PAPER 14 KIRTANAM and TILLANA MODULE 1 The Importance of KIRTANAM in Bharatanatyam repertoire KIRTANAM Singing The Praise of God Is Keertana / कीर्तन. Keertan Is a Sanskrit Word .It means telling the Glory of God. In Southern Part India Keertana, came to be known as Kirtanam / कीर्तनम Or Keertanai / ककर्तनै with a regional touch. The different names with Adjectives attributed to gods are known as Kirtanam. Keertan Singing is a common feature in the pan Indian Tradition. It Is Sung In Temples And Religious Congregations. This Musical Form Is Prevalent In The Regional Languages All Over India. Irrespective Of the Type of Music Whether Hindustani or Carnatic, Keertan Takes a Special Place in the Repertoire of Music, Dance, Harikatha / हररकथा and bhajan Concerts. The Recitation And Chanting Of Vedas By A Group Of Priests As Part Of The Rituals Can Be Considered As The Early Example Of Collective Singing Of Devotional Music. Devotion Is a Universal Feeling and the Supreme Prayer to Attain God’s Feet. There are Threefold Margas to approach The Infinite .They are Gyanamarga / ऻानमागत (Intellectual Path), Karma Marga / कमत मागत (way of action) and The Bakhtimarga / भक्तर्मागत (Devotional Path).The devotional path is considered the ideal and easiest to approach god. The attractive form of displaying devotion is by singing his praise. Hence kirtanas are the best musical form in the sphere of devotional music. Structure of the kirtanam Kirtanams are set in simple ragas (tunes) to make easy for everybody to sing. The talas set are also simple and rhythmic. This art musical form consist of pallavi / ऩ쥍ऱळी, annupallavi / अन्नुऩ쥍ऱळी and charanam / चरणं. Many kirtanams / कीर्तनं do not have anupallavi but consist of several charanams. If there are any svara / स्ळर or jathi / जर्ी passages after anupallavi it is again repeated after the charanam. This highlights the beauty of the music and dance th choreography. The kirtanam singing came to vogue from 16 century a.d.kirtanams must have derived from the musical form prabandas / प्रबंध. The simple language in the sahityas / साहह配य with equally flowing melody coupled with spiritual flavor gained popularity to this form .the adhyatma sankirtanas / अध्या配म संककर्तना and sringara sankirtanas / �ींगार संककर्तना can be taken as the earliest keertana compositions .during this period probably the gadya –padya sahitya / ग饍य-ऩ饍य साहह配य was introduced in keertana for the first time. The gradual transition took place from recitative music to lyrical music .the poetical expression was replaced with musical expression. The philosophical kirtanas of purandaradasa / ऩुरान्दरादासा, badrachala armadas / भद्राचऱ रामदास and other such composers are filled with musical expressions. The divyanama kirtanas / हदव्यनामा कीर्तन of tyagaraja / 配यागराज consists of pallavi and charanas. Some of the kirtanas by muthuswami dikshadar have samashti charana which is in a combination of anupallavi and charana. Uthukadu venkatasubbiers kirtanas have svara and jathi passages enhancing the sahitya. Compositions The kirtanams are composed in praise of Lord Ganesha, Shiva, Nataraja, Devi, Vishnu, Rama, Krishna, Hanuman, Kartikeya, Ayyapan, Lakhmi, Saraswathi, Guru etc. The description of the lord’s beauty, valour, compassion, competence are incorporated in an enhanced form. The verses will be of poetic nature full of similes and adjectives. Some will have philosophical descriptions. The kirtanams are sung by the bagavatas / भागळर् in the kathalakshepam / कथाकऱाऺेऩम or harikatha / हररकथा programs. The Bhagavathas recite stories of gods and kirtanam singing in the apt situations in middle of the story telling supports and enhances the beauty of the harikathas. Hence kirtanams became an integral part of harikatha. Kirtanams were also sung in the bhajana sampradaya in between the bhajans. Bhajans are the songs sung in praise of gods. The lines are first sung by the main singer and it is repeated by others. Sometimes same line is sung several times in unison and end with a namavali / नामाळऱी. It is always with very simple musical notes and without complicated musical intricacies. To break the monotony kirtanams were sung in between by the main singer. Kirtanams were also sung in music concerts since there is scope for raga alapana / आऱाऩना and kalpana svaras / क쥍ऩना स्ळर. So far there are no evidences available about kirtanam being performed in the temple or court dance programes. The tevaram / र्ेळारम hymns, thiruvachgam / तर्셁ळ楍गम, pasurams / ऩासुरम, thirupgazh / तर्셁ऩुगल, thirupavai / तर्셁ऩळै, mallari / म쥍ऱारी, tillana etc. were performed in the temple. The padavarnams, chowka varnams, padams, javalis, tillanas were frequently performed th dance forms in the court. In the beginning of the 20 century sadir was evolving as bharathanatyam for the public to enjoy the traditional art form. To add to the respectability of the dance form, kirtanam was introduced to the dance repertoire. It was novel and apt to perform kirtanam of a presiding deity in a particular kshetra / ऺेत्र where the dancer was performing. A dance festival in a temple always had one or more kirtanams performed in praise of that main deity. Kirtanams are full of bhakti rasa.it is apt for young children to perform kirtanams in a programme. It is comparatively easy for children to perform bhakti rasa than different varieties of sringara rasa as in padams and javalis. Kirtanams taken up for dance are fast and vibrant with svaras and jathis. The dance choreographer takes the liberty of adding a sloka in the beginning of the kirtanam or adding a jathi passage where ever needed. This highlights the beauty of the music and dance choreography. There is scope for the dancer to bring out the different bakhti rasas, karuna and joy in the kirtanas. Kirtanams are also sung and danced in bagavathamela natakams. Bagavathamelas are based on mythological stories of gods and is annually performed only in temples. Hence kirtanas are the integral part of these natakams. Kirtanam is the chanting of gods’ name, glory, form and quality. Sravanam is hearing and kirtanam is chanting or preaching. Singing kirtanam is to be associated with the almighty. By listening his praises constantly it is registered in the mind. Sincere devotion expressed in the form of music is considered the easy way to attain salvation. The songs in prahlada bakhti vijayam of saint tyagaraja reveals the different forms of devotions. There are nine modes of devotion. They are--- Sravanam / �ळणम---listening to his praise. Purandaradasa’s keertana katha sravana mado / कीर्तन कथा �ळण मादो in yamunakalyani raga and adi tala is the best example describing the sravanam. Smaranam / स्मरणं—meditation. Tyagaraja’s song smarane sukham / स्मराने सुखम in janaranjani raga and adi tala brings out the essence of smaranam. Kirtanam / कीर्तनम---singing or telling his glory. Harinama keertane / हरनाम कीर्तने in dhanyasi raga adi tala of prandaradasa is a good example of kirtanam. Vandanam / ळन्दनं---prayer in prostration. Swathi tirunal’s song vande deva / ळन्दे देळा in begada raga and jhampa tala describes vandanam. Archanam / अचतनम---worship through rituals. For example tyagaraja’s composition namakusuma mula / नामकु सुम मूऱ in sriraga and desadi tala. Padasevanam / ऩादसेळानाम—service at his feet or serving humanity. For example purandaradasa’s song bindeninna padava / बबन्देतनन्ना ऩाड़ळा in mohana raga and ata tala. Dasyam / दास्यम—being his servant. Tyagaraja’s composition tavadasogam / र्ळदासोगम in punnagavarali raga / ऩुन्नागाळाराऱी राग and adi tala / आहद र्ाऱा brings out the devotion. Sakhyam / सख्यं---being his friend, friendly to mankind. Swathi tirunal’s song bhavati visvaso / भळतर् वळश्ळासⴂ in mukhari raga and ata tala expresses the devotion. Atmanivedanam / आ配मतनळेदनम—surrender of oneself. Tyagaraja’s composition ragunayaka / रागुनायक in hamsadwani / हंसध्ळतन raga and adi tala brings out the essence of bakhti. The musical composition kirtanas give the essence of the navavidha bhakti. A philosophical content given in a musical form is easy to register in mind .the repetition of kirtanas gives a holistic experience of bhakti. Temples have contributed in preserving this musical form. The sthala kirtanas / स्थऱ कीर्तन or kshetra kirtanas / ऺेत्र कीर्तन are the compositions in praise of the presiding deity of that shrine. Many vaggeyakaras (composers) have composed songs on the particular deity for their ardent devotion towards god. These kirtanas describe spiritual aspects of the presiding deity, historical aspects of the kshetra, the mythological stories pertaining to that temple, about the sthala vruksha / ळऺृ (tree), pushkarani / ऩुष्करनी (sacred tanks), the festivals, special poojas, music, dance of the temple and many more such details. The sthala kirtanas are of two kinds, one being the songs in praise of the presiding deity of a temple, ishtadevatas and gods and goddesses of various shrines. The second one is the group kirtanas which are usually a set of five, seven, nine, twelve and sixteen songs in praise of a particular deity. Each song is a unit in the garland of songs (keertana malas). The temples which have the privilege of being visited and sung by great saints and composers are called ‘padal petra thalangal’. The musical trinities of carnatic music sri tyagaraja, syamasastri and muthuswami dikshadar have composed numerous kirtanams with full of bakthi bava. Among the musical trinities muthuswami dikshadar has composed a large number of group kirtanas. They are: 1. Vibhakti kirtanas / वळभक्तर् कीर्तन are a group of eight vibhaktis (cases) in praise of lord subramanya / सुब्रमन्य. 2. Nineteen kirtanas in praise of lord Ganapathi of different forms. 3. A set of twelve kirtanas in praise of lord tyagaraja / 配यागराज the presiding deity of tiruvarur / तर्셁ळ셁र and other kshetras / ऺेत्र. 4. A set of nine kirtanas on Lord Subramanya.