On the Importance of Niroshta

[sampoorna]

I have written an article on the importance of the raga niroshta. It is available at:

http://lightalamp.wordpress.com/2011/07 ... -niroshta/

Here is the first paragraph of the article:

Niroshta is a raga or scale in carnatic music. It is a pentatonic scale. Out of the seven swaras (notes) Sa, Ri, Ga, Ma, Pa, Da, Ni, niroshta uses only five, i.e., Sa, Ri, Ga, Da, and Ni. The interesting feature of this scale is that one does not use the lips when singing it. There is a beautiful song by Harikeshanallur Muttaiah Bhagavatar called Raja raja radhite composed in niroshta, which does not use the lips in any part of the song. While it is interesting and unique, is there any significance behind the non-usage of lips?

Here is the last paragraph of the article:

Now we come back to the point of niroshta (lip-less) sounds. The word sin or papa comes from the first sound of the pa-group repeated twice. The sounds in the pa-group are called papa-pankti and avoiding these sounds is niroshta. Avoiding papa-pankti is indicative of reminding ourselves that we are trying to avoid the papa and punya for the good of our extended self. In our tradition, my father has heard of several kavyas (poems) even the Ramayana and Mahabharata, that have been written while avoiding papa-pankti (if anyone has references they are welcome). Raja raja radhite is one such song written by avoiding papa-pankti. So niroshta is not just a gimmick or a one-up-man-ship of the composer but shows the depth of bhakti or devotion of its composer if they are strict followers of tradition. And therein lies the importance of niroshta.


All details of what are the sound groups and the significance of the sound groups as per our traditions are there in the article. Sri T. N. Seshagopalan, who is a grand disciple of Harikeshanallur Muttaiah Bhagavatar (HMB) has composed a tillana in niroshta. Was there a piece in niroshta composed by Sri Neyveli Santhanagopalan (HMB's great grand disciple) in the Sundarakandam performed at Cleveland? It looks like the tradition followed by HMB is being followed quite well by his devoted disciples. I would appreciate your feedback.

Narayana,

Sampoorna
http://www.lightalamp.wordpress.com

[ganeshkant]

This rAgam is said to be the janyam of ShankarAbhranam.After reading the post I just got an idea as to why not create a group of nirOshta rAgAs ? How many possibilities are there that can have the ArOhanam and avarOhanm of SRGDNS - SNDGRS.Like malhArs there can be nirOshtAs also.

[sampoorna]

Sri ganeshkant,

Thankyou for your thoughts. It certainly would be very interesting. Are there any existing nioshta ragas if not niroshta songs? Some forumites may have the answer.

Narayana,

Sampoorna.

[venkatakailasam]

link not working hence removed

[Lakshman]

Ganeshkant wrote:

Why not create a group of nirOshta rAgAs ? How many possibilities are there that can have the ArOhanam and avarOhanm of SRGDNS - SNDGRS>

Here is the list:

aushadhIshapriyA - 1
barvidhvaja - 30
bhadrashrI - 17
bhAgIrathi - 20
bhAnupriyA - 21
bhargapriyA - 25
bharmAngi - 33
bhavakEsari - 20
biDAjapriyA - 31
karuNipriyA - 6
dhIrgikA - 2
jnAnabOdhini - 10
jnAnadAyaki - 4
jyOtsnApriyA - 5
kumArapriyA - 3
kumbhini - 2
madhurAlApa - 28
mEghOni - 32
makarankapriyA - 15
makuTadhAriNi - 22
mattakashrI - 27
mAyAvinOdini - 34
mrDANi - 26
mrgEndra - 35
mukurakapOla - 24
nakSatramAlA - 18
navamAlikA - 8
nirOSTa 29
pAlika - 23
pAlini - 14
rEvA - 36
tAmasuranjani - 12
tIrkSOrani - 19
tittibadhavani - 11
tridashiranjani - 13
trimUrtpriyA - 9
trinEtrapriyA - 16

Songs in nirOSTa:

Giri putrika gaura varni-Rupaka-Bangalore S.Mukund
Jayati jayati jayashankara-Rupaka-Ashok R.Madhav
Nirata varada nive na gati (tv)-Adi-Gurukrupa (B.M.Sundaram)
Raja raja radhite nada nidhe sharade-T/Eka-Muttiah Bhagavatar
Tillana-Adi-T.N.Sheshagopalan

[mahavishnu]

thank you, Lakshman-ji. You are a human encylopaedia!

[gobilalitha]

Lakshmanji, fantabulous

[cienu]

LJI ! That was amazing

[cmlover]

Great Lakshman!
Pl list any songs that you know of in the rare ragas that you have mentioned.
I remember there was a song in PAlini sung by Nityasree, the name evades me...

[sampoorna]

Sri Lakshman,

Thankyou, that is great. I have learned something more today. Do you know whose students the composers are?

Narayana,

Sampoorna.

[satyabalu]

Thanks Lakshman !What is (tv) in Nirata varada nive na gati (tv)-Adi-Gurukrupa (B.M.Sundaram)?
*Any opportunity to have the links-TNS,NSG on Niroshta &Nithyashree on Paalini? Any TVGs to our rescue?

[srikant1987]

satyabalu, tv means tAna varNam.

[cmlover]

The link to palini is
http://rasikas.org/forums/viewtopic.php?t=7222-palini.html
Somebody can post the link to the audio...

[cmlover]

Here is an audio link by Niranjana Srinivasan courtesy of our Vkailasam
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AJ628RilNAQ
Lakshman
would you by any chance have the lyrics...

[Lakshman]

Sampoorna: The songs I have listed are not singers except for Ashok Madhav and Muttiah Bhagavatar who are vaggeyakAras.

[Lakshman]

kapAli nI dayAnidhi. rAgA: pAlini. Adi tALA. Composer: Lalita Sivakumar.

P: kapAli nI dayAnidhi umApati tuNai varuvAi
A: sabhApati nidam enpAl iniyAgilum kanindaruL purivAyO
(madhyamakAla)
sAmagAna vinOdanE shivakAmi nAthanE sakalalOka nAyakanE sarvEshvaranE
C: pAmara jana pAlini umai tannai pAdiyAi koNDavanE pirai mati aNindavanE puli tOlai uDuttavanE
(madhyamakAla)
AlAhalam uNDa nIlakaNThanE kAlanai udaitta kailAsanE sabEshanE
naTEshanE mahEshanE prakAshanE jagadIshanE sadAshivanE

[cmlover]

Great! Thx..

[Lakshman]

Apart from the songs already posted here are the others in my list:

Bhanupriya-Bhanu priyasani-Adi-Alattur Vijayakumar
Mukurakapola-Mukura kapola muralidharavara-Adi-R.Venugopal
Palini-En mana sumai nikkida va palini-Adi-Venkatraman Balu

Interstingly, the above song in pAlini has also been rendered by Nityashri.

[ganeshkant]

Lakshmanji,

Good compilation.Thanks.