MAJESTY, JUSTICE AND COMPASSION ! Oh! Thy Name is Bilahari .

B i l a h a r i
Tradition endows the scepter of an emperor with four faces:

Authority,Majesty, Justice and Compassion.

Authority

by valor,

majesty

emanatingfrom knowledge of the Authority,

Justice

born of sense of benevolenceand

Compassion,

fruit of love for the subjects.

One who does not embodyall the four qualities is never recorded as the real emperor byHistory. Qualities which look diametrically opposed to each other,still one embedded in the other. The annals of history reveals suchmagnificent personalities, be it Asoka or Akbar or Alexandre.

Which raga could embody the essential qualities of a ruler, other thanBilahari! Known by the name Desakshi, the raga symbolises dignitymellowed with devotion, splendor adorned with empathy.

Arokan : S R G P D S

Avro : S N D P M G R S

While the arokan stand for the pride and valour of a ruler,

the avrokan with the surs in the avrokan N, M stoop to caress fondly the listener.

The classic example of Bilahari in Tamil film music is from KonjumSalangai, where the majestic notes of the royal nadaswaram blend withthe melodious vocal chords in the song "Orumayudan ninadhu thiruvadi".Follow the words and the surs in the charanam, "madhi vendum ninkarunai nidhi vendum" which bring to the mind a child beseeching akindly father with the subsequent "madhamana pey pidiyathirukka vendum" making for the visualisation of an all powerful ruler exercising hisauthority. Words can never be adequate to describe the genius who choseBilahari for the immortal song.

Other than this, there have been very few. Later only an MD of thecalibre of the Maestro could bridle the raga in his compositions like"koondhalile" in Balanagamma (the only duet song on the raag) or"Manida sevai" in Unnal Mudiyum Thambi, where service is pitched diametrically opposite thirst for music. On the side lines, he modeledthe comic song "maaman voodu" on the varnam "rara venu gopala".

It is a puzzle why this splendid raag has not been utilized by the monarchs of Hindi film music. Our member, Mian, might be able to throwsome light.

A short journey down the alaap of Bilahari

would make us realize

the raag is no less than the visvaroop of Hari.

Nadhar Mudi Mel Irukkum Nalla Paambe..Unakku..

For a change, instead of analyzing a particular raag, let us try a kindof game.

Time and again, we have been attempting to understand raga per se hasno specific forms, classical or folk or western, whatever you might call them.

The surs know no such barriers.

Like the rivers which taketheir route the way they are channeled, by nature or by men. And to think a particular form is superior or inferior over the other is sheer mental blockade.

What follows is a few examples from some very popular ragas all fromfilms and from the above groups.
CLASSICAL

Punnagavarali Nadar mudi (Thriuvarutchelvar

)Sindu Bhairavi Kadalenum Solayile(Chakravarthi thirumagal)

Hamir Kalyani Hamko manki (Guddi)

Mohanam Poovil vandu (kadal oviyam)

Malayamarudam Mohe bhool gaye(Baiju Bawra)

Sankarabranam Omkara (sankarabaranam)

Karagarapriya Madhavi ponmayilal(iru malargal)

Dharmavati Kanda naal mudalai(KNM)

Mandu Oru naal podhuma(Thiruvilaiyadal)

Charukesi Manmadha leeyayai

Kapi Tu jo mere surmein(Chitchor)

Kamaz Brocheva (Sankarabaranam - not the originalcomposition)

Shanmugapriya Ninaindhu ninaindhu(satharam)

Hamsanadham Thendral vandhu

FOLK STYLE

Punnagavarali Elanthapayam (Panama paasama)

Sindu Bhairavi Poongatru(mudhal mariyadai)

Hamir Kalyani Bandha paruvar(Phir wohi dil..)

Mohanam Porale ponnuthayee

Malayamarudam Marutha marikozhundu (E.O.Patukaran)

Sankarabranam Lalaku dol dapima

Karagarapriya Maapilaiku (netrikann)

Dharmavati Roop suhana lagta(Gentleman)

Charukesi Ody Ody uzahikanum (nalla neram)

Kapi Rang barse(sil sila)

Kamaz Dil se dil milale(Navrang)

Shanmugapriya Ooru vittu(Karagatakaran)

Hamsanadham Kanni ponnu (Ninaivellam Nitya)

WESTERN STYLE
Sindu Bhairavi Chituku chella chituku (nallavanukku nallavan)

Hamir Kalyani Oru pennai parthu(Deivathai)

Mohanam Sayanora (Love in Tokyo)

Malayamarudam Manjal nilavuku(mudal iravu)

Sankarabranam Kanamani anbodu(Guna)

Dharmavati Hello my dear (Manmadha leelai)

Mandu Ulavum thendral(mandri kumari)

Kapi Churaliya hai (Yadon ki baarat)

Kamaz Koovadha inba kuyil(singer P.Bhanumathi)

All these songs mostly conform to the sur track of the respectiveragas.

Don't you think the difference lies in the mind and not in thesurs?

Think on these lines, you would come out with more and fill someof the blanks above and add many more.

HAMSANANDHI ....alias......S o h n i

Click at the Title at listen to thunder and lightning and sounds of drops of rain.

H a m s a n a n a n d h i ...Sohni

Skies initially close dark.

Like the pursued lips of an adamant child.

Then open up.

Like a relenting mother full of warmth.

A drophere. A drop there.

Now it is slightly tuttering more.

It is now rhythmic.

Ta ta takajum takajum.

Now it is faster with the droplets turning heavier.

Ta ti klangujam. Tak a tik klaungujam.

A flash strikesacross. A heavy sound pierces the frightened ears.

tatin ki na thom.

he trees sway.

tatin ki na thom. tatin ki na thom.

It is the heavydownpour spattering down on the earth.

That is the only sound you cannow hear.
That is now you hear these swaras

Arokan : S G M D N S r S

Avro : S N D M G r S

Yes. You guessed it right.

The splendour and vibrancy of rain is whatyou feel when you hear Hamsanandhi.

Known by the name Sohni in HCM, it has a slightly different sur track in the avrokan.

Like most of theragas in HCM it takes the shape of a vakra raga:
Arokan : S G M D N S r S

Avro : N S D N D G M D M G M G r S

Very beautiful, is it not?

Could you have forgotten "kuhu kuhu bole koyaliyaa" from SwanaSundari?

Or the nasal Mukesh's "jhoomti chali hava" in Tansesn?

very romantically and aesthetically pricturised sequence in Mughal EAzam has the rendering "Prem Jogan ban ja" in the true HCMclassical style to suit the "zannat jaisa" newly found love ofDilip Kumar and Madhubala.

In Tamil films, there have been very remarkable songs based on Hamsanandhi. The shrill and high pitched voice of Janaki was heard at,perhaps, one of her best playbacks, in "Ninaithal podhum paaduven"in the Sivaji starrer Nenjirukkum varai. Perhaps MSV thought only shecould justify the top octvave of the raga when he again chose the sameJanaki for the song "Aanayitten nerungathe" in Punnagai.The debutante singer desperate to hold back a dispersing crowd to hearhis melodious decibels - which raga would fit the bill better thanthis one? Ilayaraja chose Hamsanandhi for the sequence in "Payanangal Mudivathillai" and created the immortal song "Raga deepam yetrumneram". The passionate side of the sur pattern was brought outequally well by Raja in the duet, "rathiriyil poothirukum" inThangamagan. The emotionally charged climatic sequence ofK.Viswanath's master piece Salangai Oli (Sagara Sangamam in Telegu)utilized this raga with the song, "Vedam anuvilum or naadam"

When the rains cease, they leave the mind filled up to the brim. Itcannot take anything more. Hamsandhi does the same with the listner.