Thread by @vakibs

In this thread, I would like to discuss the Vēdantic aspects of the musical compositions of Thyāgarāja known as "Ghana Pacha Rathna Kṛthis", which are extremely dear to my heart.

They are very famous in South India. Several great Carṇātic musicians sang them..

They are musically exquisite, but their lyrical beauty is also delightful. They are five compositions set in five beautiful Rāgas, which gives great flexibility for interpretation by a skilled musician.

But the five compositions also chart the journey of a spiritual aspirant.

I have never noticed this Vedantic aspect until it was pointed out in a recent concert I saw online. And then it hit me, how obvious, but I haven't noticed it before. 🙂 So may be, there will be others who will also learn something from this perspective.

Thyāgarāja was a very sincere aspirant in the Sampradāya (tradition) of Rāma Bhakti (devotional love to Rāma). His Sādhana (practice) was based on musical exploration, which is probably one of the most beautiful journeys in spiritual life, as music is nothing but Nāda Brahman.

The first composition is "Jagadānandakāraka", which is set entirely in Sanskrit in Sambōdhanā Vibhakti i.e, it addresses Rāma with various endearing attributes. This is the first stage in the journey of a spiritual seeker: a stable pole on which to anchor the Sādhana.

For Thyāgarāja, this stable pole is nothing other than Śrī Rāma. I am sharing "Jagadānanda Kāraka" rendered by Nityashree Mahadevan, one of my favorite singers. The title means "Oh, the one who makes the world happy..".

What is particularly interesting about choosing to compose this in Sanskrit, is that the spiritual aspirant needs to be pure and uncontaminated in his thoughts and words, when he begins his practice (Sādhana). Sanskrit is an explicitly designed language to remove such impurities.

The stable anchor in Sādhana (here, Śrī Rāma) is what provides delight to the world overall. My favorite part of the lyrics here are "Sarōja Bhava Varada" - the granter of the boon to Brahma, who is born in the lotus.

A pure spiritual aspirant is equal to none other than Brahma.

The second composition is as different from the first as it can be: "Duduku gala nanne dora koduku brōvarā". It is set in very simple Telugu, and the words mean "please save me, Oh Lord, I am one who has too much instability and passion". This is the second stage of Sādhana.

I am sharing "Duḍuku gala" rendered by a great erstwhile musician Mahārājapuram Santhānam. This song is filled with "ārdrata" (the earnestness of emotion). It is set in Gaula Rāga, that captures these oscillations of emotion beautifully.

While the first song is about the attributes of the Dēva (the inner holistic self), the second song is about the attributes of the Jeeva (the experiencing self), which is always confused by the objects of the desires from the five senses. This creates instability and suffering.

By openly admitting his doubts and frustrations, the spiritual aspirant is actually taking the first steps in overcoming his fears. This is an important part of Sādhana. During these tribulations, the aspirant needs to be kind to himself. As Jeeva, he is bound to have such fears.

The choice of Telugu (Thyāgarāja's mother tongue) to address those fears is especially apt. We cannot express our fears and cry in any other language except our own mother tongue. The lyrics here are very simple and touching. As a native Telugu speaker, I find them very charming.

My favorite lyrics are "Mānavatanu durlabhamu nenchi paramānanda mondalēka". They mean "I have not used Humanity, which is such a hard thing to attain (the birth as a human in the cycle of death and rebirth), to obtain the ultimate bliss. Instead, I became a slave to the senses."

The next composition is beautiful. It perfectly captures the bliss of the spiritual aspirant when he achieves the first glimpses of this fulfillment. The lyrics say "Sādhinchenē O Manasā" (I attained it, Oh mind !). The lyrics are addressed to the very mind (Manas) of the singer.

I am sharing "Sādhinchenē, Ō Manasā" as rendered by the energetic voice of Mallāḍi Brothers. When I hear their music, it always brings a smile to me. This is a delightful composition. Glimpses of bliss like this are what make life worth living. 🙂

Most of Thyāgarājas songs are addressed either to Rāma (his stable anchor for Sādhana) or to his own mind (Manas). They are introspective and capture the multiple shades of meditative bliss in a spiritual aspirant. In this song, the lyrics have a blend of Telugu and Sanskrit.

My favorite part of the lyrics are "Samayāniki tagu māṭalādene" (you spoke aptly to suit to the situation), which refers to the actions of Kṛshna (another Avatāra of Vishṇu, after Rāma). The musical melody shifts slightly at these lyrics, and it is very delightful.

By refering to the actions of Kṛshṇa, the composer is also pointing out to the experience of life as a play. There will be ups and downs, but the whole point of the play is to take delight in it. This perfectly captures the third stage in a spiritual aspirant's Sādhana.

The fourth composition is very difficult to appreciate. In my childhood, I never liked this song or understood this. This is a very mature song "Kanakana ruchirā". This means "I keep discovering new depths of emotion by meditating on you". This is about the deep well of Rasa.

In my opinion, there is no person who can capture the sublime beauty of "Kanakana Ruchira" than Srī Bālamurali Krishna.


Please enjoy, and try to get the bewilderment and wonder of Thyāgarāja as he goes deeper and deeper into the well of Bhakti Rasa. 🙂

I cannot pretend to say that I understood all of these lyrics. From my perspective, the favorite part are "Pālugāru mōmuna śree apara mahima". They mean "your face which is oozing with dazzle (like milk), is the abode of Lakshmi's (divine) glory."

The expression "pālugāru mōmu" is very native to Telugu. It is used to express the beautiful face of children which is simultaneously charming and innocent. By using this to describe Rāma, Thyāgarāja is invoking his own return to childhood, as he goes deeper into his Sādhana.

Such return to innocence, even a type of "eternal innocence" is a sign of an extremely advanced form of Sādhana. This is a mature stage in the journey of a spritual aspirant. Aren't we really lucky to have a person like Thyāgarāja take snapshots of this journey through music !?

Now, let us get to the final, and (in my opinion), the greatest of all the five Pancharathna Kṛthis. This is "Endarō Mahānubhāvulu, andarikī vandanamulu". It means "There are so many great enlightened souls, I bow to all of them."

This is the culmination of spiritual journey.

I pick the rendering of "Endarō Mahānubhāvulu" by the sisters Ranjani & Gāyatri. There are too many great musicians (Mahānubhāvulu) who rendered this in their own inimitable manner. But I have to pick someone, so I pick the most delightful (to my ears). 🙂

What makes this composition extremely challenging to sing is the melody, which flows like a river, suddenly picking up pace at places. The overall beauty of this Rāga needs to be expressed while doing justice to all these nuances. It is a masterpiece. The lyrics are equally good.

The final stage of a spiritual journey (in the Indian imagination) is the lotus. Not just any lotus, but the infinite lotus. I wrote an article to describe the various facets of symbolism of this spiritual fulfillment, achieved as this lotus.
pragyata.com/mag/the-infini…

Thyāgarāja's lyrics refer several times to the lotus, while he recounts the infinite facets of enlightenment, that are already achieved by so many other realized souls. He bows to all of them. This humility, even at the highest peak of enlightenment, is characteristically Indian.

My favorite lyrics are "Saraguna pādamulaku svāntamanu sarōjamunu samarpinchu vāru". They mean "To the lotus like feet of Rāma are offered the very selves of those (enlightened souls), which are lotuses themselves." This recursive image is the perfect expression of enlightenment.

The final stage of spiritual practice is this rare but beautiful vision of the infinite lotus. I hope Thyāgarāja's music may live forever and encourage people to take their own Sādhana seriously.

Endarō mahānubhāvulu, andarikī vandanamulu. 🙏

(End of thread).