#CarnaticJihadi

#CarnaticJihadi

Early this morning, a wise angel came and told me to write this. 

Do you know who is a #CarnaticJihadi!? 

First of all, Carnatic music is a global phenomenon, like ChatGPT, Insta, rocket science, GM food, rock music and cricket. It is not immune to terrorism either. So the time has come to define the #CarnaticJihadi. 

1. The #CarnaticJihadi comes from a well-to-do background, and has learnt music from the masters.
2. The #CarnaticJihadi is an accomplished performer and builds a good fan following.
3. The #CarnaticJihadi gladly accepts all medals, honours, titles, speaking opportunities and invitations to write books, as this gives a ready platform to do his work.
4. The #CarnaticJihadi is an iconoclast, badmouthing the tradition and the masters from whom he has benefited greatly. He does not hesitate to hit dead people below the belt.
5. The catch words are 'Tradition", "Orthodoxy", "Parochialism", "This corruption called Bhakti" and such. They pepper all his communications that ask the people to rise in arms.
6. The #CarnaticJihadi is singing the same old songs of the masters, delivering the same tradition, even though he prefaces every song and performance with the preaching he is well known for. 
7. The key leverage for the #CarnaticJihadi is A. Tradition B. The audience that loves this tradition. It is the height of hypocrisy that he is trying to subvert the same two things as a #CarnaticJihadi!
8. If we take away the tradition and the traditional audience that the #CarnaticJihadi is leveraging, he will be nothing. Those wokeist audiences who relish badmouthing tradition have many other avenues for entertainment and would consider the #CarnaticJihadi without his music as worth nothing.

Note: I have used "he" for the #CarnaticJihadi. However, this would apply equally to any "she" who also fits these criteria.

Dīkṣitar: Rāma Rāma Kalikuṣavirāma - Rāga Rāmakali

(Snapshot of SSP)

My meaning: Oh, Rāma! You are the eradication of all worldly miseries and blemishes!

The crest jewel among rulers of the earth!  Oh, dear consort of Sītā, who is goddess Lakṣmī born as the daughter of Mother Earth! The abode of all virtues! The ultimate destination for all of us after liberation! Oh, the dark-hued one, protect me! Oh, lord, who is all auspicious and the assured refuge of this Guruguha (i.e. me); your name receives obeisances from the wise and enlightened ones!

Now, let's listen to a beautiful rendition:

Jaya Jaya Svāmin - Song on Gaṇeṣa

जय जय स्वामिन् 

मायामाळवगौळ - आदि - नारायणतीर्थः

जय जय स्वामिन् जय जय

जय जय स्वामिन् जय जय   --- प. 

--

जय जय जितवैरिवर्ग प्रचण्ड

जय जय गजमुख जय वक्रतुण्ड   - अ.प.

--

शक्रादिसुरगणसन्नुतचरण

शातकुम्भमणिदिव्याभरण

धीकृतघनविघ्नतिमिरावरण

धीर नारायणतीर्थसुकरुण           - च. 

This is a beautiful composition in Sanskrit from one of my favourite saint-poets.

It is in Sambodhanā Vibhaktī, hailing Lord Gaṇeṣa while listing all his great qualities :

Glory to you, Lord Gaṇeṣa!

1. The one who has conquered hordes of enemies (bad qualities, life's difficulties, and troubles).
2. Radiant like the sun
3. Elephant-headed
4. With the trunk curved
5. Your feet are worshipped by all the gods, headed by Lord Indra himself.
6. Wearing a divine necklace of gold and gemstone beads
7. Having condemned and destroyed the dark covering of ignorance - a dense impediment to illumination,
8. The valorous one, Lord Gaṇeṣa, you are showering gracious compassion on the saint-poet Nārāyaṇatīrtha.

Glory to you, Lord Gaṇeṣa!

॥ हरिः ॐ तत् सत् ॥

My article in the Star of Mysore

 

Maitreem Bhajata

Bharata Ratna M. S. Subbulakshmi performed at the United Nations on 23 October 1966. The audience of delegates from several nations were treated to pure Carnatic music. The concert itself was an event to remember for all who cherish Indian culture and our music.

The final song that day was an ode to peace and brotherhood composed by Kanchi Maha Periyavaa. The words in Sanskrit are as follows:

मैत्रीं भजत अखिलहृज्जेत्रीम्

आत्मवदेव परान्नपि पश्यत ।

युद्धं त्यजत स्पर्धां त्यजत

त्यजत परेषु अक्रममाक्रमणम् ॥

जननी पृथिवी कामदुघाऽऽस्ते

जनको देवः सकलदयालुः ।

दाम्यत दत्त दयध्वं जनताः

श्रेयो भूयात् सकलजनानाम् ॥

I give below my translation:

Oh people, celebrate and extol friendship and camaraderie, for that is the way to conquer the world! 

Indeed, see everyone else as you see yourselves - we are all one! 

Give up war! Give up this senseless competition and arms race. And, of course, give up acts of aggression and invasion. 

Earth, the wish-fulfilling Kamadhenu, is indeed the mother for all of us! Our father in heaven is all compassion and love. Are we all not bound by this feeling of oneness? 

Restrain the tendencies of aggression. Give generously. Be compassionate to others. 

Let all prosper! Let all be happy! Let all be fulfilled! 

हरिः ॐ तत् सत् 

God is in man's image

       Source:sangeethasudha

I heard this Annamacharya song rendered by Vid. Amritha Murali at BIC yesterday in her MSS tribute concert. This song of Saint Annamacharya, made famous by MSS, tells a profound truth relevant for us today on Ganesha Chaturthi!

Do we not all make Ganeshas in clay images as we like them and worship them? There is a profound element of grace in this phenomenon! 

The song is translated below in my attempt at versification:

Lord, how kind you are to manifest 

In whatever form and image 

I make of you! 

Indeed, the clay decides how big the Ganesha can be for me! 

Just as how much flour I have decides how big the Modak can be! 

I may think of you as Vishnu, the beautiful form reclining on Adishesha. 

On the other hand, as an Impersonalist, I may try hard and abstract you as Para Brahman. 

I may carry a skull begging bowl, daring myself to see you walk the burning ghat as Bhairava.

I may conceive of you as Lord Shiva, ash-smeared, seated in meditation on Kailasa. 

Or bring you in a procession, as beautiful Devi Shakti, ever kind and many-armed! 

Lord, indeed, you can be as big or as small as my mind can make you! That is your infinity. That is your grace! 

Lord of Venkatachala, I think of your infinity as the limitless holy Ganga. On either side, she seeps into the soft soil, making little pools. 

In these pools flower lotuses. The lotus of my devotion blooms

Only in the limited pool of my mind. But in my mind is mirrored your infinity! Likewise, isn't the lotus pool a blessing of Ganga, and the lotus itself blooming only by your grace? 

Where do I come in therefore in this play of image making? Lotus blooming? 

I am here just to experience the bliss of your grace, allowing me to make the clay Ganesha to worship! 

🙏🙏🙏

Swathi Thirunal Dashavatara Ragamalika Kriti

Meaning:

1. Oh one with lotus-like face! The one who vanquished the demon Hayagriva who stole the Vedas, Divine fish incarnate, Save me, oh kind one!
2. One holding the mountain Mandara! Divine tortoise-incarnate! The one who entertained as Mohini the gods who had partaken of Amrutha!
3. One who killed the fearsome Hiranyaksha!With the form of a boar! The support of Mother Earth! Support of this world!
4. One who took the form of Nara-Simha to protect Prahlada! One who gives cheer to the good ones! One who killed the demon Hiranyakashipu!
5. One who took the form of Vamana! Who broke down the snare of arrogance trapping Mahabali! The protector of the good-natured!
6. One whose arm sports the sharp-edged axe! One who learnt the limitless knowledge of scriptures from Shiva! Terrible to your enemies! Rama of Bhrigu clan!
7. The adornment of the human race! The terrible storm that destroyed the deceitful ten-headed Ravana! Raghuvira! Brave in battle!
8. Holder of the plough that attracted the respect of Hastinapura (ruled by Kauravas)! The one who killed the terrible Pralambhasura! Baladeva! Valiant one!
9. The one like Manmatha who sported in the most enjoyable Brindavan! The young cowherd Krishna!
10. The one who took the form of Kalki to spell the end of Kaliyuga! Your form shines like a rain-laden cloud! Oh Padmanabha! Save me, oh kind one!

Violin Legend T Chowdiah

I heard Vidwan Chowdiah first in late 1950s and early 1960s in Bangalore when I wasn't even ten years of age. His fame ensured that there was in every concert a large crowd and that everyone thoroughly enjoyed the show. I am talking of his solos; and ensembles where he would lead with his favourite pieces and accompanists (violin and sometimes veena and flute) would follow faithfully. There would be good mridangam and ghatam accompaniment, too. Sri. Chowdiah appeared to me (a very young listener) to be supremely confident and given to a lot of tricks to hold the audiences. In fact the modern instrumentalist stars all seem to me to be following a format he had created. Please listen to this:

rsachi · raghu_vamsa_sudhAmbudhi-kadanakutUhalam.mp3

This was broadcast today on AIR 100.1FM with the announcement that today is Sri. Chowdiah's anniversary. In a flash, whatever I have heard from Sri. K. Srikantiah, he and his father having been major patrons and friends of Sri. Chowdiah, and whatever I have heard from stalwarts like Vid. KVN and Sri. S. Krishnamurthy, passed through my mind. From being the son of a farmer to a devoted disciple of Vid. Bidaram Krishnappa to becoming the supreme violin accompanist to all the superstars to being a great organiser, teacher, innovator of the seven stringed violin and finally to being the brand ambassador of Carnatic music in a true sense - all this makes him the first Carnatic super-hero for me. Listen to his Kadanakuthuhalam. It is full of melody, manodharma, instrumental virtuosity, and captivating presentation. A true legend we should remember and celebrate always. Did you notice how his Kadanakuthuhalam had many flavours of Maand also in the beginning? Two very sparkling cameo raagas in CM!

When beauty meets strength

The first of the two pieces presented in this video so well is in the raaga Begada, one of my two most favourite raagas. 

The song is in praise of the Guru.

The Guru tattva is intrinsic to our Sanatana Dharma. It is the Guru who gives us the right vision to see the beauty of creation. And awakens the strength in us to rise to our fullness of being. 

The song in raaga Begada made a deep impact on me. Because Begada also combines infinite beauty with infinite strength. I have always imagined the sea shore with the energetic and beautiful waves rising and coming again and again to strike the strong rock on which I am standing. As I hear Begada the waves are making beautiful surf and splash and sprinkle, receding only to come back again. I am on the solid rock witnessing this exquisite beautiful moment.

Begada is not sung so often because it makes demands on the singer. The two - strength and beauty are the warp and woof of this raaga. Especially, I have found lady singers stay away from Begada. But not Kruthi Bhat here. She has such amazing grace in her voice and presentation. Her manodharma and little filigreed touches enhance Begada impeccably. She is singing with obvious devotion to the Swamiji and the sentiment of Gurubhakti. The deft violin touches by Vittal and the deep mridangam strokes of Sumesh add great joy to the experience. Thank the lockdown for making them go the extra length to create such a lovely offering. 

All in all a class act. God bless these musicians. Kruthi Bhat is making rapid progress!

PS: The second piece is by Kruthi's guru and the famous Vittal Ramamurthy a worthy disciple of Lalgudi Jayaraman. The violins, mridangam and voice meld very sweetly. 

Sakhi Prana

A superb rendition by Vid. N. J. Nandini and Vid. Vishnudev Namboodari has prompted this post:

Sakhi Prana - one of the MOST famous javalis in Carnatic music is composed by Dharmapuri Subbaraaya Aiyyar - a 19th century composer. 

Listen to Sakhi Prana here:

https://www.facebook.com/NJNandiniofficial/videos/1049722148872829/

N J Nandini is the grand daughter of Sri. Vechoor  Harihara Sharma of Trivandrum. I know her to be  a gutsy and good singer.

Vishnudev Namboodari is a very good singer and a student of P S Narayanaswamy. Both of them therefore belong to SSI school. But this type of collaboration is not only difficult but also singers often resort to gimmicks and electronics to hide the inadequacies of singing. This lady has done a fabulous job here. The bold moves in her voice are difficult indeed to pull off.

Meaning:

Pallavi:
sakhi prANA sakhuDiTu jEsenE

Oh friend! look what my soul mate has done

C1: idigO vaccedanani hitavugA mATalADi aladAni niDa cErenE

he sweetly told me that he would just come back and then took the other lady's shelter

2: nana vilutuni pOrulaku pilacitE vADu anarAni mATalADanE
he abused me when I invited him for the manmatha's games

3: munu nannu kalasi marmamulerigina dharmapuri vAsuDu maracenE
the dharmapuri vAsa, who was with me earlier and knows all my secrets, has forgotten me.

Dharmapuri Subbarayar hailed from Dharmapuri, Tamilnadu, and composed in Telugu. He is the most notable composer of the Jaavali form, of which he is the universally acclaimed master. Most of the music he composed, therefore, dealt with sringaara rasa, or romantic and even erotic love, and all were of the jaavali form. Many of his compositions were composed in the home of Veena Dhanam, whose music he admired, and who learned around 60 javalis from him. It is said that he may have composed the poignant javali ``Sakhiprana'' at her home, grief-stricken at his inability to save her from bankruptcy. 

The story goes that once Dharmapuri Subbarayar had to go away to his native place to settle certain personal things. He promised Dhanammal that he would be back soon. But it was more than six months before he returned. Meanwhile Dhanammal had to vacate her house because of debts. Subbarayar was saddened by this and in remorse he composed 'sakhi prANa'. In it he says that he had promised to return soon but had not kept his promise. This is the background of this javali.

Smara sundaranguni (paras) was also written out of respect for her. This close contact with Veena Dhanam as well as T. Balasaraswati influenced dance as much as music, especially abhinaya. Subbarayar was also employed by the Yenadi Sisters. T Shankaran, in one of his articles, writes that he kept a notebook at his bedside near the pillow to write down the javalis that came to mind, but his wife is said to have fervently prayed to the diety at Tiruchengodu that her children should not take after their father!

Javalis like Parulanna mata (Kapi), Sakhiprana (Jhunjooti), vaaNi pondu (kaanaDaa), , caarumati (kaanaDaa), Muttavadura Mohananga (saavEri), Ethanaichonalum (saavEri), ni Pondu Chalu (kaanaDaa), Narimani (Khamas), praana sakutitu (chenchurutti), Idi niku (bEgaDa) and Emandune muddu (Saindhavi) are among his compositions.

Sources: various, from the Internet. 

Savouring Sangeetam

Recently, we had a few sessions on Carnatic music via Zoom in the IITM 1973 group. I was asked to introduce our music. I made a few slides and talked throrugh them, using playists of music I had created from the public domain. I would like to share the pitches and the playlists here: Whereas the first part spoke of some basics of the history, format and naunces of our music, the second part went into the subject of how to develop a taste for "quality" in Carnatic music. I also shared the results of a survey I had done in 2013: https://bit.ly/2013CarnaticSurvey The Playlist is here> Zoom was not very cooperative and people listened to the music in peace only after the call.

Raaga Rendezvous

We had 3 sessions via Zoom among IITM1973 batchmates about Carnatic music recently. This is the pitch I made in the second session. The session was intended to explain what is a Raaga in Carnatic music, with all its nuances. To keep it simple, I used only one raaga, Mohanam. Arguably the most popular and natural tune all over the world! Here is the playlist we used:https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLT5COFfoKkzV45CJh15sQJXzjld0EbaQR

What is नादः (Naada)

I just saw a beautiful discussion on Naada on YouTube between Sri. Rajiv Malhotra and Vid. Vrinda Acharya:

https://youtu.be/QBiDqqXtR-c

I am inspired by their discussion and this shloka from सङ्गीतरत्नाकरः to write my thoughts. 

How do we distinguish Naada in music, particularly Carnatic music, from sound? 

Sound is any vibration caused materially and perceived within our hearing. Therefore musical Naada is also a kind of sound. But all sounds are not Naada. This is because the core of Naada is human consciousness. 

Consciousness in its highest sense is Brahman, the all-pervading creative intelligence. In all creation, it is most completely expressed in human consciousness. And man can strive to attain to the state of experiencing Brahman. The path is shown by rishis and acharyas like Adi Shankara. 

Brahman is also called Naadabrahman, and Omkara Naada, as explained by Dr. Vrinda. So in the Sanatana Dharma, the original source of everything is Naada. 

The instinct for all music comes from this Naadabrahman=consciousness and has an aestheic dimension without which making or experiencing music is impossible. 

Naada is to be first intuited and then expressed aesthetically. And then it has to be experienced aesthetically. If there is no experiencer there is no Naada. In other words all music is a subjective experience - both its creation and its enjoyment. I daresay it goes beyond sensory pleasure because it seems to have a unique effect unlike other sensory experiences. You don't listen to all that you hear if your consciousness is not tuned in. It's a bit like Bhagavan Krishna tells Arjuna that if he has to see Vishvarupa, he needs a special pair of eyes - the inner eye of an elevated consciousness. 

The Indian classical musical system gives us insight into developing a  profound dimension in music by structuring it on the principles of Raaga, Taala, and Bhaava. Whether it is one musician or an ensemble, they all begin by getting inside the infinite canvas of the cosmic Omkara Naada as created by the sonorously tuned Tambura. Once the musician experiences that Omkara within, as it is said in the shloka shown above, he harnesses the combination of Praana and Agni, the two dimensions of his life force, to express the musical idea. In all this, the first listener is the musician himself. Even when birds chirp and machines make harmonious sounds, they become music only when there is a human to experience them. 

What about iPod and You Tube music? Machines can mimic or store and reproduce music made by humans with varying degrees of efficiency. But the starting point of all those sounds is their creation through a subjective human experience. If and when machines can subjectively feel and create music autonomously, even then, the tag of music will be placed on their creation only by a human who can subjectively experience the aesthetics. 

In the Amazon Prime TV series, Mozart in the Jungle, a Japanese robot is shown as being constructed and programmed to conduct a famous orchestral piece. The protagonist, a great and original conductor, is so outraged by the idea that he dashes the robot into a rivulet and destroys it. He considers it the most repulsive piece of technology to outrage all musical sensibilities through a caricaturing of a sublime subjective aesthetic experience. That is the same experience we connect to Naada Brahman. 

No soul, no music. 

These same aspects will apply, to a lesser extent, to other fine arts and performing arts. Remember the centrality of the subjective human experience which we connect to Brahman or the Supreme Soul. 

October 24, 2017: Saroruhanabha

Composition of Maharaja Swati Tirunal

nītihatāhita pālaya mām- śuddhalalitā

Pallavi

nītihatāhita pālaya mām saroruhanābha 

ghanābha madebhagate 

dhrtaveda manojñatan0 krpayāva mām suhasa

Anupallavi

pāta pāṇḍavayoṣha pāpajālahara

cāruphāla navahemaceladhara gopabāla jaya

Charaṇam

rāghava mām pālaya ripujita madana 

suguṇasadana vimalaradana dayārṇava

rīṇapāpa bahughoratāpahara bhūmijāpa sura pālaka parama

Re-ordered word-by-word meaning

nītihatāhita -One who is the enemy of those who break the code of ethics,

pālaya mām saroruhanābha - protect me, oh the One with the lotus in the navel,

ghanābha - with the hue of a rain cloud,

madebhagate - with the gait of an elephant in rut,

dhṛtaveda - who carried the Vedas (Matsyāvatāra)

manojñatano - with an attractive form, 

kṛpayā ava mām suhasa - kindly protect me, Oh one with a smiling face,

pāta pāṇḍava yosha - the one who saved the wife of the Pandavas,

pāpajāla hara - the one who dispels the maze/cage of sins,

cāruphāla - with a beautiful forehead, 

nava hema cela dhara- wearing a lovely golden garb,

gopabāla jaya - Oh Cowherd boy, glory to you!

rāghava mām pālaya - Oh Rama, please take care of me, 

ripujita - conquerer of enemies,

madana - lovely like Manmatha, 

suguṇa sadana - the storehouse of virtues, 

vimala radana - with spotless teeth, 

dayārṇava - the ocean of mercy,

rīṇa pāpa - the remover of sins, 

bahu ghora tāpa hara - the remover of very terrible sufferings, 

bhūmijāpa - worshipped by Mother Earth (refers to Varāhāvatāra)

sura pālaka -protector of the gods, 

parama - Oh Supreme One!

September 24, 2017: Chamundeshwari

śrīvāsudevācārya viracita śrī cāmuṇḍeśvari

śrīcāmuṇḍeśvari pālaya māṃ kṛpākari śaṅkari

śritajanapālini mahābalādrivāsini mahiṣāsuramardini

vācāmagocaramahimavirājite varaguṇabharite

vākpatimukhasuravandite vāsudevasahajāte 

rākāniśākarasannibhavadane rājīvalocane

ramaṇiyakundaradane rakṣitabhuvane maṇiraśane

mūkavākpradānavikhyāte munivaranutisuprīte

śrīkaratārakamantratoṣitacitte sadā namaste

Re-ordered word-by-word meaning

śrīcāmuṇḍeśvari kṛpākari śaṅkari pālaya māṃ - Oh Sri Chamundeshwari, full of mercy, the auspicious One, please take care of me!

śritajanapālini - who take care of those devoted to Her,

mahābalādrivāsini - living on the Mysore hill called Mahabala, 

mahiṣāsuramardini - the One who slew Mahishasura,

vācām agocara mahima virājite - resplendent with glories indescribable, 

varaguṇabharite - full of great virtues, 

vākpatimukhasuravandite - worshipped by gods led by Brahma, 

vāsudevasahajāte - sister of Krishna, 

rākā niśākara sannibha vadane - with face of reddish hue like the moon, rājīvalocane -lotus-eyed, 

ramaṇiya kunda radane - with beautiful jasmine-like teeth, 

rakṣitabhuvane - protector of the world, 

maṇiraśane - wearing a pearl waist belt,

mūka vāk pradāna vikhyāte - reputed for granting the faculty of speech to a mute one (somewhat like the story of Kalidasa),

muni vara nuti suprīte - pleased by the obeisances of the meditators, 

śrīkara tāraka mantra toṣita citte - whose mind is pleased by the recitation of auspicious mantras, 

sadā namaḥ te - always my prayers to You!

Mysore is famous for Dasara palace illumination, great kings and composers. This Bilahari composition of Mysore Vasudevacharya celebrates the presiding deity of Mysore, Devi!