Jeetendra Hirschfeld

Bharatanatyam Artist, Writer, and Dance History Researcher, with special interests that include Tanjore Natyam Art, Courtesans and Royals.

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By Jeetendra Hirschfeld
Chennai, July 2008

NOTE:
Sathir Dance Art Trust Amsterdam © 2008. All Rights Reserved.
The text, photos, and video of this essay are protected by copyright.
Reproduction, in part or in whole, is strictly prohibited without prior written permission from the author/publisher.
Photo added in 2018: Representation of Tanjore Quartet & Courtesan (supposedly)

[Article condensed for online publication]

Introduction

The current article focuses on the 19th-century varnams of the Tanjore Quartet. The varnams are works of outstanding artistry once danced by the Tanjorian courtesans of the Mahratta court. During the latter part of the 19th and early 20th centuries, the varnams travelled from the palace durbar to Chambre Séparée, before finally reimagining the varnams for the new urban proscenium.

The cosmopolitan atmosphere of the Mahratta court1 was charged with a grand and ceremonial recognition of art and scholarship. Successive maharajahs, traditional patrons of art, left for prosperity the timeless methodology of “Tanjore Natyam”. From the 1820s on, when the last of the kings, His Highness the Maharajah of Tanjore Serfoji II (1798-1832), and his son and successor, Maharajah Sivaji II (1832-1855), held sway over Tanjore, durbar dancing was crystallised and streamlined by four court nattuvans known as the Tanjore Quartet.2 The experimentation of the Quartet with the earlier culmination of courtly dances led to an afresh repertoire—Margam—a repertoire with aesthetic brilliance that has stood the test of time. Today, Margam, albeit in its modern avatar, is still performed.

Art of Erotica

The Tanjore Quartet composed a songbook of the art of erotica varnams. When the Quartet reworked the precursor Nirupana repertoire, they made their most ambitious artistic move by placing the varnam as the pièce de résistance of the performance.3 I suggest that this was a well-thought-out decision of the Quartet. They transformed the importance of the varnam in such a way that their name became synonymous with dance.4 —Not only in the Tanjore court but also in smaller feudal courts of South India. Possibly with the foresight of a not-too-distant future of regular performances outside the royal court in urban settings.

In shaping the varnams, the Tanjorian courtesan played a vital role. The dancers co-operated effectively with the four brothers to give shape to the varnams. The brothers collectively wrote the songs, but it was the intense collaboration with the highly skilled courtesan, the purveyor of good taste, who could bring alive a varnam through her splendid dancing and singing. The varnams have a repeated theme and structure. The Pallavi introduces the the subject—the courtesan and the object of her desire, Rajah Serfoji, Rajah Sivaji, or Brihadisvara Siva. The courtesan vividly expresses her anguish and longing through the different shades of vipralambha sringara or unrequited desire. The sahityam or lyrics are cyclical; the anupallavi, muktayiswara, and the caranam stanzas all have the Pallavi as the reference point. The last caranam sahityam, in particular, reconnects to the Pallavi to bring the theme of the varnam to its logical conclusion.

The varnams were danced at the durbar by the chief courtesan. The dancer (often assisted by another courtesan) would perform with her band of musicians. The band would have two nattuvans (to sing and conduct the performance), a mridangam, bagpipe, flute, and a violin. The assisting courtesan would present the opening dances while the chief courtesan would focus on the varnam and padams. The varnam became the most awaited dance at the court, performed in the presence of the dignitaries of the rajah. The Maharanis watched this spectacle from the durbar balcony. They were out of immediate sight, behind a see-through veil of silk. If the varnam extolled the virtues of the rajah, it was customary to have a première performance. After the presentation, the rajah and his grandees would discuss the varnam in detail, often with the nattuvan and courtesan.

The Courtesan’s Desire

Here I shall focus on two varnams by the Tanjore Quartet—“Nee Saati Dora” in raga bhairavi and “Danike” in raga todi. In the varnams, the royal courtesan expresses her intense desire for the rajah, and, to me, both songs most clearly reveal the artistic intentions of the Quartet. I shall not necessarily discuss the musical details here, but rather the content and intent of the varnam as dances of intense desire. Both varnams stand out as works of creative brilliance.

“Nee Saati Dora”
The first of the dance varnams likely presented by the Quartet (in around 1827) at the durbar was “Nee Saati Dora”5.—a marvellous varnam which glorifies the unsurpassed greatness of their patron, Rajah Serfoji as the warrior king of Tanjore. There is reference to the varnam in the manuscript records of the Tanjore palace,6 praising the varnam as a masterpiece composition. I studied “Nee Saati Dora” with Rajamani,7 and later with Kittappa nattuvanar (the kai). Rajamani’s abhinaya and mudras for the varnam were simple and straightforward. She could handle the erotic elements of the song with ease and without inhibitions. After the initial padartha, the Pallavi of the song was sung repeatedly with sanchari bhava elaborations. With this (sanchari bhava), I do not refer to the storytelling episodes common today in the varnams but rather a variety of metaphors used for certain words expressed through abhinaya and mudras. The sringara interpretation when addressing a deity or a patron hardly made any difference. There was no ‘sringara confusion’–drifting away from keeping the courtesan’s desire at the centre.

Maharajah Servojee at the Tanjore durbar
“The guards announce the arrival of the rajah. As if rehearsed, the gathering swiftly, and all at once, rise to stand, and respectfully welcome the rajah…”

Be respectful! Be attentive! Be cautious! The greatest king of our age! Blessed by God! Sovereign of his subjects, supreme ruler of Tanjore! Make way for Rajasri Sri Sri Servojee Maharajah! August ruler of his people! Saalamu! Saalamu! King of Kings! Sarabhendra, Maharajendra! Sri Sri Servojee!

“The Rajah walks in with a quick step, escorted by ministers of his kingdom. As he advances towards his throne, he makes slight obeisance to several lower-ranked royals of the court. Only after the rajah takes his seat and nods his head, do we take our seats as well. The gathering is clearly excited about what is to come. Mīṉāṭci places the backs of her hands firmly on her hips. She slightly turns to her right, where her melam is lined-up, looks at Ponnayya, and nods. She is all-set. Ponnayya starts to sing his varnam. He sings the first line of his varnam two times before Sivanandam joins his brother. Both sing at the top of their voices, trying to reach all the spectators in the hall. When Mīṉāṭci begins to join them with her singing, the brothers’ tone it down, even more so when she turns and glances at them. She brings to life the poetry of the song with captivating attentiveness…”

nī sāti dorā nīvani neranamminānu nenaruncarā īvēla nā sāmi
bhōsālakula sri tulajēndruni tanayā bhōga dēvēndrudaū sarabēndra candra!

Hujur, I render salaam to you!
Please be compassionate and accept my request!
 Salaamu! Sarabhoji! Sarabhendra! Maharajendra!
My courageous warrior King!
King of all men, this I believe;
so thinking, I have come this way;
for I am most suitable for all your oddities;
This is our secret!
There is no lover equal to you
but my loveliness is without equal in the universe.
I am no ordinary woman! My heart is filled with desire,
embrace me and kiss me with your delicious lips.
Do not dilly-dally and delay my request any longer!
Do not think you are unbeknownst to me.
I have dreamt of you even before you came into my life!
Now that I have come here,
do not pretend to be otherwise engaged!
Do not ignore this beautiful woman.
As you are right for me, I am certainly right for you!
Do not smooth-talk while you break your promise;
O ho! You are the son of the great maha rajah Tulaja!
Now that I have come before you, all decked up;
My desire is witnessed by all;
You have to protect me!
Sami, you are a generous man, are you not?
A mighty courageous warrior,
devoted to Lord Indra, are you not?
Is it fair for you to delay my request?
I have come before you,
the time for loving is now, not tomorrow!
Tell me what the murmur is in your mind.
Do not hesitate or stand on royal protocol,
the time for lovemaking is now.
Let us start with gay a’bandon!
I am intoxicated…intoxicated with desire…


“Danike”
The varnam “Danike”,8 composed by Sivanandam, is presented through the words of a court dancer. The première at the durbar was (apparently) done by the famous courtesan Minakshi.9 —The varnam impressed Rajah Sivaji, inspiring Sivanandam to write more varnams praising of his patron.10 The varnam tells a passionate story of intense desires, using ordinary words but conveying something extraordinary. The courtesan makes pleas passionate, trying to convince Sivaji of another woman longing for him. She tries to dispel any doubts that he might have, assuring him that the other woman is as passionate as she is about him. The lyrics of the varnam are ‘tongue-in-cheek’: with a dose of subtle sarcasm, witty remarks, humour and innuendo. The rajah and his excellencies, who listened and watched the dance, would understand the underlying layers of meaning. Along with the nattuvans and courtesans, they were obviously having fun, and quite clearly, they did not take the lyrics, or for that matter, themselves, too seriously. There are a few adaptations of this varnam with some minor changes to the original words.11

[Below edited 1940’s text of free flowing meaning of ‘Danike’ was provided to me by Pandanallur Subbarayya Nattuvanar, August 1996. Copyright ©SathirDanceArt.]

dāniké tāgu jānarā nīvu dayayunca īvēlarā

She is most worthy of thee, my Lord!
The lustre of her tresses rivals
The dark humming bee;
Her beautiful face glows;
Like the effulgent Moon;
The arch of her eyebrows is like the curve of the bow;
Her brilliant eyes flashed like the swimming fish;
And the shining mirror of her cheeks,
only thy kisses are worthy of them!
Do have compassion on her, my Lord!
She is thy obedient slave, forever yearning for thy love!
And in her love-stricken state,
the gentle breeze hisses and scorches,
like the venomous serpents’ breath;
the never-ceasing roar of the ocean no longer soothes;
she searches far and wide for thee
Her slender body wilting like a tender creeper
and the parrot’s sweet prattle, hath lost all charm for her!
Truly doth she worship thee in her heart?
To her – thou art Siva, the great immeasurable God;
Thou art the giver of all treasures, the bountiful one,
the ruler who holds sway over the world
In triumphant procession!
Her longing is without abatement!
She is peerless! Come thou, my Lord,
to exalt her with thy embrace,
Oh! Do not be obdurate.
She is meek – has no words to oppose thee!
She is warm-hearted and full of wonderful traits.
Do not think otherwise, but come,
for she is most worthy of thy love!
She is most worthy of thee, my Lord!

—

“Danike” — Muktayisvara Sahitya

(provided to me by Thanjavur Kittappa and additionally by scholar VAK Ranga Rao)

dā nitami dā caturādā ni saridā na bhuvi lōnu
dorakadu dorayani dorakenu ikanu rati salupa samayamu
padarā ipudu sadanamunaku
aramara vikasāya tagu nā manavi gaikonumu

dā nitami (desire, pleasure, satisfying) dā caturādā (dani=she, making the best of a circumstance) ni saridā na (you, she is a match, equal) bhuvi (in this world) lōnu (women) dorakadu (cannot find) dorayani (for you) dorakenu (you have got it) ikanu (from now) rati (lovemaking) salupa (do it: hug, kiss) samayamu (to have a good time, right time) padarā (going, calling) ipudu (so now) sadanamunaku (go to her house, that place) aramara vikasāya tagu nā(do not delay, be indifferent, dally, is it right to do?) manavi (to request) gaikonumu (accept, take my request)

My omnipotent Rajah! Only you can satisfy her every desire! No one else but she is a perfect match. That is a secret I share with you. She is calling you, so now, do not doubt her intentions. The time to meet her is now. She has seen the qualities you have. Is it fair to delay this any further? Embrace her and kiss her, make love to her and satisfy her, as only you can. She wants to experience the art of loving you. Now come with me, for she is calling you. Do not be adamant but instead go to meet her. She has recognised your qualities, and has made herself available only to you. Your indifference makes no difference! I’m begging you! Do not worry about me! Take my request and go to her. The time for a good time is now! 

Varnam on the Proscenium

In 1855, the death of rajah Sivaji marked the end of the Tanjore Kingdom. The subsequent assimilation of Tanjore into the British Raj also meant the patronage of palace musicians and dancers would end.12 Gradually, courtesans and nattuvans moved away to urban places with the varnams; this, to some extent, resulted in some discussion about the correctness of certain words and the interpretations of the lyrics.13

“Nee saati dora” initially remained part of courtesan repertoire during chambre séparée performances of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. But later, the varnam was replaced (and mostly forgotten) when an adaption “Mohamana”14 was introduced in the 20th-century. During the 47th conference of the Music Academy Madras in 1973, Thanjavur Kittappa and his brother Sivanandam held a lecture demonstration on the dance compositions of their ancestors. The lecture was presided over by the iconic Tanjore Balasaraswati. During the lecture, “Nee saati dora” was presented with Kittappa reciting the jathis for the varnam in different nadais.15

“Danike” and Meenakshisundaram Nattuvanar
In the early 20th century, Pandanallur Meenakshisundaram (1869-1954), with his timely recognition of changing times, reimagined the Margam repertoire of his ancestors with well-planned choreography for the modern proscenium. ‘Danike’ was one of his favourite varnams, and it was usually the first varnam he taught to his hereditary nattuvangam and dance disciples.16 According to Kittappa nattuvanar, Meenakshisundaram studied the varnam from Tanjore Mahadeva, the son of Sivanandam (of the Quartet). He re-composed the dance later on for proscenium Bharatanatyam. Between the 1940s and 1960s, the varnam was still taught by the nattuvanars, and performed by their disciples. Rukmini Devi Arundale17 and Ram Gopal both studied the varnam from Meenakshisundaram—he would, however, omit much of the expression of eroticism with his non-hereditary disciples. Tanjore Balasaraswati had the varnam as a part of her staple repertoire.18 Veteran dancer and guru Lakshmi Viswanathan (who studied the varnam with Kanjivaram Ellappa Nattuvanar) has performed “Danike” for many years without suppressing the erotic content of the song. The late Nirmala Ramachandran also regularly danced the varnam.19

“Danike” and Thanjavur Kittappa Nattuvanar
Kittappa nattuvanar was a repository of Tanjore Quartet repertory. He unearthed many of the compositions of his ancestors and preserved them for posterity through book publications. Kittappa nattuvanar taught the varnam to his earliest disciples but more or less stopped teaching it in later years.20 I studied “Danike” with Rajamani (see note 7). Just as the previous varnam—I learnt the varnam without any inhibitions concerning the eroticism of the song. I also studied the varnam with Kittappa (he agreed to do so at the request of Rajamani). Kittappa’s interpretation of the lyrics was perhaps a little more subdued and more subtle compared to the version of Rajamani. However, with some soft persuasion, Kittappa was willing to explain the exact meaning of the poetry.
In the abhinaya sections, after the padartha, he would use sanchari bhavas for certain words. For—danike—he would use megha (clouds, rain); indradhanusa; trikotatrikota; Chandra kala; amalaka (flower); sankha (conch); pushpaputa (offering of flowers) to create the feelings of ultimate longing and devotion of the courtesan, and feelings of empathy of the rajah. For—tagu—there are descriptions of the courtesan—her neck, her eyebrows, eyes, nose, ears, lips, and slender arms—and compare each one with an appropriate image and metaphor that would fit perfectly within the framework and historical context of the poetry. For—janara—the courtesan and the rajah are brought together.

With time, varnams, once in vogue, were erased from the Bharatanatyam repertoire.21 —The varnams disappeared along with the disenfranchised hereditary dancers who previously passed them on from generation to generation. The Tanjore Quartet varnams are not bound by time. Today, in the 21st century, Bharatanatyam practitioners have rediscovered their lyrical and musical worth. However, the compositions require a granular level of understanding, beyond just literal content. The historical context and the narrative methods of the poetry are crucial. And most importantly, how to come alive in a body that is not your own by imagining the emotions of the royal courtesan when she danced the art of erotica varnam.

—

Endnotes

  1. Artistic expression in Thanjavur reached its creative heights during the Maratta dynasty between 1674-1855. ↩︎
  2. Chinnayya (1802-56); Ponnayya (1804-1864); Sivanandam (1808-1863); Vadivelu (1810-1847). ↩︎
  3. The brothers streamlined the precursor ‘Nirupana’ format, consisting of eighteen dances that could last for hours, if not an all-night affair, into a coherent progressive repertoire. They shortened its duration to about two and half hours, effective for dancing outside the palace walls as well. In the earlier repertoire the svarajathi took a prominent place. ↩︎
  4. The dance of the nattuvans and courtesans known as: Sadir, Tanjore Natyam, Bhogam, Dasiattam, Bharatanatyam, Nautch. ↩︎
  5. Pers. Comm. With Thanjavur Kittappa nattuvanar, June 1995. ↩︎
  6. The Thanjavur Maharaja Serfoji’s Sarasvati Mahal library. ↩︎
  7. Rajamani (d. 2003) was a disciple of Meenaksisundaram of Pandanallur. After his demise she became the disciple of Thanjavur Kittappa. She also benefited from Ram Gopal as part of his dance company for a while. And she studied padams and javalis with several courtesans (their names unknown to me.) Rajamani studied ‘danike’ and ‘nee saati dora’ first with Meenaksisundaram, and later on again with Kittappa nattuvanar. ↩︎
  8. Around 1834, at the introduction of ‘Danike’ at Rajah Sivaji’s court, the brothers were no longer a unit of four. Ponnayya and Sivanandam were in the court of Sivaji, while Chinnayya and Vadivelu were appointed as Vidwans in the courts of Maharajah Krishna Raja Wadiyar III, and Maharajah Swati Tirunal, respectively. ↩︎
  9. Pers. comm. with Thanjavur Kittappa nattuvanar, July 4 1997. According to Kittappa, Mannargudi Minatci was a dancer trained by Sivanandam and he brought her to Tanjore to perform before Rajah. Research scholar BM Sundaram has stated that she was the great-grandmother of the violinist musician Mannargudi Rajagopala Pillai (Sundaram 1997). ↩︎
  10. Besides ‘Danike’, Sivanandam composed ‘Dāni Sāti Pōti Lēdurā’ (tōdi), ‘Sāmiyai Azhaithu Vādi’ (kalyani) and ‘Sārasa Sikhāmani’ (kalyani) all in praise of rajah Sivaji (besides other varnams). ↩︎
  11. Acc., Thanjavur Kittappa, Ponnayya also applied the todi ragam musical score of Danike to set the lyrics of his composition, ‘samininne korinanura’, which is still danced today in a varnamalika format. See: ‘Tanjore Quartette Compositions’, Edited by: Tanjore KP Sivanandam, 4th edition, 2002: 95. ↩︎
  12. Maharajah Sivaji passed away in 1855 without a male heir to the throne. In 1856 the British assimilated the Tanjore kingdom into its empire. In the years thereafter, many courtesans and nattuvans moved out of Tanjore to urban places. ↩︎
  13. Acc., Thanjavur Kittappa nattuvanar, July 1996. ↩︎
  14. ‘Mohamana’ is adapted from ‘Nee Saati Dora’ with Tamizh lyrics written by ‘Sangeetha Kalanidhi’ Tanjore K. Ponnaiah Pillai (1883-1945). ↩︎
  15. Kittappa and Sivanandam were accompanied by Saradha Sivanandam on the Veena and TK Murthi on the mridangam. Besides music compositions, they presented jathiswaram in bilahari, svarajathi ‘sarojakshi’ in yudukulakamboji, javali ‘dani bodana’ in surati, and thillana in bilahari. Journal of the Madras Music Academy 1974 Vol. XLV: 44-45. ↩︎
  16. Meenakshisundaram trained a large number of students in nattuvangam, all of whom became famous as nattuvanars in their own right —namely: Chockalingam, Subbaraya, Muthayya, Gopalakrishnan, Swaminathan, all of Pandanallur; Tanjavur KP Kittappa, and others. ↩︎
  17. Rukmini Devi did not perform, or pass on, ‘Danike’ to her disciples. Pandanallur Chockalingam taught the varnam initially during his time at Kalakshetra, but it was removed from the performance repertoire. Rukmini performed the yadukula kamboji varnam ‘Sami Ninne’. ↩︎
  18. ‘Danike’ was the favourite varnam of Balasaraswati (Gaston, 1996:106). She studied the varnam with Tanjore Kandappa and with the Kuchipudi master, Vedantam Lakshmi Narayana Sastry (1880-1957). ↩︎
  19. She studied the varnam with Chockalingam of Pandanallur. And additionally with Mylapore Gowri Ammal and Thiruvalaputhur Swaminathan. Pers. Comm. with Nirmala Ramachandran, 1989. ↩︎
  20. Kittappa had learnt danike from his grandfather, Pandanallur Meenaksisundaram. During a personal communication with Kittappa (July 4, 1997), he told me that he had left the abhinaya sections as he had learnt them from his grandfather. ↩︎
  21. The focus of the nattuvanars (and later the non-hereditary dancer-teacher) became the varnams in praise of Brihadeeshawara and Gopalaswamy, such as,‘Manavi’ and in particular on Tamil adaptations of the original Telugu varnams—‘Sāmiyai Azhaittu’(Kamas), ‘Mohamana’(Bhairavi) ‘Sakiye’ (Anandabhairavi). ↩︎

Oral Informants
My Gurus: Rajamani (d. 2003); Thanjavur K.P. Kittappa nattuvanar (1913-1999); Pandanallur M. Gopalakrishnan nattuvanar (b. 1938). Additional informants: Pandanallur C. Subbaraya nattuvanar (1914-2008) and his disciple the late Nirmala Ramachandran. Padmini Rao, disciple of Thanjavur K.P. Kittappa Pillai. Telugu scholars: Late Violin Seetharama, Late Bhagavatulu Seetharama Sharma, and VAK Ranga Rao.

Select Bibliography
Bhosale, Tulajendra Rajah. 1995. Rajah Serfoji II (with a short History of Thanjavur Mahrattas), Thanjavur.
Gaston, Anne-Marie. 1996. Bharatanatyam: From Temple to Theatre. Manohar Publishers & Distributers, New Delhi.  
Hickey, William. 1874. The Tanjore Mahratta Principality in Southern India – 1st edition
Hirschfeld, J. 2008. The Tanjore Quartet & the Maharajahs of the Tanjore Musnud as the Patrons of Dance. Access on Academia.
Hirschfeld, J. 2009. Article: Varnam in the Dutbar of Rajah Serfojee: “Nee Saati Dora”. Access on Academia.
Kittappa, K. P. 1961. The Dance Compositions of the Tanjore Quartet. Ahmedabad: Darpana Publications.
Kittappa, K.P. 1964. Adi Bharata Kala Manjari. Madras: Natyalaya.
Rajayyan, K. 1969. A History of British Diplomacy in Tanjore. 
Seetha, Subramanian. 1981. Tanjore as a Seat of Music, during the 17th, 18th and 19th Centuries. Madras: University of Madras.
Subramanian, K. R. 1928. The Maratha Rajas of Tanjore. New Delhi: Asian Educational Services.
Sundaram, B.M. 1997. Towards a Genealogy of Some Tanjavur Natyacharyas and their Kinsfolk. Sangeet Natak 124: 30–41.
Sundaram B.M. 2002. Varna Svara Jati. Thanjavur: Sarasvati Mahal Library
Vadivelan, A. 1979. The Journal of the Tanjore Maharaja Serfoji’s Sarasvati Mahal Library. Thanjavur: Sarasvati Mahal Library.

All Rights Reserved ©2008-2018
“Songbook of the Tanjore Quartet: Varnams as Art of Erotica”
Author: Jeetendra Hirschfeld
Text and Photos is entirely copyrighted to:
Sathir Dance Art Trust (Amsterdam Chennai)
and is solely owned by the publisher/provider of the content.
Unauthorised republication of this article in any form is strictly prohibited
without prior written permission of the publisher.