TYAGARAJA’S MUSICAL COMPOSITIONS
Their Literary and Philosophical Significance
Prof. T. PRABHAKAR
Department of English,
Sri Tyagaraja is
essentially a composer of Carnatic music, but at the
same time his compositions can be treated as the outpourings of a great poet
and a philosopher. Valmiki wrote his Ramayana in 24,000 Slokas. In the same way Tyagaraja
wanted to write 24,000 Kirtanas in praise of Rama and
produce a Tyagaraja Ramayana. He was a music
composer comparable to Bach and Beethoven, a poet like Valmiki and Kalidasa and
a philosopher equal to Sankara, Ramanuja and Madhwa. He combines in himself all the aspects – a
musician, a poet and a philosopher. He has not expounded any new system of philosophy, nor has established
any code of ethics. His music and philosophy have their roots in the Vedas, the
Upanishads and the Puranas. That is why his
compositions have been termed as Tyagopanishad.
Much has been said and written on Tyagaraja’s eminence and originality as a composer of
music. His great contribution to the growth of Carnatic
music has overshadowed the other important characteristics of his personality.
There is absolutely no exaggeration in Professor K. R. Srinivasa Iyengar’s assertion that Tyagaraja
has turned the Telugu language into divine poetry,1 and his
compositions have gained a permanent place in the literature of that language.
The basic merit of the songs consists, no doubt, in music, but the wealth of
ideas in them is equally important. We are thrilled by the poetic fancy and the
philosophical truths enshrined in some of the compositions.
If imagination is the supreme gift of a poet,
then Tyagaraja occupies a place of honour among the poets of the world. The intense emotion in his devotion manifests
itself in many ways. Since the
songs are meant for singing, they are lyrical and convey the Saint’s anguish,
his yearning for Rama, his mental suffering in not getting Him soon, his
helplessness due to His “indifference” and his repeated appeals for His
compassion. For example, in his song “Sitaanaayaka”,
he asks Rama whether he went to the Tirumala Hills,
being unable to stand the appeals of the devotees, or whether he ran away to Srirangam to avoid the nuisance from the Bhaktas. Tyagaraja possessed all
the skill, imagination and expression of a gifted poet. His songs are replete
with Sanskrit words and phrases. He shows much originality in the use of his
diction, similes and metaphors and alliteration and repetitions. His moral
teachings and religious instructions are expressed in the form of simple
parables, and beautiful imagery drawn from everyday life.
Tyagaraja was brought up in the highest tradition of Sampradaya. But he united the apparently opposite qualities
of conservatism and progress, of reverence for antiquity and impatience of
restraint, of the prejudices of the heart and the revolt of intellect. He is a
classic romanticist and a conservative radical. 2 Tyagaraja is thus considered as both a classicist and a
romanticist. This is probably the result of his genius and perfect assimilation
of the spirit of Indian philosophy and Hindu way of life. There is no dichotomy
between classicism and romanticism in the Hindu concept of life.
Our seers have insisted on our following the
ancient tradition, cultivating implicit faith in the scriptures and living a
life of strict Sampradaaya. Our basic tenets are
obedience to Guru, respect for elders, faith in the traditions and conventions
and, above all, humility and piety. These are all the classical aspects in an
ideal Hindu way of life. But at the same time when one attains the highest
spiritual experience, it is solely his own individual, personal and intuitive
experience. Here there is an obvious synthesis of tradition and individual
talent, which are not mutually irreconcilable. Tyagaraja
exhibits both in his personal life and also in his writings.
With a cultural background of the Kaveri Agrahara tradition, he
followed all the daily routine of a religious orthodox Brahmin. But at the same
time he attacked blind superstitions, unnecessary rituals and religious
hypocrisy. He found in his time useless controversies and corrupt practices
which he denounced vehemently. Like a true classicist, he employs a large
number of similes and metaphors to attack them. He displays an uncommon poetic
gift and capacity for satire and sarcasm. He attacked hypocrites who were incapable of true Bhakti. He says:
“Raama neeyeda premarahitulaku naama ruchi teliyunaa?”
“Rama, how can those, who have no love for
you enjoy the taste of your name?”
Though he believed in rituals, he never
exaggerated their importance. He hits hard at conventionality in such a purely
personal and individual affair like offering Puja to
God. Prayer should be earnest and should come from the depths of one’s heart.
He discounted the value of long pilgrimages to distant holy places. For him
Bhakti is more important. He answers his critics in his song:
“Teliyaleru
Raama bhaktimaargamunu”
“Selfish people who wander about with
the sole purpose of earning money in the guise of pious men, bathing in the
early morning, painting their bodies with ashes and counting the beads, can
never understand the path of true devotion.”
The observance of elaborate formalities and
blind rituals was condemned by him. He sings:
“Manasu nilpa saktilekapote
Madhuraghanta virula pujemieyunu?”
If one does not have the power to control his
mind, what is the use of ringing the bell and conducting Puja?
If one is a hypocrite, of what use is it to bathe in the Kaveri
or the
In another song he says:
“Manasu
swaadhinamaina ghanuniki
mari
mantra tantramuyalelaraa?”
“If the mind is brought under control, where
is the need for Mantra, Tantra or Tapas?”
In yet another song he sings:
“Dhyaaname varamaina gangaasnaanamu”
“Dhyaana
or meditation of the Lord is itself the most potent both in
In his song, “nadachi,
nadachi”, he observes that if bathing, fasting
and closing one’s eyes constitute all that is to be done, surely there are
birds and animals who will get the first place in heaven.3 In all
these songs his reformatory zeal and his gift of humour
and sarcasm are evident. In his song debunking astrology, he says:
“Grahabalamemi Srirama anugrahabalame balamu”
“What is the power of planets? Rama’s kindness is the real strength,”
Thus in his attack on superstition, vulgarity
and hypocrisy, Tyagaraja exercises to a large extent
his rational faculty. As a rationalist, he showed implicit faith in Advaita or
non-dualistic philosophy. He was born in a Smaarta,
Telugu Brahmin family, and followed the old Smaarta
traditions of worshipping all the deities in different forms of one Supreme
Being. While Rama was his favourite deity (Ishtadevata), he sang in praise of Siva, Vishnu and Devi in different manifestations. He was much influenced
by the Advaitic Sanyasin
Sri Bodhendra who was the Head of the Kamakoti Peetha in the eighteenth century and his contemporary Sridhara Venkatesa. Another
senior contemporary of his was Upanishad Brahman of Kanchipuram
who was himself an Advaitin and from whom Tyagaraja received much inspiration. Also he was a student
of the famous Advaitic Sanyasin,
Sri Ramakrishnammda. He learnt much from Siva-Narayanaswami Tirtha, another Advaitin
Sanyasin, a Telugu musician, the composer of the
popular Tarangas.
Tyagaraja adopted the recitation of Raama-naama which, according to him, makes no distinction
of one form of divinity from another. He affirms repeatedly that he worships
Rama without any Matabheda. To quote Dr. Raghavan, “the Nama-Siddhanta
lays down ten drawbacks in the recitation of the Name, one of which is to see
Siva and Vishnu as separate”.4 This religious liberalism is a
heritage coming down from the Vedas and the Upanishads which emphasizes One
Supreme Impersonal Brahman, taking many personal forms. The Bhajana-Sampradaaya
which Tyagaraja inherited is free from bigotry and
lays emphasis on One Supreme Being. He had firm belief in one ultimate Brahman
devoid of all attributes (Nirguna), though he practised devotion to a personal God with name, form and
qualities. In his song, Bhaktuni charitra, he observes that there should be no
distinction between Siva and Vishnu: “Siva Maadhava
bhedamu cheyaraddu.” He
was convinced that though he named his God as Rama, yet God is one. This idea
of the Universal God is well brought out by him in a number of songs.
In his song, “Dvaitamu
sukhama, advaitamu sukhama?”, Tyagaraja
expresses his dilemma regarding the dualistic and monistic approaches. He asks
Rama what conduces to happiness, Dvaita or Advaita?
In another song, iTattvameruga taramaa”, he answers the question affirming his faith
in Advaita, namely, Tattvamasi and Ahambramhasmi. In his song, “Gnaanamosagaraada”, he prays for knowledge of One
Supreme Soul and the Individual Soul. A true Bhakta is one who realises that Paramaatma and Jeevaatma are
one: “paramaatmudu jeevaatmudu
okadai baraguchunadu.” He
regrets that he has not yet realised that You and I are one. In another song, “Neeke dayaraaka”, he says
that real happiness is possible only when one realises
the identity of I and You.
Tyagaraja
understood the Vedas and the Upanishads and practised
them in his day-to-day life. He asserted that without Bhakti or sincere
devotion one’s learning and scholarship are useless. As a spiritual aspirant,
he practised all the methods, namely the Jnanamarga as a Jnanayogi, the Karrnamarga as a Karrnayogi, and
the Bhaktimarga as a Bhaktiyogi.
But it is Bhakti, through Nadopasana, that he
followed most scrupulously. Devotion to Rama is something which all cannot get
easily. In his song, “Ooraka galgunaa
Raamuni Bhakti”, he says: Can Ramabhakti
be attained easily by those who always cherish in their minds worldly life? For
him Ramabhakti is a kingdom: Raamabhakti
saamraajyam. His Rama is more than the
mythological hero of The Ramayana. Rama is all the Trimurtis,
and transcends them. So he says: “Raamaayani brahmamunaku
Like Tattvamasi, the other affirmation of non-difference is So
aham (I am He) and Tyagaraja
realised this towards the end of his life. He
declares that this is the greatest bliss: Soham
anedi chaalu, soham sukham. The end of all
Yoga is Jeevanmukti which Tyagaraja
attained by NadopasaNa. “By his final Sanyasa, Tyagabrahmam became Brahmam in reality, Brahmi-bhuta
as it is said of the self-realised ones.”5
References
1 V. Raghavan: Tyagaraja. Makers of Indian Literature, Sahitya Akademi. 1983. p. 11.
2 T. V. Subba Rao:
“The Universality of Tyagaraja,” Tyagaraja
Satavarshakotsva Sanchika, Ed.
Vissa Appa Rao. 1947.
English Section. p. 16.
3 V. Raghavan: The
Spiritual Heritage of Tyagaraja. 1957. p.84.
4 V. Raghavan, Tyagaraja. p. 24.
5 Ibid., p. 46.