Maa Janaki chettabattaga….

SreeRagam 12

This Tyagarajakriti embellished with prosodic and musical beauty is in Kambhoji raga. Tyagaraja in this kriti praises Seeta and says, O Rama you have become great only marrying Seeta. In all your hardships, she was with you, and although she herself could destroy Ravana, she abstained and let you take the credit…

Kambhoji is a regal raga that expounds emotions of Sringara, Karuna, Santa, Bhakti and veera. In wedding festivities it is featured as one of the most rendered ragas on Nadaswaram.

Also read: Paluke Bangaramayena…Ananda Bhairavi

Structure

Arohana: S R2 G3 M1 P D2 S

Avarohana: S N2 D3 P M1 G3 R2 S

It is a janya raga of the 28^th Melakarta Harikambhoji. Abhashanga raga ( when a raga has anyaswara or a swara not pertaining to the parent scale) with Kakali Nishada is the anyaswara. It is a shadavasampoorna raga (six swaras in Arohana and seven swaras in Avarohana)The gamakas or oscillations of the swaras enhance the beauty of the raga.

In Hindustani classical music, it is equivalent to the Khamaj Thaat

It creates sublime moods, rich ambience and uplifts our moods with the soothing flow of melodic swaras.

Kambhoji is an ancient raga prevalent in our music since ages and said to have originated from Kambhoja kingdom in north-west India. It is also known as ‘Kambodhi’. There is a mention of Kambhoji raga in musical treatises like Brihaddesi, Sangeeta Ratnavali, Sangeeta Makaranda. It was classified as ragini, a female raga (ragas are also classified into male and female, based on the emotions they induce)

Also read: OmkaraNadanusandhanamaugaaname…Sankarabharanamu…

As described in Sivatattva Ratnakara, Kambhoji can be portrayed as “A lovely girl in the flower of youth, robed in yellow, with beautiful flowing hair, searching everywhere in the forest with her maids, the thought of her lover makes her weep with tenderness!”

It is recommended to render Kambhoji during early parts of night or early morning. It is also an auspicious raga that resonates with vibrations of positive energy. When chosen as an inaugural raga in a concert, it sets the right mood and ambience.

Also read: Lahiri Lahiri Lahirilo…

Kambhoji raga has a vast scope of elaboration and hence chosen as one of the main ragas in a concert.

Compositions

Since it is an antique raga, Kambhoji raga was a preferred one by most of the composers.

Our musical trinity of Tyagaraja, Deekshitar, SyamaSastry also contributed to the treasure of Kambhojiraga.

Sri Subramanya Namostute is an imposing kriti of Deekshitar in Sanskrit set to Kambhoji. The raga intertwines various parts of kriti into a powerful force  which bestows upon us his divine grace to alleviate from our sufferings. In charanam, or the last paragraph in the kriti, the lyric states, ‘Tapatraya Harana Nipuna Tatvopadesakarthre’….The encapsulated philosophic wisdom in these verses are well expressed by the raga. The kriti elucidates, the three sufferings a human being undergoes, adhyatmikam – self suffering caused by one’s own thinking, adibhoutikam – suffering caused by others, adidaivikam – suffering because of nature and things beyond our control. But the root cause of suffering lies in our mind or thinking, if we are able to understand and control our mind, with the divine grace of Lord Subrmanya, we can realise paramananda, the eternal bliss.

Deekshitar also composed invaluable kritis like

Kamalambikayai

Kasi Visveswara

MarakataVallim

Tyagaraja

Evarimatavinnavo, Elaya Sri Krishna, Sri Raghuvaraprameya are popular

SyamaSastri

Devi nee Padasaaramule

BhadrachalaRamadasukeertana ‘Ikshvaku Kula tilaka’ echoes bhakti and karunarasas.

Among films,

Mukkoti Devatalu okkatainaru from Bavamaradallu

Bharata Nari Charitamu from O Seeta Kadha

Ravo Ravo from Rahasyam Telugu movie

Also read: Salalitha Ganasudharasapanam…..