Received: from spot.Colorado.EDU (parrikar@spot.Colorado.EDU [128.138.129.2]) by nss1.CC.Lehigh.EDU (8.6.9/8.6.9) with ESMTP id SAA14921 for ; Thu, 12 Jan 1995 18:48:01 -0500 Received: (from parrikar@localhost) by spot.Colorado.EDU (8.6.9/8.6.9/CNS-3.5) id QAA08557 for sm0e@lehigh.edu; Thu, 12 Jan 1995 16:47:58 -0700 Date: Thu, 12 Jan 1995 16:47:58 -0700 From: "Rajan P. Parrikar" Message-Id: <199501122347.QAA08557@spot.Colorado.EDU> To: sm0e@lehigh.edu Content-Length: 7021 Path: cnsnews!boulder!spot.Colorado.EDU!parrikar From: parrikar@spot.Colorado.EDU (Rajan Purshottam Parrikar) Newsgroups: rec.music.indian.classical Subject: Ganesh Chathurthi offerings Followup-To: rec.music.indian.misc Date: 9 Sep 1994 09:48:03 GMT Organization: University of Colorado, Boulder Lines: 204 Message-ID: <34pb0j$t40@CUBoulder.Colorado.EDU> NNTP-Posting-Host: spot.colorado.edu Namashkaar and a Very Shubh Ganeshotsav to All! Last year, around this time, we saw a slew of postings, on RMIM, of Ganapati bhajans/geets in Marathi, and other kinds of nostalgic tittle-tattle. Hopefully, all that has been ITRANS-ed. This year in celebration, and for your spiritual nourishment, I present a medley of assorted bhajans/praarthanaas. You get my commentary with each bhajan, for free. And as always, I aim to please some and offend many. All the lyrics are reproduced from memory and #2, 3 and 4 may require some repair jobs. --------------------------------------------------------------------- 1) We kick-off with a praarathanaa addressed to Shri Mahalakshmi-devi in Marathi. The composition is based in Raga Tilak Kamod and set to the 7-beat Roopak tala. For me, this praarthanaa is synonymous with Raga Tilak Kamod. There is also a personal snippet to go with it. My father has been singing it for over four decades in the form of an opener at the Rathasaptami Utsav celebrations in Panjim (Goa) in honour of Mahalakshmi (the Dudette is the presiding deity of that town). The composition is very old, I'm told, and people such as Dinanath Mangeshkar have been known to render it. Some years ago I re-composed it in Raga Devgiri Bilawal. A beautiful tune it was (an opinion not shared by anybody else but moi). When I presented it to Baba, it was summarily dismissed as "amateurish nonsense." Some people can be so insensitive (and so goddam honest). That is how my career as a composer was nipped in the mud. I have notated the original composition for the interested. It is simple and (hence) beautiful and is easily tractable. Raga: Tilak Kamod Tala: Roopak Asthaie: praarthanaa Mahalakshmi Maate rasarangaa si sadaa traate Antaraa: tava krupe mangala ghaDo sant-sevaa nitya laabho sadaye namito aji Maate Asthaie: ======= 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 G R M G . S . N' . P' S . R G S R pra..aa...th...na...aa Ma ha laksh.....mi Maa... te...... M R M P . P P R M P D P D M G S R ra sa ran ga...aa...si sa daa............tra..aa te.... Antaraa: ======= 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 M M P N . N . S R" G" S" . . . ta va kru pe . man.......gal..la gha Do.............. S" . S" P N S"R S . n D (P)D M G S . san.......ta se........va . ni.........tya laa . bho . M R M P . P P R M P D P D M G S R sa da ye na mi to a ji........... Maa..aa te.... --------------------------------------------------------------------- 2) This is a beautiful bhajan by Hari Om Sharan. Just where is he these days? He had a broad resonant voice, a crisp word-delivery and an overall engaging style. One of the finest bhajan singers in recent times, I would say. The following composition is set to a fast-paced Keherva and (along with #4) was a regular feature on the 2-2.30 pm slotted programme on Vividha-Bharati. The last two couplets are priceless, aren't they? Jai Ganesh Gana-nAth dayA nidhi sakal vidhan kar dur hamAre mam-vandan sweekAr karo Prabhu charan sharan hum aaye tumhAre Jai Ganesh Gana-nAth dayA nidhi Jai Nand-lala Jai Gopala Shri Radhe-Govinda man bhajle Hari ka pyArA nAm hai mor-mukuT shir galban mAlA kesar tilak lagAye Brindavan ki punya galin me sabko nAch nachAye Shri Radhe-Govinda Jamuna kinAre dheN karAve Madhav-Madan-Murari madhur muraliyAN jabhi bajAve harle sudh-budh sAri Shri Radhe-Govinda Giridhar nAgar kehti Meera, Soor ko Shyamal bhAyA Tukaram aur Namdev ne Vitthal-Vitthal gAyA Shri Radhe-Govinda Radha-shakti binA na koi Shyamal-darshan pAve ArAdhan kar Radhe-Radhe Kanha bhAge aave Shri Radhe-Govinda ------------------------------------------------------------------ 3) The setting is Brindavan. Shri K is pissed off at something (we don't know what - maybe Radha didn't roll the chapatis thin enough) and is sulking somewhere on the outskirts of town. My (already-high) respect for Mohammad Rafi-Sahab went up several notches after listening to this rendition. The entreating devotee, in all supplication, beseeching the Lord to return, done with such pathos that K perhaps had no choice but to take him unto Him. I suspect this is part of a rare album made by Rafi-Sahab with Khayyam and the composition isn't all that well-known. If someone has details of this album please post or email. Khayyam's tune is delectable and is based in Raga Mishra-Pahadi (like so many of his compositions). Voice: Mohammad Rafi Music: Khayyam paoN paDooN toray Shyam Brij meiN laut chalo, laut chalo sooni kadam ki thanDi chhaiyyaN khoje dhun bansi ki vyAkul hokay Brij na Dubo de lehreN Jamuna-ji ki laut chalo, paoN paDooN toray Shyam doodh-dahi se bhari maTakiyA toDay kaun Murari asuvan jal se bharay gagariyA panghat pe panihAri laut chalo, paoN paDooN toray Shyam bilakh rahi hai Mata-Jashoda Nand-ji dukh me khoye kuch to soch arrrrrey Nirmohi Brij ka kaNa-kaNa roye laut chalo, paoN paDooN toray Shyam ----------------------------------------------------------------- 4) Time once again to wrap myself in spiritual saffron:-). This is a very popular bhajan by Hari Om Sharan is directed at the Ram-bhakta. The devout know what it is to have faith in Him. The knee-jerk "thinkers" will no doubt dismiss it as "fatalistic crap." But then, the Lord has been known to also forgive those who know not what they know not. Ram-nAm sohi jAniye jo ramatA sakal jahAN ghat-ghat me jo ram rahA usko Ram pehchAn terA Ram-ji karengey beDA pAr udAsi man kAhay ko karay re kAhay ko Daray re naiyyA teri Ram havAlay leher-leher Hari aap sambhAlay Hari, aap uthAveN terA bhAr udAsi man kAhay ko karay re kAhay ko Daray re terA Ram-ji karengay beDA pAr kAboo meiN majdhAr usikay hAthoN meiN patvAr usikay teri hAr bhi nahiN hai teri hAr udAsi man kAhay ko karay re kAhay ko Daray re terA Ram-ji karengay beDA pAr sahaj kinArA mil jAyegA param sahArA mil jAyegA Doree sauNp ke to dekh ek bAr udAsi man kAhay ko karay re kAhay ko Daray re terA Ram-ji karengay beDA pAr --------------------------------------------------------------- Once again, Happy Chathurthi! Rajan [sur ki gati mai kya jAnuN, sirf ek bhajan karnA jAnuN] Parrikar ====================================================================== email: parrikar@spot.colorado.edu rajan@anteng.ssd.loral.com