Harikesanallur Muttaiah Bhagavatar
About the Commentator
MYSORE VASUDEVACHARYA (1865-1961) is the most widely performed Karnatik music composer of this century. His compositions, such as Brochevarevarura, Bhajare Manasa and Devadideva Sri Vasudeva, are very popular with performing musicians. But very few know that he was a writer too. Infact, he wrote two books in Kannada, Naa Kanda Kalavidaru (The artistes I knew) and Nenapugalu (Memories). The first is a collection of essays on fellow artistes, while the second describes his experiences as a musician in the Mysore court. Vasudevacharya's prose is laced with gentle humour. He assesses the music of some of our greatest artistes without being overwhelmed by their greatness. At the same time, he is generous in praising their genius. His simple and lively style makes his essays interesting reading even today. SPECTRUM takes pleasure in presenting extracts from Naa Kanda Kalavidaru for the first time in English translation. Vasudevacharya's grandson and retired AIR Station Director S KRISHNAMURTHY has translated the essays for this series.GEM OF A COMPOSER
"WHERE do you have your bath?" "There is the river, by God's grace. Three dips in it and my bath is over. I need neither a boiler nor any fuel!" "What about your food?" "It is enough if I get a few morsels of rice from a couple of houses. I am a
Brahmachari, my Upanayana having
been already performed. If I ask for
alms, some kind-hearted woman gives
me food. Each day I have a different sort of food and a different relish!"
"You bathe in the river, you get your
alms, it need hardly be said that you
must be living in some choultry."
"Your guess is right. Right from my
twelfth year, this dharma chatra has
been my home. What else do I need?"
This in brief was my very first
conversation with Muthaiah Bhagavatar
when we were students at Thiruvayyar.
Even when he was speaking of the
misfortunes he had faced, he maintained a
cheerful countenance. One evening,
when we were sitting in the front
verandah of his choultry, we talked
about our younger days and thought
the Creator had made both of us sail
in the same boat. Thereafter, we became
fast friends.
Harikeshanellur in Tirunelveli district
was Bhagavatar's birthplace. He
was born in January 1887; Lingammayyar
was the name of his father. When
Muthaiah Bhagavatar was yet a boy of
ten, Lingammayyar passed away and it
was left to his uncle to bring him up.
The uncle was an orthodox Vedic
scholar who believed that music and
dance were not for the respectable and
tried very hard to make his nephew
turn to the study of Sanskrit.
Muthaiah Bhagavatar studied Sanskrit
for about two years but his heart
was not in it. Finally, one day, he left
Tirunelveli for Tiruvayyar without telling
anyone. He had resolved to learn
music even if it meant begging for a
living. Bhagavatar wandered about in
search of a guru. At last, a reputed
vidwan named Sambasivayyar agreed
to teach him. Muthaiah Bhagavatar
studied under him for seven years and
acquired proficiency in music.
Muthaiah Bhagavatar was 20 when
he returned to Harikeshanellur. He
stayed in his hometown for about five
years, and gave a few concerts. In those
days music concerts did not receive as
much encouragement as musical
discourses did, and Muthaiah Bhagavatar
decided to switch over to that form for
a career. He had good scholarship in
Sanskrit, he had fluency of speech, an
excellent knowledge of music and a
rich voice. No wonder his discourses
became popular within a short while.
He was able at last to make ends meet.
Meanwhile, he went to Travancore,
where he displayed his learning at the
palace and earned, as a mark of royal
recognition, a pair of golden wristlets
and shawls. The patronage and support
that he received at Travancore encouraged
him further to pursue music.
In his 25th year, Muthiah Bhagavatar
settled down in Madurai. He made a living
by teaching music; he ran a small
music school of his own. Shortly after
this, he went to Karur where he was
able to gain the friendship of a wealthy
landlord of Andipalli named Petta
Chettiyar. Fortune smiled on Muthaiah
Bhagavatar now. The Chettiyar, who
was all admiration for his learning,
honoured him profusely. As suggested
by Muthaiah Bhagavatar, he celebrated
the Skanda Sashti festival every year
at Karur. He invited well-known
vidwans from all over south India to
give concerts, and rewarded them liberally.
This gave Bhagavatar an opportunity
to come into contact with the famous
artistes of the time, as also to further
his scholarship. But those happy
days did not last long. Petta Chettiyar passed away and Bhagavatar felt dejected.
He left Karur and went on a tour to
places like Calcutta and Rangoon and
on his return settled down in Madras.
Mysore visit
In 1927, Muthaiah Bhagavatar visited
Mysore during the Dasara festivities.
He was about 50 then. He gave a couple
of concerts at the palace and earned the
benevolent attention of Krishnaraja
Wodeyar. He secured a position of prestige
among the musicians of the court.
In 1928, the Maharaja bestowed on him
the title of Gayaka Shikhamani.
In Mysore, Muthaiah Bhagavatar
used to go to Chamundi Hills every Friday
and offer worship to the goddess.
His Ashtottara Kirtanas are ample
testimony to his devotion. He had been
busy composing these kirtanas between 1929 and 1932. When he completed a
kirtana, he sang it before His Highness
and won his admiration. The words of
the kirtanas were composed by
Devottama Jois, who was a scholar in
the court, while Muthaiah Bhagavatar
composed the music himself. The
Ashtottara Kirtanas, which were rich
in musical and emotional content,
delighted His Highness who honoured
Bhagavatar with a golden pendant
bearing the figure of Chamundeshwari.
In 1936, Muthaiah Bhagavatar received
an invitation from the Travancore
palace. At the request of Maharani
Sethu Parvathi Bai, he stayed there for
two years and entertained the court
with his melodious performances. He
was appointed the first Principal of the
Swati Tirunal Music Academy which
was established in 1938. Muthiah Bhagavatar systematised the notations of about 300 kirtanas of Swati Tirunal.
He wrote and published a book in
Tamil on the theory of music, entitled
Sangeeta Kalpadruma. In recognition of
his invaluable contributitions
Travancore University honoured him
with a doctorate. He later returned to
Mysore where he spent his last days.
He passed away on June 30, 1945.
Muthaiah Bhagavatar, who had
undergone several hardships in life,
had great compassion for the poor. No
musician who went to him returned
empty handed. His was a small family
himself, his wife and his daughter.
Even the daughter passed away shortly
after his coming down to Mysore.
Though they were only two at home,
husband and wife, at least 15 persons
would be there for food, morning, and
evening. Friends and relatives always
flocked around him but Bhagavatar
never encouraged idle talk; his life was
dedicated to music and he spoke only
about music. Those who went to him
would hardly ever return without
acquiring some valuable piece of information
or other. Occasionally, when he
felt bored, he played cards. On many
occasions, he invited me to join him in
the game.
Before he composed his kirtanas in
Shankarabharana and Kharaharapriya,
he sent for me and made me sing
half-a-dozen times the kirtanas I had
composed in those ragas, namely,
Harini BhaJinche and Rara
Yenipilichithe. He then remarked:
"Acharya, I now have a complete
picture of the emotional shades of
ragas and I shall begin my composition".
Apart from his varnas and
kirtanas which are rich specimens of
melody and emotion, I had a great
admiration and liking for his tillanas and
darus. Many a time, when I sang at the
place, he accompanied me on the
mridanga. No one could question his
skill. After all, he had learnt under no
less a vidwan than Narayanasamappa
of Tanjore. He possessed an accurate
knowledge of rhythm which explains
the excellence of his tillanas and darus.
He first sang his compositions before
vidwans and welcomed their suggestions
and comments. He accepted all
the criticism he found valid, and inc
porated the necessary changes. Though
he could render all ragas equally well,
fully elucidating their emotional content,
Mukhari was his favourite and his
rendering of that raga was unique.
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