SERIES - 3

Bhūlōka Vaikuṇṭham - the celestial paradise of Lord Viṣṇu on earth, is a commonly said epithet about Śrīraṅgam. Those who have visited the temple town would emphatically agree. The phrase brings to the musical mind, the most famous niraval line ‘Bhūlōka Vaikuṇṭham Idi Ani' of one of the most oft-sung kṛti of Śrī Tyāgarāja - ō raṅgaśāyi in the Rāga, Kāmbhōji.

As they walked towards the temple of Śrī Raṅganātha, i.e. Bhūlōka Vaikuṇṭham, and approached the Rājagōpuram, Swati and Abhijit slowed down drinking in the beauty of the temple's main entrance. The construction of the gōpuram began in the 16th century by the Vijayanagara empire, but stopped with only the Moṭṭai Gōpuram (just the base of the gōpuram), as the strength of the empire declined. Much later, in the 1980s, the 44th Jīyar of the Ahōbila Maṭham decided to complete the structure and as a result of it stands the 13 storey-high Rājagōpuram of Śrīraṅgam, which has now become synonymous to the temple but surprisingly is just around 40 years old.

As they kept walking, Swati asked Abhijit, "Did you know that Rājagōpuram has a connection to the musical world?" "How is that?" "MS ammā, raised funds through a series of concerts and donated them towards the construction of the Rājagōpuram!" "My goodness, I did not know this. Now that you say this, I remember having seen a recording of the Doordarshan broadcast of her singing on the occasion of the Samprōkṣaṇam of the temple tower, starting with her famous rendition of the verse 'Sacittaśāyi...' and proceeding to sing O Raṅgasayi and the famous niraval in the caraṇa. Never knew that she was deeply involved in its construction."

The hustle and bustle of the many small shops on the way to the temple, had a charm of its own, attracting the passers-by easily. Enjoying the sight of those shops, they reached a crossroad and saw the board that said 'Teṟku̱ Cittirai Vīdi - South Chitra Street'. Abhijit immediately asked Swati what this reminded her of and she started thinking but wasn't sure. He continued, "Another famous line, this time from the caraṇa of Rājuveḍale in rāga Tōḍi, where the composer sings about the Kudirai Vāhanam Purappāḍu (where the lord goes on procession, riding his horse) has a reference to this street.

kāvērī tīramunanu pāvanamagu raṅgapurini

śrī velayu citra vīdhilō vēḍkaga rāka

On the river kāvērī's banks, where the holy town of Śrīraṅgam is, the lord comes on a grand procession to the Chitra streets.

The next lines of the caraṇa further describe the procession.

sēvanu kani surulu virulacē prēmanu pūjiñcaga

bhāviñci tyāgarāju pāḍaga vaibhōga raṅga

rāju veḍale jūtāmu rārē kastūri raṅga

Seeing this sēvai (act of worship or celebration of the lord), the celestials are worshipping the lord with flowers and Tyāgarāja is emotionally singing as the grand Lord Raṅgarāja is in procession. Come, let us all go and see Lord Kastūri Raṅga!

The composer refers to the lord as 'kastūri raṅga', a reference that is unique to the lord of Śrīraṅgam. The lord is constantly adorned with kastūri (a) deer musk, a distinct aromatic substance, on his forehead, which the composer has referred to here. We can also see that the song is written in third person, where people around are saying that Tyāgarāja is singing. There is an interpretation that the word 'rārē' refers to women calling each other and hence the song is in Nāyaki Bhāva, where Tyāgayyā imagines himself as a lady and then describes the procession."

"I did not know that Rāju Veḍale was in Nāyakī Bhāva, but I knew that two other songs in the Śrīraṅga Pañcaratna are of that nature.

In Vina Rādā Nā Manavi in rāga Dēvagāndhārī, which describes the same procession of the lord on the horse, the anupallavi goes as:

kanakāṅga kāvēṭi raṅga

śrīkānta kāntalu ella kāmiñci pilicitē

vina rādā nā manavi

O Lord Raṅganātha, residing near Kāvērī, wearing golden armour! O consort of goddess Lakṣmī! We, the maidens, are all endearingly calling you, can't you please listen to us?

The caraṇas further describe the procession in Nāyakī Bhāva…

tējini ekki bāga teruvuna rāka

rāju satulu jūci rammu ani pilicitē

vina rādā nā manavi

As you arrive on the streets in all grandeur, riding your horse, the royal women witnessing the procession are all inviting you to come, can't you listen to us?

bhāgadēya vaibhōga raṅga śrī

tyāgarāja nuta taruṇulu pilicite

vina rādā nā manavi

O lord who grants us all fortune, O the great grand Lord Raṅganātha, O the one who is worshipped by Tyāgarāja, the maidens are all calling you, can't you listen to us?

Apart from the fact that both Rāju Veḍale and Vina Rādā Nā describe the Kudirai Vāhanam, we can notice that Tyāgarāja refers to the lord as ‘Vaibhōga Raṅga’ in both the songs. In Śrīraṅgam, the lord is in Bhōgaśayanam - roughly translated, it means reclining in grandeur, enjoying all the services and celebrations his devotees do for him.”

"Yes, I have heard a lot that the entire town of Śrīraṅgam revolves around the lord, with festivals and activities happening throughout the year, truly grandeur personified. Coming back, What is the other song in Nāyakī Bhāva?"

"I thought you would have guessed it, but anyways let us discuss after we join the queue to go to the Mūlasthāna. Let's go!"

Question for the readers:

Which is the third song in the Sriraṅga Pañcaratna, that is written in Nāyakī Bhāva?