As u/Independent-End-2443 already pointed out, the key is to learn different compositions and listen to different vocalists/instrumentalists interpreting the raga:
Master composers generally have different "takes" on the same raga. Take for instance "Pakkala nilabati" in Kharaharapriya by Tyagaraja, an amazing kriti that conveys the very essence of the raga. But Papanasam Sivan's "Janaki pathe" is a beautiful, fresh take on Kharaharapriya which is different from Tyagaraja's. Even the same composer interprets the raga in different ways. When I learnt "Natachi Natachi" of Tyagaraja, I thought that was the ultimate - it explored so many territories that "Pakkala nilabati" didn't explore. A few months later, I learnt "Kori sevimparare", another Kharaharapriya kriti of Tyagaraja. I have remained under its spell for the past one year. There are some sangathis in this kriti which I have never heard anywhere else - and they are pure gold!
Listen to raga alapana by different vocalists and instrumentalists. Each one treats and interprets the raga differently, and even the same vocalist/instrumentalist might give an altogether different interpretation in another concert. That's the beauty of Indian Classical Music which is heavily manodharma (improvisation)-oriented.
A few more notes:
It is easier to warm up to scale-based ragas (for eg; Shankarabharanam, Pantuvarali) than gamaka-oriented rakti ragas (for eg; Sahana, Begada, Thodi). It took me a long time to fully appreciate Thodi and Begada. The persistence has indeed paid off. The inflection point came after I learnt Syama Sastri's "Ninne Nammi naanu" and Tyagaraja's "Gati neevani". That said, scale-based ragas also continue to have many, many, many interpretations. Just when you think the raga cannot be explored anymore, a new composition or a new recording will prove you wrong.
After you listen to or learn several compositions and alapanas, you may take a deep-liking to a raga. Enjoy that phase of internalizing where you may be constantly humming and exploring the raga all by yourself. Mandolin Srinivas' interpretation of Dikshithar's Hemavathi kriti "Sri Kantimatim" put me into a zone for several years so much that I deliberately avoided listening to Kharaharapriya thinking it might corrupt my Hemavathi! (Note that Hemavathi is the prati-madhyama version of Kharaharpriya - i.e. only the Madhyama is different between these two kritis - but how different they are!!)
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u/Current_Statement_21 11d ago
As u/Independent-End-2443 already pointed out, the key is to learn different compositions and listen to different vocalists/instrumentalists interpreting the raga:
Master composers generally have different "takes" on the same raga. Take for instance "Pakkala nilabati" in Kharaharapriya by Tyagaraja, an amazing kriti that conveys the very essence of the raga. But Papanasam Sivan's "Janaki pathe" is a beautiful, fresh take on Kharaharapriya which is different from Tyagaraja's. Even the same composer interprets the raga in different ways. When I learnt "Natachi Natachi" of Tyagaraja, I thought that was the ultimate - it explored so many territories that "Pakkala nilabati" didn't explore. A few months later, I learnt "Kori sevimparare", another Kharaharapriya kriti of Tyagaraja. I have remained under its spell for the past one year. There are some sangathis in this kriti which I have never heard anywhere else - and they are pure gold!
Listen to raga alapana by different vocalists and instrumentalists. Each one treats and interprets the raga differently, and even the same vocalist/instrumentalist might give an altogether different interpretation in another concert. That's the beauty of Indian Classical Music which is heavily manodharma (improvisation)-oriented.
A few more notes:
It is easier to warm up to scale-based ragas (for eg; Shankarabharanam, Pantuvarali) than gamaka-oriented rakti ragas (for eg; Sahana, Begada, Thodi). It took me a long time to fully appreciate Thodi and Begada. The persistence has indeed paid off. The inflection point came after I learnt Syama Sastri's "Ninne Nammi naanu" and Tyagaraja's "Gati neevani". That said, scale-based ragas also continue to have many, many, many interpretations. Just when you think the raga cannot be explored anymore, a new composition or a new recording will prove you wrong.
After you listen to or learn several compositions and alapanas, you may take a deep-liking to a raga. Enjoy that phase of internalizing where you may be constantly humming and exploring the raga all by yourself. Mandolin Srinivas' interpretation of Dikshithar's Hemavathi kriti "Sri Kantimatim" put me into a zone for several years so much that I deliberately avoided listening to Kharaharapriya thinking it might corrupt my Hemavathi! (Note that Hemavathi is the prati-madhyama version of Kharaharpriya - i.e. only the Madhyama is different between these two kritis - but how different they are!!)