Ekaamranatham Bhajeham - Gamakakriya - MUthuswamy Dikshitar | Gayathri Venkataraghavan

In this majestic kriti in Gamakakriya by Sri Muthuswamy Dikshitar,we experience his creative genius as always.

Kanchi Kshetra a land of temples, is probably one of the most ancient cities in the world. In this Kriti that describes Lord Shiva, who is famed as Ekamranatha, immediately bringing to our mind’s eye Amba Kamakshi sitting in penance under the Ekamra that is the Mango tree which yields a single Mango. ( we see this tree in the Prakara of the huge temple)

Employing simple yet brilliant phrases, Dikshitar depicts the Lord as Omkara roopam
one whose form is the sacred syllable "Om" .
“Kala kala haram" - the slayer of the God of Death Yama, as he protects his devotee Markandeya.
Another moving phrase is "Karma Bheda haram" - He who transcends the
duality between good and bad actions thus absolving the karma of his devotees.

The charanam contains some fascinating phrases:
“Panchakshara Mantra roopam”
“Prapanchateetha sadyojaatadi pancha mukham”- the one who has five faces, beginning with Sadyojata which are beyond this universe. ( takes us to Nada Tanu manisham by Thyagaraja Swami ! )
“Prakatitha Kamakoti peetam”- One who resides in the well-known kamakoti peetam

In the final phrase -“prasiddha mooka -adi nuta Kamakshi sutham” ,he pays tribute to the famous Mooka kavi and other great poets by defining Lord as one who is in the company of Goddess Kamakshi who has been praised and worshipped by Mooka kavi and others.

Muthuswami Dikshitar's brilliance shines through in his choice of the Gamaka Kriya raga making this a serene yet vibrant , contemplative yet exuberant Kriti.

This concert was reviewed in the Hindu last year by writer Ms. Revathi Ram

“ Gayathri chose Muthuswami Dikshitar’s ‘Ekamranatham bhajeham’ to elaborate Gamakakriya (Purvi Kalyani) and her rendition showcased a remarkable balance, allowing the upper panchama to shine without a hint of shrillness. The niraval, centred around the charanam lines ‘Panchakshara mantra rupam,’ was impressive with occasional forays into the upper octave notes. The kalpanaswaras by Gayathri and Mysore Srikanth embellished with characteristic curves in the swara sequence, elevated the raga’s appeal. Though this kriti was sung third in the line up, Gayathri created space for the tani avartanam, after a spell of vibrant korvai in her kalpanaswara segment.

During the Gamakakriya composition, the percussionists B. Ganapathiraman (mridangam) and Alathur Rajaganesh (kanjira) showed their understanding of the lyrics and mood of the composition with silence at the line beginning with ‘Omkara rupam’ and their tani witnessed an enjoyable exchange of rhythmic syllables.

We enjoyed this concert as you can see! Hope you find peace and happiness when you have the time to relax and listen.

[Classical,Raga,Gamakakriya,Ekamranatham,Ekamranatha,Shiva,Kamakshi,Kanchi,MuthuswamyDikshitar,Manodharma,Alapana,Neraval,
Liveconcert,Taniavrtanam,GayathriVenkataraghavan,Gv,MysoreSrikanth,Gnapathyraman,AlathurRajaganesh,Serene,Gamaka,Indianmusic]