Tyagaraja's "Guruleka etuvanti" in raga GauriManohari

The first composition:

Tyagaraja was 13 years old. He approached his father Rama Brahmam and said, "Father, I have composed this song. I would like to sing it for you." He then proceeded to sing "Namo namo Raghavaaya" in the raaga Deshya Todi. (Deshya Todi is listed as Todi with no rishabha in the arohanam. It is a shaadava (6 notes in ascent), sampoorna (7-notes in descent) raaga. What is heard today as Deshya Todi sounds a lot like Sindhu Bhairavi. We can safely say that this is an uncommon raaga). Rama Brahmam was truly stunned. "You composed it, Tyagu!?" Rama Brahmam fumbled for words. "Yes Father," Tyagaraja replied humbly.
Rama Brahmam felt that young Tyagaraja's composition had to be assessed by Sonti Venkataramanaiyya, the court musician of King Sarfoji of Thanjavur.

Tyagaraja's times:

Thanjavur was ruled by the Marathas during Tyagaraja's time. History says that the Maratha king Venkoji, Shivaji's half-brother was the first Maratha King who ruled Thanjavur starting 1674. The most celebrated Maratha king associated with Tyagaraja's life was Serfoji II, also called Sarabhoji (or 'Saraboja mannar' in Tamil) who ruled Thanjavur from 1798 to 1832.
Tyagaraja himself was born in 1767 to Rama Brahmam and Seetamma at Tiruvarur, Thanjavur district. The family moved to Tiruvaiyyaru soon after Tyagaraja was born.

Sonti Venkataramanaiyya at King Sarfoji's court was no ordinary musician. He was a disciple of the renowned Venkatamakhin. It was Venkatamakhin who systematized raagas in Carnatic music into 72 melakartas ("parent" scales with all 7 notes in ascent and descent). Raagas with fewer notes were hung from these melakarta raagas as "janya (child) raagas". Carnatic music was now organized much like the Periodic Table in Chemistry! His creation ensured that every student of Carnatic Music would spend hours over this meticulous classification- wide-eyed and excited. "Saaramati raaga? It has to be a Natabhairavi janya!" gushes an avid present-day music enthusiast.

It was a Rama Navami evening. As darkness descended, Sonti Venkataramanaiyya ended the veena recital. He looked up to see Rama Brahmam and young Tyagaraja. Rama Brahmam said, "Venkataramanaiyya garu, my son Tyagu has composed a  song. I would like you to listen to it and give your comments." Needless to say, Sonti Venkataramanaiyya was completely floored by Tyagaraja's composition. He knew this was no ordinary child. He took Tyagaraja under his wing. Much like Lord Krishna, the jagadguru, who studied as a humble student under Rishi Sandeepany, Tyagaraja, the musical prodigy had formal training under Sonti Venkataramanaiyya.

Tyagaraja's gurus:

In addition to his innate genius, Tyagaraja was influenced by Purandara Dasa. We learn that Seetamma, his mother, used to sing Dasa's Devara-naamaas to Tyagaraja. Tyagaraja acknowledges Purandara Dasa in his musical opera, Prahlada Bhakti Vijayam as his "maanaseeka guru".

According to one version of the story, Rama Brahmam and Tyagaraja approached Venkatamakhin himself and Tyagaraja learnt from the master. The veracity of this story is not confirmed. We can safely say that Venkatamakhin's pioneering work with its endless possibilities of creating new janya raagas was available to Tyagaraja.

Sonti Venkataramanaiyya was of course directly involved in grooming Tyagaraja.

A sanyasi named Ramakrishnananda blessed Tyagaraja and gave him a japa (chant) to invoke Sage Narada, the celestial saint-musician. Tyagaraja pays homage to Ramakrishnananda in his musical opera, Nauka Charitram.

Tyagaraja was deeply indebted to Sage Narada. As per tradition, Narada appeared before Tyagaraja and gifted him with a musical treatise "Swaraarnava" (Swara-musical notes, arnava-ocean... 'Ocean of Notes'). Narada's blessings transformed Tyagaraja. He scaled new heights as a musician and a composer and changed the Carnatic Music landscape forever.
He composed a set of five kritis dedicated to Sage Narada known as "Narada Pancharatnam". We will take up this topic in the next post.

Tyagaraja was well versed in the Vedas, Upanishads, Puranas and of course Itihasas like Ramayana and Mahabharata as he acknowledges in one of his kritis. He was also adept in Telugu, Sanskrit and tarka-shastra (logic) as seen in his compositions. In keeping with those times where all subjects had to be learnt under a teacher, Tyagaraja must have definitely had gurus for these subjects too.
Rama Brahmam himself was a great devotee of Lord Rama. As an incident later in Tyagaraja's life demonstrates, the contribution of Rama Brahmam in moulding his son was immense.

Would like to end this post with some notes on Tyagaraja's famous composition on "Guru Mahima" (greatness of a teacher)- 'Guruleka Etuvanti' set to the raaga Gauri Manohari.


Guruleka Etuvanti:

In this kriti, Tyagaraja talks about the following vedantic topics in a nutshell:

1. The basic human problem:  Hrd-roga (ignorance)
2. Its manifestation: deha-abhimaanam ('notion' that "I am the body only")
3. Problems by extension....
4. Isn't it enough to lead a life of values?
5. The solution: tatva gnana (wisdom) gained from a guru

Pallavi:
Guruleka Etuvanti Guniki Teliyaga Bodu

Anupallavi:
Karukaina Hrdroga Gahanamuna Gottanu Sad- (guru)

Charanam:
Tanuvu Suta Dhana Daara Dayaadi Baandha vulu
Janiyinchi Chedarujaa Lini Karunato
Manasunantaka Cheyu Mandanuchu
Tatva Bodhana Jesi Kaapaadu Tyaagaraajaapthudagu

Running meaning:

Pallavi:

No one, however virtuous he may be, without the grace of a Guru will know! (sentence incomplete)

Anupallavi:

how to cut through the forest of mental ills (samsara)

Charanam:

It is the Guru, who is Tyagaraja's well-wisher, who out of compassion imparts the knowledge of the Truth, which is the medicine that cures one of the sorrows caused by the cycle of birth and death and the associated problems due to offspring, wealth, spouse, relatives and friends.

Re-arranging the phrases in the kriti for a better flow:

Hrd roga:

Tyagaraja uses the expression "hrd-roga" (literally heart-disease!) in the anu-pallavi to point out the "basic human problem". Mundaka Upanishad uses a similar term- "hrdaya granthi" (literally 'knot in the heart'). Both these terms stand for "ignorance" (agnyaana) in the 'mind'. Scripture takes the 'mind's locus to be in the 'heart' and uses the terms 'heart' and 'mind' synonymously.
And what is this "ignorance" that we are referring to here? These are technical terms in scripture with verbose answers. To keep it simple, as per Vedanta, all our problems are due to "ignorance" of our essential nature. Essentially, each one of us is perfectly complete and truly divine, but due to ignorance of this knowledge, we suffer from a "notional problem" that "all is not well with us" ! Hence, the only remedy required is to surrender to a guru and have the "problem of ignorance" corrected with the balm of knowledge. As simple as that!

Tanuvu:

The charanam begins with "tanuvu" (body). As per Vedanta, the notion "I am the body" (deha-abhimaana) is first expression of agynaana. Once I succumb to this notion, I inherit all problems. I don't have a problem if my car has a scratch. I am detached from my car- I own it, but I stand separate from it. But I am traumatized when I see the first streak of white hair on my head or a new wrinkle on my forehead! I am not able to stand apart from the body (or the mind) as an observer... like I did for the car. Once deha-abhimaana sets in, mortality (janiyinchi chedaru... birth and death) confronts us. We open the flood-gates for a host of other problems as he elaborates in the next phrase:

Problems caused by Suta Dhana Daara Daayaadi Baandhavulu:

Suta-son (children in general), Dhana-money, Daara-spouse, Daayaadi- relatives, baandhavulu- friends. Whether it is things, situations or relationships, everything is related only through the body (tanuvu). Once I take myself as the body, I inherit problems in other spheres as well. Son affects me, spouse affects me, financial insecurity bugs me and so on.
The message here is not to give up these relationships. The focus here is to ensure that I don't over-magnify their problems  and consequently suffer with a deep rooted feeling "I am the body and by extension, everything else connected to it".

Isn't it enough to lead a life of values?

The pallavi begins with an interesting assertion- even if a person is virtuous and lives a life of values (etuvanti guniki), he cannot succeed without a guru's grace  (and consequent wisdom). We are often asked this question- "Isn't living a good life enough? Why do we need a guru and scriptural study?" Tyagaraja says that a life of values is not an end in itself. It has to culminate in a guru's grace.
Tyagaraja tows Lord Krishna's line.... in the Geeta (Chapter 13). Krishna enumerates a set of values- amaanitvam (absence of pride), ahimsa (non injury) and several common place values as essential virtues to be imbibed. However, he ends the list with the last two values- "adhyaatma gnyaana nityatvam (regular scriptural study, under the guidance of a qualified guru) and "tatva-gnyaanaartha darshanam" (gaining a holistic vision- tatva gnyaanam i.e. wisdom). Without a life of values, gaining wisdom is impossible, and without gaining widsom, a life of values is incomplete...
It is this tatva gnyaana that Tyagaraja also borrows here.

How does a Guru help:

Tyagaraja puts it directly. A guru helps by teaching- tatva bodhana jesi. Teaching about "tatva"- the Truth about myself, about my relationship with the world and with God. Through this teaching, the guru reveals my essential nature as full and complete and solves all problems once and for all.

And why does a Guru struggle so much to communicate the wisdom to the student? After all, the guru has nothing to gain. Tyagaraja says "karunato", due to the Guru's innate compassion. We can recall Adi Shankara's phrase for a Guru's compassion- ahetuka dayaa sindhu (ocean of compassion, with absolutely no motive).

Tatva gnyaana is the medicine (mandanuchu) for the disease of samsara. We can recollect from the Dakshinamurty Stotram of Adi Shankara, "bhishaje (doctor) bhava roginaam (for the disease of samsara)"

Why Gauri Manohari raaga:

Gauri is another name for Parvati. Where did Parvati serve as a teacher of tatva gnyaana ? In Kena Upanishad- there is a famous story of Uma (Parvati) as the teacher who taught this vidya to the Devas and started the brahma-vidya teaching tradition.
In that context, Uma was described as "bahu shobhamaanaam" (captivating, dazzling). The epithet 'Manohari" here also has the same meaning and describes Gauri- what we mean by the present-day usage- "mindblowing"!

Alternately.......
Gauri also stands for the colour 'white'. Wisdom can be symolized as "white" because... knowledge arises in a peaceful mind, a mind with satva guna. (satvaat sanjaayate gnyaanam- Geeta). It is well known that "satva" is "white", "rajas" is "red" and "tamas" is "black" in scriptural literature.
Manohari- One who loots/removes (hari) the mind (manah)... of what ? Of ignorance (that we saw earlier).
Taken together, Gauri Manohari stands for "wisdom" gained by removing the basic human problem- the problem of ignorance.
Thus, Tyagaraja has aptly chosen the raaga in keeping with the message of the Upanishads.

In this context, we can remember all allied Guru mahima stotras- Guru Geeta as well as verses from the Katha Upanishad glorifying the teacher- aashcharyo-vaktaa (rare indeed is that teacher who can communicate this tatva), ananya-prokte gatir atra naasti- when taught by a qualified Guru, the student effortlessly gains the wisdom, in spite of himself!

Check out these links:

1. The kriti rendered by Sri Vidyabhushana
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OS-mWBOQkD4


2. Artiste: Vijay Siva. The anu-pallavi is missing in this recording :(

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j--Qc8ikMbA

3. Raga GauriManohari on the violin. Artiste: Ambi Subramaniam. If you are new to Carnatic music, this is the link for you! Beautiful!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TLcmKlg-I9w

4. There are very few kritis in GauriManohari. In 1965, the Tamil film  "Tiruvilaiyaadal" made this raaga hugely popular with this song "Paattum Naane". As the musician G.S. Mani observes, GauriManohari is a raaga used "to make a statement". In this piece, Lord Shiva as it were... makes a statement- "I am the song (paattum naane), I am the feeling in it (bhaavamum naane)!" Nicely sung... though the visuals are really amusing when seen now!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xg_hBWlR3h0

GauriManohari is a sampurna raaga (all 7 notes in ascent and descent). It corresponds to melakarta number 23. Its "pratimadhyam counterpart" is the melakarta raaga (23 + 36 = 59) Dharmavati. (Dharmavati (Madhuvanti in Hindustani)  has the same notes as GauriManohari except for a different "madhyama note"). Hence, it is likely that they sound alike at times.

Tyagaraja's "Sogasuga mridanga taalamu"

Tyagaraja's body of work is simply fascinating! Tradition says that he composed 24,000 kritis- as many kritis as verses in the Ramayana. However, only about 700 of them are available today. A careful study of even some of his prominent songs reveals a wealth of information- topics ranging from mythology, philosophy, musicology, incidents in Tyagaraja's own life.... to his unique relationship with Lord Rama.

In Sogasuga mridanga taalamu, the well-known kriti in the raaga Sriranjani, Tyagaraja systematically lays down a set of 11 rules that every musical composition should follow.

Why analyze.....!?

You can of course stretch out on an "easy-chair", a cup of hot filter-coffee in hand, a Saturday afternoon, all worries kept temporarily at bay, close your eyes momentarily.... switch on the tape-recorder and allow the wafting melody of Sogasuga mridanga taalamu.. (preferably an old recording of MS Subbulakshmi) mingle with the aroma of coffee to create an ethereal effect!  You click your tongue in absolute contentment....! It is indeed sogasuga (verily swarga itself!) regardless of whether you know the meaning of the song or not!
So why analyze....!?
At times, the analytical mind is not satisfied with the general salubrious effect of music. It is like a child with a Bourbon biscuit- rather than bite into it in full, it prefers to take it apart and lick the cream off first! You just feel that certain kritis need to be dissected, probed, scrutinized and enjoyed piece-meal....!
Here is an attempt to communicate some points in this song...a needless exercise undoubtedly.... but here you go!

The big picture:

Pallavi:

Sogasugaa Mridanga Taalamu Jata Gurcchi Ninnu Sokkajeyu Dheerudevvado

Anupallavi:
Nigamashirortthamu Galgina Nija Vaakkulato Svara Shuddhamuto

Charanam :Yati Visrama Sadbhakti Virati Draakshaarasa Navarasa Yutakrtiche Bhajiyinche Yukti Tyaagaraajuni Taramaa (Shree) Raama

"Running meaning" of the song:

Pallavi:
Who is that devotee who can impress you (Rama) (with songs sung)
to the pleasant accompaniment of the mridanga ?

Anupallavi:
(With songs) conveying the truth of the upanishads, imbued with purity of notes...
Who is that devotee.... ?

Charanam:
(With songs) having prosodical beauty and appropriate pauses, tranquility and devotion,
Sweet as grape essence, containing the navarasas,
Is Tyagaraja capable of singing your praise in such a manner... Shree Rama ?

The phrases need to be re-ordered to have a better flow. Three main topics are covered in these 11 rules:
(a) Composition's subject: Rules 1-2
(b) Attention to tools: Rules 3-8
(c) Effect of the composition: Rules 9-11

Finally, we will compare the rules listed by Tyagaraja with related ideas in an ancient work- Saundarya Lahari by Adi Shankara.

The Rules:

Tyagaraja says:

(1) A kriti should reflect the message of the Upanishads- the "nigama-shirortamu". The Vedas are often called "nigama". "Shirah" means "head". Taken together, nigamashirah refers to the acme of the Vedas i.e. the Upanishads. (The Upanishads are also called by various names like gnyaana-kaanda and Vedanta.)
The kriti should bring out the primary teaching of the Upanishads- It should speak about the Ultimate Reality and the means of reaching It.

(2) It should be "nija-vaak"- The work should reveal the essential Self (nija), the atma, the Spirit. What was hinted in the previous rule as the message of the Upanishads is clearly stated here. This phrase reminds us of "nija-vichaaranam" from Upadesha Saara of Bhagwan Ramana Maharishi (verse 19). In that context too, nija-vaak or nija-vichaaranam was interpreted as Self enquiry (not independently, but with the aid of a teacher and scripture) to arrive at our essential nature.

(3) Swara-shuddhi- purity of notes in the composition- In this context, it could mean adhering to the contours of the chosen raaga while singing and not deviating from it through usage of anya-swaras (foreign notes) or controversial swara patterns (unwanted prayogas/sangatis).
Of course, it also means that the vocalist should sing in tune! That minimum swara-shuddhi is assumed.

(4) The composition should be imbued with a pleasant rhythm (taala)- sogasuga (pleasant) mridanga taalamu. The sahitya or lyrics should not be drowned in the din of the drum-beats as we find in present-day music!

(5) The kriti should follow the rules of Yati- "prosody", choice of appropriate syllables and words to fit the metre.

(6) Vishrama- The composition should be punctuated with appropriate pauses, "points of relaxation"...kind of a breather between lines or between stanzas to allow the listener to relax and not be overwhelmed by the intensity of music.

(7) Sadbhakti- Soaked in bhakti, devotion. This does not necessarily mean that the music will be dull and monotonous! In the nava-vidha bhakti classification, (9 forms of devotion outlined in the Bhagavatam by Prahlada), the devotee relates to the Lord in a variety of ways- as a servant (daasyam), as a friend (sakhyam) etc.

(8) Virati- Two meanings can be given for virati. Since the previous word is sadbhakti, virati qualifies bhakti by indicating that it should be "vairagya janya bhakti" (virati) or "jignyaasu bhakti" (to borrow a term from the Geeta). We can relate to the Lord as a devotee with either a material end (rati) in mind or with a spiritual motive (virati). Tyagaraja confirms that a kriti should be spiritual in nature. Terrestrial themes may have a place elsewhere, but a kriti is essentially devotional music.
One commentator takes virati as "compound-words which can be split easily, without resulting in controversial meanings". But the first meaning of virati is more appropriate considering the placement of the word in the composition.

(9) Filled with "Draaksha-rasa". Typically, "madhu" (honey), "ksheera" (milk) and "draaksha" (grapes) are used to convey sweetness in literature. The composition should intoxicate us with its sweetness!

(10) Soaked in "Nava-rasa": The ability of a composition to evoke one (or more) of the 9 moods or rasas. (There are raagas for each rasa as we will see in subsequent posts.)
      (1) adbhuta (the feeling of wonder, vismaya or astonishment),
       (2) veera (the feeling of valour or bravery)
       (3) karuna (the feeling of compassion, of sympathy, which "tugs your heart")
       (4) raudra (the feeling of anger)
       (5) shaanta (the feeling of peace)
       (6) beebhatsa (the feeling of disgust)
       (7) bhaya (the feeling of fear)
       (8) shringaara (the feeling of love)
       (9) haasyam (laughter)

Tyagaraja emphasises that he alone is a true composer, a dheera- who follows the above rules and thereby stuns, enchants and captivates (sokka jeyu) Tyagaraja's Ishta-devata, Lord Rama.
Needless to say, the dheera is none other than Tyagaraja Himself. The more we look at his compositions, the more we admire him.. for the treasure trove that he has left for us!

Why the word "Dheera":

Tyagaraja chooses an uncommon word "dheera" to describe the ideal musician.
A little scrutiny gives some answers. The most common word that the Upanishads use to describe a spiritual Master is dheera.  Sometimes, a commited spiritual aspirant is also called "dheera". Mundaka Upanishad says "paripashyanti dheeraah" and "ativartanti dheeraah". Again, "matva dheerah na shochati" (Katha Upanishad). Also, "bhuteshu bhuteshu vichitya dheeraah" (Kena Upanishad).
Thus, in keeping with his rule that a composition should convey the message of the Upanishads, Tyagaraja himself chooses words from the Upanishads.

In the kriti "Atu-kaaraadani" in the raaga Manoranjani, Tyagaraja acknowledges that he has studied the Upanishads- veda shaastropanishad vidudaina (pronunciation key: in 'vidu', 'd' pronounced as 'the'; in 'daina', 'd' as in 'dog') and it is evident in his language.

The Saundarya Lahari of Adi Shankara:

Master poets often bring in a little suggestion, a hint, a turn of a phrase- which immediately reminds us of a completely different work. Many of the above ideas of Tyagaraja are reflected in the Saundarya Lahari, Adi Shankara's famous work on Goddess Parvati. We take a few examples here to show how the language and ideas are similar.

Adi Shankara describes Parvati as "gati-gamaka-geetaika nipune" (verse 69)- the One who is adept (nipunah) at rhythm (gati)-overtones in swara/notes (gamaka)- and sahitya/lyrics (geeta). Taala and gati are synonyms. Both convey rhythm. This is Tyagaraja's "sogasuga mridanga taalamu"!
In the same verse, Shankara emphasizes "adherence to the three graamaas". We seem to have lost the classification in terms of graamaas. Musicologists talk about "sa- graama", "ma-graama" etc. Loosely, it can be tied to the concept of a raaga. It fits nicely to the "swara shuddhi" that we mentioned earlier and the need to stick to the contours of the chosen raaga.

At another point, Shankara uses the expression "shrutinaam moordhaanah" (verse 54) as a synonym for the Upanishads. Shruti is the same as Tyagaraja's "nigama" (Vedas). "Moordhaanah" is "shirah" (head).  Thus, shrutinaam moordhaanah is the same as nigama-shirah- to convey "the Upanishads"!
(Note how Tyagaraja launches into "nigama-shiro" in the second stanza (anu-pallavi) with the sequence of notes- "ni-da-ni-Sa-Sa" (check out the link below). It is evident that the increasing swaras reaching out to the "Sa" in the upper octave is meant to create a dramatic effect of scaling the "peak of the vedas". The first "ni" coinciding with "nigama" acts as a swaraakshara too!)

A devotee of the Goddess is sure to gain the power to compose poetry with the sweetness of "madhu", "ksheera" and "draaksha"- says Shankara (verse 15). This is the draaksha-rasa that Tyagaraja also refers to.

In verse 66, Adi Shankara paints a picture of Goddess Parvati enjoying Saraswati's veena recital. It appears that Saraswati also sang while she played the veena. Lord Shiva's varied exploits, his boundless glories- vividham apadaanam pashupateh formed the subject matter of Saraswati's composition, the verse says. Tyagaraja's rules of "sadbhakti", "virati" (i.e. no material themes) and the  alignment to the teaching of the Upanishads "nigama shirortama" match Saraswati's subject in the Saundarya Lahari! Saraswati devi also follows Tyagaraja's rules by choosing the content of the Upanishads in her song! And in which Upanishad is Lord Shiva mentioned?
Lord Shiva figures prominently in the Kaivalya Upanishad as a personal God, as the vishwarupa (as the very cosmos) and finally as "Arupa Shiva" (the Ultimate Reality).

The nava-rasa that Tyagaraja alludes to, is prominently presented in the Saundarya Lahari in multiple places. The verse starting with "shive-shringaaraardra" (verse 51) gives one example for each of the navarasas. 
Shankara uses "nava-rasa" explictly in another verse (verse 41) to mention the feelings evoked in Shiva's thaandava and Parvati's laasya style of dancing.

Finally "sokka jeyu" is the ability to hold the audience in a trance- totally "benumbed", as we saw in Tyagaraja's kriti. A related term in the Saundarya Lahari (verse 63) can be gleaned from the metaphor of the "chakora birds". The birds allegorically refer to devotees of the Goddess. Shankara says that the birds are "numb" (jadima) because they have drunk the moonbeams which are excessively sweet (ati-rasitaya) emanating from the Goddess's moon-like face. What imagery!!

Coming to think of it, we can stretch this point a little further by dwelling on the moon (chandra). Tyagaraja wants to numb Rama"chandra" (as Rama is frequently addressed... He is always as cool as the moon!) with his flawless composition. The moon is... as it were... numbed by Tyagaraja. The chakora bird example is exactly the opposite situation. The Goddess's face is the moon.. which numbs the bird!
Hope all this is not too complicated... and you're not too numb to continue further!!

Question-answer format:

Many of Tyagaraja's compositions begin with a question in the pallavi (first stanza). "Dvaitamu sukhama, advaitamu sukhama?" (Does dvaita give happiness or does advaita?) "Marugelara..O Raghava" (O Raghava, why (elara) do you conceal yourself (marugu) from me?
So too, in Sogasuga... the first stanza actually reads as follows: "With songs rendered to the pleasant accompaniment of the mridanga, who is that "dheera" who can enchant (Lord Rama)?"
If we take the Saundarya Lahari, the first verse is again in the form of a question- "shiva-shaktyaa yukto..." Only if united with Shakti, Shiva is able to create the world. If not united with Shakti, Shiva cannot even move, isn't it (khalu)?
There seems to be a common style in these works- raise a question to capture your attention and subsequently answer it.

Sri-ranjani:

The consonant "ra" denotes the colour red. Words like "ranjanam" indicate a certain "redness" but typically used to convey "enjoyment" as in expressions like "so-and-so sings in a jana-ranjakam manner". Of all the colours that Adi Shankara uses to describe the Goddess, he highlights "red" in the Saundarya Lahari- "aruna" (verse 16), "sakalam arunaabham trinayanam" (verse 23). Ranjanam itself is used in verse 16. That said, what is the raaga for Tyagaraja's Sogasuga mridanga taalamu? It is Sri-ranjani!!
It looks as if there is a hidden message through the choice of the raaga; the eleventh rule for a musical composition- it has to be enjoyable (ranjakam)!

Finally....!

Tyagaraja and Adi Shankara couldn't be further apart, separated by more than a 1000 years. The context is completely different in these two works. Some of the comparisons in this article may be laboured and contrived, but the similarity in language and ideas is undeniable.
With this introduction, we will move onto a brief life-sketch of Tyagaraja in the coming posts. May be, we can look at a few kritis and analyze them in the context in which they were sung.

Who else.... but MS Subbulakshmi can sing "sogasuga mridanga taalamu" and make us swoon.... "sokka jeyu"!?
http://www.shivkumar.org/music/originals/03b-sogasuga-sriranjani-krithi-mss-misc02.mp3


P.S: As mentioned in the previous post, Vishakha Hari's harikathas on 'Tyagaraja's Life' and 'Pancharatna Kritis' have been truly inspirational.  Would have never looked at the sahitya of some of these kritis otherwise!

Purandara Dasa: The Grandsire of Carnatic Music

Carnatic Music is like a huge tree with fruits of divine music for easy picking. For this, we owe a debt of gratitude to Purandara Dasa who sowed the seed and to the Trimurti- Tyagaraja, Muthuswamy Dikshitar and Shyama Shastri who lovingly watered and nurtured it.
It is a nice imagery used in one of the music lec-dems.  It reminds us of a similar metaphor in the Vedas (Katha Upanishad) and the Geeta (Chapter 15). If this universe is like a huge "ashwatha vriksha" (peepal tree), the root is the Lord Himself - "oordhwa moolam"- He is the substratum of the universe and sustains the entire fabric in an unseen way.

Purandara Dasa is the "oordhwa moolam" and aptly called the "sangeeta pitamaha"- the grandsire of Carnatic music. Not that Carnatic Music originated from him- Matanga Muni and his text Brahaddeshi existed well before, but Purandara Dasa was the one who systematized the Carnatic Music teaching tradition. Starting from the "Swaraavali" (corrupted as "sarali" in some books), Dasa created the step-by-step instruction 'sampradaya' which even present day students follow. What Bheeshma pitamaha is to the Mahabharata- the pivot around whom the story revolves, Dasa is to Carnatic Music.

Tyagaraja was born almost 250 years after Purandara Dasa. His initiation into music was through Dasa's Devara-naamaas, sung by his mother Seetamma. Tyagaraja begins his "Prahlada Bhakti Vijayam", a musical opera, with obeisance to Purandara Dasa- his "maanaseeka guru".

Purandara Dasa's Life and Times:

Purandara Dasa was born in 1484 at a place close to Hampi (present day Karnataka). He was born with the grace of Lord Srinivasa at Tirupati. His parents named him Srinivasa. Srinivasa Nayaka grew up to be a well known diamond merchant. He personally knew King Krishnadeva Raya of Vijayanagar and Queen Manjuladevi. He was married to Laxmibai. Srinivasa was a normal householder with children.

His house was striking- 9 'kalashas" (pots) adorned the roof- for Srinivasa's fortunes added up to 9 crores (1 crore = 10 million) ! It earned him the title  'nava koti (9 crores) Narayana' - truly a multi-millionaire of those days!

Srinivasa Nayaka was interested in his trade, in multiplying his bank-balance and little else. How he wished he could add one more kalasha to his roof so that people could now call him 'dasha koti (10 crores) Damadora'! He was a miser and this knowledge was common-place. Laxmibai was a pious lady- but Srinivasa ensured that no money from the family was spent on charity. If at all she wanted to observe any religious practices, she could very well do it with no money spent- Laxmibai could always worship the Tulasi-plant at home or probably fast and thereby save some daily expenditure!

He had a shop in his town where people could pledge their ornaments and get cash in return.

The turning point:

Srinivasa was 30 years old. One Friday, as Srinivasa opened his shop for the day, an old man appeared. "I am poor and old. I need to arrange for my daughter's wedding and son's upanayana. Can you please donate some money and help me? After all, people call you 'Kaliyuga Karna'!"
Srinivasa expressed his contempt openly- "Whoever told you I am Karna? I don't believe in charity. If you have any gold or silver, I can give you money in return. I can't help you in any other way! Go away and don't waste my time!"
The old man was adamant. Srinivasa too stuck to his guns. By noon time, Srinivasa could not tolerate the nuisance anymore- he called for the guards and had the man beaten up.

The old man picked himself up. He went to the neighbouring street in search of another donor. Looking at an impressive house with 9 kalashas on top, he knocked on the door. Laxmibai was pleased to see him. Here was an ideal opportunity for charity and earn some "punya"-today was a Friday, an auspicious day. She could not find anything appropriate to donate; the keys for the safe were after all safely with Srinivasa.
Laxmibai took out her diamond nose-ring and handed it over to the old man.

The old man was back at Srinivasa's shop. He spoke with a new-found confidence, "I don't need any charity from the likes of you! Here you go- take this diamond nose-ring and just give me the money!"
One look at the nose-ring and Srinivasa's jaw dropped- "This is Laxmibai's! How did you get it? How could she give it to you without my permission? You wait here. I will definitely give you the money for this! But first, I need to deal with my wife. I will be right back!" Srinivasa carefully secured the nose-ring in the locker of his shop, took the keys and walked to his house- all worked up and angry!

"Laxmi! Where is your nose-ring? Why are you not wearing it?" screamed Srinivasa as soon as Laxmibai opened the door. Laxmibai was clearly intimidated. She instinctively lied- "I just left it at the Tulasi plant! Let me go and get it!"
Embracing the Tulasi plant, Laxmi cried helplessly. Suddenly,..... her hands felt something. She opened her eyes and was wonderstruck to see her nose-ring! There was no time to even acknowledge the miracle! She quickly went and handed it to Srinivasa.

Srinivasa was bewildered. He took the nose-ring and dashed to his shop. As he opened the locker, the nose-ring was missing. Something was clearly amiss. He knew he had secured it in the locker himself... but now it was gone. The old man was gone too. It was all too terribly confusing. He ran home and asked Laxmibai to come clean.

The story was now out. Dumbstruck, Srinivasa stared at the nose-ring. In the glitter of the diamond, he discerned an image now- Lord Vishnu elegantly reclining on Adi Sesha in the Milky Ocean.

It brought back memories of a previous life. Lord Vishnu called Narada and asked him to go down to the earth to spread His word. Narada was hesitant- "What if I get so caught up in the world and completely forget your mission? 'Maya' (ensnaring nature of the world) is so powerful!" Lord Vishnu assured him, "Don't worry Narada! If you forget your agenda, I will myself come and remind you!"

Everything was as clear as crystal now- more than the diamond and its chiselled faces! Srinivasa was born for a divine mission and he had lost the plot completely... for 30 years. Diamonds, money, his trade, the palatial home- everything seemed inconsequential now. He told his wife and children to pack up.  They went to Vyasaraya, King Krishnadeva Raya's spiritual guru. Vyasateertha or Vyasaraya was an acknowledged master of the time- in Madhwacharya's parampara (lineage). Vyasaraya gave Srinivasa his new name- Purandara Dasa!
Vyasaraya's other famous disciples include Vadiraja Teertha and Kanaka Dasa. (Incidently, the famous Carnatic Music composition "Krishna nee begane baaro" is attributed to Vyasaraya.)

His Contribution:

Purandara Dasa composed more than 400,000 keertanas or 'Devara-naamaas' as they are called. In fact, it is through one of his Devara-naamaas that we learn that he composed so many- he says that he had no background whatsoever and attributes his entire body of work to Ishvara's anugraha (grace). It is through them that Purandara Dasa gives an insight into his earlier life as well.

At Pandharpur and a miracle:

Purandara Dasa visited Pandharpur and had Panduranga Vittala's darshana. It is rightly said about Lord Vittal- Through one ear, He hears the abhangs in Marathi- of Namdev, Tukaram and Gnyaneshwar and through the other ear- He enjoys the Devara-naamaas of the Dasas in Kannada!

Purandara Dasa taught music to one servant lady at Pandharpur- this provoked the orthodox people. One day, Lord Vittala's bangle was missing. It was traced to the lady's house who confessed that she got it from Purandara Dasa.

The king had Purandara Dasa tied to a pillar in the temple. Purandara Dasa was silent and would not accept the allegation. He only prayed to Vittala silently. The king was angry and drew out his whip. As the whip was about to strike Purandara Dasa, it disappeared! To their wonder, it was seen in Vittala's hand at the temple! Everyone fell at Purandara Dasa's feet and begged forgiveness.

It was all Lord Vittala's doing- His bhaktas want to lead a quiet, lonely and simple life. But Vittala ensures that their fame cannot be contained!
Purandara Dasa lived to be 80 years old and passed away in 1564.

Always a koteeshwara:

Initially, King Krishnadeva Raya was concerned with the sudden turn in Srinivasa's life. As Purandara Dasa sat on the floor, so removed from the trappings of the diamond merchant he had once known, he asked him whether he was sick in body or ill in mind! Soon, the King was convinced and said, "Purandara Dasa, you will always be a koteeshwara (multi-millionaire). Earlier, with abundant money and now...... with the boundless, spiritual wealth!"

Some samples of his compositions:

1. Venkatachala nilayam (composed by Purandara Dasa at Tirupati, raga- Sindhu Bhairavi, artiste- Unnikrishnan)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CttY2H15SEA

2. Innudaya Bharathe, raga- KalyanaVasantam, artiste- Sudha Raghunathan
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8BaOQXQTYyU

3. Jagadodharana, raga- Kapi, artiste- Bombay Jayashree
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MixifDghCO0

4. Rama mantrava japiso, raga- Jonpuri, artiste- Neyveli Santhanagopalan
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O4SaeadoE9U

5. Sakala graha bala neene, raga- Atana, artiste- Sankaran Namboodiri
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EeTMdzTh_lM

6. Smaraney onde saaladey, raga- Malayamarutam, artiste- Prashanth Krishnamoorthy
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=466gRM9TtQY


P.S: The next weekend, we plan to have a "Tyagaraja Day and Purandara Dasa Jayanti". I need to ensure that I am sufficiently prepared to introduce the programme.
The above write up is loosely based on Vishakha Hari's "harikatha discourse".  She is brilliant in all aspects- in music, in narration... and keeping the audience simply mesmerized! Mistakes, if any, are mine.... if the article is worthwhile in any way, you know to whom the compliment has to be extended!

Basilica of Bom Jesus... and Old Goa



The Basilica of Bom Jesus:

At the "Basilica of Bom Jesus", constructed 400 years ago. (Bom is "good/holy". I guess, similar to "bon"- good in French). We sit on one of the wooden benches. The eyes take time to adjust to the dark interiors. It's nice and cool and a relief from the blazing afternoon sun outside. The church is imposing with a high ceiling- but not overly ornate. People mill around the shrine. At the back of the shrine, the letters IHS are inscribed. As we wonder what those letters mean, a board has the information- it corresponds to the first 3 letters of Jesus in Greek.



Basilica of Bom Jesus



My daughter is curious about a signboard which says "No guiding beyond this point"! "It just means that guides shouldn't talk to tourists loudly and disturb the devotees who want to pray," I tell her. Probably the answer is adequate. But I need to bring in a Biblical element and wander all over- "It could also mean that once you are at the place of worship, we don't want other guides misguiding us. It's better that they all stay silent! He alone is the guide, He is the path, the way!" I had already lost my daughter's attention, but continue my ramble- I guess it's just the mystique of the place!

"In the Vedas too, He's praised as namah pathyaaya- Salutations unto the One who is the path and as namah pulastyaaya- Salutations unto the One who is "the guide"- the maargabandhu."

(Sorry for the unnecessary diversion!)

As we turn to the right from the shrine, Saint Francis Xavier's body is seen in a silver casket on a raised platform. It's tough to see the body clearly from this distance. "I saw his face!" my daughter is visibly happy. People click away with their cameras.

The adjoining room has a few portraits of the Saint, a rather moving sculpture of Jesus on the cross and the original green casket in which the Saint's body was stored before it was transferred to the silver casket in 1951.

Another signboard says "Mass wedding in progress. Don't disturb".

This is just as unclear as the first one. We joke that we better stay as a group. The last thing we want is to stray from the pack and emerge from the church christened as Mr Carvalho with a lady in tow! Someone corrects us- it's not a "mass wedding" (not a collective community wedding!), rather a "mass" (church service) or  a "wedding" (at the church) may be in progress, which shouldn't be disturbed! English Grammar and our analytical skills are tested no doubt.

Evidently, these signboards fuel our fertile imagination. A third one says "Don't photograph persons"! The intent is even more blurry. My wife goes ahead and gets the kids photographed against the background of the church. Some of the kids are closer to their simian cousins when it comes to behaviour- there is definitely wriggle room should someone accost us for photographing "persons"!

The Archaeological Museum:

Time is running out and we need to cover the Museum across the street. It is housed in the convent portion of the Church of St Francis of Assisi.  The museum has mainly two sections.
The first section has Hindu sculptures found in and around Goa (Gomantak) from the 10th century to the 16th century. Sculptures of Vishnu, Uma-Maheshwara, Surya are seen- some are mutilated either by time or with intent. Sculptures which cannot be identified seem to have been classified generically as "Victory Pillars".

The second section has portraits and accomplishments of all the Portuguese Viceroys and Governors from 1500 to 1961. The full length portraits are quite amateurish in execution. Most of them look alike- with moustache and beard, head gear, robes and even stance. The names distinguish them- we find the Saldanhas, the Almeidas, the Mirandas and the Coutinhos. There are about 3 bullet points written for each of them, which make amusing reading on closer scrutiny.

Paraphrasing some from memory- "Could have done a lot better but for King of Dabhol's treachery" and "Could have accomplished a lot more but did not have able subordinates". The last one sounds more like a commentary on Sachin Tendulkar's career!
The interiors of St Francis of Assisi are more impressive than the one across the street, but does not look like a functional church at this point in time.

St Francis of Assissi Church

Old Goa:

Driving through Old Goa is an eye-opener- totally different in character from any other part of the country. Goa has been with India since 1961- about 50 years. Portuguese ruled Goa for close to 500 years and it shows- the buildings, the houses, the villas look very European and of course the names.
The Mandovi River is picturesque and eat-outs by the river are straight out of our Europe trip. The taxi-driver points to a group of villas on the other side of the river- "That's Vijay Mallya's as well as this yacht!"
"Why is he so rich pa!?  my daughter questions! "That's because he owns the Bangalore Royal Challengers Cricket team silly," her sister answers. 
"Pa! This is the real Goa! Why did we spend all our time in Canacona? Next time, we'll stay at Panjim!"
We agree.

All aboard

By 5:30 pm, we are at the bus depot and take our seats in the VRL sleeper bus. As someone told me 20 years ago- Goa is all about "aa" ("come" in Hindi) and then "go"!!