Jai Sri Ram!
The Kharaharapriya path to reclaiming Rama
Jai Sri Ram!
India has voted and Modi is back in power with a thumpinger mandate. How did this came to pass? Was it a Modi wave? Was it because the Congress was and remains disorganized and deluded, providing no alternative? Was it in the mere by-product of several regional races? Has the Modi government in fact delivered good governance?
Or are we now finally, decisively and openly a Hindutva country, with a Hindu-majoritarian mindset?
The answer to the political question may not be apparent for a while. What is much more clear is that in the last five years, Hinduism has been hijacked by a very loud, low, aggressive, narrow-minded, insecure version of itself. And this process is now powered by the high-octane fuel of party and state machinery. It is a version of Hinduism that is putty in the hands of cynical political strategists who have no qualms in laying waste to Hinduism and defiling the name of Rama for near-term political gains of a few men.
Islam has a jihadist problem. There is no point saying that those who bomb,maim and slaughter in the name of Allah are not true Muslims. Since they proclaim explicitly that they terrorize in the name of Islam, Islam has a problem.
Similarly, Hinduism has a Hindu-fanatic problem. When some murder another solely because they are not Hindu, and force them to chant ‘Jai Sri Ram’ as they are being beaten to death, then we have Hindu terrorists, killing in the name of a Hindu god.
The representatives of Islam — whether the heads of Islamic states or clergy — have learnt to unequivocally condemn acts of terror in the name of their religion. Whether out of self-serving pragmatism, or genuine faith, these proclamations have an effect. It dampens the ability of the jihadist to find co-operation and sustenance among the community, and to whatever extent, acts as a deterrent. More importantly, it affords the religion a fighting chance to dissociate itself from and survive the terrorism. It allows for statements — however misguided — such as ‘but that guy who blew up the building wasn’t a true Muslim’.
Maybe Hinduism is too young in its new avatar as terrorist religion, but its leaders — whether the leaders of the Hindutva state, or various god men — have not spoken up, even equivocally, against the persecution of others in the name our our Gods. This is not unexpected, given it is in their political interests to fan this hatred and the narrow view of Hinduism that it represents. But it is tragic, because Hinduism is so capacious, so ambiguous, and so liberal, that its loudest, most craven voices can claim to represent all of it. For who is to say that these fanatics are not ‘true Hindus’? See, the tilak on their foreheads. See, the pilgrimages they go on. See, the decal on his car. See, the number of times he goes to the temple. See, the photos with the minister. Listen, the silence of the swamis.
But it is in this capaciousness of Hinduism that we hope. If we survived the Mughals (and we know they were dreadful outsiders, right), surely Hinduism can survive Modi?
But the threat of Hindutva is unique, because it is first time in the long history of the religion that there has been a concerted effort to meld Hinduism into an explicitly political movement. [I am eagerly open to correction — if indeed Hinduism has survived such an attempt before, perhaps there are lessons to be learnt]. Since politics is fickle, working in spans of decades at the most, there is hope that sooner or later, Hindutva as a political force falls by the way side. But by then, should Hinduism irrevocably be tied to Hindutva, then Hinduism may also fall by the way side. And in the meantime, Hinduism and Hindu minds, may have mauled into such ugliness as to be unrecognizable in any case.
At times, I take hope in the resoluteness of our constitutional structures. At other times, I despair. The opposition to Hindutva is unlikely to come from electoral politics in the near future. By the time it eventually arrives, the relentless corrosion of religion, mind and republic may be too far gone to reverse.
The successful challenge to Hindutva will likely come within the Hindu fold, from a broad-based questioning of what it means to be Hindu. It may need someone or something as rare as Adi Shankaracharya, the Bhakti movement, a social reform movement or a Gandhi-Ambedkar combination. To remind us that Hinduism is a personal enterprise, not a political one. I hope this comes soon, but I’m not holding my breath.
I have found myself finding some solace in the songs of Thyagaraja — that staunch devotee of Rama, and specifically the songs he composed in the raga Kharaharapriya. In the rest of this post, I share these with you.
Kharaharapriya is a raga with all seven notes in its ascent and descent, and is considered one of the ‘Big 6’ of Carnatic music (with Bhairavi, Thodi, Kalyani, Shankarabharanam and Kamboji). But while the other five are clearly old ragas, with long organic histories, the antecedents of Kharaharapriya are somewhat ambiguous. Of the composer Trinity, only Thyagaraja has composed in it, which suggests that it is not a particularly old raga, and has its origins as a scale. That it has not only transcended the barrier from scale to raga, but has attained the stature of a ‘Big 6’, with its own particular character, is almost entirely due to Thyagaraja’s canon of work in this raga.
Where will we find Rama?
In November last year, the Ajay Bisht government renamed Faizabad District as Ayodhya. This act demonstrates the disdain with which self-proclaimed defenders of the faith view our gods. Ayodhya is not just where Rama was born, it was the capital of his kingdom, the epitome of his Rama-rajya. The humble, devoted thing to do would have been to strive to improve the city of Ayodhya, so that it may move closer to this ideal. The breathtaking burden of administering Rama’s kingdom ought to be humbling and awesome.
At the very least, you ought not to name the surrounding under-performing district after the Lord’s kingdom.
Of course, ‘Mandir wahi banaayenge’. But why? What is there? Let alone the Ram janma-bhoomi, what will the devotee find in Ayodhya? Nothing (except perhaps a fake God-man) says Thyagaraja in Nadachi Nadachi:
Pallavi: naDaci naDaci cUcera ayOdhya nagaramu kAnarE
People looked [for Rama] by walking all the way to the city of Ayodhya, but could not find [him].
Anupallavi: puDamisuta sahAyuDai celangE pUrNuni AtmArAmuni gUDi ADa
People went all the way to Ayodhya in the hope of finding their own atma in Rama — who is the Whole, the companion of Sita — to be united with him, but they could not find him.
caraNam: aTTE kannulu gUrci teraci sUtramu baTTi veliki vESadhrulai
puTTu cAvulEni tAvu teliyaka pogaDEdaru tyAgarAja vinutini
They saw a man in a yogi’s garb, holding a rosary, sitting still with his eyes half shut, and taken in by meaningless appearances, praised him, not realizing that the true location of Rama is where there is no birth or death.
They walked all the way to Ayodhya to find Rama — the Lord praised by Thyagaraja — but could not find him.
Here is DK Pattammal’s rendition from a concert in 1975. The song is preceded by a brief alapana. I always think of Kharaharapriya as a raga that has an air of slight lament. It’s perfectly paired with the lyrics to bring out the futility of the enterprise of walking all the way to Ayodhya. In the repetitive first few words — ‘Nadachi, Nadachi’, and especially with the second Nadachi being slightly elongated, you can almost hear the beat of the footsteps in this long journey, and the weariness creeping in with each step.
And a more recent rendition by the Malladi Brothers:
What then is the path to Rama?
Here are three songs that may provide clues.
- Pakkala Nilabadi
Pakkala Nilabadi is a delightful song addressed to Sita and Lakshmana, standing beatifically next to Rama. Thyagaraja, the Rama super-bhakt , is endearingly humble and seeking in this song. He wants to know from Sita and Lakshmana what it is that they are doing to please Rama so successfully, with such seeming effortlessness.
Pallavi: Prakkala Nilabadi Goliche Mucchata Baaga Delpa Raadaa
Won’t you please tell me, what is the secret of your service [to Rama], by which you both delight the Lord so much, just standing by his side?
Anupallavi: Chukkala Raayuni Geru Momugala Sudati Seetamma Saumitri Ramuni Kiru
O Sita, with your charming moon-like face and pearly teeth, O Lakshmana, most devoted servant to Rama… (Won’t you please tell me…)
Charanam: Tanuvuche Vandana Monarinchuchunnaaraa
Chanuvuna Naama Keertana Seyuchunnaaraa
Manasuna Dalachi Mai MarachiyunnaaraaNenerunchi Tyaagaraajunito Hari Hari Meeriru
Do you prostrate before him? Or do you affectionately sing his praises, chanting his divine name? Or do you lose yourselves in meditating on Him? Do me the favour of revealing this secret to me, so I may do the same and redeem myself?
Note that none of plausible options listed by Thyagaraja in the charanam, include lynching non-believers, using the Lord’s name as an aggressive taunt, or persecuting a third-party in any way. None of these things has a hope in hell of pleasing Rama. This is a one-on-one relationship between the devotee and the Lord. No third parties are involved.
Here is a rendition by Sanjay Subrahmanyam:
And a video recording of M.S. Subbulakshmi singing it at the Thyagaraja Aradhana:
2. Chakkani Raja
In the song Chakkani Raja, Thyagaraja shifts his attention inward. The song addresses his own mind. Using analogies, he urges his mind not to get distracted by charms of narrow and labyrinthine by-lanes (politics, perhaps), and to take the Raja-marga, the broad, well-laid royal avenue to salvation. This point is that this is not only the more direct path, but presumably the more comfortable one. The path, of course is a single-minded, personal focus on and dedication to Rama.
Pallavi: cakkani rAja mArgamu lunDaga sandula dUranela O manasA
O mind! When the spacious royal path to salvation is available, why should you take to by-lanes?
Anupallavi: cikkani pAlu mIgada unDaga chIyanu gangA sAgara mElE
When nutritious creamy milk is available, will anyone think of detestable toddy ?
Charanam: kanTiki sundaramagu rUpamE mukkaNTi nOTa celagE nAmamE tyAgarAjintanE
nelakonnadi daivamE iTuvaNTi shrI sAkEta rAmunimuni bhaktiyanE
When you can feast your eyes on the ravishingly beautiful form of Rama, when Lord Shiva himself is eternally chanting the name of Rama, who has condescended to grace the abode of Tyagaraja, why should you resort to devious and labyrinthine paths instead of the royal path to salvation?
Note that the word for ‘toddy’ is ‘Ganga sagara’!
Here is an expansive version by M.L. Vasanthakumari, who really loved to sing Kharaharapriya.
3. Rama Niyeda
In Rama Niyeda Thyagaraja says that only true love for Rama, can lead you to him. Simply chanting his name [or ‘Jai Sri Ram’, for instance] is not enough. And evocatively warns against blindly following various fakes, who do not have self-realization (presumably because they lack this true love for Rama) but go about dishing out advice to others willy-nilly.
Pallavi: rAma nIyeDa prEma rahitulaku nAmaruci delusunA o sItA
Is it possible for anyone lacking the true devotion to enjoy the bliss that comes out of reciting your name? O Rama!
Anupallavi: kAminI vESa sAdhvInadaTa lEmaina delusunA rIti sItA
Can a man acting the part of a woman, understand ever the conduct and character of a chaste woman Sadhvi?
Charanam: tana saukhyamu tAnErugaka yorukalu tanu bOdhana sukhamA
ghanamagu puli gOri rUpamaina tyAgarAjanuta shishuvu pAlu galgunA
Can a tiger in the cloak of a cow yield milk for a baby? Of what use are the sermons of men who have not experienced the bliss of self realization?
Here is a rendition by Balamuralikrishna, from a concert in the 1960s, with superb accompaniment. [Apparently, the mridangam player may actually be C.S. Murugabhoopathi, rather than Umayalpuram Shivaraman, as identified.] The audio is a little bit muffled, but well worth it. What I particularly love about this composition is the delicacy of the melody in the opening line, using the ascent of Kharaharapriya to coincide with ‘prema’. This is also one of the rare instances in which Balamuralikrishna has sung neraval (improvisation on a single line; he rarely sang neraval, and usually went straight to swaras, especially toward the latter half of his career). He has chosen prEma rahitulaku nAmaruci delusunA for neraval.
Gentle and soft-spoken
Perhaps the most well-known and popular of Thyagaraja’s songs in Kharaharapriya is Rama Nee Samaanamevaru. This song dwells less on the path to Rama or salvation, and more on simple unbridled appreciation of Rama. Thyagaraja asks rhetorically if there is anyone equal to Rama. He ends by simply being grateful that Rama is the family deity, and by extension, that Thyagaraja fell into his piety for Rama.
Pallavi: rAma nI samAnam(e)varu raghu vamS(O)ddhAraka
Rama, who is equal to you? You, who made the Raghu clan supreme?
Anupallavi: bhAmA maruvampu molaka bhakti(y)anu panjarapu ciluka
Sita is like a tender and fragrant creeper, lying on your chest. She is like a parrot gracing the the cage of devotion to you.
Charanam: paluku palukulaku tEne-(l)oluku mATal(A)Du sOdaralu gala hari tyAgarAja
You have brothers whose words drip with the sweetness of honey. You are gentle and soft-spoken. We are privileged to have you, as our family deity.
In elaborating on the rhetorical claim of Rama’s peerless nature, Thyagaraja seems to point not to his manifold achievements, but to the devotion of his brothers and his wife. Someone who evokes such devotion, it would seem, must be peerless.
And what is it about Rama that sparks such devotion? The only indication of Rama’s nature is that he is gentle as soft-spoken! There is not an iota of jingoism or aggression in either this song, or according to it, in Rama.
Here is a rendition by T.M. Krishna. Perhaps influenced by the ‘Jalsa’ nature of the concert, he gets into a pretty frenetic passage of swara-kalpana at the end. This passage brings out very well the suitability of the use of ‘jantai’ patterns (repeating the same note in twos or threes, in succession)in Kharaharapriya.
And here is a rendition by the great Abdul Karim Khan, founder of the Kirana gharana of Hindustani music. He spent some years in the Mysore court, and was exposed to Carnatic music. It is said that he sought out the great Veena Dhanammal in Madras, to learn a few pieces from her. This is one such.
One can argue about the merits of such an attempt. To the Carnatic ear, it sounds quite strange, as he has sung it pretty much without gamakas, and more in a scale-oriented manner. But the open-mindedness with which he sought out Carnatic music, and this ability of music to draw people together, are magnificent. And what of Dhanammal, who took the time to share her stuff? If a Muslim is to sing the praise of Rama, it should be like this, with love in his heart, and melody in his voice, not with mortal fear and adrenaline coursing through his veins.
Finally…
I hope you enjoyed the music. I also hope it is patent that causing terrorizing, visceral fear in someone, and killing them thereafter will not bring one closer to Rama . And I hope you speak up when you hear someone casually condoning such behavior, or justifying it as collateral damage for a larger ‘good’.
I hope it fills you with anger that Rama’s name is being reduced to this, and that such behavior is actively and passively welcomed and encouraged by Hindutvawadis. If you are okay with this, well, then, there is nothing left to say.
