Sree Padangal - Njan

Singer – Kottakal Madhu

Lyrics – Rafeeq Ahamed

Music – Bijibal

Prelude – The song captured my attention  when the Dulquar Salman movie “ Njan “ was released in 2014 . The song is an ode to the old vintage charm of rustic life .

Sree padangal mandam mandam hridaya shree kovilinte

Thiru nada kadann ethum usha sandhayil

You come slowly placing your auspicious feet on the steps leading to the sanctum sanctorum of the temple at daybreak . 

Nira deepa dipti kudath akka kannil manaswini

mama rupam orikkal nee arinn erunno

Oh wise one ! Even without the light from the lamp , did you decipher my form with your insight and inner eye ?

Nava nava chitra lekha chaturayam nisha devi

Chamakunna swapna chitra churilil ullil

The clever goddess of the night is drawing a new beautiful picture, decorating the vortex of a dreamy painting . 

Maru janma karakalil yugangalkku munporu orma

Chimizhili priya roopam pathinn erinno ?

Did you attach my form in a small fancy wooden box of your memories when we were in the banks of another birth aeons ago ?

Veru marthya mizhikalal agocharam anuraga lipikalal ezhuthiya hridaya kavyam

You wrote poetry from your heart with the letters filled with love not perceived by  the  normal human eye .  

Turakkath mizhikalil olipicha rashmiyal ni thurukakil thimirandha hridaya geham

Open the dwelling of your heart which is blinded by darkness using the light hidden in your never-opening eyes .

Malinami nadu muttam manasakum shankil urum

Shubha theertha kanangalal thalichalum nee

Please purify the littered courtyard by sprinkling holy water droplets kept in the conch shell shaped like a heart. 

Ilam manjil thullikalal alankrithayakum omal pularithan naru pushpa dalam kanakke

All the petals of the new flowers of the beloved morning are decorated by the tender dew drops . 

Dhanu masa nilavinte vala ani kaikkal ale dasha pushpam thirayunna kulirupole

The coolness of the moonlight of the Sagittarius month, adorned with bangles in its hands, searches for the ten sacred herbs or flowers .

Varike nee manaswini mam janma vidhikalil edam cheran anu yathra thudarnnu pokam

Oh wise and virtuous one ! Please join me by finding a place in the road of my life and, let us continue this journey together . 

Postlude – The lyricist Rafeeq Ahamed had written the verses of the song poignantly to showcase the emotions during the wedding of the hero to a blind girl . The sensitivity and responsibility taken by the lyricist to evoke the feelings of the bridegroom welcoming a girl who can’t see and lives in a world of darkness to his world by entering into matrimony is laudable. The verses are like a breath of fresh air, giving the freedom and rights to a girl to dream and lead a life not affected by her disability . 

Padoo Padoo Lokame - Lalitham Sundaram

Singer – Harishankar

Lyrics – BK Harinarayanan

Composition – Bijibal

Prelude – I was in awe on hearing the song “ Padoo Padoo Lokame “ from the film Lalitham Sundaram . A classical music-based song in a movie after a long time was really enticing . I would like to thank Harishankar , BK Harinarayanan and Bijibal for coming up with such a heart-throbbing song which is meditative . 

Padoo padoo lokame manam oronnum mitti nee

Oh world ! Sing a song, plucking the mind's strings of every soul .

Njanum neeyum ekamay our ganathin enamay

We both become one, like the tune of a song.

Ner athrukale mattam thammil thoo virulakalil korkkam thantri

Let’s remove the differences between us by plucking the strings of the lute with the beautiful fingers .

Vendum athinu mozhi basha sarvam ganam

To communicate our thoughts with clarity  , we need speech , language and, above all , song . 

Vanathil ariya oru maruthil nira sarithil oru jathi unarnne

A dear breeze in the forest produced waves in the stream . A jathi ( rhythmic syllable - based patterns performed within the rhythmic cycle ) arose when the waves moved in the stream . 

Our vari paravakal maru vari malarukal idayile varikal nammalum

One line is about  birds and,  the other line is about flowers . The line between these two lines is about us .

Oro jeevanil onai cherthidum sneha ananda nila noolayay

Music unites everyone on earth through love and happiness like the thread of moonlight . 

Shilayum kelkukil mizhi neer thukana maya ninadam ayi

The rocks , on hearing music, shed tears,which form an illusionary stream with the gentle sound of water . 

Karuna rasam arnoru marandham shruthi chernnu ulayachithuethu  prapancham

The music has a benevolent expression like nectar.  The music is the world created by varying the pitch of the voice . 

Ethunundo verunundo ethil param mahatarram mannake

Is there anything as great and noble as music in this world ?

Vedana than kula kachiya muth ethu vedana ethinum aushadam

Music is the most precious pearl,like a decoction made after a lot of hardwork. It is used as a medicine to remove any sorrow from one’s life . 

Madi aruthu oru pozhuth ennale

May I never go idle at any moment in mastering this divine art of music.

Paadu hridaya ragam

Sing a song from your heart which enchants everyone . 

Postlude – I thought a lot to find out what the song really meant . BK Harinarayanan’s mysterious wordplay has come out beautifully, celebrating the richness of the art form music, which never fails to calm even the most melancholic person in the world with its therapeutic effect . Nature sings her song with the rivers , leaves , air and birds joining the ensemble .   

 

Shivadam Shiva Namam - Mazhavillu

Singer – KJ Yesudas

Lyrics – Kaithapram

Composition – Mohan Sithara

Prelude – Shivadam Shiva Namam is a song that carries the nostalgia of my school days when my classmates and seniors performed a dance to this song during our annual day of 2000 . When I watched the song in the cinema in 1999 , it had a scintillating effect on me as a 6th grader .Composed in raag Darbari Kannada , the song is enriched by the meandering ornamentation of KJ Yesudas’ and Chitra’s voices . 

Shivadam shiva namamshree parvatheeshwara naman

Chanting the name of Lord Shiva uproots the threefold miserable conditions of life . The three fold miseries in this world are those inflicted on the material body and mind , from other living beings and natural catastrophes like earthquakes , floods , epidemics etc .

Shubadam Shivacharitam papaharam

The story of Lord Shiva is auspicious, and chanting it destroys all sins committed by humans.

Nandi mridangi ninaada tharangita kailas eshwara namam

The beats of the drum played by the holy bull of Lord Shiva , Nandi, and the sound of waves chant Lord Shiva's name . 

Saphalamee jeevitham prema poornam

Parvathi lola nin karunayale

My life is content and filled with love due to the kindness of the delicate Goddess Parvathi.

Thiru jadak ullil ilaki unarunnu loka dhatriyam shiva ganga

The universal mother of humanity , river Ganga, moves and rises from the matted locks of Lord Shiva.

Layam unarthunnu swaram unarthunnu

Thudikkum ushashil nabhasil uyarnnu

Mriga mada thilakitha surajanam akhilam

Shivadam Amrutha nadana dharana thillana

The musical notes with rhythm arise due to the waves in the river Ganga . The cosmic dance of lord Shiva, like nectar,rises with the throbbing dawn in the sky. It is witnessed by the celestial gods  of the whole universe who are marked by intoxication like the musk deer . 

Saphalamee jeevatham raga lolam

Kavya kallolini theera bhoovil

My life is content with the wavering melodies and poetic compositions of the waves hitting the riverbank on the earth . 

Hridayam unmada lahari nukarunnu

Tharalam uyarunnu thillana

The heart is delighted by the intoxicating rhythm of the cosmic dance by Lord Shiva.

Pranaya kallolam ilaki marayunnu

The waves of love are moving and disappearing in the heart.

Vasantha sugandha taranga rajaniyil

Kavithakal ozhukkum madabhara nimikalil

Shivadam Amrutha nadana dhirana thillana

Poems flow in the intoxicating blinking of your eyes in the excited fragrant night of the spring season . 

Postlude – The lyricist Kaithapram has written the verses symbolising the cosmic dance of Lord Shiva . Through his dance, Lord Shiva embodies the acts of creation, preservation, destruction and the liberation of the soul . Lord Shiva dances his way, destroying the sins and illusions of human beings, endowing them with intellect and knowledge . 

Sawariya Sawariya - Swades

Singer – Alka Yagnik

Lyrics – Javed Akthar

Composition – AR Rahman

Prelude – Sawariya Sawariya from Swades captured the imagination of teenagers in 2004 when the film was released . The lyrics written by Javed Akhtar bring out the spell that is cast by love . 

Sawariya Sawariya

Main toh hui bawariya

Dear beloved ! I have become crazy in your love.

Tune man moh liya

Sawariya ho

You have captured my heart.

 

Uljha sa yeh man hai , Sulga sa yeh tan hai

My heart is restless and puzzled ; my body is aflame with love . 

Sapnon ka sawan hai , nainon ka angan hai  

There is a monsoon of dreams , the eyes have turned into a courtyard of love.

Chhalke man gagariya sawariya ho

The love has spilt out of my heart just like water from an earthen pot.

 

Jo tu yoon paas aya hai , jo tu yoon dil pe chaya hai

Toh maine kya paya hain kaise kahoon

I cannot say what I have gained since you came close and settled in my heart. 

Kahin dhadkan ki kaliya hain , kahin sapnon ki galiyan hain

Jo mann main rang raliyan hain kaise kahoon

A flower blooms for every heartbeat ; there are lanes of dreams . There is a celebration in the heart. How do I say it ?

Tu jo mujhe aise behkaaye , kabhi kabhi toh badi laaj si aaye

When you enchant me like this , I get shy sometimes . 

Bhooli hoon main jaise apni dagariya , jabse hai dekhi maine prem nagariya

I have lost my way after I saw the town of love.

 

Tu jo mila toh yeh sara sama badal gaya

When you came into my life, the world around me changed.

Khilne lagi phool se meri raah main

Flowers began to bloom on my way.

Phir yun laga mujhe ki yeh dharti nayi hui naya ambar hua

Teri aur meri chah main

I felt as if the earth and sky had become new, renewed by our love. 

Chanchal hawa tarana koi gaye , nadiya bhi koi kahani kehti jaaye

The playful breeze sings a melodic song with rhythmic syllables ( tarana), and rivers narrate a story.

Jabse mili sajna tujhse najariya , kho gayi hai sudh budh ki mujhse ghatariya

When my eyes met your gaze , I lost the bag of my senses . It means when the heroine's eyes met the hero's gaze , she lost all her senses and power of reasoning. 

Postlude – The rhyming words used by Javed Akthar bring us a slice of village life with narrow streets , isolated paths , earthen pots to cool water and the tulsi vrindavan ( an altar for housing the basil plant ) in the courtyard . 

Ae Savere – Shankar Mahadevan and Archana Kamath Hegdekar

 

Singers – Shankar mahadevan and Archana Kamath Hegdekar

Lyrics – Sunanya Kachroo

Composition - Archana Kamath Hegdekar

Prelude – The song “ Ae Savere “ stirs the soul of every human being with a compassionate heart who can feel the sorrows of others by being in their shoes . When I first heard the song and saw the visuals of the song , I was literally moved to tears because the concept of the song is based on the mass exodus of Kashmiri Pandits due to militancy in the 1990s from the paradise on earth . 

Savere , Savere

Ab man bhi ja aa savere, Itne bure naheen hai andhere

Oh dawn ! I am trying to persuade you that the darkness is not so bad as it seems. 

Yaadon main kuch dher thehre, Mehfooz banau ke pehre

Let's linger awhile in our  memories . I want to protect my memories with guards .

 

Ae savere ae savere Haa savere ae savere

This dawn brings hope of a new beginning and erases the wounds of the past.

 

Pehle jo dard ke bahane ban gaye

I face the memories of the past,which became the reasons for my sorrow.

Jakhmon ke nishan khazane ban gaye

The traces of wounds have turned into treasures. 

Kagajo pe utre fasane ban gaye

What was once written in paper has turned into legends. 

 

Sun rubaroo hun main tere, Pehchan bhi jaa savere

Maan bhi jaa savere, Savere , haan savere

Savere , aae savere

I am face to face with a new beginning . Please recognise me and give me hope .

 

Labzon ke bayan, Sahare toh nahi

The consoling words of people bring no comfort,and they cannot end the strife. 

Hai jo darmiyaan, Kinare toh nahi

The distance between us remains unresolved.

Kafilon se guzarein, Tum hare toh nahin

Tell me that you have not lost yourself wandering in caravans after facing exodus from your homeland .

Sun hoo ba hoo hun main tere, Pehchan bhi jaa savere

Maan bhi jaa savere, Savere , haan savere

Savere , aae savere

I am exactly the same as you (the dawn).  Please recognise me and give me hope . 

Postlude – Soni Razdan and Taha Shah Badussha have brought the emotions of a Kashmiri Pandit mother and son returning to their homeland to immerse the ashes of the father in the river after his death as his last wish . The lyrics, beautifully penned by Sunanya Kachroo, bring out the pain of any person who had to move out of their homeland due to war,  riots or militancy . The ruminating thoughts of trauma and the accounts of people displaced, which come as newspaper headlines and stories lost in the sands of time , form the core of the song . The ending verses of the song acknowledge the resilience of humanity and their ability to move on in life as time heals every wound . 

Devanganangal Kai Orinja Tharakam - Njan Gandharvan

 

Lyrics – Kaithapram

Singer – KJ Yesudas

Composition – Johnson

Prelude – This song is one of the best raag Yaman compositions by Johnson, which has enthralled Kerala music lovers since the time the movie was released . 

Devanganangal kai orinja tharakam

I am the star forsaken by the celestial gods .

Sayana sanuvil vilola megham ay

I am the wandering cloud in the sky when the sun sets . 

Azhakin pavizham pozhiyum ninnil

Your beauty glitters like the red coral gemstone.

Amritakanam ayi sakhi dhanayanai

You are a drop of nectar . I am fortunate to meet you .

 

Sallapam ettunarna varijangalum

The lotuses awaken hearing the conversation of the night.

Shubha raga roopiyam navneeta chandranum

The newly risen moon takes the form of an auspicious melody. 

Chaitra venu oodhum madhu mantra kokiilangalum .

The cuckoos are playing nectar-like hymns on the flute during the spring season.

Melamekum indraneela rathri thedave

I search for the ensemble in the  blue sapphire - hued night . 

 

Alapamayi swara raga bhavukangal

I sing a melody of notes spreading auspiciousness. 

Himabindu choodum sammaohangal pole

The melodic notes are like the enchantments worn by the dewdrop . 

Vara vallaki thedum virahadra panchamangal

Sneha sandra akumi vediyil

The noble vallaki (lute) searches for the fifth melodic note heavy with sorrow in the stage filled with intense love .

Postlude – The lyrics by Kaithapram encapsulate the whole story of the film in which a celestial singer ousted from heaven falls in love with a damsel on earth .

 

Sayandhanam Chandrika - Kamaladalam

 

Lyrics – Kaithapram

Singer -KJ Yesudas

Composition – Raveendran

Prelude – The song has captured my heart ever since the time I heard it on television during my school days . I didn’t pay attention to the lyrics of the song till I hit my early twenties . Sayandhanam Chandrika, composed in raag Maand,portrays the emotions of longing and loss . The song is sung by Nandagopan  , a dance teacher working in Kerala Kalamandalam, in the memory of his deceased wife , Sumangala , a dancer . The character Nandagopan is played by Mohanlal, and Sumangala is played by Parvathy .

Sayandhanam chandrika lolamaay

The moonlight in the evening is in motion and bright . 

Naalambalam nalamezhum swargamaay

This is the beautiful heaven where the four temples of Shri Rama , Bharatha , Lakshmana and Shatrugna are situated .

Mala ola charthi keli vasantham

Unarathenthe priyathe

The fronds of the trees in the mountains are worn by the playful spring . Nature is in a frolicking mood . Why are you not waking up, my beloved ?

 

Vilwadriyil thulasidalam chudan varum meghavum

The cloud comes to the Vilwadrinatha temple , to adorn a basil leaf in her hair.

Shalina yaay pon athira poo thedumi thenalum

The golden Athira star is timid, and the breeze is searching for the blossom. 

Nee orungum amara rathriyil

Thiruvarangil amrithavarshamaay

Panineer thalikkuvan indra duduthumay vannu

The celestial singers render the Amritavarshini raga that brings rain to the auspicious arena in the immortal night when you are adorning yourself . The downpour is like sprinkling rose water, passing on the message of the rain god Indra .

 

Rithu veena than karunardramam sree ragame engu nee

Where are you, the benevolent raga “ Sreeragam “,  born from the seasonal lute ( veena ) ?

Kulirormayil padham adumen priya radhike engu nee

Where are you dancing in the memories of the cold nights ?  My beloved Radhika  !

Nin prasada madhura bhavam evide ?

Where is the dazzling pleasant expression of yours ?

Nin vilasa laya tharangam evide ?

Where is your graceful dance as rhythmic as the waves of the ocean ?

En ul chiradhil nee deepa nalamaay poru

Please come in the form of a flame in the earthen lamp of my heart . 

Postlude – The lyrics by Kaithapram have brought forward the beauty of the mountains and temples in Thrissur district of Kerala with the Bharathapuzha river flowing through it . Kaithapram has brought the theme of the eternal immortal soul which never dies and is in the form of a flame in the heart of the hero of the film longing for his deceased wife . The song also requests the gods to bring good luck and happiness to the world of the hero, which is mentioned in the lyrics in the form of rain and the raga of rains “ Amrithavarshini “ .

Nigahein Milane Ko - Dil Heen Toh Hai

Lyrics – Sahir Ludhianvi

Singer – Asha Bhonsle

Composition – Roshan

Prelude – I first heard this song in a Hindi music reality show . I was really glued to the song . This is another song which shows my secret love affair with raag yaman . When I watched this song on You Tube , I understood why my parent’s generation is so attached to the songs of the 1960s and 1970s . This song brings out the old-world charm,taking us through the nostalgic journey of our childhood and youth . 

Raaz ki baat hai mehfil main , kahe ya na kahe

I don’t know whether to reveal this secret in the gathering or keep it to myself. 

Bas gaya hai koi is dil main , kahe ya na kahe

I don’t know whether to reveal or not that somebody has settled in my heart.

Nigahein milane ko jee chahta hai

My heart wishes to meet your gaze. 

Dil o jaan lutane ko jee chahta hai

I long to offer you my heart and soul.  

 

Who tohmat jise ishq kehti hai duniya

Who tohmat uthane ko jee chahta hai

I wish to embrace the accusation of being in love, which the world calls a crime

Kisi ke manane main lazzat who payi

Ke phir ruth jane ko jee chahta hai

The pleasure that I get when somebody cajoles me is so great that I wish to be offended again.

 

Wo jalwa jo ojhal bhi hai samne bhi

Woh jalwa churane ko jee chahta hai

I want to steal the splendour in the face of the beloved, which is concealed and visible at the same time .

Jis gadi meri nigahon ko teri deed hui

Who ghadi mere liye aish ki tamhid hui

The moment when I saw you became the introduction of pleasure to me.

Jab kabhi maine tera chand sa chehra dekha

Eid ho ya ke na ho , mere liye eid hui

The sight of the moon-like face of yours felt like Eid itself , whether or not the festival had arrived.

Mulaqaat ka koi paigaam dije ke

Chup chup ke ane ko jee chahta hai

Aur ake na jaane ko jee chahta hai

Nigahein milane ko jee chahta hai

Send me a message of where to meet .  My heart wishes to come secretly to meet you . Once I arrive , then I don’t feel like leaving. 

Postlude – The expressions given by Nutan are a delight to the eyes, especially during the lines “ woh jalva jo ojhal bhi hai samne bhi “ . Sahir Ludhianvi has penned the lyrics of the song, taking us through the excitement of being in love . 

Rama Katha - Bharatam

Singer – KJ Yesudas

Lyrics – Kaithapram

Composition – Raveendran

Prelude – I didn’t realize “ Bharatam “ movie, though set against a musical backdrop, is based on the Ramayana until I deeply delved into this song. The emotions of the dutiful brother of Lord Shri Ram , Bharatha living in piety of his brother, worshipping his footwear, and waiting for him to return from exile, forms the essence of the great epic Ramayana . Here in the film Kallur Gopinathan , the character played by Mohanlal is the loving brother of Kallur Ramanathan , the elder brother played by Nedumudi Venu . 

Rama katha gana layam mangalamen thamburuvil

Pakaruka sagarame shruthilaya sagarame

Oh ocean with pitch and rhythm ! Please provide rhythm to the song about the auspicious story of Lord Ram accompanied by the lute . 

Saketham padukayay hey rama

Kathareyam sharikayam saketham padukayay veendum

The kingdom of Ayodhya sings, addressing Lord Rama.

The sharika bird ( a mynah ) with melancholy listens to the song sung by the kingdom of Ayodhya. 

Aryanya kandam thedi

Sita hridayam thengi

Goddess Sita wails, seeking the tumultuous life in the forest during their exile from the Ayodhya kingdom.

Valmikangalil etho tapasa mounam unarnu veendum

The silence emanated from the meditation of the sage Valmiki covered by anthills .

Indradhanusukkal meeti devakal

Adi nama ganga adi

The celestial gods pluck the rainbows accompanying the surging waves of the river Ganga, which chanted the name of Lord Shiva, who has no beginning and no end. 

Raghupathi ramajayam raghu ramajayam shri bharatha vakya bindu choodi

Every drop of the river Ganga gushed along,chanting the name of the king of the Raghu dynasty Lord Ram as devotedly as his brother Bharatha.

Sodara paduka poojayil atmapadam pranavam vidarn ulalnja ulanja Sarayuvil

As Bharatha worships the footwear of Lord Ram , the mystic syllable of “ Om “ dwelling in his heart blossoms in the unsettled Sarayu river.

Mantra mridanga taranga sukham

Shara vega theevra thalameki maruthiyay

The hymns , mridang ( a percussion instrument originating from the Indian subcontinent) and waves of the Sarayu river in the musical ensemble provide happiness . The wind provides the rhythmic cycle with intense speed like that of the arrow shot in the air . 

Jala gandha suna dhoopa deepa kalayay

Mantra tantra yantra kalitam unaru

Sama gana lahari ode anayu rama

Shri rama rama rama

Oh Lord Ram ! Attain liberation from your human form when you are endowed with water , sandalwood paste for fragrance , flowers , aromatic smoke from incense sticks , light ,and  salutations. Hymns , esoteric rituals and geometric patterns made on floors to ward off negative energies arise unitedly. Douse the fire of your soul as you are intoxicated by the songs from the Samveda .

Postlude – The song composed in raag “ Shubha Panthuvaralli “ brings out the elements of pathos and mourning . It’s really the lyrical excellence of Kaithapram who has brought all the characters of the epic Ramayana in a song with a few verses . The song in totality describes the kingdom of Ayodhya , Goddess Sita , the dutiful brother Bharatha , the reverent divine companion of Lord Ram , Maruti ( Lord Hanuman ) and the river Sarayu.