By all accounts, Muthuswami Dikshitar, whose 250th birth anniversary is being observed this year, was a great composer. Such an adjective would enhance severalfold even with a cursory account of his accomplishments, as I would try to do here. Dikshitar can, in fact, be equated to a veritable reference for many subjects, including music. Carnatic music was Dikshitar’s core medium. But like all greats, he wove his magic into everything he created.

There is a unique code of architecture in his music. The often-cited one is his penchant for vilamba kala (slower tempo). He understood the impact of such relaxed phrases in the raga bhava and lakshana and did not merely try to be different. At the same time, Dikshitar brought in innovations like durita kalam — a faster two lines in the midst or at the end of a kriti — to underscore the need to vary tempo. Similarly, samashti charanam is an innovation he introduced to keep the length of some compositions manageable, while his default was a longer kriti. Swaraksharams are littered all over his body of work — Kari Kalabha Mukham (starts with Ga Ri), Sadashraye (starts with Sa Da), Neela Neerada (with Ni) are some prime examples. He probably provided us the lakshana and lakshya grammar for several ragas — Narayanagaula, Naga Gandhari, Dwijavanti, Vegavahini, Hemavati, Manirangu, Kumudakriya, Brindavana Saranga — too many to list! Dikshitar deployed all the major talas in the Navagraha group of kritis and others, and made the two-kalai roopakam his own. The karvais he bejewelled the lines with are fertile places for niraval. We have heard epochal renditions from Sree Subramanyaya Namaste, Balagopala, and Akshayalinga Vibho, to name a few. The platform was laid in the composition. Those are just the elements of musical brilliance.

One can do a PhD just on Dikshitar’s lyrics. The prowess and felicity with Sanskrit is only an appetiser. The interweaving of great descriptions about the Almighty on whom a song is based, references to his or her star, his or her appearance, inlay of swaraksharas, and geographical descriptions are all painstakingly stitched into every line of his kriti. Many have poetic character, not different from Maharishi Valmiki or Kalidasa. When listening to Mamava Pattabhirama, Kari Kalabha Mukham, or the Navavarana kritis, one can truly appreciate their lyrical mastery. Dikshitar was the pioneer of longer charanams, as he wanted to pack in more but inalienable details. That he made them syllable-rich but not word-heavy can only be the handiwork of a genius. Words like Kaliyuga pratyaksham, Kaveri-thata-sthitam, and Sravana Pournami will delight chroniclers as they record the era, the residing place of the Lord, or the day of an event. Dikshitar used the yati concept — shortening or lengthening words — in compositions like Tyagaraja Yoga Vaibhavam and Sree Varalakshmi. Thus every composition was a lyrical treatise. The lyric and the melody meshed meaningfully in many places — the upper octave for Sahasra-kala-abhishekam or lilting sways for Mandahasam are a couple of instances.

Wait, these are not the only ones. What about temples and places? Compositions are often full of temple details — the main deity and form, the tower description, references to the main flower offered, descriptions of the consort, the rivers nearby, the food offerings, objects and sacred items held by the deities’ hands, precincts of a temple, vehicles (vahana) of the deities, and special prayers (sesame-oil lamp for Saniswara). Planetary significances of a temple are part of the long list of what one can know about a temple merely from one kriti. Bilaharinutha in Kamakshi Sree Varalakshmi is a hyphenated expression of Bila (foot of a pillar) and Hari (murthy of Lord Vishnu), cleverly coined to articulate the raga name! Darbasayanam, Kalahasti, Tiruvanaikkaval, Tirunelveli, Mannargudi, and other smaller towns are featured in Dikshitar’s repertoire, as are more famous ones.

With such brilliant intertwining of art, language, religion, and tradition that can satiate both intellect and soul, Dikshitar’s unique place is never likely to be emulated — 250 years of history since his time is the evidence. Ode to this champion — in tennis, we would say: master of clay court, grass court, and synthetic court!

by

Bala Shankar