Music To My Ears

Paal Vadiyum Mugam

Suja

6 years ago

Krishna Baby2God is in everything. So say Hindu philosophers. ततत तवव असस – Thou art that, they say with
great conviction. Poets have sung of this. सवरव बतरहमयव – everything is infused by God sang Sadashiva
Brahmendra with even more conviction. Kabir has written that God is within each of us. जज सस सतल मम तस ल
हज , जययव चकमक मम आग , तस रर सरई तत झमस हज , तय जरग सकस तत जरग – Like there is oil inside the sesame seed, like
there is fire within the flint stone, your God is within you, awake if you can wake. So if we look around us,
we should see God in all and the great universality of everything in us and us in everything, right?

Easier said than done! I often wonder, how did the Saints do it? Is it like looking at the clouds and seeing
shapes within? We look at the world around us and look for the shape of God to emerge? It seems
doable with nature at times. When I see the beauty of great mountains, the sheer magnitude of the
Niagara, the power of a thunderstorm – I can convince myself that I can see the hand of God.

It is even feasible to feel at one with inanimate things. I sometimes confront the potato that I am
chopping for dinner with a statement such as ‘what you call ‘I’ today, will soon be part of me, my body.
You and I are one’. I am even known to declaim to the glass of water before I drink it ‘You were ocean,
you were cloud, you were rain, you were other beings, and now you shall be me!’. And no, to those who
are curious about the state of my sanity, neither the potato nor the glass of water have replied so far! So
the inanimate, that I can do. But to see myself or God in all beings? Even in that idiot who took two
parking places to park his tiny car so that I had to go in circles trying to find a spot? Is it possible? How
did the Saints do it?

So it is with great interest that I pored over Oothukadu Venkata Subbaiyer’s song in which he says he
sees Krishna everywhere. He writes ‘Whenever I see anything my thoughts go nowhere except your
innocent face’. He provides examples : ‘When sometimes I am drawn to look at the line of the horizon,
your tranquil face comes to mind!’ and ‘ Even when I find meaning in the song of a cuckoo, the music of
your flute enchants me!’. So if I understand correctly, whatever he does, his mind and thoughts keep
being drawn towards Krishna. He is not attesting to the fact that he sees Krishna everywhere, but to the
fact that he himself can think of no other than Krishna. Is that the way then?
I will let you ponder the question if it interests you. For me, I will just take pleasure in this beautiful song,
enjoying the enchanting and evocative images drawn by the poet-composer and marvelling at its foot-
tapping brisk melody. Oh how I remember my mother today! She used to sing this song happily to
herself while pottering busily in the kitchen. So it is my dearest mother I hear in this song, not the flute
of Krishna! Set to raga Nattakurinji, this is a perennial favourite. If you would like to know more about
the raga, click here.

To present this song, I have chosen a rendition by the great Maharajapuram Santhanam.

For an instrumental version, listen to this interesting Veena rendition by R.Jayanthi with a flute interlude
as well as solkattu (vocal percussion) in places.

Footnote (Lyrics) :

Language : Tamil

பலலலவவ

பபலலவடயமல மகமல

நவனனநலத நவனனநலததனல உளலளமல

பரவச மவக வபகதத (கணலணப)

அனபலலலவவ

நநலகலகடலல தபபலமல நவறதலதழகப -கணலணப

எநலதனல தநஞலசமல கட தகபணலட

அனலற மதலல இனலறமல

எநலத தபபரளல கணலடமல

சவநலதனன தசலலலபததபழவய (பபலலவடயமல)

சரணமல

வபன மகடலடலல சடலற

மனமல வநலத தநபகலகவனமல

(உனல) தமபன மகமல வநலத ததபனதத

ததளவவபன தணலணநரல தடதலதவலல

சவநலதனன மபறவனமல

(உனல) சவரவதலத மகமல வநலத கபணதத

கபனகல கயவலல கரலவலல

கரதல(த) அனமநலதவடனமல (அஙலக)

உனல கபன கழதலபனச மயகலகதத

கரதலத கழதலபட நவறதலத மயவலவற-

கவறகலகவ அனமதலத தவறதலதவதல

கபன மயவலபடமல தமபனகலகயவலல பபடமல

நநல நதவதயபடமல வனதலதவதல

கழலல மதலல எழவலவனச கனழய வரமல இனசயவலல

கழதலபட மவளவரல இளஙல கரதலதவதல

கதவரமல மதவயமல என நயன வவழவகளல இர

நளவனமபன சலனதலதவதல

கபளவஙலகனல சவரதலதவதல
கதவதலத பததலதவதல

எனல மனதலனத இரதலதவகல

கனவ நவனனவவதனபட

பவறவவ பவறவவ ததபறமல

கனவநலதரக வரமல தரக பரமல கரனண (பபலலவடயமல)

Transliteration

Pallavi

pAl vaDiyum mugam

ninaindu ninainden uLLam

paravasa migavAgudE (kaNNA)

Anupallavi

nIlakaDal pOlum niRattazhgA – kaNNA

endan nenjam kuDi konDu

andRu mudal indRum

enda poRul kanDum

sindanai sellAdozhiya

Charanam

vAna mugaTTil chatRu

manam vandu nOkkinum

(un) mOna mugam vandu tonudE

teLivAna taNNIr taDattil

sindanai mARinum

(un) siritta mugam vandu kANudE

gAnak kuyil kuralil

karuttamaindiDinum

(un) gAna kuzhalOsai mayakkudE

karutta kuzhalodu niRutta mayiliRagiRukki amaitta tiRattilE

gAna mayilADum mOnakkuyil pADum nIla nadiyOdum vanattilE

kuzhal mudal ezhilisai kuzhaiya varum isaiyil

kuzhlodu miLir iLang-karattilE

kadirum madiyum ena nayana vizhigal iru

naLinamAna salanattilE

kaLinga sirattilE

kaditta padittilE

en manattai iruttik

kanavu ninaivinodu

piRavi piRavi tORum

kaninduruga varam taruga param karuNai

Translation

Note: I struggled over the translation of some bits and am not myself convinced that I have it right, my
apologies.
Immersed in the thought of that innocent face, my heart reaches heights of ecstasy!

You, who are beautiful with skin the colour of the blue ocean, have taken residence in my heart from
that day to this day. Whenever I see anything my thoughts go nowhere except (your innocent face).

When sometimes I am drawn to look at the line of the horizon, your tranquil face comes to mind! When
my thoughts change at a track of clear still water, your smiling face appears before me! Even when I find
meaning in the song of a cuckoo, the music of your flute enchants me!

In the expertise with which the dark flute with a peacock feather stopper is made, in the forest where
the peacock dances, the cuckoo sings and a blue river runs,

In the glint/flash of the flute held in young hands from which meltingly exquisite music comes, in the
flashing movement of your two eyes,

In the fast-moving feet on the head of the snake Kalinga, you still my mind. With the greatest of
compassion, please give me the boon that in birth after birth I should melt (for you) with my dreams and
memories intact.

Categories: Carnatic Music, Compositions in Tamil, Maharajapuram Santhanam, Oothukadu Venkata

Subbaiyer, R.Jayanthi

Tags: Maharajapuram Santhanam, Oothukadu Venkata Subbaiyer

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Music To My Ears

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