“Ma Ga Sa” begins the magnificent Ata tala varnam “Sarasijanabha” in Khambodi. Varnams encapsulate the main features of the raga and are seen as the blueprint of that raga. “Ma Ga Sa” is also the beginning of an alapana of Sankarabharanam by Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer that we heard at Arkay Convention Hall recently. "Concertopedia," presented by Anujan Broadcasts with Sri P.S. Narayanaswamy as moderator, played a concert by SSI with T.M.Tyagarajan, T. N. Krishnan and Pazhani Subramania Pillai (Kallidaikuruchi, 1957).
One of the tasks before anybody attempting an alapana in a raga is to keep out shades of other ragas that have commonalities with the raga being attempted. In this case, Sankarabharanam being the raga attempted, one has to avoid phrases typical to Khambodi or Kalyani or Harikambhodi, etc. What keeps these and Sankarabharanam apart is, technically, only one single different note. And yet, there is a world of difference between these ragas in terms of phraseology and other subtler nuances. In fact, it is more interesting how the two ragas are kept apart in the common areas — so to speak.
How then did SSI use a phrase typical of Khambodi in an exposition of Sankarabharanam? Technically, those notes are very much part of the lexicon of Sankarabharanam, but the phrase is not kosher. Certainly, teachers would advise their students to avoid it. PSN pointed out the near miracle that this was — SSI had begun the alapana with this phrase, yet there was no harm done — it was Sankarabharanam through and through.
Here are subtle, tricky issues. First of all, is it incontestable that the raga was not harmed? SSI has a formidable reputation, but surely slips are not impossible — even in his case. It is another matter that everybody that day would have agreed with PSN that the phrase, despite its strong association with Khambodi, worked well in that Sankarabharanam. But, could not another person, steeped in Carnatic music, contest it? Is there objectivity here?
Very few would think otherwise. It is not possible to describe the nuances of the phrases of ragas, and yet you know it when you hear it and you know it when it is smudged. The whole edifice of raga music rests on the fact of objectivity of raga chaaya — establishing and communication of ragas. Grey areas such as this notwithstanding.
The Sanskrit Alankarikas, whose insights into the experience of literature are universally celebrated, spoke of auchitya . Our gurus speak of poruttam . Appropriateness! Something that might seem incorrect as the above phrase, can seem perfectly alright when handled with artistry, with pratibha as the alankarikas would have it. And something that normally should work might not if it lacks porutham . In fact porutham is the ultimate principle in art. And this is strictly inimitable. It has to come from deep mastery over the art such as SSI wielded and not by mimicking.
Suguna Varadachari, who too was present that day, had a simple but profound observation. ‘Aavaa raagatthai ninaichindu daan padinaa, swaratha ninaikallai’ — they (SSI and others of his ilk) had only the raga in the mind when they sang, not notes and phrases. That way, whatever came out was suffused with the raga bhava.
An American student of music once asked me how we avoided mistakes while improvising? He was not asking about mistakes in delivery, slips of the voice and such, but more serious mistakes like bringing in shades of another raga. Practice and guidance from a guru are, of course, irreplaceable. But given these, if spontaneity is to be retained, how does one avoid mistakes? One cannot actively avoid it — that is not the ideal state of mind if one wants to avoid sounding petrified. The only way is to get into a state of absorption in the raga so that whatever comes out is that raga. That is when even non-kosher phrases might become kosher.
As an ancient saying goes, the ways of the Mahapurushas or great men are ineffable, like the path of fish or the flight of birds. Whatever they do is right. That is indeed the ultimate pramana or measure. The context of this saying is dharma or ethical conduct. It is not some kind of hero worship but acknowledging the reality of value and normative disciplines like morals. One really can’t exhaustively capture the good or the right. Or beauty in art — traditional or avant garde .
