#021 WHY DOES NOT YOUR HEART MELT?

I was practising on flute the compositions of Carnatic Music, from 7 p.m. to 10.05 p.m. this night (Nov. 7, 2009).

DATE DELIMITERS
The phrase 'this night' has two split components: 1. From the sunset to 0.00 hrs. midnight and 2. From 0.00 hrs. midnight to the sunrise, the following day. Our Indian calendars adopt the 'sun rise' as the date delimiter. This distinction between the western practice of delimiting date and the Indian practice of delimiting date, sometimes, results in confusion. People, with a veiw to avoid the chance of missing a function such as a marriage, deliberate on "which night" of "which date" the wedding would take place. They would question, when a wedding invitation shows, at 2.45 hrs. on the 8th Nov. 2009, whether the marriage would be held on the night of the 8th Nov. or the 7th Nov. 2009. Some wedding cards would, therefore, very clearly specify the night, adding a remark like ("meaning, by the sunrise, it will be 8th November).

SWAN SOUNDS
So, yesternight, I was practising Carnatic Music. My mind lingered on the Raga (tune) Hamsadhvani (The sound of a swan), while playing the composition "Vaataapi Gan`apatim bhajeeham (I praise the God Vatapi Ganapati)" of the composer Muttuswami Diikshitar. The composition is very popular among the Indian music listeners. The Raga Hamsadhvani is regarded, by many, as South Indian in origin. The North Indian i.e. Hindustani Music seems to have adopted it in the 20th Century. I hear the Hindustani flute maestro Hariprasad Chaurasia playing the Raga Hamsadhwani with great gusto.


Back to Vaataapi. The other compositions of Hamsadhvani in Cmusic worth recalling are 1. Raghunaayakaa (Oh the leader Rama!) by Tyagaraja; 2. Sri Raghu kula mandu put`t`i (Having been born in the Raghu clan ... ) by Tyagaraja; 3. Nii manasu karugadeemi (Why doesn't your heart melt?...) by Patnam Subrahmanya Iyer. All the three address to the legendary God Rama. I particularly relish the last composition, as very sweet. The composition, somehow, remained a cinderilla when compared to Vaatapi.

THANKS TO MS. SITA RAJAN
I tuned to the National Program of Music on All India Radio, while grieving a little, about the neglect of "Why does n't your heart melt?". I found, to my great delight, on the All India Radio, Ms. Sita Rajan was singing the "Why does n't your heart melt?" as her opening piece. I missed a part of it, as I was late by a few minutes. Sad. But: I thank her, for reviving the memorable piece.

GENEROSITY IN ITS TRUE SPIRIT
The composition refers to the Emperor "Sibi" as one of the ancestors of Rama. The legendary Emperor Sibi was famous for his generosity of gifting his own flesh as food to a vulture to detract it from chasing a pigeon which took refuge with Sibi. Having been born in such ancestry, why does n't Rama's heart melt? The poet wonders this.

Probable answer:
The Archaeological Survey of India, in Rama Setu case (existence of an architectural construction purported to have been built by Rama, which the geographers now refers to as Adam's Bridge), at the Pak Straits in the Indian Ocean), averred that there was no historical evidence of Ramayana. This doubt about the existence or non-existence of Rama or Krishna does not reduce the sweetness of the compositions of Tyagaraja or Patnam Subrahmanya Iyer.

Sweet music has become an essential part of prayers and worship. This feature can be seen even in Christian choirs. Sweet music strengthens the faith in God. It makes God enjoyable and tolerable.

SWEET NAMES FOR SWEET TUNES
Ms. Sita Rajan, continued her vocal concert, with a composition in Raga Latangi (Latangi = with a slender body like a botanical creeper) by Kotiswara Iyer. The Carnatic musicians, by and large, are NOT linguistically chauvinistic. The musicians, whichever language their mother tongue may be, whichever language the song may be in, do not hesitate to sing a composition as long as it is sweet in tones. The melody and rhythm are the keys. Not the language. It does not mean that they do not bother about language, meaning and the intent of the composer. They harmonise every element. The composition which Ms. Rajan sang was in Tamil. Very sweet and worth remembering.

SOPORIC BUT NOT DULL
She, later, took up, the Raga "Kambhoji (pr: Kaambhooji)" as the main piece, for full delineation, the tune and the song by Mysore Vasudevachary (pr: Vaasudeevaachaari). I was asleep, by the melody.

THOUGHT PROVOKING BUT a QUESTIONABLE IDEA
I get an occasional feeling, though it may not be logical or rational. Almost all the composers of the South Indian Classical Music happen to be near-vegetarians. Their compositions tend to be melancholic. I cannot, though my mind tempts me to, categorically say that ONLY vegetarian composers can create works which evoke compassion.

CORRECTIONS

I shall correct the spellings, diction, grammar, ideas, spellings and typographical errors, in due course.