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Neelakanta Sivan
When will I receive the grace of Lord Siva?
| Composition: |
enRaikku siva krupai…… |
| Composer: |
nIlakaNTa sivan |
| mudrA: |
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| (signature): |
nIlakaNTa |
| rAgam: |
mukhAri (janyam of mELam 22,
karaharapriyA) |
| ArOhaNam: |
SR2M1PN2D2S |
| AvarOhaNam: |
SN2D1PM1G2R2S |
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tALam:
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misracApu |
| Pallavi: |
enRaikku siva krupai varumO, Ezhai
en mana sancalam aRumO (enRaikku)
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| Anupallavi: |
kanRin kuralaik kETTuk kanindu varum pasu pOl
onRukkum anjAda en uLLattuyaram nIkka (enRaikku)
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| CaraNam: |
uNDAna pOdu kODi uRa muRaiyOrgaL vandu
koNDADit toNDADik koLvAr-- danam kuRaindAl
kaNDAlum pEsAr inda kaittavamAna pollAc
caNDALa ulakattil naRgati sella (enRaikku)
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Source for lyrics:
Ref. #1 (see below). Some words in the text in reference #1 have been slightly revised, after listening to a couple of recordings of the song, to make sense in the meaning. The text given here may not be authentic but the overall sense is maintained.
Meaning:
Pallavi: When will I receive the grace of Lord Shiva? Here I am a wretched soul; when will my mental turmoil be removed?
Anupallavi: Just like the cow responding to the call of the calf and rushing to its side, will I get solace from the Lord to rid the grief that occupies my mind and restore it to the fearless state?
CaraNam: When one has wealth so many relatives approach, celebrate and attend to you. When the wealth dwindles, the same people do not even talk to you when they see you. In this expedient, wicked and sinful world when will the grace of the Lord arrive to rectify the morass and lead us in the right path?
CaraNam2: You, holy woman, achieved with great ease what the sages like SanakA did through painstaking efforts and intense penance.
General comments:
 First a word about the rAgam (mukhAri) in which this song is set. This rAgam is unique in bringing out the poignancy of the situation which the words try to describe. This rAgam at once strikes a sensitive chord in the grief-stricken mind and provides a solace simultaneously. MukhAri, along with a few other rAgams such as sAmA and nAdanAmakriyA, is well-suited to describe thoughts that dwell on miserable situations but in so doing it also offers relief as a consequence. It is also one of the melodious rAgams around. As Shelley, the English poet, observed, in 'Ode to a Skylark', “Our sweetest songs are those that tell of saddest thought”, any song set in this rAgam is naturally sweet. This particular song is a prime example of something sad and sweet. This song had been one of the all-time favorites of the yesteryear doyens such as Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer and Musiri Subramanya Iyer in concert platforms.
This composition does not bear the signature of the composer. This is an emotion-laden composition as is to be expected for a song in mukhAri rAgam. The composer agonises over the deceit that prevails in this world and is looking for deliverance from the turbulence of the treacherous world. He is looking for the grace of Lord Siva to ameliorate his mental turmoil. He is comparing himself to a calf in distress calling for its mother. The cow, compassionate towards its offspring, naturally rushes to the calf and comforts the calf. In a similar manner, nIlakaNTa Sivan wants his grief removed by the Lord and his mental fortitude restored.
One cannot but admire the precision of the word chosen in this song to describe the response of the cow. That word is 'kanindu'. When the calf is in distress and calls out to its mother, the immediate feeling of the cow is concern which could be written in Thamizh as 'padari' to make the phrase 'padari varum pasu'. But Sivan uses a much loftier word, 'kanindu', which expresses care, concern and compassion together. Splendid diction, indeed!
He is also disenchanted with the materialistic bent of relatives who swarm like bees when they see wealth with somebody but desert them once the wealth is gone. The philosophy expressed in the caraNam reflects the personal experience of the composer.
Composer’s bio:
nIlakaNTa sivan (1839-1900) was christened 'Subramanya' when he was born in Vadiveshwaram village (Kanyakumari district). He learnt and sang the songs of AruNAcala Kavi and MuttuttANDavar, as taught by his mother. He had no practical training in music. He assumed the name of 'nIlakaNTa dAsan' after the presiding deity at Padmanabhapuram (nIlakaNTEshwarar), where he grew up. Others referred to him as 'nIlakaNTa sivan' and that name stuck. Most people consider him holy enough to be considered another
nAyanmAr.
He was a great devotee of Lord Siva although his family deity was Murugan. He wrote over 2,000 songs on various gods. His greatest contribution was 'LalithA MahAtmiyam'. He composed in Thamizh and Sanskrit. Among them, ThirunIlakaNTa Dasakam, Anandavalli Satakam, and Anandavalli Ashtakam are noteworthy. His universal message was: knowledge, devotion, surrender to God and adherence to spiritual, religious, and moral values.
Some of Sivan’s other songs which are rendered by musicians in concerts as regular fare are:
ikaparam tarum (khamAs), navasiddi peRRAlum (karaharapriyA), Ananda naTamADuvAr tillai (pUrvikalyANi),
sivan varuvAr (darbAr), and SambhO mahAdEvA (bouLi).
References:
1. http://www.geocities.com/promiserani2/c1201.html
2. http://www.saigan.com/heritage/music/garlndn2.htm
3. http://www.geocities.com/promiserani2/co1034.htm
4. http://carnatica.net/neelakantasivan.htm
5. http://carnatica.net/composer/neelakantasivan.htm
Sethuraman Subramanian
subramaniansethu@hotmail.com
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