ramakrishnatyagarajakeerthana

Samaja Vara Gamana (Tyagaraja)

Samaja Vara Gamana (Tyagaraja) in English · English

🕉️ carnatic·📿 1× repetitions·🕐 Evening; also during music practice and on Tyagaraja Aradhana day·📜 Kriti of Saint Tyagaraja in raga Hindolam, Adi tala (Sanskrit, early 19th century CE)

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हिन्दी / देवनागरी తెలుగు தமிழ்ಕನ್ನಡ മലയാളം ગુજરાતી বাংলা ଓଡ଼ିଆ ਪੰਜਾਬੀEnglishසිංහල 𑌗𑍍𑌰𑌨𑍍𑌥

✦ Meaning

'Samaja Vara Gamana' (raga Hindolam, Adi tala) is one of Saint Tyagaraja's most beloved Sanskrit kritis. In three compact, jewel-like sections it adores the Lord as the elephant-gaited protector of saintly hearts, the master of music born of the Sama Veda, and the flute-playing charmer of the Yadava clan — Krishna and Rama seen as one Supreme, beyond time. It is equally cherished as a hymn of devotion and as a celebration of nada — divine music itself.

Origin & Story

Kriti of Saint Tyagaraja in raga Hindolam, Adi tala (Sanskrit, early 19th century CE) · Saint Tyagaraja · 1767-1847 CE

Tyagaraja of Thiruvaiyaru, one of the Trinity of Carnatic music, composed most of his songs in Telugu; a precious few, like this one, are in Sanskrit. Here the poet of Rama sings of the Lord's elephant gait, of music born from the Sama Veda and Gayatri, and of the flute of the Yadava prince — pouring his creed that God is nada, divine sound, into a single luminous kriti.

✦ As told in scripture

Tyagaraja taught that the Lord dwells wherever music is offered with love — 'sangita jnanamu bhakti vina sanmargamu galade' (without devotion, musical knowledge leads nowhere). Singers across two centuries testify that 'Samaja Vara Gamana', sung slowly in Hindolam at dusk, stills the mind like a lamp in a windless place — as if the elephant-gaited Lord himself walks softly into the heart.

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Complete Text with Meaning

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Verse 1

sāmaja vara gamana sādhu hṛt-sārasābju pāla kālātīta vikhyāta

Meaning:O Lord whose gait is majestic as the noble elephant's! Protector of the lotus-hearts of the good and saintly, famed as the One beyond time itself!

Verse 2

sāma nigamaja - sudhā maya gāna vicakṣaṇa guṇaśīla dayālavāla māṃ pālaya

Meaning:O connoisseur of the nectar-sweet music born of the Sama Veda; O Lord of virtuous nature, ocean of compassion — protect me!

Verse 3

vēdaśirō mātṛja - sapta svara nādā cala dīpa svīkṛta yādavakula muralī vādana vinōda mōhana kara tyāgarāja vandanīya sāmaja vara gamana sādhu hṛt-sārasābju pāla kālātīta vikhyāta

Meaning:You are the accepted light upon the hill of nada — of the seven svaras born of the Gayatri, the mother sprung from the Vedas' crown; the enchanting one of the Yadava clan who delights in playing the flute; the Lord whom Tyagaraja reveres. O Lord of elephant-majestic gait, protector of the sadhus' lotus-hearts, famed beyond time!

Word-by-Word Meaning

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sāmaja vara gamana🔊O Lord whose gait is like that of a noble elephant.

sādhu hṛt-sārasābju pāla🔊Protector of the lotus-hearts of the good and the saintly.

kālātīta vikhyāta🔊Famed as the One beyond time.

sāma nigamaja sudhāmaya gāna vicakṣaṇa🔊Connoisseur of the nectar-like music born of the Sama Veda.

guṇaśīla🔊Of virtuous nature and conduct.

dayālavāla māṃ pālaya🔊O basin (ocean) of compassion, protect me!

vēdaśirō mātṛja sapta svara🔊The seven svaras born of Gayatri, the mother sprung from the crown of the Vedas.

nādācala dīpa🔊The lamp upon the mountain of nada (primordial sound).

yādavakula muralī vādana vinōda mōhana🔊The charmer of the Yadava clan who delights in playing the flute.

tyāgarāja vandanīya🔊Worthy of the salutations of Tyagaraja.

Benefits of Chanting Samaja Vara Gamana (Tyagaraja)

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Invokes the Lord as the protector of pure hearts — a prayer of surrender: 'mam palaya', protect me.

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Celebrates nada-upasana, the worship of God through music, which Tyagaraja held to be a direct path to liberation.

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The gentle, meditative raga Hindolam soothes the mind and is traditionally sung in the calm of evening.

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A rare Sanskrit gem of Tyagaraja, uniting the majesty of Rama and the charm of the flute-playing Krishna.

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A staple of Carnatic concerts and dance, loved by beginners and masters alike for its serene beauty.

How to Chant Samaja Vara Gamana (Tyagaraja)

Repetitions1times

Best TimeEvening; also during music practice and on Tyagaraja Aradhana day

FaceFacing the deity of Rama or Krishna

Sing in raga Hindolam, Adi tala, with a calm, swaying gait — the very 'gamana' of the royal elephant the words describe. Dwell on 'mam palaya' ('protect me') as the heart of the prayer, and on the image of the Lord as the lamp of nada, the source of the seven svaras.

Frequently Asked Questions

This page shows the complete Samaja Vara Gamana (Tyagaraja) written in the English script — the same Sanskrit/Hindi verses, transliterated character-by-character so you can read and chant comfortably. Tap any line (or the ▶ button) to hear it recited aloud.

Yes — only the script changes; the words and their meaning are the original. The verse-by-verse meaning, benefits and how-to-chant guidance on this page apply exactly the same.

It means 'O Lord whose gait is like that of a noble elephant' — an image of majestic, unhurried grace, addressed to the Supreme Lord.

Tyagaraja, the great Rama devotee, here adores the Supreme as both: the protector famed beyond time, who is also the flute-playing charmer of the Yadava clan (Krishna). For the saint they are one Lord.

It is composed in Sanskrit, set in raga Hindolam and Adi tala — one of the most performed of all Tyagaraja kritis.

'The lamp on the mountain of nada' — Tyagaraja hails the Lord as the light of primordial sound, from whom the seven svaras of music arise; music itself is worship of him.