02 My fascinations with the compositions of Muthuswamy Diksithar

Since my earliest student days I was fascinated with the compositions of Sri Muthuswamy Dikshithar, the youngest of the carnatic musical trinity often  referred to as the travelling bard!

Whether it be the aarambapaadams as taught by our first Guru Krishnamurthy Sir or the intermediate lessons by Babu Sir or the advanced (that is how the course used to be called in those days) lessons under Smt Kalyani Sharma, the compositions of MD always used to make me sit up  & learn them faster than the other krithis which were also taught by these revered learned gurus.

The aarambapadam by Krishnamurthy Sir included Vathapi Ganapathim (Hamsadhwani), Sri Saraswathi Namosthuthey (Aarabhi), Sri Maha Ganapathi (Goulai), Panchashatpeetha Roopini (Karnataka Devagandhari) and such similar simple small songs. At the intermediate level I was fortunate to learn the masterpiece Sri  Subrahmanyaya Namaste (Kambodhi), Karikalapa Mukham (Saveri) & the navagraha Krithi Angarakam Aashrayamyaham (Suruti). Babu Sir was a student of GNB & the singing style & bani of that great singer was imparted to us by Babu Sir meticulously!

If  Babu Sir could initiate us into the joys of the pace & dynamism of GNB’s music, Kalyani Teacher who had learnt vocal under Semangudi Srinivasa Iyer & Brindamma & veena under that doyen K S Narayanaswamy (all of whom were the torch bearers of the rich traditional sampradayam which our music is known for) made sure that in addition to the pace & dynamism of GNB’s style we also understand & appreciate the importance of sowkyam which forms the soul of our music. She was instrumental in my learning Maha Ganapathim (Todi), the full set of that mighty Kamalamba Navavarna Krithis & the Navagraha Krithis. Smt Nagalakshmi Santhanagopalan disciple of Dr S Ramanathan & Prof T R Subramanian, was in charge of theory classes, which included amongst many interesting topics the asampoorna mela structure which MD is supposed to have followed. Though we were familiar with raga names appearing in many MD krithis, here we learnt the sookshma manner in which this happens. Here we also learnt the naming system & the names of ragas in the asampoorna mela system – Kanakambari, Penadhyuthi, Ganasamavarali, etc.

Having had such initial foundation, practically & theoretically,  after the completion of my formal structured music classes which culminated with the award of a diploma in KVC by the University of Bombay, my full attention was diverted to completing another major task which I had undertaken - CA Exams, articleships & Graduation. Somehow I managed a first class in B.Com (with a University rank & a scholarship to do M.Com thrown in as a bonus!) followed it with a pass in CA Inter & finally qualifying as a CA at the age of 22.

Somewhere around this time, our group comprising of my mother Renuka Soundararajan (my first guru), Janaki Swamy, Prema Krishnan & Kasturi Rangan (we all were the first group of students to have learnt the Kamalamba Navavrna Krithis under Smt Kalyani Sharma who has since untiringly & selflessly taught this to several groups & is today considered unparalleled for teaching such group krithis) got a chance to visit & perform at the Trinity festival. It was a memorable experience performing Navavrna Krithis at the Muthuswami Dikshithar mandapam, singing Syama Sastri’s 3 swarajathis (Bhairavi, Todi & Yadukula Kambodhi) at his residence & Thyagaraja Swami’s pancharatna krithis at his residence. The audience during our performance of Kamalamba Navavrna Krithis at MD mandapam included Lalgudi Jayaraman, Vijayshiva, etc. We were fortunate enough to be invited to perform Navavrna Krithis at Narada Gana Sabha where the distinguished audience included Sri Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer, Sri Lalgudi Jayaraman & Sri Maharajapuram Santhanam.

As my appetite for learning newer compositions increased, I found that it was easier for me to learn (probably more inclined to) Sivakameshwarim than Ethavunara; Pasupatheeswaram than Ennalu; Sri Rama Saraswathi than Maravairi; Sri Ranga Nathaya Namaste than Sangeetha Dhyanamu; Parandhamavathi than Bhajana Seya Radha; so on & so forth.

As a hobby I started collecting & hearing to musical greats performing MD krithis. My favourites include KVN’s MD bicentennial year concert at the MA 1975, MDR’s MD concert, Vedavalli’s MD day AIR concert & Prof SR Janakiraman’s lec dem on Dikshithar day.

Some of the compositions (renditions) which I enjoy include  MMI - Maaye, DKJ – Hiranmayim, MLV/Nedunuri – Paradevatha, TNS – Thyagarajo Virajathe, KVN – Sri Subrahmanyaya Namaste, GNB – Chintaye Maha Linga,  BVR BVL – Ramachandraya Namasthe & Rame Bharatha, TVS – Sri Mathru Bootham, Ravikiran – Veena Pusthaka, SSI – Balakrishnam Bhavayami, Lalgudi – Sri Krishnam Bhaja Manasa, M Santhanam – Pannagashayana, Brindamma – Brihan Nayaki Vara Dhayaki, Vedavalli – Dakshayani abhayambike, Sanjay Subramanian - Simhasanasthithe. TNS’s Sri Raja Gopala in Music Academy 1984 is another all time favourite.

As my joyous musical journey is progressing I remember a statement made by Nagalakshmi teacher in one of her theory classes - MATHS & MUSIC ARE INTER RELATED, IT IS EASY FOR ANY ONE WHO KNOWS & LOVES ONE; TO LEARN THE OTHER VERY EASILY. How I interpret this statement – in my next! 

01 Random thoughts on griha bedham

The period was late 70s. The artist on the stage was M L Vasanthakumari. To my just-being-trained but eager understanding the maestro was deep into Kalyani raga alapana, not one of my favourite ragas then. While the sanchara was in the region of anthara gandhara in the thara sthayi, a 50 something seasoned veteran rasika seated next to me was actually rubbing his hands in glee. I could feel him move forward in his seat as though to get closer to the artist so as to hear her more clearly. I was more interested in watching my neighbour’s expression than what the maestro was unfolding on the stage. After diverting my attention for a few seconds from the stage to my neighbour, when my attention reverted to the stage I was a bit perplexed, I was sure that a few seconds before MLV was deep into Kalyani, but when I came back to the music (after a tiny break, closely but unabashedly observing my neighbour)  I was hearing Sudha Dhanyasi. The violinist who was earlier following MLV closely almost swara to swara, was now gingerly bowing only a single swara. I could actually sense pin drop silence in the hall & almost everybody’s attention was on the stage. As a 14 year old who had started formal training in carnatic music about 4 years back, I was unknowingly witnessing and enjoying an expert & aesthetic exposition of what I later came to know as “Sruthi bedham” or “Griha Bedham”. After taking us briefly through the beautiful world of Sudha Dhanyasi, MLV brought us all back to Kalyani. When the alapana was completed and the sabha was filled with roaring applause (in which I joined whole heartedly), I knew instantly that I had witnessed an absolutely superb concept in music, understanding of  which would have me always looking forward to it in all concerts which I would hear for the rest of my lifetime.

However after the MLV concert  it took me many months with an old harmonium and listening to hours and hours of tapes of MLV, TNS, SKR and BMK to get a hold on the concept. Being reasonably familiar with a key board and knowing how to operate one, I used to spend long time playing the same notes time and again; driving my family members crazy.

A brief digress from Griha Bedham - Ours is a family of music lovers, where there was a tradition that each child in the family was inducted at an early age in atleast one aspect of classical music, be it vocal or instrument. In my generation myself & my sister Jaya were inducted into vocal & my brother Vaidhyanathan who is referred as Malli was trained in mridangam.  Amongst my mother’s siblings – my mother (Renuka / Bala) & one of my chithis (Jagada) were into vocal having learnt under T.S.Krishna Bhagavathar (who himself was a student of Tiger Varadachariar), the other chithi (Radha) for a change started with Bharata Natyam, younger mama (Sundar) into mridangam & the elder mama (Ramu / Ramaswamy) into sitar & later violin. This tradition is being religiously followed for the past 4 generations & continues till date. To take this lineage still earlier, my grandmother (Rajalakshmi / Rajam) & her mother (my great grand mother) were keen students of music too, having performed many a concerts individually & giving voice over for dance programs, etc. Naturally my grandmother’s first & second cousins too were trained in some aspect of carnatic music either vocal or instrumental & as narrated to me all family functions invariably ended in some sort of musical program.

Given this family background as above, my penchant with the harmonium was not found unusual by my (immediate) family members. Though it would have sounded quite monotonous and quite plain (try playing thodi, harikambodhi, karaharapriya, natabhairavi, shankarabharanam, kalyani in a harmonium), I was never discouraged.

Coming back to Griha bedham I feel that if one had a reasonably good background of carnatic classical music  & if he/she were adventurous enough to try it, he/she would have at some point of time dabbled with Griha Bedham /Sruthi Bedham.

My own personal experimentation with one in a concert stage was in 1985 when I got a one hour program to render Thyagaraja Krithis in a Aradhana function organised by a Sabha in Chembur, Mumbai. My initial attempt  was in thara sthayi anthara gandharam in Kalyani (the first conscious experience of mine hearing to MLV). However instead of Sudha Dhanyasi I tried Nata Bhairavi, a sampoorna mela ragam. This however came spontaneously, I had not planned to do this. Theoretically I knew it could be done, but with a violinist whom I was meeting for the first time (a senior respected mami, who was a veteran accompanist for local dance programs) & with whom I could not have any practise session, suddenly I was not very sure  whether I should have taken up this. (To give an example of this mami’s musical prowess - Earlier in the same program when I did a brief raga alapana of Nagaswaravali, the mami played a very melodious Bahudhari during her chance, she could not hide her shocked expression  when I started Sripathey instead of Brovabarama which she was sure I would sing!.)

My mother & a couple of her friends who knew this to be my maiden attempt at griha bedham, were mildly shocked at my attempt. Later after the program they sounded a bit critical & chided me. My mother’s friend, a music teacher, lectured that one is not supposed to do such experimentation in the initial stages as a musician. In fact my mama who also attended this concert of mine told me later that he was not sure whether I would be able to come out of this chakravyuh unscathed. The kalyani composition of Thyagaraja which I rendered that day was “tharama nee mahima pokata” one of the few compositions by the bard on Tirupathi Shri Balaji.

After this moderately successful attempt my later concerts (frequency averaging about one concert in every 2 years) would invariably include griha bedham as one of the ingredients. But after my initial experience with the violinist mami, I would try to ensure that my accompanying violinist is familiar with this concept.

Over a period of time I seemed to have developed a group of fans (mostly family members, relatives & a few junior students) who would attend my programs. Most of the people attending these concerts would invariably feel that I render ragas and compositions which they do not hear frequently &/or I give too much weightage to a particular composer who is known as a travelling bard & is renowned for his  Sanskrit compositions on various deities. But that is a different matter altogether………..