Saama is a very beautiful raga. Simple prayogas of this raga are very melodious and touch the heart.

It is also known as Shyama, but this spelling is rarely used. A janya of the 28th mela Harikambhoji, this is an Audava 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 a Nishada 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 essential prayogas to bring out the rasa of this raga. M M M G, R, S R G S R is also an important prayoga. This raga has very limited scope for raga aalapana. In short sketch, the jeeva of the raga comes out beautifully. Repetition of prayogas 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 of Saama 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 Shiva Bhakta to see his beloved Nataraja, the dancing 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.

Maanasa Sancharare
Composer: Sadashiva Brahmendra Language: Sanskrit Raagam: Shyaamaa

Pallavi Maanasa Sanchara re Brahmani Maanasa Sancharare Charanam 1 Madasikhi pinchaalankruta chikure Mahaneeya kapola vijitha mukure Charanam 2 Sri Ramani Kucha Durga Vihaare Sevaka jana mandira mandaare Charanam 3 Paramahamsa mukha Chandra chakore Paripooritha murali ravadhare

|| Maanasa Sancharare ||

|| Maanasa Sancharare ||

|| 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") !

He sports ("vihare") around with ("durga") Mahalakshmi ("sriramani")! [Also translated as That Brahmam sports around in the fort of the breast hillocks of Mahalakshmi Sri 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 His Bansuri(flute) ! !

;,m sD

,mM s R ||

mggr

s- r

|R;

;;

|;

- - Maa - na sa

San- - - - cha ra

re -

--

- Brah- mani

m p d-p , m M D s R || Maa- - na sa

mggr

s- r

|R;

;;

|; s

San- - - - cha ra

re -

--

- Brah- mani

RM rmP mpdp MM m g g r s- r ||

|R;

;;

|; sD

s R

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

re -

--

- Brah- mani

mpds ,d pm mggr Maa- - na sa-

s- r

|R; re -

;; --

| ; sr -- -

DS --

||

San- - - - cha ra

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 SS

,d D S;

DP || ccha - -

Pdp M

| ;pd

, s D

Mada - shikhi Pin-

- a lan- kruta

Chiku re -

pm- d d , d D

pdrs

ssdp ccha - -

| M- p d , s D | S S - a lan- kruta Chiku re -

dsdd

||

- - Mada shikhi Pin-

pm- d d , d D

pdrs

ssdp ccha - -

| M- p d , s D | S S - a lan- kruta Chiku re -

S;

||

- - Mada shikhi Pin-

; dR

S;

s d- r s

ssdp po- - -

|M-pds d P la Viji

|mmgg rsR - - re

||

Maha nee- ya- Ka-

- ta mu ku - - -

Charanam 2: Shree Ramani Kucha Durga Vihaare Sevaka Jana Mandira Mandaare

He sports ("vihare") around with ("durga") Mahalakshmi ("sriramani")! For his devotees ("sevaka"), He is a Kalpavriksha ("mandaare") in the court yard ("mandira")!

;,p S; Shree

,p P ||

p p m m mg R

| ;sr

,d

|S;

- Rama ni- - - Ku- cha

- Du-

-rga Vi

haa-

re -

;,p R; Shree

,p P ||

p p m m mg R

| ;sr

,g S

|SR

- Rama ni- - - Ku- cha

- Du-

-rga Vi

haa-

re -

;P R; Shree

,p P || - Rama ni- - -

MpD P,

, mg R

| ; sr

,g S

|SR

Ku- cha - Du-

-rga Vi

haa-

re -

;,s p - - Se

,rD P; - vaka

SR || Ja na

M ;

|;mm

,pds

|pD

Man-

- di ra - Man--

daa- -

re -

;P R; Shree

,p P || - Rama ni- - -

MpD P,

, mg R

| ; sr

,g S

|SR

Ku- cha - Du-

-rga Vi

haa-

re -

;,d || - - Se

,sR

MM

M ;

| ; pmpm , p d s

|pDp

P;

- 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") !

;pd ; Pa ra

,d D || - maham - sa

PP

P Pdp

| M -pd ,s

D | S;

Mu kha

Chan- dra cha ko - re -

;pd sdd Pa ra

,d D || - maham - sa

PP

P Pdp

| M -pd ,s

D | S;

Mu kha

Chan- dra cha ko - re - - -

pm- d d - - Pa ra

, d - pd

rs - s s

dp M | M -pd ,s -

D | S;

S;

||

- ma ham - - sa- Mu- kha

Chan- dra cha ko - re - - -

;dr Pari

,S, -poo

sdrs ri- ta -

ssdp Mu-rali -

|M-pd sdP - rava

|mmgg rsR

||

dha- - - re - -