4. Sabdam Tillai Ambalam Bharatanatyam Subhalakshmi Kumar

Sabdam, Shabdam
Ragam: Ragamalika
Talam: Mishra Chapu
Composer: Thanjavur Arunachalam Pillai
Choreography: Adayar K. Lakshman/ Adyar. K. Lakshman
In praise of Lord Nataraja of Chidambaram
Thillai ambalam tannilE naTam seidiDum naTarAjan
en ellai aTRa kAdal nenjinnai eppO dAn aRivArODI
sakhi ingu tAn varuvArODI
The lovelorn nAyikA asks: ' When (eppO tAn) will naTarAja (naTarAjan), who dances (naTam SeidiDum) in (tanilE) the temple/hall (ambalam) at cidambaram (tillai), come to understand/realize (aRivArO) in his heart (nenjinil) my (en) boundless/limitless (ellai aTRa) love (kAdal) for him? Oh friend (sakhI), will be at least (tAn) come (varuvArO) [1] here (ingu)?'
kaRpanaikkum eTTiDA uyar gaganatil ninRADiDum
aRputam naTam nenjil ninRennai ATTi vaippadum enODI
sakhi Avi SOrvadum enODI
The nAyikA wonders: 'Why (EnO) is it that his wondrous/amazing (aRputam/arbhutam) dance (naTam), performed (ADiDum) continually (ninRu) in the lofty (uyar) skies (gaganattil) that are beyond (eTTiDAda) even my imagination (kaRpanaikkum), has established (ninRu) itself in my heart (nenjil) and is torturing (ATTi vaippadum) me (ennai) so? Of friend (sakhI), why (EnO) does my spirit (Avi) languish (SOrvadum) so?'
svappanatinil kaNDa dEivam sonda nAthanum AvanO
aRpapEdayin Asai ambalattADuvaan ullam terumo
sakhi vADum en uLLam tERumO
She continues to wonder: 'Will the god (dEvanum) that I beheld (kaNDa) in my dreams (svappanattil) ever become (AvanO) my very own (sonda) husband/Lord (nAthanum)? Will the desire (ASai) of this insignificant (aRpa) and foolish woman (pEdayin) ever ascend/reach (ERumO) the heart (nenjil) of the one who dances (ADuvAr) in the (golden) hall (ambalattu) (of cidambaram)? Oh friend (sakhI), will my (en) grieving (vADum) heart (uLLam) thrive/be reassured (tERumO)?'
tat di tAm dhimi, di di tOm ena tALa mELam muzhaNgiDa
ardhan en uLLam Aduvon Ingu AvalAi varuvAnODI
idarkkAruDal mozhi sollaDI/kooradi
She beseeches: 'As the cymbals (tALa) and the drums (mELam) resound (muzhaNgiDa) to SorkaTTu that go (ena) tat di tAm dhimi di di tOm, will ardhnArISvara (ardhan) [2], the lord (nAyakan) who rules (ALum) my (en) heart (uLLam), come (varuvAnO) to me with eager anticipation (AvalAi)? Please tell me/explain to me/ennumerate (mozhi SollaDi) the (astrological) signs (AruDam) [3] that foretell/portend this (idarkku).

[@sivakumars8496]

My prayers to Lord Nataraja to shower His blessings always. You are blessed with typical dancer's persona which facilitates your postural beauty, anga sudham in nritha .

[@SubhalakshmiKumar]

🙂 Thank you for your kind words

[@karthikiyengar6141]

Very fine all blessings

[@raosunn]

O thanks the lyrics are there on this site itself ,wonderful!!!!!!!!!!!11

[@anjalinandan]

Another beautiful performance . Love to see you perform. God bless!!

[@sivakumarsubramaniam2388]

Can u plz kindly share this song?

[@SubhalakshmiKumar]

@tipra105 Thank YOu!
You can find the meaning of the song in the description. I know, its a pain to read text and follow a language you aren't familiar with, but you will get the gist. I might try to add some subtitles in the video later.

[@geethanathan8903]

lovely lovely. waiting for more videos from you.

[@SubhalakshmiKumar]

+Geetha Nathan THanks! I hope I can keep them coming with the same enthusiasm.

[@raosunn]

Hello you are no doubt a graceful dancer beyond words. I have been asked to sing this shabdam by a dancer frm Gujarat .Could any one please post the lyrics for the song tillai ambalam tannile . It would be really helpful!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@gpengindia]

Very Good!!

[@SubhalakshmiKumar]

Hello raosunn. Thanks for the compliment. If you click on "see more details" in text under the video, you ll find the lyrics and the meaning. Good luck wiht the singing and let us know how it went. :)

[@SubhalakshmiKumar]

Thanks. I hope so too...:)

[@tipra105]

I don't understand any bit of it, but you do make it look beautiful! Well done! :)

[@SubhalakshmiKumar]

THank you for your kind words. I haven't learnt the bhairavi varnam yet. I look forward to learning it and performing it as well! You should check out "Swetha Vijayraghavan" performing it on youtube. :)

[@SubhalakshmiKumar]

@gpengindia Thank YOu!

[@kumarsa108]

Hello really wonderful dancing. My great auntie is a dance guru in Chennai. I was wondering can you dance the Shiva Tandava? It is sooo powerful.
You are blessed, thank you for sharing with the world. :D

[@SubhalakshmiKumar]

@nandananjali :) Thanks Anjali!

[@SubhalakshmiKumar]

Thanks a lot. What is the name of your great aunt? Maybe i know her :)
Shiva Tandava is of many types like rudra and ananda. I can't promise anything but i will keep it your request in mind for future performances.

[@AnkitDavedance]

superb...can anyone suggest me about the shabdam a male can perform with audio availability

[@SubhalakshmiKumar]

Ankit Dave check out madurai muralidhars nayaka CD

[@pgopa]

Hello! Lovely performance and novel way of making the video...Is this Kalakshetra choreography? Who did you learn it from?
Wishing you the very best and looking forward to see more!

[@SubhalakshmiKumar]

Thanks for noticing the video making :D I think I was experimenting 6 years ago. The choreography is by Nagamani Srinivasa Rao, sister of Padmashree Adayar Lakshman. But I know kalakshetra also uses the same choreography. I learnt it from my Guru Smt. Sudha Srinivasan, who is from the Adayar Lakshman Paddhati. She is his foremost students.

[@SubhalakshmiKumar]

@FiswaT :D