As we celebrate the centenary of one of our most adored Harikatha doyens, Brahmasri T.S. Balakrishna Sastrigal, whose bhava-filled expositions gave listeners an ecstatic experience of the blissful art, one recalls the long time association with him and his well-known sons, Mouli and Khanthan. It was a moment of warmth and deep emotion for this writer, who held the hands of the Sastrigal as he climbed the dais at the annual festival of the Madras Music Academy to receive the Sangita Kala Acharya Award. Sastrigal’s face brightened, though in frail health, and he extended kind enquiries. The unique emotional rapport that Balakrishna Sastrigal shared with his audience through his exposition and musical prowess, accompanied by the moving music of his brother Valleesan, especially Tyagaraja Ramayanam, made him a sought after artiste of his times.
Harikatha, the divine story-telling tradition of the South, evolved in Thanjavur with the masterly techniques of exponents of this art form. An off-shoot of the Maharashtra tradition, rich with songs and stories of the saints of that region, it was nourished by Nirupana-s (thematic expansion) developed by many great Harikatha artistes of the South — Thanjavur Krishna Bhagavatar, Lakshmanachar, Tiruppayanam Panchapakesa Satrigal, Sulamangalam Vaidyanatha Bhagavatar, Mangudi Chidambara Bhagavatar, Chidambaram Srirangachariar and Harikesavanallur Muthiah Bhagavatar to name a few.
A composite art form, Harikatha shows the way to recite Divine names and the methods of worship, drawing from Vedanta, the Epics, Puranas, and so on. The best of the musical traditions, whether it is singing the kritis of Tygararaja or Muthuswami Dikshitar, is embedded in the structure of Harikatha. Musical excellence is vital to a Kathaka. Embar Srirangachariar was an exquisite vocalist, and was accompanied by Manjakkudi Ramachandra Bhagavatar and his younger brother. Both were grandsons of Umayalpuram Sundara Bhagavatar, direct pupil of Saint Tyagaraja.
However, in a Harikatha presentation, music and exposition should be in the right proportion. Any excess either way will make it a “musical discourse “ or just a “Pravachanam.” The line is very thin and hence requires expert handling. Balakrishna Sastrigal was adroit in balancing both.
The Madras Music Academy played a vital role in the promotion of Harikatha by organising the performances of stalwarts, some of whom were adorned with its title, Sangita Kalanidhi. Its annual festival always featured a Harikatha. Among the exponents who were regulars at this institution were Tiruvaiyaru Annaswami Bhagavatar, who often interspersed his expositions with jokes for the common man — he was endowed with old world charm. He stayed at the Kalki Gardens during his visits to this city. MSS and T. Sadasivam always accompanied him on the day of his performance at the Academy. A silver koojaa filled with hot milk from Kalki Gardens sat next to the doyen.
During the Chief Ministership of K. Kamaraj, it is said that he took keen interest in the art form of Harikatha as a fine tool for spreading good values in society and created many venues for promoting the art. In the mid 1970s, at the Madras Music Academy, Dr. V. Raghavan put in place a scheme for promoting Harikatha. A Harikatha festival was conducted for some weeks on Sunday mornings. This was a huge success. Balakrishna Sastrigal performed in this series to a fully packed audience. Other well-known experts such as Kalyanapuram Aravamudachariar participated in these festivals.
Women pioneers
C. Saraswati Bai was an illustrious pioneer — female Harikatha exponent of Gayana patu and Keertana patu, who exquisitely blended Carnatic and Hindustani music. Following her was Bani Bai, another great artiste with immense skill and knowledge and Thanjavur Kamala Murhty. All the three were highly successful in the male-dominated field. In the recent decades, Prameela Gurumurti, a direct disciple of Bani Bai, and a performer has authored a book on Harikatha. Thanjavur Srinivasan, a Sanskrit Pandit of the Thanjavur Saraswati Mahal Library is an exponent. His book enlisting a 100 Harikatha exponents and their life history is a treasure on the legends.
Harikatha is a culmination of different streams of expository and artistic outpourings based on erudition and intellectual equipment — the objective being to propagate devotional, ethical and moral values to society through one of the best modes of devotion — Sravanam — hearing the glory of the Divine. It sustains the earthly existence of the people and lifts them to different and higher plane. “Where do they come from and where do they reach finally,” one might wonder. The Kathaka proclaims — “Sarvam Kesavam Pratigacchati” –they merge unto Him.”