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Amba Kamakshi - Raga Bhairavi

References: Smt. Vidya Shankar’s Shyama Shastry compositions book 


Sri Shivkumar Kalyanaraman’s online Krithi archive

Pallavi
Kaamakshi Anudinamu Maravakane  Nee Paadamula Dikkanuchi Nammitin Sree Kanchi

 [Godess Kamakshi! Ever remembering that your lotus feet are my only refuge, I place my faith in you, O Godess of Kanchi]
 N ,  |        ;  ;           || D ,       |               ;   ;          || P ,        |              ;    dn      ||
Kaa                            maa                                       kshi                           am
 S ,  |         ; s     r      ||  (Kaamakshi)
Ba             kan chi

N ,  |        ;  ;           || D ,       |               ;   ;          || P ,        |              ;    dn      ||
Kaa                            maa                                       kshi                           am

S ,  |         ; d     n    ||  s  r   g  |      m   p  m   g     || R  ,       |               ;     N       ||
Ba           A    nu     di na mu     Ma  ra va ka     ne         -               -   Nee

S     r  |  g    m  P    || d     n    s    |   N     d   p      || m G     |               R   g  r     ||
Paa da   mu la Di    kka nu chu    Nam mi ti      ni Sree                 Kan- chi

Swara Sahityas

1.       Kundaradana! Kuvalayanayanaa! Talli! Rakshinchu!
[Mother, your teeth resemble jasmine flower and your eyes are like the lotus. Please protect me.]

S      r   |  n  s     R        || ,  n   r  |  s  n  d    p  || M ,   |   ;   P  ||
Kun da   ra da   na!          Ku va   la ya na ya   naa!         Tal

D  n   |   ,   S       r  ||
li! Ra        kshin chu!


2.       Kambugala! Niradachikuraa! Vidhuvadanaa! Maayamma!
[You have the conch like neck and your tresses are dark like rain bearing clouds.]

R      g     |   r  g       S       || ,  n  g     |   r    s   R    || ,  n   r |   s   n   D                 ||
Kam bu    ga la!   Ni            ra da       chi ku raa!  Vi dhu va da naa!

,  N          |  , G  r       ||
  Maa        yamma!


3. Kumbhakucha! Madamatta Gajagama Padmabhava Hari Shambu Nutapada!
     Shankari! Neevunaa Chintala Veeveega  Dircchamma! Vipudu

[Your face resembles the moon. Your bosom is shapely and your gait is like that of an elephant. Your feet are adored by Brahma, Vishnu and Siva! You are the auspicious Shankari, please solve my problems expeditiously. Mother, pray listen!]

G      m  |  g   r       s    r          ||   N  s    | n    s  r   g   || M    p  | g      r    g   m   ||
Kum bha  ku cha! Ma da     ma  tta  Ga ja ga ma   Pa  dma bha va Ha  ri

P        d    |  m  g   r   s   ||  N  s    |  N   G                 || r  G   |  M    p  d      ||
Sham bu     Nu ta pa da! Shan ka   ri! Nee          vu naa Chin ta la

N     n     |  , d   P     ||  P         m     |  , g  r  s  ||
Vee vee       ga  Dir   ccham ma!    Vi pu du

4.       Bhaktajana Kalpalatika! Karunaalaya! Sadayaa! Giritanaya!
       Kaavavee Sharanaagatudugada ? Taamasamu Seeyaga Varamosagu

[You are the Kalpalata - the wish yielding creeper. You are the sanctuary of compassion, most benevolent one. Oh daughter of the (himalaya) mountains, please protect me. Have I not surrendered to you ? Bestow on me boons without delay]

M    p    |   n  d     M              || p  d  p |   M    g   r  ||  G  m  |  P   g   m   ||
Bha kta   ja  na   Kal            pa la ti      ka!  Ka ru   naa la   ya! Sa da

P  -   g      |  p m  g  r ||   N    s      |  R    n   s  || R     n   |  s  r    g  m ||
yaa! Gi       ri ta   na ya! Kaa va     vee Sha ra   naa ga    tu du ga da ?

P     d      | n  s    P   || s   n    d                 | p  m  g   r  ||
Taa ma    sa mu  See ya ka  Va           ra mo sa gu


5.       Paatakamulanu Dircchi Ni Pada Bhakti Santatamiiyave
       Paavanigadaa ? Moravinadaa ? Paraakelanamma ! Vinamma!

[Obiliterate my sins and give me devotion to worship your lotus feet for ever.
Are you not the Paavani - the purifier ? Don’t you hear my entreaties ? Why are you indifferent ? Pray listen, mother!]

P     d   |  p  m  g  r   ||  G  m   |  P   m  g  ||  R   g  |   M   g    r ||
Paa ta    ka mu la nu   Dir cchi Ni Pa da   Bha kti   San ta   ta

N   s  |  R   ;            ||   G  m |   g  r   S   ||  ,  p  m  |  g  r   S    ||
Mi ya   ve                 Paa va                   ni ga daa ?   Mo ra  vi  na daa ?

,    r  s  |  ,  N    d   ||  P    m   |  ,  g    r     s ||
   Pa raa    ke    la    nam ma !   Vi nam ma!


6.       Kalushahaarini ! Sadaa Nataphala Daayaki Yani Birudu Bhuvilo
       Galigina Dorayanuchu Vedamu Moralidagavini

[Oh the annihilator of wickedness; you are renowned for granting the desires of those devotees who throng your feet in supplication, and bestowing your benevolence to the people of the world. The Vedas to proclaim this verily.]

d    p   n |  D    p  m   ||  g   R                |  g  m  p    d   ||  P  ,  |   ;   m  g    ||
Ka lu sha  haa ri  ni !  Sa  daa            Na ta  pha la   Daa             ya ki  

m  p   m  |  g  r     g     m  ||  G  ,  |  ;    r  g   ||  m  g    r |  g   s   r    n  ||
Ya ni Bi    ru du  Bhu vi      lo            Ga li      gi  na Do  ra ya nu chu

S    ,       |    ;    g  r    ||  s    n   d  |  p  m  g  r  ||
Ve                    da mu   Mo ra li    da  ga vi ni


7.       Nee Pavana Nilayaa! Surasamudayaa! Kara Vidrutha Kuvalayaa!
        Mada Danuja Vaarana Mrugeendrarcchita
        Kalushadamanaghanaa! Aparimita Vaibhavamugala
        Ni Smaranamadilo  Dalachina Janaa Dulaku Bahu
        Sampadalanicchevippudu  Maakabhayamiyyave!

[You reside in the Kadamba forest encompassed by a host of celestials. You hold a lotus in your hand. You are to the arrogant demons, what the lion is to the intoxicated tusker. You burn to cinder the afflictions of your devotees. You confer opulance on those who meditate on your infinite glory. Now, is the time to grant me refuge.]

N     r    |  s  r  -  n  r  ||   N    d  |  p  d  m    p || G      r  |  s    r  n   s  ||
Nee Pa   va na Ni la    yaa! Su   ra sa mu da  yaa! Ka  ra Vi dru tha

r     g   m |  P     m   p   ||  s  n  d  | P    m  g  ||  r   S  |    N   d       n     ||
Ku va la    yaa! Ma da   Da nu ja Vaa ra na Mru geen dra rcchi ta

s     r   g  |  m  p   m  g   ||  R  ,  |  ;    n  s   || r  g  m  |  P  s       r ||
Ka lu  sha  da ha na gha   naa!         A pa   ri mi ta  Vai bha va

g   m   p  |  D   m    p     || g   r  g  |  M   p m || p  d     n  |  S     p  d  ||
mu ga la    Ni Sma ra      na ma di  lo  Da la  chi na  Ja   naa Du la

n  s    r   |  G     m  g      ||  r  S    |  N     d  p  ||  g    R    |  ;    s  n  ||
ku Ba hu  Sam pa da        la ni     cche vi ppu du  Maa                      ka bha

d   P |   ;  g     r        ||
ya mi      yya ve!


8.       Syamakrishna Sahodhari Sivashankari Parameshwari Hariharadulaku Ni Mahimalu Ganimpa Tarama ? Sutudamma! Abhimaanamu Leda, Naapai Devi ?   Paraakeelane Brovave Ipudu Sri Bhairavi

[Sister of Syamakrishna! Sivashankari - the enchanter of Shiva! The supreme suzerain ! Are vishnu, shiva and others capable of reckoning your infinite glory ? I am your son, have you no affection for me ? Devi, why this apathy ? Please protect me now, Sri Bhairavi!]

S     g   |  R  s        r     || S   r  |  N   d  m  ||   P     d  |  N  d    n  ||
Sya ma   kri shna Sa     ho  dha  ri Si va     shan ka   ri Pa   ra 

S  ,     |  ;    g      r   ||  s  r   s  |  N   d  p  || m  G  |  m  g   r    s ||
me             shwa ri                   Ha ri ha  ra   du la   ku Ni  Ma hi ma lu

n    S    |  ;     r  g     ||  m  P    |  g  m  G  || R  ,   |  ;     s  n     ||
Ga nim        pa Ta   ra ma ?   Su tu da  mma!                       A  bhi

S   ,    |   ;    p  m   || P   ,      |  D    N    ||  S   ,  |  R    G       ||
maa            na mu  Le              da, Naa     pai     De    vi ?

m  G  |  R    g   r    ||  S    r      |  N   d   p || m  G  |  R    g  r     ||
Pa raa  kee  la  ne    Bro va       ve   I   pu  du Sri Bhai ra vi

Comments

Purpose Driven said…
The first charanam ends with the words “Thalli rakshimchu” meaning “Oh Mother! Protect me”. The swarams for these words are P; D; (Thalli) and N, S r (Rakshimchu). The P and D take up a leisurely 4 aksharams each while N takes up 3, S takes up 2 and R takes up 1. Apart from the obvious mathematical progression, this also reveals how effectively Sri Shyama Shastry urges the Goddess, through his music, to protect him at the earliest. That is perhaps why he speeded up the music when it came to the words, “Protect me!”.

In the second charanam, Sri Shyama Shastry continues his in depth description of the Goddess. He concludes this charanam with the lyrics, “Maayamma”, meaning “My mother”. The swarams used for this word are “N, G r”. This is a powerful Bhairavi prayogam and the gamakams that are given to the N and G help accentuate the utmost devotion of the composer to Goddess Kamakshi who he considered as his mother.

The third charanam very beautifully starts in G rendered with gamakams. He describes the Goddess as one whose feet are adored by Padma Bhava (One who is born of the lotus, a reference to Lord Brahma), Hari (Lord Vishnu) and Shambu (Lord Shiva). The composer has expansively explored different shades of the madhyamam in this charanam, from a delicate throbbing gamakam for the words “Padma bhava” (M ; P G R) to a higher gamakam ending in P for the words “Hari” ( G M) and “Shambu nuta” ( P; D M G)

In the fourth charanam, the Goddess is describes as “Kalpalathika”, a wish yielding creeper. Sri Shastry implores the Goddess to bestow boons upon him without delay (“taamasamu”). There is a very beautiful “jaaru” or curve that links the higher octave S to P when the words “Taamasamu seyaka” (P ; D N S P) are rendered. This is yet another example of an outstanding Bhairavi phrase in this composition which makes it a lesson in this raagam for every aspiring musician.

The fifth charanam begins with a commanding swaraksharam (i.e., the syllable or aksharam is the same as the swaram or note). The beginning lyrics, “Paataka mulanu” fall on “P ; D P M G R”. The composer asks some rhetoric questions with each question ending sequentially with the same musical notes thus providing a beautiful cascading effect. “Paavanigadaa?” meaning “Are you not the purest one?” (G; M G R S) and “Moravinadaa ?” meaning “Are you deaf to my entreaties?” ( P M G R S).

In the sixth charanam, there is a very unusual link from the S in the Madhyama sthayi (middle octave) to the G in the Taara sthayi (higher octave) for the lyrics “Vedamu” meaning “the vedas” (S, G R). This once again highlights the masterful creativity and genius of Sri Shyama Shastry.

The seventh charanam once again abounds in swaraksharams. Some examples are: Nee Pavana (N ; R S R) and Mada Danuja (M P S N D). This charanam is expansive and explores the higher octave with some mesmerizing sancharams such as G ; M G R S which bring out the beauty of Bhairavi in the higher notes.

The eight charanam begins with the mudra of the composer when he describes Goddess Kamakshi as “Shyama Krishna Sahodari” (sister of Krishna). It very aptly ends with the raga name. The composer launches into an inspired torrent of names for the Goddess such as Siva Shankari (consort of Siva), Parameshwari (supreme Goddess) and Sri Bhairavi (a fierce aspect of the Goddess). The music for the lyrics “Abhimaanamu leda, Naapai Devi ? (Oh Goddess, don’t you have affection for me?) very seamlessly moves from the madhyama sthaayi to the taara sthaayi with the swarams being S N S ,; P M P,; D , N; S, R; G.
Vaalai Kalki said…
well said Sh!!ArmAh!!... i really loved the swarajathi the very first time i listened to it and now can proudly say that i have learnt it..
i really enjoy each and every bit of this raga as well as he composition. this adds to few of shyama shastri's compositions that i have learnt... in fact i would rate it higher than Viriboni varnam in terms of raga beauty and raga usage...
Hats off to "Shyama krishna"

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