Cholkettu Chakravagam (before confused with Sowrashthra) in Mohiniyattam lyrics with Meaning in English

This Cholkettu is the second Cholketu choreographed in Mohiniyattam, the first one, in ragam Chakravagam, was actually one piece of a surviving legacy of mohiniyattam (5 items total) recovered from memory by Thottasserry Chinnammu Ammu, who came to Kalamandalam at about 50 years old and had not practiced Mohiniyattam since childhood, because of the taboo on the dance form and its association with prostitution. Satyabhama was the next generation guru who contributed the most choreographers to Kalamandalam repertoire, which are already classics. This cholkettu is very similar to the original old item by Thottasserry Chinnammu Ammu, however, the movements were deliberately sophisticated, as well as the final lyrical part (sahityam) was cut short to a single shloka about Lord Shiva

Ragam: Chakravagam
Thalam: Adi

KitaTaki/Thadim  Thadimi dimitaka jonutaka/ Jonutaka Drukutaka/ Tadim Kina//
//Tom tadim kina tom Bhaga/...va..../...thee....//
//e...kalya..../ni..../....//
//...dehi...me.../manga..../lam....//
//tei yaka Druku thaka/taka dhiku/Tadim Kina//
//Tom Tadimkina/ Tom Vedantha/ Rupe..../Sive//
//Vimala... Bhava...mo/chini...//
//Munishantho...niva..../ sini..../...//
//Dehime.../manga.../lam...//
//Jaya Mangalam... nithya/Shubha Manga/Lam...//
//Jayamangalam...Nitya/..../...//

..Tha... tai....kitaki/tha..../thei...kitataki//       

//Dhatha... tei dha tha tei/ dha tha...  thei dhata thei //  }---- 8 times

//Tha... dimtha... dhi/tha... dhim/tha... dhim//
//tha.. dimtha... dhi/tha...ara/ya ...ha tha//

I) // dhitha jagajagajam dhita/
jaga jaga jam dita jaga jaga//
//tha ri tha.....jaga/tari thaka/dhimi thaka//
//Jagam thanam tari gum thari ta/                    }
tha gum thari/gum thari tha thaka//             }----- 2 times
//Jagam thakita gati Nakam taki ta gathi/
jagajagajagam ta/kita gathi naka tha//
//kita gathi jaga jagam jaga jaga dhim/
kinatom dhim kina/ thom dhim kina thom//

//Tha,,,, dhimtha.... dhi/tha dhim/ ta di//
//ta dhimta... dhi/ tha Arayhatha//

II) Diki thimnam tarithadhimnam ta/ritha jom//
//Tha...tharitha jom/tham...tha/kita dhim//
//Dhim takita dhim thi/tham tha/kita dhim//
//Dhim thakita dhimtha/tham tha/tham tha/ kita dhim//
//thakita ta thi tharikita dimi taka tomka thlanduu thlandu thadim/
kidatom thadim kina/tom thadim kinathom//

//Tha,,,, dhimtha.... dhi/tha dhim/ ta di//
//ta dhimta... dhi/ tha Arayatha//

III) Thanum Thanam Thari/thaka nam tari/   }
thaka naka tari/jagam tari/ thom tha thom//   } 2 times

//Thanumthanamthari.. thaka nam tari thaka naka tari jagam tari thom tha thom/
Thanumthanamthari.. /thaka nam tari /thaka naka tari/ jagam tari thom tha thom//

//Thamkita thathi thari kita dhimi thaka thomka thlanku thadim/
kinatom thadhim kina/ thom thadim kina thom//

//da tei tei da tha tam dhimi/
da tha tei ta tei/ da tha tam//


//Tha,,,, dhimtha.... dhi/tha dhim/ ta di//
//ta dhimta... dhi/ tha Arayatha//

IV) //Dhi thi tha dhimi tha/
dhiti tha dhi/thanu thaka jam thaka//
//jagam thanam thari dum thari tha/ tha gum thari/ thakum thari tha thaka//

//Thanu thanam thari dit thaka na tari/     }
jaga tari naka tari/ jaga tari thom ta tom//  } 2 times

//Thanutha thajonutha tadhimitha tajonutha / 

dhanathajonutha dhimi/ ta dimki na tom//         } 3 times

//da tei tei da tha tam dhimi/
da tha tei ta tei/ da tha tam//

Sahitya:

Haratunga Jatha Dhara Ganga
Haratunga Jatha Dhara Ganga
Thripurantaka rishabho thuranga
Thripurantaka rishabho thuranga
Mada purita Manmatha bhanga
Mada purita Manmatha bhanga


(Translation:
The one who bears Gangha in his locks
The destroyer of Tripura (Siva) uses the bull as a divine vehicle
He turned Kamadeva (Manmatha) to ashes)

//ankri namastuthi tham kita thathi thari kita dhimi thaka/
thomka thlanku thadim kina/ Tom tharikita dhimitaka thomka//
//thlanku tadim kinatom dimitaka tomka thlanku ta dhim/
kina thom ta dim kina/ tom ta dim ki na thom//
//Da tei tei da ta tam dimi/ datha tei ta tei/ da ta tam dimi/ taaam//

(The end)

Dani Samajendra Varnam, ragam Todi, lyrics and translation

Being a morning raga, Todi may symbolize the light coming after darkness, and hope after despair. Despair, in fact, is the mood of the heroine of the varnam, who misses her beloved Padmanabha. Perhaps, the darkest night hours, before the light breaks, symbolize the madness, portrayed by Swathi Tirunal through an array of metaphors. For example, the damsel addresses her friend as the one with the gait of a mad elephant.  A very common compliment in old time (elephants during the mating season walk very seductively), is explored even deeper in the traditional mohiniyattam choreography in Kalamandalam. The mudra sequence symbolizes the explosion of brain of the elephant and the celebral fluids streaming down. This epithet marks the heaviness of the obsessive sentiments the heroine is going through in the varnam. She cannot get over her obsession, which she believes, is induced by the arrows of Kamadeva, and starts an eccentric act of regression by applying lotus stems and petals all over her body, which perhaps cool down her heat or remind her of the touch of her beloved.

The Varnam was written inSwarakshara prayoga, which means that the swara letters corresponded with the  first letter of the words used in lyrics.

Varnam (Danismajendra)

Composer and lyricist Swathi Thirunal

language Sansrit

Talam Adi

Ragam Todi

Pallavi

Dani Samajendra Gamini II

Tapam iha Kamini II

Anupallavi

Manini sukha dani II

Madumasa charu dinani II

MAnaniya shri Padmanabha II

Dutani mamtu mokhani II

Chitta Swaram

D , n D n ṡ N, ṙ  ṡ n d n I Ṡ ; ; , ṙ ṡ ṡ nn dd pm II

Damadadi vinirjita vidita I sarasa vishika manupama I ……..

P d n – p d m p g – m p d p- d n ṣ ṛ I

Padanin patadhakhila vibuda manurajani I

n ṙ Ṡ n d n D p m d p G m II

manasanu kalayami madhupaveni II Dani……..

Charanam

Ganaparaniha alikulani II

1.    G ; r A; ṇ Ḍ , Ṇ , I S ; ; Ḍ G R , N r II

Gadasanwaya pi I ko pivitapini II Gana ……

2.    G , m  g g r s R, g r r s ṇ I S, r s s  ṇ ṇ Ḍ , P̣ ḍ ṇ s r II …….

Gama laghu Sapura patira krita I

Ya mahaha bahuda hridilagati II

Gana ……..

3.    P , d pm M, p m g G, m I g r R, g r s Ṇ, r s ṇ ḍ ṇ II ……..

Patu mayima sumashara I

Sugapari patina nee rasa drutapi II

S ;;; ḍ ṇ Ḍ - n s Ṇ I s ṇ S – r s R – g r G – m G m II …….

Sa mupadanita bahu la I

Ta madhuna tamrutema II

P d n p d m p g – m p d p-d n ṡ ṙ I

ṡ ṡ nd- N d p m- G r s ṇ - Ḍ ṇ s r  II

hani hana hini hiki maparama pashuta masuradu nee[atima panidimrute vishari II Gana …..

4.    Ṡ ;; n d p m g m p d n I D , p d n D n ṡ D n ṡ ṙ II

Ṡ n d p G, m p m g r S, ṇ I Ḍ ṇ s r G, m g r s ṇ S; II

ḍ n s r- g m p d- p d n ṡ- d n ṡ ṙ I

N, ṡ - D, n – P, d – M, p – g m p d – n ṡ ṙ, II

D n ṡ ṙ - Ġ, ṙ ṡ - Ṙ, Ṡ n – d p d n I

ṡ ṙ ṡ - n ṡ n – d n d – m d m – g m g – r g r – s r s - ṇ s r II

gana ……..

Meaning:

Oh my beautiful friend, with a gait of an elephant mad with desire, I feel sad and restless. Listen to my sorrows, for I am tortured by the arrows of Kamadeva

Spring makes everything so beautiful. Has Lord Padmanabha, forsaken me at this time?

The birds are singing lovely songs from the tree tops and the bees are making the buzzing sound. Yet, I can’t bear this noise, I think only of Him, Padmanabha, the great Lord, worshipped by his devotees.

Kamadeva shoots his arrows, and they make me exhaust me. I take the lotus flower stems and decorate myself with it. Its leaves and petals are my ornaments now. Please tell me, the sweet friend, why hasn’t he come?

Cholkettu Vakra Tunda Maha Kavya in Ragamalike in talam

Chokettu

Ragamalika

Thalamalika

Shloka (raga - Lavangi)

Vakra Thunda Mahakaya

Kodi soorya samaprabha

Nirvignam kurume deva

Shubha karyeshu Sarvada

vakra -curved, 

thunda - trunk

maha - large, kaya - body

Kodi - million

soorya - sun

samaprabha - with brilliance of

Nirvignam - free from obstacles

kurume - make

deva - God

Shubha - all

Karyeshu - work

sarvada - always

Oh the one with curved trunk, large body

radiating like millions of suns!

Free me from the obstacles

in all my works, always

Raga - Arabhi

Talam - Adi

// tei, ya, tha ,,m kita taka tari kita / tei, ya, ta ,,m kita taka taka tari kita taka//

// ja m ta nam , ta, taka ja m ta nam , ta, taka / di, tam, ,,, ta jam ,, ta jam ,, ta //

di mi ta di mdimita di mi ta di mdimita/ . tei.ya ta, m tei, ya, ta , m tei, ya//

                                                                ..... tei ya.. tam....

Raga - Suruti

Thala - Mishrachappu

1                      2              3              +             1               2                 3                4

ta                     ri              ta                            na              m                ta               ka

di                     mi            ta                            na              m                ta               ka

ri                      ma           pa                           ni               -                 ni               -

ja                     nu            ta                            di               m               di               m

ja                     nu           di                             m              sa               sa               sa

ja                     nu           ta                             di              m                ri               sa

ni                     da           ja                             nu             ta                ka              di

m                     ta           di                             m              ki                na              to

m                     ta           di                              m             ki                na             to

m                     ta             -                              -                  -                   -                - 

-                     -              -                             -                    -                  -               -

Sahithyam

vellapalunku niramotha

vidagda roopi

kallam kalanju kamalathilezunna

Shakti

Vellathile thirukal

Thalli varum kanakken

Ullathil vanne velayaduka

Saraswathi nee....

Vellapalunku - pearl

niramotha - color like

vidagda - unique

roopi  - structure

kallam - lie

kalanju - remove

kamala - lotus thil - in ezunna - come

shakti - power

vella - water

thile - in

thirakal - waves

thalli - pull

varum - come

veayaduka - play

saraswathee

nee- you

(sahityam in mishara chappu)

Your color is pearl-like

you sit on lotus

oh, the shakti power

may the waves of the seas

pull you here, come to me

oh, saraswathi

Raga - Maand

Thalam - Rupakam

x                           x                         V

Tham                   Tham                  tha ka di mi

dim                      dim                     tha ka di mi

thom                    thom                   tha ka di mi

tha n ta dim         - ta thom             ta na m ta

tha -- m               tm ta di               m ki na thom

di--m                  dim ta di              m ki na thom

tho--m                thom ta di            m ki na thom

ta-m ta                ki ta di-                m ta ki ta

ga ma da ni        sa - ta di               m ki na -

tho--                  --m                       ga ma da ni

sa -ta di             m ki na-                tho--m

ga ma da ni       sa - ta di                m ki na -

                                                                           ..... tei ya.. tam....

Enthaho Valladbha padam lyrics with word to word translation and meaning

A Swathi Thirunal padam, where the girl approaches her lover, Padmanabha, on her own. She asks him directly, what happened that he is so silent and doesn’t talk to her. She confesses the pain of her bleeding heart, which was full of love when she came to her lover.  And the surrounding beauty of the nature makes it perfect time for love, yet her lover is rejecting her. She tries to ask him if it was some evil schemes or gossips that made him turn away from her and in the end reproached Padmanabha for forgetting that girls are sensitive creatures (their heart compared to a mimosa flower) and being a gentleman he should not reject her so mercilessly. I liked last charanam particularly :) I found the comparison innocent and touching.

THE FULL ITEM PERFORMANCE WITH SUBTITLES

ABHINAYA DETAILED INTERPRETATION

Enthaho Valladbha

Ragam – Asaveri

Talam – Aadi

Pallavi

Enthaho Vallabha

Enneram Mauna bhavam

Enthaparadham Cheythu njan

Enthaho – what happened

Vallabha – beloved

Enneram – this time

Mauna – silence

Bhavam – expression

Entha – what

Paradham – fault

Cheythu – did

Njan – I

Translation: What happened, my love? Today you are not talking to me. What did I do wrong to deserve it?

Anupallavi:

Chentharsayaka santhapathodu

Kantha nyanumupanthe vannu

Chentar – flower (lotus?), sayaka – arrow

Santhapa – sorrow

Kantha – love

Njan – I

Upanthe – close to you

Vannu – came

Kamadeva’s flower arrows just induce sorrow, yet I came to you with all my love.

Charanam – 1

Mallika gandhavum

Mantha pavanam thanum

Chollarnna chandra shobhayum

Nalla samayamithu

Mullasharanu daya thellum

Akathalirilille ithu pozhuthum

Mallika – jasmine

Gandhavum –smell

Mantha – slow

Pavanam – wind

Thonum – north

Chollarna – enchanting

Chandra – moon

Shobhayum – shine

Nalla – good

Samayamithu – this time

Mullasharanu – flower arrows (meaning Kamadeva)

Daya – kind

Thellum – little bit

Akathalitilille – not in his mind

Ithu – this time

The smell of jasmine and soft touch of northern wind, the enchanting shine of the moon – all make it good time for love. At this time Kamadeva has not even least mercy in his mind.

Charanam – 2

Rosham undakuvan

Eashani aaru cholli

Deshyam ennodu thonniyo

Yoshakal jagathi sireeshamathikalithu

Bhushanamalla vishesha purushothama

Rosham – anger

Undakuvan – appear

Eashani – gossip, slander

Aaru – who

Cholli – said

Deshyam – upset, angry

Ennodu – with me

Thoniyo – did you feel

Yoshakal – ladies

Jagathi – world

Sireeshamathikalithu – mimosa flower-like heart

Bhushanamalla – it is not apt to you

Vishesha – special

Purushothama – supreme being

Are you displeased

Because of someone’s  slander?

Do you feel vexed with me?

You know, that all the ladies in the world possess a heart soft like a mimosa flower,

The way you are treating me is not apt to such an extraordinary gentleman like you.

Kanthanodu Chennu melle lyrics with word to word translation and meaning

A Swathi Thirunal padam, perfectly representing the bhava of his style. Bhakti again is transmitted through the idea of a female intoxicatingly desiring reunion with her Lord, here in the form of  Krishna. The lady is talking with her friend, asking her to go to Krishna and in a sweet bird voice talk to him about her sufferings in separation from the Lord. She is trying to please her friend mentioning her beauty and good qualities of a character, meanwhile asks her not to forget  how much sufferings she is enduring.

When I was getting help to translate the padam, I had to look for a person knowing Sanskrit, as Malayalam here is intermixed with Sanskrit words. Our Registrar , Sundareshan sir, was a big help. He also shared some interesting peculiarities about some words used. Like for example word Shashadharamukhi – moon faced girl, which literally translates in a curious way. So Shasha means rabit and dhara hole. The dark craters on the moon visible for us, earthlings, apparently were compared to the holes of a rabbit, so the moon got one of such epithetic names.

The words kadarakshi and chalamizhi used in the context of the beautiful girl, actually translates as – the girl whose eyes move from side to side, trembling eyes. On my question why  would it be related to beauty he laughed and said that it represent that epoch men’s arrogance, where female in fear, shyness or any other subjected role would be considered as possessing an ideal feminine quality.

The padam as learned in Kalamandalam is a short version of the original kriti, as only one Caranam was used for the choreography, making it compact and audience friendly piece.

Roman script transliteration is taken from the book  "Musical Works of Maharaja Swati Tiurnal" by M. Hariharan, Gowri Kuppuswamy

Kāntanōḍu Cennu

Raga: Nīlāṃbari

Tāḷa: Rūpaka

Pallavi:

Kāntanōḍu Cennu melle kiḷimoḷi súchamihavada

Kanthanodu – beloved

Chennu – approach

Melle- slowly

kili – bird moḷi – voice

Shucha – clear

Iha – here

Vatha – tell

Approach my beloved slowly and with your bird voice let him know about my state( my sufferings)

Anupallavi:

Kādarākshi tāntayāyi maruvunnēn taruņīmayi

Hē ramaņīya guņavasati chaḷamizhi

Kādarākshi – moving (trembling) eyes

Tāntayāyi – uneasiness, anxiety

Maruvunnēn – I am living

Taruņīmayi – beautiful girl
Ramaniya - beautiful
guna - quality
vasati - good

Oh friend with trembling glance, I feel so restless and anxious. You are beautiful and posess outstanding qualities.

Caranam:

Paladivasam uņḍihajŋān pariņata sásádharamukhi

Valayunnathu mōŗkka nī valabhidādi suranatanām

Vasudēvasutan varumenniha mamadhavanayi sakhi

Paladivasam – several days

Undiha nyan – I am

Pariņata – suffer

Sásádharamukhi – moon faced

Valayunnathu – troubles

ōŗkka – remember

Valabhidādi – perhaps meaning Inra

Suranatanām – protector of devas

Vasudevasutan – son of vasudeva

Varumenn – will come

Iha – here

Mama – my

Dhavanayi  - ? (we couldn’t translate, but perhaps the one belonging to me)

Sakhi – friend

For several days I have been suffering

Oh, moon-faced, remember all my troubles

I thought that Krishna, son of Vasudeva , who is worshipped by Indra and other devas, would come to me and be mine.

Thodi (Todi)Jathiswaram lyrics with tala and adavus in Mohiniyattam

Another mohiniyattam Jathiswaram, a more complex and rhythmical than Chenjuruthi (at parts reminds me of Bharatanatyam in its speed and rhythmical patterns), brought into Kalamandalam by Chinnamu Amma, though believed to be revised by Satyabhama. The lyrics of the Jathiswaram are tabled in talam and below I wrote the corresponding adavu count tabled in talam.

Jathiswaram

Raagam  -  Thodi

Thalam – Aadi

Pallavi

X	1	2	3	X	V	X	V
Ś---	--Ś-	N-D-	P-M-	G---	--D-	--P-	M-G-
R---	---R	Ṣ--Ṇ	Ḍ-Ṇ-	S---	--G-	M-P--	-D-N

Anupallavi

X	1	2	3	X	V	X	V
ṠṘṠN	-NṠN	D- -N	ṠNṠṘ	Ṡ---	--ṠN	DPMG	MPDN
ṠṘṠN	-NSṠN	D—N	ṠNṠṘ	Ṡ -ND	P-GR	S-GM	P-DN

Charanam – 1

X	1	2	3	X	V	X	V
D---	--DN-	DPMG	MPDN	D---	--DN	ṠṘṠN	ṠṘṠN
D---	--DN	D---	--NS	D---	-NSN	D---	-GMG
D-ND	PMGM	D-NP	DNṠN	D-NṠ	D-ṘṠ	D-ḠṘ	ṠD-N

Charanam – 2

X	1	2	3	X	V	X	V
Ṡ- - -	--- ṘN	ṠDN-	NPDM	P-PG	MRGS	RṆSḌ	ṆḌSR
S---	----	ḌṆSR	ṆSRG	SRGM	RGMP	GMPD	MPDN
SS-N	DNSN	D---	NN-D	PDND	P---	DD-M	DNSR
NGRS	NDNS	RSND	PMGM	PDNP	DNSD	NDSN	SRNR

 Pallavi Adavu – 1

X	1	2	3	X	V	X	V
Tei - - -	Hi-tha-	di---	Thi---	Tei---	Hi-tha-	Tho--m	-tei dithi tei
Tei - - -	Hi-tha-	di---	Thi---	Tei---	Hi-tha-	Tho--m	-tei dithi tei
Thei-hi tha	di-thi-	Tei-hi tha	Tom tei dithi tei	Thei-hi tha	di-thi-	Tei-hi tha	Tom tei dithi tei
Tei-hi tha	Thom tei dithi tei	Tei-hi tha	Thom tei dithi tei	Ta ki ta tei	Dithi tei ta ka	Tei dithi tei ta	Ka tei dithi tei

Pallavi Adavu - 2

X	1	2	3	X	V	X	V
Tom-tha thom	-ta kit a	Ta kit a thom	-Tha thom-	Ta kit a ta	Ki ta thom -	Ta thom – ta	Ki ta thom-
Tha tom – ta	Ki  ta thom -	Tha thom thom -	Tha thom ta di	M Ki na tom	Ta di m ki	Na thom ta di	M kin a thom

Anupallavi Adavu

X	1	2	3	X	V	X	V
Tei – tei -	Di thi tei -	Tei-tei-	Di thi tei-	Dithi tei ta ka	Ta ka dhi mi	Dithi tei ta ka	Dithi tei dithi tei
Ta-tei-	Tei-ta-	Dit-tei-	Tei-ta	Tei dithi tei ta	Ka tei dithi tei	Ta tei dithi tei	Ta tei dithi tei
Dit dit tei-	Dit dit tei-	Dit dit tei-	Dit dit tei-	Ta ka dhi mi	Ta ki ta tei	Ditdit tei tei ditdit	Tei tei dit dit tei

Charanam – 1 adavu

X	1	2	3	X	V	X	V
Tei-hit tha	Ta---	Ta-te-	Ta-ka-	Tei-hi tha	Ta - - -	Ta-te-	Ta-ka-
Ta-jham-	Ta ka taka	Ta-ka-	Dhi-mi-	Ta-jham-	Ta ka ta ka	Ta-ka-	Ta dit dit tei
Ta- nu ta	Dit dit tei-	Ta jo nu ta	Dit dit tei -	Ta ka jha am	Tei tei ditdit tei	Tei tei ditdit tei	Tei tei ditdit tei