Sthitapragna Lakshana according to Thyagaraja

Vidwan OS Thyagarajan, 1990 'Parvathi' Ramanavami Concert

An introspection by R. Sachi

We are pleased to share a concert recording from the 'Parvathi' Ramanavami series held 27 years ago.

Vidwan OS Thyagarajan has had a stellar career spanning several decades. He specialises (!) in mainstream Carnatic music, full of the repertoire drawn from Saint Thyagaraja.

In this concert, he has presented Manasu Svadhinamaina, a famous composition in Shankarabharana, highlighting the requirement of abhyasa and vairagya in the life of an advaitic aspirant. In The Spiritual Heritage of Tyagaraja, The sahitya has been translated as follows:

This reminds of what Bhagavan Krishna says in the Bhagavadgita, while describing the Sthitapragna.

Bg 2.71

vihāya kāmān yaḥ sarvān pumāṁś carati niḥspṛhaḥ
nirmamo nirahaṅkāraḥ sa śāntim adhigacchati

Bg 2.72

eṣā brāhmī sthitiḥ pārtha naināṁ prāpya vimuhyati
sthitvāsyām anta-kāle ’pi brahma-nirvāṇam ṛcchati

Translation:

71. That man attains peace who, abandoning all desires, moves about without longing, without the sense of 'l-ness' and 'my-ness'.

72. This is the BRAHMIC -state, O Son of Pritha. Attaining this, none is deluded. Being established therein, even at the end of life, one attains to oneness with BRAHMAN.

Sri OST has been accompanied very well by Sri Manjunath and Sri Lakshminarayan, both great musicians from Mysore.

Come let us enjoy this lovely concert!

Details

O.S.Tyagarajan -------------------- Vocal
Mysore Manjunath ---------------- Violin
P.G.Lakshminarayana ------------- Mridangam
on 4-4-1990 during Ramanavami Music Festival at "Parvathi".

Song List

01. Ramanannu Borvara-Harikambhoji-Thyagaraja *** 02. Pantuvarali raga *** 03. Sundaratara Deham – Pantuvarali- Thyagaraja ***04. Sriranjani raga *** 05. Brochevarevare-Sriranjani-Thyagaraja *** 06. Shankarabharana Raga *** 07. Manasu Svadhina Maina – Shanakarabharana-Thyagaraja *** 08. Tani *** 09. Shloka (Bageshri, Hamasanandi, Behag) 10. Sada Enna – Behag-Vijaya Vitthala Dasa *** 11. Mangalam

Scriptures and Devotion

Bombay Sisters – Parvathi Ramanavami Concert, 1975

Appreciations from R. Sachi

We bring the rasikas worldwide this time excerpts from a 40 year-old recording of the concert by Bombay Sisters. Vidushis C. Saroja and C. Lalitha were born in Kerala and grew up in Bombay. After their initial musical training they won scholarships to study under the doyens at the Central College of Carnatic Music, Adyar, Chennai. They have been hailed as pure classicists bringing credit to their gurus Musiri Subramanya Iyer and T.K. Govinda Rao. The Bombay Sisters have had a steady run of popularity for nearly 50 years and were conferred the coveted Sangitha Kalanidhi title by the Madras Music Academy in 2010.

In this concert, we find some fine renditions of famous krithis like Evari Mata and Innu Daya Barade. These songs unburden the longing of the devotee for divine grace. The bhakti movement in India has given rise to an extraordinary breadth and depth of devotional outpouring, fully harnessed in the lyrics of Carnatic music. To name a few of the originators of these lyrics: Andal, Annamacharya, Bhadrachala Ramadas, Chaitanya, Meera, Kabir, Tulsidas, Surdas, Purandara Dasa and others of that tradition, Thyagaraja, Shyama Shastri, Swati Tirunal, Papanasam Sivan, Vasudevachar…

“Come to me, please reveal yourself, save me, help me cross the ocean of this wretched existence”: these sentiments and their variations come again and again in impassioned entreaties to the Lord. In the Srimad Bhagavatam, Uddhava, a great intellectual, spiritual aspirant, and associate of Krishna, is sent to Gokula to meet Krishna’s family and the gopis. There he encounters the real bhakti of the gopis for Krishna. He is simply swept away. He says to them (quote from Srimad Bhagavatam, The Wisdom of God by Swami Prabhavananda): “How Blessed are you to have surrendered yourselves completely and whole-heartedly to Bhagavan Sri Krishna, the God of Love. Love and devotion grow after one has practiced many austerities, undergone many spiritual disciplines, and meditation. But fortunate indeed are you who were born with all-consuming love and devotion, and have renounced everything for the love of your dear Krishna. O happy ones, who enjoy the bliss of divine love, I am blessed and purified by coming into your presence.”

The song Evari Mata by Thyagaraja is famous and pours out the rasa of Kambhoji incomparably. No wonder it is often taken up in concerts for elaborate treatment. To show the emotive content of the lyrics, we reproduce below the text and translation of the song from The Spiritual Heritage of Thyagaraja:

Come let us enjoy this fine concert by Bombay Sisters!:

Concert Details

Bombay Sisters (Saroja and Lalitha) --------- Vocal
Master Nagaraj (Now Mysore Nagaraj) ---- Violin
P.G.Lakshminarayan ------- Mridangam
M.A.Krishnamurthy --------- Ghatam
on 27-4-1975 at 'Parvathi'.

Excerpts List

01. Ganamurthe- Ganamurthi- Thyagaraja *** 02.Rama Rama –Simhendramadhyama- Swathi Thirunal *** 03. Ramachandram Bhavayami –Vasantha- Muthuswami Dikshitar *** 04. Kambhoji Raga- Evarimata-Thyagaraja *** 05. Innu daya baarade-Kalyana Vasantha- Purandara Dasa *** 06. Shloka - Ab mein naachun-Yaman Kalyani- Surdas *** 07. Tillana-Jinjhuti- Veena Sheshanna

Instrumental Innovations in Carnatic Music

Kadri Gopalnath Saxophone, 1982

Reflections by Shri R. Sachi

( Photo courtesy: The Hindu )

Carnatic music gives a prominent role to melodic instruments and instrumental innovations. Since the time of Sri Muthuswami Dikshitar, the western instrument violin has been embraced and enhanced in our music. The traditional veena and flute have undergone many innovations. In addition, the clarinet, the mandolin, the guitar, and even the keyboard have all made inroads into Carnatic music. Most importantly, the saxophone has made an emphatic entry as early as in the 1970’s, and its synonym is Vid. Kadri Gopalnath.

Born into a Nagaswara vidwan family in Mangalore (1949), Kadri was fascinated when he heard the saxophone in the Mysore Palace band. He took to the instrument, tamed it to Carnatic ways, and has an impressive list of admirers over the years, from Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer to A R Rahman. He has been conferred a doctorate by Bangalore University, the title Sangeetha Kalashikhamani from Indian Fine Arts, Chennai, and most recently the Veene Sheshanna Memorial national award. He underwent advanced musical training under Vid T. V. Gopalakrishnan (this year’s Sangita Kalanidhi designate by the Madras Music Academy.) Whereas some purists may criticise the saxophone as being less than perfect in microtonal raga and gamaka reproduction, there cannot be any debate regarding Vid. Kadri Gopalnath’s contribution to popularising Carnatic music and the instrument saxophone especially among lay audiences of this generation.

We reproduce below an extract from his concert review in the New York Times, 1987:

" KADRI GOPALNATH plays South Indian classical music on the alto saxophone. A western listener, trying to imagine this, might expect something like the sinuously bluesy playing of a few jazz saxophonists, notably John Handy, in encounters with Indian musicians. But Mr. Gopalnath's approach is quite different. He originally played the nadaswaram, a large, throaty South Indian reed instrument, and has been able to transfer the bends, slurs and quavers of the traditional instrument to the western one with remarkable thoroughness. He is more or less reinventing the alto saxophone, using it to do things neither its western classical exponents nor the jazz players who have perfected it as an expressive instrument could have imagined. "

Vid. Kadri Gopalanath has been popular among Parvathi audiences, especially youngsters and lay listeners. We are glad to share some excerpts from his 1982 concert held during Ramanavami celebrations.

Concert Details:

Kadri Gopalnath ---- Saxaphone
A,R.Krishnamurthy --- Violin
P.G.Lakshminarayan -- Mridangam on 9-4-82 at 'Parvathi'

Song List

01 Srichamundeshwari-Bilahari-Mysore Vasudevacharya *** 02 Panchashatpitharupini-Devagandharam-Muthuswami Dikshitar *** 03. Nanati bratuku- Revathi-Annamacharya *** 04. Baro Krishnaiyya- Ragamalika- Kanaka Dasa *** 05. Smara Varam varam – Bahudari- Sadashiva Brahmendra *** 06. Venkatachalanilayam – Sindhu Bhairavi – Purandara Dasa ***

Shiva and Vishnu- Aspects of the Same Divinity

Vid. Papanasam Ashok Ramani
Excerpts from "Parvathi" 1995 & 1999 concerts

A concretisation by Shri R. Sachi

We are pleased to share with rasikas worldwide excerpts from two concerts held in Parvathi in the nineties, featuring the vocalist Vid. Ashok Ramani, who is the grandson of the great composer of the twentieth century, Sangita Kalanidhi Papanasam Sivan.

Born in 1964, Ashok Ramani commenced music training at a very young age with his mother Dr. Rukmini Ramani (daughter of Papanasam Sivan). Subsequently he was under the tutelage of Dr. S.Ramanathan, Calcutta K.S.Krishnamurthy and Bombay Ramachandran. He was a disciple of Palghat K.V.Narayanaswamy for over 17 years and has been training also under Vidwan P.S.Narayanaswamy.

( Courtesy: shivanisai.org )

Ashok Ramani has produced a multimedia CD Rom and related material on the great composer Papanasam Sivan for the Cleveland Aradhana in 2001.

( Courtesy: Sruti website )

Vidwan Papanasam Sivan (1890-1973) is one of the most respected composers in Carnatic music. Coming from humble beginnings, he learnt music and Sanskrit more as a spiritual pursuit. At the request of Smt. Rukmini Devi, he taught small school children of the Besant Theosophical School in the 1930’s the basics of Carnatic music. He shone later as an exemplary composer in the Classical field as well as classical music–based films. In fact he has composed in several languages, principally Tamil and Sanskrit. Great musicians like KV Narayanaswamy, DK Pattammal, DK Jayaraman, MS Subbulakshmi, have all learnt these compositions directly from him. Even at the height of his fame, he used to lead bhajans at the Kapaleeshwarar Koil temple in Mylapore. He was awarded the Mahamahopadhyaya title for his mastery of the Sanskrit language. The Madras Music Academy distinguished itself by conferring the title of Sangita Kalanidhi on Sri Sivan in 1971.

Let us look at this beautiful composition of Papanasam Sivan in Hindolam, sung by Ramani ( text and meanings from Karnatik.com ):

raagam: hindOLam
taaLam: roopakam
Composer: Paapanaasam Shivan
Language: Tamil

pallavi

maa ramaNan umaa ramaNan
malaraDi paNi manamE dinamE
(maa)

anupallavi

maara janakan kumaara janakan
malai mEl uraibavan paarkaDal
alai mEl tuyilbavan paavana

caraNam

aayiram peyaraal azhaippinum
aayiram urumaarinum - uyar
taayin migu dayaaparan padam
tanjam enbavarai anjal enraruLum

Meaning:

The one married to Lakshmi (Vishnu) and the one married to Uma (Siva), I bow down to your feet as beautiful as a flower, my love, every day.

Father of the god of love (Vishnu), and the father of Murugan (Siva). The one who lives on the mountain Kailaash (Siva), even the one who lies on the waves of the ocean of milk(Vishnu) upon his snake, I worship you.

Even if I call you with a thousand names (done for Vishnu), even if you change forms in a thousand ways (Siva), with more loving compassion than even one’s mother, you bless all at your feet. One who surrenders oneself at your feet will not be afraid, because you will bless and take one with you.

This clearly shows that the quarrels of misled devotes about Shiva and Vishnu are extremely puerile. Both in the Vishnu Sahasranama and in the Bhagavadgita, there are ample assurances that God is one and we simply choose to worship different aspects as suitable to us.

Come, let us enjoy the great music offered by Vid. Ashok Ramani. The accompaniments in both concerts are excellent and enhance the musical experience.

Part I

Ashok Ramani ----- vocal
S.V.Narayan ------ Violin
P.G Lakshminarayan --- Mridangam
0n 14-4-95 during Ramanavami at "Parvathi", Mysore

Song List

01 Tulasidala-Mayamalavagowla)-Thyagaraja ***
02 Enduku nirdaya- Hari Kambhoji- Thyagaraja ***
03 Maa Ramanan-Hindolam- Papanasam Sivan ***
04 Maname Kanamum - Bhimplas-Papanasam Sivan ***
05 Krishna mukunda murare-Yaman-Papanasam Sivan ***
06 Sloka(Ragamalika)-Rama namam-Desh-Tanjore Sankara Iyer ***

Part 2

Ashok Ramani---Vocal

S.V.Narayan ---- violin

G.S.Ramanujam --Mridangam 

Srinath ---- Ghatam on 3-4 -99 during Ramanavami.

Song List

01 Sarasuda(Varna)-Saveri-Kothavasal V Iyer ***
02 Rama Bhakti-Shudda Bangala-Thyagaraja ***
03 Tanavari Tanamu-Begada-Thyagaraja ***
04 Charukesi RTP (Only Pallavi & ragamalika) ***
05 Saravanabhava-Shanmukhapriya- Papanasam Sivan ***
06 Aaneyu karedare-Narajanma bandaga-Madhuvanti-Purandara Dasa ***
07 Karpagame-Madhyamavati-Papanasam Sivan ***
08 Mangalam ***

The Charge of the Youth Brigade

Vid. Sanjay Subrahmanyan
1993 Ramanavami Concert, Parvathi, Mysore

Narration by R. Sachi

They say nature abhors a vacuum. There’s proof for this statement in Carnatic music. Just as the great doyens of the 1930’s-1950’s were winding up their act on Planet Earth, God decided to bring forth a new brigade of Carnatic stars. Between 1965-1975 (arbitrary dates), a number of future Carnatic stars were born, in different parts of India, all to converge towards great teachers of Carnatic music, hone their skills with great perspicacity, and climb on to the concert stage early and attraction attention.

This youth brigade have gone on to prime time slots in all major Vizhas and festivals. They have forayed into film music to garner Oscar nominations. They are beginning to win the Sangeetha Kalanidhi titles ahead of much older musicians. They have inspired alternative film makers. They have gone and performed in war-ravaged Sri Lanka. They criss-cross the globe, publishing their “Fall” and “Spring” tours on websites and microblogs. They explore multi-lingual repertoire. They enthusiastically feature in CM-HM_Jazz jugalbandis. They sing four-plus hour RTP concerts. In other words, they drive home the point that all’s well in Carnatic music.

A leader of this “who’s who” youth brigade is Vid. Sanjay Subrahmanyan. Mr. K. Srikantiah recognized his talent early and is highly impressed by Sanjay's style of singing, with his depth of classicism and brisk flow of creativity. Sanjay has sung 3-4 times during Parvathi Ramanavami celebrations. Mr. Srikantiah still remembers the 'Sahana' which he has sung in the 1993 concert we feature here.

[ Courtesy: The Hindu ]

In a recent profile, the Sruti magazine states that Sanjay was first sent to learn the violin from Vid. V. Lakshminarayana, at the age of seven. A bicycle accident and a broken wrist later, he took up vocal music. Thereafter, his grandaunt, Rukmini Rajagopalan (student of Parur Sundaram Iyer and Papanasam Sivan) shepherded and nurtured him. He later came under the dynamic guidance of the renowned musician-teacher Calcutta K.S. Krishnamurthi, who stoked Sanjay’s creative urges and groomed him to become the kind of free spirited performer he is today.

Sruti also states that interestingly, Sanjay never had the experience of a traditional gurukulam (and the resulting pathantharam or style imbibed during such an experience) for any prolonged period of time. By his own admission, he was drawn to the music of some of the most legendary musicians of earlier generations. One can sense the influences in his music – G.N. Balasubramaniam, Madurai Mani Iyer, Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer, M.D. Ramanathan, Ramnad Krishnan, S. Kalyanaraman, and at times, even T.N. Seshagopalan. Nevertheless, there is not a hint of imitation in his music, only an original amalgamation and recreation of the styles which inspired him. Sanjay has of late been learning from a nagaswara exponent Semponnarkoil S.R.D. Vaidyanathan.

It is no exaggeration to say that Sanjay commands a huge and devoted fan following of three generations of Carnatic rasikas around the world.

Concert Details

Sanjay Subrahmanyan ------------- Vocal
T.T.Srinivasan ------------------ Violin
P.G.Lakshminarayan -------- Mridangam

Held on April 7, 1993 during Ramanavami festival in Parvathi, Mysore
(we regret we can’t find a photo from the concert)

Song List

01. Sarasuda (Varna)- Saveri- Kotthavasal Venkatarama Iyer *** 02. Samayamide -Kedara-Patnam Subramanya Iyer *** 03. Brochevarevarura-Khamach – Mysore Vasudevachar *** 04. Needu chranamule- Simhendramadhyama-Thyagaraja *** 05. Vandanamu- Sahana – Thyagaraja *** 06. Kaddanuvariki-Todi – Thyagaraja *** 07. Sapashyat Kausalya - Jonpuri -Panchapakesha Sastri*** 08. Jinjhuti Tillana- Veene Sheshanna *** 09. Thrippugazh - Harikambhoji- Arunagirinathar *** 10. Pavamana - Saurashtra- Thyagaraja ***

SPECIAL NOTE : We record our heart-felt condolence on the sad passing away of the great musician and teacher Prof. T.R. Subramanyam. His concert held in Parvathi in 1973 that we have shared here earlier is an all-time favourite.

We intend to post shortly another great concert of this wonderful scholar-musician. May his soul rest in peace.

A Popular Sister Act : Vidushis C. Saroja & C. Lalitha

Congratulations to the Vidushis
for winning the "Sangeeta Kalanidhi" award for 2010

Parvathi's inner coterie of Rasikas celebrate 'Ganesha Utsavam'
with The Bombay Sisters in 1974
Accompanying them: Vidwans S, Mahadevappa, P.G. Lakshminarayanan, M.A. Krishnamurthy

"Parvathi" hosted a very popular duo, the Bombay Sisters, in 1974. They had inherited the mantle from Radha Jayalakshmi by then and continued to be prolific performers with a variegated discography for over 4 decades.

Smt. Saroja and Smt. Lalitha, also known as the Bombay Sisters, hail from Palghat area and spent their formative years in Bombay- hence the eponym. The sisters had their initiation into Carnatic Music from their elder sister, Smt. Sethu Mahadevan and later learnt from Shri. Chellamani Baghavathar. Further on, the Government of India Cultural Scholarship brought them to Madras for higher studies in Carnatic Music at the Central College of Carnatic Music, Adyar, under the direct tutelage of late Shri. Musiri Subramania Iyer. They continued their training in Carnatic Music from Shri. T.K. Govinda Rao, the primary disciple of Shri. Musiri Iyer.

The Bombay Sisters won the Sangeetha Rathna T. Chowdiah Memorial Award in 1996.

In this featured concert, the sisters have regaled the Parvathi rasikas with a wide repertoire of songs not often heard in Carnatic music. The Purandara Dasa songs shine in a new light in the different ragas. The ashtapadi in Darbari Kanada is brilliant. The violin and mridangam accompaniment rise to the occasion very well. Another rich feast indeed.

Concert Details

Bombay Sisters (C.Saroja and C. Lalitha) ---Vocal
S.Mahadevappa -------Violin
P.G.Lakshminarayan ---Mridangam
M.A.Krishnamurthy ----Ghatam
on September 20, 1974 at Parvathi during Ganesha Festival.



[ 01. Geetavadya-Natakapriya-Tanjavur Sankara Iyer***02. Srirama Padama- Amrithavahini – Thyagaraja*** 03.Meevalla –Kapi – Thyagaraja *** 04. Yadava Nee Baa –Shanmukhapriya- Purandara dasa *** 05. Akhilandeshwari- Dwijavanti- Muthuswami Dikshitar *** 06. Kaliyugavaradan- Brindavana saranga – Periyasami Thooran*** 07. Innudayabarade – Kalyanavasantha – Purandara Dasa*** 08. Narajanma Bandaga –Kharaharapriya – Purandara dasa *** 09. Acharavillada Nalige – Shahana-Purandara dasa *** 10. Hari Chitta – Jonpuri-Purandara Dasa*** 11. Baro Krishnayya – Ragamalika – Kanaka Dasa*** 12. Nandananda – Ragamailka – Narayana Thirtha*** 13. Ab Mein Nacho – Yaman – Surdas*** 14. Beet Gaye Din – Yaman – Kabir*** 15. Payoji Maine – Piloo – Meera Bai*** 16. Saa Virahe – Darbari Kanada – Jayadeva*** 17. Rati Sukha Saare – Madhuvanti – Jayadeva*** 18. Thillana – Jinjhuti – Mysore Veene Sheshanna*** ]

Musings from the Past
(From the music magazine Sruthi August 2003)

The Percussive Arts Center (PAC) 22nd annual Thaalavadyothsava from May 27-31 2003 in Bangalore

Rani Satish, Minister for Culture, Karnataka Govt presenting the
Palghat Mani-K.Puttu Rao Award to "Vikku" Vinayakram in 2003.
Also seen are Dr.A.H. Rama Rao (President,National Education Society) and Dr. V.V. Srivatsa, Chennai Musicologist

“The valedictory function on the 31st was marked by the presentation of the K. Puttu Rao Memorial Palghat Mani Award and the title of Sangeetha Kalaa Shiromani to Ghata maestro T.H. Vinayakram. He received a citation and the award which comprises of 10,000 rupees, from Rani Satish, Minister for Kannada & Culture, Govt. of Karnataka, who lauded the services of the Percussive Arts Center in the promotion of percussive arts and artists.

She recalled the services of K. Puttu Rao as a legal luminary and the contribution of K.K. Murthy in shaping the monumental Chowdiah Memorial Hall.

Dr. V.V. Srivatsa, scholar from Chennai, delivered the valedictory address. He also presented certificates and prizes to the winners of the competitions held in percussion instruments. The award function was followed by a music ensemble led by ‘Vikku’ Vinayakram. The participants included Sukanya Ramgopal, V. Umashankar, D.V. Venkatasubramanian (all ghata), N. Rajraman (ghata and gettu vadyam), A. Ganeshan (morsing) and Umamahesh Vinayakram (vocal support)”

,