Tyagaraja Aradhana - Giripai Nelakonna

Today happens to be Pushya Bahula Panchami, the 163rd Aradhana day of Sadguru Sri Tyagaraja Swamy.
On this occassion let me bring you some good images and a song of Tyagaraja.

First here are the pictures.

This one is from the cover page of the book of Pancharatnams as you can see.
Sri E N Purushottaman, a retired police officer, wrote commentary in English for the Tyagaraja Ghanaraga Pancharatnams.

This is a popular painting of Tyagayya with Hanuman as a listener.
I am fascinated by the feelings depicted on Hanuman's face.

(Click on the pictures to see them in original size)

One more interesting picture from daily, The Hindu.
I have not noted the date and year.
This picture is of Utsava Murthy's of Lord Rama and Saint Tyagaraja in Tirupati.

Giripai Nelakonna

Now for the song that haunted me like a few other.
It is Giripai Nelakonna sung by the inimitable Sri M D Ramanathan.

Please listen to the recording from here.



Now, for a little commentary on the song.
This is from the famous Tyagaraja Vaibhavam.
I salute Sri V Govindan for the yeoman services to the cause of carnatic muisc.

giripai nelakonna-SahAna


In the kRti ‘giripai nelakonna’ – rAga SahAna, SrI tyAgarAja states that he beheld the Lord.

P 1giripai nelakonna rAmuni
guri tappaka kaNTi

A parivArulu viri suraTulacE
nilabaDi visarucu kosarucu sEvimpaga (giri)

C pulak(A)nkituDai Anand-
(A)Sruvula nimpucu mATal(A)Da valen(a)ni

2kaluvarinca kani 3padi pUTalapai
kAcedan(a)nu tyAgarAja vinutuni (giri)

Gist

I unerringly beheld Lord Sri rAma – praised by this tyAgarAja – established on the hill as His retinue were worshipping Him standing with fans made of flowers, fanning and praying.

Finding me in a state of horripilation, eyes brimming with tears of joy and babbling ‘I wanted to talk (to You)’, He said ‘I shall take care of You after ten days (or day and nights)’.

1 – giripai nelakonna – “In ‘Skanda Puraana’ it is said that one who meditates on ‘Suvela Parvatha Rama’ (Rama on Mount Suvela) in his last days will be blessed with a place in the Vaikunta. Since the Swami was aware of this, he meditated upon this Suvela Parvatha Rama and sang this kirtan of ‘Giripai nelakonna Ramuni’” – Source - suvEla mountain

SrI rAma climbs suvEla mountain and surveys the city of lankA from that vantage point – vAlmIki rAmAyaNa, yuddha kANDa, Chapter 38 refers.

Comments -

3 – padi pUTa – generally 'pUTa' means 'a part of the day'; it may also mean 'a day'. Therefore ‘padi pUTa’ may mean five days (as given in one of the books) if each daytime or night time is taken as one pUTa; it may mean ten days also. However, in the absence of any other suggestive information, it has been translated as ‘ten days’.

General – This kRti seems to precede what is stated in the kRti ‘paritApamu kani’; in that kRti, SrI tyAgarAja asks the Lord whether He has forgotten about His promise to protect him after 10 days. However, there is a contradiction in the scenery described in the kRtis; while the current kRti refers to 'suvEla mountain', in the 'paritApamu kani', the scenery referred is a 'boat ride along with sIta in sarayu river'. In both cases, the period referred is 'padi pUTalu' - ten (or five) days.

Tamil

ப. கி3ரிபை நெலகொன்ன ராமுனி
கு3ரி தப்பக கண்டி

அ. பரிவாருலு விரி ஸுரடுலசே
நிலப3டி3 விஸருசு கொஸருசு ஸேவிம்பக3 (கி3ரி)

ச. புல(கா)ங்கிதுடை3 ஆனந்(தா3)ஸ்1ருவுல
நிம்புசு மாட(லா)ட3 வலெ(ன)னி
கலுவரிஞ்ச கனி பதி3 பூடலபை
காசெத3(ன)னு த்யாக3ராஜ வினுதுனி (கி3ரி)

மலை மீது நிலைபெற்ற இராமனை
குறி தவறாது கண்டேன்

பரிவாரத்தினர் மலர் விசிறிகளுடன்
நின்று, விசிறிக்கொண்டும், வேண்டிக்கொண்டும், சேவிக்க,
மலை மீது நிலைபெற்ற இராமனை
குறி தவறாது கண்டேன்

புல்லரிப்புற்று, ஆனந்தக் கண்ணீர்
பெருக்கி, உரையாட வேணுமெனப்
பிதற்றக் கண்டு, பத்து வேளைக்குப் பின்
காப்பேனெனும், தியாகராசனால் போற்றப் பெற்றோனை,
மலை மீது நிலைபெற்ற இராமனை
குறி தவறாது கண்டேன்

மலை - இலங்கையில் வானர சேனை தங்கிய சுவேல மலை.

Telugu

ప. గిరిపై నెలకొన్న రాముని
గురి తప్పక కంటి

అ. పరివారులు విరి సురటులచే
నిలబడి విసరుచు కొసరుచు సేవింపగ (గిరి)

చ. పులకాంకితుడై ఆనందాశ్రువుల
నింపుచు మాటలాడ వలెనని
కలువరించ కని పది పూటలపై
కాచెదనను త్యాగరాజ వినుతుని (గిరి)

Kannada

ಪ. ಗಿರಿಪೈ ನೆಲಕೊನ್ನ ರಾಮುನಿ
ಗುರಿ ತಪ್ಪಕ ಕಂಟಿ

ಅ. ಪರಿವಾರುಲು ವಿರಿ ಸುರಟುಲಚೇ
ನಿಲಬಡಿ ವಿಸರುಚು ಕೊಸರುಚು ಸೇವಿಂಪಗ (ಗಿರಿ)

ಚ. ಪುಲಕಾಂಕಿತುಡೈ ಆನಂದಾಶ್ರುವುಲ
ನಿಂಪುಚು ಮಾಟಲಾಡ ವಲೆನನಿ
ಕಲುವರಿಂಚ ಕನಿ ಪದಿ ಪೂಟಲಪೈ
ಕಾಚೆದನನು ತ್ಯಾಗರಾಜ ವಿನುತುನಿ (ಗಿರಿ)

Malayalam

പ. ഗിരിപൈ നെലകൊന്ന രാമുനി
ഗുരി തപ്പക കണ്ടി

അ. പരിവാരുലു വിരി സുരടുലചേ
നിലബഡി വിസരുചു കൊസരുചു സേവിമ്പഗ (ഗിരി)

ച. പുലകാങ്കിതുഡൈ ആനന്ദാശ്രുവുല
നിമ്പുചു മാടലാഡ വലെനനി
കലുവരിഞ്ച കനി പദി പൂടലപൈ
കാചെദനനു ത്യാഗരാജ വിനുതുനി (ഗിരി)

The song by all means is a soul stirring one.
particularly when you are told that it was composed in the evening of the bards life, when he had visions of God Sri Ramachandra.
Let us enjoy good music.
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