Compositions of Muttusvami Dikshitar (1776-1827)

The following list has been developed over the past several years, based on many contributions and updates. Most recently, it has been verified against the authoritative source Compositions of Muddusvami Dikshitar by Sangeetha Kalanidhi T. K. Govinda Rao, published in Chennai 1997.

The original list was taken from Alphabetical Index of Karnatak Songs by Lakshman Ragde, with extensive information from Raganidhi by B. Subba Rao. The next version was compared against Dikshitar Kirtanamala by A. Sundaram Iyer as supplied by P. P. Narayanaswami. Since then, clarifications from other sources and rec.music.indian.classical readers have been added.

With this information, the list ought to be fairly accurate. Nonetheless, I am happy to accept corrections and additions, especially with regard to the questionable attributions which are listed. Typographical errors are hopefully minimal at this point, although several have been found in T. K. Govinda Rao's publication, and several more have undoubtedly been introduced by me.

It must also be noted explicitly that the Melakarta system which Dikshitar used is not the modern one (both are given below), and that in some cases the ragas have changed. In all cases, reference in the list below is given to the original Dikshitar assignment. A similar policy has been attempted with talas, although they likely remain more haphazard at this point.

Hopefully this list will prove useful. It has been created laboriously over the course of several years. Now that more authoritative sources are available, it becomes possible to present it with some confidence. Most of the lyrics are now available at this site as well.

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Last Updated: 5 April 2002

Sanskrit Romanization scheme:

a A i I u U R L
e E ai O au M
k kh g gh HN
c ch j jh Hn
T Th D Dh N
t th d dh n
p ph b bh m
y r l v
sh S s h

Thanks to Santosh Rao for invaluable assistance.

If you find errors, please let me know.

This list will be ordered by rAga, first by mELakarta and then alphabetically by rAga/song (per the above order). In some cases mELakarta assignments are controversial. However, I have followed the assignments of the dIkSitar school, when possible, for obvious reasons.

There is now an alphabetical list by song title; this list uses only a naive Romanization scheme and lacks some of the explanatory notes included below.

bhASAHNga rAgas are marked with a star (*); in a few cases these assignments are debatable, but again it is the dIkSitar school which is used, as much as possible. Questionable attributions are marked with a question mark (?). Items misattributed in some sources are given at the end, with actual attribution where known.

mELakarta-s:

1. kanakAmbari - kanakAHNgi

2. phEnadyuti - ratnAHNgi

3. gAnasAmavarALi - gAnamUrTi

4. bhAnumati - vanaspati

5. manOraHnjani - mAnavati

6. tanukIrTi - tAnarUpi

7. sEnAgraNi - sEnApati

8. janatODi - hanumatODi

9. dhunibhinnaSaDjaM - dhEnuka

10. naTAbharaNaM - nATakapriya

11. kOkilAravaM - kOkilapriya

12. rUpavati

13. gEya hEjjajji - gAyakapriya

14. vATI vasantabhairavi - vakuLAbharaNaM

15. mAyAmALavagauLa

16. tOyavEgavAhini - cakravAkaM

17. chAyAvati - sUryakAntaM

18. jayashuddhamALavi - hATakAmbari

19. jhaHNkArabhramari - jhaHNkAradhvani

20. nArIrItigauLa - naThabhairavi

21. kiraNAvaLi - kIravANi

22. shrIrAgaM - kharaharapriya

23. gaurIvELAvaLi - gaurImanOhari

24. vIravasantaM - varuNapriya

25. sharAvati - mAraraHnjani

26. taraHNgiNi - cArukEshi

27. saurasEna - sarasAHNgi

28. harikEdAragauLa - harikAmbhOji

29. dhIrashaHNkarAbharaNaM

30. nAgAbharaNaM - nAgAnandini

31. kalAvati - yAgapriya

32. rAgacUDAmaNi - rAgavardhani

33. gaHNgAtaraHNgiNi - gaHNgEyabhUSaNi

34. bhOgachAyA nATa - vAgadIshvari

35. shailadEshAkSi - shUlini

36. calanATa - calanATa

37. saugandhini - sAlagaM

38. jaganmOhinaM - jalArNavaM

39. dhAlivarALi - jhAlavarALi

40. nabhOmaNi - navanItaM

41. kumbhini - pAvani

42. ravikriya - raghupriya

43. gIrvANi - gavambOdi

44. bhavAni - bhavapriya

45. shivapantuvarALi - shubhapantuvarALi

46. stavarAjaM - SaDvidhamArgiNi

47. sauvIraM - suvarnangi

48. jIvantikA - divyamaNi

49. dhavaLAHNgaM - dhavaLAmbari

50. nAmadEshi - nAmanArAyaNi

51. kAshIrAmakriya - kAmavarDhani

52. ramAmanOhari - rAmapriya

53. gamakakriya - gamanAshrama

54. vamshavati - vishvambhari

55. shyAmaLaM - shyAmaLAHNgi

56. cAmaraM - SaNmukhapriya

57. sumadyuti - simhEndramadhyamaM

58. dEshIsimhAravaM - hEmavati

59. dhAmavati - dharmavati

60. niSadhaM - nItimati

61. kuntaLaM - kAntAmaNi

62. ratipriya - riSabhapriya

63. gItapriya - latAngi

64. bhUSAvati - vAcaspati

65. shAntakalyANi - mEcakalyANi

66. caturaHNgiNi - citrAmbari

67. santAna maHnjari - sucaritraM

68. jyOti rAga - jyOtisvarUpiNi

69. dhauta paHncamaM - dhAtuvarDhani

70. nAsAmaNi - nAsikAbhUSaNi

71. kusumAkaraM - kOsalaM

72. rasamaHnjari - rasikapriya

rAgamAlika

Misattributions

Some additional clarifications on this section have been supplied by Lakshman Ragde.

Maintained by
Todd M. McComb <mccomb@medieval.org>