Alaipayuthe Kanna (Oothukkadu Venkata Kavi) — Benefits & How to Chant
அலைபாயுதே கண்ணா
Complete guide to chanting correctly for maximum benefit
Benefits of Chanting Alaipayuthe Kanna (Oothukkadu Venkata Kavi)
A supreme expression of loving devotion (madhura bhakti) to Lord Krishna and the longing of the soul for Him.
Sung in homes, temples and concerts in praise of Krishna, especially during Krishna Janmashtami.
Believed to kindle intense love and yearning for the Lord and to draw the bliss of His nearness.
Its enchanting setting in raga Kanada makes it both a devotional prayer and a treasured musical masterpiece.
Cultivates the resolve never to be parted from God, the heart of the gopis' love for Krishna.
How to Chant Alaipayuthe Kanna (Oothukkadu Venkata Kavi)
Instructions
Sit before an image of Lord Krishna and sing or recite the kriti with feeling, letting the heart long for the Lord as the words describe the restless mind tossing like waves at the sound of His flute. If sung, it is set in raga Kanada and Adi tala; if recited, chant the refrain 'Alaipayuthe Kanna' tenderly, surrendering to the yearning love it expresses.
Spiritual Significance
It is told that Oothukkadu Venkata Kavi was so beloved of Krishna that the Lord, as the dancing Bala Krishna of Oothukkadu, would respond to his songs; devotees hold that to sing 'Alaipayuthe Kanna' with true longing draws the same enchanting nearness of Krishna that the composer himself knew.
Origin & History
Source: Tamil kriti of Oothukkadu Venkata Kavi, in raga Kanada, Adi tala (18th century CE)
Author: Oothukkadu Venkata Kavi (Venkata Subbaiyer)
Oothukkadu Venkata Kavi, a saint and composer devoted to Lord Krishna at Oothukkadu near Thanjavur, poured his love for the Lord into hundreds of kritis. In 'Alaipayuthe Kanna' he gives voice to the soul's overwhelming longing for Krishna — the mind tossing like waves at the music of the flute — in the mood of the gopis who could not bear to be apart from Him. The song, long treasured, has become one of the most popular of all Tamil Krishna kritis.