Some tidbits on Shyama Shastri

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Namaste,

I wrote the attached titbit section for a music magazine. Due to some

ashaucham I was unable to complete the KamalajadayitaaShTakam postings

during navaratri eve. I will resume both KamalajadayitaaShTakam and

abhayaambikaaShTakam soon.

 

...OM shrImAtre namaH..

Aravind

 

Some tidbits on Shyama Shastri

------------------------------

 

·The eldest of the musical TRINITY, Shyama Shastri, was born on April

26,1762. His given name was Venaktasubramanya and was often addressed with

his pet name Shyama. His ancestors were Archakas at Bangaru Kamakshi temple,

Tanjore and had no musical background. A sanyasi by the name Sangitha Swamy

was said to have taught him the nuances of Carnatic Music. Shyama Sastri

befriended, "Viriboni" fame Pachimiriyam Adiyappa at the advice of the

Sangitaswami. It is said that Sangitaswami asked Shastri to listen to

Adiyappa a lot but not to follow him.

 

· Shyama Shastri is unique among the trinity, to have authored compositional

verities like Varnam, Gitam and Swarajati along with Classical Krithis, to

list a few:-

 

Gitam

1. kaamaakshi karunaakataakshi - pharaz/triputa

2. santatam ennai rakshippaai - pharaz/adi

3. saarasaakshi sadaa - saveri/triputa

4. paarvati janani - bhairavi/khanda mathya

5. kaamaakshi lokasaakshi - madhyamavati/triputa

 

Varnam

1. naamanavini vinu - saurashtra/chatushra ata

2. saamini rammanave - Anandabhairavi/ata

3. dayaanidhe maamava - begada/adi

4. niive gatiyani - kalyanii/thishra matya

 

Swarajati

1. kaamaakshi ni paadayugamu - yadukulakambhoji/mishra chapu

2. kaamaakshi anudinamu - bhairavi/mishra chapu

3. raave himagirikumaari - todi/adi

 

.. Maanji and Paraz are two beautiful ragas that were exempted by Thyagaraja,

but handled by both Dikshitar and Shastri. Though Dikshitar is well known

for handling ragas in vilamba kala, both the maanji krithis of Dikshitar

(Ramachandrena & Sri Sarasvatihite) are set to medium tempo, while Shastri's

masterpiece "Brovavamma tamasamela" brims with subtle nuances of maanji in a

majestic vilamba gait. Both Dikshitar and Shastri have four compositions to

their credit in raga paraz. Shastri has composed two giitams and two

beautiful krithis while Dikshitar has two madhyama kala and two vilamba kala

krithis in raga paraz.

 

·Shastri chose Sanskrit and Tamil apart from Telugu for his compositions.

There are five beautiful Tamil krithis authored by him.

1. Enneramum (Punnagavarali)

2. Enneramum (Poorvikalyani)

3. Tarunnameedamma (Gowlipantu)

4. Paramukha-menamma (Kalyani)

5. Santatam (Pharaju)-Geetam

 

 

·It is interesting to note that some popular ragas like pantuvarali,

sahana, nilaambari etc did not fall within Shastri's radar.

 

·Though raga Ananda Bhairavi enjoys the status of being the most beloved

raga to Shastri, his maximum compositions are in raga Kalyani.

1. Talli ninu nera - Chapu

2. Devi nannu brovavamma - Jampa

3. Nive gathi - Matya

4. Paraamukhmenamma - Triputa

5. Birana varalichi - Adi (tishra gati)/Rupaka

6. Himadri sute - (tishra gati)/Rupaka

7. Shankari - Ata

8. Sri kamakshi - Adi

9. Rave parvataraja kumari - Jampa.

 

 

·The first composition of Shyama Shastri 'janani natajana paripaalini' in

raga saveri is unique in the aspect that it does not have the 'shyama

krishna' mudra.

 

 

·There are only four shrines that were eulogized by all the members of the

trinity. (Dharmasamvardhani enshrined at Thruvaiyar, Kamakshi at Kanchi,

Nilayadakshi at Nagapattanam and Varadaraja at Kanchi)

 

·Apart from musical compositions Shyama Shastri has authored a unique book

abridging the elaborate worship rituals on devi (laghu srividhya upasana

krama).

 

·Almost all compositions of Shastri are in praise of the supreme mother

goddesses except for a krithi in raga begada 'sami ninne nammitirara ra

muthu kumara' and a varnam in raga Anada bhairavi 'samini rammanave'. The

begada krithi is in praise of Lord Muthukumara swami at Vaideshvaran koil

and the Ananda bhairavi varnam is in praise of Lord Varadaraja at

Kanchipuram. Though Shastri was comfortable with a maternal relationship

with the almighty, this varnam is special in its content that it expresses

shringara rasa. Shastri imagines himself as a nayaki and addresses her saki

(friend), unable to bear the pangs of separation from Lord Varadaraja.

 

· Shastri is said to have challenged two musicians on separate instances.

Once when Bobbili Keshaviah challenged the Tanjur court, the Maharaja

requested Shastri to face him. Shastri stood at the feet of Bhangru Kamakshi

on that morning and sang 'devi brova samayamide' melting in devotion and

went to court. Keshavaiah began a pallavi in simhanandana tala and Shastri

handled that with ease. Shastri laid a pallavi in sharabanandana tala and

humbled Keshvaiah.

 

 

 

 

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Also see

 

http://www.svbf.org/sringeri/journal/vol1no2/syama.html

 

, "Aravind Krishna" <seeksha@h...> wrote:

> Namaste,

> I wrote the attached titbit section for a music magazine. Due to