Sanjay Subramanyan - Kartik Fine Arts 2015

Sanjay Subramanyan

Nagai Muralidharan

Mannargudi Easwaran

K V Gopalakrishnan-Ghanjira.

41^st Karthik Fine Arts- 2015

Venue-Narada Gana Sabha

Date= 7^th December 2015.

KFA Organiser expressed grievances on the recent rain and prayed for the people for the speed recovery and normalcy, followed by detailing Sanjay’s concert.    But I don’t know why he announced the first part in English and the second part in Tamil ?

Karthik Fine arts must be happy after mallAdi duo cancelled their concerts at 4.30 PM slot and at least Sanjay agreed.

Thanks to Sanjay, despite BBC and  Chennai  BC-(Ramanan)  - threatening for more rain, as he did not disappoint the rasikas and enthralled  with an  excellent concert.

While finishing “Tunbam nErgayil…..”, he used the word “namakku” “ inbam sErkamAttayA”  and his timely “pAsuram”-“kunRam Endhi kuLir mazhai” followed by Govardhan giri dhAra of Narayna Teertha-echoed the view of many chennaities  who experienced the fury of the rain.

vanajAksha-Ritigowla-varNam-Venna kuppier

rE rE mAnasa bhajarE gajAnanam- Ceyyoor ChengalvarAya Sastri-  (S) in gajAnanam

darbaar-Raga alapana for 5 min- followed by Sri vEnu gopAla devA- koteeswara Iyer kriti

Sri dakshinAmurthE-Shankarabharanam-MD

KeeravAni-Main-kaligiyuntE kadA kalgunu”-Thyagarajar- Neraval in  “bAguga srI raghu rAmuni pAdamula” (S)

Tani

RTP-nAgaswaravali-“SivachidambaramE darisikka manamE, jananamillai idu nijamE”  Ragamaliga swaram in HamsAnandi, abhEri, chalanAtta

EdhayA gati- chalanatatta-Koteeswara Iyer.

Vritham-kunRam Endhi followed by “gOvaradhana giri”-Darbari kAnada-Teerthar.

Tunbam nErgayil- Desh=bharadhidAsan.

Orumaiyudan-Arutpa-Ramalinga swamigal

pavamAna-vAzhiya senthamizh- madhyamAvathi-

2 hours and 45 minutes concert filled up with lot of enthusiasm.   Reasonable crowd was there till the last minute and gave a standing ovation.

I always say the plus point of Sanjay is his energy. At 9 PM, he took a “pudi” in chala nAtta which was amazing, like a take off of Boeing flight. 

The way in which he started keeravani and slowly making “sajAvat” of the rAgam, was like a rose covered with petals.  Such a beauty.

With nAgai muralidharan combination, which is rare now a days, it is like “catch me, if you can” type of experience.  Both of them are like – Manirathnam-kamalhassan combination.  One after other, they exhibit their skills in the respective field which is to be  seen to appreciate. 

I see their skill levels at its best-in RTP.  I experience their Jayanthashree RTP couple of years ago in the same venue /sabha- still in my thought.  In tanam-one after other –thoroughly enjoying their work.

Claps claps claps….everywhere.

Mannargudi’s tani with KVG is another treat.   Mannargudi is such a person who openly shower appreciation on the spot.

Good combination of artists, good concert- great time.

A reality from திருமந்திரம்

kaRRadhum suttadhum - Part II 

Turumuler , a Shaiva Saint,  whose  “Tirumandhiram”, a verse on life style is a great one which every human being should read.   He has touched various topics on human psychology ultimately leading to spiritual enlightenment.

Some of his preaching are haunting and very disturbing.  This requires lot of maturity to accept. 

I read an interesting verse recently wherein he compares our life with pot, made of clay.  He says, with great difficulty, a Potter, who makes pot, brings the clay from various places and tests it carefully before making it a good pot.  Clay Pot is kept in kiln to make it a real pot that can be used for various activities.

When the pot breaks, we can use the bottom portion for keeping some water or some food at least.  We can even use this to fry some vegetables. Top portion can be used as a stand in the kitchen.

The above activities, sort of a long process, is done by a potter, human being. But when that human being dies (breaks),  others cannot use the body.   It is absolutely useless.  Even the spouse who loved till be breathed last, wants the body to be moved out of the house for burial.   Others start pestering to remove the body before it (body) pollutes the air.

Without knowing the reality, we live our life with all the luxury and fun without even an iota of thinking of the “Pot life”

TirumUler concludes that one should understand the life and live spiritually keeping in mind the above reality.

வளத்திடை முற்றத்தோர் மாநிலம் முற்றும்
குளத்தின் மண்கொண்டு குயவன் வனைந்தான்
குடம் உடைந்தால் அதை ஓடு என்று வைப்பார்
உடல் உடைந்தால் இறைப்போதும் வையாரே!
(திருமந்திரம்-157)

அனைத்தையும் தூக்கிப்போட விரும்பாமல் உபயோகப்படுத்திக் கொள்ளும் நம் கருமித்தனத்தைச் சொல்லும் பாடல் இது. பாடலின் பொருள் எளிமையாகப் புரிந்தாலும் அபூர்வமான பாடல். மண்பாண்டம் செய்பவார்கள், பல இடங்களிலும் சுற்றித் திரிந்து, நல்ல வளம்உள்ள மண்ணாகத் தேடிப் பார்த்துக்கொண்டு வருவார்கள்; பிறகு அதைக் கொண்டுவந்து தங்கள் இல்லத் தில் வைத்து மண்பாண்டங்களாகத் தயாரிப்பார்கள். அம் மண்பாண்டங்களை வாங்கி நாம் பயன்படுத்துவோம். அப்பாண்டங்கள் நன்கு கையாளப்பட்டு, உடைந்துபோய் விட்டால், அப்பாண்டங்களின் அடிப்பகுதியை,ஏதாவது வறுப்பதற்காக வைத்துக்கொள்வோம். மேல் பகுதியாக, வட்டவடிவ மாக உள்ளதை, வேறு ஏதாவது வைக்க,அடிப்பீடமாக உபயோகப்படுத்திக் கொள்வோம்.

ஆனால்,  இவ்வளவும் செய்யும் நம்உடம்பில் மூச்சு நின்றுபோய் விட்டால், கணவரோ-மனைவியோ, வீட்டில் உள்ள வேறு யாருமோ மூச்சு நின்றுபோன மனித உடலை வைத்துக்கொள்ள மாட்டார்கள். பல்லையோ அல்லது உட லின் ஏதாவது ஒரு பாகத்தையோ, எடுத்துப் பாதுகாப்பாக வைத்துக்கொள்ள மாட்டார்கள். “என்னப்பா! இன்னுமா எடுக்கல!”என்று பேச்சு எழும். கூடுதலாகக் கொஞ்ச நேரம் வைத்திருக்கவும் விரும்பமாட்டார்கள். இப்படிப் பட்ட உடம்பை வைத்துக் கொண்டுதான், நாம் அனைவரும் ஆடாத ஆட்டமெல்லாம் ஆடிக்கொண்டிருக்கிறோம். இதை இடித்துரைத்து, நம்மை உணர வைக்கிறார் திருமூலர்

G R Sastrigal- IInd Year Remembrance

Today, 30^th November 2015, is the second death anniversary of my Grandfather.  Looking back and see the two years is more taxing because each and every day, after his demise, made me to feel  how much I missed him.

Getting older, I  feel if I continue to imbibe some of his good qualities, I shall feel pride in this Janmam.  How he had many good qualities form his early age and continued to practice till his death, which we could not at this age.  Now, I feel I should have started some of his good habits 10 years back so that presently, I shall be matured in this life.

What Iam taking about is – life of detachment. Looking so philosophical!.  In a way, yes.  When we perform homam in any important rituals, we are asked to say “idhan na mamA” which means “Not mine”. So,  we are time and again reminded to live by chanting “it is not mine”, sense of detachment.

Water in the lotus leaf or a famous rudram mantra- “trayambhagam yajamahE”  all these explain to us to live a detached life. GRS lived this.

 He is adamant to perform his nithya karmA including usual pUjAs.  As a sastrigal, he had to go many places irrespective of the time and distance.   Semmangudi, a small hamlet between Kumbakonam and Tiruvarur, being his base, he had to move around 5-10 kilo meters, by walk, to perform the rituals of his clients.

The important point here is his tenacity not to miss his daily rituals.  He was firm that these rituals were for him and for the betterment of his family.  The outing is for earning income.  He drew a clear line between these two and firm to fulfill this.

What we do, now a days, we are more concerned to do outside job for earning and completely forgot to do our rituals.  In order to please our Corporate Boss, we forgot to obey the inside God.  Daily sandhyavandhanam is some how a gone syllabus in nowadays ritual school. 

Today, I could go and participate in the anniversary and had food.  In my spiritual life, Iam slowly improving which is evident from the blessings from Him. 

Appa, (fondly call him).  Please continue to shower your blessings.  Never take your eyes off me and also to your daughters.

The love your daughters show even today is astounding.  You are a true father, true spiritual leader for us. 

Thanks for being with us and continue to be with us in some other form.

Sikkil Gurucharan - Concert at Bharatiya Vidhya Bhavan 2015

Gurucharan-Vocal

Patri  Satishkumar – Mridangam

V Sanjeev-Violin

27^th Nov 2015,

Bharatiya Vidhya bhavan Annual Music Festival, Mylapore.

Part 1- Patri Satish kumar-“musical  musings”

·         When I saw Patri in the mridhangam list, I thought of not going to the venue as I was confident that that I could hear the concert sitting at home.

·        
      When Patri played at BVB, KaRpagAmbAl along with kapAli moved to KailAsam from Mylapore for 3 hours to escape from the sound.  kapAli felt that patri’s mridhangam sound is louder than His “damaru”.

·         ThillAna mohanambal- 1968 –Movie-  a dialogue.

Manorama asks Shivaji Ganesan, who is the nadhaswara vidhwan whether the ‘sunAdham” comes only from his Nadaswaram or from any other nAdaswaram.  Shivaji Ganesan repies -  “it is not like you think. This comes from our inner “nAbi kamalam” along with God’s blessings. ”

Present day- 2015

Manorama asks Patri -  Whether the blasting sound comes only from your mridhangam or from any other mridhangam,

Patri replies- No, if you tune your mridhangam with “dOlki” type instrument with silver rods fitted around mridhangam’s  tOppi, even you can create this sound while playing.

·        
     
f     For Patri, there should be another upa-pakka vAdhyam like ghatam or khanjira so that our ears are at peace (in one piece) when the other vidwan is playing.

Part II-Concert

Sikkil Gurucharan gave another “soulful” concert with sadAnanda tAndavam and ekkAlathilum in pUrvi kalyAni.

tuLasi dhalamulacE-  Neraval in “sarasIruha punAga”  followed by Swram- Thyagarajar

Kamala charanE- GNB- Amritha BehAg.

Submain-bahudArai- Achutha dAsar’s “sadAnanda dAndavam”  (S)

husEni- rAma, ninE nambi nAnu, -Thyagarajar

main-pUrvi kalyAni-ekkAlathilum unai maRavamalE – Tiruvarur Ramaswamy pillai-  Neraval in ….”Ishwari unai allal igathil uNDO vEdham”.. (S)

TanjavUr ponniah pillai’s “Ashta rAga mAligai” in Darbar, kAnada, atAna, amIr kalyani, kamAs, paras, behAg and surutti.

Oru pozudhu- behAg-Tiruppugazh-Arunagirnathar

Srirama chandranukku- surutti-Mangalam

In bahudAri, his swaram ending in tAndavam, Ananda tAndavam, sadAnanda tAndavam was very nice.

Ponnaiah pillai’s rAga mAliga kriti was new and very nice.  Each and every rAga was included in the lyrics except behAg.

His rAga alApana always stands out to be full of bhAvam. He never hurries it up.  pUrvi kalyAni was beautifully exhibited and like “jackfruit chocked in honey”

Another good concert.

Sanjeev, as usual, is at his best.