Strumming the tambūrā, with closed eyes and a meditative posture in her drawing room, Abhaya-mā sat down singing, 

rājillina śrī tyāgarāja sakhuni

marmamulanu ī jagatini vinnavārikē

jayamu jayamu jayamani (nārada)

Advait and Mythreyi, sneaked through the partially open main door and quietly prostrated their guru one after the other and sat down in front of her, making sure not to disturb her singing. Opening her eyes to the sight of Advait and Mythreyi’s loving admiration towards her singing, Abhaya-mā asked “So, when did you both come?”. 

“We came as you were singing the caraṇa, ammā” Answered Mythreyi.

“Ok, kaṇṇā, will you both try singing niraval and svara for this composition. Let us take the lines “nārāyaṇa nāmamulanu pārāyaṇamu-onariñcucu”. Said Abhaya-mā.

“Ammā, can we take any line of the composition for niraval singing?” asked Advait.

“As we repeat the lines, the selected lines for singing should be complete in meaning, the words must be spaced out in the tāla, so that weaving the niraval becomes easier. For instance, the lines we have chosen means that reciting the lord’s name is sure to bring victory. This repeated singing, chanting or reciting (pārāyaṇa) of the lord’s name is called ‘Kīrtana’, one of the nine forms of bhakti” explained Abhaya-mā.

“Wow!! This is the exact topic we have been discussing and trying to learn about over the last few weeks, ammā! We had an interesting session with Mythu’s tātā last week.” Said Advait.

“Way to go, kaṇṇā” said Abhaya-ma and started strumming the tambūrā, setting the mood for the class, after their brief conversation. They began learning Śrī Tyāgarāja's composition ‘nārada muni veḍalina’ in the rāga pantuvarali, set to ādi tāla. Taking turns, Mythreyi and Advait go on to sing niraval and svara as their guru guides them about the Do-s and Don’t-s of niraval singing. 

After several rounds of singing, the class comes to an end. “Apart from kīrtanam, this kṛti highlights one more of the nine forms of bhakti, can one of you tell me what it is?” asked Abhaya-mā. 

“Am not sure of the entire meaning, ammā, but, vinnavārikē means to listen. Am I right? So, is it śravaṇam (listening to God’s glory)?” asked Mythreyi.

Twinkling her eyes at Mythreyi and with a warm smile on her face, “Yesssss…. The lines in the last caraṇa means victory is certain to those who listen to the secrets of the effulgent Lord Śrī Hari, the benefactor of Tyāgarāja, thereby reflecting the importance of śravaṇam.” Said Abhaya-mā.

“Ammā, in the kṛti ‘vinavē ō manasā’, the very first word is vinavē. Is that also an example for śravaṇam, ammā? Asked Advait. 

“Yes, kaṇṇā, good observation, but, in this Tyāgarāja wants his mind to listen to him. ‘vivarambuga nē telpeda’ ‘Oh mind, please listen as I explain to you in detail’. He warns his mind not to knowingly indulge in unwanted and bad ways of living.

ī naḍatalu paniki rādu

īśvara kṛpa kaluga pōdu

dhyāna bhajana sēyavē

vara tyāgarāju manavi (vinavē)

In the caraṇa, he details the need for dhyāna and bhajana (kīrtanam) in order to receive the Lord’s grace.” Explained Abhaya-ma and asked “Have you heard the kṛti ‘vinanāsakoni unnānurā viśva rūpuḍa nē’? 

“Oh yeah, ammā! Many times. My tātā has an old recording of Madurai Śrī Mani Iyer’s rendition of this composition, mā.” Exlclaimed Mythu.

ītā ramaṇitō ōmana guṇṭalu-āḍi gelucuṭa

cētanu-okariki-okaru jūci ā bhāvamu-erigi

sākēta-adhipa nijamagu prēmatō palkukonna muccaṭa

vātātmaja bharatulu vinnaṭula tyāgarāja sannuta (vina)

“Yes, kaṇṇā, back then, as a school girl and an ardent student of music, I remember listening to Śrī Mani Iyer sing this kṛti in one of his concerts that I had attended along with my guru. In this particular composition in pratāpavarāḷī, Śrī Tyāgarāja gives a new dimension to the form ‘śravaṇam’. So far, we spoke of śravaṇam as listening to the Lord’s glories, but, here, Tyāgarāja says he is eager to listen to the sweet conversation filled with love and understanding between Sītā and Rāma, to his heart’s content, thereby making it a feast to his ears. The more and more you hear of the Lord’s glory, the more and more you are drawn into it. The next comes ‘kīrtanam’, singing his glory, which is what we all do as musicians.” Said Abhaya-mā.

“I know an example for kīrtanam! I Know I know!” shouted Advait in an excited tone. 

“The Kṛti in rāga nāṭa, ninnē bhajana sēyu vāḍanu where Tyāgarāja says that he is literally the only one who chants the name of Lord Rāma and none else. I had learnt this kṛti long ago and presented it in a competition in my secondary school and won 2nd prize, mā. Hey Mythu! Who won the 1st prize? Was it you or that cultural captain…hmmm…don’t remember her name now.” asked Advait. 

“Ah! She is Padmaja, we shared the first place. I sang para lōka sādhanamē manasā, in pūrvikalyāṇī. “Wow! Mythu kaṇṇā, that is an example for ‘kīrtanam’. Just sing the anupallavi lines. Mythreyi starts to sing….

smara lōbha mōha-ādi pāpulanu

smariyiñcakē śrī rāma bhajana (para)

“Yes…..He says it is only Rāma bhajana that will help us not get trapped into the dreadful evils of the world, birth and death cycle and all other emotional roller-coasters. Rāma nāma alone is the sure means to the other (para/mōkṣa) world. There is one other composition in the rāga Aṭhāṇā, where Tyāgarāja questions, ‘bhajana sēya rādā rāma (bhajana)’ Why can’t you chant the name of Rāma when it is ‘aja rudrādulaku satatamātma mantramaina rāma’ considered as ātma-mantra by Braḥmā, Śiva and others.” Says Abhaya-mā.

“Yes ma, we learnt it from you during one of our summer vacations. You were beating the vaḍu̱-māṅgāy-s in oil as you were teaching this composition to us. Remember, Vaithu?” Asked Mythreyi.

“Very well, heheheh…..we even played cricket with the vaḍu̱-māṅgāy-s using the writing pad as bat.” Giggled Advait and Mythu.

“When can we have our next class, ammā?” Asked Advait and Mythreyi in unison.

“I have some travel plans, maybe sometime next week, I shall let you know. And, when you come for the next class, let’s learn about the next of the nine forms of bhakti.” Said Abhaya-mā.

“Which is the next, mā?”Asked Advait.

“That’s for you both to ponder until we meet for our next class. Now, before it is too late and dark, get back home safely. Message me after you reach, alright?” said Abhaya-mā.

Once again, they prostrated Abhaya-mā as a token of love and respect and waved bye. Abhaya-mā gave them both a tight hug and waved in return. 

While Advait had already got into the elevator, Mythreyi was buckling up her shoes as she heard the elevator shouting ‘please close the door, dayavu̱ seydu̱ kadavai mūḍavum’.  As she got in and closed the door, the elevator went down with a heavy noise.