நீரால் உடல்கழுவி நித்தம்நித மூவேளை...translation

First stanza:

நீரால் உடல்கழுவி நித்தம்நித மூவேளை
சோறால் குடல்கழுவும் சோம்ப பிறவி மல
சேறாம் இடர்கழுவ சேர்ந்தாயே அண்ணலடி
மாறாச் சுடர் தழுவவே.


meaning with quotes
You, lazy dirty incarnate (சோம்ப பிறவி),
who washes the body, with water (நீரால் உடல்கழுவி),
and washes your intestine, thrice a day, with food (நித்தம்நித மூவேளை
சோறால் குடல்கழுவும்),
Thou have now reached the feet of the Lord(சேர்ந்தாயே அண்ணலடி),
to wash away the stumbling block (the body - மல சேறாம் இடர்),
to embrace the unchanging light within your heart (மாறாச் சுடர் தழுவவே) !

Second Stanza:

நாறென வெள்லெலும்பை நன்கிணைத்து கட்டிவைத்து
நாறிடும் மூட்டைச் சதையொட்டி நீர்க்குருதிச்
சேரனதான எண்சான் உடம்பில் உன் நினைவே
சீருரும் தாமரை யாம்.


meaning with quotes
strung well together by the white boney strings (நாறென வெள்லெலும்பை நன்கிணைத்து கட்டிவைத்து),
packed is the stinking sac of flesh,
mixed with blood and water, all bundled, (நாறிடும் மூட்டைச் சதையொட்டி நீர்க்குருதிச்)
as the eight jaan (length) body, (சேரனதான எண்சான் உடம்பில்)
This (body) can boast of only one thing......
the memory on the lord,
shining within as the graceful beautiful lotus (உன் நினைவே
சீருரும் தாமரை யாம்.)


Third stanza:

தொப்புள் கொடிபுடிச்சி தொத்திவந்த இப்பிறப்பு
எப்ப தொடக்கியதோ எப்போ தடங்கிடுமோ
செப்பவே யாரிருக்கா செப்பனிடா பாதையிலே
செப்பாம போகுதே தப்பு.

meaning with quotes
Clinging on to the umbilical cord,
has this birth emerged,(தொப்புள் கொடிபுடிச்சி தொத்திவந்த இப்பிறப்பு)
Where & when did it all start and
when will it all end (எப்ப தொடக்கியதோ எப்போ தடங்கிடுமோ)
Who can explain? செப்பவே யாரிருக்கா
On the unpaved rotten path, செப்பனிடா பாதையிலே
this wrongful event (of birth & death)
is continuing unabated....
the drum playing the death music ,
is playing on & on, without sharing us this secret of
life and death.....(செப்பாம போகுதே தப்பு)

Fourth Stanza:

எம்பாவக் கப்பலில் எங்கோ புறப்பட்டோம்
சம்சாரக் கடலில் சருகாய் இடர்ப்பட்டோம்
வெம்பினை காத்து கலங்குதே இம்மையே
தம்மபயம் எந்தருளை தா.


meaning with quotes
On this ship of sin (this body),
we started somewhere, (எம்பாவக் கப்பலில் எங்கோ புறப்பட்டோம்)
we are struggling on our journey,
totally bound,
by the bonds of this 'samsaric life', (சம்சாரக் கடலில் சருகாய் இடர்ப்பட்டோம்)
we are boiling, struggling & suffering
to save ourselves in this birth, (வெம்பினை காத்து கலங்குதே இம்மையே)
Lord, please shower us with your saving grace !! (தம்மபயம் எந்தருளை தா).

கல்யாணியும், கோசலமும், ராஜாவின் இசை மேதமை மறுப்பும் !!!

Back in 2002-2003, when i tried to say raaja has mixed kosalam with kalyani in the Thalabathi song "sundari kannal oru seidhi", i had the so called 'purists' and "'theorists'" denouncing the claim.....

Now here is some evidence - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=svdot2juaYY&feature=player_embedded

These 'purists' and 'theorists' doubted if Raaja could have actually had "kosalam" in his mind while doing this song.... The so called 'purists' and "'theorists'" thought it was outrageous to think Raaja actually had kosalam in mind while attempting what he did in the sundari kannal oru seithi song.....

These pseudo--often arrogant--experts, belong to the "ï-only-know-these-30-keerthanais-and-so-strictly-entertain-my-ego-within-my-sphere-of-knowledge" kind of kinatru thavalais didnt want to acknowledge anything by Raaja that they didnt understand .....It was as if they were indirectly saying "namakkae idhu theriyala, Raajavukku eppadi theriyum"?? These 'purists' and 'theorists' doubted if Raaja could have actually had "kosalam"" in his mind while doing this song....

May be Raaja does not care for kosalam + Kalyani, but he was goddamn sure of what feel the R2 G3 (kalyani) flow would give versus what the R3 G3 (kosalam) flow would give....for him, the feel is more important than the theory!

Raaja knows the limits and capabilities of the 7 notes.....he can bend and dictate terms and these 7 notes will dance to his tunes.....Raagas and theories are actually secondary, when we understand his deeper means of approaching music and the 7 notes !!

madhmath sarang (hindustani)..s ri2 m1 p ni2 ..madhyamavathi in carnatic

Check this spine chilling cool tune and rendition...the power of traditional Rajasthani folk music brought out by Lata ji so well -- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HOQSxepySCk

This is raag madhmath sarang in hindustani......s ri2 m1p ni2 s..madhyamavathi in carnatic....In this Yaara sili sili song, a slight touch of ga2 adds to the beauty of the charanams


Coming back to Raaja....Thalaivar's madhyamavathi list is big....

Madhyamavathi S R2 M1 P N2 S
Madhyamavathi Aagaya Gangai Dharma Yudham
Madhyamavathi Aala Marathu Kuyilae Annan
Madhyamavathi Ariro Araro Indiran Chandhiran
Madhyamavathi Adi Pennae Ponoonjal Aadum Mullum Malarum
Madhyamavathi Ammamma Thalaattu Padava
Madhyamavathi Anandham Then Sindhum Mann Vasanai
Madhyamavathi Arule Arul Maniye Kavalai Padathe Sagodhara
Madhyamavathi Azhagaana Manjapura Ellame En Raasathan (bliss this one)
Madhyamavathi Azhagiya Thirumaganae Rajarishi
Madhyamavathi Bhoodyaaviyaa Habba Habba Boomi Geetha (Kannada)
Madhyamavathi Chittu Chittu Kuruvikku Azhaghi
Madhyamavathi Eeramana Rojave Ilamaikalangal
Madhyamavathi Ejamaan Kaaladi Manneduthu Ejaman
Madhyamavathi En Kalyana Vaibhogam Azhaghe Unnai Aaradhikiren
Madhyamavathi Halo Guru Nirnayam (Telugu)
Madhyamavathi Kannil Ilam Aayiram Nilave Vaa
Madhyamavathi Kathirum Kothi Man Of The Match (Malayalam)
Madhyamavathi Kavithai Paadu Kuyilae Thendralae Ennai Thodu (Mixes Brindavana Saranga)
Madhyamavathi Kumbam Karai Sertha Thangayya Kumbakarai Thangaiyya
Madhyamavathi Kuyile Kuyile Aan Paavam (bubbling with enthusiasm)
Madhyamavathi Kuyile Kuyile Kuyilakka En Bommukutty Ammaavukku
Madhyamavathi Mangalam Nerunnu Alliyilam Poovo (Malayalam)
Madhyamavathi Maragadha Kutti Chinna Durai
Madhyamavathi Muthu Muthu Nammura Mandaara Hoove (Kannada)
Madhyamavathi Nila Kayidhu Sakalakala Vallavan (touches of sri ragam, sriranjani)
Madhyamavathi Nee Thane Enthan Ninaivellam Nithya
Madhyamavathi Poo Arumbuthu Kutti
Madhyamavathi Pon Meni Urugudhe Moonram Pirai
Madhyamavathi Pon Vaana Poongavil Vaalibamae Vaa Vaa
Madhyamavathi Ponnu Veetu Kaararae Kelunga Ponnu Veetukkaran
Madhyamavathi Puthu Ponnu Mapillai Kaadhal Rojaave
Madhyamavathi Sembaruthi Penoruthi Raman Abdulla
Madhyamavathi Sevanthi Pookalil Seidha Veedu Mella Pesungal
Madhyamavathi Solaikuyile Ponnu Oorukku Pudhusu
Madhyamavathi Suvvi Suvvi Swathi Muthyam (Telugu)
Madhyamavathi Thaalattu Pillai Ennai Achchaani
Madhyamavathi Thanga Nilavukkul Nilavondru Rickshaw Maama
Madhyamavathi Thazham Poovae Vaasam Kai Kodukum Kai
Madhyamavathi Thulli Thulli Sippikkul Muthu
Madhyamavathi Vanamellam Senbagapoo (male version) Naadodi Pattukaaran
Madhyamavathi Vanna Pandhai Thottu Vilayaada Chinna Vaathiyaar
Madhyamavathi Vennilavu Kodhipadhenna Chinna Mapillai


Over 40 known madhyamavathis of IR...but no repetitive tunes.....each unique...Gifted we are to live in his era....


madhyamavathi is easy to recognize ....it has a lullaby kind of touch to the melody...Ilaiyaraaja’s use of Madhyamavathi thus can be summarized as “Thalaatu”…Yes, madhyamavathi usages by IR are (90%) hypnotic lullabies. So why not start off with Thaalattu Pillai Ennai from Achchaani. The entire pallavi is a neat usage of madhyamavathi. See how raja has stressed on the raga flavour right at the start by the way SPB sings “thalaattu”…..Just do this mini exercise…after you sing for yourself the pallavi of the song thalattu, dive to “thunbam endrum aanukkalla” charanam from “thulli thulli”…You would have no problems shifting to back “thalaatu” once you finish “thulli thulli charanams”… another good example would be “Thazham Poovae Vaasam from Kai Kodukum Kai”

Madhyamavathi, as said earlier, is S R2 M1 P N2 S and same backwards…. I had mentioned that you can keep remembering the word “lullaby or “thalaattu” while trying to decipher a madhyamavathi based song…If you want to also see some songs that are hardcore madhyamavathis, take En Kalyana Vaibhogam - Azhaghe Unnai Aaradhikiren. One of those rare combination of raja and vani jayaram. Don’t you get a feeling as if vani jayaram was sitting in a oonjal (swing) while she sang it…or even better, don’t you feel that you are yourself are being put in a musical swing (oonjal or thooli). The same swing effect can be seen in the first few lines of Nee Thane Enthan - Ninaivellam Nithya .

The song “thulli thulli nee padamma” starts with a humming and mini alapanai session between SPB and S.Janaki. That vocal prelude bit is the best crash course you will ever get on madhyamavathi in the shortest of all times (roughly 1 and a half minutes). You might do well to listen to that initial humming alone n number of times, until you start to understand madhyamavathi…Because, that’s all you need to know to recognize a madhyamavathi based song. Solaikuyile kaalai kadhire from ponnu Oorukku Pudhusu is another vintage composition, wherein just the pallavi is enough to teach you madhyamavathi. See the how the pallavi lands down to a sweet musical swing (as if you were in a thooli) in the lines, “thullum ragame, thullum raagame”…Ange thullum ragam madhayamavathi thaan….Avvalave dhaan :)

Lend your ears, I will tell you a simple trick that works 90% of the times in deciphering madhyamavathi in IR’s songs. There would invariably be a scintillating usage of the instrument Shenai. You wont find many madhayamavathi based songs from IR which didn’t have the shenai, used in a mesmerizing fashion.

If you asked my personal choice amongst all madhyamavathis, I would say it is Thanga Nilavukkul Nilavondru from Rickshaw Maama. It just does not get better than this. Raja in a thaalaatum mood and his best partner SPB to carry the tune forward. Who wants the heavens, it is here and now, right in your room. Just plug in to raja’s music :)