Tyagaraja's composition "maaravairi"

Heard Tyagaraja's composition "Maaravairi ramani" set to the raaga "Naasikaa-bhushani" yesterday. It triggered a train of random thoughts as I travelled by bus this morning. Capturing it here.....

Unique features of this composition:

This is one of the few compositions  attributed to Tyagaraja in Sanskrit. The rest are in Telugu. Predominantly, Tyagaraja's compositions are on Lord Rama. This kriti, for a change, is on Goddess Parvati, known as "Dharma-samvardhini", the deity at Tiruvaiyaru, Tamil Nadu.

http://www.templenet.com/Tamilnadu/s050.html

Also, it is in a rare raaga called Naasikaabhushani.

Naasikaa-bhushani raaga:

In the 72 melakarta scale of Carnatic music, which categorizes raagas with all 7 notes,  Naasikaa-bhushani's position is 70. Naasikaabhushani is a complex "vivaadi" raaga with the "vivaadi swara", Shatshruti Rishabham. What makes this raaga sound entirely different is this swara "Ri" (Rishabham). This point is important for our discussion as we will see later.

Raagas are also classified with a different scale popularly referred to as the "Dikshitar scale". In this scale, a different naming convention is used where this raaga is called "Naasaa-mani".

What does Naasikaa-bhushani mean and why is the raaga chosen here:

Both Naasikaa-bhushani and Naasaa-mani mean the same. It refers to an "ornament for the nose"- typically a nose-ring. However, there is an extended meaning that needs to be considered here.

The shruti has a popular statement- yasya nishvasitam vedaah.... meaning the vedas are the Lord's breath. Hence, if God is personfied as a human being, the breath in His/Her nostrils contains the wisdom of the vedas. Hence, naasika-bhushani or nose-ornament can very well refer to the vedas too.

Next.... since this kriti is on Goddess "dharma-samvardhini", a little analysis is needed on this epithet. The "one who contributes to the growth of dharma" would be a fair translation of "dharma-samvardhini".

Dharma is a loaded word with several connotations. A simple meaning would be a lifestyle based on vedic vidhi (Dos) and vedic nisheda (Don'ts). Hence, dharma can be loosely translated as a lifestyle in keeping with the message of the Vedas.

Now, we can tie the choice of the raaga with this song on "dharma-samvardhini". Since the Goddess promotes growth of dharma, meaning a vedic lifestyle, it is apt that the raaga chosen should also have the meaning of "vedas". Hence, Naasikaa-bhushani (veda) is a fitting raaga that Tyagaraja has chosen here for this kriti on the Goddess dharma-samvardhini (one who upholds a vedic lifestyle).

The rishabha swara:

As we saw, the "Ri" (rishabha) is the predominant swara (jeeva-swara) of Naasikaa-bhushani raaga. If we look at the keertana, it abounds in "ra/ri" sounds. "Maara", "vairi", "ramani", "krura", "vaaranaari", "gauri", "vaarana", "varadey", "dharma", "vardhini", "raaja". It's almost as if Tyagaraja wanted to emphasize the "rishabha" swara through the sahitya itself! (Of course, not all of them are swaraaksharas (where swara and letter coincide), but the repetition of ra-kaara is undeniable.)

Dharma vs kaama:

We need to take a little diversion here to understand kaama- (desire) because the song has many references to it.

What prevents a person from following a life of values or a life of dharma is Arjuna's question to Lord Krishna in the Geeta (chapter 3). Krishna gives a simple answer- Kaama esha, Krodha esha... meaning inordinate desire is the cause.

This needs a little explanation. Desire itself is never condemned in the scripture. "Dharma-aviruddho bhuteshu kaamosmi" is Krishna's statement in the Geeta itself- meaning "I am the very desire in every human being which is truly a blessing, provided it is not opposed to the norms of society (dharma)."

Thus, when scripture says that desire is a curse, it has to be qualified with the clause: "that desire which is opposed to acceptable norms of right living- is a problem, otherwise, it is perfectly fine".

It is this unhealthy desire which consumes a person and prevents him from following a life of dharma.

Since this kriti is on goddess Dharma-samvardhini (dharma based living), Tyagaraja toes Lord Krishna's line and emphasises kaama as a hurdle that needs to be overcome. Hence, the many references to kaama in this composition.

With this introduction, we now come to the kriti proper:

pallavi

maaravairi ramani manju bhaashini

anupallavi

krura daanavebha vaaranaari gauri

charanam

karma bandha vaarana nishkaama chitta varadey

dharmasamvardhani sadaa vadana haasey

Tyagaraaja shubha phaladey

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zIwzRFp2TiI

Maara-vairi ramani-

Maara is another name for kaama, cupid or "Manmatha". Vairi means enemy.

Taken together, it refers to Lord Shiva who was provoked by Manmatha and in anger reduced Manmatha to ashes in the popular mythological story.

Ramani is beloved. Putting the three words together, it refers to Goddess Parvati, Shiva's beloved.

"Kaama" is a better known word and could have been chosen too. Why Maara which is an uncommon word ? Tyagaraja keeps the rishabha swara of the raaga in mind and prefers maara to create the effect of alliteration.

Another aside point- Tyagaraja is Lord Rama's bhakta. It looks as if even when he wants to compose a song on a different deity, he just cannot avoid the letters "ra" and "ma". Hence, "ma-ra" and "ra-ma-ni"!

We have already seen the reason why kaama-vairi or maara-vairi is brought in as the opening statement. Dharma and kaama are opposed to each other. Hence, in keeping with Her name in this keertana as Dharma-samvardhini, She is rightly referred to as "kaama-vairi's beloved".

manju-bhaashini- The Goddess who speaks sweetly.

Because the raaga is "bhushani", "bhaashini" is a word used here which has a similar sound.

Another related point- Yogasya prathamam dwaaram vaang nirodhah is a popular statement. The word vaang nirodhah is normally translated as "speech control", but "speech mastery" is a better reading. "Soonrtaa vaak (sweet speech)" is emphasised in several places in scripture. In effect, the above quote says that to lead a life of yoga or dharma, the first step is to speak well! It is apt that the Goddess Dharma-samvardhini should be praised as one speaks sweetly.

In a way, it also points the way to a dharmic life- first and foremost, learn to speak nicely!

krura-daanavebha vaaranaari gauri-

Hey Gauri, you are vaarana ari- enemy of the elephant i.e. the lion.

Krura-daanava-ibha- Cruel elephant like demons.

Hey Gauri, may you be like a lion and destroy the elephant-like demons. Mythology may have several references to asuras with elephant heads, but in keeping with the context, the elephant has to be connected to kaama again. Binding desire is often personified as an unruly elephant in scripture because it is so powerful and destroys everything in its wake. Many Gods carry an "ankusham" (elephant prod) as a weapon to remind us that our elephant-like desires can be controlled should we surrender to Him/Her who carries an ankusham and brings the desire to book.

kaama bandha vaaraṇa niṣhkaama chitta varadey

kaama bandha vaarana- Spelt out clearly here- the one who is an obstacle to those bound with desire.

nishkaama chitta varadey- The one who bestows all goodness (varadey) to nishkaama chitta, to those whose minds (chitta) are free from binding desire.

dharma saṃvardhani sadaa vadana haasey

Here comes the reference to the Goddess "Dharma Samvardhini" at the temple in Tiruvaiyaru, Tamil Nadu.

sadaa vadana haase - The one who always has a pleasing and smiling face.

Indirectly, it also conveys that a lifestyle aligned to dharma will bestow "sukha" and keep a person happy and smiling.

tyaagaraaja shubha phaladey

Saint Tyagaraja's "mudra" appears in the song and he prays to the Mother to bestow him with shubha, i.e. auspiciousness. Shubha can include all "good" things in the material world, good mind, good health and of course moksha i.e. spiritual benefit too.

May we too pray to the Goddess  for a mind (chitta) condusive to right living (dharma) and acquire the benefit (shubha) thereof.

P.S: Shiva at the temple of Tiruvaiyaru is known as "pancha-nadishwara": Lord of the five rivers. I recently chanced upon the information that the five rivers refers to the tributaries of the River Kaveri which form a network around Tiruvaiyaru.

Water is called "aapah" in Sanskrit. Many people in this part of Tamil Nadu have the name "Panchaapakeshan"- "pancha-aapah-kesh" (five-water-hair)..meaning... "from whose hair, the five rivers originate". For the longest time, I was under the impression that the name refers to Lord Shiva as the Lord of the Himalayas from where the five rivers Beas, Satluj, Ravi, Chenab and Jhelum originate. The state of Punjab obviously gets its name from "pancha-aapah" because these rivers flow through the state and eventually join the Indus. 

Now, given this information about Tiruvaiyaru, it looks as if the grand-uncles and great-grandfathers of yesteryears who sported names like Panchapakeshan in the South may actually be referring to rivers closer to their backyard! Panchapakeshan would often be truncated to "Panchapi" in conversation. When some of these blokes migrated from Tamil Nadu and found jobs in Delhi and Ludhiana, they even gave their long winding name a re-spin and called themselves stylishly "Punjab-kesh!" or even "Punjabi!" I guess people in the North might have found it amusing to find their "Punjab-kesh" or "Punjabi" brethren... clean-shaven and bald (no kesh!), wearing a "veshti" (no kurta-pyjama uniform), eating Idli-dosa with their hands and speaking of all languages... Tamil!!

We now know the reason! Who said Punjab is in the North or in Pakistan ? We have a Punjab in Tiruvaiyaru!!