HMB's Birthday Today...

[arasi]

Harikesanallur Muthiah Bhagavathar's birthday today. Pasupathy has brought P.Sri's article on him to us from his blog in the Literature section of Rasikas.org. It's delightful and to share it with others, I translated it.

This is intriguing. I scrolled to find HMB both under Vaggeyakaras and Vidwans and Vidushis. Where is he? Did I miss him? Kindly help locate him for me, so that P. Sri's essay can be posted. Thanks! Rajesh, are you there?

Some of the younger artistes have more than one thread on them!

[Lakshman]

arasi: https://rasikas.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=8374 (in the vaggeyakaras thread)
https://rasikas.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=12&t=22088 (in the vidvans & vidushis thread)

[arasi]

Thanks Lakshman. So, it seems as if there isn't a thread exclusively for him in either of the sections. I am surprised! I asked about it merely because I was reluctant about making the General Discussions section top heavy.

Here then, is the article...

Today, it's HMB's birthday. Here's a translation of tamizh scholar and writer P. Sri's article which Pasupathy has brought to us in the Nostalgia thread (Literature forum)...
......
A Renaissance in Musical Skills
by
P.SRI

Six years after Gandhiji had started the satyAgrahA movement, Muthiah Bhagavathar was in Karur. ANDippaTTi jamindar Pettachi Chettiar, a patron of music regretted that HMB had not composed a song on PaSupathISwarA, the lord of the temple in Karur. "I will sing one tomorrow in my concert", HMB said.

And he did. SaravaNabhavA, samayamidirA was the song. It was sung in a new rAgA too. PasupathypriyA. Bhagawathar was a genius. Chettiar asked for a new song and HMB gifted it, singing it in a new rAgA as well!

After the birth of the tamizisai movement, many songs are being composed in our language now. Still, to create a unique and beautiful rAgA is no easy matter.

Times of India sub-editor (and of several other publications), A.C. Rangarajan is one who is steeped in music and tamizh. He is a raconteur supreme in relating musical anecdotes. He says: true to his name, HMB is an invaluable pearl in the realm of music. He adds that such unmatched creations are possible only by those with deep knowledge and immense experience. He gives examples of Ramaswamy Dikshitar and Patnam Subramania Iyer. The former created hamsadhwani, the latter, kathana kutUhalam.

Later, in Gandhi yugA, in Bharathi's times, HMB delighted Pethachi Chettiar with a song and a new rAgA--a rare musical gift.

Bharathi and HMB
From the time Gandhiji presided over the Congress session in the 20th century, the freedom movement was regenerated-- after the lull which followed kappalOTTiya tamizhar Chidambaram Pillai's heroic effort. Subramanya Bharathi appeared, giving it a new life with his inspiring patriotic verses in Tamizh nADu.

Bharathi was a friend of HMB. Kavi mani Desika vinayakam pillai as well. They both could also sing their songs very well. The latter and K. Blasubramanian ( who has published a work called GIta tamizh) are my friends. I also knew HMB. When I was a journalist, I have been to Harikesanallur and along with his musical feast, have been treated to pongal and other delicious dishes.

We used to discuss Bharathi's poetry often. I heard that Bharathi once sang his 'jayamuNDu, bhayamillai manamE' as a rAgamAlikA in a gathering, 'like nectar from heaven', and HMB was delighted with it. When Bharathi finished singing, he said, "Subbiah, you sang the last verse 'alaipaTTa kaDalukku mElE' in a rAgA which didn't sound like a south or a north indian rAgA. What is it?"

Bharathi said, "It's the tune of a french marching song." Experts in music who were there were speechless.

HMB embraced Bharathi and exclaimed: I see the depth and what Muthuswamy Dikshithar would have experienced, in you!

HMB was teary eyed and was visibly moved...

[Rsachi]

Thanks Arasi!

Is Sharavanabhava not Shanmukha? Is Pashupathi not Shiva? So was the song offered to the father in praise of the son? Please fill me in.. Thanks!

[arasi]

Sachi,
Sharp as a tack you are I was oblivious to this!

The song IS about paSupathipriyA (ShaNmukhA), but I suppose the philanthropist was pleased to hear the lord's name in the song, and was as unaware of the object of the hymn as I was when I wrote about it!

Also found out that they do have an Arumugan sannidhi in the temple. So, even if the Chettiar had asked him about it after the concert, with his usual charm HMB would have explained it away by saying that paSupathi WAS featured in the song, and also murugA who was very much there with him in the temple! Not only that--how the one in Harikesanallur was also present in the song

[rajeshnat]

Mods and Arasi,
Mods can merge this thread to the Harikesanallur Muthiah bhagavathar thread in vaggeyakkara . The link is as below
https://rasikas.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=144