Kamalaambaa NavaavaraNa Krithees of

Muthuswamy Dikshitar Pt I
Thiruvarur is one of the mukti kshetras known for its magnificent temple for Lord Thyagaraja and Goddess Kamalambika and its huge tank, Kamalalaya. It is also famous for its magnificent chariots. The puranas have declared that birth at Thiruvarur, darshan of Chidambaram, thinking of Arunachala and death at Kashi result in liberation. Great many were the saints born at Thiruvarur. Among these were the Carnatic music Trinity of Shyama Sastri, Thyagaraja and Muthuswami Dikshitar. Till his fortieth year Ramaswami Dikshitar did not have children. On the advice of family elders, he and his wife went to Vaideeswaran Koil near Sirkali and worshipped Lord Vaidyanatha and Goddess Balambika. They observed austerities and performed navaavaraNa pooja for forty-eight days. On the last day, it is said that the Goddess appeared in Ramaswami Dikshitar's dream and presented him with a mukthaahaaram, a pearl necklace. The wise and the elderly interpreted the dream to mean that his prayer was granted by the Goddess, and that a gem (Muktha) of a child would be born to him.In the month of Panguni (March-April), when the star of Krittika was ascending, a male child was born to the couple on 24 March 1775. He was named Muthuswami after Lord Subramanya whose name is Muthukumaraswami Ramaswami Dikshitar arranged to have the young Muthuswami study the Vedas and Sanskrit. Sincerely dedicated to study, Muttuswami quickly acquired mastery over the kaavyas, alankaras and vyaakaraNa. Ramaswami Dikshitar himself gave intensive training in music, both in theory and practice. Under the benign grace of Chidambaranatha Yogi, Muthuswami lived a deeply religious and spiritual life at Kashi. The Yogi initiated him in the Sri Vidya cult, gave him upadesha of the Sodashaakshari mantra and trained him in the tantric mode of worship. He also taught the young lad yoga and vedantha. Muthuswami spent his time in Kashi serving his guru, reciting the vedas, practising Srividya, meditating, and singing and playing on the veeNa. One day, Chidambaranatha Yogi and Muthuswami went for a bath in the Ganga. The Yogi asked Muthuswami to descend a few steps and put his hands into the water. When Muthuswami did so, his hands closed upon a veeNa. Surprised, the lad turned towards his guru who beckoned him up the steps. Chidambaranatha Yogi informed Muthuswami that this was Ganga Mata's prasad to the lad and that She had blessed him. The Yogi further said that Lord Subramanya was Muthswami's natural guru and that the lad should seek His grace. The Yogi also blessed Muthuswami and told him that the time was not far away when destiny would seek out Muthuswami in order to further the cause for which he was born. Muthuswami visited Tiruttani and after having darshan of Lord Subrahmanya at the sanctum-sanctorum, he took a vow to perform spiritual austerities for forty days. Every morning he took his bath at the temple tank downhill and climbed the steps to begin his tapas. His time was thus spent in worship of the Lord and practicing deep meditation. It was on the fortieth day while Muthuswami was repeating the Shadakshari Manthra, he heard a voice near him asking to open his mouth.Muthuswami opened his eyes and saw before him an elderly person.The old man asked him to close his eyes and then he put sugar candy in his mouth.When Muttuswamy opened his eyes to his amazement the man was not there. Muthuswamy understood that it was lord Subramanya Himself who came to bless him.His joy knew no bounds and he immediately burst into song. The first song that he composed on the occasion was shri naathaadi guruguho . This composition is in praise of the concept of the Guru. The vision of Lord Subrahmanya had once and for all made Muthuswami Dikshitar resolve to take the Lord as his Guru. Guha is another name for Lord Subrahmanya. Guha also means cave. The Lord resides in the heart-cave of the devotee. This is the esoteric significance of the name Guha. The Mother Goddess had a special place in Dikshitar's heart as She was his Guru's (Guha) Mother. More special to him was Kamakshi, because as a Srividya upaasaka, he was fascinated by the Srichakra in front of the Goddess. Apart from the nithya karmaas that were prescribed for a brahmin, like the regular performance of sandhya and the sacrificial fire, Dikshitar had his daily poojaas too to perform. As he was a Srividya upaasaka, Dikshitar had to adhere to strict norms and regulations that were prescribed. The time left after such daily obligations was spent by him at the Thyagaraja temple. Dikshitar, right from his younger days, was attached to Lord Thyagaraja and Goddess Kamalamba. The peaceful atmosphere of the temple radiating immense spiritual power naturally attracted him very much and he spent long hours in its precincts, praying, singing and meditating.

Thyagaraja has two consorts here, Goddess Kamalambika, who is depicted as performing penance in order to attain the Lord and Goddess Nilotpalambika, who is depicted as being married to the Lord. The kamalaamba navaavaraNa krithees(poetry set to music) can be referred to as the magnum opus of Dikshitar. Since Kamalambika does penance here in order to become one with Siva, She is depicted in the yogik posture. That Dikshitar chose to dedicate the navaavaraNa kritis to Kamalambika shows not only the deep reverence he had for Her, but also highlights the fact that Tiruvarur being a mukti kshethra. Srividya, which is the core of the kritis is the Knowledge that leads to the ultimate Goal of mukthi. In this group too, Dikshitar has chosen to compose in the eight Sanskrit declensions. For the ninth kriti pertaining to the ninth and last AavaraNa. he employs all the eight declensions. Besides, this group has a dhyana kriti as well as a mangala kriti. Dikshitar employs the rare raagha ghanta for the eighth composition. This group of eleven compositions can be said to be the culmination of the best of music, poetry and intricate philosophy and can be easily classified as being the greatest contribution of Muthuswami Dikshitar to the art and science of music. The kamalaamba navaavaraNa krithees comprise: 1. kamalaambike dhyana kriti - todi 2. kamalaambaa samrakSatumaam - first AavaraNa Ananda bhairavi 3. kamakaambam bhajare - second AavaraNa kalyANi 4. shrI kamalaambikayaa - third AavaraNa shankaraabharaNam 5. kamalaambikaayai -- fourth AavaraNa kaamboji 6. shrI kamalaambikayaa param -- fifth AavaraNa bhairavi 7. Kamalaambikaayaa -- sixth AavaraNa punnaagavarali 8. shrI kamalaambikaayaam - seventh AavaraNa sahaanaa 9. shrI kamalaambike avaava -- eighth AavaraNa ghantaa 10. shrI kamalaambaa jayati -- ninth AavaraNa Ahiri 11. shrI kamalaambike mangala kritishree