Tune into Tantra: Mata Kālikā by Pandit Jasraj & Tripti Mukherjee
gītādi-viṣayāsvādāsama-saukhyaikatātmanaḥ | yoginas tanmayatvena manorūḍhes tadātmatā || 73 ||
The yogi who relishes music and song to the extent that s/he merges with it becomes filled with unparalleled happiness, attains heightened awareness, and experiences oneness with the Divine.
~ Vijñāna Bhairava Tantra, Verse #73, Yukti #45 ~
Translation by Christopher Hareesh Wallis
Welcome to my ongoing series looking into the long and rich tradition of music, song and dance in Tantra. Today we will tune into the Mata Kālikā bhajan by the indomitable Pandit Jasraj and Tripti Mukherjee.
Read my introduction into this series here.
"Music is just another word for prayer." ~ Pandit Jasraj
Let your ears meditate upon this beautiful rendition of the Mata Kālikā bhajan, in reverence to Mother Kali, by the masterful Pandit Jasraj & his student-disciple Panditya Tripti Mukherjee.
Pandit Jasraj & Tripti Mukherjee
God sings through him.
Born Sangeet Martand Jasraj in the northern Indian state of Haryana in 1930 into a musical family, Pandit Jasraj began learning tabla at a very early age from his elder brother Pandit Pratap Narayan, and later moved on to vocal music under another older brother, Pandit Maniram. He learned from various musicians in the Mewati and Agra Gharanas (schools of music), becoming a regular radio performer and moving to Kolkata (formerly Calcutta) in 1947 – a hub of immense artistic and creative activity for musicians at that time. Till this day, Kolkata today is home to some of the foremost schools in Indian classical music.
Jasraj eventually settled in Mumbai in 1963, and continued on for the next 50-plus years to a prolific international performing, recording and teaching career. He established music schools in India, the United States and Canada.
Over time he evolved the Mewati Gharana school of music to its greatest heights while also adding many compositions to the Mewati canon.
Jasraj’s vast range of at least three octaves made him a truly unique vocal talent – a sound that was revered India and abroad.
Pandit Jasraj died aged 90 in August of 2020, leaving a void in Indian classical music that will be impossible to fill.
The lyrics to Mata Kālikā were originally written by royal and songwriter Jaywant Singh Waghela (The Maharaja of Sanand in Gujarat, India), later composed in Raag Adana by Pandit Maniram.
Jaywant Singh Waghela, also known as Bapusahib, was an ardent connoisseur of Indian classical and spiritual music and one of Jasraj's chief patrons as he was an up-and-coming musician. Blessed with a God-given voice and divine musical talent, Sangeet Jasraj was later bestowed with the title of Pandit.
Pandit Jasraj pays respect to Jaywant Singh Waghela (Bapusahib)
Like all great music, there is a story behind the song.
Jasraj’s elder brother, Maniram once lost his voice. At the time they were both under the patronage of Bapusahib who was a great devotee of Kali Ma. When Maniram lost his voice, the brothers to come to his Kali temple and a puja (prayer ritual) was conducted in the hopes of reviving Maniram’s lost voice.
During the ceremony, as Maniram sang a composition venerating Shiva with his faulty voice, it miraculously came back. On the spot, Bapusahib composed the lyrics to Mata Kālikā, and Maniram started weaving it into a tune. This composition encompasses their gratitude to the Goddess Kali for bringing music back into Maniram’s life.
This rendition of Mata Kālikā is especially powerful as it includes a chorus of the Tantric Devi Suktam from the Devīmāhātmyam (Ya Devi Sarva Bhuteshu) towards the end of the bhajan.
"Indian classical music has a unique transcendental power that can channel healing unlike any other art form. Many musicians know of this aspect and the various techniques it employs to create an ambience of goodwill and healing.” ~ Pandit Jasraj
A unique Tantric lineage.
“My father was in the court of Raja Pratap Singh, the Shaivite king of Kashmir, who used to worship Shiva’s Parthiv Lingam, which he and the group of Brahmin priests of his kingdom would make out of mud in early morning from 3 a.m. to 6 a.m. and then would merge in the Tavi river as a daily ritual. Being the musician of his court, my father’s day would begin with singing devotional music daily for these three hours. So the element of bhakti, I believe, was there in my genes.” ~ Pandit Jasraj
Pandit Jasraj, IMHO, is one of the greatest musicians I have ever heard. If I could build a time-machine I would find myself in the front row of one of his famous concerts, while his music breathes through me.
With love, Rohan
ॐ
May our bodies and minds be healthy.
May our thoughts be filled with love.
May our practice be free of obstacles.
May we carry its benefits into the world.
ॐ
ॐ श्री महा कलिकायै नमः
