->Knowdom 2.0: Birth place

2021-11-01T07:14:10Z

Birth place

New page

{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2018}}
{{Use Indian English|date=June 2018}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name = Mayuram Viswanatha Sastri
| image = Mayuram Viswanatha Sastry.jpg
| image_size =
| landscape = 
| alt =
| caption =
| background = non_performing_personnel
| native_name = மாயூரம் விஸ்வநாத சாஸ்திரி
| native_name_lang = Tamil
| birth_name =
| alias =
| birth_date = {{birth date|1893|11|27|df=yes}}
| birth_place = [[Therazhundur]], [[Tanjore District (Madras Presidency)|Tanjore District]], [[Madras Presidency]], [[British India]]
(Present-day [[Mayiladuthurai district|Mayiladuthurai District]], [[Tamil Nadu]], [[India]])
| origin =
| death_date = {{death date and age|1958|12|31|1893|11|27|df=yes}}
| death_place =
| genre = [[Carnatic music|Carnatic]]
| occupation = Composer, Musician and Dramatist
| instrument =
| years_active = 
| label =
| associated_acts =
| website = 
}}
'''Mayuram Viswanatha Sastri''' (Tamil: மாயூரம் விஸ்வநாத சாஸ்திரி) (1893–1958) was a Carnatic music composer. His most remembered composition is the patriotic song "'''Jayathi Jayathi Bharata Mata'''". Translated "Victory Victory to Mother India", the song has become a standard among classical singers of South India. This song is one of the 18 songs in his book ''''Bharat Bhajan'''<nowiki/>' which was published in the year 1948 containing songs in praise of Bharat Matha( Mother India) and Mahatma Gandhi. This book was one among his many publications.

==Early life and background==
Sastri was born on 27 November 1893 to Ramaswamy Ganapadigal and Balambal Lakshmi in [[Therizhandur]] near [[Mayuram]] (also known as Māyavaram, present-day Mayilāduthurai) in Tamil Nadu. He was the second of six children. He was initiated in Sanskrit studies, as was the custom and was put in Sanskrit College at Kalyan Mahal, [[Thiruvaiyaru]]. He also studied the vedas simultaneously for some time. This helped him attain proficiency in Vedas and the Sanskrit language. Later, the lure of English education led him to become a student at the Municipal High School in Mayuram.

He was interested in [[Carnatic music]] from an early age and trained under illustrious preceptors like Dasavadyam Venkatarama Iyengar of [[Devakottai]],, [[Namakkal]] Narasimha Iyengar and [[Simizhi Sundaram Iyer]].

Young Sastri devoted more time to music than to his other studies. He imbibed the taste for music from his mother. He had a high-pitched voice and, in due course, he attracted the attention of the local Vidvans (Maestros) who recognized his musical talent.

== Life history ==
Completing his S.S.L.C. (Secondary School Leaving Certificate) in 1912, Sastri searched for a job and got a school teacher's post. In 1913, he married Kamalambal. He lost his parents in 1915. He shifted to [[Tiruchirappalli]] and became a teacher and musician. In the meantime, he gained proficiency in [[Pump organ|Harmonium]] playing and became acquainted with [[Alathur Venkatesa Iyer]]. He tried his hand at [[Harikatha]] for some time at the suggestion of [[Muthiah Bhagavatar]] and Panchapakesha Bhagavatar who were his close friends. He later moved to [[Karaikudi]] and as a music teacher. In 1921, he moved back to Madras (Now [[Chennai]]) in 1921.

His only daughter survived for less than a year after birth. In 1935, he also lost his wife.

Mayuram Viswanatha Sastri died in [[Jamshedpur]] on 31December 1958.

== Musical Journey ==
The burning desire in him that he should become a full-fledged musician made him approach Namakkal Narasimha Iyengar for a Vidya guru (teacher). He also had music training under Dasavadyam Venkatarama Iyengar of Devakottai and later under [[Simizhi Sundaram Iyer]]. He moved to Madras (Now Chennai) in 1921 and became a professional musician. He was for some time the [[Pump organ|Harmonium]] player for dramas enacted by the Madras Secretariat Party and also gave performances on the [[Pump organ|Harmonium]] with accompaniments. When A.I.R. ([[All India Radio]]) issued a ban on [[Pump organ|Harmonium]] in 1940, he gave it up.

From an early age, Sastri had a gift for composing songs. This was mostly in Tamil and dedicated to [[Kartikeya|Lord Murugan]]. In 1926, [https://web.archive.org/web/20030610142133/http://thehindu.com/thehindu/fr/2002/12/20/stories/2002122001680400.htm Kadalangudi Natesha Shastri] published Sastri's first book of songs "'''Valli Parinaya Manipravala Satakam'''". The Madras Music Academy instituted a [[Kriti]] competition in all languages in 1929. A total of 9 competitors had submitted 20 songs. Out of 3 compositions in Sanskrit, 2 of Sastri's compositions were the only songs selected for the top spot. A committee of three judges - [[Tiger Varadachariar]], [http://bispindia.com/content/tl-venkatarama-iyer T. L. Venkatarama Iyer] and Jalatharangam Ramaniah Chettiar, adjudged his Sanskrit [[Kriti]] "Kamithe Karunanvite" in praise of 'Bharatha Matha' (Mother India) in [[Todi (raga)|Todi Raga]] as the best.

He was awarded a prize amount of Rs.100/-, a princely sum in those days, and was felicitated at a public function for musicians and music lovers. This was just the right opening for him to bring to limelight his composing ability and spurred him to compose more songs.

In 1933, Swami Balananda Sarasvati of [[Kadirkamam (Union Territory Assembly constituency)|Kadirkamam]], in [[Sri Lanka]] (Ceylon in those days), highly impressed with the devotional character of his songs, helped him to publish the book "'''Murugan Pugazh Paamalai'''" which contained songs in praise of [[Kartikeya|Lord Muruga]] . He also gave him the title of "Kantam" (indicating his songs had a magnetic ability to attract audience), the catchword of the song "'''[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7FhZ0O9nw0A Kantamam Kadirkamattanilor]'''".

He founded the Bhakta Sangita Mandal in 1933, through which mass singing of his songs was conducted, where he taught these songs for free. As years advanced, he applied himself more to composing songs in praise of [[Kartikeya|Lord Muruga]] and all thoughts of becoming a performing musician receded as his focus towards becoming a composer increased. In 1940, he published the book "'''Murugan Madhura Kirtanai'''" consisting of 60 songs on [[Kartikeya|Lord Muruga]]. The book provides a rich repertoire of Tamil songs.

In 1947, a booklet of songs in Tamil for Independence Day 'Desiya Jaya Geetham' was published. It dealt with [[Khadi|Khaddar]], [[Mahatma Gandhi|Gandhiji]], [[Flag of India|Flag salutation]], and so on. In 1948, a booklet of 18 songs in Sanskrit, called "'''Bharat Bhajan'''", containing songs on Bharata Matha (Mother India) and Mahatma Gandhi, was published. The songs are in simple flowing language, set in well known Hindustani ragas like [[Bihag|Behag]], [[Bhimpalasi|Bhimpalas]], [[Bilaval]]. Mand and [[Desh (raga)|Desh]] to ensure they are sung all over the country [India].

There are still a good number of songs in manuscript, both in Tamil and Sanskrit, which Sastri intended to publish such as "'''Shiva Shakti Madhura Kirtanai'''" and "'''Harihara Madhura Kirtanai'''". He has composed a set of five songs called "'''Balar Pancharatnam'''" in Sanskrit, for children that forms a prayer. The manuscript collection also includes 8 songs on [[Sai Baba of Shirdi|Shirdi Sai Baba]], which has come out as a [[Compact disc|CD]] in 2007.

He was the first person to set the [[Tirukkuṛaḷ|Tirukkural]] verses to music and he published the first volume containing the Arattupal in 41 songs with [[Svara]] notation calling it "'''Tirukkural Madhura Kirtanai'''". This was published during his lifetime. [[Sangeet Natak Akademi|The '''''Sangeet''''' Natak Academy]] in Delhi gave a grant of Rs.1000 for this. Later on one more volume was published by his younger brother Shri.T. R. Vaithisvaran in 1987. Other volumes of this series are still in manuscripts.

He has also written a few novels and plays of which is "Bhakta Jayadeva" and "Chitra Kamini" were staged. Others included Karaikal Ammayar, Virata Parva, Santha Kumari, and Mithra Vijayam.

He was a member of the experts' committee of Annamalai University for two years.

== Other Information ==
He was the second of six siblings. His elder brother was Shri. R. Krishnamoorthi. His younger brothers were Shri. R. Kuppuswami Iyer, Shri. R. Rajagopalan, Shri. T. R. Vaithisvaran. The last sibling was his sister Smt. Vallabham Kalyanasundaram.

Shri.T. R. Vaithisvaran was also a composer by his own merit and is known for his work Shri Ramarpana Gita Puja Kirtana, Shri Ramarpana Kirtana and Shri Ramarpana Jeevia Kirtana.

His sister Smt. Vallabham Kalyanasundaram was an accomplished singer and recognized as 'Vidushi' for her depth of knowledge in Carnatic Music. She was an artist with the All India Radio and Guru(teacher) to Shri. [[S Shankar|Vidwan S. Shankar]].

She carried on the legacy of Sastri by winning a number of awards in Carnatic Music competitions, giving concerts and conducting music classes too.

== Compositions ==
{| class="wikitable"
|+List of Publications
!Sr.No
!Name of Publication
!Number of songs
!Language
!Year of Publication
|-
|1
|Valli Parinaya Manipravala Satakam
|100 verses
|Tamil
|1926
|-
|2
|Murugan Pugazh Paamalai
|
|Tamil
|1933
|-
|3
|Vedapuri Kirtana series 1
|4
|Sanskrit
|1937
|-
|4
|Murugan Madhura Kirtanai
|60
|Tamil
|1940
|-
|5
|Bharat Bhajan
|18
|Sanskrit
|1948
|-
|6
|Tirukkural Madhura Kirtanai
|41
|Tamil
|1958
|}
{| class="wikitable"
|+Unpublished Manuscripts
!Sr.No
!Name of Manuscript
!Number of songs
!Language
|-
|1
|Shiva Shakti Madhura Kirtanai
|
|Tamil
|-
|2
|Harihara Madhura Kirtanai
|
|Tamil
|-
|3
|Balar Pancharatnam
|5
|Sanskrit
|-
|4
|Songs on Shirdi Saibaba
|8
|Sanskrit
|-
|5
|Songs on Shirdi Saibaba
|9
|Tamil
|}

==External links==
* {{Cite web|url=http://www.carnatica.net/composer/viswanathasastri.htm|title=Galaxy of Composers|publisher=Carnatica.com}}
* http://www.karnatik.com/co1033.shtml
* http://www.thehindu.com/features/friday-review/music/Some-facts-about-the-composer.../article16852706.ece
* http://www.trinitymirror.net/news/mayuram-viswanatha-sastri/

=== You Tube links to some renditions of Mayuram Viswanatha Sastri's compositions by few artists ===

{| class="wikitable"
|+
!Sr.No
!Songs
!From Publication
|-
|1
|[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aJX0xLRuPZc '''Jayathi Jayathi''']
|Bharat Bhajan
|-
|2
|'''[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CY96h6e_A3w Karthikeyanai]'''
|Murugan Madhura Kirtanai
|-
|3
|'''[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xXQJnWk-2bs Sarasadalanayanane]'''
|Murugan Madhura Kirtanai
|-
|4
|'''[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KSJm9H_EgZU Sri Mahaganapathe]'''
|Unpublished [[Varnam]]
|-
|5
|'''[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GkqlDmEHJcs Samarasa Bhavana]'''
|Bharat Bhajan
|-
|6
|'''[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qY-pGm2pNBM Jaalame]'''
|Murugan Madhura Kirtanai
|-
|7
|'''[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7bMo8rbkKrc Shantha Ahimsa Murte]'''
|Bharat Bhajan
|-
|8
|'''[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0GpPDc6-hVs Adumayile]'''
|Murugan Madhura Kirtanai
|-
|9
|'''[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F06437VKvGA Bharatha Samrajya Sukhi]'''
|Bharat Bhajan
|-
|10
|'''[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JropZYGPIts Gana Nadha]'''
|Unpublished [[Varnam]]
|-
|11
|'''[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zbc2stHaUt4 Ninne Nammi]'''
|Unpublished [[Varnam]]
|-
|12
|[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NVm2h55_JDw '''Dasarathe''']
|Unpublished [[Varnam]]
|-
|13
|[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WOcwQeGKCEc '''Mayil Vahana''']
|Murugan Madhura Kirtanai
|-
|14
|'''[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UKNAtwQwvOU Thaatha Vara Dwijaathamaam]'''
|Songs on Shirdi Sai Baba
|}

{{authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sastri, Viswanatha}}
[[Category:1893 births]]
[[Category:Carnatic composers]]
[[Category:People from Mayiladuthurai district]]
[[Category:1958 deaths]]

Viswanatha Sastri - Revision history

->Knowdom 2.0: Birth place