99th Annual Conference of The Music Academy – Day 13

We have had twelve days of lectures on various aspects of Muthuswami Dikshitar’s life and art. All of them felt like appetizers leading up to the main course that was served today. The lecture on Day 13 was by Sangita Kalanidhi designate Vidwan R.K. Shriram Kumar on “The Kamalamba Navavarana Kritis of Muthuswami Dikshitar”.

If this has not been evident so far, I am deeply drawn to lecture demonstrations in Karnatik music. It does not matter that much of what is discussed is beyond my grasp. Each lecture leaves me with a slightly better understanding than before, and I therefore make it a point to listen to as many as I can. In my experience, there is no one today more knowledgeable in this field than Shriram. He has a remarkable ability to present even the most complex ideas in a simple manner. He weaves a narrative that brings together emotion, philosophy, lyrical beauty, and musical structure in a deeply evocative way. His lectures are never about showcasing his prowess. They come straight from the heart and are free of unnecessary embellishments. I leave every one of his lectures in awe, both of what he speaks and of Shriram himself.

Shriram was, quite understandably, emotional today. At the very beginning, he thanked everyone who had helped him along his musical journey and dedicated the Sangita Kalanidhi award to his musical and spiritual gurus. He recalled that he had once stood on this very stage accompanying his guru, Sangita Kalanidhi D.K. Jayaraman. He also mentioned that Sri J. Vaidyanathan, who played the mridangam today, had shared the stage with him on that occasion as well. The simplicity and humility that Shriram displayed during this speech were striking.

I have heard Shriram speak about the Kamalamba Navavarana kritis many times before. Each time, there is something new to learn and a deeper understanding of what was said earlier. That said, these compositions are highly esoteric and steeped in mysticism. The philosophies and the tantric and mantric elements embedded in them are complex. It would be unfair for me to attempt a detailed exposition. What follows is only an outline of what Shriram spoke about, meant to offer a glimpse to those who may not have had the opportunity to hear this lecture. I may have missed important points or misunderstood certain aspects, and I strongly urge readers to listen to the lecture directly to hear it from the expert himself.

Shriram began by declaring the Kamalamba Navavarana kritis to be the magnum opus of Dikshitar’s oeuvre. Dikshitar was a Srividya upasaka who worshipped the supreme in a feminine form, a tradition that has existed across cultures for centuries. Shriram explained that the divine is essentially an abstract, formless entity, and that this abstraction is brought into form in two ways. The first is a visual representation, the yantra, which remains abstract and is created using geometric patterns known as chakras. The second is the auditory form, which is the mantra.

Thanks to my son, I have developed an interest in astronomy. When Shriram spoke about the Sri Chakra as a representation of Shiva and Shakti, and about the single dot at its centre from which all creation emerges, I was reminded of the concept of gravitational singularity, where space and time are compressed into a single point. I may be entirely off track here, but the parallel intrigued me and left me eager to read more about both these subjects.

What does Navavarana mean? In tradition, certain numbers are associated with specific manifestations of the divine. The number five is associated with Shiva. He is said to have five faces, his mantra is the Panchakshara, and there are the Panchabhuta kshetras associated with him. Shakti is associated with the number three. She is therefore called Tripura, and multiples of three also carry significance. The number nine holds a special place in Devi worship. It is considered all encompassing, much like how adding the digits of any multiple of nine always results in nine.

The worship of the Goddess through the Sri Chakra yantra is known as Navavarana pooja. Avarna means a veil. This form of worship seeks to remove nine veils that surround the soul, one at a time, guiding the practitioner inward until they become one with the Goddess herself. The Sri Chakra consists of nine sub chakras that symbolise this inward journey. Dikshitar composed the Navavarana kritis to describe this mode of worship, incorporating within them everything required to understand it. These compositions are on Kamalamba of Tiruvarur.

At this point, Shriram raised an interesting question. The form worshipped in this tradition is Lalita, whose attributes he then described. While the deity in most temples is essentially a manifestation of this form, the temple that most closely fits this description is that of Kamakshi in Kanchipuram, on whom Dikshitar has composed many other kritis. Yet, this Navavarana set is not dedicated to Kamakshi but to Kamalamba. Shriram explained the fascinating theory behind this choice.

With this context established, Shriram went on to elucidate the music, lyrics, and philosophical underpinnings of each Navavarana composition, beginning with the Dhyana shloka in Todi. Like the Guruguha Vibhakti kritis, the Navavarana kritis are also set across different vibhaktis.

The first kriti is set in Ananda Bhairavi. Instead of beginning with Sri Kamalamba, Dikshitar begins with Kamalamba, in keeping with the Kaadi parampara of Sri Vidya upasakas to which he belonged, in which the syllable Ka has great significance. The second kriti is in Kalyani and is the only one in the set that includes a chittasvara. Dikshitar composed it as a palindromic sequence to symbolise the waxing and waning of the moon in equal measure. The third kriti is set in Shankarabharanam, an apt choice given the prominence of Shiva in this chakra.

The fourth avarana is represented by fourteen triangles in the chakra and signifies Parameshwara. Dikshitar reflects this numerology by composing Sri Vishwanatham Bhajegam as a ragamalika in fourteen ragas and setting it to Ata tala, which has fourteen counts. The kriti for this avarana in this set is Kamalambikayai in Kambhoji.

The fifth avarana is symbolised by ten triangles and represents the role of the guru. As in Sri Nathadi Guruguho, Dikshitar invokes nada to establish this connection. This kriti is set in Bhairavi and uses a tala of ten beats. The sixth avarana is denoted by the ten inner triangles. The kriti Kamalambikayastava is set in Punnagavarali, a raga typically associated with shorter compositions. Dikshitar, however, has given us not one but two expansive and weighty kritis in this raga, one of which is part of the Navavarana set. 

The seventh avarana is represented by eight triangles and is associated with relief from all afflictions, including ignorance. Set in Sahana, this kriti begins with Sri Kamalambikayam. The innermost triangle corresponds to the eighth avarana, where the Goddess proclaims liberation, resonant like the sound of a bell. Dikshitar therefore sets this kriti in the raga Ghanta. In the final avarana, the practitioner becomes one with the Goddess, and Dikshitar employs all the vibhaktis. The raga chosen for this culminating kriti is Ahiri. Shriram spoke at length about the many layers embedded in this composition.

The choice of ragas, the structure of each kriti, the prosody, the placement of lyrical phrases, the seamless unison of musical and poetic beauty, the philosophical depth, and the entire Navavarana pooja process were all explained with extraordinary clarity. This lecture truly demands listening, and I have therefore limited myself to only a few highlights.

In her summing up, Sangita Kalanidhi Bombay Jayashri thanked Shriram for gently leading us from the outermost layer of the Sri Chakra to its centre, removing one veil at a time. She spoke on behalf of everyone present who had experienced this magnificent lecture. She thanked the performers on stage by pointing out that nine voices had sung as one, a detail I had not noticed until she mentioned it. Just as in Dikshitar’s compositions, Shriram too had many subtle layers hidden within the lecture, a realization that dawned on me only then.

Vidwan Ramakrishnan Murthy and Vidushis Amritha Murali, Aishwarya, Bharathi Ramasubban, Arathi, and Archana sang all the kritis beautifully alongside Shriram, with Niranjan and Nanditha providing support on the tambura. Vidwans J. Vaidyanathan and Sandeep Ramachandran accompanied them and blended seamlessly with the voices. Vidushi Aishwarya had also created paintings depicting each of the nine avaranas, which were displayed appropriately as each kriti was rendered.

The program concluded with the mangalam, Sri Kamalambike, in Sri raga, followed by a well deserved standing ovation. I felt both blissful and blessed to have listened to this lecture. Thank you, Shriram, and congratulations once again.