GurulEka eTuvaNTi - GowrimanOharI- KhaNDa chApu- SrI TyAgarAja- Sandhya Anand

Описание: Guru is given a very high position in Indian culture. We call someone our Guru when they impart knowledge to us. The word Guru though has several meanings in different contexts, it primarily means one who dispels darkness or removes ignorance. We cannot see in darkness. Ignorance (darkness) is lack of knowledge and the one who dispels darkness is called a Guru.

I profusely thank all my Gurus who I have come across in this life. Pranamas to each one of them for imparting me knowledge(academic, musical and spiritual)

This idea is beautifully expanded in Guruleka etuvanti guniki teliyagapodu by Tyagaraja Swami.

Meaning of the kriti is :-

P No matter how much (eTuvaNTi) meritorious or virtuous (guNi) (guNiki) one is, without (lEka) (lEkayeTuvaNTi) a preceptor (guru), it would not be possible (pOdu) to know (teliyaga) (the truth by oneself).

A No matter how much meritorious or virtuous one is, without a competent (sad) (literally pious) preceptor, it would not be possible for him to know
(how) to destroy (koTTanu) the thorny (karukaina) thicket (gahanamunu) of affliction (rOga) of the heart (hRt) (hRd-rOga).

C No matter how much meritorious or virtuous one is, it would not be possible for him to know, without a preceptor like (sage nArada) - the benefactor (AptuDagu) of this tyAgarAja (tyAgarAjAptuDagu),
who protects (kApADu) compassionately (karuNatO) by imparting knowledge (bodhana jEsi) of the reality (tatva),
which, like (anucu) a medicine (mandu) (mandanucu), prevents from touching (aNTaka sEyu) the mind (manasuna) (manasunaNTaka) the grief (jAlini) of (first) being born (janiyiJci) (and then) dissipation (cedaru) of
body (tanuvu), children (suta) (literally son), wealth (dhana), wife (dAra), cousin (dAya) and other (Adi) (dAyAdi) relatives (bhAndhavulu).

courtesy : thyagaraja-vaibhavam-blogspot.in

Quiz for curious rasikas

1) What is khanda chapu tala?
2) Name other kritis in Gaurimanohari that you have listened to.
3) Name a Swati Tirunal composition in this raga
4) Who does Tyagaraja swami consider as his Guru in this kriti.
5) Can you list some Guru kritis(compositions on Guru) by the Trimurtis and other composers?
6) What raga do yo get if you replace Ma and Dha of Gaurimanohari to Ma2 and Dha1? What is the new raga's mela number?
7)Name 3 janya ragas of Gaurimanohari