Pravachan
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Pravachan is a form of Hindu religious discourse, which are lectures on scriptures. A Pravachan Pandit becomes a spiritual interpreter of these Scriptures.
Pravachans are usually on a religious theme, usually the life of a saint or a story from one of India’s epics. These discourses seem to have a soothing effect on people's anxious nerves and serve as a security fallback for them. Pravachans sometimes become very emotional. People who listen to Pravachans have become more tolerant of their brethren, a sense of giving has been inculcated in them.
In the olden days Pravanchan pundits were often well versed in the Sanskrit language and educated and well trained in Veda Sastras and Vedanta. It is easier to listen to some Pandit or Purohit who is conducting a Pravachan to understand some of the scriptures. Basically the Pandit elaborates on the significance of the sloka or scripture he reads and gives several bhavas and angles to look at a single verse.
Pravachan, Harikatha, Kalakshepa, Upanyasam, Villupattu are all similar in the sense they are interpretations and story telling on religious theme, yet they have different styles.
South India has a long tradition of religious discourse. Religious scholars such as Oduvars who were knowledgeable in religious scriptures used to render discourses in Temples and monasteries. Villuppttu, in which folk stories were told accompanied by a stringed instrument resembling a bow, was also popular in Tamil Nadu. A form of Kalakshepa, in which the story teller, usually proficient in Carnatic music, interspersed the main story with music, dance and sub-stories, was also prevalent. Harikatha is a composite art form with story telling, poetry, music, drama, dance, and philosophy. Harikatha involves the narration of a story, intermingled with various songs relating to the story.
Pravachan on the other hand interprets slokas and scriptures and does not involve as much singing. A Pravachan can take several days to interpret a single line from a sloka. Paruthiyur Krishna Sastri’s ‘Rasanishyandini' is an example of a detailed Ramayana explanatory work.
The period from 1870 to 1940 could be described as the golden age of the art of Pravachan, Harikatha, Kathakalakshepam and Upanyasa, not only in Tamilnadu but also in Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Kerala. The Kathakalakshepam style of Thanjavur Krishna Bagavathar (1841-1903) became the standard for all other great Bagavathars in this field for the next 50 years. Krishna Bagavathar was a disciple of Saint Thiagaraja. Soolamangalam Vaidyanatha Bagavathar (1866-1943), Mangudi Chidambara Bagavathar (1880-1938), Chitrakavi Sivarama Bagavathar (1869-1951), Soolamangalam Soundararaja Bagavathar (1890-1925), C Saraswathi Bai (1894-1974), and N S Krishna Bagavathar (1892-1984) were all inspired by the style and technique of Thanjavur Krishna Bagavathar.
Mannargudi Sambasiva Bhagavatar, Tanjavur T.N. Subramanya Bhagavatar and T.S. Balakrishna Sastrigal were Harikatha experts. Kalakkad Muthuswami Sastrigal, Sengalipuram Muthanna Sastri, Samartha Ramadas Swamigal, Paruthiyur Krishna Sastri, Sengalipuram Anantarama Dikshitar, were the Pravachan experts of this Golden Age.
In Later years Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, Vivekananda gave excellent Pravachans. Afterwards, Keeran, Krubananda Variyar, and Krishnapremi gave captivating lectures.
In the recent years Sant Sri Asaramji Bapu, Swami Dayananda Saraswati[1], Baba Ramdev, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, Sathya Sai Baba, Mata Amritanandamayi, Aniruddha Bapu, are some of the many spiritual gurus who draw huge crowds.
Of late Prema Pandurang, Jaya Raw, and Hariji, Vishaka Hari are popular. They cut across age, caste, creed etc. with their soul-inspiring discourses. They are even able to reach western audiences.
Famous scholar & Vedantha Shiromani with the Kanchi Kamakoti Mutt Kumbakonam, Rishiyur Sri N. Santhanam Aiyar (1887-1945), who translated Krishna Sastris Rasanishyandini in 1943, best describes Paruthiyur Krishna Sastri in his book. He quotes ~ “ Paruthiyur and Krishna Sastri are synonymous, and in the Kaliyuga only Krishna Sastri is equal to Maharishi Valmiki in Rama bhakthi and capable of extolling the Virtues of Lord Rama. No Pravachan of Ramayana is complete without prayers to Valmiki and Krishna Sastri ”
