Contribution of Harikēśanallūr Mut-final

7/27/2019 Contribution of Harikanallr Mut-final

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Contribution of Harikanallr Muttai Bhgavatar to Music

Dr.R.ABHIRAMASUNDARIASST.PROF IN MUSICQUEEN MARYS COLLEGECHENNAI-600 004.

ABSTRACT

South Indian Music reached its highest form after Seventeenth and Eighteenth

Century. The Disciples and followers of the Great Composers have passed on the music

of their great Masters, to the next generation and also written Musical Texts. Their

contribution to Music and Musicology plays an important role, as they provide valuable

information about great tradition and musical lineage. Harikanallr Muttai Bhgavatar

is one such contributor to both Music and Musicology. This article highlights his

contribution to Music.INTRODUCTION

Muttai Bhgavatar was born to Ligamayyar and nandavalli amml on 15 th

Novermber 1877. His maternal Uncle Mahmahpdhyya M. Laksmanasri was a

scholar. As he lost his father at his tender age, he stayed with his maternal Uncle, and

then went to Tiruvaiyru to learn Sanskrit and Music, from Thiruvaiyru Smbaiva

ayyar who is a disciple of Pallavi Duraismi ayyar(belongs to Tygarja sisya

parampara). Having been endowed with a very good voice, Muttai Bhgavatar started

practicing rigorously and started giving performances from his early age. He was

appreciated for his talents, encouraged and honored by Rmantapuram, Ettayapuram and

ndippatti Samastnam-s. He has performed in Ceylon and Burm other than many

important places in India. He has been specially honored by the then Mahrja of

Trivandrum, Mlam Tirunl in the year 1897 for his many performances and was also

conferred as Astna Vidwan of Trivandrum. He has started performing Harikath

performances also from the year1904. As he was a great scholar in the languages, he has

not only composed compositions in the languages Tamil, Kannada, Sanskrit and Telugu

and Nrupanam for Harikath performances. His enunciation of Valli Kalynam, Sathi

Sulcana and Tygarja Caritram were very popular and reached the mass. He earned

great acclaim in a short span of time. He also got acquinted with the vidwans like

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Knrirjapuram Vaidyantha Ayyar, Violin Myram Subbaiyyar, Mrdaga Vidvn

Kumbaknam Azagunambi pillai and Thanjvr Abhraham Panditar.

Muttai Bhgavatar was honored by the Mysore Mahrj Krsnarjndra Udayr

with the title Gyakaikmani in the year 1927. He was also the stna Vidwn of

Mysre from that year. As the Mahrja requested, he also composed ivs tttara

Krtana-s and Cmundvari asttttara Krtana-s. He has also learnt Hindustani music

from Mahrstra Musician Bhatji. The compositions belonging to Harikatha like Ski,

Dindi were also composed by Muttai Bhgavatar.

From the inception of the Music Academy, Madras, he has been an incipient

participant in the Music performances, Rga laksana Discussions and Research paper

presentations. He was also the Principal of the College of Music, The Music Academy,

Madras for some years. He was awarded the title Sagta Kalnidhi in the year 1930 bythe Music Academy.

He was awarded with the Doctoral Degree by the Trivancore Samasthnam in the

year 1943, for his contribution to the Musicology the Musical Text Sagta

Kalpadrumam which discusses the various aspects of Music. Muttai Bhgavatar was

the first Musician to receive the Doctoral Degree. He was also the Principal of the Music

college started by the Kerala Government in Trivandrum. He also played an important

role in propagating the Krtana-s of Swti Tirunl.

METHODOLOGY

The article discusses the various compositions of Muttai Bhgavatar and the

work Sagta Kalpadrumam, the book written by theMuttai Bhgavatar. The various

raga-s created by Muttai Bhgavatar form an important role in his contribution to Music.

DISCUSSION

Muttai Bhgavatars contribution to Music could be listed among the following

heads namely, Composer, Musicologist, Harikatha performer and heading Music

Educational Institutions. Being a multifaceted personality, he has contributed to all the

branches of music. All these aspects are discussed here.

Muttai Bhgavatar has composed more than Four hundred compositions. Apart from

this, he has composed ivstttara Krtana-s and Cmundvari asttttara Krtana-s

(Hundred and eight krtana-s, covering one for each nmvali). He has also composed

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Navagraha Krtana-s. All his krtana-s were compiled and published by his adopted son

Harikanallur M.Vaithialingam. His krtana-s are in the aprvargas(rare rga-s) and

also in the rga-s innovated by him. The rga-s are Vijayasarasvati, Hamsagamani,

Karnarajani, Paupatipriy, Bhudamanhari, Guharajani, Sumanapriy,

Hamsadpakam, Kkilabhsini, Alakri, Valachi, Sragamalhr, Gaudamalhr,

Nirst, Mypradpam, Vndhri, Harinryan, Ngabhsan, Cakrapradpt,

Vijayangari, Urmik and Gurupriy. Some of these rga-s are mentioned in the books

like Sagta Candrika, and Sagta Svara prastra sgaramu. Musician and Musicologist,

T.L.Venkatrmayyar mentions that these rga-s were the invention of Muttai

Bhgavatar. Muttai Bhgavatar has composed two krtana-s in Hamsnandi rga and

propagated this rga which is based on the rga Shini in Hindustni Music. Krtana-s

in the rga-s Mhanakalyni, Valachi, Gaudamalhr are quite popular in the last fiftyyears.

His krtanas have sangatis like Tygarja Krtana-s. example Nr idu in

Karaharapriy, Sahajaguna in Sankarbharana rga, N pdam gati in Bhairavi rga.

Apart from the widely known rga-s, he has also composed in the rga-s like

Magalakaiiki, Jigala, Gauri, Iamanhari, Bagala, Jayanryani, Hamsabhramari,

Mgharajani and Gundakriy.

Presence of Cittasvaram is an another important feature of his krtana-s.

He has composed many Tnavarna-s, Padavarna-s and daruvarna-s. Tnavarna-s

in di tala, are in the rga-s Suddhadhanyi, Suddhasvri, ndlik, Nyanagaula,

Kdragaula, and in the rga-s Hindlam, KalynI, Kmbhdi, Tdi and Mhanam in ata

tla. Pada varnam is in the rga nandabhairavi and Daru varnam-s are in the rga-s

Vasant, Sahn, Kams and Kpi in the tla-s di, Kandacpu, di, miracpu.

His contribution has also been extended to three rgamlika-s. They are

Pacargamlika, Saptargamlika and Navvarana rgamlika. He has also composed

Tillna-s in eleven rga-s namely, Vasant, Tdi, Darbriknada, Knada, Kpi, Behaug,

Hamsnandi, Hamrkalyni(two tillana-s), Mhanam and dikpi. His compositions are

in praise of Vinyaka, Subhramanya, iva, Dvi, Visnu, Gurunda, Tygarjasvami etc.

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He has contributed many Nirpanam for Harikat performances. Kalil hari

smaranamu a krtana in Kpi rga and Valli nyakan in Sanmukhapriy are such

compositions composed for Harikatha and they are also sung in Music concerts.

His compositions are in the languages Tamil, Sanskrit, Telugu and Kannada.

He has written a text called as Sagta kalpadrumam in Tamil. This was

published by Svti Tirunl Music College, Trivandrum. The author mentions all the

previous Laksana granta-s namely, Sagta Ratnkaram, Sagta Makarandam,

Brhaddhi, Ravibhdam, Sagta Pirijtam, Sagta sudha, Sagta samaya sram,

Caturdandipraka, Mldikralaksanam, Svaramlakalnidhi, Sagta Dhmdara and

Sagta sarvrtha sra sagrahamu.

The work starts with Nda, Origination of Svara, reference to Smavda, and

goes on explains to cover the various aspects, like distinct features of Indian Music, ruti,Svara, Kku, Grma, Mrccana, Gamaka, Varna, Alakra, Svara prastra, and Gta.

All these aspects are handled in a detailed manner under various chapters. Some krtana-s

of Purandaradsar, Tygarja, Symasastri, Muttusvmi Dksitar and Svti Tirunl, are

given. Sapta Svara prastara-s is given at the end of the work.

He has also passed on his music to the next generation. His disciples have a good acclaim

and they have been instrumental in the various field of Music. To quote a few, Fiddle

Appvaiyyar, Gottuvdhyam Nryana Ayyar, Vidvan Srinivasan, Paththamadai

Brothers, Sri Nryanan(Principal of Svti Tirunl College, Trivandrum), Nellai

Krisnamrthy, Madurai Mani Ayyar, Bhudalr Krisnamrthy Sastrigal and

T.L.Vekatarmayyar.

CONCLUSION

Muttai Bhgavatar occupies an important place in the composers belonging to

19th and 20th Century. He was a Musician, Musicologist, Researcher, Teacher,

Academician, Harikatha performer and a composer. His contribution includes in all the

above areas of Music proves his mastery over the Art and deep sense of knowledgeable

approach to any task he takes up. His Rgalaksana presentations during the Music

Academy morning discussions are ever remembered by the scholars and music students.

Thus Muttai Bhgavatar has left a treasure of his contributions to music which ever

speaks and remembers him.

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Bibliography

1. Ralaksana discussions of the Journal of Music Academy, Madras.

2.Harikatklakspa a study Dr. Premila Gurumurthy

3.Sagta Kalpadrumam- Muttai Bhgavatar

4.Mysore as a Seat of Music, Dr. M.B. Vedavalli.

5.Sri Cmundvari atttara krtanas, Sri Sivstttara krtana-s, Apurvarga krtana-s,

and Tamil krtana-s of Muttai Bhgavatar,

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Contribution of Harikēśanallūr Mut-final