Pann

''PaN'' () is the melodic mode used by the Tamil people in their music since the ancient times. The ancient ''pans'' over centuries evolved first into a pentatonic scale. But from the earliest times, Tamil Music is heptatonic and known as ''ēḻisai'' (ஏழிசை).Adiyarkunallar's commentary to the ''Aychiyarkkuravai'', the seventh canto of the second book of Cilappatikaram gives the number of Srutis and how they were allotted among Seven notes.

''PaNs'' in literature

There are several references to music and ''PaNs'' in the ancient pre-Sangam and Sangam literature starting from the earliest known work '' Tolkāppiyam'' (500 BCE). Among Sangam literature, '' Maturaikkañci'' refers to women singing ''sevvaḻippaN'' to invoke the mercy of God during childbirth. In '' Tolkāppiyam'', the five landscapes of the Sangam literature had each an associated ''PaN'', each describing the mood of the song associated with that landscape. Among the numerous ''paNs'' that find mention in the ancient Tamil literature are, ''Ambal PaN'', which is suitable to be played on the flute, ''sevvaḻippaN'' on the ''yāḻ'' (lute), ''Nottiram'' and ''Sevvaḻi'' expressing pathos, the captivating ''KuriñcippaN'' and the invigorating ''MarudappaN''.

The Sangam landscape was classified into five regions to describe the mood of the poem and to describe the intangibles of human emotions. While describing life and romance, the poets employed the background of the natural landscape and used the ''paN'' specific to that landscape to provide the mood. The ''Neital'' (seaside) landscape, which is employed to convey the grief of separation of lovers had the associated ''sevvaḻippaN'' expressing pathos.

'' Malaipaṭukaṭām'' mentions ''ViRaliyar'' singing ''KuriñcipaN'' when offering worship to the deities of the mountainous regions. It also refers to ''ViRali'' singing ''MarudappaN'' before singing the eulogies of kings. '' Malaipaṭukaṭām'' also refers to the people trying to overcome their fatigue by singing ''MarudappaN'' after working in the fields. There is a very interesting reference to ''paNs'' and birds/insects in '' Perumpāṇāṟṟuppaṭai''. It says that the beetles liked to listen to ''KuriñcipaN'' played on ''Vilyaḻ'' thinking it to be the voice of its own kith and kin, while they hated to laNen to ''PālaipaN'' played on the flute. There are also references to the ''pāNar'' taking delight in mastering the ''NaivaLam paN''.

Evolution of ''PaNs''

In the post-Sangam period, between the third and the fifth centuries CE, Tamil music evolved to a higher sophistication. ''Cilappatikāram'', written around the fifth century CE, describes music based on logical, systematic and scientific calculations in the arrangements of the dancers on the stage to represent the notes and ''panns''. ''Cilappatikāram'' contains several chapters dedicated to music and dance, of which the most famous is the ''kanal vari'' which is a duet between the hero ''Kōvalan'' and his lady-love ''Mādavi''. ''Cilappatikāram'' contains musical terminology such as, ''alaku'' and ''māttirai'' referring to the musical pitch and the smallest fraction of an audible sound distinguishable by the human ear. From these evolved the scales.

Development of scales

One of the first scales employed by the ancient Tamils was the ''MullaippaN'', a pentatonic scale composed of the notes ''sa ri ga pa da'' equivalent to C, D, E, G and A in the western notations. These fully harmonic scales, constitutes the ''raga'' '' Mohanam'' in the Carnatic music style.

''MullaippaN'' further evolved into ''sempālai'', a scale based on seven notes by the addition of two more notes, ''ma'' and ''ni'' to the pentatonic scale. ''SempālaippaN'' corresponds to the Carnatic raga Harikambhoji. In ancient Tamil, the seven notes were termed , , , , , and . The seven basic notes are then developed into twelve swaras corresponding to the twelve houses of the zodiac.

The ancient Tamils also derived new ''paNs'' by the process of modal shift of tonic and by the process of reallocating the pitch and beat of the notes. ''Cilappatikāram'' has an example of this in the chapter ''ArangēRRukkādai'', where the ''PaN MeRcarupalai'' is changed to derive a new ''Pann''. By the model shift of the tonic (பண்ணுப்பெயர்த்தல் - ''PaNNuppeyarttal'') the ancient Tamils devised the seven major ''palais''. Using the process of the cycle of fifth (called ''āya palai'') or the cycle of fourth, five semitones were developed. For example, if the cycle is started with ''kural'' (''sa''), the fifth note will yield ''iLi'' (''pa''), the ''sa''-''pa'' relationship. In the cycle of fourth, ''kural'' (''sa'') will give ''uḻai'' (''ma''), the ''sa''-''ma'' relationship. These five semitones were added to the original seven notes giving 12 notes of the ancient Tamil musical octave. Among the 12 notes, the flats were called ''kuRai'' (குறை) and the sharps were called ''niRai'' (நிறை).

The seven major ''palais'' or parent scales of the music of the ancient Tamils are: ''Sempalaipann'' (corresponding to the present ''Shankarabaranam''), ''Padumalai palaipann'' ('' Karaharapriya''), ''Sevvazhipalaipann'' ('' Hanumathodi''), ''Arum Palai'' ('' Kalyani''), ''Kodi Palai'' ('' Harikambhoji ''), ''Vilari Palai'' (''Natabhairavi''), and ''MeRcem Palai'' ('' Mechakalyani'').

The four original ''paNs'' of ''marutappaN'', ''kuriñcippaN'', ''sevvaḻi'' and ''saDari'' thus evolved into 103 ''paNs'' with varying characterisations. In all of these ''PaNs'', ''Uyir SurangaL'' (''Jīvasvarams'': Life Notes) exist. The life note of a ''PaN'' is embellished according to the notes that appear immediately before and after. This is called ''Alankāram'' ''(Gamakam)''. Taking into consideration all these special notes, ''PaN Isai'' is different from '' Carnatic Music''. Carnatic Music as two variations of each of the variables; Ri, Ga, Ma, Dha and Ni. ''PaN Isai'' has 4 variations of each of the 5 variable. Plus the 2 constants; Sa and Pa, there are 22 variations of the 7 basic notes. The ancient name for ''Rāgam'' is ''Niram''. '' Mēlakarta'' was called ''Thāi Niram'' and '' Rāgams'' born from there were call ''Sēi Niram''. The ancient name for '' TāLam'' is ''PāNi''. For example, ''Rūpaka'' ''Tālam'' was ''PāNi MūnDRottu''. Before Sa, Ri, Ga... Tamils used the 12 Tamil Vowels. Looking at a keyboard, they would've used the 5 ''KuRil'' (Short Sounds) for the black keys and the 7 ''NeDil'' (Long Sounds) for the white keys.

Some of the ''paNs'' and their equivalent Carnatic ragas were:

* ''Pañcamam'' – ''Ahiri''
* ''Paḻam Pañcuram'' - ''SankarābharaNam''
* ''Mēgarāgakkuriñci'' - ''Neelambari''
* ''Paḻantakka Rāgam'' - '' Arabhi''
* ''Kuriñci'' - '' Malahari''
* ''NāTTa Rāgam'' – '' Panthuvaraali''
* ''Intalam'' - ''Nadanamakriya''
* ''Takkēsi'' - '' Kambhoji''
* ''Kausikam'' - '' Bhairavi''
* ''NāTTappadai'' – ''GambhīranāTTai''
* ''Gāndhāra Pañcamam'' – ''Kedara Gowlai''

''Panns'' in Saivite hymns

After the Sangam period and during the occupation of the Tamil country by Kalabhras, Tamil music was dormant for a period of a few centuries. With the advent of the Saivite saints Manikkavacakar (100 AD), Sundarar (900 AD), Thirunavukkarasar and Thirugnana Sambanthar (7th century CE) who used the ancient ''panns'' in their hymns ( Tevaram), Tamil music experienced a revival. Only through these Tirumurais, hymns by Seerkaazhi Muthuthaandavar, hymn by Marimutha Pillai, Arunagirinathar, Ramalinga Swamigal and the hymns of Vaishnavite Alvars we can still experience the ancient traditions of the Tamil ''panns''. Sambanthar used the following seven ''panns'': ''nattapaadai'', ''Thakka ragam'', ''Paḻanthakka ragam'', ''Thakkesi'', ''Kurinji'', ''Viyazhak kurinji'', and ''Meharahakkurinji''. Manikkavacagar used Mulai Pann (Mohana Raagam) for the majority of his Thiruvasagam and Thirukkovaiyar. There are a few of his hymns where he used Bowli, Megaragakkurinji and Kalyaani. Sundaramoorthi SwamigaL wise widely influenced by Thirunyaanasambandhar SwamigaL and Thirunaavukkarasar 'Appar' SwamigaL, who used PaN Koli quite often. In actual, only Thirunaavukkarasar SwamigaL sang the Dhehvaaram, which made-up the 4th, 5th and 6th ThirumuRaigaL. Thirunyaanasambandhar SwamigaL wrote the ThirukaDaikaapu, which makes up the 1st, 2nd and 3rd ThirumuRaigaL. Thiru Sundharamoorthi SwamigaL wrote the ThirupaaTTu, which makes up the 7th ThirumuRai. Thiru MaaNikkavaasagar's Thiruvaasagam and Thirukkohvaiyaar makes up the 8th ThirumuRai. There 12 ThirumuRais. Thirumoolar's Thirumandhiram is the 10th ThirumuRai and SekkiZHaar's Thiru ThoNDar PuraaNam, or Periya PuraaNam is the 12th ThirumuRai. The ThirumuRais are the Devotional works of Saivaism and the 14 SaathirangaL (Saathirais) are the philosophical works of Saivaism, with ThiruvaLuvar's ThirkkuRaL accepted as Neethi nool or Saathiram (Singular form of SaathirangaL).

See also

* Ancient Tamil music

References

*
*{{Citation , last=Varadarajan , first=Mu. , title=History of Tamil Literature , publisher=Sahitya Akademi , place=Madras , year=1988
, url = https://books.google.com/books?id=13sOAAAAYAAJ, translated from Tamil by E.Sa Visswanathan.

Tamil-language literature
Tamil