When music is in the air... A Tribute to Vid. T. V. Sankaranarayanan

Vid. T.V. Sankaranarayanan 1998 Sri Ramanavami

Reflections by R. Sachi

The goal of human life, according to Sanatana Dharma, is to see divinity in everything. But where to make a start? The best place is where there is great music. When good music is in the air, divinity descends instantly.

यच्च किञ्चित् जगत्सर्वं दृश्यते श्रूयतेऽपि वा।

अन्तर्बहिश्च तत्सर्वं व्याप्य नारायणः स्थितः॥

The Upanishad declares that Lord Sriman Narayana is present in all that we see and hear around, inside and outside. To experience this, music is a great way.

This experience is palpable for everyone who ever attended a Parvathi concert in person or virtually through this blog. This is the opinion of rasikas that we hear all the time. 

We start the Parvathi grand finale with a tribute to the late legend, Sangita Kalanidhi T. V. Sankaranarayanan (1945-2022). In his six-decade-long active career, he has come and performed many times in Parvathi, with stellar accompaniments too. His most recent appearance was in 2011. Here, we feature an excellent, full-length concert from the 1998 Sri Ramanavami festival at Parvathi. The accompanists viz. Vidwans Mysore Nagaraj, Arjun Kumar and Ramanujam have enlivened his mercurial delivery. 

When one listens Sri. TVS, one visualises the sacred horse Ucchaishravas rising from the milky ocean, and flying into the skies. An unmatched beauty with adornments and bells, the horse sets our hearts racing. It is the same effect in Sri. TVS's music.

Sri. TVS filled every moment of his music with vibrancy, energy, melody and pace. He batted like a T20 titan. His song choice was easy on the listener, not taxing the brain but satisfying the soul. His trademark sarvalaghu swaras were never boring. Inheriting that ability from the one and only Sri. Madurai Mani Iyer, his uncle, Sri. TVS added verve, resonance and raciness to his music.

In this concert, we get a wholesome treatment of Purvi Kalyani, Charukeshi and Darbari Kanada, and realise that this vidwan is no less than any Hindustani doyen in extracting the Bhava in these ragas. Mysore Nagaraj matches him in melody and verve. The tani is sparkling.

The song in Purvikalyani is composed by Smt.Ambujam Krishna of the TVS family who received the sahityam in divine visitations. It has been tuned by Vid. Musiri Subrahmanya Iyer. We feel that the song is so evocative that we want to share the words here:

            

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iniyAghilum ninai maname

raagam: pUrvikalyANi

taaLam: rUpaka

Composer: Ambujam Krishna

Language: Tamil

pallavi

iniyAghilum ninai manamE inakula tilakanai rAghavanai

anupallavi

punita tyAga brahmam magizhak-kanindu kATSi tanda kaNyanai

caraNam

minnal vAzhvu muDiyumunnam kanma vinaigaL kaNattil aghala

tannigarillA dAsharathiyai kannal nAma kAkuttanai

         Sahitya courtesy:Karnatik.com

Translation

           Pallavi

O Mind! At least hereafter, think of Raghava, the greatest of the Sun dynasty

          Anupallavi

          The dignified one who appeared before the pure Thyagaraja and pleased him 

        (O Mind)

         Charanam

Before this transitory lightning life ends, 

For the Karma of previous and present birth to vanish in an instant

The nonpareil son of Dasaratha

He of the Kakuthstha dynasty with the nectarine name (think of him)

         Translation- Kind courtesy Smt.Sujatha Vijayaraghavan

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We offer our heartfelt tribute to the legend Vidwan Sri. T. V. Sankaranarayanan. May his Atma be blessed by Bhagavan for all his service to Carnatic music. May rasikas continue to preserve his legacy through listening to his great music. 

We also congratulate the gods who will get to listen to him live, in person, and not through an online stream or archive!

Note: We have chosen to upload the entire concert in one single stream on Youtube for your uninterrupted listening pleasure.

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Concert Details

T.V. Sankaranarayanan -------- Vocal
Mysore M. Nagaraj ----- Violin
Bangalore Arjun Kumar ------------ Mridangam
G.S.Ramanujam ----------- Ghatam
on 12-4- 1998 at "Parvathi" during Sri Ramanavami Music Festival.

Song List

01 Pranatosmi Devam Vinayakam - Nata - Tulasivanam ***
02 Barayya Venkataramana - Saveri - Purandaradasa ***
03 Ramabhakti Samrajya - Shuddha Bangala - Thyagaraja ***
04 Iniyaghilum Ninai Maname - Purvikalyani - Ambujam Krishna ***
05 Adamodi Galade Ramayya - Charukeshi - Thyagaraja ***
06 Tani ***
07 Sarasamukhi Sakalabhagya de - Gaudamalhar - Muthiah Bhagavatar ***
08 Viruttam - Darbari Kanada ***
09 Govardhana Giridhara - Darbari Kanada - Narayanatirtha ***
10 Mangalam ***

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