Saint Thyagaraja was born to teach humanity the path of salvation through Music and Ramabhakti. His contribution to the culture growth in south India is unique. He was a practical philosopher and one of the most stellar figures in the great Bhakti tradition of our land – great seers of our times, who wove spiritual instruction and life science into music, to teach and inspire millions, showing the path to salvation. He takes the prime place among the musician-saints of our country, like Kabir and Purandaradasa, the latter of whom exerted a very large influence on Thyagaraja, or the pioneers of devotional poetry in south India – the Alvars and the Nayanmars. Saint Thyagaraja’s compositions exhibit a holistic expression of the richest values in Carnatic Music – in raga, sahitya and composition structure. The hallmark of a typical Thyagaraja Kriti is that it glitters, inspires, sweeps, cajoles and conquers. He is a spiritual mentor, a guru and a never ending source of inspiration to lakhs of musicians, music lovers and other devotees even today.
Saint Thyagaraja Swamy is believed to be a divine re-incarnation of Narada Maharshi and Valmiki Maharshi. The musical treatise that Sage Narada gifted to Saint Thyagaraja according to tradition is the “Swararnava (or Svarārnavam, meaning Ocean of Musical tones).
Saint Thyagaraja, the musical genius and spiritually evolved poet-saint was born in Tiruvarur on 27th Chaitra, Sarvajitu, a Sukla Saptami corresponding to 4th May, 1767. He was the third son of Ramabrahmam, a distinguished Katha Kalakshepam exponent and specialist in Ramayana, who was patronised by the King of Thanjavur. His mother Seethamma was the daughter of the Asthana Vidwan Veena Kalahastayya.
The family shifted to Thiruviayaru where the saint spent the major part of his life and attained samadhi. He studied Sanskrit and Telugu and mastered Valmiki Ramayanam and other religious literature. He was introduced to the compositions of Sangita Pitamaha Sri Purandaradasa by his mother at a very early age and worshipped him as his Adiguru. He spent a year in tutelage of the court musician Sonti Venkataramanayya at the age of 16. After that he was on his own, perfecting his technique by immersing himself in the study of musicology from various treatises. While in his teens he composed his first song ‘Namo Namo Raghavaya’ in Desikatodi and inscribed it on the walls of the house. That was the beginning of a lifetime of creation of a compositional heritage that will inspire humanity for all of its existence.
In April 1839 he visited Tirupati, but when he reached, the temple was closed. In sadness, he sang ‘Teratiyagaraadaa’. The temple officials gathered in admiration when they saw the door open by itself and the screen fall aside. He sang ‘Venkatesha Ninnu Sevimpa’ in his happiness at seeing the Lord.
Innumerable such incidents of superhuman and divine nature dot the life of the saint. His compositional expression was a confluence of a muscial genius and divinity.
The Thyagaraja kriti is a virtual signature form of Carnatic music. Blessed are we that we continue to hear, study and sing these manifestations of divine inspiration.
