Syama Sastri

Syama Sastri
Born	Venkata Subrahmanya (1762-04-26)26 April 1762 Thiruvarur, Thanjavur Maratha kingdom
Died	1827 (aged 64–65)
Other names	Syama Krishna
Occupation	Carnatic music composer

Syama Sastri (Telugu : శ్యామ శాస్త్రి; IAST: Śyāma Śāstri; 26 April 1762 – 1827) or Shyama Shastri was a musician and composer of Carnatic music. He was the oldest among the Trinity of Carnatic music, Tyagaraja and Muthuswami Dikshitar being the other two.

Early life and career

Syama Sastri, whose birth name was Venkata Subrahmanya, was born on 26 April 1762 in a Telugu Brahmin family. He was also known as one of the trinity of carnatic music. To later generations, he is better known by his adopted name Syama Sastri or by his musical mudra (signature) Syama Krishna. He was born in Tiruvarur, in what is now the state of Tamil Nadu. He received his instruction in the vedas, astrology, and other traditional subjects early on and learned music from his maternal uncle. He was later trained in music by Adiappayya, a noted durbar musician of Thanjavur.

Although Śyāma Śastri did not compose as many kritis as his two prolific contemporaries, his compositions are still well known due to the literary, melodic and rhythmic proficiency observed in them. It is said that he composed about three hundred pieces in all.

He did not have many disciples to propagate his compositions, nor was the printing press widely accessible during his time. More importantly, the scholarly nature of his compositions made them more appealing to the learned than to the lay. Additionally, they feature a more formal form of Telugu which borrows heavily from Sanskrit. In contrast, Tyagaraja composes in generally more colloquial dialect of Telugu.

There are also a number of krithis in Tamil attributed to him. Most of his compositions propitiate the Goddess Kamakshi.

He composed kritis, varṇa(s) and svarajati(s) with the ankita or mudra (signature) Śyāma Krishna. He was probably the first to compose in a new form of the svarajati musical genre, where the compositions could be rendered solely in a singing or instrumental manner. Prior to this, the svarajati was primarily a dance form, and was close in structure to the dance Varṇaṃ (padavarṇaṃ).

His set of three famous svarajati(s) are intended to be sung in concert rather than danced, and are sometimes referred to as "Ratnatrayam" (Three jewels). They are Kāmākṣhī Anudinamu, Kāmākṣhī Padayugamē, and Rāvē himagiri kumāri, composed in the ragas Bhairavi, Yadukula kambhoji and Todi respectively. The former two are set to Miśra Cāpu Tāḷa, while the third is set to Ādi Tāḷa.

He is known for his ability to compose in the most complex of tāḷas.

Legacy

Sastri had a number of disciples who excelled at the art. Alasur Krishna Iyer became a musician at the royal durbar in Mysore. Porambur Krishna Iyer popularised many of his guru's works. Another disciple, Talagambadi Panchanada Iyer also made his mark as a composer. Another disciple named Dasari gained fame as a noted nāgaswaram player. His son, named Subbaraaya Shaastree, was also a notable composer.

Compositions

Some of his better known compositions are listed below.

Svara Jati

Composition	Raga	Tāḷa	Language	Description
Kāmākṣhī anudinamu maruvakanē కామాక్షీ అనుదినము మరువకనే	Bhairavi	Miśra Cāpu	Telugu
Kāmākṣhī nī padayugame sthiramaninē	Yadukulakamboji	Miśra Cāpu	Telugu
Rāvē himagiri kumāri రావే హిమగిరి కుమారీ	Todi	Ādi	Telugu

Kriti

Composition	Raga	Tāḷa	Language	Description
Śaṅkari Śaṃkuru candra mukhī Sanskrit: शङ्करि शंकुरु चन्द्र मुखी Telugu Script: శఙ్కరి శంకురు చన్ద్ర ముఖీ	Sāvēri	Ādi – Tiśra Gati	Sanskrit
pAlayAshu mAM paradEvatE	Arabhi	Triputa	Sanskrit
kanaka śaila vihāriṇī Sanskrit: कनक शैल विहारिणी Telugu Script: కనక శైల విహారిణీ	Punnāga Varāḷi	Ādi	Sanskrit
Birāna varālicci brōvave బిరాన వరాలిచ్చి బ్రోవవె	Kaḷyāṇi	Ādi – Tiśra Gati	Telugu
Dēvī brōva samayamide దేవీ బ్రోవ సమయము	Cintāmaṇi	Adi	Telugu
kAmAkSi lOka sAkSiNi	madhyamAvati	Triputa	Sanskrit
Himādri sutē pāhimāṃ హిమాద్రి సుతే పాహిమాం	Kaḷyāṇi	Ādi	Sanskrit
Māyammā yani nē pilacite మాయమ్మా యని నే పిలచితె	Ahiri	Ādi	Telugu
Mari vērē gati evvarammā మరి వేరే గతి ఎవరమ్మా	Anandabhairavi	Miśra Cāpu	Telugu
Nannu brōvu lalitā నన్ను బ్రోవు లలితా	Lalita	Miśra Cāpu	Telugu
O jagadambā nannu ఓ జగదమ్బా నన్ను	Anandabhairavi	Ādi	Telugu
Pārvati ninu nē nera nammiti పార్వతీ నిను నే నెర నమ్మితి	kalkaḍa	Tishra Adi	Telugu
Sarōja daḷa nētri himagiri putrī సరోజ దళ నేత్రి హిమగిరి పుత్రీ	śaṃkarābharaṇaṃ	Ādi	Telugu
Tallī ninnu nera namminānu vinavē తల్లీ నిన్ను నెర నమ్మినాను వినవే	Kaḷyāṇi	Miśra Cāpu	Telugu
Pāhi Srī Girirājasutē Karuṇākalitē	Anandabhairavī	Rūpakaṃ	Telugu-Sanskrit
Devī Mīna Nētrī Brōva	Shankarabharanam	Adi	Telugu
Ennēramum un Nāmam என்னேரமும் உன் நாமம்	Pūrvikalyāni	Misra caapu	Tamil
Kamakshi Bangaru కామాక్షి బంగారు	Varali	Misra caapu	Telugu
Ennēramum un Pāda Kamalam என்னேரமும் உன் பாத கமலம்	Punnāgavarāḷi	Miśra Cāpu	Tamil
Sari Evaramma	Bhairavi	Khanda Jhampa	Telugu
Parvathi Janani-Geetham	Bhairavi	Khanda Matya	Telugu

See also

• List of Carnatic composers

Sources

• "Śyāma Śāstri". The Oxford Encyclopaedia of the Music of India. Oxford University Press. 2011. ISBN 9780195650983. Retrieved 20 September 2018.
• Fuller, C. J.; Narasimhan, Haripriya (11 November 2014). Tamil Brahmans: The Making of a Middle-Class Caste. University of Chicago Press. ISBN 978-0-226-15288-2.

External links

• Compositions of Syama Sastri