Pancharatna Kriti
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

The ''Pancharatna kritis'' (transliterated as ''Pañcaratna kṛti'') (
Sanskrit Sanskrit (; attributively , ; nominally , , ) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in South Asia after its predecessor languages had diffused there from the northwest in the late ...
: ''pancha'' "five" + ''ratna'' "gems") are a set of five ''
kriti Kriti may refer to: Art and entertainment * Kriti (music), a format of musical composition typical to Carnatic music * ''Kriti'' (film), a 2016 Hindi-language short film * Kriti TV, Greek TV station People with the name * Kriti Bharti, Indi ...
s'' (songs) in
Carnatic classical music Carnatic music, known as or in the South Indian languages, is a system of music commonly associated with South India, including the modern Indian states of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Kerala and Tamil Nadu, and Sri Lanka. It is o ...
, composed by the 18th-century Indian composer
Tyagaraja Thyagaraja (Telugu: త్యాగరాజ) (4 May 1767 – 6 January 1847), also known as Thyāgayya and in full as Kakarla Thyagabrahmam, was a composer and vocalist of Carnatic music, a form of Indian classical music. Tyagaraja and his ...
. All the ''kritis'', as is the case with almost all of Tyagaraja's compositions, are penned in
Telugu Telugu may refer to: * Telugu language, a major Dravidian language of India *Telugu people, an ethno-linguistic group of India * Telugu script, used to write the Telugu language ** Telugu (Unicode block), a block of Telugu characters in Unicode S ...
, except the first one, which is composed in
Sanskrit Sanskrit (; attributively , ; nominally , , ) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in South Asia after its predecessor languages had diffused there from the northwest in the late ...
. The songs are: " Jagadananda karaka", " Dudukugala Nanne", " Sadhinchene", " Kanakana Ruchira" and " Endaro Mahanubhavulu".


Tyagaraja and the Pancharatna Kritis

Tyagaraja Thyagaraja (Telugu: త్యాగరాజ) (4 May 1767 – 6 January 1847), also known as Thyāgayya and in full as Kakarla Thyagabrahmam, was a composer and vocalist of Carnatic music, a form of Indian classical music. Tyagaraja and his ...
lived in the late 18th century and early 19th century in
Tiruvarur Thiruvarur () also spelt as Tiruvarur is a town and municipality in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is the administrative headquarters of Thiruvarur district and Thiruvarur taluk. The temple chariot of the Thyagaraja temple, weighing and mea ...
in present-day
Thanjavur district Thanjavur District is one of the Districts of Tamil Nadu, 38 districts of the States and territories of India, state of Tamil Nadu, in southeastern India. Its headquarters is Thanjavur. The district is located in the delta of the Cauvery River ...
in
Tamil Nadu Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is a States and union territories of India, state in southern India. It is the List of states and union territories of India by area, tenth largest Indian state by area and the List of states and union territories of India ...
. His compositions are considered to be some of the finest in Carnatic music. Of the five ''Pancharatna Kritis'', four are in Telugu and one in Sanskrit. They are set to music in five
raga A ''raga'' or ''raag'' (; also ''raaga'' or ''ragam''; ) is a melodic framework for improvisation in Indian classical music akin to a musical mode, melodic mode. The ''rāga'' is a unique and central feature of the classical Indian music tradit ...
s:
Nata Nata could refer to: __NOTOC__ Places * Nata, Botswana, a village in Central District of Botswana * Nata, Cyprus, a small village near Paphos, Cyprus * Natá, Coclé, a town and corregimiento in Natá District, Coclé Province, Panama * Natá Di ...
, Gaula,
Arabhi Arabhi or Aarabhi (pronounced ārabhi) is a ragam (musical scale) in Carnatic music (South Indian classical music). It is a ''Janya'' raga (derived scale), whose ''Melakarta'' raga (parent scale, also known as ''janaka'') is '' Shankarabharana ...
,
Varali Varali or Varaali (pronounced varāḷi) is a rāgam in Carnatic music (musical scale of South Indian classical music). It is classified either as the 39th mela kartha raga or as a ''janya'' rāgam (derived scale) of the 39th ''melakarta'' scale ...
and
Sri Shri (; , ) is a Sanskrit term denoting resplendence, wealth and prosperity, primarily used as an honorific. The word is widely used in South and Southeast Asian languages such as Marathi, Malay (including Indonesian and Malaysian), Javanes ...
.


Composition

The ''Pancharatna kritis'' were written in praise of the
Hindu Hindus (; ) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism.Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pages 35–37 Historically, the term has also been used as a geographical, cultural, and later religious identifier for ...
deity
Rama Rama (; ), Ram, Raman or Ramar, also known as Ramachandra (; , ), is a major deity in Hinduism. He is the seventh and one of the most popular '' avatars'' of Vishnu. In Rama-centric traditions of Hinduism, he is considered the Supreme Bein ...
. They are set to ''Adi Tala'' and each
raga A ''raga'' or ''raag'' (; also ''raaga'' or ''ragam''; ) is a melodic framework for improvisation in Indian classical music akin to a musical mode, melodic mode. The ''rāga'' is a unique and central feature of the classical Indian music tradit ...
represents the mood of the song and the meaning of its lyrics. All the ''kritis'' were composed in the style of a
Ragam Tanam Pallavi Ragam Tanam Pallavi (RTP) is a form of singing in Carnatic music which allows the musicians to improvise to a great extent. It is one of the most complete aspects of Indian classical music, demonstrating the entire gamut of talents and the depth ...
(RTP) with the ''charanams'' (stanzas) substituting for the ''kalpana swaras'' (improvisatory passages) in the ''pallavi'' section of the RTP. The ''Pancharatna Kritis'' are: # Jagadananda Karaka (Ragam Natai) # Duduku gala (Ragam Goula) # Sadhinchene (Ragam Arabhi) # Kanakana Ruchira (Ragam Varali) # Endaro Mahanubhavulu (Shree Ragam) The melodic forms of these compositions (Nata, Goula, Arabhi, Varali, Sri) are the five ''Ghana ragas'' of
Carnatic music Carnatic music, known as or in the Dravidian languages, South Indian languages, is a system of music commonly associated with South India, including the modern Indian states of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Kerala and Tamil Nadu, an ...
, also called the ''ghanapanchaka''. These five ragas lend themselves to elaborate improvisations. They are so called because they are suited for playing
tanam {{Use Indian English, date=July 2020 Tanam or Taanam (pronounced tānam) is one of the methods of raga improvisation (''manodharma'') in the Carnatic classical music tradition, suited mainly for vocal, violin and veena. Tanam consists of expa ...
on the
veena The ''veena'', also spelled ''vina'' ( sa, वीणा IAST: vīṇā), comprises various chordophone instruments from the Indian subcontinent. Ancient musical instruments evolved into many variations, such as lutes, zithers and arched harps.< ...
. Nata and Varali are the most ancient of the Carnatic ragas and date back to over a thousand years ago. A particularly difficult musical challenge has been taken up successfully by Tyagaraja in three of these compositions. The raga Naata has a particularly distinctive use of the ''dhaivatam'' note or
swara Svara or swara (Devanagari: स्वर, generally pronounced as ''swar'') is a Sanskrit word that connotes simultaneously a breath, a vowel, the sound of a musical note corresponding to its name, and the successive steps of the octave or '' ...
(A in the C scale of Western classical notes). Tyagaraja has avoided the ''dhaivatam'' completely in the first ''Pancharatna Kriti'' without losing the ''swarupa'', or character, of the ragam. Similarly ''gandharam'' is a note of some beauty in Goula (E in the C scale). Tyagaraja has made minimal use of this note, without losing the character of the ragam. Finally, he avoids ''dhaivatam'' in Sri ragam, again a note that is present in some very characteristic ''sancharas'' (phrases) of this ragam.


Lyrical synopsis


''Jagadānanda kārakā''

In this song, Tyagaraja praises
Ramachandra Rama (; ), Ram, Raman or Ramar, also known as Ramachandra (; , ), is a major deity in Hinduism. He is the seventh and one of the most popular ''avatars'' of Vishnu. In Rama-centric traditions of Hinduism, he is considered the Supreme Being ...
, one of the incarnations of Lord
Vishnu Vishnu ( ; , ), also known as Narayana and Hari, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the supreme being within Vaishnavism, one of the major traditions within contemporary Hinduism. Vishnu is known as "The Preserver" within t ...
. He eulogizes
Ramachandra Rama (; ), Ram, Raman or Ramar, also known as Ramachandra (; , ), is a major deity in Hinduism. He is the seventh and one of the most popular ''avatars'' of Vishnu. In Rama-centric traditions of Hinduism, he is considered the Supreme Being ...
as one who is the cause of all bliss in the universe. This is the only ''Pancharatna Kriti'' that was composed in
Sanskrit Sanskrit (; attributively , ; nominally , , ) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in South Asia after its predecessor languages had diffused there from the northwest in the late ...
. All the other ''kritis'' were composed in
Telugu Telugu may refer to: * Telugu language, a major Dravidian language of India *Telugu people, an ethno-linguistic group of India * Telugu script, used to write the Telugu language ** Telugu (Unicode block), a block of Telugu characters in Unicode S ...
, which was used in the court of the Maratha king Sarabhoji who ruled this area in the 18th century. Rama was Tyagaraja's favorite god. The kriti is set to
Nata Nata could refer to: __NOTOC__ Places * Nata, Botswana, a village in Central District of Botswana * Nata, Cyprus, a small village near Paphos, Cyprus * Natá, Coclé, a town and corregimiento in Natá District, Coclé Province, Panama * Natá Di ...
raga.


''Duḍukugala nannē dora koḍuku brōchurā yentō''

In this second ''Pancharatna Kriti'' composed in
Telugu Telugu may refer to: * Telugu language, a major Dravidian language of India *Telugu people, an ethno-linguistic group of India * Telugu script, used to write the Telugu language ** Telugu (Unicode block), a block of Telugu characters in Unicode S ...
, Tyagaraja lists all the errors he has committed in his life and asks who but Rama could redeem such a sinner. The sins described include: just wandering around as though being satisfied with a full meal, giving sermons to people who are not interested in listening or who do not have the capability to understand, self-styling oneself as a great person, and mistaking the dross for the real thing. He lists four categories of people to whom he has made the claim of greatness; the ignorant, the riff-raff, the low social folk and women. In a play on words, he reproaches those who desire wives and progeny. The kriti is set to
Gowla Gaula or GAULA may refer to: Places * Gaula (Madeira), a civil parish in the municipality of Santa Cruz in the island of Madeira in Portugal * Gaula (Trøndelag) The Gaula is a river that flows through the Gauldal valley in Trøndelag county, ...
raga.


''Sādhinchene ō manasā''

This ''Pancharatna Kriti'' was composed in
Telugu Telugu may refer to: * Telugu language, a major Dravidian language of India *Telugu people, an ethno-linguistic group of India * Telugu script, used to write the Telugu language ** Telugu (Unicode block), a block of Telugu characters in Unicode S ...
and has been set to Arabhi raga. It is written in a playful tone, rich with metaphor and simile without a surfeit of adjectives - all the while arresting the attention of the singers. In this ''kriti'', Tyagaraja sings the greatness of the lord
Krishna Krishna (; sa, कृष्ण ) is a major deity in Hinduism. He is worshipped as the eighth avatar of Vishnu and also as the Supreme god in his own right. He is the god of protection, compassion, tenderness, and love; and is one ...
in a lucid manner. The style adopted in this ''kriti'' is very sweet in comparison with the other four.


''Kana kana ruci rā kanaka vasana ninnu''

This is the least sung or performed of the five ''Pancharatna Kritis'' composed in
Telugu Telugu may refer to: * Telugu language, a major Dravidian language of India *Telugu people, an ethno-linguistic group of India * Telugu script, used to write the Telugu language ** Telugu (Unicode block), a block of Telugu characters in Unicode S ...
, but it is considered by some to be the most lingering and beautiful. It describes the divine beauty of Sri Rama, whom Tyagaraja worshiped. He says that the more he
Tyagaraja Thyagaraja (Telugu: త్యాగరాజ) (4 May 1767 – 6 January 1847), also known as Thyāgayya and in full as Kakarla Thyagabrahmam, was a composer and vocalist of Carnatic music, a form of Indian classical music. Tyagaraja and his ...
looks upon His beautiful features, the more his mind is attracted to Him Sri Rama. This composition is rarely taught, and rarely heard in concerts, owing to the raga it is set to
Varali Varali or Varaali (pronounced varāḷi) is a rāgam in Carnatic music (musical scale of South Indian classical music). It is classified either as the 39th mela kartha raga or as a ''janya'' rāgam (derived scale) of the 39th ''melakarta'' scale ...
raga.


''Endarō mahānubhāvulu''

''Endarō mahānubhāvulu'' is believed to be one of the earlier ''kritis'' Tyagaraja composed in
Telugu Telugu may refer to: * Telugu language, a major Dravidian language of India *Telugu people, an ethno-linguistic group of India * Telugu script, used to write the Telugu language ** Telugu (Unicode block), a block of Telugu characters in Unicode S ...
. The song is a salutation to and praise of all the great saints and musicians down the ages. Tyagaraja clearly delineates and lists the ''Mahanubhavalu'', or great ones, in the ''kriti'' itself, mentioning the saints Narada and Saunaka, among others. In this kriti, Tyagaraja describes the greatness of devotees of the Lord. The belief in
Kerala Kerala ( ; ) is a state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile regions of Cochin, Malabar, South ...
and
Tamil Nadu Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is a States and union territories of India, state in southern India. It is the List of states and union territories of India by area, tenth largest Indian state by area and the List of states and union territories of India ...
is that Tyagaraja composed the ''kriti'' spontaneously in his joy upon hearing the divine music of the
Malayali The Malayali people () (also spelt Malayalee and also known by the demonym Keralite) are a Dravidian peoples, Dravidian ethnolinguistic group originating from the present-day state of Kerala in India, occupying its southwestern Malabar coast. ...
singer
Shadkala Govinda Marar ( ml, ഗോവിന്ദ മാരാര്‍)(1798–1843), or was a Carnatic Musician from Kerala, India. He was a contemporary of Saint Tyāgarāja and Swathi Thirunal Rama Varma. He was also adept in playing musical instruments like C ...
. But according to the Walajapet disciples' version of the origin of the ''kriti'', it was composed and learned by Tyagaraja's disciples before the arrival of Marar. This, according to P. T. Narendra Menon, was the legendary, historically significant meeting between two great musicians. Since ''Endharo mahanubhavalu'' is said to have been composed by Tyagaraja at a young age, it is possible that after hearing Marar sing and in appreciation of the greatness of Marar, Tyagaraja could have asked his disciples to sing the ''kriti'' on this occasion. Humility is the foundation of all. The kriti is set to
Shri Shri (; , ) is a Sanskrit term denoting resplendence, wealth and prosperity, primarily used as an honorific. The word is widely used in South and Southeast Asian languages such as Marathi, Malay (including Indonesian and Malaysian), Javanese, ...
raga


Miscellaneous

M. S. Subbulakshmi Madurai Shanmukhavadivu Subbulakshmi (16 September 1916 – 11 December 2004) was an Indian Carnatic singer from Madurai, Tamil Nadu. She was the first musician ever to be awarded the Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian honour. She is ...
,
Maharajapuram Santhanam Maharajapuram Santhanam, (20 May 1928-24 June 1992) was an Indian Carnatic music vocalist. He was awarded the Madras Music Academy's Sangeetha Kalanidhi in 1989. He was born in Sirunangur, a village in the state of Tamil Nadu. He followed the fo ...
, and
Mangalampalli Balamuralikrishna Mangalampalli Balamuralikrishna (6 July 1930 – 22 November 2016) was an Indian Carnatic vocalist, musician, multi-instrumentalist, playback singer, composer, and character actor. He was awarded the Madras Music Academy's Sangeetha Kalanidhi in ...
are among the hundreds of great Indian classical vocalists who have brought these ''kritis'' closer to the modern world.


References

{{reflist


External links


Raga Nata
* https://web.archive.org/web/20090701122201/http://www.esnips.com/doc/872abe7c-0325-455a-9389-495e6709c8be/Kanakanaruchira * https://web.archive.org/web/20080727024355/http://www.esnips.com/web/Pancharatna-Kriti/ * https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iUi5MJuCemM (Majestic Nattai)

* https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IUdls4HJ6Wo Jagadananda Karaka - Balamuralikrishna - Tyagaraja Pancharatna Kriti Carnatic compositions 18th-century songs Telugu-language songs