3/23/2025

I started learning a new kriti - rAju veDale in rAga thOdi. It is a composition by Thyagaraja Swamy.

The kriti talks of the glorious procession of Lord Ranganatha (another name for Vishnu) in the thiru veedhi (name of the street) in the holy town of Srirangam, Tyagaraja went into an ecstatic mood and sang this song.

In an anecdote connected to this song, it is said that while the hugely attended procession moved along the thiru veedhi, Tyagaraja could not see the Lord, mounted on a horse, and he felt sad about it. Then, miraculously, the procession could not go ahead in spite of several efforts made by the organizers. One of the priests, possessed by the Lord, revealed the order of the Lord saying that one great devotee could not see the Lord and hence the procession could not move. The attendants went in search of such devotee and found that Tyagaraja was that anguished person and took him to the Lord. Then the procession moved ahead as Tyagaraja sang this kriti.

Below is the meaning of the kriti.

rAju veDale -the king (referring to the deity Ranganatha swamy as the king. Ranganatha is another name for Vishnu); cUtAmu-rArE – come, let us see, kastUri ranga – the deity being referred to as kasturi Ranga ---rAju

(The procession of Lord Kasturii Ranga has started; come, let us see)

tEjinekki – having mounted the horse (teji = horse); samasta-rAjulu – while all kings (all other deities); UDigamu jEya – (while all other deities) attend on him; (UDigamu = service);

(mounted on a horse, and while all other deities attend on him)

tEjarillu – shining brilliantly; nava-ratnapu (made of nava-ratnas) divya (divine) bhUSaNamu (ornaments) liDi (putting on) – ranga -----rAju

(putting on brilliantly shining ornaments studded with nine types of precious stones)

kAvEri tIramunanu – on the banks of river Kaveri; pAvanamagu -in the holy; ranga-purini – city of Srirangam;

(while the procession is passing along the banks of the holy river Kaveri, in the city of Srirangam);

shrI velayu (where Lakshmi dwells) citra vidhilO – in the Chitra Street where Lakshmi dwells; vEDkaga rAga – coming along in celebratory mood;

sEvanu gani – seeing the service done by the priests; surulu – the deities; virulacE (premanu = with great love); pUjincaga – as they worship him by showering flowers;

bhAvinci – immersed in it; tyAgarAju pADaga – as Thyagaraju sings; vaibhOga ranga – Ranganatha swami in all glory; -----rAju

A brief video my guru teaching me is published at:

https://youtu.be/d_IfG15tEFk?si=f7e7J2fIdC7s7L9u