Muthuswami Dikshitar (Mudduswamy Dikshitar)[1] | |
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| Born | (1776-03-24)24 March 1776 |
| Died | 21 October 1835(1835-10-21) (aged 59) Ettayapuram, India |
| Other names | Guruguha |
| Occupation(s) | Carnatic musiccomposer, Vainika |
| Father | Ramaswami Dikshitar |
Muthuswami Dikshitar (Mudduswamy Dikshitar)[1] (IAST:muttusvāmi dīkṣitar, 24 March 1776 – 21 October 1835), mononymously known asDikshitar,[a] was aSouth Indian poet, singer,veena player, and prolific composer ofIndian classical music. The youngest member of theTrinity of Carnatic music, alongsideTyagaraja andShyama Sastri, Dikshitar was born on 24 March 1776 inTiruvarur nearThanjavur, inTamil Nadu. His family traditionally traced its lineage toVirinchipuram in the northern part of the state.[3]
Dikshitar is credited with around 500 compositions, renowned for their elaborate, poetic descriptions ofHindu deities, and detailed architectural depictions of temples.[4] His music is notable for capturing the essence ofragas in the vainika (veena) style, which highlight the use ofgamakas. His works are usually composed in a slower tempo (chowka kala). Dikshitar used the signature nameGuruguha (as amudra) in all his compositions. They continue to be widely performed in Carnatic music concerts.
The musical trinity consists of Dikshitar,Tyagaraja (1767–1847), andSyama Sastri (1762–1827). Unlike the predominantlyTelugu compositions of Tyagaraja and Syama Sastri, Dikshitar's works are mostly inSanskrit. He also composed a fewkritis inManipravalam, a literary style combining Sanskrit andTamil.
There are two schools of thought regarding the pronunciation of his name.[3] It is generally pronouncedMuthuswamy Dikshitar.Muthu means "pearl" in Tamil, cognate toMutya in Sanskrit. It may also be linked to Selvamuthukumaraswamy, a deity of the Vaideeswaran temple in Myladuthurai. However, T. K. Govinda Rao explains inCompositions of Mudduswamy Dikshitar[1] that "Muddayya" is an epithet of Kumaraswami or Guha. In the 1904Telugu publication ofSangita Sampradaya Pradarshini, Sri Subbarama Dikshitar refers to him as Mudduswamy. In his compositionBhajare re Chitha[5] in raga Kalyani, the mudra appears as "Guruguha Roopa Muddu Kumara Jananeem".
Muthuswami Dikshitar was born in an AuttaraVadamaTamil Brahmin family[6] on 24 March 1776,[7] inTiruvarur nearThanjavur, in what is now the state of Tamil Nadu in India. As the eldest son in his family, he received instruction from his father,Ramaswami Dikshitar, in several subjects, including theVedas, poetry,music, andastronomy.[8] Muthuswami had two brothers, Chinnaswami (Cinnasvāmi) and Balaswami (Bālāsvāmi),[b] and a sister,Balāmba.[9] Muthuswami's father, Ramaswami Dikshitar, born circa 1735, from an Auttara Vadama family in Virinchipuram, had relocated south due to the politically turbulent environment surrounding Kanchipuram and Virinchipuram at the time. Ramaswamy Dikshitar trained in the veena under Venkata Vaidyanatha Dikshitar, of the lineage ofGovinda Dikshitar and Venkatamakhin, an influence discernible in Muthuswami's works, which follow theVenkatamakhin raga system.
Muthuswami moved to the town ofManali, near Madras (nowChennai) at the behest of Venkatakrishna Mudaliar, a localzamindar. The Dikshitar brothers accompanied thezamindar toFort St. George, where they were introduced to Westernorchestral music and the violin. Anascetic named Chidambaranatha Yogi then took Muthuswami under his wing, and they went to the city of Benares (nowVaranasi in Uttar Pradesh). There he was instructed in music,esoterics, philosophy, andyoga. He was also exposed toHindustani classical music, particularly theDhrupad style, which some scholars believe influenced his later compositions.[c][8]
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According to hagiographical tradition[citation needed], Murugan, the deity of the temple at Tirutani, is said to have placed a piece of sugar candy in Dikshitar's mouth and commanded him to sing. This marked the beginning of his music career and also led him to adopt themudra,Guruguha, one of the many names of Murugan.[10] His first composition wasŚrināthādi guruguho jayati jayati in the ragaMaya Malavagaula andAdi tala.[8]
The song addressed the Lord (and/or theguru) in the firstdeclension (Vibhakthi) in Sanskrit. Dikshitar later composed Kritis in all eight declensions on the Lord. These are withepithets glorifying Muruga in the ascetic form and have few references to the deity in thesaguna form, as atThiruthani.[11]
He then went on a pilgrimage visiting and composing at the temples atKanchi,Tiruvannamalai,Chidambaram,Tirupathi andKalahasthi,Srirangam, before returning toTiruvarur.
Muthuswami Dikshitar attained proficiency in the veena, and the influence of veena playing is evident in his compositions, particularly thegamakas. In his KritiBalagopala, he introduces himself as avainika gāyaka, "a player of the veena".[12] He experimented with theviolin, and among his disciples, Vadivelu of theThanjavur Quartet, and his brother Balaswami Dikshitar pioneered the use of violin in Carnatic music, now an integral part of most Carnatic ensembles.
On his return to Tiruvarur, he composed on every deity in the Tiruvarur temple complex, including Tyagaraja (an amsham of Lord Shiva), the presiding deity, Nilotpalambal, his consort, and the Goddess Kamalambal, an independent deity of hightantric significance in the same temple complex. This is when he composed the famousKamalamba Navavarna Kritis, filled with exemplarysahityas on the deities of the Sri Chakra, which proved to be the showcase of his compositions. Thesenavavarnams were in all 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 theNavagraha Kritis in praise of the nine planets. Thesahitya of the songs reflect a profound knowledge of theMantra andJyotishasastras. The Nilotpalamba Kritis is another classic set of compositions which revived dying ragas like Narayanagaula, Purvagaula, and Chayagaula.[13]
Muthuswami Dikshitar died on 21 October 1835 atEttayapuram. He had no children. Asamadhi was erected at Ettayapuram in his memory, which attracts musicians and admirers of his art.[8]
Muthuswami Dikshitar's brothers Chinnaswami (1778–c. 1823) and Balaswami Dikshitar (1786–1858) were also noted musicians. Chinnaswami composed someKritis[15] while Balaswami adapted and pioneered the use of the Westernviolin in Carnatic music. The two of them were primarily vocalists and performed together as a duo singing Muthuswami's compositions. Balaswami's grandson[d] was the composer and scholar,Subbarama Dikshitar (1839–1906).[9][16] In hisSangeeta Sampradaya Pradarshini (IAST:Saṅgīta sampradāya pradarśini), Subbarama records 229 of Muthuswami Dikshitar's Kritis.[17]
Dikshitar's disciples included several artists who carried forward his tradition. They included theTanjore quartet brothers, Ponnayya Pillai, Vadivelu, Chinnayya and Sivanandam, themridangam player Tambiyappa, theveena player Venkatarama Ayyar ofAvudayarkoil, Tiruvarur Kamalam, Vallalarkoil Ammani,Kornad Ramaswamy,Tirukkadeyur Bharati, Thevvoor Subrahmania Ayyar, and the son ofShyama Shastri,Subbaraya Shastri.[8]
Dikshitar is considered one of theTrinity of Carnatic music alongside his two contemporaries from Tiruvarur, Tyagaraja and Shyama Shastri.[10][18] The Carnatic musicianM Balamuralikrishna had composed a song in his honour in theRagaSucharitra, 'Cintayāmi Satatam Śrī Mudduswāmi Dīkṣitam'.[19] Koteeswara Iyer has composed a song in his honour in theRaga Devamanohari, 'Sāmi Dīkṣita'.
Dikshitar's compositions are noted for their scholarly depth and use of complex rhythmic patterns. He incorporated philosophical concepts into his music and often employed a dignified, structured style, in contrast to the more spontaneous approach of Tyagaraja. Works such as theAbhayāmbā Vibhakti-kṛtis demonstrate a careful integration of spiritual themes with musical techniques. Dikshitar experimented with ragas and talas, including theRaga-malika format, and his compositions reflect attention to thematic appropriateness and musical structure.While his works exhibit technical complexity, they tend to be more concise than the extended compositions of his father, Ramaswamy Dikshitar.
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Muthuswami Dikshitar is credited with composing roughly 450 to 500 works, many of which remain part of the active Carnatic concert repertoire. Most of these compositions are in Sanskrit and follow theKrithi format, in which poetry texts are set to music.
Throughout his early life, Dikshitar traveled widely to numerous sacred temples across India, composing Krithis in honor of the deities enshrined at these sites. Many of his works praise the presiding deities mostly of well-known temples and incorporate detailed references to the specific characteristics and traditions of eachsthalam.[20]
Dikshitar composed extensively during his time inKanchipuram, a city traditionally described as containing more than108 temples, representing bothShaivite andVaishnavite traditions. He is said to have worked under the guidance of the saintBrahma Upanishad.[21] His compositions encompass an unusually wide range of deities, broader than that addressed by most composers in the Carnatic tradition.[22] They are noted for their depth, melodic sophistication, and structural precision. His interpretations of several ragas are regarded as authoritative references for their melodic form. While the lyrics are primarily devotional, addressed to specific temple deities, they also integrate concepts from Advaita Vedanta, blending devotional expression with non-dualistic philosophical ideas.
Dikshitar composed Krithis in all 72Melakartharagas, under his uniqueAsampurna Mela scheme, thereby preserving and showcasing several rare and nearly forgotten ragas.[23] He is also credited with pioneering the Samashti Charanam format—compositions that include only one stanza after the Pallavi, unlike the conventional two.[24][25]
Dikshitar was a master ofTala and is the only composer to have Krithis in all seven basic Talas of the Carnatic scheme. His compositions are known for proficient rhyming and intricate use of Sanskrit grammar, including the use of all eight grammatical declensions.
Muthuswami Dikshitar composed many Kritis in groups.Vatapi Ganapatim is regarded as his best-known work.[26]
Muthuswami Dikshitar composed one song (Shri Kantimatim Shankara Yuvatim Shri Guruguhajananim Vandeham. Samashti Charanam Hrîmkâra Bîjâkâra vadanâm Hiranya manimaya Shôbhâ Sadanâm) on theNellaiappar Temple for goddess Kanthimathi Amman. This song is set in a rare raga.[27] He is also said to have composed a Rama Ashtapathi along with Upanishad Brahmendral at Kanchipuram, which has been lost.[28]
At a young age, Dikshitar was exposed to the music of Western bands at Fort St. George. Later, Dikshitar composed some forty songs to several (mostly western folk) tunes loosely adapted to ragas such asShankarabharanam. This corpus is now known asnottusvara sahitya (etym.nottusvara = "notes" swara). The influence ofCeltic andBaroque styles in these compositions is evident (e.g.,Sakthi Sahitha Ganapatim,[29][unreliable source?] to the tune ofvoulez-vous dancer,[30]Varashiva Balam). A common misconception is that these compositions were commissioned by CP Brown, the Collector of Cuddappah. However, this is improbable, as historical records indicate that Dikshitar had left Madras by the year 1799,[31][full citation needed] while Brown did not arrive in Madras until by August 3, 1817, where he studied at theFort St. George College, and was being taught of Marathi and Telugu.[32] He would then pass his Telugu Proficiency and Civil Service Tests by June 1820. In a quote from his English translation of the Telugu Reader, about his own writing initiations into Telugu studies "This Brahmin (Velagapudi Kodandarama Panthulu) taught me the Telugu alphabet when I entered theMadras College".[32]
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