Nada sudha

From Sahityam

[edit] Lyrics

[edit] Pallavi

[edit] Anupallavi

[edit] Charanam

[edit] Variation

• ⁰ manasA - praNava -- Both versions are extant and correct.

[edit] Commentary

• ¹ vEda purANa Agama zAstrAdulaku AdhAramau nAda – cf. A detailed discussion of zabda.
• ² ghaNTalu – In the kriti Swara raga sudha, Thyagaraja mentions mUlAdhAra as the chakra from where Nada emanates. He also mentions therein about ‘sapta swara gRhamulu’.
• ³ rAgamu kOdaNDamu – An interesting mention in the Valmiki Ramayana about Ravana’s musical talents that he can ‘play upon the lute of his terrific bow with the sticks of his arrows’ is found in the website mentioned below. However, where this statement occurs in Srimad Valmiki Ramayana, is not known. [Ravana and Music]
  • In the Kriti ‘kOTi nadulu dhanuSkOTi’, Thyagaraja makes mention of Kundalini Yoga. According to Kundalini Yoga, the verterbral column is called Meru Danda. Please also refer to Kriti of Sri Thyagaraja ‘Iza pAhi mAM’ where Lord Siva is described as holding bow of Meru – Meru Danda – vertebral column (hEmAcala cApa). [Meru Danda]
• ⁴ dura – As per Monier’s Sanskrit Dictionary, it means ‘one who opens or unlocks’, ‘giver’, ‘granter’; the Telugu word ‘duramu’ means ‘battle’, ‘war’. These are not appropriate in the present context. However, Sri Koteeswara Iyer, in his kriti ‘ghana naya dEzika gAna rasika zikhAmaNi nIyE kandA’ mentions ‘ghana’ in place of ‘dura’. Probably both mean same thing. The following terminologies in regard to ‘ghana’ are found:
  • Ghanakala - Ragas meant to be sung at a particular time of day. Each Raga is associated with at least one time of day (some are Sarvakaalika - any time). The times are early morning (4-6am), morning after sunrise (6-9am), forenoon (9am-12pm), midday (noon-1pm), afternoon (1-4pm), evening (4-7pm), and night (7-10pm)
  • Ghanam - another term for Taanam
  • Ghana Panchaka Ragas - one type of Ghana Raga (as opposed to Dwitiya Panchaka Ragas), which is heavy and elaborate. It has five members: Nata, Gaula, Arabhi, Sri, and Varali.
  • Ghana Raga - a heavy and important Raga whose swarUpa is brought out by Taanam (Ghanam) or Madhyama Kaalam. (cf. Ghana Ragas)
• ⁵ naya - A Raga whose swarupa is brought out both by alapana and tanam. For example Thodi, Bhairavi, Kambhoji, Sankarabharanam, and Kalyani. (cf. Naya)
• ⁶ dEzyamu - Belonging to the country (Desa). This term denoted the folk music that was prevalent till the 12th century. (cf. [Desya)
  • dEsya (1) - A Raga whose swarupa is brought out by just alapana. For example, Kanada, Hameer Kalyani, Hindustani Behag.
  • dEzya (2) - Ragas that were brought to South India from North India, for example Paras, Maand, Jhinjoti, and Senjurutti. (cf Desya)
• ⁷ triguNamu: The word ‘guNa’ means ‘string’, ‘strand’, ‘bow string’ and also denotes the qualities, sattva, rajas, tamas.' The three Gunas are indeed the three strands of the Prakriti. In the Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 14:

sattvaM rajastama iti guNA: prakRtisambhavA: |
nibadhnanti mahAbAhO dEhE dEhinamavyayaM || 5 || The sattva, rajas, tamas Gunas, O mighty-armed, born of Prakriti, bind fast in the body the indestructible embodied one. (Translation by Swami Swarupananda)

• ⁸ gati - Tempo of a musical piece; the speed and the gait of a composition. (cf. Carnatica Dictionary)
  • gati - the gait, or the number of subdivisions or swaras per beat. There are 5 types: Tisra, Chatusra, Kanda, Misra, and Sankeerna. It may also take 11, 8, etc. and is formed by taking the beat and multiplying by the number (ex: Adi Tala in Chatusra gati is 8 times 4 = 32 beats). (cf. Karnatic Glossary)
• ⁹ saGgati: A particular variation of a phrase in a kriti with slight or large changes in tune and gamakas. Each phrase maybe repeated with different variations or sangatis. (cf. Karnatic Glossary)
  • saGgati is a thematic variation, introduced by Thyagaraja. (Source)
  • saGgati - Thyagaraja's outstanding contribution to the advancement of the kriti format was the introduction of the sangati (lit. coming together) - a set of variations on a theme, gradually unfolding the melodic potential of the musical phrase. Largely set in the madhyamakala (middle tempo), Tyagaraja's kritis were more appropriate for the modern concert paddhati. As vidwan G. N. Balasubramaniam observed during his presidential address at the 32nd conference of the Music Academy in 1958, nearly 60% of Tyagaraja's kritis are composed in this kala and this speed "seems to be the best for both the lay and the learned listeners." – Source

[Sangathi 3]

• ¹⁰sandarbhamu gala giramulurA – Please refer to Kriti Emani mataditivo wherein Sri Thyagaraja describes how Sri Rama spoke to different people in different styles and kept them attracted to Him.

[edit] Renditions

• Srirangam Gopalaratnam