Path of Devotion

Path of Devotion

Music has invariably been the vehicle of expression for all the Saint poets of India. It could influence people with its deep emotional and melodic appeal. Bhakti marga - the path of devotion for the adherent to be in tune with the infinite or supreme deity became sine que non of all mystic experience.

The origin of Bhaktimarga can be traced back to the epics Mahabharata and Ramayana. Dr. Radhakrishnan aptly writes : "We see in the epics the gradual modification of the old vedic religion into modern Hinduism. The Sakta, the Pasupatha or the Saiva and Pancharatra (vaishnava) systems, which belong to the Agama class and therefore non-vedic, enter into the Hindu Religion. We have also image worship in temples, pilgrimages to sacred places gradually introduced'.

From Haridwar to Rameswaram on the banks of rivers, confluences and hilltops were raised many a temple for Rama, along with thousands of shrines dedicated to Lord Vishnu and His other incarnations.

The Saivite saints called Nayanmars sang in praise of Lord Siva in the early centuries of the christian era, while the Alwars rapturously sang the glory of Sriman Narayana. Vaishnavism became a spiritual force to reakon with after the advent of Sri Ramanujacharya whose concept of bhakti was more popular in approach and more catholic in practice.

Just as the Bhagavatapuranam had its impact on the lyrical excellence and devotional songs of the Alwars of south India, Brahma vaivarta purana exercised far reaching influence on the worshippers and bards of Radha and Krishna respectively representing Mother nature and father the universal God Almighty in eastern India. These saints were led by Jayadeva, the Adi guru and the auther of 'Gita Govinda' belonging to Orissa (12th century) followed by Chandidas of Bengal, Vidyapati of Mithila (15th century) and Chaitanya of Bengal (15th century).

In the same period, the vedantic philosophy of ancient India and the path of bhakti found its echo in the Sufi philosophy through lyrics of some muslim saints of Persian origin who appeared in the northern and western parts of India, leading congregations of large masses of common people singing spiritual songs, called qawalis composed by saints like Khwaja Nijamuddin Auliya of Delhi with his disciple Amir khusro, the court poet of the khalji sultanate at Delhi. Large masses of common people belonging to both the major communities, Hindu and muslim among others were attracted and gathered in the Dargas of these saints on the rest of the same 'Bhakti' wave in the 14th and 15th centuries. The lute of oneness of all humanity and oneness of the universal God was heard sonorously through the lilting lyrics of saints like Swami Ramanand, Kabir, guru Nanak and Anand Chidgan.

The most popular thoughts of the period as preached by those saints can be found embedded in the following couplets.

Bhaj man Ram, Rahim !

Bhaj man Krishna Karim ! ....... (Kabir)

Among the saintly bards of north India in the 16th century, Vallabhacharya of Andhra origin illuminated the country between Brindawan and Dwaraka with his Sanskrit lyrics replete with devotion to Lord Krishna and paved the way for the group of poets called 'Ashtachap' which included among others Surdas of Braj bhoomi and Meerabai of Rajasthan. They composed hundreds of lyrics extolling the divine glory of Lord Krishna. Goswami Tulsidas of Braj bhoomi wrote lyrics in praise of Sri Ramachandra besides his magnum opus ballad in Bhojpuri, the "Ramacharitmanas".

Lifting the song from the form of popular pastime, Annamacharya (15th century), a devotee of Lord Venkateswara of Tirupati made it worthy of presentation for the entertainment of both the elite and common people, both in the royal courts, temple courtyards as well as in countryside. There are more than thirty thousand lyrics in Telugu and Sanskrit to his credit. He was acclaimed as the 'sankirtanacharya', having originated the system of worshipping Lord through songs of praise and dance whether at home or at the temple, either by an individual devotee or a congregation.

Annamacharya and his successors, all lyrical poets upto three to four generations, were patronised by the rulers of Vijayanagara empire. With the fall of the Vijayanagara empire in 1565 the contribution of the successors of Annamacharya to the tradition of Sankirtana sampradaya suffered a setback.

Just before a century after this break, in 1650 to be precise, Kancherla Gopanna, a young revenue officer in the employ of Qutub Shahi sultans of Golkonda kingdom came to be acclaimed as an ardent devotee of Sri Rama, the presiding deity of Bhadrachalam and a unique composer of devotional lyrics and reviver of the tradition of Bhakti goshthi.

Although Ramadasu was a popular poet, and lyricist, he was basically an absolute devotee of the Lord, in his incarnation as Srirama. He was born in the 17th century which was noted as the golden Age of song and Drama in South India specially in Deccan. It was also during this period two other great saint composers Narayana theertha, an ascetic and Kshetrayya, a romantic lyricist lived. Thyagaraja composed his Divyanama Sankritanas, and utsava sampradaya kirtanas having the literary structure and traditional musical structure of kirtanas of Ramadasu as a role model. He also had the highest regard for the former for his absolute devotion.

Thanx Babu for the interesting article.

from ancient times, the classical music of our land has been an integral part of our spiritual heritage. Classical Music is essentially devotional. in the kritis of our saint composers, in the bhajans of Meera, the ashtapadis of Jayadeva and in the abhangas of Tukaram, the main theme is self realisation,the joy of the devotee in merging with the nirakara parabrahaman.Foremost among our saint composers is Sri Thyagaraja.

Sri Tyagaraja: Endaro mahanubhaavulu!!

The Trinity

The most notable period for Carnatic music was the 18/19th centuries when three of the greatest composers of the music system lived and composed songs. These three great composers - Syama Sastri (1767-1847), Thyagaraja (1767-1847) and Muthuswamy Dishitar (1775-1835) - are called the Triniti's of Carnatic music. What distinguished the Trinity from other composers of Carnatic music is not only the number of compositions they composed but the messages that their songs contained. Indian music and Carnatic music in particular, was both an emotional and an intellectual phenomenon. While the songs and the music projected an image of religion and devotion, it was much more than these attributes; it was also a spiritual exercise that took the ordinary mortal from the everyday living to a higher state of philosophy and liberation. Saint Thyagaraja, in particular, showed us that nadopasana or the practice of music is the path towards moksha or liberation. Therefore, collectively, the contributions of the Carnatic music Trinities to Indian philosophy and spirituality is unparalled. I strongly urge the younger readers of this article, especially those growing up in the Western World, to understand the meaning of the Carnatic music compositions and use them for your everyday life.

All three of the Trinities lived and composed in Thanjavur, in Tamilnadu. Thanjavur is virtually the Carnatic Music Capital, not only because the Trinities lived there but also because the place has nurtured Carnatic music since time immemorial. The Kings from Thanjavur - the Cholas, Nayaks, and the Marathas - have consistently supported Carnatic music and the artists, and contributed to its current day greatness and preservation. Apart from the Trinities, several great Carnatic Music composers were either born or lived and composed in and around Thanjavur. Some of these stalwarts include: Varahappa Dikshit Pandit, Pachimiriyam Adiyappayyah, Govinda Dikshita, Venkatamakhi, Subbaraya Sastry, and Patnam Subramania Iyer and the well-known Thanjavur quartet: Chinnaiah, Ponnaiah, Vadivelu and Sadashivam.

Syama Sastry: (1763-1847 AD): Syama Sastri was born in 1762 to Visvanatha Iyer and Vengalakshmi. The name given to him at birth was Venkata Subrahmanya. He was proficient in both Sanksrit and Telugu. Even at a young age, he was highly proficient in music. Although he had initial music training from his cousins, later he came under the tutelage of a great sanyasi from Benares, Sangitha Swami and then from Pachimiriyam Adiyappayya (see his biography in Pre-Trini composers).

Syama Sastry composed most of his songs in Telugu and mostly in praise of Goddess Parvathi or Ambal. However, as Smt. Vidhya Shankar has shown, some of the compositions were in Tamil (Gowli Panthu: tarunam idamma) as well as in Sanskrit and also one of the compositions in praise of Lord Karthikeya, son of Goddess Parvathi. Syama Sastry and Muthuswamy Dishitar and Sri Thyagaraja, all lived in Thanjavur District of Tamilnadu. Syama Sastri always sought the blessing of the Goddess when he was in difficult circumstances. According to one story, Kesavayya, a great musician, was visiting Thanjavur and the King asked Syama Sastri to have a competition with him on music. Before doing so, Syama Sastri went to the temple and prayed to Goddess Parvathi, and sang the composition, "Devi brova samayamide' or "Oh Goddess Parvathi, this is the time for you to help me and to protect me." He later went to the auditorium and won the competition against Kesavayya. Similarly, during his visit to Madurai, Syama Sastri composed the now famous "Navaratna Malika" or nine kritis in parise of Goddess Meenakshi.

Syama Sastri's greatest contribution was the swarajathi. He converted these from their dance form to the musical form that we now know of. Some of Syama Sastri's swarajatis include: Kamakshi Anudinamu (Bharivai), Kamakshi Ni Padayugame (Yadukula Kambhoji), and Rave Himagiri Kumari (Todi). Syama Sastri has composed songs not only in popular ragas such as Todi, Kalyani, and Sankarabharanam but also in rare ragas such as Manji, Chintamani (Devi Brova Samayamidhi that I had referred earlier), and Kalagada. Another noteworthy contribution of Syama Sasti to Carnatic music is related to the layam or thalam aspects. He illustrated and and highlighted Viloma style of Chapu thalam (4 plus 3 instead of the more common 3 + 4). Another thala contribution of Syama Sastri worthy of mention is the kriti "Sankari Samkaru (Saveri)". This kriti can be sung either in Rupaka Talam or Adi Talam (Tisra Gati). Some of Syama Sastri's discicples are: Subbaraya Sasti (Syama Sastri's son), Alasur Krishnayyar, and Tharangambadi Panchanathayyar.


Muthuswamy Dikshitar (1776-1835): Dikshitar is the youngest of the trinities. He was born in 1776 to Sri Ramaswamy Dikshitar and Mrs. Subbulakshmi Ammal. Somewhat similar to Syama Sastri, Dikshitar also learns music from s Sanyasi from Benares, Chidambaranatha Yogi. One of the distinguishing feature of Dikshitar is that he was not only proficient in Carnatic music but also in Hindustani music (the Dhrupad style). Dikshitar's first composition was rendered in Tiruttani, about sixty miles from Madras city. In the Tiruttani Lord Muruga's temple, Dikshitar composed his first song, Srinathadi Guruguho Jayati Jayati (Mayamalavagowla).

Like Thyagaraja, Dikshitar has composed several "sthala" kritis or compositions in praise of the God or Goddess of a holy town. For example, Dikshitar has composed kritis in parise of Ekambaranathar in Kancheepuram, Shiva of Vaitheeswaran Koil, Meenakshi of Madurai, and in other places. Similarly, he has also composed group of kritis in praise of Lord Shiva and the five elements that he represented. These include: Prithvi Chintaya (Bhairavi) in Kancheepuram representing the element Earth, Jambupathe Mampahi (Yamunakalyani) in Thirunavaikkaval representing the element, Water; Arunachala (Saranga) in Thiruvannamalai representing the element Fire, Sri Kalahastisa (Huseini) in Kalahasti (near Thirupathi) representing the element Air; and Ananda Natana (Kedaram) in Chidambaram representing the Ether or atmosphere. Dikshitar also composed kritis representing each day of the week called VAra kritis. Actually, these consist of nine kritis, seven to represent the seven days of the week and the last to represent two other grahams or planets. For example, the Navavarna kritis, as they are called include kritis such as: Budham asrayami (Natakurunji), Brihaspate (Atana), Angarakam, Surya Murthe.

Most of Dikshitar's kritis were in written in the Sanksrit language but some were in Telugu and a few even in Manipravalam or more than one language. He ended his kritis with his stamp or Mudra, Guruguha. One of the most well known kriti of Dikshitar is: Vatapi Ganapatim (Hamsadhwani), Annapoorne (Sama), Kanjadalayatakshi (Kamalamanohari) and so on.


Saint Thyagaraja (1767-1947): Sri Thyagaraja Swami, as he was popularly known, was the greatest composer of all times and the most well-known of the Trinities. He was born to Ramabrahmam and Seetamma and learnt music from Sonti Venkataramana. Like the other two of his contemporaries, Syama Sastry and Dikshitar, Sri Thyagaraja Swami also lived in Thanjavur.

Thyagaraja Swami is credit with composing over 2,000 compositions. His great contributions also extend to to developing and streamlining the kriti form (transition from kirtana - see the article on Musical forms) and in the thalas, for introducing the anagata eduppu or compositions starting after the first beat.such as, , , and 1 beats after the sama. His compositions are mainly in the Telugu language and he has used multitude of ragas, both popular (Todi, Kalyani aarabhi) and rare ragas such as Kalavathi, Manoranajani. He also composed two dance dramas (Nowka Charitham and Prahlada Baktha Vijayam) and several group kritis used for special occassions such as the Divyanama Kritis and Utsava Sampradaya Kritis. His Pancharathanas are the most well-known (five gems in the ragas Nattai, Gowlai, aarabhi, Varali and Sri).

Many musical scholars and philosophers consider Thyagaraja Swami to be more than a composer. He is considered an "avatara pursha" or a "Great Soul" who led through life and interpreted religion, morals, and values in contemporary terms, in the light of the times in which they were born. Thyagaraja Swami was the first composer whose compositions dealt with human beings - their problems, society's ills and the consequent belief in wrong values. His teachings were ecumenical and catholic and opposed the narrow belifes and biases of human beings because of caste, religion, and origin. Thyagaraja Swami not only wrote about moral values and freedom from bias but, he also lived a simple and pure life to demonstrate to the world that the purpose of education and erudition was to mould character.

No other composer has been praised so highly by so many generations of composers and savants. From his own time to this day, composers have sung in his praise and wherever Carnatic music flourishes, there are aradhanas conducted as a homage to him. Many have wondered why all this praise has been showered on this composer and why an aradhana is organized only for him. The simple and basic answer is that he sang about man and the path to lasting happiness; he sang about music and nadha and, above all else, he led a life of Spartan simplicity and truth; totally rejecting the temptation to live a physically comforable life and rejecting offers of wealth and possession even from King Sarabhoji. There is no other composer with such a large and impressive array of shishyas or disciples; there is no other composer whose life story was written down by his own shishyas, even during his own life time and finally, there is no other composer who taught us "Sulabhumuga kadatheranu soochana" (ManasaA Etulone - Malayamarudham) or the easy means to salvation or liberation (worship through music or Nadopasana). His works appeal to the scholar and the ignorant alike. To those taking an intellectual approach to life's problems as well as to those who need an emotional solution, he has the right answer.

I do not wish to add any further lines to describe the greatness of Sri Thyagaraja, who has aptly been called Saint Thyagaraja. A few paragraphs are not adequate to do so. I have dedicated an entire webpage with numerous articles (Musicology of Thyagaraja) written by musicology scholars such as Sri T.S. Parthasarathy and Dr. R. Krishnaswamy (Founder and former President of Sadguru Sangeetha Samajam). I strongly urge the readers to read these articles because they contain valuable gems that no money can buy or no penance or yagna can deliver.

Saint Thyagaraja

Saint. Thyagaraja is one of the greatest composers in the classical music world of South India and respected as a divine name. Saint Thyagaraja was born in 1767 at Thiruvarur in Tamil Nad and later settled down at Thiruvaiyaru in Thirumanchana Veedhi, where he lived till his Mukthi

Saint Thyagaraja and his two illustrious contemporaries Muthuswamy Dikshitar and Shyama Sastrigal are called the Trinity of the classical South Indian Music. Saint Thyagaraja stands out in imperishable memory as the composer of countless krithis in a rich variety of common and rare ragas. Sri Thyagaraja's music came to be widely appreciated for its charm and grandeur, spiritual fervour and transcendental sublimity. Rama Bakthi and Nadhopasana are the two cardinal features of the Music of Saint Thyagaraja. He embodied ethical and philosophical truths in his songs. In Thyagaraja we have a devoted Rama Baktha, an inspired composer of Bhajan songs and classical music, a person who was learned in Puranas, a philosopher and a moralist.

Apart from his musical acumen he came to be adored by people far and wide for his spiritual attainments. It is believed that Saint Thyagaraja was the incarnation of Sage Valmiki who has immoratalised himself as the composer of the glorious epic "The Ramayana". Self-surrender to the Lord is the quintessence of his compositions, which are Divine in essence. His devotion and piety were equaled only by his humility and his integrity. Saint Thyagaraja composed his songs in Telugu. The language has enriched itself by his compositions.

This great soul attained its eternal rest and peace on the auspicious day called Pushya Bagula Panchami in the year 1847 at Thiruvaiyaru on the banks of the River Kaveri where his mortal remains were buried. Thyagaraja Aradhana festival is celebrated every year on this day at Thiruvaiyaru, as an International Music Festival. Music, charged and permeated with devotion marks the Aradhana Mahotsavam which begins the celebrations of that great occasion. The programmes are coordinated by Sri Thyagabrahma Mahotsava Sabha, Thiruvaiyaru

Bhakti is the religion of love; it is heart-centered, focused on the cultivation of love between the soul and the Oversoul, between lover and the Beloved. India's Nirguna Bhakti Sants (Saints) are madly in love with God; their relationship with the Supreme Being is that of divine romance. The 16th century mystic Mira Bai said:

To the Lord's abode I will go,
for He alone is my true love.
I'll gaze upon His charming face
and ever remain enthralled.
In the calm of the night
I will arise and go to him,
and return at dawn.

PRACTICES OF LOVE AND DEVOTION (BHAKTI) FOR THE SUPREME BEING

According to Saint Tulsi Das there are several modes of Bhakti practice. One major practice is called Satsang --the society of realized Saints. Satsang means "association with Eternal Truth" as well as "association with God," and is to some extent comparable to "church" or "temple," but not in any institutional sense. A saying of Jesus in the New Testament provides a good definition of Satsang: "Where two or three are gathered in My Name, I am there in their midst." When devotees or initiates of a Saint sit together for worship and meditation, the Masters teach that there's a great spiritual energy present, a stronger manifestation of the loving Presence of God and a kind of 'communion of Saints,' past and present.

Satsang is also an experience of spiritual community, an opportunity to be uplifted by the collective energy of our brothers and sisters on the Path, for we're influenced by the company we keep! Devotees make this a time and place of spiritual Remembrance, and this helps to keep us on the Path. Mira Bai said:

In minutes, Satsang will lead to Jiva-Mukti [the salvation or liberation of the soul].

The format of Satsang can include: a spiritual discourse, instruction on putting the Path into practice, a video of the Master giving a talk, readings from the writings of the Masters, the reciting or singing of banis, bhajans or kirtans (hymns of worship composed by Sants), and silent group meditation. It's considered the greatest of blessings if it is a Master who conducts the Satsang in person.

The effect of Satsang is that of DIVINE REMEMBRANCE, thus, with such a spiritual boost, encouragement and support for the spiritual journey, those who go to Satsang are much more likely to stay-on-the-Path and put effort into their own daily spiritual practice at home. Thus will the life of the Bhakta (lover, devotee, disciple) become more and more God-intoxicated by imbibing the spiritual wine, the nectar of divine love.

THE POWER OF GOD'S NAME

Repeating a Name (or Names) of God with love and devotion, called in the east "Simran" or "Zikhr," is one of the key spiritual exercises used to cultivate love for God and to invoke the Positive Power in our daily lives, making it possible to live a life of love.This is usually done mentally, is a mental repetition of a Name of God done during meditation, AS WELL AS this practice is done during available moments throughout the day and night as a way to remember God all the time. Says Tukarama:

Such is God's Name
that it heals the disease of the world.
Whosoever repeats the Lord's Name
while engaged in earthly duties,
remains ever in a blissful state of divine communion.
One absorbed in the Lord's Name, O Tuka,
has truly attained liberation while living.

This spiritual exercise of repeating God's Name helps to uplift our day, to bring some of the heaven and bliss of meditation into our down-to-earth daily experience, and is a way to remember in a world of forgetfulness, to remain awake in a world of spiritual slumber, to abide in Truth, no longer dominated by the forces of illusion. Be who you really are wherever you go! Most of the great Saints and Mystics of history have also been poets or composers of hymns, psalms, odes, banis, bhajans - mystic songs of love and devotion.

Closely related to the chanting of divine names(mantra, simran or zikhr) is the practice of reciting or singing kirtanas, shabds and banis (hymns). India's Saints of Love for thousands of years now have composed their own devotional hymns and poems. India's Mystics have left behind an immense treasure of devotional literature, the scriptures of Sant Mat. If Westerners aren't able to sing these hymns in their original languages, reading translations of them is in itself a spiritual exercise of great benefit, for these beautiful words carry a loving spiritual charge that helps to keep one mindful of the spiritual Path, as well as it helps to prepare one for daily meditation practice. Babuji Maharaj of Agra used to advise his followers to recite several hymns a day, prescribing certain hymns of Swami Ji Maharaj and Rai Saligram (his Master) "to be chanted in the morning, before meals, and before going to bed at night." To be sure, it is indeed extremely helpful to read a couple of hymns or poems of the Saints each day.

Traditionally in India the Saints and Masters have also used hymns and mystical poetry as a way to COMMUNICATE THEIR TEACHINGS to the people - communicating the truths of the Saints directly to the hearts of those who listen. "Govinda [God] says, 'I go wherever devotees sing my praise.'" (Garab Das) That quote from Sant Garab Das very much reminds me of a passage from the Hebrew Book of Psalms, "God inhabits the praises of His people." This is a translation of a hymn (shabd) by the 19th century Mystic Tulsi Sahib titled, "Shabd surat jin ki mili."

Whose soul is attached to the Word,
revels ever in cosmic flight;
Revels ever in cosmic flight,
and realizing the Lord,
plays with Him.
The mystery of the Inaccessible
and the secret of the scriptures he unravels:
He reaches his Home within and its Essence
he comes to know;
In the lotus feet of the Beloved
he sees his true destination.
The happily married woman
rejoices with her Spouse every moment, O Tulsi,
For her soul is attached to the Word,
and revels ever in cosmic flight.

The compositions of Tulsi Sahib are bhakti (devotional) in tone, and at the same time allude to the mystical experiences of the soul achieving cosmic flight by becoming attached to the Word - hearing the Celestial Music of the Spheres during meditation. Through the divine Word the mystery of the Inaccessible Plane (called by Mystics "Agam Lok") is made accessible. Shri Tulsi described his experience of the Beloved Lord as a marriage consummated in mystical union. This merger of lover and Beloved is the final destination of lovers. Dadu, a Master in the Kabir lineage said of this oneness:

The lover is converted into the Beloved.
That indeed is called true love.
Forgetting his own ego, he remains
absorbed in the One.

In their hymns, the Masters of Bhakti and Shabda Yoga sing of the power that the Spirit of Love has to transport souls back to the original Home of all souls -the Ocean of Love and Compassion (Anurag Sagar). By approaching spiritual practice with love, we will be elevated in spirit to places beyond our wildest dreams!And for those who are skeptical of their own ability to experience the Way of the Saints, Swami Ji Maharaj said in one of his hymns:

It does not matter if your bhakti is imperfect. Perform bhakti! Radhasoami [the Lord of the Soul] graciously declares that you should perform bhakti in whichever way you can. Fear not. He will grant you the Treasure of Love. You will be a recipient of the Gift of Love.(Sar Bachan Radhasoami Poetry, Vol. II)

I'll leave you with a poem by the 16th century Mystic Dadu who outlined the Sant Mat vision of the spiritual life to be pursued during our time here on planet Earth: Recognize the Path to your Beloved, O travelers and take the route of the anguished lover in separation.

Keep the Master's grace in your thoughts, and reflect on his pure teachings.

Develop love and devotion with endearment, and keep the thought of the Creator always before you.

Try to merge yourself into God like water in water.

Fix your mind within by following the Path of the Sound Current.

A yearning will arise; make then an intense and anguished call.

Repeat the Name of your Beloved, day and night, again and again.

With care in thought, word and deed, you will cross to the other shore.

Originally posted by: Qwest

Sri Tyagaraja: Endaro mahanubhaavulu!!

January 19th is celebrated as Sri Tyagaraja Aradhana. I remember the first Tyagaraja Aradhana that I had been to was at an age of 12, in the house of my Classical music Guru, Smt. Shakuntala Iyengar. It had been a few months since I had started to go to her, inorder to learn music. I had then known very little about Sri Tyagaraja. All I knew was that he was a great composer, and a saint, a devotee of Sri Rama. On that day, I sat in her house in rapture listening to the mellifluous flow of music from a whole gathering of classical music singers. At that time, it was the grandeur and magnificence of the whole thing that had me smitten! I made it a point to go to Tyagaraja Aradhana every year till my college days began. Then the vortex of academics digressed me from cultural events, and I am yet to relive those moments till date! Today, I offer this post as my salutations to the master of Classical Music, one of the divine trinity, a composer par excellence, Sri Tyagaraja.

Sri Tyagaraja was born in Tiruvaayur, on May 4th, 1767. He inculcated the devotion on Sri Rama right from his childhood. His worldly ties were materialized in the form of his wives Parvati (who died early) and later Kamalamba. Sadly he was left heirless! Nevertheless today, thousands of singers all over India and abroad, are carrying forth the legacy that was nourished and glorified by his contributions and compositions. He propagated the bhakti marga and used his compositions to celebrate the glory of Sri Rama's deeds. He also wrote compositions on Sri Lakshmi, Lord Shiva, Lord Krishna, and others. He used music as a method of achieving the supreme grace (moksha). Some of his celebrated compositions include the various Pancharatnas (5 gems) -

Kovur Pancharatna Kriti
Thiruvetriyur Pancharatna Kriti
Laalgudi Pancharatna Kriti
Shreeranga Pancharatna Kriti
• Ghana Pancharatna Kriti

Of these the most famous are the Ghana Panchakas, composed in the 5 Ghana raagas viz Nata, Goula, Arabhi, Varali, and Sri. I have already written about these in here. The other famous compositions by Sri Tyagaraja that I have heard include "dorakuna ituvanti seva", "Sambho Mahadeva"(this song has been sung breath takingly by Unnikrishnan. It is a MUST NOT MISS), "Seeta kalyaana vaibhogame", "jayamangalam nitya shubhamangalam", "mokshamu galada (Smt. MS' rendering of this song tears the heart, and brings tears to one's eyes), "nagumomu ganalEni" (has been included in "Raayaru Bandaru Maavana Manege", a Kannada film), "saamajavaragamana" (has been included in the movie "Shankarabharanam"), "seetamma maayamma", etc.

Composers like Sri Tyagaraja, elevated the art of music to spiritual levels that showed an alternate path for even the common man, to achieve the bliss of sages! On this day, let us celebrate music, not just as an art, but as a way of life, as a spiritual bliss, and veritably as the essence of the universe! For the cosmic sound that reverberates through the space, is but a note of the divine music, sounded by the Supreme player himself.

thank you dada for this article...jan 19th is my birthday too 😛

Sound of music

Thiruvaiyaru, on the banks of the meandering Cauvery, is a magnet for musicians, says A.J. Philip who took part in the 159th aradhana at the samadhi of Thyagaraja

FROM Chennai to Tirupati to Thanjavur by road, Tamil Nadu was unusually green. The drive was a little bumpy as the heavy rains this year had washed asphalt off the roads. Rivers and rivulets, streams and springs and dams and culverts were all full and there was no shortage of water anywhere in the area, called the rice bowl of the South.

Thanjavur was the seat of power of the Cholas, whose dynasty held sway for a continuous period of about 430 years, i.e., from the 9th to the 13th centuries. It was the most creative period in the history of southern India when art, religion and literature reached heights of excellence, never reached again in succeeding ages.

A colleague in Ludhiana was bowled over by a photograph of the main temple at Thanjavur, known as Rajarajesvaram, he received by e-mail. If a mere photograph could impact him so much, imagine how he would have felt if he had visited the temple, whose ingenious layout, majestic gopurams (towers), exquisite carvings and beautiful idols would simply take one's breath away.

But Thanjavur was just a port of call. The real destination was Thiruvaiyaru, 13 km from the district headquarters, famous the world over for the Thyagaraja Mahotsavam, held there every year to pay tributes to one of the greatest composers of the world. Thyagaraja was one among the Carnatic music trinity, the other two being Shyama Sastrigal and Muthuswamy Dikshithar.

Ever since I accompanied my father to a Carnatic concert by the late Chembai Vaidynatha Bhagawathar, whose blessing playback singer Yesudas considers the greatest gift he ever received, it was a cherished desire to attend the music festival. Chembai was over 80 when I heard him but his voice was as resonant and powerful as that of a musician one-fourth his age.

Chembai seldom missed the Mahotsavam; there is a photograph of him singing at Thiruvaiyaru still etched in my memory. Every musician in the South considers taking part in the festival as the ultimate tribute to the saint-composer.

We drove down leisurely to Thiruvaiyaru to savour the beauty of the countryside where palm trees stood cheek by jowl with coconut trees. It was difficult for my son to believe that it was on palm leaves that my nursery teacher, Asan as we respectfully called him, wrote the alphabets for me to learn. Those days, a student's ability was measured by the number of leaves he got– the more the better.

One hour later we reached Thiruvaiyaru. The town is situated on the banks of the Kaveri, notorious for the Tamil Nadu-Karnataka row over its waters. As we crossed the river, flowing full, we could hear from the loudspeakers the mellifluous kirtan, Jagadhananda Karaka, the first of the Pancharathna Kritis (five jewels of his renderings) sung in chorus.

From the bridge, the driver showed us the samadhi of Thyagaraja. Soon we were at the huge pandal (a thatched shed), overflowing with people. There was not an inch of empty space anywhere inside. Over a thousand singers, young and old, men and women, professionals and amateurs were sitting on the floor shoulder to shoulder and singing in chorus the most famous compositions of Thyagaraja.

However hard I tried to convince a police officer to allow me inside, he would not budge. The VIP pass I flashed evoked only a derisive laughter from the officer for whom The Tribune sounded Greek. "Here everybody has a VIP pass to show off. What can I do?" He was not at fault as almost everyone trying to get in was clutching at the VIP pass liberally issued by the Sri Thyagabrahma Mahotsava Sabha, headed by G.R. Moopanar, which organises the festival.

Thyagaraja, who spent his lifetime composing songs and chanted Rama nama 96 crore times, never considered anybody a VIP. Or, to put it differently, he considered everybody a VIP. In fact, as the story goes, King Sarabhoji II invited him to sing before him and offered him the position of the court singer with all the attendant benefits but he declined the royal offer in the true spirit of his own name which means the 'Prince of Renunciation'.

Thyagaraja expressed his unwillingness politely through the kriti Nidhi Chaala Sukhama to convey that material acquisition alone was not enough for peace. The wise ruler did not consider his response an offence. Where the "VIP pass" failed, my wife's persuasion succeeded. Finally, the officer allowed me to go inside and click to my heartcontent if I could find an empty spot to stand.

I made a hasty retreat when I found the police manhandling and throwing out from the pandal a photographer from the Indian Express stable. Later, I met him to know that he made the mistake of standing in front of the better half of the Superintendent of Police and blocking her view.

I wondered how Thyagaraja, who was never tempted by wealth, pomp and power and sought comfort and peace at the lotus feet of Rama would have reacted to the brute use of force in the precincts of his own samadhi. The renderings continued with the second of the pancharatna kritis, Dudukugala Netra unmindful of the little violence that just occurred. Almost everyone had the text of the kritis in one of the scripts—Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada and Roman. It was a pleasant surprise for me to find two young men standing beside me holding the kritis in Malayalam script. They are "friends" who had come all the way from Guruvayur in Kerala to take part in the aradhana which is the most sacred event in the five-day festival. One of them, Ravi, a music teacher, prompted me to sing at least a line or two. As I sang, I was overwhelmed by the thought that for a few seconds I had become part of a chorus that included, among others, Kunnakudi Vaidyanathan, Sudha Ragunathan, Unnikrishnan, Sirkali Siv Chidambaram, Haridwarmangalam A.K. Palanivel and the Bombay sisters.

It was unlikely that Thyagaraja would have minded my intrusive voice, as nadopasana which was dear to the saint was nothing but a surrender of the musicians at the altar of music. After a pause, the rendering of the third kriti, Sadhinchene began. This kirtan, I am told, personifies all the living creatures in the universe as women. "Simply because all women (creatures) call you simultaneously, should you not heed my plaint?" Thyagaraja laments, indicating that Lord Ranganatha is the sole and eternal asylum for the living beings in the universe.

Thyagaraja did not originally belong to Thiruvaiyaru. In fact, he was not even a Tamil. He was born at Thiruvarur on May 4, 1767, to Ramabrahmam, whose family profession was story telling (Katha Kalashepam). His mother was Seethamma, whose father was a court musician.

His forefathers came from Kurnool district of Andhra Pradesh when the great Vijayanagar Empire fell at the end of the 16^th century. They took shelter under the benign rule of the Nayakas and the Maratha kings of Tamil Nadu. Soon after his birth, the family shifted to Thiruvaiyaru where the King of Thanjavur gifted him a house, where he spent most of his life and also attained samadhi. The house was being transformed as a memorial at a cost of Rs 25 lakh. Another memorial was also being planned near the samadhi, with a music library with 72 rooms representing the Melakartha ragas.

The precocious Thyagaraja was initiated into the wondrous world of music by his mother. He learnt everything his guru could teach him within a year. After that, he was on his own, perfecting his technique by immersing himself in the study of musicology from various treatises. He was in his teens when he composed his first song Namo Namo Raghavaya, which he inscribed on the walls of his house. He never looked back. Tradition has it that he once he visited the famous Tirupathi temple. The sanctum sanctorum was closed when he reached there. In sadness, he sang Teratiyagaraadaa. The temple authorities were surprised to see the door opening by itself and the screen falling aside. He instantly composed and sang another song in his happiness at seeing the Lord.

Thyagaraja, for whom Rama was all and everything, is believed to have had a darshan of his Lord with Sita and Hanuman. He had a string of tragedies in his life beginning with the death of his first wife. But his faith remained solid. At the fag end of his life, he took to sanyas christening himself Nadha Premmananther. A month later, he attained siddhi on the Pushya Bahula Panchami day in 1847.

The aradhana organised every year is to commemorate this day. As I left the pandal to visit the samadhi, the singing of the fourth Pancharathna Kriti, Kanakana Ruchira, had begun. It was in this samadhi that his mortal remains were interred. It has an imposing fa'E7ade, a big hall and a portico. Some important Thyagaraja kritis have been etched on marble slabs in the hall. There are also marble idols depicting scenes from the Ramayana.

The last of the Pancharathna kritis, Endharo Mahanubhavulu, was on as I waded my way back to the pandal through the mass of people. The singing had reached a crescendo and it was obvious that the aradhana would soon end. And as the rendering ended, an aarti (flame) was brought from the samadhi, which symbolised the blessing of Thyagaraja for all those who took part in the 159^th festival. Earlier in the day, a bhajan procession was taken out from Thyagaraja's house, which culminated in a nadaswaram recital.

Outside the pandal, the singers were being mobbed by their fans for autographs and photographs. They all seemed to be enjoying the well-deserved attention. But inside the pandal, some singers had begun their solo concerts in different corners. Anybody interested in their music could go and sit around them and enjoy their renditions.

The music concerts became a part of aradhana only in 1907. It would continue till midnight. Some of the topmost Carnatic musicians took part in the festival, which began on January 16 and concluded on January 21 this year. As one of the singers told me, it is a humbling but ennobling experience to take part in the aradhana.

A long queue had already formed for a sumptuous pure-vegetarian community lunch served on plantain leaves. I had to abandon the thought of partaking of it as I had to pack into the day a visit to the famous temple at Thanjavur and send a photograph of it to the Ludhiana colleague as promised. But not before visiting the Shiv Mandir at Thiruvaiyaru where Thyagaraja was a frequent worshipper.

As we returned to Thanjavur, Thyagaraja's compositions reverberated in my mind. It was a one-of-a-kind experience. Now I understand why Thiruvaiyaru is a magnet for musicians