Observations on second rendering in the album rakshamama rangesha - Sri SripAdarAjara krutigaLu
The second kruthi is “mOsa hOdenalla sakalavu vAsudEva balla” tuned to the rAga “Sindhu Bhairavi” (rendered typically as a concluding piece in Carnatic music concerts), set to Adi tAla. Please connect this to the famous Purandara dAsa kruthi “VenkatAchala Nilayam Vaikunta pura vAsam,” one of the VidvAn’s favourite pieces of the past composed by kanaka dAsa “KAyo KarunAkarane kadu karmi naanu,” and Sri Bhimsen Joshi’s famous rendering of SripAdarAjara “KangalidyAtakO kAveri Rangana nOdade” in the Hindustani style.
This is a famous rAga in both the Carnatic and HindustAni traditions and employed to convey an emotionally strong sense (of sorrow or remorse for a misdeed). Based on the content, this kruthi can be classified to be a vairAgya and upadEsha pada (a composition intended to emphasise detachment and preach moral values to be acquired). The vidwan has rendered the kruthi by emphasizing the content and it has come out in a manner that attracts the attention of even unfamiliar ears, which is very characteristic of the rAga.
In this kruthi, SripAdarAjaru starts with a lamentation that Lord VAsudEva is aware in toto (sakalavu VAsudEva balla) that he has got fooled and wasted his life (mOsa hOdenalla) as he has failed to simply extol (lesAgi patisade) the thousand names (sAsira nAmava) of the one that has a radiant and auspicious body (bhAsura anga shri) and reclines on the serpent (vAsuki Shayanana).
In the first two charanas, rAjaru goes on to describe typical ways in which we whine away our precious time foolishly without using it for spiritual upliftment.
Please see (nOdi) that being in the company of bad people (dushta janara kUdi), I (naa) became a completely vile character (athi brashtanAde) as I did not spend time to meditate (drishtisi nOdade) with full conviction and discipline (nishteyinda) on the supreme form (ShrEshta rUpa) of one (Krishna) that is the enemy of demons mura and mushtika (mura mushtika vairiya).
I was filled with completely delusion (ennolu mAye thumbhitalla): without realizing that the body (kAyavu) is impermanent (sthiravalla), engaged in despicable acts with immoral woman (para sthriyara kondAdi) intoxicated with bodily strength (kAya madadi) and failed to use these to sing the glories (gAyana mAdade) of father of manmatha (kAyaja janakana).
In the last charana, rAjaru makes a fervent appeal to grant him salvation.
Oh Lord (Deva), Sri Ranga Vittala, one that is full of auspicious glories (mangala mahima) please see (nOdO) me with your eyes (Kangalindali), relieve me from the cycle of births and deaths, bless that I do not get a future body (mundhe anga bAradanthe) and having been liberated, attain the state of sAyujya (one of the four states of the liberated: SAmIpya, SAlokya and SArUpya being the other three) that provides an opportunity of staying in contact with the Lord (ninnanga sangava needo) by residing in his body.