Sangita Sampradaya Pradarsini - English Edition

davalangi · Post by **davalangi** » 14 Aug 2010, 09:18

English edition of the Sangita Sampradaya Pradarsini - a hardcopy version with Sangita Lakshana Pracina Paddhati and Lakshana Sangraha sections

Dr.P.P.Narayanaswami and Vidya Jayaraman would like to announce the publication of a hard copy version of the English edition of the Sangita Sampradaya Pradarsini (Vol. I). As music enthusiasts the world over know, their translated version of the majority of contents of the original Telugu text has been available on the internet for around 5 years now. The first volume is now being printed in order to meet the demands of students and scholars alike. However, notable changes to the hard copy version are the inclusions of Sangita Lakshana Pracina Paddhati and Lakshana Sangraha, which precede the notations in the original text. Sangita Vidwan Prof.S.R.Janakiraman, noted Musician / Musicologist has translated these two sections with copious amount of critical commentary wherever required. Prof.SRJ and his teacher Brahmasri P.K.Rajagopala Iyer had started work on translating these sections in 1989 and 1990 for the Journal of The Music Academy but the project was subsequently discontinued. It seems fitting that he could resume the work after two decades. The complete musicological portions of the SSP appear in an English translation for the first time in the 100 years since the book was originally written by Subbarama Dikshitar. This edition includes the notations for the first six (6) melas with the corrections from the errata section in the original Telugu text incorporated as footnotes. The publication has taken final shape thanks to the able editorial guidance and technical inputs provided by Musicologist Dr.N.Ramanathan and Vina Vidushi Dr.R.S.Jayalakshmi. Ms.Sandhya Vinjamuriâ€™s translation of the Vaggeyakara Caritram and the enthusiasm of several volunteers from across the world in proof reading have contributed greatly to the successful publication of this text, which is bound to be useful not only to the students but also to the connoisseurs of music. Prof.SRJ has also written a short introduction to the book.

The book is dedicated to the memory of A.M.Chinnaswami Mudaliar without whose vision and pioneering efforts the original publication in 1904 might not have been possible. The book is being published by Vidya and Dr.PPN. For further details, copies and/or enquiries, please contact ssp@guruguha.org

rshankar · Post by **rshankar** » 14 Aug 2010, 14:48

Vidya - congratulations! Ramji - can these be ordered from overseas?

vainika · Post by **vainika** » 15 Aug 2010, 03:18

Thanks to Professor PPN and Vidya for bringing this out! When/where will this be available in Chennai?

davalangi · Post by **davalangi** » 15 Aug 2010, 07:39

vainika - The book should be available in The Karnatic Music Book Centre (Chennai) quite soon - we are in the process of figuring out the logistics.

Ravi - yes, you can order the book here in the US by contacting ssp@guruguha.org

keerthi · Post by **keerthi** » 15 Aug 2010, 18:47

The SSP carries Subrahmanya bhArati's elegy to Subbarama dIkSitar, and he (SD) has dedicated his work to 'mAtangI dEvi'.

I am unqualified to praise Vidya's and Prof. PPN's telling homage to SubbarAma dikshitar. They did it by generating and publishing online the digital version of the sangIta sampradAya pradarshini, in the centenary year of the original publication.

Now they have come out with a print edition of the same, in roman script.
with an introduction by no less than Prof. SRJ, himself a 'sangIta-sampradAya-pradarshaka'.

Theirs is a most significant homage to the vaggeyakAra-s represented in the pradarshini, and I exhort rasika-s to amplify their homage, by buying, reading (*), singing, teaching and thereby keeping alive the wonderful pieces notated in this treasure trove.

THAT would be our tribute to SD's tribute, a meta-tribute!

(*) There are greater crimes than burning books; one is not reading them.

vidya · Post by **vidya** » 24 Aug 2010, 21:51

Thanks everyone for the nice words. For those in India, we will let you know once the copies are available at Carnatic Music Book center.
Meanwhile for those interested here's a short preview of the Sangita Lakshana Pracina Paddhati with the translation and the critical commentary.

http://www.scribd.com/doc/35805099/Ssp-Preview

Keerthi,
True, since the bharathi poem is part of the Tamil edition only published by the Academy and this current version (as also the Web version of the SSP ) is based on the contents of the Telugu SSP published in 1904 we did not include that there. Instead the slAghya padyamu written by the Ettayapuram poet Murugesudu as published in the 1904 edition is included.

uday_shankar · Post by **uday_shankar** » 24 Aug 2010, 22:34

This is an awesome labor of love, some spanning decades, on the part of a few great individuals, none of whom - echoing Keerti - I am qualified to praise.

That I will buy this book is a guaranteed fact. That I cannot to justice to in a lifetime is also probably a guaranteed fact

. But such is the truth regarding many other great publications in my possession. Keerti's other stipulations are being carefully digested.

Lastly, without appearing to praise out of turn may I note that scarcely have I come across a more astonishing case of a person having the most appropriate name than our vidya ! God (the impersonal one) bless !

arunk · Post by **arunk** » 25 Aug 2010, 19:37

Congrats Vidya and Prof PPN! This is truly a monumental achievement!

Arun

mahakavi · Post by **mahakavi** » 25 Aug 2010, 20:05

Bharathi wrote an elegy titled, "Subbarama DIkshitar" consisting of 29 lines of agaval and 3 vruttams (perhaps written soon after SD's death in 1906). In the first vruttam Bharathi talks about SD in the following lines:

"ennaganinRu agalAdOn aruL subbarAmanenum iNaiyilAviRpannanoDu suvai migunda paNvaLanum aganRadenap pagaralAmE"

à®Žà®©à¯à®©à®•à®¨à®¿à®©à¯à®±à¯ à®…à®•à®²à®¾à®¤à¯‹à®©à¯ à®…à®°à¯à®³à¯ à®šà¯à®ªà¯à®ªà®°à®¾à®®à®©à¯†à®©à¯à®®à¯ à®‡à®£à¯ˆà®¯à®¿à®²à®¾ à®µà®¿à®±à¯à®ªà®©à¯à®©à®©à¯Šà®Ÿà¯ à®šà¯à®µà¯ˆ à®®à®¿à®•à¯à®¨à¯à®¤ à®ªà®£à¯à®µà®³à®©à¯à®®à¯ à®…à®•à®©à¯à®±à®¤à¯†à®©à®ªà¯ à®ªà®•à®°à®²à®¾à®®à¯‡

Bharathi says that wise men say that philanthropy died with KarNan, poetry ended with Kamban, and valor departed with arjunan. He then goes to say "SD who stays in my memory forever is an unparalleled expert (in music) with whom delectable musical fertility also departed"

Bharathi connects SD with a village/town called "iLasai". (edited later)

Pratyaksham Bala · Post by **Pratyaksham Bala** » 25 Aug 2010, 20:50

Ilasai is Ettaiyapuram. (Wikipedia)

mahakavi · Post by **mahakavi** » 25 Aug 2010, 20:59

Thanks, PB. Vidya too sent me an email soon after I posted. iLasai was the forerunner name for eTTayapuram long before the deputies/agents of Vijayanagar empire set foot there.
I am also editing my previous post to correct my statement that Bharathi says SD was born in iLasai. He did not say that. Bharathi said there is a mountain light/art light (kalaiviLakku/malaiviLakku) referring to SD, in iLasai. Bharathi perhaps referred to SD's life and final departure at eTTayapuram.

Also my translation pales in comparison with one done by Dr. V. Raghavan way back. I am giving it here.
"With Karna went charity
Arjuna took valor
Poesy departed with Kamban,
they say;
With Subbaraman went music,
may we say."

davalangi · Post by **davalangi** » 27 Aug 2010, 03:32

Keerthi/Uday - Based on firsthand experience, I can certainly vouch for all the hard work and dedication that went into this work. To me the attention to detail that has gone into the compilation is extremely impressive. As a matter of fact, Vidya was so obsessed that she learnt Telugu (from me

so that she could go through the text to her satisfaction. It is indeed remarkable that with full time jobs, the two of them could pull this off! The funny anecdote here is that by the time Vidya would go to bed around 3 or 4am, Dr.PPN would be up to follow-up on her work/edits

rshankar · Post by **rshankar** » 27 Aug 2010, 04:23

May posterity note the dedication of this tag team! The incredible amount of hard work is implicit in the monumental nature of the work, but thank you for making it explicit.

bilahari · Post by **bilahari** » 27 Aug 2010, 21:28

Kudos to Dr. PPN and Vidya! Great achievement, indeed.

ragam-talam · Post by **ragam-talam** » 27 Aug 2010, 21:46

Can I suggest we all lobby to get Dr PPN and Vidya an award for this grand accomplishment? E.g. sangeethapriya annual award, if it's still on.
And make sure they get the publicity they deserve by reporting it in Hindu newspaper, Sruti magazine, etc. before others and sundry jump into the act.

ramakriya · Post by **ramakriya** » 28 Aug 2010, 00:23

ragam-talam wrote:Can I suggest we all lobby to get Dr PPN and Vidya an award for this grand accomplishment? E.g. sangeethapriya annual award, if it's still on.
And make sure they get the publicity they deserve by reporting it in Hindu newspaper, Sruti magazine, etc. before others and sundry jump into the act.

Aptly said ragam-talam - Very apt. Is there something we can do together to make this happen?

*I'd not visited the forum for quite a while, although I had personally communicated with Vidya about this.

vasanthakokilam · Post by **vasanthakokilam** » 28 Aug 2010, 00:51

>Is there something we can do together to make this happen?

Definitely. We have quite a few members with excellent organizational skills, contacts and reach who can lead the effort.

rshankar · Post by **rshankar** » 28 Aug 2010, 01:12

vasanthakokilam wrote: Definitely. We have quite a few members with excellent organizational skills, contacts and reach who can lead the effort.

And some (not all) are good at following!!

ramakriya · Post by **ramakriya** » 28 Aug 2010, 02:14

Not specifically on the subject - but a blogpost about admirable people related to the subject: http://neelanjana.wordpress.com/2010/08 ... treasures/

hariniraghavan · Post by **hariniraghavan** » 28 Aug 2010, 12:27

ragam-talam wrote:Can I suggest we all lobby to get Dr PPN and Vidya an award for this grand accomplishment? E.g. sangeethapriya annual award, if it's still on.
And make sure they get the publicity they deserve by reporting it in Hindu newspaper, Sruti magazine, etc. before others and sundry jump into the act.

Perhaps we could organise a book release program (and call some important person in the field of CM to release it) and honour them. BTW where do they reside?
Harini.

ragam-talam · Post by **ragam-talam** » 02 Sep 2010, 16:38

BTW where do they reside?

I believe Dr PPN lives in Canada, and Vidya in the US.

davalangi · Post by **davalangi** » 05 Sep 2010, 09:34

hariniraghavan wrote:
Perhaps we could organise a book release program (and call some important person in the field of CM to release it) and honour them. BTW where do they reside?
Harini.

Harini - We are planning on having a release function for the book in Chennai shortly. Please stay tuned.

Ramasubramanian M.K · Post by **Ramasubramanian M.K** » 05 Sep 2010, 18:06

Folks: This is a mammoth effort that deserves recognition. How may I help!!

I can thro my family's influence in Chennai, arrange for publicity in the Hindu,Sruthi magazine,and sabhas like Hamsadhwani etc.

As I am based in the US,somebody at the local level in Chennai may have to initiate the process and let me know thro the forum how I can be of help.

But for the late Chinnaswamy Mudaliar, SD may never have come out with SSP!! If all of us devout rasikas cannot work together to support the initiatives of Vidya and Dr.PPK ,posterity will not forgive us!!!

hariniraghavan · Post by **hariniraghavan** » 05 Sep 2010, 19:05

That's really good Davalangi. Pl let me know the details and also in what way I can help in this.
Harini.

cmlover · Post by **cmlover** » 06 Sep 2010, 01:27

Thanks and that is great MKR!
Let us hear from davalangi as to how we Rasikas can help constructively.
The Book must be well publicised at the Season and made available extensively. Maybe you could intiate an event to honour the authors Vidya and Dr PPN at that time with good speakers announcing the importance of this Monograph for CM enthusiasts. It can be a scholarly event attended by CM veterans who may discuss the technical aspects that can later be published as the proceedings. You may have Prof SRJ approached to preside on that occasion since he is the most knowledgeable person on SSP.

narayan · Post by **narayan** » 16 Sep 2010, 06:34

Savouring my copy of the book, which arrived last week. Also noting keerthi's exhortations and have so far got to the first two of them. One - buying, is the easy part. Two - reading, will take a lifetime, although it is meant also a reference book, to be dipped into over several years. Three (singing) and four (teaching) can wait for a while, although I did go through some of the song renderings that are claimed to be closer to the SSP versions.

Remember, this is Volume 1! The mind boggles at the scale of this accomplishment in 1904 and also in 2010! There seems to be no limit to human achievement (and to messing up, of course), and for a while, I'm just going to enjoy this collective and individual outcome. Would like to congratulate all involved in this activity.

hariniraghavan · Post by **hariniraghavan** » 16 Sep 2010, 16:30

When SSP was translated to Kannada by Sri. Anandarama Udupa, Anaya (Malleswaram, Bangalore) did arrange for a release function followed by a concert and Sri Udupa was also felicitated on that day. Same could be done here also.
Harini.

davalangi · Post by **davalangi** » 17 Sep 2010, 08:59

Harini - There will be an official book release function under the auspices of Brhaddhvani in Chennai on the 26th of this month. The event will also feature the release of a 5-CD audio album of Prof.S.R.Janakiraman and an audio CD album of Dr.Karaikudi Subramanian. Divyanand will post the details of the event shortly.

hariniraghavan · Post by **hariniraghavan** » 17 Sep 2010, 16:07

Thanks for the info Davalangi.
Harini.

mankuthimma · Post by **mankuthimma** » 17 Sep 2010, 16:23

Davalangi.
you did not get what Harini was trying to say .
And that was
The book could be launched in bangalore too .
First copy to braindrain - the most voracious reader in blore .
Winding up with a LecDem by SRJ .

divyanandc · Post by **divyanandc** » 18 Sep 2010, 14:14

Dear Friends,

Brhaddhvani is happy to invite you for the release of:

1. Prof. S.R Janakiraman's Raga Discourse 5 CD Album "Pearls of South Indian Ragas"

2. Karaikudi Dr. S. Subramanian's Audio CD Album "Sree Veene Namasthe"

3. English Edition of Subbarama Dikshitar's "Sangita Sampradaya Pradarsini" - Volume I Published by Dr. P.P Narayanaswami & Ms. Vidya Jayaraman (Sangita Lakshana Pracina Paddhati & Lakshna Sangraha sections translated by Prof. S.R Janakiraman)

The release is followed by "Rare Gems From Sangita Sampradaya Pradarshni" a thematic concert by Dr. Sriram Parasuram on the Violin.

Date: 26th September 2010

Time: 5:30pm onwards

Venue: Srinivasa Sastri Hall, Luz Mylapore
ALL ARE WELCOME

Brhaddhvani
New No.48/33, 4th Main Road,
R.A.Puram, Chennai - 600 028
INDIA
Tel : 044-24329878
web: www.brhaddhvani.org

vainika · Post by **vainika** » 23 Sep 2010, 01:42

invitation here

uday_shankar · Post by **uday_shankar** » 25 Sep 2010, 21:54

A bump and a reminder for tomorrow

.

rshankar · Post by **rshankar** » 25 Sep 2010, 23:49

Yes - and Uday a review (or an impression at the very least)?

cmlover · Post by **cmlover** » 26 Sep 2010, 00:23

Personal greetings to the participants!

VK RAMAN · Post by **VK RAMAN** » 26 Sep 2010, 04:43

what is the meaning of brhaddhvani?

rshankar · Post by **rshankar** » 26 Sep 2010, 05:08

Mighty sound? bRhat+dhvani = bRhaddhvani - probably the OmkAra.
Best wishes for a grand function tomorrow.

vainika · Post by **vainika** » 26 Sep 2010, 21:51

Splendid event! It was great to see the translation on which Vidya and Dr PPN have been working since 2004 come out as an exquisitely laid out book with the annexures and commentary by Prof SRJ, as well as the release of audio collections by Professors Karaikudi Subramaniam and SRJ. I was happy to see several rasikas, musicians, sabha organizers and musicologists at the event. I couldn't stay for the entire concert that followed: Sriram Parasuram presented rAgachUDAmaNi, stavarAja, navaratnavilAsam, shankarAbharaNam, etc. His version of chEtas (dvijAvanti) appeared to be closer to the TViswa version than the SSP version, especially in the SRMPD phrasing of navatulasi...

mankuthimma · Post by **mankuthimma** » 26 Sep 2010, 22:41

you missed the rtp in udayaravichandrike . Was rivetting stuff .
Altogether a memorable evening . Uday and family , Rajani, Semmu86 (aravind) , yessel , sivaramakrishnan were all there

Rajani · Post by **Rajani** » 27 Sep 2010, 05:04

A wonderful evening - even the speeches were (mostly short and) all brilliant and gracious. I am delighted to have finally got a copy of the book. Would someone post the complete list of songs rendered since unfortunately I too left after the Shankarabharanam and missed the RTP and probably other pieces.

uday_shankar · Post by **uday_shankar** » 28 Sep 2010, 10:36

Excellent, genuine, uncomplicated, wholesome event. What stood out in this ceremony is that apart from the musician/musicologist extrordinaire SRJ, all the other speakers were also articulate and genuine music lovers/experts. Kudos to Shri Karaikkudi Subramaniam and Brhaddhwani (I cannot help contrasting this thoroughly wholesome function to the usual drivel that precedes an eagerly awaited katcheri as the audience weathers a string of inarticulate, uninformed, pompous speakers inflicted on them). Sriram Parashuram gave a very enjoyable concert accompanied by Ganapathiram on the mrdangam and a nice smiling lad on the Khanjira.

The SSP Vol 1, is a production marvel. Quite apart from finally providing linguistically handicapped folks like me access to the the content of the SSP, esp the lakshana sangraha, the form of the book itself needs to be commended. The font size, typeset, devanagari typeset, the attention to transliteration schema, are all just so optimal as to simply lure the reader down the garden path. It is an absolute pleasure to randomly leaf through the pages and pick up an important thread of knowledge. So it caters equally well to the chronic browsers as well as systematic serious readers. Then there are the real gems embedded in it...small nuggets of commentary from scholar and musicologist extrordinaire Prof. SRJ in places in the Lashana Paddhathi and Lakshana Sangraha. It would be foolish for anybody connected with Carnatic music not to buy a copy of this book.

More after I go through it systematically....

uday_shankar · Post by **uday_shankar** » 05 Oct 2010, 12:18

uday_shankar wrote:and a nice smiling lad on the Khanjira.

The name of the excellent khanjira artist is Srisundar Kumar, if only I had bothered to at the scan of the invitation above. I have learned that he is a disciple of Guru Karaikkudi Mani sir. Best wishes to him.

davalangi · Post by **davalangi** » 29 Oct 2010, 06:39

Here is the coverage of the book / CDs release function in Sruti magazine:

http://www.sruti.com/index.php?main_page=news

hemanth · Post by **hemanth** » 17 Jan 2011, 19:18

KMBC : The Book Sangita Sampradaya Pradarsini - English Edn.
is available on our Online Book Shop. Kindly Follow the link.
http://carnaticbooks.com/product_info.p ... cts_id=900

vainika · Post by **vainika** » 16 Mar 2011, 00:30

The Hindu's book review section of March 15, 2011, carries the following:

A monumental work on musicology
http://www.hindu.com/br/2011/03/15/stor ... 241900.htm
B. M. SUNDARAM

SANGEETA SAMPRADAYA PRADARSINI: — English Edition, Vol.I: by Subbarama Dikshita; Pub. by P.P. Narayanaswami, Vidya Jayaraman, copies available at Karnatic Music Book Centre, 23 A Sripuram I Street, Royapettah, Chennai-600014. Rs. 550.

<excerpt>
The book under review is part of the venture by P.P. Narayanaswami and Vidya Jayaraman to bring out the English translation of SSP. Already, the duo has to their credit another publication (2009), also in English, Tiruppamburam Natarajasundaram Pillai's Dikshita Keertana Prakasikai, containing the authentic version of 50 compositions of Muthuswami Dikshitar. This first volume contains Vaggeyakara Charitram, Sangeeta Lakshana Pracheena Paddhati, Lakshana Samgraha, and the compositions in ragas derived from the first Chakra (six Melakarttas). The excellent translation, and critical commentaries, wherever necessary, by the renowned musicologist, S.R. Janakiraman, add weight and value to the work, and, what more, go a long way in clearing one's doubts. The publishers have, thoughtfully, dedicated it to Chinnaswami Mudaliar. They deserve compliments for having undertaken this stupendous job with a view to helping musicians and students of music around the globe. And the entire musical fraternity is eagerly looking forward to the volumes that are yet to come.
</excerpt>

classicallover · Post by **classicallover** » 08 Feb 2012, 15:47

Dhavalangi, cmlover and others !

It is indeed a monumental effort put in by the Duo, complementing themselves for the publication . The Carnatic fraternity has to definitely place them on a pedestal as an honour. No doubts about it.

If all are so much awestruck and happy about this one book, just think about the fact that (late) Shri R. Rangaramanuja Ayyangar had collected, compiled, composed , proof-read and printed all of his numerous books which are epics of Carnatic Music by today's standards. He did it with utmost devotion and single-handedly , that too without the use of computers ( where was the computer then ? ). He has left a treasure house of scholarly books without expecting any rewards and remuneration. Sadly, he and his work have largely been unsung and unrecognised by the fraternity.

So I wish the same fate should not befall PPN & VJ.

VicharTatwa · Post by **VicharTatwa** » 02 Aug 2020, 00:19

Any pointers as to where one might purchase a copy of the SSP in India? The guruguha.org email ID given in this conversation chain doesn't work anymore.

kmrasika · Post by **kmrasika** » 11 Aug 2020, 15:23

@VicharTatwa IINM, Sri PPN is on the board for www.musicresearchlibrary.net, so you could try writing to the contacts provided on the site.

If you prefer the Tamil version, then the hardcopies could be ]]purchased from the Music Academy's publications division.