Saint Thyagaraja

 

#Know your heroes

 Saint TYAGARAJA

Background

Sant Tyagaraja needs no introduction to millions of Carnatic music lovers. During his lifetime of 80 years between 1767- 1847 AD, Tyagaraja sang a veritable collection not only outlining his devotion to his preferred deity Lord Rama, but also on a variety of subjects from ethics and morals, worldly wisdom, mind control etc. Tyagaraja is right on top of the musical firmament as one of “trinity” of Carnatic music composers along with Dikshitar and Shyama Shastri.

Tyagaraja – The Man

Tyagaraja was born in Thiruvarur in Tanjavur district. His parents, Kakarla Ramabrahmam and his wife Seethamma, named the boy Tyagaraja after Lord Tyagaraja, the presiding deity of Thiruvarur. His bhakti towards Rama was instilled by his father who initiated him in Rama Taraka Mantra. All through his life, this devotion to the Lord continued. He recited the Rama Nama everyday and is reported to have had many darshans of Lord Rama.

Poetry and composition were not new to the family and was in Tyagaraja’s genes. His maternal grandfather, Giriraja Kavi, at whose residence Thyagaraja was born was a poet composer in the court of Tanjavur.  At 18 years of age, Tyagaraja married Parvati, who died when he was only 23. He then married Kamalamba (sister of Parvati). They had a daughter named Sitamahalakshmi, through whom he had a grandson, who died without any progeny. With that, the line of direct descent from Tyagaraja came to an end. Thyagaraja attained release from the material world on Pushya Bahula Panchami, the fifth day of the dark half of the month of Pushya, in the Hindu lunar year Prabhaava (January 6, 1847).

Tyagaraja – The Poet and Composer

Tyagaraja’s first composition was at the tender age of 13 years when he composed Namo Namo Raghavaya. Over his lifetime he is supposed to have composed over 24,000 songs. While most of the songs are in his mother tongue, Telugu, there are compositions in Sanskrit also. His contribution to the field of Carnatic music is at once devotional, religious and philosophical. His songs are frozen melodies intuited in the inspired depths of a saintly soul.

In addition to the popularly known and sung Utsava Sampradaya kirtanas and the Divyanama kirtanas, he also created musical plays, commonly known as operas. Prahlada Bhakthi Vijaya a play has 48 songs and 120 padyams. Nowka Charitra is another musical play with 21 songs. It traces a boat journey of Krishna and the Gopis in the Yamuna. Perhaps the earliest musical play composed by Saint Thyagaraja is Seetha Rama Vijayam. Some scholars believe the magnum opus musical play is lost to us and is available only in fragments. One proof is the printing license issued in 1876 (or 1868, dates seem to vary) to a Loka Sastrulu of Wallajahpet to print “Seetha Rama Vijayam” by one Tyagaraja Brahmam of Tiruvayaru. While efforts to locate the press and related proof has not yielded much. It is believed Ma Janaki in Khamboji and Vanaja Nayana in Kedara Gowla are songs from Seetha Rama Vijayam representing “Sambandhi Kelikka” or benign taunting of the sambandis by groups belonging to the other side.

One of the important contributions of Tygaraja was his 25 songs on the origin (divine), structure and purpose of music and how the knowledge and practice of music can liberate one from the bondage of the cycle of birth and death. Some of the kritis in this genre include -: Nadopasana, Mokshamau Galada, Seethavara, Sangita Sastra Gnanamu, Sobhillu Sapthaswara, Nada Thanumanism and Swara Raga Sudharasa. The importance of these and other songs and how Sri Thyagaraja Swami used his compositions to energize our inner spiritual forces and attain moksha in this life are discussed in the article “Nadopasana for Salvation.”

The ascent of human aspiration has to be facilitated by the descent of divine grace. The echoes of this Truth reverberate in many of his songs. The saint has emphasized that man in samsara is like one who has lost one’s identity, lost track of his goal of existence and is in a trance. Through his kirtanas, Saint Thyagaraja has taken on himself to guide, admonish and appeal to erring humanity.

The saint has also made significant contributions to Raga Lakshana and Musicology. A book titled “Ragas” in Saraswathi Mahal Library traces the manuscripts in 1710, 60 years before Swami. After studying the same, music scholar Sri Vasudeva Sastri concluded that 30 of the 72 melakarta (foundational containing all the seven swaras) ragas were given raga swarupa and ranking by Tyagaraja. Swami also created new ragas. Most scholars believe that he unearthed many ragas that were dormant as their lakshanas were not defined in clear terms. Some examples being Pratapa Varali, Nabhomani, Jaya Narayani.

Similarly, sangatis or usages that enrich the musical context of a kriti, are mostly found in Swami’s compositions. Some scholars point out that sangatis are as old as music itself and were known under the name prayaogas. However, since they became widely used only through the kritis of Swami, it will not be wrong to assume that sangatis were Swami’s innovations. He used sangatis to bring out the raga bhava or their fundamental characteristics.

 While all his kirtanas are soulful, Sri Thyagaraja has outclassed himself in his Pancharatnas where he is at his greatest and perhaps touched the pinnacle of Carnatic music.

 The Thyagaraja Aradhana is a festival that is organized every year on Bahula Panchami day where all musicians get together and sing Thyagaraja krithis. Today The Aradhana is a popular worldwide phenomenon and is celebrated wherever music especially Carnatic music and music lovers live and is a fitting tribute to the saint and his devoted followers especially Bangalore Nagarathnamma.