Oh! The all pervasive Supreme!! Grant
me the Divine Grace to consider all souls as my own.
Oh! The all pervasive Supreme!! When
will I serve those who serve others with compassion?
Oh! The all pervasive Supreme!!Wherever
I see, is it not You who is there in each and every soul?
Oh! The all pervasive Supreme!! All I
wish is everyone in this world should be happy and blissful; and nothing else
do I know other than this.
எவ்வுயிரும் என்னுயிர்போல் எண்ணி யிரங்கவும்நின்
தெய்வ அருட்கருணை செய்யாய் பராபரமே.
தம்முயிர்போல் எவ்வுயிருந்
தானென்று தண்ணருள்கூர்
செம்மையருக் கேவலென்று செய்வேன் பராபரமே.
எங்கெங்கே பார்த்தாலும்
எவ்வுயிர்க்கும் அவ்வுயிராய்
அங்கங் கிருப்பதுநீ அன்றோ பராபரமே.
எல்லாரும் இன்புற் றிருக்க நினைப்பதுவே
அல்லாமல் வேறொன் றறியேன் பராபரமே.
These are some of the hymns of ThAyumAnavar, one of the great scholars who lived during the 18th Century. Though his
verses are part of the Saiva Siddhanta,
the very fact that these ooze with compassion shows that he was a human being
in the truest sense. He was one of those who believed that Love is God.
I got reminded of his verses recently not while visiting any
temple but during the recent infamous rains and floods in Chennai and most parts of Tamizh
Nadu. Cutting across caste, religion, class, creed, people braved the
monstrous rain and treacherous ‘roads’ to help others in need. In fact, these
people were affected too but little did they mind that. What was uppermost in
their minds was to ‘see others happy’. I doubt if these people have read ThAyumAnavar or were even aware of the
existence of such a human being/scholar/poet. But the synergy between them and ThAymAnavar is striking and deserves to
be saluted.
ThAyumAnavar’s wishes
were fulfilled because there was a selfless purpose in these. And this is what
should be a major objective of literature and any form of fine arts.
There is no disputing the fact that Music-one of the forms of fine arts- not only elevates people to reach
the Divine State but also acts s a unifying force. Music calms the mind. Music
helps us in seeing things in the right
perspective. Music makes us compassionate.
Music makes us love others.
That is why, genuine
musicians have that social responsibility. No better proof is needed for
this than ILaiyaraaja himself. With
his compositions -which flow into
him and through him spontaneously, he has made us all calm and has also given
us all a sense of responsibility. Is this enough?
‘No’ said the
citizen in him. ‘I want to follow what I
preach’, he told himself and went around the city to help the needy. What
was great in this gesture was the fact that he chose to stay away from
limelight- even shooing the media away. After all, does he not know the real
meaning of selflessness and true relationships?
Incidentally, the song
of the day talks about relationships not just between human beings but also
between nature and the human beings. Set in pure Harikambhoji, the composition is yet another marvel from the
genius. The most significant aspect of the composition is that it stays loyal
to the grammar of the ragam. Here it
must be noted that handling Harikambhoji-the
28th meLa ragam- is not
very easy even in classical concerts simply because it has many derived ragas
and a slip here or there could lead to any of its more popular ‘janya ragas’(for example, Khamas
and Kambhoji). It is surely akin to
walking on a tight rope.
But Raaja sir
comes up trumps here. Let me also tell you that Harikambhoji is found in folk music and also in ‘Tamizhisai’-where it is known by the
name SempAlai PaN. There have been a
lot of film songs too in this scale composed by MSV sir too. But what sets ‘Pazhamudir
cholai’ from ‘Varusham 16’(1989)
apart is the way one sees the classical contours almost throughout. The use of
‘mandra stayee’(lower octave) swaras
in the first CharaNam and the two CharaNams being structured differently
are some of the highlights of this song which has not too many instruments in
the prelude and interludes.
The composition
starts with the humming of Yesudass which
in fact reflects the happy state of a young man in love with nature. This
continues for 5 cycles of chatushra ekam-with a beautiful lower
octave rendering in the 5th
cycle. The strings join in the 6th
cycle even as Yesudass continues to
hum. With majestic grace, the guitar enters in the 7th cycle and plays the
notes of the Pallavi with an uncanny
ease. As this happens, the strings
play a counter melody in higher octave making the experience rather enticing.
The Pallavi in anaahata eduppu-starting after ½ mAtrA- is a composer’s delight with
higher octave swaras –Sa and Ri- sandwiched between the mid octave swaras in the first two
lines and the repetition of one swara(s)
in the second part of the third and fourth lines-ma in the former and ga
in the latter. The podi sangati in
the last line glimmers like a diamond going Ga
Ri Sa ni dha pa ma ga.
Classical treat!
The first interlude sounds simple but it has a lot of
melodic intricacies with the felicitous harmonium
and the flute-which joins later-
traversing the length and breadth of the raga and creating sensitive impulses.
The banter between the melodic instruments and the percussion (tabla) is a
musical treat.
The prayogas in
the first CharaNam ennoble the raga itself. If the sudden appearance of
the lower octave swaras-dha.ni.sa.- in the third and the sixth line
is charming, the ga pa Sa Sa phrases
in the seventh and the eighth lines add that dash of romance.
The use of same swaras for the last phrase in the Pallavi(OrAyiram) and the last
phrase in the first CharaNam(KoNdAduthe)
shows the organised and logical mind of the composer.
There is a touch of tenderness in the whistle-like instrument and in the bass guitar in the
beginning of the second interlude. The
strings then lay a royal path with a
red carpet with a soft, delicate and caressing melody. The mridangam which appears along with the tabla towards the end gives us an indication as to what lies in
store.
Classical Harikambhoji
is in full flow with beautiful prayogas
like ga ma pa dha ni dha ni pa in mid-octave and Ga Ma Ga Ri Sa in upper octave. Laya Raaja is in full flow too dividing
the chatushram as 4, 5, 3, 2, 2 in the beginning and also
breaking it into 32 mAtrAs in the end-in ati mel kaalam. A beautiful relationship
between the raga and the tALA.
True relationships can never be broken because the Sky will
never tear..
..even if it water pours down ceaselessly!
