Born - 1775
Died - 1835
Muthuswami Dikshitar was an exponent of the South Indian Carnatic music genre. He created about 500 compositions in total, most of which are widely sung by renowned musicians in Carnatic music performances even today. Most of his compositions are in Sanskrit and in the Krithi form i.e. poetry set to music. Muthuswami Dikshitar traveled to many holy shrines throughout his life, and composed krithis on the deities and temples he visited. Dikshitar is considered to have composed on the widest range of deities for any composer.
Each of his compositions is unique and brilliantly crafted. The compositions are known for the depth and soulfulness of the melody - his visions of some of the ragas are still the final word on their structure. His Sanskrit lyrics are in praise of the temple deity, but Muthuswami introduces the Advaita thought seamlessly into his songs, resolving the inherent relationship between Advaita philosophy and polytheistic worship. His songs also contain much information about the history of the temple, and its background, thus preserving many customs followed in these old shrines.
Muttuswami also undertook the project of composing in all the 72 Melakartha ragas, (in his Asampurna Mela scheme) thereby providing a musical example for many rare and lost ragas. Dikshitar was a master of tala and is the only composer to have kritis in all the seven basic talas of the Carnatic scheme. Dikshitar shows his skill in Sanskrit by composing in all the eight declensions.
For richness of raga bhava, sublimity of their philosophic contents and for the grandeur of the sahitya, the songs of Dikshitar stand unsurpassed.
MAHAGANAPATHIM
RAGAM: NATA
TALAM: ADI
Nata ragam is the 36th melakartha raga and janyam of chalanata raga.Its moorchana is...sa ri(3) ga(2) ma(1) pa da(3) ni(2) sa'
sa' ni(2) pa ma(1) ri(3) sa
Here,the swarastanas are:
sa : Shadjamam
ri(3):Shatsruthi rishabam
ga(2):Anthara Gandharam
ma(1):SuddhaMadhyamam
pa :Panchamam
da(3):Shatsruthi Daivatham
ni(2):Kakali nishadam
Here,Rishabam,Madhyamam,Nishadam are ragachayaswaras,Shadjamam,Madhyamam and Panchama are Grahaswaras and Rishabam and Daivatam Should sing with Long Gamakas.
Nata is the first of GHANARAGAS(5 are there) because it is very vast for singing swarakalpana,ragalapana,nerve,tanam,etc...It is also a SAMPOORNA OUDHAVA RAGA containing all 7 swaras in order in aarohana and 5 swaras in avarohana.This is a video clip of mahaganapathim sung by Yesudas...Hope you will enjoy it!!!!!!!
