Download Harikambhoji raga

MUSIC APPRECIATION NOTES
Harikambhoji raga Varga: Septatonic
Arohana: sa-ri-gu-ma-pa-dhi-ni
Avarohana: ni-dhi-pa-ma-gu-ri-sa
Vadi (dominant note): dhi
Rasa: Bhakti
Frequently used korvai or swara
combinations:
sa-ri-sa-ni-dhi-ni, ma-pa-dhi-ni,
ri-sa-ni-dhi-ni
H
arikambhoji is among the
oldest raga-s known.
We know from the Sangam literature
in Tamil that a musical instrument of
that ancient age called yazh had seven
strings and that, beginning with its
first string, it was tuned to produce
the seven swara-s of a pann called Kodippalai. Pann is the
ancient Tamil name for what is now called a raga and the
scale of Kodippalai is equivalent to that of Harikambhoji.
Seven different pann-s were created using the sevenstringed yazh. Harikambhoji was developed using the first
string for sa, a different pann was created using the second
string for sa; and so on.
Surprisingly, this musical scale seems to have existed in
other cultures as well in ancient times, as witness the G
mode used by the English; the mixolydian mode – an
authentic Church mode – with the ascending scale going
from G to G in the Western notation; and the Arabian
djorka.
In Harikambhoji the interval between swara-s in the
arohana and avarohana is equal and hence the raga will
lend itself well to teach beginner’s lessons in Carnatic
music.
Many Tevaram songs are rendered solely in this raga. The
rendering especially of Tirutaandakam verses without
metre, rendered between two Tevaram songs, reveals how
the structure of this raga allows the performer to dwell
at length on each note, thus enhancing the beauty of the
song and investing it deeply with the emotion of bhakti.
Yes, one must listen to Tevaram masterpieces to fully
appreciate and understand the Harikambhoji raga.
Venkatamakhi, who devised the melakarta scheme of
42 l SRUTI June 2009
S. Rajam with Sruti Staff
classifying raga-s into 72 parent scales,
has identified Harikambhoji as one
of the parent raga-s. Known as the
28th melakarta raga, and also known
by the name of Harikedaragaula in
the tradition of the Dikshitar school,
Harikambhoji is a sampoorna raga – a
septatonic mode using all the seven
notes. All the notes are jeeva swara-s,
that is, essential for the image of the
raga and therefore they are given equal
importance. Within this framework,
emphasis is given to the rishabha (ri)
and the nishada (ni), the only two
notes of the raga in which oscillation
is allowed to some extent.
Believe it or not, this raga went into
oblivion after the age of the Tamil
pann and owes its reappearance,
indeed its resurgence, entirely to
Tyagaraja who composed several masterpieces in it. Each
of these quintessentially portrays the architectonics and
the soul of the raga. What is more fortunate for us, several
great musicians have each put his or her own stamp on
individual compositions, thus leaving us, in available
recorded discs and tapes, a great source of learning as
well as listening pleasure. How can anyone forget Entara
neetana and Dinamanivamsa rendered by Ariyakudi,
Undedi Ramudu by Maharajapuram Viswanatha Iyer,
Enduku nirdaya by Semmangudi, Rama nannu brovara by
M.S. Subbulakshmi as well as by Semmangudi, and Rara
phanisayana by GNB!
Kanchipuram Naina Pillai was renowned for his rendering
not only of the kriti Vinatasuta in Jayantasena by Tyagaraja
but also of another Vinatasuta, this one in Harikambhoji.
The latter too carries Tyagaraja’s signature, but it is believed
to have been composed really by K.V. Srinivasa Iyengar,
brother of Tiger Varadachariar.
Even though Tyagaraja didn’t author the Harikambhoji
Vinata, he has bequeathed us more songs, like Okamata,
Vallagadanaka and Chani toditeve, in this raga. Neither
Muthuswami Diskhitar nor Syama Sastry employed this
raga, but a number of post- Trinity composers have.
Mysore Sadasiva Rao has given us the popular Telugu
piece, Saketanagara natha. The line taken up for niraval in
this song ‘rajita amara pala’, allows a singer unsurpassed
MUSIC APPRECIATION NOTES
scope for etching the melodic contours of the raga
indelibly on our minds. This is an illustration of the fact
that repetitions of song lines, offering subtle variations,
provide more scope than alapana alone does for bringing
out the swaroopa of a raga.
Papanasam Sivan has composed more than half-a-dozen
kriti-s in this raga, all in Tamil.The song Pamaalaikinaiyundo
– his tribute to the poetic genius of Subramania Bharati,
was made his own by another Subramania known by
the more popular name of Madurai Mani Iyer. It was a
marvellous and soul-satisfying experience.
Sivan’s other songs in Harikambhoji include: Enathu
manam, Kamala padamalarinai, Karpagambika ramana,
Paadamalar tunai, Sankara dayakara and
Undenru
urudikolvai maname.
Koteeswara Iyer, who has composed a piece in every
melakarta, has offered us Neeye gati in Harikambhoji,
while Mysore Vasudevachar’s offering is Kripatonu. A
second composition of Sadasiva Rao in this raga worth
mentioning is Pannaga sayana.
It is a common occurrence in life that a son sometimes
becomes more famous or popular than his father even
if the latter is or was no slouch himself. Thus, although
Sidenotes
Select compositions in Harikambhoji
Avataramenduku – Jhampa (Tyagaraja)
Chani todi tevey – Adi (Tyagaraja)
Dinamanivamsa – Adi (Tyagaraja)
Enathu manam – Adi (Papanasam Sivan)
Enduku nirdaya – Adi (Tyagaraja)
Entara neetana – Adi (Tyagaraja)
Innamum – Adi (Ambujam Krishna)
Kamala padamalarinai – Adi (Papanasam Sivan)
Karpagambika – Adi (Papanasam Sivan)
Karangulina – Ata (Muthiah Bhagavatar)
Kripatonu – Adi (Mysore Vasudevachar)
Lali laliyani – Adi (Tyagaraja)
Neeye gati – Adi (Koteeswara Iyer)
Ninnuchala – Adi (Pallavi Seshayyar)
Okamata – Roopakam (Tyagaraja)
Paadamalar tunai – Adi (Papanasam Sivan)
Paadukaathennai – Adi (Muthuswami Kavi)
Pahimam – Adi (N. Krishnamacharyulu)
Pamaalaikinaiyundo – Adi (Papanasam Sivan)
Paniyin vintuli – Triputa (Arunagirinathar)
Harikambhoji is a very important melakarta raga, one of
its janya or derivative raga-s – Kambhoji, is much more
in vogue. The greater popularity of Kambhoji illustrates
another fact, namely that the omission of a few notes from
a melakarta raga makes the resulting janya raga easier not
only for the musician to handle but also for the listener to
appreciate.
Harikambhoji is the parent of more than 70 janya
raga-s, in addition to Kambhoji. Among the more popular
are: Bahudari, Dwijavanti, Kapinarayani, Kedaragaula,
Khamas, Kuntalavarali, Mohanam, Natakurinji, Sahana,
Sama, Surati, Umabharanam and Yadukulakambhoji.
According to B. Subba Rao’s Raganidhi, there is no direct
parallel to Harikambhoji in the Hindustani system, but
the Khamaj thaat of the latter corresponds to the Carnatic
melakarta of Harikambhoji. The raga Khamas, a janya of
Harikambhoji, is actually descended from the Hindustani
Khamaj thaat. It is indeed very close to Harikambhoji,
the difference being that in it the rishabha is omitted
and the kakali nishada is touched in the ascent. Another
difference, much easier to spot, is that in Harikambhoji
the notes chosen for karvai or elongation are ri and gu,
while in Khamas the emphasis is on the latter half of the
ascending scale.
Pannaga sayana – (Mysore Sadasiva Rao)
Parkaparka – Misra Chapu (Gopalakrishna Bharati)
Rama nannu brovara – Roopakam (Tyagaraja)
Rara phanisayana – Roopakam (Tyagaraja)
Saketa nagara – Roopakam (Mysore Sadasiva Rao)
Sangeeta vinodini – Adi (D. Pattammal)
Sankara dayakara – Khanda Chapu (Papanasam Sivan)
Smara manasa – Adi (M. Balamuralikrishna)
Sree Visweswara – Adi (Muthiah Bhagavatar)
Tarakam unai – Adi (Muthuswami Kavi)
Undedi Ramudu – Roopakam (Tyagaraja)
Undenru urudikolvai – Roopakam (Papanasam Sivan)
Unmaiyum neetiyum – Adi (T. Lakshmana Pillai)
Vandaadum solai – (Kalki Krishnamurthy)
Vallagadanaka – (Tyagaraja)
Vinatasuta – (K.V. Srinivasa Iyengar)
Yengey tedukinrai – Adi (Periasami Tooran)
Some film songs based on Harikambhoji
Courtesy: K. ARUN PRAKASH
(Listed in the order of song, singer, film and music composer)
Pazha muthir cholai – K.J. Yesudass in Varusham 16, Ilayaraja
Orunaal oru kanavu – K.J. Yesudass and Anuradha Sriram in
Kannukul nilavu, Ilayaraja
43 l SRUTI June 2009