Article by Dr. V.Sadagopan of IBM, New York
Date: Tue, 04 May 2004 03:13:42 –0000
Subject: Fwd: SrI Nrusimha Jayanthi day , TaaraNa Samvathsaram
--- In , Sadagopan <sgopan@c...> wrote:
SrI:
SrI Lakshmi Nrusimha ParabrahmaNE Nama:
On this day dear to SrI Lakshmi Nrusimhan, it is my pleasure to share with you the compositions of Late Smt. K.M.Soundaryavalli
(KMS).
SrIman Sunder Kidambi of Boston, who is doing so much for archiving the texts and audios of our PoorvAchArya SthOthrams has expanded his range of activities now to include one of the gifted Musical Composers, Late Smt.KMS (1914-1994 C.E).
Her life history, her compositions and audio recordings in sung from are archived in SrI Sunder Kidambi's web pages with the help of her son in law, Sriman K.N.Sundaram. You will also find there the audios on "Yadhunandana Gadhyam by a talented poet form Kerala and sung by Smt.K.M.S:
She was born in Andhra Pradesh to a VaishNavite family from Tamil NAdu. Her father was a reputed poet and scholar. His name was NadathUr AmmAL Sri NarasimhAchArya. After marriage, the daughter moved to Tamil NAdu and relearnt Tamil. She had minimum formal education and musical training. She lost in a row the first six of her children in infancy. When she was pregnant with her seventh child, she ascended the sacred hill of ChOLa Simhapuram
(ShOLingar/KadikAchalam), where Lord Yoga Narasimhan and Sri Amruthavalli ThAyAr preside.
After her worship and soulful cry about the loss of so many children in front of Lord Narasimhan , Smt. KMS fell asleep and had a dream. In that svapnam, Sri Yoga Narasimhan appeared and assured her that she will not only give birth to the child that she was carrying but also have future issues.
In the same dream, she heard herself ask a question: "Why should I not sing about the glories of the Lord, who is blessing me with children? She heard the voice of the Lord saying: "SING, I WILL LISTEN".
Smt.KMS woke up and composed a poem narrating the marvellous sevai of Yoga Narasimha at the dhivya desam of ChOLa Simhapuram. This wonderful narration born out of the krupA of Lord Narasimhan is named: "Yoga Narasimha Seva". She followed it up with another poem entitled "DasAvathAram". She began her life as a composer in Telegu , Sanskrit and Tamil . She had 5 daughters and 2 sons after receiving the anugraham of Vara PrasAdhi, SrI Yoga Narasimhan of ShOLingar.
She had many honors as a poet and singer. Four important poems in Tamil about her Ishta Dhaivam, SrI Yoga Narasimhan to remember on this Nrusimha Jayanthi day are:
1. Singarin Akshara Maala
2. Singarin ThingaL Maala
3. Saptha Vaara Sthuthi
4. Singarin VaravERppu
Singar is ofcourse Azhagiya Singar, the Lord of AhObilam and ChOLa Simha Puram.
Akshara Maala is made up of lines starting with vowels, consonants and vowelized consonants of Tamil Language. Each line ends with Simmam.
Vowels are: A as in anbhu, Aa as in Aaanandham, i as in inbham,
E as in Eeswaran, u as in ulaham, U as in Udurivi, Ye as in Yeppadi,
yE as in yEmARRam, Ei as in Eivar, o as in oruvan, O as in OmkAram,
Ou as in Oudatham.
Then the lines begin with Consonants and vowelized consonants:
Ka, kaa, ki, kee, ku, kU, kou, ko, kO etc.
This is the format of Akshara Maala. Akshara Brahmam, Sri Narasimhan is offered this garland of Aksharams as eulogy by the poet cum BhakthA.
Each of the lines starting with the vowels is repeated twice.
Here is an example of the Akshara Maala constructed by Smt.K.M.S:
A. SINGARIN AKSHARA MAALAI
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anbhuruvAna Narasimmam
anaitthulahum pORRi varum azhagiya Simmam
aadhArap-poruLAna Simmam
aanandhamudan yOgatthamarntha Narasimmam
inbamudan initthamarum Simmam
innal pala neeka varum iRaivanAm Simmam
EedilA puhazh Ongum intha
EerEzhu bhuvanangal eenRa Narasimmam
umbhar thozhum kazhaludaya Simmam anRu
utthaman PrahlAdhan uvanthadaintha Simmam
Oon koNDa uyir sErntha Simmam
Oodurivi iRaNiyan uram keeNDa Simmam
yekkAlum yenai aaLum Simmam yenRum
yeppadiyum Tannadimai yemakkaruLum Simmam
yEkkam tavirttharuLum Simmam
yEmARRam tavitthemmai yErkkum Simmam
EimkaranOdu amarar thozhum Simmam
EivarAm PaandavarkkaruL seytha Simmam
oppuyirvillAtha Simmam yenRum
oruvanAi-ulahu uyyavonRiyurai Simmam
OmkArap-poruLAna Simmam Tannai
OrAthavarhaLidam varAtha Simmam
OudhArya guNamikka Simmam yenRum
Oudatham pOl vinayai ahaRRum Narasimmam
akkArak-kaniyAna Simmam
mikkAnum takkAnumAi ninRa Simmam
AKKARAKKANI IS THE NAME GIVEN BY AZHWAR TO YOGA NARASIMHAN OF CHOLA SIMHA PURAM. These poems can be sung in Bhajanai format.
B. SINGARIN THINGAL MAALAI
**************************
These constitute 20 paasurams sung in RaagAs Naattai, GouLai, Aarabhi, VarALi, SrI (Ghana Panchaka RaagAs), KaambhOji, HindhOlam, SaarangA, SimhEndhramadhyamam, Amrutha VarshiNi, Hamsadhvani, Suradi, ThOdi, Chandrakouns, ShaNmughapriya, MukhAri, Revathi, SubhapanthuvaraaLi, AtANA and MadhyamAvathi in a RaagamAlika mode with Kanta ChApu TaaLam.
The first 12 Poems cover the twelve Tamil Months, where Azhagiya Singar (the Beautiful Lion) is eulogized. From Chitthirai Swathi, the poems continue through VaikAsi, Aani, Aadi, AavaNi, PurattAsi, Eippasi, Kaartthikai, Maarghazhi, Thai, Maasi and Panguni Swaathi.
The next 7 poems salute the PrahlAda Varadha Simmam as "Saptha Vaara Sthuthi" (Sunday to Saturday, one for each day of the week). The 20th Paasuram is the Phala Sruthi Paasuram.
C. SINGARIN VARAVERPPU
**********************
These are four Poems extending SvAgatham for Azhagiya Simmam, MalOlan with PoorNa Kumbham.
These are set in chaste, sweet Tamil and are delectable like Paanagam offered to the Lord of MangaLa Giri.
The first verse will provide an example of the Maadhuryam of this SvAgatham. Without BhAvam, there is no Bhakthi. We experience Bhaavam & Bhakthi here.
Kadigayil vaLar NaathA Varuha
adiyavar thozhum PaadhA Varuha
idar kadinthidum nEyA Varuha
Sudar MaNi Mudit-ThooyA Varuha !
---Poem 1 of 4
When Smt.KMS invites Lord Narasimhan of ChOLa simha puram to take His seat in her heart lotus with the appeal, "Varuha”, it reminds us of the Mohana Raaga Krithi of Dikshithar addressing the Same Yoga Narasimhar with the Pallavi: "Narasimha Aagaccha"
4. SWAMY DESIKAN STHOTHRAMS
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Besides KaamAseekAshtakam on Lord Narasimha of ThiruvELukkai, Swamy Desikan composed 27 other SthOthrams. Some were DhaNDakams and Gadhyams. SMT.K.M.S sang and recorded these 28 sthOthrams in different Raagams . Swamy Desikan’s brilliant Sanskrit sthOthrams have been recorded with precision and clarity with the appropriate Sandhi bhEdhams. It is not an easy task and the abundant anugraham of Sri Yoga Narasimhan has made it possible for her to accomplish this Kaimkaryam. Please listen to them in the MP3 format through the URL cited above and maintained by SrI Sunder Kidambi.
It has been a wonderful day listening to the Narasimha SthOthrams and reflecting on the deep meanings of the poems composed by Smt. K.M. Soundaravalli.
SrImath Azhagiya Singar ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam,
Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri Sadagopan
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