Carnatic Music
Evolution of Carnatic music - a series By Smitha K. Prasad Dear readers, here is wishing you all a very happy, prosperous and musical 2012! We have indeed travelled a long road as we analyzed the evolution of Carnatic music and how it has responded to changes in the socio-political environment as a function of time. Well over a year ago, we started with the Sama Veda being the most likely source of Carnatic music; since then, we have travelled through the centuries tracing the way that Carnatic music despite being a traditional art has a nature dynamic enough to respond and reflect the state of the environment that it is a part of. Dear readers, for this month’s column, I would like to take up the subject of patriotism and the role that Carnatic music and musicians played in India’s quest for independence. Carnatic music and its compositions are for the most part Bhakti (devotional) oriented and even though there are compositions that deal with other themes, devotion has always been the main theme of most Carnatic music compositions. Dear readers, as we continue looking at the evolution of Carnatic music through the years, this month, I will address the format of a Carnatic music concert and the changes that have occurred over time. Dear readers, over the past few columns, we have looked at the influence of royal patronage on Carnatic music. Last month, we looked at the contributions of the Mysore kings to Carnatic music; this month, I would like to discuss the contribution of the famous composer king Maharajah Swathi Thirunal. Dear readers, in last month’s installment, I discussed how royal patronage influenced Carnatic music. This month, I will continue along those lines but delve more into the details of the contributions of the various kings of Mysore to Carnatic music. Dear readers, let’s continue our fascinating journey exploring the evolution of Carnatic music as a result of changes in the social and political landscape in various parts of India. This month I will discuss how royal patronage influenced Carnatic music. Dear readers, as we have seen previously, until the 12th century A.D., only one form of music prevailed all through India. Around this time, the Islamic presence was beginning to be felt in North India. The musical practice there came under the influence of Persian and Arabic cultures and came to be known as Hindustani music. In south India, the original music was preserved and handed down through the ages and is known as Carnatic music. Dear readers, last month, we took a look at one of the most important contributions bequeathed to India by the British viz. the violin and its role in assuming a prominent position in the field of Carnatic music. Dear readers, over the past few months, we have looked at the evolution of Carnatic music and how it has changed and adapted to changes in the social and political environment. Starting from the time of the Vedas, we traced the journey of Carnatic music and looked at the influence of social reformist movements such as the Veerashaiva movement, Bhakti movement, etc. We now reach a point in time when the British established rule in India. It is but natural then to expect that the British Raj would also have influenced the prevailing music system(s) in India. Dear readers, in this month’s column, we will continue to look at the life of the Bhakti saint Kanaka Dasa and examine some of his popular compositions. Dear readers, in this month’s column we will look at yet another of the famous Bhakti saints- Kanakadasa. Along with Purandara Dasa, Kanaka Dasa also belonged to the tradition of the Haridasa movement and became a disciple of Vyasaraya. The exponents of the Haridasa movement believed themselves to be “servants of Hari.” True to the tenets of the Bhakti movement, Kanakadasa also preached a life of simplicity filled with kindness and equanimity. Dear readers, this month we continue to pay homage to Purandara Dasa, one of the great saints of Carnatic music. In last month’s column, we looked at the remarkable transformation of the rich and miserly merchant Srinivasa Nayaka into the wandering bard Purandara Dasa; this month we look at the numerous contributions he made to Carnatic music as well as the various facets of his compositions. Nageyu baruththide yenage, Jagadoliruva manujarella hagarana maduvuda kandu (I laugh (satirical) looking at the confusion of people around me) He goes on to describe various real-life ironic situations, which give an insight into what society may have faced at that point in time. The recurring theme in all his compositions is surrender to Lord Vittala of Pandarapura. Dear readers, at the outset, I would like to wish you all a very happy, prosperous and musical 2011! We begin in the new year by continuing our journey of the evolution of Carnatic music and studying the Bhakti movement in South India. The start of the new year provides an ideal opportunity to pay homage to one of the greatest saints of Carnatic music. Purandara Dasa. In this column we will look at the life of Purandara Dasa; next month we will look at his contributions to Carnatic music. Dear readers, over the next few columns, we will look at the evolution of Carnatic music and how different factors have influenced Carnatic music into the form that we know today. In the last issue, we looked at the Bhakti movement in North India, its impact on Carnatic music and the contributions of the poet-saint Surdas. This week, we will look at more aspects of the Bhakti movement and discuss more about the exponents of the movement. Dear readers, over the next few columns, I will be discussing the evolution of Carnatic music through the ages. In the last issue, we looked at the Veerashaiva movement, which began around the 11th-12th century and its influence on Carnatic music. This week, we will look at the Bhakti movement and the impact of this movement on Carnatic music. Dear readers, over the next few columns, I will be discussing the evolution of Carnatic music through the ages. While Carnatic music is a traditional art form that has survived through the centuries, it has been influenced by various social and political factors. Each of these factors has brought about some change either in the form of contribution to Carnatic music or modifying what previously existed. KaLa beda koLa beda husiya nudiyalu beda, Muniya beda anyarige asahya padabeda Today, especially in Karnataka, vachanas are a popular inclusion in many Carnatic music concerts. Apart from this, concerts consisting entirely of vachanas are often heard as special presentations. Till we meet next time, do try and listen to some vachanas online, many of these have been beautifully tuned to either Carnatic or Hindustani ragas. I find that they make excellent songs to teach younger children because of the simplicity of language. Smitha Prasad is a Carnatic vocalist based in Cary, NC Email: smitha_prasad@hotmail.com
Dear readers, in this month’s column, we will look at the role of women in Carnatic music and how that role has undergone a transformation as a result of societal changes. Women, both composers and performers alike, have played a very important role in the history of Carnatic music. Prominent women composers include Aandal, Meerabai, Akka Mahadevi and more recently Ambujam Krishna and Andavan Pichhai.
Aandal (also known as Godai) is regarded as the earliest woman composer (around 8th century). She is said to have been discovered by Vishnuchitta under a tulsi (Basil) plant in the temple garden of the town Srivilliputtur. As Godai grew up, her love and devotion toward Lord Krishna continued to increase and she decided that she was going to marry only the Lord. There is a famous legend attributed to Godai- she used to make the garlands that Vishnuchitta delivered to the temple. Unbeknownst to Vishnuchitta, Godai used to wear the flower garlands before they were offered to the Lord, a serious infraction since the scriptures teach that what has been worn by a human being cannot be offered to the Lord. When Vishnuchitta caught Godai in this act, he was extremely upset and ordered her to make a fresh garland which he then took to the temple. Legend has it that the Lord appeared in Vishnuchitta’s dream and told him that He preferred the garlands which had been worn by Aandal rather than the fresh garlands. Aandal is said to have merged with the Lord in Srirangam at the age of fifteen.
Aandal’s most famous work is the Thiruppavai, a collection of 30 Tamil verses in which she assumes the role of a gopi (cowherd girl) and describes how she would serve the Lord for all eternity. These verses describe in detail the ambience of her village, the gathering of her friends to collect flowers, the visit to the temple and conclude by asking that in all of their births they should be in the service of the Lord. Highly devotional in nature, these verses or pashurams are recited in Vaishnava temples and households during the Margazhi month which is mid-December to mid-January.
Perhaps the most famous musical rendition of Aandal’s Thiruppavai is by the musician Smt. M.L. Vasanthakumari. Thiruppavai renditions by other musicians are also available; however MLV’s rendition is considered the gold-standard for Thiruppavai.
Till we meet next time, do listen to the Thiruppavai rendition by Smt. M.L. Vasanthakumari – you can easily find her rendition on the Internet.
Last month, I described the role that Carnatic music and musicians played in India’s quest for independence. No talk of Indian independence is complete without bringing in the “Father of the Nation” - Mahatma Gandhi. This month, we will take a look at Gandhiji’s influence on Carnatic music, a subject that unfailingly elicits raised eyebrows as people wonder how Gandhiji could have influenced Carnatic music!
A number of Carnatic musicians echoed Gandhi’s call for a pacifist movement using the medium of Carnatic music. Prominent among them was Smt. D. K. Pattammal, whose signature song “Shanti Nilava Vendum” calling for world peace reiterated Gandhiji’s message of non-violence and world peace. Another composition rendered by the famous musician Smt. M.L. Vasanthakumari is “Ellorum Gandhi.” This composition, a movie track, called for people of all faiths to live as one, echoing Gandhi’s famous quotation- “I am a Muslim and a Hindu and a Christian and a Jew and so are all of you.”
A number of Gandhiji’s favorite bhajans such as “Vaishnava Jana To” and the Meera bhajan “Hari Tum Haro” are also very popular among Carnatic musicians- they are frequently rendered as tukkadas (lighter pieces) in a concert. There is an interesting anecdote behind the composition “Hari Tum Haro” – when the legendary musician M.S. Subbulakshmi was initially invited to sing this bhajan for Gandhiji’s birthday, she refused saying that she did not know the composition.
Gandhiji is said to have remarked that he would rather hear M.S. “say” the composition than have anyone else sing it! M.S. later had the composition tuned and recorded it for Gandhiji’s birthday. This same recording was played on the radio following the announcement that Gandhiji had been assassinated. Carnatic concerts which are held on Gandhi Jayanthi (Oct. 2nd each year to mark Gandhi’s birthday) will invariably include some of Gandhiji’s favorite bhajans.
Till we meet next time, do listen to the bhajan “Hari Tum Haro” rendered by Smt. M.S. Subbulakshmi. You can easily find recordings by M.S. on the internet – the devotion in her voice is unparalleled!
Patriotism, however, emerged as a theme with composers such as Subramanaya Bharathiyar, Periyasamy Thooran among others as India fought for independence from the continuing British rule.
Perhaps, the most famous of patriotic composers was the poet-composer Subramanya Bharatiyar (1882-1921). His compositions emphasized nationalism, unity of India and equality of mankind and appealed to the liberty and strength of people- he sang these compositions at Congress meetings. His writings earned him the title of Mahakavi or great poet while his patriotic songs earned him the title of Desiya Kavi or National Poet.
The government wanted to arrest Bharatiyar for his writings and so he was forced to escape from Madras to Pondicherry (under French rule); there he continued to publish a weekly magazine “India.”
Carnatic musicians also did their part to promote national integration and emphasized the need for freedom. Foremost among these musicians was Smt. D.K. Pattammal (1919-2009), who popularized several patriotic songs of Subramaya Bharatiyar.
She was one of the earliest Carnatic musicians to sing in films and even though she received many offers to sing in films, she accepted to only sing songs that were either devotional or patriotic.
Several of the films in which she sang highlighted the freedom movement and became extremely popular. As a result, both the films as well as the songs sung by Smt. Pattammal were banned by the British government. Her signature song “Shanthi Nilava Vendum” called for peace in the world, reiterating Mahatma Gandhi’s ideologies. Many people still remember the Bharatiyar songs that she sang over AIR (All India Radio) at the stroke of midnight on August 14, 1947 when India attained freedom.
Till we meet next time, do listen to the song “Shanthi Nilavavendum”, in Raga Tilang, by Smt. D.K. Pattammal. You will be able to find a recording on the popular music website www.raaga.com.
The modern day Carnatic music concert format, called kutcheri paddathi, was introduced by one of the stalwarts of Carnatic music- Sri Ariyakudi Ramanuja Iyengar in the 1920’s. Prior to this time, most concerts were unstructured and extremely expansive.
Often times, the first piece in the concert presentation would itself take up several hours. As concerts moved out of the royal courts and temples and more into the mainstream audience, concerts also came under a time constraint to accommodate audience interest and constraints.
Today, most of the Carnatic music concerts follow the format pioneered by Sri Ariyakudi:
Concerts usually commence with a Varnam which serves as a warm up for the singer and the accompanists and sets the pace for the concert. This is then followed by krithis (compositions) rendered in various ragas (melodies) and talas (rhythm cycles). A combination of slow and fast tempo krithis provides variety from the listener’s perspective and keeps the audience engaged in the concert.
The main presentation in a concert is either a krithi with expansive improvisation or ragam-tanam-pallavi which again allows for elaborate improvisation. The main presentation also provides scope for thani avarthanam where the percussionists perform a solo.
Following the main presentation, the concert consists of “lighter” items popularly known as tukkadas. Tukkadas include slokas, bhajans, patriotic songs, compositions which are not very technical in nature. The concert usually ends with a rhythmic thillana and mangalam (concluding piece). The mangalam is usually completed in the raga Madhyamavathi as it is known to impart tranquility to the listener.
Carnatic music concerts have usually been about 2 ½ hours long; again these days with concerts being televised, keeping in mind the audience attention, etc. it is also quite common to find concerts that are an hour or an hour and a half in duration- a far cry from when concerts used to start late in the night (past 9pm) and carry on into the sunrise on the following day!
Till we meet next time, do try and attend a live Carnatic music concert. Many local organizations host Carnatic music kutcheris; you may actually find some concerts which are free and open to the public.
Sri Swathi Thirunal (1813-1846) was the ruler of the state of Travancore, now a part of Kerala state. He came from a family well versed in music and started his formal education at a young age. Sri Swathi Thirunal was adept in multiple languages such as Malayalam, Sanskrit, Tamil, Telugu and even English and Persian. He had a deep love for music right from the beginning and showed keen interest and insight in both music and literature.
It was this reputation as a great patron of the arts that led a number of musicians, dancers and writers from all over to take residence at his court. The court musician Eraimman Thampi was a great composer and he composed what is perhaps the most famous Malayalam lullaby Omanathingal Kidavo. The Tanjore quartet, consisting of four brothers, were experts in multiple areas of music and dance were also part of Sri Swathi Thirunal’s court.
One of the four brothers was Vadivelu. Many readers may remember that he is one of the people credited with the introduction of the violin into Carnatic music. (Refer Saathee magazine issue May 2011) It was the patronage and support that musicians received from rulers such as Sri Swathi Thirunal that made possible multiple advances in Carnatic music.
The Maharaja also had great appreciation for Hindustani music and many Hindustani artists received patronage at his court.
As a composer, Sri Swathi Thirunal composed over 400 compositions in multiple languages. Some of his famous compositions include Deva deva Kalayami te in the Raga Mayamalavagowla and Sarasaksha Paripalaya Mamayi in Raga Pantuvarali. The famous thillana Gita dhuniku taka dhim in Raga Dhanashri is a popular presentation not only on the concert platform but also for classical dance (Bharatanatyam) presentations. He used the ankita (signature) Padmanabha (and other variations of this signature) in his compositions.
Till we meet next time, do listen to the composition Bhavayaami Raghuramam. Originally composed in the Raga Saveri, it has been tuned to a Ragamalika (multiple ragas) by the legendary musician Semmangudi Sreenivasa Iyer- this is now the most popular way of presenting this composition. You can listen to a beautiful rendition by M.S. Subbulakshmi on the Internet.
The kingdom of Mysore initially served as a vassal state to the Vijayanagar Empire and later as a subsidiary alliance to the British until Indian independence.
The Mysore kings were accomplished exponents of fine arts, be it literature or music and their enthusiastic patronage led to both preservation as well as new developments in various arts. The musicians in these courts received plenty of support from the kings and this enabled them to dedicate their entire life to music.
The Maharaja Krishnaraja Wodeyar IV (1884-1940) was a connoisseur of both Hindustani and Carnatic music. Many Hindustani and Carnatic musicians were frequent guests of the maharaja. A number of Carnatic music composers – Veena Sheshanna, Muthiah Bhagavathar, and Mysore Vasudevacharya were among those who received patronage in his court.
The last Maharaja of the princely state of Mysore was Jayachamaraja Wodeyar (1919-1974). He was also a connoisseur of Carantic music as well as western music and had aspired to become a concert pianist. After becoming Maharaja, he was introduced to Carnatic music and learned to play the veena. A number of musicians also received patronage at his court including veteran composer Mysore Vasudevacharya, who was the ‘asthana vidwan’ or chief court musician.
Jayachamaraja Wodeyar composed a number of krithis (close to one hundred) in various ragas; perhaps his most popular composition is Sri Mahaganapathim Bhajeham in raga Athana. In recent years, there have been attempts made to popularize all of his krithis by bringing out music albums, notations for krithis, etc.
Till we meet next time, do listen to the composition Sri Mahaganapathim Bhajeham. This composition has been rendered by many artists and can easily be found on the Internet.
In the pre-independence era, Carnatic music was almost always patronized in the royal courts in south India. The Thanjavur royal rulers, the Mysore Maharajas and Maharaja Sri Swathi Tirunal were among those royals who supported Carnatic music, patronized musicians and encouraged exchanges of thoughts and ideas, often in the form of lively debates in their courts. Many of these rulers also had resident court musicians or “ashtana vidwans.” Apart from being patrons of music, a number of kings were also prolific composers.
Perhaps the most famous of the composer kings was Maharaja Swathi Tirunal of the Travancore kingdom, who is credited with over 400 compositions. The Mysore Maharaja Sri Jayachamarajendra Wodeyar also has a number of beautiful compositions to his credit. In the coming issues, I will discuss more about these royal composers and their contributions to Carnatic music.
The kings by virtue of their wealth and position also unwittingly led to a number of beautiful compositions on this subject. Perhaps the most famous composition that refers to wealth is the Thygaraja krithi “Nidhi Chala Sukhama.” Sri Thyagaraja (1767-1847) is one of the Trinity of Carnatic music composers – his compositions mainly extol devotion to Lord Sri Rama. Upon learning of Thyagaraja’s genius, the king of Thanjavur sent an invitation, along with numerous gifts, to Thyagaraja to attend the royal court. Thyagaraja rejected the invitation and composed the masterpiece in Raga Kalyani-
Nidhi Chaala Sukhama Ramuni Sannidhi Seva Sukhama
Does wealth bring happiness or is it service to Sri Rama that brings happiness?
Similarly Sri Purandara Dasa, the Sangita Pitamaha (Father of Carnatic music), was not enamored by the wealth of the Vijayanagar rulers and in his krithi “Antarangadalli Hariya Kaanadava,” he says:
Narara Sevisa bedavo yendendigu
(Stay in the service of the Lord) do not stay in the service of man (referring to the king)
Till we meet next time, do listen to the composition Nidhi Chaala Sukhama. The lyrics and meaning as well as many renditions of this composition by various artists can be found on the Internet.
With these two streams of music having had a common origin, it is interesting to look at the influence of Hindustani music on its Carnatic counterpart. The Carnatic composer Sri Muthuswamy Dikshitar was exposed to Hindustani music during his travels in North India. That he was greatly influenced by Hindustani music is evident in a number of his compositions, both in terms of the ragas as well as the style of the composition. Dikshitar showed his creativity and his ability to incorporate the best aspects of both systems of music in ragas like Dwijavanthi, Hamir Kalyani and Yaman Kalyani among others. Apart from Dikshitar’s compositions, we also have a number of compositions in ragas derived from Hindustani music. Popular compositions include Krishna Nee Begane Baaro (Yaman Kalyani), Rama Namame (Desh) as well as numerous compositions in raga Sindhu Bhairavi.
Folk music is another form of music that is believed to have influenced the structure of Carnatic music. Even though folk music is more a spontaneous presentation as compared to Carnatic music which has strict definitions, ragas like Punnagavarali, Anandabhairavi and Yadukulakambhoji are among those that can be correlated to folk tunes.
In last month’s column, we had also looked at the influence of the British Raj on Carnatic music both in terms of development of new ragas like Kadanakutuhlam and the incorporation of western instruments such as violin, saxophone, etc. into Carnatic music.
It is obvious from all these influences that Carnatic music, despite it’s strict adherence to tradition, is not immune to changes in the surroundings; rather it has the ability to incorporate the best of these influences and evolve as a traditional art form.
Till we meet next time, do listen to the Carnatic compositions Krishna Nee Begane Baaro as well as Raama Namame – they are both beautiful compositions and bring out the essence of their ragas.
While Carnatic music has retained its pristine nature over the ages, at the same time, it has also imbibed the influence of cultures from all over the country as well as other parts of the world.
This month we take a look at some of the other influences of the British Raj on Carnatic music. Instruments such as the piano and saxophone were among others popularized by the British though none of these instruments became as ubiquitous as the violin in Carnatic music.
The famous Carnatic composers Sri Muthuswami Dikshitar as well as Sri Thyagaraja were both inspired by music of the western orchestra. Dikshitar was requested by the collector of Madras to compose Sanskrit texts for the famous European Airs. These compositions include “Santatam Pahimam” based on the tune of the British National anthem God Save the Queen and “Shakti Sahitha Gaapathim.”
Dikshitar also composed several other verses in the Western C-major scale, which corresponds to the Carnatic raga Shankarabharana. These compositions all clearly have a western feel to the notes.
Similarly Thyagaraja also has compositions like “Vara Leela Gana Lola” that were clearly inspired by Western brass band tunes. Patnam Subramaya Iyer, a composer who lived in Madras (now Chennai) created the raga Kadanakutuhalam also inspired by British marching bands.
His composition “Raghuvamsa Sudha” in this raga is a favorite among instrumentalists as well as audiences for its lively and upbeat notes. Several other Carnatic composers also have compositions that praised King George V as well as the Queen Mary.
Till we meet next time, do listen to the composition “Raghuvamsa Sudha” on the Internet. You will hear the Western influence in this composition as well as realize why this composition is so popular with instrumentalists. The veteran vocalist Sri Maharajapuram Santhanam has also rendered this composition in all its majestic beauty.
Search for some of these compositions on YouTube or other streaming websites.
It is said that after the Railways, the violin is the most important contribution bequeathed to India by the British. The violin owes its origin to Europe- specifically Italy and Germany somewhere around the 16th century. The Indian stringed instruments included primarily the veena, the sarangi, etc. The sarangi was mainly used for Hindusthani music and was not a very good match for Carnatic music. Around the 18th century, the violin was introduced in India and since then, it has become an inseparable element of Carnatic music.
There are three people who are credited with the introduction of the violin in India. The first was Balaswami Dikshitar, brother of the famous Carnatic composer- Muthuswamy Dikshitar. Balaswami was introduced to western music at a performance by a European orchestra attached to the East India Company. He was fascinated by the violin and trained on it for some years before adapting it to Carnatic music.
Varahappa Iyer, another musician was very close to the British governor in Madras. Among all the instruments in the governor’s band, he realized that the violin could be best adapted to Carnatic music because of its ability to mimic the tonal variations in the human voice.
The person largely responsible for violin becoming an accepted instrument in Carnatic music was Vadivelu- a resident musician of the composer king Swathi Tirunal. His encouragement and patronage of this instrument led to the violin becoming the prime accompaniment for a vocal musician. As the violin became more integrated with Carnatic music, the violin playing techniques also changed to suit the needs of Carnatic music. Today, the violin is regarded as the best possible accompaniment for vocal concerts due to its ability to sustain continued notes, which provides a lot of support and stability to the concert.
Till we meet next time, do listen to any recordings that you can find of Carnatic music. More often than not, the violin will be the accompanying instrument. You can then get an idea of the important role that violin plays in today’s Carnatic concerts.
Kanaka Dasa, like Purandara Dasa, was a disciple of Guru Vyasaraya. Having been born as part of the Kuruba community, Kanaka Dasa’s compositions often spoke against the social practice of caste system, which favored Brahmins. He made extreme efforts to reform the disadvantaged communities using the medium of music. His composition “Kula kula vendu hodedaada dhiri” tells people not to fight amongst themselves on the basis of caste.
Kanaka Dasa worshipped the deity Adikeshava of the Kaginele village in Karnataka; all of his music compositions have the ankita (musical signature) Kaginele Adikeshava. Kanaka Dasa composed about 200 songs and five major literary works. Some of his compositions like Baaro Krishnayya and Yadava Raaya have been beautifully tuned and popularized by singers such as the late M.L. Vasanthakumari.
Among the interesting anecdotes attributed to Kanaka dasa is the story of the famous Kanakana kindi (Kanaka’s window). Kanaka Dasa was a follower of guru Vyasaraya and at the behest of his guru he went to Udupi, which is home to the Sri Krishna mutt (temple). Being a non-brahmin, Kanaka dasa was not allowed into the temple to have a darshan (glimpse) of Lord Krishna. Kanaka Dasa is then said to have sung his famous composition outside the temple:
“Baagilanu Teredu Seveyanu kodu hariye” (O Lord, open the door and accept my services)
According to popular belief, an opening appeared in the wall of the temple so that Kanaka Dasa could have a darshan of Sri Krishna.
This opening came to be known as Kanakana kindi. To this day, the tradition of looking at Lord Sri Krishna through this window before entering the main shrine persists as a tribute to Kanaka Dasa.
Till we meet next time, do listen to some devaranamas composed by Kanaka Dasa. You can find renditions of Yadava raya, Baro Krishnayya and his other compositions by many Carnatic vocalists online.
Kanaka Dasa (1509-1609) was born as part of the Kuruba community. The story goes that at some point of time, he gave up being a warrior and devoted his life to composing songs and philosophical works. He advocated doing away with the practice of caste distinction and instead advised a path of Bhakti or devotion to God. Like Purandara Dasa, Kanakadasa’s compositions were in Kannada since the main intent of the Haridasa movement and the Bhakti movement in general was to take devotional philosophy to the common man.
There are a number of interesting stories involving Kanakadasa. On one occasion, guru Vyasaraya held a debate to discuss who could attain Moksha (salvation). A number of learned pundits present answered that someone who was a Brahmin or someone who had learned the Vedas would attain moksha. When asked the same question, Kanakadasa replied that none of the assembled people would attain salvation; instead he uttered the famous phrase:
“Naanu hodare hodenu”
Literally translated, this means, “I will attain salvation.” This angered all the assembled pundits who mocked Kanakadasa for his ignorance; others mocked his ego. Kanakadasa then explained that only one who had lost the “Self” (ego) was capable of attaining salvation. The pundits thus realized that despite his simplistic appearance, Kanakadasa was extremely scholarly.
There is a beautiful film in Kannada titled Bhakta Kanakadasa in which Dr. Rajkumar plays the lead role of Kanakadasa. The film highlights the life and famous compositions of Kanakadasa. Despite the film being black and white, Dr. Rajkumar has exquisitely portrayed the various emotions and challenges faced by Kanakadasa.
Till we meet next time, do watch some clips of the movie Bhakta Kanakadasa on Youtube. Many of the clips have English subtitles, which should help you understand the situation.
Purandara Dasa was one of the most famous exponents of the Haridasa movement, which was a part of the larger Bhakti movement. The Bhakti movement advocated doing away with the practices of caste system and ritualistic worship and instead advocated a life of devotion to God in a simple manner. In line with this thought, the Bhakti saints, including Purandara Dasa, composed verses, which were simple enough to be understood by the common man. Often in colloquial languages, the public easily understood these songs even if they had not had any formal education.
Purandara Dasa composed numerous devaranamas in Kannada. While many of the krithis were devotional in nature and exuded Bhakti (devotion), other krithis exuded common sense and a philosophical approach to life. Yet other krithis were satirical in nature and commented (or lamented!) on the state of society at that point in time. One of his compositions reads:
Purandara Dasa is regarded as ‘Sangeetha Pitamaha’ or Father of Carnatic music. Besides his various compositions (close to 500,000) he also systematized the way Carnatic music was taught to students with a series of exercises that are followed to this day. These exercises introduced basic concepts and showcased more advanced concepts as the students progressed. The late musician M. L. Vasanthakumari (MLV) popularized Purandara Dasa devaranamas and these were often mainstays in her concert presentations.
Till we meet next time, do listen to Purandara Dasa devaranamas; you can find many beautiful renditions by MLV and other vocalists online.
Purandara Dasa (1484-1564) was one of the most famous proponents of the Haridasa movement. He is regarded as “Sangita Pitamaha” or the Father of Carnatic music for his invaluable contributions. Purandara Dasa was born as Srinivasa Nayaka into a wealthy merchant family. After losing his parents, Srinivasa Nayaka inherited his father’s business and became very rich; unfortunately he was also very miserly. In contrast, his wife was an extremely pious and generous lady. One of the most famous stories associated with Srinivasa Nayaka is his transformation from a person who loved material wealth to a dasa (literally a slave to the Lord).
The story goes that Srinivasa Nayaka was a moneylender and a greedy one at that. The Lord appeared before him in the form of a poor Brahmin and requested money to perform his son’s thread ceremony. After ignoring the Brahmin for six months, Nayaka gave him some useless coins to get rid of him. The Brahmin went to Nayaka’s wife, recounted the incident to her and asked her to lend him some money. She gave him her diamond nose-ring which had been given to her by her parents and for which she did not require her husband’s permission. The Brahmin went back to Nayaka and sold him the nose-ring! Nayaka recognized the nose-ring as belonging to his wife; so he hurried home and asked her for it. His wife knew that Nayaka would punish her if she told him the truth; instead she decided to kill herself by drinking poison in front of the idol of Lord Krishna. At that instant, the nose-ring dropped into the bowl of poison and she took it back to her husband. Nayaka ran back to the store and found that the locked box in which he had placed the Brahmin’s nose-ring was now empty! Nayaka realized then that the Brahmin was none other than the Lord. He gave away all his riches and started the life of a wandering saint composing devotional songs. At some point of time, he became a disciple of the sage Vyasaraya who bestowed on him the name Purandara Dasa.
Till next time, listen to devaranamas of the different Bhakti saints such as Purandara Dasa and Vyasaraya, among others.
Dear readers, over the past few columns, we have been looking at the evolution of Carnatic music and how different social factors have influenced Carnatic music into the form that we know today. Having discussed the Bhakti movement in North India and its influence on Carnatic music, this time, we will look at the Bhakti movement in South India.
The Bhakti movement in South India was characterized by devotion centered on either of the Gods- Vishnu or Shiva. The main proponents of this movement were the Haridasas, many of whom were wandering bards and considered themselves ‘slaves’ to the Lord. Of these saints, Purandara Dasa is perhaps the most famous of the bhaktas. He is regarded as ‘Sangita Pitamaha’ or the father of Carnatic music for his numerous invaluable contributions. Purandara Dasa laid the foundation for systematic leaning in Carnatic music- students of Carnatic music to this day follow the structure that he set up.
The composer saints Sripadaraya, Vyasaraya, Vadiraja, Purandaradasa, Kanakadasa, Vijayadasa, Gopaladasa and Jagannathadasa were among those who spearheaded the Bhakti movement. They composed numerous songs or devaranamas in Kannnada that were easy for the common man to understand. While their compositions expounded the philosophy of devotion, at other times, the compositions were satirical in nature mocking the state of society at that time. In essence, they tried to reform society through the medium of music. Devaranamas are widely included in Carnatic music concerts; while some devaranamas are sung as ‘filler’ presentations, at other times a devaranama is the main presentation in a concert, complete with the aspects of manodharma (improvisation). In Karnataka, deveranama concerts are popularly presented on many concert platforms.
Vyasaraya (1460-1539) was a highly accomplished scholar and very influential in the Vijayanagar empire of Sri Krishnadevaraya. He composed many beautiful devaranamas in Kannada. Both of the most well known Bhakti saints Purandara Dasa and Kanaka Dasa were disciples of Vyasaraya. By accepting Kanaka Dasa, who belonged to a lower-caste, as his disciple, Vyasaraya showed his disregard for the practice of caste system.
Till we meet next time, do try and listen to some devaranamas online. Perhaps the famous composition of Vyasaraya is “Krishna Nee Begane Baaro” sung in Raga Yaman Kalyani- almost every professional singer has presented this beautiful song on the concert platform.
Here’s wishing you all a Happy 2011!
The Bhakti movement, essentially founded in South India, spread to North India during the late medieval period (14th-17th c.) when North India was under Muslim domination. The movement was spontaneous and consisted of a loose group of saints whose main ideals were devotion of God in a simple way. Saints like Surdas, Meerabai, Namdev and others spearheaded the Bhakti movement in the North while saints like Purandara Dasa led the movement in the South.
Meera (16th century), a Rajput princess, was one of the foremost exponents of the Bhakti movement. She was born into a royal family in Rajasthan and from a very young age professed deep love for Lord Krishna. Married at a young age of 14, Meera continued her worship and sought the company of saints and poor bhaktas, dancing and singing the praises of Krishna with abandon. She is said to have been ill treated by her in-laws after the death of her husband but each time, Krishna intervened and protected Meera. She seems to have spent her last days as a devotee in Dwarka- a version of her life history describes her as merging with the idol of Krishna inside a temple.
Meera’s poetry is in simple verse form- they are composed in Braj, a dialect of Hindi, spoken at that point of time. Her poetry is a form of Prema Bhakti and exudes complete surrender to Lord Krishna. The legendary musician M.S. Subbalakshmi popularized Meera bhajans in Carnatic music- her name is almost synonymous with these bhajans. She also essayed the role of Meera in the 1945 movie “Meera.” Meera bhajans are now popularly included in Carnatic concerts in the tukkadas section because of their beauty and simplicity. Mahatma Gandhi once requested M.S. Subbalakshmi to render his favorite Meera bhajan- Hari Tum Haro. M.S., who did not know the bhajan, made a special recording and had it sent to Gandhiji. To this day, recordings of Hari Tum Haro sung by M.S. are played on the air on Gandhi Jayanthi.
Till we meet next time, do try and listen to some Meera bhajans online; you will find many of these rendered in Carnatic style by M.S. Subbalakshmi and other vocalists.
The Bhakti movement spread in central and north India between the 14th and the 17th century. This movement was initiated by a loosely associated group of sants (saints) whose main teachings focused on Bhakti or devotion to God. The music associated with these saints laid more emphasis on maatu (lyrics and their meaning). Their main teachings included the casting away of rituals and caste and the expression of love for their God in a ‘simple’ manner. In North India devotion centered mainly on the gods Rama and Krishna.
The Bhakti saints composed numerous bhajans that were characterized by simplicity. They were sung in simple tunes, which enabled the common man, with no musical training to understand and repeat them. Some of the most famous Bhakti saints include Surdas, Meerabai, Kabir, Tulsidas and Namdev. While the Bhakti movement in the South had more influence on Carnatic music, the contributions by the Bhakti saints of North India and their subsequent incorporation into Carnatic music cannot be ignored.
Surdas, the deeply influential bhakti poet-saint was born blind. As a young boy, he left his family to join a group of traveling devotional singers. The mighty emperor Akbar was a patron of Surdas and his music. In the absence of authentic records, there is little information available about the many aspects of Surdas’s life. Sur-Sagar, which is considered as one of Surdas’s greatest works originally consisted of over 100,000 poems, of which about 8000 have survived.
One of Surdas’s bhajans popularly sung in Carnatic music concerts is ‘Hey Govinda Hey Gopala’, tuned to raga Desh. These bhajans are typically presented in the latter half of a Carnatic music concert and come under the category of Tukkadas (lighter pieces).
Listen to some Surdas bhajans online; you may not find many of these sung in Carnatic style; however the meaning behind the bhajans is simply beautiful irrespective of the style that it is rendered in.
As I had mentioned in the very first column, the origin of Carnatic music can be traced to the Vedas (a large body of text originating in ancient India). Around the 11th-12th century, a new religious faith called Veerashaivism came into existence to protest the existing social order in Hindu society. The practice of caste system allowed people born in a higher caste to ill-treat and persecute people of a lower caste. Women had no religious rights and were unfairly treated. It was in this state of society that that the Veerashaiva movement gained momentum and found a number of willing followers.
The Veerashaiva saints created awareness about caste system, fought against rituals and caste and envisioned an egalitarian social order. This was done through simple poetic compositions in Kannada language called vachanas. Basavanna, Allamma Prabhu and Akka Mahadevi are few of the most respected and well-known Veerashaiva saints. Their poetry, though simple, was filled with meaning and encouraged people to lead a good life- abstain from lying and stealing and instead spend time working and associating with learned people. Here are a few lines from one of my favorite vachanas composed by Sri. Basavanna. The vachana serves a wonderful lesson in the philosophy of life-
Do not steal, do not kill, do not lie
Do not lose your temper, do not hate other people.
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