There was only one lecture today, but the content, presentation, and accompanying music deserved every bit of applause it received. The lecture was delivered by Dr. Sumithra Vasudev and was titled “Music of Dikshita Parampara Composers.”
Dr. Sumithra began by clarifying that her focus would be exclusively on Dikshitar’s family and not on his disciples. The term parampara in the title was therefore defined as a familial lineage rather than a sishya parampara.
If I have understood correctly, the composers discussed in the lecture were Ramaswami Dikshitar, the father of Muthuswami Dikshitar, Chinnaswami Dikshitar and Balaswami Dikshitar, his brothers, and Subbarama Dikshitar, Balaswami Dikshitar’s grandson, who was later adopted as his son. All of them contributed to a substantial body of compositions that upheld the spirit of their shared parampara. Dr. Sumithra explained how each composer drew inspiration from those who came before him, while still establishing a distinct individual voice. Their output spans a wide range of forms, including varnams, kirtanams, ragamalikas, raga talamalikas, padams, prabandams, and more, amounting to well over a hundred compositions in total.
While there are numerous compositions of Muthuswami Dikshitar that exist outside the Sangita Sampradaya Pradarshini, there is comparatively little material available outside that text for the other members of the family. Dr. Sumithra described the structural and melodic frameworks they employed and illustrated her observations with musical examples. Whereas Muthuswami Dikshitar composed predominantly in Sanskrit, Telugu appears to have been the preferred language for the others.
The mudra Guruguha, adopted by Muthuswami Dikshitar, was also used by other members of the family, perhaps as a way of affirming lineage. This practice, however, has occasionally led to confusion regarding the authorship of certain compositions. In addition to Guruguha, other mudras were also used, including references to patrons and deities, and in the case of Balaswami Dikshitar, the mudra Ettendra.
A shared love for wordplay seems to run through the entire family, resulting in remarkable creations such as swarasthana varnams and padams, where the lyrics are constructed entirely from swarasthana syllables. This reminded me of the song from the film Unnal Mudiyum Thambi, where the line “Sadha Maga Thamadhama” is used as swarakshara. Now imagine entire compositions built on such a construct.
The family also produced works in which the swaras, the lyrics, or both are palindromic, exploring a variety of intricate permutations and combinations. Ramaswami Dikshitar is credited with the creation of the raga Hamsadhwani, and he composed a prabandam in that raga, even though the form had fallen out of vogue by then, perhaps to lend an air of antiquity to the newly created raga. Another striking creation was a ragamalika spanning an astonishing forty-four ragas.
Wordplay and puns are much loved in my own family, and at the slightest provocation we launch into impromptu sessions of playful language. I could not help but imagine the Dikshitar household to be similar, except that their playful ingenuity has resulted in works that have endured for generations.
One composition that particularly captivated me was a ragamalika set in thirty-two ragas, divided into two groups of sixteen. Each line of text was rendered in one raga from each group, with two singers alternating between the sets. As the performance unfolded, it felt as though the two strands were being braided together into a single, cohesive whole.
The quality of the lecture was evident in the responses it elicited. V. Sriram, who is usually a strict timekeeper during these sessions, requested that some of the compositions be sung in full and even promised additional time. During his summing up, Sangita Kalanidhi designate R. K. Shriramkumar asked for certain pieces to be repeated. These gestures themselves were a testament to the excellence of the lecture.
This lecture definitely is one not to be missed - https://youtu.be/bBGUyDc5WRo?si=NQi531NxEmTa6GIL
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