TYAGARAJA - UTSAVA SAMPRADAYA KRITIS

Utsava Sampradaya Kritis of Tyagaraja

The concept of adoration of a deity through puja or worship is an age-old tradition in India. There are very clear procedures specified for the process and these can vary from a simple 16 steps to an elaborate 64. The stages involve dhyAna (meditation on the deity), AvAhana (invocation, mostly into a figurine), Asana (offering of a seat), pAdhya (washing the feet), arghya (offering of water), Acamana (purification with water), snAna (bathing), alankAra (offering of sandal, turmeric, vermilion, musk, clothes and jewels), upavIta (offering of sacred thread), arcana (worshipping with flowers), dhUpa (incense), dIpa (lamps), naivEdya (food), tAmbUla (betel leaf), hArati (waving of camphor), chatra (umbrella), cAmara (waving of fan), nritta (offering of dance), gIta (singing), vAdya (playing of instruments), pradakshina (circumambulation), prArthana (prayer), namaskara(salutation), upasthAna (literally a moving away, involving the bidding of farewell to the deity with a prayer that the divinity should return when invoked).

While the process appears involved, the beauty of it is that it can be simplified into worship comprising a small deity fashioned out of a lump of wet turmeric powder with all the offerings simply imagined and represented by akshata (grains of rice mixed with turmeric). It is the devotion and sincerity that matters. Adi Sankara created a unique genre of offering such worship entirely through the mind – a series of mAnasa pUjas, all composed as shlOkas. Thus we have mantramAtrukA puShpamAla stava and the dEvi catusshaShTi upacAra stOtra for the Goddess, mrityunjayamAnasIka pUja for Shiva, bhagavan mAnasa pUja for Vishnu and even a nirguNa mAnasa pUja for a formless Supreme being!

Such worship could also be offered entirely through songs, with variations in the steps and Tyagaraja, among the greatest composers of Carnatic music, created a series of pieces in which he offered daily worship to Rama, his favourite deity. These are classified as Utsava Sampradaya Kritis and are twenty-four in number, not inclusive of a cUrNika which is a free flowing verse that describes the glory of Vishnu. This album offers a selection from this genre.

hEccarikkagA rArA (yadukula kAmbOji) invokes Rama and requests him to rise with caution and joyously descend the gem-studded steps of his throne. As the Gods and sages led by Indra and Sanaka respectively, offer their prayers, Rama, with his golden crown and earrings flashing, the garlands and necklaces on his chest swaying and his anklets tinkling, walks in for Tyagaraja’s worship. On seeing him, the parrot that is held by Parvati (here depicted as Rama’s sister), breaks happily into speech and extols his virtues. The song is sung in a slow gait, set in the heavy yadukula kAmbOji raga, thereby invoking an image of a majestic ruler walking through his court.

The next stage is usually gowri kalyANamu which describes the glory of the deity’s wedding. The song that Tyagaraja composed for this is sItA kalyANa vaibhOgamE (shankarAbharaNam), which is heard often in weddings and on auspicious occasions. Then follows nalangu, which is a ritual that follows a wedding. The bridal pair is seated and offered songs. Tyagaraja has composed two songs – nagumOmu galavAni (madhyamAvati) and nA pAli shrI rAma (shankarAbharNam). In the latter, Tyagaraja adds the word nIku nalugu bETTErO (I offer nalugu (nalangu) to you). The song expresses Tyagaraja’s desire to worship Rama’s sacred feet. The nalangu is followed by nalangu mangaLam – benedictory verses sung at the end of the nalangu ceremony. Tyagaraja has composed two songs, both with beginning with the words jaya mangaLam, one in ghaNTa and the other in nAdanAmakriya.

The next stage is hArati. There are two songs, patiki hAratIrE (suraTi) and patiki mangaLa hAratI rE (Arabhi) for this. In keeping with the offering of a bright camphor flame, the song is full of light imagery. It sings of Rama, the emerald hued one being seated on the golden snake, in the company of his consort Sita who is as bright as a flash of lightning. Royal women stand on either side, their faces illumined by the light flashing from their bullaqs (nose ornaments). The sun, the moon and other deities crowd in to see this worship.

shObanam, which prays for the long life of the deity follows. The song shobhAnE (pantuvarALi) describes the glories of the Lord as though listing out the reasons as to why he should live long. He is depicted as the protector of sages, the vanquisher of the arrogant, the refuge for the weak and the destroyer of all evils.

pavvaLimpu is the phase where the deity is lulled to sleep. In pUla pAnpu mIda (Ahiri), Tyagaraja invokes an image of a ruler preparing himself for rest. He requests Rama to partake of a preparation made with honey, sugar and thickened milk, accept betel leaves with several spices bound up in them, anoint himself with fragrances and perfumes, wear floral garlands and then recline on a bed made of jasmine flowers. Of the same variety is baDalika dIra (rItigauLa) which asks Rama to get rid of his fatigue by sleeping well. The song has the entire Ramayana given in brief. It is almost as though Tyagaraja is telling a bed time story to his favourite deity.

The gentle rocking of the deity on a swing is called lAli. The bulk of the Utsava Sampradaya kritis comprises songs for this ceremony. Most of them are in soothing ragas such as nIlAmbari, sahAna, kEdAra gauLa and Ananda bhairavi. This is followed by a lullaby (jO jO rAma in rItigauLa). The two songs featured here are lAli lAlIyani (harikAmbOji) and uyyAla lUgavayya (nIlAmbari). Both sing of the greatness of Rama. The second song depicts the deity as reclining in a gem-studded pavilion listening to the royal ladies singing.