तुम बिन कौन लेत खबर मोरी

An enjoyable rendering, and a powerful appeal to God, of a Shivranjani composition of only four lines of lyrics. Rough translation:

"Who else is concerned about me,
You are the lord — Swami — of everyone, in everyone.
My boat is stuck in a vortex
Please get me out to a shore, God."

ಕರುಣಾಕರ ನೀ

This is another composition by ಪುರಂದರದಾಸ that starts off with cynicism [about God], but ends up accepting God with surrender. (The other cynical composition is ಸತ್ಯವಂತರಿಗೆ ಇದು ಕಾಲವಲ್ಲ).

भर दो झोली मेरी

A fervent appeal, as most such appeals are, to God. भर दो झोली is used as a metaphor for achieving unity with God, although in the form of a more mundane gratification.

ಕೃಷ್ಣನಾ ಕೊಳಲಿನಾ ಕರೆ

The mesmerizing sound of Lord Krishna's flute is described through the act of a housewife running towards the source of sound, abandoning the all-important house work ... That the raga ♫भैरवी, or ♫ಸಿಂಧು ಭೈರವಿ, has been chosen to bring out the lyrical essence visualized by the poet, ಪು ತಿ ನ, is noteworthy.

Acknowledgments are due to my dear friend, Alamelu Iyengar, the poet's daughter, for helping me present the correct lyrics. (Disclaimer: If mistakes still exist, you can attribute them to me, the blog post author).

सुमिरण कर ले मेरे मना

A moving rendering of the Guru Nanak composition by Pt. Jasraj. The Guru exhorts:

"Meditate on the Lord, Oh my mind,
Otherwise, your life will be over without the Lord's name."

The first video (1988) is a concert to present, along with Smt. M S Subbulakshmi, Mahatma Gandhi's favorites. This particular number starts at 10:15 in the video.

There is another rendering (2004) Pt. Jasraj has provided along with Kavita Krishnamurthy and Dr. L. Subramanian.

ರಾಮ ರಾಮ ರಾಮ ಸೀತಾ ರಾಮಾ ಎನ್ನಿರೋ

This post is as reminiscent as it can get: I first heard the song when I was a high school student in Bangalore. It was very memorably rendered by one of my classmates during an 'Arts' class.

Recently, my music teacher suggested that this may be a good song for my collection.

I have excerpted a few lines from another blog post, ರಾಮ ರಾಮ ರಾಮ ಸೀತಾರಾಮ; this subset is the same as that chosen by the artist in the video rendering, given below.

ನಾ ನಿನ್ನ ಧ್ಯಾನದೊಳು ಇರಲು ಸದಾ

A devotional composition by ಪುರಂದರದಾಸ.

The lyrics on the web are somewhat conflicting and I have, therefore, not provided any links to transliterations and have provided my own transliteration from listening to Bhimsen Joshi's rendering.

Another ♫दरबारी कानडा feast.

मेरे जनम मरण के साथी

A devotional बंदिश, a Meera Bhajan, composed by Meera Bai, a 16th century, famous, devotee of Lord Krishna. Another ♫दरबारी कानडा feast.

देवन के पति इन्द्रा

A lovely composition by Swathi Thirunal that is designed for Raag ♫दरबारी कानडा, as you will note from the line

राग पति कानडा,

and enumerates all the 'head's of various important life's larger-than-life ingredients.

मनो बुद्धि अहंकार ...

It is an ecstatic treat to listen to Pt. Jasraj render the निर्वाण षटकम्, written by Adi Shankaracharya. I had occasion to attend The Music that Swami Vivekananda Loved today, on the occasion of the 150th birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda, where Pt. Jasraj introduced this song as one that Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa used to sing, and the one that Swami Vivekananda liked.

ಕೃಷ್ಣಾ ನೀ ಬೇಗನೆ ಬಾರೋ

This song is a very popular song in Karnataka, and other parts of India. It captures the cry of a God-seeking person. God is personified as Lord Krishna in this composition.

You will find slight variations in lyrics on the web, but I have provided here my interpretations of Yesudas' rendering.

ನೀ ಮಾಯೆಯೊಳಗೋ, ನಿನ್ನೊಳು ಮಾಯೆಯೋ

Tricky recursive use of words to describe God, by Kanakadaasa.



... ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ...
[ನೀ ಮಾಯೆಯೊಳಗೋ, ನಿನ್ನೊಳು ಮಾಯೆಯೋ] - 2
[ನೀ ದೇಹದೊಳಗೋ, ನಿನ್ನೊಳು ದೇಹವೋ?] - 2

... ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ...
[ಬಯಲು ಆಲಯದೊಳಗೋ, ಆಲಯವು ಬಯಲೊಳಗೋ?] - 2
ಬಯಲು ಆಲಯವೆರಡೂ, ನಯನದೊಳಗೋ? ನಯನದೊಳಗೋ?
[ನಯನ ಬುಧ್ಧಿಯ ಒಳಗೋ, ಬುಧ್ಧಿ ನಯನದ ಒಳಗೋ?] - 2
ನಯನ ಬುಧ್ಧಿಗಳೆರಡೂ ನಿನ್ನೊಳಗೋ, ಕೃಷ್ಣಾ?
... ♫ ♫ ...
ನೀ ಮಾಯೆಯೊಳಗೋ, ನಿನ್ನೊಳು ಮಾಯೆಯೋ
ನೀ ದೇಹದೊಳಗೋ, ನಿನ್ನೊಳು ದೇಹವೋ?

... ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ...
[ಸವಿಯು ಸಕ್ಕರೆಯೊಳಗೋ, ಸಕ್ಕರೆಯು ಸವಿಯೊಳಗೋ?] - 2
ಸವಿಯು ಸಕ್ಕರೆಯರಡೂ ಜಿಹ್ವೆಯೊಳಗೋ? ಜಿಹ್ವೆಯೊಳಗೋ?
[ಜಿಹ್ವೆ ಮನಸಿನ ಒಳಗೋ, ಮನಸು ಜಿಹ್ವೆಯ ಒಳಗೋ?] - 2
ಜಿಹ್ವೆ ಮನಸುಗಳೆರಡೂ ನಿನ್ನೊಳಗೋ, ಕೃಷ್ಣಾ?
... ♫ ♫ ...
ನೀ ಮಾಯೆಯೊಳಗೋ, ನಿನ್ನೊಳು ಮಾಯೆಯೋ
ನೀ ದೇಹದೊಳಗೋ, ನಿನ್ನೊಳು ದೇಹವೋ?

... ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ...
[ಕುಸುಮದಲಿ ಗಂಧವೋ, ಗಂಧದಲಿ ಕುಸುಮವೋ?] - 2
ಕಸುಮ ಗಂಧಗಳೆರಡೂ ಆಘ್ರಾಣದೊಳಗೋ? ಆಘ್ರಾಣದೊಳಗೋ?
[ಅಸಮಭವ ಕಾಗಿನೆಲೆಯಾದಿಕೇಶವರಾಯ] - 2
ಉದುರೆಲ್ಲೆನಳವಲ್ಲ ಎಲ್ಲ ನಿನ್ನೊಳಗೊ, ಕೃಷ್ಣಾ
... ♫ ♫ ...
ನೀ ಮಾಯೆಯೊಳಗೋ, ನಿನ್ನೊಳು ಮಾಯೆಯೋ
ನೀ ದೇಹದೊಳಗೋ, ನಿನ್ನೊಳು ದೇಹವೋ?
ನೀ ಮಾಯೆಯೊಳಗೋ, ನಿನ್ನೊಳು ಮಾಯೆಯೋ
ನಿನ್ನೊಳು ಮಾಯೆಯೋ, ನಿನ್ನೊಳು ಮಾಯೆಯೋ

विष्णु सहस्रनाम स्तोत्रम् - Stanza 1

ॐ विश्वं विष्णुर्वषट्कारो भूतभव्यभवत्प्रभुः |
भूतकृत भूतभ्रृद्भावो भूतात्मा भूतभावनः || 1 ||

Attribution, for Sanskrit parsing & translation:
Swami Chinmayananda. Vishnu Sahasranama: Thousand Ways to the Transcendental. Chinmaya Mission, 1989, 266 pages.

---

1. विश्वं- He, whose manifestation is the entire universe (विश्वं) ...
2. विष्णुः - ... That which pervades everywhere is Vishnu ...
3. वषट्कारः - ...
4. भूत-भव्य-भवत-प्रभुः- ... Lord(प्रभुः) of Past (भूत), the Future (भव्य), and the Present (भवत) ...
5. भूतकृत्- ... Creator (कृत्) of all creatures (भूत) ...
6. भूतभ्रृत्- ... who nurtures ... all living creatures ...
7. भावः- ...
8. भूतात्मा- The very 'Be' (आत्मा) in all living beings (भूत) ...
9. भूतभावनः- ...

---

 

ನೀ ಸಿಗದೇ ಬಾಳೊಂದು ಬಾಳೇ, ಕೃಷ್ಣಾ

An honest cry, it seems, of a humble person to seek God.

अल्लाह तेरो नाम, ईश्वर तेरो नाम

This song brings out the secular nature of God, although only two forms of God are mentioned here:

1. Allah of the Muslim faith, 
2. Eswar of the Hindu faith. 

It also wishes for goodness in the world, in expressing that:

1. Everyone be blessed with good mind
2. Wives not lose their husbands. (This is probably a reflection of the time; women tended to be more dependent on men those days than nowadays).
3. Mothers' and sisters' not fulfilling their hopes
4. Life not be stifled by a [weak] body
5. Everyone be blessed with knowledge of God

The foregoing is nothing but an elaboration of another well-known Sanskrit phrase, वसुदैव कुटुम्बकं, or "The whole world is one family".

Above all, it is a beautiful rendering by the incomparable Lata Mangeshkar.

वैष्णव जन तो ...

No collection of songs would be complete if the most favorite bhajan of Mahatma Gandhi were not included. October 2 is Mahatma Gandhi's birthday. The song goes on to define what a Vaishnav, i.e., a liberated one, is by elaborating on various characteristics of such an individual.

Since the original lyrics were composed in Gujarati, I won't give the lyrics here, but refer you instead to other web pages through the buttons below.

ज्योत से ज्योत जगाते चलो

The poet writes a very simple set of lyrics to promote universal brotherhood, to suggest actions particularly when we meet the poor, unhappy, under-privileged, etc.

I first heard this song in Kargal, as shown in the map below.


View Larger Map

ಉಳ್ಳವರು ಶಿವಾಲಯವ ಮಾಡುವರು

A simple plea by an ordinary person to appeal to God. A presentation by Vijay Prakash of ' Jai Ho' fame

If you know Kannada, you will appreciate the simplicity of the meaning conveyed in the lyrics. Rough English translation:

Rich people create temple
But, I am a poor fellow
I have nothing to give you, God, except myself:
My feet are the pillars
My body is the temple
My head is the "top ornament"
Even stationary objects providing support — a column — may perish some day
But, for Jangama, for God, there is no perishing, i.e., God is eternal.

It will require a singer like Vijay Prakash to bring out the plea with full force.

(The number starts at about 1:50 in the video clip).

ಕಾಡು ಮಲ್ಲಿಗೆಯೊಂದು ಕಾಡಿನಲಿ ನರಳುತಿದೆ ಬಾಡಿ ಹೋಗುವ ಮುನ್ನ

A lovely metaphor in the form of a flower somewhere in the woods that feels isolated and not appreciated, because it feels that it has not gotten a chance to decorate someone's hairdo. The song appears also to refer to an individual that feels detached from the world, and longs not only to reach God but, at least, to be valued in the world. It is very ably sung by Vijay Prakash of 'Jai Ho' fame.

As you listen to it, you can also feel the pain that the flower might feel ... Glory to the poet who captured the emotion in words, and to the singer who brings the emotion alive.

In this case, it is not necessary for me to create a Kannada transliteration: It is already available on the web.

उसको नहीं देखा हमने कभी

On Mother's Day 2010, it is somewhat appropriate that we take a look at this song I encountered recently. While although मात्र देवो भव is a well known concept ingrained in Indian culture at an early age of a child, this song is a very good and melodious elaboration of that concept.