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

**************************************************************

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

**********************************************

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

***********************************************

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 MuraliKrishNa) , Sruthi Ranjani ( yE dhAri

sancharithu intorduced by Bala MuraLi KrishNa) ,SupOshi!

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

otherVichithra Raagams used by Saint ThyagarAja later . Saint ThyagarAja and

Srimath RaamAyaNam ********************************************************** On

this sacred day , let us reflect on Saint ThyagarAja based on His deepstudy of

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

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'sdaily

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 Hisanugraham . Therefore Thya!

garAjA 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

VaalmIkiRaamAyaNam 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

divinebeauty and the limitless auspicious attributes ( anantha KlayANa guNams )

of LordRaamachandra , and SithA Piratti ; he also saluted those who were blessed

to serve theLord such as LakshmaNa Swamy , AnjanEya and Sabari . He was also

familiar with Aanandha RaamAyaNam . Late Professor Sambhamoorthy (1901-1973 C.E)

has saluted ThyagarAjaSwamigaL as a "Sahaja VaaggEyakArar " ( Born Composer )

and as one" who reachedHimAlayan heights in the realm of pure melody ". The

Saint is said to have 1,25,000Raama NaamAs per day and in his li!

fe time had 96 crores of Raama Naama Japam , which ledto his physical

visualization of the Lord with His family at his home more thanonce . 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 raagaaslike

DEvAmrutha VarshiNi , Garudadhvani , Chenju KaambhOdhi , Gambheera VaaNi ,

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

sangextempore before His AarAdhana Moorthy and conducted elaborate Raama Navami

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

thoseoccasions . 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

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

BaguLa Panchami day in J!

anuary 1847 C.E .Today , we have approximately 1,000 of his Krithis av

ailable 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 MadhyamaSvaram . 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 ormultiple

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 theRasa Mudhra as in the krithi , "Saantamu lEkA ". SringAra, adhbhutha ,

Vira rasams arewoven 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 treasuresto 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 Kri!

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

aditionalEkAdasi 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 amiracle that was witnessed by all

in that ghOshti . Saint was embraced by the Lord and taken to Sri Vaikuntam

..Daasan , Oppiliappan Koil V.Sadagopan