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Saama is a very beautiful raga. Simpleprayogas of this raga are very melodious and touch the heart. It is

also known as Shyama, but this spelling is rarely used.

Ajanya of the 28th mela Harikambhoji, this is anAudava Shadava raga. The aarohanam has five notes

and the avarohanam has six:

Aarohanam: S R21 P D2 S

Avarohanam: S D2 P M1 G3 R2 S

There is also another slightly different aarohanam:

S R2 G3 S R2 M1 P D2 S

The swaras used are Chatusruti R, Antara G, Shudha M and Chatusruti D. It is aNishada Varjya raga,

meaning there is no N in this.

S R G S R, P D S D, P M, G, R S R, G S R, etc. are very essentialprayogas to bring out the rasa of this

raga. M M M G, R, S R G S R is also an importantprayoga.

This raga has very limited scope for raga aalapana. In short sketch, thejeeva of the raga comes outbeautifully. Repetition ofprayogas to stretch the raga will ruin the raga swaroopa.

Kalpana swara singing in this raga is a joyful experience to both the singer and the listeners.

Compositions in Saama sound very beautiful.

Care must be taken to stick to the raga swaroopa while singing the aalapana as raga Arabhi is very close

to this raga and there is a possibility of straying into Arabhi.

The mention ofSaama brings to the mind of seasoned rasikas the song 'Manasa Sancharare' of Sadasiva

Brahmendra and 'Varuvaro' (Tamil kriti) of Gopalakrishna Bharati. In 'Varuvaro', the raga brings out the

beauty of the lyric fully. One can feel the yearnings of the ShivaBhakta to see his beloved Nataraja, thedancing God of Chidambaram.

'Anna Purne Visalakshi' and 'Guruguhaya' in Adi tala are other popular kritis. As is customary in

Dikshitar kritis, the name of the raga appears in the kriti `Guruguhaya' in the phrase 'Samarsya

Sampradaya kaya'. The name of the raga is interwoven beautifully.

Surprisingly, in Dikshitar's composition 'Annapurne', the name of the raga does not appear. This kriti is in

praise of Goddess Annapurni of Kuzhikkarai, a place in South India.

The Tyagaraja kriti in Telugu 'Shantamulekha Sowkhymuledu' is a slow moving, majestic composition,

where Saama sounds very reposeful and one can feel its soothing effect.

There is an unforgettable song, 'Atma vidyalayame', in the Malayalam film Raja Harichandra. It is sung by

Kamukara Purushothaman and is a moving, philosophical song about the futility of worldly longings and

desires. It is unusual to have a pure Carnatic raga these days in a film song. The purity of the raga and the

wonderful philosophical thoughts have made this song unforgettable. The tune is that of 'Manasa

Sancharare'.

There is no Hindustani raga Saama. There is Syam Kalyan, which has no relationship to this raga.

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Maanasa SancharareComposer: Sadashiva Brahmendra

Language: Sanskrit

Raagam: Shyaamaa

Pallavi

Maanasa Sanchara reBrahmani Maanasa Sancharare

Charanam 1

Madasikhi pinchaalankruta chikureMahaneeya kapola vijitha mukure || Maanasa Sancharare ||

Charanam 2

Sri Ramani Kucha Durga VihaareSevaka jana mandira mandaare || Maanasa Sancharare ||

Charanam 3

Paramahamsa mukha Chandra chakoreParipooritha murali ravadhare || Maanasa Sancharare ||

============================================================

Introduction to the Kriti

This is a kriti by Sadashiva Brahmendra of 18th Century. The kriti is a desire to have one's

mind move around the Lord and feel his presence! Lord Sri Krishna seems to be in the

periphery of the geetham.

Meaning *Oh, Mind ("maanasa") ! Undertake your pilgrimage ("sancharare") in the Brahmam !

May the hair lock of Brahma ("madashiki") meditated upon by you, be adorned ("alankrutha")

with the plumes of an exhilarated peacock ("chikure") !

The cheeks ("mukure") of the Supreme One ("mahaneeya") outwit ("vijita") the brightness of

a mirror ("kapola") !

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He sports ("vihare") around with ("durga") Mahalakshmi ("sriramani")!

[Also translated as That Brahmam sports around in the fort of the breast hillocks of

MahalakshmiSri Ramani (Mahalakshmi) Kuja Durga (Durgam that is Kujakumbham)

Vihare]

For his devotees ("sevaka"), He is a Kalpavriksha ("mandaare") in the court yard

("mandira")!

Supreme ("parama") ascetics ("hamsa") delight in that face-moon ("mukha-chandra") as a

partridge bird ("chakore")!

Oh, Mind! May your pilgrimage be in this Brahma that fills the whole Universe with the flow of the music from HisBansuri(flute) ! !

; , m , m M m g g r s- r G | R ; ; ; | ;

s D s R ||

- - Maa - na sa San- - - - cha ra re - - - - Brah- mani

m p d-p , m M m g g r s- r G | R ; ; ; | ; s

D s R ||

Maa- - - na sa San- - - - cha ra re - - - - Brah- mani

RM rmP mpdp MM m g g r s- r G | R ; ; ; | ; s D s R

||

Maa- - - - - - na sa San- - - - cha ra re - - - - Brah- mani

m p d s , d p m m g g r s- r G | R ; ; ; | ; sr D S ||

Maa- - - na sa- San- - - - cha ra re - - - - - - - -

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Charanam 1:

Madashikhi Pincchaalankruta Chikure Mahaneeya Kapola Vijitamukure

May the hairlock of Brahma ("madashiki"), meditated upon by you, be adorned ("alankrutha")

with the plumes of an exhilarated peacock ("chikure") !

The cheeks ("mukure") of the Supreme One ("mahaneeya") outwit ("vijita") the brightness of

a mirror ("kapola") !

; p d , d D D P Pdp M | ; p d , s D |

S S S ; ||

Mada - shikhi Pin- ccha - - - a lan- kruta Chiku re -

pm- d d , d D p d r s s s d p | M- p d , s D | S S d s d d ||

- - Mada shikhi Pin- ccha - - - a lan- kruta Chiku re -

pm- d d , d D p d r s s s d p | M- p d , s D | S S S ; ||

- - Mada shikhi Pin- ccha - - - a lan- kruta Chiku re -

; d R S ; s d- r s s s d p | M - p d s d P | m m g g r s R ||

Maha nee- ya- Ka- po- - - la Viji - ta mu ku - - - - - re

Charanam 2:

Shree Ramani Kucha Durga Vihaare Sevaka Jana Mandira Mandaare

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He sports ("vihare") around with ("durga") Mahalakshmi ("sriramani")! For his devotees

("sevaka"), He is a Kalpavriksha ("mandaare") in the court yard ("mandira")!

; , p , p P p p m m mg R | ; s r , d S | S ;

S ; ||

Shree - Rama ni- - - Ku- cha - Du- -rga Vi haa- re -

; , p , p P p p m m mg R | ; s r , g S | S R

R ; ||

Shree - Rama ni- - - Ku- cha - Du- -rga Vi haa- re -

; P , p P MpD P, , mg R | ; s r , g S | S R

R ; ||

Shree - Rama ni- - - Ku- cha - Du- -rga Vi haa- re -

; , s , r D S R M ; | ; m m , p d s | p D

p P ; ||

- - Se - vaka Ja na Man- - di ra - Man-- daa- - re -

; P , p P MpD P, , mg R | ; s r , g S | S R

R ; ||

Shree - Rama ni- - - Ku- cha - Du- -rga Vi haa- re -

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; , d , s R M M M ; | ; pmpm , p d s | p D p P ;

||

- - Se - vaka Ja na Man- - di-ra - Man-- daa- - re -

Charanam 3:

Paramahamsa Mukha Chandrachakore Paripoorita Muraliravadhare

Supreme ("parama") ascetics ("hamsa") delight in that face-moon ("mukha-chandra") as a

partridge bird ("chakore")!

Oh, Mind! May your pilgrimage be in this Brahma that fills ("paripooritha") the whole

Universe with the flow of the music from His flute ("muraliravadhare") !

; p d , d D P P P Pdp | M - p d , s D | S ; S

; ||

Pa ra - maham - sa Mu kha - Chan- dra cha ko - re -

; p d , d D P P P Pdp | M - p d , s D | S ; d

s d d ||

Pa ra - maham - sa Mu kha - Chan- dra cha ko - re - - -

pm- d d , d - pd rs - s s d p M | M - p d , s D | S ; S ; ||

- - Pa ra - ma ham - - sa- Mu- kha - Chan- dra cha ko - re - - -

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; d r , S , s d r s s s d p | M - p d s d P | m m g g r s R ||

Pari -poo ri- ta - Mu-ra- - li - - rava dha- - - re - -