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Sri Thyagaraja Swami's contribution
to music or sangitopasana and the esoteric nadopasana is unique. No
other composer has sung about the grammar and mystic significance
of sanginta in such terms as Swami has. Arranged in the order of their
subject matter, the songs on sangeetha and nada make a textbook on
the subject by themselves. He has either created or popularized quite
a few ragas which he calls "vintha ragamulu" or new ragas.
Professor Sambamoorthy says that no fewer
than 78 ragas owe their identify to Thyagaraja kirtanas. One scholar
says that before Swami's time there were so few ragas that all the
songs could be classified under a small number of lakshana definitions.
In this connection he refers to a lakshana and lakshya work by Sahaji
Maharaja, some sixty years before Sri Thyagaraja Swami was born. Sahaji
Maharaja lists only 31 ragas which represented practically all the
known ragas of that time. It may also be mentioned that there were
no songs in Harikamboji or Kharaharapriya before Swami's time. It
is not an exaggeration to say that these two ragas were Swami's gift
to Carnatic music. Swami has handled some 210 ragas derived from 43
melakartas. Also, he did not handle many pratimadyama ragas and this,
some scholars claim, is due to the fact that not all Pratimadyama
ragas have their individual swaroopa.
Some notable features of Swami's compositions
are obvious when he employs a new raga; its arohana and avarohona
are indicated in the opening phrase itself e.g. Siddhasena. The kriti
in this raga gives the complex arohana and avarohana (derived from
the mela Dhenuka, Sa ri ga ri pa ma pa da sa pa ma ri ga ri sa. To
cite another example, the opening phrase of the Bahudari kiriti -
pa da ni pa ma ga is a marvel for there can be no better opening.
Some composers have tried variations without the same melodic effect.
Where two very common and popular ragas
are combined in the purvanga or uttaranga, for example in Charukesi
or its inverse raga, Kokilapriya, by subtly introducing the note from
the poorvanga or uttaranga to give the raga its flavor, the identity
of the combination as an artistic form of its own is established.
In "Adamodi galada," the Suddha Daivatam is introduced in
the opening phrase and in Dasarathe (Kokilapriya), the kaakonisheda
is introduced.
Where a vivadi swara is involved, it will
always be found in the opening phrase for if this is not done, the
identity of the raga cannot be established. for example, if only the
swara from ga ma to ni sa are sung in Nasikabhooshani, only Vachaspathi
will be heard. Thus, only if the Shatsruthi rishaba is included will
Nasikabhooshani be heard.
For sheer musical excellence, composition
such as "Enduku Peddala" and "Emi Nerama", both
in Sankarabharanam and "Evarimata" and "Mari Mari Ninne"
both in Khomboji and his large number of creations in thodi, in which
raga there are no fewer than 36 kritis, no two is alike and his ganaraga
pancharathnams cannot be excelled. The Kshetra kirtanas, the nalangu
songs for the soorthradhari (a sort of compere) to sing, the divyanama
kritis for ritualistic worship are all a treasure Swami has left for
us.
Swami was the first to introduce the desadi
thala and also to introduce sangatis in his connotations. The sangatis
were introduced to bring out the melodic and rhythmic intricacies,
the raga lakshanas and quite often, to bring out the purpose of the
song, e.g. Chetulara in Bhairavi and "Thappi Brathiki Brova"
in Todi, where all the sangatis are based on the words "singaramu
jesi joothunu" in the first case and "brathiki brova tarama"
in the second case. Kritis such as "Dorakuna" "Mari
Mari Ninne" "O! Ranga Sayee" "Dharini Telusukonti"
and others (numerous to list) are examples of sangatis used to create
an intrinsically and exquisitely conceived ornamentation of marvelous
musical architecture.
Sangeetha and Nada: Another example of
Sri Thyagaraja Swami's genius can be found in his handling of sangeetha
and nada. The study of sastras relating to sangeetha are supposedly
derived from divine sources and when used for devotional purposes,
could lead to the conferment of many blessings. There were clear texts
on the origin of our music, its structure and purposes.
The five octaves, madhya, mandaram, anumandara,
tara, and anutara were derived from the five forces of Shiva - Satyajata,
aghora, eesana, tatpurusha and vamadeva. The structured music is based
on the Sruthis, a unique concept and the purpose of music is only
one: to praise the Almighty. In other words, it is only devotion for
which sangeetha should be employed and not for any other purpose such
as mere artistic pleasure. These concepts are derived from the first
three slokas of Sangita Ratnakara.
In dealing with sangeetha or physical
aspects of music, Sri Thyagaraja Swami has taken the first three slokas
and composed the following three songs, almost word for word: 1. Naada
Thanumanisam Sankaram (Chittaranjani); 2. Sobhillu Sapthaswara (Jaganmohini);
and 3. Nadopasana (Begada). At this point, there is a clear distinction
made between sangeetha or the physical and aesthetic aspects from
nadopasana or the mystic, esoteric aspects or naada yoga. These are
discussed in the article on Nadopasana.
The practice of sangeetha, based on the
sastras , is referred to in "Ananda Sagara" (Garudadwani)
and "Sangita Sastra Gnanamu" (Muhari). As fruits of the
practice of sangeethopasana, mention is made of the "Ocean of
Bliss - Sangeetha Sastramagu Brahmananda Sagara" and again, mention
is made of other such fruits of nadopasana in the Mukhari kriti as
"Prema bhakthi sujana vatsalya" and "Srimad Rama vara
katakshamu." In the kriti "Sripapriya sangeethopasana seyave
O Manasa", he refers o the ragas which take pleasing forms. The
practice of the art of sangeetha will bring to its practitioner Sarropya
or attainment of good form; Galokya or being in the same realm as
God; Sarropya or being close to the Lord; Aroopya or attaining the
form of the ista devata and Sayjuya or merging with the god - the
forms of heavenly bliss. The origins of our music is divine, its structure
melodic and its purpose - the devout worship of God. Sri Thyagaraja
Swami, through his musical genius, brought us all these treasures.
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