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The book on Yazh, mother of string instruments, is out after 50 years
It was in 1947 that Vipulananda Adigal published a scientific study of the instrument in Yaazh Nool. The book was republished in 1974 and after half-a-century later, Sivalayam J. Mohan, secretary of Sekkizhar Aaraichi Maiyam, has reprinted it again
Path-breaking work: Vipulananda Adigal’s Yaazh Nool was formally released in 1947 at the temple of Thirukollamputhur, which was made famous by Saivaite minstrels Thirugnanasambandar, Thirunavukkarasar, and Sundarar.
Perumpanattrupadai, a Sangam work by Kadiyalur Uruttirankannanar, narrates a scene in which a shepherd (Idayan) plays a bow-shaped instrument, made of the branches of Kumizh, known as Gmelina asiatica. The strings are made of the fibre of Maral. There are seven bows of the same size, with the strings in different lengths attached. He plays Kurinji Pan. His wife enjoys the music. The instrument the shepherd played was Vil Yazh (Bow Harp), one of the many Yazhs used by Panar, a community of musicians of the Tamil landscape from the Sangam period.
Lost over time
Tamil scholar Vipulananda Adigal, who wrote a detailed book on Yazh, recalled the scene from the Sangam poetry to explain the ancientness of the instrument. Yazh and the literature associated with the instrument disappeared over time. It was in 1947 that Vipulananda Adigal published a scientific study of the instrument in Yaazh Nool. “Yazh was considered a divine instrument,” Vipulananda Adigal says in his preface, recalling the verses of Ilango Adigal, the author of Silapathikaram.
The formal release took place at the temple of Thirukollamputhur, a small town in Thiruvarur district, made famous by Saivaite minstrels Thirugnanasambandar, Thirunavukkarasar, and Sundarar. Yazh was closely associated with Thirugnanasambandar as he was always accompanied by Neelakanda Yazhpanar, one of the 63 Saivite saints and expert in playing the instrument.
The book was republished in 1974, and after half-a-century later, Sivalayam J. Mohan, secretary of Sekkizhar Aaraichi Maiyam, has reprinted it again. It was released recently at the Sekkizhar Vizha in Chennai. “Yazh is the mother of all string instruments. Yazh also means music. The instrument was inseparable from the Panars and it secured the name Panar Kaivazhi. Reprinting of this book required scholars with a deep knowledge of Tamil, music, and mathematics. The book has become a reality by the grace of god,” said Mr. Mohan. He said Iraiyanar Kalaviyal Urai and the Adiyarukku Nallar commentary on Silapathikaram discuss the availability of books on music, but these books were lost. “Though the 8th Century witnessed the publication of Isai Nunukkam, Panchabharatheeyam, Bharathasenapatheeyam, Mathivanar Nataka Tamil Nool, and Panchamarabu, only Panchamarabu survives.”
Vipulananda Adigal’s book compensated for the absence of a treatise on Tamil music and instruments. Vipulananda Adigal, born Mayilvahanan at Karaitheevu in Sri Lanka, changed his name as Prabodha Chatianyar after joining the Ramakrishna Mutt in 1921. He became Vipulanandar after becoming a sanyasi. It was he who founded the Ramakrishna Mutt in Sri Lanka.
10 years of research
During his tenure as the head of the department of Tamil at Annamalai University, he delved into various aspects of Tamil and Carnatic music. In 1936, he gave a lecture at Madras University on Yazh and reiterated the point that it was the principal instrument of Tamil music, which could be understood only through the instrument. “He started writing the book when he stayed at Mayavathi Ashram of the Ramakrishna Mutt in Almora. It was completed when he was working in Sri Lanka. He published articles in Senthamizh, the journal of the Madurai Tamil Sangam,” Mr. Mohan said.
The book, a result of 10 years of research, was published at the Thirukollamputhur temple with the help of Karanthai Tamizh Sangam. Vipulanandar explained with drawings the shape and structure of Yazhs and K.P. Sivanandam, who later secured the Sangita Kalanidhi award of the Music Academy, played the Yazhs created by Vipulanandar.
“In the early Sangam era, the Yazh was a trifle unshapely; but during the time of Ilango Adigal, the instrument was carved in an attractive shape in a wholesome and appropriate blend of handsomeness and harmony,” writes Vellaivaranar, a Tamil scholar and student of Vipulanandar. The book includes the principal feature of the thousand-stringed Yazh and explains how to reconstruct the instrument.
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