śrī prahlāda uvāca śravaṇaḿ kīrtanaḿ viṣṇoḥ smaraṇaḿ pādasevanam | arcanaḿ vandanaḿ dāsyaḿ sakhyamātmanivedanam || iti puḿsārpitā viṣṇau bhakttiścennavalakṣaṇā| kriyate bhagavatyaddhā tanmanye 'dhītamuttamam || Sri Prahalada said “To hear the stories on the glories of Lord Vishnu; to praise the glories of the Lord through devotional songs, to remember Him through prayers; to serve at His feet with humility; to worship the Lord by offering flowers while chanting his names; to offer various forms of salutations to Him; to render service to Him; to cultivate devotion with an attitude of friendship to Him; and to surrender oneself to the Lord…… if devotion, marked by these nine features (navavidha bhakti) is practiced by a devotee to Lord Vishnu, I consider this to be the highest form of learning.” Srimad Bhagavatam 7-5-23, 24 Celebrating Bhagavatam ……
Sri Prahalada said “To hear the stories on the glories of Lord Vishnu; to praise the glories of the Lord through devotional songs, to remember Him through prayers; to serve at His feet with humility; to worship the Lord by offering flowers while chanting his names; to offer various forms of salutations to Him; to render service to Him; to cultivate devotion with an attitude of friendship to Him; and to surrender oneself to the Lord…… if devotion, marked by these nine features (navavidha bhakti) is practiced by a devotee to Lord Vishnu, I consider this to be the highest form of learning.”
Venue : Krishnaswami Kalyana Mandapam 62, South Boag Road, T Nagar, Chennai 600017
PROGRAMME
DATEMusic
4 p.m. to 5p.m.Discourse
5 p.m. to 7 p.m.Dance
7 p.m. to 7.45 p.m.
6th Jan Bhajans by
Subhiksha Rangarajan
6.01.2011
to
12.01.2011
Vision of Bhagavatam
Discourse
by
Swami Pratyagbodhananda Saraswati
Disciple
of
Pujyashree
Swami Dayananda Saraswati
Raas-Lila - Kathakby
Nirupama, Rajendra and Abhinava Dance Company
7th Jan Bhajans by
O.S. Arun
Kaalinga Nartana - Bharathanatyam
byAnusha, Narendra &
Anusham Group
8th Jan Slokas in Fusion Styleby
Yodhaka Music Band
Kamsa Vadham - Seraikella Chaau
byDr. Shashadhar Acharya &
Group, Delhi
9th Jan
Abhangs & Namasankirtanams
byPushpa Anand
Sri Krishna Tulabhara Rod Puppetery
byDatta Aralikatte &
Puthali Kalaranga Group, Bangalore
10th Jan Songs on Krishna in differentlanguages
byRevathy Sankkaran
Dasavatharam - Bharathanatyam
byStudents of Anitha Guha,
Bharathanjali
11th Jan Namasankirtanamby
Udaiyalur K. Kalyanaraman Bhagavathar
Viswaroopam - Bharathanatyam
byPriyadarsini Govind
12th Jan Songs of Bhakthi Saint-Poets of India
byAnuradha Sriram
Rukmini Kalyanam - Dance Ballet
byAmbika Buch’s Aradhana
Dance Troupe
Mangalarati 7.45 p.m.
All are welcome to attend the Saptaha and receive the blessings of Bhagavan Krishna
Om Namo Bhagavate VasudevayaSrimad Bhagavatam is one of the Mahapuranas. It is the most popular purana and its primary focus is on bhakti for the different incarnations of Vishnu, particularly Bhagavan Krishna. Srimad Bhagavatam is associated with the leelas of Lord Krishna and is primarily ananda-pradhana and infuses happiness. Ananda is wholeness, completeness and in this incarnation, the poornaavataara of Lord Krishna is the embodiment of joy and love.
This purana was composed by Sage Veda Vyasa at the behest of Brahmarishi Narada. After its composition, it was taught by Veda Vyasa to his infant son Shukabrahma, knower of the Supreme. Shukabrahma who became a sage, narrated it for the first time in an assembly of sages on the banks of the holy Ganga to Parikshit, descendant of the Pandavas, during the last seven days of his life. Since the narration of Srimad Bhagavatam was completed in a Saptaha or 7 days, it has become the established tradition to do so even today.
When Lord Krishna was about to leave Mother Earth, Uddhava asked Him, “Where are You going?” Lord Krishna replied, “Uddhava, I am neither going to the Ksheera-Sagara, nor am I going to Vaikunta or Golaka... This time I am going to enter the ocean of Srimad Bhagavatam.” The Bhagavata Purana thus constitutes a visible, verbal manifestation of Sri Hari.
Dharma has taken refuge in Srimad Bhagavatam after Lord Krishna relinquished His incarnated form. The characters in Srimad Bhagavatam undergo many trials and tribulations in honouring their commitment to dharma.
Such characters, who help one discover dharma, remain as heroes etched in one's heart.
Jnana or knowledge, vairagya or dispassion, objectivity and bhakti or devotion are the main themes of Srimad Bhagavatam. Bhakti is the shakti or power, which enables the devotee develop vairagya towards the world and love for the Lord. Bhakti, in the ultimate sense, reveals the identity of oneself with the Lord.
The secret of this wonderful work is that even the most profound philosophical truths are expounded lucidly through absorbing episodes. The origin and cyclic nature of creation, the dissolution of the Universe followed by re-creation, genealogies of sages, kings, devatas, demon devotees and dynasties are related in Srimad Bhagavatam. It also describes the life after death of virtuous and non-virtuous people to show how each individual reaps the results of his own actions, either here or hereafter, according to the laws of karma.
The purpose of the Saptaha is to study Srimad Bhagavatam as it is the best way to become acquainted with Sanatana Dharma. Shravanam- listening and keertanam- chanting of Srimad Bhagavatam pleases Bhagavan the most. Worship of this work is equated to the worship of Lord Krishna and confers the four Purusharthas, namely dharma, artha, kama and moksha on the devotee.
“This Bhagavata Purana propounds the highest Truth for the welfare of all. The highest Truth is reality distinguished from illusion.” Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.1.2
Swami Pratyagbodhananda Saraswati, a disciple of Pujyashree Swami Dayananda Saraswati, follows the traditional methods of the teaching of Vedanta. Swami Pratyagbodhananda Saraswati is at home in three languages - English, Gujarati and Hindi. He teaches in all these languages, not
only Vedantic texts like the Gita, Upanisads, Panchadasi, and the like, but also the Tulsi Ramayana and the Bhagavata Purana.
Swami Pratyagbodhananda Saraswati has had extensive satsang with Swami Akhandananda Saraswati and his disciples in Brindavan. His discourses on Ramayana and Srimad Bhagavatam reflect these invaluable devotion-rich satsangs. He has been teaching Vedanta for the past 22 years in Surat, India, under the auspices of Viswa-Mangalam. He also teaches at Arsha Vidya Gurukulam in Saylorsburg, Pennsylvania. In his tours of North America, sponsored by the Gurukulam, he has touched the hearts of a number of people. With his love and understanding, he has endeared himself to all those with whom he has come in touch.
Srimad Bhagavatam
raaS-LiLa
R aas-Lila is a dance tradition that originated in the Vraj region of Uttar Pradesh and is
associated with Lord Krishna, who is seen having an ecstatic dance of love with the gopis (cowherd girls) and His beloved Radha. The episode is a dramatic expression of the fervent devotion through love (madhura bhakti), separation and reunion of Radha and the gopis with Lord Krishna.
Nirupama and Rajendra, a dynamic duo from Bangalore, will present the lively and colourful Raas-Lila in Kathak, along with dancers from their own institution, The Abhinava Dance Company.
Sri KriShna tuLaBhara
T he story of Satyabama’s pride and Rukmini’s devotion to Lord Krishna is seen in the Sri Krishna
Tulabharam episode. To teach Satyabama a lesson, Lord Krishna arranges for His auction to Narada. Satyabama tries to win back Krishna with her worldly possessions. When all her wealth proves inadequate, she appeals to Rukmini for help. Rukmini, with great devotion, places a tulasi leaf on the scale. This tilts the balance, and opens Satyabama’s eyes to the ‘weight’ of devotion.
Sri Krishna Tulabhara will be enacted through a puppet show, by a group of artists from Bangalore, the Putthali Kalaranga led by Datta Aralikatte. They specialise in
Rod Puppetry, wherein each puppet is 3 to 31/2 ft in height and 8 kgs in weight. The group has pioneered the ‘Mudrika School of Puppetry’ that emphasizes the philosophy of life and culture.
KaaLinga nartana
B ringing alive through Bharatanatyam, drama and mime, the visuals of Lord Krishna as a 5
year old child defeating the many-hooded poisonous serpent Kaliya, while dancing on its hoods, are the Chennai-based dancers Anusha and Narendra and their Anusham Group. The whole of Vrindavan comes alive in this lively Oothukaddu Venkatasubbaier thillana that captures the mischief of the young boy and His greatness.
daSavatharam
A ccording to our scriptures, when there is a total breakdown of dharma, law and order,
the collective prayers of the people form the material cause for the Lord to assume a body and protect the dharmic people by re-establishing righteousness. Veteran teacher and choreographer Anitha Guha presents the Dasavataras through crisp Bharatanatyam tableaus in the ‘Kamalajasya’ swarajathi penned by Maharaja Swati Tirunal. It will be performed by the talented students from her dance school Bharathanjali.
ruKmini KaLyanam
R ukmini Kalyanam is a romantic story of how Lord Krishna comes to the rescue of the
devoted, young Vidarbha princess, Rukmini. While Rukmini cannot think of anyone but the Lord as her husband, her brother Rukmi arranges for her to marry Sisupala. On her wedding day, she willingly participates in a daring abduction and marries Lord Krishna against her brother’s wishes.
Ambika Buch, (retd) Senior Professor, Kalakshetra Foundation and her dance company, Aradhana Dance Troupe, Chennai, comprising graduates from Kalakshetra, will present Rukmini Kalyanam as a dance ballet with verses chosen from the texts Narayaneeyam and Srimad Bhagavatam set to music by Bhagavatulu Seetharama Sharma.
viSwarooPam
T wo instances when Bhagavan revealed His cosmic form will be presented through Bharatanatyam.
The first is when the divine child Krishna opens His mouth and shows the Universe to mother Yashoda in Purandasadasa’s Kriti, ‘Jagadodharana’.
The second instance is on the battlefield in the Kurukshetra War when Bhagavan imparts knowledge about the self to the distressed Arjuna and on Arjuna’s request, reveals His cosmic form.
Excerpts from the chapter on Vishwaroopa in the Bhagavad Gita:
Bhagavan said, “Behold today in My body, O Gudakesa (Arjuna), the entire Universe with all its moving and non-moving beings, and whatever else thou desirest to see.’’
“But thou canst not see My Cosmic Form with thine ordinary eyes; therefore, I bless thee with Divine vision, using which behold My Supreme Power.”
Priyadarsini Govind, the foremost Bharatanatyam soloist in India, will give this glorious concept a visual dimension.
KamSa vadham
T he young brothers, Krishna and Balarama, are invited by their uncle, Kamsa, to Mathura where
they are attacked by a mad elephant and the dangerous wrestlers, Chanura and Mushtika, in succession. The divine lads overcome them and take on Kamsa in a fierce encounter. The evil King Kamsa is killed thus ending his tyrannical rule over Mathura.
Seraikella Chhau, a unique masked dance form from the Eastern Orissa - Jharkhand belt, was inspired by the martial art techniques of the region. The movements are thus mostly aerial in nature. This classical dance form relies only on body movements to communicate, as there is no spoken word or expression in its vocabulary. The spirited dance form is ideally suited to present Kamsa Vadham.
Dr. Shashadhar Acharya, head of the Acharya Chhau Nrutya Bichitra, one of the leading centres for Seraikella Chhau in the country is a leading light in the field. He is the fifth generation in a family of traditional performers and will perform along with his students.
Bhajans on Krishna
G ood music elevates the mind and instils bhakti in
the listener. Subhiksha Rangarajan, a talented young musician, who is adept at both music and art, will render bhava-filled songs on Krishna.
namasankirtanam
I n Kaliyuga, Namasankirtanam is advocated as the easiest way to
reach Bhagavan. To help the devotees, the holy names of God are compiled into musical forms called bhajans that may include kritis and namavallis.
Namavallis set to classical ragas and talas are sung in gatherings in temples and also during festivals.
Udaiyalur K. Kalyanaraman Bhagavathar, a specialist in the Bhajana Sampradaya has revived the almost-forgotten essence of the Dakshina Bharatiya Bhajana Sampradaya, that includes compositions of Mahans from all over the country. He and his troupe will lead a devotional musical session.
devotional Songs on Lord Krishna
O .S. Arun, a well-known and versatile senior
musician will render bhajans on Lord Krishna. He took to singing bhakti-laden bhajans early in his career, and is known to traverse the landscapes
of both the North Indian and South Indian raga patterns with ease in songs that will linger in the heart of the listeners.
abhangs and namasankirtanams
T rained in Marathi Abhangs and Hindi Bhajans by
HH Haridoss Giri Swami, Pushpa Anand’s music
is full of devotion and energy and her speciality is the
Namavallis that she rendars at the end of every song. She
uses the raga as a medium to transport the devotee to
lofetier spiritual planes.
Songs on Lord Krishna in different Languages
R evathy Sankkaran, a versatile
singer, actor and Harikatha
artist, brings to light songs on Lord
Krishna, in different Indian languages.
This will be a lively session of bhakti,
laced with music and humour.
Slokas rendered in Fusion Style
S anskrit verses and slokas are an
integral part of our heritage.
Here is Yodhakaa, an experimental
music band that is creating a bridge
between the traditional and the
contemporary with a blend of trans-cultural rhythms
and innovative arrangements. The young musicians are:
‘Darbuka’ Siva (drums and percussions), Pradeep (vocals
and slideguitar), Subhiksha (vocals and percussion),
Keba Jeremiah (guitar) and Divyan Ahimaz (bass).
Compositions of Bhakti-Saint Poets of india
A nuradha Sriram, a well-
known Carnatic and
playback singer whose lilting voice
is noted for its flexible range, will
render songs by the Bhakti-Saint
poets of India along with her group
of musicians.
‘Sathvaro radhe Shyam no’ at Music Academy
on 13th January 2011
Organised by Kalavardhini Group, Chennai Phone : 24471082
