HINDUSTANI

The detailed history of Carnatic music and the musical contributions of any one of the 4

pioneers of Carnatic music.

Carnatic (often spelled Karnataka) music is the classical art music of South India. It is

simultaneously a virtuoso performance tradition of "absolute" music revelling in pure sound and the

Hindu devotional tradition in which sahityam (text) is extremely important. South India today

comprises of four political/linguistic entities, the states of Andhra Pradesh (where the Telugu

language predominates), Karnataka (Kannada), Kerala (Malayalam), and Tamil Nadu (Tamil). The

district of Tanjore (Tanjavur) in the heart of the Tamil speaking region was the centre of the

Carnatic musical universe from the seventeenth century to the nineteenth century. But the majority

of song texts in Karnataka music, including the compositions of the famous eighteenth to nineteenth

century "Trinity," Tyagaraja, Muttuswamy Dikshitar, and Syama Sastri, have been composed in the

Sanskrit and Telugu languages. This linguistic preference (for Telugu over Tamil in particular) is

largely explained by the fact that Telugu speaking people ruled Tanjore around 1532-1675. They

patronised Telugu and Sanskrit, as did their successors the Maratha Rajas who ruled until the British

declared the line of rulers extinct in 1855, at which time Tanjore began to give way to the city of

Madras as the seat of Karnataka performance and patronage.1

Carnatic music, as we know it today, can at best be traced to the early or middle of the eighteenth

century. One of the most important reasons being the unbroken lines of guru–shisya (teacher–

disciple) that have come down to the present day bringing with them compositions and musical

practices of distinct traditions. One may attribute the survival of musical practices from the mid

1 Matthew Allen, Review: Carnatic Music and the Tamils by T. V. Kuppuswamy, pp. 1345 - 1346,
(Music Library Association), Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/899141
eighteenth century to two factors, namely the unbroken lines of teacher–disciples and the bhajana

tradition which was an offshoot of the bhakti movement in the south of India (approximately

thirteenth century onwards). While the singing of religious verse in temple communities by singers

called ooduvaars (literarily meaning ‘one who chants’) has survived in small pockets from this time

(or earlier as claimed by some), the musical practice of group singing must have caught on much

later.2

Carnatic music is the continuation of a common system that was spread through out the Indian

Subcontinent until its divergence after the Persian invasion after the 12th century. It is still used by

many musicians and vocalists today and is claimed to be a representation of many great minds over

the last few centuries. The structure of Carnatic music is complex and takes years of practice, yet

the free improvisation using the technique of Konokol is what makes this music genre standout.

Like many Indian traditions which were guarded ‘family secrets’, these practices were more likely

to get weakened/lost rapidly than those which found community participation. Therefore my

hypothesis is that, rudimentary (working) knowledge of music was inculcated by the bhajana

tradition and this widespread knowledge of music helped in preserving Carnatic music in the last

three centuries. The bhajana tradition had exposed the common people to a lot of music. For

instance, consider the practice of unjavrutti (going along the streets singing and collecting food for

the day) that, unarguably, the greatest composer of Carnatic music – Tyaagaraajaa – is supposed to

have unfailingly followed all his life. It meant that the community in which he lived was exposed to

his music every day of their lives. Not only did they listen to the great man singing his

compositions, they may have even joined him and sung along with him several divyanaama and

2K.G. Vijayakrishnan, The Grammar of Carnatic Music, ‘Introduction’, pp. 2-4, (Phonology and
phonetics).
utsavasampradaaya kiirtanaas (compositions in praise of God and those sung during special

occasions/festivals respectively).3

The Carnatic musical tradition has the music ‘trinity’ namely: Tyaagaaajaa, Muttuswaami Diishitar

and Shyaamaa Shaastri. Carnatic traditions also has four pioneers; namely; Purandara Dasa (1480 -

1564), Tyagaraja (1759-1847) Muthuswami Dikshitar, (1776 - 1827) and Syama Sastri, (1762-1827)

in brief.

Purandara Dasa:

Purandara Dasa(1484 – 1584) was one of the main founders of Carnatic music as we know it

today. He codified the teaching of the elements of Carnatic music in various graded steps to make

make a systematized way of teaching. Many of his innumerable compositions are still in use, along

with his teaching method. Purandara Dasa was born in a family of goldsmiths. His father,

Varadappa Nayaka, was a wealthy jeweller, known for his honesty, integrity and religious faith.4

Purandara Dasa took up the family business and became a jeweller. He realised that all this world

pleasures was not worth it and he seemed to find something more than just mere pearls and gems of

the world.

At the time, Vedic Hinduism had been replaced with Puranic Hinduism, which formed the basis of

the Bhakti Cult, which was particularly popular in Vaishnavism. In Andra Pradesh, Karnataka,

Deccan and Gangetic planes, saint (sant) poets were composing innumerable devotional songs on

Lord Krishna, in vernacular languages of Telugu, Kannada, Marathi, Braj Basha, and Kharhiboli.

3K.G. Vijayakrishnan, The Grammar of Carnatic Music, ‘Introduction’, pp. 2-4, (Phonology and
phonetics).
4 Smt. Rajeshwari Krishna, Purandara Dasa, pp. 4, (Sapna Book House).
Purandara Dasa, Kanaka Dasa, Vyasa Raja, Annamayya, Tukaram, Meera Bai, Surdas and other

contemporary poets had overlapping life spans.5

Group singing simple songs in vernacular became very popular among the common people in the

countryside. A new belief was that it is not necessary to elaborate rituals prescribed in the orthodox

scriptures spread in India during the time. Just singing with ecstasy with a simple lute and/or a

percussion drum in easy tunes, taking God’s name ould be enough to attain the highest goals in

life.6

While most poets of the time concentrated on the devotional theme of Lord Krishna and his

principle wife Rukhmani, Purandara’s compositions were exceptional. He composed many song

with lyrics, not only parsing Krishna but other subject matters too. He composed lyrics (Kritis) with

high philosophical sociological content. He touched all nine human moods (Navarasas) apart from

Bhakti in his songs.7

Purandara Dasa was the pioneer and doyen of Carnatic music. His works contain innumerable

morals, critiques, humour, philosophy and social ethics, family ethics and many such human values.

Purandara was a poet reciting epics associated with oral traditions who lived at the time of

Vijayaagara Empire of South India.8

Purandara is said to have composed four lakh seventy five thousand songs, but only a few thousand

songs remain. Purandara devised the popular ‘keertana’ format of Carnatic music with three

sections pallavi, anupallavi and charanam. He contributed to Carnatic music by his first lessons on

5M.K.V. Narayan, Lyrical Musings on Indic Culture: A Sociological Study of Songs of Sant
Purandara Dasa, ‘Introduction’, pp. 1-5, (Readworthy Publications Pvt. Ltd.).
6M.K.V. Narayan, Lyrical Musings on Indic Culture: A Sociological Study of Songs of Sant
Purandara Dasa, ‘Introduction’, pp. 1-5, (Readworthy Publications Pvt. Ltd.).
7M.K.V. Narayan, Lyrical Musings on Indic Culture: A Sociological Study of Songs of Sant
Purandara Dasa, ‘Introduction’, pp. 1-5, (Readworthy Publications Pvt. Ltd.).
8 ibid.
sarali, jandai, dhattu, alankaram series in Mayamalava Goula raga, as well as his simple songs

called Phillari geethams which are still followed.9

Human ethics (Manava Dharma) that are referred to in Purandara’s lyrics are applicable to modern

India. Some of them are;

Blissful life

Untouchables

Casteism

False Ritualism

Easy Worship of God.10

One example of Purandara Dasa’s song is;

People thought that pure Bhakt was the job of a few saints and great people. Philosophy was left to

these few poets and recluses. Ritualism was an effective mask for people to hide their cravings.

These tendencies prevailed for many centuries and the elite dominating the political conditions and

leadership at different levels had easily become corrupt. In this social confusion, great people like

Purandara Dasa, Namdev, Tukaram, Thyagaraja, Dikshidar, Sama Shastri in South India and Meera

Bai, Tulsi Das, Kabir Das and Sur Das in North preached simple life and singing the glory of God

(Sankeertana Sampradaya) as a better form of shoeing devotion. They all did not like the fact of

artificial expression of devotion by showing off.

9 ibid.
10M.K.V. Narayan, Lyrical Musings on Indic Culture: A Sociological Study of Songs of Sant
Purandara Dasa, ‘Human Ethics’, pp. 16-17, (Readworthy Publications Pvt. Ltd.).
Purandara Dasa, in one of his songs, goes to mock the hypocrisy of such people who wear the mask

of ritualism. One of his Kannada songs begins like:

Kannada song;

“Udara vairagyavidu namma

Padumanahanalli lesa bhakutti illa…”

English translation;

“Worthless asceticism it is (they have)

No devotion at all towards our ‘Lotus-in-naval’ Lord…”

Dasa refers to Lord Krishna as Lotus-in-naval Lord (Padmanabha). In Hindu mythology, Krishna s

the incarnation of Lord Vishnu or Narayan, depicted as a primordial god head in the form of

Padmanabha, the reclining God whose naval supports a lotus. The lotus symbolises the seat of the

creator, Brahma. This is an astute symbolism depicting the conceptualisation of Hindu Mythology.

Dasa points at the ritualistic actions of the hypocrites, who in their heart, do not have real feeling or

devotion towards God. They are falling prey to diversions and unethical acts in private.11

From this we also can say that Purandara Dasa’s contribution to Carnatic music was essential

considering the fact that, even though he was brought up centuries ago, he was forward thinking and

it is seen in his lyrics. Carnatic music is considered as a pure form of music because not many

interferences were made with South India like the North. Carnatic music take years of practice to be

performed and perceived well. Carnatic music is recognised even today and we see the influence of

Carnatic music even in our film industry today.

11M.K.V. Narayan, Lyrical Musings on Indic Culture: A Sociological Study of Songs of Sant
Purandara Dasa, ‘Human Ethics’, pp. 16-17, (Readworthy Publications Pvt. Ltd.).
Bibliography

K.G. Vijayakrishnan, The Grammar of Carnatic Music, ‘Introduction’, pp. 2-4, (Phonology and
phonetics).

Matthew Allen, Review: Carnatic Music and the Tamils by T. V. Kuppuswamy, pp. 1345 - 1346,
(Music Library Association), Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/899141

M.K.V. Narayan, Lyrical Musings on Indic Culture: A Sociological Study of Songs of Sant
Purandara Dasa, ‘Human Ethics’, pp. 16-17, (Readworthy Publications Pvt. Ltd.).

Smt. Rajeshwari Krishna, Purandara Dasa, pp. 4, (Sapna Book House).