What an Excellent Alapana followed by the Rendition ! Kalyana Rama Hamsanadam Ragam 60 Neetinati Janya Adi Talam Oothukadu Venkata Kavi King Janaka of Mythila is worried. How is he to find a suitable groom for his beautiful and virtuous daughter? Many years ago he had found her in a furrow in the fields that he was ploughing in order to perform a yagna. He named her Sita (furrow). Now she was of age and his responsibility as a father was weighing heavily on him. ‘Ah, I’ll arrange a swayamvara (swayam = self, vara = groom) ceremony’ he decides. He will set a test so that noblemen can prove their mettle and Sita can make her own choice by garlanding her chosen husband. What test to set? As he worries over it, he gets a brainwave! When Sita was but a child, she had playfully moved the box in which Rudra’s divine bow was kept. This bow had been presented to Janaka by Varuna. Normally it could not even be budged by grown men! And the child had pushed it in play! So he decides that only a man who could lift the bow and string it was worthy of Sita. In the meanwhile, Dasharatha too is worrying about finding a suitable young girl for his eldest son, Rama. Just as he is lost in thought, Vishwamitra, the Brahma-Rishi (sage) comes to Dasharatha. After welcoming him with warm words, Dasharatha offers the sage whatever he wishes for. Vishwamitra promptly asks for his elder sons to come and fight against the Rakshashas (demons) who were troubling his ashram. Dasharatha is taken aback. His son was not even 16! Too young for war surely? But his word was given, his offer made so he sends his sons with Vishwamitra. Thus Rama and Laxmana leave with Vishwamitra to his ashram in the forest. There they defeat and kill all the Rakshasas. On the way home, Vishwamitra takes a detour through Mythila. In Mythila there is a party atmosphere! Many kings and noble families have already arrived for the Swayamvara. Sita, glowing in her bride’s clothes observes the proceedings. In the centre of the hall, Rudraa’s bow is on display. One by one the noble men attempt to string the bow. They cannot even lift it, let alone string it. Is poor Sita never to find a man worthy of her? When Rama and Laxmana enter, everyone stares at these young men who are evidently noble. ‘But who are these handsome teenagers?’ they wonder. As the people stare in amazement, Rama lifts the bow with one hand and as he bends it with ease to string it, it breaks with a resounding noise! Ah, the one truly worthy of Sita has arrived!! The news is sent out to Dasharatha, seeking permission for this wedding. He is delighted, for this is indeed a good match! He soon arrives with his retinue. And thus is set the stage for Rama and Sita’s wedding. Can you imagine this wedding? Sita, gloriously beautiful as a bride and Rama, handsome beyond imagination, surrounded by royalty and noblemen, exchanging wedding-garlands to the sound of auspicious music, Janaka offering his daughter’s hand in panigraha (holding of hand), the circumambulation of the holy fire, the shower of flower petals on the young couple ….how beautiful it would that have been! Like most Indian Puranas, there is vedantic and allegorical significance to the story. Sita represents Jeevatma (individual soul) and Rama is Paramaatma(ultimate soul=God). The wedding of Sita and Rama is the joyous amalgamation of the Jeevatma and Paramaatma, Yin and Yang, Lakshmi and Vishnu. Poets and saints have been enchanted by the vision created by the wedding of Rama and Sita. By singing and meditating on this vision, our individual jeevatmas are drawn to being one with the Paramaatma. Oothukadu Venkata Subbaiyer, , has a special talent for descriptive verse. In Kalyana Rama, written in Sanskrit, he describes the beauty of Rama as a groom. Pallavi kalyāṇarāma raghurāma sītā kanakamakuṭa-marakatamaṇi-lōla hāra daśarathabāla sītā Anupallavi mallikādisugandhamaya-navamālikādi śōbhitagaḷēna ullāsapariśīlana cāmara ubhayapārśvēna kuṇḍalakhēlana Charanams gautama-vasiṣṭha-nārada-tumburu-kaśyapādi munigaṇavarapūjita aupavāhya skandadēśālaṅkṛta haimasiṃhāsanasthita sītā āgatasuravara-munigaṇa-sajjana-agaṇita-janagaṇa-ghōṣita-maṅgaḷa rāghava rāma raghurāma rāma janakajāramaṇa manōhara sītā bhāgadēya bahumāna sudhāya ubhatārpita diśi diśi rakṣakavara mēghavāhanaravāhanādinuta ēkarāja mahārāja mamarāja Meaning Approximate ! :- KalyanaRama- Lord Rama as the groom Raghu rama rama- (of Raghu clan) rama kanaka -golden makuta-crown maragada- a kind of flower mani lola- for pearls hara- garland (basically with garlands of pearls and flowers or flowers as pearls) darsaratha bala- son of dasaratha sita kalyanarama- with sita, the beautiful as in a wedding rama mallikadi- jasmine etc.. sugandha maya- full of sweet fragrance navamalikaadi- new/fresh garland shobitagale- embellished neck Ulhasa-cheerful parisheela-makes u think (?) cAmara- of a elephant ubhaya- both sides parveshena- to the side kundala kelana- his earrings (his earrings sway on both sides to the side and reminds u of a cheerful elephant?) aagata- coming of suravara- gods munigana- sages sajjana- noble men aganita- innumerable janakana- men ghoshtia- sing mangala- blessings raghava- another name for rama raghurama rama- of raghu, rama janakaja- janaka's daughter (Sita) ramana- husband manohara- the one who steals hearts gautama vahsishta - names od rishis narada tumburu- narada with his instrument kashyapadi- another rishi named kashya etc munigana- munis vara pujita- you are worshipped by anupavahya-? skanda- shoulders? desha-? alankrta- bejwelled haima-golden simhasanasthita- sitting on the throne sita- sita bhagadeya- giving their shares of bhaumana-valuable sudhaya- amrriage gifts ubhatarpita- showring from both sides dishi dishi- at every direction rakshakavara- guardians megha- cloud vaahanaravaahanadhinuta- i am guessing this is about hanuman? megha vahana-vahanadi-nuta ekaraja- the only king maharaja-the majestic mamaraja-my king
Thank you. Sir, for such a vivid explanation digging out facts and figures about this krithi. Golden attempt to highlight jivatma paramaatma. Thank you all. Stay home. Stay safe. Stay alert. Mridangam's dhoni (tonic effect)simply superb. In order, from Madurai. Mani, Somu. Now Sh. R. Sundar sir. Unique presentation. Correct mistakes, if any Stay alert
Magnificent with all the elements of the great Carnatic Classical music -alapana, gamakas, etc. - rendered with a dynamic ,vibrant voice . I enjoyed it very much. My pranams.🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼👌🏼👌🏼👌🏼👌🏼👌🏼👌🏼👍🏽👌🏼👍🏽👍🏽👌🏼👌🏼👌🏼👌🏼👌🏼👌🏼👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏾👍🏻👍🏾👍🏽🙏🏼👌🏼👌🏼👌🏼👌🏼👌🏼👍🏽👌🏼👌🏼👍🏾👍🏻👌🏼👌🏼👌🏼👌🏼👌🏼👌🏼👌🏼👌🏼
Hamsanaadam......the most favorite ragam..'kalyaaaraama raghuraama raama kanaka makuta marakata manilolahaara dasharatha baala sItaa' is the wonderful kriti of the great composer- Ootukkaadu Venkatakavi in the said ragam. Presented a good ragaalapana......excellent tone..diction is fine....yet found slight diction.lyrics issues; Proliferated super layam ,,,,,,rhythm and tempo ...the entity of the keerthanam. Skipped Charanam3; sang Charanam2 prior to charanam1 ....swaroms with notes of the ragam...the concert had the flavour of his Guru Madurai TNS's style of singing ,,,,Very promising vocalist ,,,Best wishes
Why do Carnatic vocalists skip the madhyama or nishada emphasis in these ragas. the madhyama is almost completely ignored when moving from the rishabh to panchama (the phrase "raama") , as if that madhyama does not exist at all... But isnt that note the essence of Hamsanada , while it is very close to the pancham, it woudl be nice to hear a version that gives that note some time/breathing room enhancing the raga.
