Appreciation of Muttusvami Dikshitar's Navāvaraṇa Kṛti in the Raga Śankarabharanam

Muttusvami Dikshitar, who is one of the Trinity of Carnatic Music, was born in Thiruvarur. He was a great Devi Upasaka and out of his devotion to Kamalāmba, the celebrated deity at the famous Tyagaraja temple in Thiruvarur, Dikshitar has composed nine compositions on Goddess Kamalāmbika. These compositions show his proficiency in the Sanskrit language, especially Sri Cakra and its Āvaraṇa-s. Though these compositions are nine in number, they are preceded by a Dhyana kṛti and succeeded by a Mangala kṛti. Navāvaraṇa kirtan-s are composed based on the Vibhakti (case ending) of Sanskrit grammar. Muttusvami Dikshitar’s devotional outpourings towards Goddess Kamalāmba can be seen in these compositions. The composition ‘Sri Kamalāmbikayā’ composed in the raga Śankarabharanam is taken here for analysis. This is an attempt to analyse the melodic, rhythmical, textual and philosophical aspects of the particular compositio