Life History of Composers
Grandfather of Carnatic Sangeetham
Purandaradasa (1484-1564) was born as Srinivasa Nayaka in Purandaragherda (Maharashtra) to a wealthy merchant Varadappa. He was well educated, proficient in Kannada, Sanskrit and sacred music. His wife Saraswati Bai was very devout. He became a pawnbroker and was known as “navakoti narayana”. A very miserly man, he was reformed when a Brahmin brought him Saraswati Bai’s nosering received by him in charity, but found to be still in her own possession. Giving up his wealth and greed, he became a wandering minstrel singing and preaching religion and charity. Travelling extensively across the Vijayanagara empire, praising God, teaching virtue and good conduct, he died in Hampi at the age of 80. When he was 40, Vyasatirtha initiated him, naming him Purandaradasa, He is known as Sangita Pitamaha - grandfather of music – and systemized music teaching in Mayamalavagoula raga, which we follow now. He composed sarali, jantai varisai, alankara, geetas, ugabhogha, sooladi and keertanas. Often using colloquial language, comments on daily life and familiar folktunes, he sang to the beat of a clapper and string drone, orally transmitting his songs which are known as “devarnamas”. Set to easy tunes and tempo, they preach devotion, morality, ethics, compassion etc. There are many references to religious texts and stories of Gajendra Moksha. Prahlada etc. all in simple tunes with multiple charanams. From his songs we can see him as a normal human enjoying sights, sounds, foods and experiences around him. For example he has mentioned words like Payaram, Seed, Plant, Flower, Fruit etc. He is said to have composed 4,75,000 songs of which 1000 are available. The language is Kannada, while his signature (mudra) is Purandara Vitala. He had several disciples who spread his music.
MUSICAL TRINITY
It is a wonderful coincidence that the three greatest composers of Carnatic music were born in the same town of Tamil Nadu around the same period of time. The famous town they were born in, Tiruvarur, is in the Tanjavur district, and is a place of pilgrimage for all music lovers
Syama Sastri – the seniormost – was born on 26th April, 1762 to Viswanatha Iyer, descended from Telugu priests who migrated from Kanchipuram. The father was employed in Tulaja’s court He was named as Venkatasubramaniam, trained as a priest. A sangita sanyasi initiated him into music and perhaps tantric upasana (devi worship). Later he was associated with Pacchimiryam Adiyappa (of Viriboni fame).
His songs have simple lyrics but complex beautiful rhythmical balance. About 300 kritis of his are known, mostly in Telugu, using the signature Syamakrishna. He lived as a simple, comfortably placed householder. His eldest son Panju Sastry inherited his scripts and writings, the younger, Subbaraya Sastri was a good composer. Syama Sastri does not seem to have traveled much, being absorbed in his; music and devotion. Grieving over his wife’s death, he died a few days after her on February 6,1827.
Tyagaraja was born on 4th May 1767 to Rama Brahmam, a Telugu speaking Brahmin, who was said to be very talented giving discourses on Ramayana and initiated in the Rama taraka mantra. The third son’s arrival, according to legend, was predicted to the parents by the presiding deity of Tiruvarur, after whom the child was named Tyagaraja. The family later shifted to a house gifted by the Tanjavur ruler in Tiruvayyaru, on the bank of holy Kaveri. The village is full of scenic beauty, and Thyagaraja refers to this in his kritis “Sari vedalina” (Asaveri) and “Muripemu” (Mukhari) Tyagaraja had difficult relationships with his siblings because of his total concentration on devotion and music. He first married Parvati, and on her death, Kanakamba. Their only daughter Sitalakshmi married Kuppuswami, whose son Tyagaraja died childless. The saint died in Jan, 1847 after taking sanyasa.
Tyagaraja trained in Sanskrit, Telugu, astrology was a great yogi. He learnt vocal music and veena from famous singer Sonti Venkataramanayya. Tyagaraja’s songs have literary beauty, yogic vision, bhakti and musical excellence. Like Purandaradasa, he criticizes mere outward observance of rituals without sincere devotion. He admired Ramadasa and Potana. In Tyagaraja kritis we find very wide variety. Easy melody, delicate rhythms, Pancharatnas, emotional outpouring of devotion, elaborate descriptions, simple appeals for mercy, we find it all in his works. Complicated ragas with elaborate sangatis, folk music and bhajana songas in Utsava Sampradaya and Divyanama songs, three operas Prahlada bhakti Vijayam Sitarama Vijayam and Nowka Charitram bear testimony to his genius. Though most songs are in Telugu, there are several in Sanskrit too. His ishta devta was Rama but he sings of Ganesa, Siva, Devi, etc. with equal ease and his songs on Sangita, Nada, express his ideas on theory and practice of his art. Of the three composers in this group, his songs have greatest variety and since he had many disciples, his music is most popularized and preserved for posterity. To this day we have excellent musicians from his sishya parampara.
Muthuswami Dikshitar (1775-1835) was the son of Subbamma and Ramaswami Dikshitar of Tiruvarur, who was himself an accomplished musician trained by Venkata Vaidyanathan, who in turn came from the school of 17th century musicologist Venkatamakhi, whose tradition was followed by this family. Ramaswami moved with family to Manali (near Madras) where he was court musician. A saint Chidambaranatha Yogi took Muthuswami as disciple on pilgrimage to Varanasi, they visited several places in North India, and he studied Philosophy, Tantra and Sanskrit for about six years. Though married twice, he was not interested in worldly life. He composed songs on various deities starting with Tiruttani temple, using “Guruguha” as his signature. His whole life was spent in pilgrimage ending at Ettayapuram in 1835 on Deepavali Day.
His beautiful songs are strings of the names of Gods and invocations almost like a mantra, and the music reflects the delicate gamakas – in slow and grand tempo – of his veena playing. We can see his knowledge of music and language reflected in the special use of madhyamakala sahitya contrasted with slow tempo kritis, with literary flourishes of rhyme and alliteration, use of a phrase or word with several meanings, the alankaras (ornamentation) using progressive increase/ decrease of a phrase srotovaha and gopuccha yati, skillfully weaving raga name and his own mudra, into compositions that are more literary than lyrical. Apart from the musical felicity, we see his moulding of Sanskrit phrases, grammatical variations as in Vibhakti kritis, temple and deity depiction of his pilgrimage, systematic organization of kritis into Sthala or Deity groups, even a sub-group of ragas with similar ending names, all these reveal a person who was thorough and organized in putting his theory into practice.
He was attached to his brothers Chinnaswami and Baluswami, and in a group of devoted disciples, later famous as the Tanjavur Quartet. They popularized his kritis as well as the use of the violin. Dikshitar used some Hindustani ragas, and even a group of Western melodies for some simple “Nottuswaras”. While traditional in his practice of music, Dikshitar and family interacted with other kinds of music and culture. His brother’s grandson Subbarama Dikshitar compiled and published “Sangita Sampradaya Pradarsini” in 1904, linking the music and ragas from early times to the start of 20th century. The family and sishya parampara popularized the songs, which are alive and vibrant now even in 21st century.
The Trinity connection starting from birth in the holy town of Tiruvarur to devout parents, the strong background of knowledge of religion, music and Sanskrit, perceived as born after special divine blessings, accepted as disciples of saintly gurus, initiated into special religious vidya or nama worship, totally dedicated to music as a path to the divine, honoured by disciples and contemporaries is indeed an amazing story. Each had a premonition of his end, and completed life’s pilgrimage with serenity. Their houses have been renovated and,; preserved for posterity and their memory is celebrated with music festivals every year. While Syama Sastri’s songs are on Devi, Tyagaraja and Dikshitar’s songs from Ganesa to Hanuman enrich our knowledge of religion and mythology.
It is a wonderful coincidence that the three greatest composers of Carnatic music were born in the same town of Tamil Nadu around the same period of time. The famous town they were born in, Tiruvarur, is in the Tanjavur district, and is a place of pilgrimage for all music lovers
Syama Sastri – the seniormost – was born on 26th April, 1762 to Viswanatha Iyer, descended from Telugu priests who migrated from Kanchipuram. The father was employed in Tulaja’s court He was named as Venkatasubramaniam, trained as a priest. A sangita sanyasi initiated him into music and perhaps tantric upasana (devi worship). Later he was associated with Pacchimiryam Adiyappa (of Viriboni fame).
His songs have simple lyrics but complex beautiful rhythmical balance. About 300 kritis of his are known, mostly in Telugu, using the signature Syamakrishna. He lived as a simple, comfortably placed householder. His eldest son Panju Sastry inherited his scripts and writings, the younger, Subbaraya Sastri was a good composer. Syama Sastri does not seem to have traveled much, being absorbed in his; music and devotion. Grieving over his wife’s death, he died a few days after her on February 6,1827.
Tyagaraja was born on 4th May 1767 to Rama Brahmam, a Telugu speaking Brahmin, who was said to be very talented giving discourses on Ramayana and initiated in the Rama taraka mantra. The third son’s arrival, according to legend, was predicted to the parents by the presiding deity of Tiruvarur, after whom the child was named Tyagaraja. The family later shifted to a house gifted by the Tanjavur ruler in Tiruvayyaru, on the bank of holy Kaveri. The village is full of scenic beauty, and Thyagaraja refers to this in his kritis “Sari vedalina” (Asaveri) and “Muripemu” (Mukhari) Tyagaraja had difficult relationships with his siblings because of his total concentration on devotion and music. He first married Parvati, and on her death, Kanakamba. Their only daughter Sitalakshmi married Kuppuswami, whose son Tyagaraja died childless. The saint died in Jan, 1847 after taking sanyasa.
Tyagaraja trained in Sanskrit, Telugu, astrology was a great yogi. He learnt vocal music and veena from famous singer Sonti Venkataramanayya. Tyagaraja’s songs have literary beauty, yogic vision, bhakti and musical excellence. Like Purandaradasa, he criticizes mere outward observance of rituals without sincere devotion. He admired Ramadasa and Potana. In Tyagaraja kritis we find very wide variety. Easy melody, delicate rhythms, Pancharatnas, emotional outpouring of devotion, elaborate descriptions, simple appeals for mercy, we find it all in his works. Complicated ragas with elaborate sangatis, folk music and bhajana songas in Utsava Sampradaya and Divyanama songs, three operas Prahlada bhakti Vijayam Sitarama Vijayam and Nowka Charitram bear testimony to his genius. Though most songs are in Telugu, there are several in Sanskrit too. His ishta devta was Rama but he sings of Ganesa, Siva, Devi, etc. with equal ease and his songs on Sangita, Nada, express his ideas on theory and practice of his art. Of the three composers in this group, his songs have greatest variety and since he had many disciples, his music is most popularized and preserved for posterity. To this day we have excellent musicians from his sishya parampara.
Muthuswami Dikshitar (1775-1835) was the son of Subbamma and Ramaswami Dikshitar of Tiruvarur, who was himself an accomplished musician trained by Venkata Vaidyanathan, who in turn came from the school of 17th century musicologist Venkatamakhi, whose tradition was followed by this family. Ramaswami moved with family to Manali (near Madras) where he was court musician. A saint Chidambaranatha Yogi took Muthuswami as disciple on pilgrimage to Varanasi, they visited several places in North India, and he studied Philosophy, Tantra and Sanskrit for about six years. Though married twice, he was not interested in worldly life. He composed songs on various deities starting with Tiruttani temple, using “Guruguha” as his signature. His whole life was spent in pilgrimage ending at Ettayapuram in 1835 on Deepavali Day.
His beautiful songs are strings of the names of Gods and invocations almost like a mantra, and the music reflects the delicate gamakas – in slow and grand tempo – of his veena playing. We can see his knowledge of music and language reflected in the special use of madhyamakala sahitya contrasted with slow tempo kritis, with literary flourishes of rhyme and alliteration, use of a phrase or word with several meanings, the alankaras (ornamentation) using progressive increase/ decrease of a phrase srotovaha and gopuccha yati, skillfully weaving raga name and his own mudra, into compositions that are more literary than lyrical. Apart from the musical felicity, we see his moulding of Sanskrit phrases, grammatical variations as in Vibhakti kritis, temple and deity depiction of his pilgrimage, systematic organization of kritis into Sthala or Deity groups, even a sub-group of ragas with similar ending names, all these reveal a person who was thorough and organized in putting his theory into practice.
He was attached to his brothers Chinnaswami and Baluswami, and in a group of devoted disciples, later famous as the Tanjavur Quartet. They popularized his kritis as well as the use of the violin. Dikshitar used some Hindustani ragas, and even a group of Western melodies for some simple “Nottuswaras”. While traditional in his practice of music, Dikshitar and family interacted with other kinds of music and culture. His brother’s grandson Subbarama Dikshitar compiled and published “Sangita Sampradaya Pradarsini” in 1904, linking the music and ragas from early times to the start of 20th century. The family and sishya parampara popularized the songs, which are alive and vibrant now even in 21st century.
The Trinity connection starting from birth in the holy town of Tiruvarur to devout parents, the strong background of knowledge of religion, music and Sanskrit, perceived as born after special divine blessings, accepted as disciples of saintly gurus, initiated into special religious vidya or nama worship, totally dedicated to music as a path to the divine, honoured by disciples and contemporaries is indeed an amazing story. Each had a premonition of his end, and completed life’s pilgrimage with serenity. Their houses have been renovated and,; preserved for posterity and their memory is celebrated with music festivals every year. While Syama Sastri’s songs are on Devi, Tyagaraja and Dikshitar’s songs from Ganesa to Hanuman enrich our knowledge of religion and mythology.