Sadguru Thyagaraja Swami / Kakarla Tyagabrahmam
Sri Thyagaraja with whom most of us are familiar beams like a star in the firmament of Indian music. He is remembered even to this day for his outstanding and unforgettable contribution to divine and classical Carnatic music and also for conveying his deep spiritual love to all the people of our motherland irrespective of caste, creed and region like Annamacharya and Purandaradasa who also spread their message of love through music and devotion.
Personal Life and Background
Sri Thyagaraja was born on May 4, 1767, in Tanjavur in a middle-class family to Ramabrahmam and Seethamma. He was named after the local presiding deity-Thyagaraja. His father was not only a reputed Sanskrit scholar but also a highly devoted personality.
He inherited this interest in music from his beloved and pious mother and also from his ancestors who were great musicians and scholars. He also developed devotion towards Lord Rama and Sita Devi, at a very tender age. He has composed 24,000 kritis and also a devotional song (keerthana) on the divine couple ‘Seethamma Mayamma‘.
The four immortal Vedas Rigveda Yajurveda, Samaveda and Atharva Veda which are considered to be treasures of spiritual knowledge, music and bhakti had left an indelible impression on him. When his brother made fun of him for his Rama-bhakti, he gave him an apt reply through his keerthana ‘Nidhi chala sukhama’.
First Keerthana
He sang his first keerthana when he was fourteen. He also composed songs like ‘Namo Namo Raghavaya‘ and ‘Tavadasoham‘ even at a very young age after his early education from his father with the help of a little Sanskrit knowledge. Meanwhile, the great Veena vidwan called ‘Sarthi Venkataramanaiah‘ became his music teacher.
He keenly followed the rendering of the Ramayana by his scholarly father. Later, it enabled him to compile his own keerthanas in praise of Rama. He was innovative in that he could evolve new Raagaas and tune the songs with precise definiteness and clarity.
Men of letters and musicians though born in a middle-class or noble family, did not bother about any type of social status because of their sincere and total commitment to art. For instance, Thygaraja used to remark humbly, “My greatest treasure is Rama, what is wealth compared to singing his praise”.
True Devotee to Lord Rama
As a true devotee, he reflected that he was a sort of instrument in the hands of Lord Rama to spread the message of love through divine music. He also fed and sheltered several men despite his meagre income. He is stated to have chanted Rama Nama 96 crore times.
Narada, the divine musician, in the form of a sanyasi presented him two musical volumes entitled ‘Swararnavam’ and ‘Naradeeyam’.
As Tribhuvana Swaminatha Iyer, a celebrated musician entreated, he eliminated the ‘Ananda Bhairavi’ raga from the list of his compositions. He revealed his true love for his student Valajipet Venkataramanaiah in his sincere supplication to Lord Rama to make him a profound musician. He also exhibited his broadmindedness embracing another student Veena Kuppayyer when the latter happened to play on Veena.
Reputed scholars and musicians like
- Tumu Narasimhadas—a Telugu and Sanskrit musician,
- Gopinath Bhattacharya—a Hindustani musician and
- Gopala Krishna Bharathi— the author of “Nandunara charitam’
paid their due respects to this devotional composer. Being enchanted by his devotional and inspiring keerthanas, Swati Tirunal of Thiruvananthapuram asked Vadivelu of Tanjore to convince Thyagaraja to come to his court. But he never bothered about such court honours. Govinda Marar impressed this saint-musician with the song “Endaro Mahanubhavulu” by his disciples as a sign of his musical skill at some Tiruvayyur function.
Later on, Thyagaraja visited temples at Kanchi and Tirupati and made several music lovers happy with his divine music. He is stated to have been aware of the vices like ego haste that were there in him. He also compiled the philosophical song entitled ‘Tera Teeyaga Raadaa’.
As he concluded the song, the curtain in front of the Deity went up and he happened to sing some more devotional songs in rapture. In his visit to Puttur, another temple town, he could bring back to life a pilgrim called Seshayya with the help of ‘Bilhari raagaa’ through his song “Na Jeevaadhara”. He also went to Sholingar and Madras and compiled many Keerthanas.
Become Disciples
Another memorable incident was that Sundara Mudaliar, his host had kept secretly a bag of thousand gold coins in his palanquin to be spent on any devotional activity as a token of reverence. One day the saint was attacked by some dacoits.
When he heard something about the secret through the palanquin carriers, he drove them away by singing the song “Mundu venuka neeva” devotedly and made them become his disciples. He also chanced to prove music as the path of salvation. Rama Bhakti stood throughout his life as the foundation of his spiritual compositions. Music is intelligible and palatable to any one and it triumphs over any literature.
It was he who showed the significance of time for the word component of a song. Like a scientist in a laboratory, he experimented with different combinations of distinct Raagaas and created new Raagaas. It was Thyagaraja who could bring the message of the Ramayana and the Mahabharata to the reach of men in the street. His songs (Keerthanas) referring to Bhakti, Jnana and Karma yogas of our profound Indian epic the Bhagavadgita are united into one aspect.
A New Orientation
He opened a new chapter in the history of Bhajan cult which was in practice in South India. In those days the Bhajan cult was very popular. Bringing the Naamasmarana into the framework of Laya (Beat), Sruthi (Tune) and Svara (Cadence), Thyagaraja gave this Bhajan cult a new orientation and vigour.
It could influence the human mind and direct it to greater spiritual heights. This sort of reunion was, indeed, one of his most notable achievements and an exemplary contribution to divine music. He is said to have compiled several songs of universal significance.
His motive was to bring the different institutions of Hindu philosophy to a universal stage. He endeavoured to guide the mental aspect of men from the terrestrial level to the celestial one. He realised his life’s ambition without leaving his native home. The messages of love, self-respect, piety etc., spread far and wide. He is deemed to be the profound master and unrivalled exponent of Carnatic music.
Thyagaraja Aaraadhanotsavam
He had a forethought of his demise because of his spiritual and devotional power. When his beloved spouse passed away in 1845, he led an ascetic life under the influence of Paramahamsa Brahmanandrendra Swami. While his sishyas gathered on the day of his Mahasamadhi to recite the name of the Lord as per his words, his soul rested in eternal peace.
Even to this day, his utsava is being celebrated especially in January on a grand scale under the name of “Thyagaraja Aaraadhanotsavam” which attracts many musicians from distinct corners of the country. The distinguished gathering will be feasted greatly with his pleasant and melodious keertanas.
Final Word
Even now his music reverberates in different parts and shrines of South India. He is regarded as the founder of the Bhakti cult in South India. Thyagaraja the man is relatively greater than Thyagaraja the musician. He is unmistakably taken as a real god in the universal shrine of Indian music.
His every song is, in fact, a kind of synonym of wisdom. We are immensely indebted to him for his contribution to music.
