Happened to hear this song through my friend.. a everlasting favorite song.. whether its subbulakshmi’s voice, or the wordings or the ragams.. or her devotional involvement in this song, which gives that finest touch capturing the audience.. or is it all of them combined.. I dont know which attracts me..
I dont used to listen to bakthi songs that much.. either i am not much interested or for want of required knowledge to appreciate those.. but few of such devotional songs really attracts me.. this song is one of such..
My friend said this was the last concert sung by subbulakshmi along with her husband.. after this, her husband died, and she never did her concert thereafter..
I heard him praising about the deep devotion that the singer would exhibit in all her performance.. it was because of india’s great legacy of seeing arts like bharata natyam, music as a form of worship and bhakthi to the god rather than a recreational activity..
And there is an unknown history to such a great tradition..
On those days, the devadasis were a group of people, whose main duty is to serve god for the life time.. its they who have developed various forms of arts, like music, dance etc. These arts were daily performed in temple as a service to the god.. and the very name, “Deva Dasi” means “Servant to God”..
M.S. Subbulakshmi hailed from such a devotional devadasi lineage.. I also heard that Latha Mangeshwar is also from such a lineage.. today, the devadasis were seen in entirely negative context.. but believe it.., before britishers came, they were among the higher strata of the society with large amounts of endowment and wealth, and were one of the chief invitees for many of the functions and festivals..
In the marriage customs of our community, inviting a devadasi to the marriage is one of the auspicious ritual in the past.. it was evident from our mangala vazthu song.. and even today, many of the older generations could recall such a custom in many other communities.. such a higher place they had in our society.. the britishers who were mostly christian, could not understand such a tradition, and in turn termed them as prostitutes.. and later the communists who occupied the intellectuals space, along with christian missionarie, spread a distorted negative history through text books and medias.. it was one of the most cruel injustice done to the devadasi community..
Today Luckily, many of our arts and tradition had been kept alive because the successive generations of devadasi lineage, eventhough they suffered so much of political and social vendetta..
As a honour to them, we need to correct the distorted version of history about their lineage.. . for, its the numerous ancestors of this devadasi lineage, who had perfected the arts and dances to the peak through successive generations out of their unquestionable devotion to the god…
the following article enlightens us on how history (influenced by vested interests) done a greatest injustice to the devadasi community..
senthil
There is a speciality about the song. This song was written by our Late Rajaji. MS Did the music.
In one sense, this song can explain the whole of Hinduism. See the song says , ‘I have no inadequacies’. Look at a Christian or Muslim prayer. They will be full of requests for things worldly and heavenly.
But, here, the devotee says I do not have requests. This is the single most positive aspect of the unique Indian way of ‘Upasana’ or worship. Worship is honour. Prayer is begging. The Hindu, by doing pooja with incenses, flowers, fruits and songs, honours ‘his’ God. Others simply pester Him. The Hindu seeks union with Him. Others make him a divine Vendor.
A Prayer gives you something. I agree. But the worship demands God Himself. Which is greater ?
Yes, Kurai Onrum Illai.
Venkat
I know this song . It is such a song that while we sing we will drowned in the song and we don’t know where we are while singing . But,afterwe sing we cannot imagine that.
And i know to sing kurai ondrum illai.
Anna you can go to youtube.com and you type pibare rama rasam. A 10 year old boy, His name is anatharaman. he is singing like ms subbulakshmi.
regards
vaibhav
Thanks vaibhav.. the following is the video that you said..
http://in.youtube.com/watch?v=OPKaQcvCM1o
he seems to be very trained, and sings that song with ease..
very good morning have nice service of you just now i enjoy vedio clip of kurai ondrum illai it excellant …………
Hi Senthil,
Dropped into your blog after quite some time.
Wonderful thoughts indeed.
I too have read that Deva Dasis enjoyed a very high previlege than most others in the society those days.
Their lives were dedicated to the God and various performing arts. They were the ones who kept the art forms alive through generations. Either performing at the temple festivals or at the King’s Durbar they were the authority of arts those days.
I’ve also read that, like the king who had a separate entrance (gate) in the ancient temples, Deva Dasis also had a very special entrance to the temples and also they were the ones who had very close proximity to the God, next to the priests.
They had served the Gods in the temples by helping for poojas, fetching water for Abishegams, preparing garlands etc. Such was the sanctity and purity of Deva Dasis.
As you rightly said, during later periods the invaders spoiled the whole cult and the purity of Deva Dasis by branding them with a negative image.
Though your post spoke about MS and Kurai Onrum Illai, it also makes us think of the Deva Dasis and respect them.
Also the lyrics of Kurai Onrum Illai just can’t be another lyric. It is said that Rajaji underwent lot of problems in his personal life and inspite of such troubles he managed to write the following lines..
வேண்டியதை தந்திட வேங்கடேசன் இங்கிருக்க … வேண்டியது வேறில்லை மறைமூர்த்தி கண்ணா ..
What a lyric… as rightly commented by Mr. Venkat, thats probably the speciality of our Hinduism….
Saravanan,
You had given a summary of what i wanted to say.. i specifically wrote this post as an attempt to change the way we view devadasis…
Your quotes on the rajaji’s lines is really superb..
beautiful song. i play it everyday on my iphone. golden voice of MSS never fails to move a person to devotion.
Well, this brought tears while hearing and while reading through the blog post. We (Hinduism) see God in everything and that’s why we worship everything from cars, tools, cows to what not. We love animals and plants and that’s why we attach animals to God and trees to temples. In schools we were taught that our ancestors were fools and uncultured to worship trees and snakes but only after maturity one will realise how holy and environment loving our worship is! Every action of ours is a thanks giving to God rather than begging Him for more. You can go on and on about Hinduism…
This song is a highlight of all these. By the way, it was a news for me that Rajaji is lyricist.
Wonderful is a too little word to praise this blog post!
Regards,
Raju
As Swami Vivekananda said ‘GOD HAS NOT GIVEN ME EVERYTHING I WANTED’, ‘GOD HAS GIVEN EVERYTHING I NEEDED’. The lyrics of the song is worth-listening in any era. Though am not a religious-oriented, this song always gives me peace of mind and I have kept this song as a caller-tune in one of my cellphones, and it was praised by my most of my callers. Proud to be born as an Indian with rich traditional background!
Dear Senthil/Raju/Saravanan/Others,
Thanks a lot for your wonderful information. I heard this song many times, but today I came to know many things about this song. My appreciation and thanks to all for that.
Have a nice time.
Regards
N Guruvelavan
Dear All,
You have made my day! It was a wonderful experience to read the post and all the comments. I have heard the song several times and on each occasion it has filled me with ecstasy and moved me to tears of joy as no other experience did.
I believe that every art rises to excellence when it is expressed from the heart accompanied by emotion and feeling. This composition and rendering is a typical example. Rajaji was no ordinary writer, and MS no ordinary singer. The bridge that connected them was Sadasivam.
I had the good fortune of meeting all the three of them. That makes the song even more special to me.
God bless all of you for your divine thoughts.
N. Natarajan
“Kurai Ondrum Illai” one of the excellent song by M.S. Subbulakshmi. No one can sing like M. S. Subbulakshmi . One of my sentimental song. Gifted voice from God.
Its a lovely song. I was more moved when a couple living in our building sung this with great interest during a community function in our colony – many in the building did not know that they have a handicapped child. Such is the magic of this song. It shows that everything that happens in life is devine blessing. I have once read an interview with MS in Tamil magazine Kalki. She was asked “whats is bhakti”. She said “I dont know but when sing, I forget myself and tears roll down from my eyes – possibly that is Bhakti !”. She was a noble women with no self interest and dedicated all her life for music.
Respected sir,
superb song. devotional perumal song.
excelent voice ms subbulaxmi.
devotional site lists— http://srikamalakanniamman.blogspot.com
This is a great vintage song. Look at the diversity with which MS renders the song, with all devotional fervour. Also listen to the voice, even at this ripe age she is able to mould the tone and give it stress, wherever necessary. Compare with Lata Mangeshkar. She is also of the same age now, but her voice cracks nowadays, as when the pitch is slightly high.
I raise my hats off to MS and her versatility.
Dear Listeners,
The background under which Rajaji wrote is very touching.The Vaishnavaite temples adopted very sanitized entry- that those with namams or vaishnavaites only were allowed to go close to the sanctumsanctorum, others any one in the name of worshippers or Hindus were not allowed inside but at a distance on the other side of the veil. So, rajaji disguises a singer who is singing to the Lord that the Thirai (screen) is not there,in my mind and so in yours. You are ever visible even though these visible veils and screens are seen before. As a baktha I have no shortfalls, in your ever felt, omni presence. A great philosophy told in simpler words. Rajaji’s lyrics and MS Amma’s voice, gives us that spiritual touch.
I used this song for a different idea all together, to compete in a competition which was for short films – time was just 1 minute – titled ‘differently abled’. Even though i did not win a prize, as an amateur, I was happy that I made the performers do a pucca kutchery,not to give them a feel of shooting film, and happily they did. I just requested them to do this song too in between, which forms part of my One minute story! See and comment.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=26rHd9vXk9s
Namaskars
Chandra
Chandra,
Thanks for your info.. i saw that video earlier itself, and i remember accompanying you to meet those performers..
This song is a perfect fit for your documentary..
I have known and loved this song from the time I was twelve or so; but never knew that it was penned by Rajaji nor the background of his writing these lyrics. Thanks to everyone for your insightful comments.Of course no one can do devotional music like MS when it comes to stirring your emotions, faith or pronunciation.
senthil you have done a great service by focusing on this song.Not only the words,the music and the singer all blend to project the greatness and uniqueness of The Hindu and his/her orietation to life-relationship to God.What a philosophy.Hinduism is not a religion-it is a reachout to the creator through one’s daily life-work.The whole cosmos is attuned to the dance of Shiva…and life goes on.Senthil my gratitude and appreciation.Hilda Raja
good iam apreciate this web site. go ahed.