Netra Shri alias Todi

“If music be the food of love, then play on and on”, so says a Shakespearean character (the love –lorn Duke Orsino in Twelfth Night). Nothing can soothe your mind like music does. After a hectic day, I turned on my system to listen music – of course, my fav IR’s collection. Happened to listen to Varusham Padhinaaru songs – to say exactly, Gangai karai mannan. A pure Todi – based song.

Todi, a profound, delightful, soothing melody is the 8th melakartha ragam. There are 72 melaraagas in carnatic music. These 72 melakartha raagas are divided into 6 groups - each of which is called as a chakram. Thus we have a total of 12 chakrams. The first 6 chakrams (comprising 36 raagas) use suddha madhyamam and the later 6 chakrams use the prathi madhyamam. Within each of the chakrams, all the 6 raagas will have the same purvaanga swaras (Sa Ri Ga Ma). The difference is only in the utharaanaga swaras (Pa Da Ni Sa).
Each chakram has a got a name to denote it. The 2nd chakram is called as the Nethra chakram. Todi is the 2nd raagam in the Nethra chakram and hence it is referred to as “netra shri”.

Compositions in Todi commence usually in the notes sa, ga, ma pa, dha, ni. A ragam which brings out supreme melody, a sarva svara ranjaka ragam characterized by majestic vibrations, and the meandering of the gamakams, laden with full bhavam. The notes ga and dha constitute the nuclei of the melodic network of todi; the un-oscillated ma acts as a balancing link between the purvaangam and utharaangam.

As a ragam with tremendous scope for elaboration, todi is usually featured as a main item, or in the ragam tanam pallavi expositions in a concert. It evokes bhakti and karuna rasam. No wonder that numerous devotional songs are based on this soothing ragam. Todi is usually featured in the operas and dance dramas.

Hindustani system
The Hindustani equivalent of todi is the Bhairavi Thath. In the Hindustani system, it is regarded as a morning raga. The todi group of Hindustani system includes exotic ragams like Miyan ki todi, Bilaaskhani todi, and so on.

shuddha todi
Sometimes the svaram "pa" is omitted, and the resulting todi is shuddha todi. (panca raga svarajati of Svati tirunal)

daeshya todi
Derived from todi, with the note “ri” omitted in the Arohanam (s g m p d n.s; .s n d p m g r s). Some todi compositions of Tyagaraja are sung in daeshya todi.

No of Compositions in todi
Among the trinity, Tyagaraja has composed a staggering 32 kritis, Dikshitar has 8, and Shyama Sastri has 4. Besides the trinity, Svati Tirunal has 14, and Papanasam sivan has 19 songs.

Todi in Films
Several film songs are based on todi melody. Balamuralikrishna’s ragamalika “oru naal podhuma” in the film Tiruvilaiyadal. The song has the raga mudra splendidly disguised in the following line: “ezhuntodi varuvaay amma”.

IR attempted it in Varusham padhinaaru (gangai karai mannanadi) having tried his best to give a proper Todi with all the gamakams. Todi identity is very clearly seen in the pallavi and charanam but, in the interlude music, it degenerates to Sindhu Bhairavi – the next raga on the same chakra.

Also, in his song, “paadariyen padippariyen” (Sindhu Bhairavi/ based on Saramathi raga), in the lines "sonnadhu thappa thappa" there interferes a Todi sangathi. Only IR has the answer as to why did he do that!

Nugget
Surprising to hear about a little town in Italy by the name Todi! Try googling the phrase “Todi” and you will be greeted with a long list of websites of Tourist offices in southern Italy, providing info about the small town Todi!