We are going to discuss on a very rare raga, created by a composer other than the Trinities, Gayakashikhamani Harikeshanallur Dr. Muthaiah Bhagavathar – “Saranga mallar”. The scale can be simply explained as Gandhara-varja Sankarabharanam (G3 dropped from both Arohanam and Avarohanam; the exact structure can be seen as:
S R2 M1 P D2 N3 S // S N3 D2 P M1 R2 S N3 S
As it is a very late creation, as also it is Dr. Muthaiah Bhagavathar’s own creation, there are no other specifications found in any text. As we can see the purvangam almost similar to the Madhyamavathi group of ragas, also usage of PMR, PMRS etc evoke bhakthi rasa; hence it is very much pleasant for listening.
Compositions:
The only composition in this raga is “Sree Mahabalagiri nivasini” by Dr. Muthaiah Bhagavathar and set to aadi tAlam. This composition was popularized by Sangeetha kalanidhi D.K.Jayaraman; it was sung by DKJ in an Academy Concert which was released as a double album by AVM. The veteran singer, Prof. Trivandrum Venkitaraman also has sung the same and was one of his favourites; he sang this in his isai vizha 2013 concert at Brahma Gana Sabha, Chennai.
Lyrics:
P: shrI mahAbalagiri nivAsini shrtajana paripAlini
A: sAmaja varadA sahajAtE sOma vadanE sundara radanE
(jatisvara sAhitya)
pAda padma gajam ri sa nI sA ri ma tadhimita kiTa taritana nana
takun tarikumta ma rI sa kukatari pa dha pa dhImta tadhimi tajhaNu mA
tari jEkuTa ma pa dha ni Dim Dim kuku ni sa* ri ma jhaNa ni dha pa dha nI
trikiNa tom kiNatom dha ni sa ri pa dha dhimikiTa ma ri ri sa
tingiNatom ri* sa* tatingingiNatom
C: shArada candra samavadanE ambA sAmaja gamanE sAdhu santrANE
sArasAkSi harikEsha manOhari salahau tAyE shrI cAmuNDEshvari
Let us listen to the great DKJ himself, singing the same, with a superb nereval at ‘sArasAkshi harikesha manohari’, followed by excellent kalpana swaras and the jathiswara sahithyam at the end.