TOTW #33: Pastes, Powders, and Pigments

PASTES, POWDERS, AND PIGMENTS

Theme Of The Week #33 (December 31, 2023 - January 6, 2024)

Welcome! Pastes, powders, and pigments are this week's theme.

Pastes are substances that you smear. They may be coloured, fragrant, cooling, sticky, lubricating, granular, gooey etc. For example, a song that I heard in a Unitarian Universalist church had a line that mentioned K-Y Jelly.

Powders are substances that you sprinkle, toss, sniff (snort) etc. Perfumes, anthrax spores, icing sugar, asbestos, and talcum powder are some examples.

Pigments are substances that impart colour. I am not inviting songs about the colours of rainbows, the sky, or clouds, nor even songs about pigmented flowers, fruits, leaves, skin, hair, feathers etc. unless the pigment (e.g. naringenin, chlorophyll, hemoglobin, melanin etc.) is mentioned. Hair dye, eyeliner, lipstick, blackface etc. are pigments; natural colours of body parts are not.

Feel free to share songs in any language, of any genre, from any era, and tell us about them, giving credit to the lyricist, music composer, singer, and anyone else who deserves it. I will compile a list of songs in the next post. Before you post, please check the list and the last page to avoid repeating songs.

There are several songs that I want to share, but one of them had to take first place.

In this Marathi bhāruḍa, the spirited temperament (sattva-guṇa) is a metaphorical ash-powder used to cure the poison of the oblivious temperament (tamo-guṇa) that was injected by a bite of the scorpion of desire and anger (kāma-krodha). This song is performed with embellishment in the videos, but I have provided the canonical lyrics below.

Song: Viṃçū Çāvalā

Singer: Śāhīra (Krishnarao) Sabale, Anand Shinde, Nagesh Marvekar, Ramesh Rane, Anant Panchal, Suchit Thakur, Shashikant Mumbre

Lyricist: Santa Ekanātha

Music: Śāhīra (Krishnarao) Sabale

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aOXvMpb_RfU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FZzGIj5718g

Lyrics

विंचू चावला

वृश्चिक चावला

कामक्रोध विंचू चावला

तम घाम अङ्गासी आला

Viṃçū çāvalā

Vṛścika çāvalā

Kāma-krodha viṃçū çāvalā

Tama ghāma aṅgāsī ālā

A scorpion bit!

Scorpio bit!

A desire-anger scorpion bit!

Oblivion sweat coated the limbs

पञ्चप्राण व्याकुळ झाला

त्यानें माझा प्राण चालिला

सर्वाङ्गाचा दाह झाला

Pañca-prāṇa vyākuḷa zhālā

Tyāneṃ māzhā prāṇa çālilā

Sarv'āṅgāçā dāha zhālā

Fivefold breath became agonized

Thereby my life is leaving

Every limb is on fire

मनुष्य इंगळी अति दारुण

मज नांगा मारिला तिनं

सर्वाङ्गी वेदना जाण

त्या इंगळीची

Manuṣya iṅgaḷī ati dāruṇa

Maza nāṅgā mārilā tinaṃ

Sarv'āṅgī vedanā zāṇa

Tyā iṅgaḷīcī

Human's a giant scorpion most awful

It struck me with its stinger

Observe in every limb the pangs

Of that giant scorpion

ह्या विंचवाला उतारा

तमोगुण मागें सारा

सत्त्वगुण लावा अंगारा

विंचू इंगळी उतरे झरझरा

Hyā viṃçavālā utārā

Tamo-guṇa māgeṃ sārā

Sattva-guṇa lāvā aṅgārā

Viṃçū iṅgaḷī utare zharazharā

The cure for this scorpion

Push back the oblivious temperament

Apply spirited temperament ash-powder

Scorpion, giant scorpion is cured, trickle by trickle

सत्त्व उतारा देऊन

अवघा सरिला तमोगुण

किंचित् राहिली फुणफुण

शान्त केली जनार्दनें

Sattva utārā deūna

Avaghā sarilā tamo-guṇa

Kiṃcit rāhilī phuṇaphuṇa

Śānta kelī Janārdaneṃ

Upon giving spirit as cure

Oblivious temperament wholly passed on

A vestige of tingling remained

That was calmed by Janārdana

List of Songs up to page 6

Page 1

1. Viṃçū Çāvalā - Marathi

2. Ghananīḷā Laḍivāḷā - Marathi

3. Puṣpa-parāga-sugandhita - Marathi

4. Kadhī Śiva-rāya Yāyaçe Tarī - Marathi

5. Abīra Gulāla Udhaḷīta Raṅga - Marathi

6. Sazaṇā Kā Dharilā Paradeśa - Marathi

7. Khulavite Mendī Māzhā Raṅga Gorāpāna - Marathi

8. Kalaṅka Nahīṃ Iśḳa Hai Kājala Piyā - Hindi

Page 2

9. Candanācī Çoḷī Māzheṃ Aṅga Aṅga Zāḷī - Marathi

10. Candanācī Çoḷī Māzhaṃ Aṅga Aṅga Zāḷī - Marathi

11. Mehandī Hai Racanevālī - Hindi

12. Mala De Gulāla Mohe - Hindi

13. Ghabāḍa Miḷū De Malā - Marathi

14. Lipstick On Your Collar - English

15. Kajarā Mohabbata Vālā - Hindi

16. Pappu Can't Dance Sālā - Hinglish

17. Harafanamaulā - Hindi

18. Kajarā Re - Hindi

Page 3

19. Mehandī Lagā Ke Rakhanā - Hindi

20. Washing Powder Nirma - Assamese

21. Perfume - English

22. Gulābī Āṅkheṃ Jo Terī Dekhī - Hindi

23. Ambarasariyā - Hindi

24. Kesariyā - Hindi

25. Pitambari Shining Powder - Marathi

26. Mehandī Te Vāvī Māḍave Eno Raṅga Gayo Gujarāta Re - Gujarati

27. Ye Powder Ye Surkhiyā Girā Rahī Hai Bijaliyā - Hindi

28. Harī Harī Mehandī Kī Pattiyā - Hindi

29. Ainvayi Ainvayi - Hindi

30. Āṅkhoṃ Meṃ Kājala Hai - Hindi

31. Terī Palakoṃ Meṃ Kājala E Hasīnā - Hindi

32. Mehandī Lagī Mere Hātha Re - Hindi

Page 4

33. Nakhānakhāvara Raṅga Bharā - Marathi

34. Mohe Dulhana Banā Do Sakhe - Hindi

35. Sazavū Kaśī Nayanāṃnā - Marathi

36. Holī Holī Re Holī Raṅga Raṅgelī Nālī - Odia

37. Raṅgelī Holī - Telugu

38. Mājhyā Ḍoḷyāṃtila Kājaḷa - Marathi

39. Kulaṭā-viṭa-saṃvāda - Saṃskṛta (Trigger Warnings: mutilation, dismemberment, animal abuse)

40. Bhramara-gīta - Saṃskṛta

Page 5

41. Ambapālī-Therīgāthā - Pāḷi

42. Nāṃva Kuṅkū Mātra Yāçeṃ - Marathi

43. Āle Śāraṅga-pāṇī Piṅgā Ghāla Gaṃ Gauḷaṇī - Marathi

44. Āza Mī Śāpamukta Zhāle - Marathi

45. Pikalyā Pānāçā Deṭha Kī Ho Hiravā - Marathi

46. Aparṇā Tapa Karite Kānanī - Marathi

47. Yamunā-taraṅga-bhinna-Gaṅgā-pravāha-varṇana - Saṃskṛta

48. Udhaḷīta Ye Re Gulāla Sazaṇā - Marathi

49. Sakhyā Çalā Bāgāṃmadhī - Marathi

50. Vicco Turmeric Ayurvedic Cream - Hindi

Page 6

51. Lāgalīṃ Śrī-caraṇeṃ Āśramā - Marathi

52. Ghāśito Nāthā-gharī Candana - Marathi

53. Kalpaneçā Kuṃçalā Svapna-raṅgī Raṅgalā - Marathi

This Marathi song is famous for its liberal use of the letter ḷa. The female voice of this song worries that a telltale pigment, her runny eyeliner, will make a scandal out of her innocent swing-play with Kṛṣṇa.

Song: Ghana-nīḷā Laḍivāḷā

Singer: Manik Varma, Sudhir Phadke, Mugdha Vaishampayan

Movie: Umaza Paḍela Tara (1960)

Actors: Shubha Khote, Ramesh Deo, Chitra Navathe

Lyricist: Gajanan Digambar Madgulkar

Music: Sudhir Phadke

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LL1bZn7YOcw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s2kC9M71AOo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0k4evCXoSBY

Lyrics

घननीळा लडिवाळा

झुलवु नको हिंदोळा

Ghana-nīḷā laḍivāḷā

Zhulavu nako hindoḷā

Cloud-blue, affectionate one!

Don't shake the swing!

सुटली वेणी, केस मोकळे

धूळ उडाली, भरले डोळे

काजळ गाली सहज ओघळे

या साऱ्याचा उद्या गोकुळी होईल अर्थ निराळा

Suṭalī veṇī, kesa mokaḷe

Dhūḷa uḍālī, bharale ḍoḷe

Kāzaḷa gālī sahaza oghaḷe

Yā sāryāçā udyā gokuḷī hoīla artha nirāḷā

Braid loosened, hair set free

Dust flying up, filling the eyes

Collyrium naturally flows onto cheeks

Tomorrow in the cattle station, all of this will give the wrong idea

सांजवेळ ही, आपण दोघे

अवघे संशय घेण्याजोगे

चन्द्र निघे बघ झाडामागे

कालिन्दीच्या तटी खेळतो गोपसुतांचा मेळा

Sāṃza-veḷa hī, āpaṇa doghe

Avaghe saṃśaya gheṇyā-zoge

Candra nighe bagha zhāḍā-māge

Kālindīcyā taṭī kheḷato gopa-sutāṃçā meḷā

This evening time, the two of us

All sorts of suspicions could be felt

The moon ventures - Look! from behind a tree

On Kālindī's bank plays a throng of cowboy-kids

This Marathi song set to Rāga Arabbī is in the voice of Subhadrā, describing a woodland scene where the wind disperses the fragrant powder of flower-pollen.

Song: Puṣpa-parāga-sugandhita

Singer-Actor: Bālagandharva (Narayan Shripad Rajhans), Hirabai Badodekar, Manik Varma

Musical Play: Saṃgīta Saubhadra (1882)

Lyricist: Balavant Pandurang (Annasaheb) Kirloskar

Music: Balavant Pandurang (Annasaheb) Kirloskar

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Qg_ah2toz8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gO4EU-J61UM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iHEk-ymBscw

Lyrics

पुष्पपरागसुगन्धित शीतल अतिमन्द चरे वनवायु हा

निखिल तरूंतिल पक्षि उठोनी शब्द करिती किती मञ्जु हा

Puṣpa-parāga-sugandhita śītala atimanda care vana-vāyu hā

Nikhila tarūṃtila pakṣi uṭhonī śabda karitī kitī mañju hā

Fragrant with flower-pollen, cool, extremely slowly roams this wood-breeze

Without exception, the trees' birds awaken and make this noise; how sweet!

निबिडकुञ्जमुखिं मोर मयूरी नटुनी थटुनी नाचती हे

हरिण उडती बहु शशक धांवती गिरिवरी डोलत नाग हा

Nibiḍa-kuñja-mukhiṃ mora mayūrī naṭunī thaṭunī nāçatī he

Hariṇa uḍatī bahu śaśaka dhāṃvatī girivarī ḍolata nāga hā

In front of a dense arbour, this peacock and peahen dance, decked and outfitted

Many deer leap, hares run, and atop the hill this cobra sways

I'll share two more renditions of Puṣpa-parāga-sugandhita by Prabha Atre and by Atul Khandekar.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bEfifqTC7b4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-viBGg35Tr4

Kamaḷā, a fictional girl from a noble family in the 17th century, sings in joyous anticipation that King Śivājī will visit her home with a marriage proposal for his officer Ānandarāva, rescuing her from an engagement that she dislikes. Kamaḷā plans to sprinkle the courtyard with saffron-pigmented water and draw a festive powdery rāṅgoḷī. While Kamaḷā sings about the actualization of enlightenment, her servant Pāṭalyā realizes that a stack of cowdung-cakes exudes paste in warm hands.

Song: Kadhī Śiva-rāya Yāyaçe Tarī

Singer: Usha Mangeshkar

Movie: Thorātāñcī Kamaḷā (1960)

Actors: Uma Bhende, Suryakant Mandhre, Tara Redkar, Indira Chitnis, Vasant Shinde

Lyricist: Kavi Saṃjīva (Kṛṣṇa Gaṅgādhara Dīkṣita)

Music: Datta Davjekar

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zu1YQ_hz2GY

Lyrics

कधी शिवराय यायचे तरी

दिवाळी दसरा मिळुनी सोहळा आता व्हायचा घरी

Kadhī Śiva-rāya yāyaçe tarī

Divāḷī Dasarā miḷunī sohaḷā ātā vhāyaçā gharī

When at last is King Śiva to come?

Divāḷī and Dasarā together will soon be the celebration in this house

सडा केशरी शिंपीन दारी

रांगोळी घालीन किनारी

गरिबाचे घर जाईल उजळून राजमन्दिरापरी

Saḍā keśarī śimpīna dārī

Rāṅgoḷī ghālīna kinārī

Garibāçe ghara zāīla uzaḷūna rāja-mandirāparī

I'll sprinkle a saffron-splash at the door

I'll draw with coloured powder at the margins

A poor family's house will be lit up like a king's palace

छत्रपतीच्या सरदाराशी

मराठमोळ्या दिलदाराशी

ठरले माझे लगीन, पडतील तांदूळ डोईवरी

Chatra-patīcyā saradārāśī

Marāṭha-moḷyā diladārāśī

Ṭharale māzhe lagīna, paḍatīla tāndūḷa ḍoīvarī

To an officer of the parasolled king

To my hearty authentic Marāṭhā

My wedding's fixed; rice-grains will fall on my head

मिळता आशीर्वाद तयांचा

साक्षात्कारच चैतन्याचा

मीच नव्हे उठतात शिरा या अमृत प्याल्यापरी

Miḷatā āśīrvāda tayāṃçā

Sākṣātkāraça caitanyāçā

Mīça navhe uṭhatāta śirā yā amṛta pyālyāparī

Receiving his blessing

Quite the actualization of enlightenment

Not only I but these vocal chords arise as if having drunk immortality

This popular devotional song is attributed to Santa Çokhāmeḷā (13th-14th century) because it contains his name Çokhā as a signature, but its language is 20th century Marathi and it is not an abhaṅga by metre or by rhyme. The refrain describes a powdery miracle of Santa Ekanātha who lived in the 16th century, long after Çokhā.

Song: Abīra Gulāla Udhaḷīta Raṅga

Singer: Jitendra Abhisheki, Swapnil Gorey (flute by Uday Patil), Nishad Wakurdekar

Lyricist: Unknown

Music: Jitendra Abhisheki

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t0XLyce4HQM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HMi83-sl7kM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OAf03vHhtuo

Lyrics

अबीर गुलाल उधळीत रङ्ग

नाथाघरी नाचे माझा सखा पाण्डुरङ्ग

Abīra gulāla udhaḷīta raṅga

Nāthā-gharī nāçe māzhā sakhā Pāṇḍuraṅga

Tossing fragrant and rosy colours

My friend Pāṇḍuraṅga dances at Nātha's house

उंबरठ्यासी कैसे शिवू आम्ही जातिहीन?

रूप तुझे कैसे पाहू? त्यात आम्ही लीन

पायरीशी होऊ दंग गाउनी अभङ्ग

Umbaraṭhyāsī kaise śivū āmhī jāti-hīna?

Rūpa tuzhe kaise pāhū? Tyāta āmhī līna

Pāyarīśī hoū daṅga gāunī abhaṅga

How can we, inferior by caste, touch the threshold?

How can we see your shape? We are meek too

At the steps we'll go into trance, singing an abhaṅga

वाळवंटी गाऊ आम्ही वाळवंटी नाचू

चन्द्रभागेच्या पाण्याने अङ्ग अङ्ग न्हाऊ

विट्ठलाचे नाम घेऊ होउनी निःसंग

Vāḷavaṇṭī gāū āmhī vāḷavaṇṭī nāçū

Candrabhāgecyā pāṇyāne aṅga aṅga nhāū

Viṭṭhalāçe nāma gheū ho'unī niḥsaṅga

In wilderness we'll sing, in wilderness we'll dance

With Candrabhāgā's water we'll bathe limb by limb

We'll invoke Viṭṭhala's name, becoming detached

आषाढी कार्त्तिकी भक्तजन येती

पंढरीच्या वाळवंटी संत गोळा होती

चोखा म्हणे नाम घेता भक्त होती दंग

Āṣāḍhī Kārttikī bhakta-jana yetī

Paṇḍharīcyā vāḷavaṇṭī santa goḷā hotī

Çokhā mhaṇe nāma ghetā bhakta hotī daṅga

In Āṣāḍha and Kārttika, devoted people come

In Paṇḍharī's wilderness, the saints gather

Çokhā says, invoking the name, devotees go into trance

In this Marathi song, set to Rāga Mārubihāga, a woman describes how her makeup pigments are either ruined or missing now that her beloved is in a foreign land.

Song: Sazaṇā, Kā Dharilā Para-deśa

Singer-Actor: Bakul Pandit, Asha Khadilkar, Srushti Prafull Kulkarni

Musical Play: He Bandha Reśamāçe (1968)

Lyricist: Shanta Shelke

Music: Jitendra Abhisheki

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CUDthn4X3jc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Q05LshK0Vo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IWBL_JxJJ_A

Lyrics

सजणा, का धरिला परदेश?

Sazaṇā, kā dharilā para-deśa?

My own man, why did you choose a foreign country?

श्रावण वैरी बरसे झिरमिर

चैन पडेना जीवा क्षणभर

जाऊ कोठे? राहू कैसी? घेऊ जोगिणवेष?

Śrāvaṇa vairī barase jhiramira

Caina paḍenā jīvā kṣaṇa-bhara

Zāū koṭhe? Rāhū kaisī? Gheū jogiṇa-veṣa?

Vengeful Śrāvaṇa rains noisily

My soul finds no respite for a second

Where should I go? How should I remain? Should I adopt a renunciate's costume?

रङ्ग न उरला गाली ओठी

भरती आसू काजळकाठी

शृङ्गाराचा साज उतरला, मुक्त विखुरले केश

Raṅga na uralā gālī oṭhī

Bharatī āsū kāzaḷa-kāṭhī

Śṛṅgārāçā sāza utaralā, mukta vikhurale keśa

Colour hasn't remained on cheeks or lips

Tears fill the eyeliner's brim

Makeup's style is removed; loose hair-strands have become tangled

Makeup pigments like mendī prepare a dancer to captivate spectators with her beauty in this Marathi song.

Song: Khulavite Mendī Māzhā Raṅga Gorāpāna

Singer: Asha Bhosle

Movie: Bhāūbīza (1955)

Actor: Sulochana Latkar, Chandrakant Mandhre

Lyricist: Kavi Saṃjīva (Kṛṣṇa Gaṅgādhara Dīkṣita)

Music: Vasantkumar Mohite

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=boxlRThrwhY

Lyrics

खुलविते मेंदी माझा रंग गोरापान हो रंग गोरापान

गोरागोरापान जसं केवड्याचं रान बाई गं केवड्याचं रान

Khulavite mendī māzhā raṅga gorāpāna ho raṅga gorāpāna

Gorā-gorāpāna zasaṃ kevaḍyāçaṃ rāna bāī gaṃ kevaḍyāçaṃ rāna

Mendī brings out my all-fair complexion, ye, all-fair complexion

Fair, all-fair, like a pandanus-bush, ma'am, girl, pandanus-bush

दोन डोळे नंदादीप, पेटले हे आपोआप

काजळली पापण्यांची बदामी कमान

Dona ḍoḷe nandā-dīpa, peṭale he āpoāpa

Kāzaḷalī pāpaṇyāñcī badāmī kamāna

Both these eyes, perpetual lamps, lit spontaneously

Collyrium lines the eyelids' almond-coloured arch

नीलमणी नयनांत, हिरकण्यांचे हो दात

ओठ लाललाल माझे माणकांसमान

Nīla-maṇī nayanāṃta, hirakaṇyāṃçe ho dāta

Oṭha lāla-lāla māzhe māṇakāṃsamāna

Sapphires for eyes, indeed, teeth of diamonds

My lips red, red, resembling rubies

नवी लाज लाजते मी, नवा साज साजते मी

लाजऱ्या मनाला माझ्या करा बंदिवान

Navī lāza lāzate mī, navā sāza sāzate mī

Lāzaryā manālā mājhyā karā bandivāna

I blush with new shyness; I dress up in a new style

Take my shy heart, and make it your captive!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Grr0FlC8SQA