Muthuswami Dikshitar

Muthuswami Dikshitar (Mudduswamy Dikshitar) (, 24 March 1776 – 21 October 1835), mononymously Dikshitar, was a South Indian poet, singer, veena player, and a prolific composer of Indian classical music. He was the youngest member of what is referred to as the Trinity of Carnatic music. Muthuswami Dikshitar was born on 24 March 1776 in Tiruvarur near Thanjavur, in what is now the state of Tamil Nadu, India. He was born to a family that is traditionally traced back to Virinichipuram in the northern boundaries of the state.

Dikshitar is credited with about 500 known compositions which are noted for their elaborate, poetic descriptions of Hindu gods, architectural descriptions of temples, and for capturing the essence of the raga forms through the vainika ( veena) style that emphasizes gamakas. They are composed in a slower tempo (chowka kala). He is also known by his signature name of Guruguha which is also his mudra which appears in each of his compositions. His compositions are widely sung and played in classical concerts of Carnatic music.

The musical trinity consists of Dikshitar, Tyagaraja (1767–1847), and Syama Sastri (1762–1827). However, unlike the Telugu compositions of Tyagaraja and Syama Sastri, his compositions are predominantly in Sanskrit. He also composed some of his Kritis in Manipravalam (a combination of the Sanskrit and Tamil languages).

There are two schools of thought regarding the pronunciation of his name. The name is pronounced as 'Muthuswamy Dikshitar'. Muthuswami is a common Tamil name (Muthu translates to pearl in Tamil, cognate to Mutya in Sanskrit) and is derived from Selvamuthukumaraswamy, a deity of the renowned Vaideeswaran temple in Myladuthurai. However, T. K. Govinda Rao explains in Compositions of Mudduswamy Dikshitar that "the word Muddayya is an epithet of Kumaraswami or Guha. Further, in the original Telugu publication of Sangita Sampradaya Pradarshini (1904) Sri Subbarama Dikshitar mentions his name as Mudduswamy. Also, in the known composition of Dikshitar, "Bhajare re Chitha" in raga Kalyani, the "mudra" or signature of the composer appears in the text as "Guruguha Roopa Muddu Kumara Jananeem".

Early life

Muthuswami Dikshitar was born in a Auttara Vadama Brahmin family on 24 March 1776, in Tiruvarur near Thanjavur, in what is now the state of Tamil Nadu in India. The eldest son of the composer, Ramaswami Dikshitar, he received instruction in a number of subjects including the Vedas, poetry, music, and astronomy. Muthuswami had two brothers, Chinnaswami () and Balaswami (), and a sister, . Muthuswami's father, Ramaswami Dikshitar, born circa 1735, from an Auttara Vadama family in Virinchipuram, had moved South due to the politically troubled environment around Kanchipuram and Virinchipuram at the time. Ramaswamy Dikshithar trained in the veena under Venkata Vaidyanatha Dikshitar, of the lineage of Govinda Dikshitar and Venkatamakhin, an influence discernible in Muthuswami's works, which follow the Venkatamakhin raga system.

Muthuswami moved to the town of Manali, near Madras (now Chennai) at the behest of Venkatakrishna Mudaliar, a local ''zamindar''. The Dikshitar brothers accompanied the ''zamindar'' to Fort St. George nearby where they were introduced to Western orchestral music and the violin. An ascetic named Chidambaranatha Yogi then took Muthuswami under his wing and away to the city of Benares (now Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh). There he was instructed in music, esoterics, philosophy, and yoga. He was also exposed to Hindustani classical music, particularly the Dhrupad style, which some scholars believe influenced his later compositions.

Upon the death of Chidamabaranatha Yogi, Dikshitar returned South from Benares and moved to the town of Tiruttani near Tirupati.

Career

According to legend, Murugan, the deity of the temple at Tirutani, placed a piece of sugar candy in Dikshitar's mouth and commanded him to sing. This marked the beginning of his career in music and also led to him adopting the mudra, ''Guruguha'', one of the many names of Murugan. His first composition was ' in the raga Maya Malavagaula and Adi tala.

The song addressed the Lord (and/or the guru) in the first declension (Vibhakthi) in Sanskrit. Dikshitar later composed Kritis in all the eight declensions on the Lord. These are with epithets glorifying Muruga in the ascetic form and have few references to the deity in the saguna form, as at Thiruthani.

He then went on a pilgrimage visiting and composing at the temples at Kanchi, Tiruvannamalai, Chidambaram, Tirupathi and Kalahasthi, Srirangam, before returning to Tiruvarur.

Muthuswami Dikshitar attained proficiency over the veena, and the influence of veena playing is evident in his compositions, particularly the gamakas. In his Kriti ''Balagopala'', he introduces himself as a ', "a player of the veena". He experimented with the violin, and among his disciples, Vadivelu of the Thanjavur 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 high tantric significance in the same temple complex. This is when he composed the famous Kamalamba Navavarna Kritis, filled with exemplary sahityas on the deities of the Sri Chakra which proved to be the showcase of his compositions. These ''navavarnams'' 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.

Death and legacy

Muthuswami Dikshitar died on 21 October 1835 at Ettayapuram. He had no children. A samadhi was erected at Ettayapuram in his memory and attracts musicians and admirers of his art.

Muthuswami Dikshitar's brothers Chinnaswami (1778–) and Balaswami Dikshitar (1786–1858) were also noted musicians. Chinnaswami composed some Kritis while Balaswami adapted and pioneered the use of the Western violin in Carnatic music. The two of them were primarily vocalists and performed together as a duo singing Muthuswami's compositions. Balaswami's grandson was the composer and scholar, Subbarama Dikshitar (1839–1906). In his ''Sangeeta Sampradaya Pradarshini'' (), Subbarama records 229 of Muthuswami Dikshitar's Kritis.

Dikshitar's disciples included a number of artists who carried forward his tradition. They included the Tanjore quartet brothers, Ponnayya Pillai, Vadivelu, Chinnayya and Sivanandam, the mridangam player Tambiyappa, the veena player Venkatarama Ayyar of Avudayarkoil, Tiruvarur Kamalam, Vallalarkoil Ammani, Kornad Ramaswamy, Tirukkadeyur Bharati, Thevvoor Subrahmania Ayyar, and the son of his Shyama Shastri, Subbaraya Shastri.

With the creativity and spiritual value embedded in his compositions, Dikshitar is considered one of the Trinity of Carnatic music alongside his two contemporaries from Tiruvarur, Tyagaraja and Shyama Shastri. The Carnatic musician M Balamuralikrishna had composed a song in his honour in the Raga Sucharitra, 'Cintayāmi Satatam Śrī Mudduswāmi Dīkṣitam'. Koteeswara Iyer has composed a song in his honour in the Raga Devamanohari, 'Sāmi Dīkṣita'.

Compositions

Muthuswami Dikshitar is credited with approximately 450 to 500 compositions, many of which are still performed in contemporary Carnatic music concerts. The majority of his works are in Sanskrit and follow the Krithi format—poetry set to music.

Throughout his life, Dikshitar traveled extensively to various sacred temples across India, composing Krithis in honor of the deities enshrined there. His compositions cover a remarkably broad range of deities, more than most composers in the Carnatic tradition. itation needed
Dikshitar’s works are noted for their depth, melody, and refined structure. His interpretation of several ragas has become the authoritative reference for their melodic form. While his lyrics offer praise to temple deities, they also reflect Advaita Vedanta philosophy, blending devotional expression with non-dualistic thought. Many of his compositions also contain references to temple history, rituals, and regional customs, preserving aspects of temple culture and heritage.

In terms of lyrical craft, his compositions are known for proficient rhyming and intricate use of Sanskrit grammar, including the use of all eight grammatical declensions.

Technical Contributions

Dikshitar composed Krithis in all 72 Melakartha ragas, under his unique Asampurna Mela scheme, thereby preserving and showcasing several rare and nearly forgotten ragas. He is also credited with pioneering the Samashti Charanam format—compositions that include only one stanza after the Pallavi, unlike the conventional two.

Dikshitar was a master of Tala and is the only composer to have Krithis in all the seven basic Talas of the Carnatic scheme. He also demonstrated his command of Sanskrit grammar by composing verses employing all eight grammatical declensions.

Grouped Compositions and Notable Works

Muthuswami Dikshitar composed many Kritis in groups. '' Vatapi Ganapatim'' is regarded as his best-known work.

Muthuswami Dikshitar composed one song (Shri Kantimatim Shankara Yuvatim Shri Guruguhajananim Vandeham. Samashti Charanam Hrîmkâra Bîjâkâra vadanâm Hiranya manimaya Shôbhâ Sadanâm) on the Nellaiappar Temple for goddess Kanthimathi Amman. This song is set in a rare raga. He is also said to have composed a Rama Ashtapathi along with Upanishad Brahmendral at Kanchipuram. This work has been lost.

Influence of Western Music

At a young age, Dikshitar was exposed to the music of the Western bands at Fort St. George. At a later stage, Dikshitar composed some forty songs to several (mostly western folk) tunes loosely adopted to ragas such as Shankarabharanam. This corpus is now known as '' nottusvara sahitya'' (etym. ''nottusvara'' = "notes" swara). The influence of Celtic and Baroque styles in these compositions is evident (e.g., ''Sakthi Sahitha Ganapatim'', to the tune of ''voulez-vous dancer'', ''Varashiva Balam''). A common misconception suggests these compositions were commissioned by CP Brown, the Collector of Cuddappah. However, this is unlikely, as historical records indicate that Dikshitar had left Madras by 1799Raghavan's monograph published by the NCPA. , while Brown only arrived in 1817. He learned Telugu in 1820 and moved to Cuddappah the same year.

See also

* List of Carnatic composers

Notes

References

Sources

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External links

Compositions of Dikshitar, with meanings.Sruti Magazine, Mar 2013Muthusamy Dikshithar – A Creative Genius
by Chitravina N Ravikiran
Statistics on Dikshitar's CompositionsSri Muthuswamy Dheekshidhar Adichuvatil Isaipayanam by Valayapettai R. Krishnan
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Dikshitar, Muthuswami
Carnatic composers
1776 births
1835 deaths
People from Tiruvarur district
People from the Maratha Empire
Musicians from British India