“Oh! What shall I do!!”
Does this sound like a
plaintive cry of a helpless creature?
Or does it sound like a
statement of a confused man who is all at sea?
Or is it just an ordinary
statement of a person caught in the throes of Life?
It will surprise many if I say
that it is a line from a poem and that the poet utters it out of ecstasy.
Ecstasy sounding like
helplessness and despondency?
Let us look at the entire
verse and then see if we can find the answer.
‘Oh my Lord! My Pure leader!
One who rules me!!
One who can take any form at
will! One who is the handsome Bull!
One who is laying down with the
lotus like eyes closed in that magnificent place called Thirukkudanthai, which
itself is like the red lotus on the water!
Oh, what shall I do!!’
எம்மானே! என் வெள்ளை மூர்த்தி! என்னை ஆள்வானே,
எம்மா உருவும் வேண்டும் ஆற்றல் ஆவாய் எழில்
ஏறே,
செம்மா கமலம் செழு நீர் மிசைக் கண் மலரும் திருக்குடந்தை
அம்மா மலர்க் கண் வளர்கின்றானே! என் நான்
செய்கேனே!
Is it clear now- at least to a
certain extent- as to why the poet Nammaazhwar sounds so ecstatic?
I will not do full justice if
I fail to explain certain things hidden in this verse, like the pollens hidden
inside a flower.
In the first line, the Lord is
addressed as ‘White leader’(it is ‘veLLai’ which is symbolic of purity and for
a moment, let us keep the racist view and interpretation, aside!), while in the
very next line he calls him ‘Handsome Bull’. Needless to say, Bull represents
black. So, contrasts?
But the phrases just before
the ‘black bull’ appears, also needs a close look. ‘Capable of taking any form’.
What does this suggest? To me, it suggests Life itself. We encounter many
things in Life and if we realise that everything-good, bad, ugly- is part of
life, then Life becomes magical. Life and Divine are inseparable. The reference
to Lotus here also suggests the ‘drops on a lotus leaf’.
These are just some of the
esoteric meanings.
But I would like to go back to
the original statement and ask a couple of questions.
Can ecstasy be a sign of
helplessness?
If we become very happy and
reach that state, is that a delusion?
Most importantly, why do we
cry when we reach that state- is it because we find it hard to believe or is it
because of something else?
We shall probably find answers
towards the end.
Ecstasy is of course a divine
feeling. But does it mean that only devout people feel it like how Nammaazhwar
did? That one reaches that state irrespective of his/her scholarship or status,
is a fact known to some. It could happen during any instance. But it is an
irrefutable fact that one reaches that state while listening to music. I must
hasten to add that the quality of music plays a huge role though ‘quality’ is a
subjective term.
Subjectivity or objectivity is
immaterial at times. ‘Aanandam Pongida’ from ‘Sirai Paravai’(1987) is a classic
example of this.
Is it the raga which makes the
composition great? Let us first look at the raga. Kharaharapriya is one of the
most ancient ragas. Dating back to the Sangam era, during which it was called ‘Kodi
paalai’. In fact, it happens to be one of the basic melodies as per Tamizh
music. This raga , or rather the set of notes, exists as Kaafi in Hindustani
music. It is also existing in Western classical music as a minor scale and is
called Dorian in the original classical system in Greece. But what makes the
raga great is not just its history or its universality. Rendered with some
specials gamakams(oscillations), the raga shines like the moon radiating energy
which can be called spiritual depending on how one sees it or even feels it.
As I keep saying ad nauseam,
it is not the raga alone which makes a song beautiful and it is the way the
composer uses it, fully understanding the spirit of the raga.
With the graceful swaras
emanating from that classic instrument called the veena, and with the
percussion and the subtle ankle bells sounding ta ki ta constantly, ‘Aanandam
Pongida’ has a happy beginning. The strings in higher- octave infuse vigour and
sail like a boat while the flute moves with flourish with the melody floating
in the air which is redolent with spiritual fragrance. The guitar gives the
signature notes of the raga in a flash.
The Pallavi (Yesudas and
Sunanda) canters on and drenches us with happiness with the sympathetic strings
appearing between the lines in the beginning. What makes it even more joyful is
the ‘laali laali’ by the chorus which after singing in the mid-octave, switches
over to the higher-octave.
Low, mid or high- happiness is
eternal.
The guitar skitters. The
strings scoot. As if enamoured by this spectacle, the veena enters and smiles
with its swaras. The strings, meanwhile go on their own trip, somewhat different
from the original trip. But it is the electric guitar, a rather unusual
instrument for a classical raga, which steals the heart by playing a bewitching
melody, even touching the descending notes of the raga with consummate ease. Just
towards the end, the strings play in western classical style, proving for the n’th
time that music is universal after all.
The lines in the CharaNams are
soaked in classicism. The first two lines ooze the beauty of Kharaharapriya.
However, the second line does require a special mention because of the glide
from the higher notes to the lower notes in a jiffy. It is simply a definition of
creative innovation.
The second half picks up
momentum with the tisram beats in the next kaalam, taking us probably to the
next level of happiness. Happiness anyway is a timeless experience.
As if to provide contrast, the
entire second interlude has no percussion, though it follows the tisram
pattern. The bells sound from the keys and the veena have a friendly banter to
start with. What is unique about this banter is the way both play with relentless
assiduity. What follows is tantalisingly beautiful. The strings play an alluring melody
backed by another group of strings. The flute follows it up with a bewitching
melody. This romance between the two sets of instruments makes us visualise
flickers of light. Not to be left behind, the keys play the descending notes
first and the signature notes next, lifting the spirits.The strings slow down,
move like waves and the keys play the ascending notes in sets of 3- sa ri ga/ri
ga ma/ ga ma pa.
And we cry- Oh what shall I
do now?
Can ecstasy be a
sign of helplessness?
If we become very
happy and reach that state, is that a delusion?
Most importantly,
why do we cry when we reach that state- is it because we find it hard to
believe or is it because of something else?
