Krishna as seen by the Trinity and pre-trinity composers
-Manasi Prasad
-Manasi Prasad
The association of Krishna with the performing arts is as old as the history of music and dance in India itself. As Govinda, Gopala, Jagannatha, Vaasudeva, Vithala etc., he is the subject of a large portion of material available to performers to this day. Before examining the music compositions on Krishna, it is interesting to briefly explore what makes Krishna such a fascinating subject for artistic creators. Some reasons among them are:
- The availability of rich sources of details on his mythology from the Mahabharata, Bhagavata Purana, Vishnu Purana, Bhagavatham etc.
- The richness of episodes in each stage of Krishna’s life, from his pranks as Balakrishna, to his Leelas as Gopikrishna to his greatness as Sri Krishna – the Supreme being
- The ability to explore each of the navarasas (Sringara as the lover of Radha and Rukmini, Veera as the vanquisher of Kamsa, Adbhuta as the lifter of Govardhana etc.) through incidents on his life
It is this ability to describe and relate to Krishna at many levels that makes him a favourite of composers across time and space. It would be appropriate to start this discussion with the Trinity of Carnatic music, their approach to Krishna and then move backward in time. It is interesting that for none of the Trinity (Thyagaraja, Shyama Shastry, Muthuswami Dixitar) was Krishna the prime deity (aradhya daiva). While Thyagaraja’s compositions are overwhelmingly on Rama, Shyama Shastri has focused exclusively on Devi, while Dixitar’s compositions on Devi and Guruguha are the most noticed.
Shyama Shastri (1762 – 1827)
Despite his ankitanama being 'Shyama Krishna', there are no available compositions on Krishna to the knowledge of the author
Thyagaraja (1759 – 1847)
Thyagaraja’s compositions on Krishna, though few in number, provide some scope for analysis from both a musical and a lyrical perspective. We will take a few select compositions and analyse them:
1. Krishna’s mesmerizing flute
Ganamurthe (Ganamurthi, adi)- It is disputed by some as not Thyagaraja’s, yet commonly sung, hence is considered here. The krithi describes Krishna as the embodiment of music and the enjoyer of music from the flute. The buildup of sangatis in the anupallavi from thara sa upto thara panchama mirrors the build up of emotion in the sahitya.
Thyagaraja’s compositions on Krishna, though few in number, provide some scope for analysis from both a musical and a lyrical perspective. We will take a few select compositions and analyse them:
1. Krishna’s mesmerizing flute
Ganamurthe (Ganamurthi, adi)- It is disputed by some as not Thyagaraja’s, yet commonly sung, hence is considered here. The krithi describes Krishna as the embodiment of music and the enjoyer of music from the flute. The buildup of sangatis in the anupallavi from thara sa upto thara panchama mirrors the build up of emotion in the sahitya.
Venuganaloluni (Kedaragowla, adi)- The sahitya presents a snapshot of a scene where Krishna is playing the flute and the damsels are surrounding him, dancing and prostrating at his feet.
2. Krishna as the embodiment of Sringara
Sringarinchukoni vedaliri (Surutti, adi)– This beautiful opening composition from the Geyanataka – Nauka charitram is one of the best examples of Sringara sahitya in the Trinities’ compositions, almost in the style of a javali, this describes a scene of the gopis walking alongside Krishna, and the various methods they use to attract the attention of their beloved.
3. Krishna as the creator of Maya
Bagayanayya ni mayalento (Chandrajyoti, adi)– ‘Your acts of illusion are indeed strange’. This kriti describes the decisive role played by Krishna in the Mahabharata.
Sadhinchene (Arabhi, adi)– describes the irony of Krishna’s Maya, contrasted with the clarity of Rama’s life
Muthuswami Dixitar (1776 – 1827)
In Dixitar’s compositions, the emphasis is overwhelmingly on the raga structure, as compared to the lyrical qualities. However, there are several of his compositions on Krishna that are noteworthy. I choose here to deal with some of his Krishna krithis in Hindustani ragas.
Nandagopala (Yamuna Kalyani, adi) – The sahitya of the krithi is full of adjectives, as is typical of the Dixitar style. Apart from this, the use of the raga mudra ‘Yamuna teera vihara’ is both attractive and appropriate. The krithi presents a Carnatic version of this raga that is an import from the north (Yaman Kalyan). Liberal doses of shuddha madhyama appear in the krithi, especially in the ‘g m r s’ prayoga. There are uses of ‘g p’ and ‘g p n d’, showing traces of Behag. Truly, a masterpiece.
Another noteworthy kriti in this genre is ‘Chetasri Balakrishnam’ (Dwijavanti, adi). Although the krithi is on Balakrishna, there is nothing playful or light about the raga treatment. The use of the gamaka – laden rishabha, the introduction of sadharana gandhara, add color to the raga. It is considered a sankirna raga, having traces of Sahana, Yadukula Kamboji etc.
Overall, the Trinities’ compositions on Krishna project a note of seriousness. They do not treat Krishna with the same familiarity as the Haridasas did, rather they manifest him with superior godly qualities, and this is reflected in the weightiness of the music as well.
As we move back in time, probably the most prolific Vaggeyakara on Krishna was Oothukkadu Venkata Subbiyer (1700 – 1765), whose compositions form a vital link between the age of the Haridasas and the Trinity. His compositions display a felicity and flow of words, complete with rhyme, rhythm and prasa (prosody), and make them a singer’s and listener’s delight. Apart from songs such as Alaipayudhe, Taaye Yashoda and Aadada asangaada vaa kanna, which describe Krishna in earthly and endearing terms, his scholarship truly stands out in the Saptaratna kritis, which are considered to be the precursor to Thyagaraja’s Pancharatna, and show a similar structure (swara, sahitya combinations). Of these Bhajanamrita (Nattai), Aganita mahimadbhuta (Gowla) and Balasarasamurali (Keeravani) describe several leelas of Krishna, while laying out the nuances of each raga.
Jayadeva’s (12th century) Gita Govinda and Ksetrayya’s (17th century) padas are both classic examples of romantic literature, while providing ample scope for musical tapestries to be interwoven with the Sahitya.
Narayana Tirtha (1580 – 1660) composed the Krishna Leela Tarangini that deals with the life story of Krishna starting with his birth and ending with his marriage to Rukmini. . The work is very interesting because of the various literary and musical forms he uses in it like songs, prose passages, Slokas (praises in verse),Dwipadis (couplets), etc. The lyrics are simple yet beautiful and effective. The Ashtapadis of Jayadeva were said to be his inspiration. His Tarangams are popularly used in Kuchipudi because of their rhythmic structure (eg: Neela megha shareera- Mohana – Adi)
Apart from the composers dealt with above, India’s history is dotted with offerings of saint- composers in various languages such as bhajans of Mirabai and Surdas, abhangs of Tukaram, and pasurams of Andal. Their contribution to the development of our performing arts traditions is as important as that of the vaggeyakaras described above. The Haridasas’ compositions on Krishna are a separate and vast subject and have not been included in this scope.
In conclusion, if one were to paint certain broad brush strokes over the variety of Krishna – centric compositions, following would be the summary:
- The lyrics in these compositions display a felicity in words and adjectives, and there is a lilting,
rhyming and rhythmic quality to the words
- The rasas emoted in compositions on Krishna are generally positive (Sringara, Veera, Adbhuta)
with fewer compositions expressing Karuna or milder rasas
- Hence the corresponding ragas used express similar emotions (Kalyani, Mohana, Yaman etc. are popular choices for compositions on Krishna)
- These qualities make compositions on Krishna both a musician and dancer’s delight
- The lyrics in these compositions display a felicity in words and adjectives, and there is a lilting,
rhyming and rhythmic quality to the words
- The rasas emoted in compositions on Krishna are generally positive (Sringara, Veera, Adbhuta)
with fewer compositions expressing Karuna or milder rasas
- Hence the corresponding ragas used express similar emotions (Kalyani, Mohana, Yaman etc. are popular choices for compositions on Krishna)
- These qualities make compositions on Krishna both a musician and dancer’s delight
