Harivarasanam Lyrics, Compositions and Notations Explained

Table of Contents

Introduction

Harivarasanam is a famous Malayalam song on the Lord Ayyapan that has fame and name around the world. Harivarasanam was composed by Kumbakudi Kulathur Iyer who penned the lyrics with the tune credited to G. Devarajan. Harivarasanam lyrics along with the notations are in this blog.

Manipravalam is a term, which means Sanskritised Malayalam. Harivarasanam is a song in Sanskritised Malayalam and it comes under the category of Manipravalam Ashtakam.

The main measure of your devotion to God is not your devotional life. It is simply your life.

This song is a lullaby, and people sing this song in Ayyapan temples when they close the temple for the night. There is a traditional version of the song, that people sing inside the temple during the closing ceremony. There is a famous version of this song, by K.J.Yesudas, which is played for the devotees outside the temple.

Harivarasanam Ragam: Madhyamavathi

If you are wondering which raga Harivarasanam is composed in, I’ve the answer: Raagam Madhyamavathi. This Raagam has five musical notes and it is an Audava raagam. It is in pentatonic scale in other words. Madhyamavathi is a Janya Raagam, derived from Kharaharapriya, which is the 22^nd Melakartha Raagam.

The speciality of this raagam is that it can be derived from other Raagams as well. Charukesi, Natabhairavi or Hari Kambhoji, can also be the parent Raagams, if we drop the Ghandaram (Ga) and Dhaivatham (Dha). Hindustani Raagas, Madhumad Sarang, Megh Malar and Megh are the equivalent of the Raagam Madhyamavathi.

Since the song is composed in Madhyamavati, the Harivarasanam Carnatic notes would be anywhere between the following scale:

Aarohanam (Ascending scale) : s r2 m1 p n2 S
Avarohanam (Descending scale) S n2 p m1 r2 s
R2 denotes Chatushruti Rishabham
M1 denotes Shuddha Madhyamam
N2 denotes Kaisiki Nishadam

s denotes the lower s representing the base note of the scale and S denotes the highest note of the scale.

The western equivalent of the notes for Harivarasanam keyboard notes and Harivarasanam piano notes would be as follows if you keep C scale as your base note:

Chatushruti Rishabham, i.e., R2 is G.
Shuddha Madhyamam, i.e., M1 is A#.
Kaisiki Nishadham, i.e., N2 is E.

Harivarasanam ragam in Hindustani music, i.e., Madhyamavati, is Madhumad Sarang. It is considered as an auspicious raga and is mostly performed as the final raga of a concert. Chatushruti Rishabham in Hindustani is Shuddh Rishaba and Kaisiki Nishadham is Komal Nishad. However, Shuddha Madhayamam is characterised with the same name.

Genesis of Harivarasanam

Harivarasanam is of the mystical songs in the history of Carnatic Music. The mysticism around the song is mainly due to Lord Ayyapan’s history. At 16, he ventured into the forest to get milk from a tigress for an ailment at home. Though being the son of a King, he chose to live for the people, and vowed to be a gatekeeper of the people for eternity.

The exact author of the song is not known, because of the tradition followed back then. The traditional way of submitting devotional works to the temples, did not have the practice of the author signing the song with their name. Swami Vimochananda, is the first person to sing this song in the temple at Sabarimala in 1950’s and the tradition continues till date.

Did You Know?

Traditionally, ragas were associated with specific times of day and seasons of the year, and they were thought to have supernatural effects such as bringing rain or causing fire.

Who Wrote Harivarasanam?

Legends agree that the Harivarasanam song was first penned by Kambangudi Kulathur Srinivasa Iyer and sung by Swami Vimochanananda for the first time at Sabarimala. However, the version we hear as the closing song, a.k.a., Urakkapattu resonating across the temple today is composed by G Devarajan, sung in the deep voice of Kerala’s renowned vocalist, K J Yesudas, that featured in the Swami Ayyappan film, in the year 1975.

Harivarasanam Composer

Harivarasanam’s original composer is a topic of debate. The original claim for the song falls on the shoulders of Kambankudi Kulathu Iyer, as he has a collection of devotional songs credited to his name. The collection’s name is “Harivarasanam Vishvamohanam”.

The other claim that is widely in the air is, Konnakathu Janaki Amma as the composer of the song. This song came into existence because of her father, Ananthakrishna Iyer, who was the Mel Shanthi, or the chief priest of Sabarimala, the abode of Lord Ayyappan. The claims go on to the extent of them having hand-written notes from the author herself.

Harivarasanam – A Gist

Harivarasanam lyrics talk about the beauty, love, charisma, endeavors, and the heart of Lord Ayyapan. It talks about how he is the revered son of Sastha, how majestically he rides the horse, how glowing he is with his divinity, how he wields the mace so gracefully, how all the devas worship him, and much more. Each stanza in the Harivarasanam lyrics ends with the line that whoever is singing the song, takes refuge in him.

Harivarasanam – Lyrics and Notations

What are the notes of Harivarasanam ragam? The Harivarasanam notation is set in the ragam Madhyamavathi, structured as an Asktakam, comprising 8 stanzas, 32 lines and 108 words, totaling 352 letters.

Raagam : Madhyamavathi

Tala: Adi

Aro: S R2 M1 P N2 Ṡ

Ava: Ṡ N2 P M1 R2 S

Harivarasanam Lyrics in English

Stanza-1

Harivarasanam Vishwamohanam

Haridatheeswaram Aradyapadukam

Arivimardhanam Nityanarthanam

Hariharathmajam Devamasraye

Saranam Ayyappa Swami Saranam Ayyappa

Stanza-2

Saranakeerthanam Sakthamanasam

Paranalolupam Narthanalasam

Arunabasuram Boothanayakam

Hariharathmajam Devamasraye

(Saranam ayyapa)

Stanza-3

Duragavahanam Sundarananam

Varagadayutham Vedavarnitham

Gurugrupagaram Keerthanapriyam

Hariharathmajam Devamasraye

(Saranam ayyapa)

Stanza-4

Tribhuvanarchitam Devadatmagam

Thrinayanamprabu Divyadeshikam

Dritasaphujitham Cindithapratham

Hariharathmajam Devamasraye

(Saranam)

Stanza-5

Bhavapayapaham Bhaukavaham

Bhuvanamohanam Bhootiphushanam

Thavalavahanam Divyavaranam

Hariharathmajam Devamasraye

(Saranam ayyapa)

Stanza-6

Kalamruthushmitam Sundarananam

Kalapakomalam Kathramohanam

Kalapakesari Vajivahanam

Hariharathmajam Devamasraye

(Saranam ayyapa)

Stanza-7

Shrudhajanapriyam Cindithapratam

Shrutivibhushanam Satujeevanam

Shruthimanoharam Geethalalasam

Hariharathmajam Devamasraye

(Saranam ayyapa)

Harivarasanam Lyrics in Tamil

ஹரிவராசனம் விஸ்வமோகனம்
ஹரிததீஸ்வரம் ஆராத்யபாதுகம்
அரிவிமர்த்தனம் நித்யநர்த்தனம்
ஹரிஹராத்மஜம் தேவமாஷ்ரயே

சரணகீர்த்தனம் பக்தமானஸம்
பரணலோலுபம் நர்த்தனாலயம்
அருணபாசுரம் பூதநாயகம்
ஹரிஹராத்மஜம் தேவமாஷ்ரயே

பிரணயசத்யகம் பிராணநாயகம்
ப்ரணதகல்பகம் சுப்ரபாஞ்சிதம்
பிரணவமந்திரம் கீர்த்தனப்பிரியம்
ஹரிஹராத்மஜம் தேவமாஷ்ரயே

துரகவாகனம் சுந்தரானனம்
வரகதாயுதம் தேவவர்ணிதம்
குருகிருபாகரம் கீர்த்தனப்பிரியம்
ஹரிஹராத்மஜம் தேவமாஷ்ரயே

திரிபுவனார்ச்சிதம் தேவதாத்மகம்
திரிநயன பிரபும் திவ்யதேசிகம்
திரிதசப்பூஜிதம் சிந்திதப்பிரதம்
ஹரிஹராத்மஜம் தேவமாஷ்ரயே

பவபயாபகம் பாவுகாவகம்
புவனமோகனம் பூதிபூசணம்
தவளவாகனம் திவ்யவாரணம்
ஹரிஹராத்மஜம் தேவமாஷ்ரயே

களம்ருதுஸ்மிதம் சுந்தரானனம்
களபகோமளம் காத்ரமோகனம்
களபகேசரி வாஜிவாகனம்
ஹரிஹராத்மஜம் தேவமாஷ்ரயே

ச்ரிதஜனப்ரியம் சிந்திதப்ரிதம்
ச்ருதிவிபூஷணம் சாதுஜீவனம்
ச்ருதிமனோகரம் கீதலாலசம்
ஹரிஹராத்மஜம் தேவமாஷ்ரயே

சரணம் ஐயப்பா
சுவாமி சரணம் ஐயப்பா
சரணம் ஐயப்பா
சுவாமி சரணம் ஐயப்பா
சரணம் ஐயப்பா
சுவாமி சரணம் ஐயப்பா
சரணம் ஐயப்பா
சுவாமி சரணம் ஐயப்பா