jAvaLis ( Telugu) of kShEtrayya
Sree Sistla
This is in response to some enquiries about jAvaLis.
Regards
Sree Sistla
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jAvaLIs - kShEtrayya padamulu
Most of the jAvaLIs (about 200) were composed by kShEtrayya (years
1610-1690), a great musician, an expert in alaMkAra SAstra, a great scholar
in Telugu/Sanskrit. Most impressively, he was blessed and encouraged by the
Lord of SrI vENugOpAla svAmi Temple in the village called Muvva on the banks
of river kRuShNa about 20 Kilometers from the city, Vijayawada of Andhra
Pradesh. It is also the adjacent village to thje famous kUcipUDi (the place
where from the kUcipUDi dance style evolved) village.
So all these jAvaLis bear the mudra "muvva gOpala". A movie called
kShEtrayya was taken about 2 decades back. It portrays the life of
kShEtrayya who visited several puNya kShEytras in South India. That is why,
he was called kShEtrayya. He was a great Bakta of the Lord gOpala. There
wre instances when several miracles were performed by him unknowingly as a
result of his deep devotion to the Lord.
All his lyrics are centered around jIvAtma and paraMAtma in SRuMgAra BAva
(devine love between the jIvAta and paramAtma). The jAvaLi, illustrated
below, is one of the most popular lyrics. If I recollect, Dr. Balamurali
released an Audio Casseette/CD on kShEtrayya padamulu in which this song was
rendered. In case, one wants to know the correct diction and words to go
with BAva, please hear the music.
I strongly suggest to take the help of a Telugu friend in trying to tune the
song to adopt to the dance style as jAvaLi requires lot more understanding
of the BAva.
Purport of the above jAvaLi: ( This is an emotional ectasy of a lady (the
jIvAtma, the heroine) whose boy- friend ( the hero), the Lord the paramAtma,
in deep frustration feeling lonely as her boy-friend is away from her for a
while for reasons unknown --- according to alaMkAra SAstra, she is called
virahOtKaMThita, one kind of SRuMgAra nAyika). The video series "nUpur",
produced by the Famous Hemamalini, portrays the different types of SRuMgAra
nAyikas illustrating some of the jAvaLIs of kShEtrayya.
rAgaM - husEni - tripuTa tALam
pa|| aligitE BAgyamAye gAkEmi |
vADaligitE BAgyamAye ||vADaligitE||
anupa|| taruNirO! vAni daMDiMpagalamA ||vADaligitE||
ca|| arasoMpumATa - lADE vAniki nEnu
taruNirO! maMcidAna nayyEnA
sarasaku rADAye - sakiyarO! nAmOmu
tirigi cUDaDEmO - dEvuDunnADE! ||vADaligitE||
ca|| bALi lEdika - nEla nAtO poMdu
cAlu kAbOlu - saMtOShamAya
IlAgunE vAni - kitavu gAdEmO
nIlavENirO! nATi nenariMcuka lEka ||vADaligitE||
ca|| bAlaprAyamu vADe - BramayiMci nannu vA-
DElina suddulennennO galavu
cAlanAtO bA - salu cEsinADE, yO
bAlarO! muvvagOpAlu DippuDu ||vADaligitE||
pallavi: if angry it is a big deal | if He is angry it is a big deal
{pallavi.. if He is angry it is a big deal}
anupallavi: hE lAdy ( her girl- friend) can we punish Him {pallavi.. if He
is angry it is a big deal}
caraNam 1: for a fellow who talks nicely half the time,
hE lady (her girl-friend) am I a nice lady ?
hE lady (her girl-friend), why does He not come to me to have fun
with me? My face
He may not look at, Is there the Lord {pallavi.. if He is angry it is
a big deal}
caraNam 2: No love at all, why should He have ties with me
Fed up with me, enough of pleasure - ah! what!!!
This is the way perhaps He likes!
hE lady (her girl-friend), is that all His gratitude for my intimacy
with Him, the other day {pallavi.. if He is angry it is a big deal}
caraNam 3: In my early stages of my youth, He cheated me
via a lot of cunning words
He made several vows
hE ladies (her girl-friends) muvva gOpAluDu
{pallavi.. if He is angry it is a big deal}