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Anecdotes on Patnam
1. Snuffing a song:
 Patnam Subramanya Iyer
was as much addicted to snuff as was his Guru
Venkatasubbayyar. Having arrived at a small village for a concert, they were shocked to find that their supply of snuff was exhausted and there was none to be had at the village. Patnam spontaneously composed a song on snuff in sAvEri whose pallavi was dhUmapatra dhULi. The tALa was Adi (Source - Sruti issue 39/40 - T Sankaran on Snuff - 'The Breath of a Musician's Life')
2. Steam bath:
It was customary for musicians to appear in formal levee dress in front of the Maharaja of Mysore for command performances. Patnam, whose concert had been arranged by Veena Seshanna and Subanna, was fitted out by them in black coat and turban and in this uncomfortable garb he performed, sweating it all the way. He was to remember this with wry humour, when Vasudevachar's tenure as his disciple ended. (Source - 'With Masters of Melody' by Mysore
Vasudevachar)
3. Snuffing with kings:
At a concert in the presence of Mysore royalty, it was noticed that Patnam was not his usual self. He was fidgeting away and none could guess the reason. Except the Maharajah, who produced a bejewelled snuff box, full of the powder that cheered. Patnam inhaled gratefully and carried on in peace. (Source - Sruti issue 39/40 - T Sankaran on Snuff - The Breath of a Musician's life)
4. Animal lover :
It was not without reason that Patnam had disciples who acquired names such as
Poochi and Tiger. He was an animal lover himself. He had a dog and a cow and both were treated like family members. On cold or rainy days, they would be given a mattress with blankets. (Source - S
Rajam)
 5. Man of Madras:
Patnam was invited by Salem Meenakshi, a courtesan of Madras, to teach music to her daughters Radha and Pappa. Patnam stayed in the city for 12 years, in Krishnappa Naicken Tank Square, George Town, in the outhouse of Salem Meenakshi. He was paid Rs 100 a month for tuitions. He acquired the prefix Patnam owing to his stay in the city. (Source - Madras Tercentenary Volume - Article on musicians by
Prof P
Sambamoorthy)
6. The Hedonist:
Patnam Subramanya Iyer was a 'Sukhi'. He paid attention to proper nourishment of his body. Meals at his house were always made on a grand scale, with delicacies such as vaDai, pAyasam, fried appaLams, etc. He loved fragrances and was ever surrounded by puNugu (civet oil), native scents such as attar and aragaja and also javvAdu (a fragrant paste applied on the forehead).
 He would liberally smear himself with sandal paste, his mouth would always be full of betel nuts and spices such as cloves and on his hair he would wear the most fragrant flowers. He would look like a bridegroom on all days. There was none like him in enjoying life. When one passed his house, the wafting fragrances of camphor, incense and attar made one imagine that one was crossing a temple sanctum. (freely translated from V S Gomathisankara Iyer's 'Isaiyulagil Maha Vaidyanatha
Sivan').
7. Feasts and siestas :
Patnam ate well and sumptuously, never bothering as to whether the food was cooked in oil or ghee. He would sleep and get up when he liked. His attitude was that there was no reason to take to music as a career if one had to starve. He also felt that it was the artiste and not the voice that ought to dictate terms. (Source - 'With Masters of Melody' by Mysore
Vasudevachar)
 8. bEgaDa blossoms :
bEgaDa was his favourite rAga. At a command performance in Mysore, Patnam rendered rAga on the first day, tAna on the second day and pallavi on the third day. The words for the pallavi were rAmanAmamE jIvanam - O manasa. No, he did not sing rAga for a full day, as is normally claimed in any biography. The author states that he elaborated on the rAga for an hour-and-a-half. (Source - V S Gomathisankara Iyer's
'Isaiyulagil Maha Vaidyanatha Sivan').
9. A student's fee:
The zamindar of Paalavanatham, Panditurai Tevar, was so taken up with the musical abilities of his friend,
Ramanathapuram Poochi Iyengar, that he requested Patnam to take him under his wings. As a quid pro quo, he gifted Patnam a house near the Panchanadeeswara shrine in Tiruvaiyyaru, where he lived ever since. (Source - 'Ellarvi's Ariyakkudi', Amuda Nilayam, 1956)
10. The big and the little :
Patnam was often referred to as Chinna Tyagaraja, out of respect for his composing abilities. Yet, he always stood in awe of the saint composer. When his friends requested him to compose in kalyANi, he felt that Tyagaraja had exhausted all possibilities. He took a year to come up with nijadAsavarada.
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