Swami Vivekananda was Guru Bhai of Mridangacharya Dulli Babu diciple of Mridangacharya Murari Mohan Gupta
(Painted
under the direction of renowned Tabla exponent Pt. Nikhil Ghosh)
The multi-
dimensional personality of Swami Vivekananda has always been an inspiration for
us all over the world. He lived only 39 years and revolutionized the world with
his powerful personality and prophecy for the future of India as well as the
future of human civilization at large. Vivekananda was undoubtedly an appreciator and a
performer of classical music. In 1887, when Vivekananda was only 24 years old,
he co-edited and published a Bengali song anthology named Sangeet
Kalpataru. Swami Vivekananda himself was a trained singer (though not
professional). He received his classical music training from Kashi Ghoshal,
Beni Ostad (his original name was Beni Gupta) and Mridangacharya Murari Mohan
Gupta. In late 1881 in the first meeting between Ramakrishna and Vivekananda
(then known as Narendranath Datta), Narendra Nath sang few devotional songs.
His trained voice and his devotion towards music highly impressed Ramakrishna,
which was followed by a cordial invitation to visit Dakshineswar. Ramkrishnabuwa Vaze, a renowned singer recorded that
he had heard and learned a dhrupad from Swami Vivekanand who was well-versed in
forms like the khyal, devotional bhajans as well as tappa. In Ramakrishna Kathamitra, we find
Ramakrishna repeatedly requesting Narendra Nath to sing. The same book also
shows us while listening to Narendra's song Ramakrishna is going into trance.
In Swami Vivekananda’s article “
Sangeet-O-Badya” is indeed a scientific exposition of music in those early days
when science itself was not developed as it is now. Narendranath explained the
origin of sound its vibration, its dynamic composition, its properties and
other aspects with an extraordinary reflection in light of science and in an
easy language so as to be understandable by any ordinary person. The said
article is the mirror of Narendranath’s opulent and in depth knowledge in
music. He has explained about the raga and ragini, he explained about the
tuning up of the instruments those are commonly used with vocal music. He
explained different rhythms and its innumerable formations which is usually
unleashed through the talent of musician. The book was published one year after
the demise of Bhagawan Sri Ramakrishna. The original book contained 646 songs
printed on 495 pages published in the year 1887. Shri Baishnab Charan Basak was
the publisher, according to Swami Sarvagananda Maharaj
The
first part of the book was having an introductory note “ Sangeet O Badya”,
while the second part of the book was a compilation of various kind of songs
like National Songs, Religious Songs, Mythological Songs, Social Songs, love
Songs and miscellaneous Songs. The third part of the book consisted of the
short lives of the poets and spiritual ascetics like Chandi Das, Govind Das,
Kavi Ranjan Ramprasad Sen, ramnidhi Gupta, Kamalakanta Bhattacharya, Rammohan
Roy, Pyari Mohan ‘Kavi Ratna’, Wajid Ali Shah, Kabir, Girish Chandra Ghosh,
Jyotindranath Thakur, Tansen, Tulsidas, Trailokyanath Sanyal, Dwijendranath
Thakur, Neelkantha Mukkhopadhyay, Harish Chandra Mitra, Hem Chandra
bandhopadyay and many more. At the end of first part Narendranath inserted
elaborate Bol Bani of different Taala i.e. meters played on Pakhawaj or Tabla.
Due to his personal taleem in Pakhawaj under the guidance of Mridangacharya
Murari Mohan Gupta Swami ji had compiled many bol bani’s from the Lala Keval
Kishan Gharana and written in this book. Swamiji has started the first part of
the Bol Baani section with Choutaal Theka along with Fifty one Bol Parans.
There are other Taalas like Surfaktaal which contains 13 Bol Parans, Dhamaar
contains 8 Bol Parans, Aadachoutaal contains 15 Bol Parans, Aadaa Taal contains
16 Bol Parans, TriTaali contains 9 Bol Parans, EkTaal contains 30 Bol Parans,
Tiwat Taal contains 8 Bol Parans, Jhanptaal contains 9 Bol Parans.
The Bol Parans
have been compiled from different Taals and recorded in an Audio Album format
produced by the Ramakrishna Mission Institute of Culture, Golpark, Kolkata in
the year 2014. The book Sangeet Kalpataru was re-edited by Dr. Sarbananda
Chaudhuri in the year 2000 and while re- editing the book he gradually caught
interest in extracting the Bol Parans and reveal the secrets in an audio
format, so in mass, people would get the wonderful opportunity to hear the
unrevealed extinct Bol Parans of the Lala Keval Kishan Gharana which Swami ji
had learned from his Guru Mridangacharya Murari Mohan Gupta.
Here are two
examples of Bol Paran extracted from Sangeet Kalpataru written by Swami ji. The original version of
the Paran is written in Vishnu Digambar Paluskar style which was the only way
to write notations during that period. I have tried to write the same notation
in the new form of Bhatkhande Notation system which is the simplest way to read
and understand in this present day.
Kredhe Stkre I DheSt Ghege I Thete Kata I Gadi Ghene I Taage Dheth I DhaS
Thereketetaka I
X
0 2 0 3 4
Dhaga SDi I Ghene Naga
I Kataa kathS I Therekete Tagataga I Taaga Taaga I Dig Daaga I
X
0 2 0 3 4
Dhaage DinS I Daana Naana I Kata Kathere I Kete Taagtag I DhaaS
Kredhaa I SNe Dhaa I
X
0 2 0 3 4
Dhage DinS I Daana Naana I Takkaa Thungga I Katthere ketetaka
I Dherekete ketetaga I
X
0 2 0 3
Dherekete Dherekete I Dha
Dhere kete I Dhere Kete I Dhere Kete I Dhere Kete I Dhet Dhet
I Dhere Kete I
Dhet Dhet I Dhere Kete I Dhere Kete I Kete Taga I Taga There
I Kete Taka I
Tere Kete I Taka Dhuma I Kete Taka I ThuSn SS I Kede Dha I Kede Dha I
Kede Dhet I Dhet Dhet I DhaaS DiS I Ghede Naga I Dhet TaS I Kath SS I
KathS Thete I Ghege Thete I Taga Diga I Taga Thete I Diga
Naga I Naga Naga I
Diga Daga I Daga Daga I There Kete I Taka Dhuma I Kita Taka I
Gadi Ghene I Dhaa