What is the meaning of chiTa in chiTa Swaram?

[vs_manjunath]

Generally Curious to know how this name "Chitta Swaram" came into existence ?

"Chitta" is it a Telugu Word ? if so- pl provide it's meaning.

[shishya]

"ciTTa civara" means the very end. Thus, the swaram that comes at the very end is ciTTa swaram.

[shishya]

guess I am not in the ball park:( The following dictionary meaning may help you better:

citta chitta. [Tel.] n. A wonder. ascaryamu. Trouble cinta, ayasamu. BD. vii. 217; v. 735: M. XII. iii. 441. citta adj. Invented kalpitamaina. ceppacittalu pubodi yoppukalimi her loveliness is a wonder to tell; or, it would take whole chapters to narrate her charms. citta a baby or little one.

[PUNARVASU]

There is a word in Tamil-chittai thundu-meaning a small narrow towel like thing
maybe the word chittaiswaram has come from that
just a guess

[arasi]

ciTTai in tamizh can mean border to a dress (fits here); succinct, orderly, which also makes sense (not meandering kalpanA svarAs but more to the point kind).
Another meaning perhaps is, that which is taught (a corrupt usage of Sikshai), as opposed to your own kalpanA svarAs...

[vs_manjunath]

arasi- your meaning fits in very well for the context.

[veeyens]

talking about "chittaswaram", I am, reminded of a very old Ananda vikatan cartoon wherin a rasika approaches a duo of pipers and asks them what are you playing? nadaswaram or nagaswaram. They reply "illenga. chittaswaram

[arasi]

Good one! Since this is where History of CM is discussed, may I ask you for the date of this cartoon? Not the exact date (!) but just the decade will do.

[PUNARVASU]

arasi, I am with my father (veeyens) right now and asked him; he says he does not remember.

[Ramasubramanian M.K]

I have heard of the word Chittaya being used to denote compactness in singing--chittaya Irundadu--very often referred to in Ariyakudi's concerts noted for brevity and balance.

[arasi]

Means 'to the point' too. We from the tAmravarNI region use these expressions. ciTTaiyAga vElai SeidAL, cittaiyyAga Sikshai Sollik koDuttal, etc -very close to system too, as in systematic!

[PUNARVASU]

crisp? 'kaccidam'?

[natakapriyan]

Many chittaswaram composed by the composer or added latter to the krithi made the next generation to explore the kalpanaswaram.Thanks to chittaswarams. Many swara patterns of the Raga were shown in chittaswaram. Sri Muthaya Bhagawathar has composed Many krithi with chittaswaram. Tp Practice the same and Kachithama paduvathu uchitham

[classicallover]

Dear All,

The meanings as expressed by some of you , all of them match and are correct - like, brief, end, border, crisp, to the point, etc.. It is also means the mind in Telugu & Sanskrit. Hence it is a swara pattern which is very catchy and easily remembered. Citta is the local corruption of the word Sankshipta from Sanksrit - which means brief, abridged, compressed, condensed, cut & edited, etc.. The objective of the chittaswaram as you all know is to briefly but succinctly cover all aspects of the raga's melody and the lakshanas, by bringing out the important sancharas.

[Nick H]

I've often wondered this question, never got around to asking ... and now I find it was under discussion here for past several years!

[vasanthakokilam]

The following dictionary meaning may help you better:

citta chitta. [Tel.] n. A wonder. ascaryamu. Trouble cinta, ayasamu. BD. vii. 217; v. 735: M. XII. iii. 441. citta adj. Invented kalpitamaina. ceppacittalu pubodi yoppukalimi her loveliness is a wonder to tell; or, it would take whole chapters to narrate her charms. citta a baby or little one.

The meaning marked as adjective is the closest "citta adj. Invented kalpitamaina.". 'Invented' is a bit ambiguous but we know what 'kalpitam' means. It is the opposite of 'kalpana'. So chitta swaras are kapita swaras ( not kalpana swaras ), namely, pre-composed swaras. Arasi was narrowing in on a similar meaning above ( 'taught' )