Harivarasanam is a Sanskrit ashtakam sung for Ayyappan at the Sabarimala Temple, situated in Kerala, India. The song became popular through the first stanza in the Keerthanam known as Hariharatmajashtakam.
The author of the song is Konnakath Janakiyamma. She wrote this Sanskrit song in 1923. After she wrote this, her father Anantha Krishna Aiyyer who was then the chief priest and oracle of Sabarimala Temple submitted it for Ayyappa.
The first singers of Harivarasanam are from the bhajan singers of Purakkattu Anandeswaram Siva Temple.
Konnakath Janakiyamm was 30 years old when she wrote Harivarasanam. She was also pregnant at that time. It was her sixth child. She named him as Ayyappan. After that she settled in Shasthamkotta in Kollam District in Kerala and continued to sing Harivarasanam.
Later devotees, known as ‘Kalladakkoottam’, sang this song throughout Kerala and it became very popular.
In 1950s Vimochanananda Swamikal started to recite this lullaby in ‘Sabarimala Nada’ every night after ATHAZHA SEEVELI (A Ritual Proceeding after the devine dinner) as a song to sleep Ayyappa Swami.
Harivarasanam Song became more popular all over in South India when it included in the famous Malayalam Film Swami Ayyappan in 1975. The great singer K.J Yesudas sang the song and Dewarajan Master was the music director.
The lyrics is also included in the book Harivarasanam Viswamohanam collected by Kambakkudi Kulathur Ayyar in 1963.
In 2007, eminent historian and researcher Dr. Suresh Madhav discovered the lyrical history of Harivarasanam and after that discovery, the poetess Konnakath Janakiyamma became more popular.
Background
The lyrics are composed in Sanskrit and also included in his the Harivarasanam Viswamohanam collected by Kambakudi Kulathur Ayyar in 1963.
The first singers of Harivarasanam are from the bhajan singers of Purakkattu Anandeswaram Siva Temple.
Later devotees known as Kalladakkoottam sang this song everywhere in Kerala and it started to become popular throughout the state.
In 1950s, one of the Melshanthis (priests) started to recite this ashtakam in the Sabarimala temple, beside the sanctum, every night after the Athaza Sheeveli (a ritual after the divine dinner) as a song to put Ayyappa to sleep.
The song became extremely popular all over southern India, when it was included in the famous Malayalam film Swami Ayyappan in 1975. The song was rendered by Carnatic vocalist and playback singer K. J. Yesudas and composed in the Madhyamavati raga by composer late G. Devarajan.[1] During his pilgrimage to Sabarimala in 2017, Yesudas claimed that the words ‘ari’ (enemy) and ‘vimardhanam’ (annihilation) in the lyrics should have been spelt separately, on behalf of the advice and new information he received from a scholar, and he would be happy to re-record it with due corrections.
Mr. Padmakumar had claimed that Harivarasanam was written by Konnakathu Janaki Amma, his grandfather’s sister, whose father, Ananthakrishna Iyer, was the head priest at Sabarimala from 1907 to 1920.
Lyrics
The lyrics were originally composed in the Sanskrit language but written in Malayalam script.
| Malayalam | Tamil | Telugu | Devanagari | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
ഹരിവരാസനം വിശ്വമോഹനം |
ஹரிவராசனம் விஸ்வமோகனம்0 |
హరివరాసనం విశ్వమోహనం |
हरिदधीश्वरमाराध्यपादुकम् ।
अरिविमर्दनं नित्यनर्तनम् हरिहरात्मजं देवमाश्रये ॥ १॥ चरणकीर्तनं भक्तमानसम् भरणलोलुपं नर्तनालसम् । अरुणभासुरं भूतनायकम् हरिहरात्मजं देवमाश्रये ॥ २॥ प्रणयसत्यकं प्राणनायकम्प्र णतकल्पकं सुप्रभाञ्चितम् । प्रणवमन्दिरं कीर्तनप्रियम् हरिहरात्मजं देवमाश्रये ॥ ३॥ तुरगवाहनं सुन्दराननम् वरगदायुधं वेदवर्णितम् । गुरुकृपाकरं कीर्तनप्रियम् हरिहरात्मजं देवमाश्रये ॥ ४॥ त्रिभुवनार्चितं देवतात्मकम् त्रिनयनप्रभुं दिव्यदेशिकम् । त्रिदशपूजितं चिन्तितप्रदम् हरिहरात्मजं देवमाश्रये ॥ ५॥ भवभयापहं भावुकावकम्भु वनमोहनं भूतिभूषणम् । धवलवाहनं दिव्यवारणम् हरिहरात्मजं देवमाश्रये ॥ ६॥ कलमृदुस्मितं सुन्दराननम् कलभकोमलं गात्रमोहनम् ।कलभकेसरीमाजिवाहनम् हरिहरात्मजं देवमाश्रये ॥ ७॥ श्रितजनप्रियं चिन्तितप्रदम् श्रुतिविभूषणं साधुजीवनम् । श्रुतिमनोहरं गीतलालसम् हरिहरात्मजं देवमाश्रये ॥ ८॥ ॥ इति श्री हरिहरात्मजाष्टकं सम्पूर्णम् ॥ शरणं अय्यप्पा स्वामी शरणं अय्यप्पा । |
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Harivarasanam Award
The Harivarasanam Award is an award jointly instituted by the Government of Kerala and Travancore Devaswom Board. It is awarded for contributions towards propagation of secularism, equanimity, and universal brotherhood of Sabarimala through music.[2] It has been awarded since 2012. Each year, Harivarasanam Award is announced ahead of Makaravilakku festival in Sabarimala. The award consists of cash prize of ₹1 lakh, citations, and a plaque. [3]
Harivarasanam Centenary Celebrations
As it is known that Harivarasanam was originally written in year 1923, and by the year 2023 Centenary celebrations are taken up by Sabarimala Ayyappa Seva Samajam across India. Celebrations were launched by Governor of Tamil Nadu state,[4] Meastro Ilayaraja - Music Director has been selected as National Committee Chairman for the same.
See also
References
- ↑ "This Sabarimala season, an updated lullaby for Lord Ayyappan". The Hindu. PTI. 19 November 2017. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 24 August 2022.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: others (link) - ↑ "Renowned music composer Ilaiyaraaja was awarded the Harivarasanam Award for 2020 by the Kerala Government". VajiramIAS.com. 16 January 2020. Archived from the original on 17 November 2020. Retrieved 9 November 2020.
- ↑ "Harivarasanam Award for Ilaiyaraja". The Times of India. 28 December 2019. Archived from the original on 17 January 2021. Retrieved 9 November 2020.
- ↑ Chennaivision (13 June 2022). "Governors inaugurate Harivarasanam Centenary celebrations". Tamil Nadu News, Chennai News, Tamil Cinema News, Tamil News, Tamil Movie News, Power Shutdown in Chennai, Petrol and Diesel Rate in Chennai. Retrieved 19 August 2022.