Syama Sastri
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Shayama Shastri is among the most renowned composers of Carnatic music; indeed, he was the senior-most of the Trinity of Carnatic music, along with Tyagaraja and Muthuswamy Dikshitar.
[edit] Early years
He was born Venkatakrishna, in Tiruvarur (of Thanjavur district in Tamil Nadu) on April 26, 1762, into the scholarly and priestly Telugu Brahmin family of Viswanatha Iyer; a family not particularly interested in music. Though Shyama Shastri attained scholarship in Telugu and Sanskrit at a young age, he got no further than the elementary stages in music education, in spite of his melodious voice. When he was eighteen years old, his family moved to Tanjore.
Around then, his family got a chance to host a sanyasi (monk), sangitaswami, a master of dance and music, who was spending some four months in Tanjore. The sanyasi was quick to discover Shyama Shastri's keen intellect, melodious voice and musical talent and foresaw greatness in him. He obtained the father's consent to tutor the son in music and taught Shyama Shastri all aspects of raga, tala and swara prasthara-s. The teacher found that the student could absorb even the intricate details very quickly, all in a matter of four months or less. Sangitaswami presented Shyama Shastri with a few rare treatises on music and certified that the student had gained full knowledge on the theoretical aspects of music. He advised his student to seek the friendship of and listen to the music (but not learn anything from) one Pacchimiriam Adiyappa, a composer of the famous bhairavi ata tala varnam, viriboni, and a court musician in Tanjore. Shyama Shastri duly did as he was advised.
Over the years, Shyama Shastri became a well-known and respected musician, scholar and a composer. He was quite admired and respected by Tyagaraja and it appears that the two of them often held scholarly and lengthy discussions on their latest compositions. Shyama Shastri, like his father was the archaka (priest) in the Bangaru Kamakshi Temple in Tanjore. He was a very pious and genuine devotee of Goddess Kamakshi. He is believed to have lost consciousness of the outside world on several occasions as he prayed to the Goddess. On such occasions, he would sing his kriti-s extemporaneously. His father had the patronage of the Tanjore king. Hence, the family was financially comfortable. } Shyama Shastri had two sons, Panju Shastri and Subbaraya Shastri. The former became a priest and the latter was a versatile musician (and a disciple of Tyagaraja). Through Panju Shastri, the family tree grew and produced quite a few scholars. Shyama Shastri's great grandson was alive till the age of 94 and died only in 1950. Hence, many incidents of Shyama Shastri's life are known. He was reportedly a tall and a rather stout person with a fondness for betel leaves! Shyama Shastri, like Tyagaraja and Dikshitar, was well-versed in astrology. Like his great contemporaries, he too correctly predicted the time of his passing. He died on February 6, 1827, six days after, his devoted wife.
Although he did not compose as many kriti-s as his two prolific contemporaries, Shyama Shastri's compositions are equally well known. It is said that he has composed about three hundred pieces in all. He did not have too many disciples to propagate his compositions, nor was the printing press an easy convenience during his time! More importantly, the scholarly nature of his compositions was not appealing to the layperson; they needed to be studied to be savoured. He composed in Telugu, Sanskrit and Tamil and mostly on Goddess Devi. He has composed kriti-s in, varnam-s and swarajati-s with the ankita/mudra (signature) 'Shyama Krishna'. He is said to be the architect of the swarajati musical form. His set of three famous swarajati-s is referred to as ratna trayam. These are in Bhairavi, Yadukulakambodhi and Todi.
Shyama Shastri's compositionsare usually in common raga-s, except for a few in raga-s such as Manji, Chintamani, Kalagada and Karnataka Kapi. His favourite raga-s seem to have been Saveri and Anandabhairavi, judging from the number of kriti-s composed in these raga-s. Anandabhairavi, an old raga that was frequently used in folk music, seemed to acquire a new stature after he composed masterpieces such as mariveregati, himachala tanaya, o jagadamba, pahi sri giriraja and even a couple of varnam-s in it. His rare originality was in swara sahitya compositions and the use of swarakshara. In other words, swara and sahitya having identical sounding syllables such as 'padasarara' corresponding to the swara-s pa da sa in the kriti, devi ni in Kambodhi. Though most of his compositions are on Goddess Kamakshi, he is said to have composed his navaratnamalika on Goddess Meenakshi of Madurai at the request of a person unknown to him. These include kriti-s such as saroja dala netri in Shankarabharanam, mayamma in Ahiri, meena lochana brova in Dhanyasi , etc. His Krithis usually have the pen-name ShyamaKrishna in the charanam of the song.
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| Carnatic music | |
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| List of Carnatic composers | |
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| List of Carnatic singers | |
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Shyama Shastri would perhaps stand out most for the "rhythmic beauties" employed in his kriti-s, such as the use of five-syllable words like sarasamukhi, varamosagu, kamalamukhi, etc. These correspond to the rhythmic phrase "ta dhin gi na thom". His kriti-s feature the abundant use of the misra chapu tala (4+3). He also features dual rhythms as in sankari samkuru in raga saveri, with the inherent rhythm of rupakam and a suggestive rhythm of adi tala. "Shyama Shastri had a rhythmical frame of mind and he was always swimming in the ethereal regions of rhythm and tala prasthara.
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[edit] Other Info
The eldest of the musical TRINITY, Shyama Shastri, was born on April 26,1762. His given name was Venkatakrishna 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.
