45 Melakarta Ragam Subhapantuvarali

Sri:
Dear BhakthAs of the dhivya Dampatis of ThiruviNNagaram:
Today, we will study the Subha PantuvarALi kriti of Sow.Padma Veeraraghavan.
Subha PanthuvarALi is the 45th MeLam. This kriti is about Baala KrishNan. Like YasOdha and
PeriyAzhwAr, the composer sees the Lord in everything and longs for communion with
Him,dress Him up, converse with Him and spoil Him with a Motherly vaatsalyam. She visualizes
Him as the Lord of Saptha Svarams and laments over not being blessed with His grace. The Kriti
is set in the mood of Vipralambha SrungAram and uses to full advantage the pathos aspect of
this Raagam arising from the theevra Madhyamam conjoining with SaadhAraNa GhAndhAram.
The anubhavam of the composer reminds us of the KrishNa anubhavam by SubramaNya
BharatiyAr in his song:Kaakai chirahinilE Nandalaala. Please googleNandalala+Bharatiyarfor
different versions of rendering of this moving song carrying the Tanmayatvam and avirAha
modes of Bhakti.
The Subha PantuvarALi is named as Shiva PantuvarALi in Dheekshitars (Venkatamahis) system
of nomenclature. It is the 3rd Raagam in the 8th (Vasu) Chakram.The ArOhaNa-AvarOhaNa
Kramams are:
S R1 G2 M2 P D1 N3 S
S N3 D1 P M2 G2 R1 S
It is the Pratimadhyama MeLa Raaga equivalent of the Suddha Madhyama Dhenukaa Raagam
(9th Melam).
It has few janya Raagams with charming names: AruNAngi, BhAnu DhanyAsi, BhAnu
gheervaaNi, Jaala Kesari, Mahaa Nandhini and Sekhara chandrika.
There are a few well known kritis in this Raagam:
1) YennALu orake Saint ThyagarAja
2) SrI SatyanArAyaNam upAsmahE Sri M.Dikshitar
3) PasupateeSwaramSri M.Dikshitar on Kaatmundu Deity
4) tEdinEn Maadhavaa Tuned by Ilaya Raajaa and sung by Sri Jesudas inSri
RaghavEndhraMovie
5) Nee samAnamEvarulEG.N. BalasubramaNyan, sung by Smt. Bombay Jayashree
Srimathy Padma Veeraraghavans Subha PantuvaraaLi Kruti:
Pallavi:
KaaNum poruLLellAm KaNNan mayamAhutE
tEninum iniya kuzhalil YeNNAmellAm niRaihutE
Whatever object adiyEn sees, all of them are filled with KaNNans roopam. adiyEns thoughts
are fixated on and filled with the sweet sound emanating from the VeNu. This VeNu ghAnam is
sweeter than honey to experience.antar Bahisccha Tat-sarvam vyAoya NaarayaNa: sthita:says
the Vedam about the Lords pervasive presence in all sentient and insentient matter.
Anupallavi:
VeeNaai Yenn Aavi neerAyi uruhatE
Aanayin thuuyar teertAn avan aruL yenakkilayE

adiyEns soul is melting away in to water and it is being wasted away. He banished the sorrow
of the suffering GajEndhran but adiyEn is not the beneficiary of His grace.
CharaNam:
Chinnam chiru KaNNanukku senniRa Aadai katti
pannip-panni pEsum avan mazhalai inbha veLLam
tenn TiruppatiyAm kOilil Subha BandhukkaLudan ninRAn
Yennappan TirukkOlam YezhisayAi olikka
AdiyEn is enjoying the adorning of the little (Kutti) KaNNans waist with a red dress and adiyEn
is immersed in the bliss of listening to the haltering babble cum prattle of the Little One. Right
before my eyes, He has grown and is standing tall now at His southern dhivya desam of
ThiruviNNagaram with the auspicious array of His relatives like MarkanDEyar, Putrans and
Poutrans ; He is surrounded by the sweet Naadham rising from the saptha swarams emanating
from the many MangaLa Vaadhyams.
Srimath Azahgiya Singar ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam,
Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri Sadagopan