Ragini Patamanjari

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Ragini Patamanjari, the second consort of Raga Dipaka, the most fiery of all six ragas, having associated with it many myths and popular notions such as that lamps were lit when the legendary singer Tansen sang Dipaka raga, or that the singer’s body burnt as if with fire when he sang Raga Dipaka, a raga associated with love as of all emotions love is the fieriest, represents ‘viraha’ – separation, one of the two fundamental aspects of love, the other being ‘sanyoga’ or ‘sambhoga’ – union in love. Patamanjari is conceived as a separated heroine – a virahini nayika, whose lover is away from her and all alone she pines to meet him. In classical terminology she represents Vipralambha-shringara – love in separation. Ragini Patamanjari generates a melody full of pain and pathos and is known for its low-pitched notes rarely having a pitch rising to the top of the voice. Stringed instruments, such as a vina, are its most effective organs for the pain within better reveals in the vibrating notes of strings when a hand in pensive mood strikes them.

Meshakarana, who innovated his own system of Ragas and their related visual imagery exclusively followed by Pahari artists, perceives Patamanjari as a nayika with long hair and fair complexion and as one playing on vina – a stringed musical instrument. Meshakarana’s Patamanjari is a tender maid with her forehead adorned with a beauty mark of musk. He has perceived her as robed in white and carrying white flowers, obviously for portraying her deserted state, though many of the artists have alternated Patamanjari’s white ensemble, which is more often linked with widowhood, with moderately dyed costumes for Patamanjari is perceived only as separated, not widowed.

This miniature rendered using Pahari art idiom of late eighteenth or early nineteenth century has adhered broadly to Meshakarana’s set of imagery except in case of her ensemble, the white having been replaced with the coloured. A fair-complexioned youthful maid of tender build Patamanjari has dark black hair trailing down the carpet she is sitting on. All alone she has been represented as playing on vina and seems to be lost within her. She has regalia around her : a palace pavilion, painted and adorned with massive curtains, carpet to seat on, huge bolster and a trans-terrace garden, but lusterless rendered largely in opaque pale they reveal her sad state of mind. She has a lamp before her, perhaps for symbolising her link with Raga Dipaka. In some representations Patamanjari is seen as represented with an attendant listening to her melody, and another, bringing a white garland seeking to justify Meshakarana’s version. This representation of her discovers its pith in her loneliness – the dominant ‘bhava’ – sentiment of Patamanjari.

This description by Prof. P.C. Jain and Dr. Daljeet. Prof. Jain specializes on the aesthetics of literature and is the author of numerous books on Indian art and culture. Dr. Daljeet is the curator of the Miniature Painting Gallery, National Museum, New Delhi. They have both collaborated together on a number of books.

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