Introduction

Jatiswaram, swarajati and varnam are musical forms primarily associated with the Bharatanatyam dance repertoire. Swarajati and varnam also form an essential part of training in Carnatic music, and also are a part of its concert repertoire. However, certain aspects of these forms are composed differently by individual composers and are often adapted to suit the specific context in which they are practiced or performed. In fact, jatiswara, swarajati and varnam are seen to have different aspects at different times in history of these musical forms.

Jatiswaram

References to jatiswaram, per se, as a dance form, can be seen only from the period of the Tanjore Quartet who lived in the first half of the 19th century CE. Musical forms similar to the jatiswaram, however, seem to have been in practice much prior to the 19th century in other regions of South-India. For instance, the form swara-pallavi, which is identical to the jatiswaram, is said to have been performed by singers in the courts of Vijayanagara and Bobbili during the Nayaka rule. The veena players from the same region were known to have specialised in playing the same.

Such events are recorded in the article on swara-pallavi by Y. Satyanarayana Rao in the Journal of Music Academy. The name of the Nayaka ruler, during whose period the swara-pallavi was practiced and performed is however, not known. The Nayaka rule lasted for about 150 years from the early 1530s to 1670s. Even if the period of swara-pallavi were considered hypothetically to be that of the last Nayaka ruler i.e. Vijayaraghava Nayaka (1633–73), the swara-pallavi form should have arrived latest in this period, making it a mid-17th century form.

Reference of one Vasa Apayya, who lived in the first half of the 18th century, and composed number of swara-pallavis for practice on the veena, is also obtained in an article of the Journal of Music Academy by S.R. Jayasitalakshmi. These references place the period of swara-pallavi much ahead of jatiswaram.

In her article in the Journal of Music Academy, musicologist Ritha Rajan writes about jatiswarams having pallavi, anupallavi and charanam, and those with ettugada and swara passages. While most jatiswarams are said to be composed with swaras, it is said that, earlier, jatiswaras were recited with plain jati or colkattu. Later, these jatis were set to tune. The jatiswara in Todi raga composed by the Tanjore Quartet could be pointed as an example for this type.

A similar format is seen in the ‘solla’ form appearing in the nirupanas of Serfoji (1798–1832). These forms are interpreted as solkattu in their Tamil translations. Nirupanas are a compilation of several musical compositions, primarily for dance presentations. These nirupanas are obtained from manuscripts, many of which are published by the Saraswati Mahal Library, Tanjavur.

One such published manuscript is Korvyace Sahityace Jinnas (1958), which consists of seven nirupanas. The ‘solla’ comprises solkattu passages that are numbered. Though complete notations for solla is not available, details with respect to raga and tala are given in the manuscripts, from which it is understood that they were set to melody and tala, and not just recited.

Thus, the practice of singing solkattu to a melody for dance presentations is seen in the period of Serfoji II and the Quartet. These compositions are interpreted as jatiswaram in the book Tanjavura Nrtya Prabandha (1982) by Acharya Parvati Kumar. However, most jatiswarams composed by the Tanjore Quartet are composed in the ettugada and swara passages format with only swarams. An identical structure, composed with only swara passages, is also seen in the Swati Tirunal compositions called ‘swarajit’ in Balamrtam (1917), edited by A.S. Renganathayyar.

Thus, the jatiswaram seems to have its origin in the swara-pallavi which can be traced from the mid-17th century CE. However, the form of jatiswaram as understood today seems to have arrived only during the first half of the 19th century.

Swarajati

The Huseni raga composition Sami nenaralla composed by Merattur Virabhadrayya is considered the archetype of early swarajati for many later compositions like Emayaladira and Emandayanara (both in Huseni raga), attributed to Merattur Venkatarama Sastri. These compositions have a structure very similar to the present day varnam.

However, some primary aspects of differentiation do exist, which is why, they are probably rightly mentioned in early manuscripts and texts as the swarajati, and not varnam. The primary area of differentiation seems to lie more in the swara and sahitya correspondence and melodic aspects in the various melodic sections of both forms.

Virabhadrayya is known to have composed during the period of the Maratha King Pratapasimha (1739–63). Adippayya (1725–75) is known to have learnt music from Virabhadrayya. Merattur Venkatarama Sastri too was a later composer living during the period of King Serfoji II and for some years during King Sivaji II (1832–55).

Compositions similar to Emayaladira were also later composed by the Quartet. Thus, the early swarajati is first seen in the period of Merattur Virabhadrayya around the mid-18th century. This probably makes swara-pallavi a form prior to the early swarajati. However, the jatiswaram as we perceive today, does not seem to have arrived by then.

The other format of swarajati is one with the pallavi (ettugada) and charanas (multiple swara-sahitya passages), as perceived from Syama Sastry’s swarajatis. The three swarajatis of Syama Sastry (1762–1827) in ragas Bhairavi, Yadukula Kambhoji and Todi are well known. The swarajatis in nirupanas have numbered passages of swara and corresponding sahitya.

One may not find section headings like pallavi and charana in the swarajatis in nirupanas, however, the sections are apparent, when studied closely. The popular swarajatis composed by the Quartet, for example, Nee arulayo in raga Bhairavi are also in this format.

There are some references of sahitya being composed for swara-pallavis, and the compositions thus created, being referred to as swarajati. However, the period and authorship of such sahitya is not ascertained.

Thus, the format of swarajati with ettugada and swara-sahitya is seen in swarajatis of Syama Sastry and also in nirupanas. That Syama Sastry could have been instrumental in revolutionising the form of swarajati is also quoted by Prof. N. Ramanathan in his article Syama Sastry and Swarajati. The structure of later swarajatis of the Quartet are identical to those composed by Syama Sastry.

On closer observation, swarajatis of the former may differ from those of the latter with respect to swara-sahitya correspondence in the various passages. The early swarajati, which one visualises through the Huseni composition, and the later one through Kamakshi in Bhairavi raga (and probably also Nee arulayo) gives us two different structures of the swarajati form.

The understanding of early and later swarajatis cannot be derived only from their structural organisation. It also needs a careful study of its other aspects, melody being a vital one.

To summarise, it can be said that the early swarajati preceded the jatiswaram, but not the swara-pallavi. The same can be said of the Syama Sastry swarajatis.

Varnam

The earliest known composers of varnams are the Karvetinagaram brothers – Govindasamayya and Kuvanasamayya. They are known to have composed in between 1680–1710, that places them before the period of Adippayya (1725–75) and Virabhadrayya.

A brief biography on Karvetinagaram brothers and Adippayya, among several other composers can be seen in the Sangita Sampradaya Pradarsini authored by Subbarama Diksitar, some Telugu books like Andhra Vaggeyakara Caritramu by B. Rajnikanta Rao, some early texts like the Adi Sangita-Sudhambudhi by K.V. Srinivasa Ayyangar and some articles in the Journal of Music Academy.

While the varnams of Karvetinagaram brothers are referred to as chowka varnams in Sangita Sarvartha Sara Sangrahamu, known to be the earliest available South Indian music publication, most later books mention them as Tana varnams. Similarly, the compositon Emayaladira is referred to as a pada varnam in the same book, not as a swarajati.

The Sampradaya Pradarsini is probably the only book which documents all three types of varnams – chowka, pada and tana, suggesting a distinction among the three, more importantly between the chowka and pada varnam, terms which are used almost synonymously in present day music. The aspects with respect to melody, text, temporal framework (tala) along with the structural organisation in these forms would have to be studied together to understand the characteristics underlying each type.

Thus, with Karvetinagaram composers evidently being the earliest known composers of varnams, composers of varnams like Virabhadrayya, Adippayya, Ramaswami Diksitar, Sonti Venkatasubhayya, Pallavi Gopalayya, Syama Sastri, Vina Kuppayya, Tanjore Quartet etc contributed to the gamut of the varnam form in the next two centuries or so.

Thus, the varna as a form is observed by the end of the seventeenth century, and appears to precede both the svarajati (early and later) and the jatisvara. The svara-pallavi form predates the varna.

Inference

The swara-pallavi form of the mid-seventeenth century seems to be the fore-runner of the jati-swaram, which by itself is observed only from the first half of the 19th century. The solla (interpreted by some later scholars as the jatiswaram) in the nirupana forms of Serfoji II during the end of 18th century and early 19th century seems to be a form contemporary to the jatiswaram or might have marginally preceded the jatiswaram.

The varnams of Karvettinagaram brothers (1680–1710) seem to pre-date the early swarajati-type forms of Virabhadrayya (1739–63). The musical swarajatis of Syama Sastry (1762–1827) seem to have arrived later and so does the swarajati with the structure of pallavi and multiple swara-sahitya passages in nirupanas (1798–1832).

The first half of the 19th century, seems to encompass all of the above forms discussed, at times, with names different from as seen in earlier period.

By

Anuthama Murali

(The author is a violinist and a research scholar)

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Guide: Dr Rajshri Ramakrishna

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