Bagula Panchami Dinam , Jan 19,2006 /The AarAdhanam day at ThiruvayyARu for Saint ThyagarAja

[Guest guest]

SrI:

 

Dear Sri Raama BhakthAs:

 

Today is the sacred BaguLa Panchami day , when the annual AarAdhanam at

the BrundhAvanam ( Place of internment of the mortal remains) of Saint

ThyagarAja

takes place at Pancha Nadheeswara KshEthram ( ThiruvayyARu) , where

the Saint spent most of His life worshipping His Ishta Dhaivam , Sri SeethA

SamEtha Sri Raamachandran .

 

Book and CD ROM relese today at ThiruvayyARu

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At the BrundhAvanam of Saint ThyagarAja , a monograph that adiyEn

released in 1989 on the Gana Raaga Pancharathnams of Saint ThyagrAja

is being released to the public. The proceeds from the sale of this book and

Multimedia CD ROM containing the ghoshti rendering of Pancha Rathnams

from a previous year will be presented to the Sanskrit College of ThiruvayyARu

,

an organization , which has excelleced in training many scholars and AchAryAs

for the past 125 years .

 

adiyEn is grateful to Sri B.Sreenivas of Bangalore for taking the initative to

release the newer version of the monograph and release the Multi,edia

CD Rom version as well .Those interested in supporting the ThiruvayyARu

Sanskrit college are requested to contact Sri B.Sreenivas .

 

The Power of Raama Naama Japam

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Thyagabrahmam recited 1,25,000 Raama NaamAs every day and in his

life time completed the japam of 96 crores of Raama NaamAs and as a result

had the bhAgyam of visualizing the Lord with His family at his house

at Thirumanjana Veethi of ThiruvayyARu more than once .

 

AarAdhanam of Sri Raamachandran

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Thyagabrahmam's Naama KusumAnjali of Sri Raamachandran every day

from ThirupaLLiyezucchi (SuprabhAdham ) in the morning hours to SayanOthsavam

at night is well recorded in the ever-fragrant garlands strung together with

common and uncommon Raagas , which were created by Him as He sang

extempore before the Lord's sannidhi at His home .

 

Naadha NaivEdhyam with two kinds of Sangathis in Krithis

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Saint ThyagarAjA's krithis were adorned with Raaga BhAva Sangathis

( NaajeevAdhaara in raaga Bilahari) or Saahithya BhAva Sangathis

( KaalaharaNa mElarA in Raaga Suddha SaavEri) .

 

In the Raaga BhAva Sangathi , Thyagabrahmam was immersed in the ocean of

bliss in bringing out the multi-facted and radiant aspects of " the nAdhAthma

forms of the Raaga". "Oh RangasAyee" in KaambhOdhi is another classic

instance of expression of Raaga BhAva Sangathis .

 

In the Saahithya BhAva Sangathi , " the finer and the delicate shades of

meaning impied in the Saahityam are powerfully portrayed by the sangathis

grafted on to the fundamental theme " of the Krithi . Thyagabrahmam was

deeply immersed in NaadhOpAsana at all times .

 

Thyagabrahmam's choice of RaagAs for Naadha NaivEdhyam

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His Raama Bhakthi was expressed in Krithis set in Ghana Raagams

some times ( Ghana Raaga Pancha Rathnam) or in popular Raagams or

Vichithra Raagams . He revealed " the melodic personalities" of

the vichithra rAgams as He sang before his Raama extempore .

 

Some of these Vichithra Raagams handled by Saint ThygarAja are

RasAvaLi (AparAdhamula) , Kalakanti (Sri Janaka TanayE) , BindumAlini

( Enta MUddhO) , KOkilavarALI ( SamukhAnu nilva) , JingaLa ( anaathudugAnu) ,

PoorNa shadjam( LaavaNya Raama) , ManOhari ( ParitApamu) , Manjari

( PattividuvarAdhu made famous by Semmangudi ) Kokiladhvani

( KOniyAdE made famous by Musiri ) , BahudhAri ( Brova bhaaramA RaghurAmA) ,

NaagasvarALi ( SrI PathE made famous by KVN ), Garuda dhvani ( Tatthvameruga

TaramA ) , Chandra JyOthi ( ( BaagayanayyA made famous by Bala Murali KrishNa)

,

Sruthi Ranjani ( yE dhAri sancharithu intorduced by Bala MuraLi KrishNa) ,

SupOshiNi

( RaminchuvArevarurA) and so many others. We will discuss some other Vichithra

Raagams used by Saint ThyagarAja later .

 

Saint ThyagarAja and Srimath RaamAyaNam

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On this sacred day , let us reflect on Saint ThyagarAja based on His deep study

of

Srimath RaamAyaNam .Every day , the Saint had PaarAyaNam of Srimath Vaalmiki

RaamAyaNam .He comes from a family of KaalakshEpa AdhikAris on Sri Vaaiki

BhagavAn's Aadhi Kaavyam . Sri RaamachandrA's sacred MahAthmyam and

anantha KalyANa GuNams inspired ThyagarAja SwamigaL from his childhood days

to be absorbed in Raama Bhakthi . As he gathered flowers for his father's daily

worship of Sri Raama , the boy's mind lingered over the Sundara Raaman

and His LaavaNyam and anugraha Balam . He developed MahA VisvAsam in

Raama as ParamAthma and as One in His form as NaadhAthmakan (Embodiment of

NaadhA ) can be approached easily through NaadhOpAsana to recieve His anugraham

..

Therefore ThyagarAjA performed Naadha KusumAnjali with choice RaagAs and

left behind for us soul stirring KeerthanAs drenched with Raama Bhakthi .

 

RaamAyaNams other than Srimath VaalmIki RaamAyaNam as a source book

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ThyagarAjA was not only blessed with a deep knowledge of VaalmIki RaamAyaNam

but he was also familiar with Tulasi Das and Kambar's version of RaamAyaNam . He

chose many sweet incidents from these sources to delineate the divine beauty and

the limitless auspicious attributes ( anantha KlayANa guNams ) of Lord

Raamachandra ,

and SithA Piratti ; he also saluted those who were blessed to serve the Lord

such as

LakshmaNa Swamy , AnjanEya and Sabari . He was also familiar with Aanandha

RaamAyaNam .

 

 

 

Late Professor Sambhamoorthy (1901-1973 C.E) has saluted ThyagarAja SwamigaL

as a "Sahaja VaaggEyakArar " ( Born Composer ) and as one" who reached

HimAlayan

heights in the realm of pure melody ". The Saint is said to have 1,25,000 Raama

NaamAs

per day and in his life time had 96 crores of Raama Naama Japam , which led to

his

physical visualization of the Lord with His family at his home more than once .

 

Technical and Rhetorical specialties in the Saint's Krithis

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RaagAs: He performed Nadha NaivEdhyam to His UpAsanA Moorthy , Raamachandra

not only in old , well established raagAs but he also created new raagaas like

DEvAmrutha VarshiNi , Garudadhvani , Chenju KaambhOdhi , Gambheera VaaNi ,

BahudhAri , Saaramathi , UmAbharaNam , Phala Ranjani and others . He sang

extempore

before His AarAdhana Moorthy and conducted elaborate Raama Navami Uthsavam

every year at His house. Many of the Krithis were born during those occasions .

The RaagAs of the rare krithis were determined later by sihyAs and rasikAs ,

when they sang them back to their great teacher later. He lived on this earth

from

4th May 1767 C.E. and reached His Lord's sacred feet on the BaguLa Panchami

day in January 1847 C.E .Today , we have approximately 1,000 of his Krithis

available to us althought he is said to have composed many thousands .

 

SvarAksharis: The svara aksharam (solfa Letter ) is part of the words fornd

in Saahithyam : Maarubhalgaset in Sri Ranjani starts with Ma or Madhyama Svaram

..

Ni Bhgakthi BhAgya Sudha set in Jaya ManOhari Raagam starts with nishAdham .

There are many such instances assembled by Professor SaambhamUrthy :

Sangitha Jn~Anamu in DhanyAsi starting with Shadjam, ParidhApum in ManOhari

starting with Panchamam, Ni dhaya Raadha in Vasantha Bhairavi starting with

NishAdham and Sri Raama Paadama in AmruthavAhini having Panchama /Dhaivatha/

Madhyama svarams connected with the word "paadhama "

 

Literary Excellences: Professor SaambhamUrthy cites SabdhAlankArams , anuprAsa ,

antyaprAsa, Yamakams (Suddha and Bhinna Yamakams) , apt UpamAs (Similies )

and other forms of poetic excellence .

 

Adhisaya RasOkthis : Thyaagabrahmam's skills in portrayal of single or multiple

RasAs in the same Raaga or using one RasA as the main RasA and the other as

auxillary ( Upa) RasA has been well discussed . Some times , there is the Rasa

Mudhra

as in the krithi , "Saantamu lEkA ". SringAra, adhbhutha , Vira rasams are woven

into

the RaagAs chosen fr the krithis ( Veera Rasam and RaagAs like Naattai, AtANA

and Deva GaandhAri ).

 

The portrayal of Raama as Naadha Brahmam , SaraNAgatha Rakshakan , ParamAthmA ,

one of unmatched eloquence and smooth speech , authority on Raaja Needhi ,

abode of all KalyANA guNams have been extensively studied by scholars .

 

Saint ThyagarAja had many talented SishyAs like VeeNai Kuppaiyer , TillaisTanam

Raama IyengAr , UmayALpuram KrishNa and Sundara BhAgavathars , WaalAjapet

VenkataramaNayyA and others , who in turn passed on this divine treasures to

the next generation of SishyAs .

 

ThyAga Brahmam's Final Days : On a Dasami day ( 27th of Deecember , 1846

Thygabrahmam had a dream in which Raama appeared and assured that He will

take his bhakthan to His Supreme abode as recorded in the SahAna Krithi ,

" Giripainela " . On the EkAdasi day ( 28th DEc , 1846), the trsaditional

EkAdasi

Bhajanai was special , where Saint THyagarAja announced that He will join

His Lord's sacred feet on Pushya BaguLa Panchami day ( 6th January , 1847) .

On the 5th of January , Saint ThyagarAja elected to become a SanyAsi

( TuriyAsramam) to gurantee that there will be no more births and was

given the naamam of "NaadhabrahmAnandhA ). On the predicted day of

6th January , NaadhabrahmAnanandhA attained siddhi . Right in front of

all the assembled sishyAs and devotees , a bright jyOthi broke out of His

head and entered the sacred feet of His AarAdhana Moorthy . It was a miracle

that was witnessed by all in that ghOshti . Saint was embraced by the Lord

and taken to Sri Vaikuntam .

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Professor Sambhamoorthy is an authority on