Paying Tribute To Great Music Legend Saint Tyagaraja On His Birth Anniversary

By S. Sethuraman

Saint Tyagaraja, who combined wealth of Music and heights of poetic excellence was born in Tiruvarur in present day Tamil Nadu on May 4, 1767. He had inherited music in pristine forms of earlier times like Prabhanda Gita and absorbing Bhakti Gitams spreading in the Cauvery Deltaic region.

Tyagaraja, a great worshipper of the Lord of Ayodhya, refused to sing before any King for riches. Ramuni Bhakti was too great and divine for him to belittle, he maintained through his eighty years.

In boyhood, Tyagaraja, third son of saintly father Ramabrahman, had come under the spell of Upanishad Brahmendra, with Lord Rama as ‘Ishta Devata’ and Bhajan form of worship. His Rama japam ran into crores and occasioned his instant compositions which flowed with a grandeur for the dazed worshipper.

Soon, Tyagaraja’s commitment to Ramayana and intense worship of Lord Rama, with his street Bhajans and elaborate worshipful musical exercises – some 700 compositions and two operas “Prahlada Bhakti Vijayam” and “Nowka Charitam”, the latter depicting Gopis playing with Lord Krishna on a boat in Jamuna, constitute a massive contribution to the classical music system with excellence of the compositions in over 200 ragas.

His 700 compositions included some 450 kritis centred mainly on Lord Rama’s divine power and glorious achievements until his return to Ayodhya and taking over the Kingdom. The rest of his kritis are on Lord Shiva, Parvati, Ganesa and Subramanya, on Utsavasampradayam, Divyanama kritis for Bhajans and two operas – Prahladha Bhakti Vijayam and Nowka Charitram (Lord Krishna’s play with Gobis on River Yamuna).

Saint Tyagaraja  has left a vast field to explore  (Tyagopanishad) for its in-built Ramayana episodes, the thrust on Sangeetha Gnanam – Ragam, Swaram and Layam -(in kritis like ‘Swara Raga Sudha’, ‘Ragasudharasa’ and ‘Sogasuga Mridanga Talamu’) and sets of ‘Kshetra Kritis’ besides his most celebrated Pancharatnam.(Five Gems of Splendour) in Karnataka Music. His work combines wealth of Music and heights of poetic excellence.

As is widely known, our classical music is strongly founded on the religious compositions of Trinity in the 18-19th century, giving a high place to the raga system (said to run into a thousand ragas at least).  Tyagaraja (1767-1847) Muthuswami Dikshitar (1775-1835) and Syama Sastrigal (1763-1827) made up the Great Trinity of Sastriya Sangeetham in Peninsular India (popularly known as Karnataka Music). They were all born in the Temple town, Tiruvarur, and moved to other places in Tamil Nadu. Syama Sastrigal was in Thanjavur and reportedly met Tyagaraja. He was a devotee of Kamakshi Ambal.

Muthuswami Dikshitar was the most travelled, visiting temple centres in the south and Varanasi in the North, and had been notably influenced by the Northern style of classical music renderings. Several Dikshitar kritis reflect the Hindustani raga touches like “Cheta Sri Balakrishnam Bhajarere” in rag Jwijavanti  (or) Dwijavanti. Most of the 400 and odd Dikshitar compositions, all in Sanskrit, are descriptive of Gods and Goddesses, mostly rendered in slow tempo.

Dikshitar’s specialisation rests on Navavarnas – not only Kamalamba but also on Neelothpalambika and Abhayambika (Mayavaram) as well as ‘vibhakti’ kritis on Tiruvarur Tyagaraja Swami and other Gods in the Temple, nine Navagrahakirtanaigal, Ragamalikas and Notes. His evocative compositions are on the PANCHA LINGAS (Prithvi, Appu, Thejo, Vayu and Akash) of five Kshetras. He remained a “Nadha Jyoti”.

Syama Sastrigal, based in Thanjavur, specialised on Devi compositions, Kamakshi in Thanjavur (Bangaru Kamakshi temple) and Kanchi, and Meenakshi in Madurai. A special feature was the innovative swara-sahityams tagged on to the text of lyrics while the Sastrigal mostly employed Misram  (tala) to  add  to the elegance of his relatively fewer compositions, mostly in Telugu and Sanskrit . His three great SWARA-JATIS (Bhairavi, Thodi and Yadukulakambhodi), stand out for his mastery not only as a Devi Upasakar’ but also adding a new dimension to the traditional style of kirtanas.

In his monumental work, Tyagaraja adores his ideal Lord Rama in innumerable ways and yet keeps questioning why he is not getting the Lord’s benediction. Maintaining this stance, he ensures a running theme to frame his galaxy of compositions in a variety of ragas and talas.  Outshining undoubtedly are the PANCHARATNA kritis in Nata, Gowla, Aarabhi, Varali and Sri Ragam. There are over 40 kritis on Gods in Kshetras he visited, like Kanchi, Tiruvottiur, Kovur, Tirupati, Lalgudi, Srirangam and Nagapattinam.

Given his profundity in veda-sastra-puranas and Bhagwad Gita, Tyagaraja has laid the framework of ‘Nadopasana” for humanity. In short, Harinama Sankeertanam is at the core of his poetic contribution. And he brings the essence of Music to the fore. The valor, glory and the Divine powers of Lord Rama and the devotion to Him of Sita (Janaki) are all extolled, and, the Lord appeared before him momentarily on a few occasions.

Inestimable is Tyagaraja’s work on the Lakshanas of Sangeetha Sastram comprising Nadham enriched by svaram, ragam, moorchana, talam, along with the grammar and graces for kritis. Tyagarajakritis promote evolution of of ragas and notable for the scope it provides for ‘sangatis’ (elaborations) in ‘pallavi’ or ‘charanams’ (very extensive in many of his compositions, like ‘Chakkani Raja Margamu”(Karaharapriya) and ‘DorakunaItuvantiseva – (Bilahari)

Tyagaraja holds a unique stature in Music of the kind which excels in Swaras, Ragas and Lyrics (verses) in poetic glory. He has left behind a vast expanse to explore for coming generations in the musical ocean, having spelt out the fundamentals (grammar and graces) of Nada-based Sangitam. For him, Harinama and Sankeertanam go together. He has addressed his Lord Rama as “Onakarasadana” and “Bhagavathapriya”, in one Krithi (Munduvenuka – Darbar) among the hundred and odd ways of his characterisations for the Lord.

Onkaram is base for amudharasam (nadham) as for veda, agama, sastra and purana, And Tyagaraja traces the origin of Saptaswara (‘Nadatanu Manisam Sankaram’ – Chittaranjani) to five faces in Sama Veda yielding the ‘Saptaswaras’- S R G M P D N And RAGA, (amuda rasa), a garland of Swaras, has the potential to confer fruits of Yaga, Yoga, Thyaga, Bhoga (“Ragasudharasa – Andolika).

In God Hanuman, intensely devoted to Lord Rama, Tyagaraja finds reflected the wisdom and understanding of GITARTHAM (Bhagwad Gita) and Sangeetanandam together. This is what the composer has conveyed in ‘Geetharthamu Sangeethanandamu’’’-(Suruti), a special kriti in praise of  Hanuman, a master of religions and as one who would live for ever.  .

Tyagaraja has devoted considerable attention to SangitaSastram with about twenty compositions dealing with basic components (‘Lakshanas’) but references to swara, raga and laya, and ‘saptaswara’ find mention in a large number of kritis. In many places, Tyagaraja stresses Rama Nama Japam as the surest way to attain Jivanmukti (salvation) for human beings. (Smarane Sukhamu Rama Nama – Janaranjani)

In the kriti, Sangeetha Sastragnanamu,(Mukhari), Tyagaraja spells out virtues like prem, bhakti and Grace of the Lord (‘Sarubyam’) attainable through sangeetam rendered in concert with Rama Charit with its verses laden with ‘sringara’ and other rasas.     Tyagarajar, however, notes in one kriti (Sitavara Sangeeta Gnanamu-Devaghandari) that for a person to attain ‘jeevanmukti’, Sangeeta Gnanam should have been an inborn virtue, i.e. written on his face by Brahma, that would enable him to take the route of Nadopasana for its merited goal.

On Rama Bhakti, Tyagaraja calls it a Samrajya with indescribable exhilaration for the worshippers. “Rama kathasudha” (Madhyamavati) says Rama Story itself is amudhapanam, and the Lord with Sita Devi , Lakshmanan and Bharatan represented a kingdom of Dharma, courage, anand and ‘sukam’.. How Ramrajya was conducted with praja and Maharishis living happily in peace and plenty is sketched in another kriti, “Kharubaruseyuvaru”- (Mukhari)

Tyagaraja has composed a series of kritis on Sage Narada and made references to Bhadrachalam Ramadasar.  He cited celestial figures in Vidulaku Mrokeda Sangita – Mayamalavagoula and Sitamma Mayamma – Lalitha.  The general advice from the Saint-Composer is for everyone to do Rama Nama Japa.   In “Smaranesukamu Ramanama” – Janaranjani,, he says  doing Rama namadhyanam instils ‘poorana bhakti and gives every person health and happiness.

Hari Nama Sankeerthanam — Tyagaraja’s great contribution to posterity is Bhakti Sangeet and he has listed celestial greats who had shown the way of combining Bhakti and Sangeeta Gnanam. The Saint offers his ‘Vandanamu’ to Parama Bhagavatas and other “Mahanubhaulu” in the Sri raga Pancharatnam, “Endharo Mahanubhavulu, antharikivandhanamulu”

RAGAS:    In discussing Tyagaraja’s compositions, one cannot overlook the life he had given to unknown or unused ragas or varying tunes for kritis in the same raga, the major ‘melakarta’ or mother ragas like Thodi, Sankarabharanam, Kalyani.  Harikambhodi (plus its janya ragas) and Karaharapriya (with the maximum number of janya ragas employed). Adoption of Ragas with different notes (permutation and combination) has thrown up a vast field for exercise of ‘manodharmam’ by musicians before taking up the ‘sahityam’ (song). Tyagaraja kritis in innumerable ragas have opened up the world of melody for endless exploration.

In Bhakti Geetam, Purandaradasar and Rama Das in Bhadrachalam preceded Tyagaraja to set the pace. Other saints were Sadasiva Brahmendral and Narayana Thirthar.  In the post-Trinity period, the South Indian music system had also been enriched by the disciples of Tyagaraja and other religious composers in Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Kerala. The rulers of the past in Mysore and Travancore were also composers, especially Maharaja Swati Tirunal who is ranked next to Trinity. The 20th century saw rapid strides in the evolution of our music system with vocal and instrumental recitals on a wide scale and a tremendous boost for the fine arts, Music and Dance (Bharatanatyam in particular). (IPA Service)