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{{short description|Composer in Carnatic classical music}}
{{short description|Composer in Carnatic Classical Music (1767-1847)}}
{{redirect|Tyagayya|the films|Tyagayya (1946 film)|and|Tyagayya (1981 film)}}{{For|the raga on Tyagaraja|Sri Tyagaraja}}{{similar names|Thiagarajah}}
{{redirect|Tyagayya|the films|Tyagayya (1946 film)|and|Tyagayya (1981 film)}}
{{EngvarB|date=August 2014}}
{{For|the raga on Tyagaraja|Sri Tyagaraja}}
{{similar names|Thiagarajah}}
{{more citations needed|date=July 2019}}
{{Use British English|date=August 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2023}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2023}}
{{more citations needed|date=July 2019}}
{{Infobox person
{{Infobox person
| name              = Thyāgarāja
| name              = Tyāgarāja
| image              = Tyagaraja (cropped).png
| image              = Sri Tyagabrahmam.png
| caption            = A painting of Thyagaraja from the [[Jaganmohan palace]] in [[Mysore]]<ref>{{cite book |last1=Aiyar |first1=M. S. Ramaswami |title=Thiagaraja: A Great Musician Saint |date=1927 |page=62 |url=https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.34174 |language=en}}</ref>
| caption            = A painting of Tyāgarāja from the [[Jaganmohan Palace]] in [[Mysore]]<ref>{{cite book |last1=Aiyar |first1=M. S. Ramaswami |title=Thiagaraja: A Great Musician Saint |date=1927 |page=62 |url=https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.34174 |language=en}}</ref>
| birth_name        = Kakarla Tyagabrahmam
| birth_name        = Kākarla Tyāgabraḥmaṁ
| alias              =  
| alias              =  
| birth_date        = {{birth date|df=yes|1767|5|4}}
| birth_date        = {{birth date|df=yes|1767|5|4}}
| birth_place        = [[Tiruvarur]]
| birth_place        = [[Tiruvarur]], [[Thanjavur]], [[Maratha Kingdom]]
| death_date        = {{death date and age|df=yes|1847|1|6|1767|5|4}}
| death_date        = {{death date and age|df=yes|1847|1|6|1767|5|4}}
| death_place        = [[Thiruvaiyaru]],<ref name="Thiruvaiyaru Thyagaraja Aradhana">{{cite web|title=Thiruvaiyaru Thyagaraja Aradhana|url=http://thiruvaiyaruthyagarajaaradhana.org/biography.html|access-date=15 November 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160114185914/http://thiruvaiyaruthyagarajaaradhana.org/biography.html|archive-date=14 January 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref> [[Thanjavur Maratha kingdom]]
| death_place        = [[Thiruvaiyaru]],<ref name="Thiruvaiyaru Thyagaraja Aradhana">{{cite web|title=Thiruvaiyaru Thyagaraja Aradhana|url=http://thiruvaiyaruthyagarajaaradhana.org/biography.html|access-date=15 November 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160114185914/http://thiruvaiyaruthyagarajaaradhana.org/biography.html|archive-date=14 January 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref> [[Thanjavur Maratha kingdom]]
| resting_place      = [[Thiruvaiyaru]], [[Thanjavur District]], [[Tamil Nadu]], [[India]]
| occupation        = [[Carnatic music|Carnatic]] composer
| occupation        = [[Carnatic music|Carnatic]] composer
| website            = {{URL|thiruvaiyaruthyagarajaaradhana.org}}
}}
}}


'''Thyagaraja''' ([[Telugu language|Telugu]]: త్యాగరాజ) (4 May 1767 – 6 January 1847), also known as '''Thyāgayya''' and in full as '''Kakarla Thyagabrahmam''', was a composer and vocalist of [[Carnatic music]], a form of [[Indian classical music]]. Tyagaraja and his contemporaries, [[Shyama Shastri]] and [[Muthuswami Dikshitar]], are regarded as the [[Trinity of Carnatic music]]. Tyagaraja composed thousands of devotional compositions, most in [[Telugu language|Telugu]] and in praise of [[Rama]], many of which remain popular today, the most popular being "Nagumomu".<ref>{{cite book|title=India through the ages|url=https://archive.org/details/indiathroughages00mada|last=Gopal|first=Madan|year= 1990| page= [https://archive.org/details/indiathroughages00mada/page/233 233]|editor=K.S. Gautam|publisher=Publication Division, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India}}</ref> Of special mention are five of his compositions called the ''[[Pancharatna Kriti]]s'' ({{translation}} "five gems"), which are often sung in programs in his honour, and ''Utsava Sampradaya Krithis'' ({{translation}} Festive ritual compositions), which are often sung to accompany temple rituals.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-08-09 |title=Tyagaraja: Iconic saint-poet of Carnatic music whose name came up in Parliament |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/india/tyagaraja-carnatic-musician-poet-saint-jairam-ramesh-venkaiah-naidu-parliament-8080294/ |access-date=2023-03-01 |website=The Indian Express |language=en}}</ref>
'''Sadguru Sri Tyāgarāja Swāmi''' (4 May 1767 – 6 January 1847), also known as '''Tyāgayya''', and in full as '''Kākarla Tyāgabraḥmaṁ''', was a composer of [[Carnatic Music]], a form of [[Indian Classical Music]]. Tyāgarāja and his contemporaries, [[Śyāma Śāstri]] and [[Muthuswami Dikshitar|Muthuswāmi Dikshitar]], are regarded as the [[Trinity of Carnatic Music]]. Tyāgarāja composed hundreds of devotional [[Kriti (music)|kṛti]] ({{translation}} compositions), mostly in [[Telugu language|Telugu]] and in praise of [[Rama|Rāma]]. Many of them remain popular to this day. Of special mention are five of his compositions called the ''[[Pancharatna Kriti|Pañcaratna Kṛti]]'' ({{translation}} five gems), which are often sung in programs held in his honor. Tyāgarāja composed many ''Utsava Sāmpradāya Kṛti'' ({{translation}} festive ritual compositions), meant to be sung in temple rituals/festivities and ''Divya Nāma Saṅkīrtana'' ({{translation}} divine compositions on the Lord's various names), sung as a part of concerts and daily life.
 
Tyāgarāja lived through the reigns of four kings of the [[Thanjavur Maratha kingdom|Thanjavur Maratha rule]] – [[Thuljaji]] (1763–1787), [[Amar Singh of Thanjavur|Amarasimha]] (1787–1798), [[Serfoji II]] (1798–1832) and [[Shivaji of Thanjavur|Shivaji II]] (1832–1855),<ref>[http://www.thehindu.com/society/history-and-culture/Legend-has-been-rather-cruel-to-Serfoji-when-it-concerns-Tyagaraja./article17394011.ece The saint and the king: on the Serfoji-Tyagaraja relationship]. The Hindu (2 March 2017). Retrieved on 2018-12-25.</ref> although he served none of them.
 
== Biography ==
Tyāgarāja was born Kākarla Tyāgabraḥmaṁ in 1767<ref group="Note">His birth date according to the [[Hindu calendar|Hindu lunar calendar]] Sarvajit 27th Soma, the Chaitra Śukla Saptami day (the seventh day of the bright half of the Hindu month of [[Chaitra]]), under the ''Puṣya'' star.</ref> to a [[Telugu Brahmins|Telugu]] Vaidiki [[Mulukanadu Brahmin|Mulakanādu Brahmin]] family<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.livemint.com/Leisure/8X9U3Zb2VypY3evBvLFoBO/The-timelessness-of-Tyagaraja.html |title=The timelessness of Tyagaraja |last=Sai |first=Veejay |date=2017-05-26 |website=Livemint |language=en |access-date=2020-01-16}}</ref> in [[Thiruvarur]], present-day [[Thiruvarur District]] of [[Tamil Nadu]]. There is a school of thought led by the musicologist B.M.Sundaram that contests this and proposes [[Thiruvaiyaru]], also in [[Thiruvarur District]] of [[Tamil Nadu]], as his birth place,  though there is little evidence for this. His family name ''Kākarla'' indicates that his family had their roots in the village of the same name in [[Cumbum mandal|Kambham]], [[Markapuram revenue division|Mārkapuraṁ division]] of [[Prakasam district]], [[Andhra Pradesh]] (called the Kurnool region of Prakasam district) and migrated to present-day [[Tamil Nadu]] after the fall of the [[Vijayanagara Empire]]. His family belonged to the [[Smarta|Smārta]] tradition and [[Bharadvaja|Bharadwāja]] [[gotra]]. Tyāgarāja was the third son of his parents, Kākarla Rāmabraḥmaṁ and Sītamma.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://eemaata.com/em/issues/200809/1337.html |title= Manaku Teliyani Mana Tyagaraju |last=Gorti |first=Sai Brahmanandam |date=September 2008 |work=Ee Maata |language=te-IN}}</ref> Pañchanada Braḥmaṁ and Pañchāpakeśa Braḥmaṁ were his two older brothers. He was named Tyāgabraḥmaṁ after [[Thyagaraja Temple, Tiruvarur|Lord Tyāgarāja]], the presiding deity of the temple at Thiruvarur, the place of his birth. He was fondly called Tyāgarāja and the name stuck.


Thyagaraja lived through the reigns of four kings of the [[Thanjavur Maratha kingdom|Maratha dynasty]] – [[Thuljaji|Tulaja II]] (1763–1787), [[Amar Singh of Thanjavur|Amarasimha]] (1787–1798), [[Serfoji II]] (1798–1832) and [[Shivaji of Thanjavur|Sivaji II]] (1832–1855),<ref>[http://www.thehindu.com/society/history-and-culture/Legend-has-been-rather-cruel-to-Serfoji-when-it-concerns-Tyagaraja./article17394011.ece The saint and the king: on the Serfoji-Tyagaraja relationship]. The Hindu (2 March 2017). Retrieved on 2018-12-25.</ref> although he served none of them.
Tyāgarāja's paternal grandfather was Kākarla Girirāja Braḥmaṁ/Girirāja Kavi (not the name-sake [[Giriraja Kavi]]).<ref>{{Cite book
| last      = S
| first      = Seetha
| title      = "Tanjore as a Seat of Music (During the 17th, 18th and 19th Centuries)"
| publisher  = MusicResearchLibrary
| year      = 2001
| url=https://musicresearchlibrary.net/omeka/items/show/3421
| access-date= March 8, 2025}}</ref>
<ref>{{Cite book
| title      = "సమగ్ర ఆంధ్ర సాహిత్యం ఆరుద్ర"
| publisher  = Telugu Akademi
| year      = 2012
| url= https://archive.org/details/SamagrandhraSahityam/%E0%B0%B8%E0%B0%AE%E0%B0%97%E0%B1%8D%E0%B0%B0%20%E0%B0%86%E0%B0%82%E0%B0%A7%E0%B1%8D%E0%B0%B0%20%E0%B0%B8%E0%B0%BE%E0%B0%B9%E0%B0%BF%E0%B0%A4%E0%B1%8D%E0%B0%AF%E0%B0%82%20-%202-%20%E0%B0%86%E0%B0%B0%E0%B1%81%E0%B0%A6%E0%B1%8D%E0%B0%B0/
| access-date= March 8, 2025}}</ref>
Girirāja Braḥmaṁ was a poet, scholar and a musician. He was born in Kākarla village, [[Cumbum mandal|Kambham]] mandal, [[Markapuram revenue division|Mārkapuraṁ division]] of [[Prakasam District]], in present-day Andhra Pradesh.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://eemaata.com/em/issues/200809/1337.html |title= Manaku Teliyani Mana Tyagaraju |last=Gorti |first=Sai Brahmanandam |date=September 2008 |work=Ee Maata |language=te-IN}}</ref> Tyāgarāja's maternal grandfather was Kāḷahastayya, popularly addressed as Vīṇa Kāḷahastayya as he was a noted [[Veena|Vīṇa]] player. Tyāgarāja was said to have learnt to play the vīṇa in his childhood from Kāḷahastayya. After Kāḷahastayya's death, Tyāgarāja was said to have found ''Nāradīyam'', a book on music.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-features/tp-fridayreview/tiruvaiyaru-gears-up/article3216630.ece |title=Tiruvaiyaru gears up |date=6 January 2006 |work=The Hindu}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{cite web |url=http://www.eemaata.com/em/issues/200809/1337.html/3/ |title= Manaku Teliyani Mana Tyagaraju |last=Gorti |first=Sai Brahmanandam |work=Ee Maata |language=te-IN}}</ref> Tyāgarāja mastered [[Sanskrit]], [[Telugu language|Telugu]], [[Bhagavata Purana|Bhāgavataṁ]], and [[Ramayana|Rāmāyaṇa]] at an early age and often accompanied his father to the Thanjavur royal court, where his father sermoned on the Hindu scriptures.


==Personal life and background==
Tyāgarāja spent most of his life in Thiruvaiyaru in the single room house (No. 31, Thirumanjana Veedhi) that was donated to his father Rāmabraḥmaṁ by [[Thuljaji]], in whose court Rāmabraḥmaṁ worked.<ref>{{Cite book
Thyāgarāja was born Kakarla Thyagabrahmam in 1767<ref group=Note>His date of birth according to the [[Hindu calendar|Hindu lunar year]] Sarvajit 27th Soma, on Chaitra Sukla Saptami, the 7th day of the bright half of the Hindu month of [[Chaitra]], under the ''Pushya'' star.</ref> to a [[Telugu language|Telugu]] Vaidiki [[Mulukanadu Brahmin|Mulakanadu Brahmin]] family<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.livemint.com/Leisure/8X9U3Zb2VypY3evBvLFoBO/The-timelessness-of-Tyagaraja.html|title=The timelessness of Tyagaraja|last=Sai|first=Veejay|date=2017-05-26|website=Livemint|language=en|access-date=2020-01-16}}</ref><ref name=":0" /> in [[Tiruvarur]] in present-day [[Tiruvarur District]] of [[Tamil Nadu]]. There is a school of thought led by musicologist B. M. Sundaram that contests this and proposes Tiruvaiyaru as his birthplace. He is a famous musician and his family name 'Kakarla' indicates that they were originally migrants from the village of the same name in the [[Cumbum, Andhra Pradesh|Cumbum]] taluk of [[Prakasam district]], [[Andhra Pradesh]]. His family belonged to the [[Smarta]] tradition and Bharadvaja [[gotra]].  Thyagaraja was the third son of his parents, and Panchanada Brahmam and Panchapakesha Brahmam are his elder brothers. He was named Thyagabrahmam/Thyagaraja after [[Lord Thyagaraja|Tyagaraja]], the presiding deity of the temple at Thiruvarur, the place of his birth. Thyagaraja's maternal uncle was [[Giriraja Kavi]]. Giriraja Kavi was a poet and musician. Giriraja was born in Kakarla village, [[Cumbum, Andhra Pradesh|Cumbum]] taluk in [[Prakasam district]], Andhra Pradesh.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.thehindu.com/features/friday-review/music/retracing-roots-of-thyagaraja/article4339327.ece|title=Retracing roots of Thyagaraja|last=Kumar|first=Ranee|date=2013-01-24|work=The Hindu|access-date=2019-03-01|language=en-IN|issn=0971-751X}}</ref> He is believed to have belonged to the [[Mulakanadu]] sect. Thyagaraja's maternal grandfather was named Kalahastayya, but was frequently addressed as Veena Kalahastayya as he was a noted [[veena]] player. Thyagaraja learned to play the veena in his childhood from Kalahastayya. After Kalahastayya's death Tyagaraja found ''Naradeeyam'', a book related to music.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-features/tp-fridayreview/tiruvaiyaru-gears-up/article3216630.ece |title=Tiruvaiyaru gears up |date=6 January 2006 |work=The Hindu}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.eemaata.com/em/issues/200809/1337.html/3/ |title=Manaku teliyani mana tyagaraju}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite news |last=V |first=Sriram |date=2018-04-12 |title=The last five days of Tyagaraja |language=en-IN |work=The Hindu |url=https://www.thehindu.com/entertainment/music/the-last-five-days-of-tyagaraja/article23512441.ece |access-date=2023-03-01 |issn=0971-751X}}</ref> Tyagaraja hero-worshipped the celestial sage [[Narada]]; a reference to this is Thyagaraja's krithi ''Vara Nārada'' (rāga Vijayaśrī, Ādi tāḷam). Legend has it that a hermit taught him a mantra invoking Narada, and Thyagaraja, meditating on this mantra, received a vision of Narada and was blessed with the book ''Svarārnavam'' by the sage. During his last days, Thyagaraja took vows of [[Sannyasa]].<ref>{{Cite news |last=V |first=Sriram |date=2018-04-12 |title=The last five days of Tyagaraja |language=en-IN |work=The Hindu |url=https://www.thehindu.com/entertainment/music/the-last-five-days-of-tyagaraja/article23512441.ece |access-date=2023-01-19 |issn=0971-751X}}</ref><ref name=":1" />
| last      = Jackson
| first      = William J
| title     = "Tyagaraja Life and Lyrics"
| publisher  = Oxford University Press, Madras
| year      = 1991
| url=https://archive.org/details/tyagarajalifeandlyricswilliamjjackson1991oup/mode/2up
| access-date= March 8, 2025}}</ref> This house has since been renovated and opened to music lovers after years of neglect.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Renovated house of St. Thyagaraja to be inaugurated shortly |url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/tamil-nadu/Renovated-house-of-St.-Thyagaraja-to-be-inaugurated-shortly/article16301942.ece |access-date=2025-03-08 |website= The Hindu|language=en}}</ref> There are records of his pilgrimage to [[Srirangam|Sri Raṅgaṁ]], [[Tirumala]] and [[Kanchipuram|Kāñcipuraṁ]]. On his Kāñcipuraṁ pilgirmage, records mention him meeting the seer [[Upanishad Brahmayogin]] at the Braḥmendraḷ Maṭha<ref>[http://sreenivasaraos.com/tag/upanishad-brahmendra/ Upanishad Brahmendra | Sreenivasarao's blogs]. Sreenivasaraos.com (22 February 2015). Retrieved on 2018-12-25.</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Reviewing the Film – Thyagaiah - The Verandah Club |url=https://theverandahclub.com/article/reviewing-the-film-thyagaiah-456 |access-date=2023-03-01 |website=theverandahclub.com |language=en}}</ref>


Thyagaraja died on a Pushya Bahula Panchami day, 6 January 1847, at the age of 79. His last composition before his death was ''Giripai Nelakonna'' (rāga Sahāna, Ādi tāḷam).<ref name=":0">{{cite web |last1=Sai |first1=Veejay |title=Remembering Tyagaraja guardian saint Carnatic music his 250th birth anniversary |url=https://www.thenewsminute.com/article/remembering-tyagaraja-guardian-saint-carnatic-music-his-250th-birth-anniversary-55754 |website=thenewsminute.com |date=15 January 2017 |access-date=15 January 2017}}</ref> He was cremated on the banks of the [[Kaveri]] river at Thiruvaiyaru.<ref>{{cite book|editor1-last=Velcheru|editor1-first=Narayana Rao|editor2-last=David|editor2-first=Shulman|title=Classical Telugu Poetry: An Anthology|url=https://archive.org/details/classicaltelugup00shul|url-access=limited|location=Berkeley, CA |publisher=University of California Press|year=2002|page=[https://archive.org/details/classicaltelugup00shul/page/n312 298]|isbn=9780520225985}}</ref>
Tyāgarāja took siddhi ({{translation}} attained liberation) on Puṣya Bahuḷa Pañcami - 6 January 1847, at the age of 79, a day after he took the vow of [[Sannyasa|sanyāsa]] and was initiated into the order of [[Advaita Vedanta|Advāita]] [[Daśanāmi Sampradaya|Daśanāmi Saṁpradāya]] of sainthood.<ref>{{cite news
| last      = Sriram
| first      = V.
| date      = 2018-04-12
| title      = The last five days of Tyagaraja
| language  = en-IN
| work      = The Hindu
| url        = https://www.thehindu.com/entertainment/music/the-last-five-days-of-tyagaraja/article23512441.ece
| access-date= 2023-01-19
| issn      = 0971-751X
}}</ref> His last composition was ''Giripai Nelakonna'' (గిరిపై నెలకొన్న) in [[Raga|Rāga]] [[Sahana (raga)|Sahānā]], set to [[Adi tala|Ādi]] [[Tala (music)|Tāḷa]].<ref>{{cite web |last1=Sai |first1=Veejay |title=Remembering Tyagaraja guardian saint Carnatic music his 250th birth anniversary |url=https://www.thenewsminute.com/article/remembering-tyagaraja-guardian-saint-carnatic-music-his-250th-birth-anniversary-55754 |website=The News Minute |date=15 January 2017 |access-date=15 January 2017}}</ref> He was interred on the banks of the river [[Kaveri|Kāveri]] river at [[Thiruvaiyaru]] the very next day.<ref>{{cite book |editor1-last=Velcheru |editor1-first=Narayana Rao |editor2-last=David |editor2-first=Shulman |title=Classical Telugu Poetry: An Anthology |url=https://archive.org/details/classicaltelugup00shul |url-access=limited |location=Berkeley, CA |publisher=University of California Press |year=2002 |page=[https://archive.org/details/classicaltelugup00shul/page/n312 298] |isbn=9780520225985}}</ref>


==Musical career==
==Musical career==
[[File:Tyagaraja 1961 stamp of India.jpg|thumb|Tyagaraja on a 1961 Indian stamp]]
[[File:Tyagaraja 1961 stamp of India.jpg|thumb|Tyagaraja on a 1961 Indian stamp]]


Thyāgarāja began his musical training at an early age under Sonti Venkata Ramanayya, a music scholar, after the latter heard his singing and was impressed by the [[child prodigy]]. Thyagaraja regarded music as a way to experience God's love. His compositions focused on expression, rather than on the technicalities of classical music. He also showed a flair for composing music and, in his teens, composed his first song, "Namo Namo Raghavayya", in the Desika Todi [[ragam]] and inscribed it on the walls of the house. His compositions are mainly of a devotional (''bhakti'') or philosophical nature. His songs feature himself usually either in an appeal to his deity of worship (primarily the Avatar [[Rama]]), in musings, in narratives, or giving a message to the public. He has also composed krithis in praise of Krishna, Shiva, Shakti, Ganesha, Muruga, Saraswati, and Hanuman.<ref>{{Cite book |last=T.K.R |first=Sridharan |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Cs91EAAAQBAJ&dq=tyagaraja++also+composed+krithis+in+praise+of+Krishna%2C+Shiva%2C+Shakti%2C+Ganesha%2C+Muruga%2C+Saraswati%2C+and+Hanuman.&pg=PT141 |title=God and Science |date=2022-07-12 |publisher=Notion Press |isbn=979-8-88704-354-8 |language=en}}</ref>
Tyagaraja began his musical training at an early age under Sonthi Venkata Ramanayya, the chief vidwan in the court of Thanjavur ruler [[Thuljaji]], where Tyagaraja's father Ramabrahmam also worked.<ref>{{Cite book
| last      = Raghavan
| first      = V
| title      = "The Spiritual Heritage of Thyagaraja"
| publisher  = The Ramakrishna Mission Students' Home
| year      = 1957
| url=https://archive.org/details/SpiritualHeritageOfThyagarajaByVRaghavan/mode/2up
| access-date= March 8, 2025}}</ref> Tyagaraja hero-worshipped the celestial sage [[Narada]]; a reference to this is Tyagaraja's krithi ''Vara Nārada'' (rāga Vijayaśrī, Ādi tāḷam). Legend has it that a hermit taught him a mantra invoking Narada, and Tyagaraja, meditating on this mantra, received a vision of Narada and was blessed with the book ''Svarārnavam'' by the sage. Tyagaraja was said to have mastered the nuances of music from this book. Tyagaraja regarded music as a way to experience divinity. His compositions focused not only on the technicalities of classical music, but also on the expression (bhāva). He composed his first kriti, "Namo Namo Raghavaaya" in Sanskrit, in the Desika Todi [[raga]] and inscribed it on the walls of his house. His compositions are mainly of a devotional (''bhakti'') and philosophical nature. His songs feature himself usually either in an appeal to his deity of worship (primarily [[Rama]]), in musings, in narratives, giving a message to the public. He introduced the concept of saṇgati into the sāhityaṃ of a krithi, that was seen as a paradigm shift in Carnatic Classical Music. He is also known for composing kritis that depict ninda stuti (lovingly/flatteringly scolding the divine (also seen in compositions of [[Bhadrachala Ramadasu]]). He has also composed krithis in praise of Krishna, Shiva, Devi, Ganesha, Muruga, Saraswati, and Hanuman.<ref>{{Cite book |last=T.K.R |first=Sridharan |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Cs91EAAAQBAJ&dq=tyagaraja++also+composed+krithis+in+praise+of+Krishna%2C+Shiva%2C+Shakti%2C+Ganesha%2C+Muruga%2C+Saraswati%2C+and+Hanuman.&pg=PT141 |title=God and Science |date=2022-07-12 |publisher=Notion Press |isbn=979-8-88704-354-8 |language=en}}</ref>


Sonti Venkataramanayya informed the king of Thanjavur of Thyagaraja's genius. The king sent an invitation, along with many rich gifts, inviting Thyagaraja to attend the royal court. Thyagaraja, however, was not inclined towards a career at the court, and rejected the invitation outright. He was said to have composed the krithi ''Nidhi Chala Sukhama'' (నిధి చాల సుఖమా) ({{translation}} "Does wealth bring happiness?") on this occasion.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-features/tp-editorialfeatures/the-musical-triumvirate/article1119668.ece |title=The musical triumvirate |date=24 January 2011 |work=The Hindu}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/chennai/chen-columns/atop-a-hill-a-historic-temple/article4452895.ece |title=Atop a hill, a historic temple |date=26 February 2013 |work=The Hindu}}</ref>
Tyagaraja's musical genius spread all across Thanjavur and its principalities (of which Thiruvarur and Thiruvaiyaru were also a part of) until it reached the king of Thanjavur, [[Serfoji II]] (also called Sarabhoji II). The king sent an invitation, along with many gifts, inviting Tyagaraja to attend the royal court. Tyagaraja, however, was not inclined towards a career at the court, as he felt it would chain his creativity and also his pursuit of the divine and rejected the invitation outright. He was said to have composed the krithi ''Nidhi Chala Sukhama'' (నిధి చాల సుఖమా) ({{translation}} "Does wealth bring happiness?") on this occasion.<ref>{{cite book
He spent most of his time in Thiruvaiyaru, though there are records of his pilgrimages to Thirumala and Kanchipuram. When he was in [[Kanchipuram]], he met [[Upanishad Brahmayogin]] at the Brahmendral Mutt at Kanchipuram.<ref>[http://sreenivasaraos.com/tag/upanishad-brahmendra/ Upanishad Brahmendra | Sreenivasarao's blogs]. Sreenivasaraos.com (22 February 2015). Retrieved on 2018-12-25.</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Reviewing the Film – Thyagaiah - The Verandah Club |url=https://theverandahclub.com/article/reviewing-the-film-thyagaiah-456 |access-date=2023-03-01 |website=theverandahclub.com |language=en}}</ref>
| last      = Jackson
| first      = William J.
| title      = ''Tyagaraja and the Renewal of Tradition''
| publisher  = Motilal Banarsidass Publishers
| year      = 1994
| ISBN      = 978-8120811461 }}</ref>
<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-features/tp-editorialfeatures/the-musical-triumvirate/article1119668.ece |title=The musical triumvirate |date=24 January 2011 |work=The Hindu}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/chennai/chen-columns/atop-a-hill-a-historic-temple/article4452895.ece |title=Atop a hill, a historic temple |date=26 February 2013 |work=The Hindu}}</ref>


{{Carnatic}}
{{Carnatic}}
Thyagaraja, who was immersed in his devotion to Rama and led a spartan way of life, did not take any steps to systematically codify his vast musical output. Rangaramanuja Iyengar, a leading researcher on Carnatic music, in his work ''Kriti Manimalai'', has described the situation prevailing at the time of the death of Thyagaraja.  It is said that a major portion of his incomparable musical work was lost to the world due to natural and man-made calamities. Usually, Thyagaraja used to sing his compositions sitting before deity manifestations of Lord Rama, and his disciples noted down the details of his compositions on palm leaves. After his death, these were in the hands of his disciples, then families descending from the disciples. There was not a definitive edition of Thyagaraja's songs.{{citation needed|date=December 2013}}
Tyagaraja was always immersed in his devotion to Rama and led a spartan way of life. Tyagaraja willingly taught music to anyone who approached him, thus earning him many disciples across various stages of his life. Prominent ones among them include [[Venkataramana Bhagavathar]] and Krishnaswamy Bhagavathar (the father-son duo of [[Walajapet]]), Thanjavur S Ramarao (who also happened to be his cousin; not to be confused with the namesake, [[T. Rama Rao (administrator)]]), [[Veena Kuppayyar]], [[Manambuchavadi Venkatasubbayyar]], [[Subbaraya Sastri]] (son of [[Shyama Sastri]]). Some of these disciples carefully codified his compositions on palm leaves and copper plates. Most of Tyagaraja's kritis are in vernacular language and thus gained immense popularity because of the ease with which they could be learnt and sung. Tyagaraja also composed many kritis in Sanskrit.<ref>{{cite news  
 
| author      = The Hindu Bureau
The songs he composed in pure Telugu were widespread in their popularity because of the ease with which they could be sung in those days. Musical experts such as Kancheepuram Nayana Pillai, [[Simizhi Sundaram Iyer]] and [[Veenai Dhanammal]] saw the infinite possibilities for imaginative music inherent in his compositions and they systematically notated the songs available to them. Subsequently, researchers like K. V. Srinivasa Iyengar and Rangaramanuja Iyengar made an enormous effort to contact various teachers and families who possessed the palm leaves. K. V. Srinivasa Iyengar brought out ''Adi Sangita Ratnavali'' and ''Adi Tyagaraja Hridhayam'' in three volumes. Rangaramanuja Iyengar published ''Kriti Mani Malai'' in two volumes.{{citation needed|date=December 2013}} He also composed songs in Sanskrit.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Bureau |first=The Hindu |date=2023-01-12 |title=Thyagaraja Aradhana held amid religious fervour at Ongole |language=en-IN |work=The Hindu |url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/andhra-pradesh/thyagaraja-aradhana-held-amid-religious-fervour-at-ongole/article66369951.ece |access-date=2023-03-01 |issn=0971-751X}}</ref>
| date       = 2023-01-12  
| title       = Thyagaraja Aradhana held amid religious fervour at Ongole  
| language   = en-IN  
| work       = The Hindu  
| url         = https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/andhra-pradesh/thyagaraja-aradhana-held-amid-religious-fervour-at-ongole/article66369951.ece  
| access-date = 2023-03-01  
| issn       = 0971-751X  
}}</ref>


Furthermore, Musiri Subramania Iyer, the doyen of Bhava Sangitam, had a vast collection of books in his library. T. K. Govinda Rao, his disciple, brought out a volume of Thyagaraja's songs in English and [[Devanagari script]]. T. S. Parthasarathy, a leading scholar on Thyagaraja, published the text and meaning of Thyagaraja's songs. There are also many less comprehensive publications in Telugu.
==Preservation of compositions==
The codification, documentation and preservation of Tyagaraja's compositions by his disciples during his lifetime was not streamlined due to many reasons. The primary reason being, certain groups of Tyagaraja’s disciples studied under him only during specific periods of his life, limiting their exposure to compositions created outside their own tutelage years. Consequently, the entirety of his compositions was not compiled into a unified corpus, and his compositions kept changing hands as the disciples/groups were scattered geographically.
One of the earliest compilations of Tyagaraja's kritis was done by A. M. Chinnaswami Mudaliar, who, in 1893, published a volume titled, Oriental Music In European Notation.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Mudaliar |first1=A. M. Chinnaswami|title=Oriental Music In European Notation|date=1893|url=https://archive.org/details/orientalmusicineuropeannotationchinnaswamimudaliara.m.1893_202002|language=en}}</ref> Mudaliar lavished rich praise on Tyagaraja's profound musical legacy in his work. It was only in the early 20th century that serious efforts were made to compile the compositions into a single collection. T. S. Parthasarathy, a leading scholar and critic on Carnatic Classical Music, published a text containing Tyagaraja's kritis and their meaning, after carefully reviewing the original manuscripts that were in possession of the families of Tyagaraja's disciples. These manuscripts are now preserved in the [[Saraswathi Mahal Library]] in Thanjavur.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://eemaata.com/em/issues/200809/1337.html?allinonepage=1 |title= Manaku Teliyani Mana Tyagaraju |last=Gorti |first=Sai Brahmanandam |date=September 2008 |work=Ee Maata |language=te-IN}}</ref> Also, musicologists like K. V. Srinivasa Iyengar and Rangaramanuja Iyengar made enormous efforts to compile Tyagaraja's compositions into volumes by contacting the families and descendents of Tyagaraja's disciples who possessed the palm leaves. K. V. Srinivasa Iyengar brought out ''Adi Sangita Ratnavali'' and ''Adi Tyagaraja Hridhayam'' in three volumes. Rangaramanuja Iyengar published ''Kriti Mani Malai'' in two volumes. Furthermore, Musiri Subramania Iyer, the doyen of Bhava Sangitam, had a vast collection of books in his library. T. K. Govinda Rao, his disciple, brought out a volume of Tyagaraja's compositions in English and [[Devanagari script]]. In Telugu, [[veena]] vidwan Manchala Jagannadha Rao compiled Tyagaraja's kritis in Telugu script and published it with the help of [[Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams]] in seven volumes.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Manchala |first1=Jagannadha Rao|title=Tyagaraja Keertanalu |date=1981|url=https://archive.org/details/tyagaraja_keerthanalu_modati_bhagamu-onwards-by-mj-rao|language=te}}</ref>


About 700 songs remain of the 24,000 songs said to have been composed by him; however, scholars are skeptical about numbers like these, as there is no biographical evidence to support such claims.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-features/tp-editorialfeatures/the-bhaktha-who-craved-more-bhakthi/article4363222.ece |title=The bhaktha who craved more bhakthi |date=31 January 2013 |work=The Hindu}}</ref>
There are about 720 compositions available today, though there are claims that Tyagaraja composed 24,000 pieces. However, scholars are skeptical about these numbers, as there is no biographical evidence to support such claims.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-features/tp-editorialfeatures/the-bhaktha-who-craved-more-bhakthi/article4363222.ece |title=The bhaktha who craved more bhakthi |date=31 January 2013 |work=The Hindu}}</ref>
In addition to nearly 700 compositions (kritis), Thyagaraja composed two musical plays in Telugu, the ''[[List of compositions by Tyagaraja#Prahlada Bhakti Vijayam|Prahalada Bhakti Vijayam]]'' and the ''[[List of compositions by Tyagaraja#Nouka Charitram|Nauka Charitam]]''. ''Prahlada Bhakti Vijayam'' is in five acts with 45 ''[[Kriti (music)|kriti]]s'' set in 28 [[raga]]s and 138 verses, in different metres in Telugu. ''Nauka Charitam'' is a shorter play in one act with 21 ''kritis'' set in 13 ''ragas'' and 43 verses. The latter is the most popular of Tyagaraja's operas, and is a creation of the composer's own imagination and has no basis in the [[Bhagavata Purana]]. Tyagaraja also composed a number of simple devotional pieces appropriate for choral singing.<ref>[http://www.acharyanet.com/product-category/020-krtis/tyagarajas-bhajana-marga-krtis/] {{dead link|date=December 2018}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Feature: Tyagaraja – The Exemplary Poet-Saint – Jan 2006 |url=https://archive.sssmediacentre.org/journals/Vol_04/01JAN06/tyagaraja.htm |access-date=2023-01-20 |website=archive.sssmediacentre.org}}</ref>
In addition to nearly 720 compositions (kritis), Tyagaraja composed two musical plays in Telugu, the ''[[List of compositions by Tyagaraja#Prahlada Bhakti Vijayam|Prahalada Bhakti Vijayam]]'' and the ''[[List of compositions by Tyagaraja#Nouka Charitram|Nauka Charitam]]''. ''Prahlada Bhakti Vijayam'' is in five acts with 45 ''[[Kriti (music)|kriti]]s'' set in 28 [[raga]]s and 138 verses, in different metres in Telugu. ''Nauka Charitam'' is a shorter play in one act with 21 ''kritis'' set in 13 ''ragas'' and 43 verses. The latter is the most popular of Tyagaraja's operas, and is a creation of the composer's own imagination and has no basis in the [[Bhagavata Purana]]. Tyagaraja also composed a number of simple devotional pieces appropriate for choral singing.<ref>[https://artiumacademy.com/blogs/tyagaraja-the-eternal-voice-of-carnatic-music/]</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Feature: Tyagaraja – The Exemplary Poet-Saint – Jan 2006 |url=https://archive.sssmediacentre.org/journals/Vol_04/01JAN06/tyagaraja.htm |access-date=2023-01-20 |website=archive.sssmediacentre.org}}</ref>


The 20th-century Indian music critic [[K. V. Ramachandran]] wrote: "Thyagaraja is an indefatigable interpreter of the past... but if with one eye he looks backward, with the other he looks forward as well. Like [[Prajapati]], he creates his own media and adores his Rama not alone with jewel-words newly fashioned, but also with jewel-[like]-music newly created. It is this facet of Thyagaraja that distinguishes him from his illustrious contemporaries."{{citation needed|date=December 2013}} In other words, while Thyagaraja's contemporaries were primarily concerned with bringing to audiences the music of the past, Tyagaraja also pioneered new musical concepts at the same time.{{citation needed|date= October 2022}}<ref>{{Cite news |last=Krishna |first=T. M. |date=2017-05-04 |title=Tyagaraja's musical span and insight reiterates his genius |language=en-IN |work=The Hindu |url=https://www.thehindu.com/entertainment/music/tyagarajas-musical-span-and-insight-reiterates-his-genius/article18384186.ece |access-date=2023-03-01 |issn=0971-751X}}</ref>
The 20th-century Indian music critic [[K. V. Ramachandran]] wrote: "Tyagaraja is an indefatigable interpreter of the past... but if with one eye he looks backward, with the other he looks forward as well. Like [[Prajapati]], he creates his own media and adores his Rama not alone with jewel-words newly fashioned, but also with jewel-[like]-music newly created. It is this facet of Tyagaraja that distinguishes him from his illustrious contemporaries."{{citation needed|date=December 2013}} In other words, while Tyagaraja's contemporaries were primarily concerned with bringing to audiences the music of the past, Tyagaraja also pioneered new musical concepts at the same time.{{citation needed|date= October 2022}}<ref>{{Cite news |last=Krishna |first=T. M. |date=2017-05-04 |title=Tyagaraja's musical span and insight reiterates his genius |language=en-IN |work=The Hindu |url=https://www.thehindu.com/entertainment/music/tyagarajas-musical-span-and-insight-reiterates-his-genius/article18384186.ece |access-date=2023-03-01 |issn=0971-751X}}</ref>


==Remembrance==
==Remembrance==
''[[Tyagaraja Aradhana]]'', the commemorative music festival is held every year in [[Thiruvaiyaru]] in [[Thanjavur]] district of [[Tamil Nadu]], during the months of January to February in Tyagaraja's honor. This is a week-long festival of music where various Carnatic musicians from all over the world converge at his resting place. On the Pushya Bahula Panchami,<ref group=Note>''Pushya Bahula Panchami'' – the fifth day of the dark half of the month of ''Pushya'', in the Hindu calendar every year.</ref> thousands of people and hundreds of Carnatic musicians sing the five Pancharatna Kritis in unison, with the accompaniment of a large bank of accompanists on [[Saraswati veena|veena]]s, violins, [[flute]]s, [[nadasvaram]]s, [[mridangam]]s and [[ghatam]]s.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-tamilnadu/musicians-pay-homage-to-saint-thyagaraja/article4367662.ece|title=Musicians pay homage to Saint Thyagaraja|work=The Hindu|date=1 February 2013}}</ref>
''[[Tyagaraja Aradhana]]'', the commemorative music festival, is held every year in [[Thiruvaiyaru]], in [[Thanjavur]] district of [[Tamil Nadu]], during the months of January to February in Tyagaraja's honor. This is a week-long music festival where various Carnatic musicians from all over the world converge at his resting place. On Pushya Bahula Panchami,<ref group=Note>''Pushya Bahula Panchami'' – the fifth day of the dark half of the month of ''Pushya'', in the Hindu calendar every year.</ref> thousands of people and hundreds of Carnatic musicians sing the five Pancharatna Kritis in unison, accompanied by a large ensemble of performers on [[Saraswati veena|veenas]], violins, [[flute]]s, [[nadasvaram]]s, [[mridangam]]s, and [[ghatam]]s.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-tamilnadu/musicians-pay-homage-to-saint-thyagaraja/article4367662.ece|title=Musicians pay homage to Saint Thyagaraja|work=The Hindu|date=1 February 2013}}</ref>


A sports complex in [[New Delhi]], [[Thyagaraj Sports Complex]], was named after him. A [[Impact crater|crater]] on the planet [[Mercury (planet)|Mercury]] was named after [[Tyagaraja (crater)|Tyagaraja]] in 1976.<ref name="JHUAPL">{{cite web |url=http://messenger.jhuapl.edu/gallery/sciencePhotos/image.php?image_id=861 |title=The Hollowed Halls of Tyagaraja|date=24 May 2012 |access-date=17 May 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140406013843/http://messenger.jhuapl.edu/gallery/sciencePhotos/image.php?image_id=861 |archive-date=6 April 2014 |publisher=Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory }}</ref>
A sports complex in [[New Delhi]], [[Thyagaraj Sports Complex]], was named after him. An [[impact crater|crater]] on the planet [[Mercury (planet)|Mercury]] was named [[Tyagaraja (crater)|Tyagaraja]] in 1976.<ref name="JHUAPL">{{cite web |url=http://messenger.jhuapl.edu/gallery/sciencePhotos/image.php?image_id=861 |title=The Hollowed Halls of Tyagaraja|date=24 May 2012 |access-date=17 May 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140406013843/http://messenger.jhuapl.edu/gallery/sciencePhotos/image.php?image_id=861 |archive-date=6 April 2014 |publisher=Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory }}</ref>


==In popular culture==
==In popular culture==
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=== Raga on Tyagaraja (Musical scale) ===
=== Raga on Tyagaraja (Musical scale) ===
Carnatic kriti 'Sri Ramachandram Bhajami' in raga '[[Sri Tyagaraja]]' created and composed by {{Interlanguage link|Mahesh Mahadev|kn|ಮಹೇಶ್ ಮಹದೇವ್}} named after Saint Tyagaraja <ref>{{Cite news |last=Correspondent |first=Special |date=2023-03-03 |title=New raga named after Thyagaraja |language=en-IN |work=The Hindu |url=https://www.thehindu.com/entertainment/music/classical-musician-and-composer-mahesh-mahadev-creates-sri-tyagaraja-raga-as-a-tribute-to-the-saint-poet/article66559391.ece |access-date=2023-03-09 |issn=0971-751X}}</ref>sung by [[Priyadarshini (singer)|Priyadarshini]]<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-01-25 |title=SamyukthaKarnataka ePaper |url=http://samyukthakarnataka.com//articlepage.php?articleid=SMYK_BANG_20230123_03_4&width=174px&edition=Bangalore&curpage=3 |access-date=2023-02-16 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230125062229/http://samyukthakarnataka.com//articlepage.php?articleid=SMYK_BANG_20230123_03_4&width=174px&edition=Bangalore&curpage=3 |archive-date=25 January 2023 }}</ref> was released on 10 January 2023 at Thyagaraja Samadi during 176th [[Tyagaraja Aradhana]] festival<ref>{{Cite web |last=Pinto |first=Arun |date=2023-01-19 |title=Sri Tyagaraja – a New Raga in Carnatic Music by Mahesh Mahadev |url=https://newskarnataka.com/karnataka/bengaluru/sri-tyagaraja-a-new-raga-in-carnatic-music-by-mahesh-mahadev/19012023 |access-date=2023-01-19 |website=News Karnataka |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Sri Tyagaraja - a new creation |url=https://www.sruti.com/articles/newsnotes/sri-tyagaraja-a-new-creation |access-date=2023-02-16 |website=www.sruti.com |language=en}}</ref>
Carnatic kriti 'Sri Ramachandram Bhajami' in [[Raga]] '[[Sri Tyagaraja]]' created and composed by {{Interlanguage link|Mahesh Mahadev|kn|ಮಹೇಶ್ ಮಹದೇವ್}} named after Saint Tyagaraja <ref>{{Cite news |date=2023-03-03 |title=New raga named after Thyagaraja |language=en-IN |work=The Hindu |url=https://www.thehindu.com/entertainment/music/classical-musician-and-composer-mahesh-mahadev-creates-sri-tyagaraja-raga-as-a-tribute-to-the-saint-poet/article66559391.ece |access-date=2023-03-09 |issn=0971-751X}}</ref> sung by [[Priyadarshini (singer)|Priyadarshini]]<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-01-25 |title=SamyukthaKarnataka ePaper |url=http://samyukthakarnataka.com//articlepage.php?articleid=SMYK_BANG_20230123_03_4&width=174px&edition=Bangalore&curpage=3 |access-date=2023-02-16 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230125062229/http://samyukthakarnataka.com//articlepage.php?articleid=SMYK_BANG_20230123_03_4&width=174px&edition=Bangalore&curpage=3 |archive-date=25 January 2023 }}</ref> was released on 10 January 2023 at Sri Tyagaraja Samadhi during 176th [[Tyagaraja Aradhana]] festival<ref>{{Cite web |last=Pinto |first=Arun |date=2023-01-19 |title=Sri Tyagaraja – a New Raga in Carnatic Music by Mahesh Mahadev |url=https://newskarnataka.com/karnataka/bengaluru/sri-tyagaraja-a-new-raga-in-carnatic-music-by-mahesh-mahadev/19012023 |access-date=2023-01-19 |website=News Karnataka |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Sri Tyagaraja - a new creation |url=https://www.sruti.com/articles/newsnotes/sri-tyagaraja-a-new-creation |access-date=2023-02-16 |website=www.sruti.com |language=en}}</ref>


==Compositions==
==Compositions==
{{main|List of compositions by Tyagaraja}}
{{main|List of compositions by Tyagaraja}}


The term ''Pancharatna'' in Sanskrit means "five gems": The Pancharatnas are known as the five finest gems of Carnatic music. All of the Pancharatnas are set to the [[Adi tala|adi talam]]. So far as Pancharatnas are concerned, a stable text has been handed over by the earlier musicians to the present day. All the compositions of Tyagaraja show the way for the systematic development of the respective ragas. In the Pancharatnas, Tyagaraja offers parameters as to how to systematically and scientifically develop a raga. The two fundamental conditions that must be satisfied for the systematic development of a raga are the arrangement of the svaras in the natural order of [[Avarohana|avarohanam]], and the avarohanam of the ragas so as to satisfy the sound principles of harmony and continuity. Pancharatnas satisfy these scientific principles. The Pancharatnas are composed in perfect sarvalaghu svaras.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Tyāgarāja |first=Swami |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=H0WzAAAAIAAJ |title=The Pancha Ratna Kritis of Sri Tyagaraja: Text in Deva Nagari Script with an English Translation by T.S. Parthasarathy. Supplement: Notations in Tamil Script by V.S. Parthasarathy Iyengar |date=1969 |publisher=Music Club |language=ta}}</ref>
The name of Tyagaraja's compositions, the ''Pancharatnas,'' means "five gems" in Sanskrit. All of the Pancharatnas are set to the [[adi tala]]m. A stable text has been handed down from the earlier musicians to the present day. All the compositions of Tyagaraja show the way for the systematic development of the respective ragas. In the Pancharatnas, Tyagaraja offers parameters as to how to systematically and scientifically develop a raga. The two fundamental conditions that must be satisfied for the systematic development of a raga are the arrangement of the svaras in the natural order of [[arohana]]m, and the [[avarohana]]m of the ragas so as to satisfy the sound principles of harmony and continuity. Pancharatnas satisfy these scientific principles. The Pancharatnas are composed in perfect sarvalaghu svaras.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Tyāgarāja |first=Swami |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=H0WzAAAAIAAJ |title=The Pancha Ratna Kritis of Sri Tyagaraja: Text in Deva Nagari Script with an English Translation by T.S. Parthasarathy. Supplement: Notations in Tamil Script by V.S. Parthasarathy Iyengar |date=1969 |publisher=Music Club |language=ta}}</ref>
 
* The first Pancharatna kriti is Jagadanandakaraka, sung in the raga Nata. It is composed in Sanskrit. It praises Rama as the source of all joy in the universe. Originally, there were only six charanams for the song. When the disciples examined the song, it contained ninety names of Rama in Sanskrit. The disciples requested Tyagaraja to slightly expand the song by adding two charanas containing eighteen more names of Rama. The saint acceded to the request of the disciples and that is the reason why the song Jagadanandakaraka contains three mudras containing the name of Tyagaraja while the other four songs contain only one mudra each. <ref name=":2">{{Cite news |last=Suryanarayan |first=Renuka |date=2021-02-11 |title=The story behind the Pancharatnam rendition |language=en-IN |work=The Hindu |url=https://www.thehindu.com/entertainment/music/the-story-behind-the/article33810924.ece |access-date=2023-03-01 |issn=0971-751X}}</ref>
* The next is Duduku gala in the raga [[Gowla|gaula]] set to adi talam. It is composed in Telugu. In this song, Tyagaraja takes the blame upon himself for all the misdeeds of men and ruminates on who would come and save him from this deplorable situation.
* The third is Saadhinchene in the raga Arabhi, set to adi talam. It is composed in Telugu. In this song, Tyagaraja lovingly criticizes Krishna for his cleverness in getting what he wants to be done.
* The fourth kriti, Kana Kana Ruchira is in the raga Varaali set to adi talam. It is composed in Telugu. In this song, Tyagaraja describes the infinite beauty of Rama.
* The fifth Pancharatna kriti is the Endaro Mahanubhavulu in the sri raga. It is composed in Telugu. It is said that a great musician from Kerala, Shatkala Govinda Maaraar, visited Tyagaraja and performed before him. Tyagaraja was enchanted with his performance and then was born Endaro Mahanubhavulu, regarded to be a great work of Carnatic music.<ref name=":2" />


Other compositions by Tyagaraja include Samajavaragamana in the [[Hindolam|hindolam raga]], Adamodigaladhe in the charukesi raga, Raju vedale in the hanumatodi raga, Ninne nammi nanura in the todi raga, Kamalapthakula in the brindavana saranga raga, Kshira sagara shayana in the devagandhari raga, Marubalka kunna vemira ma manoramana in the Sriranjani raga, and Nagumomu kanaleni in the abheri raga.{{citation needed|date= October 2022}}
* The first Pancharatna kriti is Jagadanandakaraka, sung in the raga Nata. It is composed in Sanskrit. It praises Rama as the source of all joy in the universe. Originally, there were only six charanams for this song. When the disciples examined the song, it contained ninety names of Rama in Sanskrit. The disciples requested Tyagaraja to slightly expand the song by adding two charanas containing eighteen more names of Rama. The saint acceded to the request of the disciples and that is the reason why the song Jagadanandakaraka contains three mudras containing the name of Tyagaraja while Endaro Mahanubhavulu contains two mudras containing the name Tyagaraja while the other three songs contain only one mudra each.<ref name=":2">{{Cite news |last=Suryanarayan |first=Renuka |date=2021-02-11 |title=The story behind the Pancharatnam rendition |language=en-IN |work=The Hindu |url=https://www.thehindu.com/entertainment/music/the-story-behind-the/article33810924.ece |access-date=2023-03-01 |issn=0971-751X}}</ref>
* The next is Duduku Gala in the raga [[Gowla|Gowla]] set to Adi Talam. It is composed in Telugu. In this song, Tyagaraja takes the blame upon himself for all the misdeeds of men and ruminates on who would come and save him from this deplorable situation.
* The third is Saadhinchene in the raga Arabhi, set to Adi Talam. It is composed in Telugu. In this song, Tyagaraja lovingly criticizes Krishna for his cleverness in getting what he wants to be done.
* The fourth kriti, Kana Kana Ruchira is in the raga Varaali set to Adi Talam. It is composed in Telugu. In this song, Tyagaraja describes the infinite beauty of Rama.
* The fifth Pancharatna kriti, Endaro Mahanubhavulu, is in Sri Ragam. Contrary to popular beliefs that Tyagaraja instantaneously sang this krithi in a sabha conducted in the honour of his guru Sonthi Venkataramanayya in the presence of doyens of vidwans, Tyagaraja composed this krithi at the behest of Thanjavur S Ramarao. This definitive version is available in Tyagaraja's life history written by Venkataramana Bhagavathar.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://eemaata.com/em/issues/200811/1279.html?allinonepage=1 |title= Manaku Teliyani Mana Tyagaraju |last=Gorti |first=Sai Brahmanandam |date=September 2008 |work=Ee Maata |language=te-IN}}</ref>


==See also==
==See also==
 
{{Portal|India|Music}}
* [[Kancherla Gopanna]] (Bhadrachala Ramadasu)
* [[Kancherla Gopanna]] (Bhadrachala Ramadasu)
* [[Purandara Dasa]]
* [[Purandara Dasa]]
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==External links==
==External links==
 
{{commons category|Tyagaraja}}
* [http://www.thyagaraja.org Website dedicated to Tyagaraja]
* [http://www.thyagaraja.org Website dedicated to Tyagaraja]
* [https://archive.org/download/in.ernet.dli.2015.34174/2015.34174.Thigaraja-A-Great-Musician-Saint.pdf Thiagaraja A Great Musician – M.S. Ramaswamy Aiyar]
* [https://archive.org/download/in.ernet.dli.2015.34174/2015.34174.Thigaraja-A-Great-Musician-Saint.pdf Thiagaraja A Great Musician – M.S. Ramaswamy Aiyar]
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9bcBbRQ7VDQ Endaro Mahanubhavulu] performed by [[Uthara Unnikrishnan|Uthara]] and [[P. Unnikrishnan]]
* {{IMSLP|id=Tyāgarāja}}
* {{IMSLP|id=Tyāgarāja}}


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[[Category:18th-century Indian composers]]
[[Category:18th-century Indian composers]]
[[Category:19th-century Indian composers]]
[[Category:19th-century Indian composers]]
[[Category:Musicians from Tamil Nadu]]
[[Category:People from the Thanjavur Maratha kingdom]]
[[Category:People from Thanjavur district]]

Latest revision as of 16:06, 18 March 2026


"Tyagayya" redirects here. For the films, see Tyagayya (1946 film) and Tyagayya (1981 film).
For the raga on Tyagaraja, see Sri Tyagaraja.
For other people with similar names, see Thiagarajah.

Tyāgarāja
A painting of Tyāgarāja from the Jaganmohan Palace in Mysore[1]
Born
Kākarla Tyāgabraḥmaṁ

(1767-05-04)4 May 1767
Tiruvarur, Thanjavur, Maratha Kingdom
Died6 January 1847(1847-01-06) (aged 79)
Thiruvaiyaru,[2] Thanjavur Maratha kingdom
Resting placeThiruvaiyaru, Thanjavur District, Tamil Nadu, India
OccupationCarnatic composer
Websitethiruvaiyaruthyagarajaaradhana.org

Sadguru Sri Tyāgarāja Swāmi (4 May 1767 – 6 January 1847), also known as Tyāgayya, and in full as Kākarla Tyāgabraḥmaṁ, was a composer of Carnatic Music, a form of Indian Classical Music. Tyāgarāja and his contemporaries, Śyāma Śāstri and Muthuswāmi Dikshitar, are regarded as the Trinity of Carnatic Music. Tyāgarāja composed hundreds of devotional kṛti (transl. compositions), mostly in Telugu and in praise of Rāma. Many of them remain popular to this day. Of special mention are five of his compositions called the Pañcaratna Kṛti (transl. five gems), which are often sung in programs held in his honor. Tyāgarāja composed many Utsava Sāmpradāya Kṛti (transl. festive ritual compositions), meant to be sung in temple rituals/festivities and Divya Nāma Saṅkīrtana (transl. divine compositions on the Lord's various names), sung as a part of concerts and daily life.

Tyāgarāja lived through the reigns of four kings of the Thanjavur Maratha rule – Thuljaji (1763–1787), Amarasimha (1787–1798), Serfoji II (1798–1832) and Shivaji II (1832–1855),[3] although he served none of them.

Biography[edit | edit source]

Tyāgarāja was born Kākarla Tyāgabraḥmaṁ in 1767[Note 1] to a Telugu Vaidiki Mulakanādu Brahmin family[4] in Thiruvarur, present-day Thiruvarur District of Tamil Nadu. There is a school of thought led by the musicologist B.M.Sundaram that contests this and proposes Thiruvaiyaru, also in Thiruvarur District of Tamil Nadu, as his birth place, though there is little evidence for this. His family name Kākarla indicates that his family had their roots in the village of the same name in Kambham, Mārkapuraṁ division of Prakasam district, Andhra Pradesh (called the Kurnool region of Prakasam district) and migrated to present-day Tamil Nadu after the fall of the Vijayanagara Empire. His family belonged to the Smārta tradition and Bharadwāja gotra. Tyāgarāja was the third son of his parents, Kākarla Rāmabraḥmaṁ and Sītamma.[5] Pañchanada Braḥmaṁ and Pañchāpakeśa Braḥmaṁ were his two older brothers. He was named Tyāgabraḥmaṁ after Lord Tyāgarāja, the presiding deity of the temple at Thiruvarur, the place of his birth. He was fondly called Tyāgarāja and the name stuck.

Tyāgarāja's paternal grandfather was Kākarla Girirāja Braḥmaṁ/Girirāja Kavi (not the name-sake Giriraja Kavi).[6] [7] Girirāja Braḥmaṁ was a poet, scholar and a musician. He was born in Kākarla village, Kambham mandal, Mārkapuraṁ division of Prakasam District, in present-day Andhra Pradesh.[8] Tyāgarāja's maternal grandfather was Kāḷahastayya, popularly addressed as Vīṇa Kāḷahastayya as he was a noted Vīṇa player. Tyāgarāja was said to have learnt to play the vīṇa in his childhood from Kāḷahastayya. After Kāḷahastayya's death, Tyāgarāja was said to have found Nāradīyam, a book on music.[9][10] Tyāgarāja mastered Sanskrit, Telugu, Bhāgavataṁ, and Rāmāyaṇa at an early age and often accompanied his father to the Thanjavur royal court, where his father sermoned on the Hindu scriptures.

Tyāgarāja spent most of his life in Thiruvaiyaru in the single room house (No. 31, Thirumanjana Veedhi) that was donated to his father Rāmabraḥmaṁ by Thuljaji, in whose court Rāmabraḥmaṁ worked.[11] This house has since been renovated and opened to music lovers after years of neglect.[12] There are records of his pilgrimage to Sri Raṅgaṁ, Tirumala and Kāñcipuraṁ. On his Kāñcipuraṁ pilgirmage, records mention him meeting the seer Upanishad Brahmayogin at the Braḥmendraḷ Maṭha[13][14]

Tyāgarāja took siddhi (transl. attained liberation) on Puṣya Bahuḷa Pañcami - 6 January 1847, at the age of 79, a day after he took the vow of sanyāsa and was initiated into the order of Advāita Daśanāmi Saṁpradāya of sainthood.[15] His last composition was Giripai Nelakonna (గిరిపై నెలకొన్న) in Rāga Sahānā, set to Ādi Tāḷa.[16] He was interred on the banks of the river Kāveri river at Thiruvaiyaru the very next day.[17]

Musical career[edit | edit source]

Tyagaraja on a 1961 Indian stamp

Tyagaraja began his musical training at an early age under Sonthi Venkata Ramanayya, the chief vidwan in the court of Thanjavur ruler Thuljaji, where Tyagaraja's father Ramabrahmam also worked.[18] Tyagaraja hero-worshipped the celestial sage Narada; a reference to this is Tyagaraja's krithi Vara Nārada (rāga Vijayaśrī, Ādi tāḷam). Legend has it that a hermit taught him a mantra invoking Narada, and Tyagaraja, meditating on this mantra, received a vision of Narada and was blessed with the book Svarārnavam by the sage. Tyagaraja was said to have mastered the nuances of music from this book. Tyagaraja regarded music as a way to experience divinity. His compositions focused not only on the technicalities of classical music, but also on the expression (bhāva). He composed his first kriti, "Namo Namo Raghavaaya" in Sanskrit, in the Desika Todi raga and inscribed it on the walls of his house. His compositions are mainly of a devotional (bhakti) and philosophical nature. His songs feature himself usually either in an appeal to his deity of worship (primarily Rama), in musings, in narratives, giving a message to the public. He introduced the concept of saṇgati into the sāhityaṃ of a krithi, that was seen as a paradigm shift in Carnatic Classical Music. He is also known for composing kritis that depict ninda stuti (lovingly/flatteringly scolding the divine (also seen in compositions of Bhadrachala Ramadasu). He has also composed krithis in praise of Krishna, Shiva, Devi, Ganesha, Muruga, Saraswati, and Hanuman.[19]

Tyagaraja's musical genius spread all across Thanjavur and its principalities (of which Thiruvarur and Thiruvaiyaru were also a part of) until it reached the king of Thanjavur, Serfoji II (also called Sarabhoji II). The king sent an invitation, along with many gifts, inviting Tyagaraja to attend the royal court. Tyagaraja, however, was not inclined towards a career at the court, as he felt it would chain his creativity and also his pursuit of the divine and rejected the invitation outright. He was said to have composed the krithi Nidhi Chala Sukhama (నిధి చాల సుఖమా) (transl. "Does wealth bring happiness?") on this occasion.[20] [21][22]

Carnatic music
Tanjavur-style Tambura
Concepts
Compositions
Instruments
Melody
Sarasvati Vīṇā
Veṇu
Nādasvaraṃ
Goṭṭuvādyaṃ (Citra Vīṇā)
Violin
Percussion
Mr̥daṅgaṃ
Ghaṭaṃ
Morsing
Kanjira
Thavil
Drone
Tambura
Shruti box

Tyagaraja was always immersed in his devotion to Rama and led a spartan way of life. Tyagaraja willingly taught music to anyone who approached him, thus earning him many disciples across various stages of his life. Prominent ones among them include Venkataramana Bhagavathar and Krishnaswamy Bhagavathar (the father-son duo of Walajapet), Thanjavur S Ramarao (who also happened to be his cousin; not to be confused with the namesake, T. Rama Rao (administrator)), Veena Kuppayyar, Manambuchavadi Venkatasubbayyar, Subbaraya Sastri (son of Shyama Sastri). Some of these disciples carefully codified his compositions on palm leaves and copper plates. Most of Tyagaraja's kritis are in vernacular language and thus gained immense popularity because of the ease with which they could be learnt and sung. Tyagaraja also composed many kritis in Sanskrit.[23]

Preservation of compositions[edit | edit source]

The codification, documentation and preservation of Tyagaraja's compositions by his disciples during his lifetime was not streamlined due to many reasons. The primary reason being, certain groups of Tyagaraja’s disciples studied under him only during specific periods of his life, limiting their exposure to compositions created outside their own tutelage years. Consequently, the entirety of his compositions was not compiled into a unified corpus, and his compositions kept changing hands as the disciples/groups were scattered geographically. One of the earliest compilations of Tyagaraja's kritis was done by A. M. Chinnaswami Mudaliar, who, in 1893, published a volume titled, Oriental Music In European Notation.[24] Mudaliar lavished rich praise on Tyagaraja's profound musical legacy in his work. It was only in the early 20th century that serious efforts were made to compile the compositions into a single collection. T. S. Parthasarathy, a leading scholar and critic on Carnatic Classical Music, published a text containing Tyagaraja's kritis and their meaning, after carefully reviewing the original manuscripts that were in possession of the families of Tyagaraja's disciples. These manuscripts are now preserved in the Saraswathi Mahal Library in Thanjavur.[25] Also, musicologists like K. V. Srinivasa Iyengar and Rangaramanuja Iyengar made enormous efforts to compile Tyagaraja's compositions into volumes by contacting the families and descendents of Tyagaraja's disciples who possessed the palm leaves. K. V. Srinivasa Iyengar brought out Adi Sangita Ratnavali and Adi Tyagaraja Hridhayam in three volumes. Rangaramanuja Iyengar published Kriti Mani Malai in two volumes. Furthermore, Musiri Subramania Iyer, the doyen of Bhava Sangitam, had a vast collection of books in his library. T. K. Govinda Rao, his disciple, brought out a volume of Tyagaraja's compositions in English and Devanagari script. In Telugu, veena vidwan Manchala Jagannadha Rao compiled Tyagaraja's kritis in Telugu script and published it with the help of Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams in seven volumes.[26]

There are about 720 compositions available today, though there are claims that Tyagaraja composed 24,000 pieces. However, scholars are skeptical about these numbers, as there is no biographical evidence to support such claims.[27] In addition to nearly 720 compositions (kritis), Tyagaraja composed two musical plays in Telugu, the Prahalada Bhakti Vijayam and the Nauka Charitam. Prahlada Bhakti Vijayam is in five acts with 45 kritis set in 28 ragas and 138 verses, in different metres in Telugu. Nauka Charitam is a shorter play in one act with 21 kritis set in 13 ragas and 43 verses. The latter is the most popular of Tyagaraja's operas, and is a creation of the composer's own imagination and has no basis in the Bhagavata Purana. Tyagaraja also composed a number of simple devotional pieces appropriate for choral singing.[28][29]

The 20th-century Indian music critic K. V. Ramachandran wrote: "Tyagaraja is an indefatigable interpreter of the past... but if with one eye he looks backward, with the other he looks forward as well. Like Prajapati, he creates his own media and adores his Rama not alone with jewel-words newly fashioned, but also with jewel-[like]-music newly created. It is this facet of Tyagaraja that distinguishes him from his illustrious contemporaries."[citation needed] In other words, while Tyagaraja's contemporaries were primarily concerned with bringing to audiences the music of the past, Tyagaraja also pioneered new musical concepts at the same time.[citation needed][30]

Remembrance[edit | edit source]

Tyagaraja Aradhana, the commemorative music festival, is held every year in Thiruvaiyaru, in Thanjavur district of Tamil Nadu, during the months of January to February in Tyagaraja's honor. This is a week-long music festival where various Carnatic musicians from all over the world converge at his resting place. On Pushya Bahula Panchami,[Note 2] thousands of people and hundreds of Carnatic musicians sing the five Pancharatna Kritis in unison, accompanied by a large ensemble of performers on veenas, violins, flutes, nadasvarams, mridangams, and ghatams.[31]

A sports complex in New Delhi, Thyagaraj Sports Complex, was named after him. An crater on the planet Mercury was named Tyagaraja in 1976.[32]

In popular culture[edit | edit source]

Films on Tyagaraja (biographical)[edit | edit source]

Apart from references to his works, using the kirtanas as songs, two films were made on his life. V. Nagayya made a biographical epic on Tyagaraja titled Tyagayya in 1946 which is still treated as a masterpiece of Telugu cinema. In 1981, Bapu–Ramana made Tyagayya with J. V. Somayajulu in the lead role. Another attempt is being made by Singeetam Srinivasa Rao to picturise Tyagaraja's life. Apart from these, Bombay Gnanam made a short film known as Endaro Mahanubavulu on Tyagaraja. The short film was released on 27 February 2021, on the 174th Tyagaraja Aradhana festival.[33]

Raga on Tyagaraja (Musical scale)[edit | edit source]

Carnatic kriti 'Sri Ramachandram Bhajami' in Raga 'Sri Tyagaraja' created and composed by Mahesh Mahadev [kn] named after Saint Tyagaraja [34] sung by Priyadarshini[35] was released on 10 January 2023 at Sri Tyagaraja Samadhi during 176th Tyagaraja Aradhana festival[36][37]

Compositions[edit | edit source]

Main article: List of compositions by Tyagaraja

The name of Tyagaraja's compositions, the Pancharatnas, means "five gems" in Sanskrit. All of the Pancharatnas are set to the adi talam. A stable text has been handed down from the earlier musicians to the present day. All the compositions of Tyagaraja show the way for the systematic development of the respective ragas. In the Pancharatnas, Tyagaraja offers parameters as to how to systematically and scientifically develop a raga. The two fundamental conditions that must be satisfied for the systematic development of a raga are the arrangement of the svaras in the natural order of arohanam, and the avarohanam of the ragas so as to satisfy the sound principles of harmony and continuity. Pancharatnas satisfy these scientific principles. The Pancharatnas are composed in perfect sarvalaghu svaras.[38]

  • The first Pancharatna kriti is Jagadanandakaraka, sung in the raga Nata. It is composed in Sanskrit. It praises Rama as the source of all joy in the universe. Originally, there were only six charanams for this song. When the disciples examined the song, it contained ninety names of Rama in Sanskrit. The disciples requested Tyagaraja to slightly expand the song by adding two charanas containing eighteen more names of Rama. The saint acceded to the request of the disciples and that is the reason why the song Jagadanandakaraka contains three mudras containing the name of Tyagaraja while Endaro Mahanubhavulu contains two mudras containing the name Tyagaraja while the other three songs contain only one mudra each.[39]
  • The next is Duduku Gala in the raga Gowla set to Adi Talam. It is composed in Telugu. In this song, Tyagaraja takes the blame upon himself for all the misdeeds of men and ruminates on who would come and save him from this deplorable situation.
  • The third is Saadhinchene in the raga Arabhi, set to Adi Talam. It is composed in Telugu. In this song, Tyagaraja lovingly criticizes Krishna for his cleverness in getting what he wants to be done.
  • The fourth kriti, Kana Kana Ruchira is in the raga Varaali set to Adi Talam. It is composed in Telugu. In this song, Tyagaraja describes the infinite beauty of Rama.
  • The fifth Pancharatna kriti, Endaro Mahanubhavulu, is in Sri Ragam. Contrary to popular beliefs that Tyagaraja instantaneously sang this krithi in a sabha conducted in the honour of his guru Sonthi Venkataramanayya in the presence of doyens of vidwans, Tyagaraja composed this krithi at the behest of Thanjavur S Ramarao. This definitive version is available in Tyagaraja's life history written by Venkataramana Bhagavathar.[40]

See also[edit | edit source]

Notes[edit | edit source]

  1. ↑ His birth date according to the Hindu lunar calendar Sarvajit 27th Soma, the Chaitra Śukla Saptami day (the seventh day of the bright half of the Hindu month of Chaitra), under the Puṣya star.
  2. ↑ Pushya Bahula Panchami – the fifth day of the dark half of the month of Pushya, in the Hindu calendar every year.

References[edit | edit source]

  1. ↑ Aiyar, M. S. Ramaswami (1927). Thiagaraja: A Great Musician Saint. p. 62.
  2. ↑ "Thiruvaiyaru Thyagaraja Aradhana". Archived from the original on 14 January 2016. Retrieved 15 November 2015.
  3. ↑ The saint and the king: on the Serfoji-Tyagaraja relationship. The Hindu (2 March 2017). Retrieved on 2018-12-25.
  4. ↑ Sai, Veejay (26 May 2017). "The timelessness of Tyagaraja". Livemint. Retrieved 16 January 2020.
  5. ↑ Gorti, Sai Brahmanandam (September 2008). "Manaku Teliyani Mana Tyagaraju". Ee Maata (in తెలుగు).
  6. ↑ S, Seetha (2001). "Tanjore as a Seat of Music (During the 17th, 18th and 19th Centuries)". MusicResearchLibrary. Retrieved 8 March 2025.
  7. ↑ "సమగ్ర ఆంధ్ర సాహిత్యం ఆరుద్ర". Telugu Akademi. 2012. Retrieved 8 March 2025.
  8. ↑ Gorti, Sai Brahmanandam (September 2008). "Manaku Teliyani Mana Tyagaraju". Ee Maata (in తెలుగు).
  9. ↑ "Tiruvaiyaru gears up". The Hindu. 6 January 2006.
  10. ↑ Gorti, Sai Brahmanandam. "Manaku Teliyani Mana Tyagaraju". Ee Maata (in తెలుగు).
  11. ↑ Jackson, William J (1991). "Tyagaraja Life and Lyrics". Oxford University Press, Madras. Retrieved 8 March 2025.
  12. ↑ "Renovated house of St. Thyagaraja to be inaugurated shortly". The Hindu. Retrieved 8 March 2025.
  13. ↑ Upanishad Brahmendra | Sreenivasarao's blogs. Sreenivasaraos.com (22 February 2015). Retrieved on 2018-12-25.
  14. ↑ "Reviewing the Film – Thyagaiah - The Verandah Club". theverandahclub.com. Retrieved 1 March 2023.
  15. ↑ Sriram, V. (12 April 2018). "The last five days of Tyagaraja". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 19 January 2023.
  16. ↑ Sai, Veejay (15 January 2017). "Remembering Tyagaraja guardian saint Carnatic music his 250th birth anniversary". The News Minute. Retrieved 15 January 2017.
  17. ↑ Velcheru, Narayana Rao; David, Shulman, eds. (2002). Classical Telugu Poetry: An Anthology. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press. p. 298. ISBN 9780520225985.
  18. ↑ Raghavan, V (1957). "The Spiritual Heritage of Thyagaraja". The Ramakrishna Mission Students' Home. Retrieved 8 March 2025.
  19. ↑ T.K.R, Sridharan (12 July 2022). God and Science. Notion Press. ISBN 979-8-88704-354-8.
  20. ↑ Jackson, William J. (1994). Tyagaraja and the Renewal of Tradition. Motilal Banarsidass Publishers. ISBN 978-8120811461.
  21. ↑ "The musical triumvirate". The Hindu. 24 January 2011.
  22. ↑ "Atop a hill, a historic temple". The Hindu. 26 February 2013.
  23. ↑ The Hindu Bureau (12 January 2023). "Thyagaraja Aradhana held amid religious fervour at Ongole". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 1 March 2023.
  24. ↑ Mudaliar, A. M. Chinnaswami (1893). Oriental Music In European Notation.
  25. ↑ Gorti, Sai Brahmanandam (September 2008). "Manaku Teliyani Mana Tyagaraju". Ee Maata (in తెలుగు).
  26. ↑ Manchala, Jagannadha Rao (1981). Tyagaraja Keertanalu (in తెలుగు).
  27. ↑ "The bhaktha who craved more bhakthi". The Hindu. 31 January 2013.
  28. ↑ [1]
  29. ↑ "Feature: Tyagaraja – The Exemplary Poet-Saint – Jan 2006". archive.sssmediacentre.org. Retrieved 20 January 2023.
  30. ↑ Krishna, T. M. (4 May 2017). "Tyagaraja's musical span and insight reiterates his genius". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 1 March 2023.
  31. ↑ "Musicians pay homage to Saint Thyagaraja". The Hindu. 1 February 2013.
  32. ↑ "The Hollowed Halls of Tyagaraja". Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory. 24 May 2012. Archived from the original on 6 April 2014. Retrieved 17 May 2013.
  33. ↑ Ramakrishnan, H. (11 February 2021). "A biopic on the bard of Tiruvaiyaru". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 19 January 2023.
  34. ↑ "New raga named after Thyagaraja". The Hindu. 3 March 2023. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 9 March 2023.
  35. ↑ "SamyukthaKarnataka ePaper". 25 January 2023. Archived from the original on 25 January 2023. Retrieved 16 February 2023.
  36. ↑ Pinto, Arun (19 January 2023). "Sri Tyagaraja – a New Raga in Carnatic Music by Mahesh Mahadev". News Karnataka. Retrieved 19 January 2023.
  37. ↑ "Sri Tyagaraja - a new creation". www.sruti.com. Retrieved 16 February 2023.
  38. ↑ Tyāgarāja, Swami (1969). The Pancha Ratna Kritis of Sri Tyagaraja: Text in Deva Nagari Script with an English Translation by T.S. Parthasarathy. Supplement: Notations in Tamil Script by V.S. Parthasarathy Iyengar (in தமிழ்). Music Club.
  39. ↑ Suryanarayan, Renuka (11 February 2021). "The story behind the Pancharatnam rendition". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 1 March 2023.
  40. ↑ Gorti, Sai Brahmanandam (September 2008). "Manaku Teliyani Mana Tyagaraju". Ee Maata (in తెలుగు).

Further reading[edit | edit source]

  • The Spiritual Heritage of Tyagaraja, by C. Ramanujachari with an introduction by Dr. V. Raghavan, Ramakrishna Math, Chennai.
  • Tyagaraja Kritigal (in Malayalam) by Prof P. R. Kumara Kerala Varma, Dept of Cultural Publications, Govt of Kerala, Trivandrum, 2000.
  • Tyagaraja Kirtanalu (in Telugu) by Smt Dwaraka Parthasarathy and Sri N.C. Parthasarathy, Tagore Publishing House, Kachiguda, Hyderabad, 1995 (Balasaraswati Book Depot, Kurnool).
  • Ramachandran, K.V., "The Melakarta: A Critique", The (Madras) Music Academy Platinum Jubilee Commemoration Volume, Vol. I, 1930–1940. (Original publication in the Journal of the Music Academy in 1938.)
  • Thyagaraju – Rama Darsanamu (In Telugu) by Dr. Mulukutla Brahmananda Sastry (part of the thesis approved by Andhra University, 1985.)
  • Shree Tyagaraja Keerthnai – Parthasarathy TS ( Tamil ) Paperback – 1 January 1970 by KMBC; 2010th edition (1 January 1970), ASIN  : B00CBQBXMU

External links[edit | edit source]

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