think loud: Thillanaas

Saturday, June 22, 2013

Thillanaas - 2

The renowned Veena Maestro Prof.R.Visweswaran of Mysore is also widely known in Karnatak music circles as a composer of distinction in addition to his prowess as a Vainika of original style - the vocal style in Veena - developing self taught techniques to achieve this. he has composed in Sanskrit, Telugu and Kannada more than a hundred compositions including swarajatis, varnas, kritis, padas, mangalas, light pieces, Thillanas and 'moral songs', all in a style all his own in the grat ragas of both karnbatak music and hindusthani music. Kriti composing could be said as Visweswaran's forte. As a thillana composer, he has displayed original ideas in the eight thillanas presented in this album which are impactful in their presentations in all the three media - voice, instruments and dance. Visweswaran calls these thillanas 'sapthaswara thillanaastakam' as each of the eight thillanas starts on a different swara thus covering all the sapthaswaras and the octave. Four thillanas are composed in the ragas Begade, Surati, Kaapi, Jhanjhooti of Karnatak music and the four others are in the ragsd Chandrakauns, MiaKaMalhar, Gorakh Kalyan and Maarwa of Hindusthani system.
The 'pada' part(saahitya) in the 'Abhoga' section is in telugu except the thillanas in Mia Ka Malhar, Kaapi and Gorakh Kalyan wherein the 'pada' part is in Sanskrit and they are a praise of Lord Krishna. Mother Goedess is praised in the 'pada' part of the other thillanas including the one in Kaapi.
Translations of the pada(sahitya) portions of the thillanas are as follows:

1. Begade: I worship that Visweswari, Goddess supreme of the Universe, with my praise in the Raaga bhaashaa (Raga Language) duly decorating her well with the ornaments decked with gems found in the ocean of nectar created by great rakthi ragas like Begade.

2. Mia Ka Malhar : O Lord of the universe, Sri Krishna, father of the worlds, Protector of Dharma, Preceptor of Karma, Jnana, Bhakti and Sangeetha Yogas and their intricacies, adorned with spotless garlands (Nirmalahaara vibhushita), Victory to you O Lord!

3. Surati : Their in Kailasa to the celestial assembly, Lord Visweswara, the king of dancers - Nataraja himself danced with his ankle-bells resounding acompanied by his consort Sri Tripura sundari who shone as the decorative thilaka in the forehead of the assembly of Gods and Goddesses.

4. Gorakh Kalyan : O Lord Visweswara, Master of the universe Lord Krishna, savior of the cows, bundle of auspicious virtues (gorashaka kalyana guna), lustrously blue as the clouds, consort of Goddess Lakshmi, remover of ghastly sins, adept in rowing devotees out of the ocean of bondage, protect me O Lord!

5. Maarwa : When our heart throbs with the sound 'visweswari' always, surely we attain such empires as even the lotus born Brahma, Indra and the like do not attain. This is for sure!

6. Chandrakauns : O Visweswari, you hold in your eyes the Chandrakosha and Suryakoshas or Mandalas. Pray, Mother, Please shine as the (chandrikaa) moonlight over the ocean of the heart of the composer.

7. Kaapi : May Jagadambika, Mother of the world, adorned with the jewels in gold, soft-spoken, deer-eyed, Visweswari, Mridaani - Siva's consort become my support.

8. Janjhooti : To Lord Visweswara, King of dancers - Nataraja - I make this offering with my dance and melodious singing of the Thillana of the present of which the Kaivaada Prabandha was the ancient precursor.

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Ragamudra is dexterously woven in the saahitya of almost every Thillana.