The intensity of raag Vibhaas (Bibhaas) is overpowering. It has the power and a feel of enlightenment. Connoisseurs of classical music and even a general audience of light music has experienced this mood through the bandishes or songs. ( विभास , Vibhas , Vibhaas : literally refers to light or decoration )
The trademark song based on raag Vibhaas is from film Utsav, Saanjh Dhale Gagan tale (सांझ ढले गगन तले , हम कितने एकाकी ).
This type of Vibhaas is an example of "Marwa thaat Vibhaas" that brings out intense emotions. Here is a rendering of Marva thaat Vibhaas by the GaanSaraswati.
One more appealing variant of Vibhaas is called "Bhairav Thaat Vibhaas" that depicts more of enlightenment ,pondering and an intense feel of belonging to nature and universe in general.
The grandiose of Bhairav is such that it is sometimes labelled as the primordial sound of Universe ..The first big bang .. the first set of melody .. the begining .. ( Here is my related post Bhairav- The Aadi Anant Raag )
In my musings on music , I realize that the melodies of Vibhaas are the worldly equivalent of the "Universal Bhairav".. appeals emotionally to human mind and soul more than the Brain !
The one song that is dear to me , based on the melody of "Bhairav Thaat Vibhaas", is by the poet Sudhir Moghe in Marathi ; sung by Chandrashekhar Gadgil and composed by Bal Karve.
The poet describes the nature in its full bloom and seasons, as it appeals to an exploring mind. In a state of enlightenment , the poet confirms that all the seasons with their dramatic changes in nature, signify the presence and pervasiveness of "Almighty- Anadi Anant" .. the Creator !
अरुपास पाहे रूपी
तोच भाग्यवंत
निसर्गात भरून राहे
अनादी अनंत
कधी पावसाच्या धारा
भणाणता केव्हा वारा
पहाटे होऊन तारा
हसे रुपवंत
ग्रीष्म रक्त तापविणारा
शिशिर आग गोठविणारा
मनोगते मेळविणारा
फुलारी वसंत
कुशीमध्ये त्याच्या जावे
मिठीमधे त्याला घ्यावे
शाश्वतात विरून जावे
सर्व नाशवंत
In a side thought : The song "Tya fulanchya gandhkoshi" by poet Suryakant Khandekar too emits similar thought where poet has just started pondering on the the thought but is not yet enlightenend ...composed and sung by Pt Hridaynath Mangeshkar
त्या फुलांच्या गंधकोषी, सांग तू आहेस का?
त्या प्रकाशी तारकांच्या, ओतिसी तू तेज का?
त्या नभांच्या नीलरंगी होऊनिया गीत का?
गात वायूच्या स्वरांने, सांग तू आहेस का?
मानवाच्या अंतरीचा प्राण तू आहेस का?
वादळाच्या सागराचे घोर ते तू रुप का?
जीवनी या वर्षणारा तू कृपेचा मेघ का?
आसमंती नाचणारी, तू विजेची रेघ का?
जीवनी संजीवनी तू, माऊलीचे दूध का?
कष्टणार्या बांधवांच्या रंगसी नेत्रात का?
मूर्त तू मानव्य का रे, बालकांचे हास्य का?
या इथे अन त्या तिथे रे, सांग तू आहेस का?
To me , Vibhaas has always appealed as a deep morning thought , an enlightenment that makes one explore and persist inspite of all the tribulations .. it has that perfect blend of grandiose , poise and thoughtfulness of primordial Bhairav along with the pensive touch of Marwa. The Yang and Yin of life !
Raag Purvi and the raagaang / thaat associated with it has always fascinated me. In fact , one of the most haunting melodies associated with this matrix in Raag Purvi / Gauri / Shree / Puriya Dhanashree , composed by Pt Hridaynath Mangeshkar, "Jeevalaga rahile re dur ghar" and "Dayaaghanaa" brought me close to Khyaal music / raagdari music and in a way to Hindustani Classical Music. I became a "fanatic" of his "Bhaavsargam maifils (soirees) in Pune and Bombay during my college days, where he sang impromptu almost all night long. Those were really "Wonder years", where younger Hridaynath sang for hours , conversing ,singing impromptu bandishes on which some of his songs were based !
I truly miss such kind of musical soirees now.
The "Poorvi-Pooriya Dhanashree-Paraj-Basant Axis" as mathematician Parrikar explains it, is truly a wonderful set of raags of twilight. I would also include in this axis , the kernel of Shree and Gauri. Almost all raags in this axis are a serious type of raags of evening / twilight that brings a mood of longing and nostalgia, prompting the listener to ponder ! With subtle differences in their chalans , these raags touch a listener, more so with the literature and philosophy of their bandishes and songs based on these bandishes. Jeevalaga by Savanee Ravindraa on youtube is a good unplugged version .. many similar renditions could be found on youtube and the one I liked is of Manjushree Oak.. a rendition that gives the mature feel of the bandish and the lyrics. One other rendition of Manjushree Oak , "Ghanu vaje ghun ghuna" based on Bageshree-Gorakh Kalyan too is among my favorites
In this post , I would like to dwell about the "classic" song "Shyam sundar raajasa" based on Paraj-Bahar (with a tinge of Kishori Amonkar famed Pancham Rageshree ) recorded in 1965.
This song haunts one's mind and does not leave a serious listener with any other melodies or thoughts for hours and days together. It almost occupies every minute of your day and just refuses to leave ! I have had this experience and always get those goosebumps and hauntings whenever I hear this rendition of GaanSaraswati , composed by Pt Hrudaynath Mangeshkar , to the lyrics of Shantabai Shelke.
हे श्यामसुंदर राजसा, मनमोहना विनवुनी सांगते तुज जाउ दे मला परतुनी !
गाव गोकुळ दूर राहे दूर यमुनानीर वाहे हरवले मी कसे मज चालले कुठे घनवनीं ?
पावरीचा सूर भिडला मजसि माझा विसर पडला नकळता पाउले मम राहिली इथे थबकुनी !
पानजाळी सळसळे का ? भिवविती रे लाख शंका ! थरथरे, बावरे मन संगती सखी नच कुणी !
One other nice Audio-Visual presentation and interpretation of this song is here on youtube
Before I start my interpretation of this "classic" song, I bow in obeisance to all three of them , for this creation , that has proved to be a gem , a "thing forever" for every student of classical music / khyaal / poetry / literature / philosophy or life ! All the connoisseurs of music , art and philosophy are indebted to them !
In my opinion and pondering, I realize that many have interpreted this song as a thought of Raadha ( a seeker of liberation through bhakti marg). I however would like to present a different interpretation here. I think that this poetry / song is a pondering of a "Mumukshu" ( a sanskrit term for one who is focused on attaining liberation, and a seeker of knowledge and truth )
These are thoughts of a Mumukshu who has reached far at a point in his/her path of attaining liberation, where he finds himself alone/lonely with no one (guru) to guide further. He feels lost and is frightened. He is questioning himself about the path that he is threading. He is enlightened to some realities of life and wishes to return from a "point of no return" !( may be due to disillusionment or foreseeing prospect of death before attaining liberation ). I also feel that this Mumukshu has traveled on the path of "Dnyan Marg" ( as against bhakti marg as in case of Radhaa )
I must apologize to the knowledgeable masters in Philosophy and Spiritual sciences, upfront if my amateurish "spiritual/philosophical" interpretation of this song is wrong because of lack of my knowledge in this domain but ,there are reasons for my interpretation of this song the way I have inferred it above from various clues in lyrics , the choice of raag / melody , the choice of singer by the composer and the overall feel of the song and its impact.
Here they are... some of those clues and data points upon which I have inferred my interpretation :
"विनवुनी सांगते तुज जाउ दे मला परतुनी" - A request to let him return without further threading the path ( regret / disillusionment )
"हरवले मी कसे मज चालले कुठे घनवनीं ?" - Having realized that one is lost in jungle , unable to find a path ahead
"मजसि माझा विसर पडला नकळता पाउले मम राहिली इथे थबकुनी" - After having forgotten "self" on the path to liberation, a point comes when one realizes that the destination is either lost or is unreachable through the path or the body foreseeing the approaching death
"पानजाळी सळसळे का ? भिवविती रे लाख शंका" - The word "Salsale" points towards a reptile or something like a snake ( kaal sarp ) that might signify approaching death that frightens and doubts all the good reasoning that was conceived earlier while following the road taken (path)
"थरथरे, बावरे मन संगती सखी नच कुणी !" - Why would a Mumukshu be frightened , his strong mind waver and regret that there is no companion ? Doesnt this signify disillusionment ?
Some other facts about this song that have pointed towards my interpretation are :
1) My interpretation of this song was more lucid and clear to myself after the sudden death of Gaansaraswati Kishori Amonkar. Her life , her demeanor ,her personality , her brilliance (as a Mumukshu on Dnyan marg) and her sudden unexpected "natural" death .. everything depicts what could be the crux of this song.
2) Shantabai Shelke who undoubtedly is the Saraswati of Marathi literature, blessed with knowledge and highest aptitude of Marathi language ( Vaagyeshwari ) , was herself an ardent "Seeker of truth through Dnyan marg" (mumukshu)
3) The insight of brilliant Pt Hridaynath Mangeshkar , who chose to record this song based on the melody of Paraj-Bahar (plus pancham Bageshree) in the voice of then young and brilliant Kishori Amonkar, in year 1965, sidelining his own talented sisters (Lata , Asha ) who were two of the topmost in those days !
On a personal side note : This song rightly does not belong to voice quality and the personalities of either Lata or Asha. Lata would have sounded it like more of a "longing" ( like Ghanu vaaje ghuna ghun ) and Asha may have either romanticized it or made it sound like Jeevalaga !
This completes my pondering and musings on the interpretation of"Shyamsundar Raajasa".
Critical comments , corrections , comments in agreement or disagreement are all welcome.
Raag Bageshree is a very pleasing raag of Kafi thaat, very popular among almost all gharanas and maesteros. This raag , however has extended its limits over period of time , trespassing , encroaching upon the territory of others. It is a classic example of how the artistic freedom of performing a raag has gone too far, stretching the limits of a raag ... "rules of a raag" are amended over a period of time to accomodate almost everything that is sung in that matrix or around !
So much so that when one starts looking at raags like Gorakh Kalyan , Narayani, Nayaki Kanada , some versions of Durga and Malgunji , one is struck at the fact that Bageshree has almost overshadowed these distinct raags by including their kernel into itself over a period of time !
Looking at Raag Bageshree, one is amazed at the way "rules" of Raagdaari sangeet are so twisted and turned in order to accomodate everything that maestroes do or simply to include every modification under one popular umbrella !!
Officially and originally , Raag Bageshree was supposed to be Audav-Shadav raag ( 5 notes in ascending and 6 in descending ). However , due to artistic freedom of maesteros, over period of time, it was upgraded to two more versions
Version 1 ( Standard Original ) : Audav-Shadav - R and P are varjit in ascending, P in descending
Version 2 Audav-Sampoorn: R and P are varjit in ascending
Version 3 Sampoorn-Sampoorn: All the swaras are present
The problem is clearly noticed when labeling a rendion to Gorakh Kalyan , Bageshree or Narayani. This is especially true when one hears younger singers who are performing one without the knowledge of other two! More so in case of Instrumentalists than the vocalists (where bandishes almost define raag)
I would not be surprised if someone starts calling this matrix as "Bageshree ragaang" or "Bageshree Thaat" in future ! Popularity among connoisseurs and performers could be the reason for this unhindered Bageshree encroachment !
Hindustani or Indian Classical Music never fails to fascinate. Whether its a seasoned connoisseur or someone listening to it for first time. It invokes some kind of "Bhaav" or some kind of "Vichar" (thought).. some kind of "Khayal" !
The uniqueness of this music is that it has that subjective feeling to each and every individual evoking "Thoughts" / "Moods" and thats the beauty of it. Every individual interprets it based on his/her "nature" with some definitive common ness that unites it to render a certain mood based on the time of day or season !
I have now and then experienced this fascinating phenomenon !
With the roots of "Khayal" or "Khyaal" gayaki in Gwalior gharana , which is called complete eigthfold ( ashtang pradhan ), other styles or gharanans have predominance and are specialized in certain aspects of this "Ashtang gayaki" ..
Agra retaining its roots to Dhrupad style mixed with laykaari
Kirana with a kind of bhakti ras mixed with romance..taans, khatkas and murkis stressing the acuteness of a "sur" bringing Carnatic influence.
Patiala with the free flow of romance , wilderness and grandiose of music ..
It is quite natural that these styles will attract individuals based on their nature and disposition. Also some styles would suit certain kind of mood , time and season !
( I am however not much inclined to mixing two / three styles in one rendition like some kind of potpouri, though such experiments are becoming quite common and routine currently. This might be one reason of losing the "classical ness" of the Khayal singing ! ) #ICM#HCM#ClassicalMusic#HindustaniClassicalMusic#IndianClassicalMusic
