Kalyani Raga

MusiePPRECIATIO
OTE.
S. Rajam with SRUTI Staff
Kalyani Raga
Varga: Septatonic (Sampurna)
A r o h a n a : sa-ri-gu-mi-pa-di-nu-sa
A v a r o h a n a : sa-nu-d i-pa-mi-gu-ri-sa
N y a s a s w a r a - s : ri, g u , di, nu
A m s a swara-s: gu, pa
R a k t i p r a y o g a - s a n d s a n c h a r a - s : di-gu-ri-nu, di-mi-gu-ri,
nu-ri-nu-sa, di-nu-di-gu-ri-sa-nu-di,
di-nu-sa-nu-sa-nu-di-pa-mi-gu-ri. gu-mi-pa-gu-ri-sa
alyani is the earliest pratimadhyama raga known to musical
history, and also the most popular. It is often song at the
commencement of concerts since its tivra swara-s or sharp notes
help create the requisite musical atmosphere, l o r the same reason,
it is used in all types of compositions: sloka-s, padaya-s, viruttam-s
and tillana-s included. It figures prominently in operas and danced r a m a s too.
K
The note ma is the bisecting line in
Venkatamakhi's melakarta scheme.
Each raga in the first half of thirty-six
raga-s has its counterpart in the secondhalf. Raga-s in the first half have
suddhamadhyama (F natural) as a
constant, those in the second-half the
pratimadhyama (F sharp) as the
constant. A raga in the second group is
therefore called a pratimadhyama raga.
Kalyani is synonymous with auspic iousness, even though there was
the wrong belief even upto the seventeenth century that ii was just
the opposite because ol its supposed Muslim origin. Tiruppugazh
and Tevaram have been sung in plenty in this enchanting old South
Indian raga whose propitiousness is further emphasised by the fact
that, long before the Tamil Isai movement, a Tamil song ol high
philosophic content, Chidambaram en mantttn kanindida, used to be
asked for and sung at marriages. I he theme <>l this song is that one
should not lose oneself in worldly pleasures and be deceived by
maya — a theme hardly suited lot an occasion like a m a r r i a g e ; so
the popularity of the song at weddings was p e r h a p s entirely due to
the good augury of the raga in which it was sung - Kalyani.
exploding firecrackers also.
The full name of Kalyani, the sixty-fifth
mela in the melakarta scheme of
Venkatamakhi, is Mechakalyani, as the
word 'mecha' was prefixed to the raga to
conform to the Katapayadi formula (see
SRUTI, Issue 18, p.35). In the Dikshitar
school it is known as Santakalyani. It is
the pratimadhyama raga of
Sankarabharanam — that is, the only
swara on which the two raga-s differ is
the madhyama. The fifth raga in the
Rudra chakra, Kalyani is a
murchchana-kara mela -- that is, its ri,
ga, pa, da or ni taken as sadja or the
tonic, will result in five other melakarta
raga-s: Harikambhoji, Natabhairavi,
Sankarabharanam, Kharaharapriya and
Todi respectively. While it is a
sampurna raga, some phrases leaving
out both sa and pa embellish the beauty
of the raga: for instance the phrase da ni-ri-ga-ma-da-ni-ri-da-ma-ga-ri.
Gamaka-s of all varieties are not only
permitted but lend colour to Kalyani.
T h e very pleasant Kalyani naturally became a favourite in cinema
as well: it is one ol the most frequently used raga-s in films. From
the early talkies with Papanasam Sivan's songs to the most recent
Sindubhairavi' in which Yesudas sings Kalaivaniye, there are m o r e
Tyagaraja composed nineteen kriti-s and
Muthuswami Dikshitar ten in Kalyani.
Papanasam Sivan too contributed
nineteen. Among songs in Kalyani by
other composers are:
T h e stage too— especially T a m i l drama in the olden d a y s - has seen
Kalyani sung in all its colours. Ramanatakam had its initiation song.
Enakkunirupadam (which narrates the story of the Ramayana). set to
Kalyani. It used to be sung in conceits as well. The composer ol this
song, Arunachala Kavi, was a Saivite savant but lie dedicated his
Ramanatakam to the lord at the Srirangam temple. (See drawing).
I can still remember, and repeat,Tachur Singaracharyulus Devi
Meenakshi meymudam, the entrance song of the h e r o of a drama,
sung at a high pitch, with h a r m o n i u m and tabla accompaniment.
and reaching the spec tutors in the gallery a h u n d r e d yards away.
T h e opening song used to be accompanied by the noise ol
than fifty songs in or based on Kalyani, at least half of them wellknown.
All great composers and m i n o r composers of note have composed in
this raga. Beginners get acquainted with Kalyani through the two
great varnam-s, both beginning with the word Vanajakshi, one in Adi
tala and the other in Ata tala. T h e r e is even a Purandaradasa
geetam, Kamalajadala in T r i p u t a tala, for students.
Tyagaraja has composed many famous kriti-s, including the
historically important Nidht chala sukhama. It is believed that the
T a n j a v u r ruler, hearing of Tyagaraja's fame as a musician, sent his
representative to request the saint to join his court, wanting also to
have a song in praise of himself composed. Tyagaraja, who was
against narastuti or the worship of a h u m a n , is supposed to have
sung this song to the king's representatives waiting at his house to
take him to Tanjavur, and sent them back. T h e song compares
' R a m u n i sannidhi' (the sight of Rama) favourably to 4 nidhi' (wealth).
Many other kriti-s of Tyagaraja in Kalyani are also very well
known, like Eta vunara, Vasudevayani, Amma ravamma and Sundari nee
divya rupamu.
Mysore Vasudevachar: Inda paramuga,
Tyagaraja guruvaram
Mysore Sadasiva Rao: Kanukoni;
Rajarajeswarl and Raamanee
Varnindunamma.
Walajapet Venkatramana Bhagavatar:
Kodanda diksba; Narada gana;
Sarojaksha.
Pallavi Gopala Iyer:
Mahishaauramardhini.
Koteeawara Iyer: Sambo Sankara;
Sadanandame.
Tiruvotriyur Tyagier: Saraswate.
Tanjavur Ponniah Pillai: Neeaari aaati;
Ninnupate; Sudani ninne.
Tiruvarur Ramaswamy Pillai: Idu nalla
aamayam.
Syama Sastri has composed two songs, one in T e l u g u and the other
in Sanskrit, using the same varnamettu for both Himadrisute and
Birana varalichi brovanu. T h e latter song is sometimes confused with
Birana brova yidi of T a r a n g a m p a d i Panchanadayyar, an outstanding
composition with a novel approach to Kalyani and an unusual tisra
nadai or gait.
Dikshitar's Bhaja re re and Kamalambam, Bhadrachala Ramadasa's
Nannu brovamani cheppave and Patnam Subrahmanya Iyer's Nija dasa
varada are among the other great kriti-s in Kalyani.
T h e r e are other kriti-s, too, not often presented o n the music
platform but which have great aesthetic beauty and classical weight.
T h e s e include Krishnaswamy Iyer's Venugopalam, and Sarangapani's
swarasthana pada Tani premamu which b r i n g out the swarupa of
Kalyani fully.
T h e raga can boast of many other types of compositions too. T h e r e
is a swarajati of Ponniah Pillai in this raga. Pada-s like Parengum
partalum, Ethaikandu ichai kondai and Thaiyale unnai have been sung
very often over the y e a r s : these songs are the backbone of
Bharatanatyam in the South. Pattabhiramayya's javali Enlati kuluke
is a n o t h e r well-regarded composition.
Many great musicians have chiselled out exquisite versions of
Kalyani in the last half-century and recorded versions, in disc or
private tapes, may still be available. T h e r e is a Rajaratnam Pillai
record ot a ragam-tanam-pallavi. G N B made Vasudevayani a
household song and popularised several other Kalyani kriti-s, like
Evara madugudura of Tyagaraja and Dikshitar's Sivakameswareem
chintaye Some otner stalwarts who have a d o r n e d Kalyani with their
music are Ariyakudi (Nidhi chala), S e m m a n g u d i (Eta vunara and
Pankaja lochana), M a h a r a j a p u r a m Viswanatha Iyer (Sundari nee) and
Madurai Mani Iyer (Kamalambam). Mani Iyer's lilting ragam-tanampallavi in this raga (Un darisanam) should be sought out by all lovers
of Kalyani.
52
Many contemporary musicians also have excelled in Kalyani.
Latangi, which ia also a melakarta raga
(aizty-third), differs from Kalyani in
only one note — da. Latangi takes
auddha daivatam (da) while Kalyani
takea ohatuara daivatam (di). A
composition in Latangi which might
help the listener to note its distinctive
feature is 'Aparada mulannu'.
«
Among them: M.L. Vasanthakumari (ragam-tanam-pallavi with Un
darisanam), D.K. J a y a r a m a n (Birana brova), Nookala (Enduku nee
manasu) and Madurai Somasundaram (Ammaravamma). Voleti
Venkateswarlu revels in Kalyani and hisalapana essay in this raga
opens up new vistas.
Kalyani was suns; to mark a memorable occasion in L935 when the
ver\ popular daily oi those years, Sxvadesamitran, celebrated its
golden jubilee. It was de< ided to bring out a di« and .Ariyakudi was
requested to cut the disc. 1 le did this, singing a song composed
specially for the occasion, Sundaramana Swadesamitran -- in Kalyani
A n o t h e r w e l l - l i k e d c o m p o s i t i o n of m o d e m t i m e s i n K a l y a n i is
Balamurali Krishna's Kalyani-based tillana Tanam nom ta tan tillana
in which he employs three Other raga-S >is well hut keeps Kalyani as
the refrain.
Kalyani has many janya raga-s. Ragapruvaham by M.N. Dandapaniii
and D. Pattammal lists 122 of them, including Saranga, Hameer
Kalyani, Mohana Kalyani. Yamuna Kalyani, Vantanadharini,
Sunadavinodini, Sarangatai angini. Amritabehag, Brindavana
S a r a n g a a n d B h o o p K a l y a n i . A K a n n a d a d a s a r p a d a in Y a m u n a
K a l y a n i , w h i ( h h a s b e e n h e a r d a l l o v e r t h e w o r l d a s p a r t of t h e
B h a r a t a n a t y a m r e p e r t o i r e , is Krishna nee beganc■ baro.
In H i n d u s t a n i music Kalyani takes t h e n a m e Y a m a n ; t h e p a n n
e q u i v a l e n t is A r u m p a l a i . I t s scale is m e t w i t h by t h e E u r o p e a n m o d e
a u t h e n t i c h y d i a n a n d by t h e A r a b i c Kdizeil.
K a l y a n i c a n b e s u n g at a n y t i m e of the d a y but the e v e n i n g is
especially suited.
D
Geeta-8 These are technical compositions in
which raga-s are defined in terms of swara-s
and characteristic sanchara-s.
Lakshana Geeta-s These are the geeta-s
written by Venkatamakhi in his exposition
of the seventy-two mela-s. Each lakshana
geeta identifies the mela, the swara-s it takes
and the janya raga-s which are to be grouped
under it.
Prubhanda-8 These are technical
compositions and several kinds of them are
mentioned in musical treatises. In Tamil
literature, the hymns composed by
Vaishnavite saints are called prabhanda-s.
Daru A kind of technical composition used
largely in Bharatanatyam and opera music.
Akshiptika An authoritative treatise divides
the process of raga alapana into three parts:
akshiptika or the outlining of the raga;
vardhani or elaboration ; and vidarini or
m a k a r i n i which means the finale. Sometimes
the word akshiptika is used also to denote a
swara from which the song commences
(which is better known as the grahaswara).
Ghana raga Ghana i s the name given t o a
particular method of raga elaboration in
which three or four adjacent notes are taken
as a group and given a number of sanchara-s
and, proceeding in this manner, the entire
range of the raga, from the mandra to the
tara stayi, is covered. Those raga-s which
have been held a s eminently suitable for this
type of treatment are called ghana raga-s.
Examples: Nata, Goula, Arabhi, Varali and
Sri.
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