Ragi thandira Bhikshake

'Ragi thandheera' is a purandara dasa krithi which is sung in many raagas like Revathi, ahibhairavi, punnagavarali etc.

Sri Purandara Dasa was a real social reformer. He had the dream of providing peace of mind to all the people. His ambition is to build a healthy society. Dasa’s socialism is poor man’s side. He represented the poor people. He wished to have the poverty till the end of his life. That’s why he use to ask ‘rAgiya ta.ndIra, bhikshake rAgi ya tandira’ (ragi is basically sort of grain grown in southern India and are being used by the rural poor people).

Song : Ragi thandira
Ragam : Revathi

2 ratnaangi janya
Aa: S R1 M1 P N2 S
Av: S N2 P M1 R1 S

Talam : Adi
Composer : Purandara Dasar
Language : kannada

Pallavi

rAgi tandIryA bhikShakE rAgi tandIryA
bhOgyarAgi yOgyarAgi bhAgyavantarAgi nIvu

Charanam 1 :

annadAnava mADuvarAgi anna chatra vaniTTavarAgi
anya vArteya biTTavarAgi anudina bhajaneya mADuvarAgi (Ragi)

Charanam 2 :

Guru gala sevEye mADuvarAgi gurutige bAhOranthavarAgi
Kare kare samsArava nItavarAgi purandara viTTalana sEviparAgi

This is a very impressionable “needhibodhana” song. In this song PurandaraDasa explains how one should live. But in a very charming way he has played with the word “Ragi”. He starts off the song with the common day to day meaning of the word and wakes you up with a jolt with a verydifferent use of that word as he delves into the song proper. And just watch how manytimes that word is used in this song byPurandara Dasa. It is class poetry, in simple words but carrying profound education for living.
Hear and watch excellent performance of Ragi thandira in Revathy raaga by Bombay Jayshree.