Tyagaraja

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TY?GAR?JA

TY?GAR?JA (1767–1847), poet-composer. The most influential poet-composer (v?gg?yak?ra) of South India, Ty?gar?ja was born on 4 May 1767 in Tiruv?r?r near Tanj?v?r, then a center of learning and culture. Between seven hundred and one thousand of his songs, mainly belonging to the genres known as k?rtana and kriti, have been preserved by several teacher-disciple lineages (guru shishya parampara). His Telugu lyrics are infused with Sanskrit and reveal a variety of literary and philosophical influences as well as a profound knowledge of music theory. Unlike his contemporaries, Muttusv?mi D?kshitar and Shy?ma Sh?stri, with whom he forms the "Trinity" of South Indian music, Ty?gar?ja often shares the joys and struggles of his personal life and worship with his public. Like D?kshitar, he was an accomplished vina player (vainika) who succeeded in amalgamating the expressiveness (bh?va) of the voice and the aesthetic appeal (rasa) of instrumental music.

The fact that Ty?gar?ja's father was an exponent of harikath? (musical discourse) explains the composer's aptitude for bringing the divine and heroic characters of the R?m?ya?a, the Pur??as, and the Bh?gavatam to life. This art form has devotion (bhakti) for its subject, provides ample scope for variations on a given theme, and is based on India's ancient Hindu texts.

Ty?gar?ja also composed two musical plays, titled Naukach?ritramu (Boat story) and Prahl?da bhakti vijayamu (Victory of Prahl?da's devotion). These original versions of popular stories were told through the characters' singing as well as in narrative passages provided by a s?tradh?ra, the conventional director of Indian drama. Both works have been adaptated for Bh?gavatam?lam drama as well as for Kuchipudi and Bharata N?tya dance-drama, although they were probably not written for the purpose of being so enacted. Similarly, some portions have long been included in musical concerts.

Ty?gar?ja's fame spread during his lifetime and has steadily grown since his death in 1847, initially by way of harikath? performances. Since 1925, homage is annually paid to him at festivals known as Ty?gar?ja ?r?dhana, primarily in Tiruvaiy?ru, where he lived and where his sam?dhi (resting place) was erected, as well as in other locations. Some music societies (sabh?) maintain the tradition of reenacting Ty?gar?ja's performance of unchavritti, the custom of collecting food alms while singing religious songs with his disciples, as he shunned the demands of worldly patrons. With the boldness of a creative genius and the authority of a sage advancing the art and science of music, he celebrates the very experience of music time and again in his songs.

Ludwig Pesch

See alsoMusic: South India