Nadasurabhi Silver Jubilee Celebration Malladi Brothers on 3rd Nov 2018

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kvchellappa
Posts: 3598
Joined: 04 Aug 2011, 13:54

Nadasurabhi Silver Jubilee Celebration Malladi Brothers on 3rd Nov 2018

Post by kvchellappa »

Day 3 featured Malladi Brothers known for their traditional and chaste singing taking after their guru Nedunurigaru. The concert started slightly late by 15-20 minutes.
It was announced that recording was not to be done. The modification was interesting. If recording was done, quality must be ensured.
They started with varnam ‘karunimpa’ (ragam?). I am still in the Ariyakkudi hangover, and starting with varnam seems to flag off a concert aptly.
Darbar was outlined with tiger-tight pidis without any overlap, brief, but beautiful. Naradaguruswami arrived. A round of swaras embellished the rendition. Continuing from the previous day’s theme of ‘musical genius of the trinity’ as it were, Sriram Prasad explained the greatness of the kriti. Thyagaraja has invoked Narada in four kritis, he said.
Mukhari alapana was gripping. Enthani ne of Thyagaraja came alive. The fortune of Sabari was envied longingly. Nishant Chandran’s violin accompaniment was extra sweet. The percussionists (Tumkur B Ravishankar and S N Narayanamurty – ghatam) knew luckily that it was a vocal concert and let the voices be heard clearly. Neraval and swaras in the charanam – kanulara – gave it consummation.
A sloka was sung in Mohanam from Lakshminarasimha karavalambam. Understandably, Narasimha agacha was the Dikshithar krithi choen. The ugram of Narasimha was brought forth vividly. In Narayaneeyam also Bhattadri has chosen the words aptly befitting the ugram. That is a poetic delicacy seen in great poets like Kamban. But I was wondering why Dikshithar chose Mohanam for ugram. Then, why did critics find fault with SSI for setting ‘ghora Tataka’? It seems that he omitted to sing Mohanam after that! The brothers brought out the prasa-rich charanam of Dikshithar with aplomb.
A pleasing dhanyasi alapana by Ravikumar was followed by another Thyagaraja Kriti Ramabhirama with neraval and svaraprasthara. There was a thani after this. I thought it was longish. The rasika next to me read my mind and commented, ’20 minutes’. That would pale into insignificance before someone like Sri Rajarao.
The brothers then sang a filler Sarvanabhava in Shanmukhapriya. It seemed to serve no purpose. Then they launched into RTP in Nattaikurinji, a pallavi on Krishna to herald Deepavali as announced by the elder brother.

Sachi_R
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Joined: 31 Jan 2017, 20:20

Re: Nadasurabhi Silver Jubilee Celebration Malladi Brothers on 3rd Nov 2018

Post by Sachi_R »

Dear KVC,
A fine review indeed. Thank you.

The ugram of Narasimha was brought forth vividly. In Narayaneeyam also Bhattadri has chosen the words aptly befitting the ugram. That is a poetic delicacy seen in great poets like Kamban. But I was wondering why Dikshithar chose Mohanam for ugram.


I again went through the sāhitya of the Dikshitar kriti (I have enjoyed this song many times sung by RKM).

Narasimha is not necessarily always worshipped as an Ugra roopa. Even the Karavalamba Stotra has no Ugra flavour.

The sāhitya is copied below:
Image

Please read the words...

dhīra-tara ghaṭikācalēśvara
saura-tara hēma kōṭīśvara
vīra vara mōhana vibhāsvara
māra vara mānava harīśvara

Notice he doesn't say ugravara.
He in fact says, māra vara!

So I feel the rāga Mohana is a great one for this song!

Kindly quote the stanza they sang from Adi Shankara.
May Lord Lakshmi Narasimha's grace be on all 🙏🏻🕉️🙏🏻

kvchellappa
Posts: 3598
Joined: 04 Aug 2011, 13:54

Re: Nadasurabhi Silver Jubilee Celebration Malladi Brothers on 3rd Nov 2018

Post by kvchellappa »

Sorry. I have not noted down the sloka and find it difficult recollect even by perusing the text.

braindrain
Posts: 587
Joined: 03 Feb 2010, 09:25

Re: Nadasurabhi Silver Jubilee Celebration Malladi Brothers on 3rd Nov 2018

Post by braindrain »

This was the shLOkam, they sang before the mOhana kriti.

shreeman-nrusimha vibhave garuda dhvajaaya
thaapathrayopa-shamanaaya bhav-aushadhaaya
thrushnaadi vruschika jalaagni bhujanga roga
klesha avyayaaya haraye gurave namasthe.

Sachi_R
Posts: 2174
Joined: 31 Jan 2017, 20:20

Re: Nadasurabhi Silver Jubilee Celebration Malladi Brothers on 3rd Nov 2018

Post by Sachi_R »

Thanks Jayan.
No Ugra business.

This is AFAIK not a composition of Adi Shankara. Will do some research soon.

braindrain
Posts: 587
Joined: 03 Feb 2010, 09:25

Re: Nadasurabhi Silver Jubilee Celebration Malladi Brothers on 3rd Nov 2018

Post by braindrain »

I think it is from 'Lakshmi Narasimha Strotram' with some one attributing it to Adi Shankara.

https://www.hinduwebsite.com/prayers/la ... othram.asp

jshrikanth
Posts: 22
Joined: 08 Jan 2017, 18:19

Re: Nadasurabhi Silver Jubilee Celebration Malladi Brothers on 3rd Nov 2018

Post by jshrikanth »

They actually sang two Slokams before the Mohanam kriti. The first Slokam was the one Sri Jayan has quoted (#4 above). The second Slokam was

SrImat-payonidhi-niketana chakrapAne
bhogIndra bhogamaNi-rAjita punyamUrte
yogIsa sAsvatha Saranya bhavAbdhi pota
lakshmInrsimha mama dehi karAvalambam

This is the first verse from Sri Lakshminarasimha Karavalamba Stotram usually attributed to Adi Shankara.
The other verse (quoted by Sri Jayan) is a Thaniyan (or invocatory verse) honoring Adi Shankara, usually chanted before the Stotram (at least as I learnt it).

I really liked the way Malladi Brothers presented the Mohanam kriti, Narasimha Agaccha. No Ugram, but the natural meter that Dikshitar has used to compose the stotram was brought out very well, with equal focus on words and meaning. Their version brought to mind some aspects of Dhrupad
singing.

As an aside, I've always felt that this kriti, like a few other Dikshitar kritis, would be great as Dhrupad renditions. Another favorite that I would love to listen as a Dhrupad rendition would be MDR's Bageshree masterpiece Sagara-sayana-vibho.

Sachi_R
Posts: 2174
Joined: 31 Jan 2017, 20:20

Re: Nadasurabhi Silver Jubilee Celebration Malladi Brothers on 3rd Nov 2018

Post by Sachi_R »

As an aside, I've always felt that this kriti, like a few other Dikshitar kritis, would be great as Dhrupad renditions.
I second that except the words and Samskrita pronunciation are not so amenable to elongations.

Yes, the Karavalamba Stotra us very much known as a work of Sri Adi Sankara.
You won't believe it, I was reciting it in Adi Sankara Nilayam a couple of days back!

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