Duets in Hindustani classical music are gimmicks in most of the cases, especially when it is between two ill-matched people who neither have musical compatibility between them nor a personal rapport. Each goes off into an ego trip trying to dominate the other. A duet succeeds only when there is mutual respect and understanding between the two musicians, so that they may sing or play together with gay abandon. The essence of a successful duet is a high level of individual musicianship and the personal chemistry between the two. The duets of Pandit Rajan Mishra and Pandit Sajan Mishra prove this point beyond measure. In Rajan Mishra’s own words ‘they are two bodies and one soul. They not only sing together but also think and feel similarly, hence talking to Pandit Sajan Mishra was equal talking to both of them.’
Popularly known as Mishra Bandhu (the Mishra Brothers), Pandit Rajan and Sajan Mishra are amongst the most sought after vocalists of the Hindustani classical music concert scene today. Born into a 300 year old Khayal Gayaki lineage of Benaras Gharana, they have performed duets for more than half a century at nearly all the prestigious music festivals at home and abroad. Decorated with the Padma Bhushan, the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award and the Tansen Samman; they are perhaps two of the most unassuming musicians one comes across these days. In a free-wheeling interview, he talked about their music and much more…
Excerpts:
At what age your proper training started and with whom?
I was 5 ½ years old when Pandit Bade Ramdas Ji, who was the elder brother of my grandfather, tied the sacred thread to accept me as his disciple. Sajan is five years younger to me hence his ‘Ganda-Bandhan’ by my own Guru occurred five years later. This is also a rule of common courtesy that the eldest person ‘buzurg’ of family ties the ganda, the sacred thread. My father for instance, tied the ganda to my sons Ritesh and Rajneesh, although they are learning from us only. After Bade Ramdasji passed away at the ripe age of 93, we were further trained under our father Pandit Hanuman Prasad Mishra and our uncle Pandit Gopal Mishra.
Both your father and uncle played sarangi, how did you come to vocal and what was the teaching method?
This is a common practice that everyone whether a sarangi, sitar, sarod and violin player starts with vocal training only, because first you sing internally then play. Sajan did start playing sarangi also but left it when it started hurting the delicate cuticles of the left hand. We were taught bandishes, sargam and paltas and had to repeat each palta hundreds of times. The first raga was Bhairav in the morning and Puria-Dhanashri in the evening. And one raga went on for months together.
What about your studies?
Yes, study went alongside. We used to sing, play and study on a regular basis. I completed my post graduation in Sociology, although my father was happy with my bachelor’s degree. We were also fond of playing, especially cricket which is now confined to watching cricket matches.
You both are capable gurus too. What is the way you teach music?
We teach the way we were taught. The method is the same, but we don’t find that kind of involvement and dedication in present day students. We started teaching long back and have taught hundreds of students. Few of them are performing artistes too.
While visiting your Dehradun Gurukul, one was struck by two things. The first is it’s name ‘Viram’, and the second is your collection of Osho books. Please explain.
The name of the Gurukul is Viram for two reasons. First reason is the geographical and the second philosophical. This was the last plot of land in Dehradun before the ‘ghati’ (valley), hence this was the Viram of the land. And second was Viram or full stop to the greed for property. As you know we have one home ‘Swarangan’ in our birthplace Benaras, the other in Delhi and the third in Greater Noida. We are a big joint family living together and maintaining one kitchen, hence this much was in a way somewhat justified, but after establishing our gurukul ‘Viram’, we have put full stop to any further property.
How you got attracted to ‘Osho’?
Sometimes negativity turns into positivity. It was the year 1973-74. There was this book by Osho ‘Sambhog se Samadhi tak’ (From Sex to Superconsciousness’) which was banned by the government hence it got a lot of publicity. We were also curious, but the book was not available. Once we were travelling by train to Kolkata for some programme. I got down at Kanpur station to fetch some water, and as luck would have it, I got this thin book for Rs. 3 or 4 at AH Wheeler store. After dinner when we went to sleep I put the headlight on and started reading. First it went over my head and I put it down, but after some time I thought why not try again, I have spent money on it? When I went through 15-20 pages, I realised this was the greatest statement of the century. “Osho ne mool srot par prahar kiya tha”. He had hit the original thing no one had dared to talk about.
Sex, which was a taboo in civilised society, he had analysed so candidly and objectively. In this little book he had proved that sex has just two things ‘timelessness and egolessness’ . And both are the constant features of samadhi, meditation. So why go for sex to get the thrill for a moment, why not to samadhi for the eternal bliss. “Osho ne kaam ko Ram ke saath joda, jo unse pahle kisi ne nahin kiya tha”. He challenged the so called Sadhu-Sanyasi, who would not see a woman or would not sit on the ground where there is a woman. He questioned “what kind of character is this? It is nothing but suppressed desire for sex.” I fell in love with his writing and read all his books ‘Siva-Sukta’, ‘Ashtavakra Geeta’, ‘Shiva Bhairava Tantra’,’ Dhammapada of Buddha’, ‘Raidas’, ‘Kabir’, ‘Sahjo Bai’, ‘Meera’. et al, and keep reading them even today. I’m reading his book on the Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu for the past two years. ‘Wah, Ahankaar gala dene wali kitab hai!’ (It is a book that would melt ego.)
Don’t you think that the ego is the biggest contradictory swara of good music?
Yes, of course, but this is not only the negative point of music but of life itself. And it is so subtle that you can’t even notice it in yourself. We think that we are very humble and have no ahankar, but it is apparent in the way we walk, talk and behave. If you praise someone else it hits my ahankar, if you degrade others it strengthens my ahankar. It’s the biggest challenge to get rid of this ahankar, and you come closer to nature when you are free from it.
Do both of you also read and discuss all this together?
I always say that this mutual understanding is God given. We were really made for each other. Our wavelength is just the same. You will not believe it, but if one of us has fever, the other one also runs temperature!
Do you think your music has also evolved with your spiritual awakening?
Yes, it has made a lot of difference. Your own chintan manan does affect your art. When Tansen was on his deathbed, someone asked him what did you get after dedicating your whole life to music? His answer was “ In this lifetime I could only recognise Gandhar a little bit, as how to use it correctly in Darbari or Miyan-Malhar. I shall have to work seven lifetimes on seven swaras.”
We musicians start with following our gurus or great stalwarts and gradually there comes a time when your own feelings towards swaras awaken. “Tab apni baat banne lagti hai.” But this happens only when you get rid of your ego. There are many who pass away just repeating what ever bandish, sargam, etc their Guru ji has given and never reach their own self. You art should be based on your own ‘anubhuti’ (experience). When you start contemplating on each and every swara, “Gandhar ka kya swarup ho, madhyam kaisa agana chahiye’ then it becomes your own music. Such music becomes a prayer that we offer together in our duets.
