Navarasa Varnam - Angayar Kanni
Raga: Ragamalika
Tala: Adi
Composer:Lalgudi G.Jayaraman
Padmashri Lalgudi G. Jayaraman is recognised as one of the most prolific composers in Carnatic music of the modern era. He has composed many tana and pada varnams, tillanas as well as krithis. He has composed in the Tamil, Telugu and Sanskrit languages. The following article will give an insight into Lalgudi Jayaraman, the vaggeyakara or composer.
As a way of enhancing his own violin concerts, Lalgudi Jayaraman began to compose new varnams and tillanas to add to his concert repertoire. Later, he has composed on the request of leading dancers and musicians. He has chosen appealing ragas in which not many other popular compositions. Also he has introduced attractive laya or rhythmic intricacies into the compositions.
Lyrics and Meaning:
pallavi - vIram (rAgA: bilahari)
angayarkkaNNi Anandam koNDALE dishai engum venru veTri vAgai cUDinALE aNivIrargaL ratha gaja turagamuDan
mInAkshi (angayarkaNNi) experienced (koNDALE) happiness (Anandam) when she crowned (cUDinALE) herself with a chaplet of sirissa blossoms (vAgai) to commemorate her victory (veTRi) after defeating (venru) rival kings in all and any (engum) directions (diSai) with (uDan) her armies (aNi) of brave soldiers (vIrargaL) mounted on chariots (ratha), elephants (gaja), and horses (turagam). (*: The notation for the madhyamakAla end to the pallavi uses jhaNTa prayogams that mimic the marching of an army.)
anupallavi - SRngAram (rAgA: husEni)
nangai kailainAthan tanaik-kaNDAL manam koNDAL nANik-kunindu iLa naghai cinda ninrAL (angayarkaNNi"¦)
As mInAkshi continued on her victorious march, she arrived at the Himalayas; as the lady (nagai) took one look at (kaNDAL) the lord (nAthan tanai) of mount kailAS, she fell (koNDAL) in love (manam), and, coyly (nANi) bent her neck (kunindu) and stood (ninrAL) there bashfully with a tender (iLa) smile on her lips [2].
ciTTasvara sAhityam - adbhutam (rAgA: valaji)
erittAn mAranai kAlAl udaittAn kAlanai shiva pirAn cirittE muppuram poDi ceida adbhutam kaNDu viyandAL
Watching (kaNDu) the wondrous (adbhutam) scenes as Lord (pirAn) Siva burnt (erittAn) manmatha to cinder [3], kicked (udaittAn) yama (kAlanai) with his foot (kAlAl) [4], and with a playful laugh (cirittE) destroyed/powdered (poDi Seida) the three (mu) cities (puram) of the egotistical asuras tArakAksha, kamalAkksha and vidyunmAli [5], she (mInAkshi) was amazed (viyandAL)!
ciTTasvara sAhityam - hAsyam (rAgA: sArangA)
piTTukku maN shumandu ulagOr pirambaDi paDa vaitta shivanAr viraguk-
kaTTODu pADa umai kai koTTi cirittAL vAi potti nagaittAL (angayarkaNNi"¦)
As Siva (SivanAr) in the guise of a laborer who was supposed to carry (Sumandu) bags of sand (maN) to shore up the banks of the river vaigai which was in spate in exchange for a handful of the delicacy called piTTu (piTTukku) made (vaitta) the denizens of this world (ulagOr) feel (paDa) the lash (aDi) of the king’s cane (pirambu) that landed on his back [6], and as he sang (pADa) in the guise of a wood cutter carrying a bale (kaTTODu) of firewood (viragu) on his head [7], mInAkshi (umai) could no longer contain herself, and clapping (koTTi) her hands (kai), she burst out laughing (cirittAL), and covering (potti) her mouth (vAi), she smiled (nagaittAL) in amusement.
caraNam (rAgA: sucaritra)
dEviyaip-paNindu aruL peruvOm
Let us worship (paNindu) the dEvi (dEviyai) and obtain/experience (peruvOm) her grace/blessings (aruL).
caraNasvara sAhityam 1 - bIbhatsam (rAga sucaritra)
patiyai madiyAda dakSanin cerukkAl veruppuTrAL dAkSAyaNi (dEviyai"¦)
(Let us worship the dEvi) dAkshAyaNi, who was disgusted (veruppuTRAL) by the haughty arrogance (SerukkAl) of her father, daksha (dakshanin), which made him disrespect (madiyA) her husband (patiyai), Siva (and obtain her grace)! (*: The rAga sucaritra lends itself to bibhatsa with all the vivvAdi svaras it takes)
caraNasara sAhityam 2 - raudram (rAgA: aThANA)
mahAkALi kapAlini trishUlini simhavAhini cinandezhundAL
caNDamuNDa koDiya bhaNDAsuranai khaNDa tuNDamAi vadam sheida (dEviyai"¦)
(Let us worship the dEvi), the fearsome, mighty (mahA) and dark one (kALi), adorned with skulls (kApAlini), wielding a trident (triSUlini), astride (vAhini) a lion (simha), who arose (ezhundAL) in anger (Sinandu) and killed (vadam Seida) the demons caNDa and muNDa as well as the evit (koDiya) bhaNDAsuran (bhaNDAsuranai) by cutting them into pieces (khaNDa tuNDamAi) (and obtain her blessings)!
caraNasvara sAhityam 3 - bhayAnakam (rAgA: rasikapriyA)
AlakAla viSam aran paruga arakkan kailai tanaik-kaiyAl asaittiDavE tigaitta (dEviyai"¦)
(Let us worship the dEvi) who was taken aback in fear (tigaitta) when Siva (aran) consumed (paruga) the deadly halAhalam (AlakAla) [8] as well as when the demon (arakkan) rAvaNa shook (aSaittiDavE) the very foundations of mount kailAS (kailai tanai) with his bare hands (kaiyAl) [9] (and obtain her blessings)!
caraNasvara sAhityam 4 - kAruNyam (rAgA: sahAnA)
tAi pOl itdAraNi tannil dayai sheivAr uNDO aruT-pArvaiyE jagam kAttiDum
tuyar tIrttiDum em annai tanjam enrAl uLLam kanindu tanik-karuNai ceivAL
kaNNIr malgi karuttinilE tirup-padattai iruttiyE (dEviyai"¦)
Is there (uNDO) anyone in this (i) world (tAraNiyil) who will be compassionate (dayai SeivAr) like (pOl) a mother (tAi)? A mere glance (pArvai) from our (em) mother (annai) eyes filled with mercy (aruL) is enough to protect (kAttiDum) the world and destroy (tIrttiDum) our sorrows (tuyar). We only have to call out (enrAl) for refuge (tanjam), and she will shower (SeivAL) special (tani) compassion (karuNai) on us with a melting (kanindu) heart (uLLam). So, let us establish (iruttiyE) her divine (tiru) feet (padattai) in our thoughts (karuttinil) and with eyes overflowing (malgi) with tears (kaNNIr), (let us worship the dEvi and obtain her blessings)!
caraNasvara sAhityam 5 - shAntam (rAgA: nAdanAmakriyA)
sarvAnandamaya cakravAsini shrI lalitAmbikE sharaNam sharaNam ammA
muzhu mati mukham aruL vizhi punnakai tavazh ezhiluruvE unnai ennALum
tudippOm avaniyil anbu oTrumai arivATralum amaidi Anandam aishvaryamum
aruLvAi shAnta svarUpiNi sharaNam ammA shAnta svarUpiNi mInAkSi
Oh mother (ammA) lalitA (SrI laliltAmikE) who is the resident (vAsini) of the cakra of supreme (sarva) bliss (Anandamaya), we seek refuge (SaraNam SaraNam) in you! We will worship (tudippOm) you (unnai) at all times (ennALum), who are the very form of (uruvE) of grace (ezhil), with a face (mukh(g)am) that is as luminous as the full (muzhu) moon (mad(t)i), with eyes (vizhi) that brim with benevolence (aruL) and a smile (punnagai) playing (tavazh) on her face! Oh embodiment (svarUpiNi) of peace and tranquility (SAnta), mInAkshi, please bless us (aruLvAi) with camaraderie/fellowship (anbu), unity (oTRummai), wisdom (aRivu), strength/endurance (ATRalum), calmness (amaidi), happiness (Anandamm) and prosperity (aiSvaryam). I seek refuge (SaraNam) in you.