashes. Even when the Gods and sages are dying will these strong men remain for ever? Questions Vemana.




ధరబుట్టి భోగినైతిని


పరమందిచ్చనుటమాని పడతులకైనే


తిరిగితిని చాల ద్రవ్యము


మరియార్జించితిని కడకు మరణమె వేమా


Dharabutti bhoginaitini


Paramandicchanuta mani padatulakaine


Tirigitini chala dravyamu


Mariyarjinchitini kadaku maraname Vema



I was born on this earth and became a profligate. Having desisted from the ultimate or the other world, I have wandrered for women. I have also earned a lot of money. But, the ultimate thing is only the death.



భోగంబులకాశింపక


రాగద్వేషంబులుడిగి రంగుగ దమలో


వేగమె మోక్షపదంబును


రాగనునాతండు యోగిరాయడు వేమా


Bhogambulakasimpaka


Ragadweshambuludigi ranguga damalo


Vegame mokshapadambunu


Raganunatandu yogirayadu Vema



One, who does not aspire for material enjoyment, gives up both love and hatred, and finds the coming of the salvation is the real king of Yogis, says Vemana.

Monday, September 21, 2009

Chocolate Chemistry





For a student of biology like me life is a series of chemical reactions. May be it robs the good feelings about all that is romantic in life. If I say that love happens because a certain chemical is produced in large quantities when you look at somebody and the levels fall with others, it may sound funny.



Here I bring you some facts about chocolates. Can you imagine there is so much about the sweet that we always liked? Read on and you may like the chocolate much more!!



Tobacco is injurious. People like it and use it without let up.



How about the good old chocolate?





The cacao bean, from which chocolate is made, is devilishly complex, containing more than 400 chemicals. Many of them can affect human biology and health. Whether chocolate is good or bad for you depends largely on the type of chocolate and the amount you consume.





Fats.



About a third of the fat in cocoa butter is oleic acid, the very same monounsaturated fat that gives olive oil its good name. Another third is stearic acid; it is a saturated fat, but unlike the three other saturated fats in the human diet, stearic acid does not raise cholesterol levels because the body can metabolize it to oleic acid. And while chocolate also contains some palmitic acid, a saturated fat that does boost cholesterol, careful studies show that eating chocolate does not raise blood cholesterol levels.





Flavonoids.



The humble cacao bean contains a number of chemicals in the flavonoid family. Polyphenols protect chocolate from turning rancid, even without refrigeration. The soft imported chocolates melt and become mushy in hot places, but they never get bad in taste. Even more important are the flavanols, a group of chemicals that are responsible for many of the protective actions of chocolate. Flavanols are present in many healthful foods—like apples, cherries, and black tea—but dark chocolate is the richest source.





Amino acids.



Chocolate is high in tryptophan, phenylalanine, and tyrosine. Like other amino acids, these nitrogen-rich compounds are the building blocks of all the body’s proteins. But two of these amino acids have a unique property: they are precursors of adrenaline, a “stress hormone,” and dopamine, a neurotransmitter that relays signals between nerve cells in the brain. Scientists postulate that dopamine induces feelings of pleasure. Now you can understand all those advertisements about celebrating a victory or love with a chocolate. This favorite sweet gives good feelings instantaneously. It is no seceret that all of us love to take a bite of a good chocolate. The one thing everyone looks for when a friend or relative arrives from abroad is a chocolate. Unfortunately the amino acids in it also have a bad side too. These chemicals may also explain some of the adverse effects of chocolate, including its ability to trigger headaches in some migraine sufferers, its ability to raise blood pressure to dangerous levels in some patients taking monoamine oxidase inhibitors for depression, and its ability to instigate diarrhea, wheezing, and flushing in patients with carcinoid tumors, which are rare.





Methylxanthine.



Chocolate contains two members of this group of chemicals. One is obscure, the other notorious — but both theobromine and caffeine have similar effects on the body. They may explain why chocolate makes some hearts beat faster — and why it gives many people heartburn by relaxing the muscle between the stomach and the esophagus, thus allowing acid to reflux up from the stomach into the sensitive “food pipe.”Did you ever experience it? Now you know why the love food causes heart burn!





Sweet science



The flavonoids have many properties that might improve health. To see if they really work, researchers have studied foods ranging from apples to onions, and from tea to wine. And it’s no surprise that chocolate has attracted the interest of scientists from around the world, giving the research an international flavor. Most studies concentrate on aspects of cardiovascular health; here are some representative findings:





Antioxidant activity.



Antioxidants protect many of the body’s tissues from damage by oxygen free radicals. Among other beneficial actions, flavonoids protect LDL cholesterol from oxidation, which puts the “bad” into “bad cholesterol.” Here are two examples. Scientists from Italy and Scotland fed dark chocolate, milk chocolate, or dark chocolate and whole milk to healthy volunteers. Dark chocolate boosted the volunteers’ blood antioxidant activity, but milk, either in the chocolate or a glass, prevented the effect. Similarly, researchers in Finland and Japan found that dark chocolate reduces LDL oxidation while actually increasing levels of HDL (“good”) cholesterol, but white chocolate lacks both benefits.





Endothelial function.



The endothelium is the thin inner layer of arteries. It’s responsible for producing nitric oxide, a tiny chemical that widens blood vessels and keeps their linings smooth. Can chocolate help? Doctors in Greece think it may. They fed 100 grams (about 3½ oz) of dark chocolate to 17 healthy volunteers and observed rapid improvement in endothelial function. Swiss investigators found similar effects from dark chocolate. German scientists reported that flavanol-rich cocoa can reverse the endothelial dysfunction produced by smoking, and European doctors reported that dark chocolate appears to improve coronary artery function in heart transplant patients. There’s good news for nonsmoking, original-heart people, too, since Harvard researchers found that cocoa can blunt the endothelial dysfunction associated with aging.





Blood pressure.



Because good endothelial function widens blood vessels, it’s logical that chocolate might help lower blood pressure. Studies show that dark chocolate can lower blood pressure in healthy adults and in patients with hypertension. Research shows that the effect is modest, however, lowering systolic pressure (the higher number recorded, when the heart is pumping blood) and diastolic blood pressure (the lower number, recorded while the heart is resting between beats) by just under 5 millimeters of mercury (mm Hg). The benefit wears off within a few days of stopping “treatment” with a daily “dose” of dark chocolate. And another reality check comes from a six-week 2008 study of 101 healthy adults that did not find any benefit for blood pressure.





Insulin sensitivity.



The sugar and calories in chocolate give people with diabetes good reason to eschew it. But an Italian study in nondiabetics suggested that dark, but not white, chocolate can improve insulin sensitivity. However, a small 2008 investigation of flavanol-enriched cocoa in diabetics found no improvement in blood sugar control or blood pressure.





Blood clotting.



Most heart attacks and many strokes are caused by blood clots that form on cholesterol-laden plaques in critical arteries. These clots are triggered by platelets; the antiplatelet activity of aspirin explains its important role in patients with coronary artery disease. Researchers in Switzerland and the U.S. found that dark chocolate reduces platelet activation.





From lab to life



International experiments show that dark chocolate has an impressive array of activities: it is an antioxidant that may improve your cholesterol; it improves endothelial function and may lower your blood pressure; it is a sweet that may lower your blood sugar; and its antiplatelet activities could reduce your chances of developing an artery-blocking clot. Taken together, these properties could reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke. But all of these hopeful results are based on short-term experiments in a small number of volunteers. Do these bits and pieces of data apply to real life? Perhaps.



Research suggests that chocolate may indeed have a role in promoting vascular health, but the devil is in the details. The first consideration is the type of chocolate. Dark chocolate appears beneficial, but milk chocolate, white chocolate, and other varieties do not. The second issue is calories. Most trials have used 100 grams of dark chocolate, the equivalent of eating about one-and-a-half chocolate bars of typical size. If you ate that much every day, you’d pack in more than 500 extra calories, enough to gain a pound a week.

Friday, September 18, 2009

A page from the Diary

13 మార్చి 2000

ఆసక్తి యుండుట మంచి లక్షణమే. రకరకములైన విషయములందు ఆసక్తియుండుటగూడ మంచి లక్షణమే. కానీ ఏదో ఒక విషయమున మంచి పారంగత్వముండుట ఎంతయో అవసరము. అన్నియు దెలిసినట్లు మాటలాడువారు కొందరుందురు. వారు తెలియని విషయమును గూర్చిగూడ యనర్గళముగ నుపన్యసింతురు. తమ తెలివిలేమిని పదుగురి ముందుంచుటయందు వారికెటువంటి సందియమును గలుగదు. వినుచున్న వారిలో విషయమును గూర్చి బాగుగా దెలిసినవారుండ వచ్చునను అనుమానము గూడ వారికి గలుగదు. ఎవరయిన వారి ప్రవాహమునడ్డగించి చర్చకు దిగవచ్చును. వానికి విషయము దెలియదని, విషయము దెలిసిన వానికే తెలియును. అట్టివాడు చర్చకుపూనుట యనవసరమని తేల్చివేయును. కావున మిన్నకుండును. కడమవారికి సంగతి దెలియదు.

కొందరు ఇట్లు మాట్లాడి మంచి హోదాలు సంపాదించుకొందురు. తరువాత వారేమి మాట్లాడినను చెల్లును. కడకు వారు చెప్పినదే నిజమేమోయను వరకు పోవును. లోన లొటారము పైన పటారమన నిదియే.

అన్నియున్న విస్తరి అణిగిమణిగియుండునని ఒకమాటయున్నది. అణిగిన విస్తరి కేవలము యాదృచ్ఛికము మాత్రమే. అది భోజనమునకు ఆధారము. భోజనము మాత్రము గాదు. భోజనమైన పిదప విస్తరిని కుక్కలకు వదులుదురు. అప్పుడది అయోగ్యము. అవసరము తీరిన పిదప ఏదయినను అయోగ్యమే.

ఆసక్తిగలవారు ఆసక్తికి ఆధారముగనేదో ఒక విషయమును ఎంచుకొన వలయును.

అందు మంచి నైపుణ్యము సంపాదించ వలయును.

అంబటిలో తెడ్డుగానుండరాదు.

I used to write my diary in a language that is not exactly of daily use. I do not have any reason to do so. I like the style.

In this entry I have written about people who shine by their eloquence but not exactly expertise. I really do not remember what provoked me to pen these lines. I know many people who attained heights though they are empty on the content.

Thus goes the narrative.

To be interested is a good character. To be interested in many things is also a good thing. But, it is necessary that one has good expertise in at least one subject. There are some who speak as if they know all the things. They wax eloquent even on things that they do not know. They do not have an iota of apprehension in exposing their hollowness before people. That there could be some in the audience who know much about the topic does not occur to them. Anyone can stop their flow and challenge to a discussion. That the speaker does not know what he is speaking about is known to only him who knows it. Such person knows that a discussion there is futile and keeps quiet. The rest of them do not anything!

Some people achieve high offices by speaking in this manner. After that whatever they speak will be accepted. It will even reach a situation where what they say will remain as the truth. An appearance being deceptive is the paradigm here. A leaf plate with all the material on will be stable. Thus goes a saying. Stability of the plate here is only incidental. The plate is the basis for the meal. It is not the meal itself. Once the meal is over the plate is thrown to the dogs. At that time it is a symbol of uselessness. After all anything that has already served its purpose is useless!

For our interest we have to choose one subject.

We have gain good knowledge in that subject.

One should not be a jack of all trades!

Monday, September 14, 2009

Krishna Leelau


రమణ బాపుల శ్రీ కృష్ణలీలలు

This is an excerpt from the book written by Sri Mullapudi Venakataramana and illustrated by none other than his eternal creative partner Bapu.


I never knew that they have written a book like this.

I really stumbled on it.

I am aware of the devotion Bapu has for Ramayana and Rama In particular.


This book on Krishna is a wonderful work.


It gives a clear view of the Avataram in the simplest of the style.


Of course, Ramana got carried away by the subject and has used such language, a little on the heavier side.

Still it is eminently readable.


Interestingly when all the people think that Krishnanshtami is over in the month of Sravanam itself, some people like us who follow solar calendar have waited for the Simha masam for the same. Even in this there are some people who are celebrated the festival on 12th of September and the others a day earlier, for certain reasons.

Here is a small part of the book Krishna Leelalu.


నక్షత్రాలు కోటి సూర్య ప్రభలై దీపిస్తున్నాయి. జేగంటలు గుడిగుడిలో గుండెగుండెలో మారుమోగుతున్నాయి.



దేవకి ముఖం దుర్నిరీక్షమైన తేజంతో బాధతో, ఆనందంతో వెలిగిపోతూంది.



అంతలోనే ఆమె కన్నులు మూతపడ్డాయి. అలసి సొలసిన ముఖం భువనమోహనంగా పక్కకు వాలింది. తృప్తిగా నిట్టూర్చింది.



జగన్నాథుడు, జగదోద్ధారకుడు, జగత్పతి, జగత్పిత, జగదేకవీరుడు, జగదేకమోహనుడు, జగదేకవంద్యుడు, జగద్గురువు, జగన్నాటకసూత్రధారి, జగదభిరాముడు, లీలామానుషవిగ్రహుడై – చిన్నిశిశువై ఉదయించాడు.






శ్రావణమాసం, బహుళ పక్షం, అష్టమి తిథి, రోహిణీ నక్షత్రం, అర్ధరాత్రి, అభిజిన్ముహూర్త వేళ, దుష్టశిక్షణకు, శిష్టరక్షణకు, లోకకళ్యాణానికి మహోజ్వల ముహూర్తవేళ. మంచివాళ్లకు గుండెలు పొంగేవేళ. చెడ్డవాళ్లకు గుండెలు కుంగేవేళ. కన్నులు తెరిచీ తెరవకుండానే ఒక్క చిన్నారి చిరునవ్వుతో జగతిని కాంతిమయం చేశాడు.






సంభ్రమంతో భక్తులు, భయంతో ఆనందంతో దేవకీ వసుదేవులు పైకిచూసి చేతులు జోడించి మొక్కుతున్నారు.



జగదానందకారకుడైన శ్రీమహావిష్ణువు చతుర్భుజుడై శంఖ చక్ర శార్జ్ఞ్గ గదాధారియై దర్శనం ప్రసాదించాడు.






‘పుణ్యదంపతులారా! నేను మీ దాంపత్యఫలాన్ని కావాలన్నమీకోరికను మన్నించి నాడు ప్రశ్నవర్గుడుగా వామనుడుగా, ఈనాడు కృష్ణవర్ణుడిగా మీ బిడ్డనై పుట్టాను. ఈ జన్మ తర్వాత మీకు ముక్తి లభిస్తుంది. వసుదేవా! నువ్వు శిశురూపాన ఉన్న నన్ను వ్రేపల్లె తీసుకు వెళ్లి అక్కడ నందుని సతి యశోద చెంత ఉంచి, ఆమె పొత్తిళ్లలో ఉన్న యోగమాయను దేవకీమాత ఒడిలో చేర్చు. దుష్టశిక్షణకూ శిష్టరక్షణకూ కాలచక్రం ద్వారా నేను సంకల్పించి ప్రయోగించే జగన్నాటకం ఈ క్షణాన నేను జన్మిస్తూన్న ఈ అభిజిన్ముహూర్తాన ఆరంభమవుతోంది. మీకు శుభం.’ అంటూ శ్రీమహావిష్ణువు అంతర్ధానం చెందాడు.



Incidentally this happens to be my 100th post on this blog!