The Trinity of Carnatic Music

Praise of Rāma in 108 epithets

Confession of unworthy pursuits, plea for grace

Tyāgarāja's complaint of Rāma's apparent neglect

The joy of seeing Rāma — visual rapture

Salutation to the noble — humility before greatness

Yearning for Rāma's smiling face

Asking for the privilege of servitude

Praise of Rāma's elephantine gait

Why act like the great when devotion is enough?

Come to my home — invitation to Rāma

Why hide from your devotee?

Sītā as the bhakta's mother

Debt of devotion that can never be repaid

Rider of Garuḍa — protector

Total reliance on Rāma alone

Is it too much to protect me?

Secrets of the mind — known only to Rāma

How will you abandon me, O Rāma?

What sin have I committed?

On which earth is there a saviour like you?

Charming Rāma — the very embodiment of grace

Established on the hill — Tirupati invocation

Will you not sing his praise?

Offering rituals — but the heart is what counts

When will I behold you?

Do not be unjust to me

Who is there besides you?

The power to steady the mind

Pleading with Rāma — 'again and again I beg you'

Who is equal to Rāma? No one.

You are the sustainer of my life

Śrī Rāma's feet alone are my refuge

Music as nectar — bhakti through nāda

The aesthetics of a kriti well-rendered

Unending bliss in remembering Rāma

The blessings of remembering Rāma

Liberation through nāda-yoga

Wealth vs. Rāma — which is the real treasure?

The empire of Rāma-bhakti

Such happiness — through Rāma's name

O mind — how will you bear?

Happiness only comes by asking — seek with intent

The beautiful royal path — Rāma-bhakti

Decline of strength in old age — turn to Rāma

Wisdom does not come — except by grace

The nectar of Rāma's story

Knowing the Rāma-tattva — pure consciousness

What is the use of this birth without Rāma-bhakti?

Meditation is the supreme gift

The meaning of the Gītā — Rāma's name

Rāma steady as Mount Meru

Sītā chose me as her son — the bhakta declares

Husband of Sītā — guardian of dharma

Salutation to Rāma — joyful obeisance

Rāma alone is god

Reclined on the ocean of milk

Salutation to the wise

At every moment, only your name

Do not forsake me, O Rāma

Protect me, O Lord

Come quickly — with urgency

I desire to serve you — come

Listen to my prayer

Who will listen to my plea?

O Lord of Śrīraṅgam — the reclining Viṣṇu

Hero of the Raghu dynasty

The royal hero of Ayodhyā

Protect me through the guru's grace

The river Gaṅgā as Alakanandā

Invocation of Gaṇeśa — opening of every concert

The Great Gaṇapati — primal invocation

Goddess of the whole universe — Jambukēśvaram śrī

The radiance of joyful dance — Cidambaram-Naṭarāja

Mīnākṣi — fish-eyed goddess of Madurai grants delight

Annapūrṇā of Kāśī — feeder of all beings

The yogic splendour of Tyāgarāja-Śiva at Tiruvārūr (a Śaiva mūrti, not the saint)

Praise of Brahmā at Kumbhakōṇam — creator-deity

Praise of Subrahmaṇya — protection of the bhakta

The golden goddess — Lakṣmī

The boon-granting Lakṣmī — Varalakṣmī vrata

The child Subrahmaṇya — pure, swift, grace-bearing

Meditation on Cintāmaṇi-Gaṇeśa, wish-fulfilling jewel

Adoration of the half-male, half-female form of Śiva-Pārvatī

Praise of the blue-throated Śiva who drank the world-poison

2nd āvaraṇa — sarva-āśā-paripūraka cakra (16-petalled lotus)

Dhyāna kriti — meditation before the Navāvaraṇa āvaraṇas

Fourth āvaraṇa — sarvasaubhāgyadāyaka cakra

Sixth āvaraṇa — sarva-rakṣākara cakra (all-protecting)

First āvaraṇa — trailokyamohana cakra (square enclosure)

Third āvaraṇa — sarvasaṅkṣobhaṇa cakra (eight-petalled lotus)

Fifth āvaraṇa — sarvārthasādhaka cakra (outer triangle)

Seventh āvaraṇa — sarvarogahara cakra (eight-triangle locus, healing)

Eighth āvaraṇa — sarvasiddhipradā cakra (inner triangle, siddhi-bestower)

Ninth and innermost āvaraṇa — sarvānandamayī cakra (bindu, supreme bliss)

Maṅgaḷa concluding the Navāvaraṇa — auspicious closing summary

Salutation to the Sun — health, lustre and clarity

Worship the Moon — coolness, mind, soma-essence

Taking refuge in Mars — energy, victory in war

Refuge in Mercury — intellect, learning, eloquence

Salutation to the preceptor of the gods — wisdom, prosperity

The Venus-deity — preceptor of the asuras, granter of beauty

Son of the Sun — the slow-mover, lord of karmic dispensation

Constant remembrance of Rāhu — release from eclipses of fate

Mahā-Kētu — completion of the planetary cycle, mokṣa-graha

Śrī Kālahastīśvara — the air-liṅga at Kāḷahasti

Jambūpati — the water-liṅga at Tiruvānaikkāval

Cidambarēśa Naṭarāja — the space-liṅga (no visible form, only ākāśa)

Aruṇācalanātha — the fire-liṅga at Tiruvaṇṇāmalai

Ekāmranātha — the earth-liṅga at Kāñcīpuram (made of clay)

Lord of Pārvatī — Śiva as the divine spouse

The queen of queens — Lalitā Tripurasundarī

The blue-lotus goddess

She whose beauty is luminosity itself

The goddess of desire — who fulfils all longings

The all-pervading goddess

She whose eyes are the source of all desire

The fish-eyed goddess of Madurai

The beautiful one of the three cities — Tripurasundari

She who showers nectar of bliss — the compassionate goddess

Sixth āvaraṇa — the Ajnā cakra, presided over by Kāmeśvarī

Contemplate Marakatavallī — Mīnākṣī in the mind

May Kamalāmbikā protect — the sixth part of the Navāvaraṇa

Mahālakṣmi — the ocean of compassion

The lord of sacrifice — Śiva at Tiruvārūr

The lord of the Venkata hill

Contemplate the form of Guruguha in your mind

Worship Śaṅkarācārya — the great teacher

O doorkeeper, protect me — the devotee's plea at the temple gate

The greatness of Tyāgarāja — praise of the lord of Tiruvārur

'O Goddess, now is the time to protect me'

Daily remembrance — never forget the Mother

Wandering on the golden mountain — Devī's play

'Protect me, Kāmākṣī'

'Mother, please protect me'

'Whom else can I turn to?'

'Protect my path through life'

'Mother, won't you protect me?'

'Grant the boon quickly'

Daughter of the snow mountain

'Save me, O Lalitā'

She whose eyes are like lotus petals

The lotus-eyed goddess of Kāñcī

Daughter of the snow mountain

It is time for you to protect me, O Dēvī

Protect me, mother — the cry of the child to Kāmākṣī

Is there any other refuge? — Śyāmā Śāstri's cry of surrender

Durgā — the inaccessible goddess

Svarajati no. 1 — the Bhairavī jewel

Svarajati no. 2 — the Tōḍī gem; bhakti-laden

Svarajati no. 3 — Yadukulakāmbhōji, lyrical

'Knowing the way of dharma'

Save me, O mother

Protect me, O mother

Rāma — the supremely pure one