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Part 2
3. The cAmuNDa ASTOttara shata kIrtanams
The group, known by the name,
cAmuNDASTOttarashata kIrtanams, is a collection of 115 kIrtanams,
composed by Muthaih BhAgavatar on Goddess cAmuNDEshvari. The series
begins with six benedictory songs (forming a sort of preface to the work),
followed by 108 songs on cAmuNDA dEvi (the main theme), and
aptly concluding with a ma"ngala kIrtanam in the auspicious rAgam
vasanta. The series starts off with a kIrtanam in rAgam
malahari, on Lord gaNEsha. This is followed by prayers to Goddess
sarasvati (rAgam asavEri), Lord shiva of mahAbalagiri
(shrine adjacent to the cAmuNDEshvari temple on the same hill) (rAgam
sAra"nga), then a prayer to Lord viSNu (rAgam kIravANi), one
to guru (rAgam puSpalata), and finally the sixth one to Lord
A~njaneya (rAgam ce~ncuruTTi). In each of them he prays to the
particular deity to give him strength and energy, and seeks their blessings
for the success of the project of the 108 songs he is attempting to compose.
For the main work, the 108 kIrtanams on
cAmuNDA, he was naturally guided by the cAmuNDASTOttarashatanama
stOtram mentioned earlier. Each song he composed uses one of these 108
namAvaLis (names) of Goddess cAmuNDEshvari from the stOtram,
and invariably, the name appears in the pallavi line itself. A glance
at the Table of Contents of these 108 kIrtanams clearly reveals all
these 108 names from the stOtram. For example, the nAmAvaLi "shri
nishuMbhashuMbhadhamanyai nama.h" of the stOtram is nicely
captured in the pallavi line "nirAmayE nira~njane
nishuMbhashuMbhadhamanI" of song No. 49 (in rAgam kuntaLavarAli)
in this series.
The concluding ma"ngaLam song, appropriately
composed in the ma"ngaLa rAgam vasanta, has no anupallavi.
In the pallavi, the composer offers his salutations to Goddess
cAmuNDi, and in the caraNam lines, to gaNEsha, sarasvati, guru,
shiva, the devotees of shiva, and finally to his patron King,
nAlvADI k.rSNarAja.
The group includes some very familiar and often heard
songs such as
Song 9. bhuvanEshvariya
(mOhana kalyAnI)
Song 15. sahasrakaramaNDitE
(vAcaspati)
Song 17. ratnaka~ncukadhAriNi
(kAmbhOji)
Song 22. durgadEvI
(navarasakannaDa)
Song 32. vijayAmbikE
(vijayanAgari)
Song 64 jAlandhara supIThasthe
(valaji)
Song 104 sudhamayI sudhAnidhi
(am.rtavarSiNi)
However, some other popular dEvi k.rtis
composed by Muthiah BhAgavatar such as "himagiri tanayE" (shuddha
dhanyasi), "vA~ncatOnuna" (karNara~njani), "amba vANI"
(kIravAni), "sArasamukhi" (gauDamalhAr), "rAjarAjadhitE"
(nirOSTA) etc do not belong to this group. (In fact, besides the
cAmuNDASTOttarashata group, there are many kIrtanams by Muthiah
BhAgavatar on dEvi in general, including a few in particular, on
Goddess cAmuNDi)
3.1 The structure of the compositions
The songs are all simple in structure with a short
pallavi consisting of a line (and rarely two), comprising of two to three
chosen phrases, sometimes even one phrase. Here are some examples of
complete pallavi lines.
No. 97 --- catu.hSaStyupacArADhyE (one
phrase)
No. 98 --- yOginIgaNasEvitE (one phrase)
No. 28 --- jayAdEvi jaganmAtE (two
phrases)
No. 47 --- jvalajjihvE jvAlamukhI (two
phrases)
No. 41 --- tAyE bhavAni salahau (three
phrases)
No. 18 --- gaNEsha skanda jananI
gandharvagAna vinOdinI
No. 20 --- umE ninagE samAna rArammA
uragEndrabhUSaNi shrImAtE
The anupallavis are again short
spreading over a line or two, but slightly longer than the corresponding
pallavi lines. The caraNams usually consist of four short and
proportionate lines. However, every 10th song (10, 20, … ,90,
100), and the last one (108th song) have two caraNams of
equal length, each of a special uniform structure. In all these eleven cases,
the two caraNams are long and look almost identical. The first one
describes various attributes of the Goddess, and is a sincere prayer to
Goddess. The second one also is addressed to Goddess, but the attributes are
either as prayers to Goddess to protect the King, or it refers to Goddess as
the one who is worshipped by the King nalvADi k.rSNarAja. This clever gesture
serves as a pOSaka mudra (signature of the patron). The phrases
employed in caraNam 2 describing the qualities of the patron King are
obtained by slightly altering a few syllables here and there from the
descriptions of Goddess in caraNam 1. Here is a typical illustration
of this situation from Song No. 20 "umE ninagE samAnarArammA' (rAgam shrI).
caraNam 1
arNava
nibha gAmbhIrya guNAla"nk.rtE karNAvatamsa nIlOtpalayutE
karNAmta
rAjita ratna tATa"nkE varNita lAvaNyAmbu nidhAnE
svarNavasanE shubhakari salahau shashi cUDa parama harikEsha
rUpiNi
suparNa vAhana sahOdari sha"nkari parvatarAjakumAri pavAni
caraNam 2
arNava
nibha gambhIrana dhIrana karNAvatAra cAmarAjEndra tanayana
karNATaka
bhOja kamanIya janakana varNita nAlvaDi k.rSNa rAjEndrana
svarNa
vasanE shubhakari salahau shashi cUda parama harikEsha
rUpiNi
suparNa vAhana sahOdari sha"nkari parvata rAjakumAri pavAni
Each song is decorated with beautiful ciTTa svarams
at the very end. Some of these ciTTa svarams exhibit nice features. In
song No. 13 in shubhapantuvarALi, the ciTTa svarams appear like
a "srOtovAha yati"
n d p m
r s n d p m
g r s n d p m
m g r s n d p m
Again, the ciTTa svara passage in first song "sampat
pradE" (kalyANi) is palindromic in construction, like the
phrase "vi ka ta ka vi" that can be read forward and reverse order
identically:
; , m p d d n n s n d p | m g r s | n d p m | g
r s n | d p g r ||
s n d p m g g m p d n s r g p d | n s r g | m p
d n | s r g m |
p d n s | n n d d p m ||
Incidentally, the ciTTa svara passage in
Muttusvami dIkSitar's "kamalAmbam bhaja re" in kalyANi
(as given in the "sa"ngIta sampradaya pradarshini") exhibits this type
of palindromic construction.
3.2 Usage of kannaDa language
All these 115 songs are in kannaDa language. But, one
needs only a handful of kannADa phrases to understand their meaning. In each
song, we find only a word or two in kannADa (usually the verb form) sprinkled
amidst a host of Sanskrit names in sambodhanA vibhakti describing
various attributes of the Goddess. The phrases "salahau", "pAlisau"
(please protect me, save me) etc., are frequently used. The songs No. 3 "srImat
simhAsanEshvari" (shudda sAvEri), song no. 36, "jaya
mahiSAsuramardini" (rAgam hamsadhvani) and song No. 96, "simhavAhanE
ambA" (rAgam simhavAhini) use no kannaDa phrase at all, whereas
the song No; 1, "sampatpradE" (rAgam kalyANi), and song No. 9, "bhuvanEshvariya"
(rAgam mOhanakalyANi) have many kannaDa phrases. Song No.1 "sampatpradE"
has the phrases" salahennanu" (please protect me) in the pallavi
line, and all the phrases in the anupalllavi are in kannaDa, The
anupallavi reads: "sompAda ninna suguNAvaLiya imba baNNipE indIvarAkSi"
(Oh! IndIvarAkSi! How do I describe the countless good qualities of
yours ?). The caraNam of that song has no kannaDa phrase at all.
Simplicity of expression is the vital point in all
these compositions. We do not find intricate details, lengthy word constructs
in Sanskrit, or lofty philosophical ideas that are often found in muttusvAmi
dIkSitar compositions. Nor do we find elaborate sa"ngatis, or
bhakti-laden outpours to the Almighty, usually found in tyAgarAja
k.rtis. Each kIrtanam of Muthiah BhAgavatar consists of a few
chosen nAmAvaLis of Goddess, with a simple plea to Her to protect him.
Since the usage of kannaDa is very minimal (mostly in verbal form), the
meaning of each song is pretty straightforward, and hence a word for word
meaning of the songs seems unnecessary.
Typical illustrations of the simplicity in these songs
can be seen from the following two kIrtanams, one in the rAgam
Urmika, and the other in the mELarAgam vanaspati.
Song
No. 48. kALarAtrisvarUpiNi
rAgam:
UrmikA (57) tAlam: Adi
pallavi
kALarAtri
svarUpiNi ambA
anupallavi
kALi
karALi kapAlini shUlini
kALA~njananibhE kALAhibhUSaNi
caraNam
ruNDa
mAlAla"ngk.rtE
rudra
tOSita tANDava paNDitE
caNDi
dEvEndrArcitE salahau
caNDa
hara harikEsha bhAmini
Song
No. 99. vanadurgE vanaspati
rAgam:
vanaspati (4) tAlam: rUpakam
pallavi
vanadurgE
vanaspati mahArAj~ni mAta"ngi
anupallavi
dinapa
shikhIndu lOcanE dInajanAvanE
caraNam
paramArtha sukha sArE
pApa
vidAriNi dhIrE
harikEshapura sadanE
hari
sannutE salahau
The only kannaDa phrase found in these
two song is "salahau" (please protect), and all other phrases are
descriptions of various attributes of the Goddess --- ambA,
kALarAtrisvarUpiNi, kALi, ruNDamAlAla"mk.rtE, vanadurgE, mata"ngi, and so
forth, and finishing with the phrase "harikEsha bhAmin, harikEshapura
sadanEi", which serve as the composer's mudra (signature).
3.3 Influence of lalitA sahasranAmastOtram
Since the "cAmuNDASTOttarashatanAma stotram"
itself was greatly influenced by its predecessor, the "lalitA sahasranAmam",
we find this influence transferred in Muthiah BhAgavatar's kIrtanams as
well. Some of his pallavi lines are the exact lines borrowed from the
lalitA sahasranAmam. Here is a partial list of phrases from lalitA
sahasranamam that have been incorporated in this group of
compositions. Most of these appear in the pallavi line itself.
shrImat simhAsanEshvarI (No. 3.)
karA'nguLi nakhOtpanna nArAyaNa dashAk.rtE (No.
26)
sacAmara ramAvAnI savyadakSiNa sevitA (No. 27)
cakrarAja rathArUDhE ( No. 44)
s.r.s.ti sthityantakAriNI (No. 45)
candramaNDala madhyagE (No. 59)
cidagnikuNDa sambhUte (No. 60)
vindhyAcala nivAsinI (No. 61)
kAmesha baddha mA"ngalyE (No. 72)
auDyANApITha nilayE (No. 77)
saccidAnanda vigrahE (No. 84)
shivadUtI (No. 93)
yoginIgaNasEvitE (No. 98)
kadambavanavAsini (No. 101)
cintAmaNi g,rasthitE (No.107)
3.4 sa"ngIta prashamsa / reference to
nAda/svara
As an author who has penned the scholarly musical
treatise, "sa"ngIta kalpadrumam", (a doctoral dissertation), it is no
wonder, Muthiah BhAgavatar has utilized every opportunity to describe Goddess
as an embodiment of sa"ngItam. The entire caraNam of the song "vijayAmbikE"
is devoted to describing Goddess as the symbol of sa"ngItam". In
several songs, Goddess is described as the enjoyer of good quality music and
the sweet melody of the musical instrument, vINa. We find several
phrases in the cAmunDASTottara kIrtanams, where music and "nADa"
has been highly praised. Here are some instances.
3.4.1 Goddess as an enjoyer of good music:
sa"ngItarasa sArAnubhavE (song No. 1, again in
No. 27)
sa"ngItasAramayE (song No. 107)
mahA madhurasa"gIta mOdini (song No. 10, again
No.49, 50)
vInAdi vAdya n.tya gana vinOdini (song No. 22)
raktiyuta sa"ngItamOdini (song No. 23)
saptasvara mAlAla"nk.rtA (song No. 54)
sAmagAna vinOdini (song No. 88)
sa"ngItasArE (song No. 93)
aStAdasha vAdya nAd gAna lOlE ( song No. 45)
bhAva rAga tALayuta bhavya sa"ngItanutE (song
No. 90)
ghananaya
dEshikAdi sa"ngIta ma~njuLa kalAdhIshvari (song No. 30)
maNivINApANi
(song No. 38)
madhuragAna
rasarUpiNi (song No. 37)
3.4.2 nAda
prashaMsa
song no. 7
sharIra
vINege AdiSaDja madhya tArada
shrutiya
trinADiya sUkSma sapta dAtuva
vara
guNa"ngaLunura saiyoLsErisi
sura
varanutE harikEsha niratE nina garpisi
song no.
22
prANAgni
samyOgadi janisida
praNava
nAda sapta svara rUpiNI
vINAdi
vAdya n.rtya gAna vinOdini
song no.
32 (vijayAmbikE)
shruti
svara grAma mUrcanAla"nkAra
nAda
janita rAga rasa bharita sa"ngIta rUpiNi
song no.
58
vEda
janita gAyatri h.rdaya
svarashruti caturvimashati nAda nilayE
To be Continued
