Raag Marwa - “The bandage unravels- Leaving behind the softly oozing wound”

I wonder whether the poet Aarti Prabhu had been hearing Raag Marwa while writing this poem; for it perfectly captures its essence. This is a raag that has no shadow of happiness or joy, purely a constant refrain of sadness and pain. Much like the gaping wound on Ashwatthama’s forehead, forever bleeding, forever blue!

There are very few raag in Indian Classical music that do not pay homage to the swar shadaj, Marwa is one of them. The raag does have a ‘Sa”, but with an extremely fleeting presence. Essentially, the raag hovers around Komal Rishabh and Dhaiwat. Its chalan is “Dha – (komal) Ni – Re – Ni – Dha”. With Shadaj almost missing and Pancham completely absent, Gandhar does exist, but is lost under the dominance of Komal Rishabh and Dhaiwat, the Vadi and Samvadi swar respectively.

All of this makes singing or playing this raag a tight-rope walk for the artist. The palette available for painting your canvas is small and creating various shades is indeed a challenge. The time denoted for this raag is the zone between end of the evening and deepening of the night.

Every artiste usually has a raag which is her favorite and which gets identified against that artiste’s name. For Raag Marwa, this would be Ustad Amir Khan. 

Listening to him is an engrossing experience: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hm6bdl28lIw

Right from the first swar, the piece “Piya more aanat des” progresses at a slow tempo with flat notes. Each swar is delicately unfolded before the listener like a precious jewel. One can hold it, appreciate its beauty, slowly put it down and move on the next one. Embellishments and distractions such as elaborate alankars are neither required not offered. Even the table accompanying Khansaheb plays out in hushed tone – as if avoiding any intrusion. By the end, the pain that lies embedded in Raag Marwa rises above the mundane and takes on a cosmic appearance – as the deepest existential angst of mankind.

K. Mahavir was a talented musician who has been lost in the folds of history. Only a few connoisseurs would remember this name, but they would treat it with its due respect. Here is a song with music composed by him. 

"सांज भाई घर आजा रे पिया, 

दिन तो डूबा डूब ना जाये 

आज का सुरज आजा रे". 

(Sanjh bahyi ghar aaja re piya,

Din to duba, dub na jaye

Aaj ka suraj, aaja re”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DcesG3I_KZA

Note the manner in which the word “Saanjh” is pronounced with a slight tremble. And then again, the anxiety embedded in the word “Piya”. Much later, the singer takes a number of harkats on the word ‘saanjh’, elaborating its beauty in multiple ways.

Marwa manifests itself through the initial ensemble. Although the song has the tone of a ghazal, it remains true to its form. While operating in Madhya Laya, it does have a slightly faster tempo. The pathos implicit in Raag Marwa remains all through.

There are few songs in Marathi that can truly be called everlasting. High among these would be this song “Mavaltya Dinakara’. The original poem, by the poet B. R. Tambe, itself has a towering stature – one can discern the influence of the royal lineage of Indore in his work. But it is Hridayanath Mangeshkar who has truly transformed it into an immortal song.

"मावळत्या दिनकरा 

अर्घ्य तुज जोडोनी दोन्ही करा"

(O setting sun,

I pay homage to thee)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cT-S_vMujCU

Right from the first notes of sitar, Raag Marwa unravels before us. The meaning implicit in the poem too needs to be understood. The singer is telling the sun “The whole world bows down before the rising sun, no one remembers the one setting or fading away”.

There is a mesmerizing description of the unfolding sunset, accompanied by the strains of a sitar and flute playing in the background. It is not as if the entire song remains in Marwa. For instance, when the singer sings “Donhi Kara”, one can see the faint outlines of Pancham which, as we saw earlier, has no place in Marwa. But there are minor liberties that the musician takes – only to enrich our experience that much more!

Marwa is not an easy raag to sing. Perhaps this is the reason that there are not many songs in its domain. For one thing, it’s chalan is not something that can be casually hummed. Slightest mistake and you would find yourself trespassing in the territory of Raag Shree or Sohoni, or even Raag Puriya!

In Hindi film songs, one could look at the song “Payaliya Banvare Baje” from the movie “Saanjh aur Savera”. It is composed by Naushad and sung by Lataji. Although it accompanies a dance, the wordings of the song permit a perfect fit with Raag Marwa.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JOtrGK1JlA0

There are glimpses of Raag Sohoni in the initial refrain, but once the main song comes on, it brings the shades of Marwa. Naturally, as a dance-song, the taal has to be rapid and all credit to Naushad for creating such a unique combination.

Another beautiful song is the Marathi poem “Swargangechya Kathawarati” by Shankar Vaidya. This again has been immortalized by the one-and-only Hridaynath Mangeshkar, this time accompanied by Arun Date as the singer. The song goes through innumerable twists and turns, as is the wont of this musician.

"स्वरगंगेच्या काठावरती वचन दिले तू मला 

गतजन्मीची खूण सापडे, ओळखले का मला". 

(On the banks of this musical river,

You had made me a vow!

Finding the markings of past lives,

Can you recognize me now?)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ma6dgjGF9SI

Strictly speaking, Shankar Vaidya was not a poet for such bhaavgeet, but at times these happy accidents do occur – as if a poem is born to morph into an immortal song – and is waiting for the right Pygmalion to see it hidden in the stone! The notes of swarmandal and sitar take us to the shadows of Marwa. Right at that instance, the heart-rending beauty of these notes assures us that the forthcoming song would be an extraordinary experience.

Another beautiful rendition of Raag Marwa is from Dr. Vasantrao Deshpande. This artist is known for his clear and emphatic singing style. But the manner in which he presents his Komal Rishabh and Tivra Madhyam here is something worth appreciating. The aalap plays out the cheej “Ye madamati chali chamkat” exquisitely. His normal style of dominating the swar and making them do his bidding is kept aside and the natural bent of Raag Marwa is given its rightful importance.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=So-7HT0K9Mk

Sorrow is said to be the central motif of human life. As Sant Tukaram has said, “Happiness is like a small seed while sorrow and pain stand before you like a mountain”. The wafting strains of Marwa possibly teach us to hold the momentary seed before our mind’s eye and hide the mountains behind it.