“Comparison of playing techniques on Mṛdaṅgam for Pada Varṇa Svāmi nān undan

aḍimai Rāgam NāṭṭaKuruñji, Tāḷam Ādi, composed by Pāpanaśam Śivan, in Carnatic

vocal music and Bharathanāṭyam dance”

Project Report Submitted to the

University of Madras

In Partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of

M.A. RHYTHMOLOGY

(Subject Code: MAR 48)

UNDER CHOICE BASED CREDIT SYSTEM

BY

NAME: SRIGANESH . R

REG NO: 561800007

Department of Indian Music

University of Madras

Chennai – 600005

APRIL 2020

UNIVERSITY OF MADRAS

DEPARTMENT OF INDIAN MUSIC

 CERTIFICATE

It is hereby certified that this project work “Comparison of playing techniques on Mṛdaṅgam
for Pada Varṇa Svāmi nān undan aḍimai Rāgam NāṭṭaKuruñji, Tāḷam Ādi, composed by
Pāpanaśam Śivan, in Carnatic vocal music and Bharathanāṭyam dance” submitted by
SRIGANESH . R (Enrolment No: 561800007) a student of M.A Degree in Rhythmology in this
department, is the record of the project work carried by her as a part of the requirements for the
course, under the choice based credit system done under my supervision as the faculty
Advisor/Guide.

Dr. Rajshri Ramakrishna

Head in charge
Department of Indian Music
University of Madras, Chepauk
Chennai–600005

UNIVERSITY OF MADRAS

DEPARTMENT OF INDIAN MUSIC

DECLARATION
I declare that the project entitled “Comparison of playing techniques on Mṛdaṅgam for Pada
Varṇa Svāmi nān undan aḍimai Rāgam NāṭṭaKuruñji, Tāḷam Ādi, composed by
Pāpanaśam Śivan, in Carnatic vocal music and Bharathanāṭyam dance”” submitted by me
to the department of Indian music, University of Madras in partial fulfillment of the requirements
for the M.A Degree in Rhythmology , is the record of the project work carried out by me during
the year 2019- 2020 has not formed the basis for the award of the degree of any other university.

Signature of the Candidate

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

The topic I have chosen to study for my project work is “Comparison of playing techniques on
Mṛdaṅgam for Pada Varṇa Svāmi nān undan aḍimai Rāgam NāṭṭaKuruñji, Tāḷam Ādi,
composed by Pāpanaśam Śivan, in Carnatic vocal music and Bharathanāṭyam dance”I
have tried my best to explore the range and depth of this topic to the extent of my capacity.

I would like to place on record my sincere thanks to the following people for the help and
support extended by them.
Dr. Rajshri Ramakrishna, Head in charge, Department of Indian Music, University of Madras
who suggested this topic for my project work and for being a source of guidance, inspiration and
encouragement.

Dr.Hemalatha, Assistant Professor, Department of Indian Music, University of Madras for giving
valuable suggestions during the course of this project.
 INTRODUCTION TO PADA VARṆA
Varṇa literally means colour. The role, placement and purpose of varṇa differ between
the performance of music and dance. While there are Tāna varṇā-s, Daru varṇā-s and Pada
varṇā-s, the last one is found more appropriate for dance. Unlike Tāna varṇā, which has lyrics
only in Pallavi, Anupallavi and Caraṇam and svarā-s for the rest of the section, Pada varṇa has
lyrics that correspond to the muktāyi svarā-s of the varṇa. There are lyrics in the ethukaḍai
pallavi (second half) corresponding to the svaras, Pada varṇā-s hence have more lyrical
content. In Caraṇam the refrain is not the Pallavi but a secondary Pallavi line (Ethukaḍai
Pallavi). After the secondary Pallavi, many passages of svaram text are sung with lyrics
matching the svarā-s one after the other. At the end of svara and sāhityā (lyrics) the Pallavi is
repeated respectively. 

Pada varṇā-s are divided in to two parts. The first part is the Pūrvāṅga, which includes
Pallavi, Anupallavi and the Muktāyi svara. The second part is Utrāṅga which has Caraṇa,
(ethukaḍai Pallavi) and the Caraṇa Svarā-s

Cauka Varṇā-s

There have been dancers who were able to carry cauka varṇa at their time. It needs
understanding of the rāga, bhāva from the point of view of the dancer and exposure and
understanding to decode the visual presentation by the audience. As times have changed, and
performances have become shorter and fast paced, cauka varṇā-s are hardly performed today.

Presentation of Pada Varṇa in dance and Vocal performance

The pallavi in a pada varṇa in dance starts in a slow pace. The dance taps her legs in
viḷamba kāla (1st speed) and then goes back in duritakāla (3rd speed) to start the tṛkāla jati. At
the end of the jati the pallavi in sung and on that, a small rhythmic pattern called kuṭṭi arudi is
done like a tail to the jati. Then the pallavi is sung many times, enabling the dancer to
improvise on the line, showing the meaning through different interpretations. This is called
sañcāri. After this, the dancer again goes back in duritakāla (third speed) to take the second jati
which in smaller than the tṛkāla jati. At the end, either the pallavi is sung or the anupallavi is
sung followed by kuṭṭi arudi. Again the line is repeated for the dancer’s improvisation. After
this, again the dancer goes back to take the third jati. The third jati can be in tiśra nadai for a
change. The next line is taken followed by the kuṭṭṭi arudi again. After this, the same format is
followed till the end of the line. This is followed by the muktāyi svara before which the
mṛdaṅgam player gives a tīrmānam (finishing) to start the same.
 Normally pada varṇā-s have 3 or 4 stanzas which are called Khaṇdigaī. After the
muktāyi svara, the muktāyi svara sāhityam (lyrics) is performed followed by taṭṭu meṭṭu
(rhythmic pattern) to end the sāhityam. At the end of this, the dancer goes back slowly which is
Followed by a big tīrmānam (finishing) by the mṛdaṅgam player before the beginning
of the ethukaḍai pallavi. This is faster is speed. The beginning is followed by a fast paced jati,
followed by a kuṭṭi arudi. Then the pallavi is repeated several times, followed by the dancer
going back at the same speed to start the first ethukaḍai svara. The dancer fixes cross patterns
for the svara. This format is uniform for all ethukaḍai svaras. Each svara is followed by its
respective sāhityā. The sāhityā is repeated and the last time it is done on taṭṭu meṭṭu.
The svara-s are also followed by kuṭṭi arudi.

Vocal

In a vocal concert the pada varṇa is faster than in a dance recital. There is no gap
between the pallavi and the anupallavi. The varṇa is sung at a stretch till the ethukaḍai pallavi.
The speed of the ethukaḍai pallavi is also faster in vocal concert, than the pallavi. There is a
small gap after the muktāyi svara when the pallavi is repeated. The mṛdaṅgam player gives a
arudi (finish) to start the second half. The pada varṇa takes lesser time in a vocal concert and it
is meant to be a warm up song unlike in dance recitals, where it is the central piece and most
challenging for the dancer and accompanists.

Sañcāri Details

The word sañcāri means moving about or coming around. In the context of varṇa, this
word refers to the expansion of an idea. This can be an expansion on a word or a context or a
verse that is chosen for the purpose. For example, in this varṇa, the line tāmadam seiyyādu
vandaruḷ mādōr paṅgā bhūtēśa can be expanded during sañcāri.
Varieties of Sañcāri-s
1. Description: This includes description of a place, describing beauty or form, describing
attributes or description of a difficulty or a problem.
2. Explanation: This can be explaining a concept or situation.
3. Story/episode: Sometimes a story is chosen to explain a point.
4. Activity: This can include instruction, preparation, towards a happening etc.
 KALPITA SAṄGĪTA
In general, all the forms of music have a three sectional structure pallavi anupallavi and
caraṇa. Although all musical forms are based in the above format, the nature of the section
varies from one form to another. The element of kalpita is evident in svarajati, tāna varṇa and
pada varṇa. In the svarajati the caraṇa is not a single section but is a collection of many
passages being followed by the pallavi refrain. In tāna varṇa there is no indication of the pallavi
having concluded, as the anupallavi is taken without gap. After anupallavi comes the muktāyi
svara and a secondary pallavi called by ethukaḍai pallavi followed by the ethukaḍai svarā-s.

MANŌDHARMA SAṄGĪTA
Niraval
A theme having a meaningful text. A word or number of words taken from a line are
repeatedly sung in different octaves in two speeds normally. In pada varṇā-s the vocalist has
scope to sing niraval during sañcāri. The word or words can be chosen in compliance with a
particular bhāva or story shown by the dancer.

Compositions of Papanasam sivan

S.NO VARṆAṀ RĀGA TĀḶAṀ

1 Māyam edo Māyāmāḷava gauḷa Ādi
2 Nīnda mayam Dānyāsi Ādi
3 Unnai ninaindu Dēvamanōhari Ādi
4 Svāmini Srirañjani Ādi
5 Svāmi nān undan aḍimai Nāṭṭa kurañji Ādi
6 Svāmi Kīravāni Ādi
7 Karauṇai seidal Ādi

Introduction of accompaniment to dance composition 

In Bharathanāṭyam the accompaniments consists of the naṭṭuvāṅgam, vocal, mṛdaṅgam,
flute, vīnā and violin. The naṭṭuvanār who conducts the whole orchestra is usually the guru or
the teacher who is also an accomplished singer and some of them know the art of mṛdaṅgam
too. Infact it is mandatory for the ācāṛyā to learn all skills related to dance. The singer always
follows the dance and sings according to the movements of the dancer and also for sañcāri
bhāva. The singer is expected to know the meaning of the text irrespective of the language of
the composition. The mṛdaṅgam player follows the footsteps of the dancer with precision in
rhythmic portions and embellishes in the melody parts. Flute, violin and vīnā support the
singer.

Varṇa
In a varṇa all the accompanists have challenging work than the other dance items. The
naṭṭuvanār concentrates on saying the jatis which the mṛdaṅgam player follows like a shadow.
The singer sticks to the kalpita saṅgitam (exact text). However in sañcāri bhāvā-s, the singer
can improvise with niraval. The instrument players also have scope in sañcāri to play
manōdharma music and before the beginning of the varṇa, in the form of rāgas. Unlike music
concerts, where the accompanists can vary, in dance, the dancer prefers a set orchestra which
has a long association with the dancer for smooth understanding. Sometimes, they do change.
In dance, there are number of rehearsals before each recital as precision is very important in a
dance recital