III I"' lie Journal

Of

fa Illufitc ^cadi'mw mii

/Ifoabras

II " ‘I , 1 A QUARTERLY DEVOTED TO THE ADVANCEMENT OP THE SCIENCE AND ART OF MUSIC

V o l . XIII 1942 P a r t s I-IV

EDITED BY

T. V. SUBBA RAO

AND

Dr. V. RAGHAVAN

ouew A u • iq*tA

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CONTENTS

PAGES.

In Memoriam

1. North Indian and Melas: Sri Eobindralal Roy ...... 1—20 2. Some Leading Music Systems: Sri C. S. Ayyar .. 21— 32 3. Music in Training Schools: Prof. P. Sambamurti.. 33—43 4 Composers: Sri T. Y. Subba Rao 44—70 5. Powada: Prof. G. H. Ranade .-. . . . 71—73 6. The Parijataharana Nataka of Narayana : Dr. V. Raghavan 74—76

7. A Tamil Song of Malavai Chidambara Bharati.. 77—79 8. The ‘ Kamba ’ of Kunrakudy Krishnier: Sri M. S. Ramaswapii Ayyar. 80— 83 9. The Nati’s Song— A Reply: Prof. G. H. Ranade .. 84— 86 10. Comparative Music—A Reply: Prof. P. Samba- . 87— 88 11. Extracts 89— 90 IN MEMORIAM

Vidvan Palamaneri Svamindtha Ayyar It is with great sorrow that we place on record here the passing away in December 1942 of Gayaka Siromani Vidvan Svaminatha Ayyar of Palamaneri, by which sad event yet one more of the few links with the last generation is snapped. The Vidvan was a member of the Expert Committee of the Music Academy and the President of the Academy’s Conference in 1931. Vidvan Svaminatha Ayyar was 72 when he died. He came of a family of Vaidikas, Scholars and Musicians, of the Cauvery village of Palamaneri in the Tanjore Dt. He was the brother of the well-known Advaita-scholar and Sannyasin, Palamaneri Svamigal, under whom studied eminent scholars like Mahamaho- padhyaya Prof. S. Kuppusvami Sastrigal. His father was - svami Ayyar, a Vedic scholar and Svaminatha Iyer was himself one who had done Adbyayana. He was a scholar who had examined Sanskrit works on music, and was one of the pioneers to publish modern works on Music with notation. Nearly forty years ago, he published the treatise Ragavibhodim. Svaminatha Ayyar was a pupil of the famous Maha Vaidyanatha Ayyar, and the most successful of the pupils of that great musician. In his pallavi and singing, one could cadch glimpses of the art of Vaidyanatha Ayyar. He was the only musician to give concerts of vocal music, himself playing the violin, which he held up without resting it on the thigh. His forte was the rendering of the Padas of Ksetragna, of which he commanded a considerable number. He was also a capable teacher. Vidvan Venkata Subrahmanya Ayyar (Syama Sastri) With the demise in December 1942 of another member of the Expert Committee of the Music Academy, Venkata Subrahmanya Ayyar, familiarly known as Syama Sastri, it may be said that the Musical paramparya in his own family of the great composer Sri Syama Sastri becomes extinct. Venkata Subrahmanya Ayyar was the great-grandson of Sri Syama Sastri and the son of Annasvami Sastrigal who was himself a renowned Vidvan and composer and was the Samsthana Vidvan at the Udayarpalayam Zamin. He was originally a Drawing Master in a school, and thanks to this gift of his, we have a portrait of his great-grandfather, Sri Syama Sastri. Latterly, he took interest in his family-art of music and taught many pupils in Madras the compositions of his family. NORTH INDIAN RAGAS AND MELAS

R obindralal R oy, Calcutta. (1) Is Svara Learning after all necessary? (2) Can it not be altogether avoided? This attitude of high-quarter music-critics in Bengal is perhaps more menacing than anywhere else, and hence there is a great opposition to what is known as Pandit Bhatkhande’s “ That System ” in which he has made it necessary for the student of music to learn the of only Ten Melas. The underlying aesthetic support of this school seems to be that tunes are not made from scales and that North Indian Ragas do not properly come under the scope of .scales but depend on resemblance of different tunes. It would be interesting to investi­ gate how far tunes composed by North Indian Musician-composers fall outside the scope of scales. Before we enter into this investigation it would be useful to remind every student of music and every composer that tunes can never be distinguished from each other without the knowledge of svaras. Hence many of our poet-composers go on composing cheap tunes without knowing that such tunes have been repeatedly composed by the same and different poets and have been repeatedly rejected by musicians as commonplace. The second and the most important point almost completely lost sight of in musical criticism is that a tune or Dhoon (Dhvani) is not the itself. It is the neucleus or home of the Raga, the Raga being a comprehensive term applied to the whole development or Vistara, Alapa, etc. of the tune, which means addition of musical phrases in keeping with the central tune or theme to which all developments must ultimately return. This simply means that the composition of a good tune is extremely difficult because it must simultaneously have a definite shape as well as a very comprehensive musical effect so that a large variety of musical phrases may be found to emphasise or suppress its central effect according to the desire of the musician. It has to be powerful without being rigid, simple in form but capable of being twisted into highly complex variation. Thus Haydn was perfectly right in saying that “ is the charm of music and the invention of a fme air is a work of genius.” Melody or tune is really the problem of all great music, oriental or western. The so-called Genus-species system, often supposed to be fundamentally different from the Murchhana-Jati-Raga system, 1 2 THE JOURNAL OF THE MUSIC ACADEMY [VOL. XIII

when properly analysed, will be found to be closely related to scales as we shall presently see. But we might as well note that the Genus-species system based inherently on the similarity of tunes or perhaps of tune-forms, is not a later invention as many theorists try to make out. Take for instance the Gauda varieties mentioned in the . Even the Ratnakara mentions Karnata Gauda, Deshbal Gauda, Turushka Gauda and Dravida Gauda. The Sangita Parijata mentions Kedara Gauda, Karnata Gauda, Saranga Gauda, Rlti Gauda, Narayana Gauda, Malava Gauda and Gauda as also . From the Parijata’s brief description it would be found that they belonged to our different scales, that they used different sharp and flat or Tlvra and Komala svaras. , Hence the question arises why they have the same suffix, like a family name, Gauda. According to their description, all these Ragas have one common feature: they all omit (with the exception of Rlti Gauda) Dha and Ga both or one of them in the Aroha. This gives us a common phrase of the Gaudas Sa Ri Ma Pa Ni, or Sa Ri Ma Pa or Ma Pa Ni. It is clear also that the form of the Ragas is common in the ascent having the general formula Sa Ri Ma Pa Ni. In the case of Malava Gauda this is Sa Ri Ma Pa Ni (Komala Ri and &uddha Ni), in case of Karnata Gauda, the Ri is shifted to our present Komala Ga though this appears to be a variation stretched too far. . I Similar is the case with the Natas: all Natas have Ma Ri or Ni Pa or Ni Pa Ma Ri and in very different scales sometimes, (as in the case of Kalyana or Vairati NatasJ? This family has the family characteristic feature in the Avaroha. Thus the significant form of the Raga undergoes a variation far enough to create a different emotional effect but not far enough to have a different shape.1 But this ability on the part of the musician requires a very accurate knowledge of different scales; for instance, no layman can find the structural resemblance between the phrases Sa Ri Ma Pa Ni Dha Pa (our present ) and Sa Ri Ma Pa Ni Dha Pa (of our - Group). Tet this is the very basic principle on which North Indian Music is now based and has always been based and it would not do to call a musician stupid when he classes both the Ragas, Desh and Jaunpuri, under Todis (as our older scholars would have classed them under Gaudas )v 1 I have drawn attention to this fact in my Bengali Book ‘ Raga Nirnaya \ PARTS I-IV] NORTH INDIAN RAGAS AND MELAS 3

very good and comprehensive tune gives automatically its laws of Aroha and Avaroha— that is those notes which can be successively used in ascending and descending over the whole octave and it is the musician’s most skilful and difficult task to discover the most suitable Aroha and Avaroha which would automatically give phrases consistent with the central tune and give his voice freedom of movement without disturbing the effect or structure of the central tune. The difficulty of the grammarian lies in showing the general movement of the tune over a scale because the tune has its family character as well as an individual character. The family character may be a short phrase but such a phrase can be and most often is extended over the whole octave as a scale, only this scale cannot be a Samphrna Mela but is either Audava (using five notes) or Shadava (using six notes). The Sampurna or the seven-note-seale cannot produce but one Aroha. Thus, as we shall presently see, both from the aesthetic and scientific point of viewt the Basic or Parent (Janaka Mela) . Scale should not be Sampurna but either Audava or Shadava. As is most often the case in North Indian music, the Sampurna Scale is used in the Avarohi, when the tune emphasises an ascending (Arohi) form, and vice versa. But the Sampurna scale is very seldom inevitably neces­ sary either in the Arohi or in the Avarohi. Hence from the good musician’s point of view the Sampurna Scale has little aesthetic importance. Let us take the Raga Suddha Mallar (Megha Mallar of the Parijata) with the Arolia-Avaroha: Sa Ri Ma Pa Dha sa, sa Dha Pa Ma Ri Sa. It can be produced, by omitting Ga and Ni, from different Melas: Sa Ri Ma Pa Dha sa: sa Ni Dha Pa Ma Ga Ri Sa—Dhira Sankarabharana. : sa Ni Dha Pa Ma Ga Ri Sa—- . . ' • : sa M Dha Pa Ma Ga Ri Sa—Khara* harapriya. : sa Ni Dha Pa Ma Ga Ri Sa— Gauri manohari.2 2 The consecutive twelve notes are written as follows:— Sa Ri Ri Ga Ga Ma Mam Pa Dha Dha Ni Ni (sa) called Sa, Komala Ri, Suddha Ri, Komala Ga, Suddha Ga, §uddha Ma, TIvra Mam, Pa, Komala Dha, Suddha Dha, Komala Ni, Suddha Ni. 4 THE JOURNAL OF THE MUSIC ACADEMY [VOL. XIII

Now the question would obviously arise which of these four scales should claim to be the Parent Scale of which this Audava-Audava . / * Raga is bom. Would it not be more3 or at least equally reasonable to say that four complete scales have been obtained by interpolation of two more notes 011 the parent of Suddha Mallar. In that case all these four Ragas would be regarded as Mallar Bhedah but that would not mean that this GLenus-Species system would be independent of scales. On the contrary the scale itself is the Genus while the variations are the species. We see below' that all the Audava and Shadava Aroliis possible are used in composing tunes and by similar process of interpolation we get thirty-two Melas which have been found more suitable in producing good tunes. Each of these Arohis represent a pentatonic or hexatonic scale which is the base of many Ragas; 1. Sa Ri Ma Pa Dha Sa. 2. Sa Ri Ma Pa Ni sa. 3. Sa Ri Ma Pa Dha Ni sa. 4. Sa Ga Ma Pa Dha sa. 5. Sa Ga Ma Pa Ni sa. 6. Sa Ga Ma Pa Dha Ni sa. 7. Sa Ri Ga Pa Dha sa. 8. Sa Ri Ga Pa Ni sa. 9. Sa Ri Ga Pa Dha Ni sa. 19. Sa Ga Ma Dha Ni sa. 11. Sa Ri Ga Ma Dha sa. 12. Sa Ri Ga Ma Dha*Ni sa. 13. Sa Ri Ga Ma Pa Dha sa. 14. Sa Ri Ga Ma Pa Ni sa. The above have been most frequently used in the Arohi. Those less used are 15. Sa Ma Pa Dha Ni sa. 16. Sa Ga Pa Dha Ni sa. 17. Sa Ri Pa Dha Ni sa. 18. Sa Ri Ga Ma Pa sa, and the last not as a base but as a variation. Those not at .all used are: 19. Sa Ri Ma Dha Ni sa. 20. Sa Ri Ga Dha Ni sa. 21. Sa Ri Ga Ma Ni sa. (The last has been tried in our Mela but does not seem to be a success).

Now we can get the complete scales by putting more notes in the gaps while all possible variations of Komala and Suddha svaras would give us four scales for each Audava and two for every Shadava but these two will be repetitions of the scales obtained from the Audavas. We can see this by actually writing out the scales. The importance of this system is that good tunes are almost always formed by the Audava or Shadava scales and the practical musician uses the complete scales more often by extrapolation.

3 The real line of musical evolution is that the number of notes increase. Aboriginal music contains no more than 3 or 4, and sometimes only two, notes. PARTS I-IV] NORTH INDIAN RAGAS AND MELAS 5

The next process is now to change the existing srutis of notes used in each of the scales: for example by changing Suddha iii to Komala Ri, Suddha Dha to Komala Dha and so on. But it would be useless to change Suddha Ga to Suddha Ki or Suddha Ni to Suddha Dha, for that would bring about scales already existing. It is obvious that such a process of interpolation does not give us scales like4 Sa Ri Ki Ma Pa Dha Dha sa (South Indian Kana- kaiigl), because firstly this can only be a variation of a Sampurna Scale; secondly, it requires a double variation of first changing the usual Suddha Ki to Komala Ki and then changing the position of Ga to Suddha Ri. But since this Suddha Ki is wanted in the present scale the first variation is scarcely justified. Rather the scale has to be regarded as one where the Suddha Ri remains in its own place and Komala Ki is substituted for Suddha Ga. In Other words Ga is shifted as it were from one side of Suddha Ki to the other side. Thus it would scarcely be reasonable to read the scale as Sa Ki Ga Ma Pa Dha Ni sa. Also repeated attempts have been made to eompose tunes on scales using consecutive but no good tunes seem to come out. This may be due to the fact that semitones being compara­ tively small intervals, they can be well defined only when they are used with reference to a fixed note like Sa or Pa (or eyen Ma). For example Ni Sa Ri, Mam Pa Dha, or Mam Ma Ga, are very successfully employed in many Ragas but not Sa Ri Ri, Ga Ga Ma, Pa Dha Dha, or Ni Ni sa. The first three are well defined semitones because they exist on opposite sides of a fixed note, but the last four give us undefined semitones because Komala Iii, Komala Ga, Komala Dha and Komala Ni are changing or unstable notes both by usage and definition. In North Indian Music all these four notes are nearly always oscillating notes when used in Ragas and hence the consecutive intervals Sa-jRi and Ri-Ri are always vague and hence unpleasant for the musician. Hence it is doubtful whether the forty scales of employing consecutive semitones will ever be aesthetically employed. Since the aim of Grammar is to find out the laws of artistic composition, it would be more profitable for us to find out the Sampurna Melas in the Avarohi, because a great majority of the Ragas use more notes in the Avarohi than in the Arohi and this happens most often when the tune employs the Arohi first which 4 The twelve notes are written as follows:— Sa Ri Ri Ga Ga Ma Mam Pa Dha Dha Ni Ni (sa). a THE JOURNAL OF THE MUSIC ACADEMY [VOL. XIII

is the general rule. Thus most often Ragas are A udava- Sampurna or Shadava-Sampurna but seldom Sampurna-Shitdava or Sam­ purna- Audava. The latter variety emphasises the Avarohi first,* and hence distinctively employs a smaller number of notes in the Avarohi, as for example in our Durbari . Though we have enumerated above 15 Audava and 6 Shadava Arohis, it is necessary to start our discussion with that Arohi which has been most frequently used and has undergone the largest number of variations. Any well-experienced musician will see that tlie general form Sa Ga Ma Diia Ni sa is the most important Arohi we have employed lor simple as well as mixed tunes: It is the base of the , ilahar, Malkauhs groups, it was the Panehama of the Parijata, it is tlie Bageshri, , and sometimes Jaijawanti Arohi. When using T i m in place of Suddha Ma, it is used in our llindol, Soinni, some kinds of Vasant, , etc. Indeed this Arohi is able to give us liagas in nearly all its variations. It would be interesting to see how many Melas it can give us by interpolation of the remaining notes. Now this Sa Ga Ma Dha Ni sa has the following variations almost all of which have been used except perhaps one:

1. Sa Ga Ma Dha Ni sa with Suddha svaras. 2. With Ga Komal. 3. With Dha Komal. 4. With Ni Komal. 5. With Ga and Dha Komal. 6. With Ga and Ni Komal. 7. With Dha and Ni Komal. 8. With Ga Dha and Ni Komal.

We get another eight variations with Tivra Ma substituted for Suddha. In naming the Melas below, I am using the South Indian Names of Sampurna Scales, as we use in the North only ten names, the rest being expressed as mixed scales: 1. Sa Ga Ma Dha Ni sa: sa Ni Dha Pa Ma Ga Ri Sa: Dhirasankarabharana. : sa Ni Dha Pa Ma Ga Ri Sa: Suryakanta. 2. Sa Ga Ma Dha Ni sa: sa Ni Dha Pa Ma Ga Ri Sa: Gaurlmanoharl. : sa Ni Dha Pa Ma Ga Ri Sa: . 3. Sa Ga Ma Dha Ni sa: sa Ni Dha Pa Ma Ga Ri Sa: : sa Ni Dha Pa Ma Ga Ri Sa: Mayamalava Gaula.

r PARTS I-IV] NORTH INDIAN RAGAS AND MELAS 7

' 4. Sa Ga Ma Dha Ni sa: sa Ni Dha Pa/Ma Ga Ri Sa: . : sa Ni Dha Pa Ma Ga Ri Sa: Chakravaka. 5. Sa Ga Ma Dha Ni sa: sa Ni Dha Pa Ma Ga Ri Sa: Klravam. : sa Ni Dha Pa^Ma Ga Ri Sa: . 6. Sa Ga Ma Dha Ni sa: sa Ni Dha Pa Ma Ga Ri Sa KharaharapriyS. : sa Ni Dha Pa, Ma Ga Ri Sa: 0 ~ »■*>; mr i p ~ p \ » • ; • • Natakapriva. 7. Sa Ga Ma Dha Ni sa: sa Ni Dha Pa Ma Ga Ri Sa r Charukesl. : sa Ni Dha Pa Ma Ga Ri Sa: Vakulabharana. 8. Sa Ga Ma Dha Ni sa: sa Ni Dha Pa Ma Ga Ri Sa: Nata Bhairavl. : sa Ni Dha Pa Ma Ga Ri Sa: HanumatodL

Thus we get 16 different Melas with Suddha Madhyama. Now substituting Tivra Ma5 for Suddha Ma we have sixteen others respectively: Meehakalyani, Gamanasrama, Dharmavatl, Suvar- nangl, Latahgl, , , Ramapriva, Sim- hendramadhvama, SubhapantuvarSlT, HemavatT, Shadvidhamar- gini, , NamanarayanI, Shamnukhapriya, . Thus we get all possible scales which do not use consecutive semitones. It is not meant by the above that all these thirty-two scales have really been obtained by variations of the same Audava Arohi Sa Ga Ma Dha Ni sa but there can be no doubt that a very large number has thus been evolved from the tunes or Dhoons as in many Ragas of Meehakalyani, Gamanasrama (our ), Kamavardhani (our ) and Subhapantuvarall (our Todi) use Pa as an interpolated note and the phrase Ga Mam Dha Ni sa or Ga Mam Dha sa is very predominant. 5 This substitution being independent of and disconnected with tetra- chords, the resulting Arohas and Avarohas seem musical for nearly all possible variations, except these which use Komala Ni as we shall see later. t ' 1 ' THE JOURNAL OF THE MUSIC ACADEMY [VOL. XIII

Though Sa Ga Ma Dha Ni sa has become a very prominent and popular phrase in later development of our music, we do not find many Ragas is this form in an important work like the Sangita Parijata: in fact there are only about four Ragas which omit Ri and Pa. The Arohis most frequently used in the Parijata are Sa Ri Ga Pa Dha sa and Sa Ri Ma Pa Dha sa, each of them having more than a dozen Ragas to its credit. Of these two the first has survived in different forms in different Melas and can give us by interpolation as many scales as Ga Ma Dha Ni sa, because Sa Ri Ga Pa Dha sa has eight variations with Suddha Ma fixed: One with all Suddha svaras, three for Ri, Ga and Dha Komala taken separately, three with Ri-Ga, Ri-Dha, and Ga-Dha Komala, and one with Ri-Dha-Ni Komala. These eight with Suddha Ma fixed and two N i’s give sixteen Melas and the Tivra Mam substituted gives another sixteen. It should be observed however that this class of Arohis will have a weak Ma in the tune or Raga and a strong Pa unlike the former class which • creates a weak Pa and a strong Ma. Leaving to the extra-cautious reader the drudgery of working out the same thirty-two scales in a different order from this Sa Ri Ga Pa Dha sa, we proceed to examine the variations most used by musicians. The form occurring as the common Arohi in various scales is: Sa Ri Ga Pa Dha sa (Ri and Dha Komala). In present Ilindus- thani (North Indian) music this Arohi is used under the name of with Avarohis from Purvi (Kamavardhani) and Bhairav. As Sa Ri Ga Pa Dha sa and the name of Bibhas (with only Ri Komala) it uses Avarohi from Marva (Gamanasrama). And lastly with Sa Ri Ga Pa Dha sa (all suddha svaras) it is also known as Bibhas in some places. Now the Bibhas mentioned by the Parijata takes the Avarohi from our Purvi (Kamavardhani): Sa Ri Ga Pa Dha sa: sa Ni Dha Pa Mam Ga Ri sa. This form is still retained but we have to explain the others. No doubt that this Bibhas transferred to Bhairav (Mayamalava Gaula) would be a change in emotional appeal, but when consciously done the name should have also been changed. It seems that deficient svarajnana rather than originality has been often responsible for such changes. PARTS I-IVJ NORTH INDIAN RAGAS AND ME^AS 9

Even during the time of the Parijata, the Raga Ramakri had exactly the same Aroha and Avaroha and it would be and always is impossible to keep two Ragas of such resemblance distinct only with Vadi and Samvadi which again often means the changing of the Arohi or Avarohi in the tune composition. There was also a Raga lieva, which had Sa Ri Ga Pa Dha, sa Dha Pa Ga Ri sa as Arohi and Avarohi (with (Ri-Dha Komala) and now we seem to have the same Raga also, under the name of Bibhas. \ext let us take the present Raga Bhupall which uses Sa Ri Ga Fa Dha sa (all Suddha) and we also have at least two more Ragas with nearly the same Aroha and Avaroha: Suddha and Deshkar. Pandit Bhatkhande has accepted the Aroha Avaroha of the Parijata, thus saving Suddha Kalyan. We at present distinguish Deshkar from Bhupall by having a Vakra Aroha- Avaroha for Deshkar, but these Aroha-Avaroha are frequently used by musicians in developing Bhupall. There are musicians again who would call this Deshkar, Bibhas and the Bibhas, Deshkar. It is the'most important work of Music Conferences to find suitable Aroha-Avaroha for every Raga, for there is no dearth of them, only musicians are unable to think in terms of scales other than Sampurna scales. If they knew the Audava and Shadava Melas, they would find at least 196 Aroha-Avarohas in every Sampurna Mela, there being 14 Arohis and 14 Avarohis, apart from more than three hundred good Audava-Sampurna and Shadava-Sampurna Aroha-Avaroha in the thirty-two different scales. i Returning to our point, neither Bhupal! nor even Deshkar seems to have originally been in the Mela in which they are now. Bhupall was using Komala Ri, Ga and Dha, if Parijata is correct, and to pass from this Bhupall to the present, it would be necessary to pass through two different forms namely Sa Ri Ga Pa Dha sa, with Komala Ga Dha, and then with only Komala Ga. But we do not have these Ragas. On the other hand Deshkar seems to have been formed by omission of Ma and Ni from its original Sampurna form. Even in the present Deshkar, use of Ni is quite in keeping with the tunes or Dhoons so far composed, and it should now have an Aroha-Avaroha as: Sa Ri Ga Pa Dha sa: sa Ni Dha Pa Ga Ri Sa. Thus in view of the fact that we can possibly find straight ascending and descending scales, hence Aroha and Avaroha, for every Raga (with a few exceptions on other aesthetic grounds), we should have preferably a straight Aroha 2 1 0 THE JOURNAL OF THE MUSIC ACADEMY [VOL. X in and Avaroha for every Raga, however Vakra the Dhoon may appear to be. This will automatically increase the scope of development consistent with the spirit of the Raga.

The case of our present Deshkar is a point in question. The Dhoon of Deshkar is conspicuous by the presence of the Tana Pa Dha Ga Pa sa Dha sa, which is really a variation of the phrase Pa Dha Ga Pa Ni Dha sa or Pa Dha Ga Pa Ni Dha Ni sa, which is included in all Bilawals with other variations. In the simplest forms, Bilawals have the general Arohi-Avarohi Sa Ri Ga Pa Dha Ni sa: sa Ni Dha Pa Ma Ga Ri Sa. From this, varia­ tions have been made to create different Ragas and the next important variation is Sa Ri Ga Pa Ni Dha Ni sa: sa Ni Dha Pa Ma Ga Ma Ri Sa. The simplest form is really the Aroha and Avaroha of our Suddha Bilawal, and this is the Parent of the Bilawal family for which we need two Melas, Shadava Mela, for the Arohi and a Sampurna Mela for the Avarohi. As we shall see throughout our analysis that such combinations of Melas can nearly always be found to understand the birth of a Raga and the emotional relationship between different Ragas. "When we find a name for each such combination of ascending and descend­ ing scales, we may classify different airs or Dhoons and anticipate its line of Vistara or extempore variations in form.

Now if we take the Shadava-Sampurna combination generally representing the Bilawals, and compare with the Dhoons or tunes of songs composed in the Bilawal varieties in general, we shall find that certain Tanas or phrases arising out of the Shadava-SamptLrna combination become the individual features of certain other Ragas: Sa Ri Ga Pa Dha Ni sa in the Arohi wrould naturally yield in Vistara combinations like Sa Ri Ga Pa Dha Ni Dha sa Ni or Sa Ri Ga Pa Dha sa Ni Dha Pa which features respectively give us and Deshkar phrases on which the peculiarity of respective combinations depend. When these phrases become the Home of a number of other phrases, we have a new Raga. If we now refer to the above Audava and Shadava Arohis (14 in number) we shall find them arranged in groups of three up to No. 12 so that two Audava variations are succeeded by the parent Shadava: 1. Sa Ri Ma Pa Dha sa. 2. Sa Ri Ma Pa Ni sa. 3. Sa Tii Ma Pa Dha Ni sa. Similarly 4, 5 and 6 also 7, 8 and 9; 10, 11 and 12. Nos. 13 and 14 are of less importance as bases of Ragas, they are more often used as variations of the Sampurna Scale in the Arohi, but all the same they have been used as bases particularly PARTS I-IVJ NORTH INDIAN RAGAS AND MELAS i i

in scales where Dha and Ni are far apart using say Komala Dha and Suddha Ni. Thus in all we have six different bases in the six different Shadava Arohis, in every Sampurna Mela. Now with the exception of Sa Ri Ga Ma Dha Ni sa, all the other Shadava Arohis omit a note other than Da, and hence are able to change over suddenly from one scale to another by including this omitted note cleverly. For example Sa Ri Ma Pa Dha Ni sa can either use Suddha Ga or Komala Ga in the Avarohi or even in any of the suitable Tanas thus altering the background of the Raga so to speak, with great effect. This is perhaps the reason why Audava-Shadava or Shadava-Sampurna Ragas sometimes include Komala and Suddha forms of the same svara: as for instance in our Desh, Jaijawanti or Kati, based mainly on Sa Ri Ma Pa Dha (Ni) sa group. Similarly a Shadava Arohi which omits Ri may produce two Avarohis and hence two different combinations and two different Ragas in different scales and such a Raga may also, like the previous, use two R i’s, Pllu being a case in point. Only Sa Ri Ga Ma Dha Ni sa is denied this variation; hence, here Audava Ragas are more powerful particularly with the Arohi Sa Ga Ma Dha Ni sa, instead of the Shadava-form. The reason why we are treating the Audava Arohis under Shadava in the above way is that in singing Ragas we are more particular about Purvahga notes than Uttarahga notes: we discriminate very minutely between Sa Ri Ga Pa and Sa Ri Ma Pa but we use Ma Pa Dha sa and Ma Pa Ni sa rather indiscriminately, as for example in Ragas like our Sindura, Desh, in the Mallars, in Jaunpuri, Todi and in many others. Regardifig the Shadava Arohis, we come to the question whether all Shadava Arohis are found capable of producing good tunes, because now we use a scale for producing tunes, though formerly the scales seem to have been interpolated from the tunes, thus improving immensely on more or less insignificant forms. Later, when the musician’s mind is able to see the common points in a number of tunes, the tunes are often directly composed from the scales. We can see that each of the Shadava scales used as bases of Arohis, has thirty-two variations including variations of Madh- yama. But all these variations have not been used in composing Ragas and in many cases Ragas were composed but 1 2 THE JOURNAL OF THE MUSIC ACADEMY [VOL. XIII did not survive. As we shall presently see the symmetrical variations have been repeatedly used for composing a large variety of tunes whereas unsymmetrieal variations have been altogether neglected. The symmetry of musical scales is usually with reference to the Purvanga (Sa-Ma) and Uttarahga (Pa-sa), and scales have been so selected that variations in the Purvanga are repeated in the Uttarahga. For instance in the form Sa Ri Ga Pa Dha Ni sa, when we change Ri to Komala Ri in the Purvanga we change Dha to Komala Dha in the Uttarahga. Similarly when we have Komala Ga we balance it by a Komala Ni. Only in case of scales obtained by substituting Tivra Ma for Suddha Ma, in the Arohi we usually substitute the same, not for Pa in the Avarohi. Hence in scales using Tivra madhyama, Suddha Ma and Pa become more or less superfluous. Thus in the Ragas using Sa Ri Ga Ma Dha Ni sa as Arohi, Pa is often wanted in the Avarohi but those using Sa Ri Ga Mam Dha Ni sa, Pa is seldom and often artificially added. There is however another kind of symmetry: Sa-Pa and Ma-sa. For example Sa Ri Ga Mam Pa and Ma Pa Dha Ni sa are identical, and in such scales both Madhyamas are used without artificiality. This is perhaps the reason why we use both Madhyamas in so many Mela Ragas. Thus the scales which Venkatamakhin worked out by substitut­ ing Tivra for Suddha Ma require special consideration because the Suddha Ma scales are diatonic or double-tonic scales based on the repetition of the tetrachords Sa-Ma and Pa-sa. The substitution therefore disturbs the balance of the whole system as has been well confirmed by the uncertain use of Madhyama in their scales.6

Taking the diatonic symmetrical scales, first with the divisions of Sa-Ma and Pa-sa, we have the following possible symmetrical arrangements: Sa Ri Ri Ma Pa Dha Dha sa (calling the second Ri and Dha, Ga and Ni). Sa Ri Ga Ma Pa Dha Ni sa: (). Sa Ri Ga Ma Pa Dha Ni sa: Bhairav (Mayamalava Gaula). Sa Ri Ga Ma Pa sa: (). 6 As we have seen in the case of Arohis of the form Sa Ga Ma Dha Ni sa, substitution of Tivra Ma does not disturb the balance because the Au

Sa Ei Ga Ma Pa Dha Ni sa: Bilawal (Dhlrasankara- bharana). Sa Ga Ga Ma Pa Ni Ni sa (calling the first Ga and Ni, Ei and Dha respectively.) The first and last scale we cannot use because, j s stated before, they involve the use of consecutive semitones without any definite line of demarcation in between. Hence we have four symmetrical scales which can be combined with each other in halves giving us the sixteen Suddha Ma scales. But such combinations are not always well suited for producing good tunes, because Sampurna Scales are not wanted in tune composition. But the substitution of Tivra Ma changes the limit of the first tetrachord and in effect amounts to a change of sa. In other words in such tetrachords or four-notes-scales Ma behaves as an Achala Svara which it is not in a Shadava Arohi or Avarohi cover­ ing the whole Saptaka or Octave, because the octave has its own definite boundaries and Ma and Pa do not and need not behave as tonics or points of reference. Hence the uncertain position of Tivra Ma which has no definitely fixed pitch like Suddha Ma does not throw the Suddha Ma out, only the new scale takes an implied point of reference in the omitted Suddha Ma which when it is not used has at least to be with effort prevented from coming into use in Eagas of some of the Tivra Madhyama Melas. For instance, the Kalyan Mela is apparently obtained by substituting Tivra for Suddha Ma in the Bilawal but the scale Sa Ei Ga Ma Pa is now repeated from Ma Pa Dha Ni sa (which is the same as Sa Ei Ga Mam Pa) with the result that Ma remains there as an implied note. But these are rather mechanical considerations because. as already suggested Sampurna scales are seldom brought into practical use; hence, if the four scales above are really the more important scales and if the musical mind is really a lover of structural symmetry without being mechanical, we should have all Shadava Arohis derived from the above scales in practical use. Also, we must observe that simple substitution of Tivra Ma for suddha in any of the scales does not explain the existence of two Madhyamas in many Eagas which we have now. Thus before considering the exact nature of symmetry with reference to Sa-Pa and Ma-sa, let us consider the Shadav Arohis of the above abso­ lutely symmetrical Melas about Sa-Ma and Pa-sa. 14, THE JOURNAL OF THE MUSIC ACADEMY [VOL. XIII

Continuing our line of thought we should also see what Sam­ purna Avarohi scales or Melas we obtain by interpolation of the omitted note in the Avarohi.

1. Bhairavi or Hanumatodi 1. Sa Ga Ma Pa Dha Ni sa: sa Ni Dha Pa Ma Ga Ei Sa: . : Bhairavi or Hanumatodi. 2. Sa Ri Ma Pa Dha Ni sa: sa Ni Dha Pa Ma Ga Ri Sa: Vakulabharana. : Bhairavi. 3. Sa Ri Ga Pa Dha Ni sa: sa Ni Dha Pa Mam Ga Ri Sa: Bhavapriysi. : Bhairavi as above. It is clear that the above have the option of using any of the two srutis of the omitted note and hence a new scale in the Avarohi. But the fourth, having no such choice, because it omits Pa, gives a Shadava and an alternative Audava base: 4. Sa Ri Ga Ma Dha Ni sa or Sa Ga Ma Dha Ni sa the latter taking its Sampurna Avarohi either from Bhairavi or from Nata­ bhairavi. 5. Sa Ri Ga Ma Pa Ni sa: sa Ni Dha Pa Ma Ga Ri Sa: . : Bhairavi. 6. Sa Ri Ga Ma Pa Dha sa: sa Ni Dha Pa Ma Ga Ri S a: Dhenuka. : Bhairavi.

11. Bhairava or Mdydmalava Gaula 1. Sa Ga Ma Pa Dha Ni sa : sa Ni Dha Pa Ma Ga Ri S a: Sarasahgi. : Bhairava. 2. Sa Ri Ma Pa Dha Ni sa: sa Ni Dha Pa Ma Ga Ri Sa: Dhenuka. : Bhairava. 3. Sa Ri Ga Pa Dha Ni sa : sa Ni Dha Pa Mam Ga Ri S a: Kamavardhani. : Bhairava. 4. Sa Ri Ga Ma Dha Ni sa and Sa Ga Ma Dha Ni sa with the Bhairava Avarohi. PARTS I-IV] NORTH INDIAN RAGAS AND MELAS 16

5. Sa Ri Ga Ma Pa Ni sa: sa Ni Dha Pa Ma Ga Ri Sa: Suryakanta. : Bhairava. 6. Sa Ri Ga Ma Pa Dha sa: sa Ni Dha Pa Ma Ga Ei Sa: Vakulabharana. : Bhairava.

III. Kdfi or Karaharapriyd 1. Sa Ga Ma Pa Dha Ni sa: sa Ni Dha Pa Ma Ga Ri Sa: ; 1 i NatakapriyS. : Kafi. 2. Sa Ri Ma Pa Dha Ni sa: sa Ni Dha Pa Ma Ga Ri Sa: Harikambhoji (). : Kafi. 3. Sa Ri Ga Pa Dha Ni sa: sa Ni Dha Pa Mam Ga Ri Sa: ; I j i • j Hemavathi. : Kafi. 4. Sa Ri Ga Ma Dha Ni sa, and Sa Ga Ma Dha Ni sa with ; * 1 'jj‘* I 11 ' ! 1 Kafi Avarohi. 5. Sa Ri Ga Ma Pa Ni sa: sa Ni Dha Pa Ma Ga Ri Sa: * ' ; 1 1 1 Natabhairavi. : Kafi. 6. Sa Ri Ga Ma Pa Dha sa.: sa Ni Dha Pa Ma Ga Ri Sa: j Gaurimanohari. ^ , : ■ : Kafi. IV. Bilawal, Vildwal or Dhlrasahkardbharana 1. Sa Ga Ma Pa Dha Ni sa: sa Ni Dha Pa Ma Ga Ri Sa: § ' 1 : ' ' Suryakanta. : Vildwal or Bildwal. 2. Sa Ri Ma Pa Dha Ni sa: Gourimanohari and Vilawal. 3. Sa Ri Ga Pa Dha Ni sa: Meehakalyani (Kalyan) and Vilawal. 4. Sa Ri Ga Ma Dha Ni sa and Sa Ga Ma Dha Ni sa. . 5. Sa Ri Ga Ma Pa Ni sa : sa Ni Dha Pa Ma Ga Ri Sa: Sarasahgi and Bilawal. 6. Sa Ri Ga Ma fPa Dha sa: Khamaj and Bilawal. -Thus apart from the basic four we have: Sarasahgi, Dhenuka, Kamavardhani, Vakulabharana, Suryakanta, Natabhairavi, Bhava- pryia, Natakapriya, Harikambhoji, Gaurimanohari, Meehakalyani, Hemavathi. These Arohi-Avarohi combinations are expected to have a Raga in each one of them with further possibilities of 16 THE JOURNAL OF THE MUSIC ACADEMY [VOL. XIII

variations. It is to be noted that four Tivra Madhyama Melas are obtained and four Buddha Ma Melas are eliminated, Kokila- priya, Cakravakam, Kiravani and which seem to be based on a different system of symmetry. In addition to these, we have four Audava—and four Shadava- Sampurna bases which may be separately considered: I. Sa Ri Ga Ma Dha Ni sa: This is the Arohi of Parijata’s Marga Todi. It is now the Arohi of , though some use Pa in place of Ma. In its slightly altered form it is the base of our present Suddha Todi sometimes called Mianki Todi. It is in the Sampurna Form Sa Ri Ga Mam Pa Dha Ni sa that the Suddha Todi is sung and corresponds to Todi of the Pari­ jata. There can be little doubt about the fact that our present Todi Mela is a variation of the former Marga Todi into Todi Varali (iSubhapantuvarali of the South). In the Audava form Sa Ga Ma Dha Ni sa: in the Parijata’s (our ) and Khambavati. II. Sa Ri Ga Ma Dha Ni sa: is the Arohi used by Lalita of the Parijata, it is even now used in our present Lalit by some very good musicians. Its Audava variations Sa Ga Mam Dha Ni sa and Sa Ga Mam Dha Ni sa seem to have given us the Paraj, Vasant and Sohini Ragas. In its Shadava variation Sa Ri Ga Mam Dha Ni sa, it seems to have given us the bases of the Marva Mela Ragas where both Pa and Ma are plainly interpolated notes. III. Sa Ri Ga Ma Dha Ni sa: is an alternative Arohi of our Bagheshri. It was the Arohi of the Parijata’s Riti Gaud and Prasabha. As Sa Ga Ma Dha Ni sa, it is the base of Bageshri , |«:» }' group of Ragas. IV. Sa Ri Ga Ma Dha Ni sa: used in our present Sarparda. As Sa Ga Ma Dha Ni sa: it is or may be the base of the present Pancham-family Ragas though the Parijata’s Panchama used it with a changed Ni (Komala Ni). Now if we compare the Parijata’s Arohas with the above six forms of scales, we find many of the Ragas being covered by them: ■ •*. 1. The General Aroha Sa Ga Ma Pa Dha Ni sa: used in Malavasri (III),7 Bihangadah (IV ), Also Dhanashri (III), Kedari, Suralaya (IV )—Dropping Dha. 7 These figures indicate the number of the four Melas = Bhairavi (I), Bhairav (II), Kafi (III) and Bilawal ttV). PARTS I-IV] NORTH INDIAN RAGAS AND MELAS }7

2. Sa Ri Ma Pa Dha Ni sa with variation of Sa Ri Ma Pa Dha sa: Saindhava, Mallar (III), Mallarl (II), Gunakarl (II), Deshi and (II), Saver! (*IV), Gaud (IV ), Hangsa (II), Manjughosha (III)—Dropping Ni. The former variety: Salanga Nata (IV ), PahadI (II), Nada Ramakriya (II), Manavl (III). 3. Sa Ri Ga Pa Dha Ni sa and Sa Ri Ga Pa Dha sa: Bhupall, Bibhas, Ramakarl, Dlpak, Reva— (II) ; NarayanI, Kalyan, Vela- vali, Kambhodhi, Kudai, Kokila (IV ). 4. Has been already considered. 5. Sa Ri Ga Ma Pa Ni sa: Balahansa (IV ), Takka and Airavat are in other Melas. ' 6. Sa Ri Ga Ma Pa Dha sa: Bahula (II). Of the Sampurna Ragas, four are crowded in each of II and IV groups, and one in III. Next we shall consider the symmetry of scales about Sa-Pa, Ma-sa. Considering all arrangements of Sa Ri Ga Ma Pa within Sa-Pa we may find out the scales we get by their repetition from Ma to sa: 1. Sa Ri Ga Ma P a : Ma Pa Dha Ni sa: Harikambhoji or Khamaj Mela. 2. Sa Ri Ga Ma Pa: Ma Pa Dha Ni sa: Natabhairavi or Jaunpuri Mela. 3. Sa Ri Ga Ma P a : Ma Mam Dha Ni sa: This is unsym- metrical within Ma and Pa. 4. Sa Ri Ga Mam P a : Ma Pa Dha Ni sa: Meehakalyani or Kalyan. This should be regarded as symmetrical be­ cause Ma which is the reference point of the Uttaranga is not included in the scale. It stands only as a con­ cealed reference or tonic of Pa Dha Ni and sa. 5. Sa Ri Ga Ma Pa: Ma Mam Dha Ni sa: Unsymmetrical because like No. 3 a new note is introduced between Ma and Pa. 6. Sa Ri Ga Mam P a : Ma Mam Dha Ni sa: Marva or Gama­ nasrama: repeated from Pa it gives Pa Dha Ni: which gives Purvi or Kamavardhani. 7. Sa Ri Ga Mam P a : Ma Pa Dha Ni sa: Simhendra- madhyama. 8. Sa Ri Ga Mam Pa: Ma Mam Dha Ni sa: Subhapantu- varall or our Todi. 3 1 8 THE JOURNAL OF THE MUSIC ACADEMY [VOL. XIII

Thus under this system we have seven symmetrical scales, of which we use six and the remaining one, Simhendramadhyama is likely to be used. Thus including the first four, we have ten symmetrical scales, Bilawal, Kalyan, Khamaj, Kafi, Jaunpurl, Bhairavi, Bhairava, Puryl, Marva, and Todi, the ten in which the great majority of the Hindusthani Ragas have been classified by Pandit Bhatkhande.8 The natural advantage of these scales is that nearly all Shadava and Audava Arohis with the Sampurna Avarohi are able to give good tunes. As shown in the case of the first four scales the other six will give another twelve of the South Indian scales by interpolation. Now let us consider the symmetry of Audava scales: 9. Sa Ga Ma Par Ma Dha Ni sa: Repeated from Pa: Pa Ni sa. 10. Sa Ga Ma P a : Ma Dha Ni sa: Repeated from Pa: Pa Ni sa. 11. Sa Ga Mam Pa: Ma Dha Ni sa: Repeated from Pa: Pa Ni ri. 12. Sa Ga Mam Pa: Ma Dha Ni sa: Repeated from Pa: Pa Ni ri. 13. Sa Ri Ma Pa: Ma Pa Ni sa: Repeated from Pa: Pa Dha sa. 14. Sa Ri Ma Pa: Ma Mam Ni sa: Repeated from Pa: Pa Dha sa. 15. Sa Ri Mam P a : Ma Pa Ni sa: Repeated from P a : Pa Dha ri. 16. Sa Ri Mam P a : Ma Mam Ni sa: Repeated from Pa: Pa Dha ri. As we shall see presently these Pentatonic scales or Audava Arohis give us most important family-bases or Genus not to be found in the Sampurna scales, as they often have Audava Avarohis or obvious variations of them and not the Sampurna Melas. Thus we have the following very important Audava symmetrical Arohis: ' ! i 1. Sa Ga Ma (Pa) Dha Ni sa—Bageshri. Sa Ga Ma Pa Ni— . 8 These scales were shown to be symmetrical in my paper published in the Sanglta, (the former journal of the Marris College of Music, Lucknow, 1932), viz. ‘ The Scales of Hindusthan Music where the Descending Scales were also considered, PARTS I-IV] NORTH INDIAN RAGAS AND MELAS 1 9

2. Sa Ga Ma Dha Ni sa—Malkauns. Sa Ga Ma Pa Ni—. 3. Sa Ga Mam Pa Dha Ni sa—. Introduces a new note. 4. Sa Ga Mam Dha Ni sa— Hindol. Sa Ga Mam Pa Ni ri—Jetashri. 5. Sa Ri Ma Pa Ni sa— Sarang (Madhmiid). Sa Ri Ma Pa Dha sa—Sindura, Mallar and Desh. 6. Sa Ri Ma Pa Ni—Asavari. Sa Ri Ma Pa Dha sa—. 7. Sa Ri Mam Pa Ni sa— Sarang (Sudh). Introduces Komal ri. 8. Sa Ri Mam Pa Ni sa—Not used because Ni cannot be used without Ma. Sa Ri Mam Pa Dha ri—; hence importance of ri in Shree.

Next the repetition of Sa Ri Ga Pa gives us both Audava and Shadava scales: 1. Sa Ri Ga P a : Ma Pa Dha sa: Pa Dha Ni ri—thus giving Sa Ri Ga Pa Dha sa: Bhupall or Suddha Kalyan and Sa Ri Ga Pa Dha Ni—Bilawal. 2. Sa Ri Ga P a : Ma Mam Dha sa: Pa Dha Ni ri ri giving us Sa Ri Ga Pa Dha sa—Bibhas and Sa Ri Ga Pa Dha Ni— Triveni. 3. Sa Ri Ga P a : Ma Pa Dha sa: Pa Dha Ni ri giving Sa Ri Ga Pa Dha sa and Sa Ri Ga Pa Dha Ni (ri). Both Used in Khat Todi. 4. Gives us the Sa Ri Ga Pa Dha sa: base of Bilakshani.

This system of Audava and Shadava symmetrical Arohis give us 19 bases covering all the Ten Sampurna Melas and with plenty of scope for interpolation which would yield various other Melas. Thus the Genus-species system of Hindusthani Music is really dependent on these Audava and Shadava Arohi Melas or ascend­ ing scales giving us the following Raga-names: Bageshri (or Khamaj), Bihag, Malkauns, Bhimpalasi, Multani, Hindol, Jetashri, Shree, Madhmad, Sarang, Mallar (or Desh), Asavari, Jogiya; Bhupall (or Sudh Kalyan), Bilawal, Bibhas, Triveni, Khat and Bilaskhani (Parijata’s Bhupali hence should be called BhupaJ To$i). From, the point of view of similarity of form, there is i \ y

2 0 THE JOURNAL OF THE MUSIC ACADEMY • [VOL. XIII scarcely any Raga in Hindusthani Music which cannot be regarded as derived from one or more of these, though it must be remem­ bered that Avarohis have also much influence in determining the character of Ragas; hence the importance of Sampurna Melas as Avarohi Melas i.e. in the Avaroha.

(To be continued)

FOR MUSIC “ For music sweet can pour Into the soul a harmony divine, That like a heavenly choir wakes in the heart A thousand voices! ” — Victor Hugo, Hernani, V. iii. ‘ SOME LEADING.MUSIC SYSTEMS

BY

C. S. A yyar Professor Bhatkhande of Bombay, whose name is so largely connected with the revival of Hindustani Music in Northern India, hardly needs an introduction to lovers of that school of music. The book under review brings together a series of articles previously published in the journal “ Sangita ” of the Harris College of Hindustani Music, Lucknow, as well as some hitherto unpublished articles and has a foreword from the pen of Mr. S. N. Ratanjankar, the principal of Harris College, one of the pVofessor’s pupils. The book gives a summary of 16 important Sanskrit works on music, of which four relate to Karnatic music. In this article I shall mostly deal with Lochana Pandit’s “ Raga Tarangini ” (1400 A.D.), Ahobala’s * Sangita Parijata ’ (1650 A.D.) Ramamatya’s ‘ Svara-Mela-Kalanidhi ’ (1550 A.D.) and Somanatha’s “ Raga-Vibodha ” (1609 A.D.) the first two being typical of Hindustani Music, and the latter two of Karnatic Music. 2. The summary of each treatise discusses the place of birth, living etc., of the author and the probable date of the work, where there is some doubt, adducing evidence thereto, if any, and sets forth the explanation of “ Srutis ” and “ Svaras ” , as detailed in each individual grantha of the thatas (scales or mela ragas) and their (derivative) ragas, with a short summary of the particular svaras entering into the linear representation of the mela ragas. The book is mainly intended for the benefit of students of Hindustani music, since modern Hindustani equivalent names for the ancient names of * ‘ Suddha ’ ’ and ‘ * Vikriti ’ ’ svaras have been given in the charts in Sanskrit characters. To my mind, the book will be understood only by advanced students of music, who have got a good grounding in the practice of musical art, whether Hindustani or Karnatic. There is one good feature in the author’s presentation in English, namely that, below the quotations of selected Eanskrit passages from each treatise, there is a literal translation thereof; and the observations of the author * This is a review of the book “ A comparative study of some of the leading music systems of the 15th, 16th, 17th and 18th centuries” by V. N. Bhatkhande, b.a., ix .b. (Published by Mrs. Malinibai Sukthankar, Malabar Hill, Bombay). Pages 112 -j- 2—price Rs. 2-8-0. 2 2 THE JOURNAL OF THE MUSIC ACADEMY [VOL. XIII on the said quotations are set forth in distinctive and separate paragraphs. It is the author’s conviction that ‘ ‘ the study of any art is incomplete without a study of the progress, whicii it has made, which again is of material assistance in the study of the art as it exists. ” Y es; certainly, Music in its broader aspects is a phenomenon of prolonged social growth. This conviction has involved him in a labour of love, and a considerable amount of time and energy in the preparation of this comprehensive thesis. The difficulty in understanding these works has been very great indeed, as oral tradition as to the meaning of the words used has been lost to us. Every student and artiste of both Hindustani and Karnatic music should, therefore, considerably benefit by a study of this book.

3. No one doubts today the cultural unity of Indian music, Hindustani and Karnatic. Nay even the seven words “ shadja ” , “ rishaba ” , “ gandhara ” , “ madhyama ” , “ panchama ” , “ dhai- vata ” , and “ nishada ” extant from the days of Panini give us proof of the cultural unity of the . Both Hindustani and Karnatic allege to follow only one tradition of ’s “ Natya Vastra ” and Saraiigadeva’s ” Sangita Eatnakara ” in respect of svaras and srutis, (just as the Vedas are said to be the inspiration of the six systems of philosophy) though owing to the period and place, the local exponents of the art have given their own names to the srutis and svaras, as music was gradually evolving both in the North and South of India, each in its own individual way, the former being affected by the Persian tradition and the latter without such a contact during the periods of musical history which the author surveys. From the study of the 16 treatises the author finds evidence that there has been a good amount of interchange of ideas between the exponents of both schools of music. The author says that Ahobala (1650 A.D.) expounding Hindustani music must have read the works of Ramamatya (1550 A.D.) and Somanatha (1609 A .D .)— writers on Karnatic music. 4. Every scholar has, however, maintained and bowed to the sanctity of the 22 srutis— and no more— in the octave or sthayl, the shadja, suddha madhyama and panchama, being respectively considered the 4th, the 13th and the 17th sruti of the 22 srutis, and both these systems have come at last to the use of the twelve frets in the octave, of the vlna, the one national instrument, if I may say so. It is the spirit of rationalisation in art that has made every artiste and scholar find reason in the several musical PARTS I-IV] SOME LEADING MUSIC SYSTEMS 23 pitches employed in the various ragas (melody types) evolved in this land of ours, by the enunciation of the 22 srutis in the octave. 5. For the benefit of the general reader, it may be stated that the seven “ Suddha ” svaras in the earlier periods of musical history were taken as the last of the number of Srutis allotted to each svara. However, from the time of Lochana Pandit (1400 A.D.) the vlna players had come to recognise that Sa was the open string and that the 22nd sruti should give the higher shadja, (i.e.,) if anyone is to tune the vlna by frets up to 22 frets to the octave. In practice, however, they have always restricted the number of frets to be placed under the playing strings, and they have never been over 12 frets to the octave or sthayl, the meru (the head) itself not being counted among the frets to be placed. If Sa is the meru of the vlna, suddha Ma has been counted as the 9th sruti, Pa as the 13th sruti and the higher shadja as the 22nd sruti from the very commencement of the periods of musical history under discussion; and they had never changed the sruti positions of shadja, suddha madhyama (or the true fourth), panchama (or the truth fifth) and higher shadja (the octave), for they are easily recognisable all the world over. That is to say, the recognition of the distinctive rise in pitches from shadja has come to prevail. Hence the Madras Music Academy, in the year 1929, designated them, in relation to the practical music of today, as: Sa, R 1} R2, R3, R4, Gj, G2, G3, G4, M4, M2, M3, M4, Pa, D 1? D2, D3, D4, Nx, N2, N3, N4. R representing rishaba, G, gandhara, M, madhyama, D, dhaivata, N, nishada, the variation of each of the five svaras, Ri, Ga, Ma, Dha, Ni (used in svara singing) being 4 each in character, Sa and Pa being unchangeable in the melody (i.e.,) (5X4)+2 = 22 (More of this later).

6. In almost the last page of his book, Prof. Bhatkhande has recognised the indefinite method of describing the suddha svaras in vogue in all these texts. He observes that the terminology will have to be improved by describing the svaras in terms of the length of the speaking wire or vibrational values. Such an attempt has been made by me already in my book “ The Grammar of Karnatic Music ” and I would ask my Hindustani readers to peruse the book. True, I have followed the scientist Helmholts’s ideas on the subject, and my own conviction as a practical violinist is that the vlna players had also come to recognise, besides the 2 4 THE JOURNAL OF THE MUSIC ACADEMY [VOL. XIII

Sa and Pa, twenty definite pitches in the octave, either in the operation of fixing the 12 frets in hard wax to the octave under the strings, or in actual play.

7. We have to take the whole world with us, and I am afraid, We cannot get away from the idea of flats (komala) and sharps (tivra) in svaras, which is prevalent in North India, nay, all the world over. It would, therefore, be preferable to denote the srutis or pitches as under: Sa, (rij, ri2), (Rij, Ri2), (ga^ ga2), (Ga^ Ga2), (Malf Ma2), (ma1} ma2). Pa, (da1? da2), (Da1( Da2), (nij, ni2), (Ni1} Ni2) and higher shadja. That is to say, the particular 12 svara sthanas (positions) which come out of the vlna by the frets are really twins. As explained in my book, those pitches with suffix (1) arise when we go on raising the pitches by Sa—Ma intervals and similarly, the pitches with suffix (2) are reached when we proceed by Sa— Pa intervals, there being a sort of irreconcilability in going by the two processes. In the above symbols, the European diatonic scale— i.e.— the or tire suddha scale of the present-day Hindustani music, or the Karnatic Sabkar.ibharana scale, has been represented by me by the capital letters of the English alphabet (i.e.,) Sa, Ri, Ga, Ma, Pa, Da, Ni.—the other five notes ri, ga, ma, da, ni by the small letters of the English alphabet to denote the komala svaras or sharp, as the case may be, to represent, as it were, the black frets of the piano. Their pitches will, as per mathematical calculation, be of relative frequencies:— T (2561243, 16\15), (10\9, 0|8), (32|27, 6\5), {5\4, 81|64) (4\3, 27(20), (45132, 64(45), 3\2, (128(81, 8\5), (5\3, 27(16), (16(9, 9\5), (15\8, 243(128), •md 2. the pitches within brackets differing by a frequency ratio of 81180— a comma, as it is called in European music, except for a small difference of two cents in the pitch ma. 8. There is no doubt whatsoever, of the pitches underlined, being in use in our actual music of today, as they are very simple ratios. But as regards others, precise scientific work will have to be undertaken since the complex ratios look unlikely to har­ monise or mingle with shadja, as the melodic music all over India is somehow attuned to shadja, as the ear feels it. But there is no PARTS I-IV ] SOME LEADING MUSIC SYSTEMS 26 doubt whatsoever of the existence of some pitches in those legions. The possible harmonic pitches have been mentioned by me in my book.- All the charts of the earlier texts in the book un der review will become clearer to the reader if * Chandovatl ’ is regarded as Sa and the subsequent 21 srutis, as per symbols shown in para 7 above. 1 . ,■ ; j ,

9. I have stated in my book that many of the frets on the vlna are re-checked in the process of fretting by listening to the upper partials, as for example, in the svaras of higher shadja at half the string, of panchama at one-third, suddha madhyama at one-fourth, antara gandhara (re-named by me as antargata gandhara) at one-fifth, and the tri-sruti dhaivata at two-fifths of the shadja string, all the distances being reckoned from the meru. The upper partials here are in higher octaves, being the svaras with relative frequencies as under: Sa— 2| Pa— 31 Sa— 4| Ga—5 and Ga— 5 respectively. It may be noted that-Sa is heard at the Ma fret and Ga at the Dha fret. Similar frets are placed on the lower Pa string, giving when fully damped, the svaras Pa, Ri2, Sa, Ni1? and Ga1; respec­ tively. The upper partials on the Pa string will bear the same frequency relation to Pa and they will be heard as svaras Pa, Ri2, Pa, Nij, and Nix respectively.

10. Suffice it to say from my present study of these books I cannot find anywhere any mention that upper partials were heard by these text-book writers attthe antargata gandhara, and the tri-sruti dhaivata frets. It may, perhaps, be a later develop­ ment in the matter of fixing the frets than even the Sangita saramrta (1783 A.D.). For, as I have observed in my book, there are only three notes which have not been fixed by listening to the upper partials, namely, pratimadhyama—ma— , kaisiki nishada— ni— and sadarana gandhara—ga— , according to modern Karnatic notation, or tivra madhyama, komala nishada and komala gandhara according to modern Hindustani notation. I may add here that the first two frets of the Sa string have been fixed at the relative frequencies 16j 15—ri2—and 10|9—R i!—, and similarly the first twro frets on the Pa, string at 8)5 (da2) and 5(3 Dax, respectively.

11. The reader should pardon my digression into some portion of the contents of my book, but the matter is somewhat relevant to the understanding of Lochana Pandit ’s suddha scales and thdtas in relation to the existing Karnatic music of today. 4 26 THE JOURNAL OF THE MUSIC ACADEMY [VOL. XIII

I was not quite satisfied with the symbols given by the Madras Music Academy for the srutis, because they do not connote the suddha and the komala svaras according to the modern Hindustani notation and I thought the notation of 12 svaras Sa, ri, Ri, ga, Ga, Ma, ma, Pa, da, Da, ni, Ni would be simpler to the Northern Indian readers, and the suffixes 1 and 2 to the respective svaras would denote the slight variations in each of them. I have said there was an irreconcilability in the notes of the Sa and Pa strings of the vlna, and I should leave it to the reader to find out for himself what irreconcilable notes have been allowed to remain on the Sa and Pa strings. I should quote only one example. The Ri on Sa string is 10|9 or Rij, while the Ri on Pa string is 9|8 or Ri2. 12. The frets, therefore, on the shadja string have been placed at the srutis represented by (as I fix them by musical comparison): ri2, Rii, ga1? Galf Maj, ma^ Pa, da2, Dalf nilf Nix, and Sa The reason is now apparent why the South Indian vlna is called Madhyama-Mela vlna, because the notes therein are with suffixes 1, except for ri and da. This fretting probably dates from the days of Ramamatya (1550 A.D.).

13. The suddha scale as understood by Lochana Pandit, the author of ‘ Raga Tarangini ’, namely, the svaras in the ancient Bhairavi, consist of the following:— Sa, Rii, ga1} Max, Pa, Da^ ni^ This scale, I can honestly say, is preserved in the svaras of the ascent, in the Karnatic Bhairavi of today.

14. The suddha scale of Ahobala (1650 A.D.), as detailed in his ‘ Sangita Parijata ’ and as denoted by the lengths of the vibrating wire is:— Sa, Ri2, ga2, Ma!, Pa, Da2, ni2. Both these ragas (mentioned here and at para 13) are stated to be the Hindustani Kafi Thata by Mr. Bhatkhande— vide pages 17 and 28; but the Karnatic school has retained the difference in their music.

It is clear that Ahobala’s measurement for his suddha dhaivata has been re-interpreted according to the later Hrdaya’s book, which says that it should be determined by Shadja and Panchama basis from Ri2. It is necessary, in this connection, to draw attention to a few misprints. PARTS I-IV] SOME LEADING MUSIC SYSTEMS

(1) In the chart in page 14, Komala Dhaivata should have been shown against sruti, Rohini, as has been mentioned in ‘ obser­ vation ’ line 6, page 15, just as Komala Risiiaba is shown against Ranjam, because they should be one sruti lower than Ramya (suddha dhaivata) and Raktika (Suddha rishaba) respectively according to the old nomenclature. (2) Page 28.— The length of the wire against comparative vibration 405, should be 21£ against dha, and not 21J as printed. (3) Page 35.—Against 480, in line 12, Sa should have been shown, and not ga.

It is not also clear how tlie vibrational values of komal ri komal dha have been determined by the author as of frequencies 18117 and its Panchama. These according to the distances given at page 29 do not depend upon the re-interpreted length of Dhaivata (suddha). They would stand at frequencies 27125 and 18jll respectively, according *to Ahobala’s measurements, as also Hrdaya’s. The re-interpreted measurement of Dhaivata affects only the values of svaras Ga, ma and Ni according to my nomen­ clature.

15. The Karnatic school of music is thankful that there is at least one genuine scholar of Indian Music, who would advocate the study of Karnatic music by Hindustani musicians. For, indeed, it has been my sad experience that Karnatic music is not appreciated by the Northerner even in recent years. I know too well that the best of South Indian savants are not listened to by the Northerners during their visits at Delhi, Calcutta or Bombay to give their performances before South Indian listeners in these stations. At the 5th Music Conference, University of Allahabad, 1934, I had occasion to speak on the subject of South Indian musical scales, and suggested that experiments in musical pieces on the South Indian scales may be attempted by some of tlie Northern Indian composers {vide page 89 of the proceedings). Again, in 1935 at the 6th Allahabad University Music Conference, I advocated the discarding of the harmonium by Northern musicians (and even M. Fyaz Khan, the great vocalist, had this accompaniment), which I compared with shackles on the human voice akin to wooden shoes on Chinese girls’ feet, hindering the development and the on-coming in maturity, of the most thrilling experiences of melodic music, namely, the sruti jnana or tlie knowledge of Microtonal pitches, and that in the present state of Indian melodic achievement, the South Indian vlna alone is 2 $ THE JOURNAL OF THE MUSIC ACADEMY [VOL. XIII

capable of a complete similarity to ‘ vocal ’ expression— vide page 126 of tbe proceedings. I felt that my speech was a cry in the wildnerness, and I was dubbed an idealist by the Chairman. I am now gratified to find that the author suggests in the penulti­ mate paragraph of his book (page 112) a similar study of South Indian music by the Hindustani musicians. The radio, which had also recently eschewed the harmonium in its recitals, may go a long way to familiarise the northerners with Karnatic music, but there is one desideratum for such a study. The northerner should begin to handle.the South Indian vlna (as depicted in Ravi Varma’s picture of Sarasvati) for their performance of music, and then only would such a study be in earnest. The Karnatic Simhendra Madhyama raga, for instance, is being familiarised to some extent in the present day by Sri Narayana Rao Vyas, a pupil of the late Digambar, another eclectic savant of Bombay, whose schools of music are famous at Lahore and other places.

16. It is not possible for me to deal with the technical aspect and the growth of music, say from the days of Lochana Pandit’s * Raga Tarangini ’ to Maharaja Tulajirao Bhonsle’s ‘ Sangita Saramrta ’ since I know only a little of Hindustani music. I f the North Indian pan appreciate the musical differences between Lochana Pandit’s suddha scale (ancient Bhairavi) and Ahobala’s suddha scale, both of which are stated to be modern Kafi thata by the author at pages 17 and 28, he will have gone a long way to understand South Indian music. Lochana Pandit’s ancient Bhairavi is even today preserved, as I have already said, in the svaras in ascent of the South Indian Bhairavi of the current day, along with the komala dhaivata, which that author complains of as incorrect, but is being used now only in the descent. The two scales differ except for Sa, Ma and Pa perhaps by only a comma (i.e.,) the frequency ratio 81(80. Ahobala’s Kafi Thata is akin to the modem kharahara priya raga of South India in which for the first time in Indian musical history with the seven svaras of that raga, both in ascent and descent, were composed by the great .

17. John Dewey, an American philosopher, in his “ Art as Experience ” says, “ the history of musical forms is on one side the history of the invention of instruments and the practice of the instrumentation, etc.” Similarly, I may affirm that the South Indian Madhyama Mela vipa, inaugurated with its 12 frets PARTS I-IV] SOME LEADING MUSIC SYSTEMS to the octave by Ramamatya in 1550 and still in use today, fretted, as I have already described it, has been responsible for the pre­ servation in its pristine purity, Lochana Pandit’s Bhairavi of 1400 A.D. in the South Indian music halls today. For, the communicable content of music is predominantly the sound itself. The placing of the twelve resonant strings (beside the playing strings) in Northern Indian music instruments has had its repur- cussions in Hindustani music of today and Srinivas, author of Raga Tatva Vibodha, positively disallows the use of the remaining 1.0 srutis in the matter of melas, even as Venkatamakhin of a later day.

18. I should also draw the attention of the reader to the fact that the Mukharl scale and Kanakangi scale are not alike in South Indian music. Sometime after the days of Venkatamakhin, the Kanakangi scale came to be designated as the suddha scale, for reasons which I shall explain shortly. The present raga is a janya raga in the South Indian Bhairavi scale taking both the ancient suddha dhaivata—Da*—in ascent and the komala dhaivata —da2— in descent, according to my nomenclature.

19. If I may import a European musical word, the first two frets of the vina on the Shadja and Panchama strings are placed by the introversion of a harmonic major third (frequency 5|4 or Gax) and of a harmonic (relative frequency 6|5 or ga2) respectively, from the frets of suddha madhyama and shadja of the two strings. That is to say, the first two frets are placed as already stated, so as to give the frequencies 16|15 and 10|9 (i.e.,) Dvisruti rishabha, and Trisruti rishabha alias Suddha Gandhara (modern karnatic nomenclature) on the shadja string; while on the panchama string, the first two frets give out the srutis Dvi sruti dhaivata, and Trisruti dhaivata alias Suddha nishada (modern Karnatic nomenclature) with frequencies 8|5 and 5|3 respectively. That is why the kanakangi scale is called the suddha scale in South India, giving the lowest of the svaras for rishaba and gandhara. The fact is that in South Indian music of today, there is a lot of introversion by the human voice, in reaching certain pitches of the melody from Sa, Ma and Pa as the vina player and the violinist know quite well. I may add here about shat-sruti rishaba and shat-sruti dhaivata in modern Karnatic nomenclature. They are of frequencies 6|5 and 9|5 or ga2, and ni2 respectively. ii ii. ,„ ' '•"______

Bo THE JOURNAL OF THE MUSIC ACADEMY [VOL. XIII

20. I should like to give at this stage an extract from the Madras Music Academy’s pamphlet regarding the characteristic srutis entering certain ragas and where there has been a fair consensu* of opinion among the experts. I have given it following my nomenclature so that the komala and suddha svaras according to the Hindustani svara names are easily discernible. Shadja. In all ragas. rii Gaula r i2 Mayamalavagaula Rii Kambhoji and Bhairavi Ri2 Kalyani ga! Bhairavi and Todi ga2 Kharaharapriya Ga! Sahkarabharana and Kambhoji Ga2 Kalyani Max Ordinarily in most of the Suddha Madhyama Ragas Ma2 Begada max Purva Kalyani ma2 Varali and Pa In ail ragas where Panchama is not varja dax Saverl da2 Mayamalavagaula and Todi Dax Kambhoji Da2 Kalyani nii Kambhoji and Bhairavi ni2 Kharaharapriya Nii Sahkarabharana and Mayamalavagaula Ni2 Kalyani and Kuranjl 21. I give below what under this notation will be thethatas (mela ragas) of Lochana Pandit.

ANCIENT SCALES. ! 1. Bhairavi:— Sa, Rii, gax, Mai, Pa, Da^ nix. It will be seen from the extract already given that R 1} galt aii, are extant in the Karnatic Bhairavi of today.

2. To$i:— Sa, ri2, ga1} Ma1} Pa, da2, nilt This corresponds to the Karnatic todi of today and tlie srutis ga1} da2, are extant in the raga—vide extract above. PARTS I-IV] SOME LEADING MUSIC SYSTEMS 3!

3. Gaiuri:— Sa, ri2, Ga1? Ma, Pa, da2, Nii. This corresponds to the Karnatic Mayamalava gaula of today and the srutis ri2, da2, and Nilt are extant today, in the raga— vide extract. 4. Karndt:— Sa, Rii, Ga1? Ma, Pa, Dax, nij. This corresponds to the Karnatic Kambhoji of today. It may be noted that all the srutis Ri*, Gat, Da^ nix, are the same, as of ancient days.

5. Keddra:—Sa, Rii, Ga1? Mal5 Pa, Dai, Ni^ This corresponds to the Karnatic Sahkarabharana of today and the srutis Gax, and Nix are extant in the raga.

6. Imari:— Sa, Rii, Ga’j, ma!, Pa, Dai, Nix. This roughly corresponds to the Karnatic Kalyani of today and it will be noticed that according to the extract the Srutis have all increased by a comma and they have now become Ri2, Ga2, Da2, Ni2. I believe, however, that in the of Syama Sastri the srutis R ix, and Da!, are more discernible than in the compositions of others. 7. Sarang:—Sa, Rii, Ma, ma!, Pa> nii> Nix. This is a new feature. In this raga the Suddha madhyama has been styled as ati tivratama 1 ga ’ and the nii, has been called tlvratara 1 dha ’ so that two notes of the same deno­ mination are not allowed to appear in the same scale. It is this principle, coming down from the 15th century, which has made the South Indian musicians to enunciate the Kanakangi gandhara, which is really either Trisruti or Catussruti ‘ Ri ’ even as the the Suddha gandhara. 8. Megha:—Sa, Rii, Gai, Max, nii, Nii. This corresponds to , the 30th mela in the 72 mela-karta scheme. Here also the ni has been termed the dhaivata, as in Sarang. 9. Dhanasri:— Sa, ri2, Gai, max, Pa, da2, Nit. This is .the vardhanl of Karnatic music of today, except that the Gandhara and the Madhyama have gone a Sruti sharper now a days.

10. P u r v a Sa, Rix, Ga^ maj, Pa, nij, Nit. Lochana Pandit’s description of this raga takes Da2, instead of ni^. But Ahobala’s description of the raga hag 32 THE JOURNAL OP THE MUSIC ACADEMY [VOL. XIII

been given above, which will correspond to our raga Citrambari, which is the 66th mela, in the 72 mela-kartha scheme.

11. Mukhari or {Suddha Mukhari) :— Sa, Rilf ga1} Maj, Pa, da2, nij. These are the srutis in the descent of the Karnatic Bhairavi raga of today, and these very svaras occur also in the descent of the present Mukhari raga of South India. 12. Dipaka:— The author has given no definition. It will be seen that this raga had already gone out of use in Lochana Pandit’s time.

22. From the above, an important inference can be drawn and that is, that the Karnatic musie of today has kept alive the ancient Hindu tradition to a very large extent. As a student of South Indian Music, I should like to say some­ thing special regarding Ramamatya and Somanatha, but I should prefer to do so in another article.

“ The heart, as one knows too well, can be taken by the loss of love, out of Nature, out of Literature, out of everything except Music, which, in its strange absoluteness, lifts even desolateness itself into the realm of the ecstatically accepted.”

>:.rr «—Culture and L ove; John Cowper Powys, MUSIC IN TRAINING SCHOOLS*

P rof. P. Sambamurti Music ought to be taught compulsorily in all training schools. In addition to the course in pedagogy, the prospective men and women teachers should be given further training in Music. Those who have not done sufficient music before, should be given special coaching and made to come up (as far as is practicable) to the level of the other students. It will be a pity, if a person who is passed off as a qualified teacher, is not conversant with even the fundamentals of music and music teaching. Since Elementary schools, particularly in the mofussil, cannot afford to have separate music teachers on their staff, the task of teaching music has to be undertaken by the non-specialist teacher. The first year in the Training school may profitably be occupied with lectures on Musicology including Acoustics, Physiology of the Voice, Appreciation, Prosody, Musical Instruments and History of Indian Music. The students should be allotted different classical compositions and asked to prepare Appreciation essays on them. Each student can read the essay in the class, preceded or followed by the performance of the composition. The students should be encouraged to offer criticisms on these essays, the lecturer giving his own remarks at the conclusion of the class. The Appreciation classes give the students an opportunity not only for critical thinking but also for properly assessing the beauties underlying classical compositions. In addition to lectures on musicology and Appreciation classes, about 15 to 20 classical compositions, judiciously chosen and illustrative of different ragas, talas and composers and not less than 20 simple songs capable of being taught to lower classes, should be covered during the Practical periods. The second year may be occupied with lectures on the pedagogy of Music (about 60 lectures ought to suffice), preparation of musical charts by students, observation of music classes held in the school and the giving of model lessons by the students to the pupils of lower classes under the supervision of the lecturer in charge of music. Early in the year the music teacher should plan out a graded series of lessons covering both the Technical * Continued from the previous volume. 5 3 4 THE JOURNAL OF THE MUSIC ACADEMY [VOL. XIII

and Melodic portions and see that each student gets a chance to teach not less than 3 times during the year. While one pupil- teacher teaches, the rest should carefully observe and write notes of criticism, the remarks being supplemented by the observations of the Lecturer at the close. The non-teaching students should not remain as mere spectators, but should note down the merits and defects of the lessons given. The training students may practise teaching in a class attached to the school itself or may go to another school for the purpose. Sometimes children become victims to faulty teaching on the part of a few incompetent pupil-teachers, but this however cannot be helped. There have been instances when the cleverer pupils of the class, corrected the pupil-teachers. The children have the unique experience of a new teacher coming to them every day to teach music. Even ' under those circumstances, the pupils are bound to make progress as long as there is a continuity and scheme in the planning of these lessons. ; 1 * 1 ! i Where a special model class is got up for the purpose, sweets may be given to the children every day as an incentive to their continued attendance and prizes may be awarded at the end of the course to those pupils who kept the maximum attendance and made good progress.

It is not uncommon to find in a training class, a few students who are not good in music, but who for some reason or other are very popular wiht the rest of the class. When such a student comes to give model lessons, there is the irresistible temptation on the part of the observing pupil-teachers to help their friend by prompting to him the portions of the song, which he conveniently happens to forget. They even beckon to the children to attend well, respond correctly to the phrases taught and so on. The supervisor should not allow such things to take place in the interest of discipline.

In spite of the fact that the pupil-teachers prepare their lessons well and have observed previously a number of lessons given by experienced teachers in their school, they commit funny and avoidable mistakes during their lessons. It is not an uncommon experience to' find the cleverer children of a model class respond­ ing correctly even though the pupil-teacher teaches a song or a phrase wrongly. The children even lead the teacher in rhythm, sometimes. The position of the pupil-teacher becomes awkward on such occasions. PARTS I-IV ] MUSIC IN TRAINING SCHOOLS 3 5

Once a pupil-teacher while beginning to give a model lesson sang the sruti svaraa: sd pd and sd with the vowel ending ai instead of d. The children had a hearty laugh, enjoyed the fun and repeated.the sruti svaras exactly as sai, pai, sai imitating even the nasal sound of the teacher. Since that time, whenever that teacher happened to pass by the pupils, the latter who loved -the joke either sang sai pai sai to the hearing of the teacher or mildly whispered to each other ‘ ‘ Look! look! sai-pai is going. ’ ’

It is desirable that a pupil-teacher giving a lesson gets the help of another pupil-teacher to provide the drone accompaniment during the lesson. The pupil-teacher intending to give a model lesson would do well to bear in mind the following hints and suggestions?— 1. He should be thorough with the piece he proposes to teach. 2. He should prepare the notes of lessons relating to the piece well- 3. He should maintain a cheerful disposition right through the lesson. 4. He should maintain his presence of mind and should not get excited. 5. He should neither look serious nor .laugh frequently 6. He should never put up a hideous look as such looks result in frightening children. 7. He should be earnest and keep the class lively. 8. He should not stand motionless-like a statue at one corner or even at some place in front of the students while giving the lesson. This results in inattention on the part of children at the other end or at the back and some of them may even go to sleep. 9. He should malfe the fullest use of the blackboard, using coloured chalk where necessary to illustrate the various points relevant to the lesson and also use Charts and other Aids relevant to the lesson. 10. He should properly plan out the lesson, allotting time even for possible questions from pupils and be able to finish the lesson within the time allotted. 11. He should talk in a sufficiently loud tone so as to be heard by the entire class. 3 6 THE JOURNAL OF THE MUSIC ACADEMY tVOL. XIII

12. He should attend to the posture of children first and then start singing the sruti svaras. He should also finish the lesson with the sruti svaras. 13. He should see if the response of all the children is satisfactory. 14. He should be able to spot out the musically weaker pupils and properly attend to them. 15. I f the children experience a difficulty in grasping a ( ' particular line or avarta, he should teach that part well before proceeding further. There is no meaning in his merely finishing the work if the children are not going to profit by the lesson. 16. As preliminary to the actual teaching of a song, the teacher should sing the whole song once and make the children listen to it. He should sing slowly and impressively and not do the thing in a hurried manner as a mere formality. If the children listened to the piece with attention, their response to the subsequent teaching of portions of the song will be very encourag­ ing, They will learn the piece in less time. While the entire class sings together, the teacher should concentrate off and on, on the different sections of , , the class by going near them and listening to them. Sometimes a teacher begins with interrogating the pupils thus, “ Do you know the raga of this song? ” How can they be expected to know the raga of a new piece which he is proposing to teach? 17. He should not proceed with the lesson at break-neek speed. 18. He should not commit mistakes, during the course of the lesson. Once a mistake is committed, it becomes awkward for him to say “ Oh! I am sorry, etc.’ ' If a mistake is committed, let him rectify himself and proceed with the lesson. 19. If sometimes happens that a pupil-teacher forgets the Sahitya of some portions of the song and then tries to improvise funny sahitya in their places— a very serious error. This shows bad preparation. 20. He must avoid singing the anupallavi or portions thereof, an octave lower down. He must choose the proper pitch for his voice. PARTS I-IV] MUSIC IN TRAINING SCH60LS

If the pitch of the class is at variance with his own pitch, he may adopt the following procedure:—While singing the whole song first, in order to give an idea of it to the children, he may sing it in his own pitch. While teaching the song however, he should sing and teach only in the class pitch. 21. The pupil-teacher should avoid all kinds of mannerisms. 22. While teaching the svara exercises, he should stick to the correct sequence of the exercises- 23. There should be a naturalness about the lesson. lie should avoid overdoing things. He should also avoid running hither and thither frequently. 24. A dull lesson makes the pupils go to sleep. They get bored and eagerly await the close of the lesson. 25. I f the children do not possess music books, the pupil- teacher would do well to prepare cyclostyle copies of the song he proposes to teach and give them to the pupils or he may have the song written on the black­ board and ask the pupils to look at it and sing. 26. Wherever possible and relevant, he may attempt correla­ tion with other lessons. While the lesson is being given, the teacher or the lecturer-in- charge should note down particulars regarding the following points and properly assess the merits of the pupil-teacher:— (а) If he is an energetic, patient, persevering, impressive and capable teacher. (б) If he is clever in interesting the children. (c) His ability to contact and control the class. (d) His personality, manner, voice and technical skill. (e) His powers of exposition- (/) His capacity to render the piece in an effective, attractive and polished manner. (g) Preparation and plan of the lesson. (h) Use of teaching aids and the blackboard. (i) Position in the class. (j) Questions.

Lectures on, and Practical Training as far as'possible on the following topics should also be given to the pupil-teachers:— 1. Organisation of school choirs, orchestras, music clubs, musical evenings, variety entertainments,concert 38 THE JOURNAL OF THE MUSIC ACADEMY [VOL. XIII

pageants, music exhibitions, festivals of great com- posers, musical competitions and inter-school demonstra­ tions of music. 2. Staging of operas and incidents that led to famous compositions. A number of songs useful for the Morning Assembly Prayers should also be taught to them. Pupil-teachers should be asked to attend well conducted children’s concerts, musical competitions and demonstrations of music.

In addition to the class-room lectures and demonstration lessons by the pupil-teachers, the teacher-in-charge of the Music section of a Training School should aim at some major musica] activity during every year:— 1. With the help of the histrionically talented pupils and with the co-operation of the school choir and orchestra he may get up an opera. 2. Or, an Exhibition of musical instruments, musical charts, diagrams and other teaching devices may be arranged for. 3. Or, the Celebration of the Festival of some great composer may be arranged for. In addition to the recital of the composer’s compositions on the occasion, a few interesting episodes from his life may be enacted. Circumstances that led to some of his com­ positions may also be staged.

EXAMINATION In addition to oral questions, and monthly and periodical tests, it is essential that the Music teacher should hold written examina­ tions on the theory of music in addition to Practical tests for all the classes, towards the end of each year. Whereas Practical tests can be given to all the classes, written tests can be given to the pupils of V standard and above at the discretion of the teacher. In the lower classes, in the written tests, the pupils may be asked to reproduce the alankaras and gltas learnt by them and also the bare sahityas of the songs learnt by them, marking the constituent angas and avartas of the songs correctly. They may be asked to specify the names of svaras, names of the composers of the songs learnt by them, modes of reckoning the Adi and Rupaka talas and other such Very simple questions. In the higher classes, the first line of a new alankara may be given and the pupils asked to complete the same- The theoretical and practical examinations are an important factor in stimulating the students towards a PARTS I-IV] MUSIC IN TRAINING SCHOOLS better performance and result in the improvement of standards. Especially in the case of Municipalities and District Boards and Missionary Bodies under whose management, a number of schools function, these common tests contribute to the regularisation of standards. The written papers give an opportunity to the teacher to know if his own pupils had grasped things correctly. The funny and ingenious answers given by some students, not infre­ quently provokes a hearty laugh in the examiner and incidentally helps to relieve the tediousness of valuation. While returning the answer papers, the teacher should comment on the mistakes committed by the' pupils. These comments will also serve to clarify the hazy notions present in the minds of the other pupils of the class.

In the Practical Examination, he has the opportunity to listen to the individual performances of the candidates and this helps him to assess^ the merits of his pupils properly. He is able to clearly see the weak points and strong points of his pupils, and also who are strong in rhythm and who are weak, and who possess a settled and clear voice and who need special attention. He notices clearly the wdiims and peculiarities of their voices and can suggest suitable remedies for their improvement. The mistakes committed by his own pupils at the Practical Examinations serve as a pointer to his faulty teaching. He becomes a wiser man, adjusts better his methods of teaching and the result is thus beneficial to both the teacher and the taught. It is not an infrequent experience for the music teacher to discover to his horror, that a piece so well taught by him is practically twisted out of all shape by incapable pupils. Yet a few others negligently sharpen or flatten the svaras at some places and keep faulty time. Listening to such music becomes an infliction on the examiner.

The drone accompaniment at the Practical Examinations may be provided by a few students by turns.

The individual Practical tests should be preceded by common Aural tests and Sight-singing tests. These tests enable the teacher to find out the musically talented pupils.

For the benefit of the prospective teacher of music, I shall state herein some of the mistakes committed by candidates at the Practical examinations. The examination has its own psycho­ logical effect and even clever pupils sometimes commit mistakes. 40 THE JOURNAL OF THE MUSIC ACADEMY [VOL. XIII

At the Practical Examination, the candidate is face to face with the Examiner, and when a serious mistake is committed, there is the irresistible desire on the Examiner’s part to correct it, lest the candidate should continue to repeat the mistaken version at places where he may be asked to sing for the entertainment of others. Some candidates catch the correction and rectify them­ selves. Others in the excited state of mind, do not profit by the correction, and continue in their own old way. Yet others there are who immediately begin to weep and tears flow down their eyes. And when one begins to weep, the throat loses its stability and the candidate is unable to sing properly.' It is an awful experience for the examiner on such occasions. Without however losing patience, he must encourage and cheer up the candidate, give a couple of minutes rest and if possible try to impress the correction on his mind. He should not waste much time on these thankless. jobs, since he will find to his dismay later that he has hardly enough time left to do justice to the examinations of the remaining candidates. The mere thought of examination is sufficient to make the voices of even steady singers, shaky. The throats of some get choked. The music comes out of their voices as it were unwillingly, the tone losing its metallic tinge and lustre. Some put up a hideous look which literally kindles bibhaisa rasa in the examiner. Some get seized with a peculiar fear and their fingers tremble while engaged in counting tala. Some lose their presence of mind and sing with apasvaras and faulty sahityas. Yet others begin to sing, straightaway like a machine and seem to be more eager on finishing the song, rather than render it in a polished manner and.create a good impression in the mind of the examiner. Some pupils again, unmindful, of the drone which is there sounding all the time, manage to start on a sruti which .has no relationship to the drone. Yet others there are, who in the course of singing, go out of tune and unmindful of the mistake, go on singing—very pitiable. Even when their attention is drawn to the mistake, for a while they seem to be alright but again they slip back into the same old mistake. Going out of time is a more frequent occur­ rence than going out of tune. When a music teacher has to examine candidates trained by others he. faces certain new problems. I f those candidates happen to be students of the same class, a tambura tuned to their class pitch will serve as a common drone accompaniment for all the candidates. But in examinations, where candidates of both sexes PARTS I-IVJ MUSIC IN TRAINING SCHOOLS 4 1 come from different places, the problem of drone accompaniment becomes complicated. Some do not come with their own Tamburas and they depend upon the generosity of other candi­ dates. A tambura is thus re-tuned a, number of times to suit the differing pitches of the candidates. The instrument too in its turn resents this treatment and to the annoyance of the singer goes out of tune frequently, necessitating re-adjustment every time.

At such examinations, the music teacher comes across voices of varying types and grades of excellence— from the unpliable stony voice to the ringing silvery voice. Some have slender, frail and feeble voices and the examiner is sometimes obliged to strain his ear in following their music closely. Yet others have repulsive voices (Oaii^uuf pnifjrih) an(j !) and their singing is like slapping on another’s face. A few have stiff, wooden voices and however much the singer may strive to produce gamakas, the voice refuses to yield. The singing of some creates the impression that they are vomitting something; yet others there are whose music sounds artificial and childish. The akarams of some are akin to gorgling. All these voices could have been improved to some extent at least by a steady practice of vocalises- It is the untrained and unbridled voice that produces all sorts of disagreeable sounds. The artificial gamakas of untrained voices have a most unmusical effect. The music of such people leaves a cold impression. Persons with a rava sdriram (jrmeu jru>) should take care to see that they do not produce apasvaras (wrong notes) during their sweeping flights in the madhya and tara sthayis. There are again candidates with good voices but render classical pieces with metamorphosed dhatus and distorted sahityas. They literally murder the pieces. The person to blame is of course their own teacher, whose ignorance is responsible for such hopeless rendering.

It is indeed a pleasant experience for an examiner to come across candidates with sruti liya sdriras and candidates who give accurate renderings of pieces. Some of the musically gifted and well trained candidates sirig with the Tambura in their right hand, keeping tala with their left hand. They possess a helpful sl^ssvuLSf. s^riF-vib a highly responsive voice. Their artistic and polished renderings brimming with raga bhava, added to their charming, bracing voice create a delightful impressipn. They are 6 4 2 THE JOURNAL OF THE MUSIC ACADEMY [VOL. XIII steady, sing with presence of mind and put up a confident face. When such candidates sing, all the other students come to listen with eagerness. Their substantial alapanas are characterised by nice touches here and. there. They are very good at sight singing and sing even difficult passages at first sight with ease and with raga bhava, simultaneously keeping accurate time. There are also candidates who even after some minutes of practice, read the sight-singing passages like prose or sing as if all the svaras had but one pitch-value.

Things are neither better in instrumental examinations. The fingers of candidates begin to tremble at the thought of the examination. The violin candidates exhibit all sorts of queer methods of holding the bow. Some are charitable enough (!) to make use of only half the bow. They are blissfully ignorant of svara vil, sdhitya vil, tana vil, and other aspects of bowing technique that make Violin playing such a delight and a pleasure. No wonder that the violin refuses to respond with its full tone to such players. The bowing of some is so repulsive and harsh that at the end of the performance one can find heaps of hair that have come from off the bow, stealthily removed and strewn beside the performer. Some bow with brutal force and the result­ ing screechy frictional sound can be heard even by partially deaf pupils. Some again go on shaking their heads suggesting a move­ ment parallel to that of the bow. Some go on aimlessly and artificially moving their fingers up and down the finger-board without the least idea, whether they are producing the gamakas eorrectly or not. To them gamaka means only a shake and nothing else. Poor musical specimens! Their play impresses one as the mewing of the eat and one need not be surprised if a cat in the neighbourhood begins to blink in a vain search for the new form­ less member of its kind. . Some violin candidates play all plain notes, making the instrument virtually another harmonium.

The presence of frets on the Vina, prevents the Vina candidates to some extent from playing apasvaras, but. there are other defects noticed in their playing. Some twang the .strings with great force, resulting in a harsh effect- The left hand fingers of some are too stiff. Some again totally ignore the tala strings and perhaps want to give them complete rest (!) They are blissfully ignorant of the fact that there is such a thing as plectral technique and technique in left hand fingering; all the time they monoto­ nously place the fore-finger and the middle finger of the left hand PARTS I-IV] MUSIC IN TRAINING SCHOOLS 43 on*each and every; fret. Placing the fingers on contiguous or alternate svarasthanas and playing &jrr9je^eo) js a thing unknown to them. There is an uncouthness in their playing. Some Vina students think that raga alapana means merely touching the relevant svarasthanas, and playing something. They have no idea of what constitutes the melodic individuality of a raga. There is neither a plan nor neatness in their playing. Their teachers write out for them some set alapanas, which they in their turn got from their . The poor students mug up these alapanas and reproduce them. When the examiner takes a student unawares by asking him to develop an alapana round a particular jlva svara, the student blinks and unguardedly confesses that his teacher had not taught him that part of the alapana. That is the way things are going on. Yet others reproduce slowly in an extended form the charana or other portion of a well-known song and wish to pass it off for an alapana.

The same thing happens in svaras. The teacher writes out svara passages for his students. They mug them up and repeat them. Their svaras instead of being manodharma svaras are literally Kalpita svaras- When the examiner asks them to sing Kalpana svaras to another part or theme of the song, the candidates blink and the cat is let out of the bag. In the Theory Answer Papers, the Examiner comes across equally funny things. When asked to write the diagram of a musical instrument, the candidates draw all sorts of queer and ingenious figures. Their imagination run riot. The figures make one feel that they had never seen the instruments before. In the diagram of the flute, they put the finger-holes either too near or too far away from the mouth-hole. The finger-holes in some, occupy virtually half the area of the wall of the instrument. In the diagram of the Vina, the inter-spaces between the frets are made equal. Once a Tamil candidate while mentioning the name of the composer Inupasanigelu (literally t*L-Ssu) or (iron) Bengal Gram, i.e., whose compositions were so hard) Venkataramayya, wrote as Irumbukkaclai ) Venkata- ramayya! Music teachers must warn their students from such howlers. KARNATAKA COMPOSERS*

T. V. S ubba R ao

Va d i r a j a The life of Sri Vadiraja is now given. There is a small village in South Canara District by name Huvvinakere where lived a poor Devaramabhatta and his wife Gauri. They dwelt in a small hut in the midst of their field. They had no children. When Gouri Devi went to Swami Vagisa the sixteenth occupant of the Pitha of Svadi Mutt after Vishnuthirtha brother of Madhva- charya, her wish was divined by the Swami who told her she would have children but that the first born if son should be dedicated to the Mutt. The woman returned home half surprised and half vexed and told her husband all about the visit. He was sad that the son born after so much yearning had to be made over to the Mutt. The Swami seeing his anxiety said to him that the child should be given over to him if bom in the open field, but might b.e retained if born in the house. The Bhatta fancied it was impossible the child should be born anywhere but in the house and so his fears were for the moment allayed. It was about the time for his wife to be delivered. On the Sadhana Dwadasi day in the year 1480, the Bhatta sat down to his early breakfast. His wife who had not joined him as she was still performing the Tolasi found a herd of cattle entering their field and trampling and eating away the crops, their sole means of sustenance. She went out to drive them and had to pursue them some distance to prevent their entering the field again. As she was returning she felt exhausted, sat under a tree in the field and gave birth to a son. Upon hearing the news the Swami claimed the performance of the promise by the Bhatta and the child was handed over to the Swami after the auspicious and purificatory bath. It is said that when the Swami sprinkled holy water on it and observed that it was destined to become a great personality the infant smiled and joined hands in obeisance. The child was named Bhuvara and was taught all sciences early in life. His rapid progress and the regard the Swami had for him excited the envy of his fellow students. The Swami to show how utterly unworthy their ill-feeling was for him called all the disciples together and placed heaps of fruits before * Madras University Readership Lectures. PARTS I-XV] KARNATAKA COMPOSERS— VADIRAJA 4 5 them and told them they might have as much as they desired. All of them except Bhuvara took away as much as they could. Bhuvara when questioned why he did not have the fruits gave his reply in an Ugabhoga

When Vadiraja succeeded Vagisa and became the head of the Mutt he went to Vizianagara to make further progress in the higher studies of . He had for his fellow Vijayendra Tirtha and they together derived the highest benefit from the teachings of Vyasaraya. It is needless to say that at that time there were numerous scholars in Vizianagar studying under the guidance of Vyasaraya, for it was the ambition of every sincere student to sit at the feet of the greatest scholar and philosopher of the times. Vyasaraya taught them all with equal zeal. Vadiraja had special skill in debate and in disputations he could easily overcome any opposition. For this reason it was he came to be known as Vadiraja. Krishnadevaraya who was greatly impressed by the capacity of Vadiraja to argue and convince, called him Prasangabharana Thirtha. Like Vijeyendra, Vadiraja too became an adept in the 64 arts. While the former was generally reserved and spoke little, the latter would reason any man out of his conviction and make extempore compositions and works in Sanskrit and . Vadiraja was one of the most prolific writers in Sanskrit and Kannada besides being a composer of thousands of kirtanas or devarnamas. The natural talent of Vadiraja was not quite apparent when he was with Vagisa. It blossomed fully under the inspiration and direction of Vyasaraya and by oppor­ tunities for its exercise.

It came to the knowledge of Vadiraja that vast treasures lay buried in a place known as Vali Bhandara. On excavation it was found that the place contained two sacred idols and a large quantity of precious metals and stones. Vadiraja retained the. Vigrahas as they had been worshipped by Vali and Sugriva and sent away the valuables to Achutaraya of Vizianagar. The 4 6 THE j o u r n a l o f THE MUSIC ACADEMY [VOL. XIII

Vigrahas are those of Rama Vitthala and are in the possession of the Mutt to this day. When Vadiraja returned to Udipi after the completion of his studies, he received the gift of Vyasa Mustika from Vyasaraya which he made over to the Udipi Mutts who were thus enabled to revive their Vyasa Puja. When Achutaraya visited Udipi in 1532-33 he remembered the valuable gifts of Vadiraja and made numerous presents to the Mutts.

At a certain period in the life of Sri he retired to the western sea-shore to be in Thapas. One day a ship was sailing some distance from the shore hailing from Dwaravati carrying goods and passengers. To keep the balance even the owner and master of the ship carried three blocks p f earth which was Gopichandan. A violent storm shook the ship and the crew and passengers gave up hope. Sri Madhvacharya whose attention was attracted by the storm-tossed vessel took pity on it and by the power of his spirituality safely drew it ashore. To the occu­ pants of the ship it appeared as if Bhimasena was towing it to a place of safety, and the form of Bhimasena changed to Sri Madhvacharya. The owner of the ship fell at the feet of Sri Acharya and offered to him all that the ship contained. The Acharya, however, was content to accept only the three blocks of earth. It was found on examination that they contained the Vigrahas of Balarama, and . Sri Madhvacharya installed the first idol near the sea-shore, the second in Udipi and the third at Vajakakshetra. The worship of Sri Krishna in Udipi was entrusted to the eight Udipi Mutts while Grahasthas conducted the worship of the other two idols, Vijayadasa’s Suladi gives a fine description of Sri Krishna of Udipi installed by Madhvacharya. Vadiraja who systematised worship in Udipi extended the period of service of each Mutt from 2 months to two years. During worship it was made obligatory, after the manner introduced by Sripadaraja and Vyasaraya, to sing Kirtanas of . Vadiraja’s compositions are a speciality in the worship of Krishna by the eight Mutts. His kirtanas are sung there in larger number than those of other composers. The pada -zr'TT°c>&vd31 is most; popular and is frequently rendered. It is a long composition in Ata tala and has 24 charanas. All the Bhagavatas would sing this piece and dance together to the accompaniment of drums and cymbals. The composition is highly devotional. PARTS I-IV] KARNATAKA COMPOSERS—VADIRAJA 47

The districts of North and South Canara contain a large popu­ lation of goldsmiths. At the time referred to they did flourishing business. On a certain day one of them was busy trying to cast the form of Ganapati. When however he removed the Vigraha from the mould he found the figure was of Hayagriva. He proceeded to melt and recast it when he heard a voice say that he should not disfigure, it but give it away to Vadiraja. The next day the Vigraha was handed over to Vadiraja who performed Puja to it and kept it in his Mutt. The goldsmiths all entreated Vadiraja to be their Guru and he made them his disciples and laid down their achara. The descendant of the goldsmiths are devout sishvas of Svadi Mutt even to this day. Vadiraja was successful in settling disputes between different communities and showed great kindness to the lowest class of people, the untouchables. It will be recognised how very progres­ sive he must have been when the orthodox sections of the community oppose the removal of untouchability even at present. That these untouchables may benefit Vadiraja composed numerous Devarnamas in Tulu language and initiated them in the Bhagavata Sampradava. Those Devaranamas are very popular among the members of their communities. Vadiraja proved no language, no community was too poor for Kirtanas. During the sojourn for Chaturmasya in Poona, Vadiraja wrote a Kavya called Rukmanisa Vijaya. His object was to disprove the imputation that Sanvasis were incapable of writing literary works which were Rasapradhana. Though Vadiraja was in his element in writing philosophical works, yet could he if he had a mind write books purely literary. The Pandits of Poona had regarded Magha as the greatest Kavya; but Vadiraja’s work soon displaced it in public esteem. It was aeknowdedged on all hands in those parts that Rukminisa Vijaya was the finest Mahakavya of the age. In the unsettled political conditions of Deccan in those times there w^ere straggling hordles of Muslim cavaliers and roving gangs of bandits who made all travel unsafe. On a certain occasion when Vadiraja was passing through a forest, robbers appeared and all his sisyas fled in base fear. Just then mounted sepoys of Muslims came upon the scene and chased the criminals. The robbers surrendered themselves to Vadiraja and begged to be made sishyas. As if by a miracle, they reformed radically and did yeomen service to Vadiraja who had been deprived of his followers for the while. 4 8 THE JOURNAL OF THE MUSIC ACADEMY [VOL. XIIJ

As Vadiraja was Upasaka of Hayagriva it was customary with him in making food offering to hold a plate of crushed Bengal gram and sugar over his head when a white horse would appear behind him and putting its hoof on his shoulders would eat from out of the plate. What was left in the plate was eaten by Vadiraja as Mahaprasada. In a certain field which belonged to a Zemindar of Pandarapur a fine beautiful white horse used to graze. The Zemindar chased it and it fled and finally stopped at the gates of the Mutt and disappeared from view. It is said that some of those present saw the horse merge in the Havagriva Vigraha of Svadi Mutt. The Zemindar went to Vadiraja and protested against letting loose the horse which destroyed the crop on the field. Vadiraja replied that there was no such horse in his stable and gently reproved the landlord, for. the horse was no other than the Lord Himself and told him that the crops in his land without suffering in the least would thrive beyond all expectation. The owner of the land actually found on his field the heaviest harvest. Sense dawned on him and he fell to worshipping Havagriva and made over the land to Svadi Mutt. The Emperor Baber was one of the Rulers of Northern India who were pro­ foundly impressed by Vadiraja’s greatness and made extensive gifts to him.

Vadiraja went to Pravaga Kshetra and performed Thapas for a period. His Upasana of Vyasa made him see Vyasa Bhagavan himself. A kirtana was immediately composed in Mukhari raga, in Atta tala. It has a pallavi, anupallavi and three charanas. It begins s6rg<->ac3o ■6 * ^ 8' || ^5 || ax>oXt) I I w || Vadiraja was in great ecstasy when he saw Vyasa. Vyasa in turn blessed Vadiraja and desired him to accompany him to Badarikasram. Vadiraja’s dream was to be fulfilled. Vyasa took him to Badari and introduced him to the Gods and Brahmarishis of the place. Vadiraja saw also Sri Madhvacharya who enquired if worship of Sri Krishna of Udipi was being properly performed. Vadiraja’s visit to Badari is referred to in a Kirtana of Has beginning (< J O d ^

Vadiraja obtained from Sri Madhvacharya the idol of Tri- vikramamurti and returned to Prayag to the great joy of his sishvas. He travelled to Benares where remained for some time. He stayed in Dvaravati for six months, and performed penance without food. He cured Krishna Thirtha a sanyasin of those PARTS I-IV] KARNATAKA COMPOSERS—VADIRAJA 49

parts, of a malignant fever and spread the teachings through him. From Ayodhya Vadiraja secured the idols of Garuda and Maruthi and installed them in Udipi. In Guzerat large members of persons became his followers. Vadiraja had a sishya Narayanacharya who with all his learning was very impudent and insulted and abused all around him not excluding his own Guru. Vadiraja was so enraged at his conduct that he cursed him, with the result that the mind of the insolent sishya became distorted and he stationed himself on the high road to Hampi and harassed every passer-by with, among other insults, the remark «" 5-s*r<>i3 meaning wh0 js the filthy per­ son that does not bathe in Ashada, Karthika, Magha and Vaisaka on Pournima days.” This same outrageous remark was made of Sri Vadiraja, who incensed, answered **#9 ^ 6^0 meaning “ you wretch it is you who bathe not The monster, it is said, invited the Swami for a debate; and being defeated he had to bear, according to conditions, the palanquin of the Swami. This incident is referred to by Vadiraja himself in his Kannada work ie £i&otfSWOn another occasion a rat pursued by a snake took shelter under the seat of Vadiraja. Thereupon he took the snake in his hands and persuaded it to give up the rat, at the same time relieving it of its pangs of hunger. The rat was let go in safety with the assurance that it should not thereafter have any fear of serpents. In the life of Vadiraja occurrences like these were common; and should not surprise us when we know the high spiritual power and thapobala he had at his command. Karnataka composers were supermen. The incident last men­ tioned is also briefly described in a famous pada of Jagannathadas in praise of Vadiraja. The particular passage is the fifth charana .

Vadiraja is justly famous fpr having introduced true worship in places where existed rites not approved by the highest Hindu Sastras and tradition. In Dharmasthala which was a Bhutakshetra he installed Manjunath and ordered that food should be given to all who came, irrespective of caste or custom. In Dharmasthala the Mahants are Chaitanyas and they have been maintaining their principles of worship intact. The Saivaites and Chaitanyas live there in perfect amity. At the confluence of the rivers Kumaradhara and Netravati is a place sacred with ; numerous Lingas scattered far away. When a huge concourse of pilgrims found it hard to carry water to the distant Lingas for 7 ^ 5 0 THE JOURNAL OF THE MUSIC ACADEMY [VOL. XIII

Abhisheka, Vadira ja is said to have creased the earth with his Danda and brought forth pure' water for the benefit of the pilgrims. That place is known as Danda Thirtha. Later all those lands were gifted away to the Mutt of Vadiraja. The Jains too had great regard for Vadiraja. Their King was such an ardent admirer of his that he presented Vadiraja with Vigrahas of Vitthala Murti in token of adoration. When Vadiraja returned to Udipi from his travels he was constantly followed by a Brahmin who appeared to be in great distress. The stranger had been oppressed by his creditors and he was seeking the grace of Vadiraja to escape from the ill-treatment of the creditors. In those days it was not a crime to harass debtors by physical torture. The Swami who took pity on him, recited the Srisukta and caused (i shower of gold round the poor bewildered brahmin. But when the latter gathered the coins he only got just what was wanted to pay off his debts. Vadiraja then installed the idols of Garuda and Maruthi in the Krishna Mutt of Udipi. He exercised his miraculous powers in curing people of their ailments. His great fame spread far and wide. The mother of Vadiraja had vowed that if a son who as events proved was Vadiraja himself, was born to her she would make eostly gifts to God. As she was too poor to do so, she sought the help of her son Vadiraja. When she came to him, he fell at her feet in filial reverence. The people in the Mutt pro­ tested that it was not proper for a sanyasin to prostrate before a woman although a mother. The Swami replied that no man on earth was too great to respect his mother, for was it not laid down that no was more sacred than Gayatri and no God greater than a mother. Vadiraja conveyed to his mother the information that whenever he prayed he invited blessings on her first. Vadiraja said that her vow was fulfilled by him by his work Lakshajankara, a commentary on Mahabharata. Later he composed a wrork in Kannada in the form of Songs containing the teachings of Sri Madhvacharya. The exceptionally fine musical diction beautified with the excellence of prasa and chandas is a model to all composers. One example which is Vishnu Stotra is here given:

Vadiraja’s brother who came to him after the demise of his parents was made a disciple and taught the sciences and Vedanta, He was given the asrama with the name of Surothama Thirtha and appointed head of Bhandaragiri Mutt, PARTS I-IV] KARNATAKA COMPOSERS—VADIRAJA 5l

When it was generally known that Vadiraja as Upasaka of Sri Hayagriva was commanding great influence and power, the malcontents were not slow to entertain ill-feeling towards him. They persuaded his cooks to poison him. The offering to Haya­ griva, the remains of which only Vadiraja ate, was mixed with poison. Unknowingly he took the deadly plate and held it over his head. The white horse as usual appeared and ate up the contents of the dish leaving nothing for Vadiraja. When the Swami looked surprised at the horse turning green in colour and leaving no food for him, Hayagriva informed him that to save Vadiraja he had eaten all and that the green colour was the effect of poison. Vadiraja was further told that the only antidote for the mischief was a certain variety of brinjals which could be grown only in the soil of the village of Mathu. The required vegetable was raised and cooked and offered to Hayagriva with the result that the poison was eliminated. The green colour, however, remained in the neck of the idol Hayagrivamurti. This variety of brinjal known as Vadiraja Gulla is eaten by a section of who generally eschew brinjals. This episode is indeed valuable in proving Vadiraja’s skill in practical farming. Vadiraja again set out on a second tour and the first place he visited was Belur which has been famous from remote antiquity as the residence of Bhasmasura. It has a beautiful temple with fine architecture and the Vigraha is of Chennakesa half man and half woman. It was at one time so vastly wealthy that Mallik , it is reported, carried away from it gold of the weight of nearly a lakh of maunds. As Vadiraja was nearing the precincts of the temple the deity was being carried in procession on Garuda Vahana and immediately he burst into a rapture and sang a kirtana in Ananda Bhairavi in Adi tala, beginning with “ it may be noticed in passing that Adi tala was less commonly used in compositions in those days than now. The Chapu or Triputa and Jhampa talas were most popular as they were rhythmically more powerful. It was Tyagaraja who made a greater use of Adi tala as being more conducive for his melodic fancies. It is recorded that Vaikuntha Das who is a well known composer of Kirtanas, and was, at the time Vadiraja sang the Kirtana, one of the crowd danced to the tune in sheer joy. Vaikuntha Das was one of the well-known Haridasas of Belur and, his meeting with Vadiraja was productive of mutual joy and inspiration. Before leaving Belur, Vadiraja composed a Kirtana 5 2 THE JOURNAL OF THE MUSIC ACADEMY [VOL. XIII on Kesavaswami of the temple wherein all the ten avataras are described in language of beauty and simplicity. That Kirtana is sung at the time of Mangala harati. It is in Surati raga, and in Atta tala. It begins “ •sn’Tnotssea tvC© yee j10w veiy eaSy tkg charana is

t5© c b © ^ . ” — 0 Then after visiting many sacred places Vadiraja came to . When he was there on the Sri Rama Navami day he composed the following Kirtana in raga, in Triputa tala. “ This song is a marvel of literary and musical artistry. The garland of gold and Saligramas which adorns Sri Venkatesa from head to foot to this day was the devout offering of Vadiraja. He went to Rameswaram visiting all important shrines on the way and composing songs on deities. In Trichendur he appointed his followers to conduct worship in the famous temple of Sri Subramanya. In Trivandrum he regularised the worship of Sri Padmanabha according to the system laid down by Madhva­ charya. The Samasthana of Cochin also came under his influence. Vadiraja was one of the longest lived Mathadhipatis and was able to spread his teaching to a great part of South and Central India. He had five turns, each once in sixteen years, of administering the Mutts of Udipi. During each term of two years he lived in Udipi and managed worship in the most magnificent manner and for the other fourteen years toured the country to spread culture, wrote works and composed numerous Kirtanas.

The village of Svadi from which the Mutt of Vadiraja takes its name is in the district of South Canara and at the time we speak of was a part of a principality under the suzerainty of Vizianagar. After the destruction of Vizianagar the local chief Arasappa Naick became independent. He came under the influence of a magician priest and harassed the Brahmins. By his base and cruel conduct he made many enemies. Knowing the troubled state of his principality the neighbouring chief waged war and defeated him. He fled with his family and reached the Tapovana where Vadiraja was doing penance. He fell at the feet of the Swami and begged for help. Vadiraja forgave him all the sins he had perpetrated against the Brahmins and with blessings encouraged him to go back to his capital and fight his enemies. Heartened by the words of the Swami, he returned, surprised the invaders and with PARTS I-IV] KARNATAKA COMPOSERS—VADIRAJA 55 the help of a few faithful adherents recaptured his principality. The evil magician priest was expelled, tlie Brahmins were treated with respect and Vadiraja was honoured with lavish presents, and the huge bell that the priest was using is even now in the Svadi Mutt. The chieftain approached the Swami and desired to be enlightened as to what or creed he was to follow. Swami’s reply was a fine example, of love, toleration and faith. He told the Naik that he initiated a person into his particular sect only when there was absolute regard for his teachings, that, in fact, he believed anybody who loved and had faith in the supremacy of God and was tolerant of others was sure of salvation. As a result of these words the Naick was profoundly touched and became a pious man. Some time after, the son-in-law of the Naick died and there was great misery in the household of the chieftain. In his extremity he sought the help of Vadiraja who composed the Lakshmi Sobhane of 108 charanas, sang it and revived the dead person. I cannot help recalling in this connection that Sfi Tyagaraja about three centuries later performed a similar miracle. The words “ t$ ” at the end of some charanas leave no doubt as to the purpose and occasion of the composition. The song is highly poetic with the most charming story of the churning of the milk ocean, the birth of Lakshmi, and her Svayainvara. The charanas giving her description and estimate of each of the Munis and Devas assembled and the final choice of Mukunda as one who has all merit without any fault, are exquisitely cotnposed. There are also four more charanas for Phalasthuti. Thus the composition has in all 1 1 2 charanas.

Arasappa Naik was anxious to have a good temple in Svadi, his chief village and on consultation with Vadiraja had a fine temple constructed. In the course of construction a huge stone which had been hoisted up was about to slide and cause injury to the workers below. It is said that Vadiraja with his physical as -well as spiritual strength put the stone in proper position and saved the lives of workers below. When the temple was completed the Vigraha of Trivikrama from Badarikasrama was obtained by Vadiraja and installed therein after Puja. This event took place in 1582 in Chitrabhanu year on Vaisakha Suddha Pournima. A Sarovara by name Dhavalaganga was constructed to the north of the temple. It.is interesting to note that the idol of Trivikrama was brought from Badari in a stone car which exists even now. 5 4 t h e j o u r n a l o f THE MUSIC ACADEMY [VOL. XIII

From the day of installation the festivals have been conducted with great enthusiasm and pomp.

Vadiraja was a mighty personality who was fully conscious of his great powers and on occasions would even proclaim them; but he would always have the grace to say that they were all of God’s doing and he was only an instrument. His work “ Vaikuntha Varnana ” contains references to his miraculous doings. He would proudly ask particularly in the company of arrogant pandits 11 an(j snub them. The natural self-consciousness of his work asserted itself only to put down insolence. In the company of Bhaktas he was as simple as a child.

His last days were spent in the village of Svadi. His health began to fail and his eye-sight grew dim. His longing to visit Udipi and behold the beautiful form of Sri Krishna grew within him. He was grieving over his feeble sight and was wondering whether he could see the beloved form at all: He gave expressiofi to his pathetic feelings in a fine verse in Sanskrit, in the 106th charana of Vaikuntha Varnana and in an extraordinarily simple composition in , in Chapu tala, the pallavi and anupallavi of which are “ ” • Singing in this strain he reached Udipi and when he stood before the deity his vision cleared and he had Visvarupadarsana.

Vadiraja then returned to Svadi his native village. The Naiek chief too was quite anxious to have the Swami in the village. When the Swami knew that the end was nearing he ordered five Vrindavans to be erected one for himself and the other four in memory of the Tirumurtis and Vayu. The Naick was very sad that the Swami should think of the end. Vadiraja replied that he was to enter the Brindavan alive. The Vrindavans were made ready. What sorrow this sight must have caused the people might be imagined. His superhuman powers, his intimate contact with the masses, his concern for the ignorant and the suffering had made him the idol of all who had seen him. The news he was to make his final departure caused widespread grief. Weak and enfeebled as he was he personally supervised the car festival of Trivikrama. It is then recorded that messengers of Indra appeared before him with the Vimana and awaited his pleasure. This fact is testified to by Jagannathadas in his Kirtana PARTS I-IY] KARNATAKA COMPOSERS—PURANDARADAS 55

“ Vadiraja ” . The Swami then had his sacred bath, gave phala and manthrakshata to his followers around, entered the Brindaban with instruction to fix the covering stones when he flung the Jupa sara which was accordingly done amidst the skv-rending cries of Jay, Jay. Soon after was seen the Vimana ascending the skies with his radiant form. And he cast down his sandals and vastra as tokens of his love for the people. This was in the year 1600, in Sarvari, in Thritiya of Phalgunabahula. It is a record of life of 120 years of light, love and labour. He is the first that History or tradition records of a personality entering the Brindaban with life. Even today many are the worshippers of the Brindaban who get their desires fulfilled. Great scholar as he was of Sanskrit, his love of Kannada knew no bounds. His Kirtanas composed for the joy and enlightenment of the masses will live for ever as embodiments of all that is high and noble in our religion in melodic forms of exquisite beauty. Jagannatha- dasa’s Kirtana u Vadiraja ” in Purvi, in Adi tala is a glowing tribute to his merit as saint and composer.

SRI PURANDARADAS The personality of Sri Purandaradas is the greatest that a combination of spirituality art and culture has produced. In renouncing the world for dedicating himself to God he made the heaviest sacrifice by giving up his untold wealth for which he was known as Navakoti Narayana. In music his achievements are so vast and magnificent that the results of the efforts of all other composers put together cannot equal a fraction of his work. His compositions number 4,75,000 and more, each with numerous charanas and would in all be many times the length of the Ramayana and Mahabharata put together and would fill the pages of a thousand volumes. In the realm of music his services are precious beyond estimate. He is the father of the Karnatic system of music which stands unparalleled as the most evolved system of music in the world. His compositions range from the simplest svaravalis and gitas to the elaborate and complex Suladis. His synthesis of Sahityakshara and svara raga lava is the very acme of perfection. His language is poetic beyond description adorned with rich imagery and pithy sayings. His parables and allegorical utterances have all the fascination and depth of the scriptures. As a teacher of mankind inculcating the greatest truths of Hindu he is second to none. He pursued his gentle methods of instruction through the most attractive and 56 t h e j o u r n a l o f t h e m u s ic a c a d e m y [v o l . xin

congenial channels of music. India, nay the world' has not produced a greater composer than Purandaradas. His eminence was so undisputed that all his contemporaries not excluding his own guru Sri Vyasaraya, have given him the highest praise and homage. Dasas who came after him have done nothing less than deify him as the special incarnation of Sri Narada. It is no dis­ paragement even to Tyagaraja to say that his compositions in the main furnished the inspiration for the latter’s outpourings. It is learned on good authority that the mother of Tyagaraja was familiar with a large number of the kirtanas of Purandaradas and her frequent singing of them left such lasting impression on young Tyagaraja that in later life he found their influence irresistible in'shaping his style in sangita and sahitya. though a composer with a distinctive original style of his own, was yet a faithful adherent to the tradition of Purandaradas in the frequent use lie has made of tlie Suladi sapta talas and in the shaping of melodic forms of antique ragas embodied in the devarnamas. A comparison of the archaic sancharas in familiar ragas of Dikshitar’s compositions with corresponding phrases in the kirtanas of Purandaradas will reveal a remarkable identity. An examination of certain padas of Purandaradas side by side with those of Kshetregna will establish the closest affinity between them. Sri Vyasaraya the preceptor of Purandaradas was profoundly impressed with the greatness of his Sishya insomuch that he paid his tribute in a kirtana in Kambhoji raga, Jampha tala beginning with “ ■cro,>Vgo&i3 rr,£tfc3£r» JJ© discusses therein who is and who is not a dasa and concludes that only Purandaradas can be called a dasa. Vijavadasa the foremost disciple of Purandaradas gives a brief account of his master in a kirtana in Bhupali raga the pallavi of which is “ »o£^So8s$a7 ^>8'£,,. The anupallavi is “ s5ca& v&p&Q ox>o^ © Q co In the eitv of Purandaragada eighteen miles from Poona lived a rich banker by name Varadappa Naik. He was a man of high character. To him -was born in the year m a son named Srinivasa Naik who later came to be known as Purandaradas. It is commonly believed that Purandaradas was Karnataka by race; but if his name is indicative of his ancestrj^ it may be supposed he was of Maharatta extraction. His native city formed part of the regions alternatively claimed and abandoned by Karnataka chiefs according as their power was strong or weak, and was till the end of the 16th century bilingual in character. After that period the PARTS I-IV] KARNATAKA COMPOSERS—PURANDARADAS 57

regions became Marathi in culture and language. But whatever the origin, by the time of Purandaradas the family had become naturalised Karnatakas and were as familiar with Kannada as Maharastra. If the language of his compositions .except those in Sanskrit was Kannada, it was for the simple reason that he came to live in Vijayanagara to be with his guru Vyasaraya and he composed his kirtanas for the benefit of the people into whose midst he lived. At a very early age Srinivasa Naick received his education and attained great mastery over Sanskrit and music. He knew full well all the spoken languages of those parts. He acquired special skill in the examination of precious stones and estimating their value correctly. He enlarged the business of his father with the exercise of great care and parsimony. At the age of eighteen he was married to a lady named Sarasvati Bai of a rich and noble family. Her wealth, however, was her least qualification. In beauty and virtue few ladies could stand comparison with her. Endowed with a most noble and generous nature, she was a pativrata in the truest sense. Srinivasa Naik with all his learning and refinement was extremely averse to parting with even the smallest coin. His wife whose natural disposition inclined her to be extremely charitable, could not but suffer within herself for the heartless parsimony of her husband; but in the true wifely manner desisted from protesting. Trading in precious stones and metals he travelled frequently to Bijapur, Gulburga, Golkonda and Vijayanagar and multiplied his wealth to such huge propor­ tions that he was commonly known in those parts as Navakoti Narayana. In good time he had four sons and a daughter. Sarasvati Bai the dutiful wife, notwithstanding her devotion to her husband could not but feel that he in spite of his thirty-five years still continued impervious to the elevating influence of charity and godliness. It was at this time that an aged brahmin with a very young boy came to Srinivasa Naik to ask for help to enable him to perform the upanayana of the boy. The wealthy banker turned him off the door, but again and again came the octogenarian undeterred by repulses. Six months passed by and neither would give in. At last the weary brahmin tired of his petitions to the flint-hearted Naick, approached his wife in his absence and appealed to her mercy. Her heart melted with pity for the wretchedness of the yachaka, and in a moment of extreme tender­ ness, forgetting what she was about, she handed over to him the 3 5 8 t h e j o u r n a l o f THE MUSIC ACADEMY [VOL. XIII mukhura, her nose ornament that he might make any use of it to gain the wherewithall for the Upanayana. Her act was desperate. She had not even the presence of mind to pray to be saved from her husband’s wrath. The aged brahmin in the meanwhile took the jewel to Srinivasa Naik who was in his business premises and offered it for sale. The Naik who immediately grew suspicious desired the visitor to come later and secured the ornament in his safe and returned home and demanded of his wife her jewel. The harassed lady undertaking to get it in a moment retired to the rear apartment, went to the Tulasi Brindavan and after offering puja resolved to end her life by taking poison. As she lifted the cup to her lips, down fell into the vessel the self-same mukhura she had gifted away. Her joy and wonder were boundless. She hurried to her husband with the jewel. The Naik found its resemblance to the one brought by the old man, so absolute that he hastened to his shop to compare them. But when he opened his safe there was not in it the jewel he had kept. He went home in fear and demanded to know from his wife all that happened. She gave a full account of the incidents from the disposal of the jewel to the rediscovery of it in the poisoned cup. The Naik was stupefied and his mind received a terrific shock. He sat down in sorrow and ruminated over his own baseness and over the devout spirit of his wife. The great change came upon him. He realised that human contrivances like bars and bolts and locks and keys were of no avail against that Power which could be invoked by a pure and kindly heart. He fancied that the old brahmin was no r i her than the supreme Governor of the Universe come to teach him the great Truth of life of love and sacrifice. He was pro­ foundly grateful to his wife whom he regarded as the prime source of inspiration. He lost delight in worldly pursuits and longed to see the blessed old man again and vowed not to have food or water till his desire was fulfilled. He fasted for full three days. During night Sarasvati Bai had a dream that should her husband give up all his wealth and become , he would have the vision. Srinivasa Naik thereupon walked out of his house with his wife and sons and standing in the open street put a Tholasi leaf on his house with all its contents saying with folded hands “ Krishna rpana ” . The people of the city wondered what had happened to the Naik wdio wandered through the streets with his wife and sons like an ill-clad fakir. And as he was resting in the corner of a road, he saw the old man, at whose feet he fell and begged for mercy and forgiveness. His mind was now easy. PARTS I-IV] KARNATAKA COMPOSERS—PURANDARADAS 59

He went round for alms and the moment he gathered enough for the day he came back and his devoted wife cooked the food which was first offered to the Lord and then shared by all of them. What a change from the life of ease and luxury of the richest of men! That night he saw the vision of Panduranga and he was directed to go to Vijayanagar to seek initiation from Vyasaraya. .The next day he set out as bid; walking on foot in the company of his loyal wife and affectionate sons. Their way lay through a dark and dreadful forest infested by wild beasts and robbers. Sarasvati Bai overcome by fear was unable to proceed; and Srinivasa Naik suspecting she must have in her custody something of value which occasioned her anxiety, examined her small bundle and found she carried the cup of gold he had been using, to provide him with water in case of need. He took it in his hand and flung it far away and they continued their journey with free and unburdened mind. To those who know, there is no greater impediment to bliss than wealth and material goods. The moment Srinivasa realised the truth, he discarded all his infinite riches in a spirit of supreme sacrifice comparable only to the Great Renunciation of the Buddha. He reached Vijayanagar in humility and sought the asrama where the renowned Rajaguru lived. What a strange contrast! He had visited that famous city unnumbered times in pride of wealth and had sought none but the prince and the richest of the citizens to sell his precious wares. He had not cared then to know Vyasaraya. But now he was to sit at the feet of the great master to acquire treasures of a different kind. No sooner had Vyasaraya seen Srinivasa Naik than he gave him the warmest welcome, spoke kindly and praised him in the most flattering language regarding his unparalleled sacrifice and his good fortune in having obtained the grace of God so early in life. Srinivasa was received into the Mutt with the utmost cordiality and after the partaking of the prasada, he and the guru had a hearty and intimate conversation wherein the latter disclosed knowledge of all the experiences the disciple had undergone. The next day he obtained the holy initiation and shone forth to the world as and composed innumerable kirtanas with the mudra of Purandara Vitthala. The moment he became Dasa by the grace of Vyasaraya he had god-vision and composed the following Ugabhoga concluding with the Words tiosS&rg'sS ■$v'&TS-Tr‘ox> ” It is believed that he was such a siddha that he could have god- 6 0 t h e j o u r n a l o p t h e m u s ic a c a d e m y [Vo l . x n i

vision at his desire; and he has himself expressed as follows:' serx,£Sx>or3 PcQgo'S " in a devarnama which is his first kirtana. Thereafter every utterance of his was so perfectly rhythmic and musical that he poured his melodies more often than he breathed in and out. It is said of an English poet that he lisped in numbers and numbers came; but what language can describe the supreme poetic gift, the philosophic insight and unequalled musical talent which combined to produce lakhs of kirtanas of imperishable beauty? It seetns as if he was destined never to discard precious gems. If formerly he dealt in diamonds and emeralds quarried from the gross earth/ he now obtained his even more lustrous treasures from the unfathomable depths of his soul. His earlier wares adorned human personalities; but his later jewels shone with ever-increasing radiance on the fore finger of Time and Eternity.

In one of his earliest compositions he pays a glowing tribute to his noble wife whose merit it was to cause the Light to dawn on him. It is in raga Pantuvarali and Adi tala, beginning u Walser* k)C>’^c5cxosb” wherein he says ■^',£>t5srox£) csfc-g ” it was his daily custom to go along the principal streets of the city of Vijayanagar sounding his tambura, composing and singing kirtana with his four sons playing drums and keeping time. His voice was so rich and superb that people thought that none but gandharvas could sing like him. Those who heard him were stirred to their very depths. Offerings would pour in but he would never take more than what was just necessary for the day leaving nothing for the morrow. " ^ , •Hft’Z'fi.i ” was the constant admonition he gave his children. Friends of his who had known him as incarnation of Kubera were mute with astonishment at the privations of self- abnegation.

On a certain day when Purandaradas had gone out as usual singing his kirtanas, there came to his house the wealthy nobleman who had given his daughter to a son of the Dasa, known as Varadappa. The arrival of so esteemed a relation caused no small anxiety in the mind of Sarasvati Bai who was at her wits end how best to entertain the distinguished visitor. She hastened to her neighbour and obtained the magic stone which had the property of turning base metals into gold and with its help was able to get a banquet ready for her guest. Meanwhile Purandara­ das who was feeling perturbed in mind returned home,) only to PARTS I-lV] KARNATAKA COMPOSERS—PURANDARADAS

find it defiled by the luxurious fare provided by impious gains. He seized the mineral and threw it into the Chakrathirtha with the result that he provoked the neighbour to an unseemly fight. Thereupon Purandaradas caused his youngest son to dive into the tank and bring forth a number of stones of greater efficacy and cast them before his neighbour and sang a kirtana beginning ££S?) §oojos5bC5 ”

Krishnadevaraya the King of Vijayanagar who learnt that the fabulously wealthy merchant so familiar to him had turned Dasa came to the Mutt of Vyasaraya and unobtrusively sat in a corner to listen to the rapturous compositions of Purandaradas. He invited the Dasa to bless his palace by going over there and enlightening him in quiet retirement. Purandaradas availed him­ self of the opportunity .to speak out his mind by means of a song in Dhanasari raga, in Adi tala the pallavi of which is

He was, indeed, not hurting the king, for anything like the circumstances which called forth the spirited rebuke of Tyagaraja in “ was absent. Yet humble worshipper as the king was, the dasa could not help pointing out how far superior was the life of the true servant of God to that of a king. Krishna- _ devaraya in a spirit of adoration showered gifts on the saint who simply gave them away to the poorest of men, observing that thereby those presents were truly dedicated to God.

The high character of Purandaradas, the immense popularity of his soul-stirring compositions and the supreme regard that Vyasaraya had for him excited the envy of a large section of the sishyas of the Mutt who valued rigid and ceremonial forms more than inward spirituality. They protested against what they con­ ceived to be undue partiality shown by the Swami to a composer of Kannada padas. Vyasaraya who was not to be bullied by these threats commanded that on the sacred Pitha should be placed the scriptures and on the top of them all the book of recorded composi­ tions of Purandaradas. There Was immediately a violent out-cry. Tbe Swami declared he would not prevent anybody from pulling 6 2 THE JOURNAL OF THE MUSIC ACADEMY [VOL. X lll

out the obnoxious book from its honoured place. The irate sishyas endeavoured to fling it away only to find it resettled in its exalted seat. Vyasaraya remarked that Purandaropanishad was certainly not the book they could lay their jealous hands upon. This incident, is alluded to in a composition of Varadappa ts>dSo, 8&R ©ofibsioS &§>5'e>o,

Once when Purandaradas was sitting in company of Vyasaraya and others, he was noticed suddenly to rub his garments briskly, when he was asked the reason for the strange act, he replied th^t the great curtain in front of the Deity in Vitthala temple had caught fire and that he put it out. The sceptics in the assembly were struck dumb when a few minutes later the officers of the temple rushed into the presence of the Swami to report how Purandara Dasa had extinguished the fire caused by the negligence of the torch-bearers. These lines of the kirtana bear testimony to the occurrence *‘ S' Sdk's?oo ®Q 6 5 'SoS^jSs

qg)3 esd&ais jsssS” . During the hours that Vyasaraya sat on the Mudrasana next to the king Purandaradas would go into the temple of Maruti and pray in the form of kirtanas. The following in Sri raga, in Adi tala is an example:

On the night of the Uthana Ekadasi which marks the close of the Chaturmasya Purandaradas sang his kirtanas in high spirits and in the early hours of the morning overcome by fatigue fell asleep. As it was time for parana, he was awakened and asked to come for thirtha prasada. Purandaradas unwilling to make the whole assembly wait for him, proceeded to the presence of the Swami after the merest apology for ablutions and sat down for breakfast. The cynical comments of the unbending pharisees called forth a spirited reply in the form of two kirtanas one in Saurastra raga, in chaputala “ ^>c<& %r‘ozr&§r'ow$ Sox and another in Kalyani, in chaputala £> _§ ” This last line has its echo in the words of Tyagaraja “ irstxShif "sr'sS5 £»czr,S& and the words of the former ” in the same kirtana are reflected in “ >> *\ Once when Purandaradas was sent for by his ■Guru, he had just finished the puja but had not made the custo­ mary food offering; yet he set out forthwith. On his way he PARTS I-IV] KARNATAKA COMPOSERS—PURANDARADAS 63 found the cooks of the Mutt washing rice and he contemplated Krishna and humbly said that that rice-washed water was all he could offer. It was then noticed that from the mouth of Sri Gopalakrishna dripped little white globules of rice-washed water. Vijayadas records this fact in a Suladi, sacssatfe/^o-p^” Purandaradas like all other not­ able saints visited many sacred places and composed songs in honour of the deities of the Kshetra. Belur was one of the early centres he visited. There he met Yaikunthadas who was also a composer of kirtanas. As the latter was childless, it seems, Lord Krishna would assume the form of a lovely child, sit on his lap and humour him. Upon the child appearing to be sacred by his entry, Purandaradas, sang as if to appease “ ” in Bhairavi raga, in Adi tala. Then Melkote, Nanjangood, Srirangapatam, Abbur, Mulubagal and other holy places in Karnataka were visited and were extolled in his kirtanas. While he was still in Karnataka Narayanappa on whom Krishna- devaraya conferred the title of Kumaravyasa brought to him for approval Kannada Bharata in appreciation of which he sang the Suladi

Having seen the sacred Kshetras of the south, Purandaradas reached Pandarpur the earthly home of his patron Lord. He remained there for long and composed a very large number of kirtanas. Lord Vitthala would often appear before him and speak to him now as companion and now as sishya and anecdotes relating to them are full of interest to those who believe. One of them, however, is too well documented and circumstantially sustained to be discredited ever so little. One morning Puradara- das called out to his disciple Appanna Bhagavata and desired a vessel of water to be fetched. As the sishya who was soundly asleep did not respond, Purandaradas began to feel the awkward­ ness of the situation. Sri Vitthala, just then in the guise of his sishya brought him the vessel. The Guru, however, feeling vexed by the delay, hit the head of the supposed disciple with the vessel. Thereupon the sishya disappeared. A few minutes later it w^as discovered that he who brought water was not Appanna Bhagavata and the conclusion was irresistable that it was Sri Vitthala who in infinite kindness served him as sishya. The same day it was noticed that the head of the image of Vitthala in the temple was swollen and water flowed from its eyes. Nothing that the sacred Archakas did, appeared to relieve the image of the evident 6 4 THE JOURNAL OF THE MUSIC ACADEMY [VOL. XIII

discomfort. Purandaradas whose influence with Sri Vitthala was well-known, was requested to use his good offices in pacifying the deity. The great bhakta went into the temple, prayed for forgive­ ness and gently passed his hands over the bruised head when all at once the image became quite normal as before. But the sequel of this incident seems if anything, only to prove that there is none too great to escape the operation of the inexorable law of Karma.

In the city of Pandarpur lived a dancer and singer who was an ardent devotee of Sri Vitthala. One day the Lord assuming the form of Purandaradas entered her house and desired to see her dance and hear her music. The Dasi who esteemed the visit of the renowned Dasa next only to that of the Lord Himself received and entertained him with unbounded devotion. The visitor too expressed gratification and presented her with a bracelet of rare beauty. The next morning it was discovered that a bangle on the wrist of Sri Vitthala was missing. A search was made. The Dasi was forced to confess that Purandaradas had given it to her. The Bhakta was marched into the temple, bound to a pillar and mercilessly flogged. He protested he was innocent only, however, to aggravate the fury of justice. He then realised it was all penalty for his cruelty and sang in pathetic accents the following kirtana in Pantuvarali raga in chapu tala wherein the incidents described are alluded to ^So&S-er'CSa” S'-SECT'S TnST'n'ft” at C3 “ ;Sr«V^ O^sfcn^/ro'3»» Then was heard from the innermost shrine a voice shouting, “ It is I that in the guise of Purandaradas gave the jewel to the dasi; " worship hereafter the pillar whereunto my bhakta was fastened, •» as ‘ Dasarasthamba * ” . And all the multitude fell at the feet of him in whom the Lord was most pleased and he blessed them all. The temple authorities had the image of Purandaradas carved on the pillar; and ever since it has been custom for pilgrims to worship the Dasarasthamba before entering the sanctuary.

Worship at Tirupati was dear to Purandaradas specially when his Guru Vyasaraya in company with Krishnadevaraya visited it during Brahmochava. His fame spread so far and wide that many pilgrims during the season desired thirtha prasada from his bands, notwithstanding his life was one of abstemious asceticism. It somehow happened that offerings poured insufficient to enable PARTS I-IV] KARNATAKA COMPOSERS—PURANDARADAS 65

him to entertain the guests sumptuously. On one of these occa­ sions the supply of ghee falling short, he shouted to his sishya Appanna Bhagavata to bring more of it for serving the guests. As the disciple was far away singing and dancing for the delight of those who sat in another quarter, the call went unheeded. When the host was much perplexed he found a person exactly resembling his sishya dashing past with a pot of ghee and lavishly serving it to the guests. It was clear that this was yet another instance of the Lord’s mercy and service to His servants; and it occasioned an emotional outburst in a kirtana in Sankarabharana in Chapu tala tioXc&gS _3o&8>^§r,o13” The first charana recalls the incident, oa^ 8 0 # ^

- Purandaradasa’s stay in Tirupati was prolonged. Every day he would bathe in Swamipushkarani and say his prayers in a corner of the tank. Krishnadevaraya who noticed it got a special manthapa constructed for the use of the saintly bard, which in time came to be known as Dasara manthapa. He would wait until the concourse of pilgrims dispersed from the sanctuary of the temple, and when solitude and silence reigned he would stand in front of the Deity and sing his kirtana to his heart’s content. His son Madhvapatidas who was always with him would record the songs. It is said that even the archakas would go out as if un­ willing to interpose between him and Sri Venkatesa. The songs that then poured out of his heart are the unalloyed expression of the Ananda that overflowed thereout. The Suladi that begins SStf and concludes ‘ JS8 && -fcl£cs£r*g « 35

When Purandaradas returned to Vijayanagar after the pilgri­ mage Vyasaraya was unable to restrain his emotions of love and joy and sang a composition beginning “ s'ox5>rt sSbcJ* and concluding XcQ%-£r»i&;5-5r»’3 ” . This tribute of worshipful adoration paid as it was by the greatest man of the time to one who was his sishya could not but evoke bitter criticism. Vyasaraya gently observed that few could understand Purandaradas as he did. He would ask Madhrapatidasa daily to recite to him all the padas that were recorded and ponder over the beauty of their music and the depth of their meaning. 9 6 6 THE j o u r n a l o f t h e MUSIC ACADEMY [VOL. XIII

Purandaradas was an ardent lover of peace and harmony. His valued services were always available in composing differences particularly between communities. Once in Sholapur when the Lingayats and Brahmins were quarrelling bitterly over their reli­ gious beliefs, Purandaradas interceded and sang his kirtana in Madhyamavati in Atta tala ‘5r' fci£~:£&zioX£x>(& -sr*^)£)ow;o and pacified and reconciled them to eaeh other. The raga being as ever most appropriate for the time of day which was noon and for the occasion which was the elimination of discard, had the magic effect. How kindly disposed he was towards the Panchamas will be apparent from a piece in Mukhari in Jhampa Which concludes ^ WBifcW'G '‘tS & JS cv rtoOoSr-Sa&tfjfr §'o<&> zrti ^wotsb” . The last days of Purandaradas were spent in perfect bliss. He desired that Jiis son Madhavapatidasa should compose the remain­ ing quarter of a lakh of compositions he had contemplated, to complete his wish. After a life of unexampled service for the cause of music, literature, religion, philosophy and social justice, he left this world to serve the Lord in his unperishable form, on Saturday Pushyabahula Amavasya of Raktakshi year correspond­

ing to 1564 a .d . Fortunately we are left in no doubt as to the number of pieces composed by Purandaradas. Apart from the testimony of others we have his own song which classifies his four lakhs seventy-five thousand pieces according to subject matter and concludes thus “Sjoefo -sr»ex>k_ejj£k, g'o8b«;£&';6 "£08 Sa (Jo© 3 ^ 8 §b ^r»C>§>£&” . When it is remembered that most of them have several eharanas, the mere volume of his productions is apt to .bewilder the imagination. Not all the works of any composer or any writer for that matter, makes the remote approach to him in the extent of creative effort. It is not, however, the stupendous quantity of his work that makes us wonder-stunned, but the sustained level of supreme merit, in ideas, language and music. One of the aims of Purandaradas was to convey to the masses the finest thoughts and eternal truths of Hindu culture and Dharma. It will be no exaggeration to say that what is not contained in his compositions is not worth knowing. According to his own statement his utterances were always in conformity with Sruti and Smriti, Of all the Vaggeyakaras none has a greater claim to be PARTS I-IV ] KARNATAKA COMPOSERS— PURANDARADAS

regarded as Acharya or teacher of mankind. His religion and ethics are of universal appeal. It is the barest justice that inspired Vyasaraya to describe his compositions as Purandaro- parishat and value them as scripture. They are replete with aphorisms and epigrams, with parables and allegory, with playful conceit and sparkling fantasy. They breathe the fiery spirit of the prophet and the sympathetic fervour of the poet. They bear all the charm of literary grace. The haunting beauty of their diction is the despair of the literati. The richness of their rhythm is untramelled by the rigidness of formal verse. The natural flow of their is music by itself. All these mar­ vellous effects are produced by the employment of the simplest language that a child can easily understand. The bookish style of the pedant and the pedagogue was deliberately eschewed. The spoken tongue of the people was adopted. For musical purposes nothing suits better than the colloquial diction. In fact it has always been the recognised privilege of composers to be permitted to ignore the strict rules of grammar and idiom. Musical effect is their one aim. It may be noticed in passing how the Pandits of the Court of Tanjore who twitted Kshetregna with his colloquisms were unable to answer his challenge by the completion of the un­ finished quarter of the charana and how he himself had to do it to their insufferable humiliation. Tyagaraya was equally a believer in the charm of the colloquial tongue and freely used it in his compositions. Some of his recent editors who did not understand the natural beauty of his style have murdered it by twisting its gentle forms into pedantic monstrosities. It will be found that Tyagaraja had Purandaradas for his ideal in all respects. The greatness of the bard of Tiruvayyar shines all the more for the affinity he bears to his prototype. Does it detract from the merit of that master-piece of comedy “ The Merchant of Venice,” that the creative urge for it had its roots in “ The Jew of Malta ” or of Raghuvamsa that it was inspired by the Ramayana. Tyagaraja did not stop with having a model. He improved. He brought about the greatest innovation, that of rendering sangatis in compositions with the result the whole world of music has been influenced by the change.

Purandaradas has been justly termed the father of . He was not merely a composer, but a lakshanakara of the highest calibre. The system of South Indian Music as we now have it is entirely his gift. The separation of the northern from the southern system is more than a thousand years old. Without 6 8 t h e j o u r n a l o f t h e MUSIC ACADEMY [VOL. XIII

the basis of regularised Lakshana both the phases continued nebulous for several centuries. It was the work of Purandaradas that imparted a distinct individuality to South Indian Music, which after the labours of Venkatamakhi became even more pro­ nounced. The North Indian phase not having had the benefit of any great master who combined in himself mastery of both science and art, has developed loosely unrelated to systematised basis, the continuity of tradition from JBharata having been lost. It is however just possible that the very absence of new systematic basis has enabled the northern system to retain some old melodic forms now lost to South Indian Music.

The first great change effected by Purandaradas was to intro­ duce the Malavagaula scale as the basic scale for music instruction. The ancient suddha scale was Kharaharapriya. It was derived by the application of a Chatusruti interval to Shadja panchama and madhyama. Later the sruti values of the notes of the resultant scale were enumerated. In northern India as well as in South India the tradition of Bharata’s system was forgotten. Ignoring that Bharata’s scale started from shadja, the pandits-of northern India treated the note with reference to which the strutis of shadja were given, as the initial and basic note and arrived at the Sankarabharana or Bilaval scale. Purandaradas, however, adopted the Malavagaula scale as its derivation from Shadja, panchama and madhyama was based on a process identical with the derivation of the ancient classic scale with this significant difference that in the derivation a Dvisruti instead of a chatusruti interval was used. A Dvisruti interval is beyond question easier to negotiate than a chatusruti interval. And that is the reason which under­ lies the selection of Malavagaula scale.

Not content with prescribing the scale, he framed a graded series of lessons which even today prevails in the teaching of music. The svaravalis, janta varisais, alankaras and gitas form the surest road to the mastery of Carnatic music with all its intricacies of svara and tala prastharas.

In the number of compositional types he created he has no equal. In every one of them the same perfect commingling of sense, word and music is noticeable. He was a renowned composer of both lakshya and Lakshana gitas. It is unfortunate, however, that only a few lakshya gitas have been handed down to us. All his Lakshana gitas have to be unearthed. What a flood of light will they when made available throw on those problems that vex our PARTS I-IVJ KARNATAKA COMPOSERS—PURANDARADAS 't>9 conferences to-day! It is learnt on good authority that he was a prolific composer of Tana varnas and . It is stated that Adiappa lyah modelled his Tana vamas on those of Purandaradas. It is however the kirtana that forms the largest class of the compositions of Purandaradas. The lakshanas of the kirtana its origin and development have already been referred to. The terms pada and devarnaina used in the description of his composi­ tions mean only kirtana. A great number of his kirtanas is in Madhyamakala. All the varieties of tala are used though chapu and jhampa talas are more favoured. It is significant, however, tnat as compared with his predecessors he employed the Adi tala in a greater proportion. In this respect too Tyagaraja’s affinity to Purandaradas is closer. The father of Carnatic music was equally facile in composing Chauka tala kirtanas. Some of his compositions contains the Nayakanayikabhava and but for the language they are quite apt to be fancied as Kshetragna’s. There is no douot that they served to' inspire the compositions of the latter. In bhava, raga and tala they are the prototype for all pada composers. ;, , . _,

The type of composition which exhibits his extraordinary mastery of the technique of music is the Suladi. As to the exact meaning of the word “ Suladi ” authorities differ. But one inter­ pretation not ordinarily familiar to the students of music treats the word as a corruption of “ Sulu Hadi ” meaning easy path which is as relevant to the attainment of bliss as proficiency in sangita. In the Suladi the theme is the same as in the kirtana, but it has usually seven or eight distinct divisions with elaborate sahitya each of which is set to one of the classical talas. Some Suladis have different ragas for the different divisions, and in some others the raga is the same for all the divisions. The Suladi is a learned, elaborate and difficult piece giving a most comprehensive view of all the important raga sancharas. Sangita Saramrita of Tulajendra cites numerous prayogas from Suladis of Purandaradas as classic authority for lakshana of ragas described in the work. It is regrettable that the tradition of rendering the Suladis is fast disappearing. A revival of interest in them would be of no small value for the future of the science and art of Kamatic music.

There is yet another type of composition of his known as Uga* bhoga. The meaning of this term is’again obscure. If an alternative to the classical interpretation may be offered, the following may be 70 THE JOURNAL OF THE MUSIC ACADEMY [VOL. X Ill

considered viz. that the word is symbo'ical implying “ condu­ cive to the attainment of heavenly Miss.” Ugabhoga is an extremely simple type of song undefined into parts and almost nebulous in structure. The tala is me rely the sarva laghu and the simplest phases of the raga go to make up its music. It is as a musical form even more element? ry than the gita. From the point of view of Bhava it is suppos' d to be a direct translation of the thoughts of the composer in the ecstasy of inspiration. Purandaradas like his guru also, composed what is known as Vritta nama. It is a composition in which padya and kirtf occur alternately. In other respects the kirtana part confo: to the common type.

It is usual to estimate a composer's contribution to Carnatic music; but what words can adequately convey the magnitude of the achievement of him who was the author and founder of that very system of which we are the proud inheritors; who endowed and enriched it with hundreds of thousand compositions; who never sang but composed and lever composed but sang; whose creations bearing the sad toucl of humanity are of perennial interest to mankind. His place aU Vaggeyakara and Lakshanakara is unique. He is to Carnatic mil sic what Valmiki is for Sanskrit literature. He is a mighty personality the like of whom it takes the world a millennium to produce.

“ Plato held, as according to this philosophy it has been always and everywhere held, that the only things worthy of our really serious consideration are those that 1 ave to do with God. If we were able to think with him on this fundamental point, it would ' e as obvious to us as it was to him that we ought by every means to avoid innovation in the types of bur music and dancing and that to introduce changes in the forms of art for aesthetic reasons, that is, to please ourselves or because our feelings are too much for us and must find an outlet, is nothing but a slavery to our sensations.” Ananda K. Coomaraswara y, Foreword to The Gesture La'ngue of Hindu Baice by La Meri, Columbia University Press, New York. POWADA A FOLK-MUSIC FORM OF

BY

P r o f . G. II. R a n a d e , Fergusson College, Poona The Powada is one of the several forms of Folk Music, peculiar to Maharashtra. It is the modern derivative of the Sanskrit word (Pravada— meaning declamation or recital in public, and Pawada ('Tqprr) is the Prakrit term, which shows the inter­ mediate stage. In fact, the country folk invariably use the word Pawada and it is only the educated classes that refer to it as Powada. . In present day Marathi, the word Pravada in its ori­ ginal form is current in a restricted sense, meaning ‘ rumour ’ expressing some slight or slander. The Powada however preserves the original healthy meaning of Pravada, and is a composition, which glorifies the memory of brave and noble deeds of some historic hero. This form is at least as old as the days of the great ji Maharaj and appears to be possibly older still. The earliest and most powerful Powada handed down to us is about the historic duel between and Afzulkhan, and the consequent death of the latter, by one Ajnyandas. The history of the Maratha Period is full of the heroic deeds of numerous Maratha warriors, and their memory is glorified in many Powadas of an immortal character. The tradition continued till the last days of the Maratha rule. Incidently the sons of the .heroes of yore, became drawers of water and hewers of wood of the day, and for want of a suitable theme, the Powada was on the point of becoming extinct, till it found a worthy subject in the heroic deeds of the famous Lakshmibai Rani of Jliansi of the 1857 fame. In the old days, wrestling, fencing and recitation of Powadas were the invariable concomitants of every village festival, but they ceased to be so after the advent of the British Rule. It was the late Lok. Tilak, who revived them by giving a truly national basis to festivals like the Shiva Jayanti or Ganesh utsava celebrations. The Powada is a noble composition through and through and never vulgarises itself by praising an unworthy person. It is essentially a martial song and is totally immune from the descrip­ tion of any love affair. The hero of the theme must be brave and noble and must have nothing unworthy about himself. His attitude towards life must be wholly humanistic. There are Powadas in praise of even dacoits like Umaji Naik, who relieved 72 t h e JOURNAL OF THE MUSIC AC iDEMY [VOL. XIII

the rich of their ill-gotten riches and with them alleviated the hardships of the poor. This is of cour.se eh extreme case of select­ ing a hero, who is otherwise ignoble, and is therefore an exception rather than the rule. /

As the theme is martial, the Powada revels in very picturesque descriptions of the manly physique of the hero, of'his armour and equestrain skill, of armies, camps, pitched battles and sieges, and, above all, of the particular glorious deed which happens to be the subject of the theme. The description employs an antique style full of old Marathi words and idioms and though rough in appearance, is really inspiring and highly emotional in its appeal. Be the listeners, young or old, educated or uneducated, the Powada keeps them all spell-bound and rouses fheir patriotism to a high pitch. The old Powada literature is thus a store of the martial traditions and life of the Marathas and off rs a great field for research about the social and political conditions during the Maratha Rule. The Powada is a homage to the hero and if its hero is com­ pletely successful in his mission, it creates an atmosphere of great joy and vigour. If however, the hero finds himself in a very hazardous situation or even b ses his life in the discharge of his noble undertaking, the atmos] there of the Powada changes from one of comedy to that of tragedy, and then the Powada turns out to be an elegy. Readers of Mahii Bharat will at once see that the death of A^himanyu is an instance of this type. The Pbwada employs some simple Matra Vritta and is sung to the Tal Dhumali, a variation of Trital. It does not employ any Raga as such, but is a mixture of Ragas like Mand, Khamaj, and Jhinjoli or Kalyan and the intonation of the words is more in the manner of a harangue than of a musical recital proper. It is a type of open air music, and its instruments of accompaniment comprise of a Tun-Tune—an instrument with a single twanging and high pitched note giving the sound ‘ Tun ’ ‘ Tun ’ ‘ Tun ’ as a drone— and Daf— a large flat drum, open on one side— and a pair of brass cymbals, to keep time. In contrast with chamber music, the accompanying instruments are not only poor in point of upper-partials, but do not even supply a steady, sustained note as a drone. The recitation, again, is in the manner of a harangue, with all the acuteness and corner effects of prose delivered in a fit of vehemence, with a strong and beating metallic rhythm. It is particularly so, when the reciter steps back to the refrain of the Powada and his companions join PARTS I-IV] THE POWADA OF MAHARASHTRA 7 3 him with loud voices and end the line with words ‘ Ji ’ VJi ’ * Ji ’—meaning victory be to the hero, victory, victory! Though powerful in its appeal, the Powada is, therefore, inherently an elementary and crude form of music of the open air type. Recently some of the educated people have become the exponents of this form and have themselves composed some modern Powadas. They have also experimented in giving it a better musical background, but they have tamed the tiger by cutting his claws and shutting him in a cage instead of allowing him to roam in the jungle. In the last days of the Maratha regime, the bards had no heroic theme before them and so harnessed all their energy and wit to the composition of amorous and erotic songs. These compositions are called Lavanis and are equally powerful in their erotic or sex appeal, but with all their richness of diction and imagery and sweet love-making, are ignoble inherently. They however form the chief material of Tamasha, which is a kind of Opera-burlesque having many points of similarity with the ancient type of opera, about which more may be given in a separate article.*

* Messrs. Shaligram and Shitut have in the past compiled and published many of the old Powadas and recently Mr. Y. N. Kelkar, son of Mr. N. C. Kelkar, has published a book which contains a very large number of Powadas with authentic text and a valuable glossary explain­ ing old Marathi terms and idioms. Mr. Kelkar’s book gives the notation of some of the Powada, and records of some more are issued by the Gramophone Companies. THE PARIJATAHARANA NATAKA OF

NARAYANA TIRTHA

D r. V. R aghavan •Recently, in the June of this year, I paid my second visit to Merattur near Ayyampet, Tanjore Dt., the place of Virabhadrayya and Venkatarama Bhagavatar, to see again the traditional danee- drama, Carita etc., of Venkatarama Bhagavatar. I was happy to note a growth of interest in the younger generation in the matter of maintaining their traditional dance-drama. The inspiration of the youngsters is one Brahmasri Balasubrahmanya Sastrigal, a scholar in Sanskrit and a musician, who evinces a great enthusiasm for the revival of this drama. I may say that in him is centred our hope to see this drama kept alive at Merattur.

While at Merattur, as well as at Nallur, which was once another centre for these dramas, I was fortunate to come across two valuable manuscripts. At Nallur I saw with Bharatam Narayanaswami Iyer, a palm-leaf manuscript containing the stray pieces of the well-known composer of dance-drama, Merattur Venkatarama Bhagavatar. With Brahmasri Balasubrahmanya Sastrigal of Merattur, I saw a palm-leaf manuscript of a hitherto unknown composition of Sri Narayana Tlrtha.

The only musical work of Sri Narayana Tirtha which we knew till now is the Krsna lila tarangini in Sanskrit. Now this manuscript in Merattur reveals to us that Sri Narayana Tirtha visited and stayed in the village of Merattur, that the dance-drama tradition at Merattur is older than the times of Venkatarama Bhagavatar and of the earlier composer Virabhadrayya, and that Narayana Tirtha composed in Telugu also. This newly discovered musical play is called the Parijataharana nataka and takes its name after a well-known theme. Thanks to its owner, I am able to give here the following analysis of the songs in this short play: 1st leaf: It opens with prayers to Ganesa, Sarasvati, Guru and Siva.

2 nd leaf—missing. 3rd leaf: The story begins here.

4 th and 5th leaves— missing. PARTS I-IV] THE PARIJATAHARANA NATAKA 75

6 th leaf: Daru: conversation between Krsna and Rukminl. The Raga-name is missing. The piece bears the mudra of Narayana Tirtha. 7th leaf: Narada arriving and giving the Parijata flower to Bhama.

8 th leaf—missing. 9th leaf: Satyabhama sending a messenger to Krsna, nar­ rating the event.

1 0 th leaf—missing. 11th leaf: Satyabhama’s Duti speaking to Krsna. This is a Daru in Sahkarabharana. 12th leaf: Satyabhama’s complaint. This is a Daru in Ghantd; it has the composer’s Mudra. 13th leaf: Same theme; same Raga-, with composer’s signa­ ture. 14th leaf: Same theme; Raga ; Tala Cdpu; with com­ poser’s signature. 15th leaf: Same theme, same Raga and Tala. The Duti speaks; Daru in Madhyamdvati and Misra. 16th leaf: Satyabhapia’s words; Daru in Ahiri and Adi; with composer’s Mudba. 17th leaf: Same theme; Madhyamdvati-Adi; with the signa­ ture of the composer. 18th leaf: Conversation between Rukmini and Bhama; Daru, Madhyamdvati and Adi; with Mudra. 18th leaf: Bhama’s complaint; Daru; Raga not given; with Mudra. 19th leaf: Krsna goes to Satyabhama’s abode. 20th leaf: Krsna consoles her. 21st leaf: Krsna consoles her, Daru; Punndgavardli. 22nd leaf: Krsna consoles her. 23rd leaf: Dialogue between the two; Daru. 24th leaf: Consoling of Bhama; Narakasura appears on the way to Indraloka. Naraka’s entry in a Daru. 25th leaf: Killing of Narakasura; bringing of the Parijata tree; planting it in Bhama’s residence; Indra’s mes­ sengers appear at Dvaraka with Indra’s message. 26th leaf: Indra comes to Dvaraka. Daru. 7 6 t h e j o u r n a l o f t h e m u s ic ACADEMY [VOL. XIII

27th leaf: Indra’s hymn to Krsna; Daru in Bauli, Triputa Kamalanayana purana purusa kamsa bhanjana Srinidhe Amaravandita padapahkaja Asritarti vibhanjana **####

Saranam saranam munindra sannuta saranam kamala- nayaka •Saranam ACHYUTAPURANIVASA SVAMI VARADARAJA prabho. In this last piece in Bauli which is a hymn to Krsna and serves also as Mangala, it may be seen that the deity mentioned, Varadaraja, is the one at Merattur, and that Merattur itself is mentioned with its older name Acyutapura, given to that village after King Acyutappa Nayaka of Tanjore (A.D. 1561-1614). Some of the pieces, as has been noted above, have the com­ poser’s signature “ Narayana tirtha varada ” , and there is there­ fore no reason to doubt the authorship of this musical play. A TAMIL SONG OF MALAVAI CHIDAMBARA BHARATI

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K THE ‘ KAMBA-RAMAYANA ’ TILLANA OP KUNRAKUDY KRISHNIER BY

Sri M. S. R amaswami A iyar, b.a., b.l., l.t.

The Tillana was born in North India but bred in South India. It had an agreeable development at the hands of the two contem­ poraries, Kunrakudy Krishnier and Patnam Subramanier. These, as well as their contemporary, Maha Vythianathier, composed some songs in Tamil and, at times, incorporated into their musical frames pieces of Classic Tamil Poetry. One such composition is what has been handed on to us as a Kamba-Ramayana Tillana by Kunrakudy Krishnier, so-called because a Kamba-Ramayana Verse forms its Charana. It is given here with notation.

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Prof. G. H. Ranade, Poona Mr. 0. C. Gangooli s objections to my identification of the Raga of the Natl’s song in the prelude to the Sakuntala as Madhya­ madi— Sarang are: (1) There is no evidence to show that the term ‘ Sarang * meaning a musical Raga was current in the days of Kalidasa. (2) Sarang and Madhyamadi are two different Ragas. (3) Sarang is affiliated to variety of Bhairav— which differs widely from fcpapFn’fc, in its scale and ethos. (4) It is somewhat perilous to assume that the melodies of the Sangita Ratnakara have survived in their integrity and identity of structure in modern times, particularly in the practices of northern musicians, and to use the data of Sangita Ratnakara (13th Century A.D.) as applicable to the state of musical practices and knowledge of jthe days of Kalidasa.

Regarding the fjhst objection:— My own belief is that in spite of the absence of any direct evidence, the internal evidence in the works of Kalidasa himself is enough to support the inference that the Raga idea was current then. And if this is granted once, there is evefy possibility that the Raga Madhyamadi Sarang, the very first of the ancient Madyam Grama, should have a currency in preference to any other more distant musically remote Raga. So, if I have no authority upon the currency of the Raga Saranga, I am afraid none may have any upon the existence of the Raga idea itself in those days. About the second objection I have to say that just as we have many different types of Kalyan, and Kanada, so also there are numerous types of Sarang, and as is the custom, either the joint name like SJ21WT or only is enough to name the desired variety. The clan name is usually omitted and Ragas are named as 31HMT, 3.+M, and so "on, instead of giving the joint-name. Madhyamadi being the first and fore­ most member of the Sarang clan, has a significance of its own, as .it is one of the most ancient and simple Grama Ragas. The word Sarang in the Sutradhar’s verse, was suggestive enough to bring Madhyamadi to my mind as the possible Raga of the Natl’s song, t>ARTS I-IV] THE NATI’S SONG 8 5

and with the help of references to it about its scale, place in the body of a play and appropriate time and season for singing it etc., I tried to build up the picture, from Bharata onwards and from Sarhgdeva backwards to the days of Kalidasa and curiously enough there is perfect agreement between them. Being a pure Grama-Raga, Madhyamadi could not have changed like other derived Iiagas and my article on Madhyamadi in the last number of the Academy’s Journal would show that it has not changed even to this day. The affiliation of Sarahga to Madhu­ madhavl—a derivative of the so-called Bhairav—is a creation of Pratap Sinha and still later compilers. Pundarika Yithal and Damodar refer to Madhumadhavl, but they refer to it not as a Sampoorna Ragini but as an Audava one and their lakshana as will be seen from my article reduces itself to the Raga Madhya­ madi. An authority from the Sangita Makaranda—not included in that article—also points to the same fact and corroborates my former conclusion. Thus, verse 47 on page 17 of (Gaekwar’s series) reads under the heading ...... fori n w w (Madhumadhavl, commencing on the note *1, omits ft and and takes only five notes.). If now ft and '<1 are omitted and is taken as the new base, the scale that turns up is but the scale of Madhyamadi itself. (The author does not mention any Raga of the name Madhyamadi, and uses the word as an adjective throughout). Thus there is no Madhyamadi in Sangita Maka­ randa, but there is Madhumadhavl instead and this Madhu­ madhavl has nothing to do with Bhairav but is identically the same as Madhyamadi of other ancient authors. The Madhu­ madhavl of later compilers like Pratap Sinha is therefore a myth and its relation to Bhairav is criticised even by Pt. Bhat- khande (Page 368 IV Book. Hind. Sangeeta Pti.). So the second and third objections have really no justification at all. As for the last objection, I do grant that it is somewhat perilous to apply the standards of the Ratnakara in their integrity to modern conditions, particularly to those prevailing in the North, which as is patently supposed must have been influenced beyond recognition by the so-called Persian reaction. But to be above reproach, I sought the identification of the scale not from any doubtful authority of the North but from the commonly agreed chaste system of the South which .was far beyond the unhealthy influence of any foreign culture. And when the Experts Com­ mittee of the Academy unanimously gave it that the Madhyamadi 8 6 THE JOURNAL OF THE MUSIC ACADEMY [VOL. XIII of the South fully agreed with the Madhyamadi of the North and when I found that right up from Sariigadeva to the present day there has been a continuity of the scale of the Madhyamadi without any change or a single dissenting voice out of all the fifteen available authorities, I thought that there was no peril in drawing the only straightforward conclusion that the Madhyamadi of Sarngadeva has been in scale and form the same till now, in spite of the socalled Persian influence. Thus except for the first objection, there is nothing that goes against my conclusion, and even the first one is such as would give the benefit of doubt to both of us equally. COMPARATIVE MUSIC

»Y

P rof. P. Sambamurti Under the heading ‘ Comparative music ’ Mr. C. S. Aiyar has written a short article in Vol. X II, pp. 36-37 of the Music Academy Journal. There are certain inaccurate statements made therein which I hasten to correct. The first sentence of the article gives the reader the impression that Chapter X IV of the book ‘ South Indian Music: Book IV ’ is intended by the author of the book to enlighten students of Indian Music on the fundamental concepts of European music and its history. This is incorrect. That chapter is primarily a chapter on comparative music and deals with such topics as ( 1 ) the extent and scope of the subject of comparative musicology, (2) Musicography, scale, tone-system, grace, instruments, orchestra and musical literature of the diffe­ rent nations, (3) Musical stamps, musical memorials, and honours bestowed on musicians, (4) Music of Greater India, (5) Effect of climate on the growth and development of music and ( 6 ) the several uses to which music has been put in different countries from early times, etc. Secondly I have used the term homophony in my book in its modem sense and not in its earlier or archaic sense. The modem term to denote Helmholtz’s conception of homophonic music is monophonic music. Let me quote a few authorities:— 1. The Oxford Companion to Music, Second Edition, P. 436. Homophony is the term applied to music in which the parts (note the plural) or voices move in * step ’ and without individual, melodic or rhythmic interest. Its converse is polyphony. Ibid P. 591. : ' Monophonic having one * line ’ of notes— as distinct from Homophonic (several lines of notes, but moving together as chords, and without individuality in the lines) and Polyphonic, (several lines of notes, each with individuality and moving with some independence)’. 1 \ 2. Macmillan’s Encyclopaedia of Music and Musicians, P. 837. Homophony, in early music, playing or singing of instru­ ments or voices in unison; (now) applied to compositions in 8 8 THE j o u r n a l o f THE MUSIC ACADEMY [VOL. XIII

which a melodic part predominated and was accompanied by other parts which formed the harmony. 3. Dr. Dunstan’s “ A Cyclopaedic Dictionary of Music” Fourth Edition, P. 248v Ilomophonic...... the modern style initiated by Peri, Caceini,.etc., about 1600,. consists of one principal melody with an accompaniment of chords and this style is said to be homophonic.

In the light of these, the soundness of my statements will be clear. Indian music is therefore monophonic and not homophonic. As for the statement in the last but one para of the article, I would like to say that in a melodic system of music, it is possible for a composer during moments of emotional rapture and spiritual exaltation to sing (i.e., create extempore) a piece, complete in itself and conforming to all the unities at the same time. The Mohana piece “ Nanu Pdlimpa” and the Gaulipantu piece, <(Tera tiyyagaradd ” are illustrious examples. But in polyphonic and harmonic systems of music, from their very nature the composer has to think out and write the music (multi-lined) on paper. Surely no composer worth his name can ever hope to produce any composition of lasting merit if he is not musically inspired. As for Mr. Aiyar’s statement that one gets the impression of the major chord in the opening phrase of the anupallavi of the “ Entavedu Kondu Raghava ” , I leave it to the learned to decide.

IDEAL ORCHESTRA ! ! “ Berlioz who wrote sometimes for 450 musicians says in his book on Orchestration that the ideal orchestra should consist of 242 strings, 30 grand pianos, 30 harps and enormous number of wind and percussion players.” —You & Music, p. 45.

NOTATION “ It will be seen that the written notes are at best only an approximation to the composer’s intentions, no matter how fully they are supplemented by verbal directions.” You & Music: Christian Darnton. p. 42. THE JOURNAL OF THE MUSIC ACADEMY, MADRAS OPINION

T h e O r ie n t a l L it e r a r y D igest, P oona, w r it e s :— “ A journal of all-India character, solely devoted to music has been a serious and long-standing deside­ ratum. Though the Sangita a quarterly published from the Mans College, Lucknow, and the J ournal of the Music Academy, Madras (JMAM ) were started in 1930, both had, unlortunately, to be suspended after issuing a few excellent numbers. The reappearance of the JMAM will therefore be welcomed by all thought­ ful lovers of Indian music and culture with no small amouid of gratification. The volume under review, though uated 1934, was published only a few months ago, and the promise of soon bringing out the volumes due for each of the years 1934 to 1938, resumes the thread of its publication from where it was broken. Though naturally it is devoted chiefly to South Indian Music, there are features which make it indis­ pensable for serious students and lovers of music throughout the length and breadth of India. Publica­ tion of original articles on music by experts, and of classical works on Indian music are instances in point. Authoritative reports of the annual conferences of the Music Academy, Madras, are to be found only in the pages of this journal, and embodying as they do the discussion on important topics by experts and acknow­ ledged authorities, they cannot be overlooked by serious students of Indian music. # * * * • • This alone should suffice to draw the attention of all scholars, societies and institutions concerned with Indology to this important journal. # # * # # # W e wish the journal a long and brilliant career of service to the cause of Indian music. Let all lovers of Indian music make common cause with those in charge of the Journal to see its growing prosperity.” THE JOURNAL OF THE MUSIC ACADEMY, MADRAS

SELECT OPINIONS The Indian Express: “ The resumption of the Jour­ nal is an event of the first magnitude in the musical world. ’ ’ The Hindu: “ The revival of this valuable Journal devoted to the study and promotion of Indian Music will be welcomed by all lovers and exponents of the art.” The Madras M ail: “ We are glad to note the revival of the Journal of the Madras Music Act jmy (a quarterly devoted to the advancement of the science and art of music) * * * Fulfilling as it does a real need of music lovers, we are sure all lovers of art and culture will support it.” II. H. The Maharaja of Dharampur: “ * * His High­ ness is also delighted to read the articles in your magazine which are undoubtedly very interesting and instructive. He is also pleased to read the proceedings of the Academy’s Music Conference * * . ” The Adyar Bulletin: “ The resumption of the publi­ cation of this journal devoted to the promotion of research in the field of music must be welcomed by all lovers of Indian culture. The Journal fulfils a real need as it is the only Journal of its kind in India.” S. N. Bhattacharya, Benares Hindu University: “ A glance at the Index for the last ten years’ articles in your Magazine revals to me the keen interest in Music taken by the South Indians. There is no such Journal in North India.” $ ffclStta ' ' • ; i;; ; t* "v"' : V r '■...: ■'.. :.'.- ■.' (;■' ;' .!" ■