(From the glorious life of Thyagaraja Swami)

August 20, 2008

Power of Guru

By Dr. G. R.

Vijayakumar

Compositions of Thyagaraja

Swami are well known in all families in South India. Blessed with exceptional musical talent, Thyagaraja spurned fame and riches and devoted his life to

Lord Ramachandra. His compositions have the capacity

to instill devotion, joy and happiness in the hearts of all.

Thyagaraja was born as the third child to Brahmin parents,

Rama Brahma and Shanta Devi,

in 1767 at Thiruvayaru, near Thanjavur,

in Tamil Nadu. The parents had prayed in the local Thyagaraja Temple and mother Shanta Devi had a divine darshan with

the message: " I am pleased with your seva and bhakti. A great singer and a bhakta

of Lord Rama will be born to you. "

When the bhakta

was born, Rama Brahma named him Thyagaraja, since he

was born by the blessings of Thyagaraja. When he was

five, his father began to teach him Telugu. Both parents also took him to Thyagaraja Mandir where the boy

listened to kirtans. Often he would also join in the

singing. The adult singers appreciated his sweet voice and singing style.

Noticing his innate musical ability Rama Brahma arranged for him to learn

music.

He became Shondi Venkataraman's pupil. The Guru was a famous teacher at the

royal court of Thanjavur. Thyagaraja

studied sincerely. By the age of 16, he had mastered many aspects of music. He

began to compose and sing kirtans on Lord Rama.

Simultaneously, he studied Sanskrit. After obtaining the Guru's blessings, he

returned home.

Thyagaraja never envisaged his musical abilities as a

source of income. For this reason his elder brothers often quarreled with him.

When 18, Thyagaraja married Parvati.

Soon Thyagaraja's parents expired. Four years later Parvati too died. This increased Thyagaraja's

detachment from the world. But at people's behest he re-married Parvati's sister Kamala. After marriage, Thyagaraja continued his deep devotion, singing Lord Rama's kirtans for hours at a

time. This infuriated Jayesh, his eldest brother, who

supported the household. Jayesh rebuked Thyagaraja saying that singing kirtans

would not bring home food. How long could he support him and his wife?

Thyagaraja relinquished his father's property to him and

retired to a hut away from the village. Thyagaraja

comforted his wife: " Do not worry. In this isolated retreat, it will be

even more joyous to offer devotion. Lord Rama is here to care for us. He may

awaken us hungry but he will not lest us sleep

so. " Kamala had the grace not to demand perishable worldly objects from

her husband, who was totally immersed in devotion.

(to be contd….)

(Source Shri Sai Padananda April 1989)