We will continue with a couple of more krutis in which Tyagaraja narrates episodes from Ramayana story. As far as I know, the following selections do not have heavy hidden meanings and/or obscure stories. Nevertheless, the devotional and wondrous lyricism renders them beautiful. Of course, the music makes them just divine, but we are not going into that.
amRuta vAhini rAgaM - Adi tALaM
Sree rAma pAdamA nee kRpa caalunE cittAniki rAvE //Sree rAma pAdamA
vArija bhava, sanaka, sanandana, vAsavAdi, nAradAdu lella poojiMcE //Sree rAma pAdamA
dArini Silayai, tApamu dALaka vAramu kanneerulu rAlcaga Soora, ahalyanu jooci brOcitivi A reeti dhanyu sEyave tyAgarAja gEyamA //Sree rAma pAdamA
A summary in English Oh, Sri Rama's foot! Your kindness is sufficient - please grace my heart always. Worshipped by Brahma, the Rishis like Sanaka, Sanandana, Gods like Indra and divine musicians like Narada, Oh Sri Rama's foot ... You (the foot) witnessed Ahalya, lying in the form of a rock across your path, lamenting her pitiable state and shedding copious tears. You witnessed her thus, oh valiant one, and you rescued her at once. Please make me the blessed on in the same way, oh object of Tyagaraja's song, oh Sri Rama's foot!
Notes: Feet, being the lower most extremity of the body, is considered the most humble too. However, even this humblest part, in a God, is an object of devotion and worship to the devotee. Tyagaraja proclaims that he is satisfied if he gets the kindness of Rama's foot, in a way implying that he doesn't need Rama's entire being. The rest of the kruti underscores the greatness of Rama's foot with the episode of Ahalya Sapa Vimocanam. The beauty in this kruti is Tyagaraja refers only to one foot - he doesn't use plural!
madhyamAvati rAgam - Adi tALam
alaka lalla lADaga gani A rANmuni yeTu pongenO //alaka lalla
celuvu meeraganu maareecuni madamaNacu vELa //alaka lalla
muni kanu saiga delisi Siva dhanuvunu viricE samayamuna tyAgarAja vinutuni mOmuna raMjillu //alaka lala
A summary in English That princely sage Viswamitra, how pleased he must have been as to see the curls of hair dance on your forehead! With exceeding grace, as you vanquished the proud demon Mareeca, at that time .. to see the curls .. Catching the signal from the eye of the sage, when you proceeded to break Siva's bow .. at that time, embellishing the face of Tyagaraja's Lord .. to see the curls ..
Notes: The kruti centers around Viswamtira's wonder looking at the nonchalance of Rama, epitomized by the playful bounce of curls on Rama's forehead. Rama is seen to perform two impressive tasks - the reference to the bounce of curls underscores the effortless ease with which he apparently performed these. In a way, the whole Viswamitra episode was a test to see if Rama is indeed the right guy. So, the first test is the guarding of Viswamitra's yajna from demons. Once Rama vanquishes the demons, Viswamitra takes them to Mithila for Sita's svayamvaram. The sage has to satisfy himself that Rama is the guy born to take care of Ravana - if so, frst he has to break Siva's bow and claim Sita. So, Viswamitra's happiness in this kruti is not so much from watching Rama, but from the realization that he had found the right man, the one who is going to fulfill his destiny.
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