Bramham okkate
This is one song that i liked from a long time. I always knew it was Telgu but never ha dthe words. I first heard it over TV when Unni Krishnan sang it in some program.
Like I have always said…I love peppy songs…I also somehow like the meaning of this song.
The song is composed in raagam bowli which is the same as shriman narayana…
This was one of the first songs which I could kind of figure out the raagam by listening to the song. So I have an extra liking to this song:)
Bowli is mayamalagowla(15th melakartha) janya
Aa: S R1 G3 P D1 S
Av: S N3 D1 P G3 R1 S
It is composed by Annamacharya
The song goes like this
pallavi
tandanAnA Ahi tandanAnApurE tandanAnA bhalA
tandanAnA bhalA tandanAnA bhala tandanAnA
anupallavi
brahmam OkatE para brahmam OkkatE para
brahmam Okkate para brahmam Okkate…(tandanaa)
caraNam
kanduvaguheennAdhikamu indu lEvu
andariki sree harE antarAtma
indulO jantukulamintA okatE
andariki sree harE antaratma
nindAra rAju nidrinchu nidrA Okate
anDanE bantunidrA adinayoOkatE
menDaina brahmaNuDu mettu bhoomee Okate
chanDaluDu undEti saribhoomee OkatEk
adigi EnugumeedA gAyuEnda OkatE
puDami sunakam meedA pOlayu ninDa okatE
kaDu puNyulanu pApa karmalunu sarigA
vajaDiyu sree Venkateshwaru nAmamu Okate
The meaning of the song goes:
Pallavi:
"Tandanana" is a word giving the punch of rhythm in the song. Ahi, Pure, Bhala are the words expressing the excitement or ecstasy or appreciation. The absolute spirit is one & only one.
I Stanza:There are no differences of low & high. "Srihari" (A name of Vishnu. Vishnu is the form of God who is in charge of maintenance, protection of the good & destruction of the bad. In this context, Srihari is the Supreme Spirit) is the indwelling Spirit to one and all. All the beings in creation are one because the indwelling spirit in every creature is one and the same.
II Stanza:Sleep is same to all, be it a king or a servant. Be it a "Brahmin" (man of the highest caste) or "Chandala" (man of the lowest caste), the earth they live on is the one and the same.
III Stanza: The sexual pleasure is one and the same either for angels or for the insects and animals. The day and night are equal to the rich as well as to the poor.
vidhya says:
HI Vidya,
I love Carnatic Music and was browsing the net when I came across your blog. i enjoyed reading your entries a lot. This particular song Brahmam Okkate is a composition by Annamacharya in Telugu. it is one of my favorites as it ridicules the social distinctions based on caste and the strict Brahmanic rituals, all the while focusing on the omniscience, omnipotence of God.
I’m glad you like it for the peppiness, as the composition was intended to appeal to all people even to those who did not have any music training — a criterion I think Annamacharya had for the easy dissemination of his message–his attack on the caste system.
Hey Vidhya!
you have written quite authentically and extensively!
keep the good work going!
I particularly liked what you had written on nava vida bhakthi!
VIDYA says:
HI VIDYA ….
CAN YOU SUGGEST ME EXAMPLES OF NINE WOMEN CHARACTERS WHIICH COMES UNDER NAVA VIDHA BHAKTHI