9 Melakarta Ragam Denuka

Sri:
Dear BhakthAs of ThiruviNNagrappan :
Dhenuka is the 9th Mela Raagam belonging to the Netra chakram . It has the
swarams of Shadjam , Suddha Rishabham , SaadhAraNa GhAndhaaram , Suddha
Madyamam , Panchamam , Suddha Dhaivatam and Kaakali NishAdham . In Sri
Venkatamahis system , Dhenuka is known as Dhuni Bhinna shadjam . Its janya
Raagams are: Udhaya Ravichandrika , Mohana Naatta and Vasantha ThOdi .
There are few kritis composed in Denuka Raagam : Teliya leru Raamaa by Saint
ThyagarAja , KaruNaikkadalE by Sri KoteeSwara Iyer and Raavayyaa Raamayyaa by
Dr. Balamurali KrishNaa .
Who is Dhenukan?
Sow Padmas Dhenuka Kriti deals with an incident that occurred during
KrishnAvatAram(Srimad NaarayaNeeyam: 53rd Dasakam): DenukAsura Vadham . An
asuran with the name of Denuka hid among the cattle grazed by KrishNa and His
elder brother BalarAman . The asurans intention was to kill both the brothers as
commanded by Kamsan. KrishNa detected the asuran and requested BalarAman to
kill him . BalarAman threw Denukan taking the form of an ass at a Palmyra tree and
killed him while KaNNan threw the servants of Denuka taking the form of foxes
against other palmyra trees and destroyed them. Lot of Palmyra fruits ( Panam
Pazhams) rained down from those sporting exercises. KaNNan, BalarAman and their
friends assembled all those delectable Panam Pazhams and distributed them to the
citizens of BrundhAvanam at the end of the days sanchAram in BrundhAvanaM. This
leelai took place , when Lord KrishNa shed His Baalyam stage of His avatAram (up to
6 Years) and reached the PougaNDa Vayas (form 6 to 10 years of life). During the
Baalyam stage, Baala KrishNan herded the calves and after he crossed in to the
PougaNDa stage , he shifted his duties to take care of the cows . It is during this
PougaNDa stage, the DenukAsura Vadham took place in the forest known as Denuka
Vanam.
Dhenukaa is also the name of one of the seven sacred rivers in Saaka dhweepam .
The other six are: SukumAri, KumAri, NaLini, Ikshu, VeNukaa and Gabhasti.
Sow. Padma Veeraraghavans Denuka Kriti has three kinds of Mudhrais: Dhaiva
Naama mudhrai (MaNiyappaa) ; Sthala Mudhrai (ThiruviNnagarAnE) and the Raaga
Mudhrai (DhEnuka). The saahityam for this kruti is:
Pallavi:
ANDavanE Unnai VENDiNEn
teeNdidum pala vinaikaL Oynthu naan uyntiDa

Oh my Supreme Master! Here is adiyEns prayr to You . Please grant me freedom

from worries from the dushkarmAs (VinaikaL) that approach me (sanchita and
Aagami Karmaas).
Anupallavi:
kaNDilEn ithu pOl Unn KalyANa VaibhogamE
MeeNDum kaaNa VizhaintEn MegavarNa MaNiyappaa
Oh Lord with the hue of dark blue rainy cloud! Oh MaNi VaNNaa! adiyEn has never
enjoyed any thing like Your adhbhuta VivAha MahOtsavam. adiyEns mind longs to
experience that pleasure again .
CharaNam :
tEsaRu VaanavanE ThiruviNNarAnE
Vaasa MalaridayE VaNDu PuhuntArp-pOl
DhEnukanum vantAn ThirvAippAdiyil
tEnuniya BaladEvan TeeytthozhintAn Dhanavanai
Oh Blemishless JyOtiswaroopa ThiruviNNagarappaa! An asuran called Denukan
arrived at ThiruvAipAdi hidden like the bee amidst the fragrant flowers. Your elder
brother, BalarAman, sweeter than the honey grabbed the ill-intentioned asuran &
destroyed him by banging him against the palm trees of the Denuka Vanam.
Srimad BhAgavatam and Srimad NaarAyaNeeyam describe the travel by KrishNa and
BalarAma and the cowherds to Denka Vanam at the suggestion of KrishNas dear
friend , SrI DhAman. They enjoyed the beauty of that region of the forest. Midway
thru that vanam, KrishNaa asked His elder brother to shake a nearby Palm tree .
BalarAman known for His strength shook that tree vigorously and a lot of ripe and
unripe fruits fell down. Along with the fruits fell Dhenukan, who was hiding there
waiting to kill the Lord and His entourage . The Lord recognized the asuran and did
not want to kill him with His own hands because he had a name containing the word
DhEnu, which means cow . The best among the DhEnus is KaamadhEnu. Since the
Lord took the avatAram as Gopaalan ( the protector of the Cows) , He requested
BaslarAman to destroy the impudent asuran. BalarAman took care of the assignment
right away and our Lord attended to the destruction of the servants of the asuran,
who had taken the form of foxes. He threw them all against the palm trees. A great
harvest of fruits from the tree was realized and KrishNa and the fellow cowherds
carried them to AaypAdi and distributed them to the citizens of Gokulam and made
them happy.
NamO SrI VenkatESAya,
Srimad Azhagiya Singar ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam ,
Daasan , Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri Sadagopan