An invitation to participate

rajeshnat · Post by **rajeshnat** » 18 Feb 2007, 22:16

,
You should also think about video recording of how you did the audio setup. It was a fabulous setting. Once that knowledge is taught, you and your dear audiophile friends are empowering each one of the like minded rasikas throughout the globe to really take it from there.

Just two questions,
1. What audio equipments were rented and what was home assembled by your friends?

2. You taking the violin to the speaker and keeping the rest was perfect sound ambience?When was that adjustment done ? My ears got everything right from varnam itself?

Sam Swaminathan · Post by **Sam Swaminathan** » 19 Feb 2007, 01:07

The group photo of the Rasika.org ......so many cool guys with Coolji, all in the same place !! Boy, did I miss some thing.....Well.... I will be there at the end of the year and rest assured, you will wish me back to NZ in no time !!

Great job guys, great photos..great reviews, great discussions.....I pray to Shirdi Sai for His blessings to keep this going for ever and wish you all the very best and God Speed...

Regards..Sam

rbharath · Post by **rbharath** » 19 Feb 2007, 14:47

nice pics. thanks rajesh and cool...

cool, there is one pic which has rajmuds and two reviewers as the title. i wish it be changed to rajmuds and three reviewers. i hope u will realise why i tell this when u see the pic again.

about meeting the people, i am very happy to have met all of them. quite a few surprises. most people i dint know before, are completely away from the kind of images i had imagined before.

about subsequent concerts, i wish to be able to attend as much as i can.

cool, i did carefully read your mention of my name in some context of fixing concerts, during one of your postings in this thread. i can definetly help you in whatever small way i can to get stuff done.

coolkarni · Post by **coolkarni** » 19 Feb 2007, 16:11

all titles were given by rajesh.
fixing concerts -thanks for the offer.We will be needin all these inputs as we progress.

K Srinivasan · Post by **K Srinivasan** » 19 Feb 2007, 17:14

Dear Mr. Kulkarni (Coolkarni, right name). Though basically from Chennai for official reaons I am now put up at Mangalore. I miss all the activities of your group. I came to know of this group only today. I will be sending a separate mail to you at gmail with a request to kindly intimate the programs, so that if I happen to be in chennai on that day I would not like to miss. Thanks and keep doing wonderful things. All the very best.
Srinivasan.K (cheenu555ster@gmail) Mangalore

lswaminathan · Post by **lswaminathan** » 19 Feb 2007, 22:26

Hello:

My daughter, Kumari Rajna Swaminathan (mrudangam artiste, disciple of Sri UKS) will be in India from July 4th to Aug 5th. I am looking for opportunities for her to perform in Chennai and elsewhere.

www.rajnaswaminathan.com

Thanks

Lalitha Swaminathan

rbharath · Post by **rbharath** » 19 Feb 2007, 22:41

coolkarni wrote:all titles were given by rajesh.

fine. but u can change them i guess. there is another blunder. it says TVR-VVS-Mahesh-Mani. please please, change them...

coolkarni wrote:fixing concerts -thanks for the offer.We will be needin all these inputs as we progress.

sure, anytime. we could mail offline and discuss regarding this, as and when necessary

mri_fan · Post by **mri_fan** » 19 Feb 2007, 23:25

Smt. Swaminathan

We are aware of your daughter. You seem to repeatedly post that message. Please refrain from that.

vijay · Post by **vijay** » 19 Feb 2007, 23:44

mri_fan, we are talking about a young woman attempting to master the mrudangam - it is a daunting challenge and I think she deserves all the support she can get. In any case, I feel there is no harm in someone voicing a request for a performance opportunity - rather we should feel honoured.

coolkarni · Post by **coolkarni** » 20 Feb 2007, 03:59

Bharath-Yes.I will change the titles and Correct the errors

BTW much of the credit on Mike Issues goes to man in charge-
Mr Ramesh of West Mambalam- The professional whom we had hired for the evening.
Nice set of assistants he had .
They were taken in by the occasion and are a great source of Musical knowledge themselves.They seem to be so sure of their assessments of which artist has a thin voice or a Robust voice, the size of the room, Volumes to be maintained etc.
Ampl for Violin was just by trial , since we wanted to hear only what was pleasant to our ears.
There is a cerainly a HUGE merit in listening to a concert without mikes.
I could even feel the various phases in which the voice-quality progressively became richer and richer and attain perfection by the halfway mark.
Sitting close , One can see the difficulty of cranking up the mood of the concert , the way the Varna and early pieces align all the wandering thoughts of the members around...
Those treacherous first steps , when the Violinist takes up the replies to alapanas , the eerie feeling we get when he enters into alapanas -wondering if he will come out of the experience unscathed- the sense of relief when he polishes it off with a floursih..Their relief from tension after the reply as they wipe their foreheads-Those sounds of exchange among the artists, bigger than a grunt but smaller than a full blown Bhale
So much fun is missed when we sit many metres away from the stage.
This is the ultimate experience indeed.

cmlover · Post by **cmlover** » 20 Feb 2007, 06:56

We won't miss those subtlities, watching the videos like a hawk

(Trust the videogapher knew when to zoon in !)

coolkarni · Post by **coolkarni** » 20 Feb 2007, 07:16

videographer
Srinivasan- a very shy friend of mine.
But the best in business.

Nick H · Post by **Nick H** » 20 Feb 2007, 11:13

Mastering the mridangam is a daunting task for anyone. No more so for a 'young woman' than for a man of any age.

However I am always pleased to see the stereotyping that declares that only males shall learn and play percussion challenged

coolkarni · Post by **coolkarni** » 20 Feb 2007, 11:36

there are no kumaris or srimathis in the pics!

They were all there.The better halves ..

one was overheard saying to another :
"My Husband grunts and groans if I ask him to accompany me to the temple and Look !Today he has had his second bath at 4 PM and dressed up as though we are attending a reception "

Yet another:
It is 15th already and my husband is yet to find out how to file the SalesTax returns under the New VAT system.And look at him here , holding the Jhamkhanas and the cable wires ..."

I will resist the tempation to continue....

srkris · Post by **srkris** » 20 Feb 2007, 12:15

nick H wrote:However I am always pleased to see the stereotyping that declares that only males shall learn and play percussion challenged

Hehe

rbharath · Post by **rbharath** » 20 Feb 2007, 17:13

nick H wrote:However I am always pleased to see the stereotyping that declares that only males shall learn and play percussion challenged

not really nick. There are some lady percussionist. Smt N S Rajam, a sister of Flute Sri N Ramani is a mrudangist. Sukanya Ramgopal, the ghatam artist is also known.

recently i saw a lady mrudangist at a bharatnatyam recital in pune.

actually, even in the history there are records of lady percussionists. If i remember right, there was a lady during the Chola days who was a exponent of mrudangam and could actually do AlApanais and play kritis on the instrument. Atleast i remember seeing some such thing in Doordarshan long back. i may be wrong..

mnsriram · Post by **mnsriram** » 20 Feb 2007, 17:35

http://www.hindu.com/2005/09/07/stories ... 860200.htm

mahakavi · Post by **mahakavi** » 20 Feb 2007, 19:51

I think the stereotyping, while carried over from the past (just like public performances of music and dance not suited for brahmin women), probably had some physiological origin. Mrudangam playing required some muscular strength and hence women were not considered proper timber. Yet, tennis, basketball, soccer and other sports which required physical strength have been breached by women. Back in the seventies the battle of the sexes in tennis proved that point. Besides, beating the drum with physical force is not required to produce quality playing, anyway. Gentle touch produces lot more layam than pounding the hide.

I attended a flute-trio concert of Ramani (with his son, and grandson) in Cary, NC last year wherein the subject of this topic (Rajna) played a double mrudangam with her father. I liked her skills and so did the audience.

The request of her mother to get some opportunities for Rajna should not be misconstrued.

vgvindan · Post by **vgvindan** » 20 Feb 2007, 20:12

To view the sculpture of woman playing Mridangam or similar instrument, please visit site http://www.hinduwisdom.info/Hindu_Music.htm

sankirnam · Post by **sankirnam** » 20 Feb 2007, 20:30

Dandamodi Ram Mohan Rao's wife, Sumathi Ram Mohan, is a fairly well-known, and very good mrudangist too...

kaapi · Post by **kaapi** » 20 Feb 2007, 20:32

there was a lady during the Chola days who was a exponent of mrudangam

KanakAmbujam was a competent mrudangam artiste who was reasonably popular in the concert circuit during the sixties.

MaheshS · Post by **MaheshS** » 20 Feb 2007, 21:22

I've read that Palani Subramaniam Pillai's mum was a laya expert or something in that vein. She was good at pallavi's apparently. Do not know whether she could play any instrument.

Any one has more information?

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 20 Feb 2007, 21:30

Young vocalist Jayamangala Krishnamani is also a competent mrudangist.

cmlover · Post by **cmlover** » 20 Feb 2007, 21:47

coolkarni

Next time around persuade the artist to render my latest composition dedicated to 'better-halfs' with an explanation so that the men can comfortably tell their wives that the 'performace' explicitly appreciates their contributions. It is important for 'all' to feel comfortable during the concert and it should never be an imposition. The goal is the appreciation of CM from the tyro to the expert and in that context dedicating about half-hour for Q&A is a good idea! If we know aheaad the drift of the concert even we cyberfolks can send some questions to you ahead!

There is no point in glossing over Nick's remarks by citing some examples. We should admit that there is a deep ingrained prejudice in CM against female accompanists (violin is coming out of the shadows). These issues should be addressed (not just by us) for the greater good of CM. One way is for us to showcase for the world talents which are sex-independant which is part of the 'social service' that our group can do in the interest of propogating CM. Thanks Nick for hitting the nail kerplunk

coolkarni · Post by **coolkarni** » 20 Feb 2007, 22:19

I am looking for opportunities for her to perform in Chennai ......
Lalitha Swaminathan

Well I dont think that this group is ready for the kind of engagements that you may be having in mind.It is not designed to be the conventional kind of Sabha and it does not plan its activities that way.Even in the long term , I suspect It will be like this , simply because all of us are looking for a kind of experience THAT IS NOT NORMALLY AVAIALABLE IN THE USUAL PLACES OF CONCERT ACTIVITY.
Having said this much , It will be a great Honor to host the artist for an evening.One look at the videos (to be put up later ) and you will be convinced that it does not take much to excite us.
Let alone the gender based Issues, most of us are conscious of the need to avoid being judgemental on any aspect of Music.
A week after the inaugural concert , guests still keep calling up ,to thank me for the Reethigowla Krithi (as though I sang it).That is what we are looking for .One single experience that we can take home for the day , after socialising with all.
In fact the next show is likely to be only Video watching , that would give us a cool 2 hours to meet up with all , in more detail and bond ourselves better.
So please feel free to mail us in advance.We would love to have her play for our gathering..

Nick H · Post by **Nick H** » 20 Feb 2007, 23:12

cmlover wrote:Thanks Nick for hitting the nail kerplunk smile

...but, as I'm afraid I am so often guilty of, it was a very off-topic nail [Blush]

But seeing as how we started......

The prejudice is actually best seen not on the concert stage but in the classroom. In my years of hanging around the mridangam class (can I really still claim to be a student (more blushes)) at London's Bhavan we had almost zero female students, and those that did come were either adults or not from Indian background.

Mridangam is for little boys!

Other musicians (and dancers, of course) of either sex may be found seeking learning at the feet of mridangam vidwans, but the females will probably not be handling a mridangam. I can think of two US Insian-origin females that I've met here both learning from big-name vidwans, so I don't think that the problem is with the teachers.

Now I think, with apologies for the distraction, that we should get back to our wonderful plans for the future. Of course, if it included teaming up a top-name mridangist with a female singer, or a female mridangist with.... the combinations could go on.

But, revolutionary-at-heart that I am, I'd have to admit that our aim is listening to great music rather than initiating social change.

Still, one day someone may say of us, "I saw it there first" !

Nick H · Post by **Nick H** » 20 Feb 2007, 23:19

Here's a thought...

Excluding the professionals (that wouldn't be fair on them or us) in our midst, I wonder if we could put together a performance featuring our own members?

coolkarni · Post by **coolkarni** » 21 Feb 2007, 05:08

We are working on that too ,
Nick !!

cmlover · Post by **cmlover** » 21 Feb 2007, 05:18

Woudl love to watch an englishman trying to master SI Rhythms in his early days so that I can recollect the maestro after ten years down the memory lane

coolkarni · Post by **coolkarni** » 21 Feb 2007, 07:33

madhav rao
a member of the audience on that day
pic..
http://www.badongo.com/pic/465681

a clip ffrom one of our earlier sessions -
Madhava Rao on Dasar Pada
http://www.badongo.com/file/2279190

rbharath · Post by **rbharath** » 21 Feb 2007, 11:00

vijay wrote:I feel there is no harm in someone voicing a request for a performance opportunity - rather we should feel honoured.

Of course not. There is no point in saying things like we should feel honoured and all that. Given the competitiveness of today's music world, each and every person who aspires to perform and make music as a profession, will find every opportunity to present himself/herself at every available opportunity to seek a chance to perform. This is routine and has nothing great for us to feel great or honoured...

However, i must clarify that, we will definitely be honoured if some great vidwan of today or yesteryears, say somebody like Manakkal Rangarajan sir or Sanjay for example, offers to perform for us. Then we could feel good and feel happy that our sincere effort is getting noticed amongst the Fraternity and we are on the right track.

I post this as a personal opinion and not anything against anybody. I hold nothing against the young lady who is trying make a mark with the mrudangam. I only say that her offering to perform at some place, isnt something we need to be honoured about right now. If she does make a big name for herself in the field it is something good.

rbharath · Post by **rbharath** » 21 Feb 2007, 12:01

rajeshnat wrote:1. sarasijanAbha (varnam)- KAmbOdhi - ST

just noticed this. not sure,if anybody else pointed this out. This is a composition of Vadivelu of the thanjavur quartet.

rajeshnat · Post by **rajeshnat** » 21 Feb 2007, 15:07

rbharath wrote:
rajeshnat wrote:1. sarasijanAbha (varnam)- KAmbOdhi - ST
just noticed this. not sure,if anybody else pointed this out. This is a composition of Vadivelu of the thanjavur quartet.

There are two sarasijanAbha's as per the bible
Sarasija nabha ninnu sannuti jesenura (pv)--Kambhoji--K/Ata--Vadivelu (TQ)
Sarasija nabha ninnu sannuti jesenura (pv)--Kambhoji--K/Ata--Svati Tirunal

I am still at crossroads to distinguish the two? But if you have heard both and knew the difference , you are right. For now I am considering this as a ??, till either you or rAmprasAdh himself clarifies.

rbharath · Post by **rbharath** » 21 Feb 2007, 15:45

rajeshnat wrote:
rbharath wrote:
rajeshnat wrote:1. sarasijanAbha (varnam)- KAmbOdhi - ST
just noticed this. not sure,if anybody else pointed this out. This is a composition of Vadivelu of the thanjavur quartet.
There are two sarasijanAbha's as per the bible
Sarasija nabha ninnu sannuti jesenura (pv)--Kambhoji--K/Ata--Vadivelu (TQ)
Sarasija nabha ninnu sannuti jesenura (pv)--Kambhoji--K/Ata--Svati Tirunal

I am still at crossroads to distinguish the two? But if you have heard both and knew the difference , you are right. For now I am considering this as a ??, till either you or rAmprasAdh himself clarifies.

rajesh, there is a catch. There is only one varnam, which is a composition of Vadivelu and is misattributed to ST. There is are no two varnams, as far as i have read and known.

mohan · Post by **mohan** » 21 Feb 2007, 16:15

I was just teaching this piece (Kambhoji varnam) to my students and when I looked here there is a discussion about it!. Yes it is sometimes claimed to be a Swati Tirunal varnam but Vadivelu is widely recognised as the composer.

BTW, has there been a discussion about S. Balachander claims about Swati Tirunal on this board?

rshankar · Post by **rshankar** » 21 Feb 2007, 17:56

mohan wrote:BTW, has there been a discussion about S. Balachander claims about Swati Tirunal on this board?

Let us not get involved in those discussions, please!

ramakriya · Post by **ramakriya** » 21 Feb 2007, 22:32

rshankar wrote:
mohan wrote:BTW, has there been a discussion about S. Balachander claims about Swati Tirunal on this board?
Let us not get involved in those discussion, please!

But for the sake of getting educated, I think there is no harm - So many of us are displaced in space and time from time when these arguments were made!

-Ramakriya

Sam Swaminathan · Post by **Sam Swaminathan** » 22 Feb 2007, 06:06

rshankar

Why not, please? After all, it is history we will be discussing....I cannot see any harm arising from there? Grateful for your views on this.....thanks.....Sam

rshankar · Post by **rshankar** » 22 Feb 2007, 07:03

Well, all history is not good, I just wanted to let the sleeping dogs lie and not re-awaken the controversy...
But, IIRC, the whole thing (like the storming of Bastille, or the assasination of Archduke Ferdinand) started when Sri SSI and Smt. MSS and others wanted to/added a picture of the maharAjA swAti tirunAL to that of the Trinity at the MMA. Sri SB felt that it was a major hoax, because he felt that the compositions attributed to ST were not the maharAjA's but stuff he had plagiarized from many others, as well as compositions that were wrongly attributed to him. His contention was that SSI (to curry favor with the royal family when he was the principal of the ST college of music) shoved the whole concept of these being the maharAjA's compositions down every one's throats using his by then not inconsiderable pull in Madras. SSI authored a book on the maharAjA's compositions - in SB's view, orphaned compositions with the word padmanAbhA/jalajanAbha, or sarasijanAbha were claimed as the maharAjA's. SB had a law-suit pending in the Madras High Court about the authenticity of attributing kritIs to ST and the provenance of the kritIs and he sent personal letters to all performing musicians in TN about his take and asking for any evidence that they may have about the authorship of the kritIs (i.e.: did they know of some dEvadAsI's or the tanjore quarttete's composition that was now being paraded as ST's). He died before the case could he decided. He also wrote a book about his views on this issue.
He felt that Sri Sadasivam and Smt. MSS were dragged into the controversy because Sri SSI was Smt. MSS's guru..but when they refused to back out, he ended up asking her swear on Lord venkatESwara (she was the AsthAna vidwAn of TTD at that time) that she was sure about the authenticity of authorship (his words in an 'Ananda vikaTan' interview: 'venkatAchalapati mEle kalpUram adicci satyam paNNaTTum, nAn ettukarEn' or something to that effect)....

Either way, I don't know, and I don't care...these compositons will not lose their beauty if they were composed by a dEvadAsi, and since there were no royalties involved, the interest about true 'authorship' was purely academic, and, IMO did not warrant such a ruckus. Reminds me of the controversy over Shakespear.

ksrimech · Post by **ksrimech** » 22 Feb 2007, 08:52

rshankar wrote:'venkatAchalapati mEle kalpUram adicci satyam paNNaTTum, nAn ettukarEn' or something to that effect)....

pAvam SrInivAsan

coolkarni · Post by **coolkarni** » 22 Feb 2007, 09:13

Hey !!
I was just waiting for the Videos to get processed ..
For the ' Punch "Effect..
If you guys are getting bored withg the waiting I will put up the mp3 tracks first .
Lets create History .Not study History !!!

What do you Say ?

gs · Post by gs » 22 Feb 2007, 11:32

Not that I wanted to funnel the SB-ST controversy. When it happened I was in my teens and my father made an important observation. ( BTW,I didnâ€™t understand the wisdom behind it back then and had the youthful confidence to worship SBâ€™s views, with no understanding what so ever)

What he had to say is this. Thanjavur Nalvar may have tuned/improved those songs, but words (and perhaps, the basic frame work) may have been Swathi Thirunalâ€™s. Owner of the words became the composer, according to him, after ST. Seeds of it may have started much earlier with Mysore Wodeyars. It was a different world with different economic equations and musicians have to eat, after all. In our century, this was perpetuated largely by Ariyakkudi et al. (Andal, Bharathi). Much water has flown under the bridge now and this is going to continue (Ambujam Krishna) and you can today call it a tradition. No point, trying to change anything now. If CM considers the owners of the words as composers, so be it.

It is one thing to say ST should not be equated to Trinity and altogether another thing to refuse to acknowledge Deva Deva as a ST composition. He agreed with SB on the former and vehemently opposed the latter. And I vehemently apposed him, back then! Got to tell him today evening.

cmlover · Post by **cmlover** » 22 Feb 2007, 15:34

As one who was with SSI when he was tuning some of ST, I can legitimately claim he was no 'cheat'. His knowledge of Sanskrit was poor to compose any of those kirtans and for that matter the Quartet were also no sanskrit scholars. Even Thyagaraja's Sanskrit is minimal in comparison which is why he composed in his native tongue. I never followed or understood SB's logic but though a genius 'pompous' that he sure was! SSI had even indicated that the old palm scrolls are in the custody of Royalty and there is no doubt about the authenticity of the compositions. SSI and HMB too are the main architects of bringing ST into lime light. It is SSI who converted 'bhAvayami' into the scintillating Ragamaalikai which was originally all in Saveri in the manuscripts. SB was a controversial figure ( also known for the fight he putup with BMK!). Let us also not take everything in sensational print as the gospel truth. Perhaps since the air has been cleared ( as Shankar would put it) let us sing the mangaLam in yadukulakaambodhi as SSI tuned it!)

coolkarni

Pl post the mp3 as the appetizer

vgvindan · Post by **vgvindan** » 22 Feb 2007, 16:16

Even Thyagaraja's Sanskrit is minimal in comparison which is why he composed in his native tongue.

I am pained at your dragging of the name of the saint unnecessarily. Who cares whether his knowledge of Sanskrit was poor? Or for that matter who cares whether Telugu Pandits declare that his Telugu was very poor?

The following SlOka from SrImad bhAgavatam (Book One â€“ Discourse V â€“ sage nAradAâ€™s advice to sage vyAsa) is relevant â€“

tadvAgvisargO janatAghaviplavO yasmin pratiSlOkamabaddhavatyapi |
nAmAnyanantasya yaSOnkitAni yacchRNvanti gAyanti gRNanti sAdhava: || (11)

"That composition which, even if though faulty in diction in every SlOka, if it consists of verses each of which contains the names of the immortal Lord, bearing the impress of His glory, wipes out the sins of the people; it is such composition that pious men love to hear, sing and repeat."

His sole audience was Sri Rama - his rasika Siromani for whom he waited for command to sing - refer to his kRti rAmAbhirAma - rAga dhanyAsi.

mohan · Post by **mohan** » 22 Feb 2007, 16:29

cmlover wrote:As one who was with SSI when he was tuning some of ST, I can legitimately claim he was no 'cheat'. His knowledge of Sanskrit was poor to compose any of those kirtans and for that matter the Quartet were also no sanskrit scholars

Sorry I didn't follow this part. Maybe I am misreading but what is the connection between Sanskrit knowledge and the question whether ST actually composed the krithis?

There is some mention about the controversy at http://www.swathithirunal.in/miscellanios.htm

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 22 Feb 2007, 16:40

Should it be the fate of the greats to be knocked about thus, how about little people like me!
When one of the musicians who attended the CD release asked me what my mudra was, all I had to say was that I didn't get any song with a mudra! May be the forces that give me songs didn't will it. While it is convenient for cataloging to have a mudra (or a composer name, for that matter), a song is a song is a song--good, bad, indifferent.
A rose is a rose is a rose--
Savor it.
May be not your favorite flower--
Find another.
Scientific enquiry is fine, but hair splitting or getting all worked up about an issue is not becoming of true rasikas...

cmlover · Post by **cmlover** » 22 Feb 2007, 16:54

There was the claim that the compositions themselves were done by other Sanskrit scholars in his court and the music was set by the Quartet. Since there was no sishya parampara there is no way of verifying the ragas which also were created and modified by SSI/HMB as part of the restoration process. So the question is whether any credit should be given the Maharaja himself (there are no such doubts in case of the Trinity!)

cmlover · Post by **cmlover** » 22 Feb 2007, 16:58

VG
also recall Lord Narayana admonishing bhaTTadiri when he ridiculed the compositions of poonthaanam: 'ninde vibhaktiyEkkALum enikku poonthanaththinRE bhakthiyANE iShTaM' (I regard more the devotion of poonthaanam compared to your grammar)

no offence intended. But objectively facts are facts! That is why we did not want to revisit these controversies! RIP

coolkarni · Post by **coolkarni** » 22 Feb 2007, 17:16

May be the forces that give me songs didn't will it. While it is convenient for cataloging to have a mudra (or a composer name, for that matter), a song is a song is a song

Arasi
You can take comfort from another great Sufi song

Sing a song of Glory, and you will be that Glory.
Nothing , are you , but a song ; And as you sing, You are.

You thought you were the teacher.
And you find you are the one who is taught.

You thought you were the seeker,
And you find you are the one who is sought.

Sing a song of Glory, and you will be that Glory.
Nothing , are you , but a song; And as you sing, You are.

You thought you were the seeker,
And you find you are the one who is sought.

True of Tyagaraja , Swathi and every other composer, irrespective of Controversies.

chalanata · Post by **chalanata** » 22 Feb 2007, 20:29

thyagaraja swami was a great exponent in vedas, puranas and sanskrit. jagadhanandha karaka is a fine example of this. anybody listening to this with the awareness of core meaning of the song will have viswaroopa dharshan.
we really do not know how much of maharaja's is of quartet; it may be entirely his or it may not be. but if we have to agree that the quartet are not conversant in sanskrit then we are not taking cognizance that they come in the shishya parampara of dikshidar and of the sanskrit songs like 'mayathitha swaroopini' composed by ponniah pillai with the mudra 'guruguha swami'