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Saturday, July 1, 2017

Manasa Guruguha – The Intellectual’s Delight in Carnatic music


Vid. Hemmige S. Prashanth
K. Puttu Rao Memorial Concert 2014


A Review by R. Sachi


We bring to all our rasikas a fine vocal recital of the young musician, Vid. Hemmige S. Prashanth, from the 2014 K. Puttu Rao Memorial Festival, held at Jaganmohan Palace, Mysore.




Sri. Prashanth is a graduate in electrical engineering and pursues a career in technology, in addition to being a keen student and performer of Carnatic vocal music. He has trained under a great master- Sangeetha Kalanidhi K.V. Narayanaswamy- for a number of years. A sincere effort to seek out a great teacher is often rewarded by Providence by addressing the needs and aptitudes of the student by taking him to an appropriate Guru who embodies mastery, insight, and grace. That is the message of the Bhagavadgita which says
Bg 4.34
tad viddhi praṇipātena paripraśnena sevayā
upadekṣyanti te jñānaṁ jñāninas tattva-darśinaḥ


Meaning : Know THAT by long prostration, by question, and service, to the "wise" who have realised the Truth. They will instruct you in (that) 'Knowledge.'

The quintessence of Sri Palghat K.V. Narayanaswamy’s music was melody, balance, finesse, and subtlety. We can see many instances of that in the concert finely presented here by Vid. Prashanth, in the able company of Vid. Govindaswamy on the violin and Vid. Srinivas on the mridangam and ... on ghatam.

An important composition presented in this concert is “Manasa Guruguha” composed by Sri. Muthuswami Dikshitar in Ananda Bhairavi. Sri. Dikshitar, an incomparable composer, offers through his works constant delight to any intellectual who takes interest in Carnatic music. Sri. Dikshitar represents many confluences:

1. Musical confluence of Carnatic and Hindustani music.
2. Spiritual confluence of Adavita, Sri Vidya Upasana, and Guruguha/Skanda Upasana.
3. Combination of intricate metrical structures woven into a composition along with subtleties of the raga bhava.
4. Samskrita and scriptural erudition harnessed to elaborate on the Bhakti marga.

The Ananda Bhairavi composition is one of the Guruguha Vibhakti kritis, wherein each composition, addressed to Guruguha or Subrahmanya, employs a certain Vibhakti form for the nouns (in this case, Dwitiya Vibhakti, called Accusative case in English).

In this composition, the individual intellect (Manasa) is advised to pursue the path of liberation, by first recognising the twin realities of the Avidya (=ignorance) enveloping us, and at the same time, the opportunity afforded by one’s human birth (with its perceptive, intellectual, and Sadhana potential). Both these realities are God’s creation. At the same time, the path of liberation is also shown by God, and He grants the removal of ignorance by one’s surrender to Him. When one is ready, the Guru, who is none other than the human form of the Divine, takes the disciple under his care and shows the way.

Come, let us enjoy this wonderful concert!


Concert Details

Hemmige S.Prashanth ----------- Vocal
M.S.Govindaswamy ---------------Violin
B.R.Srinivas ------------------------ Mridangam
?????---------------------------------- Ghatam
Held at Jaganmohan Palace on 1-9-2014 during Sri K.Puttu Rao Music Festival at Mysore.

Song List

01 Neranammiti- Kanada- Ramnad Srinivasa Iyengar *** 02 Ra Ra Mayintidaga -Asaveri- Thyagaraja *** 03 Kanjadalayatakshi- KamalaManohari – M Dikshitar*** 04 Manasa Guruguharupam –AnandaBhairavi- M Dikshitar *** 05 BirinavaraLicchivo- Kalyani – Shyama Shastri *** 06 BhogeendraSayinam- KuntalaVarali- Swathi Thirunal *** 07 Kaligiyunte Gada-Keeravani- Thyagaraja followed by Tani *** 08 Matadabaradeno- Khamach – Bangalore Nagaratnamma *** 09 Kandu Dhanyanade- Behag – Kamalesha Vitthala Dasa*** Mangalam