NARASIMHA SULADI - PART 1

Now why are we looking at these suladis. The point is a achar told me that we should be chatting these five stotras everyday. They are

* Narasimha Suladi

* Durga Stotra

* Srinivasa Kalyana

*Lakshmi Shobane

* Venkatesh Stavaraja

We will be looking at it one by one.

Narasimha Suladi by Vijaya dasaru

Vijaya dasaru was born in Chekalaparvi of Manwi Taluk, Raichur istrict. He went to Kashi for studies. One day in his dreams Purandara Vittala appeared, initiated him into order of dasas and gave him ankita ‘Vijaya Vittala’.  

He spent the rest of his life popularizing Dwaita concepts, the works of Srimadacharya and Hari Bhakti mala's. He has written about 25,000 Padya Sulyadi i.e *UGAHA BHOGHA* 's, his works are called kalasha's creations, Urasu's creations. In Kannada sahitya his literary works are regarded as second only to those of Sri Purandara Dasa. He is affectionately called Dasa Shresta, for his personality, knowledge and the brilliant disciples he left behind.

The contribution of Shri Vijaya Dasa in particular to suladi form of sahitya is very immense.  He is popularly known as "suLAdi dAsaru".

He has contributed many suladis out of which there are five famous suladis told by many everyday.

They are called Sri Vijayadasara Panchratna suladigalu

·       Shri Narashima devara Suladi

·       Shri Durgadevi stotra Suladi

·       Shri Dhanvanthri stotra Suladi

·       Shri Kapila devara stotra Suladi

·       Shri MukhyaPranadevara Suladi

In which we are going to see the first Narasimha Devara Suladi.

              Narasimha Avatara Stotra Suladi

There is Narasimha Devara Suladi also written by Jaganatha

Dasaru. You can also refer to it.

The lyrics of the Narasimha Suladi has been taken from a book

Sthri dharma written by Smt. Saraswathi Sripathy.

Shri Narasimhaya nam:

 Raga : Naatai  

Tala: Druva tala

Veera simhane narasimhane daya para

Varane baya nirvarna nirguna

SAridavara samsara vrukshada moola

Berarasi kiluva biridu bayamkara

Gora vatara karala vadana

A- Goradu ritha samhara maya kara

Krura daityara shoka karana utubava

E relu buvana sagara dhodeya

Aa rowdhara namaka vijaya vittala narasinga

Veera rasaa tunga karunya panga||

Tala : Matta Tala

 Maguvina rakkasavanu haga eralu biddathe

Hege inadali hoydu naga pannaga vanadhi

Gagana migiladha aganitha badiyali

Negadhu ogedu sAvu bagadhu kolu thiralu

Hey ! Jagadha vallabane sugunA nadigane

Nigama vandhitane pogalidha bakutara

Tagali tolaga nendu mige kugu taliralu

Yuga yuga dolu dayalu gala devara deva

Yugadi kruta nama vijaya vittala Ho! Ho!

Yugala karava mugidu maguvu more yidalu ||

Tala : Rupaka

Kelidha kshana dali laalisi bakthana

Mouli vegadali palisuve nendu

thAli santhoshava thooli thumbi dante

mu lokadha pati vaalaya dinda su

Stila durlabha nAma vijaya vittala pancha

Mouli manava kamba sili mudidha deva||

Tala : Jampe

Lata latA latalatA latakatisi vanaja janda

Kata ha pata pata pututh katadhi bicchu taliralu

Puta putA puta negedhu siri hArutha pal

katA kata kata kadidhu rosha dinda

miti miti mitane raktha kshiyalli nodi

Tati koti Urbatage arbata vag iralu

kutila rahitta vyaktha  vijaya vittala shaktha

dhita nitila netra sura kataka paripala||

Tala : Triputa

Bob biriye vira dhvaniyindha tani gidi

 habbi munchoni uri hora geddu suthe

ubbasa ravigage abjana duguthire
abdhisa puta ukki hora selli barutire

Abuja bavadigalu tabbibbi gondari

Abbara venentha nabadha guliyu tagiye

Sabta tumbidhu avyakru thagasha

Paryantha nippara darugiri jajarisuve

Obbarigosha vallada namma vijayavittala

Ebbake yagi kamba dinda pora matta||

Tala : Atta

Gudi gudi  sutha koti sidilu girige bandhu

Hodedhanthe siri bobbiduthali lamgisi

Hididhu rakkasana kedahi maduhi tuduki

Thodiya melirisi herodala korugura dindha {thadige} 
paduvala gadala tadiya taraniya nodi

kadu kopadali sada badidu rakasanna kedahi
Nidi garalanu koraladi yalli darisida

Sada garadha daiva  
kadugali bhoorbhuva vijaya vittala pal

Kada lodeya sharanara vadeve vada nodne ||

Tala : Eka

Uri masege chatur dasha dharani tallanisalu

Parameshti harasuraru siridevige more idalu

Karuna dinali tanna sharanana sahita ninna

Charanake eragalu parama shantanagi

Hara hidhe dayavannu suraru kusuma varusha

Gariyalu beri vAdyamore utarare enata

Paripari valaka vistaradinda kaikolutha

Meredhu suraru patra harisi balagana kayde

Para daiva gambiratma vijayavittala nimma

Charite dushtarige bikaravo sajjanna pala ||

Jathe 
prahlada varada prapanna klesha banjanna

Mahhvishe vijaya vittala nara mruga vesha ||

|| Krishnarpanamstu ||

SULADI - part 1

suLAdi

The suladis were a form of poetry that was introduced in this world by the Haridasa of Karnataka.

The word Suladi comes from the Sanskrit word Suda, which means gita. The Suladi is a composition rather very similar to the gita, another musical genre, in its arrangement and its musical structure. ("suLAdi" in Kannada means sulabhada hAdi - an easy route to invoke the blessings of Shri Hari-Vayu-Guru's and to reach Shri Hari's abode.)

­­ Musicians and musicologist trace the origin of Suladis to Salaga Suda (prabandha). The Salaga Suda was first described in detail in the 13th century by Sarangadeva. These prabhandas comprised seven closely related sub-types all of the same tala. The first recorded Salaga Suda Prabhanda was called Dhruva Salaga Prabhanda and Sripadaraja, an incarnation of Dhruva, was among the first to use this form.

The content of the suladis by the Haridasa is more devotional and they are composed in different tempos such as vilambita, madhya and druta.

In a Suladi, each section is independent by itself. The pallavi(Pallavi generally is a single-line composition set to a single cycle of tala. The tala could range from the simple to the complex and there may also be different gatis being employed). is not sung at the conclusion of each section in a Suladi. In Suladis, some sections are sung in different tempos.

The suladi starts in Malavagaula and ends with Sriraga. The other ragas used in between are Daruva, Matya, Rupaka, Jhampa, Trivida, Ata and Eka.

Usually, Haridasas, who were masters of music and literature,  composed their suladis in such a manner that a given Suladi will have a single raaga but multiple talas-generally seven. These talas will be set in place in a Suladi in succeeding parts. Sometimes, the Haridasas are such intricate masters of this genre that there is a variation in raaga too. As such, it is not easy to compose Suladis. It requires mastery over music to render them properly. All the suladis of Haridasas have mythological, spiritual and religious themes. They do have an undercurrent of ethics too.

The Suladi is unique in the sense that for centuries after Sripadaraja it was composed only by Haridasas

The first among the Haridasas and saint-composers of Karnataka to use this form extensively to express his devotion to Hari was Sripadaraja (1412-1504) of Mulabagal near Kolar in Karnataka.

Sripadaraja used the suladi to describe Hari and he taught this form to his favourite disciple, Vyasa Raja or Vyasa Theertha (1447-1539)who then passed it on to Purandara Dasa, Kanaka Dasa, Belur Vaikunta Dasa of the Dasa Koota and Vadiraja Theertha, Vijendra Theertha of the Vyasa Koota.

Apart from Sripadaraya, other Dwaitha saints and Haridasas who composed Suladis were Vyasa Raya (1447-1539), Purandara Dasa (1484-1564), Kanaka Dasa (1509-1609) Vadiraja (1480-1600), Vijaya Dasa (1682-1755), Gopala Dasa (1722-1762) and Jagannatha Dasa of Manvi (1722-1809).

However, it must be remembered that it was Narahari Theertha, one of the four direct disciples of Madhwacharya, who first used this form to address Sri Hari. However, these suladis were in Sanskrit and his ankita here was Raghu Kula. After him, it fell into disuse and it was left to Sripadaraja to popularise it and compose in Kannada.

Puranadara dasa

Sripadaraja taught the nuances of suladi to Vyasa Raja who in turn handed the baton to Purandara Dasa.

Purandara Dasa used the Suladi to focus on the conflicts of human life and Kanaka Dasa

 uses them to demolish the caste system. Vijaya Dasa uses them to exhort people to surrender to Hari and not to lead a decadent life.

Thus we see that the Suladi is an important vehicle for the Haridasas to give us a unique and thought provoking combination of intricate poetry with seamless music. The Suladis are lengthier compositions than the Ugabhogas and they are set to specific raagas and taalas.

Much earlier, in Karnataka, Purandara Dasa had written  “navavidha bhakti prasamsa”, a Suladi where a particular bhakti mudra was introduced in each of the seven sections.   

By the way, the only available three notated Suladis composed by Purandara Dasa are contained in the Sangita Sampradaya Pradarshini written by Subbarama Dikshitar, a Telugu scholar and composer. It contains sections on composers, musicology and ragas of south Indian music. This book was first published in 1904.

Vyasa theertha

Interestingly, Vyasa Raja follows his guru in writing a highly autobiographical suladi. In the Namasmarana Suladi, Vyas speaks of the many distractions and asks Hari to help him overcome them. He agrees that he has committed many sins and says he can get over them only by the grace of Sri Hari.

Raghavendra

In Vyasa Raja’s next avatar as Raghavendra Swamy (1595-1671), he composed his only suladi- Avatara Traya Mukhyaprana Suladi – called Maruta Ninnaya Mahime.  

Vijaya Dasaru

Vijaya Dasa in his suladi, “Dasa Purandara,” praises Purandara Dasa as his guru. He has also composed a suladi detailing the greatness of Sripadaraja.

Jagannatha Dasaru

Jagannatha Dasa of Manvi composed a suladi on Narasimha. It is a beautiful song and it shows us how much this dasa was devoted to his Narasimha. Gopala Dasa has written the suladi Virachita Rayara. In another suladi, he describes how Narahari, Rama, Krishna, Veda Vyasa can be seen atop the Brindavana of rayaru in Mantralaya and how they accept the offerings.

Kanaka Dasaru

Kanaka Dasa has set his songs to Suladi as it is his most preferred genre.

Almost all the Haridasas have wriiten suladis and it would be well impossible to enumerate all of them. The suladi was one of the most popular forms of expression and in them, the Haridasas restructured music, made it more appealing and soul stirring. The Haridasas hewed the system to ensure that the suladis became the vehicle for propagation of Dwaitha philosophy in which Hari was supreme and Taratamya a way of life. 

Reference :

http://samharshbangalore.blogspot.sg/2013/11/the-story-of-suladi.html