How the saint worshipped Rama
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Tyagaraja worshipped Sri Rama through his divya nama kirtanas and unchavriti underlined a personality without ego.
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The idol of Saint Tyagaraja at the Tiruvaiyaru temple.
SAINT TYAGARAJA (1767-1847 A.D.) was born in Tiruvarur and spent most of his life at Tiruvaiyaru, on the banks of the sacred Cauvery. His ``Dhaasya-Vaathsalya-Raama Bhakthi bhaava Visesham" has been cited as the inspiring source of his moving compositions on Lord Ramachandara.
These extraordinary kritis are considered as the holy water (punya tirtham) associated with Ramaabhishekam" that he performed every day.
It was the time of music genius such as Thodi Seetharaamayaa, Sankarabharanam Narasayya and others who used their manodharmam to elaborate extensively the swaroopam of these raagams through the Ragam-Tanam-Pallavi format. These ragas were their family jewels.
This was also the period of mahaans who celebrated the Lord through bhakti-filled dhivya namas and slokams and there was no room for ego.
It was at this point of time that Tyagaraja arrived on the scene and through his bhakti-drenched dhivya naama and other kritis he united the bhaava thrayams (Sangita Bhaavam, Sahithya Bhaavam and Bhakti Bhaavam).
He united thus Sangeetha siddhaantham and Bhakti siddhaantham.
The result was navaneetham that was distributed to the bhaktas during the Saint's unchavruthi, regular and Ekaadasi bhajans, daily rituals, and special occasions like the Sri Rama Navami festival.
Saint Tyagaraja chose the Unchavruthi (alms seeking as a way of life to sustain himself and his family). The head of such a Bhagavathar adorned a turban and his hands held a tampura and chaplaakattai to maintain the sruti and layam.
At his own temple town of Tiruvaiyaru with broad and long streets (Maada Veethis), Tyagaraja Swamigal left his home at Tirumanjana Veedhi and sang the just-composed dhivya naama krithis and received alms from the residents. The dhivya naama kritis were born on such occasions.
Through these dhivya naama kritis, Saint Tyagaraja celebrated the virtuous qualities and the divine and matchless beauty of Sri Ramachandra, son of Dasaratha, Consort of Sita Devi and the Prince of Ayodhya.
Ragams used for the Bhakthi-laden Dhivya Naama Krithis
Tyagaraja used many kinds of ragams in singing the divya naama krithis: Rakthi ragams, ghana ragams, upaanga-bhaashaanga raagas, sampoorna ragams, Varja-Vakra and Chaayalaka ragams.
The dhivya naama krithis have no anupallavi; but they have many short charanams . There might be as many as 12 or more charanams in the Dhivya Naama Krithis. They are in the form of achaarya upadesams .
The mood will range from prayer for protection to celebration of the glories of the names of the Lord to the condemnation of material pleasures to praise of spiritual values to plaintive pleading for Lord's darsanam with madhura bhaavam.
The dhvani and the alliterations echoed in the passages of the dhivya nama krithis are beautiful to experience. One such Dhivya Nama Krithi in Yadhukula Kaambhoji raagam and Jampa thaalam is: ``Sri Raama Raghuraama Srungaara Raamayani chinthinjaraadhe oh manasa."
This krithi has nine charanams. Here, Swamigal asks his mind why it won't meditate upon Sri Rama.
Categories of Dhivya Naamas in the Saint's krithis
Sriman Purushothaman of the Andhra Pradesh Sangita Naataka Academy has culled out and classified the dhivya namaas into categories.
The dhivya namas are added in paranthesis: For instance, Rama as the Supreme Lord of the Universe (Lokaadhaaran, Aprameyan, Devaadhi Devan, Svaprakaasan) and Lord of the Vedas and Agamas (Aagama Moolan, Nigama Saaraartan).
VARADACHARI SADAGOPAN
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