Touch the tips of the
forefinger and the thumb and hold the other fingers together straight. This is
the mudrākya mudra.
Interestingly Mudrākya is widely used in hatha yoga and
meditation, symbolizing the ego connecting to one’s higher self. Also the same
gesture is found in Abhinaya darpanam known as Hamsasyam. In Natyashastra and
Balaramabharatham this gesture is known as Samdamśam.
Swami (sami) ninne name
Varnam in Yadukulakamboji ragam by Swathi Thirunal
The traditional Varnam, one of the old compositions, unfortunately,
rarely performed nowadays, as simplicity of movement and expressions does not
satisfy contemporary worldly-wise spectators and dancers. Well, maybe due to my
new-comingness to Mohiniyattam, or maybe I do find beauty in simplicity and absence
of sophisticated virtuosity, but the old compositions appeal much more to my
taste than many contemporary choreographies in mohiniyattam.
This particular varnam is composed by Swathi Thirunal, the
ardent devotee of Lord Padmanabha and a genius composer and poet, who in his
short lifespan left the legacy on which almost entire resurrected mohiniyattam
bases itself. The varnam is in Telugu and is narrated from the point of view of
a girl, who is abandoned by her beloved Padmanabha, she addresses him as Swami,
and asks if it is fair that he leaves her in the agony of her feelings and begs
him to enclose her in his passionate embrace. The varnam, as we have learned it, is mostly carried in a neutrally romantic, viraha (sadness, longing)
note. Surprisingly, when with my teacher we started going through the lyrics,
we found out that the original had a few more verses of some very erotic
content, where the lady asks the swami to rub fragrant kasturi to her chest and
drink the taste of her lips. Apparently, the whole tendency of removing
shringara (eroticism) from dance, started by its renovators and consequently reformates
(such as Rukmini Devi in Bharatanatyam etc) touched Mohiniyattam also, even
though less than it did Bharatanatyam, which has been reshaped into a
devotional art form void of any ambiguous notations. While, it can be
understood, that perhaps such reformation was necessary in order to remove the
stigma of associating dance with promiscuity and sinfulness of devadasis (the dancers-
temple servants and courtesans) who were sexually liberal women and had not
been subjected to social obligations of matrimony and fidelity to one partner;
however, the dance we see now is not original in the sense that it carries only
selected aspect of bhakti (devotion), meanwhile the erotic component, which was
also a facet of spirituality (the transcendence of human love, lust and passion
onto divine leela-game) was brutally cut out and is still very much avoided in many
contemporary repertoires.
Interesting fact is that Kathakali preserved both the spirit
of war and sexuality within it. Just today at Kalamandalam we have watched the
story of Banayudha, where in the beginning Bana is portrayed with his wife engaged in a very
intimate activity. His wife is asking Bana to drink from her breasts, while
Bana is deliciously comparing her round breasts with amrita, the heavenly
nectar. The apparent male dominant art form, such as Kathakali is, was spared
from social judgment on the issue, while dance had to sacrifice its erotic
aspect for the sake of preserving the puritan reputation of females.
So the lyrics in Telugu (approximate English
transliteration) and approximate English translation is below:
Varnam
Raga – Yadukulakamboji
Talam – Adi
Pallavi
Swami… nine…
nami .. thir
Eve … lad…
na… Pai…
Translation:
Swami, I believed in you (trusted you)
Give your love to me
Anupallavi
Chalamedi ki
je she .. ku ra
Eve la na…
pai
Kamajanakudaune
sjree kamala nabha ve
Ga…me… sree
nami da
Ne na rum
Chi na nne lu ko ra…
Translation:
You are the creator (father) of desire
(kama)
Oh you, the one who has lotus growing from
his navel,
Be kind to me
Mukthai swaram:
X
1
2
3
x
v
x
v
S---
--D-
--P-
M-D-
P-M-
--G-
R-M-
G-S-
R---
---R
G---
R-S-
R-M-
G-M-
P-D-
S-R-
P-ND
PMPD
D-SD
PMP-
MGRG
-RSR
M-PD
P---
MPDS
-SRG
R-SS
NDPM
PNDD
PPMG
RGSR
RMPN
Sa dha ran a
mu ga ma ru du epudu
Ena uramu
pai suma sara muni sari
Na manasu
brasamana sadayuda pa-
La na mu gay
a ca la rag ha na mai
Sa viraha
saga ra mulo manukini
Ku la vetatu niranu vinara (or vedalu dathi chi) vinu ni ran
a manavi
Translation:
Kamadeva (the God of love) is shooting
arrows into my heart
Have mercy!
Now I’m in the sea of Viraha (sadness,
longing), please, help me out of it
Swami…..
Charanam
Panthamu aya
nyayamu
Translation:
Is it fair that you are so stubborn, that
you treat me like this, are you sure you want to reject me?
Charanaswaram -1
X
1
2
3
X
V
X
V
P---
--M-
--G-
R-M-
G-R
G-S-
--R-
--M-
Sahityam (lyrics)
x
1
2
3
X
V
X
v
Pa---
--da-
m-bu-
Ga-thi-
Ya-nu-
Chu-mo-
--ke-
--nu-
Translation:
I believed your lotus feet were my abode
(sanctuary)
Please, have mercy!
Charanam – 2
X
1
2
3
X
V
X
V
D-D-
NDPP
-MGR
MGRG
SRMG
-PM-
DP-D
SDPM
Sahityam -2
Dhara dharuni
chatakamu vale ninu
Dalachiyum nanu
brova samayamu
Translation:
I’m like a chaddaka, a bird waiting for the
rain, who saw a raincloud passing. It is time you helped me…
Chatiswaram – 3
X
1
2
3
X
V
X
V
MPDN
DDPP
MGRM
G-GR
GSRM
GMGR
GSRG
R---
RGRS
--RM
GS-R
PMGS
RMG-
MPM-
PDP-
SDPM
Sahityam – 3
Madhukara
mrudu rava mulu kala beandha
Shuka kula
phalu kulu (nuvi)
Ni vini vini
na
Manasulo
virahathapa mumithimi
Nanura (nera)
karuna rasasa garuda
Translation:
The soft
buzz of a bumble bee and sweet chirping of parrots just increases my
anxiousness, my mind drowns in sadness. Oh merciful, help me with your
kindness!
Last Charanams (not
included in the choreography learnt in Kalamandalam):
(SWARAMS not
in tala, as we don’t have music for them)
SSNDNDPDPMPMGMGRGRS
SSRRM—M-P-
PDPPMGRGSRMGMPP—D
Sambrata, ,e
karunato nanu kalashi Migu la sarase
Muga parimala
mayi kasturighanda
Mula nunae
kuchamoo payinii
PNDDPMPNDDP..
MPMGR
Pani pankayamutho
ekshaname matha thonu
,GRGSRMGSRMGMGMPP—NN
Migadudu dhi
challu sumasaramu lanujadalu paina
DDPMPDSS—RRMGGRSS
Veyara
ooalukuladi virahamu theeraga
NDPNDDP—PMGRGRSRMPD
Eka
kaumgilinchi movinichi nanu gudara epudu
Translation:
With your lotus hands rub the fragrant
kasturi onto my bosom and decorate my
hair with flowers. And to sooth my suffering, embrace me and drink the taste of
my lips and lay with me. You are not fulfilling your promise. Is it fair?
