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INDEX

S.NO TOPICS PAGE.NO

Week 1
1 The body of music 6
2 Music everywhere – finding the classical 9
3 Classical Music – Art Music 23
4 Lectre 4 Music through melody Music through harmony 26
5 Lec 5 Musical Material – A Hard Look 31
6 Musical material Mo2 38
7 Carnatic Music as Raga Music 48
8 Understanding Raga - Part I 54

Week 2
9 Understanding Raga - Part II (Raga and Swara) 59
10 Understanding raga 3 Ornamentation& Phraseology 64
11 "Swara" in the Sanskrit Textual Tradition 68
12 "Sruti" in Sanskrit Textual Tradition 76
13 Lecture 13 Tambura 81
14 Gamaka I 89
15 Gamaka II 95
16 Gamaka III 98
17 Gamakas IV 99

Week 3
18 Raaga & Phraseol 104
19 Raga - some basic expectations 110
20 A string of Ragas and a teaser 117
21 Raga in the textual tradition 123
22 Classification of Ragas - I 127

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23 Classification of ragas - II 132
24 Mela system of classifying raga-s 135
25 Generating the 72 mela-s 141
26 Application of 72 mela 149
27 Katapayadi naming tha 72 mela 156

Week 4
28 Vivadi – I 165
29 Vivadi – II 169
30 Raga - Circles and Triangles 176
31 Laya: temporal discipline in music. 181
32 Tala – an Introduction to the Concept 185
33 More on Tala and laya 188
34 Aspects of Tala - I 192
35 Aspects of tala II 199
36 Aspects of tala III 204
37 Aspects of tala IV 212

Week 5
38 Composition in Carnatic Music 221
39 Varnam an Introduction 224
40 Varnam and laya intricacies 230
41 Kriti – the premier compositional form in Carnatic music 236
42 Kriti – some basic features 246
43 Precursors to the Kriti 253
Bhakti and Carnatic Music: Metaphor, World view and Yearning in
44 Carnatic compositions. 271

Week 6
45 Tanjavur and the Carnatic Trinity 283
46 Tyagaraja, the Vaggeyakara 292

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47 Tyagaraja and His Many Moods -I 300
48 Tyagaraja and His Many Moods – II 309
49 Muthuswami Dikshitar – an overview 319
50 Muthuswami Dikshitar – the Sanskirt Scholar and Advaitin 327
51 Muthuswami Dikshitar – Some Other Aspects of his Work. 337
52 Syama Sastri 349
53 Tamil Composers before the trinity 361
54 Post trinity Composers 370
55 Swathi Tirunal - the Versatile Royal Composer 378
56 The Romance of Padam and Javali 382

Week 7
57 Tillana 388
58 Improvisation in Carnatic Musci ALAPANA 391
59 Lec 59 - ALAPANA : Style and Aesthetics 398
60 Neraval and Swaraprastara 401
61 TANAM 409
62 An expostion of Balagopala,a kriti in the rega Bhairavi with alapana 411

Week 8
63 Accompaniment in Carnatic Music - The Violin 413

64 Percussive Accompaniment - the Mridangam 421

65 Subsidiary Accompaniment - Interaction Among Accompanists 426

66 Lec 66 Perscussion MRIDANGAM 427

67 Lec 67 Percussion KANJIRA 434

68 Lec 68 Percussion Ghatam 437

69 Lec 69 Percussion Morsing 440

70 Lec 70 Percussion Korvai and Thani avartanam 447

71 Lec 71 The Typical carnatic Concert And Ragam Tanam Pallavi RTP 455

Additional Lectures

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72 18 | Performing arts, drama | Lakshmi Sreeram | 17 April 2016 462
73 19 | Dance & music | Lakshmi Sreeram | 18 April 2016 497

Raga-Concept and Presentation in Carnatic and Hindustani Music

74 -by Dr. Lakshmi Sreeram 527

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 Appreciating Carnatic Music
Prof. Lakshmi Sreeram
Indian Institute of Technology, Madras

Lecture 1
Body of Music

(Music Starts: 00:20) (Music Ends: 03:14)

Namaste. I am happy to welcome you to this course on Appreciating Carnatic Music. We are here
in the beautiful campus of IIT Madras, in the Durga Peeliaamman Temple which is, which has its
unique ambience situated on a small hillock as it were. The song you just heard “Nadha thanum
anisham shankaram namami manasa sirasa”. This is a well known composition in Carnatic
Music. Many things can be said about this composition.

First of all that it is a kriti. Kriti is a kind of composition in Carnatic Music. We can also say that
this krithi was composed by Tyagaraja an eighteenth century poet composer, “Vaggeyakkara” as
we called him. We can say that this composition was in the rAga Chittaranjani. Chittaranjani, as
a rAga, has certain unique features to it. We can also say that the composition is in Adi tAla and
the graha or the eduppu is half mAtrA into the tAla cycle.

We can say all this in much more about compositions such as this. We talk about all these
concepts during this course and hopefully at the end of this course you will be comfortable with
such descriptions.

At the level of the text of the composition, it should be obvious to most Indians at least that it is
in the language Sanskrit. And it is in praise - it is addressed to Lord Shiva as Shankara - nAda
tanum anisham shankaram namAmi”.

It is interesting that Tyagaraja refers to Shiva Shankara as “NAda tanu”, “tanu” means body.
“NAda” while it is a very difficult word to translate because it is laden with metaphysical,
mystical connotations; it is an esoteric concept almost. For our purposes, “nAda” can be
translated as musical sound. So, to call Shiva as “nAda tanu” means calling him the embodied
musical sound.

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I chose to begin our course with this composition partly in keeping with an ancient tradition of
beginning any new venture with a prayer. And this song, this kriti, is particularly apt because it is
in praise of Shiva as the embodiment of nAda or musical sound.

It is also significant and interesting that the composition, these concepts in the composition echo
similar ideas, similar concepts found across centuries, across the country. From Kalidasa to
Abhinava Gupta, the tenth century Kashmiri philosopher, aesthetician, to Saranga Deva the
twelfth century, musicologist. In fact, Saranga Deva, who also was Kashmiri origin, but lived in
the Deccan, Deccan region. Saranga Deva, in his very very famous work “Sangeetha Ratnakara”,
he begins this work with a Mangalacharan with a prayer in which he uses almost the same terms.
The last line of the Mangalacharan of Saranga Deva in Sangeetha Ratnakara is “vande nAda
tanum tamudhurajagadgItam mude shankaram.”

And it is interesting that six centuries later in Tanjavur Tyagaraja uses almost the same, identical
expressions, “nAda tanum anisham shankaram namAmi”. Such ideas and such concepts were
transmitted through a process of osmosis. Because there is no evidence to suggest that Tyagaraja
actually had read the Sangeetha Ratnakara or any of Abhinav Gupta’s works.

The other reason that I thought this composition is a good starting point for us is that there is an
explicit reference to the saptaswaras, the seven notes. (Singing Starts: 8:23) (Singing Ends:
8:32). And it is with these saptaswaras the seven notes that our journey begins.

What is the basic working material for a musician? For a painter, for instance, it is colors, lines;
for a poet, it is words, sentences; for a sculptor, it is, it could be stones or wood; for an architect,
it could be bricks; for a musician, yes, it is notes or swaras. It has been observed by many and
rightly so that as far as musical material goes, these swaras, these notes, these find use only in
the activity of music, unlike the material of other art forms.

For instance, a poet uses words; but a non-poet like, for instance I, I am also using words; but
this is not a poetic activity. We use stones for other purposes than sculpting; but swaras, notes are

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used only for music making. So as far as material goes, musical material is unique to music. This
is an interesting aspect of the art of music.

And it is these seven swaras that form the basis for the bewildering variety of music that form the
music that we hear today; whether it is the music of M.S. Subbulakshmi or Bhimsen Joshi or
Pavarotti. Whether it is Rahman’s Jai Ho or Adele's Sky fall; all this variety of music that we
hear today - all of it stems from just these seven swaras. And this variety is due to the difference
in how these notes are treated, how they are handled. Sure, there are other factors that make for
the difference between different genres of music. Rhythm, for instance, plays a very important
part in the identity of a musical genre. But, certainly, in stylized musical forms like Carnatic or
Hindustani music or Opera music, it is the handling of the notes that is fundamentally
responsible for the identity of that musical form.

More about this musical material, the swaras, in our next.

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 Appreciating Carnatic Music
Prof. Lakshmi Sreeram
Indian Institute of Technology, Madras

Lecture -02
Music Everywhere: Finding the “Classical”

Music is all around us, beginning with toddlers’ ditties like “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star” or
“Nila nila oadi vaa” or “Chandha maama dur ke”. Beginning with such small songs, mother’s
lullabies - songs that mothers sing to put their children to sleep - school prayers, national songs,
national anthems, songs to celebrate birth, harvest, marriage, songs sung in praise of deities in
temples, religious songs, bhajans.... And we have the ubiquitous pop music; and we also have
classical music.

Music is indeed all around us. In today’s world, more so than ever before. What with all these
modern gadgets, music is a constant companion - almost. It is astonishing to think about this
variety of music that we have and more so when we consider that all this variety has sprung from
just seven notes and their five variants - as we shall see shortly.

Now given that what we call Carnatic music is a variety of music that we get to hear today, it is,
it can be illuminating to try to understand what Carnatic music is, in the context of these other
forms of music, these other genres of music. To understand it by way of contrast. Eminent
musicologist, Dr. Ashok Ranade has suggested that Indian music - what is called Indian music,
by which is meant music that is Indian in origin - Indian music can be understood as falling
under any of five categories. This is what he calls the Musical Pentad. So, Indian music, the wide
variety of music that we can hear, that is Indian, belongs to one of these five categories. So
according to Dr, Ranade, the is a variety of music that we can hear that is Indian, falls under any
of these five categories - what he calls the musical pentad.
(Refer Slide Time: 3:18)

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So, this is Indian music which, according to Dr. Ashok Ranade, can be understood as a Pentad.
The five categories of Indian music according to him are 1. Tribal or Primitive music - This is
music that you and I cannot easily get to hear, because this is music that is practiced in the
context of tribal rituals and ceremonies. And this music is particularly isolated, quite immune to
influence from outside. And, in turn, it does not influence other forms of music.
The second category is Folk music; what is called lokh geet. This is literally music of the folk
-music that is sung in rural settings on occasions of birth, marriage, death, harvest and other
village gatherings. Now some of the core features of this music, of folk music, are that it is song
dominated. And these songs are not usually traced to any one person as their author; the songs,
the music are creations and properties of the entire rural community and the music itself serves
the function of strengthening the communal bond.
The third category is Religious music; this is music sung in temples and in other religious
gatherings. Here the songs are appropriate to the temples, the deity or the occasion or even the
Sampradaya or the particular tradition of religious ritual or religious gathering that is happening.
And the purpose of this musical performance is to heighten the religious fervour among the
gathering.
The fourth category is what is most widely heard and widely liked - this is Popular music. And in
the case of India, Indian Popular music is certainly, mostly film music.

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And finally, the last category of Indian music is what he calls Art music - which is what is
Classical music - Hindustani, Carnatic and such other musical genres belong under the category
of art music.

Now the main feature of art music is that the intent of the performer is artistic. That is, the art
musician or the classical musician whether it is Carnatic or Hindustani, performs in order to be
recognised as an artist, in order to showcase his or her artistic standing, artistic ability. To give an
example most compositions in Carnatic music are religious in content. They are in praise of
some, one or the other Hindu deity. But Carnatic music is not religious music in the sense that
Dr. Ranade speaks about. Though the content is religious, the intent of the Carnatic musician is
artistic. So when the Carnatic musician performs a composition in praise of a Hindu deity, he or
she is not trying to or, certainly ought not to try to, just evoke religious fervour in the listener.
That might happen as a side effect but the primary intent of the performer is artistic; it is to
present the composition in a technically and aesthetically satisfying way. So that is how art music
or classical music - the primary feature of this genre is the intent of the performer is artistic.

Now, given that there are these five categories of music, what are the criteria that distinguish one
from the other? What are the criteria that can separate these five categories? We look at the slide
(Refer Slide Time: 8:34)

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The first criterion would of course be, content of the music itself. Content, in terms of text
melody and rhythm. To make a, to give an example, folk music or religious music will have a
certain kind of rhythm, a certain kind of percussive accompaniment, which you would not find in
classical music. Folk music and religious music, the percussive accompaniment is likely to be
very full of verve, which kind of heightens the celebratory mood of the occasion.

The second criterion would be - ensemble. What is the ensemble of performers? Now, to take... if
you consider pop music, a film song, for instance, the ensemble consists of a one or two singers,
play back singers and a whole lot of people that comprise the orchestra. Whereas if you take
Carnatic music, it is a very simple ensemble (Music Starts: 9:56) (Music Ends 10:04)
(Refer Slide Time: 10:04)

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The kind of accompaniment the kind of ensemble that constitutes folk music will also be
different.
The third criteria which is quite important, is a question, is the music part of a larger event,
fulfilling some function or is the music the sole focus? Clearly religious music, if you have
bhajan singing in the temple, bhajan singing in a Radha Kalyanam in Tanjavur or in any South
Indian town, the music itself is part of the larger function, the larger purpose of the religious
gathering which is to evoke the devotional fervour. Music itself is not the sole focus. Music has
a function, whereas in Hindustani or Carnatic concert, the music itself is the sole focus. It is not
part of some larger function or larger purpose. There is an interesting distinction made by
Heinrich Wessler - a distinction between “everyday music” and “presentational music”. Now,
folk music or mother’s lullabies or even to some extent religious music - these would all belong
under everyday music.

Music that is part of a larger function. Presentational music where music is something that stands
in its own right and the focus is entirely on the music itself that is something that would only
subsume art music and possibly popular music.
(Refer Slide Time: 12:01)

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Now, another criterion is the participation of audience. How does the audience participate? Is the
audience passive? Is the audience simply sitting and listening to the music? Or is it actively
participating? The performers, and amongst the performers also - what is the kind of interaction
amongst the performers? And how do the performers interact with the audience?

In a pop music concert, for instance, you will constantly find the performers trying to engage
with the audience, trying to get them to stand up and start dancing or clapping or something; but
this is something that will never happen in a classical music concert.

And, we also have assessment criteria. Given that there has been a performance of Carnatic
music or of Shankar Mahadevan, how is the concert assessed? Do we have objective criteria for
assessing such a concert?

And finally but quite importantly, there are what is called performance peripherals. The
ambience of the performance, the kind of costumes that the performers and the audience wear,
the kind of lighting that we have.... Obviously the ambience in a pop music concert is very
different from the ambience in a classical music concert. And again it is very different from the
ambience in a religious musical gathering. This then was the musical pentad that Dr. Ashok
Ranade has suggested where we have five categories of music that can account for all the variety
of Indian music.

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Now, needless to say, these categories are not water tight. There is considerable straggling of
these categories so that you may have musical forms which may not quite belong to one or the
other category; but to two at the same time. So also the distinction between everyday music and
presentational music that I spoke about some time ago: there are musical forms or musical
performances which may not clearly belong to one or the other genre, one or the other kind of
music.

Now just to get a feel of what these kinds of music, what are the kinds of music talking about, let
us listen to some musical clips. The first clip is a song from a Tamil movie called Karuthamma.
Let us listen to the song.
(Refer Slide Time: 15:08)
Now this is a song as I said from the movie called Karuthamma, whose music director is A. R.

Rahman and the song clearly has folksy feel to it even without the visuals of the rural setting.
Just the song itself gives the feeling of a rural setting. And this is achieved by two main things
one is the lyrics itself; the lyrics themselves. And secondly, very importantly, the rhythm the kind
of rhythm that the song has - it lends it a very folksy feel.

Now alongside this clearly folksy sounds of the percussion, in the interludes of the song, you
could hear an orchestra of violins. Now this is what is most interesting about popular music.
Now clearly this belongs to the genre of popular music; that there is no restriction, there is no

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limit really to what a musician may use to create a song in the genre of popular music. What
matters is really that it should make the required impact in the context of the film or that it
should be, very simply, popular. The main focus of the popular musician is that a lot of people
should like it. It should cater to the taste of a lot of people.
(Refer Slide Time: 17:09)

This is not to say that pop music does not concern itself with good music. We have some very
fine musicians in the world of popular music. And any musician at all must strive after good
music. But, what are criteria in the world of popular music. This is certainly fuzzy than it is in
the case of classical music. In fact, we like to believe that there are objective criteria for good
music in classical music. The classical musician, the Carnatic musician is expected to adhere to
traditional values of content and presentation that ensure dignity of the music above all. And to
not tinker with form or content. But there are experiments going on in this world too even if the
majority of the community of Carnatic music approaches such experiments warily. Eventually, of
course, change does happen for the good and the bad which, after all, a mark of a live of
traditional music.
But the classical musician is expected to stick to the core values and should hope it appeals to
many people. It would be an exercise in itself to consider the relations between the classical
musician and popularity.
(Refer Slide Time: 17:51)

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(Refer Slide Time: 17: 54)

(Refer Slide Time: 18:04)

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(Refer Slide Time: 18:10)

(Refer Slide Time: 18:24)

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(Refer Slide Time: 18:26)

(Refer Slide Time: 18:34)

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But this is true if a musician is seen as suiting the music mainly to cater to a larger cross section
of people he or she is likely to be branded as “populist”.

Now this is a second clip that I will play now. This is, this belongs to the category of, why don’t
you tell me what category it belongs to? (Music Starts: 18:57) (Music Ends: 24:58)
Yes, I am sure most of you have guessed right. This is religious music; the performer is Udayalur
Kalyana Raman, a leading performer of what you call nama sankeerthana. Now there is a
tradition of what is called bhajana sampradaya, which is at least two hundred years old, coming
from Tanjavur. Tanjavur is some of you would know had a period of rule by the Maratha kings.
And this bhajana tradition actually has its roots in the bhajana tradition of the Maratha religious
gatherings. As you could see, the kind of accompaniment that they have, the ensemble, how the
percussion highlights, heightens the effect of that music, all that is very unique to the religious
music. Now let us hear this piece now:
(Refer Slide Time: 26:12)

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You just heard Sanjay Subramanian, a leading Carnatic performer and he was performing the
alapana, or an improvisation of raga Pantuvarali. Now here, as you would have made out, the
music is a sole focus. What will it sound when percussion also kicks in. Let us listen to a short
clip from another piece:
(Refer Slide Time: 26:52)

So that is how it sounds when the percussion also joins. This is particularly a fast piece and it
doesn’t always sounds like this: the percussive effect is not always like this. And as we will learn
little later in the course that the percussive instruments are used were the mridangam, the ghatam
and the morsing.

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Now, clearly the kind of interaction among the performers is of a very different kind from the
kind of interaction that you have in a bhajan or in film music because here there is a lot of
spontaneity that is involved. And there is lot of anticipation that is expected on the part of the
accompanists and also the level of technical expertise, aesthetic attainment is quite different in
the case of classical music.

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 Appreciating Carnatic Music
Prof. Lakshmi Sreeram
Indian Institute of Technology – Madras

Lecture - 03
Classical Music – Art Music
Let us stop for a minute and consider what we mean by calling Carnatic music or Hindustani
music “Classical”. That is how we refer to, Carnatic music. We say, it is the Classical music or
Classical music of South India. Now the expression “classical” music, primarily applies to
Western Orchestral music that was composed in the seventeenth and eighteenth century,
specifically the music of Beethoven, Mozart, Haydn and others. And this music came to be called
classical music only sometime in the nineteenth century.

(Refer Slide Time: 1:00)

And we speak of Western “classical” music as the music that has evolved in the West from say
some 1000 A D to the current times. That is Western classical music. But we speak of western
Classical music with a capital ‘”C”, we mean the music that was composed in the period of the
eighteenth century, specifically. Now this expression came to be applied to certain forms of
music and dance in India, for various reasons.

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Now if we try to understand, what we mean when we say that say, Carnatic music is classical.
One of the things certainly that has some antiquity - that it has been around for quite some time
for many centuries may be, at least many decades. Certainly, it is true in the case of Carnatic
music - it has been around may be for at least four centuries.

And secondly, we mean not only that, it is valuable because its old but also because it has value;
it has intrinsic value; we call Sanskrit, for instance, a classical language; because it is a very
ancient language, but also because it has great literature in it. It has very significant texts and all
kinds of works written in this language, which is why we call it classical. Again, we have
classical forms of dance Bharatanatyam, Mohiniyattam and so on.

But our own word for music, Carnatic music is Shastriya SangItam. In fact, we just refer to it as
Carnatic music. There is no word in our languages for “classical”. We also mean - when we call
something Classical, Classical dance, Bharatanatyam or Carnatic music - we also mean that it
has a certain grammar, well defined grammar and a certain level of training is needed to be able
to perform it. And very importantly, we also mean that there is a textual tradition; a tradition of
writing about this music or dance. All this is true in the case of Carnatic music.

In the case of, in fact, in the case of Carnatic music, the tradition of Lakshana Granthas which is,
also something, we talk about this later - it is an ancient tradition, it goes back many centuries,
where texts describe and discuss this music. Now interestingly, Carnatic and Hindustani music
came to be called “classical”, only in the twentieth century. In fact, there is this book Raja
Sourendra Mohan Tagore (Video Starts: 4:12) (Video Ends: 4:26), which was published
sometime in the late nineteenth century. And it is titled “Hindu music”, but nowhere is there any
reference to the expression, “Classical” music. The book talks about Khayal, Thumri and so on.
But there is no use of the word, “classical” music. Even the much later, twentieth century work
by P. Sambamoorthy, which is a definitive work on South Indian Music and in fact the whole
series is titled South Indian Music. There is no talk of ‘classical’ music. He just speaks of South
Indian music. Now we will see, in fact that the defining of Carnatic and Hindustani music as
classical music of India was a part of the attempt, on the part of Indians to seek and forge and
celebrate their cultural richness, in the context of the struggle for freedom.

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It is true that most musicologists, beginning with, as we saw Dr. Ashok Ranade himself,
preferred to use the term “Art Music”, rather than classical music when we speak of Carnatic or
Hindustani music. But in my opinion, it is quite harmless to use the word expression “Classical
Music” because it is quite clear what we mean; when we say by Classical Music of India, in
terms of what it refers to, it is quite clear.

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 Appreciating Carnatic Music
Prof. Lakshmi Sreeram
Indian Institute of Technology, Madras

Lecture - 04
Music through Melody Music through harmony

One of the first things, to be said about Indian music, in general is that it is Melodic. (Video
Starts: 00:20) (Video Ends: 00:47) What do we mean by saying, that a Music is melodic? It is
easy to confuse the word “melodic” with the word “melodious”. To say that a piece of music is
melodious, is to say that it is pleasant to hear, it is soothing; it is a value judgement, to say that
the song is melodious,

(Refer Slide Time: 00:58)

or it was rendered melodiously means to say that it was very pleasant to listen to. But to call a
form of music “melodic”, is to describe the way the music has been made.

(Refer Slide Time: 1:08)

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A melody is, very simply is, just a tune. It is a set of notes, struck in succession and this is
opposed to the other way of making music, which is to strike notes simultaneously. In a very
fundamental way, melody is common to all music, across the world. All kinds of music are
fundamentally based on melody. But musical systems like Western classical, notably - they have
used harmony to embellish melody, to make a melody much more impactful, much more
interesting - to give texture to the music.

So, we can say that melody and harmony are the basic ways, two fundamental ways of making
music. Melody is when notes are struck in succession (Singing Starts: 2:29) (Singing Ends: 2:38)
This is simply a melody: (Singing Starts: 2:40) (Singing Ends: 2:45) this is also a melody:

(Refer Slide Time: 2:49)

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Harmony comes into a picture, when notes are struck simultaneously. There will be a small
demonstration of this. I have Vibha with me. Vibha will play the very well-known melody: “Old
MACDONALD had a farm E-I-E-I-O”, she will play the line, just the melodic line and then
demonstrate it, with the harmony, so that you can see the difference. It is just the melodic line
now - just the tune. (Video Starts: 3:16) (Video Ends: 3:32)

So, that was a tune, the melody, the basic melodic line. Now she will play with the harmony
(Video Starts: 3:37) (Video Ends: 3:52). So, this is a very simple, very elementary, example of
harmony. You would have noticed that, where (Singing Starts: 4:00) (Singing Ends: 4:02) there
she played, with both her hands. Notes were struck simultaneously, that is harmony, at a very
elementary level.

Now she will demonstrate a slight, a couple other examples (Video Starts: 4:13) (Video Ends:
4:18) of harmony, first playing just the melodic line and then embellishing it with the harmony.
This is the second piece, she will play (Video Starts: 4:28) (Video Ends: 4:41). So, this is just the
melody. Now, harmony along with it (Video Starts: 4:44) (Video Ends: 4:57).

So, as you can see, both the left and the right hand, they strike simultaneously, different notes are
sounded together. And that creates, a certain musical effect which is what is called harmony. Just
one other example (Video Starts: 5:15) (Video Ends: 5:43).

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Obviously, needless to say, there are principles of harmony. Not any two notes can be sounded
together simultaneously. The musical effect created by certain combinations are going to be
much more pleasant than certain others. And it is these principles that have been explored to
great lengths in Western classical music and we have this fantastic musical system of Western
harmonic music.

Now, harmony- what does do? It, as you would have seen, when the melody is played, just the
tune is played, it has a certain impact; but when the harmony is also introduced, the music
suddenly gains another dimension and it lifts off, it becomes that much more exciting; so, that is
what harmony does; it embellishes the melody.

(Refer Slide Time: 6:39)

Now Indian music, has no place for harmony. Classical music for all its glory, there is no place
for harmony. And what Western music has achieved in the realm of harmony, Indian music has
achieved in the realm of melody. Classical music especially, explores the possibilities offered by
melody. And it is not just melodic combinations, but it explores melody in terms of nuances.

(Refer Slide Time: 7:21)

29
These, this is something that we will see much later in the course. What we call a Gamaka, how
the notes are handled. It is not just (Singing Starts: 7:44) (Singing Ends: 7:46)

Now, an Indian classical musician would never, seen something like this: (Singing Starts: 7:50)
(Singing Ends: 7:59) Now this is just a sample of what happens in Indian classical music
specifically Carnatic music. It is melody that is explored, horizontally, vertically.

(Refer slide time: 8:16)

(Video Starts: 8:16) (Video Ends: 8:57)

30
 Appreciating Carnatic Music
Prof. Lakshmi Sreeram
Indian Institute of Technology, Madras

Lecture - 05
A Hard look

(Music Starts: 00:20) (Music Ends: 02:36)

We just heard, Dr Jayanthi Kumaresh, a leading Vainika, a leading Veena player in
Contemporary Carnatic Music. We have used this clip with her kind permission. What she played
was a raga alapana, in the raga Keeravani. Now, as we have seen in the earlier sessions, the
music is melodic. The music is created by arranging notes one after another consecutively; but -
as was evident - it is not just a succession of notes; it is much more than that, there was
considerable variation. There was variation in tempo; there was variation in loudness and
softness; there was, long notes were contrasted with notes clustered together; there were pauses,
gaps; there were shakes and oscillations; and trills and curves. All of these are very deliberate
and stylized way of arranging notes, of treating notes, which marks it out as Carnatic music.
Now, what is it about the seven notes that we hear so much about? Let us take a hard look at
what is called the musical material. It is common knowledge that we have seven notes or seven
swaras. What is a note? A note is a frequency; a frequency, as you all know, is the basic
fundamental property of sound. But, not all frequencies are notes, because the perceptual
element is also very much part of the concept of swara. So (Singing Starts: 04:43) (Singing
Ends: 04:46) this is definitely a swara, a note and it has a certain frequency. But if the frequency,
which is little higher than this; very infinitesimally higher than this. It is quite likely that, most
human ears would not be able to discern, that this is a different frequency. And it won’t be given
the status of another note. So, a note, swara, musical note is a frequency; but it has to be
perceived as such. So, it is actually a psychoacoustical property of sound.

Now, as I said we have seven notes, saptha swara (Singing Starts: 05:30) (Singing Ends: 05:33)

(Refer Slide Time 5:33)

31
These are the seven notes. We can say and this particular set of notes is called the major scale in
western music and it is also a very important scale in Hindustani music as well as in Carnatic
music. In fact, in Carnatic music, this scale is associated with a major raga called
Sankarabharanam.

Now taking this as a reference point, since it is universally used, very widely used, very well
known in many musical systems, let us see what Dr. Jayanthi played. What she played, the notes
that she used are also Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Dha Ni. What she played was (Singing Starts: 06:27)
(Singing Ends: 06:37) which is not the same as the major scale, the major scale goes as (Singing
Starts: 06:42) (Singing Ends: 06:46), is what the Dr. Jayanthi played was: (Singing Starts: 06:49)
(Singing Ends: 06:52).

The difference may be a bit subtle for novices to make out, but the ga and the dha, the third and
the sixth notes, they are different in these two scales: (Singing Starts: 07:12) (Singing Ends:
07:15) This is a major scale and what Dr. Jayanthi played the Keeravani scale is: (Singing Starts:
07:22) (Singing Ends: 07:29). So, the ga is different.

So, anybody at all, with basic training in music, will know that though we speak of seven notes
or seven swaras, there are five other notes, which are spoken of as the variants of five of these
seven notes.

32
So, we say Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Dha Ni, of these Sa and Pa have no variants and therefore they are
called achala swaras.

(Refer Slide Time: 8:00)

They don’t move: achala- swaras. Whereas Re Ga Ma Dha Ni - each has one variant and this
variant swara is called vikrta swaras. So, we have seven swaras and five variant swaras taking
the total to twelve. What is called swara sthanas... We don’t say that there are twelve swaras; we
say that there are twelve swara sthanas. That is twelve positions which can be occupied by a
swara. There are very good reasons for not calling them for twelve swaras. We will look at it
very shortly.

Now in order to demonstrate these twelve swara sthanas, let me use a keyboard. I would also like
to emphasize, that a keyboard is far from an ideal instrument for Carnatic music. Why I am using
it, is only because what I have to demonstrate is just the swara sthanas, the notes that are there
and also because it is very easily available. It should be accessible to most people, we even have
online versions of the keyboard. So, I will demonstrate a bit - these twelve swara sthanas on the
keyboard.

So here, I have a very small keyboard, with three octaves. The advantage of keyboard is also that
you can actually, see there is a visual count part of these swaras. So as I (demos on keyboard)

33
one key corresponds to each swara, in many ways it is ideal for demonstrating the number of
swaras or tones or notes. Now suppose we start with this and let us play the major scale:

(Video Starts: 10:11) to (Video Ends: 10:17)

This is the major scale, let us see the other notes that are there in this range. So the first is:

(Video Starts: 10:27) to (Video Ends: 10:29)

This is the second swara re, but actually there is a variant of this which is:

(Video Starts: 10:39) to (Video Ends: 10:44)

The vikrta is:

(Video Starts: 10:46) to (Video Ends: 10:48)

so, for convenience... all these notes have technical terms in Carnatic music. But for
convenience sake we also refer to them as:

(Video Starts: 10:59) to (Video Ends: 11:04)

Ri1 and Ri2, this is Ri1, this is Ri2.

Now the Ga in the major scales actually is Ga2

(Video Starts: 11:15) to (Video Ends: 11:19)

And there is a variant of this:

(Video Starts: 11:22) to (Video Ends: 11:44)

We have two Ma, Ma2 and so on, for Pa as I said is does not have a variant. Sa and Pa, achala
swaras. They have no variants:

(Video Starts: 12:01) to (Video Ends: 12:05)

Again, Dha there are two. The seven notes and their five variants:

(Refer Slide Time: 12:15)

34
We have Sa and Pa which are achala swaras. They don’t move. We have r1, r2, g1 and g2, m1,
m2 and then Pa of course, which has no variants. Dha1, dha2, ni1, ni2 and this is how we have
the schema of twelve note positions; swara sthanas.

Here there are twelve swara sthanas or twelve tones as it is called: (Video Starts: 13:04) to
(Video Ends: 13:25) 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12..and this - which is actually the same (as 1) this is
the end of the scale and we have twelve swara sthanas within it. And I don’t need to tell that it
doesn’t sound musical at all when you play on this twelve in this way: (Video Starts: 13:40) to
(Video Ends: 13:44)

We may use this kind of music in some situations in a movie or something, we want to suggest
that something particularly unpleasant is going to happen; but otherwise, it is really not musical
to use these twelve notes like this.

Now, the Veena is a traditional musical instrument in Carnatic music and I am going to now
show you a clip from a demonstration on the Veena by Dr. R.S.Jayalakshmi. She gave us this
demonstration for this course, and here she is taking what may be called the basic scale in
Carnatic music, it is basic in the sense that beginners are introduced to this scale.

The first scale you learn in Carnatic music is this - the scale called Mayamalavagowla, the
veena unlike the keyboard is quite the contrast of the keyboard. The veena is the quintessential
Carnatic musical instrument; this is an ancient Indian instrument and it is eminently suited to

35
demonstrate, to listen to Carnatic music on. So, let us watch this clip where Dr. Jayalakshmi
demonstrates how the scale of Mayamalavagowla sounds and how the twelve notes, twelve
swara sthanas can be found on the veena fret board. Interestingly, she also plays another scale
and between these two scales, Mayamalavagowla and Hemavathi, all the twelve swara sthanas
are covered. So, let us watch it now: (Video Starts: 15:37) to (Video Ends: 18:01)

Sa, Ri, Ga, Ma, Pa, Dha, Ni, Sa.

Sa Ni Dha Pa Ma Ga Ri Sa.

This is the first exercise in Carnatic Music- the first Saralivarisai. This introduces the 7 notes to
the student. But I played 8 notes, the 8th basically completes the cycle. An octave is contained
between one Sa and the nxt Sa – like a flooring and ceiling. When these seven notes are
rendered plain... – this is a scale.

Now, if we take this scale – the Maya Malava Gowla scale it has only some of the notes from the
12 semitones that are possible. Shadjam, Shuddha Rishabham, Antara Gandharam, Shuddha
MAdhyamam, Panchamam, Shuddha Dhaivatam, Kakali Nishadham.

Now another scale takes the second variety of Ri, first variety of Ga, second of Ma, Pa, second of
Dha, first of Ni. This is, in fact, the complement of Maya Malava Gowlai in the sense all its
notes are the other variety. This scale is called Hemavati.

Like the keyboard, the veena also has the advantage of offering a visual of the note that is being
played. Each fret on the fret board of the veena corresponds to a swara, a note. Now we have
seen, both on the keyboard and on the veena how there are twelve swaras - though we speak of
the seven. There are actually seven plus five and we say that, there are twelve swara sthanas.
Now the question would be, why don’t we say that there are twelve swara and be done with it
and why must we say seven swaras and five variants?

Now the straightforward answer to this is, the obvious answer to this, would be - that is how it is
in practice. And this cannot be emphasized enough that what we are doing here - talking about
music, theorizing about music - this entirely follows practice. Practice very rarely draws from
theory and theory is only an attempt to explain the practice of music. And in practice, musicians
speak of seven swaras and their variants and they do so for very good reasons because combining

36
seven swaras in various ways very often yields meaningful music. Music making is very
possible when we have seven swaras at our disposal. Whereas a combination of these twelve
swarasthanas as we just saw results in cacophony. It is very difficult to create meaningful music
out of these twelve swarasthanas; using all of them together. Now what music practice does, is
that of these twelve swara sthanas; seven of them are made primary and five of them are made
their variant. Suggesting that, both variants of a single note, may not normally be used; that is the
suggestion here.

Music is made with one of the variants of Ri Ga Ma Dha Ni. And we must acknowledge a
general principle here in music making, that notes that are very close to each other such as this
they do not, for instance, this: (Video Starts: 20:51) to (Video Ends: 20:58). These are very close
swaras and the positions on the keyboard as you can see that they are very close: (Singing Starts:
21:06) (Singing Ends: 21:13)

This kind of combination of notes that are very in close to each other; it does not make very
pleasant music. And having said this again, I must also point out that, we do use notes that are
very close to each other all the time, but too much of it is, well, it might be too much.

And as a matter of fact, as we will see later, there are ragas in Indian classical, in Carnatic music
especially that use both varieties of the same notes for instance. (Singing Starts: 21:54) (Singing
Ends: 22:02). This is actually using two variants of the same note. (Singing Starts: 22:05)
(Singing Ends: 22:11).

This kind of ragas - we have a significant number of such ragas - and some of you who have
some exposure to Carnatic music would no doubt have heard of vivAdI raga-s; and this is what
the vivAdI raga is. But when more such dual notes come into the picture, it becomes very
challenging to create meaningful melodies out of them.

37
 Appreciating Carnatic Music
Prof. Lakshmi Sreeram
Indian Institute of Technology, Madras

Lecture - 06
Lecture title: Musical Material: A hard Look II

Now, I told you that we should take a hard look at the musical material - the seven swaras or the
twelve swara sthAnas. Now let us get to a more fundamental question: Why do we say or how is
it that we can say that there are only seven notes or seven plus five swara sthAnas? Now look at
the keyboard, for instance: (Video Starts: 00:47) (Video Ends: 00:49) How many frets are there?
surely more than twelve.

Look at the veena: (Video Starts: 00:50) (Video Ends: 01:00)

The veena’s fret board has, a standard veena has 24 frets and surely you and I can hear many
more pitches than just twelve. Then how is it that we are able to account for all the musical
material with just this, seven plus five swara sthAnas?

Now we say sa re ga ma pa dha ni (Singing Starts: 01:22) (Singing Ends: 01:26) and like
anybody would know, the next swara is again sa (Singing Starts: 01:30) (Singing Ends: 01:38).
That is again sa but it is a different pitch it is not this as here: (Singing Starts: 01:42) (Singing
Ends: 01:44)

This is a different pitch, then how is it that they are giving the same name? And, in fact, it goes
on ad infinitum (Singing Starts: 01:53) (Singing Ends: 02:00) and so on and on this side also
(Singing Starts: 02:02) (Singing Ends: 02:07) now how is it that they are giving the same name
to different pitches.

Now this is possible because of a unique and very fascinating property of sound perception-how
humans perceive sound. Now for a moment, if we compare the phenomenon of sound with the
phenomenon of light. The one thing that is common to both is that, they are both a continuum.
Now, between one colour shade and another there is a continuum. Theoretically there are infinite
shades. But the human eye is able to, discern the differences between some, at certain points
were able to discern the colour differences. And we give it names; we give them names like red,
orange, blue, violet, indigo and so on.

38
So also in sound: theoretically, between any two pitches there are infinite pitches; theoretically.
And even in practice. Now I say this is: sa (Singing Starts: 03:25) (Singing Ends: 03:27) and the
next pitch on the keyboard is ri (Singing Starts: 03:30) (Singing Ends: 03:32). But let me try to
produce a pitch between these two (Singing Starts: 03:37) (Singing Ends: 03:42). This is the
pitch here (Singing Starts: 03:45) (Singing Ends: 03:54). Now this is neither there nor here; it is
in between, but it is just a little raised, but we do not give it, the status of the swara; we do not
give any position on the keyboard; we do not use it to make music; what is happening is this,

(Refer Slide Time: 4:14)

We have Sa and we have R1, which is the next position in the twelve swara sthAnas schemas.
So: (Singing Starts: 04:24) (Singing Ends: 04:29). Now theoretically, there are infinite pitches
possible between these two and in actual practice also, a couple of pitches at least are discernible
between these two, which is what I tried to demonstrate. So, let us say that there is this, the other
pitch here which is almost Ri, we can - this is certainly a pitch that we can hear (Singing Starts:
04:56) (Singing Ends: 04:59) this is R1, (Singing Starts: 05:01) (Singing Ends: 05:04) this is
almost Ri1.

Now this position and this pitch, will not be given the status of a swara sthAna or a swara in the
context in which Sa, this Sa and this Ri1 are swaras; as such this is a pitch, this is a musical pitch

39
and surely, will be a swara; but only, it will be a swara in any, in another context, not in the
context in which this and this are swaras.

Given that, this is the Sa (Singing Starts: 05:44) (Singing Ends: 05:46) and this is the Ri (Singing
Starts: 05:47) (Singing Ends: 05:48), if this is Sa, that is Ri. Now this position which is almost Ri
is not accorded the status of a swara; it could, of course, be a swara, only, not in this context
because music is made by combining swara-s and this pitch cannot be viably combined with this
Sa or this Ri. Music is essentially involves, combining swaras relating them and these relations
and how these relations sound, that is what has determined, what pitches have been picked out,
as musical notes. It really has got to do with the harmonics of notes, which is a physical
phenomenon.

Now the human ear and brain perceive sound in ratios. The relationship between one pitch and
another is perceived in terms of their ratio. Now when I say (Singing Starts: 07:01) (Singing
Ends: 07:09). Now let me play these two notes together, this Sa and this higher Sa and you can
see that they are merging: (Singing Starts: 07:14) I am actually playing two pitches, you can hear
two pitches. Like you can, if I play this. You can hear two pitches here. there is a mergence and
that is why this is also called sa. (Singing Ends: 07:43)

This as I said again is possible. This is say x hertz frequency. (Singing Starts: 07:48) (Singing
Ends: 07:52). This is 2x hertz and we perceive it as a ratio. The ratio is perceived and we hear a
mergence of the two swaras, which is why we can call this swara also, this pitch is also Sa
(Singing Starts: 08:08) (Singing Ends: 08:12). This is also Ri (Singing Starts: 08:13) (Singing
Ends: 08:15). If we compare, this with perception of color, we don’t see a similar phenomenon,
as the wave length increases, the colors keep moving away from each other. There is no
mergence, at least as far as the human range goes.

Now this space between this (Singing Starts: 08:40) Sa and this Sa, where this note merges with
next note-that space is called the Sthayi ,

(Singing Ends: 08:58)

(Refer Slide Time: 8:58)

40
the sthayi or a sthAna in Carnatic music which corresponds to the Octave in Western classical
music and Saptak in Hindustani music. So, this position between the two Sa-s is called one
octave or is called a sthayi or a sthAna in Carnatic music. Now we can say with a little more
clarity that, within one sthAyI or within one sthAna or within one saptak there are seven notes
and five variants.

(Refer Slide Time: 9:36)

Although there are many more pitches within this sthAna. But the musically relevant ones are, at
least at the superficial level – in the case of Carnatic music we will see later on, that even the

41
other pitches, not named in these twelve swara sthAnas - even many other pitches come into
play.

Now let me also talk about the notion of scale here. Now, scale is also another very widely used
word and most of us would have heard of the expression musical scale.

(Refer Slide Time: 10:24)

Now, what is a scale? A scale is an ordered set of pitches. If the pitches are in increasing
frequency or ordered in increasing frequency, then it is called an ascending scale. And if the
frequencies are in descending order, it is called a descending scale. And the corresponding terms
for it in Indian music are ArohaNa and avarohaNa.

Let us look at some of the scales, that are used in other kinds of music. I have a small
demonstration here by Vibha. This is the major scale, C major scale: (Video Starts: 11:14) (Video
Ends: 11:29). The other scale that is widely used in Western classical music is minor scale. The
minor scale (Video Starts: 11:36) (Video Ends: 11:49). The Chinese scale is a pentatonic - or it
uses five notes (Video Starts: 11:58) (Video Ends: 12:10). This scale is also widely used in
Indian classical music, which is Mohanam in Carnatic music and Bhoop in North Indian music.

Now we just saw that in Western classical music, predominantly two scales are used. And in
Chinese music a pentatonic or a scale that has five pitches - that is predominantly used.

42
(Refer Slide Time: 12:38)

In Indian music, Indian classical music we have a very large number of scales that are used
widely and there is also a rigorous system of generating scales that was put forth around the
seventeenth century. And we will see more about this later on in the course.

Now, we move on to a related and perhaps slightly technical issue of the tuning of the scale.
Now, we have two ways of tuning this scale; the even tempered tuning or the just tempered or
natural scale. And this also revolves around ratios and intervals.

Now when we say that there are twelve note positions or swara sthAnas in a sthAyi, in an octave,
it is only natural to assume that, these twelve notes are spaced at regular intervals. That is, they
are the steps are equal or the difference between any two consecutive notes is the same. But
actually it is not so. The way music has naturally evolved or what may be called the natural scale
- the natural scale that the human ear, naturally picks out, is based on ratios. And this happens,
because of the physics of sound, of harmonics, and how we perceive sound; though the steps in
the natural scale are actually uneven.

So, the difference between sa and the first re and the difference between this and this: (Video
starts: 14:41) (Video Ends: 14:46) this and this are not equal; they are not spaced evenly. And it
is not glaringly different. But it is enough to make a significant difference to the music making.

43
This is a fascinating topic, and it can get pretty technical, for those who are interested there is an
interesting video at this YouTube link. You may visit it.

(Refer Slide Time: 15:20)

For the purposes of this course, what it is necessary and sufficient to know that, the steps
between the note positions in the natural scale are uneven; but the keyboard or the piano. A
keyboard like this, is tuned such that the steps are regular and this is in response to the needs of
Western orchestral music. And in fact the difference between any two notes, note positions will
be in the order of the twelfth root of two. So each step is of that order. All tones are separated by
equal intervals.

Now Indian music, all Indian music being essentially melodic, there is no room for the equal
tempered or the even-tempered scale. We only use the natural scale. And this is also one of the
reasons that a keyboard or a harmonium is inadequate, even undesirable in Carnatic or even
Hindustani music for that matter. There are other compelling reasons too but this is one of the
reasons.

The next concept...what I am doing in these sessions is just covering some basic concepts, so that
we can enter into the realm of Carnatic music, equipped with an understanding of these concepts.

So, another important concept is that of the “AdhAra shadja”. “AdhAra” means that which bears;
it is fundamental; it is the base and “shadja” is of course the name for the first note sung. So

44
AdhAra shadja is simply the tonic or the fundamental. Now tonic is important in other musical
forms too, even Western classical music. All melody, has to have a strong sense of the tonic;
must return to the tonic; if it doesn’t you have the sense of the melody hanging in the air; not
quite returning home. But in the context of Indian music, Indian classical music specifically,
AdhAra shadja has a much more significant role.

The Sa is, what determines the rest of the scale. And this Sa can be any pitch at all. Now I can
use this as my Sa (Singing Starts: 18:31) (Singing Ends: 18:35). Once I have fixed this, the rest
of my scale is determined. Now I could use this as my Sa (Singing Starts: 18:43) (Singing Ends:
18:46) and with reference to this, rest of the scale is determined. Or I could use a pitch between
these two.

The Sa is fixed according the performer’s convenience. In contrast with this, if we say, what is
“A” for instance, in Western classical music, it is a specific frequency - four hundred and forty
hertz. If we say “C” that also is a particular frequency; but if we say Ga or Sa or Pa you cannot,
just say that it is this frequency or that. You determine the Sa, once the Sa is determined, you
have your other swaras.

Now this has an important implication that a composition in Carnatic music or Hindustani music
is not tied to any particular pitch as a fundamental; as its fundamental. The same composition can
be performed with any pitch as its tonic. I may sing a composition using this as my tonic
(Singing Starts: 20:02) (Singing Ends: 20:03). Someone else may sing using (Singing Starts:
20:06) (Singing Ends: 20:07) this as a tonic and it is a same composition.

There is a no problem at all here. What matters; however, is that once the particular pitch is
chosen as a tonic that has to be maintained; it cannot be changed. A tonic cannot be changed
again. Something could happen in the context of Western piece of music, the tonic does change,
sometimes in what is called modulation.

Now another implication for this is that since a composition may be rendered by adopting any
pitch at all as the fundamental, or the tonic, the performer is expected to sing or perform or play
the instrument with the tonic of her convenience, this also implies that there is no division of
voices into types. In western music we have the voices divided into types: Soprano, Tenor,
Baritone and so on.

45
There is no, its simply irrelevant in the context of Carnatic or Hindustani music, because these
voice types are based on the absolute range of the voice. So, Soprano is the voice that has a range
from two sixty-one to eight hundred and eighty hertz; but this is simply irrelevant. The
composition, any composition can be sung with any pitch at all as its tonic. And therefore the
need for providing voices into types simply does not arise in the context of Indian music.

Now once this, the Sa is fixed, we have also fixed the sthAyi or the registers. We have three
registers that we speak of: three sthAnas. Now this is the Sa (Singing Starts: 22:19) (Singing
Ends: 22:23), anything below this (Singing Starts: 22:24) (Singing Ends: 22:27) is called the
mandra sthAyI, (Singing Starts: 22:28) (Singing Ends: 22:33) that is the mandra sthAyI and
(Singing Starts: 22:38) (Singing Ends: 22:40) this is the madhya saptak or madhya sthAyI and
from Sa onwards (Singing Starts: 22:47) (Singing Ends: 22:53) and from here onwards and
upwards it is called the tara sthAyI, tAra sthAna.

(Refer Slide Time: 23:01)

And this is the AdhAra shadja and this is the madhya sthAyi, sa re ga ma pa dha ni. This is the
Madhya sthAyI. From here, the higher Sa onwards, this is the tAra sthAyI and lower; (Singing
Starts: 24:03) (Singing Ends: 24:06) and so on. These notes indicate, these dots indicate that it is
the lower register. This is the mandra sthAyI. And it is expected that a Carnatic vocalist, should
have a range from this to this; given the AdhAra shadja, half an octave below and one and a half
above.

46
Many Carnatic musicians do have a range beyond this but as far as Carnatic compositions go ,
this two octave range is quite adequate.

I will now sign off with this rendition of a great composition by Thyagaraja. It is in the rAga
Kedaragowla, in Adi tAlam. The composition demands this range - Mandra pancham to Tara
pancham. That is the range of two octaves, not all compositions demand this range and very few
demand a range beyond this.

Listen to this and write to us, what you think of this composition, of this music.

And having covered some of these fundamental concepts, in these last two sessions. We are now
ready to enter the portal of Carnatic music proper and we will take up a topic of rAga in our next.

(Music Starts: 26:08) (Music Ends: 35:50)

47
 Appreciating Carnatic Music
Prof. Lakshmi Sreeram
Indian Institute of Technology, Madras

Lecture - 07
Carnatic Music as RAga Music

What we have so far seen is that Carnatic music is primarily a melodic system, it is a highly
nuanced melodic system. How it is exactly it is nuanced is something that we would see in
our forthcoming sessions. We have taken a look at the musical material, the seven swara-s
and their five variants, which really form the music material for any music at all in the world.
We have looked at the concept of sthAyI or the octave (Singing Starts 01:02) now between
these two lies these two lies one octave (Singing Starts 1:10) this is the lower register the
mandra sthAyI, (Singing Starts 1:17) this is the Madhya sthAyI and (Singing Starts 1:23) and
so on is the tAra sthAyI.

We have also seen the concepts of ascending and descending scales - Arohana and avarohana.
An ArohI scale is an ascending scale (Singing Starts 1:46). These are all Arohi and (Singing
Starts 1:52) these are all descending scales. And music making essentially involves ArohI
and avarohI phrases. There are phrases, sometimes you use the same note for a long time.
There is another movement possible (Singing Starts: 2:16) this is possible (Singing Starts
2:19) this is possible but you cannot keep doing this. You have to have movement also.
Which is what Arohi and avarohi phrases are all about.

We have also seen the concept of the AdhAra shadja or the fundamental, the tonic and we
have seen that the Carnatic musician or any Indian musician for that matter chooses the tonic
of his or her convenience depending on the range - epending on his or her vocal range and
performs with that as the base. It is expected that any Carnatic vocalist - and in Carnatic
music the voice is the primary instrument, vocal music is central to the tradition, as we will
see later on and instrumental music is dealt around the vocal tradition. It draws from vocal
tradition. So the vocalist is expected to have a range of half an octave below the AdhAra
shadja and one and a half octave above the AdhAra shadja. So, you have the range of two
octaves and Carnatic music can be performed with this two octave range, with any pitch at all
as the fundamental rhetoric.

48
Now, so much talk about music and much more to follow. It is perhaps a good time to reflect
on what this exercise of bringing such a course to you can achieve or what I can attempt to
achieve in this course.

Now music is something that is best heard and experienced. If you can create music, that is
even better; but talking about music? There are musicians who disdain any attempt to talk
about music - for good reasons. But why? What is the rationale, the reason, what is the gain
of such courses - such as this?

Now listening to music and enjoying it is like star gazing and I am borrowing this metaphor
from Carl Seashore who has written this landmark book - Psychology of Music. Star gazing
can give us sublime moments: just looking at endless clusters of twinkling diamonds on this
black carpet, hanging down as it were. It is surely beyond words. The experience is beyond
words and it can put us in touch with the deepest recesses of our being and music can also do
that, listening to music can also do that, that is value really. What about an astronomer, who
studies stars and other celestial bodies. Does he also enjoy the experience of star gazing?

Surely an astronomer too must marvel at the sight of a starry sky and probably with greater
intensity because she has an idea, she knows something about that world, she knows
something about the stuff and the order of that world and she also knows that there is so
much else that are unknown, that is yet to be explored.

A course such as this can only attempt to lay bare the complexities of this very sophisticated
musical form that is Carnatic music. And this will hopefully urge you to embark on your
journey yourself. But star gazing must never be left behind and listening to music, listening
to Carnatic music must - is really a part of this course. So I will be playing music, I will be
playing music clips as a part of this course. I urge you to listen to them and soak in the music
because that, as I said, is really what all this is ultimately about. So I will now play a clip with
permission.
(Refer Slide Time: 7:28)

49
This is a rendition of composition by Maharaja Swati Tirunal in the rAga Pantuvarali which
is set to Adi tAlam. The performer is Smt. M. S. Subbulakshmi. I would just leave you to
listen to it without any suggestions about what to look for in the music. Later on in the course
we will attempt some guided listening too.
(Music Starts: 8:05) (Music Ends: 17:15)
So, that as I said was Smt M.S. Subbulakshmi singing a composition of
(Refer Slide Time: 17:23)

50
Maharaja Swati Thirunal in rAga Pantuvarali set to Adi tAlam. Now this is, this schema: i.e.
the name of the composer, the name of the rAga, the name of the tAla, this is the default
description of any piece of Carnatic music. Of course the names of performers are also
included but given that you know the performer, the piece is described in terms of the
composer the rAga and the tAla.

Now it is interesting to reflect, to consider, how other, how pieces from other musical genres
are described. For instance, if we have a film song - in our country film music is the popular
music. How is a film song typically described? You would say it is featured in this film; the
lyrist the person who wrote the lyrics is such and such person and the music director is this
person may be or A. R. Rahman or Ilaiyaraaja or whoever it is. And that is how a film song is
described. How is a folk song described? You would describe it may be with reference to
what the folk song is about what occasion it is sung on and so on. Now as a matter of fact a
film song or a folk song are very likely based are very likely in a rAga, much like a piece in
Carnatic music. But we never mention the rAga on which the film song may be based.
For instance, there is this fairly well known film song - it is few, may be decade are so ago. It
goes like this (Singing Starts: 19:43)(Singing ends: 20:10). Now this is a film song, which is
featured in the film called Gentleman - a Tamil film. This is out and out cast in a Carnatic
rAga called Sankarabaranam - not only in terms of the notes but also in terms of nuances - it
captures Sankarabaranam quite well. But when we describe, when we have to introduce the
song Yen Veetu Thotathil we would never refer to the rAga. But a Carnatic piece has I said is
always mentioned by talking about the rAga and the tAla and the composer. Why? Because

51
this is what is central to the music even though other forms of music in India draw from
rAgas. They use rAgas for their purposes it is only in Carnatic and Hindustani music that
rAga becomes the central focus.
(Refer Slide Time: 21:12)

The focus of the presentation is the rAga and the presentation revolves around the
composition which is set in a particular tAla. So that is how these three elements become
very crucial in a Carnatic piece. Thus we can say that the rAga and tAla are the twin
underlying entities that form a grid as it were for Carnatic music.
What is meant by this? It is that the focus of the presentation is the rAga and the presentation
is organized around the tAla. Now, as I said, other forms of music also do draw from rAgas
and in fact folk music has been a source of rAgas for Carnatic music. For instance, there is
this very well known rAga called Ananda Bhairavi which is in origin of folk rAga. It is a
folk tune which has been taken into Carnatic music and given the shape of a rAga .The folk
tune will go something like this (Singing Starts : 22: 40 )(Singing ends: 23:06). This is a folk
tune in Ananda Bhairavi and this has been the source of the rAga Ananda Bhairavi in
Carnatic music.

As promised, I will play another clip in which Prof. V. V. Subramaniam has performed this
rAga Ananda Bhairavi. V.V. Subramaniam is a highly respected violinist here. He is a
virtuoso and a great master. We are lucky to have him here in our studio performing for us.
Please listen to Ananda Bhairavi as performed by V.V. Subramaniam. We have Thiruvarur
Bhakthavatsalam on the mridangam accompanying him on the mridangam. Listen to it and
see how this folk tune has been transformed into a classical rAga.

52
(Music Starts: 24:09) (Music Ends:25:58 )

So that was sublime music, but a question for a novice is always this that a Carnatic piece is
so long. Even a 10 minute long rendition is long for a novice and a Carnatic rendition, a
piece in the Carnatic rendition can go up to 45 minutes to an hour. So what does a Carnatic
musician do for this long how can anyone perform just a single piece for so long? This is a
valid question.
(Refer Slide Time 26: 47)

Now the answer lies in the scope offered by the rAga and also the presentation format that
has evolved in Carnatic music. So we have two aspects, we have the rAga. Now many core
traditional Carnatic rAgas offer immense scope for exploration, for build up. Number two-
the presentation of a Carnatic piece has 4 or 5 elements. We will talk more about this later
and of these 4 or 5 elements the composition is certainly one the others are aspects of
improvisation.

53
 Appreciating Carnatic Music
Prof. Lakshmi Sreeram
Indian Institute of Technology, Madras

Lecture - 08
Lecture title: Understanding RAga - 1 (RAga & Swara)
So, we have been talking about rAga, what then is a RAga?

(Refer Slide Time: 0:22)

RAga, very briefly stated is an abstract entity, it is an abstract entity, it can be seen as
providing a frame work that sets the bounds for melody making. It both enables melody
making, it also restrains it. So given a certain rAga, say Ananda Bhairavi, some melodies are
possible within it – it offers a scope for certain melodies, some other kinds of melodies are
not possible within it. There are many rAgas in Carnatic music today, hundreds of them in
actual practice and many more exist as possibilities.

Let us look at a fundamental question, how does one create a melody? How does one create a
tune? Not everybody can, obviously. Anybody can hum a little tune. But to create a melody
which makes an impact on a whole population, that is not trivial. I recently learnt that, the
melody of Beethoven famous work “Ode To Joy”, that melody, that melodic line was
something - it is a very famous piece - and that melodic line apparently took him twenty
years to perfect. He had been working on it for twenty years and it took that long for him to
perfect.

54
RAgas are a source of melody, but melody of a very special kind. Let us try to understand
rAga. A good point to start this exercise of trying to understand, what a rAga would be with
what eminent musician T. Viswanathan has to say about it. T. Viswanathan belonged to a
very respected family of musicians and a family of traditional musicians. He taught at
Wesleyan University in Connecticut for many years. T. Viswanathan has this to say about
rAga.

(Refer Slide Time: 3:06)

A rAga may be defined in simplest terms as a scale, in which individual tones are treated with
precise and unique ornamentation. Characteristic melodic phrases combine with traditional
shapes and gestures or ornamentation, which is called gamaka, to give form to the rAga - the
svarupa to the rAga. The familiar gestalt of these phrases is built up through a long history of
many centuries and is the single most important musical resource available to an artist in
grasping the rAga and performing it.

That was T. Viswanathan on rAga. There are few key words here.

(Refer Slide Time: 3:56)

55
The key words then are, tones or swaras, ornamentation or gamakas, melodic phrases, rAga
svarupa, gestalt of phrases and oral tradition. We will take up one by one each of these key
words and try to explore this. Before going on to the first keyword it is important also to note,
what words are not used here. Now rAga is a word that is bandied about it, its very...
everybody has almost has heard of it and there are many things that it is translated into.
RAga is sometimes called a tune, rAga is called a scale.

It is important to notice that in this definition it is not equated with a scale. There is a scale
that is associated with every rAga - that is true. But a rAga is not identical with the scale-
there is much more to it. It is not a tune, it is not a single line of melody and it is not a song.
RAga exists as a possibility for creating many tunes, many melodies or many songs and it is
associated with the scale but it is much more than a scale. Now let us take up first of these
keywords.

(Refer Slide Time: 5:34)

56
It is swara-s or tones, T. Viswanathan has said it is defined in simplest terms as a scale in
which individual tones are treated with precise and unique ornamentation. So, it is a scale
with specific tones, specific swara-s in it. Now swaras form the skeleton of a rAga as it were.
The bare skeleton of the rAga is provided by the swaras. An important and very fundamental
feature of a rAga is that, it permits certain swaras, certain notes and does not permit some
other swaras.

So equally, it includes a set of swaras and excludes the others. And those swaras which are
excluded are completely excluded. You cannot use any of the excluded swara just for effect
here and there, that is not permitted in classical music. Now let us take a simple and very
familiar rAga, the rAga Mohanam. Mohanam has a scale that finds presence in other musical
traditions of the world to Chinese music notably has a great use for this scale. Mohanam is
heavily used in other genres of Indian music such as film music and religious music.

The corresponding rAga to Mohanam in Hindustani musical tradition is called Bhoopali or

Deshkar there are two rAgas that correspond to Mohanam. Mohanam sounds something like
this, let me take my adhara shadja and I will show you (Singing Starts: 07:39) (Singing Ends:
07:52). The swaras are what I just sang (Singing Starts: 07:58) (Singing Ends: 08:03). In this
you have the scale laid out in front of you, the scale of Mohanam is (Singing Starts: 08:12)
(Singing Ends: 08:19).

This is the bare skeleton of Mohanam and how do you flesh it out? (Singing Starts: 08:26)
(Singing Ends: 09:03). Thought I’m mentioning the swaras here, we never sing with the

57
swaras, except in the case of a particular kind of improvisation called swara prastara. When
we sing a rAga AlApanA creating melodies (Singing Starts: 09:20) (Singing Ends: 09:23).

We are talking about how we are creating melodies with say five swaras of Mohanam.
(Singing Starts: 09:31) (Singing Ends: 12:35). So with just, with a set of five notes, so many
melodies are possible in the stylized way of Carnatic music. As I said (Singing Starts: 12:48)
(Singing Ends: 12:55) these are the swaras.

When you sing Mohanam you cannot sing, (Singing Starts: 12:59) (Singing Ends: 13:01) Ma
is a swara which does not occur in Mohanam, it cannot be used ever (Singing Starts: 13:06)
(Singing Ends: 13:11) You cannot say (Singing Starts: 13:12) (Singing Ends: 13:14). You
cannot sing that. Then you have destroyed the rAga.

These are very, what may be called obvious swaras that cannot be included. But there are
subtle movements that not be included. Now just to demonstrate, how a single note can make
a lot of difference (Singing Starts: 13:39) (Singing Ends: 13:48). This is a song all of you
must have heard, A. R. Rahman’s take presentation of vande mataram (Singing Starts: 14:00)
(Singing Ends: 13:05).

Suppose I would sing like this, (Singing Starts: 14:07) (Singing Ends: 14:18). all I have done
is both times, I have sung (Singing Starts: 14:24) (Singing Ends: 14:26) the same thing but
the second time what I did was (Singing Starts: 14:29) (Singing Ends: 14:31) the ga, I have
used the other variant of ga, and it will create a completely different mood (Singing Starts:
14:41) (Singing Ends: 14:43). This has a brightness to it, whereas (Singing Starts: 14:46)
(Singing Ends: 14:48), it has a slight moroseness and a slight touch of pathos in it.

So, just one single note can make this difference. And RAgas as we will see, rAgas are
essentially associated with moods. They are supposed to evoke moods and this happens to
large extent because of the swaras that are used.

Now let us listen to Mohanam, rendered by Dr R.S. Jayalakshmi in concert for our course
with L. Subramanian providing percussive support on the Mridangam. Sit back and enjoy
this. In our next session, we will take a detailed look at ornamentation or gamakas which is a
very crucial aspect of Carnatic music

(Music Starts: 15:58) (Music Ends: 27:45)

58
 Appreciating Carnatic Music
Prof. Lakshmi Sreeram
Indian Institute of Technology, Madras

Lecture - 09
Lecture title: Understanding Rag -2 (RAga & Swara)

(Music Starts: 00:21) (Music Ends: 06:30)

We just heard an AlApanA of rAga Suryakantham on the violin rendered by V.V. Subramaniam,
one of our foremost musicians in Carnatic music. This is a rAga which must evoke some
profound moods in any one who listened to it. What mood did it evoke in you? Did it evoke one
or were there multiple moods that it evoked in you and do you think a rAga or any piece of
music at all must necessarily evoke a mood in the listener?
To many of us it is a given that music does evoke images, it evokes moods - any kind of music at
all and certainly classical music. The music material is so used that it charges the atmosphere,
charges the musical space and the listener is able to gain access to some coherent images,
coherent emotions.

We signed off our last session with a mention of the association of rAga and mood. In fact, the
very word rAga itself does not have any musical meaning. The meaning of the word rAga,
etymologically, does not have anything do with music per se.

RAga in Sanskrit and in some Indian languages like Marathi it is associated with emotion, with
passion. In fact, in modern Marathi, rAga is used in the sense of anger and in Sanskrit definitely,
the context in which “rAga” is used - rAga virahita, or we have word “vairagya” which means
dispassionate.

So, the word rAga really means passion and the musical idea of rAga is that, it evokes some
emotions, some mood. It colors the mind of the listeners in certain ways which is why it is
called rAga.

Now, I just said that, we heard an alapana in rAga Suryakantham, now for a complete novice to
carnatic music and, I expect there are few such among our learners - There will be three
questions, what is alapana? and What is it for an alapana or anything to be in rAga. Of course,
What is a rAga?

(Refer Slide Time: 09:48)

59
And this is what we are trying to understand: what is a rAga first of all; because as I said, rAga is
the fundamental. It is of fundamental importance as far as content of Carnatic music goes and
along with tAla, the rhythmic aspect it forms a grid upon which Carnatic music is mounted.

Now rAga at a basic level - this is something just you saw last session - basically, rAga means
certain swaras are in it and certain swaras are not there in it. We must always bear in mind that,
when we speak of swaras it is just the skeleton of the rAga. RAga is much more than the swaras
that comprised it and that also something we will see later on.

(Refer slide time:11:03)

For a moment, we will revisit the twelve swaras thanas, schema we have sa, ri one, ri two, g one
g two, ma one, ma two, pa - there is no variants dha one dha two ni one ni two. Now the rAga

60
that we just heard Suryakantham the swaras. In this are (Singing Starts: 11:41) (Singing Ends:
13:05) Now, let us go back to Mohanam, that we saw in the last session: the swaras were

(Refer Slide Time: 13:14)

(Singing Starts: 13:15) (Singing Ends: 13:27) h

Here, suppose I just... I did change the Gandhara last time and showed how the mood completely
change this. (Singing Starts: 13:40) (Singing Ends: 13:41)

Consider there is (Singing Starts: 13:44) (Singing Ends: 14:03) this is Sivaranjani, the mood is
completely different only because other variant of Ga is used (Singing Starts:14:12) (Singing
Ends:14:24) this is Mohanam (Singing Starts: 14:26) (Singing Ends: 14:36).... Sivaranjani.

61
If suppose I change the Ri of Mohanam - it sounds different (Singing Starts: 14:47) (Singing
Ends: 15:06) Ri and Dha - if it is changed. (Singing Starts: 15:09) (Singing Ends: 15:28)
Suppose I take entirely different set of notes from Mohanam (Singing Starts: 15:37) (Singing
Ends: 15:38) Mohanam. Now
(Refer Slide Time: 15:40)

(Singing Starts: 15:40) (Singing Ends: 17:07)

All this demonstration, is just to show you, how what we speak of as rAgas are, at a very basic
level, made of swaras. And how many different combinations of swaras are possible and how
the presence of one or another swara can change and determine mood of that rAga.

As we saw, there are rAgas which have all the seven notes, all the seven swaras. There are rAgas
that have only five swaras like Mohanam or Hindolam, which we saw last. There are rAgas
which have six swaras. (Singing Starts: 18:04) (Singing Ends: 19:05)
(Refer Slide Time: 19:00)

62
There are six swaras and then we have combinations. You can have five swaras in the Aroha and
seven swaras in avaroha, seven swaras in Aroha and five swaras in the avaroha.

Now all this determine the rAga: that is rAga admits of certain swaras certain swaras make up
that rAga and those swaras have to be used, you cannot skip one are the other. And only those
swaras may be used and some swaras are allowed in Aroha sequences, in certain rAgas for
certain instances, rAga Bilahari. (Singing Starts: 19:58) (Singing Ends: 20:11) So here, this aroha
is five (Singing Starts: 20:14) (Singing Ends: 20:19) and avaroha is seven. So we have this kind
of rAgas also. So, we will take a look at this technicality later, but the point that I want to make
here is, swaras are basic building blocks of rAgas.

63
 Appreciating Carnatic Music
Prof. Lakshmi Sreeram
Indian Institute of Technology, Madras

Lecture - 10
Understanding RAga -3 (A Glimpse into Ornamentation & Phraseology)

We just saw how swaras make rAga and as I have said it is only the basic feature of the rAga. If
we can speak of tip of the iceberg, then swaras really are the tip of iceberg. There is a whole lot
of complexities, nuances that lie under the water. What gives the rAga forms, swaras it is a
skeleton what flushes it out.

It is how the swaras are used. Ornamentation, what is called gamaka. This - swaras are not sung
like this. (Singing Starts: 01:06) (Singing Ends: 01:12) This is not how we sing it. This is a
staccato rendition of swaras. (Singing Starts: 01:18) (Singing Ends: 01:22) Already I have
(Singing Starts: 01:25) (Singing Ends: 01:29) this is not how we sing it. (Singing Starts: 01:30)
(Singing Ends: 01:34)

So, there are so many things, we do to the swaras, we shake them, we pull them.

(Refer Slide Time: 01:40)

We push them, we glide from one swara to another. There are rapid flashes, there are flicks, there
are many kinds of ways that we approach swaras. This is what - a very generic term for all this is

64
gamaka. In both Carnatic and Hindustani music, gamaka is a very fundamental feature of Indian
music.

In the sense that, we approach swaras not as discreet units. (Singing Starts: 02:23) (Singing
Ends: 02:25) This is not how we treat swaras units. (Singing Starts: 02:29) (Singing Ends: 02:42)
So this kind of continuum is maintained in the way we treat swaras.

Now these shakes, ornaments, that we speak of - they are not arbitrary they are very precise. The
very precise ways of “ornamenting” swaras if I may use that expression and because of this there
are subtle micro tonal inflections. What is a micro tone? We will see little later. So, this then is a
brief glimpse into the concept of gamaka.

The other aspect of a rAga apart from swara and gamaka is also phraseology. Phrases - now
given that rAga, has given set of swaras it has say Ga and not Ma and you know the Aroha and
avaroha. You know how it goes, you know the swaras that comprise it. Not any combination of
these swaras will bring out the rAga. There are very clear phrases, there are phrases that
immediately evoke the rAga’s image and oral tradition hands this phrases down through
compositions and through expositions by masters.

(Refer Slide Time: 04:22)

Given that only some swaras are permitted in a certain rAga others are not, even those swaras
which are permitted in the rAga, which comprise the rAga, they may not be combined in many
way. This is not a question of mathematical combinations figuring out some combination and
trying to create melodies. That is not, how it works. There are phrases using those swaras, which
will clearly bring out the form of the rAga, more clearly than certain other phrases. So, what is

65
called rAgavAcaka – that which immediately speak the rAga, there are these phrases which
immediately tell you, what rAga it is.

There are other phrases, which oral tradition will subtly disallow. You see in all this, we speak of
swaras, we speak of ornamentations, we speak of phraseology. But, ultimately rAga transcends
all attempt at description - any rAga. That is not something that you can list out as this is how it
has to be done. It is beyond the discursive realm, it is something that has to be absorbed.
Learning a rAga is definitely not by way of.... the guru, never tells the student that this is the way
you have to ornament or these are the ornaments or these are the phrases. This is not how it is
done.
(Refer Slide Time: 06:08)

The way of transmitting rAga, way of grasping the rAga is entirely through exposing yourself to
the rAga in various contexts. This is much like language. How do you learn language? How do
you speak language? You expose yourself to it. This is how a child is able to speak his mother
tongue; if sit with set of grammar books of a foreign language. You are not going to be able to
master it. Go live in the place, where native speakers of the tongue you will pick up the
language.

That is how a rAga also absorbed, it is also how a rAga is taught. In order to learn a rAga there is
no other way than to learn the compositions in it. Compositions from a good teacher. You learn
it, you hear it again and again, and that is how grasp the rAga.
So, it is this that we should now look at: these two aspects of rAga gamaka or ornamentation and
phraseology. But before we going into this, because when you speak of gamaka it is gamaka of a
swara. Swara that has a gamaka and in the context of a rAga, the same swara will have a

66
different gamaka and in different rAga. So, let us spend some time trying to see how swara has
been treated. The concept of swara, how it has been treated in the tradition.

67
 Appreciating AMusic
Prof. Lakshmi Sreeram
Indian Institute of Technology, Madras

Lecture - 11
Swara in Sanskrit Textual Tradition

The Indian tradition has identified two concepts, swara and shruti, to account for musical sound.
So, musical sound, in the Indian tradition, two very important concepts certainly are swara and
shruti. There are other concepts like nAda - we won’t go into that. So, let us spend some time,
and try to understand, how Sanskrit tradition specifically has treated and has tried to understand
the concept of swara and shruti – shruti which is also very closely related swara.

This tradition, I am speaking of something, I have referred to earlier that, there is a textual
tradition that tries to describe, that tries to understand the music. This is called the lakshana
Grantha tradition. Lakshana means grammar and Grantha is a text. So, treatises is dealing with
grammar. These texts are more descriptive of the music. There are also attempts to understand
concepts like swara and shruti.

Now, how does Lakshna Grantha tradition talk of swara? “Swara” is found in very old texts, as
old as two thousand years ago, Natya Shastra and Naradiya Shiksha - these two are very
important ancient treatises that talk of music of those times.

And many of these terms, Swara, Shruti, TAla, Laya and many more - they are still in use today,
even two thousand years later. Certainly, the meanings of those words, have altered subtly and
not so subtly, but the fact is that we are still using that terminology that our ancestors were using,
two thousand or two thousand five hundred years ago.

(Refer Slide Time: 03:01)

68
Now let us look at, swara - this word has been used to denote, musical notes from very along ago
from Natya Shastra, Naradiya Shiksha times.

(Refer slide time: 03:28)

The seven swaras, they are given names, the Natya Shastra talks of it as like this “shadjashca
rishabhashcaiva gAndhAro madhyamastathA, pancamo dhaivatashcaiva saptamo atha
nishAdavAn”.

(Refer Slide Time: 03:45)

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These are the names of the seven swaras shadja, rishabha, gAndhara, madhyama, panchama,
dhaivatha, nishada. These were names given to the seven swaras and later on sa, ri, ga, ma, pa,
dha, ni, - these are used to refer these swaras.

Now there are some very intriguing aspects to how these swaras are talked of in the Lakshana
Granthas. For instance, the seven notes are associated with animals and birds. For instance, the
first note, shadja is associated with the peacock, rishabha ri is associated with the bull, gAndhAra
is associated the goat, madhyama with the heron, panchama with the cuckoo bird, dhaivatha with
the horse, nishAda and with the elephant. Each swara is also associated with a colour, with a
particular rasa (mood), and finally with a particular deity, a devatA - swara devatA.

(Refer Slide Time: 05:07)

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There is a table here for you to take look at: so just to take the shadja, the first swara, it is
associated with the peacock and its colour is padmapatraprabha - it has the colour of the petal of
the lotus, that redness, and its deity is vahni or fire and the rasa or the mood, emotions that it is
associated with veera, adbhutha and roudra. Veera is valour, adbhutha is wonder and raudra is
anger. And, you can see, all the seven swaras have these associations. These are found in texts
like, Sangeeta Ratnakara and others. Beginning from Naradiya Shiksha such associations are
found in many many text across the across the millennia.

(Refer Slide Time: 06:18)

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(Refer Slide Time: 06:54)

In fact, what you see here, this is a painting by versatile and highly respected musician painter
called S. Rajam. He has depicted many aspects of Carnatic music, in his own stylized paintings
and sketches. In fact, his rendition, of the important main composers of Carnatic music are seen
everywhere, wherever Carnatic music has a presence.

(Refer Slide Time: 07:14)

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Now these painting of the swaras - he based these paintings on the textual material of
Sangeetakalpadruma which is a twentieth century Lakshna Grantha by Muthiah Bagavatar, who
was a leading musician and composer of the early parts of the twentieth century. The painting
that you see right now, it is the paintings of dha - dhaivatha, the sixth note. We can see the image
of a horse, the presiding deity is Saint Thumbhuru, who is also seen. There are many more
details all drawn from Sangeetakalpadruma. The text, twentieth century text written by Muthiah
Bagavatar

What do we make of all those? First and quite importantly it is, that the swara the note is
personified. It is given a personification, it is associated with a deity, which makes it sacred and
so, both sacredness and a personality were bestowed upon musical notes. And in the attitude of
many musicians, in India in fact, music is considered divine, there is a sacredness associated with
music.

Our musical instruments are sacred, we treat them like personification of deities. A Tambura or
Veena are treated with at most reverence. The same reverence that you will accord to a deity. We
would never think of playing a instrument with our feet. Many musicians, their approach and
attitude towards swara is tinged with this reverence. And, later on in the tradition, we also have
rAga DhyAna Shlokas, that is shlokas that you are supposed mediate on to evoke the rAga.

So now all this in a sense all this attempt to talk about swaras as personalities, all this really
makes sense in the overall idea of music in the Indian mind. What music means to the Indian
mind.

Coming back to terra firma, where we were before, we launched into this domain of personifying
swaras and evoking deities... We were talking of swaras and how it is treated in the tradition - in
Lakshna Granthas.

svameva rAjate iti swara, this is an oft quoted etymology of swara.

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Now what is etymology? Etymology is trying to understand a word by going to its roots. In
Sanskrit, there is perhaps, it is sometimes stretched to an over kill. Etymology is something that
any Sanskrit writer loves to engage in and it can get to an overkill; but very often it also very
creative. They take the word, and try to figure out, how it can be explained in order to fit, what it
actually refers to. For instance, the word Sanskrit itself, Sanskrit of course it is anglicized version
of the original word samskrtam. Now samskrtam, one etymological derivation of it is, samyak
krtam, iti samskrtam - samyak krtam means that which is well formed. So, the language is
indeed well formed and therefore the name. In the case of swara, the one very common
etymological derivations is given like this svameva rAjate. Here it means that which shines on
its own, rAjate svameva, it shines in its own.

Now this is actually the etymological derivation that grammarians give. You see, the word
“swara” occurs in other contexts also, like grammar, Sanskrit grammar and vedic recitations.
Sanskrit grammar as, many of you would know is a highly sophisticated tradition of writing
grammar. We have the astonishing AshtadhyAyi of Panini, and many commentaries on it and
grammar was taken to great heights in Sanskrit.

In the context of grammar, “swara” means vowel. Vowel in Sanskrit is, a, aa, eeh, eeeeh, ooh,
ooooh, ae, ai, o and so on. These vowels are called swara and the grammarian explains, it in the
same way svameva rAjate, that which shines it on its own. And what does it mean there? It
means, that a vowel can manifest itself, in a way that a consonant cannot.

So, the consonants in Sanskrit - for instance is, “k”. Actually a consonant in Sanskrit is
unpronounceable without the help of a vowel. In English we can say k or p or m - these are
consonants, we can say in English. But in Sanskrit, it is impossible; that is not how a consonant
is conceived. A consonants in Sanskrit, is just the sound k; when it takes the support of a vowel,
say if k takes a support of a then it becomes ka. If it takes the support of e then it becomes ke. So
the consonant or the vyanjana is something that does not shine on its own.

74
The vowel on the other hand, the swara shines on its own. So what does it mean in the context of
music to say that the musical note is something that shines on its own? That is something that
scholars have pondered over. And later works like Sangeeta Ratnakara give a slightly different
etymology, which is perhaps more apt in the context of music. Sangeeta Ratnakara says this:
shrutyanantarabhAvI yah snigdho-anuraNanAtmakah svato ranjayati srotrcittam sa swaram
ucyate.

(Refer Slide Time: 14:42)

It is anuraNanAtmakah, anuraNan is resonance, so the swara is full of resonance, in a sense that

an ordinary speech is not. When I am saying “come here” it is not as resonant as when I sing.
(Singing starts: 14:50) (Singing Ends: 14:54) There is a resonance in the musical note, which is
not there in other kind of sound. That is what make it swara and also etymology given here as
svato ranjayati, it pleases the mind of the listeners. In itself, just sound is pleasing and therefore it
is called swara.

75
 Appreciating Carnatic Music
Prof. Lakshmi Sreeram
Indian Institute of Technology, Madras

Lecture - 12
Shruti in Sanskrit Textual Tradition

The word shruti is, fairly common in contemporary Carnatic music. In casual parlance, the word
shruti means the pitch, the fundamental, the tonic at the person with which the person performs.
So, for instance my tonic is G or G sharp, that is my shruti; so I will say my shruti is five, that is
fifth white key.
But in the tradition itself - in Lakshna Grantha tradition - this meaning came on much later. The
more ancient meaning of “shruti” refers to smaller pitch intervals between swaras. When we
were looking at the twelve swarasthanas in an earlier session: (Singing Starts: 01:30) (Singing
Ends: 01:35) sa ri, the next pitch, the swarasthana after sa (Singing Starts: 01:41) (Singing Ends:
01:43), we saw that, it is next pitch. And we also mentioned, we also saw that, we can actually
discern pitches between these two. (Singing Starts: 01:53) (Singing Ends: 02:01) And this pitch,
is not yet at Ri 1. So, there are smaller interval between twelve swarasthanas that we know.
Theoretically of course, there are infinite, but even within the range of human discernment, any
normal human ear can discern more minute differences than these twelve swarasthanas.

Now these are called shruti. But it is interesting that the number of such smaller intervals, that
number has been given in the tradition. Theoretically infinite pitches are possible but in actual,
within the range of human discernment, how many are there, and there is a number given in
tradition and that is twenty-two.

(Refer Slide Time: 03:16)

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(Refer Slide Time: 03:36)

So we speak of twenty two shrutis in one sthayi. There are seven swaras, twelve swarasthanas
and twenty two shrutis. How were these numbers arrived at? It was arrived at empirically - an
experiment was conducted two thousand years ago, and a description of this experiment is found
in the Natya Shastra of Bharata Muni. This Natya Shastra is quite a remarkable work. It is
landmark treatise in the history of Indian performing and literary art. It has left deep impact on
the on the dance, music and literary forms of India. In itself Natya Shastra concerned itself with
theater, Natya means theater. But it is not the theater of today, which is dialogue dominated, it is

77
dominated by dialogue. Today’s theater is dialogue based. Whereas, ancient theater, whether of
India or even of Greece - there were many other aspects to theater, dialogue was only one part.
Besides stylized bodily movements, were part of theater, music was part of theater, dance and
costumes themselves - heavily stylized costumes. So, all this went into the making of,
production of theater. Natya shastra is manual of theater, how do you produce a successful play?
That is what is the concern of Natya Shastra. But there is much more in it, than just rules and
instruction. The seminal theory of rasa. All Indians, all of us heard of navarasas – the original
concept of this rasa is in Natya Shastra.

The twenty eighth chapter of Natya shastra concerns itself with music and it is in this chapter,
twenty-eight that we find description of this experiment, I just spoke of on the basis of which
Bharata Muni suggested, propounded twenty-two shruti in a sthAyi.

So, what was the experiment like? It was very simple, really, he took two veenas and the veena
of those times, was not like our veena. It was more like harp, there were no frets, there were
many strings, each string tuned to a certain pitch.

So, what he did was, between these two veenas, one of them was a achala veena, that is he
wouldn’t tamper with the strings. String were tuned and they weren’t tampered with.

The other was the chala veena, where the pitches could be adjusted - tuned higher or lower. A
very simple process - he started off with a pa, the panchama swara and by lowering the pitch of
the panchama. step by step - lowered it just little, so that you are able to discern, this is slightly
lower pitch, this is a slightly more lower pitch, and so on. He arrived at... he calculated how
many times he had to lower the pitch, to arrive at the ma of the achala veena.
And this way, he went on through the octave and he arrived at the number twenty-two. Now this
number twenty-two shrutis, has not been contested in the tradition, everybody accepts that there
are twenty-two shrutis. Interestingly, I have found references to experiments conducted in more
modern times. A.J. Ellis conducted an experiment, a similar calculation really - it not an
experiment - he calculation is that, the ratio between any two pitches that are separated by the
least discernable difference - that is a certain ratio, and given that ratio he calculated that there
will be so many micro tones in an octave and that number also comes very close to twenty-two.

(Refer Slide Time: 08:39)

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So, what that the word shruti mean then? srUyate iti shruti. It can be heard, that which can be
heard is shruti and in this sense actually the word shruti probably means an interval. It is this
interval, this difference that can be heard. The difference between two pitches can be heard, that
is a shruti. Sa re - between these two there are two or three pitches can be heard. And that is the...
those are shrutis. So shruti - even within the tradition, some texts talk of it as interval between
pitches, other texts talk of it as the micro tones themselves.

But in any case, the tradition treats shrutis with great diligence. And in modern Carnatic music,
many musicologists feel that the concept of shruti is not relevant. The concept of twenty-two
shrutis certainly, is perhaps not relevant. That is because music of Bharata time or even in the
Sangeeta Ratnakara time, it is it is very different in the kind of music that we know today.

So, the twenty-two shrutis was propounded in the context of that music. And today, it has, it does
not have the same relevance certainly. But it is also fact that simply as an idea it fascinates many
minds, especially those with a mathematical bent. There are many musicians or many
aficionados or listeners of Carnatic music with mathematical bent. They have tried to figure out
the ratios between the twenty-two shrutis.

It is certainly an idea that people are not willing to let go easily. And even in terms of actual
practice, it is not entirely irrelevant, the number may irrelevant, twenty-two shrutis may be
irrelevant. But the fact is there are micro tonal inflexions in Carnatic music and in that sense
shruti is relevant.

79
Let me demonstrate, (Singing Starts: 11:24) (Singing Ends: 11:30) So the swara is just this.
(Singing Starts: 11:33) (Singing Ends: 11:39). But in such in rAga, this ri will be nuanced in a
different way (Singing Starts: 11:45) (Singing Ends: 11:47) which is not ri, is not that. (Singing
Starts: 11:52) (Singing Ends: 11:58) It doesn’t quite reach that pitch position. It is lower and
Carnatic music is filled with these other positions between the swarasthanas.

They are excited, these pitches are used constantly. So in that sense shruti is not relevant.
Though certainly yes, the context in which the concept of shruti was propounded, that no longer
obtains. The original context in which the idea of twenty-two shrutis was propounded, that music
was certainly very different from today’s music.
But as an idea, that it is micro tones we are talking about, small inflexions between swarasthanas
that are used in the music - in that sense, shruti is very much still relevant.

80
 Appreciating Carnatic Music
Prof. Lakshmi Sreeram
Indian Institute of Technology, Madras

Lecture - 13
The Tambura (The Drone)

I mentioned in the last session that the words that we use in today’s Carnatic music, like swara
shruti, rAga, tAla - and many other words - these words, though they are found in ancient texts
as old as two millennia ago the meanings of these words probably subtly altered across the
millennia, across the centuries. Because these words, these concepts were articulated in the
context of very different kind of music. The kind of music that was there two millennia ago when
Natya Shastra was written or Naradiya shiksha was written, where they talk of swaras and
shrutis, that music was very different.
One main feature of today’s music is what we spoke of as the AdhAra shadja – the tonic, the
fundamental; that tonic is sounded throughout the performance as a constant reference point.
(Refer Slide Time: 01:46)

The AdhAra shadja is heard constantly as a drone. Nowh as I saidh the tonic is important in all
kinds of music not just Indian, because it is this tonic which actually resolves the tension that any
musical movement creates. For instance (Singing Starts: 02:05) (Singing Ends: 02:17) Now this
resolves the tension. As some people have observed, the tonic is actually a psychological state -
anybody listening to piece of music will know when it has returned to the tonic. (Singing Starts:

81
02:38) (Singing Ends: 02:49) This is not the tonic: (Singing Starts: 02:52) (Singing Ends: 02:57)
This is the tonic.
Even an untrained ear will be able to make out when the musical tension gets released: that gets
released when the movement returns to the tonic.
In the case of Indian music, the tonic is a constant reference point for music making even
physically, not just as psychological entity and this is achieved by the drone.
(Refer Slide Time: 03:50)

Now I am going to introduce to you a very important character in Carnatic music and that is the
tambura or the tanpura. “Tambura” is how Carnatic musicians referred to this instrument and
North Indians refer to it as “tanpura” and there are differences between North Indian drone and
South Indian drone.

Now what is a drone first of all? A drone you can say is when the AC is emitting the constant
pitch, that is also a drone. (Singing Starts: 04:17) (Singing Ends: 04:22) This is a drone -
anything that is happening at a constant pitch or that is unchanging, by metaphorical extension
that is also called drone.

For instance, you can say that a particularly boring lecture, you can say, she was going on - she
was droning on and on. Because that is monotonous, without any change in the pitch. I only hope
that, I am not droning now.
(Refer Slide Time: 05:05)

82
So the point is, the drone is basically, in the context of music, a drone is a note or sometimes a
chord which accompanies the entire piece of music - that is called a drone. In the context of
Indian music, the drone is always the AdhAra shadja - the Sa and we also have the panchama -
that we will see. The point of the drone is to actually be give us the AdhAra shadja, physically
first, to hear it all the time. And this is provided by the tambura and by extension tambura is also
called drone.

Now as I said, it is the AdhAra shadja, that the tambura provides. Now what is the AdhAra
shadja? Just to remind ourselves, we have no absolute pitches in Indian music. There is no
absolute Sa or Ri or Ga. Once you fix the Sa at any pitch at all, then the rest of the scale is fixed
for you. (Singing Starts: 06:19) (Singing Ends: 06:21) This could may be Sa or (Singing Starts :
06:23) (Singing Ends: 02:25) this could be my Sa. Depending on which ever I take as my
AdhAra shadja, AdhAra is the basic Sa, rest of the music, the rest of the scale is constructed.

Not only that, it is on the basis of this Sa that we are hearing all the time that we intone the other
notes, that we try to find the right pitch for the other notes, so that is why the tambura is very
important. So suppose my AdhAra shadja is... let me take a very very popular, well known, very
simple beginner’s song, composition in Carnatic music - vara veena mrudu paani – these are the
words of composition in rAga mohanam which we just saw in last session.

So depending on the AdhAra shadja it will sound like this. (Singing Starts :07:30) This is my
AdhAra shadja. (Singing Starts :07:34) (Singing Ends: 07:39) This is how it will sound this my

83
Sa. (Singing Starts:07:42) Now suppose I change the Sa - AdhAra Sa (Singing Starts:07:46)
(Singing Ends: 07:54) or it could be (Singing Starts:07:56) (Singing Ends: 08:01) the same
composition, only because the AdhAra shadja has changed, the actual pitches that are used are
different.

So this is the idea of AdhAra shadja - it is more than just the fact that you know, pitches are
shifted here and there. It really gives you the base and AdhAra Sa is the support for you to intone
the other notes. So when I hear my AdhAra Sa, I hear it I am able to intone the other pitches
and that is why it is called AdhAra.
(Refer Slide Time: 08:59)

Let us now look at the tambura. As you see, this is the tambura that is South Indian - it is made
in the place called Tanjavur. So it is called Tanjavur tambura or Tanjore tambura. This is made
entirely of wood. You have resonating... the resonator here... which is hollow, carved out wood,
on which is mounted this long neck and this ends in these pegs on which the strings is wound.
(Refer Slide Time: 10:16)

84
The string itself passes through two bridges on the tambura. We have four strings on the tambura
and they are tuned like this, the middle two strings give the AdhAra shadja. That is the madhya
Sa (Singing Starts:10:00) (Singing Ends:10:01) or what ever is my pitch. My pitch is G and that
is what this tambura will be tuned to - the middle two strings are tuned to the Sa, the madhya Sa.
The third string is tuned to the mandhra Sa - the lower Sa . And the first string, the first string to
panchama, the fifth, the Pa and it is played like this and this is how it sounds.

There is a very interesting and fascinating aspect of the tambura. That is the bridge here. This
bridge, as you can see, it has a curved surface. It is slightly curved, it is not straight and it is not
flat. Because it is curved, and the string passes over the curved surface, the kind of harmonics it
gives out is very different. If you will just watch and see what happens, what is role of these
strings, that is these strings that are placed here - they have a very important role.
(Refer Slide Time: 12:17)

85
Just listen to what happens, as I drag the string across the bridge. At one point the tambura will
just come to life. The string, the sound emanating from the plucked string will just gain
suddenly many dimensions and its come alive. It is called Jeeva. This position, this string that
we place in a particular position on the bridge that is called Jeeva.
(Refer Slide Time: 12:38)

(Refer Slide Time: 12:44)

86
Now what happens here is actually to do with physics of sound harmonics. And Nobel laureate,
C.V. Raman, one of the earliest person to study this phenomenon and in fact an extract from
his .... he published a paper on this “On Some Indian String Instruments”. An extract from the
paper is at this link.
He pointed that this the curved bridge of the tambura and the placing of this Jeeva string,
produce certain harmonics, which are ... very interesting from the point of view of generally
prevalent laws of sound.
Now these are times when gadgets are replacing with everything handmade. And definitely
tambura is hand crafted, it is made by hand. Today we have many other gadgets that are certainly
more convenient to use than the tambura, but definitely no substitute for tambura.
What I use in most these sessions, this is an application which gives me the tambura, a close, an
approximation of a tambura sound. And these are very useful for practice session and for short
demos. This is an application actually. We also have electronic gadgets, which can give you
pitches, which can give you whatever pitche you want.
Something like this - either the tambura itself or some electronic or an application like this, is an
invariable part of Carnatic music. Whatever it be, whether it is stage performance, whether it is
practice session, whether it is a teacher teaching his student. Carnatic music or Hindustani
music for that matter, at any level of seriousness, it needs this kind of drone support for it to
happen.

Because I mentioned intonation of this other pitches of any pitch at all, it is this that supports
that, it is that nourishes it, makes it possible. If I know that this is my sa, I am able to hear it.

87
(Singing Starts: 15:21) (Singing Ends: 15:53). There is mergance, that we see with the AdhAra
shruti with tambura and this, is the beginning of association of Indian music with spirituality.
There is a meditative quality to attempts to intone against background of the tambura. (Singing
Starts: 15:21) (Singing Ends: 17:04). This is what the tambura does. This is why the tambura is
extremely important character in Carnatic music. (Music Starts: 17:27) (Music Ends: 18:39)

88
 Appreciating CarnaticMusic
Prof. Lakshmi Sreeram
Indian Institute of Technology Madras

Lecture - 14
Gamaka-1

(Music Starts: 00:16) (Music Ends: 02:16)

Perhaps the most striking feature of Carnatic music is its texture. The texture of the music is
characterized by oscillation and shakes and many other movements that are generally called by
the term Gamaka. Now if we recollect we saw that two fundamental ways of making music are
Melody and Harmony.
Now when you take a single note for instance (Singing Starts: 03:03) (Singing Ends: 03:06) Now
this is G the pitch G on a standard Western scale (Singing Starts: 03:19) (Singing Ends: 03:21).
When you have when you adopt the harmonic way of making music this single note can take on
many colours.
If you look at this I will use this online keyboard. So this is G. (Video Starts: 03:39) Now when
you have harmonic harmony at your disposal or when you are trying to create music using
harmony. The single note G can take on many colours depending on what other notes are used to
accompany it as harmony. And I am using E as its harmonic accompaniment now this how it
sounds.
Suppose I have take D and E as the harmony; this is the basic swara. The basic pitch we are
using is G and these two are the harmonic accompaniment. So it sounds like or if I were to take
say this then it will sound like this or if I have take this and this sound like this.
So, many possibilities exist in harmony – when... with a single note. When you have a single
note and it assumes as many colours as you vary the harmonic accompaniment. In melody what
can you do with single note when your music is melodic? As it is in the case of Carnatic music
what can you do with single note? This is G (Singing Starts: 05:15) (Singing Ends: 05:18) - not
much melody is possible. What one thing you can do is vary the loudness and softness. And that
in fact it is an important aspect in Carnatic music performance.
But in terms of music making single note cannot achieve much (Singing Starts: 05:44) (Singing
Ends: 05:51) this loudness softness (Singing Starts: 05:53) (Singing Ends: 06:03). This is what
we can do it at most then your music is melody with the single note.

In the movement from one note to another - there much variation is possible. So if I were to take
two notes (Singing Starts: 06:21) (Singing Ends: 06:36) This is one (Singing Starts: 06:39)

89
(Singing Ends: 06:43) it is more gentle. (Singing Starts: 06:44) (Singing Ends: 06:58). Which
just two notes, movement between these two notes, much possibility lies here and when we have
more than two notes of obviously the possibilities increase.

Now gamaka as I said is essentially various ornamentations as it is called that is applied to notes,
to swara-s which gives it a completely different flavor and feel. Let me demonstrate what
gamaka can do to a certain set of notes. I will take a tune - this is a very well this is a very
famous song. It was a great hit; it went viral on YouTube a few years ago.
The tune is like this I am sure all you there would have identified this tune. (Singing Starts:
08:09) (Singing Ends: 08:20) This I am sure you know what song is (Singing Starts: 08:24)
(Singing Ends: 08:29) this is a Kolaveri song. In terms of notes it is. (Singing Starts: 08:35)
(Singing Ends: 08:49)
Now the same notes - just these notes (Singing Starts: 08:54) (Singing Ends: 08:59). These are
the notes; if I were to use the gamakas (Singing Starts: 09:05) (Singing Ends: 10:00) this is what
gamaka can do to this set of notes.
So what then is gamaka? Gamaka is s generic name. Now when I just say (Singing Starts: 10:17)
(Singing Ends: 10:20) this is one kind of gamaka (Singing Starts: 10:22) this is the swara but we
sing it as (Singing Ends: 11:11). So there are many kinds of these ornamentations. (Singing
Starts: 11:16) (Singing Ends: 11:30). So the generic term for all this ornamentation is gamaka.

So it is swaras, it is notes that are sung or performed with gamaka. It has a note that has gamaka
or the ornamentation but it always in the context of a raga. The raga determines what kind of
gamaka a particular note will have in a particular context - in the particular context of a phrase.
In the context of the raga again - we saw earlier raga essentially admits of certain swaras and
excludes others. So among those swaras that a raga has, some of those swaras will have
gamakas; some of them will not have gamakas. Both are equally important to the raga’s identity.
And what gamaka a swara will have - that again depends on the context.

So if for an instance there is a very famous kriti which you have heard earlier in the course.
(Singing Starts: 13:01) (Singing Ends: 13:10). Here the notes are the same actually I sang earlier
(Singing Starts: 13:15) (Singing Ends: 13:23) this is the notation for this line. So the Ga as you
can see - there are three kind of ornamentations for it within the single line. (Singing Starts:
13:34) (Singing Ends: 13:41). This is a different kind gamaka. (Singing Starts: 13:44) (Singing
Ends: 14:10)

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So the Ga within the single line has three different ornamentations -so to say and three different
gamaka are applied to the same swara - “same” swara.
In fact when we discuss gamaka and we talk of swaras being given gamakas or swaras’sbeing
given ornamentations, there is a fundamental element of ... it is quite misleading actually.
Becasuse it is not as if we have the swara and then we apply the gamaka: that is not how it is;
that is not how it is taught, that is not how it is absorbed and that is not how it is heard.
The swara and the gamaka are an integrated whole. They are not separate. We can talk of them in
situations like this when we are trying to understand music that we have the Gandhara (Singing
Starts: 15:15) (Singing Ends: 15:18) this the swara (Singing Starts: 15:19) (Singing Ends: 15:28)
In that movement you cannot actually hear the pitch of the Gandhara itself (Singing Starts:
15:39) (Singing Ends: 15:41) this is the pitch you cannot really hear it anywhere. This (Singing
Starts: 15:43) though we say Ga (Singing Ends: 15:49) this is the Ga.

Why do we say that this is Ga? (Singing Starts: 15:52) (Singing Ends: 15:55) though that
particular pitch of Gandhara is not really heard? We say it because this Gandhara, this
movement exists between Ma and Ri. (Singing Starts: 16:07) (Singing Ends: 16:12) So that is
where the Gandhara is that is; that is where the ga is.

So talking of swaras and then gamakas which we say are applied on them, there is of element
of ....it is, as I said misleading to talk about it like this. It we have it clearly in our heads that this
is only an attempt to analyse the music and has no truth beyond that. That it does not reflect the
way the music is to be heard or this music is taught or music is performed.
A teacher teaching this kriti as for instance when never say. “Ok, this is the Gandhara sing the
Gandhara and then apply the ornamentation”. That is absurd. That is not even possible if you do
it that way you will not even get the sound (Singing Starts: 17:12) (Singing Ends: 17:14) you
have to hear it and absorb it and produces it as is.

So the swara and the gamaka are actually an integrated whole. Even when you listen to music a
connoisseur or an informed listener is not going to sit back and say: ok this is the Gandhara and
this is the particular gamaka applied to it - that is not how it works.
So gamaka, as I said, this is a generic term. Gamaka is a generic term for these various kinds of
ornamentations that are applied to swaras. That can be seen as being applied to swaras which is
why we get these kinds of musical sound. How do you analyse this. (Singing Starts: 18:14)

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(Singing Ends: 18:18). How could you describe, how to analyse it, if you want to? A musician, a
performer does not have to; a listener also does not have to analyse it.
But when we are trying to describe this music and understand it in a course like, this is one way
to go about it. (Singing Starts: 18:42) (Singing Ends: 18:46). There is no single pitch here; this is
the Gandhara. (Singing Starts: 18:53) (Singing Ends: 18:57). Even here (Singing Starts: 18:58)
(Singing Ends: 19:05) the plain notes are just this.
(Singing Starts: 19:06) (Singing Ends: 19:10) But in context of a rAga like Kharaharapriya,
which is a major raga in Carnatic music, (Singing Starts: 19:19) (Singing Ends: 19:30) this is
how we can understand this music.
Like we have Gandhara, but the Gandhara is treated with this kind of gamaka. (Singing Starts:
19:48) (Singing Ends: 19:53). This is a different kind of gamaka and all these gamakas have
names. We do categorize them we can talk about some of the major gamakas that we hear in
Carnatic music.
Beyond a certain point we cannot possibly talk about all the subtle movements that characterises
Carnatic music. We cannot exhaustively describe Carnatic music by talking of all the gamakas.
There are many subtle movements that must remain beyond description.
Gamaka is in the context of the raga; gamaka is applied to the swara in the context of a raga. The
same swara in the raga may have different gamakas given the context and not all swaras in the
raga will have gamakas. Simply from the point of view of how one can receive this music if
every swara is given some kind of ornamentation, then this is going to get too ornate and too
difficult to absorb.

So, anything at all can be relished when there is something to contrast to give relief. So we have
plain notes too like (Singing Starts: 21:23) (Singing Ends: 21:34) so ri and ma are mostly plain.
(Singing Starts: 21:36) (Singing Ends: 21:47). If you are going to shake everything. (Singing
Starts: 21:50) (Singing Ends: 21:59). This may get a little too heavy and not quite aesthetic.

So the other - one important aspects of gamaka is that it has an internal tempo. There is internal
what is called kAla pramAna which essentially translates into tempo. So this movement -
shaking or pushing or pulling or gliding whatever the kind of ornamentation. There is certain
tempo that is appropriate to its delivery.

(Refer Slide Time: 22:31)

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The same example (Singing Starts: 22:50) (Singing Ends: 22:54) if you are going to sing
(Singing Starts: 22:56) (Singing Ends: 22:59) that won’t work. (Singing Starts: 23:03) (Singing
Ends: 23:06). This also will not be appropriate - this is not how it is done.

There is a tempo for the gamaka and only when it is delivered with that tempo will it be
effective. And once, in the context of the raga, a particular swara has to be treated with a certain
gamaka, then it is not optional: it is not as if a musician can decide ok, now I will sing with
ornamentation and now not with ornamentation.
When we say that raga is basically made of swaras, that, as is said, is only at the surface level.
The swara with the gamaka - that is what constitutes comprises the raga. And how do you know
what gamaka to apply when or whether to apply or not apply. You just know it when you have
learnt so many compositions and when you learnt and when you have heard so much of music by
masters. You absorb it and you know it.
And there is really no right or wrong when we speak of ragas. I mean, some things are clearly
wrong: if you sing an alien note in Kharaharapriya: for instance, Kharaharapriya does not have
Ri 1 and if you sing Ri 1, that is clearly wrong.
But there are certain grey areas. For instance (Singing Starts: 24:54) (Singing Ends: 24:59) now
this kind of Ga, the kind of gamaka that you apply. Sometimes there are grey areas and we have
master musicians or anybody who is an aficionado - the most you can say that it is not
appropriate. You cannot say that is incorrect. Appropriateness - what the Tamil word for it is

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poruttham, the Sanskrit word will be auchitya – is it uchitha, is it appropriate, does it have
porutham in the context? That is what you can talk about.
And really in art this is this can only be the yard stick. You can have right and wrong to a certain
level. But beyond that, when artistry sets in, the yard stick becomes that much more not very
objective. And yet, there will be mostly some agreement that it is not quite appropriate or that
this alright, it will work. That sort of judgment does happen all the time in art and in Carnatic
music especially.

(Music Starts: 26:28) (Music Ends: 30:43)

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 Appreciating Carnatic Music
Prof. Lakshmi Sreeram
Indian Institute of Technology Madras

Lecture - 15
Gamaka-II

Gamaka as I said it can transform the swara. This Ri (Singing Starts: 00:31) (Singing Ends:
00:34) this is Ga (Singing Starts: 00:35) (Singing Ends: 00:36) it is quite transformed. Now I will
demonstrate with another set of notes so that you can see how the transformation happens in
stages. The notes that I am going to take is different set of notes.
(Singing Starts: 00:53) (Singing Ends: 01:02). The only difference between this and previous set
of notes is that the Ri is the lower variety – Ri 1 (Singing Starts: 01:12) (Singing Ends: 01:16)
and I am using Pa also. (Singing Starts: 01:20) (Singing Ends: 01:45).
This is a more or less staccato rendition of these swaras some combinations of the swaras but the
swaras rendered in staccato fashion. (Singing Starts: 01:57) (Singing Ends: 01:59) they are
discreet. Now let me apply some kind of gamakas and you can see how it is different (Singing
Starts: 02:08) (Singing Ends: 02:45) Now the same set of swaras I will apply very different
kinds of gamakas and see how different it sounds (Singing Starts: 02:55) (Singing Ends: 03:51)
What I sang last was a rAga Thodi which is a major raga in Carnatic music.
Before that the other kind of gentler gamakas that I applied that would be a rAga called Sindhu
Bhairavi. Which is actually a very popular raga used in films and other such genres like music
and also we have songs in Carnatic music also in Sindhu Bhairavi. The point of this was to show
that the gamakas completely transforms the sound (Singing Starts: 04:34) (Singing Ends: 04:43)
it is completely different.
So gamakas are as I said not optional in the context of raga all notes do not have gamakas. The
same note may have different gamakas given the context of the phrase. And the gamaka has an
internal rhythm internal tempo which is very important and the gamaka actually transforms the
swara so much so that you do not know where is the swara and where is the gamaka they are one
integrated whole.

And it almost seems not quite comprehensible why we are calling that movement that swara.
(Singing Starts: 05:33) (Singing Ends: 05:36) The only reason why we are calling it Ga is that it
is between Ma and Ri; the actual pitch of Ga may not be heard at all in the gamaka.

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Gamaka also finds mentions in many in Lakshana Granthas in many of our texts in the Sanskrit
Lakshana Grantha tradition. We have a definition of gamaka in the 13th century text called
SangitasamayasAra. The verse goes like this:
swasruti-sthAna-sambootayAm chAyAm srutyanantarAshrayam
swaro yad gamet geete gamakau asau narUpitah.

When in music a tone moves from its own pitch to towards another so that the second passes like
shadow over it it is called gamaka. Though we don’t find references to gamakas as such in earlier
texts - the word gamaka does not appear in the musical context - the Naradiya Shiksha, which I
have mentioned earlier is one of the earliest texts that talks about music, the Naradiya shiksha
has an idea similar to gamaka. It says, in the context Samaveda chanting - SAmaveda is one of
the four Vedas and there is a very unique and stylized way of rendering the sAman hymns and it
is commonplace to assert that Indian music - Carnatic or Hindustani - has actually evolved from
sAmaveda.

Now, how it has actually evolved - that story has not been told. So it seems uncritical to simply
assert that our music has come down from sAman. Certainly sAmaveda chanting is quite
musical. There is an element of music in it and it is possible to think that we may able to trace
our music back to sAman - sAmaveda music.

But in any case, Naradiya Shiksha, talks about something bordering on the concept of gamaka in
the context of sAma veda chanting. It says this: that one should proceed from one note to
another, from one swara to another as shadow recedes when sunlight advances.

So here clearly the suggestion is that moving from one swara to another must not be staccato.
There should be continuity and this is essentially the idea of gamaka. Though the word gamaka is
not used, you see the similarity between what Naradiya Shiksha says and what
SangitasamayasAra says thirteen centuries later.

Now, ornamentation or gamaka is not unique to Indian music. It is not unique to Carnatic music
or Hindustani music - we have ornamentation in other forms, other musical traditions of the
world. In fact, if you listen to Greek music the sound is startlingly close to Indian music to
Carnatic music - the ornamentations that they use. The basic, the general sound of the music is
very close to Indian music.

What can be said about gamakas in the context of Carnatic music is

96
1. that it is pervasive-that is ornamentation is not occasional gamakas are not occasional; the
music is pervaded by gamakas. We have ornamentation all through. There are of course points
where you have plain note singing. But even there the movement to that note and away from
that note will usually be it - would not be discrete or it would not be staccato.
So one thing is ornamentation, gamakas are pervasive
2. The second thing is that - the second point to be made is that gamakas transform the swara. It
is not - there is a swara and then you add something to it; the whole swara – the the
ornamentation and swara become more one whole so that the “swara”, so called, is transformed.
3. And finally we have many kinds of gamakas - documented. They are documented. Our
Lakshana Grantha speak of many kinds - fifteen kinds of gamaka, ten kinds of gamakas and so
on and in contemporary practice also we have a clear understanding of the kind of gamakas that
are used.
In general when we may say that in Carnatic music the most characteristic gamaka,
ornamentation is what is called kampita gamaka. Which you hear and it sits it out, sets it apart
quite clearly. This (Singing Starts: 12:08) (Singing Ends: 12:18) this is gamaka this is kampita
this kind of oscillation (Singing Starts: 12:21) (Singing Ends: 12:38). This is called kampita.
We would take another raga (Singing Starts: 12:49) (Singing Ends: 13:21). This is kampitha.
Hindustani music also is pervaded by gamakas. But the most striking gamakas or the most
characteristic gamaka of the Hindustani music is, if I were to take the same swaras, what I just
sang was raga Kalyani in Carnatic music. If I take the raga with same swaras in Hindustani
music that is called Yaman. (Singing Starts: 13:57) (Singing Ends: 14:14).

Now this kind of gliding movement (Singing Starts: 14:20) (Singing Ends: 14:31) instead of that
(Singing Starts: 14:32) (Singing Ends: 14:46). Not that other gamakas are not there. But the
most characteristic, the most often encountered gamaka in Carnatic music is the kampita - the
oscillating one - and in Hindustani music the most characteristic gamaka again is the meend or
jaaru - the gliding movements from one swara to another.

This actually sets these two music musical traditions apart - that you hear Carnatic music with so
much of kampita. You immediately know that this is Carnatic music. Whereas in Hindustani
music because of meend and the jaaru with the gliding movements. It has a very different texture

(Music Starts: 15:45) (Music Ends: 28:02)

97
 Appreciating Carnatic Music
Prof. Lakshmi Sreeram
Indian Institute of Technology Madras

Lecture - 16
Gamaka-III

From around the twelfth century we find mention of Gamakas in various musical texts the
“Lakshana Granthas” we find some texts listing fifteen kinds of Gamakas and other texts listing
ten kinds - Dasavidha gamakas Panchadasa gamakas and so on.
In the context of Contemporary Carnatic music current practice we can identify some of these
gamakas; and we will take a look at these through a demonstration on the Veena. We have Dr.
R.S. Jayalakshmi whom we have heard before and she will take us through the currently used
gamakas.
The Veena as I mentioned before is ideal for this kind of demonstration because there is a visual
counterpart. We actually see the swara too as well as hear it. So you can see the kind of
movements that the hand performs and you can see the kind of gamakas; you can correlate
gamakas with the hand movement.
In fact the Veena in fact is a vital aspect of has played a vital role in the development of Carnatic
music. Some of the Gamakas that are listed are actually relevant only in the context of Veena.
And Veena music the veena technique the veena sound has actually also influenced the vocal
tradition of music.

So let us listen to Dr. R.S. Jayalakshmi as she takes us through Gamakas that are currently used
in Carnatic music.

This ragam is called Hemavathi

(Refer Slide Time: 02:46) Explanation in Tamil (Refer Slide Time: 22:40)

The one same phrase “ma ga ri” it is used in so many ways by using the Gamakas and the ragam
differs that is the sole of our music .

98
 Appreciating Carnatic Music
Prof. Lakshmi Sreeram
Indian Institute of Technology Madras

Lecture - 17
Gamaka-IV

Gamaka is not any just any shake. it is not any thing that you attach to a swara. For instance you
cannot just say (Singing Starts: 00:31) (Singing Ends: 00:34) this is a shake. But it is not a
gamaka there are very specific... it is a precise ornamentation and it is a precise movement. We
have Prof. V.V. Subramaniam with us who will take us through how we can understand the
formation of gamaka-s.

We have been talking about gamaka-s in the last few sessions and we have seen how vitally
important it is to Carnatic music.

Now one of the most effective ways of appreciating or understanding a musical form is actually
to try to perform it. In this session you, the learner, are encouraged to try to sing along with a
student that we have here in our studios as she is being taught by Prof. V.V. Subramaniam.

We have heard to V.V. Subramaniam’s violin renditions earlier in this course. And we have been
deeply moved by his renditions. We are extremely fortunate to have him in our studios with us
today.

Prof. V.V. Subramaniam belongs to a glittering galaxy of musicians. He not only commands a
deep mastery over the tradition, over this music, but he is also the brilliant performer and today
he will talk to us about gamakas. And he will demonstrate various nuances about this very
important aspect of Carnatic music.

Welcome to our studious Sir. Namaste. You have been talking to me about how gamakas are
formed and how we can demonstrate the formation of gamakas. Perhaps we can take
Mayamalavagowla, the rAga – introduction, introductory raga for the practice. We have Vibha
here who will try to repeat what you sing. If you say I will turn on the tambura.

You sing this tonic note Sa (Singing Starts: 03:01) (Singing Ends: 03:34)

In Carnatic music Sa is the tonic note again the upper Sa is also a tonic note in between the
center of Pa that is also connected. So we Say Sa Pa Sa - that is the tonic.

99
Now come to this Mayamalavagowla: the first practice is given Sa ri ga ma pa da ni Sa. You sing
the Sa ri ga ma pa da ni Sa and the descending Sa ni da pa ma ga ri Sa
plain notes. (Singing Starts: 04:19) (Singing Ends: 05:04).
So these plain notes each note has that timing sense duration.
So when you introduce gamaka the timings also will be changed. That is Sa is so much (Singing
Starts: 05:29) (Singing Ends: 05:32) Sa 1 2 3 4 that is a normal time signal given 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4
for the tala.
So now when you introduce gamaka. What is gamaka? you say formation of gamaka is by the
swara the note which combines with another swara or joins with it. So when you combine that
swaras the time will be doubled (Singing Starts: 06:21) (Singing Ends: 06:29) like that (Singing
Starts: 06:31) (Singing Ends: 06:38) if you go like that so when you sing the second tempo the
gamaka will be easily known. (Singing Starts: 06:48) (Singing Ends: 06:52).

So the change is instead of you sing Ri you are adding Sa - Sa Ri. Now you sing (Singing Starts:
07:02) (Singing Ends: 07:05) that is second tempo (Singing Starts: 07:08) (Singing Ends: 07:22).

Now that is Ri is tinged with Sa - now it will be (Singing Starts: 07:28) (Singing Ends: 07:30)
You will Say the Ri in Sa itself but it become Sa Ri. (Singing Starts: 07:36) (Singing Ends:
07:40) First Sa Ri only joint Ga Ma are separate. (Singing Starts: 07:44) (Singing Ends: 07:52).
So symmetrical changes (Singing Starts: 07:55) (Singing Ends: 07:59) in between all plain.
(Singing Starts: 08:02) (Singing Ends: 08:09).

Now coming down (Singing Starts: 08:10) (Singing Ends: 08:26) actually this Dha comes from
Sa. (Singing Starts: 08:29) (Singing Ends: 08:49) so two swaras here Sa Ri (Singing Starts:
08:53) (Singing Ends: 08:57) While coming down (Singing Starts: 08:59) (Singing Ends: 09:06)
that becomes Sa Dha - this becomes ma ri.

Now next tempo (Singing Starts: 09:15) (Singing Ends: 09:48) here you go to the next level.
(Singing Starts: 09:54) (Singing Ends: 09:59). The Ri becomes four swaras Sa Ri Sa Ri (Singing
Starts: 10:03) it goes from Ri (Singing Ends: 10:23) got it? now sing. (Singing Starts: 10:25)
(Singing Ends: 10:50).

But when you are saying (Singing Starts: 10:52) (Singing Ends: 10:54) is not that Ri Ri it is Sa ri
Sa ri. (Singing Starts: 10:59) (Singing Ends: 11:01). We do not sing like that. You have to sing
like that. You do not get that Sa Ri Sa Ri separately because of the joining of the Sa it is called

100
minute deep sound. It is minute if you just play in the key board it is Sa Ri Sa Ri you have to say
Sa ri Sa ri. But when you sing it is joined with a small modulation. (Singing Starts: 11:35)
(Singing Ends: 11:42). It is Ri Ma Ga it is not Ri Ma Ga Ma . It has a gliding - siding and
gliding (Singing Starts: 11:52) (Singing Ends: 12:04) that is the next level.

Now the final level (Singing Starts: 12:10) (Singing Ends: 12:18) the tempo changes it is another
double. (Singing Starts: 12:22) (Singing Ends: 12:26). That is the third speed (Singing Starts:
12:29) (Singing Ends: 12:36) without this time thing you cannot get the gamaka. If the time is...if
there is any flaw in the timings then the gamaka close. (Singing Starts: 12:51) (Singing Ends:
12:57).

So all eight (Singing Starts: 12:59) (Singing Ends: 13:03) four (Singing Starts: 13:03) (Singing
Ends: 13:04) another four eight in the form of eight (Singing Starts: 13:08) (Singing Ends:
13:09) Sa ri Sa four Sa ri Sa ri four (Singing Starts: 13:14) (Singing Ends: 13:58) that is the final
thing.

Now these are the thing if you sing like with these gamaka you can have a kind of image of this
raga Mayamalavagowla is the raga. But to get that tinge of the raga you have to sing with this
gamaka only. Otherwise it is a plain note it does not give any shape of raga.

So in raga all these things are applied because they are more expressive. More expressive raga
means feelings so this gives a feeling. Now if you sing a song I will teach you one song (Singing
Starts: 14:58) (Singing Ends: 15:04) this is tulasi dala it is not sung like this (Singing Starts:
15:10) (Singing Ends: 15:25) The swara is pa dha pa ma ga ma swara if just you write it notation
you have to write pa dha pa ma ga ma.
But when you sing (Singing Starts: 15:39) (Singing Ends: 16:24) these gamakas are formed
according to the meaning of the word SanthoSamuga with happiness that is the meaning (Singing
Starts: 16:38) (Singing Ends: 16:40). That is expression (Singing Starts: 16:44) (Singing Ends:
16:54) where pa ma ga ma this ga is not plain there pa ma ga so ga is changed it takes little bit
upper side (Singing Starts: 17:10) (Singing Ends: 17:14) it is touching the ma in between
(Singing Starts: 17:17) (Singing Ends: 17:23) little higher and it has a curved shape (Singing
Starts: 17:33) (Singing Ends: 17:36) then you get this gamaka.
These gamaka gives the expression of the meaning of the lyrics. (Singing Starts: 17:46) (Singing
Ends: 18:27) When you practice this lessons that is the first lessons given in the

101
Mayamalavagowla. (Singing Starts: 18:34) (Singing Ends: 18:36). It will be plain (Singing
Starts: 18:39) (Singing Ends: 18:42) this is the raga bhava so the expression of raga is in the
gamaka.

Now I will tell you one more thing the Same notes (Singing Starts: 18:59) (Singing Ends: 19:14)
this is the gamaka of Mayamalavagowla. Now we have another with same notes we have
another raga called Saveri. But the ascending and descending order is different instead of Sa ri
ga ma pa dha ni Sa it goes (Singing Starts: 19:34) (Singing Ends: 19:44) you get that.

Can you sing this (Singing Starts: 19:47) (Singing Ends: 19:53) this ri is very short ri very less it
is a just a small degree upper to Sa. (Singing Starts: 20:05) (Singing Ends: 20:07). It is not even
Sa ri Sa ri it is (Singing Starts: 20:10) (Singing Ends: 20:39) it is not Sa ni Sa ni. (Singing Starts:
20:42) (Singing Ends: 20:58).

Here (Singing Starts: 21:00) (Singing Ends: 21:04) so instead of dha pa ma ga ri most of the
session in the raga (Singing Starts: 21:12) (Singing Ends: 21:14) though it is Sa ni dha pa ma ga
ri Sa the uSage (Singing Starts: 21:19) (Singing Ends: 21:30) dha is sung from Sa upto dha in
between there is a shake of Sa into the ni (Singing Starts: 21:42) (Singing Ends: 21:45) ni is
upper but with this Sa (Singing Starts: 21:49) (Singing Ends: 21:51) they will sing (Singing
Starts: 21:52) (Singing Ends: 21:55) a flicker with the Sa with a less note (Singing Starts: 21:59)
(Singing Ends: 22:19).

Though we have the same notes of Mayamalavagowla in this raga Saveri though the usage is
little bit skipping (Singing Starts: 22:34) (Singing Ends: 22:36) skipping starts. But the gamaka
its expression with gliding and sliding this raga is very beautiful.

Like that we will take another example which is called lalitha. Can you sing lalitha ascending
and descending (Singing Starts: 23:17) (Singing Ends: 23:31) this ri (Singing Starts: 23:33)
(Singing Ends: 23:37) it is actually in the place of ri plain note but with slight oscillation
(Singing Starts: 23:45) (Singing Ends: 23:51) dha is shaken (Singing Starts: 23:53) (Singing
Ends: 23:55) there is no pa no panchamum the fifth note is skipped. (Singing Starts: 24:02)
(Singing Ends: 24:10).

Where (Singing Starts: 24:12) (Singing Ends: 24:13) this ga is near the ma. Once we sang this
Mayamalavagowla that has been taken in this (Singing Starts: 24:23) (Singing Ends: 24:29). So

102
that whole image is different now (Singing Starts: 24:34) (Singing Ends: 24:39). We Sang in
Mayamalavagowla but we are taking without pa (Singing Starts: 24:45) (Singing Ends: 25:07)
this is called Lalitha.
Lalitha means easy but this raga is not easy. We have to skip the pa and very carefully you have
to shake the dha and ni but easy. And like with the same thing one note is different a higher
dhaivatham (Singing Starts: 25:40) (Singing Ends: 25:45). It starts Sa ri ga ma though it has Sa ri
ga ma the first and fourth note are harmony so they have (Singing Starts: 24:56) (Singing Ends:
26:01). Can you sing this? (Singing Starts: 26:03) (Singing Ends: 26:36).

Here (Singing Starts: 26:37) (Singing Ends: 26:41) it goes to ma and come to Sa and then ri
(Singing Starts: 26:46) (Singing Ends: 27:00). This is a beautiful stroke in the raga vaSantha.
You can also sing now (Singing Starts: 27:13) (Singing Ends: 27:36) that is the main they call it
Sangathi the phrase (Singing Starts: 27:42) (Singing Ends: 28:26) this raga goes like this.

In many compositions it gives more pleasure very soft pleasure listening pleasure that is why it is
called vaSantha. VaSantha means spring like that. So this is the raga called vaSantha. (Singing
Starts: 28:57) (Singing Ends: 29:03). That ri (Singing Starts: 29:04) (Singing Ends: 29:09) ni ga
and ri are depending upon the other swara ri is with Sa ga, with ma, ni with Sa upper Sa. So that
is the main thing of the vaSantha slightly different with the swarasthana note dha of lalitha.

Now if you take one more change (Singing Starts: 29:48) (Singing Ends: 29:55) usually they
would not sing Sa ri ga ma dha ni Sa in vaSantha. But if you take the seven notes (Singing Starts:
30:05) (Singing Ends: 30:08) pa is omitted. Now with the pa and changing another note nishadha
(Singing Starts: 30:17) (Singing Ends: 30:27).

This raga is called chakravakam (Singing Starts: 30:31) (Singing Ends: 30:41) ga is more plain
than other ragas (Singing Starts: 30:47) (Singing Ends: 31:05) this ni (Singing Starts: 31:06)
(Singing Ends: 31:08) that is the original ni of the kaishiki nishada but it is lesser then that
(Singing Starts: 31:15) (Singing Ends: 31:29) there is song there is a very popular song of
Thyagaraja (Singing Starts: 31:34) (Singing Ends: 31:46) very melodious raga that is called
chakravakam.

So we have now talked about Mayamalavagowla and it is allied other ragas called Saveri, Lalitha
and Vasantha and lastly Chakravakam.

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 Appreciating Carnatic Music
Prof. Lakshmi Sreeram
Indian Institute of Technology Madras

Lecture - 18
RAga & Phraseology

So we have seen that ragas are comprised of swaras and in the context of each raga the swaras
that comprise it take on certain gamakas and some swaras will not take on gamakas and same
swara may take different gamakas in different contexts and different phrases. So we have seen
these two aspects swara and gamaka - very important aspects of raga.

Now how then do we go about it? How do we make music given swaras and given that there are
some gamakas? Now let us take a set of notes let me demonstrate. I will take ... four notes from
the major scale or five (Singing Starts: 01:22) (Singing Ends: 01:29) I will take it some gamakas
(Singing Starts: 01:32) (Singing Ends: 01:59).

Now what I sang were the swaras sa ri ga ma pa which belong to the major scale. I did sing it
with some gamakas. But it makes no sense whatsoever – it is completely incoherent – this the
music what I just sang would not have evoked any raga in the mind of any listener anybody
initiated into the Carnatic music. It cannot belong to any raga what I just sang it will not evoke
any coherent image. Now what is a coherent image? That is a more fundamental question. So let
us just say that to an average listener of Carnatic music or a Carnatic musician what I just sang
would not make any sense would not be seen as belonging to any raga.
So what is it? we had swaras we had gamakas what was not there was the coherence that well-
formed phrases can give. This is what is the idea of concept of phraseology. Raga each raga is
associated has a set of core phraseology. And when these phrases are rendered the ragas image
is evoked. In fact this is what we try to do when we speak of raga singing a raga or performing a
raga on an instrument this is all we try to do try to evoke we try to bring out the raga try to coax
the raga. We have we know what is the raga we know what the gamakas and we know may be
the phrases.

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But beyond the certain point this is something that has to happen the raga has to manifest itself.
Sometimes after ten or fifteen minutes of labouring we will not really succeed but in the hands of
a master musician just a couple of minutes and the raga the raga’s image stands before us.

Now this is really the subtlety of raga music. Coming back to the issue of phraseology - each
raga as I said has some core phrases that can be used to capture it to catch it. In fact the Tamil
word for this “phrase” what I used as “phrase” is actually a translation, a very poor translation of
the Tamil expression “pidi”. Interestingly even in the Hindustani music we have the expression
“pakad” means the same – “pidi” or “pakkad” means to catch, to grasp.

So, it is with these phrases that the raga can be caught, it can be grasped or we can even say that
by holding on to this “pidi” we can possibly evoke the raga. So what then is a phrase? A phrase,
a musical phrase essentially must have more than one note and usually it is more, definitely more
than one. It is usually more than two - groups of three or four swaras usually comprise a good
solid phrase which can help us in catching hold of the raga - getting hold over the raga.

Then what is a phrase? It should have a beginning - a note with which we begin the phrase and
the note with which we end the phrase. And there is something happening in between these two
and there are notes and there is tempo and all these are important in understanding the idea of
phraseology. Let me demonstrate. So I will take the same set of notes (Singing Starts: 06:51)
(Singing Ends: 07:11) this is the phrase that unambiguously capture the raga called Sahana.
(Singing Starts: 07:20) (Singing Ends: 07:22) In fact even just this note (Singing Starts: 07:23)
(Singing Ends: 07:50) this is Sahana.

Now another raga another very ancient, major raga ShankarAbaranam. It has the same notes
(Singing Starts: 08:05) (Singing Ends: 08:07). But you would never sing this phrase in
Shankarabaranam. You cannot (Singing Starts: 08:12) (Singing Ends: 08:17) this is simply not
allowed in Shankarabaranam.

Shankarabaranam ... (Singing Starts: 08:25) (Singing Ends: 08:38). So as many of you would
have made out – the beginning of Sahana phrases at ri. (Singing Starts: 08:46) (Singing Ends:

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08:52) Whereas in Shankarabarana (Singing Starts: 08:54) (Singing Ends: 09:10). So, in this
with just these two ragas and this set of notes two or three things would have become evident.
One is what determines the phrase of course is how or on what note the phrase begin; That
makes a world of difference. And again what note the phrase ends.

(Refer Slide Time: 09:46)

The terms for these two are graha and nyAsa. Graha is a swara which you begin the phrase.
Nyasa is a swara with which you end phrases (Singing Starts: 09:55) (Singing Ends: 09:59).
You cannot end the phrase like this on Gandhara in sahana. (Singing Starts: 10:03) (Singing
Ends: 10:11). So Ri is very important swara; again the phraseology, the phrases in the raga
highlight certain swaras as more important and certain other swaras as weaker.
So we have this idea of graha - nyAsa and also stronger swaras and the weaker swaras. And this
is one main aspect of the concept of phraseology. We also have something that happens in
between beginning and the end of phrases. There you have the kala pramana or the tempo.

Now I will take the same swaras but two other ragas (Singing Starts: 11:19) (Singing Ends:
11:36) so you see the phrase swaras in the middle they have different tempos. (Singing Starts:
11:40) (Singing Ends: 11:44). The pa is longer ma ga is longer that (Singing Starts: 11:48)
(Singing Ends: 11:52). If I sing same swaras like this (Singing Starts: 12:03) (Singing Ends:

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12:11). That is completely different raga (Singing Starts: 12:13) (Singing Ends: 12:11). Here the
Ma is elongated and this becomes the raga called Neelambari; the earlier raga is was Yadukula
Kamboji. (Singing Starts: 12:36) (Singing Ends: 12:49).
So all these things, of course we have also the gamakas, the grouping of the swaras. There are
many other aspects to phraseology. But, on a broad canvas you can say that beginning point
ending point and the tempo within that phrase - all these and the distribution of swaras within the
phrase all these determine the identity. All these actually constitute the phrases of the raga. If you
tinker with them little here and there the flavor of raga is lost and you cannot possibly bring out
the raga swarupa.

We have Dr. R. S. Jayalakshmi again talking about the graha and the nyAsa swaras and how
they are important in the identity of ragas. She has taken examples of important Carnatis ragas
and shown how graha swara and amsha swara. Graha swara and nyAsa swaras are very
important in the raga’s identity.
(Tamil Explanation Begins: 14:19) (Tamil Explanations Ends: 25:21)

Gamakams are no doubt the soul of a raga. But where to end and start and land a phrase - there
are many rules.

Graha, amsa, nyaasa are technical terms to indicate these. Graha swaras are the starting notes.
For example take Raga Bilahari, Aarabhi and Shankarabharanam. In Shankarabharanam you can
start with Ga. In Bilahari also you can start with the same but without the elongation. The
elongation of Ga can lead it to Shankarabharanam. Ga works as the common grahaswaram for
both Bilahari and Shankarabharanam but only in the starting and after playing Bilahari for some
time it ends it somewhere else. In Shankarabharanam the Ga can be an elongated starting note
but in Bilahari you have to quickly move to the next note (pa). For Arabhi Ga can never be the
commencing note even though it’s a janya or derivative raga of Shankarabharanam. But for it Ri
is the grahaswara. Or many notes are there - its not like only one note can be the only
grahaswara for a raga. But within these three ragas in this region of the scale, its only for Aarabi
that Ri becomes the grahaswara. So how do we know this? Most compositions start with these
notes. For example in Bilahari,----(sings starts in ga)

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So Ga is an important Graha or starting note for Bilahari but it will go upwards-ascend the
scale.

But if we are taking Shankarabharanam, I said it can start with ga but there is no composition
that starts with ga. So for an improvisation a grahaswara might exist but might not be the case in
an already composed piece.

As far as Shankarabharanam is concerned—plays (17.22- ) This is a very vital area for

Shankarabharanam. Pa is a very important graha swara for it. Sa or Ma might also be used as
grahaswaras. But there are no compositions that start with Ga to my knowledge. Recent
composers could have used it. But there is no composition starting from the trinity period to 19th
century where a Shankarabharanam starts with Ga. But Ga is an important grhaswaram in
improvisations of the same raga, like alapana or tanam.

We can talk about many ragas. For example, in Anandhabhairvai only Pa is the grahaswara. It
cannot be another note.

So only Pa is the one and only grahaswara used in Anandabhairavi. In very rare cases Sa might
be used.

Every raga has its on grahaswara and you can know this based on the many compositions.

Now the ending note - that is nyasam. Even if we take a Shankarabharanam where all 7 notes are
there- its not possible to use any one of them as the ending or the starting note. Pa and Sa are
very important as Grahaswaras. And also, usually Sa and Pa are colourless in many ragas as
they are without Gamakas and don’t have variety. And so they have a possibility to be used as
graha, amsa and nyasa in any ragas they are used in. There are also ragas where they have no
value. Usually in sampoorna ragas these two notes have a possibility to be used as both the
starting and resting note. Other than these two the other five notes in the Shankarabharanam for
example – like I said ga is the starting note but it cannot end mid way in any way. So Ma is
important as a nyasa swara. So it can start in Ga and end in Ma. Just two notes. So these two are
two important ending notes. And in this area - the higher part of the octave or uttarangam - we
cannot end it this way. Dha and Ni have to be slid over and cannot be used either as starting or
ending points. So after Pa, Sa is the only possible ending note in shankarabharanam. Even
though there are middle notes they cannot be used as landing or starting notes.

108
So every raga has particular starting and ending notes. What happens if we still do so? The
composition can seem like it is some other raga - like someone else walks in mid way. This
means that the raga itself might be identified wrongly. So the ending note is very important for
the raga phrase. In fact the ending note can decide which raga it is between two allied ragas.

For example Poorvikalyani and Panthuvarali are two allied ragas whose difference is determined
only through the ending notes. You have to finish the phrase in Poorvikalyani. Ending phrase is
the same but the u turn and ending of Ga determines the change over to the panthurvalli. So the
nyasa swara is very important.

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 AppreciatingMusic
Prof. Lakshmi Sreeram
Indian Institute of Technology Madras

Lecture - 19
RAga – Some basic expectations

Now in the last few sessions we have discussed some important aspects of rAga. We have seen
how each rAga admits of certain swaras. So each rAga is associated with some swaras and those
swaras are treated with certain gamakas and the melodic expression the melodic movement
follows certain established phrases that is how the rAga is explored.

Now when we say that composition in Thodi rAgam or it is in Shankarabharanam or that he sang
an AlApana in Begada what we mean is this that the composition or the Alapana had only those
swaras with those gamakas. And the exposition followed, used the established phrases that bring
out the particular rAga. That is what we mean by saying a piece of music whether a composition
or an improvisational segment - when we say that this is in certain rAga this is what we mean.

It is much like what we mean by saying that for instance I am right now speaking in English or
that a certain book is in English, a particular language. The analogy between rAga and language
is ... has captured the imagination many. Actually many people have tried to explore the parallels
between rAga and language. There are obvious limitations to the analogy. But it is quite
interesting to see how many different aspects we can compare rAga and language. Now like
language rAga also has we can say that rAga also has a vocabulary and we could say that
vocabulary is its swaras. Swaras in it and immediately we can see the limitations of the analogy
that a language’s vocabulary grows. Whereas rAga’s vocabulary if it is the swara obviously
cannot grow and you have grammar grammatical rules rules of composition in language. We
have similar rules in case of rAgas.

The one glaring limitation of this analogy between rAga and language is that rAga does not have
meaning. for the phrase. RAga cannot have meaning in the way that language does. There are
scholars there are musicologists argue that in the case of rAga we can speak different kind of
meaning.

But even so we can when we just talk of certain rAgas when we take a rAga like
Shankarabharanam or Begada or Kalyani. There are dozens of compositions in this rAga and

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possibly hundreds and if we were to think of alapana or other kind of improvisation in the rAga,
there would have been thousands of such expositions of that rAga and each of them will be very
similar to each other in certain respects and yet they will never be identical - that is the power of
rAga. That there is a frame work there are rules there are bounds and there are limits and yet
within this limits and bounds while following all these rules there is still immense scope for
creativity, immense scope for improvisation.
There are some expectations or requirements of a rAga. One is that a rAga should have a
minimum of five swaras; less than five swaras will probably while we can quite imagine that the
scope of a rAga with fewer than five swaras the scope will be pretty limited. The scope of
creating melodic movements melodic patterns - if the rAga has less than five swaras - that will
be quite limited.

So it is expected that four, a group of swaras to possibly become a rAga there have to be at least
five swaras. The question could be whether new rAgas can be created? And yes they can be and
they are created all the time and when we think of that phenomenon. And also when we look at
the actually extant actually available rAgas, this is a fairly common place expectation that the
rAga would have a minimum of five swaras.

(Refer Slide Time: 06:30)

But there are musical minds who like to test boundaries. And we have Vidvan Balamuralikrishna
who almost as if to challenge this expectation that rAga should have five swaras.

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(Refer Slide Time: 06:48)

He created this rAga called Lavangi which has only four swaras sa ri ma dha and he has given
created the composition in this you can hear the rendition of this at this you tube link

(Refer Slide Time: 07:11)

Another general expectation of a rAga is that should have either Pa or Ma one of the two notes.
It cannot skip both Pa and Ma and ninety-nine-point nine percent of rAgas obey this and again
we have challenges to this expectation.

(Refer Slide Time: 07:20)

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(Refer Slide Time:07:39)

Muthiah Bhagavatar created a rAga called Niroshta. Pa and Ma both are called labials they can
be pronounced when the lips are brought together. So even rAga’s name “Niroshta” has no place
for a labial and this rAga has neither panchama nor madyama sa ri ga dha ni sa. That is the...
those are the swaras in this rAga.

Again rendition of composition by Muthiah Bhagavatar can found at this link its a rendition by
Priya sisters.

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(Refer Slide Time: 8:28)

So there are but even though we have these exceptions of rAgas - one or two rAgas here and
there with lesser than five swaras and as far as I know, only one rAga that has neither panchama
nor madyama by and large the rest of the rAgas admit of at least five swaras and they would have
either pa or the ma.

So we have ancient rAgas like Shankarabharanam and Begada and Kedaragowla on the one hand
and we have newer creations like Lavangi and Niroshata and many others. Even as we speak
rAgas are being created-it is possible because if we think of a rAga as essentially a melodic
fabric with some notes and not some others. Then it is possible to think of a completely new
melodic combination and try to create a viable rAga out of it and this sort of thing happens it is
not easy. But it is very possible.

And as we see later there was a rigorous system, a rigorous method of generating scales that was
put in place sometime in the beginning of the fifteen to the seventeenth century or eighteen
centuries. We have a development in the Lakshnagrantha tradition where a system for generating
scales was evolved.

So when we have that it is not a Herculean task to think of a completely new rAga, with hitherto
unknown combination of swaras. A computer could do it but what then is the difference between
what do we make of this music, of this tradition Carnatic music which on the one hand has
ancient rAgas and on the other hand has rAgas that are being created ever anew.

114
Is there a difference between a rAga like Shankarabharanam and a rAga like Niroshata or even a
rAga like Sunadavinodini which is also completely ...which is a combinations of swaras and it
was handled by musicians like, composers like Mysore Vasudevachar? Is there a difference? I
would say there is a world of difference between a rAga like Niroshta and rAga like
Shankarabharanam.

Along with me, many musicians would say there is world of difference because a traditional
rAga like Shankarabharanam or Ritigowla or Anandabhairavi they have been handled over
centuries by great musical minds and these rAgas have certain characters. They have gained
many dimensions and to engage with such rAgas there are so many more dimensions to that
musical endeavor. To try to sing a Shankarabharanam is a completely different deal from trying
to sing a rAga like Niroshta. Because in Shankarabharanam you need have grasped the rAga
swarupa. The phraseology, the gamakas you need to have absorbed all the musical effort that has
gone into this rAga over these decades over the centuries whereas with a rAga like Niroshta it is
just a combination of swaras and it is up to you to work patterns out of this set of swaras.

In fact with a rAga like Niroshta or Sunadavinodhini we would not even speak of a rAga
swarupa. There is no rAga swarupa or rAga bhAva that is associated with such scalar rAgas
-what is called scalar. Scalar as in scale - the rAga is just a scale of swaras.

(Refer Slide Time: 13:29)

115
So these two types of rAgas are a world apart, but both of them find place in contemporary
Carnatic music. Though of course we have musicians who prefer one kind of rAga over the other
and some musicians who are tolerant of both kinds of rAgas.

So today, in the context of contemporary Carnatic music, we can speak of broadly one kind of
classifying rAga would be to talk of two kind rAgas: one is rAgas like Shankarabharanam or
Kedaragowla or Suruti with a long history of evolution. And other would be rAgas that are new
fangled, new creations which are nothing more than a combination of swaras and there is nothing
more about their personality or form. There are no expectations regarding phraseology or even
gamaka for that matter.

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 Appreciating Carnatic Music
Prof. Lakshmi Sreeram
Indian Institute of Technology Madras

Lecture - 20
A string of Raga-s & a teaser

I now bring to you exquisite alapanas, short alapanas in a wide variety of ragas performed by
Prof. V.V. Subramanyam. This is a small informal assignment for you. The names of the ragas
will of course appear but little bit into the actual exposition of raga. Prof. V.V.Subramanyam has
played a string of ragas. So they come one after another seamlessly. And the names of the ragas
will of course appear, but sometime into the exposition of each raga.
So as a small assignment listen carefully and try to spot where it is that the raga actually changes.
Let us listen to Prof. V.V. Subramanyam.

(Music Starts: 01:21)

(Music Ends: 22:18)

(Refer Slide Time: 02:32)

(Refer Slide Time: 05:03)

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(Refer Slide Time: 07:27)

(Refer Slide Time: 09:29)

118
(Refer Slide Time: 10:54)

(Refer Slide Time: 12:55)

119
(Refer Slide Time: 15:04)

(Refer Slide Time: 17:32)

120
(Refer Slide Time: 20:16)

(Refer Slide Time: 21:53)

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122
 Appreciating Carnatic Music
Prof. Lakshmi Sreeram
Indian Institute of Technology Madras

Lecture - 21
RAga in the textual tradition

Let us look at rAga in the context of the textual tradition what textual tradition itself has to
say of rAga. Now the Brhaddeshi is a... is an eighth century text and perhaps the earliest
definition of rAga is found in this text.
(Refer Slide Time: 00:32)

There are many verses in this text which talks explicitly of rAga. One of them is this
ranjanAjjayate rAgo vyutpattih samudAhrtah ityevam rAgashabdasya vyutpattih abhidhIyate

Brhaddesi.
(Refer Slide Time: 00:48)

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ranjanajjayate rAgo ranjana is to colour. So rAga is born from the act of colouring... of
colouring the mind actually, of bringing colour into the minds of the listener. which is
essentially to suffuse it with colour or with pleasure. So rAga is born from the act of
colouring or delighting. This has been said to be its etymology and this is therefore is spoken
as the etymology of the word RAga.

There is this other very oft quoted and very famous verse that
yoayam dhvanivisheSastu swaravarNavibhUshitah
ranjako janacittAnAm rAgah kathitho buddhaih

(Refer Slide Time: 01:46)

124
That which is a special dhwani dhwani visheSa and is be bedecked, it is decorated with swara
and varna. And delights the minds of people - ranjako janacittanam that is said to be rAga.
This is, as I said from Brhaddesi an eighth century text.

Now it seems that in the earlier texts the concept of rAga is not quite what it is today. Which
for us its an abstract entity rAga exists as a possibility of melodic creation whereas possibly
in the earlier text rAga refer to a particular melodic entity itself.

(Refer slide time 03:01)

Today of course rAga is ...many people speak of it. S. K. Saxena, an important writer and
thinker of the twentieth century, he has suggested that we could view rAga as a melodic
matrix - it is a matrix. And any composition or any other improvisation of the rAga partakes
of that matrix. In the sense that is also the substance of that music.

Others have suggested that we can think of rAga as a melodic cloud - a cloud from which
possibly melodies would rain. There is this interesting and fairly lucid description of rAga by
Deepak Raja, another important writer of... on music and it reads like this:

(Refer Slide Time: 03:59)

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“Even a casual listener of classical music is aware that the word rAga is used to describe the
melodic facet of a piece of music. He also knows that the rAga is not a precomposed melody.
The same rAga performed on different occasions can sound entirely different while yet
retaining a strong basis in familiarity.
She also knows that there are hundreds and thousands of rAgas in circulations and that
experienced listeners can distinguish one rAga from others. From this most listeners can
infer that a rAga is broadly a melodic structure tight enough to remain distinct and
identifiable and yet loose enough to form the basis for considerable individual freedom”.

126
 Appreciating Carnatic Music
Prof. Lakshmi Sreeram
Indian Institute of Technology Madras

Lecture - 22
Classification of raga-s (Audava Shadava & Sampoorna)

I spoke about attempts to classify ragas and I suggested that one board classification that is very
relevant in today’s Carnatic music is that between traditional ragas with strong character and
newer creations whose melodic character is quite ill-defined beyond the swaras, beyond the notes
that comprise the ragas. There is nothing really for the musicians to take care of.
And so to that extent they are far less challenging and far less fulfilling to performer or to listen
to. It is not to say that these new creations are not melodious or that they are not pleasant to listen
to. They can be very melodious, they can even move a person. But in terms of the demands on
the musicianship, on the artistry of musicians, these ragas do not compare that well with
traditional ragas.

One way of classifying the wide range of ragas that we have would obviously be in terms of the
swaras, the notes that occur in them. And there are two ways of doing this: one is in terms of
actual swaras that each raga takes and that is what the melakartha system is - the mela system of
classification use - we will see later.
But the more superficial way of the looking at the swaras and using that as classification tool is
to see the number of swaras that each raga has. As I mentioned, there is a requirement of a
minimum of five swaras in any raga - exceptions apart, exceptions are very very few. Any raga
for viability should have at least five swaras. So we have ragas with five swaras, we have ragas
with six swaras and we have ragas with seven swaras.
And there are technical terms for these ragas with five swaras are called auDava ragas; ragas
with six swaras are called shaDava ragas and ragas with seven swaras all the seven swaras are
called sampurna ragas.

(Refer Slide Time: 03:34)

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In an earlier lesson on raga and swara I have demonstrated quite a few of these ragas. Mohanam
Hamsadhvani and Hindolam. These are all the examples of the auDava ragas ragas that have
only five swaras.

Mohanam for instance is (Singing Starts: 04:00) (Singing Ends: 04:11) this is Mohanam.
Hamsadhvani is (Singing Starts: 04:16) (Singing Ends: 04:31) Hindolam is (Singing Starts:
04:34) (Singing Ends: 04:41). These are all auDava ragas. We have shADava ragas also with six
swaras (Singing Starts: 04:49) (Singing Ends: 04:56) Malayamarutham (Singing Starts: 04:59)
(Singing Ends: 05:07) Sriranjani. And then of course we have sampurna ragas with all seven
swaras.

(Refer Slide Time: 05:18)

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And then we have combination of these - we have ragas which have five swaras in Aroha and
six in avaroha or seven in the avaroha we have. And those ragas is called auDava-shaDava or
auDava-sampurna.

We have ragas which have six in Aroha and seven in the avaroha we have many-many of these
combinations. We even have ragas like Saramathi which has seven swaras in the aroha and five
in the avaroha (Singing Starts: 05:56) (Singing Ends: 05:07) this is Saramathi. (Singing Starts:
06:10) (Singing Ends: 06:31) there is a great composition by Tyagaraja in this raga (Singing
Starts: 06:37) (Singing Ends: 08:47) This was Saramathi. A sampurna auDava raga - it takes
seven in the Aroha and five swaras in the avaroha.

(Refer Slide Time: 09:12)

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But we also have ragas which are called vakra. They have a zigzag kind of movement (Singing
Starts: 09:14) (Singing Ends: 09:34) it doesn’t go like that. (Singing Starts: 09:36) (Singing
Ends: 09:26). So just a slight twist in the tale that gives a certain flavor to the raga and these are
called vakra ragas. And we have plenty of such vakra ragas in Carnatic music.

Some very major ragas have vakra sancharas, vakra phrases. Bhairavi for instances Bhairavi is a
very major raga (Singing Starts: 10:28) (Singing Ends: 10:34) without this vakratva, this
crookedness (Singing Starts: 10:37) (Singing Ends: 10:45) there is no Bhairavi without that
vakra phrase - you cannot say (Singing Starts: 10:50) (Singing Ends: 10:53) This is also
occasionally we can sing it.
But the life of this raga is in (Singing Starts: 11:00) (Singing Ends: 11:21). Ananda Bhairavi
another raga has the same phrase (Singing Starts: 11:29) (Singing Ends: 11:46). So many
traditional ragas have this crookedness inbuilt in their movement, in the way they move.

And even actually, even in ragas which are otherwise we can categorise them as sampurna or
shadava or audava. The phrases and I am talking of traditional ragas the phrases many of the
important phrases have crookedness. If you take Shankarabaranam for instances (Singing Starts:
12:29) (Singing Ends: 12:40).

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Now there are many phrases, very important phrases which essentially involve jumping notes. If
you take this swara sequence it is actually part of famous composition (Singing Starts: 12:58)
(Singing Ends: 13:07) So there is skip of pa (Singing Starts: 13:09) (Singing Ends: 13:15) this is
completely vakra. (Singing Starts: 13:17) (Singing Ends: 13:20) instead of that (Singing Starts:
13:20) (Singing Ends: 13:27) this is straight (Singing Starts: 13:29) (Singing Ends: 13:36).

The first part of this line of swaras showcases the vakra sanchara the vakra phrases of
Shankarabaranam. In fact very important phrase in Shankarabaranam which is captured in
another great composition is (Singing Starts: 13:57) (Singing Ends: 14:03) just this is very
evocative of Shankarabaranam.
So though we speak of aroha avaroha, these are actually just pedagogical devices and they
should not really shackle the musician once he or she wants to engage to the raga creatively
artistically. In fact performers are not all the time thinking of Aroha or avaroha when they are
performing a raga. That would be very shackling, very restrictive.
And ragas in fact as I said, the Aroha avaroha these are just ways of talking of raga, describing of
raga. Even at beginner’s level teaching the raga when you teach a raga you probably you talk of
aroha avaroha. Though in fact traditionally a couple of generations ago that was also not the
case. Aroha and avaroha has come into some importance only as a relatively recent
phenomenon.
This concept of Aroha or avaroha or ascent and descent was also not a part of musicological
discussions until after the eighteen century. It is fairly new concept because earlier ragas were
entirely understood according to the phrases. And by the time of late eighteen century by... after
eighteen century the attempts of musicologists to talk about scales and the number of possible
scales that had gained a strong hold on the imagination of musicologists.
And then ragas the scale that raga has that started gaining more prominence in the minds of
musicians and musicologist.

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 Appreciating Carnatic Music
Prof. Lakshmi Sreeram
Indian Institute of Technology Madras

Module – 04
Lecture - 23
Classification of raga-s (Ghana Naya & Deshiya)

On way of classifying ragas you can classify them into audava shadava and sampurna and their
combinations. We even have ragas which have seven swaras in the aroha and five in the avaroha
in that case it would be sampurna audava ragas.

(Refer Slide Time: 00:44)

Another ancient way of classifying raga is the Ghana - Naya - Deshya. This is a triad three kinds
of ragas and this depend on the prakriti or the nature of the raga.
The Ghana raga is ... the notes are clustered densely together. It has a more, a quicker pace and
we cannot perform a Ghana raga in a slow pace it is very difficult. Whereas a Naya or a rakthi
raga is a raga which has immense scope for treatment in any tempo and it is full of heavy
gamakas. So that is the second category naya raga

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And then we have Deshiya raga. Deshiya raga essentially refers to ragas that have been borrowed
from the North from North Indian music. We have Dr. R.S. Jayalakshmi has spoken some detail
about these three kind of ragas. She has also demonstrated some examples. Let us look at what
she has to say on Ghana, Naya, Deshiya ragas.

(Tamil Explanation Begins: 02:19)

(Tamil Explanations Ends: 12:46)

Raga classification is today based on the arahonam avarahonam. But there used to be a system
called the Ghana Naya Deshya (classification) in the 19th century.

These definitions are part of a tradition and not explicitly mentioned.

Ghana ragam does not have a definition. It is first mentioned in the Sangeeta Sampradaya
Pradarshini. It is supposed to be sung from the navel. It refers to ragas that have to sung without
any gaps. Like in thanam. Which means using the syllables of namtam etc. without any gaps
between the swaras. Ghanan ragam consists of the pancharatnam Nattai, Gowlai, Arabhi, Varali,
Sriragam. Another classification for Naya raga is rakti raga(?) or the pleasing raga. All ragas are
pleasing but for the sake of classification its thought of as such.

The difference between the three types is that in the Naya raga you can play elaborate alapana,
thanam, swaram. It means its possible to apply every type of improvisation to a keerthana in this
raga.

In Ghana raga the options are more limited because its generally more faster and have no rests in
between. The only exception is Varali. Even the aarabhi is a Ghana ragam like this. It can’t be
played slow or dragged on. That’s why they are good to be played in thanam. They are in a fast
tempo.

Naya raga can be played slow or fast or at a medium pace. And can encompass most kinds of
compositions.

Deshya raga is a term to indicate those ragas that came from the north. Deshyam means not from
here. It is foreign but they could gradually become part of the local. They could and have

133
become rakti ragas. One example is the Thodi. Until the 19th century it was
considered Deshyam. That is how it has been described. And that sounds like today’s
Sindhubhairavi. Today we have added gamakas to it and made it a Rakthi raga. How do we do
this? The sadharana Ga of Thodi is given an oscillation. Its like bringing a scale from there and
modifying it to our tradition. This addition of Gamakas makes it heavy. It is impossible to shake
any of the notes in a raga like the Sindhubhairavi. It’s a very beautiful raga but a gamaka like an
oscillation can never be given to it. A glide or pulling is possible but it (any note) cannot be
shaken. You can only play it smoothly. But when we give it oscillations and play it with some
weight it is called Thodi. Even Tyagaraja’s first composition was in the Deshiya Thodi scale -
Namo Namo Raghavaya. Even now we sing it like the raga Sindhubhairavi. So this Ghana,
Naya, Deshya Raga system used to be an important system of classification. Today we have
Janaka-Janya system of classification.

Take the raga Nattai which is a ghana ragam. Now its Ri cannot be shaken slowly. It is not
possible to give a gamaka slower in the case of this raga. It has to be in a particular tempo.
Makes it conducive to thanam. We have to keep this speed for a ragam like this.

9.21 So if you want a raga which is more adaptable then you choose the Naya raga or a rakthi
raga. For example Kambhoji. You can take your time to reach even Pa. And can take longer rest
stops. You can play around a single note. You can play it very slow or very fast. In the case of
keerthanas we have compositions in Rakti or naya ragas one kalai or two kalai or rupaka talam
(variety of talas-). We have compositions from varnam to tillana in these ragas. Now ghana
ragas are not found in two kalai tala cycles which are longer. So also with Deshya raga the tala
cycles of compositions are short and the tempo is also fast. Gamakas are very less.

Thus Ghana Naya and Deshya were important at one time.

134
 Appreciating Music
Prof. Lakshmi Sreeram
Indian Institute of Technology Madras

Lecture – 24
Mela system of classifying rAga-s

(Refer Slide Time: 00:30)

We are talking of classifying rAgas and we are now ready to talk about the mela or the
melakarta system of classifying rAgas. Now this is a major theoretical advance that started
sometime in the mid sixteenth century. And was pursued with great zest in the lakshana
grantha tradition for two or three centuries and it has made a deep impact on Carnatic music.
This is perhaps one case of theory impacting practice.

Now what is mela? The idea is actually quite simple. We are here talking of grouping rAgas
or classifying rAgas. Now let us take this group of rAgas where Arabhi, Hamsadhwani,
Nalinakanti, Bilahari, and Kedaram. The aroha avaroha of these rAgas are ...you can see it in
the slide.

(Refer Slide Time: 01:31)

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(Refer Slide Time: 01:44)

As you can see they use swaras that belong to the major scale or the Dheera
Shankarabharanam scale. They do not use all those swaras but they use some of the swaras
that occur in the Shankarabharanam scale. So Arabhi uses Ri2 Ga2 Ma1 Dha2 Ni2 though of
course the Aroha of Arabhi does not have Ga and Ni. But still if you must say what are the
notes that occur in Arabhi the notes that occur in Arabhi are the notes of the major scale.

Again the notes of Hamsadhvani... Hamsadhwani is an audava rAga it has only five swaras
and it does not use Ma and Dha. But the Re Ga... Sa Ri Ga Pa Ni... the Ri Ga and Ni are the
swaras from the major scale - Shankarabaranam scale. So also Nalinakanti - Nalinakanti has a

136
vakra form... there is a certain zig zag pattern in the Aroha avaroha itself. (Singing Starts:
03:26) (Singing Ends: 03:49).
These are also notes from the Shankarabharanam scale. (Singing Starts: 03:57) (Singing
Ends: 04:03). Again notes from the Shankarabharanam scale. Arabhi (Singing Starts: 04:07)
(Singing Ends: 04:14) Bilahari is (Singing Starts: 04:16) (Singing Ends: 04:21) Kedaram
(Singing Starts: 04:24) (Singing Ends: 04:33) this is Kedaram.
So now all these rAgas their structure is very different. Hamsadhvani for instance does not
have Ma does not have Dha. Whereas Bilahari has both Ma and Dha. Kedaram does not have
a dha. But in terms of the swaras that these rAgas take they can be seen as sub sets so to say
of the Shankarabharanam scale.

So the Shankarabharanam scale has Sa Ri Ga MA Pa Dha Ni and Arabhi takes a few swaras
from this. Hamsadhvani takes another set of swaras from this. Nalinakanti takes yet another
set of swaras from the same scale Shankarabharanam scale. So also Bilahari and Kedaram. So
this is the idea of mela that all these rAgas can be grouped under the Shankarabharanam
mela.

(Refer Slide Time: 5:50)

That this is one scale the scale of Shankarabharanam and all these rAgas can be grouped
under it because the swaras that occur in these rAgas are the swaras of that scale. So that is
the very simple idea of mela.
(Refer Slide Time: 06:20)

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So if you have a rAga like say for instance Lalitha or something (Singing Starts: 06:20)
(Singing Ends: 06:27). Now these notes are not the notes of Shankarabharanam. So Lalitha
would not be classified under Shankarabharanam. It may be classified under some other rAga
- Mayamalavagowla. So the idea of the mela was simple that it is a scale and under this mela
or in this mela all rAgas that take those swaras they are grouped under that mela.
(Refer Slide Time: 07:04)

This method of classifying was first attempted by Ramamatya in his Swaramelakalanidhi. It

was written in the mid sixteenth century. Ramamatya was attached to the Vijayanagara court.
And in this he advances the theory of mela as a method of classifying rAgas and he has listed
twenty such melas. And the names of those melas are here for your interest.
(Refer Slide Time: 07:50)

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Many of these rAgas certainly the names we have many rAgas by the same names even today
Mukhari Hindola Ritigowla and SrirAgam and so on. But most likely very likely the rAgas
have changed over the centuries. But for Ramamatya and for many others the mela is a group
of swarasthanas and rAgas are grouped under it which use the same swarasthanas and these
rAgas are called Janya rAgas.
(Refer Slide Time: 08:24)

Janya means born of. So it is almost as if these rAgas are born of the mela but that is only a
terminology; it is not as if the rAgas were born out of this mela. The rAgas are already there
and the mela is only a construct a scale which is suggested. Which we suggest can be used to
classify rAgas. Now this idea of mela caught on and after him every musicologist every
writer of any lakshanagrantha worked some ideas of his own about this mela. And one of the

139
most critical figures in this endeavor in this group of lakshanagrantha granthakaras was
Venkatamakhin

(Refer Slide Time: 09:48)

Venkatamakhin in his very well-known Chaturdandi Prakasika - that is the treatise that he
wrote - he comes up with a system for generating scales - how many scales can possibly be
generated that is question. You see as... when Ramamatya set out on the path of mela when
he suggested that mela is a way of classifying rAgas he was concerned with the rAgas that
were actually prevalent and then he created he suggested only those scales that were needed
to account for the rAgas that were actually prevalent.
But soon the issue of how many melas can be generated...that assumed life of its own.
Musicologists started trying to figure out ways of figuring out of how many such melas are
possible without any reference to actual practice of music that interested musicologists
immensely. And Venkatamakhin’s suggestions Venkatamakhin said that seventy-two such
scales are possible and that is what rules Carnatic music even today.
Venkatamakhin worked in the seventeenth century The Chaturdandi Prakasika was written in
the seventeenth century and even today Carnatic music we speak of seventy-two mela
karthas. Now how are seventy-two scales possible seventy-two sampoorna scales possible?

140
 Appreciating Carnatic Music
Prof. Lakshmi Sreeram
Indian Institute of Technology Madras

Lecture – 25
Generating the 72 mela-s

What Venkatamakhin essentially advanced was - he worked out the number of combinations
of the twelve swarasthanas. One essential consideration was that each scale had to have all
the seven swaras in order. Let us look at our schema of the twelve swarasthanas.

(Refer Slide Time: 00:47)

We have “Sa, Ri 1, Ri 2, Ga 1, Ga 2, Ma 1, Ma 2, Pa, Dha 1, Dha 2, Ni 1, Ni 2”. We need to

figure out how many combinations of the seven swaras are possible when we have these
twelve swarasthanas.

(Refer Slide Time: 01:20)

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So just to give you an example “Sa, Ri 1, Ga 1, Ma 1, Pa, Dha 1, Ni 1”; this is a combination
or possible combination.

(Refer Slide Time: 01:45)

Or we could put this as “Sa Ri 1 Ga 2 Ma 1 Pa, Dha, Ni”; This is a possible combination.
(Refer Slide Time: 01:45)

142
Or we can do this “Ri 1, Ga 2, Ma 2, Pa, Dha 1, Ni 1”; this is another combination possible.

(Refer Slide Time: 02:21)

Now if you just take the way of just trying to figure out how many combinations are possible.
Let us say we have “Sa, Ri 1, Ga 1” ok and we have “Ma 1” with this how many
combinations of dha and ni are possible. We have the first combination possible is “Dha 1 Ni
1” second combination possible is “Dha 1 Ni 2” third combination possible is “Dha 2 Ni 1”
and fourth combination possible is “Dha 2 Ni 2”. So with “Sa, Ri 1, Ga 1, Ma 1” there are
four combinations possible.

143
So also with “Ri 1 and Ga 1” four combinations are possible. Where “Ri 1 Ga 2, Ri 2 Ga 1
and Ri 2 Ga 2 two Ga 2 and Ma 1” So we have the total number of combinations here with
four of these possibilities and four of these possibilities, with just “Ma 1” it is sixteen. Sixteen
possible combinations are there; because with each of these combinations of “Ri and Ga”
four are possible.

So four are possible for this four are possible for this four are possible for this so we have
sixteen we have sixteen possible combinations of all this “Sa Ri Ga Ma Pa Dha Ni with Ma
1”. The Same thing will apply with “Ma 2”. So we have sixteen plus sixteen thirty-two
possible combinations of these swarasthanas are there. When you want a Sampoorna scale of
seven swaras. But what Venkatamakhin arrived at was a number of seventy-two.

(Refer Slide Time: 04:48)

Now how did he do that? Now, on this method as you can see a combination of “Ri 1 Ri 2” is
not possible. You cannot have a scale which tells... suppose we number the swarasthanas:
This is the first swarasthana this is the second swarasthana this is the third, fourth, fifth, sixth,
seventh, eighth, ninth, tenth, eleventh and twelfth.

So we cannot have a scale which has the combination of the second and third swarasthana.
That is not possible. Now what Venkatamakhin did was essentially to make that possible. He
reworked a nomenclature of these swaras. We speak of “Ri1 Ri2” and we need a scale to
have all the seven swaras “Sa ri ga ma Pa da ni” we need all the seven swaras. Now if we

144
have swarasthana two and swarasthana three then we will not have “Ga”. So in that case it is
not a Sampoorna scale. So what can we do so that a scale which has swarasthanas two and
three as also possible.

To accommodate this, to make this possible what he did was quite ingenious really this third
swarasthana he gave it ... this is of course Ri 2. But this is also “Ga 1” instead of talking of
two varieties of “ri” two varieties of “g” and two varieties of “da” and “ni” each. He spoke of
three varieties each of “Ri, Ga, Dha and Ni” and he distributed it like this.

(Refer Slide Time: 06:43)

Now the fourth swarasthana – this is “Ri 1Ri 2 and Ri 3” or this also “Ga 2” and fifth
swarasthana will be “Ga 3”. So essentially the third swarasthana could be either “Ri 2 or Ga
1” fourth swarasthana could be either “Ri 3 or Ga 2” fifth swarasthana has to be “Ga 3”. So
also with “Dha and Ni. The tenth swarasthana is “Dha 2 or Ni 1” the eleventh swarasthana is
“Dha 3 or Ni 2” and twelfth swarasthana is Ni 3. And he gave technical terms for all these
which you can see in the slide.

(Refer Slide Time: 07:53)

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The first variety of every note is called shuddha. Shuddha ri, shuddha ga, shuddha ma
shuddha dha, and shuddha ni. The second variety of “ri and dha” are called chatushruti
rishabha and chatushruti dhaivata. The third variety of “ri and da” are called shatshruti
rishabha and shatshruti dhaivatha; gandhara we have shuddha gandhara, Sadharana gandhara
and antara gandhara; nishada we have suddha nishada, kaishiki nishada and kakali nishada.
Now this is the terminology that even used today.

(Refer Slide Time: 09:02)

146
So with this it is possible to have a combination of one two three - ‘Sa Ri 1’. This is first
swarasthan second swarasthana third swarasthana can be ‘Ri 2 Ga 1’ the fourth swarasthana
is Ri 3 or ‘Ga 2’ fifth swarasthans is Ga 3 and sixth swarasthana is ‘Ma 1’ and seventh is Ma
2’ eighth is written as ‘Pa’ the ninth is ‘Dha 1’ tenth could be Dha 2 or Ni 1’ eleventh could
be Dha 3 or Ni 2 and twelfth is Ni 3.

These are all the swarasthanas that we have scales of Sampoorna scale “Sa re ga ma Pa da
ne”. So where earlier we could have (Singing Starts: 10:31) (Singing Ends: 10:45). Now what
we can have (Singing Starts: 10:47) (Singing Ends: 10:52) because this the third swarasthana
(Singing Starts: 10:55) (Singing Ends: 11:08).
But this becomes a Ga only when this is also there (Singing Starts: 11:15) (Singing Ends:
11:22). If this third swarasthana were not seen as a variety of Ga then you can only say
(Singing Starts: 11:31) (Singing Ends: 11:34).

Which then did not give us a Sampoorna scale - ga is not there. What he did was (Singing
Starts: 11:40) (Singing Ends: 11:45) this in fact is the first possible scale on this scheme. In
this method this is the first possible mela (Singing Starts: 12:06) (Singing Ends: 12:15) which
would not be possible except for this way of this kind of nomenclature. He tweaked with the
nomenclature essentially so that this kind of scales are also possible.

(Refer Slide Time: 12:39)

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Now on this let us see how many are how many possible melas are there. That is this ‘Ri 1’
and ‘G 1 and we Say we have ‘Ma 1’ how many possible combination of ‘Dha and Ni are
there? That is ‘Dha 1 and ni 1 of course. ‘Dha 1’ and this Ni 1 and next is ‘Dha 1’ and Ni 2
the third is Dha 1 and Ni 3; the fourth is Dha 2 Ni 2; Dha 2 Ni 1 is not possible. Because
they are the same swarasthana actually Dha 2 Ni 2 is the next one. Then Dha 2 Ni 3 and
finally we have Dha 3 and Ni 3. Dha 3 cannot combine with Ni 1 or Ni 2. Because Ni 1 is
lower than Dha 3 and Ni 2 is actually the same swarasthana as Dha 3.

So with just have one set of ‘ri and ga’’ Ri 1 and G 1. We have one two three four five six six
combination of ‘Dha and Ni’ possible. So with ‘Ri 1 and G 1 six combinations of Dha and Ni
are possible and we have six possible combinations of Ri and Ga also - six possible
combination of ‘ri and ga’ also. So you have six into six thirty-six combinations will be
possible with just ‘one Ma’ and another thirty-six possible with the other Ma - the augmented
‘Ma’ the prati madhyama as it is called and then you have a number seventy-two.

This is the seventy-two melakarta scheme as propounded by Venkatamakhin in his

Chathurdandi Prakashika. An immensely influential work and this idea has firmly entrenched
in the minds of all Carnatic musicians - for the good and the bad.

148
 Appreciating Carnatic Music
Prof. Lakshmi Sreeram
Indian Institute of Technology Madras

Lecture – 26
Application of 72 mela
After Venkatamakhin and his Chaturdandi Prakasika the melakartha system was handled was
taken forward by the later musicologists. And the seventy-two melakartha system or the chart
of the 72 melakartha that is used in today’s Carnatic music is this.
(Refer Slide Time 00:43)

On this you can see they are grouped - the seventy-two melakartas are grouped in sixes. And
we have twelve groups - each group having six melakarthas

(Refer Slide Time: 01:35)

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If you remember that is how the melakarthas were actually generated. Every combination of
Ri and Ga can be combined with six combinations of Dha and Ni. It will become clear if you
look at this slide. If you take the first chakra which is ....each group of six melakartha is
called a chakra. And these chakras also have names and the first chakra for instance is called
Indu chakra.

Indu means the moon we have only one moon and so it is called Indu chakra. The second
chakra is called Netra Netra means eye we have two eyes. The third is called agni there are
three fires in Hindu ritualism there are three fires and so it is called agni. The fourth chakra is
called veda there are four vedas and so on the fifth and sixth is called rithu there are six rithus
six seasons and it goes on seventh as rishi there are saptarishis.

This is Indu chakra the first group of six melakarthas one two three four five six. So the first
combination of Ri and Ga, Ri 1 Ga 1 - that is maintained throughout this chakra. And it is
Ma1... the first combination of Dha and Ni is this; the second combination is this; the third is
this Dha1 Ni3, Dha2 Ni2, Dha2 Ni3, Dha3 Ni3. We saw all this some time ago.

Ma1 in fact will remain constant for the first thirty-six melakarthas that is also we saw ...that
is also something we saw. Ma1 will remain constant for the first thirty-six melakarthas. And
in fact thirty seventh onwards the melakarthas will take the same swaras as in the first thirty-
six except that M1will become M2. So that is actually the schema with which the seventy

150
melakartas are generated. Now let me try to sing this for you bear with me I am laboring with
a slight congestion.

(Singing Starts: 04:34) (Singing Ends: 04:37) This will remain constant for all the six
melakarthas in fact (Singing Starts: 04:46) (Singing Ends: 04:51) all these five are going to
be constant for all these six these six melakarthas. (Singing Starts: 04:59) (Singing Ends:
05:06) This is the first melakartha; remember melakartha is just a scale a combination of
swaras seven swaras. So I do not have to sing (Singing Starts: 05:16) (Singing Ends: 05:27)

As I mentioned the melakarthas are these Sa Ri Ga Ma Pa Dha NI - just this is the

melakartha. Just this is the combination of seven swaras. But all of these have been worked
into ragas and we have compositions in these seventy-two melakarthas. We even have I mean
a ragamalika so if we have to sing the Kanakangi raga (Singing Starts: 06:02) (Singing Ends:
06:16). This is Kanakangi the first melakartha and all these swaras are shuddha swaras.

So if we have to say which is the shuddha swara scale scale of all shuddha swaras in
contemporary Carnatic music it is this. (Singing Starts: 06:35) (Singing Ends: 06:37)

In the history of music this has not always being the shuddha scale that is not something we
are going to. And in fact even in contemporary Hindustani music the shuddha scale is
actually what is called the major scale or what in the Carnatic music is called the
Shankarabaranam scale. So in at any event this Kanakangi is the shuddha scale in
contemporary Carnatic music.

Now let us go to Rathnangi so (Singing Starts: 07:20) (Singing Ends: 07:39) that is Ratnangi
the Ni is Ni2 what is called Kaishaki Nishada. Ganamurthi is (Singing Starts: 07:52) (Singing
Ends: 07:58) that is Kakali Nishada ne three. When we are going to Vanaspati the dha also
changes to this is shuddha dha first three melakarthas take the shuddha dha fourth and fifth
takes the chatusruti deivatha in the nishada also there is.

(Singing Starts: 08:18) (Singing Ends: 08:25) this is vanas Vanaspati. (Singing Starts: 08:31)
(Singing Ends: 08:38) this is fifth melakartha. Tanarupi is (Singing Starts: 08:41) (Singing
Ends: 08:50) this dha 3.

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So this is how we have the seventy-two melakarthas grouped in sixes. They are arranged in
groups of six and each group is called a chakra. Now how does this melakartha system work?
As you would remember we are here talking of classifying ragas melakartha system was
advanced to classify ragas. So let us take a melakartha which is the twenty-second melakartha
Kharaharapriya. Kharaharapriya has the largest number of ragas grouped under it. So each of
these melakarthas will have other ragas grouped under them. The other ragas which take the
same swaras.

(Refer Slide Time: 10:10)

That is the twenty second melakarta actually we have heard Kharaharapriya earlier last week
and the notes of this are (Singing Starts: 10:24) (Singing Ends: 10:41). This is the kharahara
priya melakartha and of course sampoorna raga which is itself kharahara priya that would be
grouped under that (Singing Starts: 10:53) (Singing Ends: 11:15). This itself would be
classifying in this melakartha the Kharaharapriya itself is... in fact this is called the
melakartha raga Kharaharapriya is called the melakartha raga.

And then we have many ragas for instance Sriranjani is one. Now Sriranjani takes these
swaras (Singing Starts: 11:46) (Singing Ends: 11:58) this is - it skips the panchama and so
this is classified under Kharaharapriya. So we would say Sriranjani is a janya raga of
kharahara priya. Janya actually means born of as we saw earlier. Then we have a raga called
Abhogi (Singing Starts: 12:26) (Singing Ends: 12:32) it does not have Pa it does not have Ni

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(Singing Starts: 12:36) (Singing Ends: 12:44). So Sriranjani is a shadava raga - six swaras.
This is audava raga five swaras Abhogi is also a janya raga of Kharaharapriya.

And then we have a raga called Jayamanohari which goes like this (Singing Starts: 13:14)
(Singing Ends: 13:20). So aroha has five swaras but avaroha has six (Singing Starts: 13:26)
(Singing Ends: 13:37) this is also a janya of Kharaharapriya.

We have many other janya ragas of Kharaharapriya. Sriragam, Madhyamavati and so on Kapi
and many ragas Huseni. So that is how the melakartha system works and it achieves some
kind of order some way of grouping the ragas. That are actually there in Carnatic music it just
groups some together brings them together.

To what purpose - that is a different question. The idea is that you are able to group ragas
together under a certain classification system. In this case they are all grouped under the same
scale from which they take swaras. So all this works if the raga takes swaras from just one
scale and not from two scales.

That also can happen and that also does happen if you look at Sriranjani or Abhogi or
Jayamanohari. Now they take swaras only from this that there is no other swara other than
these occur in these ragas. So they can be easily classified under Kharaharapriya mela. Hence
such ragas are called upanga ragas - that is they are completely subsumed under this
melakartha.
(Refer Slide Time: 15:36)

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But we have ragas which take swaras from two scales the classic example a very well-known
example is Bhairavi. Bhairavi goes like this (Singing Starts: 16:05) (Singing Ends: 16:14).
This is actually just these swaras kharahara priya swaras the same swarasthanas Ri2, Ga2,
Ma1, Dha2, Ni2. But in the avarohana (Singing Starts: 16:32) (Singing Ends: 13:35) it takes
the takes Dha 1 so we have Bhairavi which is a very major raga in Carnatic music (Singing
Starts: 16:50) (Singing Ends: 16:55).

(Refer Slide Time: 18:51)

So in terms of the swarasthanas you can see they are the same Ri2, Ga2, Ma1, Dha2, Ni2 but
the avaroha descent is like this (Singing Starts: 17:09) (Singing Ends: 17:23). So the dha in

154
avaroha is different and it had belonged to a melakartha called Natabhairavi (Singing Starts:
17:37) (Singing Ends: 18:27). So this two dhaivata two dha occuring is something that is very
important in Bhairavi. And that Bhairavi as such cannot be categorised under either
Kharaharapriya or Natabhairavi.

Ragas like Bhairavi which take from two different scales they are called Bhashanga ragas and
ragas that can completely be subsumed under any one melakartha are called Upanga ragas.

So in description of the ragas of a new expressions of upanga, bhashanga and janya and all
these are in the context of classifying ragas under melakarthas.

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 Appreciating Carnatic Music
Prof. Lakshmi Sreeram
Indian Institute of Technology Madras

Lecture - 27
Katapayadi – Naming the 72 melas

(Refer Slide Time: 00:20)

Now it is important to bear in mind that melakartha or mela it is only a scale not a raga. It is
just a combination of notes - it is certain combination of all the swaras - that is what the mela
is.
(Refer Slide Time: 00:26)

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The name of the most prominent raga that can be classified under it - so that is the name that
is given it to the melakartha and as long as the attempt was only to take care of the existing
ragas not just worry about the number of permutations possible. So long as musicologists
addressed only the ragas that were prevalent, the issue of naming these melakartas was fairly
simple. They just followed this they just gave it the name of the most prominent raga that
could be classified under that mela.

Now when the idea of trying to propound the number of melakartas possible even when there
was no raga classified under it - there was no raga that was actually prevalent which could be
classified under some of these melakarthas - then the issue of naming these melakartas had to
be addressed. In fact Venkatamakhin himself did not name all the seventy-two melakartas he
only named nineteen of them.
(Refer Slide Time: 02:10)

These are names that he gave and later on other musicologists came and they completed the
picture by giving names to all the melakartas. And in fact Govinda Dikshitar in his work he
applied the Katapayadi system.
(Refer Slide Time: 02:56)

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The katapayadi system of naming the melakarthas. This is actually an ancient system of
mapping names to numbers. But because of this scheme if we have the name of the
melakartha any melakartha - for instance, let us say Keeravani, we can figure out the number
of the melakarta.

(Refer Slide Time: 03:56)

So let me explain this: katapayadi - it refer to groups of alphabets in Devanagiri Sanskrit.

KA TA PA YA these refer to four group of alphabets this is one way of grouping the
alphabets precisely for the purpose of this is mapping names to numbers.

158
(Refer Slide Time: 04:22)

Now those of you were familiar with Devanagiri would have no difficulty. These are
Devanagiri alphabets for you - ka kha ga gha na let me just write it as. And this is the sound
that we find in words like kankana or ghungroo the nasal that is before any of these alphabets
has the sound. These are the first five alphabets and the next five are cha chha ja jha na again
this is nasal which is unpronounceable. But this is the sound you hear in chanchala or jhaanjh
and so on - the nasal that precedes any of these letters is this. Then you have Ta Tha Da Dha
Na this one this two Na like for instances thanda in hindi na or kantha in Sanskrit. There is
Na here. Then you have ta tha this is ta this is Tha Tha da dha na - as you can see it is
difficult to write in English.
These are the various sounds that Sanskrit alphabet recognizes this is ta, tha, da dha, na - this
is the regular na the sound of n. Then you have pa pha ba bha ma again ma is straightforward
ma. Then you have ya ra la va and three varieties of sh - Sa sha and then you have sa and ha.

Now ka varga is Ka Kha Ga Gha Na. Cha varga is Cha Chha Ja Jha Na and so on. But for
this katapayadi scheme we group these two together and these two together and this is
separate group and this is a separate group and so this group starts with ka this is the ka
group.

159
This group starts with Ta so Ka Ta these two form a group and they are given numbers one
two three four five six seven eight nine and tenth is the zero. Please remember we are trying
to map names to numbers and again Ta will starts with one two three four five six seven eight
nine again zero

And pa will have one two three four five so we have taken ka ta pa from these group. From
these three group is taken care of. Now Ya one two three four five six seven eight these are
how the alphabets are numbered for purpose of this the scheme Katapayadi.

Now let us take the name of any melakartha that is say we just saw Keeravani for mapping of
this name to a number. Only the first two syllables are relevant. So in this case it does not
matter Ki or Ka or Ku whatever the matter it just the sound - the basic consonant that is
relevant.
Here it is Ka and Ra and let us look at the numbers for Ka. Ka is one and Ra is two. Once we
have these two numbers we have to reverse the digits. So we have twelve you actually have
twenty-one would be the number of Keeravani you look at the number of the melakartha
scheme - twenty first melakartha will be Keeravani.

(Refer Slide Time: 10:35)

160
Now let us look at see how it works out for some other melakarthas. Let me take the eleventh
chakra the melakartha Kanthamani that is sixty-one. Sixty first melakartha is kKanthamani so
the syllables are ka and ta. Now, ka is one again and ta is six again so it becomes sixty-one.

(Refer Slide Time: 10:55)

Now this system Katapayadi system has actually been used in other disciplines such as
astrology. And it is a very convenient way of remembering - it is a mnemonic device is more
than anything and it has an interest in its own right.

(Refer Slide Time: 12:05)

161
Now the interesting aspects of this is that - the melakartha scheme - is that suppose we look at
the twenty-ninth. That is actually Shankarabharanam scale. Now it is sha and ka. sha is six
and ka is one. You absolutely do not get twenty-nine - you cannot get twenty-nine.

So for the purpose of this Katapayadi scheme, twenty-ninth scale though it is

Sankarabharanam scale, is called Dheera Sankarabharanam. So you have a prefix so that the
katapayadi scheme is taken care of.

Let us look at how this works Dha and Ra. Dha is Ta Tha Da Dha nine and Ra is two ninety-
two and you reverse it will become twenty-nine. There are few other ragas melakartas which
have taken on the kind of prefix in order to accommodate the Katapayadi scheme.
(Refer Slide Time: 13:46)

162
Notably- Mecha Kalyani Kalyani is the sixty-fifth melakartha. Sixty-fifth melakartha in other
words sixty-fifth melakartha is actually the swaras of Kalyani is a major raga.

So the melakartha could be given that name but if you say Kalyani Ka is one Ya is one so you
cannot get sixty-five. So sixty-fifth melakartha is called Mecha kalyani look at what is Ma
Ma is five and Cha is six fifty-six if you reverse it will become sixty-five.

Now the question is why we have to reverse the digits? Where is the need to reverse the
digit? What is the point of that the answer is very simple otherwise we cannot accommodate
both dual digit and single digit numbers.

(Refer Slide Time: 14:47)

163
So if you have a raga like melakartha like say Ganamurti. This is the third melakartha Ga is
three and Na is zero. This Na zero and if you reverse it it will become zero three unless you
have this step of reversing the digits you cannot accommodate both dual digit and single digit
numbers of the melakartha. So that is the Katapayadi scheme.

164
 Appreciating Carnatic Music
Prof. Lakshmi Sreeram
Indian Institute of Technology Madras

Lecture - 28
Vivadi –I

(Refer Slide Time: 00:21)

(Refer Slide Time: 00:38)

The interesting thing about the seventy-two melakartha system there are many interesting
things about this. But one of them is that this for instance this combination (Singing Starts:
00:43) (Singing Ends: 00:49) this would not have been possible except for this... for this
schema. It is not say that we did not have ragas which had such swaras.

165
There were ragas like Nattai as one even today (Singing Starts: 01:07) (Singing Ends: 01:10)
this is actually (Singing Starts: 01:12) (Singing Ends: 01:17). These are the swaras of Nattai
though traditionally more musicians of earlier generation never say (Singing Starts: 01:28)
(Singing Ends: 01:31). This is what we called avoiding the vivadi dosha because there is a
discordance when we say (Singing Starts: 01:39) (Singing Ends: 01:49). Using notes which
are very close (Singing Starts: 01:54) (Singing Ends: 02:02). These are very close closely
place together. As I mentioned in one of my earlier sessions this is not pleasant this is
discordant this is dissonant and musicians of earlier generations were very careful to avoid
vivadi dosha.

(Refer Slide Time: 02:17)

Now what is vivadi? We saw Venkatamakhin came up with a schema of seventy-two

melakartha this he did by actually giving creating sixteen names for the twelve swarasthanas.
Though there are twelve swarasthanas four of these swarasthanas have dual names. They
would be either a variety of Ri or a variety of Ga or there would be variety of Dha or Ni.
That is how he did it. To look at the schema again this third swarasthana could be either
Chatusruti Rishabha or Shuddha Gandhara. Fourth swarasthana could be either Shatsruti
Rishabha or Sadharana Gandhara. Again the tenth swarasthana could be either Chatusruti
Dhaivatha or Shuddha Nishadha. The eleventh swarasthana could either be Shatsruthi
Dhaivatha or Kaishika Nishadha. So how do we decide? Suppose we have third swarasthana
in a raga how do we going to decide whether is Ri 2 or G 1?

166
The third swarasthana is (Singing Starts: 03:54) (Singing Ends: 03:56) this is the third
swarasthana (Singing Starts: 04:01) (Singing Ends: 04:04) how do we know; how can we
decide that.

(Refer Slide Time: 04:13)

There is a very clear rule for this it is only when the second swarasthan is also there that the
third swarasthana will be called Ga otherwise primarily the third swarasthana is Ri – Ri 2 this
is the primary name for second swarasthana... the third swarasthana.

But we also have Ri one in the raga. So when we have second swarasthana and the third
swarasthana in a certain raga then the second swarasthana will be Ri one and third
swarasthana will be G1 it cannot be Ri 2. You .. you would not have two Ri-s in the raga you
want raga with seven swaras. (Singing Starts: 05:01) (Singing Ends: 05:11) These are three
swarasthanas one two three. (Singing Starts: 05:14) (Singing Ends: 06:35) This is a
composition in a raga which uses the third and the second swarasthanas. And we say
(Singing Starts: 06:48) (Singing Ends: 08:32) in this raga which is called Ganamurthi you
have (Singing Starts: 08:40) (Singing Ends: 08:42) and (Singing Starts: 08:47) (Singing
Ends: 08:49) suppose this were not there - in a raga which has only the third swarasthana and
some others for instance (Singing Starts: 08:57) (Singing Ends: 09:00)

167
Now here (Singing Starts: 09:01) (Singing Ends: 09:03) these are the swarasthanas. We
would never say (Singing Starts: 09:06) (Singing Ends: 09:09) no (Singing Starts: 09:10)
(Singing Ends: 09:14)

Because only in ragas or melakarthas in which this swara this swarasthana occurs and this
swarasthana occurs, then we called this variety of G

(Refer Slide Time: 09:34)

To get a sense of vivadi ragas let us now listen to a rendition of a composition of Tyagaraja –
Atukara danibalkani. This is in a vivadi raga called Manoranjani. Manoranjini is a janya of
the fifth melakartha Manavati.
Now Manavati has a structure like this (Singing Starts: 10:05) (Singing Ends: 10:17)
Manoranjini is the janya of this raga of this mela. It does not take Ga in the aroha (Singing
Starts: 10:31) (Singing Ends: 11:01) So in this way this raga is structured. And then because
it takes same notes as Manavati except that aroha drops the Ga - therefore the Manoranjani is
a janya of Manavati.

Let us listen to rendition.

(Music Starts: 11:25) (Music Ends: 15:08)

168
 Appreciating Carnatic Music
Prof. Lakshmi Sreeram
Indian Institute of Technology Madras

Lecture 29
Vivadi –II

So now we were talking of vivadi raga and how the same swarasthana has two names.
(Refer Slide Time: 00:30)

And I also mentioned that is only in the context of a raga in which both these swarasthanas are
there that this will take on this name or in a raga which has both this ninth and tenth we will have
Ni 1. Otherwise by default the tenth swarasthana is Dha 2 that is what it is. when we have dha
one also then twelfth tenth swarasthana if it is used then it becomes Ni 1 and there is definitely a
unavoidable element of dissonance when we sing. (Singing Starts: 01:05) (Singing Ends :01:28)
And this is what is called the flaw of dissonance or the vivadi dosham. So what is vivadi?
(Refer Slide Time: 01:38)

169
Vivadi actually belongs to ancient cluster of concepts – a quartet actually – they are vadi,
samvadi, anuvadi and vivadi. This quartet is found in texts like Natya Shastra and in today’s
parlance also in Hindustani music this quartet is actually used by musicians and musicologists. It
is a part of pedagogy. How a raga is taught is in terms of trying to understand how... what the
vadi and samvadi are. In carnatic music. though the concept is there, the idea is there we do not
find people using the word vadi and samvadi. But vivadi is very much part of contemporary
Carnatic discourse. So the underlying idea for this and in this quartet vadi samvadi anuvadi and
vivadi is definitely the idea of consonance and dissonance. Now as I have mentioned before
some swaras and some notes in a in an octave will have the relationship of consonance.
(Singing Starts: 03:21) (Singing Ends: 03:28) This is the relationship of - they sound pleasant
together (Singing Starts: 03:31) (Singing Ends: 03:40). These are all relations between notes that
are pleasant or are consanants. Whereas (Singing Starts: 03:50) or (Singing Ends: 04:02) there is
dissonance in ...they are not pleasant. (Singing Starts: 04:08) (Singing Ends: 04:15). These are
dissonant. So if you have (Singing Starts:04:20) this is sa. (Singing Ends: 04:27). This swara has
relationship of consonance with Sa (Singing Starts:04:31) again consonants. (Singing Ends:
04:38). So Ri would be described as vivadi of Sa and this can be done with any swara at all. If
you take Ga for instance Ga Ni is usually is always consonants. There is a relationship between
consonants Ga and Ni or Ga and Dha. But not between (Singing Starts: 05:05) (Singing Ends:
05:09). This is relationship of discordance.

170
So when you ...the idea of... concept of vadi and samvadi anuvadi and vivadi are essentially
concerned with fundamental principles of melody. When you are creating a melodic piece of
music, you need to organize it in a coherent way. One way of going about it is to highlight one
swara one note as the most prominent and built the melody around it. That would gives us some
kind of coherence otherwise it is going to be everywhere all over place. One way of giving a
tight knit, coherent and melodic piece would be to emphasis one note to bring that into
prominence. And let the other swaras work towards it, work around it to create patterns on this
prominence swaras. And there would be definitely some swaras that are consonant with this
prominent note. This prominent note is what would be called vadi. And the other swaras, one or
two which are consonant with this note - those would be called samvadi.
Rest of the swaras would be in order of decreasing level of consonance with the prominent note.
So we have anuvadi swaras and the vivadi swara which is completely discordant with the
prominent note. That is the original idea of vadi samvadi anuvadi and vivadi. Though how they
are actually described in texts is in terms of sruthi intervals. So, vivadi swara is something that
has certain interval of two srutis from the basic swara. So you have (Singing Starts:07:24)
(Singing Ends: 07:31) This is something discordant because it is in the interval of two srutis.
(Refer Slide Time: 07:48)

171
The idea is that basically of consonance and dissonance. The Brihaddesi – we have a verse
which talks about this. (Refer Slide Time: 07:52 Explanation in Sanskrit ) That from which the
melody oo beauty of the raga arises is vadi that which helps establishes melody of the raga is the
samvadi and that which helps promote it is anuvadi and that which destroys it is the vivadi.
Now vivadi is basically apply to a swara. So when you have identified one swara as the vadi of
the raga, the most important swara of the raga, then there will be some swaras which are vivadi
which might which will destroy the raga that is that seems to be the idea here. And in fact in
contemporary Hindustani music we follow roughly the same idea. Vadi is like king of the raga
and samvadi is like prime minister and anuvadi are the rest of the ministers whereas vivadi is the
enemy. Vivadi is the swara which is not permitted in the raga. That is, in fact, the concept of
vivadi etc in the contemporary Hindustani music. But vivadi in contemporary Carnatic music
has taken life of it is own after the melakartha system came into place. Any raga which has this
swara - I am not talking about the swarasthana. Any raga which has this swara - that is the swara
shuddha gandhara and therefore you can have shuddha gandhara only if shuddha rishaba is also
there otherwise this is only the swarasthana 3 is there then it is Ri2.

Any raga which has the swarasthana I am sorry any raga which has this swara - G1 or Ri3 or Ni
1or Dha 3 any raga which has these swaras that is a vivadi raga. So in contemporary Carnatic
music vivadi is also applied to. Vivadi is in fact primarily applied to we only talk of vivadi ragas
or vivadi melas and what is the vivadi mela or vivadi raga? It is the raga or mela in which uses,
in which we have this swara please not I am saying the swarathana.
(Refer Slide Time: 11:26)

172
This swara - this G1 the gandhara - shudha gandhara will appear in a raga only when you also
have shudha rishaba. If you don’t have sudha rishaba then this swarasthana will always be Ri2.
But if you have both these swarasthanas then this will be Ri1 and this will become Ga1. Now
this is - any raga which has G1 or by the same argument Ri3. If a raga has this swarasthana, by
default it will be G2 that it will G2 that swarasthana will be called G2. Only then is it also has
this swarasthana then this will called Ri3 that is (Singing Starts: 12:23) (Singing Ends: 12:29)
now by default it is actually G2 or what is called sadharana gandhara. (Singing Starts: 12:36)
(Singing Ends: 12:39) But suppose the same raga has also this swarasthana (Singing Starts:
12:44) then this will be G3 and this will become ri3 (Singing Starts: 12:51) (Singing Ends:
12:56) we will say (Singing Starts: 12:57) (Singing Ends: 13:08) so this is
(Refer Slide Time: 13:10)

173
Any raga which has Ri3 - the same argument any raga which has Ni 1 or any raga which has Dha
3 those are called vivadi raga. Vivadi raga or that particular mela might be vivadi raga or vivadi
mela. And it has really opened up, this 72 melakarta scheme really opened up the possibilities of
melodic combinations, tonal combinations. What are the tones that we can use to make music
otherwise it is not really very natural to think of a combination like this.

(Singing Starts: 14:13) (Singing Ends: 14:33) Because of the seventy two melakarta all these
newer possibilities have been thrown open for whatever it is worth. It does make some
interesting melodies. We do have some interesting ragas because of this system. In fact these
number of such vivadi melas is 40. Forty vivadi males are there and 32 regular, normal melas
are there.
(Refer Slide Time: 15:05)

174
Let us now listen to a composition in a vivadi raga, a melakartha raga Gangeyabhusani. This is a
composition of Tyagaraja it has been rendered by Ramakrishnan Murthy a young and highly
accomplished, very sensitive musician. He is accompanied by RK Shri Ramkumar a senior
vidvan on the violin Arun Prakash very sensitive accompanist on mrdangam and B. Anniruddha
on the ganjira.

This composition say “Evevari Ramaiya” Thyagaraja asks: Who, Rama, is equal to you? Who
can possibly match you and the mood of the raga poignantly captures this sentiment
Gangeyabhusani is 33rd melakartha raga and it takes Ri3 - the satshruthi rishabha that is why it
is a vivadi raga. (Singing Starts: 16:40) (Singing Ends: 17:12)
(Music Starts: 17:13) (Music Ends: 31:48)

175
 Appreciating Carnatic Music
Prof. Lakshmi Sreeram
Indian Institute of Technology Madras

Lecture - 30
Raga – Circles and Triangles

(Refer Slide Time: 00:31)

“Ragas are soliloquies and meditations, passionate melodies that draw circles and triangles in a
mental space, a geometry of sounds that can turn a room into a fountain a spring a pool” Octavio
Paz. Raga, by any standards, is a very important musical idea. In the past few sessions, in the
past few weeks we have engaged with it and seen what and how we can understand raga in terms
of swaras, gamakas and phrases.

And we will continue to engage with ragas through the rest of the course. Because raga is what
Carnatic music is all about. We will see how there is so much scope for creativity and for
journeying into unexplored musical vistas.
Let us listen to Prof V.V. Subramanyam in this masterly exposition as he takes a few major
carnatic ragas - he explores their nature their form. He talks about their Janya ragas, he talks
about the gamakas, the pidi.

176
Let us listen to him we will now take another important major raga Shankarabharanam and we
will examine this raga and its allied ragas.

Shankarabharanam raga is the major scale it has a major scale swaras. can you sing the plain
notes of Shankarabharanam. (Singing Starts: 02:34) (Singing Ends: 02:56). Again I will tell you
this is not the raga yes these are the notes. As I earlier told you about the Mayamalgowla
changing the raga bhava we have (Singing Starts:03:11) (Singing Ends: 03:18) this Ri has
(Singing Starts:03:20) (Singing Ends: 03:55). The very the specialty of this Ni - it is in sa itself.
But we call it chyuta sadjha (Singing Starts: 04:07) (Singing Ends: 04:12) that is all. that Ni
duration is very less one two three four. (Singing Starts: 04:17) (Singing Ends: 04:21) when the
duration is less the Ni is not elongated (Singing Starts:04:28) (Singing Ends: 04:31) no so
duration (Singing Starts:04:34) (Singing Ends: 04:39) da comes from sa. (Singing Starts: 04:41)
(Singing Ends: 04:56)

This is the raga bhava of Shankarabharanam. If you take Shankarabharanam’s special specific
pidis specific phrases. (Singing Starts: 05:12) (Singing Ends: 05:26). The Ma is near the Ga
(Singing Starts:05:28) (Singing Ends: 05:43) Ma is near the Ga. (Singing) Ma is with the help
of Ga.(Singing Starts:05:46) (Singing Ends: 05:52) when you go beyond the Panchamam the Ma
differs. (Singing Starts: 05:58) (Singing Ends: 06:17)

So Ga... Ma the Ma’s character is different when you go beyond the Panchama (Singing
Starts:06:24) (Singing Ends: 06:42) here it comes (Singing Starts:06:43) (Singing Ends: 06:50)
Ri comes that is right. these is the main. If you take this specific phrase as you said the pidi
which gives the raga’s immediate effect. (Singing Starts: 07:12) (Singing Ends: 07:27) So you
never miss Shankarabharanam immediately the Shankarabharanam is shown outside. (Singing
Starts: 07:33) (Singing Ends: 07:38) Can you sing little bit Shankarabharanam. (Singing
Starts:07: 40) (Singing Ends: 08:03)

This is the main pidi even the raga starts. (Singing Starts: 08:05) (Singing Ends: 08:20). These
are the main pidis.

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Now Shankarabharanam has so many you call janya ragas. That is it has many children - that is
all we can say. When you get that one old raga, a very ancient raga that is called Kedaram. It has
no Dhaivatam (Singing Starts:09:09) (Singing Ends: 09:19) Very small raga, very few pidis.
(Singing Starts: 09:25) (Singing Ends: 09:37) Very famous this bhajan the devotees sing all
together (Singing Starts:09:44) (Singing Ends: 10:01). That is the song of Purandara Dasa. The
Purandara Dasa was a great saint he only gave you this practical lessons of Mayamalavagowla
the practical lessons.

This raga (Singing Starts: 10:18) (Singing Ends: 10:35). That is a very famous song of Tyagaraja
this Kedara ha usually sung in the beginning of the concerts it gives some kind of of lilting
rhythmic effect also with the sounds. Now with this Kedara if you listen (Singing Starts:11:03)
(Singing Ends: 11:11) that is the phrase in the Kedara (Singing Starts:11:12) (Singing Ends:
11:25) These becomes Neelambari. (Singing Starts: 11:27) (Singing Ends: 11:31). I will tell you
the Kedara swaras (Singing Starts:11:31) (Singing Ends: 11:45) that is Kedara.

Now with the same swaras, the approach is different. (Singing Starts: 11:52) (Singing Ends:
12:23) This is lullaby - usually all the lullabies are sung in the raga Neelambari. So that is the
next allied ragas of Shankarabharanam next to Kedaram. We have another ancient raga called
Yadukula Kambhoji. Here you have a different Nishadam also (Singing Starts:13:01) (Singing
Ends: 13:15) this Ma is widened one. (Singing Starts: 13:16) (Singing Ends: 13:33).

They used to sing this ragas not as a major one. But it gives more the feeling of devotion
devotion to god and all other. (Singing Starts: 13:49) (Singing Ends: 14:15) The Ni is different
with Shankarabharanam that it is not the same. This is as I told you Chakravaakam is that
Nishadam. (Singing Starts: 14:30) (Singing Ends: 14:55) It is called Yadukula Kambhoji. We
have allied ragas of Shankarabharanam here and there is another main raga equal to
Shankarabharanam. It is Kambhoji.

It is the same notes as Yadukula Kambhoji but the order is (Singing Starts:15:26) (Singing Ends:
15:34) that is the order. (Singing Starts: 15:38) (Singing Ends: 15:44). So far nobody has tried
(Singing Starts:15:47) (Singing Ends: 15:51) nobody has tried to start with Sa Ri Ga Ma Pa dha

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sa. In this raga so again I tell you the pidi the phrase the specific phrase which shows you the
colour of the raga the image of the raga immediately. (Singing Starts: 16:14) (Singing Ends:
16:28). It is not that (Singing Starts: 16:29) (Singing Ends: 16:31) the Ni is with the help of Dha
(Singing Starts: 16:34) this (Singing Ends:16:54) this Ma is with Ga.

Whereas in Shankarabharanam Ga is with Ma (Singing Starts:17:01) (Singing Ends: 17:23) more

graces in this raga and very expanded one Kambhoji. This many Kritis are there many songs
have been composed by great masters in Kambhoji. This Kambhoji with the small changes
(Singing Starts:17:55) (Singing Ends: 18:08) same notes (Singing Starts:18:12) (Singing Ends:
18:15) a twisted ... (vakra swaroopam) yah. (Singing Starts: 18:19) (Singing Ends: 18:27).

It is not the Sa Ni Dha Pa Ma Ga Ri Sa (Singing Starts:18:28) (Singing Ends: 18:42) These are
the original it is called Kamas. This Kamas was sung by the saint Tyagaraja. (Singing Starts:
18:58) (Singing Ends: 19:13). When this raga was popularized most of the dance masters dancers
they have included the Kamas raga into the their repertoire. So what happened they had (Singing
Starts:19:38) a flickered note instead of (Singing Ends:19:56) instead of singing that they had to
do that flicker with another.

This thing where Sa became again another note of Ni (Singing Starts:20:08)(Singing Ends:
20:10) it became like that. But the classical masters they accepted it because this Ni gives more
pleasure. (Singing Starts: 20:24) (Singing Ends: 20:39). So they have included this another Ni
also in that but normally it is only one Nishadam that is lesser Nishadam. Here were have talked
about ha Kambhoji Yadukula Kambhoji and Kamas.

(Singing Starts: 21:06) (Singing Ends: 21:13). You will say it is Kamas is in it. (Singing Starts:
21:19) (Singing Ends: 21:31) This raga Naata Kurunji a beautiful raga (Singing Starts:21:42)
(Singing Ends: 22:04) here what they do (Singing Starts:22:06) (Singing Ends: 22:09) two
harmonies (Singing Starts:22:19) (Singing Ends: 22:38) third fourth and fifth (Singing
Starts:22:42) (Singing Ends: 22:49) another (Singing Starts:22:48) (Singing Ends: 22:53) fourth
note. (Singing Starts: 22:55) (Singing Ends: 23:03) Naata Kurunji a beautiful a raga that is also
ancient.

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Now we go furthermore we have talked about all this Ri and Ga. Now go to Ma that is the fourth
note. It is augmented Sa in if you say Shankarabharanam (Singing Starts:22:30) that is the note.
(Singing Ends: 23:46). This Kalyani (Singing Starts:23:49) (Singing Ends: 24:01) the specialty
in this raga is (Singing Starts:24:06) (Singing Ends: 24:21) you cannot sing (Singing
Starts:24:24) (Singing Ends: 24:26) plain will not be there.

(Singing Starts: 24:30) (Singing Ends: 24:46) There is gap between Ni and Sa (Singing Starts:
24:54) (Singing Ends: 25:00). It goes like it does not go to Sa like Shankarabharanam (Singing
Starts:25:06) (Singing Ends: 25:24) Ni is plain (Singing Starts:25:28) (Singing Ends: 25:32) they
improvise the raga mostly with the help of Ni. (Singing Starts: 25:41) (Singing Ends: 25:52)
More majestic raga that is why it is Kalyani. And they used to tell you the king who has won in
the war is called Kalyani Purusha. And they use the horse which it is also named panchakalyani
the war horse. The Kalyani is very auspicious - they call it auspicious and also majestic raga.

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 Appreciating Carnatic Music
Prof. Lakshmi Sreeram
Indian Institute of Technology Madras

Lecture – 31
Laya - Temporal Discipline in Music

(Music Starts: 0:20) (Music Ends: 3:27)

“Sruthi Matha Laya Pitha” Sruthi is the mother Laya is the father of music. This is a popular
saying which we often hear in carnatic music circles teachers telling their students parents
telling their children critics telling musicians. The exact origin of the saying is not known.
The exact source of the saying is not known. But it is very popularly heard in carnatic music.

Now what does it mean? Sruthi is the mother here and sruthi here means singing in tune
singing with pitch fidelity. Fidelity to the pitch that is (Singing Starts: 04:36) (Singing Ends:
04:45) to sing in the right pitch. (Singing Starts: 04:48) (Singing Ends: 04:57)

The Tamil expression they say “Sruthi sernthu Padrathu” to merge with the sruthi to merge
with the basic adhara sruthi. With the tambura to merge with the tambura and sing. To get
the pitches right. (Singing Starts: 05:11) (Singing Ends: 05:13) It is not a little higher or
lower - it is easy to go little higher or lower it is very easy to go little higher or lower. It
requires a lot of concentration and practice to get the pitch right each time. Pitch perfection is
an ideal and in any performance it is very rare that every pitch you get it absolutely right. so
but the attempt should be there. That you try to sing with pitch perfection - that is meaning of
sruthi “Sruthi Matha. Laya Pitha” here laya means laya in general means tempo. it is the
temporal discipline.

Music is... we have melody on the one hand but music as an art form it unfolds in time and so
there is also need of a temporal discipline, ordering it in time giving it an order an
organisation in time. And that is what laya here means. That on the one hand you need
discipline of melody - melodic discipline on the other hand you need temporal discipline.
When these two come together music is born - that is what this saying means.
Now the point of talking about the saying is to introduce you to the concept of laya and
eventually, very shortly, tAla. We have in the past couple of weeks or so we have spoken
about rAga as the melodic principle underlying Carnatic music. Now we have to explore tAla
which is the temporal discipline underlying Carnatic music.

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(Refer Slide Time: 7:35)

and laya is a more fundamental concept than tala. Now we will spend a few moments trying
to understand what laya is. Laya as I said is translated as tempo the cadences the way the
speed with which the things happen that is laya. And laya is a part if many aspects of human
experience human activities. Many human activities are informed by the principle of laya.
Speaking for instance or walking or running and singing of course, dance anything many
activities that unfolding time. The principle of laya underlies these activities. So there is a
speed with which I am speaking right now there is a tempo to my talk there is a tempo in my
speech. When I am speaking in a course like this in this lecture there is a certain speed.
(Refer Slide Time: 9:02)

When I am talking to my child there will be a different tempo. When I am angry there would
be different tempo. When I am sad my talk will have a different tempo. Walking also there

182
are different tempos. And this tempo itself laya itself has a very strong communicative power.
If somebody wants to suddenly rattle off a few sentences it could mean that speed the tempo
itself will have a communicative content to it.
(Refer Slide Time: 9:33)

A change in tempo also will carry some communicative weight. A person is walking and
suddenly if she quickens her pace if she quickens her pace and that has to mean something.
Just the tempo itself has a strong communicative power. In music, as much as melody is of
course all important, laya is equally important. The aspect of tempo temporal organisation is
as much important as the actual melodic aspect.
In most performing arts in all performing arts laya is a very subtle. It is a very critical feature
very critical aspect of that performing art. And laya carriers within a capacity to make an
impact or not make it. A lapse in laya would not create the kind of impact that one would
aspire for. In comedy for instance the elusive timing that we speak of all that is about laya.
How you maintain the tempo? How you organise the elements of your performance in time?
So in music as I said this is laya a tempo the speed with which the music is organizes the
internal speed that is very critical and it is not necessary that there should be beats or there
should be a certain rhythm. It is not necessary for laya laya is there in music even when there
is no song. When there are no beats even in something like alapana which is free flowing
there is nothing binding it in terms of temporal dimension even there, there is a laya.

For instance (Singing Starts: 12:26) (Singing Ends: 12:36) there is a laya there is certain
tempo with which the music is being created. (Singing Starts: 12:43) (Singing Ends: 13:23)
Now without beats without anything to actually give stresses, this alapana has an internal laya

183
there is a certain tempo to this alapana and you will definitely know there is something wrong
if the laya is not observed. It is an extremely subtle thing; perhaps most subtle aspect of
music is laya.

184
 Appreciating Carnatic Music
Prof. Lakshmi Sreeram
Indian Institute of Technology Madras

Lecture – 32
TAla – An introduction to the concept

Now we are talking of temporal dimension temporal discipline organizing music in time. Now
time is perhaps the most mysterious aspect of our experience. But we experience time only as the
gaps between different events because there are many events happening there are gaps between
these events you experience time. That is how time is experienced which is why perhaps
sometimes when nothing is happening you feel the time to drag drag on and on and on. Or when
too many things are happening an actually long period might you may experience it as a very
short period. So the experience of time happens as gaps between events.
Now that is laya for instance the laya of my speech my talking to you is the gaps that are there
between each word that I utter. Sometimes there are longer gaps sometimes there are very shorter
gaps. But overall there is a certain an overarching laya speed that informs the performance. In
music these events between which you can experience time are the accents the stresses. Now in
music like rock performance or film music these stresses are very apparent. They can be very
easily heard; but in classical music the stresses are not that apparent.
Let us listen to this piece and you will be able to see what I am talking about. Classical music
even western classical music or even Indian classical music the music is created such that the
beats are not always heightened. Let us listen to Sanjay Subramaniam singing a composition of
Shyama Sastri “Mayama yani ne pilichidhe matladarada”. Please try to see what you feel about
the stresses of the song whether you can see the beats of the composition.
(Music Starts: 3:31) (Music Ends: 11:49)

“Mayama ane ni pilichidhe matladaradha” these are the words of the composition. So see how
long it takes me to utter it “Mayama ane ni pilichidhe matladaradha”. But how is it organized in
the composition? How are these words organized? How are they spread out in time? It was
something like this: (Singing Starts: 12:21) (Singing Ends: 13:56). So “Maayama ane ni ne
pilichidhe” this is how the words are distributed or spread out in time.

185
So this is where the concept of TAla comes in; how are the songs compositions of Carnatic
music - how are they bound? How are they tied in time? What is the kind of temporal order that
they are given - compositions of Carnatic music?

This is where the TAla comes in; tAla is the principle of ordering composition ordering the
music itself in time. And TAla is essentially a certain time frame a time unit that is recurrent and
the composition is spread over this recurrent TAla cycle.

So this time frame that I spoke about over which over recurrent such frames there is a time
frame; there is a time unit of time and that recurs and the composition is spread over it and this
time frame that one cycle that one unit is cycle of the TAla.
In this case what I sang just now “Mayama ane ni pilichidhe”; this is an Adhi TAla called Adhi
TAla. And the time frame here the time unit is of eight beats. Now eight beats is not like one two
three four five six seven eight not like that. This is a small cycle a short cycle which you can
actually relatively easier to follow; to maintain. Even with just the sense of rhythm: one two
three four five six seven eight clap; one two three four five six seven and eight.
Here we are talking about a much longer time unit one clap two clap three clap four clap and so
on till eight. Now that is one unit of the TAla. That is one cycle of the TAla as it is called. And
how is this TAla cycle marked? How do you how what is the reference this TAla unit? Because
it is going to be such a long duration it would not be easy for us to just keep it in the head.
That is where the hand gestures come into play. This TAla cycle is expressed it is performed
actually by hand gestures and not just any arbitrary vague or changing changeable hand gestures.
These are specific; specified and explicit hand gestures; it is not like just something like this
(sound in fingers) one two three four five six seven; waving of the hand anyway or beating like
this or a anything else its it is not a vague unspecified hand gestures; these are very specific
codified hand gestures.
Let me in this case Adhi tAlam which is the most commonly used (Singing Starts: 18:26)
(Singing Ends: 18:42). This is end of one TAla cycle or if I take a... this is a slower composition;
the TAla cycle duration is much longer.

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If for the purposes of demonstration I take a shorter TAla cycle this is a very well-known
composition in Hamsadhwani ragam (Singing Starts: 19:07) (Singing Ends: 20:03). So this is
Adhi tAla a cycle of eight beats; as you could see the hand gestures are repeated continuously.
(Singing Starts: 20:16) (Singing Ends: 21:13).

So irrespective of whatever happens in the composition the TAla will be maintained

continuously as long as the composition is being sung. So this how the temporal organisation of
compositions in Carnatic music happens; it is not just a simple matter of four beats or three
beats; one two three; one two three or; one two three four; one two three four;
These are relatively simpler rhythms which do not need this kind of support; but because our the
temporal units are longer are of longer duration we need a reference, external reference; just as
we need an external reference for the drone; just we have the tambura for. So also we have the
external reference for the temporal aspect the rhythm if you want to call it that.
Now TAla is not the rhythm it is translated frequently as rhythm but tAla is actually the temporal
unit within which the composition is spread out within which is organized. So just as I said we
have a external reference for the drone which with whose support we can seek sruthi. We can
seek the pitches, the correct pitches. So also the external reference tAla being performed by the
hand with the help of which we can seek to achieve a good laya.
Of course an internal sense of the pitch is also indispensable just as the internal sense of laya is
indispensable if you do not have internal sense no amount of out outside reference can help you
but outside external reference helps you maintain it helps you maintain your pitch helps you
maintain your laya.

187
 Appreciating Carnatic Music
Prof. Lakshmi Sreeram
Indian Institute of Technology Madras

Lecture -33
TAla and Laya – 3 level of laya

So let us see what TAla is. One essential aspect of TAla which has already been indicated by my
talking of the TAla cycle is its cyclicity. It is a cycle of TAla. In a, for instance, in a piece of
Western music of Western classical music it is the rhythm or the pace you can conceive of it as a
time line punctuated at regular intervals: 123123123. And there is a sense of the piece of music
flowing forward. In the case of Carnatic music as well as Hindustani music there is the sense of
coming back to the first beat. The music is organized like this the music created like that. And
we will see later on when we talk more in detail about TAla and also about improvisation aspect
about music how the act of coming back to the particular beat if you say if you have Adi tAla; it
has eight beats. Now the act of coming back to either the first or one and halfth beat whatever it
is that the composition starts with - that is of create significance in how the music is presented.
So the TAla is actually a cycle and when you experience Carnatic music you have the sense of
coming back to the first line or to the first beat. This this feeling of coming back is a very vital
aspect of experience of music and also of performing music. We do come back to the first line of
the composition; will come back to the first beat of the tala cycle. So that is one very vital aspect
of TAla; a very very fundamental feature of the concept of TAla - that it is cycle of beats. Now
getting back to the concept of laya
Refer Slide Time: 03:13

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Laya the word the words origin is from ‘leen’ which means ‘sleshana’ it is ‘clinging or
adhering’. Now laya here means the period of rest between two actions. That is laya. And unless
the period of rest is there action also does not make any sense. However small, that period of rest
that is necessary for us to perceive an event or an action. In a TAla these events are what we
perform with the hand the hand gestures.
Those are the events and laya is the period of rest between the any two movements of the hand -
that is laya. So if you have one two three four five six seven eight; this is one laya or one two
three four five six seven eight; this is another laya or one two three and so on; so this is how laya
differs in compositions. Is there any standard? There are no standards - objective standards
though traditionally there is reference to the time that blinking five times takes; that is regarded
as one unit of laya of tAla. But, there are no objective standards to say what is a fast laya or slow
laya.
Refer Slide Time: 05:23

189
Traditionally we speak of, the Indian musical tradition we speak of broadly three layas: Vilamba
or Vilambita, Madhya and Drutha. Vilamba laya is a slow pace leisurely; the compositions we
heard by Sanjay Subramanian ‘Mayama ani’ is generally rendered in a Vilamba piece Vilamba
pace. It is a slow song. It is a composition that has to be rendered in a leisurely pace. And then
we have Madhya laya which is a medium tempo; not too fast not too slow.
And then you have Drutha laya which is fast. What is Vilamba laya? Do we have objective
standards for it? No we do not. We do not have anything like so many beats per minute; nothing
like that. We can say safely that Carnatic music is mostly about Madhya laya Madhyama tAla. It
is a medium tempo is what is most characteristic of carnatic music. Not to say that there is no
place for Vilamba or Drutha laya. There is but the predominant laya is Madhya laya Madhyama
laya. And in contrast we can say Hindustani music the most predominant laya there is the
Vilamba laya slow. More leisurely and it is not to say that there is no place for Madhya and
Drutha laya is very much there. But the general feel that you get about the music about the
general experience of the music is that it is more leisurely kind of music; whereas Carnatic music
is more Madhya laya it is a medium tempo.

Now what does it mean to say that the music is mostly in medium tempo. We have compositions
of course and these compositions are typically, each composition is typically associated with a
particular tempo. Again, it is not hard and fast or so many beats per minute; but broadly this way

190
or that way... nobody will think of singing ‘Mayama ani ne pilichidhe” in a very fast pace; it
would not work that raga itself not rendered itself to fast treatment.
We saw in an earlier session about types of raga ‘Ghana Naya Deshiya’ some ragas ‘rakti ragas’
some of the rakti ragas are such that they are so heavily nuanced; there is full of gamakas and
other nuances that it is difficult to sing them at a fast pace. So some compositions, even some
ragas themselves are associated with certain layas. There are other ragas which cannot be sung at
a very drawn out very leisurely pace. Ghana ragas like Nattai, Arabhi or even lighter ragas you
cannot treat them a very leisurely treatment. So a composition like ‘Vathapi ganapathim’ it is
typically associated with a Madhyama laya. But it is not to say that you cannot sing it in another
laya effectively. So the general laya is (Song Starts: 09:21) (Song Ends: 09:37)

So I can little faster: (Song Starts: 09:40) (Song Ends: 10:10). This is a relatively a faster way of
faster tempo faster laya. This is a definitely Drutha laya or even we can say: (Song Starts: 10:20)
(Song Ends: 10:54). So variation in laya is possible for some compositions. It is possible and it
really is up to the performer. Some performers like to speed things a bit. Some performers like to
sing at a more drawn out pace.
And with ‘vathapi ganapatim’ as I said most Carnatic music compositions have traditionally and
generally been rendered at a Madhyama tAla at a medium tempo. And that is where the music is
at its tightest; that is the that is the wisdom that we have gained from our teachers and elders and
peers. And that that is where the music is most impactful and that at medium pace. So let us
listen to this rendition of another composition by Thyagaraja ‘Ra ra ma intiki’ Raga: Asaveri;
Adi tAlam by Sanjay Subramaniam.
This is in a typical Madhyama laya a medium pace; medium tempo ‘rarama inti thaka raghuvira
sukumara mrokkeda the tAla is Adi (Song Starts: 12:25) (Song Ends: 13:21). Let us listen to the
Sanjay Subramaniam singing this composition: (Music Starts: 13:25) (Music Ends:18:55).

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 Appreciating Carnatic Music
Prof. Lakshmi Sreeram
Indian Institute of Technology, Madras

Lecture -34
Avartana,Samam and Graha
TAla -this idea of tAla as a temporal organisation of music. This is quite unique to Indian
music. The word tAla occurs in very ancient texts, it is very ancient concept really. And we
find it in NAtya ShAstra. And in the NAtya ShAstra the word sangeetha actually, it is used to
refer to Gita, Vadya and Nritta. That is song instrument and dance. NAtya ShAstra, if you
remember it is a treatise on theatre - and music, dance and instrument they were all part of
theatre.
Now tAla comes into the picture because that is the principle because of which these three
elements can come together. Unless there is such an ordering principle, there can be no
coordination between the singer and the dancer and the instrumentalists. So this is the tAla, is
the external reference point, it is the ordering principle.
Now to give another example in Western classical music, you have the conductor who
manages the orchestra. The orchestra will consist of Violinists, Celloists and Pianists and all
kinds of instruments. The conductor, one of the main roles of the conductor is to set the
tempo and maintain it. Now he or she is the external reference point for the music. For all the
musicians and they have to take their cue from the conductor’s gestures.
Now of course tAla is much more than just a tempo. There is a cyclicity, a certain duration,
which repeats, which recurs. So in the NAtya ShAstra, the tAla is seen like that, it is the
factor, the tAla is the principle because of which these three elements can be organized.
Because of which they come together the Sangeeta Ratnakaara for instance says:
(Refer Slide Time: 3:07)

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“TAlah tala prathishthaayaamiti geetham vaadyam tathaanrittam yatastaalepratishthitam”. So
Gita, Vadya and Nrittam they are based on tAla. That is they are grounded in the tAla and
that is the base. TAla is - the word tAla is seen has been derived from the word tala. TAla is
the base, anything upon which they can be constructed.
(Refer Slide Time: 4:00)

So that is the ground principle, tAla is the ground principle on which these three elements can
come together.
TAla actually has had a long and complex evolution and we have different systems of tAla in
India. We have the North Indian system in Khayal, we have Dhrupad and Thumri has
another set of tAlas. We have what are called Navasandhi tAla, we have a system of 108
tAlas, that are supposed to be very ancient.

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Then in current Carnatic Music, we have the Suladi sapta tAla, which is a very prominent
tAla system that is used. Besides that we have also the Chapu tAlas. We talk in detail about
these, but the couple of features that are common to all these tAla systems.
These are all various systems of tAla. Now, what is common to all these thing is or these
tAla systems is that they have the concept of “Avartana”.
For instance Avartana is a very fundamental concept Avarta or Avartana, means one cycle of
the tAla. So Adi tAla, it is what we have been seeing it is a cycle of 8 beats, 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8.
This is an Avartana, this is one Avartana of Adi tAla and as much as we have to maintain the
discipline of pitch or raga, we have to maintain the discipline of the Avartana.
The Avartana cannot be trifled with - it has to be maintained at all costs and you will see
whenever a performer performs the tAla, he or she will always stop only after returning to the
first beat of the tAla cycle. In fact the word Avartana derives from the word Avrithi. Avrithi
means returning recurrence. We speak of so many avritthis of any mantra for instance, that is
the act of repetition, that is avrithi. Adi tAlam has is an Avartana of eight beats. You have
other tAlas like roopaka tAlam. Which is a cycle of six beats, one two three four five six.
This is roopaka tAlam and you have tAla like 1,2,3,4,5,6,7 ; 1,2,3,4,5,6,7; this is an Avartana
of 7 beats called Mishra Chapu tAlam.
In Hindustani music, we have Teen Taal, which has an Avartana of 16 beats or Ek Taal
which is an Avartana of 12 beats. So this concept of Avartana is a very important,
fundamental concept that all tAla systems have, that is simply the number of beats in one
cycle of the tAla and that recurs. This Avartana keeps recurring, as the word itself means
recurrence, returning. And in Carnatic music the smallest Avartana - the tAla cycle with the
smallest avartana is is Tisrha Ekam.
We will talk more about it, it is the cycle of three beats that is the smallest possible tAla cycle
and the longest longest tAla cycle is 29 beats - this would be Sankeerna Jati dhruva TAlam.
As I said, we will talk about all these, but there are other tAla systems like the 108 tAla
systems. That I just referred to, it is a very ancient tAla system. We have tAlas with
avartanas upto 128 beats per cycle and that is called Simha Nandana TAla. Or you have
another tAla with a very odd number Sarabhanandana TAlam with 79 beats per cycle. So
whatever it is, the concept of Avartana is very fundamental in all these systems of tAla.
(Refer Slide Time: 09:13)

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Now the other important concept is that of “SAMA”, Sam the first beat of every tAla cycle is
called the sam or the samam. And there is also a very significant point aesthetically,
technically, that has very important role. In fact if you watch a performance of Carnatic
music or Hindustani music, the tAla cycle will only end on the first. You come back, how
many ever avartanas the performance has gone into in the particular piece, it will come back,
it will not stop anywhere in the midway, it has to come back to the first beat of the avartana.
It has to come back to the first beat of the avartana - that is sam, that is where the piece will
be ended.
Now another very important beat in the tAla cycle especially in the Carnatic music, it is of
great significance and that is called the graha or the eduppu. This is the point where the
composition starts. Suppose, you have an Adi tAla Vatapi Ganapathim (Singing Starts
:10:25) (Singing Ends: 10:36) so the Adi tAla starts at “1,2,3,4” and so on. The song, the
composition also starts on the first beat (Singing Starts 10:44) (Singing Ends: 10:52) this is.
So in this case the graha or the eduppu or where the composition begins is the sam itself, the
samam. The first beat of the tAla cycle - this is called sama-eduppu. Now Adi tAla itself, let
me take another composition, which you heard earlier in this course. (Singing Starts 11:15)
(Singing Ends: 11:49) Here 1,2 (Singing Starts 11:52) it is not it is not like that one two
(Singing Ends 11:59). So, if each beat, if we divide it into four “1,2,3,4”, “1,2,3,4”,
“1,2,3,4”, “1,2,3,4”, “1,2,3,4” and 1,2 (Singing Starts 12:08) (Singing Ends 12:12)
So this is called Arai - the Graha, the Eduppu or the commencement of the song, the
composition is half into the first beat. So this is a particular kind of graha and this has to be
maintained throughout, you cannot tinker with it - you cannot move it here and there. The

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composition’s integrity in terms of the music also in terms of the tAla structure has to be
maintained.
Now another composition (Singing Starts: 12:48). (Singing Ends 13:39) So here eduppu is
“1,1,2,3,4,”,”1,2” sarasi... that is half into second beat of the tAla. One beat is gone, the
second beat half of that you pick up the composition (Singing Starts: 13:57) (Singing Ends
14:07). So theses are different kinds of eduppu, so you can even have a eduppu or graham
before the saman itself (Singing Starts: 14:19) (Singing Ends 14:40).
This is another composition, where the composition starts just before the sam 1,2 (Singing
Starts: 14:51) (Singing Ends 15:01) or in this composition (Singing Starts: 15:02) (Singing
Ends 15:25) so hari comes here before the sam.
(Refer Slide Time: 15:48)

This is called, this is a different kind of eduppu, what is called an Atita Eduppu. In fact this
concept of graha or eduppu of compositions is also a very ancient one. You have the
Sangeetha Ratnakara, which says “Samo atIto anagathashca grahastaalo tridhaamatha”. That
is it the graha or the eduppu can be either at the sama itself, that is we can be from the sama
of the tAla or it can be a little after the samam, that can be half or it can be one or it can be
one and a half - in which case it is called “Anagata Graha” or it can be “Atita”.

It can be the graham, the commencement of this composition is just before the samam. So,
we have three kinds of Eduppu Graha and in Carnatic music this is a very, very significant
point in the tAla cycle. When you take a composition, this is something that has to be at all
costs maintained, even during improvisation.

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When you improvise with the composition, there are aspects of improvisation where we use
the composition itself as the anchor and in that case also this graha has to be maintained at all
costs. And that is in fact throws up some technical and aesthetic challenges, and how the
performer acquits herself is what listener’s watch, listeners enjoy.
(Refer Slide Time: 17:36)

In a tAla like Adi TAlam, the midpoint of the tAla is also important in compositions, that is
called the arudhi. And normally the accent the weight of the composition will fall there.
For instance, (Singing Starts: 17:46) (Singing Ends: 17:47) so in some way the accent falls
on the “sham” (Singing Starts: 17:54) (Singing Ends: 18:00), that is the midpoint of the tAla
cycle. The midpoint of the tAla cycle is the fifth beat; “1,2,3,4,5”.

So (Singing Starts: 18:07) or (Singing Ends: 18:21) that is where the weight falls, (Singing
Starts: 18:23) (Singing Ends: 18:30) again the accent falls on the midpoint of the cycle. Some
tAla cycles, like as we will see this Roopaka TAlam, it cannot permit that kind of accent
because Roopaka TAlam is “1,2,3,4,5,6”. A very well known composition in this, is again
Tyagaraja’s (Singing Starts: 18:57) (Singing Ends: 19:10). So the tAla is like this,
“1,2,3,4,5,6” (Singing Starts: 19:14) (Singing Ends: 19:46). So the Roopaka TAlam,
compositions have a very different structure. (Singing Starts: 19:51) (Singing Ends: 20:49).
This is another composition, it is slower pace, this is Roopaka TAlam.
(Refer Slide Time: 21:35)

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Another popular tAla, that we often see in Carnatic music is “Mishra Chapu”. Mishra Chapu
is a very interesting tAla and it lands itself wonderfully in improvisation also. Mishra Chapu
is like this “1,2,3,4,5,6,7”; “1,2,3,4,5,6,7” (Singing Starts: 21:29) (Singing Ends: 22:29). This
is the composition of Muthuswamy Dikshitar, a very short composition. The next part of the
composition is like this. We will see, how this composition is spread over this tAla cycle.
(Singing Starts: 22:47) (Singing Ends: 25:00).
Now I will just sing a few a couple of lines each of few compositions you could try to see,
you could try to make out whether it is, I will only sing Adi TAla or Roopaka TAla or Mishra
Chapu TAla. There are other tAlas, we will see, about it later. But between these three, I will
just sing a few compositions and you can take it as a small exercise, try to figure out what
tAla it is.
One way is to try to figure out how many beats are there between each repetition of the line?
(Singing Starts: 25:43) (Singing Ends:26:24) This is part of one composition (Singing Starts :
26:41) (Singing Ends : 27:57) So these are 3 compositions that I have sung parts of the song
of course only the first part of the compositions have been sung and they are in different
tAlas. You can just try to listen to them again and again and ha see if you can identify how
many beats are there and with that helps thats an easy guess for you about what tAla these
compositions are in.

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 Appreciating Carnatic Music
Prof. Lakshmi Sreeram
Indian Institute of Technology Madras

Lecture -35
Aspects of TAla II
We are trying to understand tAla and we saw in the last session examples of a few prominent
tAlas. I also suggested in the last session that though tAla is translated as rhythm or the rhythmic
facet of Carnatic music, TAla is really not rhythm - I mean it is not a happy translation. So what
is tAla? In an extremely erudite paper, Dr. Premlatha Sharma, eminent musicologist, she
suggested that tAla is actually kAla. TAla is kAla what does this mean now; kAla means time.
(Refer Slide Time: 1:22)

So tAla is actually a certain duration of time that is rendered in or that is signified by hand
gestures. And this cycle this duration is repeated cyclically. So Adi tAla is “12345678” this
duration “12345678” this kAla. This duration of time was rendered by these hand gestures
“12345678” that is tAla. And this is cyclical it is something that repeats until the end of the
composition. So each composition is fitted into the tAla cycle of this kind.
It has been perceptively observed that tAla derives from poetic meter. The concept the tAla
itself is a musical concept it is something that is associated or is drawn from poetic meter.
Whereas rhythm is something that is associated with dance that has come from dance. So we can
have a rhythm of “123” “123” something that you can feel in your body, something that you can

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sway to - very rarely can you really tap your feet to a piece of Indian classical music. That kind
of rhythm, rhythmic aspect is not easily found in Indian classical music.
The kind of rhythm that you tap your feet to or that you can sway your body that kind of rhythm
is not really associated with Indian classical music. What is the temporal dimension of, the
temporal discipline of Indian music is brought in by tAla which has more connection with -
which is connected rather with poetry or poetic meter rather than dance. It has been said
apparently that you can be a good western classical musician if you know your alphabets from a
to g those are the notes and you can be good musician if you know your numbers from 1 to 4.
Those are the kind of rhythms that you can find in most of the kinds of music - fours and threes
which are simpler and smaller numbers. Now Indian classical music whether it is Hindustani or
Carnatic especially Carnatic music-Carnatic music is particularly noted for its immense rhythmic
complexity.
Even a beginner is initiated into things far more complex than 3 and 4. Lets watch this clip now
this is a clip in which a simple Aroha and Avaroha is sung. But there is something that happens
which is for you to try and figure out what is happening. We will talk about it little later in this
session. So let us listen to a rendition of a simple Aroha and Avaroha of Mayamalavagowla and a
certain rhythmic variety which is introduced.
(Singing Starts: 05:40) (Singing Ends: 06:41) So we ended the last session with a small exercise
for you - I sang a few songs - a few compositions, parts of a few compositions and left it to you
to try and figure out what the tAla is. Now it is not trivial to figure out the tAla cycle if you just
hear the song. And this is another point that should make obvious that tAla is different from
rhythm in any Western song or film song.
You can easily make out the rhythm you will be able to make out the rhythm. But you cannot
make out the tAla of the composition of Carnatic music. It is not trivial unless you have some
initiation in Carnatic music. Let us quickly go over to those three compositions that I sang and I
will tell you what tAla is.
Those composition wherein the first composition was (Singing Starts: 7:55) (Singing Ends:
09:04) this was Rupaka TAlam. (Singing Starts: 9.36) (Singing Ends: 09:49) this was Adi (
Singing Starts: 10.10) (Singing Ends: 10:41) “1234567”; “1234567”; this is Mishra Chapu
TAlam.

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These three are one among the most prominent tAlas that are used. Another variety of
ChaputAla is also very commonly encountered. Misra Chapu TAlam is a cycle of 7 beats the
other variety of ChaputAla is a cycle of 5 beats and is called Khanda Chapu.
(Refer Slide Time: 11:05)

Khanda chapu is other variety of Chapu tAla and this is also commonly encountered like that and
is rendered in as “12345” “12345”;” 12345” (Singing Starts: 11:35) (Singing Ends:12:48) this is
khanda chapu a cycle of 5 beats. Now I will sing a composition and try to follow the tAla cycle
and see what you make out of it (Singing Starts: 13:06) (Singing Ends: 14:54).
This if you would have made out is a cycle of fourteen beats it goes like this (Singing Starts:
15:04) (Singing Ends: 15:28) that is one cycle one Avartana. Remember the cycle of particular
cycle of tAla is Avartana or Avarta and this tAla has a cycle of 14 beats. We saw that Adi tAla
has 8 beats Rupaka tAla has 6 Misra Chapu TAlam 7 and Khanda Chapu has 5.
(Refer Slide Time: 16:10)

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And those are really the very commonly used tAlas in Carnatic music. Now we have found tAlas
like this also the one I just performed and this is called Dhruva tAla. And when you have a
duration as long as these 14 beats “123” and so on. And you can very well see why there is a
need of an external reference like what we do by this hand gestures.
(Refer Slide Time: 16:47)

(Music Starts: 16:50) (Music Ends: 22:20)

(Refer Slide Time: 22:07)

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203
 Appreciating Carnatic Music
Prof. Lakshmi Sreeram
Indian Institute of Technology Madras

Lecture -36
Lecture title: Aspects of TAla - III
Now we need to stop for a bit to talk about some technical terms here - a few.
I said an Avartana is one cycle of beats. Now what is the word for beats in Carnatic music?
they are called - every beat is called a mAtrA. So we will say Dhruva tAla has 14 mAtrAs or
Adi tAla has 8 mAtrAs.
(Refer Slide Time: 00:54)

Now there is another word. MAtrA Actually there is another word called akshara. Which is
also sometimes some people use the word akshara to refer to beats and the jury is still out on
what .... see there are two things here. One is number of beats “1234” and the other is how
many divisions or units does each beat internally have. And this is important when we come
to some kinds of compositions.
By default every beat is divided into four sub units as it was so “1234” “1234” “1234”
“1234”. But sometimes that can be “123” “123” “123” “123” this is something we will see
later it is called Nadai or Gati so on. We have the number of beats on one hand “1234” and so
on. And we have a certain number of sub divisions within each of these beats “1234” “1234”
“1234” and so on so.
(Refer Slide Time: 2:26)

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Some people prefer to use the word mAtrA to refer to the beats and akshara to refer to the sub
divisions within each beat. And there are others who use these expressions in the reverse
with the reverse signification. In the sense akshara is used to refer to the number of beats and
mAtrA is used to refer to the number of sub divisions. But we will use the word mAtrA to
refer to the beats because the word akshara itself means that which cannot be destroyed.
So in a sense akshara is the smallest unit in the tAla. If you say “1234” “one two three four”
twos each of them is an akshara. Whereas the mAtrA “one two” these are further subdivided
into aksharas.
So we have the concept of Avartana which is a essentially cycle of mAtrAs. A certain
number of mAtrAs which is repeated cyclically and each mAtrA internally has a further sub
division into a certain number of units and those units are called akshara.
Now when I performed either an Adi or rupaka tAla or Dhruva tAlam now there are only
certain movements that we perform while performing the tAlam “12345678”. So these 8
beats in Adi tAlam are performed only this way - no other hand gestures and while
performing artists can vary here and there. But the Adi tAla is performed like this
“12345678”.
So we have one kind of action that is beating. Beating on the thigh or beating on the hand
and we have another kind of action which is throwing the palm aside so this is this is called
tAla kriya. The action what are the actions that are involved in performing a tAla. So this is
called kriya.

(Refer Slide Time: 05:17)

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And they are of two kinds shabda or sashabda kriya and nisab nisshabda kriya. Sashabda is
that which makes sound. This is Tattu or the Ghata this the Sashabda kriya.
(Refer Slide Time: 05:36)

And Nisshabda is when we threw the palm aside upturned that is the Nisshabda kriya. Now
using these ...we also have counting fingers. So using all these any tAla is performed. Now
let us talk of the tAla anga. So the tAla angas or parts of the tAla are - laghu. ...those that are
used actually - Laghu Drutam andAnudrutam
Laghu is beating the hand and counting the fingers.
It could be three or it could be counting three fingers or it could be counting four fingers. We
will go to that little later but laghu is essentially beating the hand and counting the fingers
drutam is beating and throwing the palm aside. So it always has a count of two. Anudrutam

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is a simple beat. A simple beat is called anudrutam and so it always has a value of 1. The
Dhruva tAlam that it is performed is a part of a tAla system which is at least 500 years old.
It is called sUlAdi sapta tAlam. Now sapta refers to 7 sUlAdi this is... actually sUlAdi is
actually a compositional form that originated in Karnataka and Purandaradasa in the 15th and
16th century he is credited with incorporating the sUlAdi sapta tAla into the into Carnatic
music. Now what is the sUlAdi sapta tAla we will see this just now
(Refer Slide Time: 8:08)

(Refer Slide Time: 08:35)

In fact a beginner is very quickly introduced to this concept to this sUlAdi sapta tAlas. These
are Dhruva which is what you saw just now the composition that I sang of 14 mAtrAs
dhruva. Then you have Matya Rupaka Triputa Jhampa Ata tAla and Eka tAla. These are the
seven tAlas that are referred to as sUlAdi sapta tAlas.

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And we just saw that the three angas or the parts of a tAla are laghu, drutam and anudrutam
and these seven tAlas are a combination of these laghu drutam and anudrutam. Now laghu is
usually indicated as ... the symbol for laghu is 1, druta is zero and anudruta is this. Now in
Dhruva tAla has the structure of one laghu followed by a druta followed by another laghu
“1234” one laghu “12” one drutam another laghu and yet another laghu. This is the structure
or the angas of Dhuva tAla.
Matya tAla is one laghu followed by a druta and then followed by another laghu. Rupaka
tAla is the only tAla that does not start with a laghu. Starts with the drutam instead one
drutam followed by a laghu. Triputa tAla “100” and if you think about this this is what is Adi
tAla. If you count four “1234” that is laghu one drutam another drutam so Adi tAla is a kind
of it is a form of Triputa tAla.
Jhampa tAla is the only tAla that uses the other anga that is anudruta that is one laghu one
anudruta and one drutam. Ata tAla is 2 laghus followed by two drutas eka tAla is just a laghu.
So these are the sapta tAlas and when we speak of laghu, we say beating the hand and
counting the fingers. Beginning with the little finger and how many do we count. So far I
have only shown I have only performed compositions in which tAla is such that I have
counted three fingers.
So altogether it is “one two three four” including the tattu or the ghatha the laghu. The laghu
is a beat followed by counting of fingers. If you beat and count 3 fingers you have a laghu of
the count of 4. We can also have “12345” or you could have “123” or you could have
“1234567” or you could have “123456789”. Now these are the five what are called Jathis. So
a laghu could be a count of “4,3,5,7 or 9”. So usually we have it always four first and then
three and these are what are called Jathis.
So four when we have a count of four this is called Chatushra Jathi. This is called Tishra
Jathi this is called Khanda Jathi this is called Mishra Jathi this is called Sankeerna Jathi.
Now this concept of five jathis is is commonly used in all performing arts whether it is music
or dance or its percussion. These 5 jathis Chatushra Tishra Khanda Mishra Sankeerna. So
depending on what Jathi you take.
(Refer Slide Time: 14:25)

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So suppose let us take dhruva tAla or an easier tAla lets take Triputa tAla. It is what
something we are familiar with. This Triputa tAla is say Chatushra Jathi. So the laghu will
have a value of 4 counts so you have “12345678” this is what is Adi tAla when we have a
cycle of 8 beats.
But suppose a laghu is Tishara Jathi so the laghu has a count of three so it will be “1234567”.
We will have a count of ... it will be a cycle of 7 beats. Suppose the laghu is Khanda Jathi
that is, it has 5 counts so it will be “123456789” it is a cycle of nine beats and so on. And
Mishra Jathi will be 7+2+2 its 11 Sankeerna Jathi will be 9+2+2 that is 13.
So we have the sUlAdi sapta tAla and we have the 5 jatis these are the jatis and each of these
sUlAdi sapta tAlas Dhruva Matya Rupaka etc.. Each of them can be combined with any of
these jathis. So again to take Triputa tAla as I just mentioned we can have Chatushra Jathi
Triputa tAla or Tisra Jathi Triputa tAla or Khanda Jathi etc.. So also with dhruva we can 5
matya we have 5, rupaka, jhampa and so on.
So we have 7*5 = 35 tAlas under the sUlAdi sapta tAla scale. And this is only the first level.
Just to give you a quick idea of what the next level is, I will refer back to something that we
spoke about some time ago - that is the concept of aksara and mAtrA. Just as the laghu
which is beating and counting can be either Chatushra or Tisra or Khanda etc. so also each
mAtrA each beat of the tAla whether it is a tattu or it is a counting or whether it is a veechu
or its just a anudrutam or drutam. Whatever it is every beat of the tAla cycle has sub
divisions within it and that will always be equal number. So we will have “1234” “1234”
“1234” “1234” “1234”and so on so within a tAla cycle the sub divisions of each beat will be
the same the same number of sub divisions each mAtrA of the tAla cycle will have the same

209
number of aksaras; but this aksara this number again could be either four or three or seven or
five or nine.
So Adi tAlam could be “1234” “1234” ““1234” “1234”etc. or it could be “123” “123” “123”
“123” “123” “123” “123” “123” or it could “12345” “12345” “12345” “12345”.
(Refer Slide Time: 18:57)

So essentially what we are doing is each of these let us take again Triputa tAla Triputa tAla
there are 5 jatis of it possible; five possible jatis Chatushra, Tisra, Mishra, Khanda, Sankeerna
Now within each of these 4 here means the number the count of laghu so it is “1234” that is
what it means but given that we have Chatushra Jathi Triputa tAla. we can further have a
sub division of again 5 what is called Nadai or KAdi.

So you could have the basic Adi tAla or Chatushra Jathi Triputa tAla is “1234” “1234”
“1234” “1234” “1234” “1234” “1234” “1234” so this is called Chatushra Nadai or
Chatuhra Gathi Chatushra Jati Triputa tAla. Now we have “123” “123” “123” “123” and this
is again Chatushra Jati Triputa tAla but Tishra Gathi or Tishra Nada.

Now what is the significance of all this I mean and it can go on it will go on for all the 5 jatis
so given each SUlAdi Sapta TAla there are 5 Jatis possible and for each of the 5 jatis five
nadais are possible so you have 35*5 which is 175, 175 tAlas are possible within the sUlAdi
sapta tAla scheme.
Now what is the musical significance of this it is not just mathematics. what is the difference
whether it is the Tishra Nadai or Chatushra Nadai? the beat of the song will like that (Singing

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Starts: 21:13) (Singing Ends: 21:53. So here the beat is like that “123” “123” “123” “123”.
(Singing Starts: 22:00) (Singing Ends: 22:15)
(Music Starts: 22:16) (Music Ends: 23:56)
(Refer Slide Time: 23:57)

(Refer Slide Time: 24:01)

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 Appreciating Carnatic Music
Prof. Lakshmi Sreeram
Indian Institute of Technology Madras

Lecture -37
Aspects of TAla IV

Suladi sapta tAla, as I said, is about 500 years old. And it has been very much part of Carnatic
music and is still continues to be part of Carnatic music. But it might seem little overly
complicated for a musical system. Why do we need so many kinds of tAlas? We know, why
should we have gestures? Why these gestures? Now the question of why only these gestures...it
is probably a research topic why these gestures have come down. In fact, there is a suggestion in
Abhinavagupta’s work that these gestures are possibly derived from the gestures that were used
during the sacrifices in the Sama Vedam, for instance. Sama Veda prescribes hand gestures
specific gestures that are to be used specifically during specific points of time during any
sacrifice.
So this beating and counting, beating and throwing your hand aside - why only these; why not
something else? It is ultimately only arbitrary. In fact, in this context I might also mention that
these three Angas that I spoke about - Laghu beating and counting, Drutam -beating and
throwing your hand aside and Anudrutham just beating - these are the three angas that are used
in Suladisaptha TAla... there are other TAla angas which are used in another tAla system which
is called the 108 Anga tAla – it is almost very rare to find compositions or performances using
those tAlas, among the hundred and eight tAlas if at all they are performed that is only for an
interest, novelty, a kind of demonstration - for demonstration purpose.
But performances 108 tAlas are not used these days Suladisaptha tAla are still used. The other
Angas that the 108 tAla system uses are called Guru, Plutam and Kakapadam.

(Refer Slide Time: 2:55)

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Guru has a count of 8 and Plutam has a count of 12 and kakapadam has a count of 16. And the
TAla Kriya which is done – gestures... it varies from four down four here and four there and four
up. Sometimes they do some kind of a circular movement. So these are all the Kriyas that are
associated with the other tAla Angas which is not of our concern at all. It was certainly a part of
Carnatic music until about a couple of centuries ago or even the last centuries early parts of
twentieth century you might have had some active renditions of these tAlas. Certainly in
contemporary Carnatic music these are not actively performed. So Suladisaptha tAla coming
back to it - the one reason why do we need to maintain the tAla cycle with this kind of codified
gestures is that as I have mentioned earlier this is the reference for everybody for the performer
and for the singer, if there is a singer for the accompanist and also for the audience.

You need to maintain the tAla cycle - maintaining the tAla cycle as I said is as important as
maintaining the sruthi and maintaining the pitch, pitch fidelity as it is important to maintain the
raga grammar or the composition’s integrity. These are all the things that are “musts” in
Carnatic music - as a classical musical form, these are all things that are inviolable.

The tAla cycle is one such thing; if you have a tAla cycle of 6 beats in a composition or 7 beats
or 21 beats that cycle has to be maintained throughout the rendition of that particular piece. And
unless we have this performance of this tAla it is quite difficult because these cycles are long.
(Refer Slide Time: 05:18)

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They are not short once like “1234 “ “1234” “123” “123”. If these are short cycles then it is
possible to remember it, to keep track of it. When we have longer cycles it is not easy to keep
track of cycle. Of course great masters who have been performing for years for decades they do
get into the system and possibly they do not need a external reference to perform.
When you think of great instrumentalist who play... when they perform when playing on the
instrument like Veena or Violin your hands are engaged you cannot... you do not have hands to
perform the tAlam. So great masters they do not need the external reference but anybody at the
even slightly less elevated level they need the tAla performed for them to keep track of the tAla
cycle.
(Refer Slide Time: 6:37)

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Now coming back to Suladisaptha tAla - for us to have seven into five into five equal to one
seventy five tAla. Now, do we really need so many tAlas? For instance, let me take Dhruva tAla
and Ata tAla. Now Dhruva tAla... both of them are part of the Suladisaptha tAla, if you
remember. Dhruva tAla has a structure of “1011”; one laghu that is “laghu drutham laghu laghu”
Ata tAla has a structure of “1100”.

Suppose this is - we take a Chatushra Dhruva tAla then let us see how many beats are there per
Avartana- this is four, this is two, this is again four, and this is again four. The Chatushra jathi
Dhruva tAla “1234567891011121314” 14 beats - fourteen mAtras.
Ata tAla let us take Khanda Jathi. In fact, by default all of these are; Suladisaptha tAla is
associated with one or other Jathi. By default Dhruva tAlam associated with Chatusra jathi. Ata
TAlam by default is associated with the Khanda Jathi, that is five beats
(Refer Slide Time: 8:02)

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So again, Dhruva ...if you take Ata tAla Khanda Jathi, Ata tAla we have five - laghu is five,
another laghu is five, drutham is two, another drutham is two - again you have 14 beats. So what
is the point? Why must we have two different tAlas when the number of beats is the same?
There is a point: if you... we will watch a short demonstration. Now, again performed at a very
beginners level. As I said the Suladisaptha tAla is introduced in the beginning right away in the
in a set of lessons called Alankara. Now Dhruva tAla the structure of the tAla is like this “1011”.
Ata tAla structure is “1100”.
So this structure is very different the composition structure will also be correspond to the
structure of this tAla. The internal structure of the composition will be such that it will reflect
this structure. Let us listen - let us watch this clip (Singing Starts: 9:47) (Singing Ends: 11:50).
The next will demonstrate Ata tAla which is also of 14 mathras. But the TAla Kriya is different
the Ata tAla the Kriya is like this “1234567891011121314”. So Ata tAla is two laghu and two
druthams (Singing Starts: 12:17) (Singing Ends: 13:25)
So as we saw Dhruva tAla is laghu followed by drutam followed by two laghu. So (Singing
Starts: 13:33) (Singing Ends: 13:43) whereas Ata tAla has two ...so you see the Alankara - it is a
composition, it is created such that it fits into tAla anga is reflected in this. It coincides with the
tAla anga (Singing Starts: 14:04) (Singing Ends: 14:11). Let us see how the Ata tAla Alankara is
constructed and again that will reflect the tAla angas. (Singing Starts: 14:19) (Singing Ends:
14:26)

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Now suppose if I am going to sing this Alankara in Dhruva tAlam this is how the thing is
structured (Singing Starts:14:33) (Singing Ends: 14:39). Whereas if you sing it in Dhruva tAlam
(Singing Starts: 14:41) (Singing Ends: 14:44). It is coming in the middle of nowhere (Singing
Starts: 14:46) (Singing Ends: 14:50). So the compositions and the tAla ... the tAla angas there
will be a close connection between these two.
Now if we take a proper composition... this is of course it is an exercise what I was just
demonstrated it is an exercise what is called as Abyasana Ganam ...that is Abyasana Ganam is a
repertoire that is used only for practice. Now we have the other part of Carnatic music repertoire
which is called that is Sabhaghanam that is used for performances... even in compositions in
Sabhaghanam - because that is what is relevant - we have compositions which are rendered in
one or the other Suladisapta tAla but the compositions the internal structure will reflect the tAla
anga structure.
(Refer Slide Time: 15:56)

Now let us take two other similar - two other tAlas which have the same number of beats. Matya
tAla and Jhampa tAla. Matya tAla is also associated with Chatusyajati matya and Jhampa is
always, by default, associated with Mishra. Of course you can have other jatis also. But by
default, unless otherwise mentioned, Matya tAla is Chatushra jati and Jhampa is Mishra Jhati.

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Matya tAla has a structure “101” Jhampa has one laghu, one Anudrutham and Drutham so laghu,
drutham laghu and laghu anudruta drutham.

So Chatusha Matya will have four plus two plus four that is ten. Mishra Jhampa will have seven
plus one plus two that is equal to, again ten. Now there are two great compositions in this tAlas
by Muthuswamy Dikshitar - a part of a group of kritis called the Navagraha Krithis. The
Chatushra jati Matya tAla is a composition in Asaveri ragam “Chandram Chandramanasa”.
The structure and the composition are like Matya tAla “12345678910”. Now let us see how the
structure of the composition coincides with the structure of the tAla. (Singing Starts: 17:54)
(Singing Ends: 19:28)
(Refer Slide Time: 19:30)

A link to rendition of this composition is here - you may listen to it. And the other composition
we have to consider is in Mishra Jampha tAla. The composition is Budham Ashrayami. The
composition is in Mishra Jampha tAla is - Mishra is seven “12345678910”. This is Mishra
Jampha tAla and the composition is structured to reflect the tAla angas. As you can see (Singing
Starts: 20:08) (Singing Ends: 20:38). So that is the Mishra Jampha tAla which is
“12345678910”.

To wrap up our session on tAla

(Refer Slide Time: 20:57)

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We have many tAlas in Carnatic music. The most widely used are, as I said, Adi tAla of eight
beats, Rupaka tAla of six beats, Khandha Chapu of five beats, Mishra Chapu of seven beats. The
Suladisapta tAla that we just saw are also used. In fact, Ata tAla has a significant presence in
Varnam. Varnam is a kind of composition which we will be seeing soon in out next session or
so.
Varnam is compositional type and most varnams are rendered in Adi mostly. But we have a
group of tAlas which are rendered in Ata tAla also. So Ata tAla has a significant presence in
varnam as a compositional form. Suladisuptha tAla has very significant presence in the... what is
called Ragam TAnam Pallavi. Ragam TAnam Pallavi is a presentational piece - it is a piece that
is presented in Carnatic music concerts.
And the Pallavi which is the compositional aspects, which is the only compositional aspect that
is used in RTP. RTP is heavy on improvisation. But we have one line of composition and that
composition is very often, almost by default, it is cast in one of the Suladi sapta tAlas and in
some unusual Jati and Nadai. We will see more about all Suladisapta tAla when we talk about
ragam tAnam pallavi in detail. But in the meantime even in the corpus of Carnatic compositions
proper. Suladi sapta tAla has a significant presence.
So having covered raga and tAla we are now ready to take a look at Carnatic music as it is
performed, as it is heard. When we hear Carnatic music, what is it that we hear? TAla and rAga
are underlying principles. But what we hear - the compositions, the improvisation in Carnatic
music - that is something we will now talk about in our next sessions.

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(Refer Slide Time: 23:51)

220
 Appreciating Carnatic Music
Prof. Lakshmi Sreeram
Indian Institute of Technology Madras

Lecture – 38
Composition in Carnatic Music

(Music Starts: 00:22) (Music Ends: 01:18)

What you are hearing is a composition in the raga Kalyani and Adi talam. This is a
compositional type called varnam. Varnam is one of the earliest kinds of compositions that a
beginner learns. Over the past few weeks we have looked into various aspects of raga and tala.
These are indeed the underlying princiles - the grid as it were on which Carnatic music is
mounted. We are now ready to enter into world of Carnatic music as actually presented as
practiced, as heard. And we hear in Carantic music is broadly divided into kalpita sangeetham
and kalpana sangeetham

(Refer Slide Time: 02:18)

Kalpita sangeetham is the corpus of compositions - composed pieces that we hear in Carnatic
music. Kalpana sangeetham is the improvisational aspects of Carnatic music. As we will see later
there are four or five such aspects of improvisation.

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We will take a look at compositions in the next few weeks. When we talk of composition, a
composition is very simply something that is composed which has something that has a few
elements that are brought together in a certain way.
We can talk of composing a poem or we can talk of composing an essay or a photograph. A
photograph is also composed. Now when we talk of a musical composition in the context of
Carnatic music. almost invariably there is a textual aspect to it.
So we have ... very often they are meaningful words in languages such as Telugu. Telugu is the
preeminent language of composition in Carnatic music. We have many compositions in Telugu.
We have compositions in Tamil, in Sanskrit and to a lesser degree in Kannada and to a much
lesser degree in Malayalam. We could even have compositions that combine two or three
languages and these are called Manipravaalam.

Some compositions also have meaningless syllables. Syllables that are used in dance and
percussion - they have they carry no meaning but they are syllables that are uttered. We will
take a look of these compositions later and in many compositions we also have the presence of
swaras. Swara patterns that are actually composed pre-composed and they are the part of the
compositions. Now varnam you just heard in Kalyani you would have made out that there is
clearly a textual part to it with words in Telugu and there is also the swara portions in it.
Composition or kalpitha Sangeetha in Carnatic music broadly divided into Abhyasaganam that is
composition that are specifically meant for pedagogy, for teaching.

(Refer Slide Time: 05:19)

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There is a very meticulously laid out system of teaching Carnatic music - for at least six months
to one year there is a set of exercises that is prescribed. These are practice exercises certainly but
there also exercises to impart a knowledge of the music.
So we have very simple swaras patterns aroha avaroha and then more complex patterns steadily
increasing in complexities and then we have simple songs - what are called geetham (Singing
Starts: 05:56) (Singing Ends: 07:29)
And at the end of this course of the abhyasaganam or practice music, we have varnam it is a as a
compositional piece (Singing Starts: 07:42) (Singing Ends: 10:48)
And interestingly, varnam has a presence in the other kind of compositions also - it is called
sabhaganam. Composition in music in Carnatic music belongs to either abyasganam or
sabhaganam. Sabhagaganam being the repertoire that is presented in concerts. Varnam belongs
to both these categories - varnam is also is very important and a vital aspect of abhyasaganam or
pedagogical music - practice music - as well as it is a piece that is that can be very well presented
in a concert.
So varnam really straddles both these words. We will take detailed look at varnam in the next
couple of sessions.

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 Appreciating Carnatic Music
Prof. Lakshmi Sreeram
Indian Institute of Technology Madras

Lecture – 39
Varnam- an Introduction

(Refer Slide Time: 00:20)

(Music Starts: 00:24) (Music Ends: 04:53)

The words were sarasuda ninne kori chAla marulu konnadira girini velayu sri venkatesa
karunincha ide samyamu This was the first part of the varnam. A varnam - the structure of a
varnam.... You see, when we speak of musical compositions, any number of structures are
possible. If you look around at various kinds of music you will see the musical compositions
have different structures.

You could have a simple composition such as what we have in Carnatic music in the beginner’s
level - what is called Geetham. Now geetham is a composition, a very simple musical
composition which has a set of about eight to ten lines and these are just sung one after the other
without repetitions, without any other sections of the compositions

(Refer Slide Time: 05:55)

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(Singing Starts: 05:55) (Singing Ends: 07:04)
In Hindustani music if you look at Khayal compositions or Dhrupad...if you look at a Khayal
composition, it has two parts to it - what is called the sthayi and antara. The sthayi will have two
lines typically, the antara will have two lines. Compositions in Hindustani Khayal are
particularly very short. And this is how a Khayal composition is structured.
Varnam as a compositional form... and you will see later the other kinds of composition in
Carnatic music like keerthana or kriti. They have different structure compositional structures.
Now varnam has a composition is divided into two parts: we have the purvangam or the first part
and the uttarangam the second part. The purvangam essentially consists of some sAhitya portion
or textual lyrics. Usually there are two lines of what is called the pallavi followed by two lines
what is called the anupallavi followed by a swara pattern - a set of swaras. These swaras are
called Muktayi Swara

(Refer Slide Time: 08:06)

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So, the first part of the varnam, if you notice will have two lines of pallavi followed by two lines
of anupallavi. The pallavi lines normally are in the middle range of the octave. The anupallavi
goes up into the higher regions, the higher octave and it comes back and it merges into what is
called Muktayi Swara. And after the Muktayi Swara are sung, you go back to the pallavi, the first
part, the first line of the pallavi.

(Refer Slide Time: 09:08)

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This is the purvangam of the varnam. The uttarangam .... these are sung as separate parts
actually: there is a clear demarcation of these two portions of the varnam - purvangam and
uttarangam. Uttarangam starts usually with a single line of a single avartana what is called the
charanam, followed by three to five sets of swaras.

(Refer Slide Time: 09:49)

And these are in increasing Avartanas - usually the first swara is of one avartana, the second and
third may be of two avartanas, the fourth and if there is a fifth go into four avartanas. So if you
notice, if you go back and listen to the varnam or if you listen to the varnams that are to follow
that is the general pattern of the varnam, that is the general structure of a varnam.

Now if you look at the lyrics words of the varnam, of any varnam they are very simple lyrics. It
is almost as if there is - I am talking about the traditional varnam - there is a stock set of phrases
that are often found in many varnams. For instance, ninne kori or ninnu kori - this is one
especially found in many varnams. Marulu konnadira that is also an expression you find in
varnams, chalamela ra - don’t delay modichese ra - don’t make it so difficult for me.

(Refer Slide Time: 11:04)

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The mood of the lyrics, the text is usually is sringara or romantic. But almost invariably the
romance is directed at a deity; in this case the Varnam. in Saveri, the nayaka or hero of the piece,
to whom the song is addressed is Lord Venketeswara. It could be otherwise.. in many varnams,
it is the Tyagesa of Tiruvarur.... we have Venugopala, we can even have Kartikeya. So some
deity or the other is usually the nayaka or the hero of the piece and the song is as if it is the
heroine singing of her love and beseeching him, the deity, to favor her.
(Refer Slide Time: 12:20)

There are two kinds of varnams - what are called tana varnams and other is called the pada
varnams. Now pada varnam is a varnam that is usually cast in raktiraga or sung more slowly in
order to offer scope for dance.

228
So you see, since varnams always almost have sringara as their theme, it offers very good scope
for abhinaya, dance, in Bharatanatyam especially. Bharatanatyam as a dance form has evolved
simultaneously along with Carnatic music and many varnams are part of the repertoire of
Bharatanatyam dancers. Bharatanatyam being the south Indian dance form that has evolved in
Tamilnadu

Pada varnam are rendered at a more leisurely pace and very often the charana swaras - they have
they also have sahitya. They have text for the charana swaras also. So we have these two kinds
of varnam - pada vanam and tana varnam. What you hear in Carnatic music concerts is mostly
what is called tana varnam.

229
 Appreciating Carnatic Music
Prof. Lakshmi Sreeram
Indian Institute of Technology Madras

Lecture – 40
Varnam and its Presentation

Varnam is a very important compositional form because it is expected, and many traditional
varnams do fullfill this expectation, that a varnam should encapsulate all the major features of
that raga. So a varnam in Saveri or in Kalyani, it will incorporate all the major features of that
particular raga. So for instance (Singing Starts: 00:55) (Singing Ends: 01:07)

(Refer Slide Time: 00:46)

This is very characteristic of Saveri (Singing Starts: 01:12) (Singing Ends: 01:28). This actually
gives a very clear blue print of the raga as it were. How the raga, how the swaras are formed into
phrases, which note is emphasized; which is shaken and how. So the varnam offers a blue print
of a raga as it were. So it has... teachers emphasise the necessity, the need of learning and
internalizing many varnams in order to gain mastery over the Carnatic music.
So we have, on the one hand the importance of varnam because it showcases the raga in a
succinct and fairly exhaustive way. On the other hand, it is also important from the point of view
of laya, of tala. The varnam, traditional varnams are composed in such a way that we have
patterns of four’s and three’s and five’s.

230
If you remember we spoke about the Jathis. We can have patterns of four, we can have patterns
of three or five. Now varnam, the composition as such brings together many of these patterns in
an asesthetic way. For instance, you see (Singing Starts: 03:12) (Singing Ends: 03:19) so far is
four (Singing Starts: 03:21) (Singing Ends: 03:26) these are all fours (Singing Starts: 03:28)
(Singing Ends: 03:33).

So for it is all fours (Singing Starts: 03:36) (Singing Ends: 03:40) suddenly it goes into threes
(Singing Starts: 03:42) (Singing Ends: 03:26) so this is threes (Singing Starts: 04:06) (Singing
Ends: 04:16).

This is how these patterns are interwoven. The swaras, the lyrics are also brought together with
such patterns. And Carnatic music, the texture of Carnatic music is such that it is filled with
these patterns. There is a tightness to the structure of the texture of the Carnatic music. You have
very little relaxing of the laya, of the tala.
So if you have (Singing Starts: 04:53) (Singing Ends: 04:57). It has to go in that tempo - all the
words, the notes have to fall accurately and precisely where they supposed to fall. Now this is...
for instance if we take a look at Khayal in Hindustani music it is a very different musical form
because that kind of tightness is not there in Hindustani music.
If you have to sing a Khayal there is a certain amount of laxity or freedom there - you can call it
laxity or freedom - of how the words and the tala are woven together how the two are
juxtaposed. Here in Carnatic music there is a tightness and learning a varnam the proper way
gives you a good grounding in how that texture can be brought out.
Speaking of tala most varnams Tana varnams we find predominantly... they are in Adi talam.
There are also very important and some very great varnams composed in Ata talam. Ata tala is
one of the SUlAdi sapta talas.

(Refer Slide Time: 06:20)

231
Ata tala, Khanda ...Khanda Jathi ata tala. Ata tala will be “one two three four five six seven eight
nine ten eleven twelve thirteen fourteen” this is also a tala that is used in varnams and we have
some great traditional varnams in Ata tala. Now an interesting feature of Ata tala varnam is that
the eddupu where the composition starts is always here. There is one two on the third mAtra Ata
tala varnams always starts from the third mAtra and that eddupu is maintained.
Now varnams are compositions that offer great hope for, of course for realizing ragas’ potentials.
But it is there are some varnams which are also have very interesting and challenging swara
patterns. For instance this in Kalyani: this pattern is swara in Kalyani varnam ata talam. You see
how the swaras jump - there is lot of movement in this varnam. And it is very good varnam to
practice (Singing Starts: 08:06) (Singing Ends: 08:27)

So this is a Charana swara or a Etukada swara which is there in the ata tala varnam in Kalyani.
And no talk of varnams can be complete without the referring to, without mentioning Ata tala
varnam in Bhairavi.
Now this is composition on “Pachimiriam Adiyappa” who was the court poet in Maratha ruler in
Tanjavur in the eighteen century. He was, in fact, the guru of one of the Carnatic trinities of
Shama Sastri.

232
This varnam it starts in a very sedate way and builds up in a very good beautiful way and
rendition of this composition is here; you may listen (Singing Starts: 09:26) (Singing Ends:
10:16). This is the pallavi of this composition rest of it you can hear this link
(Refer Slide Time: 10:23)

Now a varnam - there is a certain way of presenting a varnam in concerts. That is quite unique to
the varnam. No other composition is presented the way the varnam is and the presentation fully
showcases the two parts of the varnam.
(Refer Slide Time: 10:55)

233
So a typical presentation of the varnam will follow this way first the pallavi is sung then the
anupallavi that normally together it will make four lines four avartaanas of the composition and
then the Mukthayi swara is sung.
After which you go back to the pallavi and sing it at twice the speed and then come back. finish
the entire thing finish the entire purvangam and come back to the pallavi and go back to the
original speed. And then the Charanam is normally sung at a very different unrelated speed very
often. But usually at a much faster speed and the Charanam swaras or the Etukada swarsas are
sung and the Charanam line is repeated each of the Etukada swaras.
Now actually traditionally there was another... for many of the varnams traditionally there is a
another sahitya line or text that follows all the Etukada swaras. That kind of provide a link back
to the Charanam line or sometimes the pallavi line.
But these days the way.... in contemporary Carnatic music the anubhandhas are almost always
not heard. So to demonstrate ....sometimes what happens, as an interesting exercise the Tishra
Nadai is also performed in varnams.
Let me just demonstrate a bit so Tishra Nadai is suppose is the same varnam. I will take it
“Sarasura” (Singing Starts: 12:49) (Singing Ends: 12:59) this is the first speed the second speed
(Singing Starts: 13:04) (Singing Ends: 13:16) so two avarthanas of the compostions will fit into
single avarthana tala.
So what in the first speed took two avarthanas to sing we will sing it in one avarthana in the
second speed. What happens in the Thisra Nadai is (Singing Starts: 13:36) (Singing Ends: 14:01)
So three lines of the text will be fitted into two avartanas.
What is happening actually threes are fitted into the what happens is “one two three four” “one
two three four” “one two three four” instead of that “one two three” “one two three” “one two
three” “one two three” (Singing Starts: 14:26) (Singing Ends: 14:28) instead of that “one two
three four” “one two three four” “one two three four” instead of that (Singing Starts: 14:32)
(Singing Ends: 14:28) “one two three” “one two three” one two three” “one two three” this is
what is happening when we do Tishra Nadai. So the song the composition remains the same but
we are fitting only three units into each mAtra. Where it is “one two three four” “one two three
four” we are fitting “one two three” “one two three” “one two three”. So the laya remains same
the tempo remains the same the song also remains the same. There is no tampering with the song
it is not that the syllable is elongated here or shortened here. The song is also intact the

234
avarthana is intact tempo is intact. But how the words are distributed within each matra that is
different. So this is actually what we are doing is Tishra Nadai tishra Gati. So that we are doing
a tishram of the varnam. This is something that in fact was also part of Dhrupad practice.
Dhrupad is a North Indian style of music and what is called tigun in Dhrupad and traditionally
Dhrupad composition was supposed to be rendered in dugun - twice the speed, tigun - thrice the
speed and chaugun - four times the speed of the original speed - that was part of the presentation
of Dhrupad. Nobody presents it like that these days - perhaps audiences have no taste for
rhythmic excitement.
But in Carnatic music, actually in Carnatic music tishram etc are more or less very rarely heard.
And this tishram also has the place in another kind of presentation called Ragam Talam Pallavi.
We will see when we come to it.
But varnam presentation - a varnam presentation is... essentially follows this way: that Pallavi
Anupallavi are sung, then the swaras are sung and then the whole poorvangam is repeated at
twice the speed. Sometimes the tishram is also performed and then we go to the Charanam that is
Uttarangam and the swaras are sung.

Sometimes we even perform a few Manodharma -Kalpana swaram. In varnam, as a rule,

manodharma elements do not find a place in varnam as a rule. But varnam do offer scope for the
Kalpana Swarams and we will now listen to presentation of a traditional varnam in Ritigowla.
This is in Ata talam and the musicians are Ramakrishna Murthy on the vocals RK Shriramkumar
playing the violin, Arun Prakash playing the Mridangam and Anirudh Athereya playing the
Kanjira.

So please listen to this varnam. (Music Starts: 18:08) (Music Ends: 27:14)

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 Appreciating Music
Prof. Lakshmi Sreeram
Indian Institute of Technology Madras

Lecture – 41
Kriti - The Premier Compositional form in Carnatic Music

We are talking of composition in Carnatic music. We have seen that there are two major
aspects to Carnatic music: one is the composition, the compositional aspect, the other is the
improvisational aspect Kalpita and Kalpana Sangeetham as they are called.

(Refer Slide Time: 00:39)

(Refer Slide Time: 0:47)

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There are many kinds of composition in Carnatic music. In the last two sessions we saw
Varnam, which is a major compositional form. We saw the structure of Varnam, its
presentation in concert, its importance in pedagogy. We will now talk about kriti.

(Refer Slide Time: 01:13)

Kriti is the premier compositional form in Carnatic music. It is premier because it is the most
prominent. Today, if you were to go to a Carnatic concert, this is what you would hear. In a
concert of say, two hours or so you are likely to hear seven to eight pieces most of which
would be kritis. Whether or not other compositional forms are presented, kriti is almost
always present in the Carnatic concert that is the case today.

But is it in conceivable that there should be a Carnatic concert without kritis? In other words,
can we conceive of the Carnatic concert without kritis? Certainly, we can. In fact, a century
or so ago, the bulk of a Carnatic concert was taken up by another presentational form called
Ragam Tanam Pallavi - this is something have referred to earlier. Kritis were very few and
far between in concerts that happened in the early parts of the twentieth century and before
that. It is only over the last seventy eighty years that kritis have come into the forefront and
Carnatic music is predominantly... it revolves around presentation of kritis. So in this sense it
is a premier compositional form. Now, what do we mean by talking of a compositional form?
What are the other compositional forms that kriti is different from?

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Now if I will just present you a short list of the various kinds of composition that you might
encounter in Carnatic music. We have already seen varnam. I am talking of Carnatic music
concerts, presentational compositions.

(Refer Slide Time: 3:39)

We have already seen varnam. We have kriti then we have a form called” Swarajati” we have
Padam, Javali, Tillana of course we have RTP Ragam Tanam Pallavi. If we were to take a
look at compositions in North. In North Indian classical music we have Khayal Dhrupad
Thumri, Tappa, Tarana, Trivat and so on. Now all these compositional forms have likely
evolved from older compositional forms.

We find references to a large variety of compositional forms in treatises like Natya Sastra,
Brihaddesi of eighth century and Sangitaratnakara. The description of one such compositional
form is ...I just quote this description it is from Brihaddesi. Here Matanga, the author of
Brihaddesi, describes a compositional form, a Prabandha called Shukachancu. Prabandha is
actually a compositional a very generic term for certain kind of composition.

(Refer Slide Time: 5:22)

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Now Sukachancu, according to Matanga, is like this. That Prabandha which is sung with raga
in the beginning along with ornaments and is next accompanied by tala well rendered with
solfa and recited with drum syllables and also containing passages of meaningful text in
various regional languages, this one has been declared to be Sukachancu, a favorite of people
everywhere.

This is the description of a compositional form that was prevalent about the eighth century.
And in many of these descriptions of compositional forms. In the description fo many fo
these compositional forms that we find in these texts, we can see seeds of contemporary
compositional forms.

And what we sing today, what we hear today is most likely evolved from those older forms
due to various factors: historical, cultural there have been influences from the world of dance,
the percussion, from literature. And we have a good number of compositional forms in
Carnatic music, among which today certainly kriti is preeminent.

Now what is it to talk of a compositional form? What is common to all these compositional
forms? What could be different? Now what is common is certainly that there is a textual
aspect, a lyrical aspect to it. There is a song definitely; the song could consist of meaningful
lyrics, meaningless syllables, sometimes swaras, sometimes percussive syllables. But there is
text to the composition.

(Refer Slide Time: 7:30)

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Almost all Carnatic composition have a text a lyric as I mentioned in previous in one of my
previous sessions. There is almost no Carnatic composition that does not have a textual
aspect to it.

(Refers Slide Time: 7:45)

So in this sense Carnatic music is heavily centered around the voice. Compositions are
basically meant to be sung. Any instrumental music draws from the vocal repertoire –
repertoire of these songs and presents it in the instrumental music around these compositions.

Now this is unlike, for instance, we all know Western classical music, has an enormous
number of musical compositions that is solely instrument centered. The compositions are
written for one or a large ensemble of instruments. Even in Hindustani music we have

240
compositions called Gat - Masitkhani and Razakhani Gats which are solely meant for
instruments. And Sitar players and Sarodiyas - they use these gats.

(Refer Slide Time: 9:04)

There is no textual aspect to these compositions. In Carnatic music, there is always a textual
aspect and this is called the Maathu. The textual aspect of a composition is called Maathu it is
contrasted with the Dhaathu which is the musical aspect.

Now this text, is always in all these compositional forms, is always set in a raga and in a tala
that is a common feature of all compositions in Carnatic music.

(Refer Slide Time: 9:20)

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We do have a small group of compositions which uses more than one raga. These
compositions are cast in a string of ragas as it were; these are called Ragamalikas - one raga
after another. And more rarely, we also have tala malikas, where are more than one tala is
also used within the same composition. But, by and large certainly the more serious
compositions are always cast in a single raga and in a single tala.

(Refer Slide Time: 10:07)

Then what makes for the difference between compositional forms? One is the content; the
lyrical content of the composition, the themes. We saw, for instance in Varnam, there is
always a romantic theme which is the romance very often directed at a deity, sometimes also
at the king or the patron but mostly at a deity.

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(Refer Slide Time: 10:52)

Now by contrast kriti - the kriti is always religious; it is always directed at a deity. Even when
abstract philosophical ideas have been propounded...as we shall see there are many
compositions in Carnatic music that propound abstract philosophical ideas especially of
Advaita Vedanta. Even when you have such a composition there is always reference to a
deity either Dakshinamurthy or Devi- some such appropriate deity.

(Refer Slide Time: 11:51)

And we have another set of compositions which I mentioned - Padam Javali. These are all
completely connected with Sringara or love or romance. And again Padams... we will talk
about these detail ....but Padam is sometimes. the love that is expressed in Padams is quite

243
often directed at Krishna. We will see one prominent composer of Padam. Kshetrayya - he
composed many compositions with “Muvva Gopala” as the deity. as the figure to whom the
love is directed.

Now Javali on the other hand is another composition form. There the Sringara the romance is
of much more earthly kind. So we have this kind of differences in theme the basic tone of the
text. There are differences amongst these compositional forms.

(Refer Slide Time: 13:03)

Next there is also the difference in the structural compositions. We saw how Varnam is a two
tiered structure with a clear demarcation between the Poorvangam and the Utharangam. And
how the presentation of the Varnam also is such that the two parts are shown separately and it
is quite clear that there are two parts to this composition.

Whereas a kriti or even a padam, though there are sections in these compositions, they are
presented as a whole. The sections are not separated out the way they are in varnam. A kriti
as we shall see is typically three tiered. There are three sections to a kriti. Padam has a
slightly different structure, so has Javali. Now Tillana, which is another form which we will
again see in detail. The textual content of tillana is filled with meaningless syllables often
drawn from the world of percussion and dance. (Singing Starts: 14:14) (Singing Ends: 16:14).

So these are some of the things that distinguish one compositional form from another. But
there is another, somewhat nebulous criterion, but important nevertheless - that is plotting
these compositional forms on a scale from heavy to light.

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A kriti is usually serious music. It is a heavy composition and among kritis we have some
better quite heavy, heavier than the others, grander than the others. But by and large a kriti is
not a light composition it is heavy, it is nuanced, it is musically complex.

So also a varnam; varnam is also musically complex. It is heavy music. Padam is even
heavier than a kriti or varnam. it is a very highly nuanced compositional form. Javali on the
other hand is quite light; it falls on the other end of the spectrum, it is a lighter piece, lighter
in the sense the it is not as heavily nuanced, it is not as filled in gamakas. So also tillana,
tillana is also generally regarded a lighter form.

It may not be always possible to apply this criterion in the case of every composition. But it
is to a large extent possible and it is pretty important criterion to talk about the differences
between these various compositional forms.

245
 Appreciating Carnatic Music
Prof. Lakshmi Sreeram
Indian Institute of Technology Madras

Lecture – 42
Kriti- Some Basic Features

Now I mentioned that there two aspects to all compositions in Carnatic music that is the dhAthu
and mAthu. DhAthu being the musical aspect and the mAthu being the lyrical the textual aspect.
Most compositions that are rendered in Carnatic music are composed by VAggeyakAras.

(Refer Slide Time: 00:51)

VAggeyakAra is ancient concept is an ancient phenomenon. And the word means vAg geya
kAra - that is a person who creates both the text and the music. VAk is the text of the words
geya is musical aspects kAra is the person who does it.

(Refer Slide Time: 01:13)

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So composers in Carnatic music are VAggeyakAras. They create both the musical and the
textual content. And the great VAggeyakAras, we believe, lyrics and music poured forth
spontaneously together - it is not as if they are they wrote out the poem and set out the music that
is not how we believe that these compositions are created. Oral tradition tells us that these
musicians these... and many of them are saints. The songs poured out of them spontaneously. We
do also have some compositions which... where we have the lyricist, a person who has written
the song and some musician setting it to music. There are compositions like that, but the bulk of
the core Carnatic compositions are creations of VAggeyakAras. So the lyrics and the music
were conceived and they came out together created simultaneously.
Kriti simply means that which is done. So it is interesting that such a generic term should apply
to a musical composition. In the North also Bandish is a similar term. Bandish is anything that is
tied in tAl. Compositions in Hindustani music are referred to by the generic term “Bandish”.
Another word is, for instance, “Khayal”. Khayal means thought ideas and it refers to kind of
composition in Hindustani music.

(Refer Slide Time: 03:44)

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It is interesting that a fairly general and completely non-musical word should refer to musical
composition

Now the general structure of kriti is three tiered –there are three sections to a kriti. The first,
which is which usually runs one or two Avartanas, that is called a pallavi. The second section
which is called the anupallavi may run to two to four lines. The charanam, the last section, it
may run to four to eight lines or more.
Now within this three tiered structure, there are some kritis which have more than one charanam
so there will be more sections than three. And there are kritis which have only two sections. So,
there is a lot of leeway, there is a lot of variation. But broadly, kriti, it can be safely said most
kritis are three tiered. That is the pallavi anupallavi and the charanam and how these three
sections are structured, how the musical setting happens – that... there is great divergence there
amongst the VAggeyakAras.
So Tyagaraja would have one way of structuring a kriti and one way of giving it a musical
setting. Dikshitar, another great VAggeyakAra, has a completely, quite different way of
structuring the composition as well as giving it a musical setting.

(Refer Slide Time: 05:46)

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A kriti in the raga Janaranjani Adi talam by Sanjay Subramaniam - you will see the lyrics
playing also and you can clearly see how the three sections of the kriti are rendered.
“Vidajaladura na manasu vinara” and for the sake of the music we say “na manasu” again. This
composition is in Telugu it is a Tyagaraja composition as I said.
(Music Starts: 06:15) (Music Ends: 09:41)

(Refer Slide Time: 9:50)

249
Now kriti, as I said, is always religious in theme and there are various shades of the religious
attitudes can be found in kriti, ranging from a simple, straight forward prayer to a deity to just
protect and show benevolence to show grace and right upto abstract ideas of pantheism or
Advaita Vedanta. So all shades of religious ideas are found in kritis and this kriti, in this kriti
Tyagaraja says that even though my mind is tossed about because of desire, I will not let go your
sacred feet “Vidajaladura”
So this is a typical kriti of Thyagaraja and we will see later on that there are other kinds of... he
has structured kritis in other ways too. And he has also composed other forms of compositions,
he has given his other compositional forms too. Now let us listen to another kriti this is a
composition of Muthusamy Dikshitar this is just to show how though, both of them have the
three-tier structure, still internally there is a great deal of difference. (Music Starts: 11:36) (Music
Ends: 16:15)

(Refer Slide Time: 16:17)

(Refer Slide Time: 16:25)

250
So as you could see the lyrics the text ...there is what is called a Chittaswaram in this kriti, where
there are swaras; swaras are set (Singing Starts: 16:34) (Singing Ends: 16:37) Tanakujam this is
from dance this is called Jatti (Singing Starts: 16:47) (Singing Ends: 17:02) and so on. So there is
... .swaras and jatis are woven together. And this is part of the kriti and even the kriti structure
itself is quite different when compared to a Tyagaraja kriti.

(refer slide time: 17:51)

251
There is also what is called the Madhyama Kala Sahityam where there is a textual passage which
is rendered at a faster, at twice the speed as the rest of the composition. (Singing Starts: 17:43)
(Singing Ends: 17:50). So this passage called the Madhyama Kala Sahityam is a twice the speed
compared to the rest of the composition. Now this is a typical stylistic feature of Dikshitar
compositions and there are many others which we will see when we talk in detail about these
vAggeyakaras.

The immediate purpose here is just to say though we speak of kriti as one compositional form,
there are many stylistic divergences within these. Broadly, yes, there are three sections to the
kriti - Pallavi Anupallavi and Charanam. But, as we will see later on also, there are considerable
variations, variety here.

252
 Appreciating Carnatic Music
Prof. Lakshmi Sreeram
Indian Institute of Technology Madras

Lecture – 43
Precursors to the Kriti

Now, there have been precursors to the kriti format the kriti form of composition. Carnatic music
as we know it today is largely it is defined by the work of the Mummoorthi or the Carnatic trinity
Tyagaraja, Muthuswami Dikshitar and Shyama Shastri. All three of them lived in the eighteenth
century and they received as legacy many other compositional forms... musical works of their
predecessors beginning from some of the oldest compositional forms that we have - the
Pashurams and the Tevarams

(Refer Slide Time: 01:16)

These are clearly and avowedly religious compositions. The pashurams of alwars are hymns in
praise of Vishnu while the tevarams are in praise of Siva. Let us listen to one of these Pasurams-
this is a very well known composition. Alwars are assigned from the fifth century onwards the
sixth century onwards and this composition that you will be hearing is of... is a composition of
Andal, part of a very famous set of compositions called Thiruppavai and Andal is believed to
have lived and sung in the eighth century.

253
What we have today... these compositions are sung in Carnatic concerts. But we do not have the
original music of these compositions. We have the text we have the song and these are set in
tunes. And in fact right up to just a little before whom I refer to as Tyagaraja Dikshitar and
Shyama Shastri right up to the eighteenth or seventeenth century. We have very few
compositions whose music has survived we do have a few but by and large the music of those
compositions is... is lost.

Now the compositions you are going to hear “Koodarai vellum seer Govindha” this is a
composition. It is a song written it is a poem written by sung by Andal. Andal was a devotee of
Vishnu and this is sung in Poori Kalyani. Now the set of Tiruppavai all these compositions was
set to tune by Ariyakudi Ramanuja Iyengar in the twentieth century in the first half of the
twentieth century. And these songs are mostly almost always sung only in these ragas as he set
them.

So let us listen to this and please see how you can ...what you think of the sections of the
composition. Whether you can make out sections to the composition.
(Music Starts: 04:03) (Music Ends: 06:43)

(Refer Slide Time: 06:45)

254
The song is sung without any sections. Even the song if you see it on the screen right now
“Koodarai vellum seer govindhaa undhaaniap paadip parai kondu yam perum sammanam” and
so on. There are no sections to the song - it is a set of eight lines. Most Pasurams run to eight
lines.

(Refer Slide Time: 07:25)

255
Now the interesting thing about this and this is legacy that is a part of Carnatic music even today
this is what is called the divitIyAkshara prAsha. PrAsha is alliteration - it is the repetition of
consonants - the repetition of the same syllable, the same sound which makes for poetical effect.

(Refer Slide Time: 07:45)

So when it is “Kankana kinkini noopura dhuni suni” here you have the “ka” and the “na” these
all prasa. These is a kind of figure of a poetic ornamentation prAsha.

(Refer Slide Time: 08:02)

256
Or lalita lavanga lataparisheelana komala malaya sameere - this is another very famous line from
Jayadeva’s Astapadi. So here the recurrence of “la” that is this is prAsha.

Now musical compositions obviously have to go easy on excessive verbal ornamentation

because then in that case music... it will be difficult to keep up certain level of the music. But
prAsha is very much a part of Carnatic music compositions.

(Refer Slide Time: 08:49)

As in this case as you will see the dwitiYyAkshara. DwitIya second akshara syllable the second
syllable of each line is the same sound.

(Refer Slide Time: 09:00)

257
In this case it is da the koodarai vellum the second line is paadi third line is naadu and the fourth
line is choodagame and so on.

(Refer Slide Time: 09:10)

This is a device that in tamil it is called “Etugai” and Carnatic compositions almost all of them
have this DwitIyAkshara Prasha..

258
(Refer Slide Time: 09:26)

To give another example this is another Thirupavai “Sittram siru kale vandhu unnai sevithu un
pottramarai adiye potrum porulkelaay” so here it is the syllable “Tra” almost which is made to
which is repeated in the second position in each line.

“Petrum meithunnum kulathil pirandhu nee kutrevel engalai kollamal pogadhu itrai paria
kolvaan andru kaan govindha etraikum ezh ezh piravikkum un thaanodu utrome aavom unake
naam atcheyvom matrai nam kamangal maatrelo rempavaai” so this Dwiteeyaksara prasa is a
legacy of the Tamil literary tradition which was adopted into Carnatic music by all composers
whether they composed in Telugu or Malayalam or Sanskrit or Tamil.
The significance of this DwitIyakshara prAsha as a device in composition is that it helps us
demarcate the sections of a composition. Now like a composition of thiruppavai that we just saw
it is the same syllable that is alliterated throughout and just suggest that there are no sections.
The whole set of eight lines is just one song it is just one section the song is not divided into
sections.
If we look at this other composition also fairly well known it is popularized by Srimathi M. S.
Subbulakshmi it is a composition of Annamachariya. (Music Starts: 11:30) (Music Ends: 13:48)

259
(Refer Slide Time: 13:52)

Annamachariya lived in the fifteenth century we look at this composition we see this “Nanati
brethuku natakamu kanaka kannadi kaivalyamu” so here you see the first two lines of the
DwitIyakshara prasha of “na” the second syllable of lines of the first section is “na”. Whereas the
first charanam but this as you see the different structure there is no pallavi anupallavi and
charanam. There is pallavi followed by charanams. This is a kind of composition called
Keerthana. It is also called pada.
There is the first charanam you see “puttutayu nijamu povutayu nijamu natta nadi mee pani
natakamu yetta neduta galadi prapanchamu katta katapatidi kaivalyamu” so here you see that
there is” ta” ta syllable which is which has prAsha. So that marks it out as another section. And
the second charanam you will see the prAsha is on “dha” and the third charanam it is on the
syllable “ga” is a ... recurs in the second position in each of these lines.
So this is the significance of the DwitIyAksharaprAsha. It helps in identifying sections in these
compositions, especially older compositions. Of course, the meanings of these lines would also
help in demarcating sections. But structurally also there is this feature of the
DwitIyAksharaprAsha.

(Refer Slide Time: 15:37)

260
So Annamaiyya, Annamacharya was an important vAggeyakAra. He lived in the fifteenth
century and he wrote, he sang songs on lord Venkateswara of Tirumala.
The legend has it that he composed one song everyday of his life. And there is a fascinating story
of how his compositions were discovered very recently after being stowed away in a chamber in
the Tirumala temple. And for almost four to five centuries nobody knew that though the oral
tradition maintained the story of a treasure of compositions by Annamacharya. The compositions
were not found until they were found a few decades ago. Annamacharya is an important
VAggeyakAra whose compositions have left a deep impact on Carnatic music.

(Refer Slide Time: 16:59)

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Another very important figure also of the fifteenth century was Purandaradasa whom I have
referred to earlier. Purandaradasa also has a fascinating story. He was a very successful
businessman and he was completely obsessed with material success and ... simply making
money. Because it was completely wrapped up in the idea of being a very successful
businessman until a life changing event is supposed to have happened and he completely he
spurned all his wealth and took a life of mendicancy.

(Refer Slide Time: 17:55)

262
He sang songs to his Purandara Vitthala the Vitthala of Purandara - all his compositions have
reference to this deity.

(Refer Slide Time: 18:10)

Purandaradasa’s contribution to Carnatic music has been enormous. Purandaradasa is regarded

the Sangeetha Pithamaha - that is the grand Sire of Carnatic music. Such has been his immense
contribution.

(Refer Slide Time: 18:25)

263
The beginners’ exercises that I have referred to earlier what is called the Abhyasa Ganam which
consists of a set of systematic exercises in the Mayamalavagowla scale.

(Refer Slide Time: 18:51)

These exercises which are called “Varisai” Sarali Varisai and Jantai Varisai and so on... these are
exercises that every beginner is exposed to. Every beginner is initiated into the music through
these exercises and these are not only very good for practice ...this is in fact called Abhyasa
Ganam which means practice exercises. But also they are very good pedagogical tool. These
exercises impart basic skills in understanding of fundamental ideas of Carnatic music. The
concept of Avartana for instance is very firmly imparted by these exercises, concept of patterns
of swaras. The Alankaras in the suladi sapta tala which also we seen earlier ...all these are
supposed to have been put in place by Purandaradasa. Geethams, small songs, simple songs they
have also been composed by Purandaradasa. “Sri Gananatha” - for instance in raga Malahari.
Every student of Carnatic music learns the song Sri Gananatha and Kunda Gowra then
Padumanabha. All these compositions in the raga Malahari. These also form the part of the
training of any Carnatic student. (Singing Starts: 20:24) (Singing Ends: 21:46)

264
Purandaradasa belongs squarely in the ...what is called the bakthi sampradhaya. He wandered
from place to place after a life transforming in experience. He gave up his worldly pursuits and
took to singing the glory of Purandara Vitthala. And he wandered from place to place singing of
the lord. His songs also contains social comments, social and religious reforms... ideas for social
and religious reforms. And like all bhakthi saints, he sang his songs ...there is both poetic content
and musical content. And Purandaradasa was obviously also very great musical mind and he has
so to say given us a foundation for Carnatic music in these exercises. So he is regarded has the
Sangeetha Pithamaha.

Now this composition of his very famous very popular very well known “Jagadoddharana
adisidale yashode” (Singing Starts: 23:08) (Singing Ends: 26:03)

Purandaradasa’s compositions -he is supposed to have penned innumerable many compositions.

Music of these has not survived and there is wide range of themes in his compositions. There is
of course the idea of singing the glory of the Purandara Vitthala that is there. That is the idea in
many of his compositions. He says he exhorts his own himself and others to sing to always utter
the lord name he says “nara janma bandaga nalige iruvaga Krishna ena barade” as long you have
human birth you have human birth you have a tongue why don’t you utter Krishna always.

This is all, as I mentioned, very clearly “Bakhthi Sampradaya” ideas. He has also talked about
...in the composition I referred to “Jagadoddharana” he says that Yashoda plays with Krishna he
who is “Jagadoddharana” he who is the refuge of the whole world of the whole universe, that
lord Yashoda plays with him “Anoraneeyana Mahatho Maheeyana” he is smaller than the
smallest of the atom “Mahatho Maheeyana”. He is greater than the greatest galaxy or greatest
universe. That Purandara Vitthala He who has manifested us Purandara Vitthala who is that
Krishna, Yashoda plays with him.
This is very as I said is a composition that this has been adopted to the Carnatic repertoire
dancers also like to. Dancers also use this composition to perform what is called Abhinaya or
Mime.

(Refer Slide Time: 28:38)

265
There are also ideas of social reform social comments as in this composition “dharama shravana
vitake murkhage karma anushtana vansega dhiruva durmargi etka brahmana janma”. (Music
Starts: 28:48) (Music Ends: 30:23)

(Refer Slide Time: 30:42)

266
He says what is the point of a lofty birth... of a birth in a high family if you are a fool! When you
are a fool what does a fool understand of dharma, of the high way of living. He says it is like
showing a lamp to a blind man. There is no point ...so also preaching dharma to a person who is
incapable of absorbing... even if he were to come from very high family very lofty family, there
is no point in talking of dharma to such person. So this such ideas is rich variety of ideas in his
compositions. His compositions are called Padas - Dasara Padas. Not only Purandaradasa there
were other saints belonging to the same tradition - they are called Dasakutas. And many of them
came up with beautiful compositions.

For instance “krishna nee begane baro” is another composition that has come from this tradition.
The composer is “Vyasarayya”. As I mentioned these compositions only have the text of these
compositions; we do not have the music. So later musicians, contemporary musicians set music
to these pieces. And in the case of some, a particular tune so closely associated with that song
that nobody would have dream of wanting it to set it in another kind of music in any other tune.
For instance “Jagadoddharana” or “krishna nee begane baro” Jagadoddharana is sung in Kapi
and it so closely associated with that song. So also “krishna nee begane baro” is in Yamuna
kalyani. it is not inconceivable and certainly not unacceptable if somebody were to set this
composition to some other music. But the association is so strong and these songs are so well
loved the way they are sung that in fact very few will think of tinkering with the music.

(Refer Slide Time: 33:17)

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Another great vAggeyakAra who left a great impact on Carnatic music particularly it is said on
Tyagaraja was Bhadrachala Ramadasa”. Bhadrachala Ramadasa lived in the seventeenth
centuries and he was actually a government official and he sang songs in praise of Rama at
Bhadrachala

(Refer Slide Time: 33:38)

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Now this is the composition of his text of his compositions “emayya rama brahmedra adulaku
naina nimaya teliya vashama shri rama” to look at the Dwiteeyaksara Prasa. And you can see
this charanam is very beautiful “sutudanucu dashrathadhu hitudancu sughrivudu atibalundanucu
kapulukistiniathudanucu bhupatulu kolicirigani patita pananudanucu matiteliyalreayiri”.

So here the prAsha on “ta” is very interestingly maintained. And the meaning of this song and
many of his compositions... all his compositions that are referred to ....here it is Rama, is it
possible for Indra, Brahma and other gods to comprehend your mysteries neemayateliya
vashama” it is possible of understand your mysterious ways.

The most striking and the most obvious is feature of all this krithis is the religious tone. Many of
these composers as I said Annamacharya, Purandaradasa, Bhadrachala Ramadasa are venerated
as saints... even Tyagaraja.

(Refer Slide Time: 35:21)

Krithi... the krithi form reached the zenith in the hands of... in the compositions of the trinity
Tyagaraja, Dikshitar and Shyama Shastri. And we will consider the work of these great
VAggeyakAras. How they received the legacy of the musical work of Tamil bhakti

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movement...Tamil bhakti composers - the Alwars the Nayanmars the tevarams, paasurams and
also the inherited legacy of compositions of Purandaradasa, Ramadasa and Anamacharya. We
will take a detailed look at the three composers and their compositions.

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 Appreciating Carnatic Music
Prof. Lakshmi Sreeram
Indian Institute of Technology Madras

Lecture -44
Bhaktiand and Carnatic Music:
(Metaphor Worldview and Yearning in Carnatic Compositions

(Music Starts: 00:20) (Music Ends: 02:52) “Rama ika nanu brova rAda dhaya ledha” This is
addressed to Sri Rama one of the most beloved deities of Hindu religion. The composer says:
Rama, can you not take care of me? can you not protect me? “nanu brova radha dhaya ledha” Do
you not have pity do you you not have compassion?
Now one of the most obvious features, most striking features of Carnatic music compositions is
their religions orientations.
Most of them as I said, especially the kriti which is the premier compositional form ... Kritis are
always addressed, they always refer to one or the other deity in the Hindu pantheon. So the
question naturally, immediately arises how necessary is a religious attitude to perform or enjoy
this music. If this music is art music classical music then surely its reach should be beyond a
certain religious community. But the compositions being so obviously and explicitly rooted in
the Hindu traditions, what of people outside these religions? How do they relate to this
compositions? Can a non-Hindu perform Carnatic music or enjoy it? They answer to it straight
away and very clearly is - yes and we have had performers from outside the Hindu fold. We
have had westerners seriously took Carnatic music and in our own back yard we have Muslim
families like the Sheik Chinna Moulana family, who, for generations have been very prominent
performers of Carnatic music of the Nadaswaram which is a traditional instrument. So the
Carnatic compositions are in devotion in content they are devotional. So what is the relation
between Carnatic compositions and Carnatic music and Hindu devotion?

Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer, one of the most influential, one of the most venerated musicians of
the previous generations, said that Bhakti or devotion is important in Carnatic music. But it is
Bhakti for the music - that is what it is important. Another great musician living legend as he is
called Professor V.V. Subramanian he said that... what is Bhakti? Bhakti stems from love
devotions stems from love and in the context of music this love is seeking...yearning after
mergence with sruthi, mergence with the raga, mergence with the composer and composers’

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mind so that we can bring out evocative music. That is what is Bhakti in the context of Carnatic
music. Even so, it is hard to ignore that as far as the content of the compositions go, it is
explicitly religious. So let us, in this session, explore the relationship between Carnatic music
and just try to understand what when we mean when we say Carnatic music compositions are
rooted in Bhakti...now this is something that we often hear it cannot be dismissed.

Compositions in Carnatic music especially the kritis, as I said, is is rooted in the larger ethos of
metaphysical structure forms a world view that draws from various strands of this complex entity
called Hinduism. Questions about human destiny about what is this life? What are we here for?
What is it purpose? The angst, the agony, the anxiety of our mortality and every human soul
seeking freedom, libration from the limitations imposed by this mortality. These are the
questions that every religion addresses and Hinduism also does it. But there is no single answer
or no single world view offered There are at least three strands that can be discerned in this
complex religion. We have the Vedic ritualism on one hand which emphasised discharge of
religious duties. What is “Nitya and Naimittika Karmas” and many other karmas. On this world
view, human life, the goal of the human life is seen as the proper discharge of duties religious
duties.
(Refer Slide Time: 09:41)

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Human being are seen has been under the debts; seen under certain debts - what are called runa
they are indebted to gods who give them life who give them food water air everything. They are
indebted to the fathers and forefathers is called pithru runa. And they are indebted to their
Acharya the teacher. And human being’s life is properly lived when he discharges his debts to
these three beings.

And then we have the quiescence, the Upanishadic stance which advocates meditating, to
withdrawing into one self. Seeking truth by withdrawing from worldly pursuits. Now besides
these two there is a third and very powerful strand of Hinduism which is the Bhakti strand - the
Bhakti way, the way of Bhakti. this we find in our Puranas and, more joyfully, in the songs of
hundreds of Bhakti poets that we have had in this country from about the fifth century till about
the sixteenth or seventeenth centuries... even later.

So what is this Bhakti movement as it is called? The Bhakti movement originated in Tamilnadu,
in the outpouring the devotional outpourings of the Alvars who sang of their love for Vishnu
followed by the outpourings by Shiva devotees in the Tevarams. And soon, this spread across
the country.
(Refer Slide Time: 11:31)

And we have many Bhakti saints. We have the Dasakutas and the Veerashaivas from Karnataka.
We have Meerabai, Tulasidas, Surdas, Kabirdas, we have Chaitanya Mahaprabhu ...many many

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Bhakti poets all of them singing of their love for Krishna or Rama or Devi or Shiva in their
regional languages. Sanskrit was set side. They sang easily of their love just as they would sing
or they would talk to their mother or father.

Bhakti is a movement with great diversity in it. But once feature certainly is that it is the
individual seeking a direct relationship with God. The Bhakti poets, all of them, have very little
use for ritualism, for outward religious symbols, paraphernalia, and in their place an intense love
for the God intense love for Krishna or Rama. And singing to them as if they were as if Rama or
Krishna was their father.
(Refer Slide Time: 13:44)

That is the essence of Bhakti, the Bhakti voice. They seek the lord on their own terms – passion,
love even defiance is seen in the poems of these bhakti-s Bhakti poets... Bhakti saints. It is the
individual seeking the Lord. Which is why we find invariably that these song have the signature
of the bhakta. The Bhakti poets leave their signatures in their poems. What is called Ankita or
Mudra so Meera says “meera kahe” in all padas.
Kabir say “dass kabir or kehath kabir suno bhai saadho” Annamacharya uses the name of his
Lord as his signature “venketeswara”. Purandaradasa uses”purandara vittala” as his Ankitha in

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all of his padas “purandara vittala” is used. We will see Carnatic composers also use this ankita
or mudra and this they incorporate as the signature in their compositions.
Bhakti has no use for the rituals and their formalism nor for the queiscence or withdrawal the
Upanishads preach; instead Bhakti saints sing of their tumultuous love for god.
They sing to him, they speak to him, they cajole him, they plead with him, they will chastise him
they even show their anger their disappointment, even at times sarcasm. The Bhakti movement,
as it is called, has suffused the Indian ethos, the Indian mind, the Indian psyche. It has left a deep
impact certainly on the performing arts, on the literary arts as well. Now there were radical ideas
in the Bhakti movement. They questioned prevailing religious mores, religious practices that
emphasised outward expression, outward symbolism. They also criticized social mores and
many of them explicitly rejected the caste system.
(Refer Slide Time: 16:39)

So any bhakti, whether whatever the gender or caste or creed, if he or she loves the lord then he
or she is a brother and a sister. So this kind of social radicalism is also seen in many Bhakti
poetry.
Now where does Carnatic music stand vis-à-vis this tradition? I am going to play a composition
for you. It is a Tamil composition composed by Gopalakrishna Bharathi who lived in the 19th
century.

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He was a younger contemporary of the Carnatic trinity and it is believed that he and Tyagaraja
had a meeting and there were some exchanges of musical ideas. So, he chronologically or in
terms of stature as a composer he comes next, he comes after the trinity, certainly. But I want to
play this composition of his before going on to talk about the trinity in our next sessions.
Because this composition very clearly is rooted in the Bhakti ethos Bhakti traditions as I have
outlined it. Certain features of Bhakti sampradaya are very clearly in this compositions.
Gopalakrishna Bharathi compositions are very poignant. They are very nuanced compositions.
And this composition goes like this
(Refer Slide Time: 18:58)

“Vazhi maraitirukude malai pOLE oru mADu paDuthirukkudE pAvi parayan inda Uril vandum
enna pAvam rlrEnO pAdathil sErEno pAdarril nindru dharisithal podum koyil vara mattene
oradi vilaginal podum inge nindru utru parka chatre agilum vilagadho undan madu”. The
translation is there for you to read let us listen to the composition and then we will discuss it.
(Music Starts: 19:32) (Music Ends: 34:07)

So this composition is part of a larger... of what is called a musical play. It is a larger work
called “Nandanar Charithram”. Nandanar or Nandan was a Shiva devotee and he belong to a
very low caste, who traditionally could not enter temples. And yet he was a devotee and he

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yearned for a glimpse of the lord at the temple in Chidambaram - the Nataraja the Siva...
Sivalingam at Chidambaram.
And this composition describes his sheer frustration that I, against many odds, have come to this
town of yours and yet am I to be denied darshan am I to be denied a glimpse of you? This huge
bull that lying in the way - the bull of course is Nandi Nandi is the vahana or the vehicle of lord
Shiva, and in every Shiva temple just right before the sanctum of the lord, we have the Nandi.
And Nandan says that this is in the way and I cannot see you. would not your bull move just a
little so that I can get glimpse of you. So here you have clear elements of the bhakti tradition.
And many bhakti poets were in fact from the lower caste who sought direct communion with the
lord. And Nandan is yearning for this for the darshan of lord Shiva.

Now Carnatic compositions are situated in the multihued Hindu religious tradition and certainly
bhakti is a strong presence in this tradition. We find recurrent, metaphorical allusions to the
“Samsara Sagara” the oceanic tumult of worldly existence. We find ideas of world weariness of
seeking release from the cycle of birth and death.
We find ideas of the Lord or God being a master puppeteer, who has his own idea of play what is
called leela. It is a play for him and we are all actors in this play of his. Such ideas are all very
much part of the Hindu metaphysical world view. And these are all reflected in Carnatic
compositions. The idea of God as being the protector, creator of course, protector God as being
mother and father.
Interestingly the idea of bridal mysticism where god is seen as the beloved and the devotttee the
bride - that is not found in Carnatic compositions. For instance if you look at this song again
from the Alvars - a pashuram from Andal.
(Refer Slide Time: 38:51)

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“vanidai valum av vanavarku maraiavar vezhviyil vagutta avi kanidait tirivadhor nari pugundhu
kadapadam oppadum ceyva oppa” and so on. The meaning of which: Andal says Andal is the
bride she says she is the Lord Ranganatha’s bride and she will unite with none other than him.
This is bridal mysticism at its most passionate and most explicit. She says just as the sacrificial
offering that is made for the gods may not be touched by a fox.

So also this body of mine is meant for Ranganatha and no mortal can even dream of touching it.
And if there is even the merest talk of mebeing wedded to a mortal I will surely die. Now this is
as I said bridal mysticism. We find bridal mysticism in the song of VeeraShaiva poets, of Meera
Kabir and many others. Now this not found in Carnatic compositions. Though there is a teasing
suggestion of it in this composition by Tyagaraja the lyrics are here “Cheraravademira ramaiya”
why do not you unite with me (Music Starts: 40:57) (Music Ends: 42:24)
(Refer Slide Time: 41:51)

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Though he seems to refer to idea of bridal mysticism, it is quite different from the Andal
Pasuram that I just discussed. Why you don’t you think about how the two are different and this
is an exercise for you. How the two compositions are different and how they are similar?
We find some radical questioning of social mores as I said before in bhakti poetry. For example
in this composition by Basavanna of which I am showing a translation. Basavanna was a Veera
Shaiva poet and he is here making fun of, questioning the practice of offering sacrifice as a part
of the religious ritual.
(Refer Slide Time: 43:29)

He says the sacrificial lamb brought for the festival ate up the leaves brought for the decorations
not knowing a thing about the kill it only wants to fill its belly born that day to die that day. But

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tell me, did the killer survive a lord of the meeting rivers “Kudala sangama deva” was the ankita
or the signature of Basavanna who was a leading poet in the Veera Shaiva tradition.
(Refer Slide Time: 44:14)

Again Kabir says this “sar mundathe hari mile tho har koyee le mudai. baar baar ke mundathe
bheda na baikuntha jaaye.” So this again, this religious practice of shaving the head. What is
achieved by shaving your head? If you will find your god then how about the sheep surely the
sheep should have found Vaikunt, the Lord, long before anybody else? Now this sort of radical
questioning we do not find in Carnatic compositions though these are very much part of the
Bhakti tradition. As the Bhakti movement Bhakti poetry as we know it.

So Carnatic composers draw from the bhakti traditions and the other aspects of, other strands of
the Hindu religion to varying degrees. If we speak of the Carnatic trinity - Tyagaraja,
Muthusamy Dikshitar and Shyama Sastri, Tyagaraja is perhaps closest to the Bhakti movement
as I have discussed just a little while ago. He sings to his Rama in various moods and we will
see this later in our next session when we take up Tyagaraja in some detail.
Shyama Sastri, from the literary point of view, his lyrics are very simple, bare almost. He seems
to draw from a set of stock phrases and the sentiments expressed are very simple, very straight
forward. The music is that much more sophisticated. The lyrics are kept to the bare, the
minimum and very simple lyrics. But the music scales great heights. Now Muthuswamy
Dikshitar is perhaps the farthest from the bhakti tradition.

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He was no doubt a devout person but not... his compositions do not belong in the bhakti
tradition. There is complete absence of passion, of expression of passion. Dikshitar’s
compositions are rooted more in the abstract philosophical realms of Advaita and Srividya
worship both of which are esoteric and deeply spiritual rather than passionately devotional.
There is little expression of passion and love that is the hallmark of bhakti poetry. His
compositions have an aloof grandeur about it.
The trinity and the other composers - the trinity especially are not the trinity because of the
devotional content in their compositions , because of their affiliations with the Hindu religion.
These were great musical minds. And the coming together of music with strong lyrics strong
sahitya - that is what has given them the stature of being the trinity of Carnatic music.
Now I will end this session with this link to a composition, a grand composition by Shyama
Shastri. This is in the raga Bhairavi and this is not a kriti, this is called a swarajathi. You can try
and see what the structure of the composition is by listening to it. Here, as I said, it is in the raga
Bhairavi. Bhairavi is one of the very old ragas and it is immensely... it is a rakti raga. It can
evoke so many moods and lends itself to so much elaboration and such evocative music and this
composition is by... it brings out Bhairavi very powerfully.
(Refer Slide Time: 49:31)

The composition is in praise of, the composition is addressed to Kamakshi Devi. Kamakshi the
goddess Kamakshi of Kanchipuram. (Singing Starts: 49:46) (Singing Ends: 51:42) The

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composition, as I said is addressed to Kanchi Kamakshi, Kamakshi of Kanchipuram. The
Nayika of this composition, the heroine of this piece, in my opinion is Bhairavi. Kamakshi is of
course there she is the source of everything but the heroine of this piece is the raga Bhairavi.
And that in my opinion is....the opinion of not just me but most Carnatic performers is where
bhakti and religion stands vis-à-vis Carnatic music.

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 Appreciating Carnatic Music
Prof. Lakshmi Sreeram
Indian Institute of Technology Madras

Lecture -45
Tanjore and the Carnatic Trinity

(Singing Starts: 00:22) (Singing Ends: 00:46)

(Refer Slide Time: 00:24)

(Refer Slide Time: 00:35)

(Refer Slide Time: 00:38)

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This is the temple of Tyagesha or Tyagaraja at Tiruvarur. Tiruvarur is a very ancient and sacred
temple town in Tamil Nadu. The Tyagaraja temple at Tiruvarur is one of the “Patal Petra
Sthalam”
(Refer Slide Time: 01:15)

It is one of the temples, a very ancient temple on which songs have been sung “Padal Ptra
Sthalam”. The songs padal here referring to the hymns, devotional hymns that were sung by the
Shaiva devotees what are called Tevaram. The Tevaram you just heard “Piththa piraichudi
perumane arulala” this is a Tevaram composed, sung by one of the foremost among the Shaiva
devotees Sudaramurthy or Sundarar as he is called.

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Sundarar lived in Tiruvarur. Tiruvarur and its environs ... Tiruvarur and its neighboring areas
have for centuries seen the flourishing of music dance and many other arts. Just about sixty
kilometers from Tiruvarur is the ancient town of Thanjavur. Tanjavur is a famous temple town in
South India and it houses the incredible Brihadeeswarar Temple. Brihadeeswarar temple which
is a world heritage monument according to UNESCO.

Now, in fact, Brihadeeswarar temple has an inscription detailing the number of dancers and
musicians that were attached to the temple. Tanjavur has been the capital of, the political capital
of many dynasties that ruled South India. Beginning with Chozhas and Pandayas and later
Nayakas of the Vijayanagara empire. And then still later the Marathas kings - all of them, all
these dynasties which ruled Tamil Nadu and other areas neighboring states - all these dynasties
had Tanjavur as their capital.

Tanjavur was not only a political center, it is also a cultural, religious centre. And Tanjavur is a
fertile land with the Cauvery coursing through it. And when you have prosperity, the arts also
flourish. So it is that all these, many of these dynasties that ruled from Tanjavur have been
liberal patrons of arts, beginning with music and dance.
(Refer Slide Time: 04:34)

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Raghunatha Nayaka, in the seventeenth century, a Nayaka ruler, was himself a musician and he
wrote a very significant Lakshna Grantha - musicological treaties - called Sangeethasudha. Later
on, in the later part of seventeenth century the Maratha rule was established. And King Shahaji
has left behind many many compositions. He was a prolific composer and he composed many
genres. He was much interested in dance and his successors and all his successor Maratha king
were also liberal patrons of music and dance.
(Refer Slide Time: 05:42)

And King Sarabhoji II - his contribution is particularly significant in that he built, he envisioned
and built the “Saraswati Mahal Library” which is still in Tanjavur.
(Refer Slide Time: 05:50)

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The Saraswathi Mahal Library houses rare manuscripts on varied subjects like Music Dance
Jotish or Astrology, Ayurveda Silpa shastra and what have you.
(Refer Slide Time: 05:54)

So it is a treasure house really. Under such munificent political patronage music and dance
flourished and so did the other arts. Tanjavur and Tiruvarur and many surrounding areas
produced many musicians for centuries. So much so that there is a saying that unless you are
born in or near Tanjavur and have drunk the sacred water of Cauvery you cannot be a Carnatic
musician. That is obviously a gross exaggeration and certainly not true.
(Refer Slide Time: 07:18)

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But it only indicates the centrality the Tanjavur had in the evolution of Carnatic music. The
Carnatic trinity or the Mummoorthy as they are called – Tyagaraja, Muthuswami Diskhitar and
Shyama Shastri all of them were born in Tiruvarur. Though only Dikshitar lived here any length
of time, they were all born in Tiruvarur. Before the trinity many a musician had left a mark;
besides the devotional outpouring of the Shaiva and Vaishnava devotees that we have spoken
earlier.
(Refer Slide Time: 07:59)

We have had musicians like Arunachalakavirayar, Oothukadu Venkatasubbiaiyar, Marimutha

Pillai, Muthu Tandavar and others who composed in Tamil and others like Narayana Teertha

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who all lived in Tanjavur and Tiruvarur and nearby places enriching the musical atmosphere.
Now besides these musicians there were also other traditions of music notably the “Bhajana
Sampradhaya”.
(Refer Slide Time: 08:24)

Nama Sankeerthanam established by Sridhara Aiyaval and ... this nama sankeerthanam tradition
was inspired, grew from the Marathi bhajan sampradaya tradition. There was also the Melattur
Bhagavatha Mela tradition. All these factors so many musicians and so many musical traditions
all of them contributed to very very musically surcharged environment in Tanjavur. And
Tiruvarur and neighboring areas. Tanjavur was a region is shot through music and more music.

When we speak of the Carnatic trinity we always mentione them in this order -Tyagaraja
Diskshitar and Syama Sastri.. Tyagaraja was not oldest among these and he was not the
youngest. Shyama Shastri chronologically comes first, Dikshitar comes last. But it is Tyagaraja
who we always mentione first and it is worth while pondering over why. There can be many
answers proferred.
Another question which is also valid is why only these three. There were good great composers
before these three and after these three. And why is it that these three are grouped together as the
Carnatic trinity? There is no doubt that there is certain privileging of their compositions. And

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every Carnatic musician aspires to internalize their compositions and compositions of the trinity
really are seen as the bedrock of the Carnatic music.
Now why this is so? It is an important question it cannot be easily answered. But I here offere
some ideas some of my own ideas. One is that of course their output - they were very good
musicians, they were great musical minds. And they did not compose ten or fifteen compositions
they composed many many compositions. Tyagaraja has left - what we have received -
Tyagaraja’s compositions run to about between 700 to 800.
Of Dikshitar we have 500 to 600 compositions. Shyama Shastri - we have very few we have only
80. Though he is reputed to have composed three hundred, only 80 are in circulation because
these compositions had to be passed from generation to generations from teacher to student. And
only some compositions got preserved this way. So by sheer numbers their output is significant.
Musically, of course, they are of high order. And within the compositions that each composed...
So if Tyagaraja his compositions have come down to a few hundred there is great, considerable
diversity within this corpus. So it is not as if all of Tyagaraja’s compositions are alike which is
the case with some other composers. Again, with Dikshitar and Shyama Shasthri within their
compositions the corpsus of their own compositions there is some diversity. And perhaps what is
most important is that the literary and the musical sensibilities of these three composers
vaggeyakaras is what we should be saying - they were vAggeyakaras ...the musical and the
literary sensibilities, their styles, are very different. There is a whole gamut here and within this
gamut many other composers can be fitted. So it is that the three are identified has the
Mummoorthy. In fact, many later composers consciously and unconsciously modeled their
compositions after one or the other of these three vaggeyakaras.
(Refer Slide Time: 13:40)

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291
 Appreciating Carnatic Music
Prof. Lakshmi Sreeram
Indian Institute of Technology, Madras

Lecture – 46
Tyagaraja, the vaggeyakara

(Refer Slide Time: 00:31)

Tyagaraja was born, as I said in Tiruvarur and he was named after the presiding deity there -
Tyagaraja. Tyagaraja is the name of the presiding deity, actually it is Siva, Lord Siva, who is
manifested there as Tyagaraja. Tyagaraja meaning the king of renunciates.

(Refer Slide Time: 00:59)

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But Tyagaraja, the Vaggeyakara sang extensively on Sri Rama. Sri Rama was his ishta devatha.
Rama who is regarded as the seventh incarnation of Lord Vishnu, whose story is celebrated in
the Ramayana which has been rewritten in various regional languages and which is the source of
endless stories and recreations and songs, myths and architecture.

Sri Rama was his ishta devatha, that is his chosen god. And this is, the luxury that you have in
Hinduism, that though there is pantheon of gods, it is up to the individual to choose, which god
he wants to worship.
Now the freedom to choose arises from the basic conviction that, though we speak of various
forms of god, there is ultimately one, “Ekam Sat Vipraah Bahudhaa Vadanti “this is something
that is found in the Vedas. So, it is ultimately one principle, which we speak of as manifested in
various forms.
So, Tyagaraja’s ishta devatha was Sri Rama. He composed extensively on Rama, speaking to
Rama, complaining to him, beseeching him, in various moods, describing him. Tyagaraja, when
he was young, he was tutored in Telugu and Sanskrit by his father. Musical education was first
by way of listening to his mother’s song. It is said that, she used to sing songs of Purandaradasa,
Badhrachala Ramadasa, Annamaiya and that was the kind of musical exposure that Tyagaraja
had.
(Refer Slide Time: 03:12)

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Later on, he did undergo formal training under “Sonti Venkata Subbier” who was a court
musician at Tanjavur. Though Tyagaraja was born in Tiruvarur, the family shifted to Tiruvaiyaru
which is a smaller town, almost a village near Tiruvarur. Tiruvaiyaru, the word the name itself
contains a reference to five rivers of which Cauvery is one.
(Refer Slide Time: 03:48)

And Tyagaraja lived in Tiruvaiyaru for most of his life. He made just one pilgrimage, but
otherwise, he lived most of his life in Tiruvaiyaru. Tyagaraja’s family was originally a Telugu
family, what is called the Kakarla sect, and for few generations they have settled in a nearby
Tanjavur and Tiruvarur and finally in Thirvaiyaru.

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(Refer Slide Time: 04:24)

And he composed mostly in Telugu and a few compositions also in Sanskrit. His, as I said most
of his compositions are in praise of, have reference to to lord Rama. But he also composed on
other deities like Lord Shiva, the goddess, Karthikeya, Krishna and other deities.

The most striking feature of Tyagaraja’s output is the sheer variety.

(Refer Slide Time: 05:02)

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He has composed in a variety of ragas “Ghana Naya Deshya Ragas”. He has composed in
Melakarta ragas, Vivadi ragas. Talas also, he has a great variety in the layas, he has slower
compositions, faster compositions. The textual content, in terms of the meaning, we have a lot of
moods that you can see in Tyagaraja’s compositions. For instance, if you just take a raga Thodi,
he has composed about two dozen kritis in Thodi raga and each of them different from the other.
The kritis’ movement is different, the beginning is different, the moods are different.

In Kalyani he has composed about the twenty, so also in Sankarabaranam. So this sort of variety
really marks Tyagaraja out. In a short while, we take a look at the various moods and themes that
you find in Tyagarajas compositions.
(Refer Slide Time: 06:29)

But, in general the structure of these compositions follows the Pallavi, Anupallavi, Charanam
format. Quite often there are multiple charanams and the ankita, that he uses, the signature is
Tyagaraja.
(Refer Slide Time: 06:45)

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In every composition of his you have... his signature is included Tyagaraja in a meaningful way
of course. He says, the Tyagaraja says this, or Tyagaraja worships you and so on.
(Refer Slide Time: 07:16)

One important contribution of Tyagaraja’s work is what is called Sangati. Now Sangati is
actually variation of a line of the composition. (Singing Starts: 07:24) (Singing Ends: 07:38)
(Refer Slide Time: 07:28)

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This is the pallavi of a very beautiful composition in the raga Huseini and Rupaka talam. The
pallavi says that the “Raghuveera ranadheera ra ra rajakumara”. All this “ragu veera rana dheera”
all addressing Rama, rajakumara also addressing Rama. Tyagaraja is asking him to come “ra
ra”. The line goes like this the first line goes like this (Singing Starts: 08:06) (Singing Ends:
08:20) the same line is sung with some variation (Singing Starts: 08:24) (Singing Ends: 08:50) so
I just sung just one extra... one sangati.
The initial setting of the pallavi line is in a certain way, there are gentle variations introduced in a
step by step way, in order to bring out the mood of the line. Let us watch Professor V.V.
Subramaniam, teaching this song and you can see how the Sangatis are being taught and how the
variations are slowly built up
(Video Starts: 09:30) (Video Ends: 19:44)
(Refer Slide Time: 19:45)

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299
 Appreciating Carnatic Music
Prof. Lakshmi Sreeram
Indian Institute of Technology Madras

Lecture – 47
Tyagaraja- His many moods

Between seven hundred and eight hundred of Tyagaraja’s compositions have come down to us.
And they have come through what is called “Shishya Parampara”. Sishya means student
Parampara here means lineage. So Tyagaraja had his students who learnt his compositions; they
in turn had students who in turn had students - so through an oral tradition his composition have
come down to us.

There have been an attempts to preserve his compositions in the written in written mode as well.
But the primary way that the compositions have come down to us is the oral transmission, is
through oral transmission. Even today many musicians worth his or her salt traces back his or her
lineage to Tyagaraja or sometimes Dikshatar.

Now Thyagaraja sang on many themes; there are many moods that we can find in Tyagaraja’s
compositions. In this session I will try to take a few of these themes. We will look at some his
compositions and this will hopefully urge you to take a look at many of his other compositions
that are available very easily on the internet.

Tyagaraja talks to Rama he beseeches him. He even sometimes rebukes him gently; he sings in
joy and he sings in despondency; he speaks of music he sings of music itself, the power of music.
And then he speaks of bhakti – devotion. What is the true nature of bhakti? And he sings of
charlatans those who run a charade of devotion or of musicianship. So there are many varied
voices that we find in Tyagaraja. And in this session, I will just have a small selection of songs
with these varied themes.

So first of all who was Tyagaraja’s Rama? Of course it was the Rama of Ramayana as
envisioned as we find Rama’s story as has told by Valmiki in the Ramayana and in many of his
songs there are references to various episodes from the Ramayana. And suddenly there are many
beautiful metaphors that you can find sprinkled here and there. For instance he call Rama “sat
chitta shayi” that is he who reclines... he who reclines in the good person heart.

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(Refer Slide Time: 03:54)

Another very famous song he starts by addressing Rama as “Sujana jeevana”. (Music Starts:
04:04) (Music Ends: 05:55)

(Refer Slide Time: 05:56)

“Sujana jeevana” he says you are the life of sujana. Sujana means a good person; anyone who is
good person - of that person you are the life. And we come across many such epithets in his

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compositions. A very common theme in his compositions are simply singing the glory of Rama
of his beauty, of his deeds, of his episodes of Ramayana always with a personal angle to it.

(Refer Slide Time: 6:43)

In his composition in the raga “Madyamavati”. (Music Starts: 06:49) (Music Ends: 08:18) In this
composition Tyagaraja speaks of some of Rama’s feats for instance like meeting King Janaka’s
challenge by lifting the bow of lord Shiva and other such episodes. And what Tyagaraja says is
that the hair locks of Rama as they were playing on his face the sheer beauty of that sight -
Tyagaraja says Sage Viswamithra who was with Rama during all these episodes, Tyagaraja says
how he must have relished the sight of those locks caressing lord Rama’s face as he performs
these feat.... This kind of poetic take on describing Rama are very frequently found in his kritiS.
And in a many kritis he speaks to Rama he asks him why he will not show compassion? Why he
will not show grace? Why he will not grant him what he seeks?

(Refer Slide Time: 9:52)

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In this composition in the raga Jayanthasri he says “Maru gelara oh raghava” why is there the
screen in between you and me? Why am I not one with you? Why is that there is the screen?
“maru gelara chara chara rupa paratpara surya sudhakara lochana anni niva nuchu anta
rangamuna tinnaga vetagi telusukuntinaiya ninna gaani madine ninna jalanorula nannu brovu
vaiya Tyagaraja nuta”.
So here he is beseeching Rama to lift that veil that separates the devotee and the god. (Music
Starts: 10:49) (Music Ends: 12:19).
And there are many compositions that simply describe the joy of worshiping Rama, the joy of
doing pooja, the actual process of doing pooja. Tyagaraja has many compositions which
describe this. For instance, he says in the composition heard before in this course “Tulasi bilva
mallikadi jalajasumamula pujalagaikonave” that is this my pooja duo I am offering these flowers
thulasi bilva mallika the lotus please accept these offering of mine. (Music Starts: 13:04) (Music
Ends: 14:06)
And one of Tyagaraja’s very favourite themes is theme of bhakthi devotion. In many
compositions actually he asks that he be given that bhakthi. Bhakthi is also something that is a
Lord’s grace. So if you have bhakthi that is a gift and Tyagaraja asks for that gift.
He says that “Bhakthi bikshamiyave saatvika bhakthi bikshamiyave bhakthi” it is something that
you give he is begging. Bhiksha is something that you beg for. He is saying that I am begging
you to give me bhakthi and not any bhakthi “Saatvika bhakthi”. (Music Starts: 15:02) (Music
Ends: 16:56)

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(Refer Slide Time: 15:00)

(Refer Slide Time: 17:09)

In another well known composition of his he says that “Teliyaleru rama bhakthi margamunu”.
We don’t know the path of devotion; we roam around here and there without being aware of the
path of devotion. People go through the motions. They have the ritual baths, they where religious
symbols. But where is bhakthi in all those? “Teliyaleru rama bhakthi margamunu” (Music
Starts: 17: 29) (Music Ends: 19:33)

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(Refer Slide Time: 19:44)

And in this gem of a composition he says, he talks of the sheer bliss of bhakthi of Rama bhakthi.
He says “Rama bhakthi samrajyam” this empire Samrajya of Rama bhakthi is something that if
you attain it there is no bliss equal to it. And it is something that you cannot describe it is
something that is for you to experience. He says “ilagane vivarimpalenu cala svanu bhava
vidhyame” it is not possible to describe it this way or that way - it is a matter of “Svanubhava”.
(Music Starts: 20:24) (Music Ends: 21:33)

He asks Rama for bhakthi, he asks Rama for wisdom, for buddhi. He says why won’t you give
me the wisdom that the great man have had? “enduku peddalavale buddhi iyyavu endhu poddu
nayya ramayya! veda sastra tatvartamulu telisi bheda rahita vedantamulu telisi nada vidya
marmabulanu telisi natha Tyagaraja nuta nijamuga enduku peddala vale buddhi iyyavu”. Why do
not you give me the wisdom that great men have had? (Music Starts: 22:29) (Music Ends: 25:07)

And a remarkable set of compositions Tyagaraja has left behind are on music itself - the power
of music, the power of notes. In many of his compositions, he refers to, he uses the word “NAda”
Nada yoga, Nada vidhya, Nadopasana the worship of Nada musical sound. Nada yoga
Nadopasana is a means of liberation of music through sound.

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(Refer Slide Time: 25:59)

And many of his beautiful compositions talk about this. He says that “nadaloludai
brahmanandame”. He says “nada loludai brahmanandame”. Revelling or taking pleasure in the
nada - that is equal to brahmanandha, which is spiritually the ultimate state. He has handled not
just major raga-s but minor ragas like what I just sang in a “Shudda Bangala”. Shuddha Bangala
is a minor raga “Rama bhakthi samrajyamu” is a minor raga again this “Nada loludai
brahmanandame” is in a raga called Kalyana Vasantham again a minor raga. (Singing Starts:
26:50) (Singing Ends: 27:21) (Music Starts: 27:31) (Music Ends: 29:15)

(Refer Slide Time: 29:34)

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In one of the most significant compositions, he says, this is in Sankarabharanam. And again it is
a music on raga swara and nada, he says “swara raga sudha rasa yuta bhakthi
swargapavargamura o manasa” he is telling himself that his own mind. He is saying “swara raga
sudha rasa yuta bhakthi” devotion that is charged with the rasa or the essence or the enjoyment
of swara and raga - that nectar... so devotion combined with this music that itself is “Swarga”
that itself is heaven that itself if “apavarga” that itself is liberation. And this, as I said, is a very
significant composition.

(Refer Slide Time: 30: 34)

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The anupallavi says this “Paramanandame kamalamupai baka bekamu celagemi”. Now this can
be interpreted in many ways but the literal meaning as you can see is that there is the lotus which
can give you the ultimate bliss. But what can a crane or a frog have to do with the lotus? The
lotus here is refers to what music can actually give and what people do with music is what the
crane or the frog can do with the lotus. It is only a bee that knows the nectar that the lotus can
offer.
So here he is really pointing clearly indicating at the actual worth of music. What it can give you
and what people are actually deriving from it. In the first Charanam he says “Muladhara nAda
merugute mudamagu mokshamura kolahala saptaswara grahamula gurute mokshamura”. The
science of Nada yoga, the discipline, the practice of “Nadopasana” is esoteric, no doubt. But it
involves ... it involves going inwards to seek the source of sound, to seek the source of musical
sound. And the belief is as borne out in experience that there are certain parts of the body that
are activated to produce certain swaras. Though it does seem esoteric there are living masters
who testified to its truth. And musical practice, practice of music when it is inward that can
result that can yield undreamt of happiness. And we may say that what Carnatic music is as is
professionally practiced, that is not the kind of music that Tyagaraja is talking about.

(Refer Slide Time: 33:12)

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 Appreciating Carnatic Music
Prof. Lakshmi Sreeram
Indian Institute of Technology, Madras

Lecture -48
Thyagaraja- His many moods – II

The trinity whether it is Tyagaraja or Dikshitar or Shama sashtri, they did not sing for a living.
They did not use the music to make a living, they did not seek royal patronage. And Tyagaraja -
he wanted to pursue music for higher goals “Nadopasana”, as he himself speak of in his many of
his compositions. And there is a story that the King, hearing of Tyagaraja’s prowess as a
composer as a Vaggeyakara., he sends his men to request him to compose a compositions in his
praise, in the praise of the King. Tyagaraja refuses much to disappointment of his family
especially elder brother. This is a story which may or may not be true. But there is a song ther
are compositions, where Tyagaraja directly says that music is only to praise Lord Rama and not
to glorify egotists.
(Refer Slide Time: 02:02)

This compostion in Kalyani is very famous it is “nidhi chala suguma rmauni sannathi seva
sugama nijamuka pallku manasa; mamatha bandanayukta narastuthi sukhama”, this is the telling
line. Narastuthi is praise of a mere man, a mere a mortal. That stuthi, that kind of praise,
glorification is tied up to one’s egotism and to the other’s egotism. It is used to.... that kind of
glorification is entrenched in and enmeshed in “mamatha mamathva” that is bondage in one’s
own ego.

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That is what he may be using “mamatha bandana yuthaa narastuthi sugama”, I will sing the
praise of my lord which will free from this entanglement, I will not sing the glory of a King. In
another extremely evocative composition in a minor raga “nidhichala sukhama” is in raga
Kalyani one of the most popular widely heard songs in Kalyani, which is a major raga.
(Refer Slide Time: 03:27)

He sings another song in the same theme in raga Ranjani, “durmargacara adhamulanu dora
nivana jalara” - adhama a low person, just because he is power or in position, I will not call him
a lord. I will not call him my durai. I will not call him my master. When you are the
“dharmatmaka dhanadhanyamu” when you are there, why should I praise acknowledge another
human as my master. (Music Starts: 04:05) (Music Ends: 06:53)

And then there are compositions where he bemoans the charlatanism of many around him. He
says people... in a sense, musicians who use music for fame or money, they are just fools. They
are probably... they are to be pitied. But there are this people who pose as if they have
knowledge of religious truth. But are in actuality they are charlatans.
(Refer Slide Time: 07:43)

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Here again two very different ragas “MuKhari”, which is a very heavy nuanced raga. He says
this “brahmanikamubaya nicula bratukayenadi hakayikalilo brahmamaina matala nercukoni
baragerayya tyagaraja nuta sarasiruhanana rama samayamu brova cidGhana”
(Refer Slide Time: 08:06)

(Music Start time: 08:06) (Music End time: 10:20)

(Refer Slide Time: 10:30)

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And in another composition, a minor one this time “Bindumalini”. He says that: look at the
beauty and grace of lord Rama, why would you fall for the charms of a womean, as many of
these charlatans do; they have the name of the lord on their lips, but their mind is not with the
lord.
(Refer Slide Time: 11:14)

It is like what does a pot know of the taste of milk? The pot is a container, but it knows not the
taste of the milk. So also so these charlatans, they have the lord’s names on their lips, but they
don’t know the sweetness of his name. This is in Bindumalini. (Music Starts: 11:23) (Music
Ends: 13:20).

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Though, in many of his compositions, again he speaks of Rama being actually everything, the
one truth prevailing all, Rama is the ishta deivatha. But it is ultimately one reality that pervades
all. He says in everything “gagananila tejo-jala bhumayamagu” these are the five elements
“mrgakhaga naga tarukotualalo” animals birds mountains and trees “sagunmulo vigunamulo
satatamu sadhu tyagarajajadi asritulalo paramaatmudu velige muccata baga telusukore”
(Refer Slide Time: 14:39)

In another song he says with the same theme “gnanamosagaraadaa paramathamudu jeevathmadu
pathinalu lokamudu” won’t you give me wisdom to ultimately see all that is one.
(Music Start Time: 14:52) (Music end time: 17:06)
(Refer Slide Time: 17:22)

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He calls Rama you are “paripoorna nishkalanka paripoorna” you are full, “nishkalanka” without
any flaws, “niravadhi sukhadaayaka” you can alone bestow endless further most joy and I am
beseeching you, Tyagaraja is beseeching you, would you give gnana or knowledge. (Singing
Starts: 17:40) (Singing Ends: 18: 24)
(Refer Slide Time: 18:29)

Thyagaraja has composed many kritis. He has also composed, what are called “Divya Nama
keertanas” these are different structure. They have the pallavi, probably anupallavi and many
charanas for the same structure, very often just pallavi followed by anupallavi followed by many
charanas, these are actually meant for group singing. For one person leading, since all charanas
will be in the same tune, it is easy for repetition and for group singing.
There are some very beautiful compositions among these. And another set of compositions are is
called “Utsava Sampradaya Kriti”.
(Refer Slide Time: 19:11)

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Now utasava here refers to temple festivals and these compositions describe the various activities
around the Lord through the day.
(Refer Slide Time: 19:31)

Thyagarajas “Pancharatnas” are very famous: pancha rathna here means five gems. These are
compositions, where we have pallavi followed by an anupallavi and about eight to ten charanas.
Now each charanas has a swara to sing, you sing the swaras first and then the sahitya. These five
compositions are in the five ghana ragas Natai, Gowla, Arabhi, Varali and Shri. And
interestingly each of them is in a different mood.

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Natai Pancharathanam “jagadaanandakaaraka” it is simply singing the glory of Rama, he
addresses Rama with many epithets.
(Refer Slide Time: 20:40)

The whole song is a celebration of Rama. He says “jagadaanandakaaraka” you are the joy of the
entire world, you bestow, you are the reason for joy in this entire world “jagath ananda karaka
gaganadhipa satkulaja raja rajeshwara”: gaganathipa sat kulaja ganathipa” is the sun Rama is
that he belongs to the “Suriya Vamsam” and so on. The whole composition - it is in Sanskrit and
it is all of them are epithets, addressing Rama, “omkara panjara kir pura hara saroja bhava”
(Music Starts: 21:29) (Music Ends: 22: 21)
(Refer Slide Time: 21:33)

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The second pancharathana is in a mood of penitence. It is almost despondent, where Tyagaraja
asks Rama, how are you going to save me, such a sinner that I am. And that is appropriate in the
raga that such a mood expressed very well “dudukugala” is sing in the raga Gowla. The third
pancharatna actually has Krishna as the central figure. The fourth is in Varali in which
Tyagaraja is reveling in the beauty of lord Rama “kanakana ruchira” as I keep gazing at you,
your beauty seems to grow - that is the gist of his compositions.
(Refer Slide Time: 23:20)

The fifth, is perhaps, very deservedly, a very famous composition is “endaro mahanubhavudu
antharigi vandhanamulu”. The story goes that Tyagaraja was visited by a great musician from

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Kerala, a musician called “Shatkala Govindathamaras” and on seeing Govindhamarar’s
musicianship, Tyagaraja is said to have composed this.
(Refer Slide Time: 24:08)

Which says that where ever these great souls “Mahanubhavudu”, I bow to all of them now. His
idea of mahanubhava is very, very stringent one, and you are not, we are not likely to come
across many. He says “bhagavata ramayana geethadi shruti shastra puranapu marmamulanu
shivadi shanmatamulagudamulan moopathumukodi surantantarangamula bhavamula nerigi
bhavaraga layadi sowkhymu chechirayuvula galiga niravadi sukathmulai thyagarajaathmuluai
varu”
(Music Starts: 24:24) (Music Ends: 25:49)

If you look at this composition, his conception of a mahanubhavulu a great soul is indeed very
stringent. It is very likely Tyagaraja himself met that standard.

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 Appreciating Carnatic Music
Prof. Lakshmi Sreeram
Indian Institute of Technology, Madras

Lecture -49
Muthuswami Dikshitar – an Overview
Muthuswami Dikshitar: he was the youngest of the “Mummoorthy” the Carnatic trinity. He was
also born in Tiruvarur in the year 1775.
(Refer Slide Time: 00:33)

A Sanskrit scholar, a brilliant musical mind, a widely travelled person who visited many temple
towns across the length and breadth of India, a deeply devout person and a Srividya Upasaka.
Srividya is an esoteric discipline, rhetoric worship cult and he was initiated into Srividya. And
many of his compositions bear references to aspects of this worship. His life and his work his
musical work are strikingly different from that of Tyagaraja.

If Tyagaraja lived for his most of his life lived in the small hamlet of Tiruvaiyaru near Tiruvarur.
Dikshitar was a widely travelled person. Though born in Tiruvarur, his family moved to Manali,
a town near Chennai. Muthuswami Dikshitar’s father Ramaswamy Dikshitar was an erudite
musician and scholar himself, a composer of no mean merit. In fact the creation of very, very
popular raga Hamsadhwami is attributed him.
(Refer Slide Time: 01:55)

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Ramaswamy Dikshitar, along with his sons, all of them were musically accomplished, they all
moved to Manali at the behest, the invitation of a patron in Manali Muthukrishnan Mudaliar.
Muthukrishna Mudaliar is said to have visited Tiruvarur and being very impressed with the
Dikshitar family, their musical achievements, he invited them and brought them over to Manali.
At Manali Dikshitar had varied influences. He was of course tutored in Sanskrit and also in
music. He was also exposed to Western Band Music that used to play at the fort there.
(Refer Slide Time: 03:08)

And as you will see later, he has left behind 40 odd compositions whose tunes are derived from
Western Band Music. While at Manali, when Dikshitar was fifteen or sixteen years of age, the
family was visited by a yogi called Chidambaranatha Yogi. And the yogi took a liking for

320
Muthuswami Dikshitar and they grew close and he asked that Muthuswami Dikshitar should
accompany him on his travel Northwards. Knowing that it would be a great influence on a
young man, his father Ramaswamy Dikshitar permitted this.
(Refer Slide Time: 04:05)

And Muthuswami Dikshitar travelled with Chidambaranatha Yogi and it is said they lived at
Banaras, Kasi for a few years. Muthuswami Dikshitar was initiated into Srividya Upasana. He
was taught various sastras by Chidambaranatha Yogi and he also presumably, he heard North
Indian music at that time.
(Refer Slide Time: 04:51)

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Banaras is also a cultural centre and music has thrived in this town for many centuries and it is
believable that Dikshitar heard Hindustani music as well. And some of his compositions are
clearly influenced by Hindustani music - they are cast in Hindustani ragas. So at the end of his
stay in Kasi the Yogi asked him to return. Legend has it that he was asked to take a dip in the
Ganges and when he came out of it, he found a Veena and Dikshitar calls himself Vainika
Gayaka he was a Veena player.
(Refer Slide Time: 05:32)

And the nuances in Veena, the veena style is very prominent in his compositions. In any case, he
returned to the South and after coming back he went to the holy town of Tirutani where you have
a temple, a very ancient and sacred temple of lord Subramanya. And again lore has it that at the
end of a Mandala of Meditation - Dikshitar meditated for 41 days at the end of it, an old man
appear and dropped a piece of candy into Dikshitar’s mouth, and Dikshitar burst into his first
ever composition.

This is musical lore; this is legend as we have received through the oral tradition. So, his life
was completely a different story from Tyagaraja’s or Syamasastri’s as well as you will see. His
compositions, his musical work is also remarkably different. If Tyagaraja sang predominantly on
Sri Rama, Dikshitar sang on the whole pantheon of Hindu deities. We could say that his favored
deity was the goddess because he was a Srividya Upasakar.

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But his compositions do not reflect any such biases in term of sheer numbers possibly number of
compositions on lord Vishnu, Rama, Krishna are lesser.
(Refer Slide Time: 07:31)

But he has composed on all the deities, even the Navagraha - the nine planets are according to
Hindu astrology. Dikshitar travelled all across the country and he has composed a composition
on the deity at Badrinath on the one end and the deity at Ramaswaram, the other end. So that
was the span of his travel.
(Refer Slide Time: 08:01)

Dikshitar composed entirely in Sanskrit and few compositions are in “Manipravala”.

Manipravala is where there is mixture of languages. But he was a Sanskrit composer.

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Tyagaraja’s compositions and his musical outpourings have one abiding guiding light, so to say
that is to express wide gamut of emotions. So you find in Tyagarajas compositions a variety of
tala, of laya , of moods expressed in the lyrics.

Dikshitar’s is very sedate, his compositions are extremely restrained in expression of emotion. In
fact you hardly find any emotional outpouring in his compositions. They are grand and they are
aloof. The most Dikshitar will say to his deity is “Maam Ava” that is protect me or “Paahi
maam” or” Maam Rakshithu” and so on. All in the sense of just supplication to protect - none of
the beseeching tone or the cajoling tone, we find in Tyagaraja or in Shyama shastri.

Dikshitar’s compositions magnificent and they are extremely almost ..they have almost, they
have an impersonal tone about them. Which is also why, as I mentioned earlier, in terms of their
relationship to the Bhakti movement, the Bhakti traditions as we understand it in the works of
Bhakti poets, Dikshitar is farthest, because the emotive content in the lyrics is very, very
minimal. The emotive content of the music is very high.
Diksitar’s compositions also follow the standard pallavi, anupallavi and charanam structure. But
in Tyagarajas compositions the musical setting of the anupallavi is repeated in the last couple of
lines in the charanam, always if the anupallavi is of two lines, the charanam is four or six lines or
eight lines sometimes. So the last couple of lines of a charanam of any Tyagaraja compositions
usually has the same musical setting as that of the anupallavi.

This is not the case in Dikshitar compositions, his charanams have the musical life of their own.
(Refer Slide Time: 11:24)

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And his charanams or sometimes even the anupallavi incorporate “Madhyama Kala Sahithyam”
that is the lyrics are sung at twice the speed. So the anupallavi is sung at a particular speed and
then there is one avartana or two avartanas of the text which is sung at twice the speed. This is a
feature of .... so even musically his compositions are, even structurally, they are quite different
from Tyagaraja’s.

Some of his compositions, well known compositions have only two sections pallavi, sometimes
it is called anupallavi, sometimes it is called Samashti Charanam.
(Refer Slide Time: 12:07)

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So, only two sections in the compositions... in the kriti. We have compositions like this also and
these are though small, they are grand compositions and very, very definitive compositions. So,
for instance. if we talk of the raga Varali, one of the most prominent compositions in this is
“Mamava meenakshi” which is a Dikshitar composition and it has only two sections - pallavi and
charanam.
Dikshitar has also composed Ragamalikas.
The composition is set in a string of ragas. There is a very famous “Chathurdasa Ragamalika”.
i.e. a Ragagamalika that has fourteen ragas in it. There are couple other Ragamalikas also. So
this is broad over view of the compositional output of Dikshitar.

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 Appreciating Carnatic Music
Prof. Lakshmi Sreeram
Indian Institute of Technology Madras

Lecture – 50
Muthuswami Dikshitar –
The Sanskrit Scholar and the Advaitan

(Refer slide time: 00:38)

Muthuswami Dikshitar was a Sanskrit scholar and he brought his scholarship to bear upon his
compositions. as well. In many of his compositions we can see that scholarship glistening It is
almost as if his love for the language for Sanskrit and how he marries that with his love for
music. If you find emotional richness in Tyagaraja we find this linguistic... incorporating the
richness of Sanskrit language into musical compositions... we find this in Dikshitar.

(Refer Slide Time: 01:15)

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For instance, Dikshitar has composed many groups of what is called “Vibhakti Kritis”. Now
vibhakti is... for those of you are exposed to any bit of Sanskrit vibhakti is how nouns are
declined in Sanskrit. This is very basic fundamental grammatical principle - a noun can take on
any case as sentences various cases in the sentences.

For instance, if I say “Rama comes” Rama is the doer and he is a nominative case. So he is the
person who performs the action so Rama comes. if I say “I see Rama” here the Rama, the noun,
is in the position of the object. This is now accusative case and so on.

I could say for instance “This is Rama’s book” in which case this is what is called genitive it is
Rama’s book. So every noun can take on any of eight cases according to Sanskrit grammar. And
Dikshitar has composed many sets of compositions in praise of various deities and he has
composed them in all the Vibhaktis.

So for instance taking the god lord Tyagaraja of Tiruvarur, we have the Tyagaraja Vibhakti kriti
he has sung one composition in the nominative case and second in the accusative case and so on
till eight compositions.

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Now not only in praise of Tyagaraja, the “Kamalaba Vibhakti” kriti what is called as
“Kamalamba Navavarna” it is an extremely famous set of kritis. We have the Abhayamba kritis,
Nilotpalamba kritis, Guruguha vibhakti kritis, Rama also Sri Rama Vibhakti kritis we have.
So this is something he has obviously he has taken great pleasure in bringing his Sanskrit
scholarship, his love for Sanskrit into his compositional endeavors. So if you take a look at this
set of compositions - these are the Guruguha Vibhakti kritis

(Refer Slide Time: 03:45)

We can see there are eight kritis. The first vibhakti “Sri nanthadi guruguho jayti jayati”. The
second his “Manasa guruguharupam bhajare” this is the object it is the accusative. “Sri guruna
palitosmi” this an instrumental case. “Guruguhaya bakhthanugrahaya” this is the fourth case.
Then “Guruguhadanyam najaneham” this is in the fifth case. “Sri guruguhasya dasoham” this is
the sixth case. “Sri guruguhaswamini” this is the seventh and finally we have “Sri
guruguhamurte chitshakti sphurte” - this is how these compositions begin this set of Vibhakti
kritis.

Now this, the first composition in this group “Srinathadi guruguho jayati jayati” there is much
has been said about this composition it is believed to have been the first ever composition that
Dikshitar composed and it goes like this (Singing Starts: 05:16) (Singing Ends: 05:33)

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So this is in the ragam “Mayamalavagowla” which as you all know is the first raga that the
beginners start. And the aroha avaroha is incorporated into this composition right in the
beginning it is like this. (Singing Starts: 05:54) (Singing Ends: 06:24)

(Refer Slide Time: 06:33)

You have the first second and the third speed incorporated into the very first avartana of the
compositions. And textually also there are many references to Advaita - as we will see Dikshitar
was a Advaitin. Advaita Vedanta being one of the philosophical, metaphysical stands. It is a
path, a spiritual path. Advaita vedanta is not just a metaphysical stance, it is also a spiritual path
and Dikshitar was very much an Advaitin and in this composition we have many references to
Advaita.

(Refer Slide Time: 07:16)

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We have references to mantra shastra and tantra shastra and Srividya worship also. To really
appreciate Dikshitar’s compositions in their fullness, one needs to have a knowledge of all these
esoteric disciplines. But even without them, just the sound of the compositions themselves, have
a certain grandeur about them they can instill an awe in the listener.

Now Advaita - if we talk of Dikshitar composition we have to mention Advaita.

(Refer Slide Time: 07:56)

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And Advaita, as I said, it is it is a school of philosophy of meta a metaphysics that was first
propounded by “Adi Sankaracharya”. And more than anything, it is a spiritual path and many
Hindus adhere to its tenets.
And it is a very complex metaphysics and its very complex philosophy. But it is usually
summarized in three lines “Brahma satyam” “Jaganmithya” “Jivobrahmaiva na parah”. That is
Brahman, there is one ultimate... it is an unrelenting monism, which says that ultimate reality is
one; it is a single principle. And all that we see by experience all these differences all these
experiences which is grounded on differentiating oneself from the not-oneself this is unreal this
is “Jaganmithya” the world is unreal. Brahman is true “Jaganmithya”. The world is unreal
“Jivobrahmaiva” that is, every individual soul is Brahman. So that is also the purport of the very
famous Upanishad said “Tattvamasi”. Brahman is you and there is no difference.

So it is a highly highly complex. And it is a philosophical system that has had many many texts
on - many proponents of it. Many people have debated against and for it. It is a complex system.
And in Dikshitar’s compositions you have many of .. concepts and ideas that belong to the
Advaitic tradition woven into the compositions themselves.

Now if the world is unreal and if that ultimate reality is a single differenceless principle,
undifferentiated principle then why is that we experience all this? The Advaitic explanation for
this is “Maya”.
So it is Maya, a veil of ignorance that covers the individual soul which is why it sees so many
things as different from it and we experience the world. So Maya again is an incredibly complex
and interesting concept. And Dikshitar’s composition on this is... perhaps captures it as best as it
can be. Maya is a veil of ignorance. But Maya is also the reason that we are able to worship the
Lord because Maya is the reason for the Lord also; even Ishwara is the creation of Maya.

(Refer Slide Time: 11:39)

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So in this composition “Maye tvam yAhi” . SO first, Dikshitar first says “Maye tvam yAhi” go
away. And then he says “mAm pAhi” he says “Maye tvam yahi mAm badhitum kAhi” why do
you disturb me Maya you go away why do you disturb me. Immediately in the anupallavi he says
“dhyAye dhyeye tvamehi mudam dehi mampahi” but you are what I have to mediate on. And
now you come, give me joy and protect me. Even the goddess is Maya.
So this kind of a basic paradox that lies in the heart of Advaita which is captured in the concept
of Maya - Dikshitar sings about it. I will just sing the first line of it the rest of it you can hear it
rendered on the violin (Singing Starts: 12:43) (Singing Ends: 13:17)

(Refer Slide Time: 13:19)

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(Refer Slide Time: 13:20)

(Music Stars: 13:20) (Music Ends: 19:30)

So we might say that the complexity of the concept of Maya, the intrinsic paradox of Advaita
vendanta is captured magnificently in this small, it is a very small composition. Maya is the
reason for the ignorance, so she has to go away for knowledge to arise which ... knowledge is

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liberation according to Advaita vedanta. And yet it is she who is worshipped and she who has to
be meditated upon and she is the giver of boons.
And it is only in the Jagath which is mithya, that is which is illusory, the world which is illusory,
only in this world is the worshipped and the worshipper real. In the realm of Brahman, ultimate
reality, that a differenceless principle. There is no... nothing apart from it as Dikshitar again says
in another composition of his “Nirvishesha chaitanya roopini” it is the principle the ultimate
principle of the sheer differenceless consciousness what we also call Satchidananda.
In Advaita Vedanta, a seeker of Brahman a seeker after liberation seeks knowledge and he must
seek out a guru for that, a teacher who can impart that knowledge to him but yet this knowledge
is not something that can just be imparted. How can you talk about Brahman? As the
“Kenopanishad” says - one of the ancient Upanishads Kenopanidhad - it says that principle, the
Brahman whence words return; words cannot reach it; the mind cannot reach it cannot attain it.
The words or the mind cannot attain Brahman.

So we have the concept of Dakshinamurthy, the deity who is the guru who imparts Advaitic
learning. And he imparts through silence “Mouna Vyakyanam” as it is called.

(Refer slide time: 22:28)

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And this is Dakshinamurthy. Dikshitar has composed a grand composition on Dakshinamurthy.
In the raga Sankarabaranam. In the pallavi itself as you can see “dakshinamurte vidalita dasarte
cidananda purte sada mouna kirte. He is famed for his mouna vyakyanam” for his teaching
through silence.
The charanam has many concepts connected with the Advaita Vedanta - “nikhila samshaya
harana nipunatara yukte nirvikalpa Samadhi” this is the state of Brahma realization, where you
realize Brahman “Nirvikalpa” there is no “Vikalpa” is distortion or anything that for instance ...
“Savikalpa” that is our all our experiences are “Savikalpa” that if you see anything the
consciousness gets distorted. that is savikalpa. nirvikalpa samadhi is a state of liberation. Nirvi
kalpa samadhi that is one thing.
“Aparoksha nitya bodhanandha mukthe” again that is a profound Advaitic concept: that is
knowledge of Brahman is aparoksha it is without any mediation “svajnana nivritte svanubhogu
trpte” that is you revel in your own or enjoy in yourself. Because the Brahman is supposed to be
the nature of “Satchitananda” joy is the essence of Brahman. So these extremely esoteric concept
they are all woven very easily into a composition like this. That is Dikshitar for you.

(Music Starts: 24:36) (Music Ends: 26:56)

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 Appreciating Carnatic Music
Prof. Lakshmi Sreeram
Indian Institute of Technology, Madras

Lecture -51
Muthuswami Dikshitar – Some more aspects of his work

Dikshitar composed compositions on many of deities of various temples across the country. As I
said, he has composed on Vishnu at Badrinath and again on Rameshwara, Ramanatha in
Rameshwara. There are many other temples, these are all the various compositions or “Kshetra
Kritis”.
(Refer Slide Time: 00:50)

Kshetra refers to a holy place, a temple town called a kshetra. And these compositions
incorporate many details about the temple, about the deity, about the consort of the deity, about
any special festivals associated with the temple and the deity, the temple tank, there are
references to the temple tank, the temple tree, any other lore that is connected with the temple.

For instance, he has composed a composition in the raga Thodi on the temple at Guruvayur
dedicated to lord Krishna here, the charanam line starts with the description of the deity.
(Refer Slide Time: 1:44)

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Vishnu is supposed to have “shankha, chakra, gada” and a Lotus, and that is completely
incorporated in the charanam line. (Singing Starts: 1:55) (Singing Ends: 2:38) and so on until the
charanam line. The last line goes - this is a “Madyama Kala Sahitya” that comes in second speed.
(Singing Starts: 2:43) (Singing Ends: 3:22). Here “gurupavanapuraadheesham” refers to the
Guruvayur city the town of Guruvayur where the temple is situated.
He has composed on the Navagrahas, the nine planets according to Hindu astrology. And these
are interestingly set in the Suladi Sapta Tala beginning with the Surya the Sun god. He sets it in
the suladi sapta tala that is (Singing Starts: 3:55) (Singing Ends: 4:30). This is the composition
on the Sun god and the sun and the Chandra that is Monday is associated with the moon. He has
composed the composition in maTya tala.

The second suladi sapta tala and then the third on Angarakan or Mars that is set in Roopaka tala -
so the suladi sapta tala are brought into play in these Navagraha kritis.
(Refer Slide Time: 5:10)

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The “Kamalamba Nava Varnams” are by far the most famous group of compositions that we
associate with Dikshitar. Kamalamba is the deity in the magnificent temple at Tiruvarur. The
main deity is Tyagaraja in this temple and his concert is “Neelothpalamba” and on both
Tyagaraja and Neelothpalamba, we have a set of Vibhakti kritis
(Refer Slide Time: 5:44)

But Kamalamba is another very unique deity in this temple. If you even look at her the
iconography it is very different from any that you would have seen. The very stance, the sitting
position of the deity is unique. And Kamalamba is not the consort of Tyagaraja, she is a yogini,
she is in meditation, seeking union with Tyagaraja. And it is said and believed that when she
achieves that, there will be apocalypse - that is Pralayam.

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So Kamalamba is very strongly associated with the cult of Srividya. The Sri Chakra Upasana
and Dikshitar’s Navavarana compositions on Kamalamba are very justly renowned for their
musical weight as well as for their immense richness of the text.
(Refer Slide Time: 7:07)

Another magnificent group of compositions is on the “Panchabhutha Linga kritis”. That is there
are five temples that are associated with the lingas where the Siva linga is regarded as the
manifestation of one of the five primal elements. What you call Pancha bhuthas, Pancha Maha
Bhuta, - they are the earth, the principle of earth, the principle of air, water, fire and space.

So, for instance, the temple at Tiruvannamalai is regarded as… Agni. The linga there is…. it
embodies the principle of Agni, these compositions again are very interesting from the literary
point of view and in music also. If you listen to this composition at this link.
(Refer Slide Time: 8:04)

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Jambupate, on the lord Jambupathi and the raga is Yamuna very appropriate because Jambupate
is the principle of water and the Yamuna is a sacred river. And the composition, if you hear it, is
very different from the normal Carnatic compositions that we hear and it resembles, it would
even remind you of North Indian music in its gait and its texture.
This is possibly because of his stay in Varanasi, where no doubt, he would have heard
Hindustani music and possibly imbibed some of its aspects ajnd he brought it out in some of his
compositions. And here again you have a very interesting weaving in of Advaitic concepts -
“anirvachaniya nada bindo” a beautiful and profound Advaithik idea.
(Refer Slide Time: 9:23)

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He was also exposed to Western band music - he has left behind forty odd compositions, whose
tunes are derived from Western band music. (Music Starts: 9:35) (Music Ends: 10:55). So it is
not…, he is very frequently Dikshitar is spoken as an intellectual. And there is… this is the
reason that he brings his varied exposures to bear upon his music, his Sanskrit scholarship, his
interest in Srividya, his interest in religious lore and his interest in Sanskrit poetry and in music
itself.

Now prAsha, as I mentioned “DvitteeyAkshara Prasa” is something that we find in most of the
Carnatic compositions in some form. Sometimes if there are two lines in the pallavi both the
lines of the pallavi will have the “DvitteeyAkshara Prasa” or the first line of the pallavi the first
line of the anupallavi will have the” DvitteeyAkshara Prasa” that almost always happens .
(Refer Slide Time: 12:05)

For instance, the two three compositions, we have just considered, so here we consider “dakshina
murte vidalita dasarte” the anupallavi first line is “akshaya suvarna atavraksha mulashtite”. So
you can see that the “ksha prAsha” is there. The first line of the pallavi and the first line of the
anupallavi ajnd as it happens, the anupallavi has completely maintained the “ksha prAsha”.
(Refer Slide Time: 12:37)

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The first line of the pallavi and the first line of the anupallavi in the composition of the trinity.
There you usually find prAsha, but in the Dikshitar’s case, we find that the prAsha in many
forms. For instance, if you take this composition, very well known composition in the raga
Manirangu “Mamava Pattabirama” the charanam was like this.

(Refer Slide Time: 13:07)

Chatra, so you can see the alliteration of, the prAsha on the tha and thra that is again and again
used in this charanam - deliberately obviously. (Singing Starts: 13:28) (Singing Ends: 14:30) So
here you have this use on the ta tra, in fact the whole varga ta tha da na all of them are repeated
used in. It is like Dikshitar is playing like that entire set of syllables.

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And this composition again, you can see …. I mentioned that the composition is in the
“Manirangu” the name of the raga is almost always incorporated in Dikshitar compositions in
this case “manirangavalyalankrita maniranga mandape”. So you are sitting on a throne that is
studded with manis. So in this way he brings in the word, name of the raga “Maniranga”. And in
all his compositions, mostly all his compositions, you have the name of the raga woven into the
text of the composition.
(Refer Slide Time: 15:38)

Sometimes it is in a very interesting way, not, you know straightforward, so the name of the raga
will be hidden in a long complex, a long compound word.
(Refer Slide Time: 16:21)

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For instance, in this composition of Arabi, the ragas name is Arabi, so he incorporates it like this
Samsarabhi. So “samsara” is world “bhii” is fear - tyApahe samsarabhi tyapahe that is you will
destroy the fear. The fear, in the sense metaphysical fear of the world. It is in praise of
Saraswathi you can just hear this composition rendered.
(Music Starts: 16:38) (Music Ends: 17:34)
(Refer Slide Time: 16:52)

(Refer Slide Time: 17:39)

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Dikshitar’s ankita is “Guruguha” and you can find that in all of his compositions. So
“Guruguha’ and the name of the raga is always woven into the composition. Now another
interesting way in which the name of the raga is incorporated, I will take up this magnificent
composition of his “Meenakshi memudam dehi” this is in praise of the Meenakshi temple at
Madurai.
(Refer Slide Time: 18:21)

Text of the composition is like this, she is Mathangi. Meenakshi is called Mathangi, “meenakshi
memudam dehi mudam” is joy - not any ordinary worldly joy. The bliss of union with the
divine, what you call the bliss of Advaitic realisation that is “mudam” here.

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(Refer Slide Time: 18:54)

And that is borne out in the anupallavi line which is a very famous line here “mAna mAtru meye
mAye”. This is completely Advaitic mana is Pramana. That is you are the means of knowledge,
Matru. You are the knower maye and you are the known you are mAyA. There can possibly not
be a more beautiful encapsulation of Advaita than these lines “mana matru meye maye”
maragadha chaye siva jaye meena”.

Then these lines are very famous” meena lochini pAsha mochini manini kadamba vana vasini”.
The… Meenakshi called Meenakshi because the eyes are supposed to be shaped like the fish.
“Pasha Mochini” again you can see there is prasha, very beautiful prasha in this both in the
pallavi and the anupallavi. The word… in fact the entire song the “Ma” makara is there - is a lot
of prasha on that.

“Pasha Mochini” is deliverance from the bondage. “madurapuri nilaye”, with reference to the
temple town, “maNi valaye malayathwaja pandya raja thanaye” Meenakshi is supposed to have
been the daughter of the king of the Pandyas. She was born to him at the end of a sacrifice, a
yagna according to religious lore. Meenakshi was a warrior princess and she went conquering
the eight directions until she met Siva, with whom she fell in love and married him.
(Refer Slide Time: 21:13)

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That is the religious lore associated with Meenakshi, and you can see that there is a reference to
that too. In this compositions “Vijaye” he says “vijaye”. “vidu vidambana vadhane vijaye” and
“Vijaye” and then you have “veenagAna dasha gamaka kriye” that is how he incorporates the
name of the raga. He says that you can bring out the ten kinds of gamakas on the Veena.

Then the “Madyama kAla sahitya” ends with the extremely evocative epithet sankari, sam is
anything that is auspicious, samkari you who bring out auspiciousness. He ends with that - the
composition ends on that note.

Now it is said, it is believed that Dikshitar passed away on a Deepavali and at the moment that
his disciples were singing… he asked him to sing this composition and as they were singing
“Meena lochini paassa mochini”, he left his mortal coil, that is what is believed. Because
“pAsha Mochini” is liberation from bondage. And that is how Dikshitar have lived and
composed and that is why he left a very, very definite impact on Carnatic music.
(Music Starts: 23:13) (Music Ends: 25:45)

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 Appreciating Carnatic Music
Prof. Lakshmi Sreeram
Indian Institute of Technology, Madras

Lecture – 52
Syama Sastri

(Singing Starts: 00:20) (Singing Ends: 01:58)

(Refer Slide Time: 2:03)

Shyama Shastri was also born in Tiruvarur, he was the eldest among the Carnatic trinity. But
when we talk of the trinity, his name comes last, Tyagaraja, Dikshitar, Shyama Shastri. But in no
respect, is his musical work the least, except perhaps, in the number of compositions that we
have… the number of compositions of his that have come down to us, it is said that he has
composed about three hundred compositions, but what we do have today around eighty.

(Refer Slide Time: 2:58)

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He was born in Tiruvarur, but he lived in Tanjavur. In fact, he was the priest at the Bangaru
Kamakshi Temple in Tanjavur. The Bangaru Kamakshi, the idol, actually was earlier in
Kamakshi temple in Kanchipuram. And there is a very interesting story of, how She came to be
in Tanjavur.

When there were, hostile armies marching into Kanchipuram, a group of families took this idol.
Bangaru Kamakshi is an idol, made of all gold, full solid gold, and they took this idol away. And
after a few decades they found sanctuary in Tanjavur, where the Maratha King gave them land
to build a temple and that is where She is today.

So, Shyama Shastri was the priest in this temple and he was obviously, very devout, as he is
borne out in his compositions. And musical lore also, has said that, many of the compositions
were sung, when he was in the close proximity with the deity. And many of them were
composed in the state of religious mergence with the deity.

(Refer Slide Time: 4:41)

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Almost all his composition are in praise of Bangaru Kamakshi. A few are addressed to Madurai
Meenakshi, these are called the Meenakshi Navaratnams, nine compositions they are called
Navaratnam very appropriately… they are truly, gems of compositions all in rakthi ragas. The
composition you have earlier heard in this course “mayama ani ne pilacite matlada radha”, that is
one of the navaratnas, Meenakshi navratnas addressed to Meenakshi of Madurai.

Now, Shyama Shastri was born in Tiruvarur, they went to Tanjavur later and where he was
tutored in Sanskrit and Telugu. There was not much music in the family apparently, until the
family hosted one yogi, a sanyasi, a Swami - Sangeetha Swami, when Shyama Shastri was in his
late teens.

And a sanyasi is expected to stay in one place chaturmasya, during the months of rain. And this
sanyasi was a guest of Shyama Shastri family and he saw the latent musicianship in Shyama
Shastri. And is said that, he taught Shyama Shastri… many other intricacies of music and even
gave him some treatises Lakshana Granthas of music.

Shyama Shastri, is supposed to have been a fine singer, reputed singer, of course a devout priest
at the temple. There is a legend that, a very eminent musician from Bobbili , a very eminent

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musician Bobbili Kesavayya, he challenged the Tanjavur court, to find musician who could
match his prowess as a singer.

And it is said that it was Ssyama Ssastri who met this challenge and responded with a very
difficult pallavi. Legend has it that, Kesavayya sang a pallavi in Simhanandana tala, which is
hundred and twenty-eight mathras. And Shyama Shastri sang, a pallavi, in response to that
Sharabhanandana tala, which is of seventy-nine mathras. Shyama Shastri won the contest, in fact
stories of such musical duels, stud musical lore, we have stories of, so many such duels very
interesting of such duels.

(Refer Slide Time: 7:46)

So, this was Syama Sastri’s stature as musician, he composed varnams, composed geethams
varnams, swarajatis, kritis. Now swarajati of which, we talk a little later on. Swarajatis, the
musical swarajathis are unique contribution of Shyama Shastri. Swarajatis is typically part of the
repertoire of the dancer, there you also have Jati passages. But, Shyama Shastri gave us three
great swarajathis which completely belong to the music world. They have not anything to do
with dance, though of course, dancers could use them, they do use them to perform.

Shyama Shastri’s compositions are really sophisticated, they have a high level of evocativeness.
There is no attempt at incorporating any kind of scholarship into this composition. And even in

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terms of moods that you find in Tyagaraja, we do not find a variety of moods in Shyama Shastri
or variety of themes. There is only one theme in composition and mood and that is this the mood
of complete supplication, complete surrender at the goddesses feet.

In every composition, you find him asking, Kamakshi or Meenakshi to treat him, to show him
grace, as if she were his mother. In the Madyamavathi composition, “palinchu kamakshi pavani
papashamani” these are all “pavani, papashamani” these are all various ways of addressing the
Mother. And he just says “palinchu” protect me.

He says these in this same song “kapadi na thalli gadha nenu needu biddanu lalinchi”, protect me
kapadi, na thalli my Mother, won’t you protect me, am I not your child, “gada nenu needu
biddanu lalinchi, lalinchi” means soothe me, “lAli” is actually, we speak of lAli as, song lali
where the mother sings to lull her child sleep. So, anything that gives you comfort me, protect
me, soothe me, and this is the enduring theme, enduring mood across all his compositions.

Tyagaraja could sometimes be sarcastic with Rama. He could play with Rama. But Shyama
Shastri, there is only one mood, as it is been put… there is “Karuna Rasa” throughout. And there
are no surprises in Shyama Shastris compositions, from literary point of view, in fact, anyone
who have who has a fair understanding of Sanskrit or even a non-Telugu speaking person like I
…we can follow his compositions.

In fact, if you hear the compositions, you can almost sense what they mean. That is how
perfectly the musical setting matches the mood of the compositions. For instance, again the
compositions which you have heard earlier “mayama ani ne pilacite matlada radha”, I am calling
you my Mother, can you not talk to me “matlada radha”. ‘ninuvina vere dikku evaru unnaru”
without you, what other recourse I have, who else is my, who else can offer me succour.

(Refer Slide Time: 11:53)

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The charanam line again “sarasija bhava hari hara nuta sulalita nee pada pankajamula sthiramini
nammiti nammiti nammitini”. In your lotus feet, I am steadfast with the devotion. I completely
belief, I have a complete faith in your feet, “karuna judave” look at me with compassion
“katyayan kalika bhavani paramesvari sundaresu rani balAmbA Madhura vAni”. All these are
various endearing epithets of the goddess. So, this is from the literary point of view, they just
ooze the feeling of devotion and there is no other deviation in Shyama Shastri’s works.

Shyama Shastri has mostly handled rakthi ragas. Ragas that are majestic, they are immense
potential like, ragas like, Sankarabharanam, Kalyani, Thodi, Ananda Bhairavi, Bhairavi, Ahiri
and rarer ragas like Manji, Kalgada and even Chintamani.

In fact, the raga Chinatmani is regarded as his creation. And it is said that, before just, a day
before the musical duel, that I referred to earlier with Bobbili Kesavayya. It is just said that
Shyama Shastri went into the sanctum of Kamakshi and sang this song in Chintamani “devi
brova samayamidhe”. You… this is the time to protect me, “lokha janani napai daya ledha”, you
are the Mother of the whole universe, don’t you have compassion on me, can you not show me
grace? “ napai daya ledha, daya” is pity, you have no pity on me, and this is how the
composition goes.

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(Music Starts: 14:24) (Music Ends: 17:02)
(Refer Slide Time: 17:14)

Two great compositions in Ananda Bhairavi “madi vere gati evarama” and “oh jagadamba”.
Anandha Bhairavi, is supposed to have a very favored raga of his and among talas he has reveled
in mishra chapu talam. Mishra chapu if you remember is a cycle of seven beats, one two three
four five six seven.

And Shyama Shastri has experimented, so to say with this tala, very successfully and he has
given his compositions with various eduppus. So, you have compositions starting with this
“Samam”, starting a little into the avartana also what is called “Viloma Chapu”.

(Refer Slide Time: 18:00)

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So, if the Chapu talam goes, one two three four five six seven, he has given the composition with
a Viloma Chapu, that is chapu in reverse order. So, three plus four, Viloma chapu is, four plus
three, one two three four five six seven, one two three four five six seven, this is a composition in
Purvi Kalyani (Singing Starts: 18:19) (Singing Ends: 19:53)

So, that was in viloma chapu talam “ninu vinaga mari dikku evaru unnaru nikhila loka janani
nannu brochudava”, so the, again the mood is the same, the raga very appropriate to the mood,
Purvi Kalyani and instead of going, the chapu talam goes, one two three four five six seven. But
here the song is set like this “ninu vinaga mari dikku evaru”. Now these are all interesting things
that he has created with mishra chapu talam. In fact, he has played with chapu talam like very
few other composers have done.

But the tala element. Whatever creativity or whatever novelty that he has experimented still is
completely subsidiary to the mood. He does not let it get in the way of the mood. There is no
exhibition of rhythmic complexity. It is very subtle, the achievement in his compositions are
noted for their laya subtlety, more than anything else, not mere rhythmic fireworks.

This composition “shankari shankaru” he has composed in tishra nadai, one composition you
have already heard in the course, “birana varaninchi bro” in Kalyani. This is another composition

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in tishra nadai, where the sahitya text is actually set in fours, but the composition is in tishra
nadai (Singing Starts: 21:50) (Singing Ends: 22:20).

So, here though the tala is tishra nadai, one two three, one two three. The sahitya, the text
separation of the words, is in fours. “Shankari Shankuru chandramukhi” so shankari that is a
four, shankuru that is another four, chandramukhi that is an eight, so four, four and eight that is
how the sahitya is split. But the, these are fitted into a tishra nadai.

These are very a subtle thing to do and you cannot really make out that, there is some tala
complexity here. And yet it is there, and that is Shyama Shastri’s laya expertise. So, in a sense
you can even, if you sing it in Adi talam, just in “chatushram”. (Singing Starts: 23:30) (Singing
Ends: 23:41).

So, elsewhere in the composition, you can see the tishra nadai, the sahityam is also split into
threes. (Singing Starts: 23:50) (Singing Ends: 23:59). So here it is in threes “Shyama krishna
sodari”, so here the sahitya is split into threes and the tishra nadai is also there. But the pallavi
line is extremely interesting, because this is what Syama Sastri has done. Sahitya is split into
fours, but the tala is tishra nadai.

Now when we speak of the pancharatnas of Tyagaraja or the many Vibhakti kritis or the
Navavarna kritis, especially of... Kamalamba navavarnams of Dikshitar.... the most famous
group of compositions of Shyama Shastri is what is called “Ratnatrayam” is the three gems .

(Refer Slide Time: 24:45)

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And here we are talking of the three swarajatis that he has composed. Swarajatis, as I said has
always had a presence in dance, presence in dance was even before him, but he gave it a the
status of a musical composition. These swarajathis that he has composed are in very heavy ragas,
cannot get much heavier than these, Bhairavi, Yadukula Kambhoji and Thodi.

The swarajati, all three of them are patterned like this. There is a pallavi line, one or two
avartanas and then you have what is called swarasahityam. So, you have a set of swaras, swara
patterns, two avartanas and so on and to that there is also sahityam.

The... all three of them are very serious, somber and the composition is built up slowly from the
mandra or the lower regions upto the higher regions. The Yadhukula Kambhoji for instance
(Singing Starts: 26:10) (Singing Ends: 27:55). This was a first swara sahityam that I just sang for
you. The Todi swarajathi is in Adi talam, rendu kalai, and it is very heavy piece, and again
starting with a lower region (Singing Starts: 28:13) (Singing Ends: 30:34) and so on.

(Refer Slide Time: 30:41)

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And this again is the first sahitya portion that I sang that, the links to these swarajathis are here.
The Bhairavi swarajathi is probably the most popularly sung, though the other two are musically
no less meritorious, but, for some reason possibly because one of the great performers of the last
century, Semmangudi Srinivasan used to sing the Bhairavi swarajathi frequently in his concerts.
So, Bhairavi swarajathi is most popularly heard.
And here there is an interesting progression each swara sahityam. There is a progression in the
swara sahityam, the first starts with sa, the second with ri, the third with ga, and so on till the
last. In which the mudhra Syama Krishna occur.

(Refer Slide Time: 31:35)

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Syama Sastri’s ankita was “Syama Krishna” and because he was addressing the goddess. Very
often have the expression “Syama Krishna Sodari” Syama Krishna of course refers to Krishna or
Vishnu and Devi Kamakshi, Parvathi is supposed to be the sister of Vishnu. And so, in most of
the composition we find the expression “Syama Krishna sodari or Syama Krishna sahodari” and
the Bhairavi swarajathi also has the Syama Krishna ankitha in the last swara sahitya.

But many of his kritis, have multiple charanams not just one and the ankita is usually found in
the last charanam.

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 Appreciating Carnatic Music
Prof. Lakshmi Sreeram
Indian Institute of Technology, Madras

Lecture – 53
Tamil composers before the trinity

(Music Starts: 00:22) (Music Ends: 3:33)

The Tamil culture, is one of the oldest, with a long history of literary and musical traditions. In
many of these literary and technical treatises, that date even before two millennia ago, we find
references to and descriptions of music of those times. We find what “paN” for instance, which
is regarded as the equivalent of raga. If you look at Ilango Adigal master piece, Silappatikaram,
we find in it descriptions of dance and music of those times, from all accounts they seem to be
highly evolved and sophisticated.
Now, the Tamil culture, it has been pretty indigenous, in the sense that, most other languages, for
instance in India, are derived from Sanskrit. But Tamil has had an origin and development of its
own. The music of... Carnatic music traces its roots back to the Vedas on the one hand, it is
said,... certainly the Bharatha’s Natya Sastra, which in turn traces its existence back to the Vedas.
So, Carnatic music has definite connections with the Sanskrit traditions. But it also has links with
the Tamil musical traditions.

And here we have already spoken of the music of the Alwars and the Nayanmars. Their musical
outpourings and that how even today we sing these compositions, in concerts or in other contexts
- religious contexts, and otherwise, even in daily prayer. Now, another important Tamil
composer, who also belonged very much to the Bhakthi tradition was Arunagirinathar.
(Refer Slide Time: 6:12)

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Arunagirinathar probably lived sometimes around the fifteenth or sixteenth century and he wrote
songs, he sang songs, addressed to the Tamil god Murugan or Karthikeya or Subramanya, these
compositions collectively are called Tiruppugazh.

Arunagirinathar, as the legend goes, lead a life of the debauchery, until he found Muruga
Bhakthi, devotion to Murugan. And in many of his compositions, we find him admonishing
people and himself, to choose the right path, to take to devotion to Murugan. And it is the most,
it is ... from the literary point of view it is very rich, very dense with Tamil word so to say, the
compositions are packed with words.
(Refer Slide Time: 8:02)

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The compositions that you heard in the beginning “apahara nindhai pattulaladhe” if you have
noticed had a different kind of talam (Singing Starts: 07:36) (Singing Ends: 07:53) now this is
the tala which does not belong to the Suladi Sapta Talas. It is generally called Cchanda tala,
because the tala just follows the cchanda or the meter of the poem. So, we have (Singing Starts:
08:10) (Singing Ends: 08:18) and so on. And reputedly, cchanda of each of the Tiruppugazh is
different or at least there is a great variety of cchanda’s in the Tiruppugazh.

So, cchanda tala is, essentially as I said, the tala movement simply follows the meter of the
poem. Now, this can get pretty complex, as you will see in the clip that you will just hear,
Ramakrishnamurthy performs the Tiruppugazh. Now the cchanda of that is, first there is a seven
takitta takka dhimmi, then you have a nine takka takkitta takka dhimmi, you have another nine
takka takkitta takkadhimidhimi and then you have takka dimmi takka dimmi.

So, this is the meter of the song and that is the tala, the way it is. Tala is also performed to simply
following the meter of the poem, the composition is in Todi ragam.

(Music Starts: 09:48) (Music Ends: 13:40)

(Refer Slide Time: 13:55)

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Now just as we have the Carnatic trinity, who are Tyagaraja, Muthusamy Dikshitar and Syama
Sastr, we also speak of the Tamil Moovar, or the Tamil trinity, these were three important
composers, who lived before the trinity actually - before the Tyagaraja and Dikshitar, Syama
Sastri. They lived sometime in the seventeenth century. They also lived in and around Tanjavur
and they composed in Tamil.

(Refer Slide Time: 14:40)

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These are Muthu Tandavar, Marimutha Pillai and Arunachala Kavi, their compositions are still
sung in concerts today. They were also Bhakthi composers. Now Arunachala Kavi “Rama
Natakam” it is very popular even today. This is, as the name itself suggests the story of the
Ramayana told in songs. So, for every episode of the Ramayana, we have a song, a composition
and it is very interesting, how Arunachala Kavi’s mind has worked, to create little-little details of
each episode and it is can be an exercise in itself, to look at the poet’s imagination in this work.
And it is...Arunachala Kavi only wrote this song. The music was set by his disciples, but these
songs are still quite popular, especially a few of them from this big set of compositions this large,
rather larger set of compositions, some of them are particularly popular and still sung.

(Refer Slide Time: 16:10)

Marimutha Pillai, a few of his compositions have come down and this composition is particularly
it very poignant, it is set in a very great rakthi raga Yadhukula Kamboji. Composition goes like
this “kaalai tukki nindruadum deivame ennai kai tukki AL deivame”. So, you who have your
foot lifted and you dance, with you are foot lifted, won’t you lift me and rule over me. That is the
gist of the song.
And as you can see on your screen, the word “tukki” means to lift, that is used in many senses, in
this composition. And in itself is a very-very simple idea, that you who lift so many things, in
your hand, you have your... there is on the one hand, there is deer, on the other hand, you have

365
the damaru, you have lifted so many things, you lift your feet in dance, can you not lift me up.
And this is a very simple and poignant play on the very word” tukki”.
The compositions its, it starts with a what you call “gambhira” in a very dignified sedate way.
(Singing Starts: 17:40) (Singing Ends: 18:55)

(Refer Slide Time: 19:04)

Another Tamil composer who predates the trinity is Oothukkadu Venkatakavi. He lived in
Oothukkadu, again near Tanjavur, and his ista devata, his... he sang on Krishna. On Krishna of
Brindavan. Many of his compositions have extremely beautiful and graphic details of Krishna’s
sport in Brindavan and many of his compositions are very popular.
He composed mostly in Tamil, also in Sanskrit and the rhythmic complexity and sheer dexterity
with the words and how he brings them together is, makes him a remarkable composer. For
instance, we have this composition, a very popular composition “Alaipaayudhe Kannaa un
Aanandha Mogana Venu Gaanamadhil.
So, here he is saying, your flute, the magic of your flute it is enveloping me, as if it was waves of
your flute music engulfing me. “Alaipaayudhe Kannaa” and “Thaye yasodha” is another a very-
very famous composition, in which Gopis are depicted as complaining to Yasodha, about the
pranks that Krishna is up to all the Time.

(Refer Slide Time: 21:05)

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Again, there is another composition “asaindhadum mayil ondru kandaal ... asaindhadum mayil
ondru kandal nam azhagan vandhaan endru solvadhu pol thondrum” this is again a very
interesting, very beautiful, poetic imagination at work here.
When I see a dancing peacock, I feel that the beauteous one has come, the beautiful one here is
obviously Krishna. Now, why does a dancing peacock, sight of a dancing peacock seem as if it
is lord Krishna, the beautiful Krishna who has come. There can be many interpretations of this -
one is that, Krishna puts the feather of the peacock on his head gear. So, the sight of a peacock
would naturally remind of you as Krishna.
Another is possible that, Krishna is “meghashama” is the colour of the clouds and peacock dance
at the sight of the clouds, Well that is another association...Nevertheless, interpretations are
possible.
But here the sudden jump from... there is an incorporation of “madhyama kala sahitya” also
which is full of, it is full of ... which is very wordy actually. But it is still very exciting and
charming to listen to.

(Refer Slide Time: 22:51)

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And I will just demonstrate one the site the link to the composition is here. You can listen to the
full composition (Singing Starts: 22:55) (Singing Ends: 18:55)

(Refer Slide Time: 24:04)

“Mayilin iragada makara kuzhaiyada mathi vadanamada mayakkum vizhiyaada malar anikal
aada malar magalum pada” a complete prasha, again of the word “ma” and a very rich
description of the dance of Krishna. He says, as the peacock feather danced, his eyes were
dancing, earrings were dancing and it is as if.... is it a real or is it a dream, that is the kind of
experience, when you witnessed the dance of Krishna.

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So Oothukkadu Venkatakavi, not only composed on Krishna, he also composed a Navavarna set
of compositions on Devi. He also as a Shrividya upasakar, just like Dikshitar, after him. So, this
Oothukkadu, also .... He just referred often as Oothukkadu in musical circles - Oothukkadu
Venkatakavi also composed tillanas, very interesting tillanas with “gati bedas”. But the main
feature of his compositions is, the word play and an elegant setting of music.

369
 Appreciating Carnatic Music
Prof. Lakshmi Sreeram
Indian Institute of Technology, Madras

Lecture – 54
Post Trinity Composers
(Refer Slide Time: 00:31)

So, when we are talking of other composers, apart from the trinity, we just saw some
composers, especially from the Tamil tradition, who worked, who lived before the trinity,
After the trinity, we have their own disciples, many of whom were excellent Vaggeyekaras.
And they mostly modelled their compositions, after their guru, respective gurus. Now
Tyagaraja probably had the strongest shisya parampara as it is called.
(Refer Slide Time: 01:13)

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This shishya parampara is the lineage of disciples. Thygaraja had... we speak of three
different shisya paramparas of Tyagaraja - Walajapet, Umayalapuram and the Thillaistanam.
We speak of them as separate shisya paramparas because they were propagated through three
different individuals all of them shisyas of Tyagaraja.
The recenssions of the song, of the compositions are also slightly different, sometimes quite
different. Now, Walajapet Venkatramana Bagavathar, who was Tyagaraja’s disciple, a
beloved disciple, we were told. He was composer of considerable merit, he composed in
Telugu and in fact, his compositions are on his own guru on Tyagaraja swami in Anandha
Bhairavi, is a gem of the kriti, he says “guruvaru mahimala nemani bhuvilo koniyadudura”
the mahima, the greatness of the guru, is not possible to describe it and there are many other
compositions of his, which have come down to us.
(Refer Slide Time: 2:36)

In fact, Walajapet Venkatrama Bagavathar, is also one of the sources of information about
Tyagaraja. Because he wrote a couple of biographies about his guru.
(Refer Slide Time: 03:10)

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Other composers in the Tyagaraja lineage are Tyagaraja’s own diciple “Veenai Kuppier”
whose compositions are precious little gems. Veenai Kuppier lived in Madras and Tyagaraja
in fact visited him, when he went on a pilgrimage and it is said that he composed a song.
Veenai Kuppier’s ista devatha was Venu Gopala and Tyagaraja composed a kriti in the raga
Kedaragowla “venugana loluni”. When he visited his disciple and Veenai Kuppier has given
us very beautiful compositions.
(Refer Slide Time: 03:56)

Another great composer also of the Tyagaraja lineage was Patnam Subramanya Iyer, Patnam
Subramanya Iyer’s ankita was venkateswara and his it is wide... there is a good number of his
compositions, which are very popular on the concert platform as well.
(Refer Slide Time: 04:23)

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The Poochi Srinivasa Iyengar, he was another shisya of Tyagaraja, who also was a
meritorious Vaggeyakara.
(Refer Slide Time: 04:44)

Now Shyama Sastri - his own son and grandson, Subbaraya Sastri and Annaswami Sastri,
they were very interesting, remarkable composers. Subbaraya Sastri in fact has had privilege
of learning from all three - from Muthuswami Dikshitar, Tyagaraja as well as his own father.
(Refer Slide Time: 05:28)

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Now Muthuswami Dikshitar had many disciples. In fact, it is recorded that a temple dancer
was also a disciple of his. His nephew, Subbarama Dikshitar was a Vaggeyakara and just one
composition of his is enough to earn him a place in this galaxy of composers. And that is his
composition “sankaracharyam smaramyaham” in Sankarabharanam. It is a magnificent
composition. But the contribution of Subbarama Dikshitar is more than in his capacity as a
Vaggeyakara. He authored a book called the Sangita Sampradaya Pradarshini - it is called
SSP for short.
(Refer Slide Time: 06:25)

This book was published in 1904 and it has a very interesting story behind it, how it came to
be. And the main characters in the story are, Subbarama Dikshitar himself who was an
orthodox Brahmin attached to the “Ettaiyapuram Samasthanam” the court of Ettaiyapuram.
The other very important character in this story is, one Chinnaswami Mudaliyar, who was a

374
Catholic Christian, living in Madras at the time; and other small, very critical role, were roles
of played by the Hindu newspaper and the Raja of Ettaiyapuram.
(Refer Slide Time: 06:57)

You can read the story at this link but the “Sangita Sampradaya Pradarshini” was written at
the behest of Chinnaswami Mudaliyar and with encouragement from the Raja and it is a
treasure of compositions.
Subbarama Dikshitar has very painstakingly notated, a whole lot of compositions in this, not
just kritis, also varnams, lakshana geetams and so on. And, he has also tried to indicate the
gamakas of the compositions, how the gamakas are to be rendered. So, it was a labour of love
and a very hard task that he must have toiled at. And it is because of this book that many of
the compositions that are in circulation today, many magnificent compositions, they have
been passed on to the later generations.
(Refer Slide Time: 08:22)

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Another important set of disciples, that Muthuswami Dikshitar had were the Tanjore quartet -
they are called the Tanjore Naalvar or the Tanjore quartet. They were four brothers Chinnaih,
Ponniah, Vadivelu and Sadasivam, these were four musically gifted brothers, who were
disciples of Dikshitar. They were patronized by the Maratha King and it was during that
sojourn, that stay that they were students of Dikshitar.
(Refer Slide Time: 09:12)

And in fact, they have composed compositions in praise of their guru and Ponniah Pillai who
was a composer of significant merit, has used the ankita of “Guruguhadasa”. He calls himself
the slave of guruguha or the Dikshitar, that is how he signs his composition. Another
magnificent composition in Neelambari raga “amba neelambari” it seems to be a tribute to
Muthuswami Dikshitar’s composition in the same raga “amba neelayadakshi”. So, these four
were, they have had a very, very strong role in the performing arts of South India.

376
The dance form, that is today called Bharata Natyam, it was earlier called Sadir. Now these
four brothers have systematized the repertoire - the steps, the content of the dance. They
eventually, they moved to the court of Travancore where we have another great composer in
the King himself of Travancore, this was Swathi Thirunal. Swathi Thirnal particularly was
supposed to have patronized Vadivelu.

377
 Appreciating Carnatic Music
Prof. Lakshmi Sreeram
Indian Institute of Technology, Madras

Lecture – 55
Swathi Tirunal – the Versatile Royal Composer

(Refer Slide Time: 00:27)

Swathi Tirunal himself, as I said, was an important composer. He was a linguist, he composed in
many languages, even Hindi, Marathi and many of his compositions are in Manipravalam. And
he has composed many genres. He has composed varnams, he has composed kritis of course,
keerthanas, padams and also some other forms like tillana, even khayal - northern forms, he has
composed. He is a very interesting, obviously versatile musician.
The family deity of the Travancore court is the Padmanabha Swami at Trivandrum... is lord
Padmanabha. We have the Padmanabha swami temple at Trivandrum and that is the family
temple of the royalty.

(Refer Slide Time: 01:47)

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And Swathi Thirunal’s ankita is Padmanabha in all of his composition, it is Padmanabha or
Sarasijanabha. Now he composed, as I said he composed, Padams and we are still to take a look
at the padams as compositional form, we will do so. We will now listen to a padam in the raga
Dwijavanthi.

(Refer Slide Time: 02:11)

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Dwijavanthi is a raga from the north, it is of northern import. Incidentally, Muthusamy dikshitar
also has composed a composition in Dwijavanthi. And this padam, that I am talking
about...padams are sringara oriented, the tone is romantic. And here the hero is Padmanabha, the
composition starts with a Nayika telling her Sakhi, her friend taruni - taruni” is a young woman.
She is addressing her friend as young, “taruni nyan endu cheiyum”, what should I do, it is as if
my beloved has forgotten me, when shall I see his lotus like face again, and hear his love filled
speech. I never thought that, this would happen to me - that he would forget me.
So, we will listen to rendition of this padam by Ramakrishnamurthy. Now this the padam has
been prefaced with what is called viruttam.

(Refer Slide Time: 03:51)

Viruttam is something that is a part of Kalpana Sangeetham, that is it is improvised music. In

this, a few verses taken and they are elaborated in one or more ragas usually, it is, it is like a
Ragamalika. So, a set of verses is taken and a few ragas are used to bring out the poetic content
of those verses. Now how the words are handled, how the raga phrases are used to bring out the
mood and feel of the words - that is where the art of Viruttam lies. It is very challenging aspect
of Carnatic music and it can be very powerful. When done well, it can move the audience like
little else can.

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And the Viruttam is usually prefixed to some composition. And then there is obviously, there has
to be some kind of connection between the Viruttam and the composition that is to follow. Here
the Viruttam is, he is singing, Ramakrishnamurthy, here has performed Viruttam in Sanskrit. The
verses are in Sanskrit, on lord Krishna and the composition, this padam, were the heroine is
pining for lord Padmanabha, this composition is in Malayalam. So, we will now listen to “Taruni
nyan taruni nyan endhu chaiyum” in the raga Dwijavanthi and mishra chapu talam sung by
Ramakrishnamurthy.

(Music Starts: 05:46) (Music Ends: 22:21)

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 Appreciating Carnatic Music
Prof. Lakshmi Sreeram
Indian Institute of Technology, Madras

Lecture -56
The Romance of Padam and Javali

We ended last session with a padam sung in which the nayika, the heroine tells her friend, she
confides in her, her state of her mind, her misery, that her beloved seems to forgotten her.
(Refer Slide Time: 00:46)

Padams are a compositional type which are Singara based. The content, the tone of the padam is
romantic. And as in the case of the padam we heard, the nayaka the hero, is often a deity. And
but the description of the nayika’s state is all very, very ...it is all based on romance.
(Refer Slide Time: 01:34)

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Now Bharata in his Natyasastra lists 8 kind of nayakas. Eight kind of heroines “Ashtanayika” as
they are called and this has held sway, held the imagination of performers and artists and various
poets. Now the Ashtanayika basically - it is the heroine in her relationships to the hero. So we
have the mugdha for instance who is bashful and young and inexperienced in love.
Then you have the vAsakasajja, she who dresses up and adorns herself boldly to meet her lover
with confidence. And then you have the Svadhinabhartruka, she how is fully in command, she
who is fully confident of her lover’s commitment to her. And then you have the Khandita, she
who is angry with the lover for any trangression which he might have committed.
And then you have the Virahotkanthita, who is in pain, suffering because her love is either not
paying attention to her or he has gone or left her. We have Vipralabdha and so on. So you eight
heroine prototypes, heroine types. And the padams and javalis as we will see, they depict one or
the other nayaka. Now which nayika it is and how it has to be interpreted especially by a dancer
- that is up to the dancer’s imagination and reading.
(Refer Slide Time: 03:39)

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Padam and javali are always spoken of in tandem. They are have many commonalities, simply
because the theme is Sringara - romance. But padams in general are more dignified. The music
is more dignified the literary content is also more restrained - in general - there are padams that
can go overboard. And javali on the other hand is more racy music itself is generally racier.
And the love as it is depicted in javali it is very, very earthy.
(Refer Slide Time: 04:30)

Kshetrayya was a very important musician, Vaggeyakara who lived before the trinity, the
seventeenth century. He was born, he was named Varadhaiya by his parents, but he got the name
Kshetrayya because he was always travelling - going to Kshetras, various places.

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(Refer Slide Time: 04:59)

His compositions... now padam and javali, because of their sringara content are immediate
fodder for dancers for use in their abinaya for the expressive part of dance. And his
compositions survived through that tradition - of dancers and courtesans, temple dancers and
court dancers. And we owe today’s repertoire of padam to these families – especially the family
of Veena Dhanammal Srimathi Brinda and Muktha. They have been very sensitive performers
of padam and javali in the previous generations.

Today unfortunately not many sing padams, javali or javali for that matter. Padams are heavy
pieces, they are very nuanced and both the performer and listener need a certain amount of
preparation and certain amount of commitment to bring off padams. But Bharathanatyam
dancers very often perform padams and javalis. As I said, taking any composition, any padam or
javali, the dancer can interpret it in varying shades. And it can be very interesting to watch how
the padam is interpreted. And how it is presented. We have a short demonstration of a padam in
dance by Anuradha Venkataraman. The padam is sung by Srividya Sridharkumar. The padam is -
its a Kshetreyya padam - it is in the ragam Nadanamakriya, which is a very nuanced raga and the
mood... the nayika is clearly virahotkanthita, she is in utter despair for her lover who has left her.

(Refer Slide Time: 07:42)

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So the the padam goes like this “Ayaayayo Vegakatayana” – alas, I have become uninteresting to
my love. We used to be together lying in the saree pallu and suddenly I seem to have become
uninteresting to him. There was a time when he would get a lamp before sunset, because he
couldn’t bear the thought of losing the sight of my face even for a moment. So, as soon as
sunset, even before the sunset, the lamp will be lit so that he was not denied the sight of my face
even for a moment. This was my love and suddenly I seem have become uninteresting to him.
This is the padam for which Anuradha Venkataraman will perform a short demonstration.
(Dance Starts: 08:49) (Dance Ends: 13:13)
(Refer Slide Time: 13:38)

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Now Javali - this javali the nayaka is brazenly inviting the nayaka to come to her “samayamidhe
rara”. She says - as you can see in the text... here, the nayaka is ultimately is Venkatesha, but the
content of the javali is otherwise very ... almost brazen, with the lady inviting the man.
(Dance Starts: 14:03) (Dance Ends: 21:06)

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 Appreciating Carnatic Music
Prof. Lakshmi Sreeram
Indian Institute of Technology, Madras

Lecture -57
Tillana

(Music Start: 00:25) (Music End: 02:55)

(Refer Slide Time: 03:11)

Tillana is a musical form, is a compositional form that has a strong presence in dance - in
Bharathanatyam. Tillana has... is filled with meaningless syllables - syllables are drawn from the
worlds of dance and percussion. And the exact origin of the tillana .... some hold that it has
probably come from the north Indian form Tarana. Equally there are others who hold that there
are ... Melattur Veerabadraiya an eminent composer who lived before the trinity, he is he
probably... he pioneered this form. There are references to musical compositions, without... in
which the text is mostly meaningless, even in ancient texts. But the Tarana ... the tillana form is
probably was probably pioneered by Melattur Veerabhadraiya. Veerabhadraiya was an eminent
composer - he composed varnams, krithis, tillanas and swarajathis. Now Melattur is actually
associated with Bhagavatha Mela traditions, which is a tradition of dance drama and dance
theatre. And here even today we have the Narasimha Jayanthi during the month of May, this
dance theatre is presented ritually – it is ritualistic dance theatre. And in the context of dance
tillana obviously is very usable in dance. But musical tillanas are very different they are more

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complex. And tillanas that are used in dance are very simple from the point of view of the music
itself.
Tillanas usually contain a few lines of meaningful sahithya also, in which it is dedicated to some
deity. In this case it was gopanandana yashodakumar - obviously is Krishna. So every tillana
has a few meaningful lines as well, otherwise it is filled with it densely, the text is pretty dense
usually and rhythmic complexities, rhythmic play is possible. There are tillanas in various with
gathibedhas in which there are different gathis or nadais. Oothukadu Venkata Kavi whom we
have seen before was an eminent composer of tillana. But the trinity did not compose any
tillana. Though Tyagaraja’s disciples Patnam Subramania Iyer, Poochi Srinivasa Iyengar and
Maha Vaidhiyanatha Iyer, they composed tillanas. In fact Maha Vaidhiyanatha Iyer’s tillana in
the Simhanandana tala is a remarkable feat. It is .... Simhanandhana tala, as you know, has 128
matras. And the tillana itself only two avartanas - that itself is very long.
Tillana is usually performed at the end of the concert, when the concert is winding down as it
were, we perform tillanas, though are not always. A concert does not necessarily have to have a
tillana - sometime it has.
(Refer Slide Time: 07:11)

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We will listen to a tillana - it is in Poornachandrika ragam. It is composed by Poochi Srinivasa
Iyengar. .This is the text, the sahityam is in Telugu - the text the meaningful text is in Telugu
“neethu mahimalunu thelise charanamani ninu migala korivachithi vanga” and so on.
(Music Starts: 07:41) (Music Ends: 09:00)

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 Appreciating Carnatic Music
Prof. Lakshmi Sreeram
Indian Institute of Technology Madras

Lecture -58
MANODHARMA- Improvisation in Carnatic Music ALAPANA

(Music Starts: 00:24) (Music Ends: 04:04)

(Refer Slide Time: 3:40)

Manodharma or Kalpana Sangeetham its one of the most exciting aspects of Carnatic music.
This is the improvisational aspect of Carnatic music. There are five ways in which improvisation
happens in Carnatic music.
(Refer Slide Time: 04:36)

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Alapana, Neraval, Swaraprastara, Tanam, and Viruttam singing and Viruttam. Through this
course you have heard most of these aspects of Manodharma and in this session we will talk in
some detail about this various aspects of Manodharma.
(Refer Slide Time: 05:16)

First Alapana - the word Alapana is a Sanskrit word and it means conversation. Now Alapana is
arguably the most central aspect of Manodharma sangeetham. It is the King of manodharma - so
to say and this is borne out by the usage in ordinary discourse. When we say that he sang the
ragam, it means he sang the Alapana. So the ragam is best brought out the raga is best brought
out, most impactfully or exhaustively to some extent - raga is best brought in it by an Alapana.

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Now Alapana and other aspects of Manodharma are actually found in ancient texts. We find
mention of Rupaka AlApti and raga AlApti in medieval texts, no doubt referring to Manodharma
music. Rupaka refers to a kind of compositions. So Rupaka AlApti most probably meant
improvisation that happens within the composition and Raga AlApti refer to what we today
called Alapana in Carnatic music.

Now broadly we can say that improvisation - there are two kinds of improvisation. One is that
which is stand alone, in the sense it does not need the composition. There is improvisation that
happens outside of the composition and there are improvisational aspects that happen within the
composition - using a compositions an anchor these improvisations happen.

Now Alapana is something that happens before a composition. That is though we have these four
or five aspects of Manodharma sangeetham and its really the musicians creativity that comes to
the fore here yet there is a place for these Manodharma aspects. They cannot spring up anywhere
in the concert or anyhow. If we are speaking of a concert then there are certain points where we
expect Manodharma in certain forms.
(Refer Slide Times: 08:10)

Of course there is much more of to Carnatic music than just what we hear in concerts; like any
other art form possibly, the finest music is created outside concert halls and during private music
sessions, during practice sessions during informal soirees and so on.

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But point is though we have these four or five Manodharma aspects they have a place and a
proportion in a concert. So Alapana always precedes a composition. Alapana is always in a raga.
A Raga is brought out - an edifice so to say of a raga is created by the Alapana and this Alapana
in the particular raga almost always is a preface to the kriti itself and the composition that
follows the Alapana in the same raga.

Now if the composition is a small composition, it is a minor composition then quite often there is
no Alapana and if there is Alapana it will be a very short one. If you have a big raga like
Sankarabharanam or Kalyani and the composition is also great, most likely the Alapana will be
elaborated to be extensive.

It would be inappropriate, for instance, to sing a very elaborate Alapana in a minor raga before a
minor composition. So Alapana affords great scope for the musician’s creativity and
imagination. But it is not a free reign obviously. There are clear constraints within which
musicians must work. First is obviously - there are ragas grammar. If you are singing a raga in
Sankarabharanam you are going to stay within the grammar of Sankarabharanam. And the other
constraint is what is imposed by the musician’s equipment - vocal equipment. If the singer, what
he or she can do with her voice, that will obviously place limitations on what can be done. And
the third very important constraint - if we may call it a constraint - is the aesthetic consideration -
each musician, every musician, will have aesthetic preferences. So even though I may be able to
bring out certain movements from my voice, I may restrain myself from doing that out of
aesthetic considerations. This is very important in the making of a musician - just because you
are able to do something, you do not do it. Music, and any other art form is about judicious use
of resources, control above everything.
(Refer Slide Time: 11:58)

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So how does one go about singing an Alapana. First Alapana is rarely taught. A guru very
rarely teaches an Alapana. It is not even quite possible. What the guru does, and what the
musician is expected to do, is learn compositions - learn varnams and kritis and padams in the
raga. And after you have internalized about a dozen such compositions, and equally importantly,
after you have heard a lot of music - you hear a lot music performances, you hear your own
teacher singing the raga Alapana, you attend concerts and absorb the raga in various such
contexts, then the student attempts to sing Alapana and what the guru does is more by way of
saying that - this is not quite right why don’t you try something else.... because ragas are very
subtle creatures. There are great subtleties to ragas and though we may be singing the notes that
are permissible in the raga, it is very very possible to bring on shades of another raga just by
subtle movement here, or a wrong shake here or wrong glide there or you touch another note and
come down - it will suggest another raga. So these possibilities are very real. So the guru’s role
is to correct the student has he or she tries her hand at Alapana. The guru may also suggest ways
of developing a certain idea in the Alapana or improving delivery - that is about all - what a
guru’s role can be especially when you come to singing Alapana.

Now in an Alapana what is expected is there would be very good introduction. When you
introduce a raga, first couple or three phrases of Alapana are very important, because it is
expected that the raga’s identity be very clearly established. There should be nothing wishy
washy about those phrases - that if you are sing Kalyani, the first few phrases of your Alapana

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must immediately establish the raga. There should be no doubt in the listeners’ mind that it is
Kalyani that you are going to perform. Suppose... you should not sing phrases of some of
Kalyani or some of Sankarabharanam. And these are all a novice’s very understandable
mistakes. But an Alapana’s introduction is expected to firmly established the identity of the raga
is going to be performed.
Some master musicians can playfully keep you guessing - but that is one thing. It is an another
thing to fill the listeners mind with perplexity by going back and forth between various phrases
without quite getting hold on the raga. So, once the introduction of the Alapana is done - I mean
this is as I said this is ....how do you perform Alapana? There is no one blue print, no one
schema. The same person singing the same raga today and tomorrow will be completely
different. But I am just giving some idea of some broad expectations, something that are mostly
adhered to all the time. But there is nothing hard and fast here except the requirement that the
raga’s grammar should be maintained and there will be a aesthetic coherence. But beyond that
you cannot say that the Alapana should be this way or that way.
But broadly, we can except that there are these various aspects to the Alapana. You introduce the
raga, you introduce the raga through a few very clear phrases and then the rest of the
development of the raga. Very often the musician may zone into one swara - an important swara
in the raga and weave many phrases around it and always there is a variation in the tempo. You
won’t find a Alapana that is sung in the same tempo throughout. That is for instance.
(Singing Starts: 17:33) (Singing Ends: 17:49) So, varying tempo is ... i.e. including phrases in
various tempos, and bringing them together judiciously - that is one way of creating interest in
the Alapana dynamics. Now how a raga is developed depends very much on the raga itself. Now
if you have a heavily nuanced, gamaka filled raga, some of the rakthi ragas like Sahana,
Yadukula Kambhoji, Ahiri and Devagandhari, these are all ragas that are major, that are very
nuanced ragas and their life is.... their life is in subtle gamakas and very definitive phrases. So a
raga like this cannot be developed to a great extent. You will only beat it to death. That is, if you
take a raga like Sahana it is possible to of course sing for ten minutes or twenty minutes of
Alapana, but how far will it be effective - that is a question. Then how this raga is treated? So
you pay attention to raga’s nature. Let us watch Professor V.V. Subramanium as he plays an
Alapana in the raga Sahana and he also has a small bit to say about how it is possible to
otherwise play this raga and how it is possibly not so appropriate to play it that way.

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(Music Starts: 20:15) (Music Ends: 22:48)
So this raga has a slow tempo expressing very soft moods. And all that there is the some frill
like fast phrases also there but it should not be played like this. (Music Starts: 23:15) (Music
Ends: 23:34) If you play this the total image of the raga is gone because I have strength I have
voice strength more conscious about the fast tempos and all that I have the skill that does not
appear. (Music Starts: 23:59) (Music Ends: 24:07)
Of course you have major like Sankarabharanam or Kambhoji or Kalyani, these ragas can bear
extensive treatment in all three registers, in varying speeds, so many swaras that can be
highlighted. So these are all great, big ragas. Now, how these ragas are developed is also
dependent on the musician’s voice how she has worked at it, how she has trained her voice and
also her aesthetic preferences.

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 Appreciating Carnatic Music
Prof. Lakshmi Sreeram
Indian Institute of Technology, Madras

Lecture -59
ALAPANA: Style and Aesthetics

(Refer Slide Time: 00:28)

G.N. Balasubramanian was a great musician, a very, very popular performer of the last century.
He was easily the reigning star in the 40’s, 50’s and 60’s of the last century. And he had
introduced this... what is called “Brika” style, and that was in those days somewhat new in the
vocal music in those days. He had actually adopted it from “Nagaswaram’s bani” as it is called.
Nagaswaram, thes kind of phrases that it produces, the way it produced it, that he adopted into
the vocal music and it was a raging hit in those days.

So the Brika is like this (Singing Starts: 01:12) this is one way of singing it. This kind of trills.
This kind of quick clustering of swara-s delivered with a sharpness. (Singing Ends: 02:43). That
is style that G.N. Balasubramanian pioneered in vocal music. And even today we have
musicians who follow the style. So the raga alapana is possible, it is possible to develop a raga
alapana studded with such brikas.
There are other who prefers a style that is more sedate and not so filled with fireworks; Brika
style is fireworks. (Singing Starts: 03:13) (Singing Ends: 03:35)
(Refer Slide Time: 03:37)

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Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer another great musician of last century, he brought in a style that was
very, very dignified, full of grace and solid gamakas but not .... with very little place for Brikas.
(Refer Slide Time: 04:12)

And then we had another great musician M.D. Ramanathan. M.D. Ramanathan was almost a
maverick, a brilliant musician. And he had his own style – his own approach to music.
We will listen to a raga alapana of Kalyani by G.N. Balasubramanian and by followed by M.D.
Ramanathan so you can have an idea of how different the styles can be.
(Music Starts: 04:34) (Music Ends: 24:21)
Alapana is perhaps the most abstract of all the aspects of manodharama. And it is perhaps also
one of the most challenging aspects because you really have nothing to anchor your music on –

399
you are as it were, painting on a canvas and this is also the real test of the musicianship of a
performer. The question would be - we speak of improvisation, we speak of creativity, we speak
of manodharma and yet we have all this rules expectations, raga rules and presentation rules. So
how much of creativity can we really except? For instance, are new phrases created? We have
pidis, we have the established phrases of raga, we have these phrases established in compositions
in the alapana of past masters. Can we get beyond that? I believe so. In fact in the hands of
good, genuine musicians, even singing a well established phrase can glisten with musicianship.
The same phrase sung by a good musician and by a mediocre one - there will be a difference that
stems from the depths of that person’s musicianship. The larger task of building an alapana
structure edifice so to say, weaving phrases, varying their speed, varying their volume,
introducing dynamics of various kinds - that is an artistic effort which is what alapana is all
about.
(Refer Slide Time: 27:11)

Now let us listen to a genius of the last century Mahalingam. T.R. Mahalingam who is a flute
player, a genius, a maestro he has played an alapana in raga Kapi. And you can notice, how he
creates a tapestry of alapana. Let’s listen to Mali.
(Music Starts: 27:19) (Music Ends: 32:31)

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 Appreciating Carnatic Music
Prof. Lakshmi Sreeram
Indian Institute of Technology, Madras

Lecture – 60
Neraval and Swaraprastara

Neraval is an aspect of manodharma that brings raga, tala and sahitya together. That is melody,
rhythm and text, the text of the song - improvisation involves all the three in neraval. Neraval is a
tamil word “Neravarathu” means to fill.
(Refer Slide Time: 00:52)

In neraval, what happens is that, one line of the composition, typically it is a kriti. Any one line
of the kriti is taken and there is the improvisation of that line. And there is a certain way of
building up that improvisation. I will demonstrate. Now the line selected obviously has to be
appropriate in various ways. First, that the words should not be difficult to pronounce. Some of
our kritis do have difficult words, so a line containing a particularly difficult word is... we
usually avoid that in neraval.

(Refer Slide Time: 01:49)

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So, how do we pick the line for neraval? That is itself something, that has some thought behind
that. But for most big great compositions, the neraval line is more or less established. So, of
course there is nothing to say that some other line from kriti cannot be picked for neraval. But,
by and large most people would do neraval, on one line of the kriti, that has already been
attempted earlier.

So, this is the composition of Tyagaraja in Mayamalavagowla, Rupaka talam, it is a very simple
talam, here Tyagaraja is talking about doing pooja to Rama, and this line, charanam line this is
(Singing Starts: 02:39) (Singing Ends: 02:53). So, here it is, these are just names of flowers
which he is offering in worship to Rama, so it’s a good line to take up for neraval.

(Singing Starts: 03:12) (Singing Ends: 03:37). This is the sangati, this is established, this is
already there, this is part of the compositions, a melodic variations that is part of the
compositions as taught. (Singing Starts: 03:51) (Singing Ends: 03:57) This is the first sangati.
(Singing Starts: 03:59) (Singing Ends: 05:32) So, using the line, the words, in that particular
distribution itself, so (Singing Starts: 05:41) (Singing Ends: 06:03), so just using those same
words, at same line, in that setting, more or less with the same setting, there is improvisation.
(Singing Starts: 06:16) (Singing Ends: 06:46)

402
So, the neraval begins in the first speed. (Singing Starts: 06:53) (Singing Ends: 07:26). So, this is
what is called the first speed or keezh kalam neraval. Then (Singing Starts: 07:34) (Singing
Ends: 07:52) and it can go, (Singing Starts: 07:58) (Singing Ends: 08:40)

So, this is the way, the neraval is expected to be built up.

Now, one of the most important things, here to be maintained is what is the “edduppu”. So here
the song the line begins at arai edam - half (Singing Starts: 08:59) (Singing Ends: 09:01) half
into the first beat. Now, that has to be maintained (Singing Starts: 09:04) (Singing Ends: 09:08)
and also, the overall distribution of the words through, there are four avartanas here in this line,
words have to be more or less in those places. So, (Singing Starts: 09:20) (Singing Ends: 09:32).

(Refer Slide Time: 09:34)

So, the sarasiruha the edduppu has to be maintained every time, that is the very important
technical consideration in the presentation.

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(Refer Slide Time: 09:48)

The next aspect, of manodharma is, what is called, Swara prastara or Kalpana swaram in which
the “solfa” syllables, swaras themselves are uttered and improvisation happens using them. And
this also is attached to ... the anchor for this is a line the compositions.

If a particular line is picked up for neraval, usually swara prastara is done, with same line as
anchor. Now, to demonstrate same line (Singing Starts: 10:23) (Singing Ends: 10:33). This is a
very simple one avartana swara. Sometimes, if it is a bigger composition, we do also first speed,
lower speed swara prastara (Singing Starts: 10:50) (Singing Ends: 11:23). So, this is call keezh
kala swaram and we usually go from shorter swara sequences to longer sequences always
maintain the edduppu.

So, here (Singing Starts: 11:38) (Singing Ends: 11:39) that is the panchama. (Singing Starts:
11:42) (Singing Ends: 11:48). So, the swara sequences have to end either at “ma” or at “da”
(Singing Starts: 11:53) (Singing Ends: 11:56) you can’t sing (Singing Starts: 11:57) (Singing
Ends: 12:01) that we see as very shoddy, you cannot do that, it has to merge seamlessly into the
edduppu.

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(Singing Starts: 12:10) (Singing Ends: 12:15) This is ok, this is acceptable. In some context,
going to the higher note sounds good actually. And in some context, it would not, necessarily,
(Singing Starts: 12:28) (Singing Ends: 12:32) this is ok (Singing Starts: 12:34) (Singing Ends:
13:13). So, these kinds of small patterns are also created all the time. (Singing Starts: 13:19)
(Singing Ends: 13:25). Here there is dense clustering around panchama, (Singing Starts: 13:28)
(Singing Ends: 13:43) these are small patterns created, all spontaneously created.

When... typically when you end a swara prastara, quite often you find a big pattern, slightly
complex pattern. Now, if you look at this pattern, (Singing Starts: 14:05) (Singing Ends: 14:13)
this is very simple pattern this is what is called “Korvai”.

A Korvai, is a... is a rhythmic pattern, of considerable complexity it can get very-very complex
actually. What I just sang is very simple pattern, this is five into three (Singing Starts: 14:40)
(Singing Ends: 14:43) “one two three four five” “one two three four five” “one two three four
five” and you know exactly how many the beats this pattern will take, this set of three, will take,
accordingly you adjust the place where you pick the pattern are from.

In this case (Singing Starts: 15:08) (Singing Ends: 15:15) it is a pattern, when repeated thrice
times it is fifteen aksharas. So here the edduppu is two into the first beat. If you do the math, the
place where you want to pick up the pattern of five into three would be, three fourth into the last
“Veechu”, “one two three” “one two three” (Singing Starts: 15:37) (Singing Ends: 15:44) this as
is said, it is basic elementary pattern.

(Refer Slide Time: 15:59)

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There can be much more complex patterns and this is called korvai . And each pattern can run
into sixty beats or one twenty beats. And that will be repeated thrice. So, korvais can get very
complex and they add a kind of a rounding off, a finale to the entire performance.

But there are many musicians who completely, who have a very very reduced use for korvais.
The korvai is something that you learn, you practice and you deliver. There are some very rare
musicians, who can even create korvais on the spur of the movement. But, by and large
musicians, if they want to perform a korvai, it is something they have practiced and have to
deliver on stage.

(Refer Slide Time: 16:55)

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So, again swara prastara is different from Chittaswara. Chittaswram, as I have mentioned before,
is part of kriti itself. Just as the sangathi is a part of the kriti. But neraval, is improvisation using
line of the kriti. So, also the chittaswaram, is part of the compostions, whereas is swara prasthara
is improvised. It is possible to make it out.

For instance, in this very famous, there are very famous chittaswaram (Singing Starts: 17:27)
(Singing Ends: 18:49). Now, this is a chittaswaram is part of the composition. Quite often
chittaswarams, are composed by later musicians, not necessarily by the composer, the
vaggeyakara himself.
But, then these are some famous, chittaswarams that are part of some compositions.
Chittaswaram is... are sung, after the anupallavi and then is goes back to the pallavi. This
chittaswaram is again sung after the charanam and that leads into the pallavi... that is how the
chittaswaram occurs in the compositions.

(Refer Slide Time: 19:54)

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Now charanam of this composition is (Singing Starts: 19:28) (Singing Ends: 19:36). This is
famous line for taking up swara prastara because (Singing Starts: 19:45) (Singing Ends: 19:48).
So, the “maamamava maragatha” is actually what is called as “Swarakshara”, the swara and
akshara are the same. It is (Singing Starts: 19:55) (Singing Ends: 19:56) the word is also “ma”
(Singing Starts: 19:59) (Singing Ends: 20:14) the edduppu is, three into the first beat, (Singing
Starts: 20:17) (Singing Ends: 20:37) and so on.

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 Appreciating Carnatic Music
Prof. Lakshmi Sreeram
Indian Institute of Technology Madras

Lecture – 61
Tanam

(Singing Starts: 00:23) (Singing Ends: 01:07)

(Refer Slide Time: 01:15)

Tanam is a manodharma element that actually is derived from veena presentation. Veena is an
instrument that is... on which the tanam sounds very good and it is there that this manodharma
aspect has developed. Tanam is essentially ... this is a place where pulsation is introduced. There
is a certain pulse though there is no tala as such or no rhythm but there is pulsation. And this
pulsation can be irregular but you can feel that there are these stresses which give it a very
different texture, a different musical sound. Let us first listen to Tanam on the Veena. (Music
Starts: 02:15) (Music Ends: 05:44)

Now, interestingly the North Indian form of “Dhrupad” they have something very similar to the
tanam as part of their Alap. It is sometimes called the ‘Nom-Tom' Alap. Though it is really part
of the entire alap that they present. And there also they use syllables like we do in tanam to
create pulses and to creates stresses. The style is very different but the ideas is the same. And
there too it is derived from the veena. In fact the syllables that we pronounce are supposed to be

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the counterpart of the plucks on the veena. That is how this tanam form of manodharma has
evolved.
And today Sanjay Subrahmanyam is a leading exponent of tanam and he has come up with lot of
innovations in producing tanam in the voice. Let us listen to his tanam.
(Music Starts: 07:04) (Music Ends: 17:01)

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 Appreciating Carnatic Music
Prof. Lakshmi Sreeram
Indian Institute of Technology, Madras

Lecture -62
An exposition of Balagopala, a kriti in the raga Bhairavi with alapana, neraval and
swaraprastara followed by Tani Avartanam

(Refer Slide Time: 00:36)

Let us listen to Ramakrishna Murthy accompanied by R. K. Shriramkumar and Arun Prakash and
Anirudh Athreya as they present a magnificent of kriti of Muthuswamy Dikshitar in the raga
Bhairavi and Adi talam, “Rendu kalai adi talam”. This composition he has treated very
elaborately, there is an elaborate alapana prefixed in the kriti. There is a neraval at the... in the
charanam line followed by swara prastara. Now the neraval line is interesting. Usually as I said
each composition... as I said ... some of ... many of these great compositions have certain lines
that have been marked out as neraval lines because of previous practice. Great masters have
used these lines to sing neraval. And in this case the anupallavi line “neela neera dara shareera
deera kara” - that has been treated by many musicians in the past as the neraval line. But in this
composition Ramakrishnan... in this exposition Ramakrishna Murthy has sung the charanam line
“vainika gayaka guru guhanuta pura vaira vigitha gopika manohara” this is the line he has taken
up for neraval. As you remember from the guru guha. from the Dikshitar lesson... Guru guha of
course is his ankita and he calls himself vainika gayaka because he was a veena player and his

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style is very much dominated by the veena style. And at the end of the exposition there is what
is called the Tani Avartanam.
(Refer Slide Time: 2:36)

Tani Avartanam is a very unique feature of a Carnatic concert, because this is where the
percussive accompanists come into their own. So they play a percussive solo, creating patterns,
creating very complex rhythmic patterns that will suit the particular avartana. In this case the adi
talam and you can see the interaction between the Mrdangam player and the Kanjira player
(Music Starts: 3:13) (Music Ends: 1:06:06)

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 Appreciating Carnatic Music
Prof. Lakshmi Sreeram
Indian Institute of Technology Madras

Lecture – 63
Accompaniment in Carnatic Music
Melodic Accompaniment - The Violin
Among the many unique aspects of Carnatic music is Accompaniment. Now accompaniment
itself is not unique to Carnatic music but the kind of accompaniment that we find in Carnatic
music is certainly unique. All kinds of music all genres of music are described in terms of one
or more lead performance with some accompaniment.

So, if you have say a film song you would have one or two playback singers with a whole
orchestra that accompanies them. Folk music again you will have one or two, or a group of
lead performers and you will have accompaniment - percussive, melodic. In classical music,
Western classical music you have pieces that are meant for one or two instruments with
another instrument accompanying it.

So what is accompaniment? It is literally is to accompany the lead performer. And in Carnatic

music you would have seen that we have a lead performer either a vocalist or a veena player
or a violinist or a flute player and so on. And the lead performer is always seated in the center
and the accompanists are seated on the sides.

(Refer Slide Time: 02:12)

We have percussive accompaniment, we have melodic accompaniment - these are the two
kinds of accompaniment that we have in Carnatic music. Now what is unique about this is

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that this accompaniment involves a great deal of ... it entirely hinges around the shared
tradition, knowledge of a shared tradition and a great deal of anticipation and alertness during
the concert.

That is, there is rarely if ever, any rehearsal - the lead performer and the accompanists almost
never get together to rehearse for a particular concert. They may jam together on another
occasions. But a given concert - it is very rare that... in fact the more seasoned performers
never need a rehearsal - they don’t rehearse together. Nor is there obviously nor is there any
written score that the performers can follow. So the performers meet on stage and create
music. (Refer Slide Time: 03:26)

Now how this is possible - because as I said of two things one is, the main thing is, of course
the shared tradition. The melodic accompanist is also expected to have internalized many
compositions. Quite often in a concert the lead performer may perform a composition that the
melodic accompanist has never heard of.

(Refer Slide Time: 04:06)

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In the case of today in Carnatic music a melodic accompaniment is always, almost always the
violin. And suppose we have a vocal concert, the singer may sing a composition that the
violinist has probably not even heard and the violinist is expected to accompany the vocalist.

And then we of course have the manodharma aspect. The kalpana sangeetham or the
improvisation in which the violinist again is expected to accompany. Now how does this
happen? because as I said you have a shared tradition; you have trained in this system of
music and you have heard so many concerts and you are able to anticipate.

(Refer Slide Time: 05:10)

Violin as an instrument was adapted into Carnatic music sometime in the nineteenth century.
It is said that Muthuswami Dikshitar’s brother Baluswami Dikshitar was a pioneer. And he

415
tried to play Carnatic music on the violin. So also, Vadivelu of the Tanjore Quartet, that I
have mentioned, he too played Carnatic music on the violin. And soon it caught on and today
a Carnatic concert is almost inconceivable without the violin.

There was a time and even today there are experiments with other kinds of accompaniment -
very rare, of course - but these experiments do happen. And veena used to be an
accompanying instrument and in many respects it is ... it would give a very different musical
experience.

(Refer Slide Time: 06:06)

The experience of Carnatic music ... how we feel, how we experience Carnatic music is to a
large extent determined by the nature of the accompaniment. Both the melodic and the
percussive accompaniment determine the Carnatic experience to a large extent.

So we have the melodic accompaniment and the percussive accompaniment. Sometimes on

stage you may also see, some especially when you have a senior performer you may see one
or two other people accompanying the performer the singer and most likely his students who
lend support. So that is another kind of accompaniment but does not really contribute much to
the concert as a whole it is just supportive of a lead performer. And of course you always
have the tambura accompaniment. Somebody playing the tambura though it seems a very
simple matter, physically it is very taxing to sit and play the tambura for two hours or two
half hours. And it does involve some technique and training to able to play the tambura
properly so that the right kind of atmosphere is created.

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Today we are focusing on the melodic and percussive accompaniment in Carnatic music.

Melodic accompaniment, as I said, is almost always the violin. Now what does the violinist
do by way of accompanying? When we talk of the two aspects of Carnatic music kalpita and
kalpana when the lead performer is performing a composition, the violinist is expected to
follow - if the violinist knows the composition well and good and even if he knows the
composition there is very likely some subtle, minute differences between the way the violinist
knows the composition the way the lead performer knows it. So all this has to be factored in.
The violinist has to be all the time on his toes - see the violinist has to be very alert,
anticipating very...listening very keenly... to what... it is not just listening, he has also to be
observing. So you see in a concert the violinist and the percussion the mridangam artist they
are not just playing - they are all the time looking at the lead performer.

And when it comes to kalpana sangeetham improvisation - suppose it is an alapana again, the
violinist follows. Here obviously it is going to be very difficult because you would not really
know what the singer - let’s say lead performer is the singer - there is no way of knowing
exactly what the singer is going to sing. But given that it is this particular raga, the violinist
will know what the raga is and how it goes... How exactly the phrases are going to be formed,
how they are going to be delivered - that is where improvisation lies and the violinists have a
tough job on hand. But they accompany in any case and at least the tail end of the phrases
are usually performed. There are gaps between the phrases in an alapana - those are softly
filled in by the violinists with the tail end of the vocalist’s phrases. If you listen carefully you
will know what I am talking about.

And in Carnatic music, the manodharma aspects whatever manodharma or improvisation the
lead performer engages in, the violinist responds, if not equally at least to a measured level.
So if the vocalist performs an alapana and the violinist accompanies him through the alapana
and then after the vocalist has finished his alapana the violinist will give a solo presentation
of that raga. He will also perform an alapana

Now this is the way, this is the role of the accompanist. It is pretty well defined in Carnatic
music where the violinist has to come in and where the mrindangam player comes in. What
are their solo segments... there are very fairly clear conventions regarding these? Unlike, for
instance, Hindustani music where it is entirely up to the lead performer to determine when the
accompanists could have their own solo forays.

417
So the violinist responds with his/her alapana so also with the other segments of other aspects
of manodharma. The violinist, suppose the singer performs swara prastara, another aspect of
manodharma, the violinist will respond.

So, in these areas especially of manodharma and especially of swara prastara and neraval the
violinist’s contribution is not just to follow and to respond but to actually provoke the lead
singer on. And the lead singer will in turn provoke the violinist and this kind of interaction
and prodding happens all the time in Carnatic music.

In fact the level of interaction in Carnatic music among the performers on stage of a very
high order. Since nothing almost is completely determined - even compositions there is a fair,
there is a very real uncertainty about how exactly they will be presented by the lead
performer. So there has to be a great deal of anticipation and interaction among the
performers.

And that is also what makes Carnatic music a very live and sometimes raw experience. In the
sense, as I said, the violin cannot entirely anticipate and completely, accurately anticipate
what the lead performer is going to sing. And yet they do accompany and some levels
sometimes there is a rough edgedness to it to the music which connoisseurs, they learn to
overlook - that kind of rough edgedness. That is part of the musical experience, that is part of
the creation of music that happens in Carnatic music. Of course, if a violinist has performed
very often with the particular vocalist, they would more or less know the style of that vocalist
and they will be able to respond, they will able to follow more accurately. But there is never
...it is never the case that everything is perfectly in place.

(Refer Slide Time: 14:55)

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Now, as I said, there are well understood, widely accepted conventions regarding how the
...regarding the role of the violinist or the mridangam player - this is called the cutcheri
dharma. Some principles that are to be abided by in a concert. So let’s say the vocalist
performs an alapana in a particular raga then it is expected that the violinist will respond the
same raga and the violinist should try to compliment the vocalist’s performance. It cannot be
completely divergent and in a completely different style or completely different speed. There
has to be an attempt to maintain the overall coherence of the performance. So if the vocalist
has sung say ragam Bhairavi and use... using mostly softer phrases, and more leisurely
treatment of Bhairavi - suppose this is what the vocalist has presented. Then the violinist
should try to keep to that style, keep to that laya and so on. Because see, in a musical
presentation like a Carnatic music presentation, where there is nothing written, there are no
written scores, there has to be somebody who has to take the lead. And that is the lead
performer - the singer or one instrumentalist - he or she takes the lead. And the others have to
join him. That is only... that that alone can make for a coherent musical experience.

So, again in terms of duration if the vocalist has sung for say ten minutes, an alapana for 10
minutes, the violinist typically plays for six to seven minutes, never exceeding ten definitely.
That is seen as inappropriate. Again swara prastara again, if the vocalist is performing swara
prastara in a certain region of the raga then the violinist also generally confines herself to that
region.

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So the violinist’s role is to very keenly be aware of the vocalist’s style and what the vocalist
is doing - all in the larger interest of the coherence of the presentation. If everybody on stage
was doing his or her own thing then the experience of the concert will be difficult to absorb.

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 Appreciating Carnatic Music
Prof. Lakshmi Sreeram
Indian Institute of Technology Madras

Lecture -64
Accompaniment Percussive Accompaniment-the Mridangam

Percussive accompaniment and art of percussion in general is highly evolved is very complex in
Carnatic music. The primary percussive instrument is Mridangam. (Refer Slide Time: 00:42;
Tamil explanation begins) (Refer Slide Time: 04:35; Tamil explanation ends)
(Refer Slide Time: 00:50)

The mrdangam is the primary percussive instrument in Carnatic music and there are what are
called “Upa pakka vAdyam”. The word for accompaniment or accompanying instrument in
Carnatic music is “Pakka Vadyam” and mrdangam is a pakkavadyam
(Refer Slide Time: 05:02)

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And we have Upa pakka vadiyam that is subsidiary accompanying instruments. And these are
we have three or four.. the more popular ones – we have the ghatam, which is simply a clay pot.
We have the kanjira, which is an instrument held in one hand and we have morsing. To have an
idea of what about accompaniment is about, we can start with a comparison with accompaniment
in Khayal, in Hindustani music – the table. What is a kind accompaniment the tabla offers in a
Khayal performance. Now what happens is that the tabla ... there is a taal and the taal is
associated with particular set of syllables or set of strokes that is called theka. Now, for the most
part the tabla player will play the theka. So, in a sense, in every sense the tabla player is the
person who maintains the tala cycle. So if we have tal like then tal.
Na dhin dhin dha, na dhin dhin dhin dha, na tin, tin ta, ta, dhin dhin dha,
This is a 16 mathra cycle and na din din tha are names of the strokes on the tabla involving a
single hand or both the hands. Tabla, as you know, is two drums. So the tabla player would be
maintaining just this cycle and for most part you will be hearing only the “na din din tha” “na din
din tha” “na tin din tha” “na din din tha” that is” din tha” and if it is teentaal.

And at only... in certain points the tabla player would improvise mostly when the lead performer
indicates he may improvise there. So the taal is kept by the tabla which is why Khayal performer
does not perform taal with his hand. Now in Carnatic music the tala is maintained by the lead
performer. The percussive instrument, the percussive accompanist actually accompanies the
music. The percussive accompanist looks to the tala maintained by the performer, the lead

422
performer and that is the basic reference. If you observe carefully how the mrdangam
accompanies, you will see that whatever sangati being produced ,whatever phrase or movement
is being produced by the performer, by the lead performer, that is translated into the mrdangam
as well. So, to demonstrate suppose you have (Singing Starts: 08:24) (Singing Ends: 08:35). This
one sangathi. There will be a certain way the mrdangam accompanies.
Now this is a sangathi and the mrdangam accompanist will mirror, anticipate and mirror...he will
play the mrdangam in such a way as to mirror this sangati or (Singing Starts: 08:58) (Singing
Ends: 09:02) This will be a completely different performance in the mrdangam. So, unlike as I
said, in Hindustani music (Singing Starts: 09:11) (Singing Ends: 09:13) this is a Khayal in
Hamsadhwani (Singing Starts: 09:19) (Singing Ends: 09:29) suppose I have to sing the same in
the Khayal, the tabla player will not play something different – he will still go on” na din din
tha” “na din din tha” “na din din tha” “na din din tha”. The role of the tabla and mrdangam as
percussive accompaniment are very different and in fact, to a large extent, the texture of Carnatic
music, the way it sounds. This is because of how the mrdangam accompanies the lead
performers. In fact the mrdangam player need to be as much a musician. He needs to not just
know his mrdangam and also he needs to know music he must know compositions and he needs
to know how improvisation happens. So in improvisation, suppose we take swara prastara
(Singing Starts: 10:23) (Singing Ends: 10:25).
Now this is one way of doing the eduppu (Singing Starts: 10:33) (Singing Ends: 10:35). The
mrdangam player ah a seasoned mrdangam artist will actually anticipate how the singer is going
to take the eduppu (Singing Starts: 10:50) (Singing Ends: 10:56) and so on. So there are infinite
possibilities about how the Avartana can be filled with swaras how they can be... how the swaras
can be grouped... and how they can be split and the performer is going to improvise ... but the
mrdangam player is expected to anticipate and they do anticipate to a great extent. (Music Starts:
11:27) (Music Ends: 12:24). The talam is again different Rupaka talam “tha” is called eka
thisram this is called muthaippu the finish.
(Refer Slide Time: 11:29)

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(Music Starts: 12:37) (Music Ends: 14:56)

How the mrdangam player anticipates, how he varies his strokes, they cannot be of uniform
volume there have to be soft strokes, there have to be strong strokes, loud strokes and denser
phrases more spread out phrases. Even in mrdangam you have phrases.
So all this makes for the art of the ... all this and much much more for the art of the mrdangam
accompaniment. And more than anything else mrdangam accompaniment can make or break the
concerts. As we speak of mrdangam accompaniment nourishing the concert “cutcheriya
poshikarathu” poshikarathu means to nourish – it give it nourishment - how you lift the concert
to a another level. The role of a mrdangam player is extremely important. We will now listen to
Tiruvarur Bakthavatchlam leading mrdangam vidwan as he speaks about a few aspects of
mrdangam accompaniment. He is accompanying veteran violinist V.V. Subramanian
(Music Starts: 16:25) (Music Ends: 17:45)

The glimpse of Ananda Bhairavi, the tala is Adi and it starts in the middle of the first finger.
(Music Starts: 18:02) (Music Ends: 18:03). When you start the mrdangam player have to notice
first the kala pramanam - the speed, tempo. Accordingly we have to play (Music Starts :18:30)
(Music Ends: 18:31) not like that. How to start? How to accompany?

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It is very bad to accompany like this very very bad. Now I will show you how to accompany
suppose if I did the reverse thing; don’t do that please. (Music Starts: 19:02) (Music Ends: 19:03)
Mrdangam players don’t start immediately have to observe after that... have to do some pause
gap.

(Music Starts: 19:30 Tamil explanation begins) How to play with violin? How to accompany the
vocal? How to accompany the veena? I should know. Anticipation is most most important for
especially for the accompanist especially for the mrdangam player. (Music Ends: 26:32 Tamil
explanation Ends)

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 Appreciating Carnatic Music
Prof. Lakshmi Sreeram
Indian Institute of Technology, Madras

Lecture -65
Subsidiary Accompanists-interaction among accompanists

The uppa pakka vAdiyam or the subsidiary accompaniment, percussive accompaniment -

Ghatam and Kanjira. Now they have their own dharma - that is they have their own interaction
with the mrdangam player. And it is very important to make sure that the mrdangam player and
the uppa pakka vadyam artists are comfortable with each other.
And the upa pakka vadyam has to follow the lead of the mrdangam player, everybody follows
the lead performer – the vocalist or if its an instrument player. But between the mrdangam and
upa pakka vadyam there is another smaller level of interaction, a smaller world of interaction that
is happening there.
Usually, in the improvisation segments, say swara prastara or neraval it is normally seen that
when the violinist responds with say swara prasthara or neraval, the upa pakka vadyam
accompanies the violin - alone without the mrdangam. That usually happens and it makes for a
different texture, different sound experience. Because you are all the time hearing the mrdangam
and suddenly the mrdangam is quitens down and the kanjira and ghatam alone is heard so that
make for a difference experience.

Now let us watch this clip, this composition “Brova barama raghurama”. It is a composition of
Tyagaraja in the raga Bahudari - the violinist is R.K. Shriramakumar who responds with the
swara prasthara as Ramakrishnan Murthy sings and we have Arun Prakash on mrdangam and
Anirudth Athreya on the kanjira. So you can take it a feel of how... the level of interaction
amongst the performers here.
(Music Starts: 02:54) (Music Ends: 09:01)

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 Appreciating Carnatic Music
Prof. Lakshmi Sreeram
Indian Institute of Science, Madras

Lecture 66
Mridangam
(Refer Slide Time: 00:13)

Welcome to this lecdem – a presentation of South Indian Carnatic percussion instruments -

Mridangam, Kanjira, Ghatam and the Morsing. I have three very good friends of mine and
fabulous percussionists on stage, who will be the presenting the lecdem and also be playing
the respective instruments along with me. To my right is Vidwan Tanjavur Praveen Kumar, a
brilliant Mridangist. He will talk about his, mention about his guru.

I started learning mridangam from Nallai Sri A.Balaji Sir. I learnt from him for 3 years and
then I started learning mridangam again, from Guruvayur Sri Durai Sir. I have been under his
tutelage for the past 14 -15 years and that is about my guru.

To my left is vidwan Sri H. Prasanna, a versatile musician: he is not only is a percussionist,

he is a very good vocalist. It is said that a vocalist needs to know about the percussion
instruments. And in the same way, whoever is playing percussion, they also need to know
about the vocal music aspects and he has trained himself intensely in vocal music and he will
mention about his gurus.
Sri Gurobiyo Namaha! I am basically a product of Kalakshetra, I did my part time certificate
course in vocal under under professor D. Pashupati and I also learnt mirdangam under

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Palakkad P.K. Ranganathan. Since 2001 I have been specialising in Ghatam under Ghatam
Sri.V. Suresh, Thank you.

On the Morsing we have a very senior Vidwan, Kalaimamani Sri A.S. Krishnan sir - he will
mention about his gurus. First I learnt with my father, Sri A.K.Sundaram sir and then
advanced training taken from Mannarkudi A. Easwaran and also learnt mridangam also with
Melakaveri Krishnamurthy Sir and then Thanjavur Kumar Sir.

And I am B.S. Purushotham and I am a disciple of Bangalore Sri M. L. Veerabhadrayya who

was one of the senior most disciple of Sri Palakkad Mani Iyer - first set of disciples - and
later I continued with his son, Bangalore Sri B. Praveen. I have learnt mridangam for over 16
years and also started playing Kanjira and then after shifting to Madras, from Chennai I am
learning from Sangeetha Kalanidhi Dr. T.K. Murthy sir and I am specialising in Kanjira.
Thank you.

We now start our lecdem with Praveen Kumar playing on the mridangam and he will talk
about the construction and other aspects of mridangam and also tell about the basics of the
learning process of mridangam.

Mridangam as an instrument, as I see it, incorporates three divisions of science basically

which is quite surprising for a lay man because it is just a guy tapping on a drum. But if you
get into the science behind the instrument it takes three divisions of science, which is Maths,
Physics and Chemistry. When I talk about Physics, it is the constructional details and the
craftsmanship that goes behind constructing the instrument. So, let me just start to explain the
various parts of the instrument.
So, mridangam is basically a double headed instrument.
This is the right head and this one is the left head. So, the right head has three layers of skin
or leather and they are not the same type of leather: it has buffalo skin, it has cow skin and it
has goat skin. So the region around this black area is basically cow skin, which is not too
fragile or not too sturdy, which is bit of mixed tonal quality. And the skin that is below this
black region is the goat skin which is kind of fragile and has some adhesive property and
hence it has been chosen. And the skin or the leather you are seeing here is the buffalo skin,
so that is about the right head. I will come to this black region when I talk about the
chemistry part of it.

428
So, when you look at the left head of the instrument, it has two layers of skin, this one is a
very hard layer this does not produce any sound or we do not use it for playing just support
for this or it is mounted on this.
And the layer inside has cow skin which gives the open tone. And when you talk about the
body of the instrument, it is mainly made of jackfruit wood, this one here. It is because, it is
very sturdy, it has a very high tensile strength and my mridangam makers have told me that
the diameter of the mouth on the both ends does not change over a period of time whereas the
other woods or other materials change. So, that is the reason why Jackfruit wood is preferred.

And these two heads are laced upon by a layer of leather again. This is a new invention that is
probably taken like 10 years back. This is basically a parachute material that has been used
which has very high tensile strength and could actually hold these two heads tightly. But
actual leather that is used for this is again, buffalo’s skin, again it is highly rigid and it has
very high tensile strength.

So, that is about the basic parts of the mridangam. So, now we move into the sound
production of the instrument which is also science.
(Refer Slide Time: 06:54)

So, Professor Sir C.V. Raman has actually done a paper and early 1930’s.
(Refer Slide Time: 06:58)

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To be very precise 1934 and the paper is called Indian musical drums.
(Refer Slide Time: 07:03)

And he has taken Tabla and Mridangam and he compared with the other global instruments
that was prevailing at that period of time. So, mridangam is very special because it has a wide
spectrum of sounds that can be produced starting from the treble to the bass. When I say
treble you can correlate sounds like this (Musical demonstration Start Time: 07:27) And
when I say bass you can correlate sounds like this. (Musical demonstration Start Time:
07:31) And there is mids as well which goes like; (Musical demonstration Start Time:
07:36)
And this particular tone that is produced here is tuned to that box right there which is Tanpura
and that is probably the median that keeps musicians you know in line. So, there is a bit of
tuning also involved, the tuning is very simple; you just take a rubber band and you stretch it

430
the more you stretch out, the tension is more, and the pitch more. So it is the same concept
right here.
You had a rubber band there and you have buffalo skin or a parachute material here, so the
more I pull it, tension is more, frequency is more and the pitch is more and it is also related to
oscillations which is again sound production. And I use this particular stone, I give more
tension again - the pitch increases. So, basically this mouth extends when I hit it here and
when I hit it from the other side the reverse process happens. The tension reduces and pitch
reduces. The same thing can be done on this side and the same physics goes behind that. That
is about the basics of the Physics that is involved in the mridangam.
C.V. Raman Sir has gone into the over harmonics and overtones produced in the instrument
where he says if I play this, the whole of the skin vibrates and there is no nodal lines. When I
play this, one nodal line. When I play this there are two nodal lines and when I play with this
there are three nodal lines. So, when play this it has four nodal lines – so that is about the
crux of the Physics involved into the mridangam.
Now getting into the small bit of chemistry that is involved in mridangam, you see this black
region that is stuck in the centre part of the mridangam. This is actually a combination of iron
oxide, manganese and rice.
But the funny fact is that they do not produce iron oxide, manganese and other raw materials
- they basically get it from a stone which has those contents and then the grind it and then
they mix it with rice, the normal boiled rice and then they just you know stick on to this. Rice
is basically for the adhesive properties. That is about the chemistry part of the mridangam.
Metallic sound - more of iron oxide and the manganese content is also you know... you get
the stones in the northern part of India as well but they say it is not suitable for mridangam.
May be suitable for tabla and dholaki or instruments like that because they use the same
concept. So the way it is done is layer by layer. Yes it is done layer by layer, the stone is
powered and mixed with rice, yes and then they do it by layer by layer. Like gum yeah.
So, that is how it is struck firmly and that is how it is....
about the left head.
The left head of the instrument, thanks for reminding me, we normally use rava which is
sooji or I do not the other name semolina ... rava, exactly, thank you. So, that is used for the
left head to get the bass of the instrument. This is again the invention that is been there for the
past five or six years. We use something called plumbers putty or the dough, that you get ...I
don't think you get it India. It is like, quite common in the US, so which gives the actual base
te needed for the drum and you do not need any time to set your instruments, it is like ready

431
in 50 seconds. So, that gives the bass - without this it is very shrill and just like any other
drum, Snare drum, Tom whatever you find. So, this particular paste is used as a dampener
kind of a thing. So that is about Physics and Chemistry of mridangam. I will just play a short
....

There are four basic syllables in mridangam and they are Tha, Thi Thom Num. That itself
explores the sound spectrum of the instrument. When I say Tha, it is is a very damp tone and
it is, it has too much of highs in it. When I say The again a very sharp tone, when I say Thom
this a very open tone and it has a lot of bases, when I say num it has some kind of something
related to the Shruti - it has ... you hear that harmonic. So, it kind of explores that. So, the
basic lessons are:
(Musical Demonstration Begins: 12:31)
So, this is probably the most common exercise that is being taught even now and probably
Apart from this also you know while learning further, could you please play Chaapu and
yeah and what all can be played on the right and also?
The Gumki part and I forgot to mention about the Gumki as well. Gumki is an extra stroke
that you get in the left head other than the bass and the chaap, you have something where you
can modulate the frequency after producing the bass.
So, it probably shows that it is very, very difficult not that easy to look at, very pleasing and
one of the most toughest to play.
I can just show it you, it is actually a simple process, where I played open and then I tried to
modulate it, like that.
And it takes practice years of practice of course everything take years of practice but this is
one of the most toughest definitely. Those who have learnt the instrument they will know ...
one of the most beautiful; yeah,
First when I was taught Gumki it was a circular motion that I was practicing, this was
actually actual Gumki that I was taught. And then when I am playing the faster groove or
something like that; came into that point. So I will just play a small, it is called sarvalaghu in
carnatic music where we play groove and then we tried to add certain things to it, so;
(Musical Demonstration Begins: 14:26)

So, thanks Praveen, thank you, I have to mention that his Guru Guruvayur Durai sir and
lineage he comes from Palani Sundaram Pillai stalwarts in playing mridangam itself but
specialised in playing toppi that is call the left side, they are masters and you can listen to

432
their just left side of the toppi for hours and hours that is the kind of artistry they all had,
thanks Praveen, that was a nice presentation on mridangam.

Was a pleasure thanks.

433
 Appreciating Carnatic Music
Prof. Lakshmi Sreeram
Indian Institute of Science, Madras

Lecture 67
Kanjira

And we will move on to the Kanjira. We saw the two handed mridangam first, this is just a
one handed Kanjira - one of the few percussion instrument which is one handed and very
simple in construction. Same wood as the mridangam because the masters and the masters of
manufacturers also who have done it over the years - it has been proved that the Jackfruit
wood... the tonal purity and the nadam rich tone that you get Jackfruit wood cannot be
matched in any other wood.
Of course there are other woods which have been used for mridangam and kanjira also - they
have tried other woods but finally this is the wood in which you get the rich musical tone.
The skin is of the Monitor Lizard and is called the udumbu, udumbu thol in Tamil. Same as
what I told for the wood, the nadam produced in the udumbu thol is very rich. There have
been other skins also tried. But masters and experts have finally chosen this thol as the best to
explore and play kanjira.

There is a small.... when you play you will get a jingling sound here, these are small coins,
two coins inserted here, these are the old quarter of a coin. In Tamil they call pazhaiya kaal
ana, pithalai, it gives a very musical and melodious, you know, feel to the kanjira tone and
the original tone of kanjira will be like this. It is almost equal to the mridangam when there is
no paste on the left side. It is not exactly that but similar to that sound when you put that
paste you get the bass sound. So, instead we sprinkle water here inside portion and make it
wet over a period of few minutes, not put it all and make it wet you know it becomes got a lot
of wrinkles and you cannot do anything with it then.
You can only reduce you cannot rise the pitch here. And Kanjira is one instrument which
cannot be tuned to a particular pitch unlike Mridangam or Ghatam or Morsing.
It is something like a thavil or a drum it has his own richness and nadam, you have to play in
that sound and the tone. You cannot tune it to say C, D, E or G whatever it is whether I am
playing for a musician who is singing at 1 shruti or where I am playing for instrumental or
whether I am playing for a female musician who sing at G or G sharp. I will play with the
same kanjira - there will no difference in that.

434
Now coming to the sound this will be the original sound after sprinkling the water and after
making wet you will get a comfortable bass sound - this will be it.
Unlike mridangam you will not get sounds-tonal rich sounds, dimension of ...wide spectrum
of tones in kanjira but it has its own uniqueness and lot of mridangam vidvans and yesteryear
vidvans have found this instrument as their favourite and also played-maybe not
professionally. But they played it also along with mridangam because it fascinates. It is just a
small tiny instrument of this size, it is up to an artist to explore and play anything. Whatever
the two... you are playing with two hands...any instrument you can play with this it also has
the unique tone and anything you can do on kanjira it is up to an artist.
So the basic strokes of kanjira are - this is the main stroke this is thom, this is life of the
instrument.
This is Tha, it is just a combination of 4 or 5 strokes and using the Gumki you will produce
lot of permutation and combination of rhythmic patterns
(Music Demonstration Start Time: 04:43)

If you play this sarvalaghu what Praveen played in mridangam, without Gumki it will sound
like this
(Music Demonstration Start Time: 05:01)
The Gumki is... when I play along with the Gumki the tone is very pleasing and listen to this,
it sounds very rich.
(Music Demonstration Start Time: 05:18)
That is it about kanjira, we will move on to with further, advanced level of playing in our
next rounds.
I picked up just playing kanjira from my first Guru Praveen’s father M.L. Veerabhadraiah, he
had a kanjira with him I just picked the Kanjira and started playing. He found some... he
thought that I had a natural ability to handle this instrument. So, based on the mridangam
techniques and whatever I was taught in mridangam I just started playing. He said you have a
natural ability to, instinct to play the kanjira, why don’t you also play and he taught me to
play the nuances of kanjira. But after a point of time I found it a bit difficult to manage both
because playing mridangam the fingering is absolutely different and it is two handed and
playing kanjira ... of course any instrument is strain to play after point of time, you have to
master it. But I found out that it is difficult to manage both after a point of time,
professionally playing.

435
Then lot of senior artist suggested to me that I should pick one instrument and concentrate on
one instrument and specialise in it. I also thought that it sense to play one instrument. Then I
picked kanjira; but learning mridangam for over 16 years has immensely helped me on stage.
Because first thing that I can enjoy any style of mridangam playing and whatever the
mridangist plays I can enjoy it myself - that gives me greatest satisfaction.
Even the smallest nuances anybody plays, I am able to enjoy it because I have learnt it
myself. Second thing is whenever I am playing with mridangam vidvan, I will strike the
immediate rapport because I have learnt it myself. So, I know it ...what comes next, what is
the thing, what happened next, how it is played, how to gel with them - it is a great advantage
learning mridangam and learning kanjira.

But there are now musicians who have not learnt mridangam and they have learnt respective
instruments on their own and they have really done well. So I mean it is up to an artist’s
ability how he picks up....it is an added advantage, when you learn something. But definitely
learning vocal music is a must. Whether you learn mridangam and learn this instrument it is
up to an artist, I did it. But lot of musicians do not have to, you can learn the instrument.
Now there are techniques, there are schools wherein you can learn kanjira, ghatam and
morsing directly from basics without their learning mridangam - that much of scope is there.
But if you learn because it is a, when you accompany, when you learn vocal music I think
you are a ... huge asset, you can accompany with, you know, that much of confidence.
Because finally you will be accompanying for composition. Or else you will be only
specialising as a good solo artist. So, if you learn vocal music, the added advantage is there
and that will reflect in your playing. That taste and ruchi will be there definitely.

436
 Appreciating Carnatic Music
Online course
By
Prof. Lakshmi Sreeram
Indian Institute of Science, Chennai

Lecture 68
Ghatam

We will move on to Prasanna he will talk about Ghatam and his approach. So, a Ghatam
generally called as Ghata in Sanskrit which means clay pot or mud, so that is how the name
was derived to the instrument. So, Ghatam is also prevalent in other parts of India it is called
Matki or Ghajini in Rajasthan, Nout in Kashmir.
So, first I will explain the structure of the Ghatam - it has three parts. This is the body of the
Ghatam, this is the neck and this is the mouth. So, the body produces the sound like this
sharp sound or treble and neck part closely matches with the shruti or the shadjam and the
mouth part has the bass sound.
So, Ghatam is a unique instrument - like we have the syllables the basic syllables in all
percussion South Indian instrument is the same Tha Thi Thom Num. So, this is how it is
played in Ghatam, Tha is played like this, Thi, Thom, Num I will use the thumb, the basic
lessons in Ghatam start likes this
(Music Demonstration Start Time: 03:18)

So, there are other nuances of the Ghatam which produces different tones when we keep the
Ghatam at different positions for example Thom, here it is different sound when it played like
this and this is used to match the toppi of the mridangam, base of the kanjira.
(Music Demonstration Start Time: 04:12)

So what do you exactly do when you playing that,?

yeah it is like we cover the resonance part with belly part of the Ghatam which suppresses
the resonance inside the belly so that we do not get full sound and we are kind of try to
inhale, so that our stomach or belly goes in, the breath control is involved, when we play this
and we can have the support of the other hand to push the Ghatam.
(Music Demonstration Start Time: 05:01)

437
So, this produces the sound and ok, we can use the mouth to play the base also. It depends on
the particular artist who specialises in playing this style because it produces the great
resonances like
(Music Demonstration Start Time: 05:19)

So simply you can play like this or like this or you can have control over the air inside the
Ghatam
(Music Demonstration Start Time: 05:30)

So, these are the different techniques used in Ghatam.

And there are two schools of fingering techniques by Sri Palani Krishna Iyer and by
Umaiyalpuram Sri Kothandarama Iyer. So, they have a different fingering technique
approach and ok my Guru as specialist in blending both these types which will use; which we
call as a Gumiki similar to the tone which is used in I mean used in mridangam.
We have a fingering technique called double Gumki which uses the both parts like this, to be
precise it will go like this
(Music Demonstration Start Time: 06:30)

This is widely used by my master and it is a great variety of sound and when it is used in
right permutation and combination in a Korvai or in a finguring technique in a concert it
gives us more pleasure of playing the instrument.
Are there different types of Ghatams?
Yeah, the most preferred Ghatam is made in a place called Manamadurai near Madurai the
southern temple city of Tamilnadu. So, the basic raw material the clay we can find it in the
Vaigai river.
So, they will take the clay and they will dry it and they will make the clay with raw sand and
with some fine particles of fine metal particles which gives us the tonal sound and they make
the normal clay pot which is the normal process to make a pot and the pot is dried for two or
three days and it is placed in the heat furnace. It is about the Manamadurai Ghatam, it is the
normal process for all the Ghatams.
What is the difference between the Manamadurai Ghatam and the other Ghatam that is
Madras Ghatam?

438
It is Madras Ghatam, the clay which is found in the Vaigai river - it is proved to be like a
unique clay. So, the sound which is produced from that play that kind of Ghatam is totally
different from; you have played in both the Ghatam, yes and this is the Madras Ghatam,
which is light in weight and easy to carry and it is produces more sound.

It needs less effort to play - Mana Madurai Ghatam is bigger in size that is much bigger in
that is heavier in size and the clay walls are thicker than this Ghatam and we need huge
amount of practice and expertise to produce sounds from that Ghatam.

I started with vocal music, so I learnt vocal and I had some time left in between. So, I thought
I will start learning mridangam.

And I happened to see my Guru in one of my concerts in the year 2000 and the tonal quality
and the way he was presenting in the concert, ok, I got very attracted to it and I decided to
switch over to Ghatam. So, have you found it to advantage of learning mridangam and
Ghatam. Yes, like I find it is a great boon that I was able to learn vocal, mridangam and now
Ghatam.

And during when I play concerts it is help us, easy to listen to the Kriti and enjoy the bhava
of the Kriti and even the Kalpana swaras when the vocalist sings and we can accompany
them. We can easily adapt to their style and the prominent thing is we can enjoy other
person’s music and we can play together.

We cannot do much too tune the shruti. We can reduce the shruti by a bit - by play dough
which is used by children to make different toys or something. So, we can put the clay in
inner part of the; we cannot increase the pitch no, it is only for decreasing the pitch, that too
by a fine tuning process, we cannot do much about the pitch.

Before Mr. Kalaimamani S. Krishnan sir lecdem we will go on play few avarthanams
(Music Demonstration Start Time: 10:59)

Thanks Prasanna it is very nice of you doing the very excellent presentation of the Ghatam in
detail

439
 Appreciating Carnatic Music
Prof. Lakshmi Sreeram
Indian Institute of Science, Chennai

Lecture 68
Morsing

So after Mridangam, Kanjira and Ghatam we move on to very exciting percussion instrument
senior most person on the stage Kalaimamani S Krishnan sir - he will talk about Morsing and
his experiences of playing.

This is called Morsing: actually this is not Morsing this is called mugar-shangu.
(Tamil Explanation Begins: 00:37)
This has been made first made by bamboo only, it is called dantha vaadyam in Sanskrit. See
one, it is there in primitive stage where man uses materials readily available for making
music - sticks, pots, animals horns and cells and bamboo initially. Thus we may feel that
musical instruments are part and parcel of human life ..... In the iron age bells came in came
into existence. Bells have an important place in Indian culture.

Another significant iron percussion instrument is Morsing that is called Jewish harp - these
are the varieties.
(Refer Slide Time: 01:45)

So, many varieties, this one; this one; this one; this one, it is ours actually and this also and
this also. Third page this one actually it is the size of the Morsing are vary 3 inches to 9
inches.

440
(Refer Slide Time: 02:07)

And then now we are using this one we only invented the vibrations of music. This is called
hacksaw blade, this centre one is the hacksaw blade. First they will cut like this, this is cast
iron; this is cone shaped instrument, this is cone shaped, this is cast iron. And they will fold
like this because we have to fold this instrument, they will hold like this and they will insert
and rivet it.

But if once it breaks you cannot use again. Because shruti will vary, it will not sit in proper
shruti, so we can use only one time. Suppose if it breaks, we have to throw it out. This is the
hacksaw blade.
(Refer Slide Time: 02:56)

441
You see we are plucking like this. This is cone-shaped, this is cast iron actually making.
Rajapalayam people make very good instruments like, nobody is making like that.

What do you exactly do to produce a beautiful musical tone now? What do you exactly can
you play now again.

See, I will come to that right.

So how mridangam they are playing Tha Thi Thom Num but in this instrument, no Thom,
Thom means we have to close the lips.
(Tamil Explanation Begins: 03:29)
So, if you are keeping instruments how can you close your lips using that so that is called
Jho, you see that is Tha, we have to sustain the sound, then Thi slightly we have to inhale, we
have to say Thi air, that is the thing, when you are keeping it here you tell Thi, now you see
Tha, then Thi, then if you say Thom, Thom means you have to play like this, you have to
breadth forcibly.

Then Num,
so lot of breathing control is also there when you play this, yes, ok, breathing only we are
playing. This is very, very difficult instrument but some people will play and they say
konnakol also.
(Refer Slide Time: 04:30)

442
You see; that is very, very difficult actually. It is disturbed also to others. So, we have to say
by breathing only this sound.
(Musical Demonstration Begins: 04:47)

You see, sustain, again and again this four sound will come, this four sound is; this is the four
sound.
(Musical Demonstration Begins: 05:07)

This is the four sounds. This is a shruti instrument actually, percussion instrument according
to the mridangam; first before playing Morsing we have to play mridangam then we can play
according to that. What they are playing, suppose; we have to soft it, if they play loudly then
we have to play loudly.

And most common thing is that language of all of us is the same - the theory remains the
same.

Whatever the Thaka Thi Dhina is the same for four of us, only the presentation of each
instrument is differs. In Morsing we would not say Thaka Thi Dhina, it is Thaka Dhin Tha,
you see.
(Musical Demonstration Begins: 05:55)

This is called Thaka Dhimi Thaka Junu. Now;

(Musical Demonstration Begins: 06:08)

Suppose if you are if you are playing in first speed, 6 speeds, in second speed it will come in
3 beats you see
(Musical Demonstration Begins: 06:24)

We have to play first speed

(Musical Demonstration Begins: 06:30)

By breathing only we are able to play - breathing is the control part.

(Refer Slide Time: 06:42)

443
This is the string, sound is produced by the vibration of the sound breathing, vibration You
see;
(Musical Demonstration Begins: 06:50)

See he is playing; we can also play in this instrument.

(Musical Demonstration Begins: 06:59)

Same only according to the mridangam only we will play. This not separate actually but some
people they use konnakol while playing you see;
(Musical Demonstration Begins: 07:23)

We will get disturbance definitely, so we have to play by breathing only we have to say that
Thaki dakita in air.
(Musical Demonstration Begins: 07:36)
Now vibrating this. suppose without keeping it in mouth if you play like this no sound only
tow, tow no sound at all. By breathing only we are playing we have to pluck hear the sound is
sound will come from this side, not here. We should not bite, this we are just have to hold this
and keep here, lower and upper jaw. But this is the main part actually.

Can you show the difference of holding and leaving while playing.
(Musical Demonstration Begins: 08:11)

444
Suppose if you close this, sound will not come properly that is the main point. The skill is
here, yes, the skill is here only apart from breathing technique that is always we have to open
here then only air will come freely otherwise it will not come then you close it like this sound
will not come.

Very fascinating, the sound will be very hard. This is the beauty of the range of percussion
instrument is so know highly technical.

The hand acts like a chamber to amplify the sound that is produced because the sound that is
produced as that instrument it needs to be amplified and this hand acts as a chamber. So, it
resonates here and comes out and amplifies here. But this is very, very high frequency
instrument. This one and then also already explain the we can reduce of a pitch. We should
not increase that is, we can only reduce, and we cannot increase the pitch.

But in one we have to have separate keeping one for one, for one and half another is there,
this is 2 and half. So, this we can use up to two that is the main point we have to hold it
properly no damage sometimes it will scratch your lips.
(Tamil Explanation Begins: 09:35)

That is the myth that but it would not cut your tongue definitely.
(Tamil Explanation Begins: 09:45)

No sharp here, you have to hold it properly that is the main reason here
(Musical Demonstration Begins: 10:03)
Fine
(Tamil Explanation Begins: 11:22)

That is called 8 + 8 =16 like that 3 times and then 3 eights four Kaarvais and then
(Tamil Explanation Begins: 11:32)

That is then khanda nadai convert to khandam

(Tamil Explanation Begins: 11:40)

That is thisuram, that is, it will convert as thisram

445
(Tamil Explanation Begins: 11:46)

Eight, he will playing it in chathusra and 10 then it becomes khandam, tempo changes and 12
it becomes thisram; in between 4, 4 karvais according to the kaarvai.

446
 Appreciating Carnatic Music
Prof. Lakshmi Sreeram
Indian Institute of Science, Madras

Lecture 70
Percussion Korvai and Thani Avartanam

Before making a final presentation of all of us together I would like to talk about important
aspect called korvai which is very important for all of us, all percussion instruments. There
are lots of korvai’s - lot of dimensions of korvais. We will now take a ... what is a korvai? the
korvais a rhythmic pattern which has two halves the first half and the second half. In Tamil
we will call it as PUrvAngam and UttarAngam we will start it and end it.

PUrvAngam is the first part UttarAngam is the last second part. So there are different ranges
of korvais. First we will all take a simple korvai and I will tell the korvai and each of us will
play it in our instruments respectively and finally we will play together. So, you will see the
difference in the tonal musical tones of each of the instruments.
(Musical Demonstration Start Time: 01:11)

The first half of the korvai is;

(Musical Demonstration Start Time: 01:23)

The first half korvai ends there. It is like reducing the korvai, this korvais of reducing type the
Gopuccha yati type this is the PUrvAngam, the first half. The second half starts;
(Musical Demonstration Start Time: 01:43)

That is very, very simple for all of us, first we are taught in our respective schools, reducing
your eliminate the second half goes up.
(Musical Demonstration Start Time: 01:55)

So, we will play once in each of the instrument separately and you can see the how it sounds -
the same korvai how it sounds. The language is the same but how it sounds and we will
finally play together once and in the next one we go on to a complex korvai and each of us
will play a different dimensional korvais of our own creativity.

447
And when he mentioned Gopucch Yati, it is basically a structure that is present in the korvai.
Gopuccha yati basically a reverse cone that is obtained when I say
(Musical Demonstration Start Time: 02:24)

It is like two bars of rhythmic pattern

(Musical Demonstration Start Time: 02:39)

And then when I say;

(Musical Demonstration Start Time: 02:42)

It reduces and then

(Musical Demonstration Start Time: 02:43)

Then half of that then again then so it is basically a reverse cone and then when you get to the
second part of the korvai it is increasing cone. You eliminate two syllabus syllables of each in
the first half and you increase it by two in the second one, yes. So, the second half is;
(Musical Demonstration Start Time: 03:06)

Basic mathematics that is six, that is 8 so logically obviously six eight has to be ten. So, will
now he will now play it on the mridangum first.
(Musical Demonstration Start Time: 03:21)

That was the simplest of the korvais which we played separately and all together.

Now we move on to advanced level of korvai. Each of us have been taught in a particular
school and heard masters play and it also know as what we call as kelvi Gnanam, listen to the
great masters plays, so the creativity part comes there. So, each of us will play a different
dimensional korvai.

Though the korvai which we played earlier was for Porvangam and Uthrangam that was the
basic thing. Now he will play a korvai - it is called; it is a long phrased, you will take a
pattern, the phrase and he will develop it, develop on that and play korvai. And it is called a
solkattu korvai in Tamil that is we play long rhythmic pattern and he will improvise on it and
he will play a big korvai in it.

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(Musical Demonstration Start Time: 05:05)

So, what he played was a very different dimensional korvai. he took a phrase, he developed it
and that korvai was you know played creatively like that. It is again a representation of cone
when I say the first phrase that I played is;
(Musical Demonstration Start Time: 06:54)

Which is 11 in number when I say;

(Musical Demonstration Start Time: 07:01)

So, the next thing has to be either 10 or 12, so I have taken 10, so;
(Musical Demonstration Start Time: 07:10)

Here is the second one

(Musical Demonstration Start Time: 07:15)

This is nine; he is cutting each and every syllable by 1, when I say

(Musical Demonstration Start Time: 01:21)

8 it is 6, I was reducing 2 syllables there, now I have reducing one syllable and I say;
(Musical Demonstration Start Time: 07:29)

11
(Musical Demonstration Start Time: 07:32)
10
(Musical Demonstration Start Time: 07:35)
9
(Musical Demonstration Start Time: 01:37)

Eight, so I have reduced it to eight and then comes next portion

(Musical Demonstration Start Time: 07:44)

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Which is 13, so, a pattern can, not only be a progression it can also be a constant thing. So, I
have just played this 13 thrice and giving a kaarvai in between. The kaarvai in between here
is six. So, when I say;
(Musical Demonstration Start Time: 08:01)

The kaarvai is the gap which he gave, so this forms the whole math of it and the whole sums
up to 96 and that is why I started in the middle of the; because we took the Adhi thalam that
is chathurrusia thriputa thalam in two kalai then each we put twice. So, since he is playing
the one, the round of one whole round takes 96, it constitute of 96 Mathra's, 96 aksharams.
He had to take it at the half.

Because one cycle is 32 + 32, 64 so if you play for the two rounds it is 128, you had to play -
32 and play for the next rest of the 96. So, this is one of the one type of korvai. We four of us
you play different dimensions of korvai and show it. He played in chathurrusia that is the
basic 4 tempo like that dimensional. There can be two progressions at Uttharaangam and
Porvangam. Like for instance I have an example like,
(Musical Demonstration Start Time: 09:09)

So, when I talked about the PUrvangam you have two progressions going in parallel; is five,
Thaku dhin is 3 and 2. So, 5 3 2, 5 3 2 and then I go to 4, since we had 5 now I am going to 4;
2 and 2 it was three and two earlier, now it is 2 and 2. And then when I say the next pattern is
it is 3 here, so, it is 3 here and 1 2, so, you have two parallel patterns running and these
patterns need not you know coincide with each other or correlate with each other.

It can be too you know separately sustaining patterns, so that is one kind of you know a new
age concept that is been; you can just take one phrase that Tha Dhi Kita Thom, 5 we know
you can do a lot of things in that, yeah;
(Musical Demonstration Start Time: 10:12)

So, first what it is was three gap in between; 1 2 3, 1 2 3, 1 2 3, 1 2 3, 1 2 3 makes it doubles

1 2 3 4 5 6, 1 2 3 4 5 6; next becomes 9, the same applies to any chol this is only for; you can
play for Tha Dhi Kita Thom, we can play any gap you can give any number of korvais
provided it is aesthetic, the values there. You cannot just give 23 gap and it does not sound
good, it all depends, yeah.

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So, he chooses 11 that has its aesthetic value. Somebody can tell why cannot I choose 29, you
can, provided it is musically sounds good and aesthetic. So, everything has that thing.

So, now I will play a korvai it is called a Kaarvai korvai, lot of kaarvais in between in the
PUrvangam.. no in the Uthrangam. PUrvangam is I will reduce it,
(Musical Demonstration Start Time: 11:29)

So that in Porvangam is just innovation of;

(Musical Demonstration Start Time: 13:36)

We just reducing everything, it is basically a very famous korvai of Mani Iyer

(Musical Demonstration Start Time: 13:51)

So, the second to use to remain this constant, so I have reduced the second one and just the
base of the korvai is the same. So, what happens is the second half is I have taken Tha Dhi Ki
Ta Thom five syllabus with a gap of 6 in between Tha Dhi Ki Ta Thom if that is a question
the replay to this;
(Musical Demonstration Start Time: 14:20)

Mel kaalam, the faster speed of it with one aksharam gap. the next phrase if that is A the B
becomes; 4 with a gap of 6 that becomes that 3 7 1 karvai. The question for the C is Tha Dhi
Kita Thom the 6 karvai remains constant. 3 the design from 5 to 4 to 3 reduces and finally it
becomes 9 that is the first portion, first variety. The PUrvangam of all the three varieties I
have played are the same.

The Utharangam from the design 5 it reduces to 4, A becomes the 4, 2A now becomes 4 Tha
ka dhi Na 6 karvai is the same the response to that is 7 3 7’s. That 2B becomes 3 from 4 it
becomes 3, swarupum of three design. The reply to that is 9 - 3 9’s is 1 karvai and reduces
by 2, the C, 2C becomes 2, Tha Ki that is all. Because were 4 3 2, here it goes to 11. The last
round becomes the first Porvangam is the same. The last round starts with 3A becomes Tha
Ki Ta, three we only have 3 after 5 4 3 starts with 3. The response to that is 3 9’s with 1
kaarvai, 3B becomes Tha Ka, you only have 2, 6 karvai that becomes 11, 1 karvai the last
sequence is 3C, Tha that is all, we will leave it, that is the end 6, 13 end. This is the natural

451
progression. So, we move on to Prasanna who he will play a different dimensional korvai and
he will talk about it.
So, I will play a korvai which has 4 nadais, so the base is the chatusra nadai and that pattern
will repeat in different nadais in the PUrvangam and Uthrangam will have 3 different nadais
okay. The same nadais which are repeated the top of the first half yeah, I will start the korvai.
(Musical Demonstration Start Time: 16:38)

Of you want to see the first half of the chathusram, the korvai which he played is chathusram
5, the design of 5 was in chathusram and kandom. The design of 6 was in chathurasam and
thisrum. Design of 7 was in chathurasam and mishrum. The chathurasam was the base but it
got converted to 5 kandom, 6 thisrum, 7 mishrum and the Uthrangam was kandom first,
thisrum second and mishrum in the last.

So, in between karvai was 5, 6 and 7, so, this is a different dimension of korvai representing
different nadais. Now we go on to Krishnan sir, he will play it, the same one actually
PUrvangam I will change it and then Utharangam I will play like that, in between some
karvai is there, shall I play. You will playing the chathushram nadai, chathusram and then
khandam and then tisram. Chatusram, khandam and thishram okay. So, that is 4 5 6 tempo
changes to;
(Musical Demonstration Start Time: 19:46)

That is called 8 + 8 16 like that 3 times and then 3 8’s 4 karvai and then kandum ten, that is I
will play in khanda nadai I will convert as khandam and then as thisrum that is it will convert
as thisrum, 8 he is playing an chathurasam, ten it becomes khandam tempo changes, 12 it
becomes thisram in between 4 ,4 according to the korvai. I think end our presentation by
playing the very exciting koraippu that is a reduction round.

And we all play Mohara korvai which is the finale to any percussion ensemble or Tani
avarthanam.
(Refer Slide Time: 22:23)

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That there are different structures of Tani avarthanam it depends on the creativity of the artist
and the time given and the space. So, if say ...there is no particular standard structure an artist
might start with the chathurasam nadai and go on to 1 of the 5 nadais whichever he feels
comfortable. And say if there is 1 or more 2 or more percussion instruments Like what we are
now. The most exciting round will be in the koraippu for laymen and for anybody else.
Because that is where the most extempore and reflexes happens because there will be one
avarthnam one round half, half of that, half of that so it comes to even 1 unit, 1 Mathra, 1
aksharam. So, you have to be very sharp in doing that. So, there is no particular structure for
a Tani avarthanam or lavanyasm it is absolutely depends on each individual creativity. You
can start with khandam, you can start with Mishra nadai, you can start with tishram.

It is an ability of an artist if this wrong yeah but the constant thing is the Koraippu, Mohra
and korvai. The Mohra and korvai is there, there are a lot of varieties but Mohara is there,
korvai last in place for three times and after that if it is a cutchery, the concert, the
composition the vocalist takes the composition or the instrumentalist takes the composition or
if it is laya-vinyasam or only percussion instrument we end it with that.

We will be playing from the reduction round we start we are taking the Adhi thalam two kalai
which is 64 for 1, 64 acharams for 1 avarthanam. we will be playing a mishra korappu that is
56, 7 Misha karuppu is based on 7 multiples and permutation is combination of 7 each will be
playing our own whatever feel like. It will be an absolutely extempore thing. We have only
fixed it as 56 but whatever you feel like in 56 you to our ability we will play.

453
So 56 gets reduced to 28, 28 to 14, 14 to 7 you cannot play 3 and a half so after 7 we reduce
you to 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 we come till then we will join together and we will pay the mohara and
korvai when you finish.
(Musical Demonstration Start Time: 25:03)

Thank you very much.

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 Appreciating Carnatic Music
Prof. Lakshmi Sreeram
Indian Institute of Technology, Madras

Lecture -71
The Typical Carnatic Concert and Ragam Tanam Pallavi – RTP

In this session we will talk about what you can expect in a typical Carnatic concert. A Carnatic
concert of, say two to two and a half hours is likely to have 7 to 10 pieces. Each of these will be
in a raga and a tala. When a performer selects and decides what she is to perform in a concert,
there are some considerations that are kept in mind; one is obviously that if you are going to sing
for two and a half hours and you have an audience, you have to be wary - there has to be some
variety. You should avoid monotony, monotony of raga. So there has to be variety in the ragas.
So if you have ragas all of them with the same kind of swaras, the same swaras ... it is possible to
have ten different ragas all of them derived from the same “Janaka raga”. Though they are
different ragas, but, they will end up sounding similar - especially in a concert experience. So
you have to deliberately vary ragas. So if I have sung a raga with say, one variety of rishaba. I
have sung two pieces with that variety, I should try to introduce a piece with the other variety of
rishaba. So that gives the breaks the monotony of the concert experience and the more equally
importantly there has to be a variety in tala and laya.
It is also expected that we include some great composition of the Trinity that gives the concert
the solidity.
Now what about the manodharma aspects? Now, not every composition is prefixed with an
alapana. In fact, only 2 or 3 or at the most 4 of these pieces would possibly have an alapana
prefixed to it. Always there is one raga, always there is one piece in which the composition is
selected is usually a big composition which is preceded by an elaborate alapana, which also has
neraval and swaraprastara and which typically, also will include tani avartana. And this is called
The Main and then you have what is called a Sub Main, which is not so elaborately treated, but
again you have an alapana and probably swara prastara and then you may have one or two pieces
in which just swaram is performed. You may have a couple of compositions in which just the
composition is sung. So this kind of variety in treatment is found in Carnatic concert and unlike
for instance in a khayal concert or even Dhrupad - any Hindustani concert. If you take a bandish
it is always aalap taan boltaan all the elements are usually included in every piece of the concert.

455
But that is not the case in Carnatic concert - we could sing a very slow and magnificent padam,
just the padam experience. Or you could sing a very quick composition to give a variation in the
tempo and to give .. to get the percussive accompanist to loosen up. So this sort of variety you
find in Carnatic music and the Ragam Tanam Pallavi, if it is included, is usually included at the
end of the concert after which some lighter pieces are performed, so to say, as a winding down
and tillanas and javalis and devotional songs ... these are performed in the end of the concert.
(Refer slide time: 4:49)

So we will talk about RTP the Ragam Tanam Pallavi it used to be that every concert included the
Ragam Tanam Pallavi. For the last few decades there has been some revival of sorts. But we
don’t hear Ragam Tanam Pallavi as a rule although in prestigious venues like Music Academy of
Madras, Ragam Tanam Pallavi is almost always it is expected that you sing a RTP as it is called
in a big concert in any serious concert.
Ragam Tanam Pallavi in fact as I mentioned before a century or two ago this is what most people
heard in a Carnatic concert. A concert was essentially about a couple of two or three Ragam
Tanam Pallavis in different ragas. Each Ragam Tanam Pallavi would go on for an hour or more.
(Refer slide time: 5:56)

456
Now what is Ragam Tanam Pallavi? Ragam here refers to alapana - so if you do RTP in a
particular raga, say Kalyani. So the Ragam is sung extensively exhaustively in the raga in
Kalyani followed by the Tanam and then you have the Pallavi.
(Refer slide time: 6:24)

What is Pallavi? Here you will remember Pallavi refers to the first part, the first section of a
composition but in this case, Pallavi refers to a single avartana of composition. It is just a
composition that has only a single line. Now this single line is set in a tala usually of some
complexity and it can get very, very complex. So the typical Pallavi would be this (Singing
Starts: 7:03) (Singing Ends: 07:27)

457
So the Pallavi is just this “venkata ramana sankat arana tirupathi venkata ramana” that’s all. It is
all in one line, it is set in this tala. You can take a quick guess, ahat tala is it is? It is a suladi tala
“venkata ramana sankat arana tirupathi venkata ramana”.
A Pallavi has what is called a purvanga and an uttharanga. So in this case the purvanga is
“venkata ramana”.
(Refer slide time: 08:17)

The Pallavi’s weight falls somewhere in the center - usually on the beat after the laghu. That is
call “Padagarbham” or “arudi”. The portion before the arudi is called purvangam. The portion
after is called uttharangam. How you construct a Pallavi? How you compose a Pallavi? There
are expectations and conventions is about it. This tala, if you have guessed, is thisra thriputa
“venkata ramana sankat arana tirupathi venkata ramana”.

This is as far as talas for Pallavi go very simple, you can have other jathis, you can have other
talas, you can have nadai as in this Pallavi. Again you try and guess; What tala is? (Singing
Starts: 9:22) (Singing Ends: 10:19) So the Pallavi is gopika manohara mudakara sudhakara
samaprabha. gopika manohara mudakara sudhakara gopika manohara mudakara. Is where the
pasagrabham or the arudi falls. And this tala is thrisra jhampa, but khanda nadai - khanda gati.

That is each matra has five counts “1,2,3,4,5” “1,2,3,4,5” “1,2,3,4,5” 1,2,3,4,5” “1,2,3,4,5”. So
this is tishra Jhampa. You know Jhampa tala has one laghu, followed by a anudrtam followed by

458
a drtam. So that is what ... this is in tishra jati, because I had only three counts - I mean laghu
has a value of three “1,2,3” and then there are a anudrtam and then there was a dritam.

Each matra it was a khand gati or khanda nadai - “takka takita” “takka takita” “takka takita”
“takka takita” “takka takita” “takka takita” “takka takita” “takka takita” this is khanda nadai
thishra jati Jhampa tala. Now this is also by certain standards not a very complex Pallavi.
(Refer slide time: 12:38)

So once the Ragam - alapana is sung and then the Tanam is sung and then you have the Pallavi
line is sung and it is sung three or four times so that the accompanists get the hang of how the
Pallavi is constructed - that you have to maintain at all cost. After that you do is neraval, during
which the words have to be kept in the same order. You cannot move the words here and there -
not too much at any rate.
(Refer slide time: 13:29)

459
In Pallavi singing it is expected that we retain the compositional form as it is. Then you have
swaraprastara usually in a Ragamalika and then you have what is called Trikalam is performed.
The Pallavi is sung at twice the speed and then half the speed and sometime tishram is
performed. So this kind of laya exercises also happens. That is why Pallavi many people say -
the word Pallavi means Pada Laya Vinyasa.
(Refer slide time: 14:04)

So there is laya exercises, there are exercises in which you use the pada or you use the sahitya
also to elaborate. So that is why Pallavi is here stands for pada laya vinyasa.
So when the composition is sung twice the speed it is called anuloma and composition is sung
half the speed it is called the pratiloma. All the time the tala is maintained as it is and then you

460
have the viloma, anuloma and viloma, pratiloma, where the Pallavi line is maintained in the
original tempo but the tala is performed in twice the speed and at half the speed.

So these are all strictly laya exercises, that are simply a matter of practicing hard and delivering
it correctly with concentration. Now we will listen to Ramakrishnan Murthy as he performs an
RTP. This is basically... the Pallavi is in Kapi and the talam .... (Singing Starts: 15:39) (Singing
Ends: 18:11) this is the Pallavi. The talam is khanda jati triputa tala chatushra nadai. So it is
(Singing Starts: 18:22) (Singing Ends: 18:49) this is how it is set.

Ramakrishnan Murthy has performed Ragamalika even in the Tanam. The Tanam itself has a
sequence of ragas the same ragas are sung in the Ragamalika swaram after the Pallavi is sung
and there is a short tani after the Pallavi has wound up.
(Music Starts: 19:14) (Music Ends: 49:32)

461
 Appreciating Carnatic Music
Dr. Lakshmi Sreeram
Department of Humanities and Social Sciences
Indian Institute of Technology, Madras

Lecture - 72
Performing Arts of India

So, I am delighted to be here, and thank you professor (Refer Time: 00:18) for thinking
of me second or third. When I read about this course, I got to know about the course that
is happening here at IIT, Gandhinagar, I was thrilled, Indian knowledge systems and I
was personally interested in accessing some of the lectures that he has organized
especially (Refer Time: 00:39) and I am really delighted to be here to share with you
some of my academic understanding of these knowledge systems performing arts,
classical performing arts that is my brief as well as my experiences as a performer of
music, and (Refer Time: 01:09) performer of dance.

I will be talking about classical music, classical dance and classical theatre, if indeed
there is something as classical theatre today. So, we should begin by you know
considering the concept of classical itself, you know there is no doubt that we speak of
certain (Refer Time: 01:37) of music and dance as classical, Hindustani music, Carnatic
music, dance forms, I am sure many of you are familiar with some names at least
Bharatanatyam you know; Odissi etcetera. These are quite classical. We also have many
other performing traditions in India.

Folk music, what are called folk music, folk dance, Harikatha which is which combines
music and storytelling in a very powerful way, and it is very prominent in South India at
least. We have all these other traditions and it would be a good starting point to consider
what we mean by talk saying that something as classical. Our own word for hindustani
music or carnatic music is, anybody here do you know what we call our music, we do not
call it in our own languages. We call it?

Student: (Refer Time: 02:41).

No, in our own languages, how do we refer to carnatic or hindustani music, not classical
there is no equivalent of classical really in our languages. Ha?

Student: Uttaradi and dakshinadi.

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Ok, uttaradi and dakshinadi but I am talking of a general term.

Student: Sastriya.

Sastriya, yes, that is the word, sastriya is what we say; we say sastriya sangeeth or
sastriya nritya. So, here is the word sastra and sastra means a set of rules, a body of rules,
shasana that act which governs is sastra and our classical music and dance forms are so
called because there is a very clear set of aesthetic principles, technical, technique,
technical aspects that are very clearly understood by its practitioners and also by the
rasikas certainly the informed rasika.

So, in a course like this, when we talk of knowledge systems, what is the performing arts
had to do with the knowledge system that is the second question. Again I throw the
question to you, what would a performing art like dance or even a plastic art like
sculpting, what would that have to do with the knowledge system?

So, we have material any art form whether it is; if it is sculpting, it is the stone, it is stone
that is the material for that art. If it is dance it is the human body and space. If it is music;
it is notes. These are the working material in that art form. So, knowledge in respect of
these arts would certainly involve how to use this material to create whatever impact it is
that you are seeking. So, in art, obviously, the impact you are seeking is what we call the
aesthetic experience something that will give you aesthetic pleasure.

Now, if you talk of a knowledge system of a tradition like carnatic music or hindustani
music, you actually have a body of knowledge that has arisen because of a very stylized
use of that material. So, in carnatic music, it is the same seven swaras as in hindustani
music or as in western music but how it is used. There is a very consistent and
channelled use of that material. There are so many ways of using the same material right
that is how you have so many different forms of music or dance.

So, a tradition arises when that material is used in a focused way, in a certain way. So, to
demonstrate in, for the instance in bharatanatyam, the hand is held like this ok; in
Kathak, it is this, it is more loose; and in bharatanatyam, it all if you were to depict it in
lines, you would see mostly triangles and straight lines. This with the hands like this or
this is again a triangle.

463
So, the body movements, the way the body is used, the way movements are created,
these triangles and lines are explored. Odissi uses the body and space in a different way,
Ballet in a completely different way. So, that is how the knowledge system associated
with any of these classical forms.

First of all it sets out the various elements of that performing art. So, how do you
choreograph steps, how do you move across the stage, or in music how do you create
melodic patterns, what are the various aspects, how do they link with each other, how do
you link melody with rhythm that is very different in hindustani and carnatic music for
instance.

So, a knowledge system arises and in our performing arts traditions, we do have a strong
body of written texts, where this is scholastic tradition but equally there is an oral
tradition and much of our knowledge is also ensconced in the oral tradition not
everything can be written. This is particularly true of music.

Also dance, how can you bring out the ineffable. I will go on to talk about rasa that is not
something that can be written in books. In; when you speak of a musical, a musician
respected musician in the south, we do not use the word equivalent to maestro you know
that is the word they use for western musicians for instance maestro. The word we use is
vidwan or vidushi, and vidwan means a scholar.

So, the musician the honorestic that is prefixed before a musician is vidwan means he or
she or vidushi that is she knows she possesses that knowledge. In fact, one student of
western music, he asked me, if you were to look for a vocal tutor; how do you go about
finding the right vocal tutor for you voice tutor for you.

We do not look for voice tutors, we look for gurus who will give us knowledge about
ragas, about presentational techniques. In the north again musicians are called ustad,
ustad is again master or pandit, pandit again is associated with knowledge. So, while
knowledge of technique knowledge of (Refer Time: 09:31) all this is transmitted.

There is also an end beyond this intuition, beyond just the pleasure, pleasantness of
presentation and that in our in Indian tradition is called rasa. I am sure all of you have
heard of word rasa. Have you also heard of this text called Natyasastra; yeah?

464
Natya Sastra written by Bharata. I am delighted that you have heard of it because when I
pose this question to students in my course on music in IIT, Madras, nobody had heard of
Bharata; Natyasastra or Bharata, They had all heard of Aristotle though. Probably
because all of you are from the science stream I do not know. So, Natyasastra and
Bharata. Can you play that? Yeah.

(Refer Slide Time: 10:45)

So, all are performing traditions in India all performing traditions, classical, folk they are
all traced to Natyasastra, and this is dated between four centuries around the beginning of
the common era. Now, Natyasastra, there is a very interesting story. The Natyasastra is
actually runs to about 36 chapters and there are various aspects of staging a theatre, natya
here is theatre; staging the theatre, staging a theatre. There are various aspects of it
explored in great detail.

There are also, there is also enunciation of the very influential rasa theory, the theory the
idea that it is rasa which is the end of all art performing and otherwise. Though of course
Bharata muni the author of Natyasastra enunciates it in the context of natya, later on rasa
is sought to be applied to other art forms as well.

For the first chapter, it begins with the story of the natya, natya itself; the story of the
coming of theatre; how the theatre come to be and that story is interesting because it
throws light on what natya meant to that society and what natya still means to us. Some
of the other issues that were considered then; so, the first chapter is interesting because

465
not only because it tells a good story because of the ideas that it (Refer Time: 12:38). So,
the story is that the Gods; devas, they went to Brahma the creator of the universe and
they said that we need a kridaniyaka kridaniyaka, derived from the word krida. Krida is a
sport; right, play.

So, the first thing they say is we need a kridaniyaka, something that is of the nature of
sports or play. So that is something that is for pleasure. Play has no other end to itself. It
is shared pleasure which is also an upadeshaka. It is a kridaniyaka but it also has to be of
the nature of giving some education in the (Refer Time: 13:32).

So, the natya has to entertain but it should also contain a message both are equally
important but the kridaniyaka is what is put in the beginning and later on we will see this
upadesha aspect of it, how it is supposed to convey a message. It is not by characters
coming and mouthing platitudes and saying you must be good, you must not steal; not in
the (Refer Time: 14:01) of 10 commandments or anything but it is subtle. It is unspoken
but it is something that the spectators has to gain through resonance that is another
important idea that we will see later.

So, anyway the idea was Gods approached the Brahma to say; saying that we need such a
thing and their reasoning is that we need something for all the varnas. All the castes to be
able to watch because the fourth varna, the shudras are not allowed access to Vedas.

So, they have no access to dharma in that sense that they do not have anybody telling
them what should be done what should not be done. So, we need something which even
the shudras and the women. However, politically incorrect but that is how it was done,
women and shudras and children; they were always a group.

No point getting irritated about it but that is how it was. So, even these the chaturtha
varna; fourth varna also should gain from the Vedas but they cannot read the vedas, they
were not taught the vedas. So, they want a kridaniyaka and an upadeshaka and something
that is sarva varnika which is for all the varnas.

So, what Brahma does according to the story is that he meditates on the four vedas from
the rig; from the Rigveda he takes a patya that is the text, from the Samaveda which we
would all know is Rigveda sung when you sing Rigveda in a very stylized way that is

466
saman. So, he took take he took music from the saman. He takes gestures when you do
the yaga yagnas; specific gestures are prescribed and these are found in the Yajurveda.

So, he takes the gestures from the Yajurveda and finally, Atharvaveda, he takes rasa and
he brings them all together and creates this Panchamaveda; the fifth veda which is the
Natyaveda. So, right away we can see that in attributing this kind of an origin to natya,
there is a very privileged position accorded to natya. Natya was not only acceptable in
that society, it was privileged. Natya and along with it music and dance because natya is
a composite, it is not just dialogue, it is not just movements on the stage; it included
music and dance.

So, this performing art was (Refer Time: 17:05) divine origin and so, totally acceptable
and this is not something we can take for granted because for instance if you were to
look at a Plato’s Republic; there is no place for the poet. Even music they will be very
strict certain kinds of music that is permissible in the republic, orthodox Islam for the
music, dance and theatre but this society in which Bharata flourished natya was a
privileged form.

(Refer Slide Time: 17:59)

Now this thing is(Refer Time: 17:52). So, the first play that was staged, so that is the first
point to be gained from to be gathered from the story that natya is a good thing
happening; nobody has any problems with it. Then when the first play is staged and that
is this the play of amrita manthana, you are all familiar with the story that the devas and

467
the asuras churn the ocean for ambrosia for the amrita and in the end the asuras are
vanquished right. Mohini comes and cheats some of the amrita and this play is staged.
This is all part of the story itself of the creation of natya.

So, when the play was staged the asuras got very angry because they felt that it was I
mean they was the losers in the play right. They did not like the depiction. So, they
destroyed, they disrupted the play, they entered the minds of the actors, made them forget
words, made them stumble on stage, and in general they created a rakkasams spoiled the
whole show and then they go to the creator Brahma and they say you created us, just as
you created the devas then why have you shown us in such poor light. So, right away you
see fundamental problem with telling a story; see it is difficult to tell a story without
making somebody look back.

And Brahma’s response is not very ingenuous; he says no, no, it is natya is not about you
only or about devas, it is about trailokya bhavanu kirthana, it is about the three worlds
and all that happens in the three worlds, it can be about anything at all. So, and
obviously, the demons the asuras were not pleased and from that Brahma audience that
every play before being staged there that stage has to be worshiped and God have to be
propitiated, this is called the purvaranga.

Now this is important because this purvaranga is very much followed even today; even
today if the bharatanatyam dancer wants to start, there is a propitiation either as part of
the performance itself first of all you touch the stage, a North Indian musician especially
when he goes on stage he touches the stage, and; and then you know he praise to the
stage; the Rangadevatha.

This is where in folk theatre you see purvaranga is very much still practiced and many
musicians, dancers they talk very seriously about Rangadevatha, the Gods of the stage.
So, this was the second part of the story which I found interesting and you know very
telling and finally, before the play staged actually, the question was who can be the
actors, how do you select the actors; the artist for the natya.

There the devas are brashta side, they said kartum shakhyam. The devas are not capable
of natya, and why is that because; is there some way to prevent this from keep pop, keeps
popping up here. This; your wireless thing it keeps popping up here; (Refer Time: 22:15)
yeah (Refer Time: 22:17).

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Student: (Refer Time: 22:19).

I think they have put the wifi here that can be (Refer Time: 22:20)

Student: Ok.

(Refer Time: 22:23) might work.

Student: Yeah.

Yeah now; ok ok yeah.

Student: (Refer Time: 22:26).

Ok, thank you. Sorry about that; yeah.

So, it is observed that kushalaye vidhagnahacha pragaradhischa jitha shrama only those
who are jitha shrama, shrama is fatigue, jitha shrama is those who have conquered
fatigue, that is who are capable of hard work. It is both physically and mentally
challenging natya and why is that again there is something which continues to this day
this idea.

The kushala the word kushala is glossed by Abhinavagupta and I will talk more about
this as grahana dharana yogyaha that is purva guru mukhath grahanam, they should be
first capable of absorbing from the guru mukha. When the teacher teaches you, he should
be able to absorb, he should have that capacity, purva guru mukhath grahanam thasya
avismaranam dharanam and then he should retain it in memory and this is possible only
by rishis by those who have some spiritual attainment and so the actors who were
selected to perform that first play were the sons of Bharata; Bharata himself is a muni,
Bharata muni and his 100 sons also they were the people who perform that first play
because you need that kind of strength and stamina, and capacity for learning for
absorbing for learning retaining.

And today even today music for instance, when you teach raga, there is no notating you
cannot you know capture it in notation there is no other way but then to grasp it through
repeated exposure internalizing it and then performing it. Again dance you have complex
patterns, you have to learn it first, keep it, retain it and then execute it, it is not at all an
easy task physically and mentally more.

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So, I was talking about Abhinavagupta. I just mentioned Abhinavagupta now and in
many aspects of Indian tradition, the way texts were written the textual tradition certainly
tells its own unique development. So, there is first the basic text and the later writers they
write commentaries on that text. They might disagree within opposing school but
essentially the development of the scholastic tradition has been in the form of writing
commentaries upon commentaries.

(Refer Slide Time: 26:02)

So, the basic text is very often in the form of a sutra of many sutras, sutra. For instance,
you must all have heard of yoga sutra, Patanjali’s Yoga-Sutra. This sutra is a very terse
sentence, the fewer the number of syllables, the greater the achievement of that mind. So,
these sutras are very terse and the later commentators, they exposed upon it. They
expand it; they comment upon it; they tried to explain every little nuance. For instance
the first sutra of yoga is yogas chitta vritti nirodhah that is it. So, yoga chitta vritti
nirodhah. So, then commentaries follow about what is chitta, and what is vritti, and what
is nirodhah.

And this commentatorial tradition happens for generations. In the case of Natyasastra,
the most important contribution not in the in an abstract sense is the theory of rasa, the
rasa sutra that Abhinav that Bharata (Refer Time: 27:23) has given in the Natyasastra. He
says what is for all its educative value that you know the devas wanted the natya to have,
Bharata says nahi rasadrithe kaschid arta pravartate, nahi rasadrithe kaschid artha

470
pravartate that is without rasa, there is no point in natya. So, rasa is a ultimate aim of
natya and there is a sutra about rasa which until the 12th or 13th century people were
writing commentaries about exposing it, expanding upon it, trying to decipher what
exactly you can make of it.

So, then we have to look at the legacy of Natyaaastra. So, Natyasastra has so many
aspects in it. As I said 30; 36 chapters being in construction of stage, acting techniques,
the Natyasastra, the ranga, the stage there were very few props. It is there were no you
know if it is a garden scene, you would not find suddenly some plants there, there was no
such thing or if it was inside the king’s chamber nothing in terms of props to show that
that was the location of the play of that act. Everything is shown by bodily movement by
expression, abhinaya as it is called. So, these are some of the aspects that have been
covered in Natyasastra.

Costumes, for instance, there are different kinds of head gear for different kinds of Gods,
for different kinds of kings and each of it is specified in the Natyasastra. So, if it is a very
great God, then this is the kind of crown he should wear. If it is a middle level God
another kind of crown is to be worn, now all these are very seriously detailed and the
thing is this itself the fact that the character walks in wearing a certain kind of gear itself
conveys to the audience that this is this kind of a character.

Oh, this is a great God that is coming in. So, the audience also was knowledgeable. You
have you had to have that kind of knowledge in the audience for this kind of theatre to
work. So, how communication happened in natya, according to Bharata was can you
have that thing on abhinay, yeah.

So, abhinaya is what carries the intent to the audience, abhinaya nayathi, naya is to take
towards the audience and then in today’s context, for instance, if we talk of
contemporary dance, I mean traditional bharatanatyam or khatak, abhinaya has a very
specific meaning right.

When you emote a song or something, yeah, if you say please come here; you know this
is abhinaya in today’s dance forms; but for Bharata, the four kinds of abhinaya. First is
angika. So, if I just look like this, this conveys something right, anger. So, that is angika
abhinaya but this is not how Bharata spoke. Bharata (Refer Time: 31:32) highly stylized
highly exaggerated body movements, and that is how it had to be, because it is

471
performance. When you are on stage, you cannot use realistic expressions at least not to
Bharata in any case. So, angika abhinaya includes use of the movements on stage use of
gestures.

So, for instance, this everybody knows it, when you do this, this gesture means
something right. Or this again, it means something and all these are traced to Bharata and
these have names. So, you have asamyukta hastas that is hand gestures, single hand
gestures, double hand gestures, and each of them meant something.

So, if something like this, this is it is called bhramari for a bee and this is quite obvious, I
mean in the sense you can relate to it even from the realistic point of view but there are
some gestures which you know if only if you know the code in the Natyas astra and you
would relate to it. If I use this, it could mean anything; if I do this; this could be just an
act of supplication but it could also mean something some object.

So, this hastas, eye movements, movements of the brow, movements of the eyelids,
movements of the eyeballs, and you can see lot many aspects of this being preserved in
today’s Kathakali. I will show a clip later or yeah and then even charis, so, if a king were
to walk in, there would be a certain gate; and if an asura or a; a demon were to walk in,
there would be a different gate. So, all this is detailed in the Natyasastra. So, all that
comes under angika abhinaya. Vachika abhinaya is the spoken word or sung word so in
dialogues or songs, these are all the vachika abhinaya.

And then you have aharya abhinaya. So, as I said if somebody comes in wearing a
particular kind of crown, you know that; that is a particular kind of character, or if it
comes without any head gear you know that again you know that it is some kind of a
character.

Satvika abhinaya, so when satvika abinaya is associated with emotions. So, when you for
instance, feel fear, I mean these are involuntary expressions associated with certain
emotions. So, without actually willing it, you may have for instance what is called
horripilation that is a satvika abhinaya. So, in certain context, the actor might you know
express that; that is satvika abhinaya and all this abhinaya is finally geared towards rasa.
You have (Refer Time: 35:07); yeah.

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(Refer Slide Time: 35:08)

So, abhinaya is something that remains today also. Angika abhinaya many aspects of it is
are found in today’s dance, classical dance, also folk dance and kathakali and
Koodiyattam preserves many many more aspects of angika abhinaya than other systems
of dance. Aharya abhinaya, to a large extent not in other forms but in kathakali and
koodiyattam, again aharya abhinaya is still there. So, when a character in kathakali walks
in with a certain kind of makeup, you know that itself communicates the kind of
character here is. We will talk more about it when we do kathakali. [FL] ok.

Now, this is the very famous rasa sutra; as a sutra as an aphorism, what is rasa which
according to Bharata is the ultimate aim of natya;
vibhAvAnubhAvavyabhicArisamyogAtrasaniSpattih. Now very quickly I will just say
this that vibhava is, when you want to depict a certain emotion, Bharata listed 8 what is
called sthayi bhavas, sthayi bhavas are of this world, emotions that you and I feel in
ordinary situations and they are love, fear, comic, those pathetic that is you can feel sad,
you can feel horrified, you can feel disgusted, you can feel amazed. So, these are all
emotions that happen in ordinary in this [FL].

And these emotions in the cont in the natya, where natya presents these emotions, they
are transformed into that particular rasa shringara, hasya, karuna and so on. There are
rasas corresponding to each of these. So, essentially the emotions of this world which
you and I are familiar with are transformed is typically when presented in natya.

473
So, we do not relate to those emotions in the same way, you know one of a very famous
question that bothered Aristotle for instance was how is it that you know you and we can
go and watch a tragedy. We know that a tragedy is a sad thing and normally we do not go
to experience sadness. We would walk away some sadness that is the normal [FL] you do
not go towards sadness.

But you go and watch a tragedy, how do you do it? So, Bharata’s answer is this that the
sadness or the karuna that is depicted in natya is not of this world. You can relish that
karuna as it is conveyed to you, either experience of that karuna is also of the nature of
pleasure, pleasure of an [FL] kind; it is not of this world that is Bharata’s answer.

(Refer Slide Time: 38:44)

Now, this, so vibhava is essentially then for instance the playwright wants to depict love.
So, vibhava are the some conditions that would immediately suggest for instance if there
is a young man and the young woman sitting; moonlight in a garden or something like
that that is immediately something causal, it is causal actually in a certain way for us to
think about love.

Whereas, if a child in tattered robes walks in, you are not going to think of shringara, we
will probably think of karuna. So, those are vibhavas. So, I mean this is essentially
vibhAva-anubhAva-vyabhicAri-samyogAtrasaniShpattih that rasa sutra is an aphorism
for how a playwright might depict a particular rasa, how he might bring a certain rasa to
the audience that is what it is.

474
And in that tradition, as I said there were many commentators on it and perhaps the most
brilliant (Refer Time: 39:56) very insightful; the brilliant thinker himself was
Abhinavagupta a 10th century Kashmiri aesthetician and see there are many questions
what is the nature of this rasa, how do we know it epistemology of rasa, where does that
rasa exist, is it in the audience or is it in the character, or is it in the actor, how do you
know it, how do you know the rasa, can you perceive it like you can perceive a table do
insert it? So, there were a host of questions, which were all considered across centuries
and; is it difficult, yeah.

So, you can see that drama is a thing whose essence, so far as the spectator is concerned,
consists of rasa that can only be known by direct experience samvedana in the form of
aesthetic enjoyment, aasvaadanaruupasamvedana which is altogether different from
correct knowledge, here it is distinguishing it from other kinds of knowledge. How do
you know rasa? It is not of the nature of correct knowledge, erroneous cognition, doubt
uncertainty, non determination and ordinary language knowledge. It is distinct from
worldly objects and also different from their imitation, reflection and pictorial
presentation, magic shows etcetera.

And it is aloukika that is a word he uses, it is not of this world it is aloukika and in one
passage he says that is brahmananda-sahodara, it is like it is a brother of brahmananda.
When you are to experience Brahman, spiritual oneness, that is the nature of rasa
experience and this of course, is Abhinavagupta. The thing here is how is rasa perceived.
Can you go to the next one? Yeah.

(Refer Slide Time: 41:57)

475
And this is another very very brilliant idea that was expanded by an aesthetician before
Abhinavagupta, one Anandavardhana also a Kashmiri (Refer Time: 42:07). Now, if you
look at this verse, it is from Kalidasa’s Kumarasambhava, it is a play depict about the
Shiva and Parvati’s, Parvati winning over Shiva and how Kartikeya is born. So, the
context is that Narada and other Gods come to Himavan that is Parvati’s father with a
proposal that they that Himavan should approach Shiva Lord Shiva to (Refer Time:
42:40) Parvati.

So, as after that you have this verse Evam vadini devarsau parshve pituradhomukhi Lila
kamalapatrani ganayamasa parvati. So, with her head bent she was counting the petals of
a lotus.

From this; this immediately resonates with the idea of depicting her shyness. Well, I
mean the poet’s intention is surely not to say what Parvati is doing at that moment that is
not his point at all. The point is to depict her inner state, but he does not do it by actually
saying ok Parvati was feeling shy and that according to Anandavardhana and
Abhinavagupta is the essence of good poetry that you do not say things in poetry the idea
has to resonate, it has to glisten from the literal meaning.

And just to because this is very important the idea of Dvani or resonance, that is how
rasa is grasped. If you say the another expression that they use is it is svasabda avAcya,
rasa is not something if the poet uses the word love 10 times you are not going to

476
experience rasa it is avAcya, it cannot be conveyed by using its own words that is the
nature of rasa.

I just collected a couple of haiku poems here again haiku is another example where I
have enjoyed trying to see what meaning resonates from the passages. Especially the
second one it is very obvious, the childless how childless housewife, how tenderly she
touches little dolls for sale. Now, here the yearning of this woman is brought out very
clearly rather than if the poet had just said she is yearning for children rather than that.

(Refer Slide Time: 44:47)

This brings it out in a much more powerful and effective way, so that is the idea of
dhvani, and there is a lot of literature about it lot of working out of nitty-gritty of the
theory.

(Refer Slide Time: 45:06)

477
And for our purposes, especially in dance, if you look at highly stylized dance forms like
kathakali, this is what they are trying to do, otherwise you really cannot make sense of
this, they dwell upon one idea for long durations. What is the point of that? It is to bring
the rasa out like this to make it dance in front of you as it was this is how Abhinavagupta
in fact, comments upon one, yes, this one; this is the first opening verse in Shakuntalam
and this is a description of the deer as it is running away from Dushyanta, who is in hot
pursuit and here the Abhinavagupta says you can give me the translation in the next
slide.

(Refer Slide Time: 46:11)

478
It is not a very good translation, but Abhinavagupta says that in reading this passage it is
as a fear itself is dancing in front of you bhayameva nrityati that is how the poet’s skill is
that he brings you to comprehend that emotion. Should we stop here, then we will go
into Sanskrit theatre.

Student: (Refer Time: 46:40).

Ok 10 minutes after.

(Refer Slide Time: 46:44)

So, this was about Natyasastra, there is much much more about Natyasastra then I can
cover here and I am here I was here to talk about theatre music and dance and that I
proceed to do now. Well, first take a theatre Sanskrit. When we talk of classical theatre in
India and its history, it begins with classical Sanskrit theatre and what name comes to
your mind, when you speak of classical Sanskrit theatre?

Student: Kalidas.

Kalidas yeah, but you know Kalidasa’s first play Malavikagnimitram, he begins with this
doubt that you know why would an audience want to listen to what I have to say when
they have been poets like Bhasa before me. So, Bhasa was a poet who was held in high
regard by many Sanskrit poets after him, but for a long time we did not have any of
Bhasa’s works until the 20th century when some manuscripts were discovered in an old
Kerala house somewhere in the epic.

479
I think Ganapati Sastri he discovered these manuscripts and we have quite a few of 13 or
so of his plays. Bhasa was a very very different kind of playwright so much so that
people think he is probably before Natyasastra, because there are some things in the
Natyasastra like for instance see Natyasastra, it does not allow for instance depiction of
death on the on stage, killings whereas, bhasa’s one of his most powerful play is
Urubhanga, Urubhangam is about Duryodhana. Duryodhana as you know is a certainly a
villain in Mahabharata, but in this case he comes across as the he is the main protagonist
in this play, it is a one act play Urubhangam.

And Bhima has violated the [FL] the code of you know the code that governs this kind of
gada yudha, and he strikes him under his on his thigh which is against the rules and
Duryodhana who was for all his (Refer Time: 49:24) he is a hero, he was a brave man,
and that is what Bhasa brings out in Urubhangam so much so that the viewers or the
reader is sympathetic to Duryodhana and Duryodhana’s death is depicted on stage. There
are other plays of Bhasa too.

(Refer Slide Time: 50:17)

Kalidasa was a probably between the third and fourth century. He lived in Ujjain Bhoja
Raja’s court. The level of patronage obviously poets, theatre artists, musicians, dancers
need patronage and it was the king who was extending this kind of patronage and
Bhoja’s Ujjain by all accounts was also very very literate, highly sensitive society.

480
There is a story that a scholar from the rival from near being nearby kingdom who was
you know going around vanquishing everybody with his scholarship. He had come to
Ujjain and he was throwing a challenge that you know in those days they used to have
this know somebody some visiting scholar or visiting musician would come and that the
musician of scholar of that particular kingdom would have to take up the challenge and
either defeat or get defeated.

So, this scholar he is being transported to the palace on the palanquin, and it is cold, it is
winter. So, this scholar he asks very sympathetically to one of the palanquin bearers api
sheetham badati; is the colder bothering you, now in Sanskrit there are two ways of
badha is it; is an it is a verb, and it can verbs can be conjugated in different ways,
atmanepada and parasmaipada is one of them technicalities in Sanskrit.

And this was incorrect the way the scholar said it he had a conjugated it is wrong and the
palanquin bearer says that nathatha badhate nathathasheetam badhate yatha badhati
badhate, the cold does not bother me as much as the way you have used the word
badhati, badhati badhate. So, that is a level of literacy and accomplishment even the
ordinary people in Ujjain I mean whatever the truth of the story it is a good story.

So, certainly Shakuntalam, Abhigyan Shakuntalam is Kalidasa’s most famous play. It

was perhaps one of the first earliest plays to be translated into European languages; I will
just go over the beginning of Shakuntalam, yeah. So, Sanskrit plays start with and this is
something that continues and that is why I want to talk about it, the sutradhara, the
director of the play. He normally (Refer Time: 53:08)follows the he; he comes in the
beginning I mean after the purvaranga that is after the propitiation of the deities and the
ranga and all that, the sutradhara enters the stage, and he addresses the audience and he
tells them what they are going to witness.

And usually there is another actor, sometimes it is a female dancer or singer who also
comes in; there is a kind of a conversation between them which is a kind of a prologue, a
kind of an introduction to the play itself and there itself there are many interesting things
that happen, because the sutradhara straddles the two worlds. He sometimes belongs to
the world of the audience and he is talking to them you know you are going to witness
this and seamlessly he enters the world of the play also. So, here is he says we are going

481
to stage this play and I hope this learned audience will like it. So, the nati the other
actress, she says no, you have; left nothing to chance, I am sure it will go well.

(Refer Slide Time: 54:17)

So, the sutradhara says until the wise are satisfied, I cannot feel that skill is shown. The
best trained mind requires support and does not trust itself alone. Then he requests her to
sing, which she does. You see already the sutradhara has announced that he is going to
play the Abhigyan Shakuntalam, then this thing happens then he asks her to sing then he
says it is so beautiful; I have forgotten what is it that you were going to show, then she
says do not you remember Abhigyan Shakuntalam, but this actually mirrors the main
incident in the play itself, which is Dushyanta forgetting Shakuntala.

So, first the sutradhara announces, yes, this is what we are going to play. Then he says oh
I forgot it, oh, yes. So, this is kind of techniques are found in many of the plays very
interesting and here again see suddenly, suddenly he is of this world and suddenly he is
of the world of the play.

(Refer Slide Time: 55:33)

482
Now, I will just say a couple of things about rasika; sahrdaya. The first thing that he said;
unless the wise approve I cannot be sure I need to be appreciated that the concept of
sahridaya. This is very important very interestingly developed in the context of Sanskrit
Alankara sastra the traditional of literary (Refer Time: 55:55) what you call that.

And this is a very beautiful shloka, it says that Tada jayante gunah yada te
sarudairgruhyante Ravikiraanugruhiitaani bhavanti kamalaani kamalaani, only when the
suns rays touch the kamala, it becomes a kamala. So, also only when a good work is
grasped and acknowledged by the sahridaya; it attains that status. It attains, it becomes a
good work, so that is the role of the sahridaya which is acknowledged in the Sanskrit
tradition.

It is the requirements of sahridaya is quite stringent, you do not go to a play or you do

not read a poem without any qualifications yourself, you have to have certain
qualifications to be an [FL], a person who has the right to read that work or to witness
that play.

(Refer Slide Time: 56:55)

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And this is a very famous description of sahridaya by Abhinavagupta, yeSAm
kAvyAnuSllanAbhyAsava SAdviSadibhUte manomukure
varNaniyatanmayibhavanayogyatA. So, sahridaya should have the [FL] hridaya. He
should have the capacity to merge with the mind of the creator of the poet and this is also
in a similar way and I will just talk a little about sutradhara and we will take a break.

(Refer Slide Time: 57:42)

So, as I said sutradhara is a something that Bharata talks about and sutradhara is the
master of ceremony you can call him, but he is also the director, he is the person who
holds the strings (Refer Time: 57:53). Sutra is strings dhara, he who holds the strings; he
is like a puppeteer.

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Beginning from even you know getting an engagement to put up a play, commissioning a
play to be written or maybe write it himself or using a particular pre-existing play
selection of artists, the (Refer Time: 58:19), what have you music dance everything is in
the hands of the sutradhara and in fact one of the ways poets have spoken or sung about
God is kapata nataka sutradhari. He who holds the ring; the strings to this kapata nataka
is this mysterious play that is the universe, now that is one day God himself is referred to
as a sutradharaand I will Bharata says the sutradhara above all has to pay attention to the
feelings the mudras, the sattva, that is the feelings again in representing the
psychological states of the characters.

He cast actors well versed in music dance, language, astrology, physiognomyas well as
theatre. He should be sensitive to human frailty and the different local conventions. So,
the Sanskrit play it emphasizes portrayal of feelings. You will not find the kind of
character development that is very central to European theatre for instance. Here it is
how effectively you can depict feelings and how rasa can be conveyed that is the central
focus of Sanskrit theatre.

When we come back after the break, I will talk about koodiyattam which is the lone
surviving Sanksrit theatre today. I realized I had neglected to mention I think I will just
try to cover theatre today and I will keep dance and music for tomorrow, it will be a little
bit of a squeeze but that is what I think I can do.

The question was what about women and their role in natya. Bharata very much insisted
upon the inclusion of women in natya. He said there had to be women parts had to be
played by women and the women and other characters like the vidushaka who is the just
the see sometimes translated as buffoon a comedian who is in the who is there in almost
every Sanskrit play to offer some kind of comic relief from interludes are performed by
the vidushaka.

So, the vidushaka and women always spoke in a Prakrit. They did not speak Sanskrit the
Sanskrit play itself was written like that, that noble characters and men, men noble
characters they spoke Sanskrit but vidushakas and women and other lower characters
spoke Prakrit. Now, whatever we may feel about it, the advantage of this was that the
common men, common folk in the audience were able to relate to the play most, more

485
meaningfully and quite often in their own way the vidushaka would mirror what the
noble character had spoken in Sanskrit.

So, in that sense even if and as the centuriesprogressed Sanskrit did decline and there
was growth of regional languages and with that came a lot of things. So, there was a
certain time when certainly a lot of people in the audience of a Sanskrit play probably
did not follow Sanskrit to the extent, they would have followed Prakrit; they would have
been more comfortable with Prakrit.

So, this is a device that we find in Sanskrit plays and I read somewhere that in some
place there are so many kinds of Prakrits that the question is how Sanskrit is a Sanskrit
play that I came across this in recent book by Dr. V. Raghavan that I was reading.

So, in any case that was a device and vidushaka is an important character as important in
as in variable as the sutradhara and you will see that in koodiyattam which is living
tradition of Sanskrit theatre. The vidushaka plays a very very important role but before
going to going away from Sanskrit, classical Sanskrit theatre, I want to tell I want to just
share that the theme for Sanskrit plays were many; you have romantic plays, you had
heroic plays, you had historical plays like The Rise of Chandragupta Maurya. There was
a play with the Kautilya as a character and you had you also had comic farce and I just
want to read a small excerpt from a 7th century play by Mahendravarma, next one, yeah.

(Refer Slide Time: 64:26)

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So, this Mahendravarman was a 7th century by Pallava raja the often kings were not only
patrons they were themselves poets, and musicians, and musicologists, and dancers,
(Refer Time: 64:36) of Lucknow was a dancer himself. So, this Mahendravarman, he
wrote two what are called prahasanam. Prahasanam is a, it is a comical farce and this the
first one in which I am going to read is Bhagavadajjuka Prahasanam and this is very
frequently performed in koodiyattam.

Now, this involves a mendicant; a sanyasi and a disciple who is with him only because
he does not get food otherwise, he is following this mendicant only because only to feed
himself from through the [FL]. So, he says as there was no food in our house, I went
hungry, thinking I would get this is the disciple of the sanyasi who says thinking I would
get food at least in the morning I became a convert to Buddhism but these Buddhist eat
only once a day, I kept feeling hungry and I gave up that religion also. I tore up the rope,
broke the begging bound and came away with only this umbrella and now I have become
an ass, a beast of burden, carrying the belongings of a wretched teacher.

So, he is talking about his teacher I mean; so imagine the kind of you know cuts that
goes into he is just tearing up this whole secret guru shishya relationship. Now, where
has the Bhagavan gone, what is he up to, I figured that depraved hypocrite this after the
morning meal and has gone off by himself to beg arms, I do not think he is gone far.

And he get some, oh Bhagavan, what is your method of begging food in this world with
its never ending round of festivals where the greatest importance is given to pleasure. So,
the Sadhu the sanyasi, when the sadhus also; the disciple realizes he is quite a hypocrite,
he is just mouthing these philosophical platitudes. He says the mendicant, he says listen
without pride, desire or concern about insult and injury begging arms from the pious to
sustain myself; I move through this world beyond its teeming, sins and sorrows like one
who unperturbed by monsters crosses the ocean deep.

So, the disciple says oh Bhagavan, I have no one of my own, no father, no brother, just
the Bhagavan’s blessings; (Refer Time: 67:34) lack of food alone, I entered this order not
through desire for fruit and virtue processing.

So, the mendicant says what is this(Refer Time: 67:44), what is this you are saying; it is a
truth and false pretenses lead to bondage. So, the Bhagavan says yes of course. Then a
man unhesitantly performs an altruistic act free of selfish attachment to his duty, the fruit

487
of that act like a trust (Refer Time: 68:08) safekeeping will be ever held with the
protection of the Gods. When does one get that fruit, when one gets the treasure of
desirelessness and so on it goes.

So, this man asking persistently questions stemming from his hunger and Bhagavan
mouthing these platitudes and finally, he says the mendicant gets angry with him. Why
does the Bhagavan get angry with me because you do not learn, whether I learn or not
what is it to you one who is liberated. No, it is not like that. For anyone who becomes a
disciple a beating is quite an order as a matter of discipline. So, the authorities say thus it
is without any sense of anger, I beat you for your own good.

So, the disciple says amazing; the Bhagavan beating me without anger is amazing and so
on it goes and this is how the play develops is there is a (Refer Time: 69:10) and that is
jjuka Bhagavan adajjuka. Ajjuka is a courtesan who comes into the park, and she gets
bitten by a snake and because this disciple is not learning the Bhagavan decides to do
parakaya pravesha, parakaya pravesha, he leaves his body and goes into the courtesan’s
body. So, the courtesan wake gets up but inside she is the mendicant.

So, she is talking and behaving like the mendicant and the people around her are
completely confused and the meantime the Yama dootha, the messenger of Yama he is
told by Yama that you (Refer Time: 69:49) you have killed the wrong woman, you give
life back to her and take the life of another Vasantha Sena. So, he wants to give the life
back to Vasantha Sena but she is already alive.

So, then he realizes that this Bhagavan is playing a trick and he puts that life into the
Bhagavan’s body. So, the Bhagavan gets up. It is the courtesans the Bhagavan’s body, but
a courtesan inside. So, then there is some comic events and finally, Yama dootha restores
order. So, that is the play and as I said it is performed in koodiyattam very frequently. In
fact, it is on my bucket list to watch koodiyattam, bhagavadajjuka in koodiyattam.

So, by 10th century onwards we know regional languages in India had started evolving,
had started gaining strength and Sanskrit was certainly in the decline and there was a
long period when there was not much theatre serious theatre maybe historians (Refer
Time: 71:04) because of Islamic invasions or because regional languages were still in
their infancy, so there were no place to put up.

488
And by then folk theatre, however, was has been going on strong with the stories drawn
from Mahabharata, Ramayana, Bhagavatham; see for a theatrical tradition to exist you
need stories, you need sources for stories then the Ramayana and Mahabharata especially
in the Mahabharata and Bhagavatham and then later on with the Bhakti movement
stories and ideas of ways of expressing worship and devotion they were multitudinous
because of the bhakti movement and you had many other folk forms like Raasleela, Ram
Leela you know Krishnatam down south so many Bhagavata mela, Yakshagana, these are
all folk theatre some of them are simply expressions of religious devotion with the
performative aspect to them.

So, can you show me the next one? Yeah.

(Refer Slide Time: 72:33)

So, Sanskrit theatre was stylized; it was stylized more than anything. So, it was
sophisticated and conventional, so same thing to say that it is a stylized means that it is
conventional. Both actors and spectators had to decipher the code of gestures, movement
patterns and vocal expressions. Costume and make up were symbolic; it was multi
dimensional with dance and music and above all it had a sacred significance.

(Refer Slide Time: 72:59)

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Next one; yeah. So, koodiyattam is practiced even today in Kerala and it has this
recognition by UNESCO. Now, koodiyattam the word literally means koodi aattam, [FL]
is to come together, aattam is dance and is performed dominantly by the Chakyar
community in Kerala. The male roles are performed by the Chakyars, the female roles
are performed by the Nanniyars, they lead even a of the nanniyar community and the; the
drum the [FL] that is performed by the men from the nambiar community. So, it is very
strict in that sense at least until a few decades ago, this was these families the chakyar,
nambiar and nanniyar families were maintained by temples.

And koodiyattam was performed only in the koothambalams that is the performance
theatrical spaces connected associated with every temple. I am sure some of you have
seen Kerala temples and the koothambalams just being inside one is an experience. Now,
koodiyattam there are references to Chakyar koothu even in Silappadikaram,
Silappadikaram is the Tamil epic depict in the story of Kannagi and Kovalan some of
you may might know about; it is a source for a lot of information about the society, then
about the cultural, about the art, about business and it is a fascinating work.

And there you have references to the chakyar koothu. My, but the current form of
koodiyattam is attributed to this Kulasekaram, Kulasekhara Varma and what he did was
he introduced and this they say is at the biggest of his Brahmin Minister Tholan. He said
that you have to introduce this character of vidushaka, the vidushaka was already there
but get the vidushaka to speak in Malayalam.

490
We are putting up Sanskrit plays but the vidushaka will speak in Malayalam and the
vidushaka has free hand in caricaturing anything and everything, anybody and
everybody. In some of the earlier plays, he the vidushaka even make fun of the
purushartha idea, the idea of purusharthas.

Four purusharthas that we have dharma, artha, kama moksha; he gives his own very
irreverential interpretation of the purusharthas. So, the vidushaka had a free hand; he
could talk in just about the king, about the minister, about anybody at all about the
common man, about sacred cows of the religion and according to and that is what a
historian say that that is possibly why it has even stayed alive because the vidushaka he
spoke in Malayalam and he kept it contemporary. Can we play a clip; I will tell you
which one, second.

(Refer Slide Time: 77:04)

Here you have two clips. The first is a depiction of this man in love. The light is ok.
(Refer Time: 77:21) (music). The koodiyattam from Sanskrit from the province of Kerala
is the oldest living theatrical tradition in India. (music) It is traditionally performed in
(Refer Time: 77:38) which a faith is located in Hindu temple. (music) The koodiyattam
goes back more than 2000 years (music) and represents unique synthesis (music)
classicism, and local traditions of the (Refer Time: 77:57) (music) particularly the comic
theatre in (Refer Time: 78:00). (music)

[FL] (music).

491
There is a sacred aspect for the act of lord (music) with purification rituals undertaken
beforehand, (music) and the presence of an oil lamp on stage, (music) symbolizing
divine presence (music) during performances. (music) The male actors from the chakyar
vedati hands down extremely detailed (music) performance manuals from master to
people (music) which until recent times remain the exclusive and secret prophecy of
specific families. (music)

I think that.

Facial expressions especially with the eyes movement and gesture form a very precisely
codified language.

Yeah can we stop it there? We will see more about it later. Can we stop it there (Refer
Time: 79:14).

[FL].

We will see this with the full makeup later all in nava rasas. I want to play another clip.
So, the clip then showed the vidushaka who, and the actors themselves sing; they have to
sing and they also talk and that was a vidushaka who; with this as we said see it is very
theatrical, I want to play the first clip now.

(Refer Slide Time: 79:54)

(Refer Slide Time: 80:28)

492
(music) (music) See the next clip, he is going to show Balivadham. When bali is killed
and he is in the throes of death and you will see him taking the breath you know as he is
dying, and the last breath. Now, after this person was the actor he says a very matter of
fact way, then this is how I learned to depict the last breath of a person. Then after I had
learned it I watched many people dying to see if this is how we take the last breath and it
is true that is how they take the last breath, so that is the level of being consumed by the
art. So, I will just show that (music) (Refer Time: 81:53).

(Refer Slide Time: 81:16)

[FL]. So, he is saying after this, I watched my when my mother died, I noticed that this is
how she took her last breath. So, as you see the theatrical space is very small that are the

493
musicians standing and there are two large lamps. So, within a very small space, they the
performances you know there is no other way of accounting for such detailed and such
extended expressions other than going back to the rasa theory that they want to bring the
rasa in front of you, and you know make you experience it. So, this is koodiyattam and it
is even today this practice and fortunately it has also come out of the koothambalams.

At this earlier since it was a very, it is a very sacred dance, nobody thought of performing
it outside and when I think it was a Madhav Chakyar who first took koodiyattam out of
Kerala and performed it at the Madras music academy for which he was you know
criticized and what not and now we do get too much koodiyattam, but it is a very
demanding art to watch. So, what about modern theatre? As I said there was a period
when there was not very much of serious theatre not in Sanskrit, not in regional
languages for whatever reason.

(Refer Slide Time: 83:52)

And then the rise of modern theatre today of course, in many cities and small suburban
areas we have theatrical group. We do have theatres; we have serious theatres too and the
person responsible one of the earliest persons who was sort of inaugurated modern the
era of modern play in India modern theatre in India was this Russian adventurer as he is
called Gerasim Lebedev and I think he translated a couple of works, love is the best
medicine and the disguise he used some Bangla music and he put this up in the regular
European to seen in theatres. He put it up like that and after that there was a long gap and

494
after 1867, after the first war of independence, many plays got written in regional
languages such as these two, but they were all mostly amateur performers.

But in today, in today’s scenario, we have many serious theatre groups. Now, what makes
a serious, it is not classical in the sense that for something to be classical, I suppose we
would also require some tradition an antiquity which we cannot really see, but we have
serious theatre and we have very fine play rights, Dharamvir Bharati for instance he is a
Hindi playwright whose andha yug, this depicts the last day of the Mahabharata and can
I just read a bit? (Refer Time: 85:48).

Student: Yes ma’am. You need pen?

andha yug, is the blind each right and Mahabharata even in the tradition in
Anandavardhana or Abhinavagupta they say what is the rasa of a Mahabharata? When
you read Mahabharata, what is the enduring rasa? It is according to Anandavardhana,
Abhinavagupta, it is shanta rasa, why? Because, at the end of this war nobody has won,
much has perished, nobody has knows any enjoy and there is this one sentence in
Mahabharata towards the end which is akrithubhagavan vasudeva keerthyathi. This is all
phrase of vasudeva and that according to Abhinavagupta and Anandavardhana such as
the rasa of dhvani of shantha. So, it is an andha yug is very much in that vein. He says
[FL].

[FL] is ethical code of conduct. It destroys; it splintered, [FL] not just one side, both
sides, broke the code of ethics maybe the Kauravas were little more than the Pandavas.
[FL] There is no victor and this play unfolds with a lot of characters Gandhari,
Dhritarashtra, and in that ends with Krishna, Lord Krishna there. Girish Karnad is
another very interesting playwright and I want to go to the little from his play fire and the
rain. Now, this is situated in the context of a mahayagna a big sacrifice.

It has not rained adequately for nearly 10 years. A 7 year long fire, fire sacrifice is being
held to propitiate Indra, the God of rains andthe Punarvasu is the conducting priest they
adhere you and there are other characters. So, the request is by a drama troupe by
theatrical troupe to put up a play in the context of the fourth priest, the king, he explodes
this is no impossible, it is not possible. The priests are in very interested they want
entertainment, but where is a troupe at the city gates waiting. Priest 2, let them come near
majesty please, I am not stopping them they can come by all means, but I would not have

495
that boy. It is 3 years since we saw a play and there was a time when we had four plays a
month and so on, there is a discussion here.

And finally, the troupe is allowed entry and the actor manager that is a sutradhara, he
comes and makes this supplication he says Sir as is well known to you, Brahma the lord
of all creation extracted the requisite elements from the four vedas and combined them
into a fifth Vedas and thus and this gave birth to the art of drama. He handed it over to
his son Lord Indra, the God of the Skies. Lord Indra in turn passed on the art to Bharata a
human being for the gods cannot indulge and pretends and this is another explanation.
So, if Indra is to be pleased and bring to an endless long drought which ravages our land
of fire sacrifice is not enough.

A play has to be performed along with it. If we offer him entertainment in addition to the
obligations that God may grant his rains, they are paying for and so on this play goes and
the interesting thing is here, he is alluding to the creation of the Natya in the context of
sacrifice and even today actually in rural areas, whenever there is a calamity in a village,
they put up a play, they say [FL], we have to stage a play.

So, even today the idea of getting a stage, a theatre a play performed is associated with
sacred divine power. So, if we were to talk of classical theatre, today we have
koodiyattam and we have serious theatre groups in many cities of India and we have the
refined playwrights, but do we have a thriving classical theatre, the koodiyattam is more
or less confined to Kerala. So, what kind of a society that the set makers, we do not have
a serious classical theatrical form. So, with that, I will end today, I will take some
questions. Tomorrow, we will talk about dance and music.

496
 Appreciating Carnatic Music
Dr. Lakshmi Sreeram
Department of Humanities and Social Sciences
Indian Institute of Technology, Madras

Lecture - 73
Dance & Music

I am back to talk about Classical Dance and Music in India. Yesterday, we looked at
Natya Shastra and we saw theater forms and we were talking about what one of the
questions you were considering what was; what constitutes a form as classical, when we
say that some forms are classical and some are not, what do we mean and that is the
question we will continue considering today.

Now, dance and music as I mentioned yesterday, all performing arts in India whether
classical or not classical, whether folk or whether dance or music or theater all of them
derived from the Natya Shastra. They have some links to the Natya Shastra. The Natya
Shastra itself is not the first work on theater from a in internal evidence it seems and
there are references to other treatise of the same sort.

And, obviously, the sophistication of the Natya Shastra indicates that there was a strong
tradition of Natya and there were many treatise before it, but the earliest that has come
down to us is Natya Shastra. And, not only technique also abstract ideas of aesthetic the
aesthetic aims all these are they still continue to today’s time; consciously or
unconsciously musicians and dancers do you know reach back to the Natya Shastra.

Now, dance there are references to dance even in the Vedas. Indra for instance is called a
dancer he is called Nartyu, then there are of course, the Apsaras who are dancers in the
courts of Indra. And, throughout we have enough evidence to say that rulers kings they
patronized dance and music and theater. The themes of many Sanskrit phrase are
involved dancers very crucially.

For instance Kalidasa’s first work Malavikagnimitram. Malavika is a dancer and the king
watches a dance and falls in love and that is in fact the plot of the play. Silappadikaram
which was a much earlier work in Tamil there is a lot of references to dance, various
kinds of dance forms, musical forms and Madhavi who with whom Kovalan falls in love,
she is a dancer.

497
So, there has been dance what may be called classical dance marga nrithya. See
throughout there is distinction between marga and deshi; marga is what we may call
today classical, deshi is what you may call folk. Though today’s classical music is
actually deshi, but in those days what the earlier ancients the marga sangeetam was what
was called we will talk more about it when we talk about music, but the certain kind of
stylization that prescribed in the Natya Shastra that would be the marga dance and music
form. And, then these dance forms derive inspiration from local tradition and they are
modified they evolve those are called deshi dance forms.

And, today we have many according to the state there are eight classical dance. Forms
Bharatanatyam we go into the names later, but you know there are Bharatanatyam and
Kuchipudi, Kathakali and Mohiniyattam in the south; Odissi and Sattriya, Manipuri,
Kathak, I think I have eight. There are other dance forms to which claim the status of
classical dance. I will just show you a slide which this.

(Refer Slide Time: 05:26)

So, SNA Sangeet Natak Akademi, MOC is Ministry Of Culture. Now, the status of
classical dance is bestowed upon these dance forms by Sangeet Natak Akademi, by
Ministry of Culture and there itself there is some diversion.

For instance Chhau; so, there are these two forms Chhau and Thang Ta there is some
disagreement between SNA and MOC whether they are classical or not (Refer Time:
05:58). This is see, through this really pushes into prominence there is a question, but

498
what would we mean by saying that something is classical or not. What it means to the
classical dance form itself is significant you know in terms of state patronage it will get
something, may be it will get sent off to festivals of India you know held wherever in the
world.

In music too we recognize two traditions of music as classical, Carnatic and Hindustani,
but I have been to a music festival in Bhubaneswar where they mount three traditions of
it is a state run music festival very beautifully done and they mount three traditions of
classical music Hindustani, Carnatic and Odissi. They say that Odissi is also a classical
music form. Sopanam Sangeetam of Kerala that is also you know highly sophisticated
and they say that they are also classical music tradition.

So, anyway that the question of what makes a form I mean there are of course, some
criteria that we can think of as we discussed yesterday, but the lines are very hazy. Now,
these varied dance forms as I said all of them have links to the Natya Shastra, something
or the other some aspect of theirs can be traced back to the Natya Shastra as it is
available to us, but they have also drawn from other local poses. That is why there is a
wide variety in these dance forms. I will just play a couple of clips; one of Kathakali, the
other of Chhau. Now, Chhau of course, according to SNA is not a classical dance form,
but let us grant it the classical status.

Now, what do you want to emphasize here, is it every dance form except perhaps for
Chhau has a narrative aspect to it every dance form in India what is called abhinaya;
abhinaya in the contemporary sense not in the sense of Natya Shastra. Abhinaya in the
sense you are emoting a song. So, there is a padha or there is a you know a tumri and the
dancer emotes the peace, it is abhinaya. Now, all dance forms except Chhau has that and
there also there is difference between how that abhinaya is emoted, to what extent you
have what is called natyadharmic to what extent is it stylized, to what extent it is more
realistic.

So, Kathakali is one dance form where abhinaya is very strong. In fact, if we have to
look for the angika abhinaya as expanded in Natya Shastra, Kathakali Kutiyattams where
you look for because they train their all parts of their body eyes, eyeballs, eyebrows,
eyelids, cheek muscles, chin, lips. So, we will play one clip (Refer Time: 09:20)

499
(Refer Slide Time: 09:21)

So, all dance forms as I said they we will see this when we get this slide. In some form or
the other they go back to the Natya Shastra and all dance forms without exceptions are
religious in content at least if not in intent; in the sense, the compositions that I used
especially in the abhinaya part or even earlier they are all religious in character addressed
to deities, Hindu deities.

Even Chhau, I wanted to show it to you Chhau has almost no abhinaya. They do not you
know try to emote out anything, but even that has a narrative aspect to it which is again
religious. (music). So, here in Kathakali elaborate abhinaya. So, this lady, it is not a lady
it is actually a purusha in stree vesham (music) and she is conveying something to the
male character.

Actually the way they do the abhinaya, they way the way they use the mudras and all
they actually can it is like speaking. Their whole sentences are emoted out. The person
singing at the back is of course, giving you the general theme of what is happening, but
these the dancers actually improvise to some extent. So, this is the level of the abhinaya
the emoting emotive aspect of Kathakali.

Now, you see Chhau, yeah. (music). Now, this position this is of course, the damaru of
shiva and her the right leg is lifted and this is alapadma. Now, these are all hastas that are
there in the Natya Shastra. But you will see that she will not actually say you know you
come here, you go, oh you did this that sort of thing is not found in Chhau. Here it is

500
there is a narrative aspect in the sense she is ultimately she will talk about the Neelakanta
story when Shiva drinks the poison that is what this is about, but the way it is narrated it
is very different. It is not by using hand gestures the way it is used in other dance form
especially so, I wanted to show this and juxtapose it with Kathakali to show the sheer
diversity of dance forms that we have here. You can just play a half a minute more
(music).

So, this Chhau for instance is a martial dance form and it is a dance form that arose
because of unique historical needs where the ordinary agrarian person you know farmer
ordinary person was had to be in readiness to defend his country. So, I if there is time I
will play a small clip where it is it is a beautiful clip where if the person at the end of his
hard his days hard work he goes back and he loses up with Chhau dance.

So, now each dance form across the country they it has it is own unique musical tradition
in the sense it is critically connected with a musical tradition. So, Carnatic music is
Bharatanatyam and Kuchipudi are critically connected with Carnatic music; Sopanam
Sangeetam, Kathakali also has links with Carnatic music Kuchipudi is the Koodiyattam
has its own stylize it is part of the theater.

Again, Mohiniyattam has a is connected with Carnatic music and Sopanam Sangeetam.
Odissi dance with Odissi music, Kathak with Hindustani music kayal and tumri and each
dance form is also connected with a literary tradition. So, Bharatanatyam has its own set
of repertoire in terms of composition vernams and kritis and padams in javalis that are
traced back to this 18 century even 16th century, Kuchipudi has its own literary works
with which is connected, Kathak draws from padas from tumris again.

So, these are you know somethings that are common across these dance forms that each
of them has except for Chhau again. Chhau does not have any voice, singing
accompanying the dance. It is only drums and some other instruments.

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(Refer Slide Time: 17:08)

Now, yeah this Kapila Vatsyayan this is a course from Kapila Vatsyayan she has done
some incredible work on Kathakali and Indian dances in general. Koodiyattam and this is
very insightful observation here that whatever the pose and this is what I am going to
talk about now. The body’s position now this even if you look at our sculptures if you
have a Shantha Murthy a god who is just giving out a boon, then he will normally be in
this position you know this, this or this.

Whereas, now the same thing same position we just shift the weight to one part of the
that gives a different dynamics and if this the same thing this is another position what is
called tribangi. So, each dance form for instance Bharatanatyam has this basic stance, the
feet apart like this there are is a square here or you can say there are two triangle as I said
yesterday Bharatanatyam tries it about triangles and lines. So, here there is one triangle
here and there is a triangle here this is a basic position Bharatanatyam.

Odissi; Odissi’s position is what is called chauka, the same thing a little apart and this
and this if you have seen the Jagannatha Murthy the idol of Jagannatha it is in the chauka
position and Odissi dance evolved largely around the Jagannatha temple.

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Student: (Refer Time: 19:17).

No, I can go, oh, ye this was. You can go to the next one? Next slide you can. No, no not
that next let us talk about Odissi now, I will play a couple of clips. So, Odissi as I said let
us play clip the ninth clip.

Student: Ninth one?

Yeah (music).

(Refer Slide Time: 20:12)

The entire Odissi technique has evolved out of four basic stances. The samabhanga, the
erect posture.

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(Refer Slide Time: 20:18)

Abhanga, where the hip is tilted on one side.

(Refer Slide Time: 20:24)

Tribhanga, the three bend posture.

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(Refer Slide Time: 20:30)

And, chauka the square position (music). Based on these four basic trances many bangi
or postures have evolved.

(Refer Slide Time: 20:47)

As for example, sthiralalitha.

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(Refer Slide Time: 20:51)

Katihasta.

(Refer Slide Time: 20:54)

Nakshatra suchika.

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(Refer Slide Time: 20:58)

Shikhandika.

(Refer Slide Time: 21:01)

Chibuka mandana and many others.

Now, we will try to demonstrate some of the typical foot work used in Odissi dance
(music).

So, as you I will just juxtaposes with the clip from Kathak that is 15 (music).

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(Refer Slide Time: 22:54)

The dancers feet and the tabala in rhythmic dialogue jugalbandi (music). Another
variation of jugalbandi is when one dancer queries and the other responds (music).

So, as you could see Kathak is sama pose always in straight position they do not have
any. So, in a inner sense it is that is painful. I mean it is it is very difficult, some of you
try doing this and sitting like this for even 10 second you know your feet you know
knees will start wobbling and you have to do a position and come back to it you know
better not do this. So, often (music) and you have to maintain this and you know and not
shake and fall off I mean which does which comes with practice of course.

But, Kathak you have the sama position. Even the hands are they are not you know
loose, but they are less they are not placed like this. Now, Bharatanatyam Odissi also the
placement is firm whereas, in Kathak it moves and the at the most movement of the body
is like this, but they have this very interesting aspect to their dance that is called chakkar
which is we see all the time in film at least the heroine going round and round and round
with a beautiful skirt very visually very appealing, let us play a clip of that.

So, before we come to that now Odissi as we saw it has a certain structure. Now, each
dance forms has its own emphasis on what is called Nritta and Nritya. Now, Nritya is
what is called pure dance which does not have the abhinaya aspect to it. So, what they
just did, in the Kathak what they did was pure Nritta without the narrative aspect to it;
Nritya is when you take a padha and you emote it out in dance that is Nritya.

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So, each dance form has ah [vocalized-noise] different kind of weightage given to both
and how the how the two of them are brought together [noise]. So, in a typical ah
presentation or in a repertoire if you speak of Kathak repertoire our or Odissi repertoire
or the way Odissi presentation goes about it yeah it begins with the mangalacharan. All
dance forms when you start a concert it starts with a prayer offer either to Ganesha or to
Saraswathi or to Nataraja some deity.

And, immediately usually this is the aspect gone the which will be pure dance that it
explores the possibilities of various movements, various patterns. How these patterns are
made is unique to each form I will demonstrate with Bharatanatyam when we come to it.
How we create these patterns and then there will be some abhinaya part of it and then
there will be some Nritta part and again abhinaya that is kind of how any dance form
progresses.

Now, Kathak, Odissi dance evolved around the temple. You know temple had dancers
offering making ritualistic offering; this dance as a ritual offering to the deity as part of
deity is worshiped in a very prescribed way in every temple north, south and part of that
prescription is offerings in music and dance. So, temples had dancers attached to them.
We saw yesterday Koodiyattam, the actors are attached to these temples because they are
brought their services are pressed when the ritual offering has to be made in the form of
theater or in the form of dance.

So, Odissi grew up Odissi evoked like that. Kathak on the other hand, the word Kathak
comes from the word kathaka, person who tells the story; the story teller ballet singer.
So, with that is that partly explains us trait stance, they were telling the story and slowly
to make it more interesting, to make it visually appealing also they incorporated these
things drawing some tabala repertoire; tabala which is which has you know its own
technique it is an art in its own right. So, they draw they drew some patterns from that
and saw if they could not execute it in the feet and that is how you had this is Kathak or
the feet movement in Kathak.

And, part of the Kathak presentation is actually reciting the pattern, the bol as it is called
and we will just have a quick demonstration of that, the 16. (music) This is called
Kathak. It is actually speaking a(music) (music) (music). So, this is see the dancer herself

509
comes and recites a poem. In a particular way the recitation itself has the dance in it and
then she comes in and emotes it when somebody else is reciting the poem.

Now, these are all hangovers from the kathakar aspect of the fact that Kathak was
actually men primarily telling story. So, the verbal aspect performer herself coming and
speaking and you know reciting poetry or what she called paran; paran is the rhythmic
pattern which is usually drawn from the world of tabala. Now, (Refer Time: 32:56) you
do not find in any other dance form, where the dancer comes and speaks and then
translates that to dance, you do not have that. This is unique to Kathak and so, that is you
know Kathak has its own relationship with the literary iteration.

Kathak also draws from tumris. Wajid Ali Shah was a king in Lucknow during the in
absence or you may say after the decline of the Mughal empire and (Refer Time: 33:30)
from the rise and Wajid Ali Shah was completely immersed in music and dance. He had
very talented musicians and dancers in court. He himself was a dancer, a composer of
this tumri form. Tumri is essentially a romantic composition sung in a particular way and
that forms the abhinaya part of Kathak very often.

They can also take from for instance if you can just play that (Refer Time: 34:01). Play
15 again, but somewhere in the middle (Refer Time: 34:16) (music). This is ahalya
(music) and just rewind it a little. So, here she is describing the ahalya episode the
Gautham makes here into a patthar and see how the emoting is. It is very different, if a
Bharatanatyam dance were to do the same it would be very different. Just little little
back, little not much.

(music) Abhinaya or the evocative use of expressions both facial and gesture (music)
(music). So, in about 2 minute she showed the ahalya episode and also the the Giridhar
episode right and whereas, you know it can be much more elaborate in in a
Bharatanatyam dancer would do it in a more elaborate way. In Kathak, the abhinaya is
less what should I say explicit. Padarthabhinaya, every word of the song can be
expressed you know that is one possibility whereas, Kathak they give you the gist; the
Kathak dancers give you the gist of the song whereas, Bharatanatyam dancer would go
into each word and try to emote it. We will see a little bit of that also.

So, now let me talk in some detail about Bharatanatyam. Bharatanatyam was called
Bharatanatyam also grew up evolved in the temple in the AD 1010 for instance the

510
Brihadeshwara temple in ah Thanjavur was built by Rajaraja Chola. And there is an
inscription saying that 400 dancers were attached to the temple were in the employee of
the temple as it was and they were given houses in the neighboring street. They were
given land and this dance form evolved as ritualistic dance offering to the deity what is
called the devadasi.

Now, devadasis are a very that is a very important cultural phenomenon that we had that
that is how our arts especially music and dance were preserved in the devadasi
community, some aspect of a music and dance were preserved in the devadasi
community. And, while for instance they were this was very true that the devadasi was a
women of culture. She had her job was to sing and dance. So, they were professional
dancers and singers and she did not have to worry about family, about raising children
and all that. But, she had a patron, she probably had children also.

So, she want in that sense devadasi in that sense was very easily she fell that, that
institution fell into some dispute and because she was a dasi of the god, there was a
sanctity associated with her also. And equally on the other side she was exploited and
society soon you know the degradation happened soon enough and the devadasi was
looked up on as a prostitute and there was some truth in it too that while on the one hand
she was a women at some and in those days she was probably the only devadasis were
the only women who were literate. They could hold property and they did not have to I
mean they could pursue their own love of life you know they could just do dance and
sing, they have no other obligation.

So, in that sense they were free. They had those kind of emancipation, but on the other
hand sexual exploitation was also very much part of the scene. So, by the time the British
had come and by the time it was 20th century and there was a lot of opposition to the
devadasi system. And, one particular leader they were I am sure many others, but one
Doctor Muttu Lakshmi Reddy, she herself was the mother of a devadasi she was a
daughter of a devadasi. Though that devadasi had married the patron there were through
the proper marriage of which Muttu Lakshmi was born in those days she was a in the
early 20th century.

She was a doctor and she fought for the abolition of the devadasi system. She along with
other I am sure that primarily she spear headed the campaign against devadasis and soon

511
the devadasi act came and the whole institution was illegalized, it was illlegal to offer
dance in a temple. And, there were practicing devadasis at that time. Devadasis like
Balasarawathi, she was not a greatest Bharatanatyam dancers especially in the position of
abhinaya. She was a devadasi and it meant a great deal to her that she could not dance in
front of a deity.

And there were these devadasi who fought the real fear off; there was the fear of
throwing the baby out with the bath water right and that nearly happened. Had it not been
for people who also recognized the beauty in this dance, people like E. Krishna Iyer and
Rukminidevi. Rukminidevi is a very famous name. She almost became President of
India. She founded Kalakshetra which is a premier institution of dance in Madras. She at
the age of 30, she was a theosophist, she married theosophist and at the age of 30, she
saw this Sadir attam that is what it is called, it was not called Bharatanatyam. It was
called sadir or dasiattam or chinnamelam all with pejorative connotation. Dasiattam is
not something that anyone would go to watch.

So, were Rukminidevi saw this dance and at the age of 30, she decided learn it and she
did learn it she got traditional natuvanas that is what they are called teachers she got
them, she brought them to kalakshetra and she spear headed a movement for girls from
upper cast to learn Bharatanatyam. So, there were lot of things happening at that time
Bharatanatyam the dance that the devadasis practiced which was for Sadir attam possibly
had some aspects which had to be removed, had to be perched for it from the dance to
make it respectable, to make it possible for girls from you know good families to
practice. So, that happened only one hand and most importantly the dance was renamed
Bharatanatyam.

So, it was renamed by the effort of these people that instead of calling it Sadir attam for
something let us call it Bharatanatyam. Bharata because in one sense it refers back to
Bharata of Natya Shastra; Bharata also in some sense refers to the country. So, that is
how Bharatanatyam was given a new life. If you know slightly dilutive that is what many
this dance historian say that we have lost a lot with the abolition of the devadasi system,
but fortunately not all is lost.

Now, Bharatanatyam around the 19th century there were this this community of dancers
was called Isai-vellalar. They do they those whose profession was Isai; Isai is music and

512
dance. So, there was this very talented Tanjavur quartet they are called. or four brother
who were associated with the court Tanjavur court where the Maratha kings are serfoji
was ruler and the Maratha king as well as the Nayaka kings before them they were great
patrons of music and dance.

So, in any case this the (Refer Time: 45:50) the four quartet Tanjavur courted redesigned
Bharatanatyam and what we see as Bharatanatyam today in terms of its repertoire in
terms of a very balanced mix of pure dance and abhinaya. And in my opinion there
Bharatanatyam does have a very fine balance of ritual aspect of dance it is both pure
dance in it Nritta and Nritya. So, the (Refer Time: 46:20) they came up with this
repertoire.

And, Bharatanatyam dance typically begins with if you have seen dance of form a
alarippu this is Malavika Sarukkai. So, you can see the line and the basic orientation of
Bharatanatyam in this clip. Here it talks about the spiritual angle which you can take or
not; 11.

Will have been for then the devadasis when they danced within the temple and when they
danced for the deity it was I think very very devotional in the character. They would
function with ritualistic they perform the ritual of dance, for the god. They put the gods
to sleep, they woke the gods and they were part of the temple. Now, we do not have that
role to play (music), but I take this (music) feeling of spirituality with me (music)
because to me dance is spiritual (music).

Malavika Sarukkai is a dancer of Bharatanatyam, a classical art form that is being

developed for century from the temple dances and from reconstruction event and text
(music). From expressive origin in Tamil Nadu it has moved all over India. (music) You
are a physical person you will see it as a physical person, you are a person who has
known what it is to either yearn or try for salvation (music) you will see from that way
(music) where you will look at this is.

So, this is first the a pure nritta part, it can get very complicated and I will just recite one
for you to see the dance pattern because that is a very important aspect of all dance forms
in India, but since I know Bharatanatyam I can demonstrate it. Now, these patterns are all
fitted within tala cycle. A tala is a cycle of beats. So, now, suppose we take a cycle of 6
beats 1 2 3 4 5 6, this is a tala called rupaka talam.

513
Now, how these patterns are created at least in Bharatanatyam and in Carnatic music in
general and that is where it draws from it. We have five basic what are called jaathi
counts as it was. So, you can have a count of four, you can have a count of three, you can
have a count of five, seven or nine. Now, these are jaathis that are found even in the
Natya Shastra called chathusta, thista, kanda, mishra and sankeerna. And, patterns are
created playing around with these patterns long longer patterns of dance. For instance,
(music).

Now, I am the beat is the same, but I can look at into five or I can split it into fours or
combinations of these. So, jathi for instance, this is the rhythmic patterns called jathi. It
would be like this, a bit complex (music). Now, I said the same thing twice and it comes
back to the first beat. Now, this doing it three times if you had noticed even a the paran
that the Kathak dancer did, it was the same pattern done thrice. So, this we are all we are
obsessed with the 3.

If you have a pattern we always repeat it three times and the third time it repeats has to
finish on the first beat of the tala cycle. So, that is how a pattern is created. Just to
demonstrate a little bit of how this will be translated into dance, it is been years since I
have danced. So, I hope I do not fall. It is like this; so(music) the cholu what is being
spoken a course in a certain way what the feet speak is in a different (music).

So, that is how it is jathi goes in a certain way and within the jathi a dance is
choreographed. So, there are three things going in different gate as it was. The tala is
going in one way, the jathi the way it is said is going in a certain way, what the feet speak
go in a certain way, but finally, they all come back to the sama. So, how you create these
jathis that is also great deal of artistry involved great deal of this indeed it is a knowledge
system you know, how they have done it we draw some how people have done it in the
past. There are the certain trick, there are certain technique and you can always
improvise and come up with some new twist to it.

Now, Bharatanatyam I will just show the abhinaya part of it. Now, there were some in
17th century there was a poet, a composer called Kshetrayya. He composed in Telugu
and he lived in the correct (Refer Time: 53:06) region. He composed exquisite love
poetry which are sung and he sang them in very very nuanced music. Those are called
padam which are not to be confused with Meera pada and Meera and Tulsidas padh that

514
is the different kind of padh. Padam in Bharatanatyam, the context of Bharatanatyam or
Carnatic music the first tune this kind of a kind of composition which is sringara oriented
that is the theme is love and the music is heavy and subtly nuanced to quite heavy and
these are staple for abhinaya in Bharatanatyam. When the dancer wants to emote it is a
kshetriya pada is you cannot really get better than that.

So, I will just show a clip where a very renowned exponent of abhinaya one Kalanidhi
Narayanan, she recently passed away. You know Kalanidhimami is story itself is very
interesting. She learnt dance as a young girl, then after marriage because it was not
culture to dance you know in public, she gave it up and then after you know children
were grown and all. Because she was a very talented woman some interested people
encouraged her to get back and she lost her husband. And, as a way of gaining you know
getting some meaning she got back to dance and she is highly regarded in the abhinaya
aspect.

And, here she is teaching see the abhinaya of Bharatanatyam is very subtle I mean it is
much subtler than Kathakali. You just saw the Kathakali abhinay; so, much movement of
the facial muscle; Bharatanatyam it is subtler and here she is trying to teach, 13. So, this
is just (music) little; forward a little (music) forward a little there is an introduction
which we can look it up, (music) forward.

Padams, javalis and guru she presented by Roja kan.

yes ah true.

Getting more than this.

Aditalam (music) written by Subhramanya.

Subhramanya..

[FL] Do you need anything else as proof.

Anything more than this.

Yeah; however, you are it is enough for me.

Enough to ok.

515
But do you need any other proof.

Yes.

Than this, to prove that you have gone to another women.

Ok.

[FL] You say no, I have not done anything [FL]. Lots of excuses you would say. [FL] Is
it right? Is it proper? (music) Go get away. Anupallavi I have explained to so many, so
many of you that it is always descriptive, that is why we take it even from.

Anupallavi.

Anupallavi and do it.

Ok.

(music) See [FL] the whole world praises you, Thanikachalare; the name of the city in
which he is Thanikachalare [FL] you have being giving Subrahmanya, [FL] You are
subrahmanya. [FL] with that girl you have embraced her and you have the eye eyeliner
mark is on your this is a proof for me.

Yeah.

That you have gone to her.

Ok.

See in in the first line of any song where Telugu, Tamil, Sanskrit whatever you take, the
first line should always be literal hand.

Ok.

Then only the audience will understand.

Understand.

Then after that you can use your own.

Variation.

516
(music) See when you do Tanikachalare, you have you do not feel that Tanikachalam.
You must even if you do not see there, you should feel that it is there.

Ok.

(music) That is it. (music).

So, you see they are talking about sringara, you know quite explicitly she is saying the
kajal is on your body I know I do not need any more proof, but you have the Subramanya
swami’s vigraham. It is all done in front of the lord you have the deity there and for a
Mami like Kalanidhi you know completely middle class respectable Brahmin lady to be
able to talk like this that is a wonder of art what art can do to you. So, this as I said you
know padartha abhinaya so, every word is rendered in abhinaya. So, this here is Thanika
any place is done like this, this and if you show this; that means, it is some place and
what is the place is you know it by the song.

So, for want of time I wanted to show the Kathakali, but I have to talk about music. So,
the point is dance you have a great variety in India in terms of how the body is used what
is the basic stances, how the steps are formed in terms of what kind of abhinaya is
included, what is the emphasis given to the two and you have something like Chhau as I
said which almost has no abhinaya.

Now, the word sangeeta, sangeeta means what? Music right that originally it means
geetham vadhyam thatha nrithyam prayam sangeetam uchathi. So, the word sangeeta
refers to geetha, vadhya and nritya that is song instrument and dance when they were
mounted together that is called sangeeta. And dance and music have always been you
know thought of together even in text for instance the schlastic tradition.

You did not had separate text for dance and music for a very long time. If there was a
text about music there was music in it I mean about sangeeta, if you had something like
Sangita-Ratnakara which was a twelfth century treatise by Sarangadeva. Sarangadeva
was a Kashmiri musicologist who lived in the Deccan region in the 12th century and he
wrote the Sangita-Ratnakara which is a very famous work.

Now, Sangita-Ratnakara is about sangeeta, but it does not have only music. It has music,
it has vocal music, it has instrumental music and it has dance. Only much later we will be

517
start having text solely on music and solely on dance, since abhinayadharpana for
instance is a work devoted only to dance. So, the music also had a very long history, the
Vedas of course, the Samaveda is the musical rendition of the Rigveda and that is very
stylized, 1 minute.

And, we have a Naradiya shiksha which is concerns itself with the correct pronunciation,
correct singing of the Vedic mantras where again you have reference to the swaras; the
musical nodes and what students must do to have a good voice. For instance, it is
recommended that the students should have thripalachurna which is an Ayurvedic
prescription even today. Today, we say that you have honey for your voice; this is
prescribed in Naradiya shiksha.

So, the Naradiya shiksha and many other works like Sangita-Ratnakara, for instance has
a whole chapter on how the foetus develops. I mean it is all not acceptable by todays’
science of course, but that is how the musical treatises say. They want to treat they want
to treat they of the whole human body in his relationship with the cosmos and then talk
about music. And, music of course is a part of Natya; the Natya Shastra the chapter 28 to
34 concern themselves with music; that is singing and instrumental music.

Now, until 12th century as I said Sangita-Ratnakara, there is no reference to true

traditions of music. Now, there is always as I mentioned earlier marga sangeetam and
desi sangeetam was there; marga is some more what is called the greater tradition of
music, desi sangeetam as a regional variant of music. And, you know according to
anthropologist a singer any phenomenon in today’s India, any cultural phenomena can be
understood as an interaction of these two traditions a great tradition and the little
tradition which is what we mean by desi.

Now, we speak of raga. Indian music is about raga, but the word raga does not occur
until the 8 century. The text Brihaddeshi by Matanga Muni, we find reference to raga.
Bharata does not seem to mention raga. Then after 12th century we do not have many
text until the 15th and 16th century when Swaramelakalanidhi. You can share all these
sometime.

518
(Refer Slide Time: 65:45)

The Swaramelakalanidhi was a work written by one Ramamathya in the Vijayanagar

Empire. Vijayanagara kings were the great patrons of music and from this
Swaramelakalanidhi we have this dual system in India; I mean we have reference to that
that we have a Carnatic music we have something called Carnatic music that is between
Krishna and Kaveri and (Refer Time: 66:06) Ravi that is ok.

So, then Vijayanagara was first the center for Carnatic music and then when it collapsed
under Muslim invasion, musical families, musicians and music itself moved to Thanjavur
because Vijayanagara had its Nayakas in Thanjavur and Madurai, and these families
came to Thanjavur where they were given asylums and patronage. In fact, one whole
village was given to musicians from Vijayanagra Empire called Melattur and even today
there is a very strong Bhagavathamela tradition there. Virabhadraiyya was who belonged
to that tradition is a very significant musician in Carnatic music.

Then, in Thanjavur it had lot of patronage and Carnatic music as we know it today took
shape there definitely. The Maratha king Shahaji himself was a composer he composed
many varnams many compositions of Carnatic music. And, Serfoji II or Sarabhoji II was
the last of Maratha king, he was versatile man and he was as interested in western music
as he was in Carnatic music. He built he gave finishing touches to the famous Saraswati
Mahal Library and the Carnatic trinity lived in that period.

519
See Carnatic music today is largely the repertoire created by Tyagaraja, Muthuswami
Dikshitar and Syama Shastri. These three people they were all born in Thiruvarur which
is close to Thanjavur and in the 18th century, and their compositions formed the core of
today’s Carnatic music.

In the north and then of course, with the collapse with the decline of the Thanjavur
Maratha kingdom. No, let us not do this. I will tell you

(Refer Time: 68:59)

Yeah just do not. Let us not have any slide now because I am having to rush through I
cannot really go through the slide. So, when Thanjavur the empire they are also started
collapsing, musicians moved to Chennai, Madras because Madras was a commercial
center at that time and there were if musicians go in search of not god, in search of
patronage right.

So, there were zamindars, they were more importantly they were dubashis you know
those people who interpreted, they were interpreter and they were the middle men
between the Europeans and the English men and the local people. And, these people who
were moneyed and they were willing to patronize Carnatic music and so, it then moved
to Madras and were by the time the it also was part of the freedom movement you know
the what should I say the joined to the confer a status of the classical music on Carnatic
music or Hindustani music. It was also part of redefining or identity or you know ah
affirming our identity as an ancient civilization with our own music and dance forms.

So, the freedom movement very much had a cultural aspect to it an aspect that wanted to
re-appropriate our cultural forms and to bestow upon them value. So, it also got Carnatic
music also got the attention of the freedom movement and in fact, it was at a Congress
session in sometime in the 1920s, that there was a decision taken to form a music
academy which would stream line or which would bring some order into Carnatic music
and you know promote Carnatic music. So, it was and music academy is the premier
music organization in Carnatic music today.

So, in the north what happened was after the 10th – 12th century because of Muslim
invasion there was influence of Persian Arabic element. Amir Khusrow was a very very
important figure in the creation formation of what we know today know as Hindustani

520
music. To him is attributed an impossible number of things; whatever we have today they
say it is Amir Khusrow. He was obviously, a great guy, but it is difficult to believe that
any one could do so much. You can do 17; she is gone. So, he was a court poet and very
good poet actually the one of some of his.

Student: 17?

17. One just I will just quote one poem to show he was a Sufi. He was the disciple of
Nizamuddin Auliya and this is a very Sufi-Doha where he say [FL]. So, this river of love
is it mystic mysticism this river prem ka dhariya it has a strange behavior. She who tries
to float actually sinks and he who sinks into the river he gets across. So, Khusrow they
say that Khayal for instance which is the premier drawn to today in Hindustani music
was kind of his gift to Hindustani music. Khusrow is supposed to have been maintained
the sitar, the tabla everything. Tabla certainly he could not have invented because tabla
came much later.

Now, the royal families Mughal onwards they started maintaining families, they were
great great patrons of music and families were attached to these courts as musicians,
musical families were attached and these were always Muslim families and illiterate.
Their only possession was this music a bulk of composition a thai that is how the
phenomenon of gharana came to be that their music could be transmitted only to their
sons or nephews.

So, that music, those compositions, that style remained within that family, it was not
possible for an outsider to learn that music. Until again you know Gwalior’s perhaps the
oldest gharana, the Scindia rajas the kings there was Scindias they instructed their court
musicians Haddu and Hassu Khan. They instructed them to teach outsiders and among
their students were Maharashtrian Brahmins.

And, Balakrishnabuwa Ichalkaranjikar, he was a Maharashtrian who learnt from this

Haddu Khan, he brought it to Maharashtra from whom a whole host of Maharashtrians
learnt including the great Padaskar. And, today before quite some time Maharashtra is a
center for khayal. The other tradition is of course, Dhrupad which is older and it has
some more similarities to Carnatic music than this khayal. So, this is a briefly and very
quickly about how the two systems have evolved.

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Now, I will just talk very quickly about the stylistics. This the first thing to be said about
Indian music classical music or any other music for that matter is melodic that is it only
employs principles of melody, not harmony. So, notes are always produced one after the
other not simultaneously that is the principle of harmony when you strike them together
that is harmony and that is how western music has evolved. Indian music is fully melodic
and the possibility of melody are explored in great detail in great depth here and in very
different ways in Carnatic and Hindustani music.

So, this is a thambura you are all familiar with the drone support we there is no absolute
swaras here, that is, for instance in western music if I say what is C, the pitch C? It is a
certain frequency whereas, we there is no absolute Sa or Ri or Ga. It is more like Do Re
Mi anything can be Do Re Re Mi, any pitch it all can be a Sa and with reference to that
pitch to the rest of pitches are determined.

So, for me I am taking this today G as my pitch (music). You do not familiar with the
seven notes (music). Here itself I have you know slightly given some extra movements
not plain swaras (music) is one, what (music) this is a different movement (music). No,
these are all the little little things that we do in both system maybe in very different ways.
So, the first thing that all musicians know is that notes has certain effects. So, for
instance, (music).

Now, I just changed a note if you notice, (music) this has a certain effect, (music) it is a
little softer if you give a little more melancholy. And this is recognized in every music
system that notes in relationship to each other they can sound bright or they can sound a
little softer and more melancholy.

And, raga; the word raga actually means color it is associated with ranjana ranjathe jana
chittanam that which colors the persons mind. The etymological meaning of raga is has
nothing to do with sound, it has to do with color. So, now, what happens in Hindustani
music we have two traditions of classical music and Hindustani music, Khayal and
Dhrupad. What differentiates them is first of all repertoire, the kind of compositions that
are sung in Dhrupad kind of compositions that are sung in khayal are different very
different.

Dhrupad is certainly the older, more dignified one should say; Khayal is fear, it gives
much more freedom to the performer. Dhrupad is more disciplined. There is greater

522
demands on and you cannot give free in terms of presentation at least, there is a certain
way you have to follow. Within that presentation of course, it is up to your
improvisational skills, but for a Khayal singer even presentation you can work the
various elements for presentation in different ways.

Now a composition in Khayal composition is like this, 21.

Student: (Refer Time: 80:26).

Music.

Student: Music (Refer Time: 80:26) tell me the name.

21. Eri aali piya bina oh the name of it is IIT music IIT G.

Student: Yeah the music (Refer Time: 80:43) clip from music (Refer Time: 80:44).

No not clips pp.

Student: pp?

Music IIT G and that is what it should be called.

(Refer Slide Time: 81:14)

So, the words of this are eri aali piya bina (music) (music) [FL]. The language is Braj ok.
It is a dialect of Hindi and even today if people compose the Maharastrian composes

523
composition of Khayal, he or she will compose in this language because it has it is just
so associated with Khayal. You just cannot possibly you know sing a proper pakka Hindi
[FL] that kind of Hindi in the Khayal which is not sound right. There are other reasons
propered like this this language is softer. For instance [FL] instead of mose it is [FL] in
Hindi [FL] the way it is softer mose. So, it is more musically conducive this language
[FL].

Now, this is clearly a sringara based composition. She is talking about her lover who is
who is returned back yet. He is in Yemen. Now, if it sound it will sound something that I
think I have it in that clip it has to play that and before we play that I will work that out,
but I can show you the next composition. The kind of compositions that we find in
khayal, this is about music itself.

[FL]. So, this is really high philosophy (Refer Time: 82:58), mysticism if yu like that is it
says you work this is this is actually talking about music as a yoga sadhana, naada yoga,
naada brahma this is what you are talking about. So, what it says if you just keep at the
practice of the swara [FL] do the sadhana of sur and as if you are a candle lamp like the
flame of a candle just keep at it unwavering and then right within this body the naada
brahman will manifest or this is another kind of composition.

We have compositions about Krishna here [FL]. Let us go play [FL] holi let us go and
play in brij where we will meet Krishna. I mean, there is an ancient distinction between
Nibhadda and Anibhadda Sangeet which is found in very ancient text. The Nibhadda is
that which is found in tal and Anibhadda is that which is free which is not bound in tal
and that normally corresponded to improvisational aspect.

And, we have references to improvisational aspect even there it is called alpthi rupaka
alapti and today both Carnatic and Hindustani music have these two aspects we have the
compositional part which is singing the particular composition that are part of the
repertoire of that form and also improvising. (music) (music) So, what he is doing is he
is singing the composition which I just showed you [FL]. So, there are two parts of the
composition and this is the Khayal composition.

So, improvisation and the compositional aspect are woven in together very intricated. So,
that unless you really know the composition you do not know whether, where he is

524
singing the composition and where he is improvising. Even when he is singing the words
of the composition he is very often improvising. (Refer Time: 86:40) (music) pause.

So, now, this is clearly an improvisational element where he is singing the sargam,
(music) these are the swaras of the raga. I am trying to sing in his pitch. So, I am going to
sound a little strange. (music) So, now, how does tal come into the picture that is you
know very different across Hindustani and Carnatic music. Here you have a cycle both in
both tradition tala is a cycle of pitch. How the composition shifted into the tala is
different; in Hindustani music the importance is given to the sum that is in both the
importance is given the first matra of the first beat of the tal as I told you even the tihayi
or the three time pattern it has to come back to the first beat of the cycle.

So, in Hindustani music what we do is whenever whatever is to improvise we have to

show the coming together of the song and the sum the first beat of the matra correctly
every time and that is what happens every time. So, the mukhda or the the initial part of
the composition is sung and the sum is shown every time. (music) After that fifth kalyani
now this was raag yaman the tal was teen tal. Now, I am going to play an alapana
standalone alapana by M.S Subbalaxmi Carnatic an iconic Carnatic vocalist whose 100th
birth centenary is on actually 100 birth celebrations are on.

It was kalyani alapana it is called fifth from that, ok so this is (Refer Time: 90:19)
(music). Now, kalyani is equivalent of yaman. (Refer Time: 90:25) (music). Now, she
was singing an alapana in kalyani. Now, I will just spend a few minutes trying to talk
about raga itself, because Carnatic or Hindustani music is all about raga, about
understanding, absorbing the raga, its nuances, it is subtleties and rendering them. Raga
in a skeletal form is a set of swaras, set of notes.

So, if you have (music) the raga that just she has sang (music). Now, this kind of;
(music) this is not just one note, this is a note with an embellishment with some what you
call gamaka. In it sheer skeletal form without any any adore any embellishment it is just,
(music) these are the swaras. All 7 notes occur in the raga. There are many ragas which
do not take all the 7 swaras, there are ragas in which 5 occur or only 6 occur, but
generally a minimum of 5 swaras occur in a raga.

So, when you are singing a raga with 5 swaras, only those swaras can be used you cannot
use something else. Just let me use a little bit of different you cannot do it, that is

525
sacrosanct. The swaras that occur in the raga you have to maintain that and how they
occur? (music) Now, the kalyani that she sang the, (music) that third swara the Ga;
(music) this oscillation is integral to the gandhara in kalyani. The same Ga in another
raag will not be shaken like this; on the same Ga in the same raag in another context
where cannot be shaken like this.

So, there are actually many many nuances in raga which is not possible to write, it is not
possible to list all the aspects of raga. It is like a language you absorb it by listening to it
in various context. So, also a raga can only be absorbed. If you read notations, then you
have notations know. Notations are anyway conclude to this spirit of Indian music. We
cannot capture Indian music in notation. Yet there are attempt, I mean and they are useful
in their own sense. Once you are familiar with the idiom then notation can serve as a
reference, but you can never learn, you cannot for instance just look at the notation and
just think if you are not familiar with the raga.

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 Appreciating Carnatic Music
Dr. Lakshmi Sreeram
Department of Humanities and Social Sciences
Indian Institute of Technology, Madras

Lecture - 74
Raga-Concept and Presentation in Carnatic and Hindustani

(Refer Slide Time: 00:02)

(Refer Slide Time: 00:03)

Good evening ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls. On behalf of the Classical Arts Club
Sangham, I welcome you all to witness an enlightening evening. Experts in both Carnatic

527
and Hindustani music, Dr. Lakshmi Sreeram would be presenting a lecture demonstration
titled Uttar-Dakshin. She will be explaining the concept and presentation of raga in both
Hindustani and Carnatic music.

This lecture demonstration is a part of the CITI-NCPA demonstration series. CITI-NCPA

initiative primarily focuses on the age old Guru-Shishya tradition. Their primary
initiatives include support to gurus, scholarship to young musicians to support talented
amateurs, introducing music training school, training to school children. CITI-NCPA are
the anant festival in addition to the above interactive sessions are conducted at the NCPA
and various educational campuses to spread awareness among the youth about Indian
heritage. I would request Dr. Lakshmi Sreeram to start the presentation.

Let me now set thank NCPA for this for inviting me to do this. I want to thank all of you
for coming out here. I thank my wonderful accompanying artists, co artists, Mannarkoil
Balaji is a senior mrdangam vihwan; Srividya Iyer is an excellent violin player, violinist;
Sri Sainath Ghure is a tabla artist trained in Pune mostly and he is now in Madras happily
for us. I will be talking about raga in the two traditions, how we think of raga, how raga
is talked about and presentation.

Now, raga is an ancient concept. We find references to it in treatises and perhaps the
earliest definition is in the 8th century Brhhaddesi where Matanga Muni, he speaks of
raga as (Refer Time: 02:16) dhvani visheshastu swaravarna vibooshitaha ranjako
janachittanam raghav(Refer Time: 02:23). This is a very well known verse about raga.
The gist of it is that it is a dhvani vishesha, it is a special kind of sound swara varna
vibooshitaha decorated by swara and varna.

What varna is; it isa; it is an ancient concept but the most significant part of this verse is
ranjako janachitanam that which pleases delights the listeners, janachitanam, ranjakaha.
Now, why this was said in that context is also because there was another kind of music
called gandharva, which whose purpose was not all music is supposed to delight right,
music is something that is a pleasure to listen to good music, but there was another kind
of music called gandharva whose purpose was ritualistic it was. If you rendered it
properly and if you heard it rendered properly, it is; it was supposed to give you adrushta
that is punya of some kind.

528
But raga is not of that kind, raga is very much for pleasing the audience, hopefully
pleasing yourself also and raga has evolved since then and for the last 3 centuries or
more, it has come to its present form and we may say that raga really does not only
belong in classical music, raga is used in film music, it is used in devotional music,
bhakti, sangeeta, even folk music there are ragas.

So, what is why classical carnatic and hindustani music are called classical is that raga is
the main focus of these two traditions, where film music or (Refer Time: 04:31) use raga
or two to, you know make a song, the purpose the whole intent of carnatic performance
or a hindustani performance is to present ragas and what is a raga; I will go into it a little
later.

So, the presentation; today’s presentation I have divided it into three parts. First I will
begin with a very short incomplete renditions of raga, puriya dhanashree and pantuvarali
they are equivalent raga. So, corresponding ragas in the sense, this, they share the same
skill and based on that I will try to talk about explore what makes for the difference,
fundamental differences in the listening experience. When we listen to carnatic or
hindustani music it is so different; the listening experience is very different the melodic
texture is very different.

So, my first part I will try to talk about two or three points that might account for this
startling difference between both of them are concerned with raga, both of them use tala,
but the experience is very different. So, what is the; what are the reasons, some of them I
will discuss.

The second part, I will talk about the idea of raga. What, how do we talk of raga, what is
the identity of a raga. Here we will see more similarities than differences in the two
traditions. The concept of raga is pretty similar across both traditions, how it is expressed
that is different, how it comes across, how it is translated in practice that is different but
the concept conceptually they are both, there are great deal of similarities between the in
the idea of raga and the third part I will present one raga in hindustani one raga in
carnatic and I will talk about the presentation where there are both similarities and
differences. So, that is the broad structure of my presentation.

So, I will now start with rag puriya dhanashree and I will follow it up with pantuvarali.
As I said it will be a very short and I am not going to sing the complete composition and

529
a very brief barhat as it is called or improvisation. Similarly, with pantuvarali and then I
will talk about a few reasons why the to account for the very different melodic textures.

(music) (music) (Refer Time: 08:50).

This is in jhaptal; a cycle of 10 beats.

(music) (music) (music) (music) (music) (music) (music) (music) (music) (music).

So, that was puriya dhanashree and pantuvarali. Both of them as I said have the same
skill, it is the same set of notes in the aroha and avaroha and both of them they presented
a very different listening experience as you know that is carnatic and hindustani music.
So, what, what goes? The first thing is of course, the aspect of laya. It is not an
exaggeration to say that laya underlies all music that is one of the just as you have
melody; swara.

But laya is as important in determining the feel of the music, the whether the music
works you know. So, the in just in terms of the scale of laya, they are very different
hindustani and carnatic and when I am speak of hindustani, I am mostly I only want to
talk about khayal, there are the other great tradition of, there is the other great tradition of
dhrupad to which also most of what I am saying will apply but I am not talking
specifically about it. I am trained in khayal and I am only talking about khayal.
Instrumental music is another tradition which has its own presentation of format. As I
said I am specifically talking of khayal.

So, the vilambit vilamba, madhya, druta, the three layas is again in a very ancient idea,
you know in our tradition and it is applied in many contexts not just music and you may
speak of it in both carnatic and hindustani music but what is vilamba in carnatic music
would probably be only madhya in hindustani in khayal.

We do not go to that level of (music) that kind of movement, it is not core carnatic music
I mean we can sing that in we do sing that sort of something like that maybe at the tail
and pieces but core carnatic music is the vilamba, the kind of vilambit that we find in
hindustani in khayal we do not find it. So, just that the scale is very different.

But apart from that the more important thing is that in hindustani music in khayal there is
a gradual movement from vilambit to drut in a presentation [FL]. So, (Refer Time:

530
20:50)(music) just that make swara freeze in (music) khayal (music); everything is slow
(music). Here also there is a complex, it is not just re ga, (music) there is a touch of ga
which is at a different speed. So, I am talking about laya (music). So, (music).

Now, what happens and then it gradually builds up. As we progress into the presentation
it goes very fast but in carnatic music all three speeds coexist in every phrase (music).
Now, what is (music) right (music). Now, an instrumentalist will know even when we
say (music), it seems that (music), they are all in seems be but actually the (music) like
ma is not just a ma (music) that is what is happening (music). So, that there is a third
speed there (music). Now, this is the core that the; they are very essence of the carnatic
idiom that every meaningful every musically meaningful phrase has all three speeds in it.

Now, sometimes in the middle, we do stop on a note or so but that is usually somewhere
in the middle and that is kind of creating a dynamics but we would never start a raga
with (music) we do not do that and if I may say this with a due respect and with the
utmost respect for his vidwath and (music) musicianship (music) maha vidwan
Balamuralikrishna he essentially (music) he questioned this idiom and that is why his
music sounds a little different and not always accessible to all of us. (music) This is a
sort of thing he does, he stops on notes and it is very tuneful, amazing, tonality and all
that but that is not how that is not the carnatic idiom really. (music)

So, when we also hear criticism of carnatic music especially from the hindustani world
that in carnatic music, there is no [FL]; there is a word they use. [FL]. You do not stop
on, you do not enjoy on you know; you know go leisurely into swaras. No, we do not,
yeah, we do not, and that is how it is but that does not mean that you know this music
does not; it offers as sublime moments as hindustani music.

So, the first thing is to accept, yes, carnatic music does not have the kind of a
progression, melodic progression that hindustani music does. The essence of carnatic
idiom is that the three styles are, the three speeds, kaalam; [FL] kaalam we say and you
know that is reflected for instance in the fact that all are beginning practices sarali
varisai, janta varisai, varnam, everything we practice in three kaalams. The trikaalam we
have to get it into a throat or into the instrument into your fingers.

And that proportion how you construct each phrase and the kind of proportion that exists
between its various parts in terms of the laya that is very important in, it is important in

531
hindustani also. In hindustani also there is some variation of speed but not to the extent
we have in carnatic music. So, that is the first thing about laya and this thing about the
three speeds existing in every phrase is actually something that was told me by my guru
V. V. Subramanyam; Nada Yogi V. V. Subramanyam and he in turn heard it from G. N
Balasubramaniam; Maha Vidwan G.N Bala and that was what he told my guru, he said
Mani you know in Carnatic music [FL], there are three speeds in every and that was his
finding and this is not trivial.

You see self reflexive awareness of what our music is that is not trivial, you know now
when somebody tells it, you say, yeah, yeah, that is how it is but to become aware of it is
not is not something you can take for granted. So, that is the first thing about why the
two offer very different the laya the general scale of laya and the fact that every phrase in
carnatic music. We do not have just vilamba or just madhya or just druta, the three of
them come together.

The second is of course the kind of accompaniment that we have. In khayal, I am not in
dhrupad, it is very different; in khayal the taal is the taal cycle is maintained by the tabla
player. So, in this case, for instance, dhi na (music) (music); that is a sum; cycle of 10
beats. (music) We do not keep the taalam in our hand; the taal is the taal cycle the
reference is the tabla whereas in carnatic music the reference for the talam is the person
putting the; I have to say putting the talam [FL]. So, translate into English, it is putting
the taalam or performing the showing the tala kriya. So, this is the reference.

So, now that I have there is a external reference here, the mridangam player does not
have to play just one teka as happens in the table. The tabla for most part keeps that teka,
there is no improvisation for most of the time.

Once we get into the thick of things for bol, baant, and all that, yes, of course, there is
some, but not to the extent that mridangam. Mridangam and the role of the mridangam in
how you hear carnatic music, the listening experience of carnatic music is to a large
extent because of the mridangam accompaniment and we call it the mridangist, [FL] you
know he nourishes everything that the melody, he nourishes the melody.

So, he if whatever we are singing or she is playing, he will anticipate, he will know the
compositions, a mridangam player will know compositions, he will know every sangati
or the variations of the compositions. So, he will know how the presentation will go, how

532
to anticipate, how to make something more beautiful, so that is why that is another very
important reason why carnatic music, see it sounds much more busy right, carnatic music
sounds very busy lots of things happening but hindustani music it is very relaxed things
pick up after quite a long quite some time and that is one of the main reasons is also the
mridangam accompaniment and the violinist also is unlike the harmonium player is a
very low key, violinist is not the violin player is not low key.

They will also; so, the style of accompaniment is also a very important reason why the
two sounds so different and of course, compositions we say right hindustani
compositions are very small, very short whereas we have big compositions and that is
how it is; it is a strength of carnatic music that we have brilliant compositions.

And a concept may have just a few compositions presented for themselves which never
happens in hindustani music. In khayal, you always have a barhat because you cannot
just present the composition it will get over in 2 minutes or, so that is how it is. So, it is
mostly improvisation oriented, whereas this there is a balance between composition and
improvisation. So, that is the; those are two or three things that account for the
fundamental differences in the listening experience, the melodic texture, more another
very important aspect of course, is gamaka.

And as I said (music) that that is that laya is also a gamaka (music) that is what we call
(music) that is a it is called(Refer Time: 30:51). Hindustani music also is full of gamakas,
it is not without gamaka but I would say the variety of gamakas is lesser and it is mostly
meend oriented that is what we call jaaru (music) that gradual this dragging movement
from one swara to another. (music)

Now, this is also there meend or jaaru is also there in carnatic music but in some ragas it
is very essential (music) that movement in sahana and the other ragas. So, meend is there
or jaru is there; it is very much only present in both ragas, in both traditions but in
hindustani music that meend is more leisurely, and it is; it is stronger, its presence is
definitely stronger and there are other gamakas in a hindustani music also but in carnatic
music, the one of the most important gamakas is the kampita (music); you know that
shaky that shake, the swara is actually (music) that is a swara, we say ga; ga that is where
it is but when we say (music) that pitch cannot be heard at all but we call it ga because it
is between the shake between ma and re.

533
But again it is not like (music) it is not that also; right. It is a very specific well-defined
movement, gamaka is not just any shake. You shake it any way that does not become a
meaningful gamaka in carnatic music. It is a very stylized, very specific movement that
is kampita and kampita is very pronounced in carnatic music.

So, gamaka the fact that carnatic music has more varieties of gamaka and secondly that
whereas in hindustani music it is a meend the pull the note the; there are gradual
movement from one note to another that is the predominant one and for us it is probably
the kampita which is most prominent for carnatic music that accounts for that also
accounts for the fundamental melodic textures.

So, now I move into the second part of the presentation, where I am going to talk about
how raga is understood, how do you talk about raga, what is a raga, what is; what
constitutes it identity in carnatic and hindustani music and here as I said it is mostly very
similar.

Now, raga we can think of it as a framework of rules but the most important as thing
about this framework is that you cannot entirely spell it out, you cannot entirely list ok,
this raga is so these are all the rules that is impossible but the fact is that it is a
framework of rules and it has to be grasped by listening to it in various contexts, learning
compositions, practicing it with a guru and so on and finishing the raga is a lifelong
experience.

Now, one of the fundamental things about this framework very basic level of rules is
what notes the raga uses. So, every raga in both hindustani and carnatic music admits
some notes and does not admit others. Both are equally important. You should use these
swaras in this raga and you should not use other swaras in that raga.

So, to take a very popular example of a very popular raga mohanam and bhoop (music)
(music), this is mohanam. (music) This is not allowed (music). So, it a very fundamental
level of rule if you sing mohanam or bhoop you cannot sing ma or you cannot sing
(music) this variety of re. You may all know that we speak of sevens swaras, but five of
them have varieties right, one variety each.

So, in an octave in a saptak or sthai, we have 12 note positions or swarasthanas and every
raga uses some of these note positions and does not use the others. (music) So, bhoop or

534
mohanam use 5 swaras it is called audava ragam. Some ragas may use 6, some may use
7, some may use a combination of in ascending notes, some only 5 are used; in
descending phrases. The ascending phrases will have can only admit 5 notes, descending
phrases will admit 7 and all these kind of combinations is there.

For instance we have multani, (music), so aaroh-avroh ascending descending is (music).

In carnatic music, we can think of say mukhari, mukhari has nothing to do with multani
except the mu (music) (music) that is 5, (music) avroh is 7. (music). Now, even when I
sang these ragas, you could make out so the concept of aaroh-avroh is common to both
and some ragas we cannot even talk of aaroh-avroh because it is too complex.

When we say for instance mohanam or yeah mohanam has (Refer Time: 39:41) 5 modes
or let us say to take multani, multani (music). So, re is not allowed in the in ascending
phrases. So, after re you cannot sing ga that is what it means to say that re is not in the
aaroh. So, in some ragas in some phrases a note will be arohi, in some phrases it will not
be arohi.

So, that kind of complexity is there. So, these ragas cannot really be talked about in
terms of aaroh-avroh (music); nattakurinji (music). So, re is not there in the avaroha right
(music). Now, (music) in this phrase re is there. So, is re there or not. So, it is complex or
in Gaud Malhar in hindustani music (music) (music).

So, (music) so (music) so this kind of vaktrutva of this complexity is there in both
traditions, some ragas can define being you know associated with any aaroh-avroh but
though we speak of aaroh-avroh, (music) no raga can be really captured in aaroh-avroh.
So, even though I say (music), this is this not capture multani in its entirety. (music) No
aaroh-avroha will give you this phrase, (music), the re, (music), you cannot describe this
re, you have to hear it and sing it. (music) That re is very very little, very very small, but
that much has to be there.

(music) (music) Now, we say this as (music). If you just sing the swaras, (music) these
are the swaras (music). So, this is of course, the aspect of gamaka how the notes have to
be linked in phrases. So, aaroh-avroh is just a pedagogical tool and traditionally my
gurus for instance never told me about aaroh-avroh. They would not even speak about
the swaras in the raga. You just teach compositions. You listen to the raga and sing it;
aaroh-avroh is a modern contemporary pedagogical tool with severe limitations but they

535
are both they are there in both traditions, these days everybody talks about aaroh-avroh.
(music)

So, then how do we account for these complexity; right. We say that a raga has these
swaras but you know it is not just swaras it is how it is combined in phrases. So, there are
some ways how do we talk about it, how do we describe it. In hindustani music, we have
this concept of vadi samvadi, (music) we can say it is there in carnatic also but I do not
think so. Vadi samvadi I mean some people say we have it in carnatic also but I really do
not think we do, (music) not the way we have it hindustani (music).

So, what it a vadi, vadi is the most important swara in the raga that is how it is defined
(music) and samvadi is a next important swara and the rest are anuvadi, and giving a
very different meaning to the word vivadi they say those swaras that are not there in the
raga are vivadi which is not really the original meaning of vivadi. I will go into vivadi
later

So, vadi samvadi are so every raga, we are, they are; we are told that this is the most
important note, this is the next important note and you have to highlight them but how do
you highlight it, that you can only learn by exposure to the raga. So, to give an example,
we have a; we have you know three or four such sets of raagas which actually share the
same scale, the scale is identical but the ragas are different.

In hindustani music I am first demonstrating. So, one such is marwa, pooriya and sohini.
I will only talk about marwa, pooriya because sohini is very different, I will tell you why;
but marwa and pooriya are both very similar in the sense they are very gambheer, you
know they are very (Refer Time: 46:06),very sedate ragas, whereas sohini is a very;
quick raga you do not you know sing it very slowly, it is what is called chanchal prakriti
whereas both marwa and pooriya are dignified, and the scale is this sohini as you do not
do it is hamsanandi hamsanandi scale, (music), this is the scale. (music)

Now, when you highlight dha and ri (music), it is marwa (music) this is marwa (music)
[FL]; (music) (music) this is marwa. Now, you shift the vadi samvadi to ga and ni,
(music) there is the notes are all the same, (music), so where it was re in marwa (music),
so dha is only that much unlike in marwa which is a very bright and powerful dha.
(music) This is pooriya.

536
The difference between these two one of the things is of course, the vadi samvadi but
how you highlight it the phraseology that is all something you again get from your guru,
(music) and by listening (music). So, vadi samvadi is only a small attempt to account for
the differences between the two ragas. (music)

Now, another pair like this is des and tilak kamod, though aaroh-avroh look slightly
different, they sound very alike you know (music) (music), this is des. (music) Now,
(music) this becomes tilak kamod. If you listen to this, both I will sing two compositions
in these two different ragas, they will sound pretty similar. (music) Both are taranas;
(music) (music) (music) that is a difference, in tilak kamod des. (music)

Now, in carnatic music (music) we have a pair like this darbar and nayaki; (music) so,
nayaki, it is a very strong dha and the movement (music), so the aaroh-avroh structure is
the same but the gamaka actually, it is and the laya of the raga itself. (music) This is
darbar; (music) this is nayaki and this is again something I often hear from my hindustani
friends, we have ragas like this same scale different ragas; do you have that in carnatic
music and actually in hindustani music, it is not just one or there to my knowledge at
least there are three or four such groups of ragas which have the same scale but the ragas
are different.

But what is the point of this whole thing that the same set of swaras are given different
treatment and that is there across carnatic music and hindustani music. This is just an
extreme example right, the same scale but different ragas but we have throughout both
the traditions ragas which have the same notes but the treatment is very different even
carnatic music for instance.

(music) This is the swaras right sankarabharanam swaras or major scale. (music) This is
just a notes. Now how is it sung in different raga, (music) this is sankarabharanam.
(music). So, the ma is very little ri is also very short (music), the same swaras but it is
completely different raga. (music) (music)

This is arabhi; (music) there is another raga begada. (music) So, in everything in across
ragas, the same pa ma ga ri sa have different shades, the notes how they occur, (music)
the gamakas everything it is a great deal of subtle nuances; (music) sa ma (music)
(music).

537
So, in all these, (music) this in some (music) in some ragas, ma will be bright and it will
stand alone; in some it will be hanging from pa;(Refer Time: 57:17), (music) so that it
will derive its nourishment from pa and it is just a glimmer of the ma (music). Most of
the ma is in pa itself, (music) there is a bright ma. (music) So, the ma is barely heard
actually the pitch will not even be there. The actual absolute pitch of ma will not be there
but the ma is there between the ma pa and ga there is a note that is ma. (music)

So, see this is another thing that the; what is called shruthi differences right. Though we
speak of notes depending on the raga, the pitch position itself will be subtly different
(music) (music) that is the position; (music) it does not go there at all (music). So,
(music) though as I said we speak of aaroh-avroh, there are swaras but the raga it is
acknowledged in both traditions is much more than just a combination of swaras, (music)
the great deal of nuancing great deal of subtlety. (music)

Now, how do we (music) this is now how do we some of the images that are employed
when we talk of ragas (music) in both traditions (music). We talk of Ghana and naya for
instance in carnatic music. Ghana naya desya is a triad, (music) I do not want to talk
about desya because criterion for classification is different; ghana and naya are about the
melodic character of the raga.

So, how, so, I am here to talk about how the raga is imagined, raga is; the images that are
used for when we talk of raga because actually as Veena Dhanammal said many decades
ago raga is not something to talk about at all (music). She used; she make fun of it. Oh, I
believe they talk about ragas, ragas it is not something to talk about but we all love to
talk also. So, some of us less at human beings we do talk about ragas.

So, (music) here the thing is we have a great variety of ragas in both hindustani and
arnatic music. Now, how do we talk about this variety. So, one such is ghana naya in
carnatic music [FL]. So, I just spoke about arabhi (music) (music). Now, what ghana is;
ghana raga is there are again some what is called matha bedha that people talk about in
different ways but one way to talk about ghana raga is generally understood is this
(music).

So, this is what is called a janta prayoga (music) though it is a repetition of ri ri, actually
there is a gamaka, ri ri the lower note is touched in the second (music). So, this kind of

538
janta prayogas are there in these ragas that gives them a ghana quality. What is ghana;
ghana is dense.

So, the melodic character of these ragas is that we have phrases densely clustered
together (music) that is the; that is one of the images of a raga. You see what I am trying
to say here is that we have a variety of ragas in both hindustani and carnatic music and
we should really be trying to re appropriate some of the categories that we have in
articulated in the tradition and try to understand the ragas. (music)

Some ragas are best handled in some ways, (music) some ragas (music) may be handled
in different ways but the thing is you should be aware. You have an understanding an
awareness (music) of what are the possibilities (music).

So, the other is naya. Now, (music) this is (music), this arabhi, (music) this is the same
notes as arabhi but handled very differently (music) (music). This is the movement it is
like a curve (music). So, this kind of ragas are also there and there are some ragas which
can be handled in different ways, some maha ragas, bhakthi ragam as we call it
shankarabharanam, kalyani; there are myriad ways in which we can handle them and we
also have a very important (music) category of melakarta ragas in the sense (music).

See melakarta is a theoretical (music) contribution and I do not have the time to go
through go over the idea of melakarta (music) but essentially melakarta is a combination
of (music) seven swaras, mathematical combination of seven swaras and given certain
parameters, certain conditions, (music) 16th, century 17th century Venkatamakhin, he
propound, he proposed that there are 72 such scales in carnatic music that is what we use
(music) and because of that many scales were there which were not (music) you know
which was just proposed as scales actually originally ragas come first (music) and
melakartas are ways to classify them (music) and then you turn it into on its head (music)
you propose a scale first and then try to create a raga out of it (music) and that really
forms a different another category of ragas.

Many of these popular ragas like charukesi, vachaspati and sarasangi even some (Refer
Time: 66:11)that madhyamam; these are all here they first came as a scale without all the
complexities and nuances of the raga. (music)

539
So, therefore, this melakarta ragas form a separate category of ragas in my opinion
because they do not have that history behind them, they do not have that nuancing. You
just a group of swaras which you can handle anyway you want. (music)

So, that is and we have very interesting melodies also because of that I mean very lovely
melodies (music) but they are not half as interesting as raga like shankarabaranam,
bhairavi and I am not alone in saying this many musicians, musicologists believe that the
ragas which are derived actually derived from melakarta; ragas did not come first in this
case, (music) who can say it is not beautiful, it is lovely but it does not have the character
of a shankarabharanam or a bhairavi (music) because it is a set of notes which it is pretty
much open to being handled. (music)

So, there is a kind of freedom but that therefore, reduces the (music) artistic effort
involved in putting out that raga (music) (music) and we have vivadi ragas which are
very beautiful for instance (music) because of the melakartas scheme (music). What is a
vivadi; vivadi is essentially dissonance. When two notes are dissonant (music) that is a
vivadi; vivadi relationship.

So, according by this melakarta scheme, we have some ragas which is essentially
incorporate vivadi swaras, (music) like the first scale on the 72 melakarta is (music), no,
it just a scale. So, it is just a notes, (music) this is the scale (music). So, we have lovely
ragas, interesting scales like (music). In hindustani music, the idea of melakarta never
took (music) deep roots.

We have the idea of mel thaat but luckily for hindustani music they; we did not take it
very seriously. Mathematically of course, 32 scales are possible (music) but Pandit
Bhatkhande in the 20th century he proposed only 10 thaats and 10 mels and he said these
are enough to account for (music) the ragas prevalent at that time, (music) so that is
enough. He did not go into a mathematical exercise of saying this is also possible; so, let
us try and get raga out of it; he did not do that (music) but what; so the idea of mel
though it is there it is not taken very seriously in hindustani music; (music) what is taken
seriously is the idea of raganga. (music) What is a raganga; anga is part, right.

So, some major ragas, (music) we identify some phrases of those major ragas and other
ragas (music) which have those phrases are classified under that, it is essentially
classification system (music) So, we have yaman kalyan raganga, we have bilawal

540
raganga, (music) malhar, kanada, kanada is; you all would have heard darbari kanada.
(music)

Now, this ga it is actually komal gandhar (music) that is the gandhar but how you shake
it is very typical of kanada. It is low, it is a little lower than that ga (music) (music).
(music)

So, we have nayaki kanada (music). So, (music) just the presence of that ga makes it a
kanada ang raga (music). and there is an interesting story of abhogi (music). Abhogi was
taken from (music) carnatic music into hindustani music but what we did (music) what
the hindustani musicians at that time did was give it a kanada ang, (music) gave it a
kanada twist (music) and it is a very beautiful raga; it has an; it is own character. (music)
This is how we sing it in carnatic music. (music)

When it went into hindustani music, what we did was, (music) you do not say magari,
gamari and we give that kanada (music) ang to it (music) [FL] (music) (music) and
(music) we have in hindustani music, we speak of gambhir prakriti ke rag like this. It is
very [FL] right, you have to give it a very literally unfoldment and there are others which
are quicker, (music) this ga we call it andolan. (music)

Now, another ga, the ga is andolit also in malhar (music) and that ga is higher, (music)
that ga is higher; this is also a very [FL] (music) and the notes are there is meend an
andolan, (music) gradual movement from note to note and then this shake (music). Then
there are other ragas where we do not have this it is called khada sur. (music)

Shyam kalyan or savani (music); we cannot sing that savani; we cannot sing you know
those kind of curvy movements are not allowed in savani, so that is what is (Refer Time:
76:53) khada sur (music) kharar (music) and then there is a very interesting category of
ragas called jod ragas, (music) where two ragas are brought together (music) they will be
very different but they will (music) they are brought together and you explore them using
their different angas. A very famous jod raga is basant bahar, (music) it was immortalized
in the film Baiju Bawra; [FL], it is a beautiful composition (music).

So, this come this is a coming together of basant and bahar (music) very different ragas
(music) but there is one common phrase (music). This sama just sama only this phrase is
common to both of them and that is where it is jod [FL], how you weave in and out of

541
the two ragas is very interesting (music) (music). Incidentally basant has the same scale
as puriya dhanashree which I sang earlier. There is another rag called gauri, another
called purvi which have almost the same scales. They are all different ragas. (music) This
is basant, (music) this is also basant (music), all basant. Now, what happens is bahar
(music) (music) these are very two different ragas but some ragas which are very close to
each other also are brought together in jod ragas by (music).

I have to be going to the third part of in presentation which is (music) how the;
composite, how the ragas are presented in the two traditions. (music) In both we have
compositions and improvisation (music) right. (music) We call it (music) urupudi, we
call it kriti or composition whatever the composition and manodharmam or kalpita
kalpana sangeetam in carnatic music. In hindustani music, it is bandish and barhat or rag
vistar; we have the bandish and [FL]. (music)

And both revolve around compositions right (music); the composition is there and
improvisation is there and (music) in carnatic music (music) we have a wide, we have a
variety of compositions. In hindustani also in khayal also, we have some we have a
different two or three types of compositions that we use; we use (Refer Time: 80:28) for
instance (music) but the thing is compositions are much more elaborate in carnatic music
we all know that.

And therefore, we there is this thing that you know in carnatic music is all about I have
heard people say that it is just bhajan; using compositions; you know you have to a listen
to a concert there is a (music) fair amount of manodharma or kalpita. But it is not
definitely not to the extent we have in khayal that is true (music) because khayal
compositions are so small (music). See, we can also maybe you know just sing a very
short composition and do a lot of manodharmam that is possible in carnatic music.

But we have beautiful compositions (music) and it is very satisfying to sing them, to
listen to them (music) especially with the mridangam accompaniment and your violin
accompaniment (music). So, carnatic music is presents a different concert, (music)
presents a different balance between improvisation and composition that is true (music)
but it is you know the fact is that there are great compositions in carnatic music which
(music) are worthy of simply being presented by themselves.

542
We can just sing a composition without any improvisation, we do that in carnatic
concerts. There is that is unthinkable in khayal (music). In both and as far as
improvisation goes both of them have these elements alap or alapana, (music) you sing a
words of the composition, we have neraval in carnatic music and we have bol alap, bol
taan, bol bant in (music) hindustani in khayal (music)

We have taan (music) in khayal not in dhrupad though, we have in khayal we have taans
which are fast movements which are actually part of the alapana itself in carnatic music
(music) and then we have swara prastharam, (music) which is a very strong aspect of
manodharma in carnatic music and swara prasthara or sargam is optional in khayal not
everybody sings sargam (music) but essentially these are the elements in both (music)
but the thing is in carnatic music there is a certain order, (music) you sing the alapana,
then you sing the kriti, then you sing take one line you sing a neraval and then swara
prasthara, (music) there is an order.

And there is a role for the accompanist, how the accompanist; the violinist also pitches in
there is some kind of a jamming between this between here and between all. So, the role
of the accompanist also is immensely more what should I say it is (Refer Time: 83:15) in
carnatic music. (music) In khayal also, therefore, you cannot say you know they have no;
it is a very crucial role but they do not what should I say (music) come into their own as
much as it happens in carnatic music. (music)

And in khayal except for some expectations that you start with an alap (music) and keep
with alap for some time in you know into the presentation, after that it is pretty much up
to you what you want to do, whether you want to sing the bol alap or you want to sing
bol bant there, you want to sing a short taan there. So, there is some freedom there
(music) in the ordering of the improvisational aspects. (music)

So, I will quickly present kalyani in carnatic music say alapana it is a very big topic to
talk about. I will just quickly say alapana what we do is we have to alapana is always
before the composition. (music) We (Refer Time: 84:20) we finish the alapana before the
composition (music) like in dhrupad (music) and we introduce raga with the phrase.
Now, that you know [FL]my guru and all they say how are you going to start the raga,
how are you going to start the alapana with what phrase (music).

543
So, considerable thought goes into that, (music) how you want to start it sometimes it
may also be on the spur of the moment but [FL] performers do spend time thinking about
ok, how am I; how should I start the alapana. (music) Something new, something novel
but yet very clearly belonging to that raga (music) and I have heard for instance J.
Subramaniam and all start ragas completely different way but (music) you know there is
no doubt that it is that raga (music).

So, kalyani for instance, (music) we need to; we proceed by PDS phrases right. (music)
if you sing this kalayani, (music) (music) so something like this will be an introduction
to the raga and then there is a gradual and this need not start in any one position like you
know khayal, we always start lower the mantra (music) and you can (music) we can start
an alapana like that also depending on the position of the (Refer Time: 86:29), how the
performer wants to present it (music).

So, once you introduce the raga, then it is a gradual development if you are going to give
a major elaborate treatment of the raga. (music) Now the shaken ga, (music), it is not ga
ma ga, it is not ga ma ga, (music) very important in kalyani (music). So, then we explore
that note and zone into that note and develop many phrases around it that is a one way of
doing it [FL] (music) (music). So, this is where we try to incorporate something like
taans (music) (music) and so on.

What we do is we try to evoke different dynamics in the alapana and it is usually this is
the main piece, it is more elaborate than what I did and after I after the performer the
singer sings it, the violinist also (Refer Time: 90:46)the raga after which we enter the
composition this is Muthuswami Dikshitar composition in misra chapu talam, misra
chapu is a beat of; is the cycle of 7 beats (music) and I would not sing the entire
composition, I will just sing the pallavi the first part then go to the line on which I am
going to be improvising neraval which is using the words of the composition, the line as
such and the important thing about neraval is that the distribution of the words how it
goes. So, in this case it is (music).

Now, this is maintained (music) more or less (music). I mean we cannot you know totally
deviate from it which we have to do in khayal, which we do in khayal; khayal we do not
have to maintain the how the bandish is constructed; when we are doing (Refer Time:
91:47) there is a great deal of (Refer Time: 91:49), (music) and then we go into swara

544
prasthara and you will see neraval and swara prasthara, there is alternating between the
voices and the violin. (music) (music) Please notice how the mridangam anticipates
accompanies (Refer Time: 93:10). (music) (music) (music)

So, there is a build up here from slow, (music) that is relatively slow, (music) slow in
carnatic music (Refer Time: 95:41) kalam that is first kalam and then we speed it up,
speed it up in the sense just go twice or thrice which always the laya does not change. We
do not change the tempo. We sing it in second speed or third speed that is it. (music)
(music) (music) (music)

So, now this is very important in carnatic music this what is called eduppu. (music) Now,
this is [FL] 1, 2, 3, 4, (music) or 1, 2 (music) and this we cannot change either the
position in the talam or the melody itself, you cannot sing, (music) sometimes you can
but when you are doing the neraval and manodharma, when you are ending it what is
called eduppu, you have to go and seamlessly get into this position. (music) (music)

And you have to lead into that you cannot sing (music) you cannot sing (music) you do
not do that (music) and this is all of course, we practice a lot but nothing is just you
know from the memory or anything it is all improvised and then this swara prasthara has
a lot of fireworks and lot of excitement as possible (music) which may be to the taste of
some and not so much but one interesting thing is what we call korvai you know some
mathematical patterns that we do beginning from very simple ones like and we have
these basic jathis, which again is a very common concept across the tradition. We have
threes, fours, fives, sevens and nines, these are standard jathis and our calculation based
on this.

Now I am going to just do a small thing very very simple pattern. (music) (music) It is
actually very simple korvai, (music) though it might seem a little you know very
complex but it can gets it can get 10 times more complex than this (music) and the thing
is because it is based on this (music) these patterns of nines and fives and six, sixes and
sevens, (music) the mridangam player will also be able to anticipate to some extent ok,
though he is creating this pattern and then they will also join it and it all seems a very
very (music) you know something really complex going on and it is quite complex
(music) but this is another aspect of carnatic presentation (music) when you do swara
prasthara (music) this kind of mathematical patterns are incorporated and as I said it

545
depends on the musician, (music) some people really love this sort of thing and do great
deal of it (music). Some of us do not like it so much. So, we do not do it much of that
(music).

So, now I will present quickly raag jhinjhoti (music). So, here the we start with a very
short introductory alap and then we launch into the bandish, the vilambit. We normally
present two compositions in every raga (music) most of the time, sometimes we may
only present one but the main raga the most elaborate pieces (music), we present at least
two sometimes three compositions (music) in different speeds (music).

So, first it will be a vilambit followed by a madhya laya or druth bandhish and then once
the raga alapana, a very short alapana and then the bandhish is sung, when we do alapana
(music) and then we also use bol alap, we use a words of the composition and then as it
grows as once you are little into the presentation, then it gets a little more dense. (music)
(music) (music). This is cycle of 12 beats ektal (music). Now, how the bandish is tied in
taal is also very different in khayal especially not in dhrupad.

So, the words are [FL], (music) then there is something else (music). Now, what happens
is we do not say (music) some of the beats are like this (music). We do not do that; that is
every beat we do not emphasize it, (music) the sum, the first beat you have to do it.
(music) The first beat has to be shown every time (music) almost every time at least
(music) and there has to be the (music) the syllable (Refer Time: 105:44)on that(Refer
Time: 105:45), otherwise syllables move between the matras (music) (music) [FL]
(music).

So, the matra the taal is going in its own (music) it is like this and that the bandish is just
lightly skipping over it the matras whereas in carnatic music (music) there is a stapling in
(music) in the tala cycle right, every the syllable and the mridangam strokes, (music)
there is a lot of (music) coming together whereas, here it is not (music) [FL]. (music)
(music)

And alap also (music) there is a connection, there is a relation between what we are
singing in the taal cycle but it is not one on one (music) and what we do is it is a cycle of
12 beats, (music) we improvise and then take what is called the mukhda in this case it is
mahadeva and show the sum that is what khayal presentation is (music) fundamentally
about avartan [FL], you fill the avartan, take the mukhda and show the sum (music) and

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how different ways we do it that is the charm of khayal singing (music). These are 10th
matra (music) (music).

We increase the tempo here; and then it depends on the gharana, [FL] (music) which
something we do not do in carnatic music, laya is the same in the; in the piece, laya is
retained (music). Here again as I said depending on the gharana most gharanas we
increase the laya. (music) This is where we do laya, (music) playing with the rhythm;
(music) this taan(music) we follow it with the drut bandish, I will just sing the first line
of the bandish (music) (music) and [FL] we can do alap (Refer Time: 112:14) (music)
(music).

So, as I said the concept of raga what it is mostly there are great deal of similarities
between the two traditions. (music) The presentation elements are also the same.
Basically they are the same presentation elements we have the composition and the
various aspects of improvisation but the texture melodic texture is very different, role of
accompaniment is very different but in all this you know we have we have to worry
about the raga rules, we have to worry about the presentation, the technicalities we have
to you know you have to have the skills you have to do it right.

The thing is we first started out with the thing of raga as being something that is
janaranjaka; that is something supposed to give pleasure, it is about emotion. So, where
is emotion, where is the affect, how raga affects you in all this over that we never lose
sight of you know of course, we have to learn the ragas, we have to learn presentational
skills and everything but ultimately unless what we call bhavam is there, it has to touch
and when two great very skilful things I mean two very difficult taan or very difficult
korvai but if it does not touch you or the listeners, then obviously, there is something;
there is something lacking there.

So, the importance of bhava or bhavam is acknowledged in both traditions. My guru

used to say are you going to sing rag or rang, the idea of rang you know you have to
create colour (music) while maintaining all the grammatical discipline, presentational
aspects (music) that is something that comes with a with maturity and that is why you
know raga musician to present a raga it takes some maturity. (music) According to some
Deepak Raja who is a very well known music conscious unless or Dhondutai actually

547
was he was quoting Dhondutai Kulkarni, a very great Jaipur gayaki; Jaipur gharana
musician.

She said I believe that until you are 40 years old, you are just you know you are just
struggling, you may be doing everything technically right, your raga may be correct but
that extra element of bhava that is difficult unless you have had some seasoning and that
is also why you know we value the music of seniors [FL].

Their music there may be some problems with their voice; it maybe a little infirm and all
that but the quality of their mastery over the raga and over the presentation and it just
flows, yes, it may voice may slip here or there but what they deliver, what just comes out
of them that is something that younger musicians have to listen to and that is why we in
only in Indian classical music I think we had attached so much value when Semmangudi
Srinivasa Iyer was 8 years old, he performed and he had full odd; full odds. Everybody
acknowledged his shruti is slipping every now and then but still it was great music
(music).

So, on this note I would like to end the fact that despite after be after all this is said and
done the intricacies of raga, the greatness of compositions, technicalities of
presentational skills and all that; ultimately bhava remains central in both traditions and
it is also very difficult. Some people sing for years and they never get the bhavam that is
also there but that is something we never lose sight of and that is the value of that is
acknowledged in both traditions.

So, thank you very much for staying on I am sorry I was short the time and thank you
again to NCPA and to Nandita for doing this and to the student volunteers and thanks
again to my accompanist Balaji, Srividya, Sainath and to Kirubai for the sound support,
and Mohan for arranging all these. Thanks also to the Vibha for helping me with the
sound system and thank you all very much for coming here and staying.

Thank you.

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