ILaiyaraaja – The Seraphic Musician

What is Meditation?

Is it closing our eyes and chanting something repeatedly?

Is it focussing on an object with our eyes open?

Is it staring at the light?

Is it just focussing on our breath?

Well, it is all these and something much more. The fact of the matter is – Meditation or the state of Meditation can only be experienced and can hardly be explained, however great the person’s vocabulary is.

Suffice to say that people experience inner calm and tranquility and at the same time feeling energetic. Potential Energy and Kinetic Energy, in action at the same time.

There is something beyond Meditation and this is called the Samadhi state. Not many can experience this state and not many have experienced this state. Transcending the duality of the matter and the mind, the body and the mind, the existence and non-existence, it is an experience of oneness and the ultimate bliss. Some rishis in the past and some saints in the present ( more recent, though this is subjective!) have experienced this state. As far as I know, RamaNa Maharishi experienced it, going by the writings about him and the kind of experience I get when I visit his Ashram.

There was one more person, who I feel must have definitely experienced this. And that is, AruNagirinathar.

How do I know?

Not an easy question to answer and just like how one cannot define a Meditative state, this too cannot be explained. But having read many of his verses under different works, it is just my feeling and at times, I go by what I feel because of my percipience.

Let me quote just one of his verses- though there are many- to tell you all why I feel what I feel:

 

ஆனா அமுதே! அயில் வேல் அரசே!

ஞானாகரனே! நவிலத் தகுமோ

யானாகிய என்னை விழுங்கி வெறும்

தானாய் நிலை நின்றது தற்பரமே?

Raja4376 · Aana amude

In short, he says – Oh the one who is holding the Vel! The one who is the nectar!! Explain that state where I forget the ‘I’ and be one with You.

This is verse no.28 in that work called ‘Kandar Anuboodhi’.

Does he stop with this?

See this now:

குறியைக் குறியாது குறித்து அறியும்

நெறியைத் தனி வேலை நிகழ்த்திடலும்

செறிவற்று உலகோடு உரை சிந்தையும் அற்று

அறிவற்று அறியாமையும் அற்றதுவே!

Raja4376 · KuRiyai KuRiyadu

I forgot my relations, my mind, my speech, my knowledge and my ignorance the moment He taught me the right way to meditate and this is pure bliss.

This is verse no.42.

If you are insightful, you will make the connection between the two. If I were to describe it, I would just stop with saying ‘Esoteric’.

AruNagiri experienced that bliss, that eternal light.

We mortals too, can experience something close to it, depending on how wise we are. Take the song ‘AruNa KiraNa Deepam’ from ‘Guru’ (1997). Whenever I listen to it, I experience something different; something unique; something divine; something esoteric.

The composition based on KeeravaNi (or Harmonic minor) and is set in Mishram. These details are not as important as the way these are applied. For a change, let me take up each aspect and then go on to the main subject.

Laya:

I said it is set in Mishram ( 7 beat- cycle). But the prelude goes plainly in 4, with the brass flute and the horns even playing 1 2 3 4 after a while. The percussion which appear much later (0.58) play in 4. It is only when the chorus starts (1.23) that it shifts to Mishram.

The percussion sounds 1, 4 and 6 (ta, ta, dhi) in the 7-beat cycle. After two cycles, the strings join in and play 1 2 3 4 5 6/1 2 3 4/ 1 2 3 4( ta ka dhi mi ta ka/ta ka dhi mi/ta ka dhi mi).

The Pallavi in the voice of Yesudas too follows the same pattern – Aruna ( 1 2 3 ) KiraNa ( 1 2 3 ) Deepam ( 1 2 3 4) Paaba ( 1 2 3 4). Let it be understood that Mishram in ‘mel kaalam’(faster mode) is 7x2.

The first interlude follows the same pattern, though the percussion takes a break. The group of violins that appears in between sounds ta ki ta/ta ki ta/ta ka dhi mi/ta ka dhi mi, so obviously that one forgets if these are melodious instruments or percussive instruments ( melodious percussive, probably). The most beautiful part occurs towards the end of the interlude when an instrument plays a sustained melody subtly for 2 cycles.

Meditative?

The percussion appears only in the second part of the first interlude. It takes a break again for a while when the chorus renders the wordings and appears again albeit subtly and gradually after that.

It is the bells that sound the taaLam in the first segment of the second interlude.

KeeravaNi/Harmonic minor :

The western contours are felt almost throughout with a host of instruments, but the Indian counterpart (though this may not be an ideal term) is felt in the Pallavi, in the middle part of the first interlude. The ‘akaaram’ of Yesudas in the CharaNams, speaks for itself. But the O. Henry Raaja does it again. The beginning of the first interlude goes to Saaranga TarangiNi, a raga which has no connection or relation with KeeravaNi. This continues for about 20 seconds until the horns take it back to Harmonic minor(KeeravaNi).

It happens again in the second interlude but this time, it changes to the Major scale (4.15) and continues in this scale with the brass flute and horns in full flow. The chorus too hums in the same scale and just before it completes the humming (4.41), it goes back to the minor scale.

Orchestration:

There is a kind of an eerie beginning with a single instrument sounding like a clock and a host of instruments sounding suddenly with a bang. But it is that silence (0.29- 0.33) which makes a difference. After all, isn’t silence musical and meditative?

The strings sound soft and soothing while the brass flute moves with a flourish. The oboe which takes over is bewitching and when juxtaposed with the flute, the experience is exhilarating. The strings then move with a purpose after the chorus and this could be because of the backing of the rhythm in Mishram.

The brass flute after the first few phrases are rendered by Yesudas, is alluring and at the same time graceful. When Chitra renders the lines, the subtle strings and double bass, back her voice while the horns sound with assiduity when the chorus sings ‘Brahmma Naadam..’, which itself is like a crescendo.

The tantalising melody of the oboe is complemented by the supple strings. The oboe and flute vivify the atmosphere before the leitmotif appears.

The lines in the CharaNams are backed by the very subtle strings, in line with the mood.

If the bells sound with a sense of uncanniness, the flute moves with finesse sketching something in the process. Like a karma yogi, the two sets of strings move in a linear way with the oboe just nodding its head. It is that flute which plays along with the chorus, bending, meandering, and straddling the octaves, which leads us to something.

Is it a diffused glow?

Is it the eternal light?

Is it that state of Samadhi?

AruNagiri and AruNa Kirana Deepam will probably give an answer.

 

ILaiyaraaja – The Free-spirited Musican

 

Independent thinking!

How relevant is this in the age of even intelligence being artificial and people going gaga for such intelligence?

More than being very relevant, I would say it is very essential now as people are quickly losing their ability to think on their own, with creativity itself is becoming just a word in the dictionary and is in the danger of being wiped out even from the dictionary! People being ‘influenced’ by some self-declared experts and by the machines, is not a trend which can be called healthy.

This is where one is forced to go back to our literature and arts where we find different works shimmering with unique beauty and different poets and artistes laying new paths and treading unchartered territories. AruNagirinaathar was one such poet.

With a questionable background and a very questionable personal life, this gentleman transformed into a poet who set the tone for a new format which throbbed with rhythms which were new and until then were unthinkable. Author of many works that include Kandar Anubhuti/Andaadi/Alankaraam, Vel/Mayil Viruththam and so on, he is mainly known for ‘Thiruppugazh’. The last mentioned has 8 cantos (which itself was not new in Indian literature with somebody by name Jayadeva already having composed Ashtapadi at least 3 centuries before AruNagiri) with each composition following a particular rhythm, most of which not being part of the classical music taaLas.

The beauty does not stop just here. Thiruppugazh also has layers of meanings, esoteric as well as mundane.

This one is an example: 

ஆறும் ஆறும் அஞ்சும் அஞ்சும் ஆறும் ஆறும் அஞ்சும் அஞ்சும்

ஆறும் ஆறும் அஞ்சும் அஞ்சும் அறுநாலும்

ஆறும் ஆய சஞ்சலங்கள் வேறதா விளங்குகின்ற

ஆரணாகமம் கடந்த கலையான

ஈறு கூறரும் பெரும் சுவாமியாய் இருந்த நன்றி

ஏது வேறு இயம்பலின்றி  ஒருதானாய்

யாவுமாய் மனம் கடந்த மோன வீடு அடைந்து ஒருங்கி

யான் அவா அடங்க என்று பெறுவேனோ

மாறு கூறி வந்து எதிர்ந்த சூரர் சேனை மங்க வங்க

வாரி வேல் வெகுண்ட சண்ட விததாரை

வாகை வேல கொன்றை தும்பை மாலை கூவிளம் கொழுந்து

வால சோமன் நஞ்சு பொங்கு பகுவாய

சீறு மாசணம் கரந்த ஆறு வேணி கொண்ட நம்பர்

தேசிகா கடம்பு அலங்கல் புனைவோனே

தேவர் யாவரும் திரண்டு பாரின் மீது வந்து இறைஞ்சு

தேவனூர்  விளங்க வந்த பெருமாளே!

This rather long poem mentions the numbers in the first 3 lines and these numbers when totalled give 96, which are the 36 paratatvaas, 35 other tatvaas, 5 elements, 10 naadis, 10 karmaas, 5 ahankaaraas, 3 guNas, and 3 kinds of Vaak. Since these are too deep, explaining these will take reams and most importantly, is out of scope of our present discussion.

However, what he says in this entire song can be summarised as – ‘He (Muruga) is the One who is beyond all these and beyond description and when will I be able to reach that state of silence and emptiness reining in my desires?’

He also goes on to mention His annihilation of Surapadma and his armies and after describing Shiva as the One adorned with different garlands, moon, the poisonous snake and the ashes, he says ‘You are His Master’.

The choice of words and most importantly the contrasts, make this a poetic beauty. But beyond all this, it is the rhythmic metre – 2,2,2,2,3,3,2,2,3,3,4 - which sits like a diamond on the gleaming crown, mesmerising us readers with an alluring glow!

Since readers who follow my writings, by now would have guessed as to who I am going to bring in now, I am not even going to mention the name now. You all also know as to the kind of experiments he has done in film music, which in a way is beyond comprehension for many.

This composition I am taking up today is rather old. I say ‘old’ because it is a very popular hit and is known to many unlike many compositions I normally write about. In fact, there have been efforts to explain the technique in this composition on the internet, but I am not sure as to how many have really succeeded in bringing out the intricacies. In any case, let me try and explain the concept in my own way.

Any composition follows a rhythmic pattern. Most film songs follow the 4-beat structure – called ‘chatushram’ in Carnatic Music and 4/8 in film music. Some follow the 3-beat structure (Tisram), a few, the 7-beat structure (Mishram) and a few, the 5-beat structure ( Khandam). There is also the 6-beat structure (Rupakam) but since the number of beats is double that of Tisram, most of the songs that follow this structure can also be classified under Tisram.

But ‘Aagaaya VeNNilaave’ (ArangetRa VeLai – 1990), is an exception.

Let us start from the beginning. Yesudas renders the entire line with Uma Ramanan rendering the following line. Note that the vocals do not have any percussion support. However, if one were to count, both lines have 8 counts exactly. So, is it going to follow the 8-beat cycle or simply the 4-beat cycle?

The guitar follows but now with the backing of the percussion. It is obvious that this entire segment follows the 4-beat cycle. Simple, isn’t it?

But with O. Henry Raaja, you must always expect the unexpected. Just towards the end, the melodic instrument sounds ‘1 2 3 4’ thrice. Is it a prelude to something else?

We get an answer almost instantly. Yesudas (and then Uma Ramanan) start singing and the vocals do not seem to follow the ‘4-beat’ pattern. It clearly follows the 6-beat pattern. But then, what does the percussion do? Rather than sounding the 6 beats, these sound the 4 beats.

How?

Take the first two phrases – Aagaaya VeNNilaave. As I said, it is – 1 2 3 4 5 6. However, the percussion sound 1 2 3 4 thrice during the same time.

Can 6 equal 12?

This is where the genius comes into play. While the 6 beats are sounded in the slow tempo- called ‘Keezh kaalam’- the three 4s are sounded in a tempo which is two times faster than that of the vocals. And that is how 6 equals 12.

Here too, the Tabla plays ‘1 – 3  4/ - - 3  4/ 1 – 3  4’ leaving those gaps called ‘kaarvai’ to make the puzzle more interesting.

The interludes follow the 1 2 3 4 pattern like a disciplined army of soldiers. In the first interlude, the solo-violin plays with a touch of poignancy with the group of violins joining in playing a counter melody. A close observation suggests two things. One, there is no percussion for a while. Two, the counter melody of the group says, or rather sings – 1 2 3 4.

The strings move like the breeze in the next segment with yet another set joining in and playing a counter melody. The end of the interlude is interesting yet again with the melodic instruments sounding 1 2 3 4 four times, with an ostentatious smile!

Why have I not spoken about the raga yet?

It is because a composition goes beyond just the name of the raga- as I have said ad nauseam- and also because the focus in this composition is on the rhythm.

But that does not mean that melody has little role to play here. It is loosely based on Darbaari Kaanada scale with a dash of alien notes in the CharaNams.

The sudden surge of the higher-octave notes – Sa Ri Ga Sa- in the second half of the Pallavi (Malar soodum/ URavaadum) gives it an impetus. The beauty is that the same melody is repeated in the last two lines of the CharaNams.

The sudden entry of the alien swara (chatushruti dhaivatam) in the fifth and the sixth line, gives it a new complexion. So does the ‘niRiSaRi’ prayoga towards the end of these lines.

The melodic instrument in the beginning of the second interlude sounds ‘1 2 3/ 1 2 3/ 1 2’ twice before the guitar and the tabla join. But as if it is under a spell, it continues subtly in the background during the guitar segment. The two sets of strings take over, each playing an independent melody albeit in different octaves.

The strings sound ‘ 1 – 3  4/ 1 – 3  4 with the brass flute responding with ‘1 2 3 4/ 1 – 3  4’.

Do these say we are unique and different?

Or do these say ‘We lay our own path?’

It is for you to interpret or decode!

 

 

 

Raja4376 · Thiruppugazh recitation