Kamakshi Navavarnams

            
Venkata Kavi’s Navavaranams abound in Srividya Upasana aspects and show his scholarship in no small measure.  Apart from the main 9 songs for the nine nights, he has also composed a Vinayaka stuti, Dhyana stuti and a Phala stuti too. There are several similarities (and differences) between his Navavaranams and that of Dikshitar but both reveal the composers’ scholarship in the mantric and tantric aspects of Devi worship.  These are:

Shree Ganeshwara – Shanmukhapriya – Adi – Vinayaka stuti
Vanchasi yadi kushalam – Kalyani – Adi – Dhyana stuti
(1st avaranam) Santatam aham seve – Deshakshi – Adi
Bhajaswa shree – Nadanamakriya – Adi
Sarvajeeva dayakari – Shuddhasaveri – Mishra Chapu
Yoga yogeshwari – Anandabhairavi – Khanda Triputa (2 kalais)
Neelalohita ramani – Balahamsa – Khanda Dhruvam (2 kalais)
Sadanandamayi – Hindolam – Sankeerna Mathyam
Sakalaloka nayike – Arabhi – Adi
Shankari Shree Rajarajeshwari – Madhyamavati – Adi
Natajana kalpavalli – Punnagavarali – Adi

There is also another song in Surati (Shreechakra matangi) which is listed in some schools as the 9th avaranam but the Punnagavarali piece is much more probable between the two. Surati krti seems to be more of a mangala krti than Haladharanujam (Manirangu – Adi), listed in some schools as the mangala krti. 

Venkata Kavi has revealed more proof of his vidwat in talas like Khanda Dhruvam, Sankeerna Matyam and Khanda Triputa. The 4th avaranam in Anandabhairavi has a Madhyamakala, where he has evenly split the 9-beat tala into 4 equal parts of 2.25 matras each.  The 5th avaranam in Balahamsa is, probably the weightiest piece of this group, set in a majestic gait in the 17 akshara tala and has 2 superb madhyamakalams. This 8th avaranam in Madhyamavati has been set in 2 gatis – Chaturashram and Tishram.


Invocation Lata Ganapathy, Savita Narasimhan and Salem Gayathri Shree Ganeshwara - Shanmugapriya
Second Savita Narasimhan, Salem Gayathri Bhajaswa Shree Tripurasundari - Nadanamakriya
Fifth Lata Ganapathy, Savita Narasimhan Neela Lohita Ramani - Balahamsa
Sixth Anahita Ravindran, Bhargavi Balasubramanian, Lata Ganapathy Sadanandamayi - Hindolam - Sankeerna Mathya Talam
Eighth Lata Ganapathy, Savita Narasimhan, Salem Gayathri Shankari - Madhyamavati.mp3
Ninth Anahita Ravindran, Bhargavi Balasubramanian, Lata Ganapathy Natajanakalpavalli - Punnagavarali
The phala stuti  Bhargavi Balasubramanian, Lata Ganapathy Haladharanujam - Manirangu  - The phala stuti of the Navavaranam set, where the real objective of the Navavaranam worship is revealed – seeking the boon of access to Lord Krshna..


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