Muthuswami Dikshitar (1775 - 1835)

Muthuswami Dikshitar (Tamil: முத்துஸ்வாமி தீக்ஷிதர்; March 24, 1775 – October 21, 1835) is the youngest of the Carnatic music composer trinity. He is said to have born to the couple after they prayed for a child in the temple of Vaitheeswaran Koil.

Early life and background

Muthuswami Dikshitar was born in Tiruvarur (of Thanjavur district in what is now the state of Tamil Nadu) to a Tamil Iyer Brahmin couple Ramaswami Dikshitar and Subbamma,as the eldest son. According to the account of Subbarama Dikshitar, Muttuswami Dikshitar was born in the manmatha year, in the month of Panguni under the asterism Krittikaa.

He was named after the temple deity, Muttukumaraswamy. He also had two younger brothers Baluswami, Chinnaswami and a sister Balambal. In keeping with the educational trends of Brahmin boys of that time, Muthuswami learnt the Sanskrit language, Vedas, and other important religious texts. He also obtained his preliminary musical education from his father.

While he was still in his teens, his father sent him on a pilgrimage with a wandering monk named Chidambaranatha Yogi, to gain musical and philosophical knowledge. Over the course of this pilgrimage, he visited many places in North India, and acquired a broad outlook that is reflected in many of his compositions. During their stay in Kashi (Varanasi), his guru Chidambaranatha Yogi, presented Dikshitar with a unique Veena, and died shortly thereafter. The samādhi of Chidambaranatha Yogi can still be seen in the Hanuman Ghat area in Varanasi.

His Music

Muthuswami Dikshitar attained mastery over the Veena, and the influence of Veena playing is evident in his compositions. As per his guru's orders, he went to Tiruttani (a temple town near Chennai). There, while he was immersed deep in meditation, an old man appeared and asked him to open his mouth. He dropped sugar candy into his mouth and disappeared. As he opened his mouth, he had a vision of the deity Muruga and Dikshitar burst forth into his first composition "Shri Nathadi Guruguho" in the raga Mayamalavagowla.

This song addressed the Lord (and/or the guru) in the first declension in Sanskrit. Dikshitar later composed kritis in all the eight declensions on the Lord. These are mostly with epithets glorifying the guru and have very few references to Lord Muruga or specifically to the deity in the saguna form, as at Thiruthani. He then went on a pilgrimage visiting and composing on temples at Kanchi, Arunachalam , Chidambaram, Tirupathi and Kalahasthi, before returning to Tiruvarur.

Dikshitar's Prime

On his return to Tiruvarur, he composed on every deity in the Tiruvarur temple complex including Thyagaraja (an amsha of Lord Shiva), the presiding deity, Nilotpalambal, his consort, and the Goddess Kamalambal an independent deity of high tantric significance in the same temple complex. This is when he composed the famous Kamalamba Navavarana cycle, filled with exemplary sahityas which proved to be the showcase of his compositions. These navavaranams were in all the eight declensions of the Sanskrit language and are sung as a highlight of Guruguha Jayanti celebrated every year. He continued to display his prowess by composing the Navagraha Kritis in praise of the nine planets. The sahitya of the songs reflect a profound knowledge of the Mantra and Jyotisha sastras. The Nilotpalamba Kritis is another classic set of compositions which revived dying ragas like Narayanagaula, Purvagaula, and Chayagaula.

His total compositions are about 450 to 500, most of which are very widely sung by musicians today in Carnatic music concerts. 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. 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.
Disciples

Muttuswami Dikshitar was approached by four dance masters from Tanjavur: Sivanandam, Ponnayya ,Chinnayya and Vadivelu. They expressed their desire to learn music from him and entreated him to accompany them to Tanjavur. There, Dikshitar imparted to them the 72 mela tradition handed down by Venkata Vaidyanatha Dikshita.The students showed their gratitude by composing a set of nine songs called Navaratna Mala glorifying their guru. These four disciples became what is known as the Tanjore Quartette and are revered as the prime composers of music for Bharatanatyam.

Samadhi

On Deepavali day,in the year 1835, Dikshithar performed puja as usual and asked his students to sing the song "Meenakshi Me Mudam" in the raga Gamakakriya. As his students sang the lines "Meena lochani pasa mochani" he raised his hands and saying "Sive Pahi" left his mortal coil.

Other

Baluswami Dikshitar, brother of Muthuswamy Dikshitar is believed to be the pioneer who introduced the violin to Carnatic Music, an instrument now an integral part of almost any carnatic ensemble. Muthuswamy Dikshitar also shows influence of the Baroque style of western Classical music in some of his compositions (eg., "Varashiva Balam" ).

Descendants

Muthuswami Dikshitar died on 21 October 1835. Dikshitar had a daughter but it was the descendants of his brother Baluswami who have preserved his musical legacy, and his compositions have been popularized due to the efforts of people like Subbarama Dikshitar and Ambi Dikshitar.

Baluswami Dikshitar, the sixth descendant in the line, a well known vainika by his own rights, resided in Trichy and then moved to Chennai in 1957. He died in November 1985. He has two sons and two daughters. The eldest son, Muthuswamy, the seventh descendent in the line, retired as a top executive in the State Bank of India group of banks and then was the Managing Director and CEO of a private sector bank. He now resides in Coimbatore. The younger son runs his own small scale industry near Madurai. Both the daughters are married and well settled in Chennai. The Raja Rajeswari, Vallabha Ganapathi, Sree Chakra, Banalingam, Saligramam and other idols, given to Shri Muthuswamy Dikshithar by his guru Chidambaranatha Yogi is in the family with the eldest son Muthuswamy along with the veena (with the upturned Yaali Mukha) with the Sanskrit inscription "Sri Ram" said to have been given to Dikshithar by Goddess Sarasvati, when he bathed in the river Ganges, as indication of his having attained Mantra Siddhi.

Discography

Important Krithi Groups
• Guruguha Vibhakti krithis - Songs in praise of the guru;

• Kamalamba Navavaranams - Songs in praise of Kamalamba;

• Navagraha Krithis - In praise of the Sun, Moon and other planets;

• Nilotpalamba vibhakti Krithis;

• Panchalinga Kshetra kritis;

• Rama vibhakti Krithis;

• Tiruvarur Pancalinga kritis;

• Thyagaraja vibhakti Krithis;

• Abhayamba vibhakti Krithis

• Madhuramba vibhakti Krithis

P.S. Prj done by Deepa

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References
1. ^ http://www.guruguha.org/ 2. ^ http://www.hindu.com/ms/2007/12/01/stories/2007120150180600.htm
External links
• A website dedicated as a tribute to Dikshithar. • Compositions of Dikshitar, with meanings. • Compositions of Dikshitar with meanings. • Muthusamy Dikshithar - A Creative Genius. • Statistics on Dikshitar's Compositions
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