Request for all Navavaranas by TMK

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shreyas
Posts: 251
Joined: 03 Mar 2018, 13:16

Request for all Navavaranas by TMK

Post by shreyas »

Hey!

I am a student of music, and I am currently learning the Navavaranas of Dikshithar. Since TMK sings everything according to the SSP, I just wanted to know if anyone has all the Navavaranas by him? Currently, I have Anandabhairavi and Thodi. Any upload in any form would be greatly appreciated.

yeshprabhu
Posts: 39
Joined: 04 Apr 2017, 04:26

Re: Request for all Navavaranas by TMK

Post by yeshprabhu »

Shreyas wrote, "Since TMK sings everything according to the SSP, I just wanted to know if anyone has all the Navavaranas by him?"

It is not just that TMK sings everything according to Sangeetha Sampradaya Pradarshini, he does much more than that. He sings with bhaava; when he sings a kriti, both the raga bhaava and sahithya bhaava shine through. And clearly he often sings paying attention to the meaning of the kriti: That is why when an overwhelming number of vocalists sing a particular kriti very fast, we often find him singing that kriti at a much slower pace because the meaning of the lyrics demands that a vocalist take his time, sing slowly, and pay attention to what the composer has written. It is only when a vocalist willfully ignores the meaning of the kriti, and what the composer expressed in the lyrics, that he can sing a kriti at extraordinary speed. TMK sings many kritis at slower kaalapramaana, which enables him to sing with bhaava: at high speed both the ragabhaava and sahithyabhaava go out the door. After a concert if you ask the vocalist (I often do that) why he sang a particular krithi so fast, you will most likely get one of these answers: "My guru sings it at that speed. I wanted to excite the rasikas, I wanted to bring excitement to the concert. I feel comfortable singing at that speed." (Of course, an excited audience responds by rewarding the vocalist with huge applause. Have you not observed that fast singing unfailingly generates loud applause? The reason a vocalist sings a kriti very fast is to entertain the rasikas, and not to enlighten the minds of the rasikas.) TMK does quite the opposite: He calms the rasikas' minds by singing, with bhaava, at a slower tempo.

What we hear at most Carnatic concerts we can broadly classify as Aahata music. Hearing Anaahata music at Carnatic concerts these days is extremely rare: Especially because these days vocalists are obsessed with singing very fast, and singing kalpana swaras, for example, at triple or even quadruple speeds. I have heard Anaahata music at TMK concerts on four separate occasions. Whenever one mentions or writes about TMK, controversy soon follows, unfortunately. At the mere mention of his name, I have seen that some rasikas contort their faces and literally spew vile words, and hiss in contempt, as if they were cobras. But twenty years from now, he will be praised for implementing what our Sangeetha Pitaamaha, Sri Purandara Dasa said with vehemence, that singing with bhakthi is paramount, and that is the only way a singer could touch listeners' hearts. Singing from the heart, that is, singing with bhakti, touches listeners' hearts, because heart is the place where Bhakti resides. And fifty years from now, Carnatic Bhagavatars and Pandits, and Vidwans, and musicians will consider him one of the greatest vocalists ever to sit on stage and enthrall rasikas and lead their minds to Devaloka. When TMK sits on stage, he gets immersed in Bhakti and gets lost in raagabhaava. Our Puranas and Shastras say that Anaahata music is heard by Kinneras and Gandharvas, Devas and Devathas, in Swarga Loka, but some extremely rare vocalists such as TMK, who have done Nadopasana with great sincerity, have succeeded in bringing Anaahata music from Gandharva Loka to Bhooloka.

I am quite sure that saner minds will prevail and, in a decade or so, he will be accorded the recognition, admiration, and praise that he so richly deserves.

Yesh Prabhu, Mylapore, Chennai

masundaram
Posts: 14
Joined: 28 Nov 2012, 19:39

Re: Request for all Navavaranas by TMK

Post by masundaram »

I concur 100 percent with what yeshprabhu has written. When I hear TMK sing a song , he reaches directly to your heart. May we have more vidhvans who give such an importance to lyrics and bhavam.

shreyas
Posts: 251
Joined: 03 Mar 2018, 13:16

Re: Request for all Navavaranas by TMK

Post by shreyas »

@yeshprabhu no doubt. I am a huge fan of his. It's just that for learning purposes, I believe his version is the best because it i the closest to the original that Dikshithar wrote.

vgovindan
Posts: 1865
Joined: 07 Nov 2010, 20:01

Re: Request for all Navavaranas by TMK

Post by vgovindan »

anahata music in concert?

According to our philosophy, sound (nAda) is classified as 'ahata' (struck) and anahata (unstruck). ahata is stated to become audible in four stages - vaikharI (audible as language or sAhitya), madhyamA (intermediate; some consider the mere sound production before language or pure svara unmixed with sAhitya as madhyamA), paSyantI (thought level) and parA (beyond even thought - sort of seed). On the otherhand, anahata belong to mystic sounds stated to be audible during yogic meditations only. anahata has no connection, IMHO, to music whatsoever. Maybe, music as a tool for meditation - nAdOpAsana - may have some connection to anahata nAda.

Though this need not be a matter of discussion here, it is necessary to clarify - to the best of my understanding. If what I stated is wrong, kindly pardon me for intrusion.

yeshprabhu
Posts: 39
Joined: 04 Apr 2017, 04:26

Re: Request for all Navavaranas by TMK

Post by yeshprabhu »

VGovindan wrote, "On the other hand, anahata belong to mystic sounds stated to be audible during yogic meditations only. anahata has no connection, IMHO, to music whatsoever. Maybe, music as a tool for meditation - nAdOpAsana - may have some connection to anahata nAda."

First of all, thank you very much for your comment. The subject of Aahata and Anaahata Naadas is vast and deep, like the depth of an unfathomable ocean. While preparing to deliver a talk about "The Purpose of Carnatic Music," (One of my favourite topics) I read dozens of articles written by spiritual teachers, gurus, Swamis, and experts in Hindu Shastras and Puranas, about Aahata and Anaahata naadas, especially about "What exactly is this Anaahata Naada?", and realized that the explanations given, and conclusions arrived at, by these learned men and knowledgeable scholars depend on "how intently they explored, and to what depth they dived, into this unfathomable ocean.

I wish to first say a few words about what Shree Thyagaraja has said about Naadas in general, and Naadopasana in particular. He was a Naadopaasaka, and a great Naada Yogi. What he said about the two Naadas in his compositions were based not merely on his vast theoretical knowledge, but on his personal experience during intense Nadopasana over several decades. Aahata naada originates in the Naabhi area (using will power, and generating sound intentionally), he said, in his kriti Shobhillu saptaswara, Jaganmohini raga : "Naabhi hrit kantha rasana naasaadula yandu"), whereas the Anaahata naada originates at the Mooladhaara. In his immortal kriti, "Swara raga sudha", in Shankarabharana raga, he says in the first charana, "Moolaadhaaraja naada merugute mudamagu mokshamura, O manasa". Moolaadhara-ja (that which is born in moolaadhaara and resides in that area, as distinct from that which is born in naabhi.) When Kundalini Shakthi is awakened during Kundalini yoga practice, the yoga practitioners begin to hear the Anaahata sounds residing in the mooladhaara.

The website www.indiadivine.org/content/topic/13330 ... ade-sound/, states this: "The cultivation or propitiation of Anaahata Naada is called Naada Yoga." "Anaahata Naada includes the naada emenating from the moolaadhaara part of the human body. All these are audible only to yogis" I must add that according to our Puranas and Shastra, however, Kinneras, Gandharvas, Devas and Devathas also hear Anaahata naada, just as dogs and some animals, and many creatures, also hear sounds beyond the hearing reach of humans.I have read that the great bull Nandi, Lord Shiva's vahana, can not only hear Anaahata naada(anaahata music!), but also play maddala to keep the rhythm and taala. And so could the great sage, Naarada, residing in Vaikunta! The article in the website continues, "Thyagaraja, the great Nada Yogi of recent times refers to the greatness of the moolaadhaaranaada in the first charana of his kriti "Swara raga sudha". The cognizance of anahata nada is the object of Yogopasana. When Kundalini is awakened by intense practice of Nada Yoga, the yogi (vocalist) begins to hear anahata sounds."

In the website www.yogapedia.com/definition/5321/nada, the author writes: "There are two types of nada: ahata, which is external sound perceived by the body/mind, and anahata, which is internal sound that is perceived by the heart chakra." (Anahata chakra) "Hearing this anahata sound is a goal of practicing Nada Yoga." The ultimate goal, of course, is self realization, followed by Mukti.(Attaining Moksha, the ultimate Purushartha).

In the website www.yogamag.net/archives/1983/haug82/tanmus882.shtml Dr. Swami Karmananda Saraswati MB,BS (Syd) wrote, "Anahata nada are those particular kind of sounds which are connected with the subtle planes of being. This anahata nada can be heard in the meditation practice known as Nadaanusaadhana (naada-anusaadhana). Anaahata nada is transformed into Ahata nada as it passes through the vocal cords in the voice box in the larynx. This is the origin of the sound which can be perceived by our sense of hearing."

I have come up with a simple analogy to describe this phenomenon. When you boil rice in water, if you add a half teaspoon of salt to it, the cooked rice develops a slightly salty taste, even though the salt itself is not visible to an observer. Just as the samyoga of prana and anala results in aahata naada, when Aahata naada generated in naabhi(aahata music) encounters with the Anaahata sounds generated in the moolaadhaara, and they both rise up towards the vocal cords, where they unite (samyoga), the resulting naada develops a special, celestial quality and ability to touch the Anaahata Charkra of both the vocalist and the rasikas and move them to tears. After all, both aahata naada and anaahata naada are vibrations, sound vibrations, and so can mix, just like two colors, vibrations in the visible range, can mix and form a new color. All vibrations are forms of Shakti of one kind or another, after all. In a state of union with the divine, a nadopasaka experiences that the artificial boundaries between Aahata naada and Anaahata naada collapse, and he experiences the truth proclaimed in our scriptures that "Sarvam Brahma mayam."

I have a lot more information about Anaahata nada collected from various websites, but that would be just too much information, I think, in a reply such as this. After all, this is not a treatise on Anahata Nada, and neither am I a Nada Yogi.

Yesh Prabhu, Mylapore, Chennai

shankarank
Posts: 4043
Joined: 15 Jun 2009, 07:16

Re: Request for all Navavaranas by TMK

Post by shankarank »

Yesh Prabhu, the whole thing about people ( including myself I suppose) making vile comments and spewing venom on TMK started with TMK opening the discussion about "Art" music and music with other intents like "religious" music. So am I hearing (from you) that he has done of favor to his fellow musicians and predecessors who sing fast and deliver thrills to their audience - to give them a space for "Art" music?

And he himself is an ideal musician who is producing some experience beyond the normal human realms?

You posit an ideal from SrI PuradaradAsA, about singing with Bhakti , straight head into associating that with slow paced music , and declare that TMK conforms to your view of bhakti and conveying bhava.

Based on all what I have heard, TMK is rendering with slow pace to explore the hitherto unexplored aesthetics of what he calls as a rAgA or part phrases of the rAgA.

The intent of a musician whether he/she is immersed in bhakti is somewhat a controversial topic. From the point of view of nATyA, the actors cannot really be the characters they play - they only act! Else wrong results ensue!

My issue with this rAgA aesthetics is, it buys into an assumption that music is just melody. True, many musical treatises talk about svarastAnAs , 22 etc, but there is a whole lot more complexity when it comes to even rAgAs to start with.

It seems to me that we have consumed this "sameness" thing about all the music in the world - i.e. all music is based on "notes" and trying to fit/interpret traditional Indian music into that framework. That is convenient to scholarship in the university system, I guess It gives them something systematic to discuss and dissert on!

This also gives comfort to those who want to peddle their idea of universality of music - in things like: yeah even Carnatic music has been used everywhere like by Ilayaraja with a sahAnA as background for a scene!

So the discussion is about "Art" music and "Aesthetics" is where we are challenging TMK! Not whether TMK renders with Bhava and Bhakti and other musicians don't.

If other musicians that you cite ( without names!) who render fast for their livelihood, is because of the way we have made it so, with apathy and lack of support.

Also to be precise, what is slow paced and what sounds fast paced itself is a topic and TMK himself has discussed this in some of his lectures. This is not what it seems to be.

Most musicians of golden era are known to be faster in terms of actual physical speed - and I am not talking about GNB and his speed - but many not so popular musicians. And I don't think many would agree that they lacked bhAva.

You may be thinking of very few examples, that too somewhat out of context - I am afraid!

shreyas
Posts: 251
Joined: 03 Mar 2018, 13:16

Re: Request for all Navavaranas by TMK

Post by shreyas »

DOES someone have the Navavaranas by him?

shankarank
Posts: 4043
Joined: 15 Jun 2009, 07:16

Re: Request for all Navavaranas by TMK

Post by shankarank »

Heard one live at BVB 2002 season with SrI Manoj Siva on Mridangam and SrI B.S. PurushOttaman on Kanjira. kamalAmbikE tODI, with neraval @ viyadAdi BhUta kiraNE! and a fine tani with caturASra triSram following that.

You can search around for a recording...

Vividly remember BSP closing his eyes for a moment as the caturaSra trisram being executed by Manoj, was crossing precarious points!

bhargavramks
Posts: 16
Joined: 05 Oct 2016, 19:21

Re: Request for all Navavaranas by TMK

Post by bhargavramks »

In the album Anandabhairavi, there is a record of kamalAmbA samrakSatu mAm according to conventional Anandabhairavi and in his lec dem on manodharma there is a record of him and his students Ritvik Raja and Vignesh Ishwar singing it according to SSP

shreyas
Posts: 251
Joined: 03 Mar 2018, 13:16

Re: Request for all Navavaranas by TMK

Post by shreyas »

I have that album, He sings it in modern Anandabhairavi, not the SSP version. I hope G Ravikiran organises, just like he has done Tyagaraja Vibhakti and Navagraha Krithis, a Kamalamba Navavarana program. In the meantime, though, I still haven't found any navavaranas by him yet...

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