Music composer
H. RAMAKRISHNAN
NEW LIGHT ON SWATHI THIRUNAL: R. P. Raja; Centre For Inter-Disciplinary Studies, P.R.A.G, 58, GPO Lane, Thiruvananthapuram-695001. Rs. 250.
Did Shakespeare author the Shakespearean plays? This question will remain as long as we discuss him. Nearer home, while there is no doubt about the authorship of most of the Thyagaraja Krithis, there was a raging controversy a few years back about the authorship of the Swathi Thirunal Krithis. This was mainly because of poor or little documentation. At least composers like the Trinity had a lineage of disciples, who preserved the Krithis intact. Swathi Thirunal did not have a line of disciples.
In order to clear doubts about the authorship of Swathi Thirunal Krithis, R. P. Raja has taken painstaking efforts to carry out this research work. He had an advantage in this pursuit since he is related to Swathi Thirunal through both his maternal and paternal lines. Thus, he had easy access to the royal family and documents, books and photographs in the palace. He had to face problems as well as the first documentary evidence, although skeletal, regarding the compositions of Swathi Thirunal appears in a book published in 1853, seven years after the demise of the Maharaja. And thereafter there have been references to his works in a few printed books, and for the first time his Krithis with musical notations appeared in a book published in 1917.
Authorities
The author quotes extensively from the works of several authorities like P. Shungoonny Menon, K. Chidambara Vadhyar, Ganapathy Sastry, Ranganatha Iyer, Sankara Bhattar Sasthrikal, Dr. S. Venkitasubramonia Iyer, T. K. Govinda Rao, and Brahmasree Krishna Bhagavathar. Copies of letters provided by the Kanchi Mutt, the list of Kerala Raja's Krithis provided by Dr. M. Balamuralikrishna, references to Swathi Thirunal in printed books prior to 1916, and works of Vaikathu Pachu Moothathu and P. Govinda Pillai have also lent a helping hand to him. At one point of time (in the 1960s), K. P. Sivanandam offered to hand over the entire cadjan leaf collections containing the musical compositions of Swathi Thirunal which were originally in the possession of Vadivelu to the Royal family. As ill luck would have it, the palace was not interested in the offer. The author has made a fervent appeal to the descendants of Vadivelu to hand them over to the Saraswathy Mahal Library in Thanjavur.
Lesser-known facts
The book contains some lesser-known facts. Irayimman Thampi wrote the immortal lullaby `Omanaththingal Kidavo' when Rani Gouri Lakshmi Bayi gave birth to Maharaja Swathi Thirunal Rama Varma. The famous poet Kamban had given the idol of Goddess Saraswathi worshipped by him to Kulasekhara Perumal, the then King of Venad (Travancore). It is this idol, which is worshipped during the Navaratri festival in Thiruvananthapuram.
The book also has a brief biography including the personal life of Swathi Thirunal. Some references to the musical trinity in the preface, which I think are unflattering, could have been avoided. Otherwise, this book indeed throws some new light on Swathi Thirunal.
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