Rama's Messenger .

Tyagaraja was born in 1767 in Tiruvarur, Tiruvarur district, in what is now called Tamil Nadu, to Kakarla Ramabrahmam and Sitamma in a Telugu Brahmin family of the Mulukanadu subsect.^[1] He was named Tyagaraja, after Lord Tyagaraja, the presiding deity of the temple at Tiruvarur. Tyagaraja was born at his maternal grandfather Giriraja Kavi's house. Giriraja Kavi was a poet-composer in the court of the king of Thanjavur. Giriraja was born in Kakarla village, Cumbum taluk in Kurnool district (AP).

By K.N.Subramanyam.

  

Tyagaraja began his musical training under Sri Sonthi Ramanayya, a noted music scholar, at an early age. He regarded music as a way to experience God's love. His objective while practising music was purely devotional, as opposed to focusing on the technicalities of classical music. He also showed a flair for composing music and, in his teens, composed his first song Namo Namo Raghavayya in the Desika Todi ragam and inscribed it on the walls of the house.

After some years, Sri Sonthi Ramanayya invited Tyagaraja to perform at his house in Thanjavur. On that occasion, Tyagaraja sang Endaro Mahaanubhavulu, the fifth of the Pancharatna Krithis. Pleased with Tyagaraja's composition,Sri Sonthi Ramanayya informed the King of Thanjavur about Tyagaraja's genius. The king sent an invitation, along with many rich gifts, inviting Tyagaraja to attend the royal court. Tyagaraja, however, was not inclined towards a career at the court, and rejected the invitation outright, composing another gem of a kriti, Nidhi Chala Sukhama (English: "Does wealth bring happiness?") on this occasion. Angered at Tyagaraja's rejection of the royal offer, his brother threw the statues of Rama Tyagaraja used in his prayers into the nearby Kaveri river. Tyagaraja, unable to bear the separation with his Lord, went on pilgrimages to all the major temples in South India and composed many songs in praise of the deities of those temples.Tyagaraja, who was totally immersed in his devotion to Lord Rama and led the most spartan way of life without bothering in the least for the comforts of the world, did not take any steps to systematically codify his vast musical output. The late Rangaramanuja Iyengar, a leading researcher on Carnatic music, in his work Kriti Manimalai, has described the situation prevailing at the time of death of Tyagaraja. It is said that a major portion of his incomaparable musical work was lost to the world due to natural and man-made calamities. Usually Tyagaraja used to sing his compositions sitting before idols of Lord Rama, and his disciples noted down the details of his compositions in palm leaves. After his death, these palm leaves came in the possession of the disciples, and to several families descending from the disciples. Thus a definitive edition of Thyagaraja's songs did not exist.

In addition to nearly 700 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 kritis set in 28 ragas 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.

it is the fact that Tyagaraja's works are some of the best and most beautiful literary expressions in Telugu language,which every Telugu person who is blessed to know the kritis agrees. Valmiki composed the Ramayana, the story of Rama, with 24,000 verses, and coincidentally Tyagaraja, too, composed 24,000 kritis in praise of the Lord."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, he creates his own media, and adores his Rama not alone with jewel-words newly fashioned, but also with jewel-[like]-music 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, apart from doing the same, also pioneered new musical concepts at the same time.Sarvalaghu is the heart of Tyagraja's music. Tyagaraja's music is melody and rhythm personified. It is easy for children, a challenge for the learned, and a wonder for the genius .
 Thiruvaiyaru is the place where the great saint and music composer Thyagaraja lived and attained samadhi. Here a music festival, Thyagaraja Aradhana is held every year towards the end of January. The festival will culminate with the rendition of the Pancharatna kritis on Bahula Panchami. The venue is near his samadhi on the banks of river Cauvery. This Carnatic Music festival attracts music lovers from all corners of the country. Besides the music concerts, religious rituals (pujas) are conducted at the samadhi during the two days.

In fact, until 1907, there were no music concerts but only religious rituals, during the aradhana. In 1908, it was Narasimha Bhagavatar and his younger brother Panchu Bhagavatar, disciples of Thillaisthanam Rama Iyengar (‘antharanga sishya’ of saint Tyagaraja) who held a five-day aradhana festival that included harikathas and concerts. The religious part of the aradhana celebrations that began during the time of Thillaisthanam Rama Iyengar is continued even today by a Trust called ‘Sadguru Tyagabrahma Aradhana Kainkarya Trust, Madras,’ formed in 1984 by Chellam Iyer, S. Parthasarathy and a few others of the Thillaisthanam tradition. Thiruvaiyaru is situated 13kms from Thanjavur (Tanjore) in the state of Tamil Nadu.

The contribution of Saint Tyagaraja, one of the Trinities of Carnatic music, has been immense not only through his compositions but also through his Sishya Parampara, who have preserved and enriched the true tradition of classical music. 

Saint Tyagaraja is seen as an Avatharapurusha, who came to this world to savour the souls that suffer in this world. In fact, he is considered an avathara of Saint Valmiki.  Tyagaraja's compositions are rich in devotional and philosophical content. They are noted for their superior structure, superb handling of ragalakshanas and apt choice of raga and words. The world of Carnatic music owes a lot to Saint Tyagaraja for the treasure that he is bestowed on them.  

As a mark of respect and thanksgiving to the saint, Carnatic musicians from all over the globe get together and pay their reverence to the Saint by singing the Pancharatna kritis on the Pushya Bahula Panchami (the day the saint attained Samadhi) day. Vocalists and instrumentalists of various banis come to Thiruvaiyaru on the banks of the river Cauvery and take part in the aradhana festival which is celebrated every year. As is the case with many great men, Tyagaraja's greatness came to be known only after his demise. Though he composed a lot and taught many students, his compositions spread wide only after his days. After Tyagaraja's demise, his sishyas performed pooja at his Samadhi. But the Samadhi could not be maintained properly due to poor patronage. It was Bangalore Nagarathnammal, a musician and staunch devotee of Tyagaraja, who dedicated her self & wealth to renovate and maintain the Samadhi. The credit for celebrating the Aradhana at the Saint's Samadhi itself goes to her.  

Every year, coinciding with the thidhi of the saints demise, there is week long festival, when musicians pay their homage to the Saint by singing his compositions. On the Aradhana Day the Pancharatna (five gems) kritis are rendered in unison by all the artistes, in the ragas Nattai, Gowlai, Arabhi, Varali and Sri. All the five are Ghana ragas. On the Pushya Bahula Panchami day, the musicians go on an Unchavrithi ( walking down the streets singing songs & collecting rice from people), for Tyagaraja had followed this during his lifetime. 

After this, they go to the Samadhi and perform before the idol of the Saint. The nadhaswaram artistes start off the festival -  followed by veena, venu (flute) - and violin. After this, all artistes (vocalists & instrumentalists) perform in unison. They start with Sree Ganapathini in Sourashtram & Guruleka Etuvanti in Gowri Manohari followed by the Pancharatna kritis. 

Simultaneously, abhishekam is performed to the Saint's idol.  At the conclusion of the krithis, mahaarthi is performed to the  Saint's Idol.

      Tyagaraja has left behind the immense wealth of his compositions and it is the duty of every musician and rasikas to pay their homage to the great Saint by rendering his compositions with  bhava with an understanding of the meaning of the compositions .