The Indelible Impact of Thyagaraja on Carnatic Music
By A. Madhav
Thyagaraja being the most notable musician and composer in Carnatic music, has left behind a big retinue of admirers and disciples, who were influenced by his music.
Many of Thyagaraja's disciples and their disciples have eulogized his creative musical genius. He has been hailed as a pioneer and a model composer for others to follow. The article is not exhaustive and gives examples from available sources.
Walajapet Venkataramana Bhagavar, one of the prominent disciples of Thyagaraja has composed the following shlokams and compositions praising his guru.
Manambu chavadi Venkatasubbayya, a disciple and cousin of Thyagaraja wrote this kriti-Swamiki sariyerana vacchu in Devagandhari
Tummu Narasimha Dasa, a contemporary of Thyagaraja from Bhadrachalam was captivated by Thyagaraja 's bhakti oriented music. He came all the way to meet Thyagaraja in Tiruvaiyaru. He composed sisa padyams and a few keerthanas. Two of his keerthanas, Bhajana chese vidamu -in Sourashtra ragam and Rama namamrutame neeku in Madhyamavati can be mentioned.
When Thyagaraja visited Walajapet to meet his disciple, Venkataramana Bhagavatar, Mysore Sadashiva Rao, who happened to be there composed a kriti in Todi-Thyagaraja Swamy vedalina, extempore to commemorate Thyagaraja's visit.
Veena Kuppaiyer, already an established vidwan came to Thyagaraja to learn some kritis and later composed a kriti- Thyagaraja guru in Kharaharapriya. His son, Tiruvottiyur Tyagayya was also responsible for another Kharaharapriya kriti -Thyagaraja swami guruniki, in praise of the great composer.
Many other composers have been enamoured of Thyagaraja 's greatness and made kritis . A few of them have been listed below.
Satguru Swamiki -Ritigoula by Ramnad (Poochi) Srinivasa Iyengar
Ini namakkoru-Bilahari -Koteeswara Iyer
Sri Thyagaraja Ashtottara Shata namavali -Bangalore Nagarathnamma
Srimadadi Thyagaraja guruvaram-in Kalyani- Mysore Vasudevachar and his ragamalika
Thyagaraja guruvani- Hindolam-Muthiah Bhagavatar
Ehi Sarguro-Khamas by Mayuram Vishwanatha Sastri
Nadabrahmam- in raga Nadabrahma & Sri sachidananda kandam-Vachaspathi by Meechu Krishna Iyer
Sri Thyagaraja Swami mahimanu -Vachaspati (Manipravala kriti in Telugu and Tamil) by P.Sambhamurthy. Another composition by P.Sambhamurthy is
Ramachandra nannu in Haridasapriya.
Thyagaraja m gurum-Kedaram-M.D. Ramanathan
Papanasam Sivan's kriti in Begada is in praise of Thyagaraja and his kriti in Kedaragaoula covers important aspects of the Sangeetha Trimurthis
Maanavalkula bhushana-Hindola by G.N.Balasubramanian
Anandam tandaan-Madhyamavathi-V.V.Sadagopan
Thyagaraja gurum-Arabhi by Mulugu Sivananda Sastri
Thyagaraja gurunatha-Purvikalyani-N.S.Ramachandran
Bhajeham Sri Thyagaraja m - Purvikalyani by Nagpur Subba Rao
Sri Rama chaitanname-Saveri-Shuddananda Bharathi
Balamuralikrishna's kriti Thyagaraja gurum in Thodi
D.Pattammal has composed - a Navaraga malika with the beginning words-Tyagabrahmam Kathamrutam
Thyagaraja guruvai-Bhushavali and Nadagana Thyagaraja m-Athana -two kritis by Padmavathi Ammal
Thyagaraja m bharaje chitta-Karpurabharani-PK.Rajagopala Iyer
Ambujam Krishna- Satguru Neeve in Amrutavarshini
K.M.Soundaryavalli has composed close to 30 kritis on Thyagaraja -all in Telugu
Two examples of her kritis are mentioned. Ganasudha rasa panamu-Bhairavi and Dinakara kulambudhi- Hamsadhvani
Thyagaraja satguru-Bilahari-Andavan Picchu
Ramane ninaivai-Keeravani- Ananda dasa
Varaguna Sangita-Ragamalika-
and Navaratna stotram (Sri
Rama nama japa) by Tiruvalangadu Mahalinga
Sastri
Sada Tyagarajam chintaye" - Todi - Meenakshi suta
S.Mukund's two kritis are-Thyagaraja nadabrahma-Nama Narayani and
Nadabrahma swarupaya-Bhupali
Two kritis by the author of this article -Thyagaraja swaminam -Raghupriya and
Sangeeta guruniki mrokkeda- Bilahari are cited.