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Ganesh Chathurthi offerings
<posted on rec.music.indian.misc>
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.
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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....
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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
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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
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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
