Mohana Raga

P.  Krishnamoorthy

Sahana was amazed at the imposing and impressive mansion of her uncle with the name board T.K.Gopal glittering in golden letters.The security at the entrance enquired her as to whom she would like to see and she replied that she wanted  to see her uncle TKG. A female voice from the balcony ordered him to allow them inside. TKG’s wife Rukmani warmly welcomed Sahana. After she introduced herself with her name, she said “I am the daughter of Sarma of Kumbakonam (a temple city in South India) brother of TKG. Being a singer in classical music I wanted to become a disciple of  TKG to learn improvisations in classical music”. “TKG  had gone out of town and return only in the evening” replied Rukmani.. Sahana was prepared to wait till he returns.

Sahana saw the Pooja room adjoining the living room. It looked like a mini temple with many divine idols and portraits. On seeing them, her divine instinct made her to sing. Rukmani, who was hearing her melodious singing from the kitchen, came out and stood in a corner to continue listening to her music. Sahana was singing the  carnatic song “Mohana Rama”  by Saint Tyagaraja in Mohana Ragam. Rukhmani was engrossed  herself in that  melodious voice  combined with clarity and reflective divinity. When she finished, Rukmani complimented her profusely for her voice and added that this was also the uncle’s favorite Raga. After their lunch Sahana had a short nap in the next room.

It was five in the evening when TKG’s car entered the mansion.  Rukmani opened the entrance door . On seeing a suit case in the living room, he asked his wife as to who had come.  Rukmani hesitatingly replied that his brother’s daughter Sahana had come from Kumbakonam.  TKG was not happy with her visit as he was not in good terms with his brother for a long time due to family feuds.  He was   questioning the purpose of her trip. “If they need some monetary help, they could send a letter, instead of sending his daughter”. Rukmani said that Sahana had come to become  your disciple for improving her  knowledge in classical  music.. TKG queried his wife as to why she should plead for her so strongly when she knew about his decision of not taking anybody as a disciple.  She appealed to make an exception for Sahana as she had a very melodious  voice that was evidenced by her singing “Mohana Rama” song before the Pooja room. Yet TKG reiterated his stand on his earlier decision.

Rukhmani was his second wife after the death of first wife, Susheela. Rukmani  was in tears and claimed that she had never asked any favor from him.  Lamentably she was not also able to conceive a child as he wanted, and living with that guilt everyday. By God’s grace, though she got everything in life with TKG, she was missing the sacred motherhood to end her loneliness. The option to adopt some child from an orphanage, also was not acceptable to TKG. She was appealing to take Sahana only as a deciple in music and she would prove as an asset  to him thru her voice in the long run. TKG was deeply  moved at the unprecdented sentimental pleading of  his wife. As no other option left to him except to concede to his wife’s desire, he finally agreed to take Sahana as a disciple for music. Rukmani was jubilant and immensely happy on hearing TKG’s consent for her request.

Sahana also heard TKG’s consent as she came out from the room. She touched  her uncle’s feet for his blessings and thanked him for his generosity to accept her as a disciple.   TKG in turn, blessed her and, after enquiring the welfares of his brother, he wanted to know under whom Sahana was learning music in her place. She replied that she was taking lessons from  one Vasudeva Sharma, an elderly teacher who passed away only last week due to heart attack. TKG was interested in her present level of musical knowledge. She replied that she had come upto “Keerthana” (songs in  praise of God) level  and well versed in singing in all “Ragas” (musical framework). TKG’s evaluation then shifted to her depth of knowledge on the definition of music. According to her, classical music was to  consciously assimilate and feel the divinity with prayers in the only  language of musical form. He followed with a query on ‘swara’(dimension of musical pitch) difference between kalyani raga and mohanam. She gave the right answer. Finally he wanted her to sing in raga  ‘shanmugapriya’ and she did with the song “Saravanabhava Ennum”. TKG complimented  her singing that song and also her knowledge of music. He wanted to start her first lesson on the auspicious  ‘Saraswathi Pooja’ day. He also confirmed that her stay and other requirements would be taken care of by her aunt. As he went  inside his room,  Sahana’s affectionately calling him as ‘uncle’ again and again was reverberating in his ears. He was imagining  if her late daughter would have been alive now, she must be Sahana’s age  and loving called   him as ‘dad’. While he was get consoled with her loss, he could not endure his yearning for her. With these bitter feelings and tears in his eyes, he closed the doors.

Old memories tormented him. A recollection of them made him to recall his married life twenty years ago when he held the hand of Susheela in the wedding bond. As he was very fond of children, he desired to have one within a short time but Susheela was able to conceive only after two years.  He was excited on that belated news. But fate had a different agenda and Sushila died due to complications in delivery. Misfortune chased TKG miserably. The child also died after few hours of birth. Successive tragedies made TKG traumatized. Since then TKG lived a life in depression and desolation.

 

TKG’s friends and colleagues in  music world insisted TKG to get married again at least for the sake of a child. TKG was convinced and agreed for the proposal. He got married to Rukmani, the ‘tanpura’ player in his group. As per the old adage  “misfortune never comes in single but in battalions” was applicable in TKG ‘s life.  TKG was eagerly awaiting the news of  the new addition in the family; but only years passed and  Rukmani did not  conceive.  On medical check up it was found that due to infertility problem she would not be able to conceive for ever, TKG  was again disappointed and devastated.   Rukmani was shattered and tried  to commit suicide by taking excessive sleeping tablets. TKG was able to save her in time  by stopping her from sleeping. With that he was apprehensive of losing Rukmani also if TKG openly revealed his desire for a child.

 

On the Saraswathi Pooja day, Sahana  decorated the Pooja room with all flower garlands in bright colors. Sahana and Rukmani mutually were very happy in each other’s company and relationship. Before starting the music lessons, both asked her to sing a song on Goddess Saraswathi. She sang the song ‘Devi Jaga Janani’. When finished they praised her singing and blessed her with a new saree. The first lesson TKG said that music was the bed rock of divinity in life. He elucidated with examples ‘Swaras’ were the parameters of ‘Keerthana’. TKG was advocating that the classical music provided mental peace in daily life. Sahana felt her uncle’s teachings gave her more valuable lessons for life. Finally at his request she sang another Saint Tyagaraja’s composition “Samaja varagamanba’. TKG commended that she was singing the difficult high notes  flawlessly, because of her unique melodious voice that was a God’s gift to her. Time rolled by and Sahana was very happy with her present life.  It was around five in the evening on one day when the office-bearers from ‘Kalaivani Gana Sabha’came to invite TKG for their tenth anniversary celebrations and also seek consent for his concert on that day. TKG  accepted the invitation and agreed to give a concert.  He also indicated that Sahana would also be there with him.

 

The hall was filled with full compliment of invitees. As scheduled TKG came to the dais with his accompanying artists. The Secretary welcomed TKG and the gathering and honored him with a silk shawl. . He started with Tyagaraja’s composition of “Raghu Nayaka”. The entire auditorium was echoed with applause. Following this, he sang in ‘Devgandhari’ and another in ‘Kalyani’ ragas. The reactive applause from the audiance was thunderous. As desired by them, when TKG sang the song “Evaru Ninu Vina’  in Mohana raga, their  reaction  and excitement were extraordinary and TKG himself was surprised at their enthusiasm. When singing the ‘Keerthana’, TKG was trying to reach the high note, he felt uneasy and could not continue his singing.  He suddenly leaned on  the ‘tabela’ artist. Witnessing this, Sahana, to avoid any interruption, she continued where he left, and there was huge applause, At the request of the audience Sahana’s performance on the next two ‘Keerthanas’ were also well received. TKG came to normal after a brief rest. With folded hands at Sahana, he thanked her for the timely help in finishing the song.  Sahana was  emotional when her uncle, with tears in his eyes, expressed his gratitude with folded hands.

 

After the concert TKG in sobbing tone appealed to the audience to forgive him for the sudden break for reasons unknown to him. He was also thankful for their admiration to Sahana who completed the performance. Further   TKG was asking audience’s approval to decide Sahana, his brother’s daughter as his successor to continue the service to classical music. When they hailed his decision.  TKG immediately reassigned the shawl given to him to Sahana. Sahana felt the happenings as if they happened in a dream. She was confused as how far she was qualified for such a high recognition. Classical music was  like an ocean and what she had learnt so far was a drop in that ocean. She touched TKG’s feet and paid her respects to him. In turn he blessed her with all success in her future endeavors.  He would ask his brother’s consent to adopt Sahana as his successor. 

 

When the audience reacted positively to his proposal, suddenly one gentleman from the last row,  shouted that TKG could not adopt Sahana. There was silence in the auditorium and all eyes turned towards him. TKG felt somebody had an objection to his proposal. Both TKG and Sahana were anxiously looking at an aged man with beard and gray hair, walking towards podium. TKG recognized the man as his elder brother Sarma. When Sahana saw him she immediately questioned him as how he was in the concert. TKG was asking him as to when he came to that place. He also sought his consent to adopt his daughter Sahana as his successor for her good future.

 

Since he heard that his daughter was singing her first concert, he came to listen her singing. He repeated and asserted his objection to TKG’s adopting her. Though Sahana was with him for the last twenty years, he was not able to give consent for  adoption, simply for the reason she was not his own daughter. Though in the same twenty years she was not living with TKG, how could he adopt his own daughter?. TKG was puzzled at his statement. He was revisiting those incidents twenty years ago, when his wife died during delivery. The child also died few hours later. How could that child be alive now as Sahana? Sarma interrupted his thoughts and resolved the riddle.    

 

Sarma clarified the incidents:

 

Twenty years ago when TKG’s wife Sushila, and Sarma’s wife Ambujam, had labor pains at the same time, they were admitted in the same hospital for delivery. Unfortunately Sushila died during delivery. Ambujam’s baby also died few hours later. As Ambujam was yearning for a child, she would not take her baby’s death easily and become hysterical. So he managed to switch Sushila’s baby to Ambujam. After few years, Ambujam died in cancer. With a heavy heart and guilty conscience he was living with that guilt all along. From now on he would be relieved from that guilt with Sahana joining her father. TKG’s eyes were full of tears as the riddle had been resolved.  

 

Sahana was more excited with the two recognitions, one of successor to TKG in music and the other joining her father. But she valued the latter one as it was by the grace of God.