Articles

 Articles By Naresh Keerthi….

1  .Vidwan Anandarama Udupa (1929-2010)

Anandarama Udupa was a gentle giant, who notated thousands of compositions of more than a score of vaggeyakara-s, in Kannada script, for the benefit of musicians and students of Carnatic music. He passed away on the 13^th of December.

Vid. Shri Anandarama Udupa was born in Barakooru, in Udupi jilla, of South Kanara. Udupa’s first teachers were his father Krishna Udupa and brother Srinivasa Udupa, who were both learned in vocal music and played the violin as well. They were interested in music pedagogy, and brought out a volume ‘Sangeethabalapathavali’.

Anandarama Udupa further added to his natural swara gnana, by learning music from a flautist N.Gopalakrishna Ayyar, at the Kalaniketana school for music in Mangalore. Ever since then, by dint of perseverance and enthusiasm, he collected an amazing repository of notations and lyrics of the compositions of all major and minor vaggeyakara-s.

Udupa was employed at Kalaniketana as an instructor, and then worked in the revenue and postal departments; but his heart was always in music. He indefatigably collected various publications on music, and built up an enviable library of music literature, that he preserved and further made available to the Kannada reading public.

Udupa’s publication in Kannada transliteration of more than 3500 kriti-s, in Sanskrit, Telugu, Kannada Tamil and Malayalam, with well-edited lyrics, and word by word translations, stands testimony to the passion and erudition of this self taught polyglot. Udupa, along with a few others like Matthur Shankaramurthy was a pioneer in making available a wide range of kriti-s to the musicians of Karnataka.

His bookshelves have rows upon rows of neatly bound volumes, that have notations to kritis written in Udupa’s amazingly neat calligraphy. He has compiled from various sources, the complete available works of Tyagaraja, the Dikshitar and Shyama shastri families, and other composers like Patnam Subrahmanyayyar, Puchi Srinivasa ayyangar, Ponnayya, Harikeshanallur Muthiah Bhagavatar, Veena Sheshanna and Vasudevacharya.

What was exceptional about Anandarama Udupa was that he learnt every single song that he has notated. He always spoke about judicious interpretation of notations, in keeping with the gamaka-s and anuswara-s pertinent to the raga swarupa.

Publications

Udupa’s first compilation to be printed was a set of compositions of ‘Meenakshisuta’ which he transliterated from Tamil to Kannada. This was followed by another volume, both being published by Sruthi Ranjani foundation, Bangalore. Knowing Udupa’s deep interest in the songs of Mutthuswami Dikshitar, Sruthi Ranjani encouraged him to bring out an exhaustive compilation of the songs attributed to Mutthuswami Dikshitar. Udupa took up the task as a labour of love, and the result was ‘Guruguha gana vaibhava’ – a two volume book, with all the kritis, varnams and nottuswarams of Mutthuswami Dikshitar found in the Sangeetha Sampradaya Pradarshini, the books of Anantakrishna Ayyar and Sundaram Ayyar, and some krithis that have been in oral traditions, but were never published. Differences in pathantara-s have been put on record, with sources mentioned.

This tome is doubly special, in that it also has an introduction and scholarly commentary on the tantra content of the krithi-s by the legendary Prof.S.K.Ramachandra Rao. This is the only content of the book that has been type-set. The rest is all in Udupa’s remarkable copperplate handwriting. The pages are scans of his handwritten notations, and are hence free of any errors that normally creep into the type-setting of music notations. His books haven’t needed proof-reading for the same reason.

Udupa followed this up with a reprint of his father’s ‘Sangeethabalapathavali’, the Melaragamalika of Maha Vaidyanatha Sivan and an exhaustive compilation of the songs of Shyama Shastri and his descendants. A compilation of 108 selected, representative kriti-s of Tyagaraja followed.

Anandarama Udupa then embarked on his biggest project – a Kannada translation of the Sangeetha Sampradaya Pradarshini of Subbarama Dikshitar. He took care to also translate the Prathamabhyasapustakamu of Subbarama dikshitar, which was sadly neglected by both the Music Academy, and the Andhra Sahitya Academy, when they brought out Tamil and Telugu reprints, respectively. He incorporated the critical edition that Sangeethakalanidhi Rallapalli Anantakrishna Sarma had done in the Andhra Sahitya Academy edition and also corrected the lyrics of the Kannada suladi-s and devaranama-s in the book.

Udupa, despite his poor health wrote out all of 2220 pages, notating the gitam-s, kriti-s, tanam-s, sancari-s and other pieces of the Pradarshini. The care he has taken to maintain correctness and consistency is evident throughout. In the Prathamabhyasapustakamu, where there are kriti-s notated in tala-s different from prevalent one, he has mentioned the prevalent tala and the eduppu, in a footnote.

This publication was brought out by the Ananya GML cultural academy, run by R.V.Raghavendra. Anandarama Udupa also contributed one composition in notation for each issue of the journal Ananya Abhivyakti, brought out by this organization, bringing several rare varna-s and kriti-s to the readers. Udupa also gifted the Ananya library with a complete set of his handwritten notations.

The scholar, the man

He was a most gracious person, self-effacing and unassuming. Request him for a notation, and he would shame you, by giving not a photocopy of his older notation, but writing out a copy, in his exquisite hand. He soaked himself in music, and has told me how he took down in a concert of T.K.Rangachari some unusual sangatis for a Garudadhwani kriti, or how he wrote down an older notation for ‘Inta saukhyamani’ during a conference demonstration.

The last time I visited Anandarama Udupa, he was in poor shape, and had to resort to an oxygen cylinder every few minutes. Nonetheless, he would take intervals to sit at his table, notating some or the other song, only to return for another gulp of oxygen.

Anandarama Udupa lived a full, meaningful, worthwhile life and his memory will be kept fresh ever time someone learns, teaches or sings a song using his notation. The neat regular pearls-on-a-string script that he wrote reflected the methodical, disciplined and aesthetic life that he led.

Such selfless savants who haven’t sought any aid or assistance, but have made colossal contributions are indeed rare. They are shining exemplars of what can be done by one individual, with grit and perseverance; and are also sad reminders of how ineffectual and wasteful some of our lives are.

Naresh Keerthi

(nakeerthi@gmail.com)

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2 .Veene Sheshanna and the influence of his music

Vainika Shikhamani Veene Sheshanna was a prominent, towering musical personality of his times in Mysore. This is due to a multitude of reasons. That he came from a line of musicians, who trace their ancestry to Adyappayya(the composer of the Bhairavi varna ‘Viribhoni’), that he enjoyed the favour of the royalty, that he was an artiste and composer of merit, who had travelled the breadth of the country, performing, and listening to others perform; Any or all of these factors could have have responsible for Sheshanna placing a lasting imprint on the music and musicians of his times.

We have no access to recordings of Sheshanna, though he did cut 78 rpms for the HMV company^[1] . Our perception of Sheshanna is through his compositions, from the meagre accounts left behind by his confreres and from his influence on them, evident in their music.

1.   Sangeeta Kalanidhi Rallapalli Anantakrishna Sarma, the inimitable sahitya-sangita Vidwan, who brought pride to the states of Andhra and mysore, by his birth and domicile respectively, had the greatest regard for Sheshanna. He is said to have commented that ‘the crest-jewel (kalasha-gopura actually) of Carnatic music has fallen’, when Sheshanna passed away. The affection and admiration that Anantakrishna Sarma bore for Sheshanna is evident from his articles in ‘Ganakale’ – a compilation of his articles, in Kannada translation.

Sri Anantakrishna Sarma was also a composer of rare merit, and in his Kanada swarajati ,has paid tribute to the Vainika Shikhamani.

The fourth Charana of his swarajati in Kanada goes

M,DPDP G,G, MRSRNR/S,, ,NSR/ GMPRGMPG/

MPMD,D PDPN,N DNSR/ SNSRNSP,/,,MPD MP/

This reminds one of Sheshanna’s phrase in his Kharaharapriya Swarajati –

MPMD,D PDPN,N DPMG / PM,G RSRG / MPDN S,DN/

in the third line of the fourth carana. It can’t be a coincidence that both have used the same striking phrase.

1.   Karnataka kApi, is a beautiful raga, and is nearly extinct, having donated away its character to kAnada, kApi, kharaharapriya and rudrapriya. It was the original kapi of ksetrayya’s Adaranamovi and innAlu teliya, it was used by all three of Tyagaraja, Mutthuswami dikshitar and Shama shastri, and also has an exquisite pada varna,of the Tanjore quartette, with lyrics in both telugu and Sanskrit (Sumasayaka and sarasa nanu??)The raga even has a krti by ‘Margadarshi ’ Sheshayyangar.

When newer ragas like the modern kapi, kanada and kharaharapriya cropped up, it became quite a challenge to perform Karnataka kapi, without straying into these. While the rest of the carnatic music world was slowly forgetting this raga, it flourished in the mysore state, by merit of two swarajati-s the simpler Adi tala one of Veena padmanAbhaiah, and the comprehensive Ata tala one of Sheshanna.

Later, when Mutthiah Bhagavatar used Karnataka kapi in his Devi and Siva Ashtottara shata compositions, the unmistakable stamp of Sheshanna is seen in his treatment of Karnataka kapi.

Consider the krti on siva in Karnataka Kapi, ‘Sarvaswaroopam’. The chittaswara goes –

/;N S,RG MPMG, MR,S / NRS, ,RGM / PDP, MG,M//

/RS-RGMPDNDPMPDNSP/ DNSRG,M/ RSND PMGM//RS

The phrase in bold is the very beginning phrase of Sheshanna’s swarajati in Karnataka kapi – ‘PDP,MG,MRSR,,’

Sheshanna struck a golden mean between the old and the new by handling hoary ragas like Karnataka Kapi, Pharaz and Malavasri, besides the weighty Kambhoji and Saveri. He hasn’t neglected the uncommon mela-s like Vanaspati and Gamanasrama(literally tough going!) or other exotics like Darbari, jhinjoti and pilu (in which he even cut a record)

It is said that Sheshanna reveled in playing the raga ‘Pancama’ and that he would play an elaborate delineation of the Tacchur brothers’ song ‘Kanikaramununci’ in this raga. The preponderance of Pancama raga in Mutthiah Bhagavatar’s compositions, cannot, but make one wonder; were they inspired by Sheshanna’s performances?

1.   Sheshanna visited several princely states, major and minor principalities, mutts of various denominations and performed there, charming audiences wherever he went. He was also instrumental in introducing several artistes from other places to the Mysore court.

Patnam Subrahmanyayyar and his disciple Ramnad Srinivasa ayyangar, both performed in mysore, and interacted with Sheshanna.

A Thodi/ Sindu bhairavi tillana referring to Ugra Bhupala Pandya, the regent of Ramnad, is attributed to both Sheshanna and to Patnam Subrahmanyayyar.

Puchi Srinivasa ayyangar’s Anandabhairavi piece ‘Sadbhaktiyu galgajesi’ (popularized by Ariyakudi) borrows a lot from Sheshanna’s ‘Rama ninnu nera nammiti’ – the Rupaka tala gait, several musical phrasings and even some of the words are repeated (vidipincu, vidipincina etc.)

There is a ragamalika, which was popular until 50 years ago, that goes ‘Amba ninnu nera nammiti Anandabhairavi’. The pallavi tune is identical to that of ‘Rama ninnu nera nammiti nannu brova ra’. This ragamalika is attributed to Misu Krishna Ayyar.

1.   Janjuti – Call it janjuti, jhinjhoti or cenjurutti; the Carnatic world mostly knows this raga from Sheshanna’s immortal tillana, which was and is very popular, and can be treated as a grammar of the raga. His tillana along with his swarajati in this raga (often misattributed to Walajapet Venkataramana Bhagavatar) opens one’s eyes to a cosmic ‘Viswarupa’ aspect of the raga.

Vasudevacharya has a charming composition in this raga – ‘Pranatartiharam’. If the lyric was a tribute to one of his gurus – Patnam Subrahmanyayyar, who lived in front of the Pranatartihara temple in Tiruvayyar, the raga choice was definitely paying homage to one of his early mentors – Sheshanna.

The very pallavi of this song reflects Sheshanna’s tillana in its score.

Vasudevacharya, in his memoirs, waxes eloquent about the wizardry of Sheshanna’s music, and the intimate relationship he had with his music. He also gives us an insight into the human side of Sheshanna, relating several adventures he (Vasudevacharya) had with Sheshanna.

Sheshanna must have been an aesthete par excellence. The raga portraits he paints – Saveri, Devagandhari or Natakuranji in his varnas, can only amaze the student or the listener. They are hard nuts to crack, but are brimming over with the life-sap of the raga, demanding both technical virtuosity and aesthetic maturity of the performer.

Also, his compositions refute the fallacy that the mysore style of music is deficient in Gamakas. The Saveri varna alone includes several delightful jarus, kampitas orikkais(kurula) and Ahata-pratyahata (sphurita), the last of which was a prominent feature of the music of Mysore; now sadly vanishing all over.

All the above observations do not depreciate the musical worth of the vidwans mentioned. They just go to show how receptive and catholic, the scholars of yore were.

Vasudevacharya’s story about his and Puchi ayyangar’s identical compositions in Megharanjani corroborates this fact. All art is an amalgamation of the old and the new, part original and part imitation.

The effect it generates, the aesthetic experience (rasanubhava) obliterates all the nitty gritty technical details that went into the creation of the experience. Such must have been the music of Sheshanna.

[1] – GC 8 17989/90 – mariyada gadura – Sankarabharanam

– GC 8 17983/84 – RTP Kalyani

– GC 8 17992/93 – Sahana, Kanada

– GC 8 17994/95 – Pilu, Kapi

http://res.allpdftools.com/allpdftools/pdf-download-resources/Last_lecture.pdf

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3.Mutthuswamy Dikshita and  Adi Shankara….

Adi Shankara, the genius who represented the best of all that is good in Indian philosophy, rhetoric and critical thinking, lived in a time when the Vedic culture was losing royal and lay patronage to the more egalitarian and seemingly non-violent ways of the bauddha and the jaina. This was a time when the Hindu religious scene was beleaguered by the godless charvaka-s and the occult kapalika-s.

He infused a new vigour into the polemic and doctrinal discourse of the ‘Sanatana dharma’. Shankaracarya didn’t hesitate to use some of the methods employed by the rival communities in tarka (logic) and nyaya (rhetoric) to make his case in establishing a rational logical interpretation of Indian philosophy.

Shankara tried to reconcile the warring factions of the vaidika dharma by bringing the different cults under one scheme of worship. One of the titles recited in the ‘Birudavali’ of the pontiffs in Shankara’s lineage, is ‘Shan-mata-pravartaka’ or ‘Shan-matha-pratishtapana-acarya’ – meaning ‘the preceptor who firmly established the six-fold religion’.This form of worship entailed reverence of Shiva (Shaiva), Devi (Sakta), Ganesa (Ganapata), Surya (Saura), Shanmukha (Kaumara) and Vishnu (Vaishnava).

If Adi Shankara was a Shan-mata-pravartaka, Mutthuswami Dikshita – the composer can be called the Shan-mata-pravardhaka – the proponent of the six-fold religion.

The firstborn to Ramaswami Dikshita — a serious student of the practical and conceptual principles of music — Mutthuswami Dikshita (MD) was steeped in a milieu of music and learning. Ramaswami Dikshita imparted to his children the best principles of music that he had imbibed from Merattur Virabhadrayya and Venkata-Vaidyanatha Dikshita.

The songs of Ramaswami Dikshita indicate that he had visited some sacred Ksetra-s such as Kalahasti and Tirupati, both close to Chennai where he lived, under the patronage of Manali Chinnaswamy Mudaliyar. Along with musical skills, MD inherited his father’s wanderlust, and toured a large part of India, recording a melodious travelogue, in the form of his Krti corpus. MD’s songs aren’t merely devotional namavali-s, they are each a masterpiece of poetry and music, brimming with Puranic allusions, iconographic and geographic details and also with information about the various festivals and services performed at the shrines where he sang.

MD’s life and music, in several ways, exemplify the spirit and message of Shankaracarya. While he has described several details of the temples and deities, he almost always makes a statement about the importance of the ritual-free worship of the ‘nirguna’, attribute-less

One.

Shankara and Dikshita – debtors both

The shastras say that each human being has to clear three debts in his/her lifetime – the Deva-Rna (debt to the Gods), the Rshi-Rna (debt to the sages) and Pitr-Rna (debt to the ancestors)

– Deva Rna

Shankara discharged the Deva-Rna by breathing life into the Advaita-tattva. He traveled the length and breadth of India, visiting the sacred spots and centres of learning. Shankara enjoyed an unqualified success in all doctrinal debates that he engaged in, winning over some, and winning several over to his philosophy.

Shankara knew that cognition and contemplation of a formless locus was hard for the lay believers, and wrought a happy compromise between the rigour of monastic practice with household worship. Recognising the need to respect traditional worship, he codified the Shan-mata-s.

The worship of Surya was a continuance of the aboriginal nature worship. Adoration of Ganapati was a new form of the old spirit/goblin worship. Devi, the mother goddess, too was a carryover from prehistoric times. The propitiation of Siva/Rudra, Hari/Vishnu and Kumara/Shanmukha was the result of the merging of Vedic deities with local deities.

Besides the commentaries Shankara wrote on the brahmasutra-s, the Upanishad-s and the bhagavad-gita, several stotra-s (devotional verses) are attributed to him, including the Moha-mudgara (Bhaja Govindam) and the Saundarya Lahari.

MD too, took his Deva-Rna seriously. He was a Srividya initiate, with the Diksha name Cidanandanatha Yogi. He refers to himself by these names in the Malavagaula piece ‘Srinathadi guruguho’ and in the Mangalam ‘Simhasanasthite’.

The influence of Shankaracarya on MD is evident from many of his songs – MD says, in the song ‘Gauri girirajakumari’ –

“Sudha-sindhu-madhye¹ Cintamanyaagare²

Shivaakaara-mance³ Para-shiva-paryanka-vihaare⁴”

and “kadamba-vipinaagaare^5” in another krti in the raga Gauri.

This is a paraphrase of the tenth verse of the Saundarya-lahari –

“Sudha-sindhor-madhye^1’ suravitapi-vaati-parivrte

Mani-dwipe nipopavanavati^5’ cintamani-grhe^2’/

Shivaakare mance^3’ paramashiva paryanka-nilayam^4’

Bhajanti tvam dhanyah katicana cidananda laharim//”

Mutthuswamy dikshita, while a fully enlightened soul immersed in the experience of the ultimate undescribable One, also knew that ‘IT’ manifested Itself in so many beautiful and aesthetic forms which delighted all the senses and the mind. Hence his songs exalt the formless (nirguna) as well as the qualified (saguna) perceptions of God.

-Rshi Rna

Shankara fulfilled the Rshi rna – by studying, teaching and firmly establishing the ideas enunciated by the ancients. He built upon the philosophy of his guru Govinda Bhagavatpada, and pays homage to Vyasa and the other seers through his works.

MD was all for discharging the Rshi Rna. He is responsible for creating a corpus of music which represented the arsha (ancient) tradition. He strove to resuscitate the hallowed raga-s of old, which were fast vanishing, within his lifetime and composed songs in the seven major tala-s. MD’s compositions are characterized by rare prayogas and gamaka specialties.

He refers to the ancient masters of music in at least two songs – Matanga and Bharatamuni in the Rasamanjari piece – ‘Shrngara-rasamanjarim’ and Maruti, Nandi, Arjuna and Bharatacarya in the Bilahari song on Hatakeswara.

In style too, MD’s compositions can be said to be a logical continuation of the older ‘prabandha-s’.

MD’s recognition of the Rshi Rna is evident from all the references to the guru and the importance of Gurubhakti – ‘Shri guruna palitosmi’ and ‘natva shri-guru-caranam’.

– Pitr rna –

The pitr Rna is fulfilled through offspring, who ensure the continuance of one’s lineage. Shankara and MD both discharged this debt by leaving behind hosts of worthy disciples who were apostolic in carrying forward the legacy bequeathed to them.

Shankara demonstrated great acumen when he chose for his for amnaya pitha-s, the sites of Srngeri, which later was the spiritual nucleus of the Vijayanagar empire, Jyotir-math, hallowed by the presence of ancient saints, and reverberating with the echoes of old discussions and debates on philosophical matters, Dwaraka and Puri, both important temple towns, where all the peoples of Hind came to, by way of pilgrimage, and which were important coastal towns, centres of trade and entrepots.

Shankara’s disciples, who established monasteries all over the land, gave spiritual guidance to the laity and rulers alike, while involving themselves in contemplation and introspection – demonstrating an admirable balance between their roles in personal and community upliftment. Shankaracarya’s biography tells us how his prejudices about caste were destroyed upon encountering an eloquent bhairava (scavenger) in Kasi.

The monastic centres established by Shankara, are to this day, vibrant centres of learning and spiritual discourse.

MD had a large number of students and he taught everyone who approached him, irrespective of their caste. Among his most famous disciples were Tiruvarur Kamalam- the Devadasi, Suddhamaddalam Tambiyappan, who was partly responsible for the creation of the ‘Vara krti-s’ and the ‘Tanjavur’ quartette of Nattuvanar brothers.

The music of MD has come down to us from the flourishing lineage of disciples he taught – the Vedanta bhagavatar school, the Subbarama Dikshitar-Ambi Dikshitar thread (through the Anantakrishnayyar and Sundaramayyar schools,T.L.venkataramana Iyer’s students,DKP/DKJ etc) the Pancanadayyar school, (through Vina Dhanam) and the Ponnaiah thread (the students of Ponnaiah pillai and the Vainika K.P.Sivanandam)

Advaita tattva –

Shankara’s stotra-s, as well as his philosophical tracts reveal a well-grounded learning in not only grammar, prosody, astrology and poetry, but also in the finer aspects of music, and an acquaintance with the mores and practices of the populace. He strove for a gentle, gradual weaning away of the people, from the ritual-oriented mundane perception of God and the World, to an experiential, empirical attitude.

MD’s songs such as ‘Sadhu-janacitta-sarijOdayam’ in purna-pancamam and the Purvi piece – ‘Sriguruguhasya dasoham no cet Cid-guruguha eva-ahaM’ expound the same advaita principle.

The unison of measurer, the measured and the act of measurement; (mana-matr-meye in the Gamakakriya song ‘Minakshi me mudam dehi’) and of the prover, the proven and the proof (pramAtr-prameya-pramana-prakasa in Sri Matah the Begada song) are all underlying principles of Shankara’s Advaita, which MD alludes to often, for emphasis.

MD’s familiarity with the Lalita Sahasranama, the Lalita Trisati and the Devi bhagavata is again evident from his songs – but that is matter for another article.

Rites and righteousness –

While he describes rituals, temple services and even details of the deity’s favourite perfume, flower and eatable, MD hints at the importance of righteousness.

The lines ‘nirmala-hrdaya-nivasini’ in the Madhyamavati song and ‘shitala-hrdaya-viharam’ in the Jujavanti song will endorse this.

He frequently asserts the superiority of virtue over ceremony.

In the middle of his elaborate portrayal of the Tiruvarur festivities in the Sriragam piece Tyagaraja mahadhwajaroha, he says ‘bodha-amrta-maha-naivedya’ – the naivedya to be offered to the lord is the nectar of knowledge-enlightenment. He also says ‘sva-pujita-sadhu-jananam ati-sarale’ in the Begada song on Akhilandeswari; which means She is most accessible to the virtuous, who adore her within (their selves).

This echoes the names from the Lalita sahasranama – ‘Antar-mukha-samaradhya! bahir-mukha sudurlabha’ which mean ‘one who is easily accessible to those who look within, and most elusive to those who search without’.

Other connections –

MD’s father Ramaswami Dikshita was a student of Muddu-Venkatamakhi, also known as VenkataVaidyanatha Dikshita. When the latter visited Manali VenkataKrshna Mudaliyar, and when RD wanted to go through his copy of the Caturdandiprakasika, the scholar imposed a condition – that Ramaswami Diksita identify a scale he sang. RD not only recognized the raga as Tanukirti, but composed an appropriate song in it, which goes ‘nannu pariksincanEla?’ which translates to ‘why do you test me?’

Mutthuswami Diksita was invited by Upanishad Brahmendra, a pontiff, who lived in Kanci to set tune to his poem the Rama-ashtapadi. While the text is available, unfortunately, the tunes set by MD are not.The influence of his poetry on MD is unmistakeable.

UB yogin in the Sixth ashtapadi says – ‘ramacandrasya dasoham no cet traipada-rama evaham’ which is reflected in MD’s ‘Sriguruguhasya dasoham no cet Cid-guruguha eva-ahaM’.

His bhajan which begins

‘Krishna-ananta mukunda murare! Vamana Madhava govinda!’

is definitely the inspiration for MD’s Gaudipantu piece ‘Krishnananda Mukunda Murare!’

The Deshika-s and the Dikshita-s

Candrasekharendra Saraswati, the 64^th pontiff of the Kumbhakonam Sankara mutt, was a descendant of Venkatamakhi, and had several musicological treatises in his possession.

Mahadevendra Sarasvati, the next Pithadhipati, who was installed in 1849 as the pontiff, was a patron of several musicians like Subbukutti Ayya, Tirumalarajapatnam Ramudu Bhagavatar, Tirukkadayur Bharati (MD’s disciple) and Subbarama Dikshita.

The Sankarabharanam song ‘Sankaracaryam’ and the tanavarnam in Kasiramakriya – ‘Srikanci-kamakoti-pitha’ were composed in praise of this pontiff by Subbarama Dikshita – the grandson of Baluswami Dikshita. The pontiff gave the treatises pertaining to music, to Subbarama Dikshita. As a result, Subbarama dikshita could compose that magnum opus of Carnatic music texts – the Sangita Sampradaya Pradarshini.

It is mostappropriate that this text came into being through the efforts of a Sankaracarya and a Dikshita. They were only continuing in the tradition of adi Shankara and Mutthuswami Dikshita – both traditionalists, both trailblazers, who illumined their legacy, fostering the old wisdom with new vigour – both Sampradaya Pradarshaka-s.