Music memories

jayasala42 · Dec 16, 2014

Chennai is busy with music season. Many people attend to kutcheries of great vidwans in music sabhas.Some simply enjoy music that is telecast through TV.
Musicians' lives are full of serious and humorous episodes which finf a place in all the music journals. There are popular episodes in the life of musical trinity.

Hindustani music does not lag behind.

Every one has heard about the great Tansen,one of the scholars who adorned King Akbar's court.He was a famous composer and a gifted vocalist. Many would have known that he brought rains with Raga Megh Malhar and put lights to flame by the rag "Deepak'.

But I was deeply impressed two anecdotes relating to Tansen.

1.Many people were jealous of Tansen and wanted to drive him away from the court of Akbar. As per customs prevalent in those days a competition was arranged with an intention to defeat Tansen.The new vidwan asked Tansen to sing first so that he could assess his style and excel him later.

Tansen began to sing. All the doves sitting on the window sills came into the Durbar without any fear and wandered here and there. Tansen took the japamala from Akbar's hands and threw it on the neck of one of the doves.Now all the doves flew away.

Akbar himself was very much shocked and asked Tansen"Why did you do like this? The Japamala is very precious to me."
Tansen replied" I sang the raga "Kapota Priya( liked by kapotas( doves).That is why all the doves came in. Now let the opponent sing Kapota priya once again, enchant the doves and get back the mala."

The new Vidwan said," It is absurd and ridiculous that he brought in the doves by his music.
He had used some trick to get doves inside the Durbar. Now Tansen is afraid that he may lose the contest. That is why he is trying to divert your attention."

Tansen said,"Let the opponent sing . If he is unable to bring the doves, I will once again sing the raga and get the mala back."

The opponent used so many prayogas, sang in all the ways he could. But doves didn't come.
Once again Tansen started singing Kapota Priya Raga. All the doves entered and Tansen could get bck the mala.
The second episode makes one nervous.

2.The jealousy people were angry against Akbar also who supported Tansen. This time they planned to kill both Akbar and Tansen.But through some spies the king was able to detect the plot. He arrested the criminals and gave death sentence. But Tansen said that he would implement the death sentence.

The king and other ministers were amazed and expressed doubt as to how an artist, who used to be very kind hearted and calm could implement a death sentence.

But Akbar was sure that the criminals could never escape the punishment. If Tansen could not do it, he would implement the sentence by hanging them.

On the appointed day all the four criminals and Tansen were locked inside a glass chamber visible to everybody.As Akbar and all ministers in the hall were watching Tansen started singing with a Tambur in his hand. As it was a glass hall, people outside could only see what was happening & they could not listen to the music.Yet Akbar was wondering " Tansen has undertaken to kill the criminals, but he is giving a musical treat.'He could only see the criminals totally absorbed in Tansen's music.

Half an hour was over.The criminals were totally captivated by Tansen's music.Suddenly Akbar saw Tansen keeping his tambur down and he came out of the glass hall. The security guards went inside and confirmed that all the criminals were dead and blood was seen oozing out of their mouths.What did Tansen do?

Now it was Tansen's turn to give explanation.
Tansen started singing the raga called" PASAND'-meaning'which is liked'.The raga is a 'panchama varja' raga in which the swara 'PA' will be absent.Tansen brought into all the delicate patterns of the raga and the criminals listened to their heart's content.

As they were almost lost in music, Tansen suddenly introduced the swara 'PA',which should not be used. The introduction of apaswara shocked all the criminals .They stared at Tansen, their eye balls did not move,blood stated oozing out of their mouths and all fell dead.

Just as pure music leads to great joy, the apaswara could just take away the life.
Perhaps this is the power of music---- of course by great musicians like Tansen.
Music can heal. It can surely relieve patients from stress and strain and can be used for curative and recuperative purposes.Can it kill also?

Certain drugs can be used to terminate lives under exceptional circumstances to relieve the patient from acute pain and suffering.In the same way music which is known for curative therapy might have been used as punishment. However the criminals who planned royal murder were sentenced to death.Apaswara or wrong Prayoga was so horrible to end the lives of criminals.
We can imagine the rasikatva of even the cruel criminals.
How such a great vidwan as Tansen , who normally could not tolerate even 1% shruthi bhedha , could choose to sing apaswaras that were capable of ending life.

I could not set aside this episode as imaginary, since it was written by a great Natyacharya who has written biographies of musicians world over .

Now a days there are no Tansens,no rasikas of the highest order.We are also accustomed to listening apaswaras in between.
We can surely attend the concerts and be 100% sure of returning home alive.

Jayasala 42

FromMars · Dec 16, 2014

I don't want to believe that this is a true story. Music is a god given gift to a human. That a human would use that to kill other humans doesn't quiet sit right to me.

This is probably cooked up story so those who learn music, learn it with respect and devotion.

Thanks for the thought provoking post anyways!!

Akanksha1982 · Dec 17, 2014

@jayasala42, Very nice and informative snippet. Didn't know about the last story. Tansen and Akbar once visited Mirabai in disguise and Tansen was mesmerized by Mirabai's singing.

@FromMars Just as Akbar and Tansen wouldn't believe that People could fly in airplanes and go to Moon, talk on cellphones, watch live event on TV, drive cars with the power of hundred of horses, it is difficult for us to believe what happened at that time but it doesn't mean that it is untrue.

Maybe someone has modernized it like the glass chamber etc but that doesn't take away the power of Tansen.

Shanvy · Dec 17, 2014

@jayasala42 mam thank you so much for writing this snippet, and keep sharing and broadening our knowledge through your experiences and exposures.

i have read the first episode before and have heard that second episode only as a slight mention. as always i am spell bound by the power of music.

i am just a kelvignanam, who loves music, and yes sometimes i wonder if the performers should really evaluate themselves before starting to give public performance. i still remember my daughter's guru, who asked us to never let her perform keerthana's until she said she was ready. today many just learn a few krithis and start giving kutcheris too..but then times are changing too. as a musician very obviously pointed, we used to not even write the krithis and notation and had to memorise them by practice only. today i know of friends children, who get to listen to the recordings on the mobiles and cassettes and practice. even the gurus ask you to get a cassette and record to help in practice. this becomes a double edged sword..

Well i believe that the second episode could be true. music is a healer. but music also has the power to control your mind. i believe it was more of mind control and the power of his singing that worked here, but personally i cannot digest a great artist killing even if it was right from his point of view. makes you believe in the adage "amruthamum vishamagalam" (nectar too can become poisonous)

now i am going to go listen to the baiju bawara songs, you have kindled the wish...

Balajee · Dec 17, 2014

It is frightening. What if a musician is so gifted that he/she can use music as a weapon of mass destruction?What if the musician uses his talents to be a killer for hire? I think these legends should be treated as legends instead of as gospel truth.

jayasala42 · Dec 17, 2014

Dear Shanvy,
Whether the legend is correct or not is one issue. It enumerates the power of good/bad music that has a telling effect on listeners.
As per the legend tansen didn't use any sharp weapons/guns.He entertained the criminals with enchanting music. As they were being captivated, he started singing apaswaram which shocked the criminals and made them bleed to death.
For the criminals it was a silent painless death, as otherwise they would have been killed by hanging.The punishment was for planning to murder a king and the court poet and not to demonstrate that music could kill.

Jayasala 42

jayasala42 · Dec 17, 2014

Dear Balajee,

Even in puranas certain episodes are terrorising.
At least Tansen used his skill to annihilate murder planners. See in Peshawar 132 young children have become victims to'revenge'

Jayasala 42

suryakala · Dec 20, 2014

Dear Smt. Jayasala,

Thanks for sharing these two stories.

What a great musician Tansen should have been!

Ofcourse we have heard of Raag Karakara Priya and Raag Basant.
Can some one confirm that these two ragas," Kapota Priya" and " Pasant" are still alive in some form or other and throw some light?

The second story of 'Pasant' reminds me of a great poem in Tamil- " Nandhi Kalambagam". I want to share a write up, I found in web on Nandhi Kalambagam.

" 'Kalambagam' is a Tamil poetry of eight liners counting upto 100 verses. It is sung on a king or a hero at the time of war or tumult.
Nandi Kalambagam is one the greatest and most versatile of the Kalambagams but unfortunately it serves as an elegy also on Nandi Varman, the king and hero of the poetry. It is sung on Nandi Varman, a mighty Pallava king, handsome and brave and he is the 'pattudai thalaivan'. The story behind is both interesting and sad.
Nandi Varman who ruled the Northern part of Tamil Nadu was a great and mighty king. He was a patron of poetry and other art forms and he himself was also a poet. His enemies who could not conquer him on the battle field, plotted with his avaricious younger brother who was after the throne. They went to a great poet and composed a very complex and versatile poetry and set it to a most mellifluous tune. They chose a beautiful courtesan who was also a good singer and trained her in the rendition. Every time the king went on his customary night rounds, he heard the most enchanting verses sung in a most pleasant tone from some place near a park. He ordered his attendants to find the singer but they failed to bring her before him. Charmed by the poetic flavour of these verses, Nandi himself went over to the place of the courtesan and entreated her to sing the whole of the poetry before him. The courtesan at first refused firmly but consented on a big condition:
"100 flowery 'pandals' or platforms should be erected from the palace upto the 'sudukadu' or crematorium. The hero of the verses should sit on each platform and hear the songs until the hundred are finished."
Nandi Varman agreed instantly without caring to look if there were any intrigues behind scarcely heeding the bequests of his ministers. Accordingly 100 pandals were erected and on the appointed day, as he sat on the first pandal, the courtesan sang a verse and Nandi heard it overwhelmed by the versification and tune. As he raised to go to the next pandal, that on which he had sat burnt in a flash as if by magic or sorcery. He sensed danger but was too passionately involved with the luring verses and also tied down by the promise of abiding by the condition, to go back. In this way it happened and as he sat on the last and 100th pandal, this final verse that is the most beautiful of the whole was sung:
Thy face resembles the sky-laden moon
Thy fame hath spread even beyond the seas
Thy valour is as mighty as the jungle's tiger
Thy generosity is akin to the Karpaga tree
Lakshmi upon the honeyed lotus shalt go unto Hari, Her consort
So thy body be consumed by reddish flames
Wherever wilt I and my poet go
Nandi, oh, the good and the merciful? At this the whole pandal with the lured and enchanted Nandi Varman burnt aflame and that was the sad end of Nandi Varman".

The great Nandhi Varman gave his life just for his love for Tamil and music!

jayasala42 · Dec 20, 2014

Dear Suryakala,
Thanks for your wonderful mail about nandi Kalambakam, a rare episode in Tamil history.
Iam reminded of the story of kalidasa and King Bhoja which runs on similar lines.

One day the King Bhoja was seized of a strange thought. If and when, in due course, he died many poets would compose odes in his memory and that the one that would be composed by Kalidasa would be especially beautiful. And, because being dead, he wouldn't be alive to hear it, he requested Kalidasa to compose one in advance and submit it. Kalidasa was hesitant because, if he did so, the King was sure to die instantly as a result of a boon he had received from Goddess KaLi. And, he did not want to lose his bosom friend. When he refused to compose one, the King banished him from his kingdom. Kalidasa went in exile and was a wandering minstrel begging for his food.

Bhoja also disguised himself and was roaming in the country side when he chanced to meet with a Bikshu and started a conversation in poetic language. The Bikshu answered him in the same language. The king recognized kalidasa, but the poet could not.

The mendicant stated that he had been indulging in gambling,thieving,drinking and all other illicit activities., because he was so poor.The bikshu said that he belonged to dharapuram & that he wanted to meet the king.

Now the king in disguise got the idea. He said that the king died just 6 days back.Immediately A charma sloka emanated from Kalidasa.

"adhya dhaaraa niraadhaaraa niraalambaa saraswatee/

paNDitaa: khanditaa: sarvE bhOja raajE divam gate//

"Today, the subjects of Dhaaraapuram have lost their support on the death of the King. Saraswati, the Goddess of learning finds herself bereft of art and the artists"

The moment he uttered these words, the life of the King who was in disguise departed leaving his dead body in the hands of the Bikshu. Kalidasa was upset with grief and wondered as to why the King should have invited his own death by acting in disguise and conveying the false news of his own demise.

He prayed to his Ishta devata, KaaLi who appeared before him and asked him to repeat his Slokam with slight alteration and said that the King would come back to life but for a brief 3 ¼ naazhigai (about 1 ½ hours) only. KaaLidaasa sang a slightly revised version:

adhya dhaaraa sadaadhaaraa sadaalambaa saraswatee /

paNDitaa: maNDitaa: sarvE bhOja raajE bhuvam gate// "
Today, the citizens of Dhaaraapuram got back their good governing King BhOja, and Saraswati's again became filled with great poets and other artists who lived happily ever after"

The King came back to life as if waking from a slumber and the duo became closer still. Time was short and they had to accomplish something before the 1 ½ hours of life granted to the King. Together, they decided to compose "Ramayanam" that we now know as "Bhoja Champu" after the name of the renowned King.

We need not get shocked about Tansen's powers.Kalidasa's case is the concrete example.

Jayasala 42