Muthuswami Dikshithar

Today happens to be Shri Muthuswamy Dikshithar’s 242nd birth anniversary.Shri Muthuswamy Dikshithar – I don’t think there can be any Carnatic musician who is not influenced by this saint. In my case, to the extent I named my son Guruguha. So what makes him special?
First of all the lyrical beauty – it’s almost like chanting a mantra if one recites just the lyrics. Case in point – “Daksha sikshana Daksha Tarasura Lakshana Vidhi vilakshana Lakshya lakshana bahu vichakshana Sudha bakshana guru kataksha veekshana “-The anupallavi in Akshaya linga Vibho in sankarabharanam – the” Ksha” used as the second syllable in every avarthana of Misra Chapu lends its own Sahitya beauty.

Secondly the use of long jarus in the kirthanas. This is what one would say the influence of drupad in Hindustani music – e.g. Soundararajam ashraye – the lyrics are very far and few but there is lot of scope to elongate the jarus and the music just reverberates in the form of Brindavanasaranga.

Third – His intellect is seen in every song composed by him. E.g. Shree Abhayamba in Shree ragam- a manipravalam kirthana in Tamil Telugu and Sanskrit, seamlessly moving from one language to other – one cannot help but be marvelled at this magician.

There are many more aspects in his music but just thought worth sharing about my own experience of Muthuswamy dikshithar’s music. There cannot be a better musician than Smt DK Pattammal who has done justice to Shri Dikshithar’s kirtanas.

Here is a link to Karikalabhamukham in Saveri