PAPANASAM SIVAN was a famous composer of Tamil devotional songs of yester years! His songs are very simple but very impressive and meaningful. The lyrics themselves are very rhythmic and filled with full of devotion to the Almighty. On hearing the songs one would feel that the very birth of the song should have been in that particular raga only! With that much of devotion and involvement the songs have been composed! The simplicity of the language is the one which would attract the audience (even though the language was 'manipravALam',meaning a mixture of tamil and a little bit of sanskrit)! Sivan was known as 'Tamil Thyagaiah' (Thyagaiah is none other than Sri Thyagaraja who was the father of Carnatic Music, whose compositions were in Telugu!)
He was born on 26th September 1890 and lived his full years, upto 92. He hails from Tanjore District in Tamilnadu, a place very well-known for nourishing Carnatic Music! His original name was Ramiah. Ramiah adoring himself full with the 'bhasmam'(Vibhuthi) all over his body like Lord Shiva and living in Papanasam, came to be called as "Papanasam Sivan"!
Later years, he became more popular by his songs sung by M.K.Thyagaraja Bhagavathar in movies, in his meritorious voice! Many of his devotional songs were popularised by the veteran carnatic musicians like D.K.Pattammal, M.S.Subbulakshmi, and M.L.Vasanthakumari! I can not forget the song 'nAn oru viLayAttu bommayA' in raga "navarasa kAnadA", very much popularised by D.K.Pattammal! Just for reference, the lyrics of the song are given below, which is followed by video of the song:
Pallavi :
nAnoru viLayATTu bommaiyA? jagan
nAyakiyE umaiyE undanukku (nAnoru)
Anupallavi :
nAnilattil pala piRavi eDuthu
thiNDADinadu pOdhAdhA? dEvi undanukku (nAnoru)
CharaNam:
aruLamudaip paruga ammA ammA enRu
alaRuvadaik kETpadhAnandhamA?
oru pugal inRi un tiruvaDi aDaindEnE
thiruvuLam irangAdhA? dEvi undanukku (nAnoru)
Given down is a youtube link by clicking which you can enjoy Smt.D.K.PATTAMMAL singing the above song !
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ohAFxm-9Sng
The same song by the present day's singer NITHYASHREE MAHADHEVAN (Grand Daughter of Smt.D.K.Pattammal) also is given here just for a change/comparison !
Sivan himself was a good singer! I still remember the time he used to walk around the Mylapore Tank singing Bhajans with his group in the very early mornings during the month of "Maragazhi" (December 14 to January 13)!
Papanasam Sivan has composed over 2000 songs in both carnatic music and film songs. His compositions include varnams, kritis, operas and all types of compositions typically rendered in a concert. He has composed 2 operas viz., Sri Rama Charitha Geetham & Kaaraikkal Ammaiyar. Sri Rama Charitha Geetham is a raga-malika of 24 ragas. I remember having heard Sri Rama Charitha Geetham in the voice of Seerkali Govindarajan, in a cassette form. Though simple,very very impressive lines!
(One can enjoy this song posted separately in my blog "Papanasam Sivan's SRI RAMACHARITHA GEETHAM" !)
Another example for his simple language but at the same time being elegant,impressive and devotional, is the song "enna thavam seidhanai" in KAPI raga! After the lyrics given below, you may please enjoy the song wonderfully rendered in a very elaborate and explicit manner by Sri.Sampagodu S Vighnaraja in one of his concerts in Kaulalumpur !
ENNA THAVAM SHEIDHANAI !
Pallavi :
enna tavam sheidanai yasOdhA
engum nirai parabhrammam ammAvenr-azhaikka
(enna thavam)
Anupallavi:
IrEzu bhuvanangaL paDaiTHavanai
kaiyil Endhi shIrATTi pAlUTi thAlATTa nI
(enna thavam)
CharaNam 1:
bhramanum indhranum manadhil porAmai koLLa
uralil kaTTi vAi potthik-kenjavaiTHAi kaNanai
uralil kaTTi vAi potthik-kenjavaiTHAi thAyE
(enna thavam)
CharaNam 2:
sanakAdhiyar thava yOgam sheidhu varundi
sAdhiTHadhai punidha mAdhE nee eLidhil peRa
(enna tavam)
Yet another speciality of his songs used in old tamil movies are that a learner can very easily learn the form of a particular raga from any song. Of course, some songs are in Ragamalika! Some of his simple famous songs in popular ragas are given below:
CHENCHURUTI "rAdhe unakku kOpam AgAthadi" from CHINTHAMANI
"annaiyum thanthaiyum thAne" from HARIDHAS
"vaLLalai pAdum vAyAl" from SIVAKAVI
BHAIRAVAI "unnai kaNdu mayangAdha" from ASHOK KUMAR
PANTHUVARALI "ambA manam kaninthunathu" from SIVAKAVI
SINDHU BHAIRAVI "bhUmiyil mAnida janmam" from ASHOK KUMAR
BEHAG "dheena karuNAkaranE" from THIRUNEELAKANTAR
KAAPI "dhyAnamE en manathu" from ASHOK KUMAR
JONPURI "gnAnak kaN onRu" from CHINTHAMANI
"sathva guNa bhOdhan" from ASHOK KUMAR
The following link gives wonderful details of the songs of Sivan used in so many films:
http://www.tamilnation.org/culture/music/mkt.htm
"bhUmiyil mAnida janmam adaindhumOr", a melodious and a very meaningful song can be heard here. Speciality of this video is that the images presented also are very apt and very much relate to the meanings of the lyrics! something different! Please click and see !
Some of his other popular devotional songs which are still being sung by musicians in their kutcheris, are given below for reference.
SRI RANJANI "gajavadhana karuna sadhana"
DHANYASI "bAlakrishnan padhamalar"
MOHANAM "Kapali,karuNai nilavu pozhi"
KHARAHARAPRIYA "dhayavillayadhayala"
VARALI "kA vA vA, murugA vA vA"
VASANTHA "mAlmaruga shanmukha"
THODI "kArthikEya kAngEya gowri thanayA"
KAMBHOJI "kANna kaNkOti vENdum"
VACHASPATHI "parAthparA paramEshwara"
MADHYAMAVATHI "kaRpagamE kaNpArAi"
SHANMUKHAPRIYA "sharavana bhava enum thirumandhiram"
SAHANA "sri vathApi gaNapathiyE"
HAMSANANDHI "srInivAsa thiruvEnkatmudaiyan"
In the era of Carnatic Music, at one stage it was questioned as to why only krithis of other languages, namely Telugu and Sanskrit should be taken and why not Tamil! Later, musicians slowly started singing Tamil songs during their performances. Songs from "Rama kAthai" of Arunachalakkavirayar, Songs of Mahakavi Bharathiar,Bharathidhasan,Oothukkadu Venkatasubbhiar, and those of so many composers inculding those of Papanasam Sivan were popularised by musicians. We have to mention time and again that the lyrics of Papanasam Sivan are that simple to enjor and to practice the same in popular ragas. Let me end this with another musical note of Papanasam Sivan ! You may please enjoy here the song "kaNNanai paNi manamE" in raga SHANMUKKHAPRIYA, in the melodious voice of K.S.Chithra ! Please click the following link!
"kaNNanai paNi manamE" in raga SHANMUKKHAPRIYA,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cpais_bTWL0
"SRI RAMA CHARITHA GEETHAM"
"SRI RAMA CHARITHA GEETHAM"
PAPANASAM SIVAN, a great composer of Tamil devotional songs, has composed about 2000 songs in Tamil and also three long Drama Songs, one of which is "SRI RAMA CHARITHA GEETHAM". His lyrics are known for the simplicity of the language, which one can find in this wonderful song of his also. This has been sung by Seerkazhi Govindharajan in his meritorious, rich voice! The song as such is very melodious, sung in different ragas! Please Click the following link to enjoy "Ramachritha Geetham"!
https://youtu.be/Y73nSpf3VyA
https://youtu.be/Hzy8uKxL-mI
Sri Rama Charithaa Geetham Part 1and 2
Sri Rama Charithaa Geetham Part 1and 2
The following link gives the lyrics:
https://www.rasikas.org/forums/viewtopic.php?t=2948
"sri rama jaya rama jaya jaya rama"
