Saint Tyagaraja
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Sadguru Tyagaraja Swami (
Telugu Telugu may refer to: * Telugu language, a major Dravidian language of South India ** Telugu literature, is the body of works written in the Telugu language. * Telugu people, an ethno-linguistic group of India * Telugu script, used to write the Tel ...
: సద్గురు త్యాగరాజ స్వామి; 4 May 1767 – 6 January 1847), also known as Tyagayya, and in full as Kakarla Tyagabrahmam (
Telugu Telugu may refer to: * Telugu language, a major Dravidian language of South India ** Telugu literature, is the body of works written in the Telugu language. * Telugu people, an ethno-linguistic group of India * Telugu script, used to write the Tel ...
: కాకర్ల త్యాగబ్రహ్మం), was a
Hindu Hindus (; ; also known as Sanātanīs) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism, also known by its endonym Sanātana Dharma. Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pp. 35–37 Historically, the term has also be ...
saint and composer of
Carnatic music Carnatic music (known as or in the Dravidian languages) is a system of music commonly associated with South India, including the modern Indian states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Telangana and southern Odisha. It is o ...
, a form of
Indian classical music Indian classical music is the art music, classical music of the Indian subcontinent. It is generally described using terms like ''Shastriya Sangeet'' and ''Marg Sangeet''. It has two major traditions: the North Indian classical music known as ...
. Tyagaraja and his contemporaries,
Shyama Shastri Syama Sastri ( Telugu : శ్యామ శాస్త్రి; ; 26 April 1762 – 1827) or Shyama Shastri was a musician and composer of Carnatic music. He was the oldest among the Trinity of Carnatic music, Tyagaraja and Muthuswami Dikshi ...
and
Muthuswami Dikshitar Muthuswami Dikshitar (Mudduswamy Dikshitar) (, 24 March 1776 – 21 October 1835), mononymously Dikshitar, was a South Indian poet, singer, veena player, and a prolific composer of Indian classical music. He was the youngest member of what is re ...
, are regarded as the
Trinity of Carnatic music The Trinity of Carnatic Music, also known as the Three Jewels of Carnatic Music, refers to the outstanding trio of composers, composer-musicians of Carnatic music in the 18th centuryTyagaraja, Muthuswami Dikshitar, and Syama Sastri. Prolific in co ...
. Tyagaraja composed hundreds of devotional compositions, most in
Telugu Telugu may refer to: * Telugu language, a major Dravidian language of South India ** Telugu literature, is the body of works written in the Telugu language. * Telugu people, an ethno-linguistic group of India * Telugu script, used to write the Tel ...
and in praise of
Rama Rama (; , , ) is a major deity in Hinduism. He is worshipped as the seventh and one of the most popular avatars of Vishnu. In Rama-centric Hindu traditions, he is considered the Supreme Being. Also considered as the ideal man (''maryāda' ...
, many of which remain popular today. Of special mention are five of his compositions called the ''
Pancharatna Kriti The ''Pancharatna kritis'' (transliterated as ''Pañcaratna kṛti'') (Sanskrit: ''pancha'' "five" + ''ratna'' "gems") are a set of five ''kritis'' (songs) in Carnatic classical music, composed by the 18th-century Indian composer Tyagaraja. The ...
s'' ( "five gems"), which are often sung in programs in his honour. Tyagaraja composed ''Utsava Sampradaya Krithis'' ( Festive ritual compositions), which are often sung to accompany temple rituals and Divya Nama Sankeertanas ( Divine name compositions) which are sung as a part of concerts and in daily life. Tyagaraja lived through the reigns of four kings of the Maratha dynasty
Thuljaji Thuljaji Bhonsle (Marathi: तुळजाजी, also known as Tullasu Rasa) (1738–1787) was the eldest son of Pratap Singh and the ruler of Thanjavur Bhonsle dynasty from 1763 to 1773 and 1776 to 1787. He was a weak-hearted ruler despite ...
(1763–1787),
Amarasimha Amarasimha (IAST: , ) was a Sanskrit grammarian and poet from ancient India, of whose personal history hardly anything is known. He is said to have been "one of the nine gems that adorned the throne of Vikramaditya," and according to the evidenc ...
(1787–1798),
Serfoji II Serfoji II (, ) (24 September 1777 – 7 March 1832), also known as Sarabhoji II Bhonsle, was the last sovereign ruler of the Maratha principality of Thanjavur. He ruled from 1787 to 1793, and again from 1798 until his death in 1832. He was adop ...
(1798–1832) and
Shivaji II Shivaji II (Shivaji Bhonsale, ; 9 June 1696 – 14 March 1726) was the fourth Chhatrapati of the Maratha Kingdom. He was the son of the Maratha Chhatrapati Rajaram I, and his wife Tarabai. He later became the first Raja of Kolhapur State, Ko ...
(1832–1855), although he served none of them.


Biography

Tyagaraja was born Kakarla Tyagabrahmam in 1767His birth date according to the Hindu lunar year Sarvajit 27th Soma, on Chaitra Sukla Saptami, the 7th day of the bright half of the Hindu month of
Chaitra Chaitra () is a month of the Hindu calendar. In the standard Hindu calendar and India's national civil calendar, Chaitra is the first month of the year. It is the last month in the Bengali calendar, where it is called Choitro. Chaitra or Cha ...
, under the ''Pushya'' star.
to a
Telugu Telugu may refer to: * Telugu language, a major Dravidian language of South India ** Telugu literature, is the body of works written in the Telugu language. * Telugu people, an ethno-linguistic group of India * Telugu script, used to write the Tel ...
Vaidiki Mulakanadu Brahmin family in
Thiruvarur Thiruvarur () also spelt as Tiruvarur is a municipality in the Indian States and territories of India, state of Tamil Nadu. It is the administrative headquarters of Thiruvarur district and Thiruvarur taluk. The temple chariot of the Thyagaraja t ...
in present-day
Thiruvarur District Thiruvarur district is one of the 38 districts in the Tamil Nadu state of India. As of 2011, the district had a population of 1,264,277 with a sex-ratio of 1,017 females for every 1,000 males. Geography The district occupies an area of 2,161 ...
of
Tamil Nadu Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is the southernmost States and union territories of India, state of India. The List of states and union territories of India by area, tenth largest Indian state by area and the List of states and union territories of Indi ...
. There is a school of thought led by musicologist B.M.Sundaram that contests this and proposes
Thiruvaiyaru Thiruvaiyaru (also spelled as Tiruvaiyaru or Tiruvayyaru) is a Municipality in Thanjavur District in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Etymology Thiruvaiyaru means ''Five Rivers around the city''. The Five Rivers are Vadavaar, Vennaar, Vetta ...
as his birthplace, though the evidence for this is not compelling enough. His family name ''Kakarla'' indicates that they were originally migrants from the village of the same name in the Cumbum taluk of
Prakasam district Prakasam district is one of the twelve districts in the coastal Andhra region of the States and union territories of India, Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It was formed in 1970 and reorganised on 4 April 2022. The headquarters of the district is ...
,
Andhra Pradesh Andhra Pradesh (ISO 15919, ISO: , , AP) is a States and union territories of India, state on the East Coast of India, east coast of southern India. It is the List of states and union territories of India by area, seventh-largest state and th ...
(also called the Kurnool region of Prakasam district). His family belonged to the
Smarta The ''Smarta'' tradition (, ) is a movement in Hinduism that developed and expanded with the Puranas genre of literature. It reflects a synthesis of four philosophical strands, namely Uttara Mīmāṃsā, Advaita Vedanta, Advaita, Yoga (philo ...
tradition and
Bharadvaja Bharadvaja (, ; also spelled Bharadwaja) was one of the revered Vedic sages (maharishi) in Ancient India. He was a renowned scholar, economist, grammarian and a physician. He is one of the Saptarshis (seven great sages or Maharṣis). His co ...
gotra In Hindu culture, the term gotra (Sanskrit: गोत्र) is considered to be equivalent to lineage. It broadly refers to people who are descendants in an unbroken male line from a common male ancestor or patriline. Generally, the gotr ...
. Tyagaraja was the third son of his parents, Kakarla Ramabrahmam and Seethamma. Panchanada Brahmam and Panchapakesha Brahmam were his older brothers. He was named Tyagabrahmam/Tyagaraja after
Tyagaraja Sadguru Tyagaraja Swami ( Telugu: సద్గురు త్యాగరాజ స్వామి; 4 May 1767 – 6 January 1847), also known as Tyagayya, and in full as Kakarla Tyagabrahmam ( Telugu: కాకర్ల త్యాగబ ...
, the presiding deity of the temple at Thiruvarur, the place of his birth. Tyagaraja's paternal grandfather was Giriraja Brahmam/Giriraja Kavi (not to be confused with the name-sake
Giriraja Kavi Giriraja Kavi was a noted composer of Carnatic music, who lived in the 18th century in the kingdom of Thanjavur. His hometown, Tiruvarur, lies in the present-day state of Tamil Nadu. Roughly 200 of his padas, ragas, and talas are housed in the ...
). Giriraja Brahmam/Giriraja Kavi was a poet, scholar and a musician. Giriraja Brahmam was born in Kakarla village, Cumbum taluk in
Prakasam district Prakasam district is one of the twelve districts in the coastal Andhra region of the States and union territories of India, Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It was formed in 1970 and reorganised on 4 April 2022. The headquarters of the district is ...
, Andhra Pradesh. Tyagaraja's maternal grandfather was Kalahastayya, popularly addressed as Veena Kalahastayya as he was a noted
veena The ''veena'', also spelled ''vina'' ( IAST: vīṇā), is any of various chordophone instruments from the Indian subcontinent. Ancient musical instruments evolved into many variations, such as lutes, zithers and arched harps.
player. Tyagaraja was said to have learnt to play the veena in his childhood from Kalahastayya. After Kalahastayya's death, Tyagaraja found ''Naradeeyam'', a book related to music. Tyagaraja was said to have mastered
Sanskrit Sanskrit (; stem form ; nominal singular , ,) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in northwest South Asia after its predecessor languages had Trans-cultural ...
,
Telugu Telugu may refer to: * Telugu language, a major Dravidian language of South India ** Telugu literature, is the body of works written in the Telugu language. * Telugu people, an ethno-linguistic group of India * Telugu script, used to write the Tel ...
,
Bhagavata Purana The ''Bhagavata Purana'' (; ), also known as the ''Srimad Bhagavatam (Śrīmad Bhāgavatam)'', ''Srimad Bhagavata Mahapurana'' () or simply ''Bhagavata (Bhāgavata)'', is one of Hinduism's eighteen major Puranas (''Mahapuranas'') and one ...
, and
Ramayana The ''Ramayana'' (; ), also known as ''Valmiki Ramayana'', as traditionally attributed to Valmiki, is a smriti text (also described as a Sanskrit literature, Sanskrit Indian epic poetry, epic) from ancient India, one of the two important epics ...
at an early age. Tyagaraja spent most of his life in Thiruvaiyaru in the single room house (No. 31, Thirumanjana Veedhi) that was donated to his father Ramabrahmam by
Thuljaji Thuljaji Bhonsle (Marathi: तुळजाजी, also known as Tullasu Rasa) (1738–1787) was the eldest son of Pratap Singh and the ruler of Thanjavur Bhonsle dynasty from 1763 to 1773 and 1776 to 1787. He was a weak-hearted ruler despite ...
, the Thanjavur ruler in whose court Ramabrahmam worked. This house has since been renovated and opened to music lovers after years of neglect. There are records of his pilgrimages to Sri Rangam, Tirumala and Kanchipuram. When he was in
Kanchipuram Kanchipuram (International Alphabet of Sanskrit Transliteration, IAST: '; ), also known as Kanjeevaram, is a stand alone city corporation, satellite nodal city of Chennai in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu in the Tondaimandalam region, from ...
, he met
Upanishad Brahmayogin Upanishad Brahmayogin is the cognomen of Rāmachandrendra Sarasvati (fl. 1800 CE), a sannyasin and Advaitin scholar of the Upanishads. He is credited with having written commentaries on all 108 Upanishads of the Muktika canon. His works have ...
at the Brahmendral Mutt in Kanchipuram. Tyagaraja took siddhi (attained liberation) on a Pushya Bahula Panchami day, 6 January 1847, at the age of 79, a day after he took the vow of
Sannyasa ''Sannyasa'' (), sometimes spelled ''sanyasa'', is the fourth stage within the Hinduism, Hindu system of four life stages known as ''ashrama (stage), ashramas'', the first three being ''brahmacharya'' (celibate student), ''Gṛhastha, grihast ...
and was initiated into the order of Advaita Dasanami sanyasis. His last composition before his siddhi was ''Giripai Nelakonna'' (raga ''Sahana'', Adi talam). He was interred on the banks of the
Kaveri The Kaveri (also known as Cauvery) is a Rivers of India, major river flowing across Southern India. It is the third largest river in the region after Godavari River, Godavari and Krishna River, Krishna. The catchment area of the Kaveri basin i ...
river at
Thiruvaiyaru Thiruvaiyaru (also spelled as Tiruvaiyaru or Tiruvayyaru) is a Municipality in Thanjavur District in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Etymology Thiruvaiyaru means ''Five Rivers around the city''. The Five Rivers are Vadavaar, Vennaar, Vetta ...
the very next day.


Musical career

Tyagaraja began his musical training at an early age under Sonthi Venkata Ramanayya, the chief vidwan in the court of Thanjavur ruler
Thuljaji Thuljaji Bhonsle (Marathi: तुळजाजी, also known as Tullasu Rasa) (1738–1787) was the eldest son of Pratap Singh and the ruler of Thanjavur Bhonsle dynasty from 1763 to 1773 and 1776 to 1787. He was a weak-hearted ruler despite ...
, where Tyagaraja's father Ramabrahmam also worked. Tyagaraja hero-worshipped the celestial sage
Narada Narada (, ), or Narada Muni, is a sage-divinity, famous in Hinduism, Hindu traditions as a travelling musician and storyteller, who carries news and enlightening wisdom. He is one of the Manasputra, mind-created children of Brahma, the creator ...
; a reference to this is Tyagaraja's krithi ''Vara Nārada'' (rāga Vijayaśrī, Ādi tāḷam). Legend has it that a hermit taught him a mantra invoking Narada, and Tyagaraja, meditating on this mantra, received a vision of Narada and was blessed with the book ''Svarārnavam'' by the sage. Tyagaraja was said to have mastered the nuances of music from this book. Tyagaraja regarded music as a way to experience divinity. His compositions focused not only on the technicalities of classical music, but also on the expression (bhāva). He composed his first kriti, "Namo Namo Raghavaaya" in Sanskrit, in the Desika Todi
raga A raga ( ; , ; ) is a melodic framework for improvisation in Indian classical music akin to a musical mode, melodic mode. It is central to classical Indian music. Each raga consists of an array of melodic structures with musical motifs; and, fro ...
and inscribed it on the walls of his house. His compositions are mainly of a devotional (''bhakti'') and philosophical nature. His songs feature himself usually either in an appeal to his deity of worship (primarily
Rama Rama (; , , ) is a major deity in Hinduism. He is worshipped as the seventh and one of the most popular avatars of Vishnu. In Rama-centric Hindu traditions, he is considered the Supreme Being. Also considered as the ideal man (''maryāda' ...
), in musings, in narratives, giving a message to the public. He introduced the concept of saṇgati into the sāhityaṃ of a krithi, that was seen as a paradigm shift in Carnatic Classical Music. He is also known for composing kritis that depict ninda stuti (lovingly/flatteringly scolding the divine (also seen in compositions of
Bhadrachala Ramadasu Kancharla Gopanna () ( – 1688), popularly known as Bhakta Ramadasu or Bhadrachala Ramadasu (), was a 17th-century devotee of the Hindu god Rama Rama (; , , ) is a major deity in Hinduism. He is worshipped as the seventh and one of ...
). He has also composed krithis in praise of Krishna, Shiva, Devi, Ganesha, Muruga, Saraswati, and Hanuman. Tyagaraja's musical genius spread all across Thanjavur and its principalities (of which Thiruvarur and Thiruvaiyaru were also a part of) until it reached the king of Thanjavur,
Serfoji II Serfoji II (, ) (24 September 1777 – 7 March 1832), also known as Sarabhoji II Bhonsle, was the last sovereign ruler of the Maratha principality of Thanjavur. He ruled from 1787 to 1793, and again from 1798 until his death in 1832. He was adop ...
(also called Sarabhoji II). The king sent an invitation, along with many gifts, inviting Tyagaraja to attend the royal court. Tyagaraja, however, was not inclined towards a career at the court, as he felt it would chain his creativity and also his pursuit of the divine and rejected the invitation outright. He was said to have composed the krithi ''Nidhi Chala Sukhama'' (నిధి చాల సుఖమా) ( "Does wealth bring happiness?") on this occasion. Tyagaraja was always immersed in his devotion to Rama and led a spartan way of life. Tyagaraja willingly taught music to anyone who approached him, thus earning him many disciples across various stages of his life. Prominent ones among them include
Venkataramana Bhagavathar Venkataramana Bhagavathar (1781–1874) was a direct disciple of Saint Thyagaraja and a composer of Carnatic music. Bhagavathar composed his songs in Saurashtra language and has left behind a number of ''kritis''. Early life Bhagavathar was born ...
and Krishnaswamy Bhagavathar (the father-son duo of
Walajapet Walajapet is a municipality and taluk in the state of Tamil Nadu. Demographics According to 2011 census, Walajapet had a population of 32,397 with a sex-ratio of 1,031 females for every 1,000 males, much above the national average of 929. A t ...
), Thanjavur S Ramarao (who also happened to be his cousin; not to be confused with the namesake, T. Rama Rao (administrator)), Veena Kuppayyar, Manambuchavadi Venkatasubbayyar,
Subbaraya Sastri Subbaraya Sastri (1803–1862) the son and student of Syama Sastri, one of the most famous figures in the history of Carnatic music. He also has the unique distinction of having studied music from all the three of the musicians now acknowledged ...
(son of
Shyama Sastri Syama Sastri ( Telugu : శ్యామ శాస్త్రి; ; 26 April 1762 – 1827) or Shyama Shastri was a musician and composer of Carnatic music. He was the oldest among the Trinity of Carnatic music, Tyagaraja and Muthuswami Dikshi ...
). Some of these disciples carefully codified his compositions on palm leaves and copper plates. Most of Tyagaraja's kritis are in vernacular language and thus gained immense popularity because of the ease with which they could be learnt and sung. Tyagaraja also composed many kritis in Sanskrit.


Preservation of compositions

The codification, documentation and preservation of Tyagaraja's compositions by his disciples during his lifetime was not streamlined due to many reasons. The primary reason being, certain groups of Tyagaraja’s disciples studied under him only during specific periods of his life, limiting their exposure to compositions created outside their own tutelage years. Consequently, the entirety of his compositions was not compiled into a unified corpus, and his compositions kept changing hands as the disciples/groups were scattered geographically. One of the earliest compilations of Tyagaraja's kritis was done by A. M. Chinnaswami Mudaliar, who, in 1893, published a volume titled, Oriental Music In European Notation. Mudaliar lavished rich praise on Tyagaraja's profound musical legacy in his work. It was only in the early 20th century that serious efforts were made to compile the compositions into a single collection. T. S. Parthasarathy, a leading scholar and critic on Carnatic Classical Music, published a text containing Tyagaraja's kritis and their meaning, after carefully reviewing the original manuscripts that were in possession of the families of Tyagaraja's disciples. These manuscripts are now preserved in the
Saraswathi Mahal Library Saraswathi Mahal Library, also called Thanjavur Maharaja Serfoji's Saraswathi Mahal Library is a library located in Thanjavur (Tanjore), Tamil Nadu, India. It is one of the oldest subsisting libraries in Asia established during 16th century by ...
in Thanjavur. Also, musicologists like K. V. Srinivasa Iyengar and Rangaramanuja Iyengar made enormous efforts to compile Tyagaraja's compositions into volumes by contacting the families and descendents of Tyagaraja's disciples who possessed the palm leaves. K. V. Srinivasa Iyengar brought out ''Adi Sangita Ratnavali'' and ''Adi Tyagaraja Hridhayam'' in three volumes. Rangaramanuja Iyengar published ''Kriti Mani Malai'' in two volumes. Furthermore, Musiri Subramania Iyer, the doyen of Bhava Sangitam, had a vast collection of books in his library. T. K. Govinda Rao, his disciple, brought out a volume of Tyagaraja's compositions in English and
Devanagari script Devanagari ( ; in script: , , ) is an Indic script used in the Indian subcontinent. It is a left-to-right abugida (a type of segmental writing system), based on the ancient '' Brāhmī'' script. It is one of the official scripts of India an ...
. In Telugu,
veena The ''veena'', also spelled ''vina'' ( IAST: vīṇā), is any of various chordophone instruments from the Indian subcontinent. Ancient musical instruments evolved into many variations, such as lutes, zithers and arched harps.
vidwan Manchala Jagannadha Rao compiled Tyagaraja's kritis in Telugu script and published it with the help of
Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) is an independent government trust in India managed by the Government of Andhra Pradesh. The trust primarily oversees the operations and finances of the richest and the most visited religious center Venkatesw ...
in seven volumes. There are about 720 compositions available today, though there are claims that Tyagaraja composed 24,000 pieces. However, scholars are skeptical about these numbers, as there is no biographical evidence to support such claims. In addition to nearly 720 compositions (kritis), Tyagaraja composed two musical plays in Telugu, the '' Prahalada Bhakti Vijayam'' and the '' Nauka Charitam''. ''Prahlada Bhakti Vijayam'' is in five acts with 45 ''
kriti Kriti may refer to: Art and entertainment * Kriti (music), a format of musical composition typical to Carnatic music * ''Kriti'' (film), a 2016 Indian Hindi-language short film * Kriti TV, Greek TV station People with the name * Kriti Bhar ...
s'' set in 28
raga A raga ( ; , ; ) is a melodic framework for improvisation in Indian classical music akin to a musical mode, melodic mode. It is central to classical Indian music. Each raga consists of an array of melodic structures with musical motifs; and, fro ...
s and 138 verses, in different metres in Telugu. ''Nauka Charitam'' is a shorter play in one act with 21 ''kritis'' set in 13 ''ragas'' and 43 verses. The latter is the most popular of Tyagaraja's operas, and is a creation of the composer's own imagination and has no basis in the
Bhagavata Purana The ''Bhagavata Purana'' (; ), also known as the ''Srimad Bhagavatam (Śrīmad Bhāgavatam)'', ''Srimad Bhagavata Mahapurana'' () or simply ''Bhagavata (Bhāgavata)'', is one of Hinduism's eighteen major Puranas (''Mahapuranas'') and one ...
. Tyagaraja also composed a number of simple devotional pieces appropriate for choral singing. The 20th-century Indian music critic K. V. Ramachandran wrote: "Tyagaraja is an indefatigable interpreter of the past... but if with one eye he looks backward, with the other he looks forward as well. Like
Prajapati Prajapati (, ) is a Vedas, Vedic deity of Hinduism. He is later identified with Brahma, the creator god. Prajapati is a form of the creator-god Brahma, but the name is also the name of many different gods, in many Hindu scriptures, ranging f ...
, he creates his own media and adores his Rama not alone with jewel-words newly fashioned, but also with jewel- ikemusic newly created. It is this facet of Tyagaraja that distinguishes him from his illustrious contemporaries." In other words, while Tyagaraja's contemporaries were primarily concerned with bringing to audiences the music of the past, Tyagaraja also pioneered new musical concepts at the same time.


Remembrance

''
Tyagaraja Aradhana Thyagaraja Aradhana is an annual ''aradhana'' (a Sanskrit term meaning act of glorifying God or a person) of Telugu saint composer Tyagaraja. The music festival is observed in the states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, primarily ...
'', the commemorative music festival is held every year in
Thiruvaiyaru Thiruvaiyaru (also spelled as Tiruvaiyaru or Tiruvayyaru) is a Municipality in Thanjavur District in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Etymology Thiruvaiyaru means ''Five Rivers around the city''. The Five Rivers are Vadavaar, Vennaar, Vetta ...
in
Thanjavur Thanjavur (), also known as Thanjai, previously known as Tanjore, Pletcher 2010, p. 195 is a city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is the 12th biggest city in Tamil Nadu. Thanjavur is an important center of southern Indian religion, art ...
district of
Tamil Nadu Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is the southernmost States and union territories of India, state of India. The List of states and union territories of India by area, tenth largest Indian state by area and the List of states and union territories of Indi ...
, during the months of January to February in Tyagaraja's honor. This is a week-long festival of music where various Carnatic musicians from all over the world converge at his resting place. On the Pushya Bahula Panchami,''Pushya Bahula Panchami'' – the fifth day of the dark half of the month of ''Pushya'', in the Hindu calendar every year. thousands of people and hundreds of Carnatic musicians sing the five Pancharatna Kritis in unison, with the accompaniment of a large bank of accompanists on
veena The ''veena'', also spelled ''vina'' ( IAST: vīṇā), is any of various chordophone instruments from the Indian subcontinent. Ancient musical instruments evolved into many variations, such as lutes, zithers and arched harps.
s, violins,
flute The flute is a member of a family of musical instruments in the woodwind group. Like all woodwinds, flutes are aerophones, producing sound with a vibrating column of air. Flutes produce sound when the player's air flows across an opening. In th ...
s, nadasvarams,
mridangam The ''mridangam'' is an ancient percussion instrument originating from the Indian subcontinent. It is the primary rhythmic accompaniment in a Carnatic music ensemble. In Dhrupad, a modified version, the pakhawaj, is the primary percussion in ...
s and
ghatam The ''ghaṭam'' (Sanskrit: घटm ''ghaṭ''; Kannada: ಘಟ ''ghaṭa''; Tamil: கடம் ''ghatam''; Telugu: ఘటం ''ghataṃ''; Malayalam: ഘടം ''ghataṃ'') is a percussion instrument used in various repertoires across the ...
s. A sports complex in
New Delhi New Delhi (; ) is the Capital city, capital of India and a part of the Delhi, National Capital Territory of Delhi (NCT). New Delhi is the seat of all three branches of the Government of India, hosting the Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Parliament ...
,
Thyagaraj Sports Complex The Thyagaraj Sport Complex is a sports stadium in New Delhi, India. It is owned by the Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi and was built at the cost of . It was designed by leading architects PTM of Australia and Kapoor & Ass ...
, was named after him. A
crater A crater is a landform consisting of a hole or depression (geology), depression on a planetary surface, usually caused either by an object hitting the surface, or by geological activity on the planet. A crater has classically been described ...
on the planet Mercury was named after
Tyagaraja Sadguru Tyagaraja Swami ( Telugu: సద్గురు త్యాగరాజ స్వామి; 4 May 1767 – 6 January 1847), also known as Tyagayya, and in full as Kakarla Tyagabrahmam ( Telugu: కాకర్ల త్యాగబ ...
in 1976.


In popular culture


Films on Tyagaraja (biographical)

Apart from references to his works, using the ''kirtanas'' as songs, two films were made on his life.
V. Nagayya Vuppaladadiyam Nagayya Sarma (28 March 1904 – 30 December 1973), popularly known as Chittoor Nagayya, was an Indian actor, singer, music composer, and director known for his works in Telugu cinema, Tamil cinema, and Telugu theatre. Nagayya wa ...
made a biographical epic on Tyagaraja titled ''
Tyagayya Sadguru Tyagaraja Swami ( Telugu: సద్గురు త్యాగరాజ స్వామి; 4 May 1767 – 6 January 1847), also known as Tyagayya, and in full as Kakarla Tyagabrahmam ( Telugu: కాకర్ల త్యాగబ ...
'' in 1946 which is still treated as a masterpiece of
Telugu cinema Telugu cinema, also known as Tollywood, is the segment of Cinema of India, Indian cinema dedicated to the production of Film, motion pictures in the Telugu language, widely spoken in the states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. Based in Film N ...
. In 1981, Bapu–Ramana made ''
Tyagayya Sadguru Tyagaraja Swami ( Telugu: సద్గురు త్యాగరాజ స్వామి; 4 May 1767 – 6 January 1847), also known as Tyagayya, and in full as Kakarla Tyagabrahmam ( Telugu: కాకర్ల త్యాగబ ...
'' with J. V. Somayajulu in the lead role. Another attempt is being made by
Singeetam Srinivasa Rao Singeetam Srinivasa Rao (born 21 September 1931) is an Indian film director, screenwriter, producer, composer, and actor. He is widely regarded as one of India's most versatile and innovative filmmakers. He has directed around sixty films across ...
to picturise Tyagaraja's life. Apart from these, ''Bombay Gnanam'' made a short film known as ''Endaro Mahanubavulu'' on Tyagaraja. The short film was released on 27 February 2021, on the 174th Tyagaraja Aradhana festival.


Raga on Tyagaraja (Musical scale)

Carnatic kriti 'Sri Ramachandram Bhajami' in
Raga A raga ( ; , ; ) is a melodic framework for improvisation in Indian classical music akin to a musical mode, melodic mode. It is central to classical Indian music. Each raga consists of an array of melodic structures with musical motifs; and, fro ...
'
Sri Tyagaraja Sri Tyagaraja is a rāgam in Carnatic music(musical scale of South Indian classical music) created by music composer who has created many ragas, Which is named after saint Tyagaraja of Tiruvaiyaru. It is the Janya raga of 59th ''Melakarta'' ...
' created and composed by named after Saint Tyagaraja sung by Priyadarshini was released on 10 January 2023 at Sri Tyagaraja Samadhi during 176th
Tyagaraja Aradhana Thyagaraja Aradhana is an annual ''aradhana'' (a Sanskrit term meaning act of glorifying God or a person) of Telugu saint composer Tyagaraja. The music festival is observed in the states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, primarily ...
festival


Compositions

The name of Tyagaraj's compositions, the ''Pancharatnas,'' means "five gems" in Sanskrit. All of the Pancharatnas are set to the
adi tala {{Carnatic Adi tala (Sanskrit: ''ādi tāḷa'', Kannada: ಆದಿ ತಾಳ, literally "primary rhythm" also spelled aadi taalam or adi talam) is the name of one of the most popular tala or rhythms used in Carnatic Music Carnatic music ...
m. A stable text has been handed down from the earlier musicians to the present day. All the compositions of Tyagaraja show the way for the systematic development of the respective ragas. In the Pancharatnas, Tyagaraja offers parameters as to how to systematically and scientifically develop a raga. The two fundamental conditions that must be satisfied for the systematic development of a raga are the arrangement of the svaras in the natural order of
arohana Arohana, Arohanam, Aroh or Aroha, in the context of Indian classical music, is the ascending scale of notes in a raga.''Ragas in Carnatic music'' by Dr. S. Bhagyalekshmy, ''Glossary'' pages, Pub. 1990, CBH Publications The pitch increases a ...
m, and the
avarohana An Avarohana, Avarohanam or Avaroha, in the context of Indian classical music, is the descending scale of any raga.''Ragas in Carnatic music'' by Dr. S. Bhagyalekshmy, ''Glossary'' pages, Pub. 1990, CBH Publications The notes descend in pitch ...
m of the ragas so as to satisfy the sound principles of harmony and continuity. Pancharatnas satisfy these scientific principles. The Pancharatnas are composed in perfect sarvalaghu svaras. * The first Pancharatna kriti is Jagadanandakaraka, sung in the raga Nata. It is composed in Sanskrit. It praises Rama as the source of all joy in the universe. Originally, there were only six charanams for the song. When the disciples examined the song, it contained ninety names of Rama in Sanskrit. The disciples requested Tyagaraja to slightly expand the song by adding two charanas containing eighteen more names of Rama. The saint acceded to the request of the disciples and that is the reason why the song Jagadanandakaraka contains three mudras containing the name of Tyagaraja while the other four songs contain only one mudra each. * The next is Duduku Gala in the raga gaula set to Adi Talam. It is composed in Telugu. In this song, Tyagaraja takes the blame upon himself for all the misdeeds of men and ruminates on who would come and save him from this deplorable situation. * The third is Saadhinchene in the raga Arabhi, set to adi talam. It is composed in Telugu. In this song, Tyagaraja lovingly criticizes Krishna for his cleverness in getting what he wants to be done. * The fourth kriti, Kana Kana Ruchira is in the raga Varaali set to adi talam. It is composed in Telugu. In this song, Tyagaraja describes the infinite beauty of Rama. * The fifth Pancharatna krithi, Endaro Mahanubhavulu, was composed in Sri Ragam. Contrary to popular beliefs that Tyagaraja instantaneously sang this krithi in a sabha conducted in the honour of his guru Sonthi Venkataramanayya in the presence of doyens of vidwans, Tyagaraja composed this krithi at the behest of Thanjavur S Ramarao. This definitive version is available in Tyagaraja's life history written by Venkataramana Bhagavathar.


See also

*
Kancherla Gopanna Kancharla Gopanna () ( – 1688), popularly known as Bhakta Ramadasu or Bhadrachala Ramadasu (), was a 17th-century devotee of the Hindu god Rama, a saint-poet and a composer of Carnatic music. He is a famous ''Vaggeyakara'' (classical compo ...
(Bhadrachala Ramadasu) *
Purandara Dasa Purandara Dasa (IAST: Purandara Dāsa; (1470 – 1564) was a composer, singer and a Haridasa philosopher from present-day Karnataka, India. He was a follower of Madhwacharya, Madhvacharya's Dwaitha, Dvaita philosophy. He was one of the chi ...
*
Annamacharya Tallapaka Annamacharya () (09 May 1408 – 23 February 1503), also popularly known as Annamayya, was a Telugu musician, composer, and a Hindu saint. He is the earliest known Indian musician to compose songs called '' samkirtanas.'' His devoti ...
* Birmingham Thyagaraja Festival * Cleveland Thyagaraja Festival


Notes


References


Further reading

* ''The Spiritual Heritage of Tyagaraja'', by C. Ramanujachari with an introduction by Dr. V. Raghavan, Ramakrishna Math, Chennai. * ''Tyagaraja Kritigal'' (in Malayalam) by Prof P. R. Kumara Kerala Varma, Dept of Cultural Publications, Govt of Kerala, Trivandrum, 2000. * ''Tyagaraja Kirtanalu'' (in Telugu) by Smt Dwaraka Parthasarathy and Sri N.C. Parthasarathy, Tagore Publishing House, Kachiguda, Hyderabad, 1995 (Balasaraswati Book Depot, Kurnool). * Ramachandran, K.V., "The Melakarta: A Critique", ''The (Madras) Music Academy Platinum Jubilee Commemoration Volume'', Vol. I, 1930–1940. (Original publication in the ''Journal of the Music Academy'' in 1938.) * ''Thyagaraju – Rama Darsanamu'' (In Telugu) by Dr. Mulukutla Brahmananda Sastry (part of the thesis approved by Andhra University, 1985.) * Shree Tyagaraja Keerthnai – Parthasarathy TS ( Tamil ) Paperback – 1 January 1970 by KMBC; 2010th edition (1 January 1970), ASIN : B00CBQBXMU


External links


Website dedicated to Tyagaraja

Thiagaraja A Great Musician – M.S. Ramaswamy Aiyar

Endaro Mahanubhavulu
performed by Uthara and
P. Unnikrishnan Parakkal Unnikrishnan (born 9 July 1966) is an Indian Carnatic vocalist and playback singer. Early life and background Unnikrishnan was born to K. Radhakrishnan and Dr. Harini Radhakrishnan in Palakkad, Kerala. The family home, Kesari Kuteer ...
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Tyagaraju 1767 births 1847 deaths Carnatic composers Telugu people Performers of Hindu music People from Tiruvarur district 18th-century Indian composers 19th-century Indian composers People from the Thanjavur Maratha kingdom