On Pallavi in Ragam Thanam Pallavi
BRC Iyengar
Kalyanaraman Shivakumar asked me to comment on the subject of Pallavi.
Here's a chapter from my upcoming book that I felt was appropriate to
post. I will post other articles about other aspects of the RTP.
brc iyengar
RAGAM, THANAM AND PALLAVI,
THE TOUCHSTONES OF AN ARTIST
The antiquity of pallavi
Manodharma Sangeetha (creative music) is the unique content of Carnatic
music. In no other system of music in the world is it so dominant and
important. Even in Hindustani music, it is relatively less. The
competence of a performing artist is assessed in this essay which he
presents as the main item in a concert.That which is combined with an
analysis of lakshya and lakshana, individual proficiency and at the same
time pleasing to the listener, can be vaguely defined as manodharma
sangeetha. This is not all; it has in addition, the artistąs virtuosity,
the afflatus, mastery in the science of laya and his ability to provide a
glowing lusture to the art. Ragam, Thanam and Pallavi (RTP) is the
touchstone of the artistąs proficiency; it is a major branch in the
kalpavriksha (creative tree).
The word pallavi is not found in ancient music literature. As to who
invented it is not also known. There is no reference to its birth in any
historical background. Though the word pallavi, as applied to krithi is
the same as Shudha pallavi, the form of the latter is totally different.
Its structure and mode of presentation is diverse and manifold. It is
learned that artists, one generation before the birth of Thrimurthis,
were proficient in rendering shuddha pallavis; they included the
vaggeyakaras also. They were all under the patronage of kings of
Thanjavoor- Thulaja, Pratapa Simha, Amarasimha, and Sharabhoja. Thus, it
can be said that pallavi, as a form of music had its birth in Thanjavoor
Dynasty, around 18th century; some attribute it to the 17th century, as
revealed in the works of Karunamritha Sara of Abhirama Panditha; some
disagree with it.
Definition
Accommodating limited sahithya within the frame work of a complete
avartha of any thala, which is ideally suited for innovation and
creativity, in a variety of eduppus (commencing point) and gathis, and
set to defined graha, can be called a shuddha pallavi. They are generally
set to two avarthas and some rare ones may extend beyond. Those set to
misra chapu, rupaka and eka thalas may run to four avarthas. Every
akshara in the pallavi has its place, pegged in the time interval. The
irrevocable criterion is that the aksharas cannot change their place
under any circumstance. However, one single pallavi can be rendered in
any of the 35 suladi thalas. Thalas may be changing in the nadais; there
is nothing to prevent this, but necessity, judgement and convenience must
be borne in the mind, all the time.
Though in principle and in theory it is possible, aesthetics may prevent
it. If the pallavi has limited words, and each conveniently separated or
spaced from the other, it will be convenient to render and also pleasant
to listen. Innovations in neraval is effortless, but it will be difficult
to subject it to thrikala sanchara (both features explained in the
chapters that follow) or gathi bheda, because one of the most important
aspect pallavi is neraval. But in doing so, it should not become a war of
words; melody should be woven with scholarship. Purely professional
approach does not produce music; it produces vacuum. The responsibility
of the artist lies in pleasing the rasika with ranjakathwa. It is perhaps
due to lack of this that rendering of pallavi has taken a back seat.
łAs at present, pallavi singing is neither a treat nor is it
intellectual. In most of the present day singing of pallavi, with a few
exceptions, it is more noise and bull fight with the percussion. In
short, it is swara gymnastics without raga bhava. One of the essential
feature of art is perspective magnitude and proper proportion; the
creation must be one of art and not monstrosity˛. If pallavi is confined
only to thala interpretation, it becomes meaningless. To render a
difficult pallavi in an easy way and at the same time include techniques
of thrikala sanchara and related aspects, is the proficiency of the
artist. He should seriously question where actually lies the ragabhava
and sukha bhava in the pallavi. It is therefore commented that pallavi is
meant for the knowledgeable and not for the lay man. It is difficult to
agree to this statement. It depends upon the artistąs ability to make it
intelligible. It may be because of the inroads light music has made, that
the technical aspects of pallavi singing has taken a back seat. It is
also true that there is no life or scholarship in rendering simple
pallavis. Difficult pallavis are mindboggling for a lay listener. In this
confusion the artist has to fight back to the wall. The equation lies in
the slow education of the listener and the efforts on the part of the
artist to do that. It must however, be accepted that the general
standards of classical music have come down and the rasika is slowly
losing his sense of appreciation. The solution is evasive.
Description
Coming to the description of a pallavi, it has two sections (angas), the
poorvanga and uttaranga. The point of division of these two sections is
what is called the aridi. Immediately after the aridi, and before
commencement of the uttaranga, is an important part called Visranthi or
resting time, which is an extension of the vowel of the preceding section
of the sahitya. The aridi, referred to is also called the Pada gharbha.
This aridi changes with change in the 35 suladi thalas. It is the
convention that the aridi or padagharbha should be accommodated in the
shortest section of the pallavi. In the thalas, druva, matya, rupaka,
triputa and ata, the padagharbha should fall on the first drutham; in the
jampa thala, it is on the anudrutham. In eka thala, it may be at any
point. There are two aridis in Retta or Rettayi pallavis. However, the
padagharbha and the visranthi are the focal points of a pallavi. In a
pallavi, the poorvanga and the uttaranga need not be of the same length
in terms of time; it depends upon the sahithya and the personality that
goes with it. The graha or eduppu (commencing point) may be at various
positions, like samam (with the beat of the thala), atitham (before the
beat) or anagatham (after the beat). Pallavis commencing at athitham or
anagatham are naturally more difficult to deal with. Also, pallavis may
be set to vilamba (slow tempo) or dritha kala (faster speed). Pallavis
set to athi-vilamba kala need greater expertise to deal with; and those
set to athi-dritha kala cannot make an impact. Pallavis are also set to
2-kalais, 4-kalais or even 8-kalais. This means each akshara in the
sahithya is computed as 2, 4, and 8 aksharakalas or matras, respectively.
Whatever be the variety of pallavi, a chathusra jathi pallavi is ideal
for singing and creativity; perhaps because, it is easier to do that.
There are short pallavis too. The artist has only to choose the right one
depending upon the audience and its response. To decide the kalapramanam
of a pallavi is entirely the choice of the artist. It is advisable to
have a single nadai for a pallavi, but some singers adopt one nadai for
the poorvanga and another for the uttaranga, the wisdom of which is
questionable. The more complicated a pallavi is, the less enjoyable it
turns out to be; all because, it takes an academic turn at the cost of
melody.
Methodology
As regards the methodology of singing the pallavi, it is so done in what
are called anuloma, viloma and prathiloma kramas. The important point
however, is that the thala and its pramana (ratio) must be kept constant.
Prathiloma is also referred to aslaya-vruddi krama (the skill of thala
permutation). Whatever be the thala, the prathiloma krama can be
initiated from the samam, but the eduppu is after 1/4, 1/2 or 3/4
aksharas, the prathiloma krama must necessarily start from that point. To
do this, one should have a very sharp sense of laya. There is also a
krama of starting the anuloma, viloma or prathiloma from the point of
padagharbha. Further, a pallavi can be framed in any language with any
rasa, bhakthi, sringara, hasya, satire; they may have different yathis
also. There are also swara-akshara pallavis.
Let us now discuss the importance of thala in pallavi. Thala is the
foundation in a pallavi, a mandatory discipline, which prevents the
singer from taking liberties with the thala. Thala in a pallavi provides
perfection to gathi or nadai. It is the yardstick of flawlessness of
different gathis in a thala cycle. The difference between gathi and nadai
has to be clarified at this point. It must also be cautioned that there
is a meaningless controversy going on between these terms. In sangeetha
Sastra however, both words convey the same meaning. What is relevant
however, is that laghu in thala has varieties of jathis, but every count
in the entire thala can have varieties of gathis.
Before taking up singing of pallavi in a concert, it is always advisable
for the artist to judge the likes and dislikes of the audience, as also
the relevancy; otherwise, it turns out to be a futile exercise. Rakthi
(melody), cannot be split away from vinyasa (analysis). The singer must
also respect the pakkavadyam (accompanists). In short, the life of a
pallavi lies in its padagharbha, clarity of laya, creativity in the
neraval, attractive and innovative exercises in swarakalpana and
eventually the proportion of various elements which contribute the
structure of a pallavi. It is rightly said that a pallavi in a nut-shell,
means, Padam, Layam, and Vinyasam.
Sub-divisions
Let us now examine the details of the subdivisions of a pallavi, the
anuloma, viloma and prathiloma. If the original dhathu and mathu is
rendered in the 1st, 2nd and 3rd speed, in that order, it is called
anuloma krama. In so doing, the thala remains constant, but only the
sahithya moves in different speeds. If this order is revered and played
in speeds 3, 2, and 1, respectively, it becomes what is called krama
viloma. If on the other hand, the sahithya is maintained at a constant
speed and the thala changes to 1st, 2nd and 3rd speed, the structure is
called prathiloma, where the kalapramana of the pallavi and the time
measure of the thala are different from each other, and yet maintain a
relationship; in this method, the aksharakala becomes the third speed.
However, in the present day concerts, where pallavis are sung, only
anuloma krama is followed. Also, the thrikala exercises start from the
eduppu itself, so much so, the padagharbha rests at different angas. When
the pallavi commences in madhyama kala and while doing the thrikala
sanchara, the time measure is 1st speed, again madhyamakala followed by
the 3rd speed; it is the practice to indulge in thisram only after the
2nd speed and later on move to the 3rd speed. In yesteryears, a second
thaniyavarthanam (percussion solo) was allowed after singing the pallavi.
In playing the thaniyavarthanam for the pallavi, the methodology is
slightly different from the normal thaniyavarthanam. The mridangam artist
has to immediately pick up the pallavi structure and play all the
thrikalas, including the thisram, which perhaps, he has not listened to
before, This calls for dexterity on the part of the percussion player.
Thereafter, the rest of the thani is almost the same as a normal
vyavaharam. Besides what has been said about pallavi, the entire exercise
is totally manodharma oriented and the scope is enormous. If a pallavi is
rendered including various elements that go to make it, the duration to
present a pallavi in its full strength will take not less than 75 minutes.
In this context, a passing reference has to be made to the construction
of a thana varnam. It is noted that in every varnam, the statement of
charana, the sahithya, the nadai, the aridi and the following visranthi,
correspond to a pallavi of the concerned ragam, thanam and pallavi.