A viruttam or virutham (Tamil) is a Hindu devotional verse sung in Carnatic music concerts. [1] Viruttams do not possess a set tala and are solely improvised using one or more ragams. It is one of many forms of manodharma (spontaneous improvisations) in Carnatic music.
A viruttam usually precedes rendition of a song. In most cases, it is sung in the same ragam as the song that follows it. Occasionally, viruttam of multiple verses are sung in different ragams, followed by a song in the same ragam as the last sung ragam of the viruttam.
The artist may also sing the same verse in different ragams in different concerts.
Virutham is not only used in concerts but also in traditional celebrations. Viruthams in praise of Lord Ayyappa are famous in South India. Viruthams are also sung in praise of Lord Muruga.
A viruttam is called as Ugabhoga in Kannada. Ugabhogas are few set of devotional lines by the Haridasas of Karnataka. Ugabhogas are more often sung in Carnatic concerts before a Devaranama. Ugabhogas contain the mudra of the Haridasa
Carnatic music, known as Karnāṭaka saṃgīta or Karnāṭaka saṅgītam in the South Indian languages, is a system of music commonly associated with South India, including the modern Indian states of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Kerala and Tamil Nadu, and Sri Lanka. It is one of two main subgenres of Indian classical music that evolved from ancient Hindu Texts and traditions, particularly the Samaveda. The other subgenre being Hindustani music, which emerged as a distinct form because of Persian or Islamic influences from Northern India. The main emphasis in Carnatic music is on vocal music; most compositions are written to be sung, and even when played on instruments, they are meant to be performed in gāyaki (singing) style.
The Pancharatna kritis are a set of five kritis (songs) in Carnatic classical music, composed by the 18th-century Indian composer Tyagaraja. All the kritis, as is the case with almost all of Tyagaraja's compositions, are penned in Telugu, except the first one, which is composed in Sanskrit. The songs are: "Jagadananda karaka", "Dudukugala Nanne", "Sadhinchene", "Kanakana Ruchira" and "Endaro Mahanubhavulu".
Purandara Dasa was a Haridasa philosopher and a follower of Madhwacharya 's Dwaitha philosophy -saint from present-day Karnataka, India. He was a composer, singer and one of the chief founding-proponents of Carnatic music. In honor of his significant contributions to Carnatic music, he is widely referred to as the Pitamaha of Carnatic music. According to a legend, he is considered as an incarnation of Saint Narada.
Hanumatodi, more popularly known as Todi, is a rāgam in Carnatic music. It is the 8th melakarta rāgam in the 72 melakarta rāgam system. This is sung very often in concerts. It is a difficult rāgam to perform in owing to its complexity in prayoga. It is called Janatodi in Muthuswami Dikshitar school of Carnatic music. Its Western equivalent is the Phrygian mode. Todi in Carnatic music is different from Todi (thaat) of Hindustani music. The equivalent of the Hindustani raga Todi in Carnatic music is Shubhapantuvarali. The equivalent of Carnatic Todi in Hindustani is Bhairavi thaat in terms of notes, but the two sound very different due to differing uses of gamakas.
Varṇam is a type of composition in the Carnatic music system consisting of short metric pieces which encapsulate the main features of a raga. Varnams capture the raga bhavam, ranjaka prayogasvisesha sancharas, etc. Dhatu and janta prayogas are usually part of a varnam. Understanding of these aspects is key to developing manodharma sangeetham.
Anandabhairavi or Ananda Bhairavi is a very old melodious rāgam of Carnatic music. This rāgam also used in Indian traditional and regional musics. Ānandam (Sanskrit) means happiness and the rāgam brings a happy mood to the listener.
The Haridasa Bhakti Sahitya devotional movement (sampradaya) originated in Karnataka, India, after Madhvacharya, and spread to eastern states such as Bengal and Assam of medieval India. Over a span of nearly six centuries, several saints and mystics helped shape the culture, philosophy and art of South India in general and Karnataka in particular by exerting considerable spiritual influence over the masses and kingdoms that ruled South India.
Ragam Tanam Pallavi (RTP) is a form of singing in Carnatic music which allows the musicians to improvise to a great extent. It is one of the most complete aspects of Indian classical music, demonstrating the entire gamut of talents and the depth of knowledge of the musician. It incorporates raga alapana, tanam, niraval, and kalpanaswara. In more elaborate ragam tanam pallavis, a tani avartanam may follow.
Raga Bageshri or Bageshree is a Hindustani classical raga. It is a popular night raga, which is meant to depict the emotion of a woman waiting for reunion with her lover. It is said to have been first sung by Miyan Tansen, the celebrated court singer of the Emperor Akbar in the sixteenth century.
Hamsadhvani, is a rāga in Carnatic music. It is an audava rāgam. It is a janya rāga of the Melakartha raga, Sankarabharanam (29th) but according to Hamsadhvani's prayoga or the way it is sung it is said to be the janya of Kalyani (65th).
Vijaya Dasa was a prominent saint from the Haridasa tradition of Karnataka, India in the 18th century, and a scholar of the Dvaita philosophical tradition. Along with contemporary haridasa saints such as Gopala Dasa, Helevankatte Giriamma, Jagannatha Dasa and Prasanna Venkata Dasa, he propagated the virtues of the philosophy of Madhwacharya across South India through devotional songs called devaranama written in the Kannada language. An integral part of Kannada Vaishnava devotional literature, these compositions in praise of the Hindu god Vishnu as well as other deities are called dasara padagalu. He has influenced both Carnatic music and Hindustani music through his compositions. His mudra is Vijaya vithala. These compositions can be more specifically categorized as keertanas, suladis, ugabhogas, and simply padas. They were easy to sing to the accompaniment of a musical instrument and dealt with bhakti (devotion) and the virtues of a pious life.
The Haridaasas, the Vaishnava saints of Karnataka, are classified into the Vyaasakuta and Daasakuta. The Vyaasakuta were the pontifical saints known for their scholarship and exposition of Madhva's philosophy. The Daasakuta were the peripatetic saint disciples of the Vyaasakuta sanyasins. They were proficient singers and composers and used classical music and the Kannada language as a medium to propagate the teachings and philosophy of the Dvaita school. While Sripadaraya is sometimes credited with starting this musical movement, Purandaradaasa, a disciple of Vyaasasraaya, became renowned as Karnataka Sangita Pitaamaha.
Charukesi is a rāga in Carnatic music. It is the 26th Melakarta rāgam in the 72 melakarta rāgam system of Carnatic music. It is called Tarangini in Muthuswami Dikshitar school of Carnatic music.
Bhairavi is a janya rāgam in Carnatic music. Though it is a sampoorna rāgam, it has two different dhaivathams in its scale making it a Bhashanga Ragam, and hence is not classified as a melakarta rāgam.
Kharaharapriya is a rāga in Carnatic music. It is the 22nd melakarta rāga in the 72 melakarta rāga system. It is possible that the name of the ragam was originally Harapriya but it was changed to conform to the Katapayadi formula. Kharaharapriya has a distinct melody and brings out the Karuna rasam, invoking pathos in the listeners. The Kafi thaat of Hindustani music is the equivalent of Kharaharapriya. Its Western equivalent is the Dorian mode.
Carnatic music terms are briefly described in this page. Major terms have their own separate article pages, while minor terms are defined / described here.
Dharmavati is a rāgam in Carnatic music. It is the 59th Melakarta rāgam in the 72 melakarta rāgam system of Carnatic music. It is called Dhaamavati in Muthuswami Dikshitar school of Carnatic music. Madhuvanti is the nearest Hindustani music scale to Dharmavati.
Carnatic raga refers to ragas used in Carnatic music. A Carnatic raga has several components - primordial sound (nāda), tonal system (swara), pitch (śruti), scale, ornaments (gamaka) and important tones.
Kurai Onrum Illai is a Tamil devotional song written by C. Rajagopalachari. The song set in Carnatic music was written in gratitude to Hindu God and compassionate mother.
Amr̥tavarṣiṇi is a rāgam in Carnatic music, created in the early nineteenth century by Muthuswami Dikshitar. It is an audava rāgam in which only five of the seven swaras are used. It is a janya rāgam, fairly popular in Carnatic music. There is a belief that Amr̥tavarṣiṇi causes rain, and that the Carnatic composer Muthuswami Dikshitar brought rain at Ettayapuram, Tamil Nadu, India by singing his composition, Aanandaamrutakarshini amrutavarshini.
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