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ThiruvahIndhrapuram RathnAngi Kaimkaryam series: Part 50: Jayantha SrI Raaga krithi of Saint ThyagarAja SwamigaL: Part I

From the Bhakti List Archives

Sadagopan • April 18, 2003 


Dear BhakthAs of  SrI Raamachandra! 

Today , we will enjoy the moving dhainyOkthi krithi of 
Saint ThyagarAjA set in the Raagam Jayantha SrI and DesAdhi
TaaLam . This krithi has been made famous by many  Naadhasvara 
VidvAns of the past . As the processional deity is taken around
the Raaja Veedhis of dhivya desams , the high pitched naadham
of the plaintive appeal of ThyagarAja Swamigal housed in this
krithi makes us take his side and propells us to wonder why
the most compassionate Lord would cause such a pain to His
dear BhakthA through His neglect or absent mindedness.

Before we get in to the description of the mind set of Swaamigal 
during the time of the avathAram of these DhainyOkthi krithis , 
let us have some general comments about the mood of 
DhainyOkthi (Dheena janam's ukthi= the speech of the meek 
and powerless or wronged one) .Great BhakthAs of the Lord 
from AzhwArs to ThyAgarAja  SwamigaL have uttered
these dhainyOkthis during their anubhavam of the Lord.

DhainyOkthi is the mood of the Bhaktha (SanchAri BhAvam), 
who laments pitifully (dhIna's Aakranthanam) about the Lord's  
abandonment and plaintive plea for His anugraham and protection . 
Some times , the plaintive pleading would include request for
pardon of earlier transgressions . This dhainyOkthi plea  
will be tender usually and some times , it will be taunting and 
will tightly question the Lord to account for the justification
for such an abandonment and neglect . Some times , it will seek
the Lord's understanding and ask him to spare such humiliation
before friends and relatives.It will movingly  remind
the Lord about BhakthA's desolation and helplessness
as a result of the Lord's utter neglect and its devastating 
consequences.Some times , the appeal will be couched
in the mood of utter bewilderment over the Lord's neglect
and indifference . Such a dhainyOkthi monolog with the Lord 
will ask Him to reveal the source of the information 
that made the Lord become disintersted in the bhakthan.

This dhainyOkthi mood in the case of ThyagarAja  SwamigaL 
will let him say:

" The times are such that the people of Kali yugam
have genuine doubts whether You are indeed powerful 
enough to do the things like Bhaktha Rakshanam and
Anugraham that You as the Lord of the Universe have 
vouched to offer to Your BhakthAs". 

For instance in the SourAshtra Krithi,
" Raama Raama Govindha rakshincchu Mukhundha" ,
Swamigal taunts the Lord in this mood of DhainyOkthi:

" Kaliyuga Manujulu neeku mahAthmayamu kaladhu lEdhani 
  kAlamAyEga" 

In this mood , ThyagarAja SwamigaL would some times
threaten to leave the side of His Lord since the indifference
was too much to bear (Very similar to Swamy  NammAzhwAr's 
paasuram , where Paraankusa Naayaki chases the  Lord away from 
Her presence because of His neglect and "deciet":

pOhu Nambee! unn thAmarai-kkaNNinayum sevvAy muRuvalum 
aakulangaL seyya azhitaRkkE nOrrOmE yaamm?

kazharEl Nambee! Unn kaitthavam maNNum viNNUm nakaRiyum
--ThiruvAimozhi: 6.2.2 and 6.2.5


(meaning): Oh my ideal love! yes, clear out of here. 
Go away from my presence. Your lotus like eyes and 
red mouth with a  smile resembling a beautiful flower
is torturing me to extinction.Oh my ideal beau! enough
talking ! All the worlds know Your deception . 

After saying harsh words like this  , Swamigal as always 
will turn around quickly and declare most sincerely that 
there is no use to his life without the true love for 
the name of the Lord and devotion to His sacred feet . 
He will question the worth of one, who does not turn 
his mind to the Lord and meditate on Him:

"Raamachandra nee naamamanthu nija prEmalEni BrathukEmi ?
 santhathamBhu tana yantharamBhuna nee chintha lEnivaa DEntha?"
--VaraLi Krithi: Paahi ParamAthama Sathatham mAm .

Some times in the mood of DhainyOkthi , SwamigaL
would invoke the most merciful SitA Devi as the pleader
of his case with Her husband as in the SaavEri Raaga Krithi:

" SrI Raama Raama Raama SeethA-hrujjaladhi sOma! 
  nee paadhamula bhakthi niNDAruga nOsagi kApADu;
  naa pApammEpADi Raama ?" 

Oh Raamachandra , the Moon for the ocean of Sita Devi !
Please listen to my plea and assure me deep bhakthi 
to Your sacred feet and protect me from this samsAric
afflictions. For a  great  warrior like You , my sins
are nothing to destroy. 

SwamigaL in the middle of his dhainyOkthi will restate
his MahA VisvAsam in the Lord and His dhivya Naamams:
  
"neevE dhaivamani nera namminAnu
 Deva neethu naamamE namminAnu"
--6th CharaNam of SaavEri Raaga krithi : jE jE SrrthArAma , 
jE jE RaghurAma 

(meaning): Oh RaghurAmA ! I have firmly  believed in You
being the Supreme Lord and have solely relied on Your holy
name for my redemption.

In another dhainyOkthi krithi set in Raaga Soolini,
SwamigaL will plead intensively for the Lord of his 
soul to rush to him and protect him( PrANanAtha!
BirAna BhrOvavE). 

additional expressions of moving DhainyOkthi krithi
passages are:

1. KsheerasAgara-Sayana! nannu chinthala BeDDa BhalEnaa? Raama!
   ( Oh Lord resting on the milky ocean! Oh Raamachandra!
     Should You subject me uch worries about your coming to
     my protection )... DevaghAndhAri Krithi

2. Raama! neevEghAni nannu-rakshimchuvaa revvarE?
   (Oh Raama! except You , who is there to protect me ?)
   ---NaarAyaNi Raaga krithi

3. Krupa jUchuDaku vELarA Raama !
   ( Oh Raama! This is indeed the time for You 
     to show me Your mercy)..ChAya TarangaNI Raaga  krithi.

4. marugElarA? Oh Raaghava!(Why hide Yourself from me ?)
   ---Jayantha SrI Raaga Krithi

In the next posting , adiyEn would cover the meanings 
of the above Jayantha SrI DhainyOkthi Krithi .

Please enjoy the darsana soubhAgyam of SrI HemAmbhuja Naayaki 
SamEtha SrI DevanAtha PerumAl of ThiruvahIndhrapuram for whom 
this NoothanaAabharaNam of RathnAngi is being created by 
Master gold smiths from KeraLa. The Silver base kavacham
for the Lord has been made.The work on the embellishing of
the gold on Silver and the inlay of nava rathnams will 
start soon with availability of  additional funds : 

http://www.ramanuja.org/sv/temples/tiruvahindrapuram/index.html 

Please support his Kaimakryam for Lord DevanAthan and
Thank You all ! 

YentharO MahAnubhAvulu anthariki Vandhanamu,
SrI DevanAtha CharaNou Saranamaham PrapadhyE,
Daasan , Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri Sadagopan    




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