Smt. Seetha Chandrashekhar
28th Mar 2023
Oottukkadu Venkata Kavi's Saptaratna Kritis - Bhajanamrutha - Part 3
The context of this song is very similar to Thyagaraja’s Endaro Mahanubhavulu. In this composition
Shri.Oottukkadu Venkata kavi expresses that he derives supreme bliss when he pays reverence to all
great personalities, and follow the dust of all the great devotees’ feet those who lived prior to his time.
Devotees that Shri.OVK refer here include celestial devotee Narada, Sages like Sukha muni, great
personalities like Hanuman, Sugreeva, Angada, Vibeeshana, Guha and Sabari. He also praises religious
leaders like Manika Vachakar, Sundarar, Shri.Ramanuja, Vishnuchitta, and also praises saint-poet
composers like Tulasidasa and Purandara Dasa. These great devotees are virtuous that they always
spend their lives on Reading, Listening , singing, meditating upon God.
In the fifth charanam of the first Saptaratna krti, Shri Ottukkadu Venkata kavi mentions about 7 types of devotion to GOD as mentioned by Prahalaada in Bhagavatha Puranam.
Shravanam – Hearing the names and Glories of the Lord, Kirtanam – Singing/ Chanting the glories of Lord, Smaranam – Meditating on/ Remembering Lord, Paadasevanam – Serving the Lord’s feet, Archanam – Worshipping the Lord by offering flowers and leaves , Vandanam – Offering obeisance unto the Lord, Daasyam – Serving the Lord as his Servant, Sakhyam – Developing friendship with Lord, Aatmanivedanam – Total Surrender of oneself to GOD.
In the sixth and seventh Charanam, the composer mentions all great devotees of Shiva, Nandhi, Manivachakar, Sundarar and also devotees of Vishnu including Ramanuja , Vishnu chitta and also mentioned about composers Purandara Dasa and Tulasi Dasa.
Shri OVK concludes that, if you sing Lords name even for a short moment or if you listen to great
attributes of Lord even for a short moment, you will reap benefits you can experience in many lives you
would take in future.