Compositions of Sri Thyagaraja and Sri Muthuswami Dikshitar on Kshetram Tirupathi
Introduction
Many vaggeyakaras have composed and sung on Lord Venkateshwara and Goddess Alamelumanga of Tirupathi. Some of them being the alwars of the vaishnavite tradition, Sri Purandhara dasa, Sri Annamacharya, Sri Thyagaraja, Sri Muthuswami Dikshitar and Sri Subbaraya Shastri. The most noted composer who sang on the Lord being Sri Annamacharya, who has contributed the bulk of the compositions on this kshetram.
In this article, the compositions of carnatic trinity on kshetram Tirupathi will be discussed. Of the trinity, only Sri Thyagaraja and Sri Muthuswami Dikshitar seem to have composed on the lord of the seven hills. There is no composition of Sri Shyama Shastri on this kshetram. However, there is one composition venkata shaila vihara in hamir kalyani composed by Sri Subbaraya Shastri, son of Sri Shyama Shastri.
Sri Thyagaraja’s compositions on Tirupathi
Sri Thyagaraja (1767–1847 A.D.) was one of the greatest and prolific vaggeyakaras of carnatic music. He composed thousands of compositions on his Ishta devata Lord Rama. He has composed in both telugu and Sanskrit where the majority being in telugu. His compositions mainly constitute the musical form krithi which is laden with raga bhava and bhakthi. Sri Thyagaraja has composed two compositions on the Lord of Tirupathi. They being:
1. Thera theeyaga radha in ragam gaulipantu
2. Venkatesha ninnu in ragam madhyamavathi
Sri Thyagaraja unlike Sri Muthuswami Dikshitar did not travel much and stayed in Thiruvayyaru, Tanjore mostly. The above two kritis were composed during his pilgrimage to Tirupathi.
Thera theeyaga radha
This composition is set in ragam gaulipantu and in adi talam. In this composition, the saint pleads to the lord to remove his ignorance and to bestow him gnana to follow the right path and to attain salvation ultimately.
It is believed that when Saint Thyagaraja went to Tirumala to have a darshan of Lord Venkateshwara, the sanctum sanctorum was covered with a screen which inspired the composer to sing Thera theeyaga radha. The saint says “ Oh Lord Tirupathi Venkata Ramana ! Can you not lift the veil of jealousy in me ! It is preventing me from attaining right conduct, unblemished wealth, true love for humanity and pure devotion to God which leads to salvation: Dharma Artha, Kama, Moksha. This composition is full of similes which shows the literary prowess of the composer. The composer says “ Like hungry fishes being caught in the net; like holding a curtain preventing light from a lamp; like a fly spoiling the food of one who is just about to eat; like the mind wavering during the contemplation of “Hari”; like animals caught in the net unguardedly; my eyes are being blinded by the veil of jealousy “.
Venkatesha ninnu
This composition is in ragam madhyamavathi set to adi talam. In this composition, the saint uses a lot of sambodhana phrases to address the Lord and implores the Lord to shower his grace on him.
Saint Thyagaraja says “ Oh Lord Venkatesha ! We need a thousand eyes to see your resplendent form. Oh lotus eyed one ! protector of the sages ! You are worshipped as the most supreme of Gods. I have come to you in a state of devotion to attain your grace. I have adopted your name which is like a nectar as a step towards bliss. Oh lord of Lakshmi ! This blessing is a result of the merit I have earned by the fufillment of a vow, you are my sole refuge .One who resides in the hearts of yogis, one who reclines on Adisesha, one who is loved by Bhagavathas, one who has taken abode in Nagachala (Tirumala) in a radiant form.
Sri Muthuswami Dikshitar’s compositions on Tirupathi
Sri Muthuswami Dikshitar (1775–1835), the youngest of the Carnatic trinity composed mainly in Sanskrit. He has composed on various Hindu deities and has composed on many kshetras. He has travelled extensively to many places on pilgrimage and has composed kritis on the God and Goddesses of the respective temples. Sri Muthuswami Dikshitar has composed three kritis on Lord Venkateshwara of Tirupathi. They are:
1. Shankha chakra in ragam poornachandrika
2. Sri Venkata Gireesham in ragam surati
3. Seshachala nayakam in ragam varali
Shankha chakra
This is a composition in ragam poornachandrika set to roopaka talam. This composition is set in the dvithiya vibhakthi or accusative case. It has the kshetra mudra “ Venkata varada kshetram” and the raga mudra as well, “Poornachandrikaanga”.
The composer says, “ I bow to Lord Vishnu, who holds the conch, the discus, the mace in his hands and who bears the Shaarnga bow, the Nandaka sword, and the Kausthubha gem. He, who has lotus like feet, the beloved of Padmavathi, the remover of difficulties and he who always protects his devotees. His body is smeared with kumkuma, and he has big eyes like lotus petals. He is extolled by Lord shiva and resides in Venkatavarada kshetram. He, the protector of Gajendra, has Garuda as his vehicle, and who has been realised by Brahma , Indra and others, who has partaken the essence of nectar. He, who has protected Ajamila and other devotees and helped cross the ocean of existence, he who is the inner self of Guruguha who is radiant like the full moon. He destroys the malefic effects of planets like Mars, he who resides in the banks of the river Viraja in Vaikuntam, one who is without distinctions of one’s castes and others and he who imparts the supreme bliss.
Sri Venkata Gireesham
This is a composition in ragam surati set to roopaka talam. This composition is set in the dvithiya vibhakthi or accusative case. There is no raga mudra in this composition. The Lord is addressed as “Venkatagireesham”, the Lord of Venkata Giri in this composition.
Sri Muthuswami Dikshitar says, “ Lo Behold the Lord of Venkatagiri mounted on Garuda, the king of birds. Here Garuda is mentioned as “ Vinayaka”, the king of birds which is a very rare usage. He is worshipped by Indra, the king of devas and shines with the radiance of crores of suns. He is Govinda, who is saluted by devas and manushyas, he is mukunda and who creates joy in Guruguha. He is Anantapadmanabha in the company of Alamelumanga. He is the pratyaksha lord of kaliyuga and is surrounded by Brahma and other devas. He is dark hued like the water laden clouds and has the sun and the moon as his eyes. He dwells in Gokarna kshetra which removes all sins and he is the compassionate one and the embodiment of pure consciousness.
Seshachala nayakam
This is a composition in ragam varali set to roopaka talam. This composition is set in the dvithiya vibhakthi or accusative case. The raga mudra occurs as “munivarali vandita”. The kshetram is clearly evident as the Lord is addressed as “Seshachala nayakam”, the king of Seshachala.
Sri Muthuswami Dikshitar says, “ I worship Seshachala nayaka, the Lord of Seshachala who is the bestower of special boons. He is praised by Brahma, the beloved of Vagdevi, and all the other celestials, he is adorned with Kausthubha gem, he sports himself in various disguises. He has a smiling face, he resides in pure hearts, he excels Manmatha in his beauty, he is Mukunda, he is Madhusudhana, the killer of the asura Madhu, his eyes are like the lotus petals, he is Govinda, who reclines on the serpent, he is meditated upon by the devas and good people, and he is Narayana. He is extolled by Lord Shiva and the dikpalakas, and a host of sages. He is adored by the youthful Guruguha and is of great renown.
Conclusion
In this article , we have described and analysed the kritis of Sri Thyagaraja and Sri Muthuswami Dikshitar on kshetram Tirupathi.
References
1. T.K.Govinda Rao, Compositions of Thyagaraja, Music series-V, Ganamandir Publications, India, Second Edition, 1999
2. T.K.Govinda Rao, Compositions of Muddusvami Dikshitar, Music series-II, Ganamandir Publications, India, Second Edition, 2003
3. Dr. V.Raghavan & C. Ramanujachari, The spiritual heritage of Thyagaraja, Sri Ramakrishna Math, India, 1958
