DK Pattammal - A loving teacher and great human being
My journey in classical music was strengthened under the guidance of DK
Pattammal. I met her personally about 17 years ago and the memories of her
teaching me, speaking with me and blessing me are still alive in my heart. It was
Pattammal’s love and affection that pulled me to her place again and again.
I hail from Andhra Pradesh am an avid carnatic music lover and learner.
Having heard a lot about her, I started visiting her; travelling from Hyderabad.
Whenever I met her, she used to warmly receive me and speak with me.
Although I was not fluent in Tamil, I would try and convey in Tamil along with bits
of Telugu and English. She would carefully listen to me and acknowledge with
her everlasting smile. Personally, I experienced divine vibrations in her presence.
One day, having noticed my interest in music, she herself said to me –
“You have been visiting me for quite some time now. You should never feel that
your desire to learn music from me was not fulfilled. I will teach you music.” I do
not have words to explain what I felt that moment. Thus started my association
with Pattamal as her shishya.
As a teacher, I sometimes felt, that her patience was equivalent to that
of the earth. She could measure the student’s depth, abilities and weaknesses.
However the great thing was she used to get down to the student’s level and
give them the helping hand to bring them up. In my case, she used to repeat
the sangathis again and again, sometimes breaking them into parts, so that I
could understand it and repeat it to her satisfaction. If I could not sing it properly,
she would smile and repeat it again. Never in this process, did I notice strain or
impatience in her.
I recollect one instance when, on one afternoon of my stay at her
residence, she called me for teaching me a keerthanai. She was in her early 80s
then. I noticed her wet hands and realized that she had just finished her lunch. I
was a bit concerned that she would have to push herself to teach me. I asked her
if I may come later but she refused. She told me that some visitors or students
may come in later in the day and she would get busy with them. She insisted to
me to start learning that moment. Having heard this, I could hardly refuse.
One day, while teaching Kalamaba dhyana keerthanai -“Kalalambike” in
thodi, at Kamalalaya theertha vaibhavey she paused and narrated about one
of her performances at the “Theppothsavam” in Thiruvarur Thyagarajeswarar
aalayam also known as the Kamalaya Kshethram. In the pushkarini the boat
(theppa) was arranged and the deities were decorated beautifully. Inside the
same boat, her concert was arranged where she sang this composition. All the
provisions from the microphones, speakers to the seating arranggements for the
audience etc. were setup. The boat was moved all around the entire pushkarini
and all the devotees had gathered around it. Women assembled in beautiful and
colorful sarees and flowers clinging to their hair; children were playing around
the area. Security was arranged to ensure that no mishaps would occur. The
narration was so engrossing that I did not realize the time that passed by.
On another occasion, I was watching her teach “Varija Mukhi Neevu”
– the Kshetrayya padam in Shankarabham to one of her students. Having
taught the composition, she turned to me and asked – “Vaartha ellaam sariya
irukkaa?” as if indicating me to correct her wherever the lyrics were being sung
incorrectly. I was really taken aback by that question for she was still enthusiastic
towards self-correction. I told her few corrections that I noticed and she gladly
acknowledged them and noted it for future reference. Truly, Real Icons learn
everyday till their last breath!
Pattammal would always tell me that Bhakthi is great and all the
composers in our musical tradition have upheld that in their compositions. She
would also frequently hail the greatness of her earlier generation of musicians,
like Naina Pillai, Ariyakudi Ramanuja Iyengar and other stalwarts. She would also
advise that not everything that we hear should be imbibed into our music. Only
that which is suitable to us should be absorbed.
Her elaborate blessings in her sweet, sober tone always filled my heart
with happiness and I think it is those blessings that are helping me today in
learning and understanding music better. I’m fortunate to have had a loving
teacher who was a great human being!
By
R V Panduranga Sharma