( Tanjore )Thanjavur Marathi songs lullabies

   

Thanjavur Marathi as it is called has its own vocabulary, probably because Maharastrians who travelled from Maharastra to Thanjavur a few centuries back  retained the vocabulary of those times because they were cut off from the "main land "  Add to this the influence of the local culture, Tamil language ,  it has evolved beautifully .

Thanjavur Marathi songs, particularly lullabies for children are very simple , easy to sing.   My mother-in-law sang many songs for her  children , her grand children.  Some of the songs have been presented  as videos on my YouTube Channel.

Lullabies for babies / infants

The first lullaby goes like this

The mother requests the cow to give some  milk and repeats the request after every stanza, addressing the baby by her  / his name repeatedly.

In the first stanza she addresses the baby by his / her name ( repeats it in every stanza  ) .  She describes him / her as a gold ornament .  She is concerned that such a priceless ornament is to be kept safely on a place in the loft !

In the second  stanza she describes the baby as lemon complexioned and wearing a tiger claw studded with diamonds.

In the next stanza she says that the child has become sun tanned and asks him why and where he has played that the sun  has affected him / her.

In the fourth stanza , she asks him to play carefully  , because it is twilight and the cows are returning  home.  She asks him to give way for  the cows.

In the next stanzas she describes about a pilgrimage to Tirumala.  There is a tradition of offering the hair of the child to Lord Venkateswara and so she asks the baby to remember it.  She says it rains peppers and cumin on  the way to Tirumala .  Since it is long journey there are mantaps for the parents to take  rest.

She completes the  song saying that she would offer a lakh ( one  hundred  thousand  ) Tulsi  ( basil leaves ) to  Lord Venkateswara praying that the child would become a learned person.

The video of the lullaby sung by me for my grand-nephew and hence the name "Rivansh".  We should substitute with the name  of our choice and  sing or we can  use the word " bala"

My video on YouTube for this lullaby

           

The next lullaby is for " restless" child

The child is naughty and so restless and the mother pleads with him as described

In the first  stanza she says she will apply oil  to his hair comb and make pleats. She requests him to stay still because she wants to apply tilak on his forehead.

In the next stanza she compares him with Sri Hari  Lord Krishna Himself.  She tells him that she will place a rakhodi ( a jewel worn on the fore head ) made from kewda or tazhampoo  flowers , a kunjalam made from four different flowers, lots of jewels  on  the pleats / braid.

In the next stanza she says she has bracelets  for the wrists , rings and other jewels for the fingers and hand, vanki worn on the elbow with little  bells.

She has shirt and trousers , a pearl studded cap .  She pleads with him to sit  and play with the floral  bouquet she is willing  to give.

In the next stanza she says that his uncle comes from a far away place and brings green parrot doll.  The aunt gives this doll with love and affection  to pamper the child. She asks him to  sit and play with the doll.

In the next stanza she describes the menu she has made ready for him.  It includes dark cucumber, snake  gourd, brinjal, cluster beans and bottle  gourd !.  She has also cooked samba  rice ( from Tanjavur delta ).  She asks him to sit and have his lunch / dinner.

The video  of the lullaby sung by me !

Many lullabies are about Ramayana and stories of Lord Krishna

One of them is about ladies complaining to Yashoda , Lord Krishna's mother

                                       

Yasodha , Your son Hari does not listen ( to us  )
What can we do please tell us
He blocks our way, makes fun of us
What can we do , please
He tip toes inside the house
Steals the butter , Oh what can we  do
He climbs the trees , steals the clothes
Oh He is troublesome !

Next lullaby in Dakshini Marathi

Jo Jo Jo Manamohana ( Sleep one who is fascinating  to the mind )
Jagacha Jeevana          ( Life to the Universe )
Nandacha Nandana       ( You brought joy to Nanda )
Nijare Naryana               ( Sleep Naryana )

Dattatri Avatari              ( You took Dattari avatar )
Anusuyachi ghari           (went to the house of Anusuya )
Thethe dharbhavari        ( there are darba grass )
Sukhi nidrakari               ( you had a sound sleep )

Ksheera sagaracha        ( From the ocean of milk )
khele ho palana              ( a cradle was made )
Vatapatra sayana            ( you sleep on a fig leaf )
Nijere Narayana               ( sleep Naryana )

Gokuli avatari                  ( an avatar in Gokul )
Ghethila Sri Hari              ( as Lord Krishna )
Halavithe maatha me       ( mother rocks your cradle )
Nijere Naryana                  ( Sleep Naryana )

Next song is not a lullaby and definitely not Dakshini Marathi but Sant Tukaram's abhang the famous Sundar Te Dhyan ube vitevari on Vittoba of Pandarpur.  I am adding this video here because my 

mother in law used to sing to her grand children to make them go to sleep.  What I have tried is from my memory and so I have tried to adopt her tune as closely as possible, to the extent my memory helped

The video has the lyrics in English with meaning in English as sub titles.