(post by Madhavi Ramkumar)
Great musical compositions, in all genres across the world,
have transcended time and space. In Carnatic Music too, they stand as
testaments to the genius of their creators and to the greatness of the system
itself, flooding the hearts and minds of listeners with joy and wonder over and
over again. Artistes who perform them continue to find scope for individuality
and inventiveness within the parameters of raga, thala and musical structure as
prescribed.
That the same compositions are also inextricably linked, in
many ways, to the period and the locale spanned by the lifetimes of their
composers, may at first seem paradoxical. While many of them were intrepid
pioneers in their own right, the language they employed and the ragas and
thalas they stipulated were in all likelihood influenced by the environment
they were familiar with. Further, the ragas specified by them must also be
deemed to be a reflection of their melodic vision for the products of their
creativity.
As such, would it be fair to change the raga as specified by
the composer, and what would be the justification for doing so? If no raga has
been indicated, the tunesmith or the singer is free to cast it in a raga of his
or her choice. If not, there is an implicit obligation to conform to the
mandate of the composer.
A case in point is ‘Karuna Cheyvan’, Irayimman Thampi’s
immortal paean to Lord Guruvayurappan, arguably the most popular of classical
krithis in Malayalam. In his introduction to ‘Omanathinkal’, a compilation of
some of the musical compositions of Irayimman Thampi with notations published
by the Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Academy, great scholar and musicologist
Dr.S.Venkatasubrahmanya Iyer observes: “Of the Malayalam keerthanams (of the
composer) ‘Karuna Cheyvanenthu’ in Sri Ragam and ‘Adimalarina’ in Mukhari are
extremely well known. Both are prayers to Lord Guruvayurappan. Though the first
is now being sung by many in Yadukulakamboji (the reason for this change is not
understood), its structure in the original raga (Sri Ragam) itself has been
included here” (translated from the Malayalam). The raga of the song has been
mentioned unambiguously as Sri Ragam by V.Madhavan Nair ‘Mali’ also in his
research work ‘Kerala Sangeetham’.
The popularity of the Yadukulakamboji version of ‘Karuna
Cheyvan’ is generally traced back to Chembai Vaidyanatha Bhagavathar. There is
no dispute about the appeal of this version, as the words and lyrics seem to
coalesce perfectly and evocatively. However, and no disrespect is implied to
the great master Chembai here, the original raga and tune are no less
enchanting, and the composer’s choice is most apt and alluring. Irayimman
Thampi was no stranger to Yadukulakamboji, as evidenced by the use of the raga
for padams in his Kathakali plays, most notable among them being ‘Lokadhipa
Kantha’ in ‘Dakshayagam’. He could very well have couched ‘Karuna Cheyvan’ in
that raga had he so wished. But master musician and lyricist that he was, he
chose Sri Ragam for his outpouring of bhakthi to the Lord. Composers such as
Irayimman Thampi had a clear idea of the aural and emotive impact of the
confluence of words and melodies, and adherence to their mandate would only be
in the fitness of things.
In Carnatic Music, the use of ragas other than those laid
down by the vaggeyakaras is a serious topic requiring much research. Two ragas
for the same composition is not entirely unknown, as in the case of Thyagraja’s
‘Kantajoodumi’, extant in Vachaspathi and Lathangi. Some changes in form and
ornamentation are inevitable with the passage of time, especially in view of
the largely oral tradition followed hitherto. That there are many ragas in
vogue today that were relatively unknown a century ago, and that some ragas
prevalent in earlier times may have sunk into oblivion over the years, are also
points worth considering.
‘Karuna Cheyvan’, however, falls into none of these
categories, and we owe it to the composer and to the art itself, to try and
preserve the work in its original form. Compositions such as this form part of
musical history. If an artiste feels that the composition falls short on
certain parameters, or that it can be improved upon, the option to choose
another song or to create something entirely new is always open.
(c) Madhavi Ramkumar
