Pattabhirama Pandith @ Gayanasamaja

Naada Priya · Post by **Naada Priya** » 15 Oct 2007, 12:42

Yesterday(15/10/07), Sri Pattabhirama Pandith's concert was organized at BGS. He was accompanied by
Sri B. Raghuram- Violin
Sri J. Vaidyanathan- Mrudangam
Sri Giridhara Udupa - Ghatam

I happened to attend the concert a bit late..

When I went in, sri Sachidananda Swamijis krithy was being sung in the ragam Ranjani--set to Mishra chapu. The krithi is on Dattatreya swami.

It was fallowed by Brovabarama in duritha kala with brisk swara prasthara.

Then the main piece namely Kaligiyunte kada in Kirvani was rendered in madhya kala. The neravakl and swara kalpana was just awesome. The piece encompassed an excellent Thaniavarthganam by the accompanying artists.
The variation of tempo was prominently noticeable in the second round of thani..

This was followed by a RTP in a special composition.

The Ragam and Tanam were sung in four different ragas in the following order.
1.Shankabharana
2.Thodi
3.Kalyani
4.Darbar
The pallavi also had the names of all these ragas..

I could attend the concert only till this part.

Could any one pls tell me more abt this pallavi...(meaning and composer..)

rajeshnat · Post by **rajeshnat** » 15 Oct 2007, 13:10

Naada Priya wrote:Could any one pls tell me more abt this pallavi...(meaning and composer..)

"ShankarAbharananai azhaitOdivAdi kalyAni darbArukku" is the vintage four-raga pallavi . This pallavi was composed by Shri Ariyakudi . There are many who have rendered , but Shri KVN remains the best. Last year Shri TNS also delivered in his SK concert at the academy.For the meaning, leave it to the experts. The ranjani krithi is dattatrEyA trimurti .I am assuming the musician pattabhirama pandith is connected with Shri KVN .

Naada Priya · Post by **Naada Priya** » 15 Oct 2007, 13:56

Thanks Rajesh...You are right. he is the deciple of sri KVN..

uday_shankar · Post by **uday_shankar** » 15 Oct 2007, 14:29

rajeshnat wrote:This pallavi was composed by Shri Ariyakudi.

No Rajesh, it was most likely composed by Kunrakkudi Krishnayyar (1816-1889). Writing in 1942, Brahmasri Soolamangalam Vaidyanatha Bhagavathar says:

"...Kundrakkudi Krishnayyar's name has gone down in musical history as the first person to suggest the possibility of a rAgamAlikA framework in the pallavi i.e., a pallavi wherein its sections, two or four, are set in different rAgas. A well-known example is the pallavi "SankarAbharananai azahaittOdi vAdi KalyaANI! DarbArukku", wherein the names of the four ragas are skilfully interwoven into the text of the sAhitya to give and intelligent meaning..."

(Extract from the book "Cameos - A collection of Writings on Karnatic Musicians of the Late Nineteenth and Early Twentieth Centuries" by Soolamangalam Vaidyanatha Bhagavathar, translated from Tamil. Available at Karnatic Music Book Store in Sripuram, Chennai)

As to the meaning, I'm no expert in Tamil but it sounds simple enough...

"Fetch SankarAbharanan (Shiva?) and come running to the darbar, dear Kalyani (Parvati?)..."

rajeshnat · Post by **rajeshnat** » 15 Oct 2007, 15:00

Uday ,
I did not know that thanks, perhaps ariyakudi was the first to popularize. Little correction to what you have put.

"Fetch SankarAbharanan (Shiva?) and come running (azhaitu Odi or azhaithOdi means come running )to the darbar, dear Kalyani (Parvati?)..."

vasanthakokilam · Post by **vasanthakokilam** » 15 Oct 2007, 20:50

azhaithu - invite
Odi vA - come running ( to mean come quickly )

Uday, thanks for the quotation and reference to that book. It sounds very interesting. I will have to arrange to get that book.

vgvindan · Post by **vgvindan** » 15 Oct 2007, 20:56

ODi should not be separated out - it is azhaittODi

jananee · Post by **jananee** » 15 Oct 2007, 22:20

That was a very interesting piece of info Uday...thanks..the book sounds interesting too.

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 16 Oct 2007, 01:39

I don't think we should attach too much importance to pallavi lines since they are more rAgA expositions than lyrical compositions. Enter the kattarik kAi (brinjal or eggplant) vendor, once again! If sometimes the pallavi line turns out to be well-worded, fine.

Easiest part of the concert to understand when it comes to words is the pallavi line. A few words are repeated many times.
sakhi rather than PArvati, because who would dare order PArvati to bring SankarAbharaNan to the court?! A garden would have been a better place, but then how can the rAgA durbAr figure in the text? So, it is durbAr, kalyANi and 'ODi'. Well, tODi.
Just as another pallavi becomes the delight of the percussionist--I wish for a gentle mrudangist on those occasions. The line? gOvinadnDi mukundanaDI, enakkavar sondamaDI! How many aDIs...

rshankar · Post by **rshankar** » 16 Oct 2007, 04:01

Rajesh,
SakarAbharaNan should be the lord of the snakes, shouldn't it? - it means the one who decorates Sankara, or is Sankara's ornament...

That is why is 'sArangan marugan', the phrase 'SankarAbharaNan Sayanan marugan' works...

vasanthakokilam · Post by **vasanthakokilam** » 16 Oct 2007, 04:41

Ravi, that sounds right. So the pallavi line is quite a scary proposition

ramakriya · Post by **ramakriya** » 16 Oct 2007, 04:48

Unless, the girl kalyAni is from a family of snake charmers

Just in jest..

-Ramakriya

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 16 Oct 2007, 08:26

You got me there!
Let's try this one: Sankaran, avan AbaraNan (SanakarA who is bejeweled)!
Actually, I tend to associate SankarAbharaNam with SivA!
Goes to prove, whether the words are about kattarikkAi or snake, as far as pallavis are concerned, the line is not worth pouring over...