Kum. Arya Nagarajan (vocal) & team from Chennai - Homage to Mysore Vasudevacharya Series

Special Carnatic Music concert
Homage to Padma Bhushan Mysore Vasudevacharya
21st July 2024, 8:00 PM IST (10:30 AM EDT)

Kum. Arya Nagarajan (vocal) - Chennai
(Disciple of Vid. R. Sathish Kumar)

Chi. Bhargav Vignesh (violin)
(Son and Disciple of Vid. CK Vijayaraghavan)

Chi. Thrissur K. Sudev (mridangam)
(Disciple of Sangita Kalanidhi Thiruvarur Bhakthavatsalam)

[kumarrayaprolu]

Very nice concert by the young singer Arya with her melodious voice and nice selections of kritis. Supporting artists have also performed very well adding to the listening pleasure.

[mysuruvasudevacharya]

Absolutely Divine Blissful and Superb Concert All the Best Wishes 👋👌👋

[narayanasamyks]

Our blessings to the singer and
accompaniments
Well done Arya.

[bharathysubramanian]

“It is befitting to pay homage to the outstanding Mysore Sri Vasudevaachaarya by Kumari Arya Nagarajan avarGaL. Ivar kural mikka inimaiyEth thaan. Surely.” - “MandakoLathur Manian.”

[mysuruvasudevacharya]

dEvi kamalAlayE is a Sanskrit keerthana song composed by Mysore Vasudevacharya. The word "Kamala" has different meanings in the song, including:

[mysuruvasudevacharya]

Mama Hrdaye Reethigowlai Khanda Triputa Mysore Vasudevacharya

[mysuruvasudevacharya]

Ritigowla – The Raga with a Mesmerising Melody

A janya raaga of Kharaharapriya, Ritigowla also called NARIRITIGOWLA, is a vakra, rakthi raaga, a raaga that is considered very classical and meritorious in the Carnatic music field.

It is very easy to identify this raaga due to the typical beautiful sanchaaras present in the compositions. This is one raaga which deserves the compliment “manam mayakkum Ritigowlai”.

The melody of this raaga is magical and will surely mesmerize the listener with its charm. The raaga assumes a pleading quality, and evokes a combination of karuna and bhakthi rasas. Ritigowla – an all time raaga is an ideal choice to sing in vilamba kala in the middle of a concert, to bring the listeners into a contemplative and calm frame of mind.

Therapeutically the raga helps to achieve mental peace and relaxation. This is also a Bhashanga Raagam, where the note Suddha Dha appears in some sancharas.

Ritigowla belongs to the Dvitiya Ghana Panchaka (second series of Ghana raagas) group.
Arohanam : S G2 R2 G2 M1 N2 N2 S / S G2 R2 G2 M1 N2 D2 M1 N2 N2 S
Avarohanam: S N2 D2 M1 P M1 G2 R2 S / S N2 D2 M1 G2 M1 P M1 G2 R2 S

(Shadjam, Chathusruthi Rishabham, Sadharana Gandharam, Suddha Madhyamam, Panchamam, Chathusruthi Dhaivatham, Kaisiki Nishadam)

Jeeva Swaras: G, M, N (N2 – The breathing or life giving note of Ritigowla)
A beautiful raaga, the essence of its beauty lies in a few prominent prayogas/phrases.


Uniquely Ritigowla Sancharas: NPNNS, NSGGM,GMNNS, NSGRS, GMGRS, NSNDM, SNDMPDMGRs, GMPMGRS…
The sanchara GMPMGRS… renders a soulful, soft touch to the raaga fully bringing out the Karuna rasa. Jantai prayogas for the notes G and N are very popular- meaning to say that if the composition has a prayoga NNS on one line, the next line will definitely be complimented with a GGM.

I feel that they are almost like twin – pairs’ one cannot live without another! What a beautiful complimenting relationship.

[mysuruvasudevacharya]

AP manthadama su-virajita shri krisna mandahasa vadanaravinda nayana
Oh Sri Krishna, you moved in cowherd houses joyfully. Your beautiful eyes and gentle smile on lotus-like face is enchanting.
C yadukula varidhi purna candra vidura vanditapada gunasandra
madana janaka shrikara mahanubhava sadaya hrdaya shrI vasudeva
You are like full moon for ocean-like Yadu clan. Vidura bowed to your feet. You are paragon of virtues. You are father of Manmadha. You bestow prosperity. Oh Vasudeva, you are glorious and merciful.

[mysuruvasudevacharya]

Pavamaana Suthudu Pattu, Pathara Vinthiya Mulaku
Nee nama rupamulaku, Nitya Jaya Mangalam

Prahlad NaraDadhi, Bhaktulu Pogadu Sandhu
Nee nama rupamulaku, Nitya Jaya Mangalam

Rajeeva Nayana Thyaga, Rajathi Vinudhamaina
Nee nama rupamulaku, Nitya Jaya Mangalam

[mysuruvasudevacharya]

Pranamamyaham shrI prananatham Raga Ranjini Adi tala.Mysore Vasudevacharaya Krithi
This Krithi was composed in Sanskrit !
There is another one by him in Gowla

[mysuruvasudevacharya]

On Behalf of Mysore Vasudevacharya Homage Page We Whole heartedly Thanking
Kum Arya Nagarajan (Vocal) & Team, from, Chennai TN Padma Bushan Mysore Vasudevacharya Life & Music Special Series Concert on Today the July 21st Sunday at 8.00 PM IST 10.30 AM EST
Kum. Arya Nagarajan (Vocal) Disciple of Vid. R. Sathish Kumar)
Chi. V. Bargava Vignesh (Violin) (Disciple of Vid. C.K. Vijayaraghavan)
Chi. Thrissur K. Sudev (Mridangam) (Disciple of Sangita Kalanidhi Thiruvarur Bhakthavatsalam)
(All Compositions of Mysore Vasudevacharya)


Ragams Covered .
Kanada,
Garudadhwani,
Reetigowla,
Natakapriya,
Ranjini,
Devamanohari,
Poorvikalyani,
Khamas,
Chenchurutti,
Mohanakalyani

Sourashtram


All the Best wishes to them in their Future Endeavors
We wish to thank all the members of the lovely audience who motivated, supported and encouraged the wonderful artistes in this Concert today..

[mysuruvasudevacharya]

Allied Raagas – Ritigaula and Anandabhairavi

One raaga that is quoted as similar to Ritigaula is Anandabhairavi. The first half of Arohana is similar with the notes SGRG.Both allow PMGRS and NSGRG.

[mysuruvasudevacharya]

P mama hrdaye vihara dayalO krishna mandaradhara govinda mukunda
Oh Sri Krishna, please dwell in my heart pleasantly. You are all- merciful. Oh Govinda, Oh Mukunda, You bore the Mandara montain

[mysuruvasudevacharya]

AP jalaja sambhava bhavadyamara vinuta pada
jalaja nayana neevu sumukhudai vegame ||
Brahma the lotus borne Siva and other Devatas adore your feet. Oh lotus eyed Rama, please speak soon with a pleasant face.
C1 niravadhi sukha dayakudani telisi ne
niratamu nijamuga nammi yundaga ||
Truly, I always believed that you bestow happiness perpetually.
C2 marachitivemo maravakura rama
garuda gamana vasudeva dayanidhe ||
Oh Rama, please don't forget me. You are ocean of compassion. You are Vasudeva who flies on 'Garutmanta'

[mysuruvasudevacharya]

The raga kanada is one of the easiest to identify in Carnatic music. The gAndhAra (the third note in the ascent) is so characteristic of this raga that singing it alone would be enough. kAnaDa is an extremely popular raga on the concert platform, used often in rAgamAlikas be they songs or just a string of swaras during a rAgam tAnam pallavi rendition.
This is a janya or derived raga of the 22nd mELakarta kharaharapriya. It is a Shadava sampUrNa raga which means it has six notes in the ascent and all seven in the descent.
The seven notes are Shadjam, catushruti rishabham, sadharana gandharam, shuddha madhyamam, pancamam, catushruti dhaivatam and kaishiki nishadham.
Aro Sa ri ga ma dha ni sa // Sa ni sa dha pa ma ga ma ri sa
As the notes in the descent follow a convoluted pattern, kanada is a vakra raga. An alien note, the kakali nishadha is heard in patterns such as sa ni sa dha ni dha and so this also qualifies as a bhashanga raga.
Particularly beautiful phrases in this raga are sa ni pa, dha ni pa, ma pa ga, sa ri pa ga, ni sa dha and dha ni pa. However as the raga stresses heavily on gamakas or the graces and as it is marked by minute nuances, it is considered difficult to sing elaborately and so is often relegated to a minor position on the concert platform.

[mysuruvasudevacharya]

GARUDADHWANI – JANYA OF MELA (29) RAGM SANKARABHARANAM
Ragam Garudadhwani is a quite interesting one; like some other rare ragas we have seen earlier, there are some considerable number of compositions available, still only very few being seen sung in concerts – the existance is mainly because of the Thyagaraja krithis.

This raga can be said to be a mirror image or the reverse of the famous ‘Bilahari’ raga; if the arohanam and avarohanam notes of Bilahari are interchanged, we get this raga theoretically.

Hence the notes can be written as:
S R2 G3 M1 P D2 N3 S // S D2 P G3 R2 S

Garudadhwani is an asymmetric ragam that does not contain madhyamam or nishadham in the descending scale.

It is an sampurna-audava ragam (or oudava ragam, meaning pentatonic descending scale). The notes used in this scale are shadjam, chathusruthi rishabham, antara gandharam, shuddha madhyamam, panchamam, chathusruthi dhaivatham and kakali nishadham in ascending scale, with kakali nishadham and shuddha madhyamam skipped in descending scale.

This raga has shades of western music when played in fast pace. It is a restrictive raga – it has all seven notes on the ascending scale, but only five on the descending.

This means that certain patterns are created which make the raga both instantly recognisable, as well as hard to elaborate on for long. It is bright, playful, optimistic and powerful. It also has a fascinating name. I know the meaning of the Sanskrit words ‘Garuda’, the eagle carrier of Lord Vishnu and ‘dhwani’ – ‘sound’, it means the sound that the divine eagle, Garuda makes.

When we consider Bilahari and Garudadhwani, we have to begin with Mohana Kalyani ragam, which is a prathimadhyama raga; with Mohanam notes in arohanam and Kalyani notes in avarohanam. If we consider Mohanakalyani’s suddha madhyama counterpart, this raga would have Mohanam as its arohanam and Sankarabharanam as its avarohanam.

Hence by the previous logic, we theoretically get the raga Mohana-Sankarabharanam. Clearly, a bit of a mouthful to pronounce, this ‘’theoretically coined’’ Mohana-Sankarabharanam happens to be a very popular raga that is better known as Bilahari! What about the "reverse" of Bilahari – i.e. the reverse of Mohana-Sankarabharanam? Exercising the same logic we get, by this process of reversal, the raga Sankarabharana-Mohanam.

As the name suggests, Sankarabharana-Mohanam has for its arohanam, Sankarabharanam, and Mohanam for the avarohanam. Hence the structure is: S R G M P D N S // S D P G R S.This is the raga Garudadhwani. Hence, Garudadhwani can be referred to as the mirror-image of Bilahari. In practical application

however, Garudadhwani has nothing to do with Bilahari whatsoever and they do not even sound remotely similar. The arrangement of the notes and the intonation of the swaras of Garudadhwani are completely different.

While the SSP does not give any mention about this raga, Ragapravaham confirms the above scale; same time giving another scale, S R G M N D M P D N S // S N P M R S, under mela (61) Kanthamani; but no such scale has been found in use, except theoretically.

Garudadhvani is an example of a sampoorna-oudava raga. This raga has all the seven notes in order in the arohana (S R G M P D N) and five notes in the avarohana (S D P G R).


Examples of similar sampoorna-oudava ragas are Kiranavali (a janya of the 21st melakarta raga Keeravani) and Saramathi (a janya of the 20th melakarta raga NaTabhairavi). Garudadhwani is a raga that acquires extra sheen when it takes more of plain notes and relatively less of gamakas.

This is not to say that gamakas are totally done away with – it’s just that the raga sounds better and less like its parent Sankarabharanam when it is sung with more of plain notes, especially the rishabham, dhaivatam and the nishadam.

As always, it is Thyagaraja who has given life to this raga in the form of two very beautiful compositions. The first krithi is the very popular “Tattvameruga tarama”; which has been extensively sung many musicians, notably by vidwans. K.V.Narayanaswamy, T.K.Rangachari and T.R.Subramanyam (TRS). T

RS in his heydays would sing this kriti at a relatively faster pace and sing many rounds of mind-boggling kalpana swaras that would span all the three octaves, even touching the thara sthayi dhaivatam in the process. With his clear and ringing voice superbly complemented by easy and facile brigas,

TRS rendition of Tattvameruga tarama would be sheer delight to listen to and experience. Hence Garudadhvani is not merely a raga that should be regarded as a 'filler-item' in concerts. It is a raga that is worth exploring further. This is a raga that holds its own and definitely occupies a place of pride in the Carnatic music firmament.

[mysuruvasudevacharya]

On Behalf of Mysore Vasudevacharya Homage Page We Whole heartedly Welcoming

[mysuruvasudevacharya]

Senjurutti
The Raga known as as Chenchurutti, Shenjurutti etc. It is a janya raga, derived from Raga Harikambhoji 28th Mela

Aro : D2 S R2 G3 M1 P D2 N2 Av : N2 D2 P M1 G3 R2 S N2 D2 P D2 S

This raga derived from folk music and has a pleading note to it. An example of traditional folk music is the delightful Kavadi Chindu Valli Kanavan Perai set to this raga.

Tyagaraja has composed Rama Rama Rama RaRa and Navaneeta Chora in this raga. Oothukadu Venkata Subbaiyer’s Pullay Piravi and Maadu Meikum Kanna are popular. Though there are other Krithis

As generally percived Hindustani Jhinjoti is nowhere close to Senchuriti . In that respect, it is more like yadhukula kambhoji, which shines well in vilamba kala

[mysuruvasudevacharya]

P ndirA ramaNa gOvinda
sundaravadanAravinda mAmava ||
Oh Lord Govinda the consort of Lakshmi, your face is beautiful like lotus . Please protect me.

[mysuruvasudevacharya]

P varanasyam pranamami vamadeva sukumaram varam varam