Pancharatna Kriti

The Pancharatna kritis (transliterated as Pañcaratna kṛti) (Sanskrit: "pancha" "five" + "ratna" "gems") are a set of five "kritis" (songs) in Carnatic classical music, composed by the 18th-century Indian composer Tyagaraja. All the "kritis", as is the case with almost all of Tyagaraja's compositions, are penned in Telugu, except the first one, which is composed in Sanskrit. The songs are: "Jagadanandakaraka", "Dudukugala Nanne", "Sadhinchane", "Kanakana Ruchira" and "Endaro Mahaanubhavulu".
Tyagaraja and the Pancharatna Kritis.
Tyagaraja lived in the late 18th century and early 19th century in Tiruvarur in present-day Thanjavur district in Tamil Nadu. His compositions are considered to be some of the finest in Carnatic music. Of the five "Pancharatna Kritis", four are in Telugu and one in Sanskrit. They are set to music in five ragas: Nata, Gaula, Arabhi, Varali and Sri.
Composition.
The "Pancharatna kritis" were written in praise of the Hindu deity Rama. They are set to "Adi Tala" and each raga represents the mood of the song and the meaning of its lyrics. All the "kritis" were composed in the style of a Ragam Tanam Pallavi (RTP) with the "charanams" (stanzas) substituting for the "kalpana swaras" (improvisatory passages) in the "pallavi" section of the RTP.
The "Pancharatna Kritis" are:
The melodic forms of these compositions (Nata, Goula, Arabhi, Varali, Sri) are the five "Ghana ragas" of Carnatic music, also called the "ghanapanchaka". These five ragas lend themselves to elaborate improvisations. They are so called because they are suited for playing tanam on the veena. Nata and Varali are the most ancient of the Carnatic ragas and date back to over a thousand years ago.
A particularly difficult musical challenge has been taken up successfully by Tyagaraja in three of these compositions. The raga Naata has a particularly distinctive use of the "dhaivatam" note or swara (A in the C scale of Western classical notes). Tyagaraja has avoided the "dhaivatam" completely in the first "Pancharatna Kriti" without losing the "swarupa", or character, of the ragam. Similarly "gandharam" is an accidental note of some beauty in Goula (E in the C scale). Tyagaraja avoids this too, except in one instance, without losing the character of the ragam. Finally, he avoids the accidental "dhaivatam" in Sri ragam, again a note that is present in some very characteristic "sancharas" (phrases) of this ragam.
Lyrical synopsis.
"Jagadānanda kārakā".
In this song, Tyagaraja praises Ramachandra, one of the incarnations of Lord Vishnu. He eulogizes Ramachandra as one who is the cause of all bliss in the universe. This is the only "Pancharatna Kriti" that was composed in Sanskrit. All the other "kritis" were composed in Telugu, which was used in the court of the Maratha king Sarabhoji who ruled this area in the 18th century. Rama was Tyagaraja's favorite god.
"Duḍukugala nannē dora koḍuku brōchurā yentō".
In this second "Pancharatna Kriti" composed in Telugu, Tyagaraja lists all the errors he has committed in his life and asks who but Rama could redeem such a sinner. The sins described include: just wandering around as though being satisfied with a full meal, giving sermons to people who are not interested in listening or who do not have the capability to understand, self-styling oneself as a great person, and mistaking the dross for the real thing. He lists four categories of people to whom he has made the claim of greatness; the ignorant, the riff-raff, the low social folk and women. In a play on words, he reproaches those who desire wives and progeny.
"Sādhinchane ō manasā".
This "Pancharatna Kriti" was composed in Telugu and has been set to Arabhi raga. It is written in a playful tone, rich with metaphor and simile without a surfeit of adjectives - all the while arresting the attention of the singers. In this "kriti", Tyagaraja sings the greatness of the lord Krishna in a lucid manner. The style adopted in this "kriti" is very sweet in comparison with the other four.
"Kana kana ruci rā kanaka vasana ninnu".
This is the least sung or performed of the five "Pancharatna Kritis" composed in Telugu, but it is considered by some to be the most haunting and beautiful. It describes the divine beauty of Sri Rama, whom Tyagaraja worshiped. He says that the more he [Tyagaraja] looks upon His beautiful features, the more his mind is attracted to Him [Sri Rama]. This composition is rarely taught, and rarely heard in concerts, owing to the raga it is set in, Varali.
"Endarō mahānubhāvulu".
"Endarō mahānubhāvulu" is believed to be one of the earlier "kritis" Tyagaraja composed in Telugu. The song is a salutation to and praise of all the great saints and musicians down the ages. Tyagaraja clearly delineates and lists the "Mahanubhavalu", or great ones, in the "kriti" itself, mentioning the saints Narada and Saunaka, among others. In this poem, Tyagaraja describes the greatness of devotees of the Lord. The belief in Kerala and Tamil Nadu is that Tyagaraja composed the "kriti" spontaneously in his joy upon hearing the divine music of the Malayali singer Shadkala Govinda Marar. But according to the Walajapet disciples' version of the origin of the "kriti", it was composed and learnt by Tyagaraja's disciples before the arrival of Marar. This, according to P. T. Narendra Menon, was the legendary, historically significant meeting between two great musicians. Since "Endharo mahanubhavalu" is said to have been composed by Tyagaraja at a young age, it is possible that after hearing Marar sing and in appreciation of the greatness of Marar, Tyagaraja could have asked his disciples to sing the "kriti" on this occasion. Humility is the foundation of all.
Miscellaneous.
M. S. Subbulakshmi, Maharajapuram Santhanam, and Mangalampalli Balamuralikrishna are among the hundreds of great Indian classical vocalists who have brought these "kritis" closer to the modern world.