More songs on Tyagaraja

What a morning it has been! So many messages and calls from those who read the story on Songs on Tyagaraja. And I have learnt much more than what I knew when I wrote that story. There are apparently several more compositions in his praise. I am listing some of the feedback received.

TR Aravindh points out that there is a stotram on Tyagaraja by Thiruvottiyur Tyagayyar, the son of Veenai Kuppayyar, who was a disciple of the bard himself. This goes Tyagarajaswami Guruni and though no raga or tala is given, it has a pallavi, an anupallavi and three charanams! Aravindh also messaged the lyrics of two kritis by Meesu Krishnayyar, one in raga Nadabrahmam (never heard) and the other in Vachaspati. He also states that there is a Mangalam on Tyagaraja by Manambucchadavi Venkatasubbier.

How could I leave out Manavakula Bhushana by GNB asks P Vasanthkumar. The same had been sent in by Lalitharam earlier in the day. I did not know of this song and it is in Hindolam/Misra Jhampa. I have added a link to Gayatri Venkataraghavan singing it. Lalitharam also sent details of a composition on Tyagaraja by M Balamuralikrishna – it goes Ganasudharasapana niratam and is in Nata. You can hear it at this link – an interesting aside from Lalitharam – there is a composition by BMK on Muthuswami Dikshitar too! And he adds that Mayuram Viswanatha Sastry too has a song on Tyagaraja.

Harking back to Balamuralikrishnagaru, his disciple Prince Rama Varma sends an email that there are more songs on Tyagaraja. He very kindly provided me with the links. The first is Samagana Sarvabhauma in Amritavarshini (wah! BMK sir – only you could have fashioned a tribute in Dikshitar’s raga on Tyagaraja. The duo must have showered blessings). The link is here and while you access it, don’t forget to read the story behind the song, also given there. The second is Sri Gurum, in Ratnangi/Rupakam and you can hear it here at 10.00. Prince Rama Varma adds that this was the second song composed when BMK embarked on his melakarta series and he was a teenager then. Another song in that same link is Tyagarajagurum bhajeham in Todi/Khandajati Triputa. The fourth song is an absolute delight – Bhaavame maa bhaagyamu traces BMK’s lineage back via Parupalli Ramakrishnayya Pantulu to Susarla Dakshinamurthi Sastry to Manambucchavadi Venkatasubbier and then Tyagaraja!

The dance maestro VP Dhananjayan sent an email that Mysore Vasudevachar, apart from the song I have listed, also composed ragamalikas on each of the Carnatic Trinity. The one on Tyagaraja he says begins as Sri Ramachandra Padabje and he used it when he did his dance drama on the composer. I later called Dhananjayan sir and had the pleasure of listening to him sing parts of the song!

Singer Suryaprakash adds some more nuggets – there is a shloka on Tyagaraja by Walajahpet Venkataramana Bhagavatar he says that begins Vyaso nygama. He also adds another song by Ambujam Krishna – Iniyaagilum Ninai maname in Purvikalyani/rupakam. Then came a surprise, and this also came to me from VK Arun Kumar – there is a song Tyagaraja mahaguro in Purvikalyani/Adi by Dr VV Srivatsa. This was frankly a revelation because I knew the composer quite well in his final years and by then he was a stern critic of Tyagaraja, so obsessed was he with Muthuswami Dikshitar. He and I had several arguments on this though he remained a good friend. I can imagine him smiling from up there, his mouth tightly clamped over pan paraag. Suryaprakash says there is a record of this song by Vijay Siva. He also adds that there is a Varnam on Tyagaraja in raga Vandanadharini by Prof SR Janakiraman. Arun Kumar also supplied the info that KR Kedaranathan, disciple of Semmangudi, has composed the Tyagaraja Charitra Pancharatnam and it is set like the composer’s five great songs in the five Ghana ragas.

Swarnalatha (@SanerDenizen) very kindly sent me the link to a charming shloka in Sanskrit composed by her mother. You can read the lyrics here. Ananthakrishna P informs me over WordPress that C Rangiah, who he says was a prolific composer and a disciple of Bidaram Krishnappa created a song on Tyagaraja as well.

And so the list keeps growing.