Recently when I went to a place known for its spiritual contours and
divinity, I meditated. I meditated whenever I felt like it and this was surely
not the usual 20 minute meditation I do at home everyday though the method was the same. I
felt the vibrations, I saw a glowing
light and I felt calm.
I feel the same calmness when I read poems/verses of great geniuses who
of course must have always been in this state of calmness which can also be
called as a Blissful state.
Look at the following verse written by the child prodigy Thirugnanasambandar:
தேனினும் இனியர் பால் அன நீற்றர்
தீங்கரும்பனையர் தம் திருவடி தொழுவார்
ஊன் நயந்துருக உவகைகள் தருவார்
உச்சி மேலுறைபவர் ஒன்றலாது ஊரார்
வானகம் இறந்து வையகம் வணங்க
வயங்கொள நிற்பதோர் வடிவினை உடையார்
ஆனையின் உரிவை போர்த்த எம் அடிகள்
அச்சிறு பாக்கம் அது ஆட்சி கொண்டாரே.
‘Smeared with the milk-like ashes on his
forehead, He is sweeter than the Honey, and is as tasty as the sugar cane. Covered
by the skin of the elephant, His all encompassing figure that covers the Earth
from the Heaven makes us melt, gives us bliss’.
This simple
description of the Almighty, gives me calmness and peace not least because of
the beautiful, apt tamizh words, similes
and the way I visualise the description ( I am not getting into the inner
meanings of the poem now).
‘What exactly is this
calmness? Is it the Mind at peace? But can mind ever be at peace?’
I know these are the questions in your mind. The only answer from me
would be
‘Can you define and explain hunger,
thirst or even pain? Likewise, Calmness
must be felt and can never be explained’.
In a way, it is subjective too because what gives me peace and calmness
may not have the same effect on you. Everything in this world is subjective and
this includes my posts since I share what I feel about his music. But I am
objective too because I back up the posts with sound reasoning, by giving the
structure of ragas and taaLas and explain as to how wonderfully
he uses the techniques to bring out the essence of classical music in film
songs.
The debate of subjectivity and objectivity will continue forever like
the debate regarding the existence of God
and surely my aim is not to get into any debate here.
In my previous eight posts in this series-ILaiyaraaja’s Music and Emotions-, I took up songs which according
to me give a particular feeling or emotion. I also consciously avoided the
traditional Navarasas. This series
comes to an end today. I am aware that many more emotions could have also been
covered but I have the feeling of fullness now. I prefer to call this fullness
as calmness and peace.
Moreover, today is a very special day and is there a better way to
celebrate the day than with a composition which makes our mind very calm and
peaceful?
Though there are many compositions, I am taking up ‘Mandiram idhu mandiram’
from Aavaram poo (1992) because of
some reasons.
1. It is based on a very rare raga not used by any classical musician so
far.
2. The way the raga is used.
3. The percussive patterns especially in the second interlude.
4. The very simple but very melodious orchestration and arrangement.
5. The dynamic voice of Yesudass.
Carnataka Khamas is a shaadava raga-with 6 swaras in the ascending and descending.
It is a very interesting raga too because it is very close to a very popular
and traditional raga and shares a part of its name too. Khamas is a name many of you must be familiar with and it has a
devious structure in the ascending with the ‘sa
ma ga ma’ phrase while the avarohana
has all the 7 swaras. Carnataka Khamas
on the other hand is plain dropping the ‘ri’ totally. In terms of the
structure, it is closer to yet another popular raga Bahudari, which in fact as the same arohaNa(ascending) but drops the ‘dha’ while going down.
Moreover, if one does the graham bedam on this raga, it gives rise to
three more ragas- one very popular, one somewhat popular but more in films and
one very rare raga. The very popular raga is Sriranjani which is of course obtained by taking the ‘pa’ of this raga as the aadhaara ‘sa’. The somewhat popular raga
is Saaranga TarangiNi (‘ni’ as ‘sa’) and the very rare raga is Vilaasini(‘ma’ as ‘sa’).
Because of its closeness with popular ragas, many people wrongly
attribute songs composed in Carnataka
Khamas to Khamas, Bahudari and Sriranjani. This is where very close listening and familiarity with
the structure and real bhava of
carnatic ragas help. One of the most popular songs in this raga composed by the
Maestro is Koottathila kovil puRa (Idaya Kovil).
Mandiram does have a couple of accidental notes in some
phrases and also gives the flavour of some other ragas in just one or two
places, but I feel these were done intentionally in keeping with the mood of
the sequence. On the whole, it follows Carnataka
Khamas not just as a scale but as a raga.
The composition does not have a prelude and comes to us straight like a
free flowing Cauvery. The subtle sound of Jaalra
at each ‘thattu’ in the 8-beat adi taaLa is exhilarating. So is the
akaaram of Yesudass in a pure classical style for one and half avartanaas at the end of the Pallavi.
Rhythm and melody alternate with each other in the first part of the
first interlude. This sprightly session makes us realise yet again as to how
creativity and innovativeness if used properly and appropriately can bring
immense joy.
The percussion sounds ‘Dhin thaam - - - ta ka dhi mi ta ka ’
twice- 32(16x2) maatras in one avartanaa. Blending the mellifluous with
the dexterous, the strings and the keys show the glowing edifices of
expression. The percussion is totally absent in this imaginative exploration
that lasts for two aavartanaas. The percussion
joins the Veena now which shows a
beautiful musical imagery. It is then the turn of the flute to play with
melodic subtlety and also incisiveness. Finally, the chorus sings with great
sobriety and takes to the CharaNam.
The CharaNam has some simple
and fascinating passages. The two ‘akaarams’
–one in the middle after ‘saayalil mayile’
and the other one at the end - are beguilingly musical. The first one even
gives some shades of Desh. The
second charaNam has two different sets
of ‘akaaram’ The humming of the
chorus as the lines are rendered and the two different patterns of Chatushram played by the percussion at
the end of each line-sounding ta ka dhi
mi/ta - - - are refreshing.
The second interlude is an apotheosis of rhythm. It is in fact an
exercise too.
The Tabla sounds Dhin ta a a a - - - ta ta aa ta ta aa(
3+4+3+3+3)-played 4 times in two aavartanaas-totally
64 maatraas, 32(16x2) in each aavartanaa..The gentle sitar along with the very subtle flute peep in
now and then heightening the experience
The strings now weave wafts of gentle breeze. What follows now is more
intriguing. The strings and percussion alternate with each other.
After 19 maatraas in ‘mel kaalam’-played by the strings
without percussion, the Tabla sounds
ta – dhi- ta ka ta ki ta ta ka
dhi mi
The strings play again, this time with a slightly different set of swaras and the same pattern is repeated
by the Tabla.
Strings with a new set now and after 13 maatraas, the percussion sounds
ta ki ta ta – dhi – ta ki ta ta ka ta ki ta ta ka dhi mi (3+4+3+5+4=19).
And this happens twice. Therefore it is 13(strings) plus 19 twice which
is 64 maatraas again in one aavartanaa.
Note that in the previous pattern, 19 are played by the strings and 13
by the percussion and this is reversed in the one that follows this.
The strings now play for 7 maatraas
and the percussion sounds
ta ka dhi mi ta ka ta ki ta
The strings-yet again with a new set of swaras- play for 7 maatraas
and it is
ta ka dhi mi ta ka ta ki ta
7+9=16.
The 9 maatraas( ta ka
dhi mi/ta ka ta ki ta) pattern is a classic sankeerNam pattern.
Energetically felicitous!
Laya is a state of mental quietude. It is stillness.
Carnataka Khamas and intricate Laya.
A mantra which gives Shantam..
Om shanti shanti shantihi.
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