Muthuswami Dikshitar was born at Tiruvarur in Tanjore District in 1775. He is one of the greatest composers of South Indian Classical Music – Carnatic music to be precise. The Music of Muthuswami Dikshitar is of outstanding quality, while the text of his compositions is in praise of Gods and Goddesses. He has handled hundreds of Ragas including the seventy-two Mela ragas and a few Ragas of Hindustani Music (North Indian Classical Music) Also he stands unique among the composers of Carnatic music by composing Kritis in the Suladi Saptha Yalas – Dhruva, Matya, Rupaka, Jampa, Tiripata, Ata and Eka.

The textual content of his compositions are full of devotion and philosophical nature. Since the text is in Sanskrit language, he has brought the Stotra literature and mantra-tantra concepts of Hindu worship in the Song form Krithi with scintillating music.

Muthuswami Dikshitar has also contributed a few compositions with Sanskrit text for the European Airs which are called "Nottuswara Sahithyam". Being an ethnomusicologist, I highlight the inter-cultural musical form of Muthuswami Dikshitar as homage to the composer, whose end came on a Diwali day in 1835.

The "Nottuswara Sahithya" of Muthuswami Dikshitar is a fine example of inter-cultural musical form in the realm of Carnatic Music. Muthuswami Dikshitar, one of the greatest composers of Carnatic music has composed forty compositions known as "Nottuswara Sahithya" in Sanskrit and Telugu that are prescribed for Abhyasagana or Technical compositions in the place of "Gitam".

South Indian composers composed the inter-cultural compositions during late 18^th and 19^th centuries, as that was a time of mutual fascination on the part of Europe and the Orient. These "Nottuswara Sahithyas" are set with the English Tunes and the text is in the form of a poem in Sanskrit or in Telugu. Among the forty compositions, eleven compositions are exact replicas of the English melodies.

Muthuswami Dikshitar lived during the British period in Indian History – 1775-1835 – and had the opportunity to listen to the Western tunes played by the Military Band of the British East India Company.

Ramaswami Dikshitar who was the father of Muthuswami Dikshitar was also a great musician and Sanskrit scholar. He brought his three sons to a place called Manali, which is near Madras to a Music Patron’s house. He was the Zamindar of Manali and he requested Ramaswami Dikshitar to be his court musician. Therefore, he and his three sons settled in Manali for some years. When they were staying in Manali, they had the opportunity to hear the Western tunes played by the British Band. The Zamindar of Manali was closely connected with East India Company and he used to take Muthuswami Dikshitar and his brothers to Fort St. George, which was the British Government Secretariat. Muthuswami Dikshitar and his brothers listened to Western Music played by Irish men in the British band.

Muthuswami Dikshitar’s brother Baluswami Dikshitar was very much fascinated by the instrument, Fiddle, played by Irish men in the British Band. When he expressed his desire to learn the Fiddle, the music patron arranged an Irish Fiddle player to teach him the instrument. Baluswami Dikshitar mastered the technicalities of playing the Fiddle and adapted it perfectly to play Carnatic Music on the European instrument and he was the first to play Carnatic Music on Violin that has now become an indispensable accompaniment for a Carnatic music concert.

Muthuswami Dikshitar was requested by the Collector of Madras Mr. Brown to compose text for the famous European Airs. Dikshitar accepted his request and composed eleven compositions that have the Sanskrit text for the European Melodies. They are the following compositions.

1. Santatam Pahimam to British National Anthem "God save our Noble King/Queen"
2. Vande Meenakshi to the famous Irish melody "Limerick"
3. Varasikthivahanam – tune of "Castilian Maid" by Thomas Moore
4. Peetavarnam Bhaje – to the tune of "Taza-ba-Taza"
5. Jagadeesa guruguha – to the tune of "Lord McDonald’s Reel"
6. Subramanyam Surasevyam – to the tune of "British Grenadiere" – The tune is the regimental march of the Grenadiere guards – senior foot guards regiment of the British Army.
7. Kancheesam Ekambaram – to the tune of "Country dance"
8. Ramachandram Rajeevaksham – to the tune of the English son "Let us lead a life of Pleasure"
9. Sakalasuravinuha – to the tune of "Quick March"
10. Sakthi Sahitha Ganapathim – to the tune of the song "voleuz – Vous-dancer"
11. Sowri Vidhinute – to the tune of the famous English song "oh Whistle, and I will come to you, my lad."

Thus these 11 compositions have a Sanskrit text for the European popular tunes. Muthuswami Dikshitar’s other Nottuswara Sahithyas which are twenty nine songs have been composed in the Western scale of C Major and sometimes accidentals are introduced in the C Major scale. The Western C Major scale is the scale of Sankarabaranam of Carnatic Music and Bilaval Thal of Hindusthani music and they are not in the Rag of Bilaval or Sankarabharanam.

To be continued next week

Dr.S.A.K.Durga

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