Exploring Dikshitar's Navavarana kritis through music and painting

The Hindu

16-07-2025

Sri Vidya, the luminous knowledge of the Goddess, and the Cosmic Mother, Tripura Sundari, stand as the crown jewel of Shakta Tantra. The spiritual tradition of Sri Vidya is rooted in the worship of Shakti, celebrating the divine as both creator and creation.
Though popularly known as the Navavaranas, implying nine kritis, the Kamalamba series by Muthuswami Dikshitar comprises eleven compositions. Bookended by a Dhyana Kriti and a Mangala Kriti, these works are a musical pilgrimage through the sacred enclosures (Avaranas) of the Sri Chakra, with Kamalamba, the goddess, presiding at Kamalanagaram (Tiruvarur). Dikshitar's compositions methodically illuminate each Avarna, guiding the seeker from the outermost square to the innermost bindu, where the goddess herself resides.
Dikshitar, an ardent Devi upasaka, meticulously crafts each kriti to reflect the geometry, deities, mantras, and esoteric qualities of each Avarana. The lyrics are dense with Sanskrit grammar, each kriti employing a different vibhakti (case), which uses all eight cases, Kamalamba, Kamalambam, and so on, culminating in Kamalaambike.
Dikshitar's genius lies not just in his command of Sanskrit but in his audacious raga choices. He adheres to the Venkatamakhin sampradaya, classifying ragas into Melakarta, Upanga and Bhashanga categories. While the nine central kritis span this spectrum of Kalyani and Sankarabharanam representing the Melakarta ragas, Sahana, Bhairavi, and Anandabhairavi are Upangam ragas, and Kamboji, Punnagavarali, Ghanta, and Ahiri are Bhashangam. Each raga is chosen not just for its melodic beauty but for its symbolic resonance with the corresponding avarana.
As Sumitra Nitin, Carnatic vocalist and Bharatanatyam dancer, explains, his juxtaposition of Kalyani and Sankarabharanam, the ragas that differ only by a single note, 'madhyamam' was a deliberate pedagogical move. 'He has shown you that these swaras make no sense,' she says, 'it is the prayogas that matter.' In other words, the essence of a raga lies not in its scale, but in its emotive grammar. 'Through these kritis, Dikshitar teaches us not just how to sing, but how to understand,' she adds.
For Sumitra, the idea for a unique presentation of these kritis came in an unexpected moment of quiet reflection. The inspiration came from a Sri Chakra Yantra painting by Rekha Krishnan. 'I then started dreaming about this programme,' she recalls, 'where I could showcase the synergy between this ancient visual art and the profound Navavarna compositions.' Though initially unfamiliar with the kritis, Rekha's journey soon became intertwined with Sumitra's vision, leading to a collaboration bridging the sacred and the aesthetic.
When Sumitra approached Rekha to collaborate on a full-sequence performance of the Kamalamba Navavarna kritis, the timing was serendipitous. Rekha had, by then, become a Sri Vidya upasaka herself. 'I'm very much into the Sri Vidya philosophy now,' she shares. Rekha created an entirely new series of paintings, each infused with her spiritual understanding of the corresponding avarana.
This vision now comes to fruition in an upcoming thematic event titled 'Sri Chakra', to be held at Sri Thyaga Brahma Gana Sabha (Vani Mahal) on, July 20 at 10 a.m. Sumitra will present a lec-dem of the Kamalamba Navavarna kritis, accompanied by nine of her students from Natyasruti. As the compositions unfold, Rekha's visual interpretation of each avarana will be projected on screen. The musical ensemble includes Sivateja Mallajosyula on the violin and Abhiram Nitin on the mridangam.
When asked about her interpretation of the Navavarna kritis, Sumitra was quick to clarify: 'I follow Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer's Patantaram.' She learned a couple of kritis directly from him and absorbed more through her guru T. Rukmini, also a disciple of Semmangudi. This lineage is not about rigid replication but about aesthetic refinement.
Sumitra, as a teacher, took on the challenge with humility and determination. Referring to the sheer complexity of Navavaranams, she taught them 'slowly,' often just 'one line or maximum two lines per class.' Many of her students are in school, some in college. Yet, through patience and perseverance, the young ensemble rose to the occasion.
One might assume that to compose such spiritually potent music, a composer might simplify his musical structure. But Dikshitar did the opposite. 'He challenged himself in his own way,' says Sumitra. From using all eight vibhaktis to composing in rare talas such as the 14-akshara cycle for the seventh avarana, Dikshitar imposed complicating conditions upon himself, only to transcend them. In doing so, he didn't just compose kritis, he expanded the very boundaries of Carnatic music.
During the performance, Rekha's Sri Chakra paintings will be displayed on the stage. . 'These visuals will add a new dimension to the kritis,' adds Sumitra.
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