Mysore Vasudevachar at Kalakshetra

-- by V.R. Devika

Three generations of ardent connoisseurs of the Kalakshetra Ramayana productions say they feel a thrill when the first lines of the Balakanda of the Ramayana are sung at Kalakshetra’s Sita Swayamvaram in the Ramayana series.

‘When Veena Sambasiva Iyer heard this song, he said to Vasudevacharya, “If only I were a Maharaja, I would present you one crore of rupees for just that composition alone.” So Ramayana began under such tremendous auspices,” Rukmini Devi Arundale wrote in her tribute to Mysore Vasudevachar during his centenary celebrations.

He was 88 years old when Rukmini Devi went to Mysore to invite him to come to Madras to compose music for the production of the Valmiki Ramayana that she wanted to choreograph. When she enquired if he could come, he replied, “Certainly I will come, but I must make sure that His Highness the Maharaja would allow me to go because my first duty is to him.” When Rukmini Devi asked him if he would come if the Maharaja allowed him, Vasudevachar said, “Of course, I will come, but even then, I shall consider myself an asthana vidwan of Mysore.”

Mysore K. Vasudevacharya.

It was Tiger Varadachariar who had spoken to Rukmini Devi Arundale about Mysore Vasudevachar. She had asked him if there was anyone else besides him who truly represented the music of Patnam Subramania Iyer, the great composer of the 19th century. He answered that there was only one such sishya, and it was Mysore Vasudevachar. Within a few days after this conversation, Tiger Varadachariar came rushing to her, saying that Vasudevachar was in Madras. Rukmini Devi writes that she was witness to the most beautiful way in which the two great vidwans greeted each other, prostrating each before the other. She was completely charmed by him. Vasudevachar turned out to be easily approachable, humorous and a gracious individual. At his concert at the Madras Madhwa Sangh, his music thrilled her. She writes, “His voice was full life and grace and his singing with such a strong voice, in perfect adherence to pitch was most remarkable considering his age. Not only this, he sang with the greatest ease so that one had the feeling that one could go home and sing exactly the same way. This feeling he always conveyed even at the age of 96 when he was still singing. Only when one tried, did one find how deceptive this ease was. I told Tiger that we must somehow see that Vasudevacharya was invited to sing in Adyar.”

Vasudevachar sang at the Sangita Shiromani concert in Adyar with complete mastery. His tanam was marvellous, describes Rukmini Devi and that she had never heard the likes of that before or after. Vasudevachar was able to produce more sound effects with his voice than Tiger himself who told Rukmini Devi that this was the real ancient way of singing tanam.

Tiger had wished that Vasudevachar should come to Kalakshetra while he was there, but unfortunately, this did not happen because Vasudevachar could not live in Madras without some member of his family to look after him. After Tiger passed away, Rukmini Devi went to Mysore to personally invite Vasudevachar. When he wanted his grandson S. Rajaram to come with him, she moved heaven and earth and got Rajaram, who was working as a jalatarangam artist in AIR-Dharwad, a transfer to All India Radio-Madras.

At the age of 88, in 1953, Vasudevachar arrived in Kalakshetra and was housed in Krishna cottage in Damodar Gardens. After acclimatizing himself to the atmosphere of Kalakshetra, he got inspired and began composing for Valmiki Ramayana. He always impressed upon his grandson Rajaram that the work being done in Kalakshetra, had a divine purpose.

With a galaxy of administrators, teachers and students at Kalakshetra in 1959. Sitting second row L to R: V.P. Dhananjayan, D. Pasupathi, Rukmini Devi, Mysore Vasudevachar, Mylapore Gowri Ammal.

His way of teaching was charming and simple in many ways, and he was very particular, no matter how advanced his pupils were in music, that they should sing the fundamental exercises. He had many original, clever ways of teaching his pupils, and he would quote from the ancient works bringing the sastras alive for the students. Soon he became the beloved ‘Pachchai Thatha’ to all the students and teachers of Kalakshetra because of the green shawl he wore on his shoulder; the great vainika Karaikudi Sambasiva Iyer was the ‘Sivappu or Seippu Thatha’ for his red shawl! While young students like C.P. Shanta would walk to their class in front of his cottage, he would teach them small songs in Kannada with rhythm. Rukmini Devi writes that the enjoyment he showed in teaching was remarkable, and he put his whole heart and mind into his teaching. He would wait for the students and would be disappointed if they did not come on time. V.P. Dhananjayan recalls playing the tambura while others were learning from thatha, and he would get a whack if a student made a mistake as he was the closest sitting near him! M.S. Subbulakshmi came to Kalakshetra to learn thatha’s composition Brochevarevarura from him. Playing the tambura in those classes was a special privilege for these sessions.

Early students of Kalakshetra describe Vasudevachar as a meticulous man. He would carefully pick up the tambura with remarkable grace, look at it, wipe it with great affection with a cloth and then tune it with devotion. While tuning, nothing short of perfection would do. Every bead must be in its place, all in a row; not placed up and down untidily. The threads for giving jiva to the strings had also to be aesthetic and beautiful in the right and harmonious colours. The pupils too had to maintain their posture in a graceful and dignified manner worthy of the music. Slouching, leaning on the tambura or beating the tala on the tambura were all anathema to him. Rukmini Devi says that for Vasudevachar, bhava or emotion was the life and soul of music. To that end, he channelled all his efforts in untiringly demonstrating to his pupils so that they could absorb from him what he had absorbed from his guru Patnam Subramania Iyer.

With Musiri Subramania Iyer and Rukmini Devi.

The Maharaja of Mysore, Jayachamaraja Wodeyar had a soft corner for Vasudevachar and remembered him affectionately. He was a student of Vasudevachar and recalled that nothing gave his guru greater pleasure than talking about the subtleties of music and musical compositions. The Maharaja observed during the centenary celebrations of Mysore Vasudevachar, “He would be the first to join any cultural group that chose to discuss music. He always preferred to be a nadopasaka (worshipper of music), which made him obey the traditional laws of sadachara (righteousness) scrupulously. When he was not composing, the acharya chose to read a Sanskrit classic or a literary work of a high order in the regional language.” The Maharaja also said that his guru’s scholarship and artistic sensibilities enabled him to impart the necessary literary touch to his compositions, which made them most charming. The Maharaja spoke about the two books Vasudevachar wrote in Kannada: Naa Kanda Kalavidaru (Artists I have seen) after turning 90 and Nenapugalu (Memories) at the ripe old age of 96! Musiri Subramania Iyer has described his association with Vasudevachar describing how each sangati composed by Vasudevachar expressed the details of the mood in the lyrics of the composition. He marvels about the simplicity of thatha who would wash his own clothes even at the age of 95 not allowing anyone else to do so.

Sankara Menon, Mysore Vasudevachar and Rukmini Devi.

Vasudevachar unfortunately passed away after composing the music for only four of the six Ramayana productions at Kalakshetra, ending with Sabari Moksham. Rukmini Devi was devastated. She recounts the last music class she had with him. He told her that the last song he would be teaching her was Sankarinee in Begada. He was becoming very weak due to old age. But after what was supposed to be her last class, he asked her to attend some more classes. He told her that he could not live without teaching. He developed fever and when she went to see him, he held both her hands and told her not to expect anything more from him in this life. She however remarked that she expected him to complete his century. He smiled and began to sing the Viriboni varnam in Bhairavi and demonstrated how Patnam Subramania Iyer sang it. The last thing he said was that he wanted to live because he wanted to go once more to Tirupati and sing. Unfortunately, that wish could not be fulfilled.

On 17 May 1961, he continued with his daily routine. After his morning sandhyavandanam, he taught a student called Indrani, his favourite Ata tala varnam in Bhairavi. After lunch, he recited the Bhagavad Gita. In the evening, some of his scholar friends came to chat with him. They all conversed happily and in earnest until 7 pm; there was plenty of humour, as expected.

As the friends departed, Vasudevachar summoned Budalur Krishnamurthy, the veteran artiste and told him that the purpose of his birth had been fulfilled. He told him that he would be departing soon and requested him to convey his last pranams to all the music greats however younger or older than him, they may be. “Maybe Sarada Devi may grant music to me at least in future!”

Budalur, on his part, told Vasudevachar not to talk like that and that they would celebrate his century. Vasudevachar then asked Dr. Gopalan, “Doctor, how is my health?” The doctor smiled and said, “You have perfect health Thatha. Hundred years guaranteed. All parameters are fine.”

Vasudevachar smiled and replied that he was well aware that he would get this positive reply till he closed his eyes. After the 7.30 pm mangala arati was performed in his puja altar, he went for a short walk and came back. He told his daughter-in-law that he was not hungry and would drink just a glass of milk. At 8.25 pm he called out to Rajaram to bring his tambura and asked him to sing as he himself lay on the mat listening to the sound of the tambura. He propped up but exclaimed that he was feeling slightly giddy. He then lay down and took a deep breath – his last, even as the room was filled with the sweet sruti emanating from the tambura. – (Courtesy: Sruti Magazine, August 2022.)

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