Sogasuga Mrdanga

Lyrics

Notation

From Shivkumar Kalyanaraman (shivkumar.org)

Pallavi:
Sogasugaa Mridanga Taalamu Jata Gurcchi Ninnu Sokkajeyu Dheerudevvado

Anupallavi:
Nigamashirortthamu Galgina Nija Vaakkulato Svara Shuddhamuto

Charanam :
Yati Visrama Sadbhakti Virati Draakshaarasa Navarasa Yutakrtiche Bhajiyinche Yukti Tyaagaraajuni
Taramaa (Shree) Raama

Meaning: (from sangeetham.com)
Who is ("evvado") the valiant one ("dheerudu") enchanting you ("sokkajeya") by harmonising ("jata
gurcchi") so pleasurably ("sogasuga") the drum ("mridanga") and the beat ("taala")?
Who is the valiant one ("dheerudu") enchanting you by singing the notes ("swara") with clarity
("shuddhamuto"), using for words ("vaakkulato") the absolute truth ("nija ") enshrined ("galgina") in
the Vedas ("nigama")?
Is it possible ("taramaa") for Tyagaraja to do all this and create ("che") and sing ("bhajiyinche") songs
("krithi") that follow the rules in prosody ("yati"), pausing at the right places ("visrama"), possessing
the sweetness of grape ("draaksha") juice ("rasa"), comprising the nine ('nava") emotions ("rasa"),
standing firm on the bedrock of faith ("virati")?
Who is the valiant one enchanting you by harmonising so pleasurably the drum and the beat?

Notes: The kriti, sets out the essential characteristics of composing and rendering kritis. In a question
format (to quote Prof William Jackson), Tyagaraja sets out all requisites for a good composer and a singer.
A good kriti's words are likened to OmkAra, the praNava mantra as per the kriti. This is the essence of
nAdOpAsana. Some of the other terms used are explained below:
yati: a rule of prosody, particularly used in Telugu and Sanskrit, where the opening letter of a line, repeats
at measured intervals.
vishrama: Also known as virAma. This denotes a pause.
virati: Complete detachment to worldly issues and unswerving concentration on the almighty.
drAkshArasa: Compositions are qualified as drAkshArasa, madhu, kshIra, kadalI and nArikEla depending
on their simplicity of meaning and the ease with which they are understood and appreciated by listeners.
drAkshArasa is the simplest among them.

Pallavi:
Sogasugaa Mridanga Taalamu Jata Gurcchi Ninnu Sokkajeyu Dheerudevvado

… so pleasurably ("sogasuga") the drum ("mridanga") and the beat ("taala")?

; dd     , n-nd D- M || M,g         G - gr R - R       || S ;   ;;        ;;       ||
 Soga     su gaa- - Mri dan-        ga Taa - la           mu-   --        --

; dd     , n-nd D- M || M,g         G - gr R - R       || S ;   ;;        DN       || S ;   gRg       M ; ||
 Soga     su gaa- - Mri dan-        ga Taa - la           mu-   --        Ja ta       Gu    ---       rcchi

; dd    , n-nd D- M || M,g        G - gr R - R        || S ;   sgrs   DN           || S ;   R - G M ; ||
 Soga    su gaa- - Mri dan-       ga Taa - la            mu-   --     Ja ta           Gu    rcchi Ni nnu

Who is ("evvado") the valiant one ("dheerudu") enchanting you ("sokkajeya") by harmonising ("jata
gurcchi")… [… so pleasurably ("sogasuga") the drum ("mridanga") and the beat ("taala")? …]

;D      N - ns ; - N     || nd D M - M ,g - G || gr R          ;;     ; ; || r S r G - gr rm gr ||
- So    kka je- - yu        Dhee- ru dev -- va do              --     - - Dhee- ru dev -- va-

S;      sgrs     DN      || S ;   R - G M ; ||
do-     --       Ja ta     Gu     rcchi Ni nnu

;D      ns - gr s - n N || snnd ; M - M ,g - G || gr R         ;;     ; ; || ns n-n dm- rG, gr R ||
- So    kka je- - yu       Dhee- ru dev -- va do               --     - - Dhee- ru -- dev va- -

S;      sgR R,s DN       || S ;   R - G M ; ||
do-     --      Ja ta      Gu     rcchi Ni nnu

;D      ns - gr s - n N || snnd ; M - md ,g - G || gr R        ;;     ; ; || r S r G - gr rm gr ||
- So    kka je- - yu       Dhee- ru dev -- va do               --     - - Dhee- ru dev - - va-

rsns    S;       ;;      ||
do-     --       --

[ending…]
;;      ;;       ; G     || R ;   GR       ; G        || M ;   ;;     ; M ||
--      --         Mri     dan-   ga Taa   - la          mu-   --     - Mri

M,g     G -gr R- R       || S ;   ;;       ; G ||
dan-    ga Taa - la         mu-            -Mri

Rg-r    ,g -S  R- G || M ;        ;;       ; Dsn ||
dan-    ga Taa - la    mu-                 -Mri

nndm    G -gr     R R || S ;      ;;       ; ; ||
dan-    ga Taa   -  la   mu-               -- -

; dd    , n-nd D- M || M,g        G - gr R - R        || S ;   ;;     ;;           ||
 Soga    su gaa- - Mri dan-       ga Taa - la            mu-   --     --

Anupallavi:
Nigamashirortthamu Galgina Nija Vaakkulato Svara Shuddhamuto

[Raama! You, who are …] enshrined ("galgina") in the Vedas ("nigama")?

;n d    ,nS      S;      || ; d n , S , sn S          || S ;   ;;     ; ; || ; ;   ;;       nsnd     ||
 Niga   mashi    ro-        -rtthamu Gal- gi- na         --    --     -- --        --       Ra ---

M- n d , n S     S;      || ; d n , S , sn S          || nrsn S ;     ; ; || ; ;   ;;       nsR      ||
maNiga mashi     ro-        -rtthamu Gal- gi- na         --   --      -- --        --        ---

S- n d , n S     S gr    || S- d n , S , S S          || nrsn S ;     ; ; || ; ; ; ns Rgr Sgr        ||
maNiga mashi     ro-        -rtthamu Gal- gi na          --   --      - - - - - -- --- - - - -

Who is the valiant one ("dheerudu") enchanting you by singing the notes ("swara") with clarity
("shuddhamuto"), using for words ("vaakkulato") the absolute truth ("nija ") …

S- n d , n S      s-g gr   || S- d n , S , sn S          || RG GM          ; R || G R R G ; ;            ||
maNiga mashi      ro-         -rtthamu Gal- gi na           Nija Vaa-      - - kkula to - - -

G R      NN       SR       || G R S ;       sgr - g ||
Svara    Shu-     --         ddhamu to-     Ra-- ma

rs- n d , n S     ns rmgg|| rs ;- d n , S , sn S    || RG G M,r            rgM || G R R G srgr G ||
-- Niga mashi     ro-        - - rtthamu Gal- gi na    Nija Vaa-           - - kkula to - - -

G R      grsn     SR       || G R S ;       nsn- n || dm
Svara    Shu-     --         ddhamu to-     Ra-- ma - - (sogasuga)

Charanam :
Yati Visrama Sadbhakti Virati Draakshaarasa Navarasa Yutakrtiche Bhajiyinche Yukti Tyaagaraajuni
Taramaa (Shree) Raama

Is it possible ("taramaa") for Tyagaraja to create ("che") and sing ("bhajiyinche") songs ("krithi") that
follow the:
- rules in prosody ("yati"),
- pausing at the right places ("visrama"),
- possessing the sweetness of grape ("draaksha") juice ("rasa"),
- comprising the nine ('nava") emotions ("rasa"),
- standing firm on the bedrock of faith ("virati")?

RG       M;       GR       || G M    nD, M G - R         || sgrg rrsn      S;   ||; ns , n S R G ||
Yati     Vish-    srama       Sa d   bha- kti Vi            ra-ti- Draa-   kshaa rasa -Nava ra sa

; dm gRg M,      GR        || gm D nD, M G - R           || sgrg rrsn      S;   ||; ss , n S R G ||
  Ya- ti-- Vish- srama        Sa d bha- kti Vi              ra-ti- Draa-   kshaa rasa -Nava ra sa

… Is it possible ("taramaa") for Tyagaraja to create ("che") and sing ("bhajiyinche") songs
("krithi")…

; nd     ,nS      S;       || ; dn S ,n     S ,n         || S ;   ;;       ; ; || ; ;   ;;     ssnd ||
 Yuta     kriti   che-        Bhaji yin-    che              --   --       -- --        --     ra- -

M- nd , n S       S;       || ; dn S ,n     S ,n         || nrsn S ;       ; ; || ; ;   ;;     nsR ||
sa- Yuta kriti    che-        Bhaji yin-    che              -- --         -- --        --     ---

S- nd    ,nS      S gr     || R,s dn    S ,n S ;         || nrsn S ;       ; ; || ; ;   ; ns Rgr Sgr     ||
- Yuta   kriti    che-        - - Bhaji yin- che             -- --         -- --        --      ---

S- nd    ,nS      S gg     || r s d n   S ,n sn S        || R G M ;        ; R || G R R G      ;;        ||
- Yuta   kriti    che-        - - Bhaji yin- che            Yukti Tyaa-     - - ga - raa-      --

GR       NN       SR       || G R S ;       sgr - g ||
ju -     ni -     - -         Tara maa      Raa- ma

rs- n d , n S     ns rmgg|| rs ;- d n , S , sn S         || RG G M,r       rgM || G R R G srgr G ||
- Yuta kriti      che-       - - Bhaji yin- che             Yukti Tyaa-     --    ga - raa- - -

G R      grsn     SR       || G R S ;       nsn- n || dm
ju -     ni -     - -         Tara maa      Raa- ma -- (sogasuga)