) which was very famous song in the film during his period. Likewise Maravene ennallumey ( sahinthune.

Transcription

1 Tyagaraja composed compositions mainly in Telugu. But Papanasam Sivan composed most of the songs in Tamil. A study of the status of these two languages as medium for classical music compositions is worthwhile here. The tendency to borrow Sanskrit words freely has been there in both Tyagaraja and Papanasam Sivan. It is said that Telugu and Sanskrit are more compatible than Tamil and Sanskrit. Desabhashalandu Telugu lessa was quoted by Krishnadevarayar in his book Aamukthamaalyada. Many Tamilians including right from Shyama Sastri laid the hands upon Telugu. Telugu had a natural affinity for Karnatic music. But Tyagaraja was composing in Telugu living all the time in Tamilnadu. Though musicians were not fluent with the language, Tyagaraja s kritis became staple food for them because of its musical excellence. Papanasam Sivan had the advantage of starting his career in the film music field and quite a few of his songs proved very popular. That was the time that even in films only classical singers were actors. A person with classical music background were acting in films. For example, G.N.Balasubrahmaniam, V.V.Sadagopan, M.S.Subbulakshmi were basically classical singers and the music ruling the film field was also serious classical music. This gave an opening to the outpouring of Papanasam Sivans compositions to find the place in the films. Because he started a as a classical musician and put classical music in the films. For example some of the famous compositions like Maarubalka of Tyagaraja, by keeping the tune as the same he composed the lyrics Enna seiven ( ) which was very famous song in the film during his period. Likewise Maravene ennallumey ( ) was modelled on one of the javali Chelinenetlu sahinthune. 147

2 A brief study of the suitability of various languages for classical music here will be appropriate. In the popular quotation Sangitamapi Sahityam Saraswatyah sthanadvayam, the indication given is that music and literature (not language) are equally great fine arts. The word Sahitya in this quotation is wrongly taken by many to mean the Sahityam of a music composition. Though language is common both to literature and music composition, the importance given to it is not the same in all expressions. Even in literature the yardsticks for prose, poetry and drama are different and in a musical composition language is reduced to a status of just a vehicle or medium for expressing a musical thought. It should be remembered that there are great aspects of classical music like Raga alapana, Tanam and Kalpana svara, where it is all music and no language at all. Even in compositions, the language has full significance only in vocal music. Music is itself a language that can create a rapport of its own. Music is said to be Apaatamadhuram i.e., that which pleases with its sweetness the moment it falls in the ear and literature is said to be Alochanaamritam i.e., that which is like nectar while ruminating. It should thus be clear that the calibre of a poet and that of a Vaggeyakaraka need not be identical. The former will have everything to do with language, euphony, rules of prosody etc., and may even have nothing to do with music. But the latter has to have some poesy in him while his magnificent obsession should be only with music. A minimum felicity with a language is a must for a composer (Vaggeyakara) and any command over music is not a must for a poet. Looked from this background, a composer for a kriti should automatically be given a lenient treatment when the language used in a kriti is being analysed. Any of the Vaggeyakaras have been 148

3 adepts in language too, while there have been quite a few whose lack of command over language often betrays. The appeal of music is very wide, often transgressing regional, political and even national boundaries. But the appeal of a sahitya is limited to the linguistic boundaries. If the Telugu compositions of Tyagaraja have been so jealously guarded in Tamilnadu it must have been more because of the great music in them than for the words. There must have been a time when all that was known about Tyagaraja s kritis was only the music in them and only latterly, with the spread of the empire of the musicologists, more and more time, energy and ink became to be spent on the sahitya portion. These tribe of commentators whose only claim to dabble in the realm of music is their knowledge of language, - cannot sing a single line of music but can go on pouring out more and more of written matter, often to the extent that would have baffled Tyagaraja himself. In this context to call Tyagaraja s kritis as Tyagabrahmopanishad would seem to be an exaggeration. The music in Tyagarajs s kritis is enough to make his name immortal and the lesser mortals, the dry musicologists, need not and cannot add to the glory of the great composer by writing volumes about his sahitya. But what else can they possibly do? There are many authors who have annotated Tyagaraja kritis in such too comprehensive detail as to make a musician, who is generally a literate, shun even knowing an outline meaning of even popular kritis. Of these Tyagaraja and Shyama Sastry composed mainly in Telugu while Dikshitar used Sanskrit for almost all of his compositions. A very prominent aspect here is that Telugu is a living language and Sanskrit is not. 149

4 The approach of the Trinity is acclaimed to be one of Nadopasana Marga and each composition is something like a constituent of the pooja rituals. Dikshitar might have chosen Sanskrit to highlight this aspect and naturally this might have resulted into his compositions becoming veritable stotras, of a descriptive nature, while his illustrious compeers could compose conversational poetry for their compositions. Any number of examples can be given. Composition Ragam Composer Nike teliyaka pote Anandabhairavi Tyagaraja Evarani Devamritavarshini Tyagaraja Eduta nilachite Sankarabharanam Tyagaraja O Rangasai Kambhoji Tyagaraja Evari maata Kambhoji Tyagaraja Brova vamma Manji Syama Sastry Maayamma Ahiri Syama Sastry Kaamakshi(Svarajati) Bhairavi Syama Sastry Apart from the above interrogative sentences, assertive statements also occur in plenty. Raamaayani brahmamunaku peru (Telisi Rama Purnachandrika) Siva mantramunaku na jivamu (Evarani Devamritavarshini) Such conversational effect is not possible in Sanskrit language. It will not be out of place here to briefly discuss the plus and minus points of Sanskrit and Telugu for the purpose of musical compositions. It is widely agreed that Telugu is the most musical 150

5 language among the South Indian dialects. One great convenience in Telugu is that most words end in a vowel sound. For example Ramam bhaja in Sanskrit is expressed in Telugu as Ramuni bhajimpumu. The vowel ending of Ramuni gives a better grip in a musical passage than Ramam. Like Ramam most of the kritis in accusative case (Dvitiya Vibhakti) have most of the words ending in consonants. A classic example of this is Arunaam nityaam kalyaanim in the Kalyani piece Bhajare rechita of Muthuswami Dikshitar, wherein the sensitive musician will feel the handicap while doing niraval in this passage, having to close his mouth for the syllable m ( ) at the end of each word Arunaam, nithyaam, kalyaanim. This does not mean in anyway to speak ill of the greatness of Sanskrit, the language of the Gods Girvana Bhasha. But the language of the mortals has a more immediate appeal to a common man than the language of the Gods. It is here that Telugu, the living language, has an edge over Sanskrit. This is one reason why Dikshitar s pieces are lyrically merely descriptive while Tyagaraja s pieces have a deeper and wider lyrical appeal in conversational Telugu. It can thus be seen that there is hardly any piece of Dikshitar in the vein of question. 1. Nidhi chala sukhama? Ramuni san nidhi seva sukhama? Raga: Kalyani, Composer: Tyagaraja Meaning: Which conduces greatly to happiness? Wealth or the sight of Rama? 2. Enduko ni manasu karagadu? Emineramo? Raga: Kalyani, Composer: Tyagaraja Meaning: Why is not your mind moved by compassion 151

6 towards me? What fault I have committed? A more poignant example would be in the Nindastuti Ilalo pranatarti harudani perevaridire? - Composed by Tyagaraja. Meaning: Who gave you this (undeserving) name? By the very selection of the language, Dikshitar and Tyagaraja would seem to have chosen to address and cater to different levels of listeners. It should not, however, be mistaken that Tyagaraja wanted to purposely compose for the galleries. Though he has chosen the medium of Telugu he had liberally borrowed from Sanskrit, a plus point of which language is a better facility for embellishments like antyaprasa, yati etc. Example- Mridubhasana Nata vibhishana (Raga: Maruva Dhanyasi) It can be noticed that whatever Tyagaraja had a flair for such embellishments he had automatically switched over to Teluguised usage of Sanskrit. Some of his compositions, particularly Divyanama kirtanas, are entirely in Sanskrit too. Examples: Tavadaasoham Deena janaavana Pahi pahi Paripaalaya Daasarathi Sri Rama Rama Palaya Sri Raghuvara Punnagavarali Bhupalam Saurashtram Sankarabharanam Purnachandrika Devagandhari etc. There are many fanatical Telugu lovers who consider Tyagaraja s language as inadequate. These protagonists have obviously failed to see that Tyagaraja s aim and purpose was 152

7 Music and not Telugu. There are scholars who find inaccuracies even in the Sanskrit of Muthuswami Dikshitar. For instance, Manasija koti koti laavanya in the Kambhoji piece, Sri Subrahmanyaya is considered a rather ungrammatical usage. But, if Tyagaraja has been frowned upon more than Dikshitar it is obviously because, to go about with abandon and use adventurous coinage is more natural and possible in a living language like Telugu than in Sanskrit, which is automatically governed, guided and controlled by rigid grammar. It was thus possible for Tyagaraja to introduce more dramatic appeal in the lyric by virtue of the conversational usage of Telugu. In many kritis like Nike Teliyaka (Anandabhairavi), gi sukhama evaru pondiri (Madhyamavati) the effect of a dialogue is created and naturally even the less initiative people will react to it. No wonder quantitatively Tyagaraja enjoys a much larger clientele. Looking at it from other angle, one would whether Telugu could have ever achieved the task of producing serious ritualistic Kritis like Navavarna and Navagraha kritis which have aptly been couched in Sanskrit. In this connection one may note that Swati Tirunal too has composed all his Sanskrit songs as a big list of epithets and in his Malayalam pieces like Kinnu seiyvu (Kalyani) or Kanta tava pizha gnaan (Atana) he could achieve a dialogue effect since the language (Malayalam) was a living one. Even in Krishna Leela Tarangini, which is actually a drama, Narayana Teertha who has employed conversational Sanskrit in a small measure has had to employ prose and other aids in between songs. In this respect, Syama Sastry must be studied in a separate level. In the first place his creations are not numerously voluminous and Telugu was not his mother tongue. Uncompromising scholars in the language find Syama Sastry s Telugu often un-andhraic. Syama 153

8 Sastry s usage of phrases like Ninnu nenu nammiyunna vaadu gada, Ella lokamulaku falls strange into the ears of Andhras. In Andhra Pradesh, the suffix Vaadu will always denote only a third person. But Syama Sastry has used phrases like Nenu nammiyunna vaadu, as an adjective for first person (himself). The correct usage is Nenu nammiyunna vaadanu. This confusion must have arisen because, in Tamil, Syama Sastry s mother tongue, the usage of first, second and the third persons is identical. Thus Nambinavan Naan ( ), Nambinavan Nee ( ), Nambinavan Avan ( ) are phrases where the word Nambinavan ( ) remains the same for Nan ( ), Nee ( ) or Avan ( ) which is not so in Telugu. Though Nenu Nammina vaadu gada looks a natural expression for the Tamil sentence Naan Nambinavan Andro ( ) the former is ungrammatical both in written and spoken language. The usage of Ella lokamulaku is again outlandish in Telugu though Ella ulagirkum ( ), the correct Tamil phrase must have been in Syama Sastry s mind. One also wonders why Syama Sastry has not achieved anything better in Tamil composition either; phrase like Kaamita phalaththai kaimel taruvaye ( ) occurring in the kriti Tarunam Idamma ( ) (Gaulipanthu) are not considered to be scholarly enough. It is interesting to note that Subbaraya Sastry too carried down the same level of Tamil and Telugu. Examples, phrases like Bhoga moksham bhaktarkku purindidum endan taaye ( ), maiyai paalippaye ( ) occurring in the song Sri Kamakshi in raga Vasantha do not show any command in Tamil. But we get lost into the unimpeachable musical excellence of the composition nobody has any inclination to go into 154

9 details of what the literary merit of the sahitya is. Syama Sastry has composed mainly in Telugu and a few Sanskrit compositions of his are only in the form of addressing various names of the Goddess and there is only one Tamil composition of his in Gaulipanthu raga Taraunam Idamma. From these compositions one may conclude that Syama Sastry had no great command over any language. But the musical greatness of his kritis eclipses away all other considerations. Except the one in Manipravala Venkatachalapathe in Karnataka Kapi and Rupamu juchi a padavarna in Telugu in the raga Todi, said to have been composed for the needs of Tiruvarur Kamalam, a danseuse and one of his disciples, and perhaps a few others, Dikshitar s lingua franca was Sanskrit throughout, which must have suited his virtuosic excellence. It has already been pointed out that the exuberance of decorative angas like Yatis, Yamakas and Antya Prasa in Dikshitar kritis can be because of medium being Sanskrit which was more suited to poetry than prose. Even Tyagaraja had switched over to Sanskritization whenever he was in a mood or necessity to dwell at length on decorative angas. Examples: 1. Sudha maadhurya bhaashana Sudha karaanana (Sindhuramakriya) 2. Baala kanakamaya Chela sujana pari Paala sri rama lola vidhrita sara Jaala subhada karu naala vaala Ghana Nila navya vana Maalika bharana (Raga:Atana) 155

10 It will not be out of place to mention here that there is a noticeable difference in handling the same language between Dikshitar and Swati Tirunal, erudition more profound and telling in the case of the former. Sanskrit is not anybody s mother tongue. so Dikshitar like any other composer in Sanskrit, could not have done the very thinking in Sanskrit but must have laboured to give expression to his native thoughts in Sanskrit, involving a split second ability to translate and transpose. Such a situation is evident from Dikshitar s having used Tamil words like Velayudha dharam (Balasubrahmanyam Suruti) and Rupa muthukumara jananim (Bhajare rechita Kalyani). Vel and Muthu are pure Tamil words. However in the case of Muthukumara and Venkateshwara Ettappa (Megharanjani) en explanation can be given that these were proper nouns. But the same Dikshitar have been strictly consistent to Sanskrit in the usage of the word Garthatira to denote the village called Kuzhikkarai, Garthatira is a literal translation Gartha meaning Kuzhi ( ) in Tamil denoting a ditch, Tira meaning karai ( ) or denoting shore or bund (tank bund). Typical of him, Dikshitar in this piece Sri Vishwanatham (Chaturdasa Ragamalika) has given details of the location of the village also, lest we should miss the meaning of the Sanskrit derivatives Gartha tira. He has said Sripura nirrutti baagagartha tira sthira tara bhupala meaning Vaidhyalinga bhupala, the landlord of Kuzhikkarai which is situated at the North east of Sri pura (i.e.,tiruvarur). Another such Sanskrit word Guru pavana puraa (Sri Krishnam Todi) to denote Guruvayur. This word, however, has been used by other poets too. Example: Narayaneeyam. Though Telugu is the mother tongue of Tyagaraja one should remember that Tyagaraja was born, brought up and lived all his life in Tamil Nadu. But he is said to have been well read in Telugu and 156

11 Sanskrit, with the result that the Telugu used in his composition is rich by vocabulary and scholarliness. But still one can easily trace the difference in the command and flow of language when the composition of Kshetrajna and Tyagaraja are taken up and compared language wise. One may say that the motivation of the two composers is not the same, but still, looking at the language alone one can easily see that Kshetrajna who was a born Andhra and lived his formative years in that land has had a more felicitous command over Telugu. Kshetrajna has composed in chaste Telugu, borrowing very little from Sanskrit or any other language. But Tyagaraja has liberally infused Sanskrit and it is difficult to come across a kriti of his composed entirely of native Telugu words. His mudra Tyagarajanuta itself is a Sanskrit word except in places where he has Teluguised it into Tyagarajanutuni, Tyagarajanutudu etc. he has also used the feminine form of the word Tyagarajanuturali in the kriti Enta ninne (Mukhari), in praise of Sabari. It is not out of place to mention here that Tyagaraja was inspired by Bhadrachala Ramadasa, who however, had no exposure to Tamil and so could use chaste Telugu, though with free fusion of Sanskrit. The inflow of Tamil words into his kritis would look outlandish to Andhras. In Samayamu Telisi (Asaveri) in the second charana Turaka vithilo vipruniki paanaka puja Neraya jesiyemi seyakunte nemi The word Neraya does not mean anything in Telugu, but Niraya ( ) meaning in Tamil as in large quantities seems to have crept in. Similarly, in the Anupallavi of E papamu jesitira in Atana, Tyagaraja says - Nipaatuna vini vinanatlundutaku 157

12 Here the phrase Nipaatuna is not chaste Telugu, but it is an influence from Tamil usage. Un paatukku kaadil vizhadu madiri Utkaarndirundal ( ). Tyagaraja has incorporated many Tamil proverbs into his kritis. 1. Kaippunnukku kannadi venuma? ( ) Aracheti puntikaddamu kavalena (Toli janma Bilahari) 2. Kaalam pogum vaarthai Nirkkum ( ) Kalamu ponu mata niluchunu (Chalagalla Arabhi) 3. Vennai Vaittukkondu Neiykku Azhuvaargalaa? (?) Venna yundaga netiki evaraina vasana padudura (Kannatalli Saveri) He has used colloquial Telugu saying like Tavitiki Rangada poi (Manasu Vishaya Natakuranji). Vibhishunuki banganaamamidi (Rama daivama Surati) dutta palu ruche teliyu samayame (Enta muddo Bindumalini) Tyagaraja s familiarity and his command over colloquial Telugu also is witnessed in many places. In usages like - 158

13 1. Bali Bali (Evarimata Kambhoji) 2. Totlanarbhakula nutavu mari mari Tochinatlu gillutavu (Atla palukudu Atana) 3. Vara bhakti vesamu veyuvela Varja kala memo (Tolinenu jeyu Kokiladhvani) 4. Alasi vachchinanduku naa manasuna Hayi jendu naayani yundaga mari (Sundari ni divya Kalyani) These instances only prove how the great masters were deeply concerned with music and cared so little for the language part of it. But our musicologists often tend to concentrate upon the latter. Sivan has followed the footsteps of Tyagaraja in many things; like mixing of two languages. Tyagaraja used Telugu and Sanskrit and Sivan used Tamil and Sanskrit. Whenever he is in need of a word he borrowed freely from Sanskrit. Sanskrit words merge naturally with Telugu but not so easily with Tamil. For example in Tyagaraja s kriti Bale balendubhushani in the raga Ritigowlai. Pallavi Bale balendubhushani Bhavaroga shamani Anupallavi Phalalochani Sri Dharma samvardhani sakalaloka janani Charanam Rame pranatartiharaabhi Rame Devakaamini la- 159

14 laame Tyagaraja bhajana sa- Kaame Durjanagana bhime Naa manasuna ni charanamule sadaa Nemamuto puja chesitini sri Raama sodarivai velasina sri Syamale Dharmasamvardhani Till the line Durjanagana bhime it is in Sanskrit and from Naa manasu is in Telugu which merges very naturally. This may be one of the reasons; the binding of the languages Telugu and Sanskrit went unnoticed in the case of Tyagaraja s composition. Similarly, Sivan in his early periods, the handling of the Tamil language, the songs are often a string of Sanskrit Sambodhanas to which a few lines of Tamil are tagged on. For example Paratpara in the Raga Vachaspati. Pallavi Paraatparaa parameshwaraa Parvati pate hara pasupate Anupallavi Suraasurar tozhum paavana Sundara charanaaravinda ananda Charanam Hari ayanum kaanaa ariya joti Aadi antam illaap pazhamanaadi Puram eritta mukkan karumbe endan Punyamurti subrahmanyan tandaye ஹ 160

15 ழ Except the one word Thozhum ( ) in the Anupallavi, all the words in Pallavi and Anupallavi are in Sanskrit. It is only in the Charanam, that the song contains Tamil words. His later Tamil compositions use more Tamil words and expressions including colloquialisms and folk sayings like Tyagaraja s Telugu proverbs. Example in the Anupallavi of the song Ullam iranguvadu un kadamai ( ) in the Ragam Kaanada. Pillai manam kal eninum ulagil Pettra manam puttrenbar. Like Tyagaraja Sivans language is often simple, moving and Creates strong emotional impact. For example the composition Taye ezhaipal in the Raga Bhairavi. Pallavi Taaye yezhaipaal dayai seivaye Amba Dayaapari sankari sakalaloka naayaki Anupallavi Nayen un paalandri engey selven 161

16 Nalina mridula sugumara manohara Charanayugala marulattharunam iduve en Charanam Ennaada ennamellam yenni yenni Ettaada peraasai kottaikatti Punnaaga nenjam pulambum madam Podum ini mudiyaadu unadadi ippodu adaiya Idupodu varamaruli ழ ஹ Eloquent yet unsophisticated diction conveys to us the cry of the child like bhakti to the divine Mother. Sivan is equally capable of simple diction as well as of literary ornamentation. KHARAHARAPRIYA Certain aspects which are very strikingly common between both Tyagaraja and Papanasam Sivan are the recognition of the 162

17 raga Kharaharapriya and Harikamboji as a great Raga. Kharaharapriya and Harikamboji are set to have been in existence for many centuries but still they had not got due recognition till Tyagaraja period. Kharaharapriya which is a major raga today was practically unknown during the time of the Trinity. So Tyagaraja felt great potential in these two big ragas and he composed many songs with the soul idea of establishing these ragas. After Tyagaraja the job was continued by Papanasam Sivan, an ardent follower of Tyagaraja and did the same by composing compositions in these ragas in Tamil. Kharakarapriya is the 22 nd Melakartha, 4 th mela in the 4 th chakra Veda. The raga Kharaharapriya is supposed to be originated from Sama Veda. It is the oldest ragam. But somehow it did not get the status of the major raga before the Tyagaraja s days. Kharaharapriya was also there in ancient Tamil music. The equivalent Tamil pann is Padumalaippalai (Pann system). But it has not reached a top status as widely prevalent raga before Tyagaraja s day. So as if by a mission to elevate the status of this raga, Tyagaraja composed a big number of Kritis in Kharaharapriya. Papanasam Sivan seems to have the same passion for Kharaharapriya. During the days of Tyagaraja there was no film music. But later on during the time of Papanasam Sivan film music was one of the main streams to popularize the music because all the songs were in particular classical raga. The basic desire to promote the raga was in both of them. But Papanasam Sivan went one step further to popularize this raga in film songs also. He popularised this raga through film music. His one of the song in this raga is Endan idadu tholum ( ) from the movie Shakunthalai sung by M.S.Subbulakshmi was a hit song among the people. Papanasam Sivan has also composed a big number of 163

18 songs in Kharaharapriya. He was also able to attain results through the many electronic media like Radio, Gramaphone records available in his days. According to Prof.Sambamoorthy, the raga Kharaharapriya owes its contemporary status entirely to Tyagaraja. This raga has not been enjoying primary status can be deducted from the fact that the two illustrious contemporaries of Tyagaraja Muthuswamy Dikshitar and Syama Sastry have not composed even a single song in it. The combination of notes in this mela and the rich potential in it must have attracted the attention of Tyagaraja who has made deliberate attempt to explore and establish the raga. Needless to say, his experiments have yielded profuse rewards which are being reaped by us till today. Papanasam Sivan was the next composer to have explored Kharaharapriya at length and he must have been inspired only by Tyagaraja. Because of his associations with film field Papanasam Sivan has exploited the rich dramatic evocativeness of this scale and the field of Karnatic music is all the richer today with the large number of compositions. The current and the recent past can thus be called a zenith period for Kharaharapriya which was not considered fit for even a single varnam in the Trinity and pre-trinity period. Tyagaraja has composed eleven songs in this raga and the details are as follows: Compositions of Tyagaraja in Kambhoji Graha Swara Composition Talam N Nadachi nadachi Rama niyeda 164

19 S Rama ni samanamevaru Rupakam R Vidamu seyave Chakkani raja P Kori sevimparave Pakkala nilabati Misra chapu N Pahi Rama Rupakam Mitri bhagyame S Chetulaara G Peridi ninnu Tyagaraja has beautifully attempted to start his compositions in Kharaharapriya with various notes of the gamut. Papanasam Sivan has also composed 25 compositions in Kharaharapriya. Among his composition Ganapathiye, Appan avadaritha, Senthil aandavan, Jaanakipathe, Dayavillaya are some of his famous compositions in this raga. He has composed in different talas like, (Double kalai), (Tisra nadai) and Rupakam. Being inspired by Tyagaraja, Papanasam Sivan has also attempted to start his compositions with various notes of the octave. Some of the Sivan s compositions in various Graha Swara s are as follows : 165

20 Compositions of Papanasam Sivan in Kambhoji Graha Swara Composition Talam S Senthil Aandavan Rupakam Saraswati annaiye Naamam ondre R Appan avadaritta Dharmambike Sodanai thagaadaiyya Srinivasa tava Rupakam G Ganapathiye M Kanden vaanavar P Kaadali Radaiyai Dayaaparan Kaakka unakku irakkam Janaka kumari Paraamukham Misra chapu D Dayavillaya Illai endra sol Siridum kavalai (Tisra Nadai) 166

21 Enna seidaalum N Ninaithurugum Jaanaki pathe S Veene azhiyaade Unperumaiyai yar arivar He has started his composition in Dhaivatam and Nishadam with Swaraksharam. So we can understand that both had the interest in exploring this raga. Following the footsteps of Tyagaraja, Papanasam Sivan has composed the songs in the same style like Tyagaraja. For example Rama ni samaanamevaru of Tyagaraja and Senthil Andavan ( ) of Papanasam Sivan are structured in a comparable form. These two songs have similar constructions and both are in Rupaka talam. Rama ni samaanamevaru is indeed a gem among Tyagaraja kriti. Though it is a single kalai Rupaka tala, the rendering of a kriti by a competent artist gives the wholesomeness of giant size kritis in slow tempo. Tyagaraja is acclaimed as the master craftsman in introducing sangatis. Rama ni samaanamevaru is the classical example that would justify this claim. Pallavi Rama ni samaanamevaru Raghuvamsoddhaaraka 167

22 Anupallavi Bhaamaa maruvampu molaka Bhaktiyanu panjarapu chiluka Charanam Paluku paluku laku tene Loluku maatalaadu soda Rulugala hari Tyagaraja Kula vibhusha mridusubhaasha Doyens of the previous generations have been traditionally singing neraval in the first two lines of the charnam Paluku palukulaku tene Loluku maatalaadu soda Neither the first line alone nor the first two lines together can convey the meaning completely. A better place in this song for neraval would be the two lines of the pallavi. Rama ni samaanamevaru Raghuvamsoddhaaraka Even the first line alone Rama ni samaanamevaru is also a very apt place for doing neraval. The meaning of this line is Who is equal to you oh Rama and a very effective neraval is possible in this line. The music can highlight the words as a question, pleading or the surrender of the composer towards the lord. The range of Tarasthayi Shadjam or if we highlight the word Evaru in the upper octave in NSR,, or NGR,, this gives as a question mark asking Who is equal to you oh Rama?. The same with when the composer is pleading, doing neraval in the range of the middleoctave NDPDNDN,,, or SRN,, gives the effect of pleading. 168

23 Unless and otherwise the sahityam is complete the effect of the neraval will be incomplete. In the first two lines of the Pallavi, the Kondu Kooti ( ) method of singing neraval is possible. kondu kootti are the two Tamil words where Kondu means gathered and acquainted and Kootti means combined. The word Kondu Kootti technically means the appropriateness of the application of sahitya. It is possible in the cases where sahitya can be split and rendered to create the various effects without losing its meaning. For example singing neraval of the line Raghuvamsodhdharaka as - Udhdharaka - Vamsodhdharaka - Raghuvamsodhdharaka. Udhdharaka means the uplifter. Vamsodhdharaka means the up lifter of the Vamsa. Raghuvamsodhdharaka means the up lifter of the Raghu vamsa. Apart from lending itself for good neraval, the pallavi provides space for effective Kalpana swaram also. A capable musician can sing swarams at three places Rama, samaana and Evaru. This Kriti is thus one of which is an excellent choice for a modern concert platform. Senthil Aandavan of Papanasam Sivan is modelled on this Kriti Rama ni sammanamevaru. Pallavi Sentil aandavan siva kumaran Sevadi panivomey tiru Anupallavi Undik kamala peruman tiru- 169

24 Maal marugan aarumugan Charanam Velan valli deivaanai lolan Thaal thozhum anbar paalakan murugan Kola mayil vaahanan karunaala vaala seelan Guhap perumaan raamadaasan agam valar shanmugan Kandan - ஹ ஹ Charanam is the apt place for singing neraval in this song. Usually the musicians do neraval in the first two lines of the Charanam Velan (vadi) valli deivaanai lolan Thaal thozhum anbar Paalakan murugan ( ) Similar instance like in the above kriti of Tyagaraja, the kondu kooti method of singing neraval is observed in the Papanasam Sivans kriti. Here the kondukooti method of singing neraval is possible in the second line of the charanam - 170

25 Thaal thozhum anbar Paalakan murugan by singing neraval as Murugan paalakan murugan anbar paalakan murugan thaal thozhum anbar paalakan murugan. The third line Kola mayil vaahanan karunaala vaala seelan ( ) is also a very good place to do nireval. Kharaharapriya raga is a good representation for raga alapana. It gives a vast scope for raga alapana. For the sake of katcheri it gives rooms for the ornamentation with sangathis. For example in the composition Chakkani raja of Tyagaraja and Jaanaki pathe ( ) of Papanasam Sivan gives an ample scope for the sangathis, neraval and swarams. Tyagaraja has further enhanced the status of this raga by composing a double kalai kriti too in it. Chakkani Raja margamu can easily stake the claim as the queen among compositons in general and that of Kharaharapriya in particular. Songs with both the lyric and the tune (Maathu and dhaatu) of an extremely superior order are indeed rare and Chakkani Raja is a glorious example. This gives an indication that this song must have been composed at a stage when the composer had attained full maturity and command over Kharaharapriya raga. A mature method of handling a rich raga is to experiment the starting of the raga in lower half of the Madhyasthayi and this is what Tyagaraja has done in Chakkani Raja which seems to be a deliberate attempt of his in portraying the raga in great detail. Another special feature in this kriti is that even within the Pallavi 171

26 there are three self-contained edifices of the raga dwelling around Madhya Rishabaham, Tara Shadjam and Tara sthayi Gandharam. The wordings of the lyric blend ideally with the order of the sangatis. After the lower ranges and Tara sthayi sangatis are traversed in detail in the Pallavi and Anupallavi, the Charanam starts in a relaxed mood in Panchamam and it provides an ideal place for leisurely neraval, both musically and lyrically. Chakkani Raja is thus a complete composition, an ideal model for a kriti, a touchstone for Kharaharapriya, a composition that would fit in any type of performance, vocal or instrumental and above all a specimen of the great Tyagaraja s genius. The composition Jaanakipathe is a double kalai tala Kriti by Papanasam Sivan. Pallavi Jaanakipathe jaya kaarunya jaladhe - jaya Kausalyaananda vardhana jagadabhi Rama pattabhi Rama Anupallavi Dheena janaavana dhruta kara kankana Dasarata tanayaa ganita guna gana Charanam Guha jataayu sabhareepramukha nija bhakta jana mukti Daayakaa jaga dahita viraata kabanda nisaachara nihara nisheetana saayaka saroruha charana nihata vaali dasavadana suramuni sajjana paalakaa sakala mahitendra neelamani nibhasareera paahi saaketa 172 naayakaa sri

27 - ஹ ஹ ஹ ஹ ஹ This composition starts with the phrase N,,, P D,,MP,, which not even Tyagaraja and other composers used this as a starting phrase. This shows that by this time the raga has been so much established that few facets of raga could be contained in this manner in this composition. He composed this song with many sangatis as Tyagaraja did in Chakkani Raja and in Rama ni samaanamevaru. In this raga Kharaharapriya, Papanasam Sivan has composed songs on various Gods and Goddesses, for example Ganapathiye on Ganapathy Saraswathi annaiye on Saraswathi Appan avadaritha on Ayyappa Senthil aandavan on Muruga Srinivasa tava on Venkateshwara Janaki pathe on Rama Kadali Radayai on Krishna Kaakka unakkirakkam on Kapaleeshwarar Un perumaiyai on Sivan. 173

28 KAMBHOJI Kambhoji is a bhashanga janya raga derived from the 28 th mela Harikambhoji. Kambhoji is a murchanakaraka raga. If Dha is taken as Shadja, gives rise to Desyatodi. This is a major raga giving ample scope for raga alapana and various varieties of gamakas are possible. All varieties of musical forms figure in this raga starting from Gitams. It will not out of place to mention that most of the musical forms Sabdam presented in Bharatanatyam recitals are in Kambhoji. Kambhoji has been an ancient raga can be inferred from the fact that a mode identical with what Kambhoji is today has existed even in the Tevaram, Divya Prabandham days 7 th Century. According to the book Tevara Divya Prabandham authored by Dandapani Desikar and Dr.S.Ramanathan, the Kambhoji mode had the Tamil names Takka Ragam or Takkesi. In Matanga s Brihaddesi (5 th Century) also Kambhoji is mentioned as a raga originated from Kakuba region. 72 Meaning Combined with dhaivata as the initial and concluding note, Kambhoja is complete in svaras (and). There is the concert of shadja daivata and panchama rishabha. This bhasha bears the name of desa (region) and is the first one born of Kakubha. After Venkatamakhin s time and the isolation of 72 Melakartas, Kambhoji has been placed as a Janya Raga of 174

29 Harikambhoji mela which in its own right has had a separate history right from existence in Tamil music with the name Palai. But Harikambhoji does not seem to have enjoyed same level of popularity throughout. Somewhere between the days of Tamil music of the pre-christian era and the period of the Trinity, Harikambhoji has been eclipsed by Kambhoji, Khamas, Natakurinji, Yadukula kambhoji and Senjurutti which were powerful neighbouring ragas. Right from Gitams to Padams and Javalis there is hardly any type of composition in which Kambhoji has not been put to use. But it is surprising that a versatile composer like Tyagaraja has not exploited this evocative plus point of Kambhoji in any of his available operas, Utsava Sampradaya or Divyanama kirtanas. He has visualised it as a vehicle only for serious classical music and concert music. Towards that mission he has done the routine job of indicating the more appropriate jeeva avaras and starting notes. Three of his kritis Maa janaki, Evarimaata, and Mari mari starts in Panchamam, one in Adhara Shadjam (O Rangasayi), one in Tara Shadjam (Sri Raghuvara), one in Madhyama (Mahita) and one in Gandharam (Elara Krishna). Compositions of Tyagaraja in Kambhoji Graha Swara Composition Talam S O Rangasayi Elara Sri Krishna Rupakam M Mahita pravrudha Tisra Triputa Maa Janaki P Evari maata 175

30 D Mari mari nine S Sri Raghuvaraaprameya Compositions of Papanasam Sivan in Kambhoji Graha Svara Composition Talam R Bhuvanapati G Jaya Perigai Pavana tanaya P Aanandame Aranga Kaana kan kodi Paada paada Sikkal meviya Sri sailapathiye Undendru nambu Paadimadiye Rupakam D Kunchitha padam N Adum deivam Niye charan S Maayavathara Kadirgaama Tisra Triputa 176

31 In its popularity as a favourite concert piece Maa Janaki would easily top the list of Kritis in Kambhoji. It has been a favourite concert item for a much longer period than all other kritis. The main reason for this would be, its racy madhyamakalam and the set up with eduppu at half of the little finger ( ). This eduppu is the result of Tyagaraja s most successful attempt in making classical music intelligible to the lay man. The efficacy of this eduppu has not occurred to the other two Trinitarians or any other composer of the earlier period. Tyagaraja s mission of showing the richness of Kambhoji by starting his kritis in various appropriate notes is evident in Sri Raghuvaraaprameya in Tara Shadjam. He has, of course, done such an exploration in greater detail in his kritis in Todi and Sankarabharanam. Like Tyagaraja, Papanasam Sivan has too composed two Kritis in Tara Shadjam Mayaavathara ( ) and Kadirgaama kandan ( ). Though the number of Kritis in Kambhoji is comparatively less, Tyagaraja seems to have compensated by making majority of them in double kalai and Sri Raghuvaraaprameya is a classic example. Tyagaraja has made a departure from the usual structure to Kritis as Pallavi Anupallavi Charanam/s, in this kriti which is structured in a format of a Pallavi and Multiple Charanas. It is a kriti entirely in Sanskrit and all the charanas are of different dhatus which provide a beautiful model for elaborating a Raga Alapana, the first Charana pointing towards Mandara Sthayi and the last one sweeping to the Tara Madhyamam and all the intermediate Charana s forming the ideally sequential stages in between. The beginning note and sahitya of each charana is as follows: 177

32 1. D,,,,,,, D, N, D, P, M, P, Sa ra sa hi ta 2. D, D, N, D, P, D, D, N, D, P, Vi ro. chana ku le. sva ra 3. S,,,,, S,,,, N P, D, S, S Sri. bha.. skara ku la 4. S,,,,, S,,, S, R, R, G, M, G, R, GR S, Si.. ta. Na. tha Tya. ga ra.. ja Another mission of Tyagaraja in this Kriti is to prove the efficacy of this Pallavi Multiple Charana structure, with each Charana of a different dhatu, thereby encompassing more of the ragas in one and the same kriti. He has given two other sparkling specimen of such a construction in Enduku nirdhaya (Harikambhoji) and Brochevaarevare (Sriranjani). The majority of the Kritis in this Ragam by Papanasam sivan is in single kalai talam. But has also composed a double kalai tala kritis like Paada paada ( ), Kaana kan kodi ( ), Adum deivam ( ) and Kadir kaama kandan ( ) in Tisra triputa talam and only one Rupaka tala kriti Sikkil meviya ( ). Papanasam Sivan has also composed kriti in the pattern of Pallavi, Anupallavi with Multiple Charanas like Tyagaraja. Sikkal meviya in Rupakam tala is an example of such kriti in Kambhoji. Pallavi Sikkal meviya deva deva singara velava Anupallavi Vikkal vandidum podu Meduvaagiya padapankaja 178

33 Maduve taravaa mayileriya Charanam Sadam piranda piragu purinda Tavamedumillai avamey peridu (iv)vudambu irandaal varum udaledo Unargil ananto san Katam piranda ulaga vaazhvil kalangavaittal neediyeyo Kudam pirandon guruve kadamba Haarane sukumaarane rana Deerane parane sundarane harane Naan muganaiyum siraiyil adaitha Naadaa enadu vidhidaan perido Paanmaravaada mazhalai vaayaal Paniyaranukkum arunmozhivaradaa Then mozhi valli deivaanai enum Terivaiyiruvar maruvumaarba Maan maruga muruga guha surachiro mani subrahmani En kanmani chinmani sivamani puramani Saala vaasanai peigal oru puram Taayum thandaiyumaaya dayaapara Kaala bhoodam kollum uyir naayenai Kaamamaadik kodum peigalorpuram Melum en mana peiyumorupuram Vesarachcheidu korani kolludey Velum mayilumey thunai verillai Ramadasan paniyum ubhaya Komala parimala mridula taala. 179

34 ( ) ஹ ஹ ழ ழ ழ ஹ 180

35 Incidentally in the song Swami saranam of Papanasam Sivan in the raga Anandabhairavi, talam, he has composed in the pattern of Pallavi with Multiple Charana like Tyagaraja Sri Raghuvaraprameya where each Charana has different dhatu. Pallavi Swami saranam rama (Swami) Charanam Sakala charaachara naayakane en (Swami) Agamum puramum engum niraiyum manoharane (Swami) Iravum pagalum unai ninaindu manam uruginen Tiruvulam ariyum enadarumai (Swami) Abalayai kan paaraai - undan Abhayakaram taaraai Aramillayaa tiruvarul illaiya Manam illaya innum dayavillaya en (Swami) ( ) 1. ( ) 2. ஹ ( ) 3. ( ) 4. ( ) Swara Pa. In this composition all the four Charanams starts with the 181

36 Another celebrated piece in Kambhoji by Tyagaraja is Evarimaata Vinnavo. Another prominent departure in this kriti is that the popular methodology of Tyagaraja s repeating the dhatu of the Anupallavi at the end of the Charanam is absent. Set in a meandering pace the kriti traverses majestically two full octaves Mandra Sthayi Panchamam to Tara Sthayi Panchamam, presenting an arrest picture of the raga in a way not found in other kritis. A kriti that can be reckoned as the crowning achievement in the exploration of Kambhoji by Tyagaraja is O Rangasaayi. It is one of the five gems of songs pertaining to Sriranga Kshetram. This song is a shining example of perfect blend of Mathu and Dhatu. It is upon Lord Ranganatha who is represented in a relaxing posture and the meandering music at the opening syllable Oh of the song is also suggestive of reposefulness. Tyagaraja was a versatile composer and he had very many mission while composing various songs. Though a comparatively difficult piece, Oh Rangasayi has all the charm, lilt and catchiness that would make it an ideal central piece in a music concert. Arudi is the most important part in a Ragam Tanam Pallavi, which always falls on a beat. As if to show a kriti apart from the Pallavi, Tyagaraja s double kalai songs usually avoid the Samam in the middle of the avarthanam and have bisection only at the half of the middle finger in tala Kritis. In Dinamani Vamsa (Harikambhoji), for instance the last syllable Sa falls on the half of the middle finger and so does in Entaraani tana (Harikambhoji). Tyagaraja might have deliberately experimented such a format. Though this kriti is widely popular today it was brought into vogue only in the 1960s and leading musicians usually do the niraval at the first Avartanam of the Charanam (Bhuloka vaikunta). Paada paada tigattada amudam ( 182

37 ) of Papanasam Sivan in Kambhoji is an example which proves that he closely followed the structure of kriti experimented by Tyagaraja. Papanasam Sivans Adu deivam is perhaps one of the master piece in this raga. This composition is in Double kalai tala. Pallavi Adum deivam nee arulvaai- idadu paadam thookki Anupallavi Naadum adiyar piravi tuyarara veedum tarum karunai nidhiye nada (maadum) Charanam Subhamcher kaaliyudan aadi padu tolvi anjel Tiru seviyil aninda mani Todu vizhundadaaga maayam kaatiyum thozhum padam Uyara thookkiyum viri Prapanjam muzhudum aattum nin padam thanjam ena Unnai adainden Parinden tindaattam kandu parisu tarum turaiye Sabai naduvil thathdhimi endru (Adum) - ( ) - 183

38 ( ) This kriti can be sung as the central piece in the concert as it gives a vast scope for Raga Alapana, Neraval and Kalpana swaram. As Tyagaraja has composed his Kritis in various graha swars, Papanasam Sivan has also followed him in composing his compositions starting with various graha swaras. This composition starts with the swara Ni. Even Tyagaraja didn t attempted to start in this graha swara. Here the composer has beautifully maintained the Dvitiyakshara prasa between the Pallavi and Anupallavi (Adum Nadum). Pallavi starts with upper Madhyasthayi and travels to the Tara sthayi and the Anupallavi centres around the Tarasthayi. Charanam transverse from the Tarasthayi towards the lower madhyasthayi and again it goes till the tarasthayi. The Kriti Adum Deivam, where in the Pallavi, the syllable Va lands on the samam. The pallavi of this song is structured as the Pallavi of Ragam-Tana-Pallavi. Pallavi is the apt place to do neraval. Adum deivam nee arulvai idadu paadam thookki ( - ) There is also a scope for singing neraval in the third line of the charanam which starts with the swaraksharam Pa Prapancham muzhudum aattum nin thiru padam Thanjam ena unnai adainden. A capable musician can sing the kondu kootti method of singing neraval by adding the last word Viri with the third line of 184

39 the Charanam as Prapancham Viriprapancham At the same time the Kalpana swaram can be sung at these two places. Tayagaraja has composed Chittaswaram in one of his kritis in Todi raga Tappi bratiki brova tarama. He has also added jathis in his kritis Sri Ganapathini sevimparaare in the raga Sourastram. Inspired by Tyagaraja, Papanasam Sivan has also composed a beautiful jathi in addition to Chittaswara in the composition Anandamey paramaanandamey in this raga with various prosodical beauties. Pallavi Anandamey paramaanandamey Ayyan abhaya varakaiyyan thiru natanam Anupallavi Maanilatil sakala jeevanum uyya makkal Oonak kanagal amritha paanam seyyak kidaitha Chittaswaram P,, P,,PDRSND PMGR S,,S,, SN NDPM PMGM P,D ND MPD PDSG,R,S NDR,S, ND PM,P,MGM Charanam Paadi madiyum prabhaakara vadivum Paal niramum tavazh parvati magizh kru Paanidhi ponnambalathaadum sa Bhaapati Madurai velliambalantanil Dhim ditthalaangu takajhanu thom thakajhanu thadhimi 185 Takita

40 Jhanaku thanaku tatthvam endra jhankaaramum duku Dum dum dum endra udukkaiyin omkaaramum tan Padayugala senthaamarai panivar Chinthaakulam agala tandom padaviyenum. ஊ The Charanam starts with the Swaraksharam Pa, and he has also beautifully incorporated the Anuprasam (Pa) in the first two lines of the Charanam. In the second last line of the charanam Padayugala senthaamarai panivar, Pada is the swaraksharam. Another most popular composition of Papanasam Sivan in this Raga is Kaana kan kodi. In this raga Kambhoji, Papanasam Sivan has composed songs on various Gods and Goddesses. Some of the examples are as follows: 186

41 Paada paada, Kaana kan kodi, Adum deivam on Siva. Maayavathara, Bhuvana pati on Sri Krishna. Pavanatanaya on Anjaneya. Undendru nambu on Venkateshwara. Neeye charan Shanmuga, Sikkal meviya on Muruga. KALYANI Kalyani is the 65 th Melakartha Ragam. In order to calculate the raga number in the katapayadi formula, the prefix Mecha is added. This is the 5 th raga in the 9 th chakra Rudra. The mnemonic name for this Mela is Rudra Ma. This is a highly popular Prati Madhyama raga comprising of a large number of janya ragas. This is one of the major raga that occupies a prominent place in the concerts as the main raga. Even though a Sarvakalika raga, evening time is the best suited for singing this raga. It is widely in use in the realm of classical music, Drama, Cinema, Religious music etc. All type of compositions like Gitams, Jatiswaram, Tana Varnam, Pada Varnam, Kirtana, Kriti, Padam, Javali and Tillana are there in this raga. The Pann equivalent of Kalyani is Arumpalai. Kalyani is also featured in Hungarian Music. Kalyani is supposed to be the earliest Prati Madhyama Ragam that was known in musical history. It is a Murchanakaraka raga, and by the process of model shift of tonic notes, we can derive Harikambhoji, Natabhairavi, Sankarabharanam, Kharaharapriya and Todi by taking as Adhara Shadjas : Ri, Ga, Pa, Dha, and Ni, respectively. 187

42 Accepting that there is less number of Prati Madhyama ragas in vogue even today, there can be no dispute about Kalyani s top place among the ragas. Other contenders for this honour might be Purvikalyani and Panthuvarali and the most recent additions being Simhendramadhyamam and Shanmukhapriya. Latangi, Dharmavati and even janya ragas like Ranjani have also emerged recently as popular Prati Madhyama ragas. Though younger than Shankarabharanam or Kambhoji, Kalyani is senior to all other Prati Madhyama ragas. It is again Tyagaraja who has consolidated the exalted place for the raga Kalyani. The musical Trinity has its fair share of compositions in Kalyani. Muthuswami Dikshitar has composed 11, Tyagaraja 19, and Shyama Shastri 9. Among the Post - Trinity composers, Papanasam Sivan has composed more than 25 songs. Many musicians have chistled out exquisite versions of Kalyani in the last sixty years or so. Some of the stalwarts who have adorned Kalyani with their music are: Ariyakkudi Ramanuja Iyengar - Nidhi chala sukhama G.N.Balasubrahmaniam Vasudevayani Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer - Ethavunara Maharajapuram Viswanatha Iyer Sundari Nee Divya Madhurai Mani Iyer Kamalambam Bhajare The Ragam Tanam Pallavi line Un Darisanam Kidaikkumo Nataraja Dayanidhe'' has been immortalized by musicians like G.N.Balasubramanyam, Madhurai Mani Iyer. 188

43 Compositions of Tyagaraja in Kalyani Graha Swara Composition Talam Ri Ramaa ni Vaadu (Tisra nadai) Ga Enduko Ni Manasu Etavunara Nidhichala sukhama Ninnana Valasina Bhajana Seyave Sandehamu Misra Chapu Misra Chapu Rupakam Rupakam Pa E Varamadugudura Rupakam Da Rama Rama Misra Chapu Sa Amma Ravamma Misra Chapu Isa pahimam Kamala Bhavudu Kaaru Velpulu Nammi Vachchina Vachchnu Hari Vasudevayani Sive Paahi Sundari Ni Divya Rupakam Misr Chapu Rupakam Composition of Papanamsam Sivan Graha Swara Composition Talam Dha Venkata Ramana 189

44 Ni Tunai neey Sa Oru Varam Thandarul Mayil Vahanane Ga Vayu kumarane Kanindarul Purindaal (Tisra Nadai) Unnai allal vere gati Kamala Malar Ithal Ennai Sodanai Misra Chapu Ma Ramachandran Malaradi Sridhara Venkatesam Misra Chapu Pa Padam nambinen Kalyani Karunanidhe Sa Unnai allal Un Padam Malarathu Sundareshvarane Purakave Avatharithan The most famous and widely sung Tyagaraja Kriti in Kalyani is Nidhi chala sukhama, stand out as a masterpiece. Pallavi Nidhi chaala sukhama? Ramuni san Nidhi seva sukhama? nijamuga balgu manasa! Anupallavi Dadhi navanita kshiramulu rucho? Dasa Rati dhyana bhajana sudhaarasamu rucho? Charanam Dama samamanu Ganga snaanamu sukhamaa? gardha- Dhama durvishaya kupa snaanamu sukhamaa? 190