Monday, Sep 5, 2005
Short Takes: Narayani and Gorakh Kalyan
Rajan P. ParrikarRajan P. Parrikar is a recognized expert on Indian Classical music and shares his knowledge freely with those interested in the subject.
He has written a series of articles on Classical Indian Music some of which have been archived on Sawf. Click here to read Rajan's earlier articles. |
Rajan P. Parrikar, across the bay from SFO (2005)
Click on the picture to enlarge it
|
Namashkar.
After the feature on Raga Multani at the end of 2002, we turned in and doused the glim. This short revival seeks to illuminate those interstices of the Hindustani ragaspace not considered earlier. While at it, we intend to partake in our fruitful pastimes, of slaying familiar dragons (Banditji, cheej-pijja-chompin' Alubhai) and kicking Bong ass (note that Alu has his toes sticking in both the puddles and is therefore entitled to Platinum level benefits).
Throughout the discussion below, M=shuddha madhyam.
Raga Narayani
An import from Carnatic music, the Hindustani Raga Narayani is a janya of the Khamaj thAT, corresponding to the 28th melakarta Harikambhoji: S R G M P D n. It employs all the swaras of the Khamaj thAT except the gandhar.
In the Carnatic tradition Narayani presents itself in two disparate avatars.
The inspiration for the Hindustani Narayani is Tyagaraja's conception, parlayed by his kritis bhajanaseyu margamunu and Rama neevekani. The other version due to Dikshitar, instantiated by his composition Mahishasura mardini, is a janya of the Dheerashankarabharanam melakarta. In Ragas of the Sangita Saramrta (Music Academy, Madras, 1993), the authors T.V.
Subbarao and S.R. Janakiraman write that Dikshitar's treatment "had its roots in the description of Narayani as given by Tulaja [also known as Tukkaji, the Maratha ruler of Tanjore from 1729-35]." They further point out that "the raga name 'Narayani' [appears] as early as in the 'Sangit Makaranda'
of Narada (7th-9th century AD)."
A brief discussion of Narayani is found in Pandit Vishnu Narayan Bhatkhande's monumental work Hindustani Sangeet Paddhati. Bhatkhande's own Dhrupad-anga composition in Sooltal, Narayana ko nita bhaja re, is documented in his Karamika Pustaka Malika and re-printed in Raja Nawab Ali's Marifunnaghmat. But as we shall see, the prevailing structure and lakshaNAs of the Hindustani Narayani follow closely the blueprint imbedded in the two compositions of S.N. Ratanjankar, to wit, the vilambit bamanA re bichAra and the druta bandish sahelariyAN gAvo ri. Let us tease out the main features of the raga.
Ramashreya Jha "Ramrang" at the author's home in Goa (2003)
|
As noted earlier, the gandhar is varjit (verboten) in Narayani. Since the komal nishAd is alpa in the Arohi passages, an AvirbhAva of Raga Durga (of the Bilawal thAT) obtains and is readily purchased.
S R M R M R S, n' D' M' P' D' S
S R P, M P n D...P, D P M R M R S
Notice the lapse into Durga's territory and the subsequent recovery via the komal nishAd.
Consider the cluster: S R P, M P n D...P
The avarohi pause on the dhaivat (deergha bahutva) is characteristic, and is followed by a nyAsa on the pancham. The interested reader may, at this juncture, reflect on the distinction of this particular tonal play vis-à-vis Raga Soor Malhar.
|
P, M P n D...P, D M P (S")D S", n D S"
P D S" R", S" R" M" R"
S", S" n D, P
The melodic activity in the uttarAnga proceeds along these lines.
Even women and children know that it is not possible to convey via the written word the nuances of the swara-lagAv so vital to raga-based music.
Thanks to the advent of multimedia, we now have access to the crisp and highly cultivated mind of Ramashreya Jha "Ramrang." Jha-sahab extolls Ratanjankar in this sermon recorded over the long-distance telephone line -
http://www.sawf.org/audio/narayani/jha_narayanispeak.ram
Prabhudev Sardar -
http://www.sawf.org/audio/narayani/sardar_narayani.ram
Raga Gorakh Kalyan
Gorakh Kalyan, too, is affiliated with the Khamaj thAT, and again, like Narayani, the gandhar is out of a job here. The "Kalyan" in its name is misleading since it contains not the slightest trace of the Kalyan Raganga.
Some suggest, perhaps apocryphally, that it is named in honour of Sant Gorakhnath. The origins of Gorakh Kalyan are uncertain. Pandit Bhatkhande makes no mention of it in his (hitherto published) work. The popular vilambit khayal, dhana dhana bhAga, carries the 'Sadarang' colophon in the antarA, but one wonders if the insertion is a later emendation calculated to confer vintage and cachet on the composition. Master Krishnarao has documented three compositions including dhana dhana bhaga in his Raga Sangraha volumes. Were these handed down by his preceptor Bhaskarbuwa Bakhale? If so, we can situate the raga to at least the beginning of the 20th century. This is further strengthened by Vishnu Digambar Paluskar's published medley, Sangeet Ramcharitamanas of Tulsidas, where he has set a dohA - sab ke dekhata bedanha binati keenhi udAr - to a tune in Gorakh Kalyan.
Haider Khan (l) and Bhaskarbuwa Bakhale (r)
|
At the present time, this dulcet-toned raga is an active and popular member of the Hindustani repertory. It advertises an unambiguous swaroopa, but the doctors differ on the role and rope accorded the pancham. A sensible construction sans the pancham seems eminently doable but most performers admit of that swara, its proportion and implementation riding on the musician's background and temperament. Let us now examine the raga-lakshaNAs.
S, S R M, R M R S n', n' D' S
This tonal sentence carries the soul of Gorakh Kalyan. The madhyam is powerful, a nyAsa bahutva swara (recall Narayani, with its strong pancham, and consider how this swap decisively alters the melodic compact). The second highlight here is the quaint avarohi nyAsa on the mandra komal nishAd: those with travel experience in Gorakh Kalyan know this culmination on the komal nishAd to be a melodic idée fixe.
|
It is a telling illustration of the power, meaning and significance of "swara" (the English language has no equivalent term - "note" does not come within driving distance). In a well-developed raga, the mutual interactions between swaras and clusters of swaras evolve into a perceptible and stable gestalt. The overall form of the raga so developed in turn feeds back and influences the behavior and properties of the swaras themselves. That is to say, swara and raga structure are intertwined. The more evolved a raga is the stronger is this coupling. Within the framework of raga, it is meaningless to talk about a swara or a shruti or a note in isolation (pace the litter left behind by intonation 'theorists'). The situation brings to mind an image expressed by Professor John A. Wheeler in the context of General Relativity:"Spacetime tells matter how to move, matter tells spacetime how to curve."
M R M, M D, D n D M, M R n' D' S
Once again, the madhyam dominance is evident. The dhaivat may be elongated judiciously.
M D n D S", S" n D n D S"
A representative uttarAnga launch. Note the ArohAtmaka alpatva of the komal nishAd which helps distance Bageshree.
D n D M, R M P M R S n'
M R M, R M P D n D, P M R
D n D, n D (P) M, M R S
These are only three of the several schemes if and when the pancham is employed. Some are subtle, grazing it along the D to M locus.
Others seek a more deliberate and direct role for the pancham. All this fuss notwithstanding, the pancham remains a relatively minor player. There will be occasions aplenty to take its measure in the clipfest to follow.
We begin with the meditations of Pandit Ramashreya Jha "Ramrang" -
http://www.sawf.org/audio/narayani/jha_gorakhkalyanspeak.ram
From PALKI (1967), with music by Naushad, who apparently had Raga Narayani in his sights (if so, he ought to have been careful to not empower the
madhyam): dil ki kashTi -
http://www.sawf.org/audio/narayani/lata_palki.ram
We step into the realm of classical proper. The composition attributed to Sadarang, dhana dhana bhAga, figures in several renditions. The reader is invited to take stock of the pancham.
Our familiar vilambit khayal morphs into a druta cheez in Bhimsen's hands, in what is otherwise an uninspired, ho-hum effort -
http://www.sawf.org/audio/narayani/bhimsen_gorakhkalyan.ram
Those were the salad days when Banditji sang beautifully, with feeling and thrust (details of Banditji's thrust are published in Protein Baby's memoirs "Timepass"). Alas, the Mewati stallion of yore is now in irreversible stall (all drag and no lift).
Banditji-bhai, in a decorous mood -
http://www.sawf.org/audio/narayani/bhole_gorakhkalyan.ram
Ghulam Mustafa Khan of Rampur-Sahaswan -
http://www.sawf.org/audio/narayani/gmk_gorakhkalyan.ram
Parveen Sultana's sam makes a soft landing on the mandra nishAd with a grace of the dhaivat. Unlike the preceding musicians, she has very little to do with the pancham -
http://www.sawf.org/audio/narayani/parveen_gorakhkalyan.ram
We bring the curtain down on this tableau with a tarana by the Patiala brothers, Dilbagh Singh and Gulbagh Singh. This is from a private performance in Jalandhar -
http://www.sawf.org/audio/narayani/dilbagh_gulbagh_gorakhkalyan.ram
Acknowledgements
My thanks to -
Romesh Aeri and Ashok Ambardar, for their support.
Sir Vish Krishnan, for his counsel on the 'light' pieces.
Prof. V.N. Muthukumar and Sumitra Ranganathan, for discussions.
Taimur Khan, for allowing the use of Nathu Khan's picture.
Anita Thakur, who keeps the engines running.
 View
and Post comment on this article
The contents of the article are Copyright © of the author and may not be reproduced in any form without prior written permission from the author.
|
