Like the sun that dispels darkness
SVK
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Guru Ramanathapuram Sankara Sivan shaped his disciples giving allowance to their individuality.
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C. S. Sankarasivan.
Sri Tyagaraja, in his Dhanyasi kritana, says: "Guruvu-Chillaginja-Guruve-Bramaramu-Gurude-Bhaskarudu" (The guru cleanses the mind like the sallaki seed which purifies dirty water. He is the bee which transforms the pupil into himself. He is the sun who dispels the mist of ignorance).
In another song he declares that Brahma has ``to bless me with sangita gnana (Sitavara-Sangita Gnanamu Dhata Vrayavalera Rama)."
When these two get associated, music gains extraordinary brilliance. Such was the contribution of Ramanathapuram C. S. Sankarasivan (guru) and Madurai T.N. Seshagopalan (the disciple).
Born in a highly gifted musical family (Sankara Sivan's father Chitsabhai Servai had his gurukulavasam under Pudukottai Manpoondiah Pillai along with Pudukottai Dakshinamurthy), and groomed by Harikesanallur Muthaiah Bhagavathar, Sankara Sivan became a great gayaka.
Gurukulavasam
Having to discard his studies, as he had to move to Veeravanallur where Muthaiah Bhagavathar had his establishment, Sankara Sivan had 15 years of gurukulavasam, thanks to the good Samaritan, the Raja of Ramnad, who decided to name him successor of Poochi Srinivasa Iyengar as the asthana vidwan. The tutelage coupled with the ambience at home where great stalwarts of the palace discussed, exchanged and demonstrated the nuances of music, sharpened his skill.
Sankara Sivan was equally well versed in Tamil, astrology and Tamil vaidyam. In the early years of his career after he became the asthana vidwan he gave concerts with Kumbakonam Rajamanickam Pillai and Pudukottai Dakshinamoorthy Pillai as accompanists. His deep knowledge was availed of by the Annamalai University where he had participated in many conferences.
His repertoire was wide particularly pallavis in which his exposition raga alapana, neravals and swara prastharas - was imbued with bhava.
In one such exposition at Chethur — a pallavi in raga Salabhairavi — the zamindar of Chethur, himself a disciple of Manpoondiah Pillai, accompanied Sankara Sivam on the kanjira and it was laya vinyasam battle royal.
Unique feature
More than his own musical scholarship, the way he shaped his disciples according to the level of their natural equipment was a unique feature - Seshagopalan stands as a shining example.
He assessed the strengths and weaknesses of their voice and decided the technique that would be their distinct bhani.
Ramanathapuram C. S. Murugabhoopathy, reputed mridangist and brother of Sankara Sivam was trained by the latter on the lines of Dakshinamurthy Pillai and Kumbakonam Azhaga Nambi Pillai.
Among his disciples may be mentioned Ramnad Krishnan, his brothers Ramnad Easwaran and Raghavan.
At Madurai
After the Ramanathapuram Samasthanam was wound up, Sankara Sivam migrated to Madurai and served the Sathguru Sangeetha Vidyalaya music schools with such distinction as to raise it to become affiliated to Madurai University. He lived up to a ripe age of 90-plus. He was conferred the title "Madura Kala Praveena" by the Sathguru Sangeetha Samajam and "Kalaimamani" by the Tamil Nadu Government.
In the 12th memorial Day celebration organised by Seshagopalan under the Gurukrupa Trust, speakers eulogised the musical eminence of Sankara Sivam followed by a mini concert by T. M. Krishna accompanied on the violin by Varadarajan, on the mridangam by T. K. Murthy and on the kanjira by Abhishek Raguram.
Veteran mridangist Palghat Raghu was felicitated on the occasion.
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