We are very much aware of the shloka -
Guru Brahma Gurur Vishnu
Guru Devo Maheshwaraha
Guru Saakshat Para Brahma
Tasmai Sree Gurave Namaha
Meaning:Guru is verily the representative of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. He
creates, sustains knowledge and destroys the weeds of ignorance. I salute
such a Guru.
Guru is an important and the only source to learn any kind of arts; thoughcreates, sustains knowledge and destroys the weeds of ignorance. I salute
such a Guru.
We can study the guru shishya parampara since an ancient time period.
guru shishyas.
Lets have a bird eye view on this great parampara and those great personalities
guru shishyas.
Lets have a bird eye view on this great parampara and those great personalities
MAHA GURU - SRI TYAGARAJA SWAMI(1767 - 1847 AD):-
Sri Tyagaraja Swami, the most celebrated CarnaticMusic saint was a great devotee of Lord Sri Rama.
Tyagaraja lived to the full extent that God realization
is best achieved through Nadopasana (music with
devotion). His songs are filled with an intimate
devotion to Rama, all through revealing his deep
understanding of the tenets of the Vedas and Upanishads.
devotion). His songs are filled with an intimate
devotion to Rama, all through revealing his deep
understanding of the tenets of the Vedas and Upanishads.
Sri Tyagaraja has composed more than 800 songs in his long devoted life to
Lord Rama, most of them written in his Mother tongue Telegu, but a few in
Sanskrit, including the masterpiece "Jagadanandakaraka" composed of 108
names describing Lord Rama's attributes.
Tyagaraja started his musical training under His GURU Sri Sonti Lord Rama, most of them written in his Mother tongue Telegu, but a few in
Sanskrit, including the masterpiece "Jagadanandakaraka" composed of 108
names describing Lord Rama's attributes.
Venkataramanayya at an early age. Tyagaraja regarded music as a way to
experience the love of God. The legend goes that he was blessed by the divine
sage Narada with great musical knowledge.
Having composed an innumerable number of keerthanas (songs) that explored
all the possibilities within the rules of the Carnatic music tradition, Tyagaraja is
truly regarded as the cornerstone of Carnatic music.
all the possibilities within the rules of the Carnatic music tradition, Tyagaraja is
truly regarded as the cornerstone of Carnatic music.
Saint Thyagaraja also created two musical plays, commonly called operas.
However, We call them music plays as neither Geya Nataka nor opera
seems correct and appropriate. Prahlada Bhakthi Vijaya, a play without
Hiranya Kasipu or Narasimha, has some 48 songs and over 120 padyams.
It has in addition, invocative, descriptive and introductory gadyas,
choornikas, and other forms of prose passages of great merit. Nowka Charitha,
the other play is equally fascinating and once again a creation without any
basis derived from Bhagavatham. This play has 21 songs and many padyas
and gadya passages.
Saint Thyagaraaja is maha guru for all music pupils; but mainly if we focus
on his direct shishyas, we will come to know several mahan musicians.
Mahan Shishyas of Saint Thyagaraja -
1. VEENA KUPPAYYAR
Veena Kuppayyar was a famous vainika (veena player), disciple of Shri
Thyagaraja and a composer of merit. Veena Kuppayyar was born into a
musical family in Tiruvottiyur. His father Sambamoorti Sastri was a famous
vocalist and a veena player. Kuppayyar had his initial training from his
father. Later he became a disciple of Thyagaraja and learnt composing
from him. He was also a Sanskrit and Telugu scholar. He also learnt violin,
which was a new instrument in Carnatic music at the time. But, it was for
his profiency in Veena that Kuppayyar came to be well known and veena
became a part of his name too.
Thyagaraja and a composer of merit. Veena Kuppayyar was born into a
musical family in Tiruvottiyur. His father Sambamoorti Sastri was a famous
vocalist and a veena player. Kuppayyar had his initial training from his
father. Later he became a disciple of Thyagaraja and learnt composing
from him. He was also a Sanskrit and Telugu scholar. He also learnt violin,
which was a new instrument in Carnatic music at the time. But, it was for
his profiency in Veena that Kuppayyar came to be well known and veena
became a part of his name too.
Veena Kuppayyar later shifted to Muthialpet in Madras. Kovur Sundara
Mudaliar was his primary patron and enjoyed the status of asthana vidhwan
there. Even Thyagaraja visited Mudaliar's madras house. Kuppayyar
trained a lot of disciples in his gurukula, who carried forward the Thyagaraja
shishya parampara, helping to spread his krithi-s and music.
Mudaliar was his primary patron and enjoyed the status of asthana vidhwan
there. Even Thyagaraja visited Mudaliar's madras house. Kuppayyar
trained a lot of disciples in his gurukula, who carried forward the Thyagaraja
shishya parampara, helping to spread his krithi-s and music.
Veena Kuppayyar composed in Telugu, both krithi-s and varnam-s.
His varnam-s like saami ninne kori (Shankarabharanam) are very famous.
His mudra was Gopaaladaasa, in honour of his family diety.
His varnam-s like saami ninne kori (Shankarabharanam) are very famous.
His mudra was Gopaaladaasa, in honour of his family diety.
Mudra: Gopaladasa
Genre Carnatic: Krithi, Varnam
Languages used: Telugu
Compositions:
Inta Paralekha - Begada - Rupaka
Vinayaka Ninnuvina - Hamsadvani - Adi
Inta Chalamu - Begada - Adi
Inta Chouka - Bilahar - Adi
Nenarunchi - Danyasi - Khanda Ata
Koniyadina - Kambhoji - Adi
Sami ninne kori - Sankarabharanam - Adi
2.WALAJPET VENKATARAMANA BHAGAVATAR
Walajapet Venkataramana Bhagavatar - Preserver of Saint Thyagaraja
Krithis
Krithis
Walajapet Venkataramana Bhagavatar (1781-1874) was one of the
important disciples of Saint Thyagaraja, who had 30 direct disciples
instrumental in propagating his compositions. This consequently resulted
in popularising Thyagaraja's krithis to a wider circle of music lovers.
Walajapet Venkatarama Bhagavatar and his son, Walajapet Krishnaswamy
Bhagavatar belonged to the Walajapet school of sishya parampara.
The other two, being the Tillaisthanam school, championed by Rama
Iyengar and the Umayalpuram school represented by two brothers-
Sundara and Krishna Bhagavatars. Besides these three schools, several
other disciples learnt music from Thyagaraja individually. For example,
Veena Kuppaiyer was an established vidwan even before he came to
learn some krithis from Thyagaraja.
important disciples of Saint Thyagaraja, who had 30 direct disciples
instrumental in propagating his compositions. This consequently resulted
in popularising Thyagaraja's krithis to a wider circle of music lovers.
Walajapet Venkatarama Bhagavatar and his son, Walajapet Krishnaswamy
Bhagavatar belonged to the Walajapet school of sishya parampara.
The other two, being the Tillaisthanam school, championed by Rama
Iyengar and the Umayalpuram school represented by two brothers-
Sundara and Krishna Bhagavatars. Besides these three schools, several
other disciples learnt music from Thyagaraja individually. For example,
Veena Kuppaiyer was an established vidwan even before he came to
learn some krithis from Thyagaraja.
Initially Venkataramana Bhagavatar came to Thyagaraja as a disciple from
Ayyampettai - a small town close to Tiruvaiyaru and later on stayed with
him as an companion doing secretarial work for him. He was associated with
Thyagaraja for over a quarter of century. He was a scholar in Sanskrit and
Telugu. His son, Krishnaswamy Bhagavatar was a student of the great master
too. Between them, they chronicled much of Thyagaraja's biographical data
and also the many events in Thyagaraja's life for approximately thirty five
years. This information documented by them has been invaluable to get a
better picture of Thyagaraja's visits to some pilgrim centers and the contact
he had with visitors to his humble home.
Ayyampettai - a small town close to Tiruvaiyaru and later on stayed with
him as an companion doing secretarial work for him. He was associated with
Thyagaraja for over a quarter of century. He was a scholar in Sanskrit and
Telugu. His son, Krishnaswamy Bhagavatar was a student of the great master
too. Between them, they chronicled much of Thyagaraja's biographical data
and also the many events in Thyagaraja's life for approximately thirty five
years. This information documented by them has been invaluable to get a
better picture of Thyagaraja's visits to some pilgrim centers and the contact
he had with visitors to his humble home.
Venkataramana Bhagavatar was so awed by Thyagaraja's greatness that
he wrote the following compositions in Sanskrit and Telugu in praise of his
guru.
Sri Guru ashtakam - in Sanskrit (Dhyana slokams)
Sri Guru Mangalashtakam - in Telugu
Adi Guru Ashtotra Panchangam - in Telugu
Sri Kakarlanvaya Ratnashara - a text in Manipravalam ( in Sanskrit,
Telugu and Sourashtram)
Gurucharanam bhajare - Sankarabharanam-Adi (a krithi)
But for the indefatigable efforts of Walajapet Venkataramana Bhagavatar
and his son, many krithis of Thyagaraja would not have been available to us.
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