Catch up :)

I’ve been a bit behind on blogging lately — between AP exams, the end of the school year, summer activities, and staying dedicated to my music practice, it’s been a busy season! I’m excited to get back into writing and sharing more soon. Stay tuned! :)

Let me start with a beautiful composition of Muttu Swami Dikshitar in 14 raagas!!! Chaturdasha raga malika.

śrī viśvanātham bhaje - Chaturdasha raga malika

Composer - Muttu Swami Dikshitar

This is a hymn praising Lord Viswanatha (the lord of the universe);

pallavi

SrI rAgaM

viSwanAthaM bhajE(a)haM – I bow to the lord of the universe (Vishvam); aham = I, bhaje = worship, Sri Vishwanatham = Lord Vishwanatha. vishwam-universe, natha-lord, one who governs.

caturdaSa bhuvana rUpa - rAga mAlikAbharaNa dharaNAntaHkaraNam

The cosmic mind which sustains the garland-like fourteen worlds (seven heavenly regions and seven lower worlds), wears them as an ornament; (It is a suggestion that the whole universe is but the body of the Lord. There is nothing apart from the Lord). Caturdasa-bhuvana-rupa – the fourteen worlds appearing as; Raga-malika – the garland of raga (rajo guna which is the prime mover for worldly actions); abharana – ornament; dharana-antahkaranam – the cosmic mind sustaining the universe (mentioned above).

Arabhi rAgaM

Srita jana saMsAra bhItyApahaM – one who dispels the fears of devotees regarding transmigration

AdhyAtmikAdi tApa traya manO-bhItyApaham – one who drives away the three-fold anxieties such as the adhyatmika, and all fears of the mind;

anupallavi

gauri rAgaM

SrI viSAlAkshI gaurISaM – the consort of Sri Visalakshi, the lord of Gauri (another name for Visalakshi); (the word Visalakshi, literally means, a wide-eyed woman, suggesting that the goddess blesses the world by her looks).

sakala nishkaLa rUpa – one who has form and who is also formless; Vedanta says that the Supreme Reality appears as having several forms though in reality It is formless;

saccidAnanda- its real nature is that of sat-existence, chit-consciousness, Ananda-bliss; maya – maya is the manifesting power of the Supreme Reality, it is called differently in different traditions.

Gaurisam – in this tradition it is called Gauri, hence the lord is called the lord of Gauri.

nATa rAgaM

citra viSva nATaka prakASaM – one who displays the enactment of diversity of the universe; citra- wonderful, diverse; visva-universe, nataka-play or drama, prakasam-one who displays.

jagat-prakASaka bhAskara -SaSAnka kOTi kOTi prakASam

one who illumines the changing universe; one who illumines millions of suns and moons. Jagat- universe, prakasaka- one who illumines, bhaskara-sun, sasanka-moon, koti- millions, prakasam-one who illumines.

You can listen to my guru teach me a little bit of it here:

https://youtu.be/IEEz9jb4qiQ

https://youtu.be/fLXjx68JmQ0

Thanks!