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An unusual musician: Muthuswami Dikshitar
by Guest Tue Feb 05, 2013 6:50 am
http://www.kamat.com/jyotsna/blog/blog.php?BlogID=539
Muthuswamy Dikshitar is considered one of the trinity of South Indian classical music (a.k.a. Carnatic music) along with Thyagaraja, and Shama Shastry. Born in Tiruvarus of Tanjore district (in the present day state of Tamil Nadu), Muthuswamy had initial training under his father who himself was a distinguished musician, veena player, and a Sanskrit scholar. Once Chidambaranath Yogi, a saintly scholar from Kashi was visiting South India, and came across the budding talent of Muthuswamy, and took him to Varanasi (a.k.a Kashi), a high place of study and scholarship since the ages.
In Kashi, Muthuswamy studied science (shastra) of music along with applications. He also learnt mantravidya and yoga. Those were the days when the arts and sciences were believed to have been born out of spirituality, and deep devotion. While returning to his native place Muthuswamy passed through the town of Subramanyam -- a holy place dedicated to Kumaraswamy or Lord Murugan. He composed his nine famous keertans in praise of this War-God, and assumed the name of Guruguha. His brother Baluswamy was a court musician of Ettiyapuram. Muthuswamy stayed with his brother, and dedicated his life to music. He died with a composition on Goddess Meenakshi on his lips "Meenakshi me mudam dehi".
Muthuswamy was a famous vaggeyakara i..e., one who wrote special compositions set to music. Most of his compositions are in Sanskrit. He sang praises of Shiva, Vishnu, and Mother Goddess with equal devotion, raising music above the castes and creeds. He was very versatile and we see that he has adapted traditional Hindustani music ragas like Yaman Kalyan, Hameer Kalyan, and Brindavan Sarang in Carnatic music! He was the first to bridge the gap of two traditional schools of Indian music, and could be considrered as the progenitor of modern Indian music.
He also composed some songs based on band tunes. There is no doubt that he was interested in Western music, which by then was making its way in Madras (present day Chennai) and nearby areas at the time. "Vatapi Ganapatim" is the most popular of his compositions which no Indian music lover can miss.
Muthuswamy Dikshitar is considered one of the trinity of South Indian classical music (a.k.a. Carnatic music) along with Thyagaraja, and Shama Shastry. Born in Tiruvarus of Tanjore district (in the present day state of Tamil Nadu), Muthuswamy had initial training under his father who himself was a distinguished musician, veena player, and a Sanskrit scholar. Once Chidambaranath Yogi, a saintly scholar from Kashi was visiting South India, and came across the budding talent of Muthuswamy, and took him to Varanasi (a.k.a Kashi), a high place of study and scholarship since the ages.
In Kashi, Muthuswamy studied science (shastra) of music along with applications. He also learnt mantravidya and yoga. Those were the days when the arts and sciences were believed to have been born out of spirituality, and deep devotion. While returning to his native place Muthuswamy passed through the town of Subramanyam -- a holy place dedicated to Kumaraswamy or Lord Murugan. He composed his nine famous keertans in praise of this War-God, and assumed the name of Guruguha. His brother Baluswamy was a court musician of Ettiyapuram. Muthuswamy stayed with his brother, and dedicated his life to music. He died with a composition on Goddess Meenakshi on his lips "Meenakshi me mudam dehi".
Muthuswamy was a famous vaggeyakara i..e., one who wrote special compositions set to music. Most of his compositions are in Sanskrit. He sang praises of Shiva, Vishnu, and Mother Goddess with equal devotion, raising music above the castes and creeds. He was very versatile and we see that he has adapted traditional Hindustani music ragas like Yaman Kalyan, Hameer Kalyan, and Brindavan Sarang in Carnatic music! He was the first to bridge the gap of two traditional schools of Indian music, and could be considrered as the progenitor of modern Indian music.
He also composed some songs based on band tunes. There is no doubt that he was interested in Western music, which by then was making its way in Madras (present day Chennai) and nearby areas at the time. "Vatapi Ganapatim" is the most popular of his compositions which no Indian music lover can miss.
Guest- Guest
Re: An unusual musician: Muthuswami Dikshitar
by Guest Tue Feb 05, 2013 6:51 am
Since Muthuswami learnt his music in Benares can UP also claim ownership of Carnatic Music?
Notice also that most of his compositions were in Sanskrit.
Notice also that most of his compositions were in Sanskrit.
Guest- Guest
Re: An unusual musician: Muthuswami Dikshitar
by Guest Tue Feb 05, 2013 8:14 am
Another point to note: Dikshitars of TN claim they are descendants of Kashmiri immigrants to TN.
Guest- Guest
Re: An unusual musician: Muthuswami Dikshitar
by Guest Tue Feb 05, 2013 8:30 am
When Muthuswami was about 25 years of age, he accompanied his family guru Yogi Chidambaranatha to Varanasi in obedience to the guru’s wish.
Muthuswami’s wives too followed their husband. Muthuswami spent seven fruitful years in Kashi. Those were his most wonderful and educative years and left a lasting influence on his life and works. A whole new world opened to Muthuswami at Kashi. During this period, Dikshitar acquired a wealth of knowledge under yogi’s tutelage. The yogi taught him Advaita siddhantha, Tantra and initiated him into Sri Vidya upasana. During these years, Dikshitar visited several holy places in the Himalayan region such as Badrinath, Kedarnath and Pashupathinath; and worshipped the deities in those shrines.
During his stay at Varanasi, Muthuswamy Dikshitar had splendid opportunities to listen to Hindustani music in its pristine forms. He seemed to be impressed greatly by the ancient Drupad form of singing and of playing the string instruments; particularly by its elaboration of raga (alap), the tempo and the structure of the lyrics. This had a profound influence on his creative genius; and apparently on his portrayal of ragas in general and in transforming the Hindustani ragas into their Carnatic form, in particular.
At the end of the seven years, Yogi Chidambaranatha advised Muthuswami to return to South and to commence his music and spiritual career with the worship of Karthikeya on the hills of Tiruthani. Soon after that, the Yogi attained his Samadhi. Dikshitar performed the final rites of his departed guru and left Varanasi. It is said, Yogi Chidambaranatha’s Samadhi is located near Hanuman Ghat on the banks of the Ganga.
http://creative.sulekha.com/sri-muthuswami-dikshitar-and-sri-vidya-1-of-7_332989_blog
Muthuswami’s wives too followed their husband. Muthuswami spent seven fruitful years in Kashi. Those were his most wonderful and educative years and left a lasting influence on his life and works. A whole new world opened to Muthuswami at Kashi. During this period, Dikshitar acquired a wealth of knowledge under yogi’s tutelage. The yogi taught him Advaita siddhantha, Tantra and initiated him into Sri Vidya upasana. During these years, Dikshitar visited several holy places in the Himalayan region such as Badrinath, Kedarnath and Pashupathinath; and worshipped the deities in those shrines.
During his stay at Varanasi, Muthuswamy Dikshitar had splendid opportunities to listen to Hindustani music in its pristine forms. He seemed to be impressed greatly by the ancient Drupad form of singing and of playing the string instruments; particularly by its elaboration of raga (alap), the tempo and the structure of the lyrics. This had a profound influence on his creative genius; and apparently on his portrayal of ragas in general and in transforming the Hindustani ragas into their Carnatic form, in particular.
At the end of the seven years, Yogi Chidambaranatha advised Muthuswami to return to South and to commence his music and spiritual career with the worship of Karthikeya on the hills of Tiruthani. Soon after that, the Yogi attained his Samadhi. Dikshitar performed the final rites of his departed guru and left Varanasi. It is said, Yogi Chidambaranatha’s Samadhi is located near Hanuman Ghat on the banks of the Ganga.
http://creative.sulekha.com/sri-muthuswami-dikshitar-and-sri-vidya-1-of-7_332989_blog
Guest- Guest
Re: An unusual musician: Muthuswami Dikshitar
by Guest Tue Feb 05, 2013 8:42 am
It seems to me that Benares has a claim on the musical legacy of Muthuswami.
Guest- Guest
Re: An unusual musician: Muthuswami Dikshitar
by Guest Tue Feb 05, 2013 8:48 am
He achieved what the revered Venkatamakhi, at onetime, thought was not possible; he gave form and substance to all the 72 Melakartha ragas. Besides, he breathed life into several ancient ragas that were fading away from memory. His compositions are crisp and well chiseled. His Sanskrit is delightfully captivating. His synthesis of Carnatic and Hindustani Music systems is creative and original. His kritis replete with soothing, graceful Sanskrit lyrics, many with winsome Samashti Charanams, comparable to the Dhrupad stanzas occupy an exclusive niche in the world of Indian Music. The technical sophistication, intellectual brilliance and the majesty of his music is unsurpassed. Sri Muthuswami Dikshitar is a crest jewel of Indian music and spirituality.
http://creative.sulekha.com/sri-muthuswami-dikshitar-and-sri-vidya-1-of-7_332989_blog
http://creative.sulekha.com/sri-muthuswami-dikshitar-and-sri-vidya-1-of-7_332989_blog
Guest- Guest
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