SRI VARALAKSHMI - ANALYSIS OF THE KRITI

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SRI MUTHUSWAMY DIKSHITULU gari- 

"SRI VARALAKSHMI" KRITI MEANING AND ANAYSIS

Sri Varalakshmi - Kriti Analysis Video

Our connect with this composition....
One of our early memories of childhood was celebrating Sri Varalakshmi Vratam with mom in Sravana masasm.

Along with all the rituals, mom sings 'Sri Varalakshmi namastubhyam' a Sri Raga krithi composed by one of Carnatic Music Trinity, Sri Mudduswamy Deekshitulu (Sri Muthuswamy Dikshitar).

Dikshitar's Kriti structure....
As regular listeners of carnatic music, we can easily identify the kritis of Sri Muthuswamy Dikshitar as his compositions have these unique features.  Of course, his mudra (signature) GURUGUHA is found in all his kritis.

In one word, we call his compositions musical documentation of ancient wisdom and science.

Main features of his compositions...
1.The structure of the composition is very unique - Pallavi, Anupallavi, Charanam with last few lines escalated to duritha gathi.

2.The sahityam or the lyric of the composition feature 3 most important elements (mostly) on the surface   

a. the name of a particular deity or form of God/Goddess,
b. the details of the place/geography where they incarnated,
c. the story/legend of the deity

3.The hidden details that are of deep meaning and higher understanding - the kritis when analysed in a deeper level, reveal the mantra and tantra details of that particular deity - right from choosing the ragam in which the kriti is tuned, the laya to which it is set and the swaraksharas, the inclusion of the name of the ragam associated with the deity highlighted in the composition are just few unique features that we can perceive.

Our knowledge and understanding of these compositions grow as we keep acquiring new views and new information in our life journeys.  Every time, we discover a new thing, a hidden secret and great knowledge from the compositions.

About the composition of the hour SRI VARALAKSHMI
So, here we are today, trying to present to you our analysis and understanding of this wonderful composition 'SRI VARALAKSHMI' that documents the ancient tradition and legend of Varalakshmi Vratam.

Sri Varalakshmi - Sri is the Ragam, Rupakam is the Talam.

Pallavi

Sri Varalakshmi Namastubhyam vasuprade

Sri sarasapade rasapade sapade pade pade

Anupallavi

Bhavaja janaka pranavallabhe suvarnabhe

Bhanukoti samana prabhe bhakta sulable

Sevakajanapalini Srithapankajamalini

Kevalagunasalini Kesavahruthkelini

Charanam

Sravana pournami purvardha sukravaare

charumati prabhrutibhihi pujithaakaare

Devaadi 'guruguha' samarpita manimaya haare

Deenajana samrakshana nipuna kanakadhaare

Bhavanaabheda chature Bharati sannutavare

kaivalya vitarana pare kankshita phalapradakare

Here is the meaning and translation of the composition 

Pallavi

Sri Varalakshmi Namastubhyam 

Pranams to Sri varalakshmi

Vasu prade

'Vasu' means wealth - the giver of wealth

Sri Sarasapade

Saarasam means lotus, pade means feet, the one with lotus feet

rasapade, sa pade, 

delightful feet, kind feet

pade pade

another meaning of 'pade' is again and again

My Pranams again and again to Sri Varalakshmi Devi, who is the giver of the wealth, and whose feet are kind and beautiful like lotus.

Anupallavi

Bhavaja janaka pranavallabhe 

Bhava ja means the one who is born out of thought, that is Brahma and his father is Lord Vishnu.  Pranavallabhe means dearest wife.

suvarnabhe

su means good or gold, varnam means the color or the glow - she glows like gold

Bhanukoti samana prabhe, bhakta sulable

Bhanu is name of Sun, she gleams and glows like crores of suns 

She is so easily accessible/favourable to her devotees 

Sevakajanapalini Srithapankajamalini

She protects and provides for people who worship her 

Kevalagunasalini Kesavahruthkelini

Her nature is so simple and her virtues are so divine, she resides gleefully in the heart of Keshava

My Pranams to the beloved wife of Brahma's father, Lord Vishnu.  To the one who is full of gold and glows like a thousand suns.  She is very kind and is always there for her devotees.  

She protects, provides and wears the lotus garland offered by her devotees, her virtues are so kind and divine, she resides in the heart of Keshava.

Charanam

Sravana pournami purvardha sukravaare

Sravana masam is the name of the telugu month, and this vratam is conducted on the friday that comes prior to the full moon day of this month

charumati prabhrutibhihi pujithaakaare

Varalakshmi Devi was first worshipped by Charumati and her people

Devaadi 'guruguha' samarpita manimaya haare

Varalakshmi Devi was honoured by all the deities including 'Guruguha' that is Subrahmanyeswara Swamy with all the precious gems and jewellery

Deenajana samrakshana nipuna kanakadhaare

She is very efficient in reaching out and protecting the needy and she is the one who showers gold

Bhavanaabheda chature Bharati sannutavare

She is discerning and bright, she is praised by Bharati (Goddess Saraswati)

kaivalya vitarana pare kankshita phalapradakare

She easily distributes kaivalyam (salvation) and grants us whatever results we desire.

Varalakshmi Vratam was first performed by Charumati and her people on the friday that comes before the full moon of Sravana Masam.

All the deities honoured her with precious gems and jewellery including Subrahmanyeswara Swamy.  She is very good and efficient at protecting and providing for the needy.  She showers gold.  She is discerning and bright and is worshipped and praised by Saraswati Devi.

Lets dive into the ANALYSIS

Why SRI?
Sri Muthu Swamy Deekshitar has started this composition with the name of the ragam - SRI.  Sri Varalakshmi Namastubhyam.  It is a tradition to add Sri as a title before taking Gods and Goddesses names.

Sri has also many synonyms in Sanskrit language.  It is used as an honorific, an energy symbol for wealth in Telugu as well as Devanagiri scriptures.

 Sri in Devanagiri script

Sri in Telugu script

And when it comes to Carnatic Music, SRI is a janya ragam of 22nd Melakartha (parent ragam) Kharaharapriya.

U can read more about this ragam here - About Sri Ragam

To compose about Varalakshmi in Sri ragam is very organic and genius at the same time.  As Goddess Lakshmi is called Sri, Siri.

The Talam
This composition is set to rupaka talam (Chapu style) 6 beats in a cycle.

WATCH YOUNG ATUL DEMONSTRATE 'RUPAKA TALAM' ON MRUDANGAM

I wonder if there is a secret behind using a 6 beat talam for this composition - is 6 a secret number to unlimited treasure? Hmm.. According to Nicolas Tesla, if we knew the secret to 3, 6 and 9, we can unlock the treasures of the universe.  SRI is 3 letter, 6 is the talam, and i wonder what is 9?!

A phrase that is so unique...
And when we analyse the line 'Sri Sarasapade Rasapade Sa pade pade pade', it represents the Gopuccha yati - the grammar of Telugu language that represents the tail of the cow - it decreases as it progresses.

So, the phrase -             Sri Sarasapade
then reduced to                    rasapade
and further to                        sa pade
and then                                  pade
                                                pade

it looks like a cow's tail - isnt it :)

Who use a name directly...
And the anupallavi starts with Bhavaja janaka - this phrase tells us a lot about the family, the relationships, the origin of Brahma, the creator.

Bhava ja - the one who was created from a thought/feeling.  In recent discoveries about universe, there came an article saying that the whole universe looks like a huge brain and we all are just thoughts of that huge brain.

So the one who was created by a thought was Brahma, the creator of this universe.  And his father is Lord Vishnu.  And Sri Varalakshmi is his dearest wife.

What is this 'Prana' word doing in immortal divine equation?
It is really a wonder to use the word 'Prana' to describe how dear She is to Him.  This leads to a deeper secret that 'life' or 'prana' is not just something related to us human beings - all the energies, all of the forms are playing their part and living through the life assigned or chosen to them, hmm... too deep!

Not the Lakshmi Devi we know!
And when we go further into the composition, Lakshmi Devi is described as the one full of mercy.  But in real life and popular belief, She is described as rigid, strict, not easy to please, full of rules, etc.  We can observe the same approach when Sri Muthu Swamy Dikshitar composed on 'Rahu' 'Ketu' 'Sani', he describes them as very merciful, calm, easy to please and very giving deities contrary to popular beliefs.  This is what i really really love about his compositions.

The story and legacy of Goddess Varalakshmi and the Vratam
The details of when this vratam is observed is given - and also the first woman who performed the Vratam.  The greatness of Varalakshmi Devi is that she never existed before the times like the other Gods and Goddesses.

She voluntarily graced a noble woman.  A woman who did her duty well, thats all.  She just appeared in her dreams and she herself instructed her on how to worship her.  This really sets her apart from all the traditional Gods and Goddesses.  May be that is the reason why Sri Dikshitar mentions that she was accepted, appreciated and honoured by all the other Gods too.

And may be that is why this form of Mahalakshmi Devi is more into tune with the people who are in need and who are destitute.

A very unique insight about LAKSHMI CONSCIOUSNESS
And immediately in the next line he brings up another virtue of this Goddess - called Bhavanaabheda Chature, a very rare description given to any God/Goddess - the exact word in English for this 'discerning' - which gives us a way to analyse that Lakshmi Consciousness is not just about having money or jewellery or real estate, it is about tasteful, judicious, enlightened way of life.  And to support this thought, he puts a phrase 'Bharati sannutavare' meaning a Goddess who represents knowledge approves, praises and worships her.  Again a bit contradiction to the popular belief that Saraswati and Lakshmi do not go together or do not agree or approve of each other.  This was a completely refreshing approach towards such unserving thought streams.

Showing us musically what the real LAKSHMI Devi is all about!
And finally, a phrase that is so beautiful - 'kaivalya vitarana pare' - meaning she generously gives away salvation - which is the highest purpose of any living being.  Which is toughest and almost unattainable - and this Goddess generously gives away salvation - kaivalyam, the moksham.  And we were thinking that Lakshmi is all about materialism and comforts.

Conclusion...
This is what Sri Muthuswamy Dikshitar does through his compositions - he states facts, his compositions are full of science, wisdom, art, knowledge, healing powers and above all they are genius musical compositions that even though we are not aware of any of the details, we are soothed, healed and enlightened automatically.

Until we dive into another ocean of a composition...


Yours musically
Sushma
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