SAMPRADAYA BHAJANAI PADDATHI
An Introduction to its birth and form by Sri Sadguru Swamigal
(Notes I took from the "Katha Kelu" scintillating discourses by Sri Sri Muralidhara Swamigal at Narada Gana Sabha, a treat to the indriyas with infinite boundless timeless nectarine of divine wisdom for 9 glorious days !!!)
Birth
In the Marudhanallur Sadguru sampradayam, during unjavruthi they will only sing the Tharangam of Sri Narayana theerthar. Because Sri Narayana theerthar when he had once come to Tamil nadu, he stayed at Govindapuram, the Adhisthanam of Sri Bodendra Swamigal. Whilst being there he found the leaves of the Nama Siddhantam created by Sri Bodendral and having read all that, Sri Narayana theerthar sang them all as keerthanams collectively called as Tharangam.
"Rama Krishna GovindEthI namasampryOgEthI kAmamiha SnAthavyam SarvOthamaprayAge Rama Krishna Govinda|
No one has sung the nama siddhantam itself as a keerthanam like this. Puja, dhyana, yoga, anushtanam in this country, this time, this direction is usually the norm followed but for namasankeerthanam there is no norms defined.
dik dEsha kAlanapEkshA siddhasarva sulabHe sadguru kripA samudrA saMyEthulAbhe Rama Krishna Govinda ! Why do you go to allahabad and triveni sangam and perform snanam, Here ganga is antarvahini with saraswathi joining, there is no need to go there.
Rama nama gangayA militha krishna nama yAmune govindanama saraswathiprathithE Rama Krishna Govinda ! If we say rama it begets the same fruit of bathing in Ganga, if we say Krishna it begets the fruit of bathing in yamuna, if we say Govinda it begets the fruit of bathing in Saraswathi - namasamprayAke bAdithadOrasamsara vAranatatkAranE - Rama krishna govinda telling is enough.
Dont think these bhajans are just for pastime. Where this vedanta vicharam, astangayogam will take you, the nama will also take you very easily there.
braHmavidyA lakshana nirikshana vichakshanE bAdHitha gOra samsAra vAranathkAranE Rama Krishna Govinda !
Even today in Sri Marudanallur sadguru swamigals nama siddanta tharangam this particular tharangam will be sung during the taking of unjavruthy.
Sadguru Swamigal like this was performing rama nama pArayanam, bhAgavatha pArayanam, nAma japam, unjavruthi always. He had a desire in his mind which was to go and see the birthplace of Rama in Ayodhya. He tells his family and the people in his town. Nobody wants to part with sadguru swamigal. He was a parama rama bhakthar and always in the sannidhanam of Ramar he used to perform rama nama japam. He tells, most bhakthas wish for enough of this janma isnt it but sadguru swamigal says give me another janma and in that janma I wish to be a rama bhakthar again perform the same ramayana parayanam and rama nama japam. Performing namakeethanam he reached Ayodhya walking on foot. He stayed wherever possible in Ayodhya hut, tree or a mantapam. While travelling such, he reached talapakkam in Andhra pradesh. Thats the birth place of Annamacharya bhakthar. But when Sadguru Swamigal reached this place Annamacharya was not there but his grandson chinnaya was there. Sadguru Swamigal stayed in talapakkam itself as it was the visiting place for many bhakthas. Many bhakthas came from neighbouring states and sang in their own languages and with bhakthi they performed namakeethanam, these bhakthas were following no fasting, no yoga, no dhyanam, no mantram but purely due to nama they reached an exalted state.
With Bhakthi the bhagavan is attained easily and the foundation to bhakthi is on two main things - "Telling the Lords stories" and "Singing about the Lord" - Kathashravanam and Keerthanam. Sadguru Swamigal observes all those keerthanams which the bhakthas sing. Many keerthanams composed by bhadrachala ramadasar. Amazing abhangams are being sung by Maharashtra bhakthas including keerthanams from neighbourhood regions composed by Meera, Tulasidasar, kabirdas etc.,
Sadguru Swamigal had a thought, so many mahans have sung like this from all parts of India and what is the use of this. Its not just singing in a concert, all these songs have to be sung in bhajans as they are bhagavathas not sangeetha vidwans or poets. Thus everything should be sung in a bhajan isnt it. In order for this keerthanams to be sung in the bhajans an order has to be maintained and need a SAMPRADAYAM. He gets this thought to bring about this sampradayam. Thus he starts a sampradayam, beginning with
"Hari Narayana Hari Narayana Hari Narayana Hari Narayana", then followed with
"Sukalam bharadaram vishnum sasivarnam chathurbujam prasannavadanam dhyayeth vignopashantaye"
All the slokas in the itihaasa and puranams where the glories of nama are mentioned.
firstly, "Jaya jAnakiramana jaya vibheeshana charana jaya sarOruga jaya dheena karuna jaya, jaya pApa sanga vidhAra, pankthimukha samhAra ,
sripathe sukumAra , sita vihAra jaya, jaya". Having put this first by sadguru swamigal this is the keerthanam sung by Bhadrachala Ramadasar.
secondly, "saranu saranu surEndra sannutha, saranu sri sathi vallabha, saranu rAkshasa garva samhAra, saranu venkata nAyaka swAmi sri raghunAyaka saranu saranu harE harE harE", this was composed by chinnaya in talapakkam, the grandson of Annamacharya.
thirdy, "murahara nagadara mukunda mAdhava, garuda gamanA pankaja nAbha, parama purusha bhava banjana kEsava, naramruga sareera namO namO devA narayana tE namo namO bhava nAradha sannutha NamO namO", this also is a keerthanam of chinnaya.
then the keerthanam of Vijaya gOpala swami, this was first sung in tirupathi by Vijaya gOpala swami in front of the bhagavan when the purattAsi chariot uthsavam in the duritha kAlam when the bhagavan himself requested him to sing slowly because if he sang in this duritha kAlam it will not match the speed of this chariot. This was then sung in rUpaka tAlam by Vijaya gOpala swami.
"devEsaranAdhitha divyAmbuja pAda, sri vEnkata giri nAyaka srisAhecharikA kalimAnusha kalushApaha kamaneeya sukeerthe Alamelu manga mohana moorthE HecharikA mohana moorthe Hecharika", this is a keerthanam by Vijaya gOpala swAmi.
then mangalam, "mAdhava bhavathu tE jaya mangalam, madhu mUra hara tE mangalam mAdhava bhavathu tE jaya mangalam"
Sadguru Swamigal had so much affection on Bhagavannam Bodendral, so he had this Guru keerthanam first on Bodendral.
"bOdEndram jagatAm gurum ashrayE bhOga mOksha siddhayE bOdapayOnidhi pUrnasugamshUM bOdavadamala dabjakarAngushum bOdEndram jagatAm gurum ashrayE bhOga mOksha siddhayE"
Then about Sridhara Ayyaval, who also performed nama siddantam with a grantham called "bhagavannAma bhushanam".
"gurumUrti pAdamulE guruguhAdhyaninchi sthiramaina sukamu..". Sadguru Swamigal in his sampradayam initially added bhagavannAma bodendral and sridhara ayyaval only.
Later bhagavathas added all the keerthanam composed about sadguru swamigal himself.
Paddathi
Sri Sadguru Swamigal in his Bhajana sampradayam included the songs of Sri Bodendra Swamigal and Sri Sridhara Ayyaval initially. The Bhagavathas who came later added songs on Sri Sadguru Swamigal himself. One of Sadguru Swamigals direct disciple radhakrishna sang this sung,
"Bhaje Sathgurum Anisam Bhaje Sathgurum Gururaajam Anisam"
ThejasAbjahitha kara thulyam divya bhavya guna paripoornam
rAja sEkaramiva sthitham akhilOdhAraNa nimitHam bhuvamavatheernam"
The above song describes the magnificence of Sri Sadguru Swamigal when he is taking the unjavrithi by his disciple radhakrishnan. This is also sung as part of the Guru keerthanais on Sadguru Swamigal in the bhajan paddathi. Then there is another Guru keerthanam "Athade Parabrahmam". There is a village called ThippirAjapuram near MarudAnallur. In this village one day sadguru swamigal was taking unjavrithi and with him 1000s of devotees were singing and dancing and this was like a kingly procession with all parivAram, chAmaram etc. In that village, there was one person by name Bala Ganesan who was lying relaxed in his verandah with his legs outstretched onto the street. Everyone advised Bala Ganesan that Sri Sadguru Swamigal is coming on this street taking unchavrithi and he should not be lying down spreading the legs on this verandah like this which showed disrespect. But Bala Ganesan was disrespectful and did not listen. But after Sadguru Swamigal came and went, Bala Ganesan had a severe stomach ache and this did not go away and everyone said to him that the reason for this is the disrespect he showed for sadguru swamigal. So they advised him to go to Sadguru swamigal and offer respects by prostrating at his feet and obtain the theertham and drink it and the stomach pain will go away. Then the stomach pain went away and in gratitude he composed this keerthanam
"AthadE parabrahmambani madilo anudinamunu gAnudi
athiprithinga madanAnanthakapuramuna sthithudai
nelakOni pathithula brOcina (AthadE)"
In Kumbakonam there was a bhakthar by name venkata vittaladasar, who was adept in sangeetham. For sangeetha vidwans, the words need not be so exact and the meaning is not very important but swaram, ragam and talam should be exact and correct. This vidwan was very proud of his sangeetham expertise and ignored the bhajan of Sri Sadguru Swamigal and his goshti. One day someone came to him and invited him to the radhakalyanam. Though he was reluctant, thinking however that he will get free nice food usually served in radhakalyanam, he went. After he had listened to a few bhajans there, he completely transformed his earlier opinions watching in amazement and stupendous wonder at the songs being sung and he immediately composed and sang this song on Sri Sadguru Swamigal. "Bhajare Guru Charanam" was the song he composed upon Marudanallur Sri Sadguru Swamigal
Ashtapathis, Tharangam and gurukeerthanais:
After singing on the three Gurus, then ASHTAPATHIS are sung. After Ashtapathis, Sri Narayana theerthar THARANGAM is sung. After that the keerthanas of Sadasiva Brahmendral, Ramadasar, Purandaradasar, Gopalakrishna Bhagavathar, Thiagarajar, Kabirdas, Tulasidasar will be sung and pooja will be performed.
Deepa Pradakshinam:
After that the bhagavan will be welcomed (Aahwanam) within a lighted lamp (deepam) and that deepam will be escorted and laid upon a large wide plate (tambAlam) with turmeric mixed rice grains (akshthai). This deepam and tambAlam will be kept in a designated spot and in this deepam the bhagavan will be made to be present.
The keerthanai songs to welcome the bhagavan into the lamp are :
1) rAmabhadra rArA ramachandra rArA
tAmrasa lOchana sItAsamEta rArA
muddhu muddhugA nava mOhanAmga rArA
addampu chEkkiLLavADa ambhuJAksha rArA ||rAmabhadra||
DivyanAmam:
After the bhagavan has been welcomed and present having performed all the various offerings, then specifically for DIVYANAMAM there are specific songs composed by our elders which is a huge list....
A beautiful song by Vijayagopala swamigal is
माधव गोविन्द मधुसूदनानन्त
मयि दयां कुरु हरे (माधव….)
निरपराधिनं षट्कर्म नित्यरतं
को वा न रक्षत्यहो गोपाल (माधव….)
A person who has come securing 90 marks and wants to reach 100 marks which is not difficult to achieve but it is far more difficult for one who has secured 40 marks and wants to achieve 100.
A person (niraparadhi) for whom the 6 modes of karma is being done correctly by him, for him, Krishna what is the great thing in saving him.
Save me (aparadhi)
अपराधालयं तथापि शरणागतम्
अवमाऽञ्जसा नोचेत्
In this world whatever doshams and aparadhams that are present, I am a temple for that.
मां च पालय महानुभाव कृष्ण
महतीं कीर्तिं आप्नुहि गोपाल (माधव….)
Sri Vijayagopala swami, Narayana theerthar, Thiagaraja swamigal and for the Divyanamams all these keerthanais will be sung as is the norm
Gopika Geetham: (from Bhagavatham Book 10 Chapter 31)
After the divyanama is song, all will sit around the deepam and sing the Gopika Geetham in full,
"jayati te dhikam janmana vrajah
srayata indira sasvad atra hi"
and then the keerthanais for rAsam will be sung,
Siddhar songs:
After this the songs of the siddhars will be sung,
"vanna pattadayum sandhu pottu jabbarum dinamunapuram
pogum kazhathizh kudavarAdhu endru
Adupambe Adupambe vilayAdupambe"
Abhangs:
Like this the vedanta songs of the siddhars will be sung, then the abhangs of the maharashtra bhakthars will be sung.
Dolotsavam:
After this the deepam will be brought back to the sannidhAnam and DOLOTSAVAM will now be performed.
Such a bhagavatha paddhathi was established by Marudanallur Sadguru Swamigal while being in talapakkam and looking at several bhajana goshtis, he framed this paddathi in his mind
Radhe Radhe!