Search:
Bhakti List Archives

Re: Guru of Saint ThyAgarAjA

From the Bhakti List Archives

Sadagopan • April 6, 1999 


Dear Sri Lakshmi Narasimhan :

Saint ThyagarAjA had three gurus :

1.Raama Thaaraka manthram was
received from Guru , Sri Ramakrishnanadhar .
Thyaga Brahmam recited 15,000 Raama Naamms 
per day and by the age 38 completed 96 crores of
Sri Raama naama  Japam and had the Darsanam
of Sri raamA and Sri LakshmaNA in the Yaaga-
SamrakshaNa pose in front of his door .He sang the
AtANA raaga Krithi " Yela nee dhaya raadhu " at
that time .ManthrOpadEsa guru was Sri RaamakrishNAnandhar.

2.His musical guru was Sri Sonti VenkataramaNayyA , 
son of Sri Venkata Subbaiaah ;both were MahA vidvAns
were members of the Tanjore king's Court .As a boy , 
Thyagaraja used to stop on his way to collect flowers 
for the archanai of his father in front of Sonti
Venaktaramanaiaah and listen to the advanced music 
lessons given by Sri Venakataramanaiaah to his students .
One day , when the students failed to respond to 
the Guru's questions on the just completed instructio , 
the boy listening outside blurted out the correct answer
quickly . The Guru came out to see who was giving the correct
answer , which was beyond the grasp of his best students. 
He saw this 6 year old boy with KotthavarangAi pinnal 
and PuNDram as well as a flower basket slung on his shoulder .
The Mastero was amazed .He invited the young boy in
and taught him all the intricacies of Carnatic Music 
as he had learnt from his father , who in turn was a disciple of
naarAyana TheerthA of KrishNa LeelA TarangiNi fame .
ThyagaraajA picked up very fast all the NuNukkams ( intricacies
of Raagam , ThALam and AalApanam ). One day , the grateful
Guru invited the Young ThyagarAjA to sing before an
assembly of connoseiurs of Music. There , ThyagarAjA sang
the mighty Bilahari krithi , "DoragUnA yeDuvamDi" to
offer his guru Vandhanam and delighted every one with 
his musical mastery .The joyous Guru blessed his dear
sishyan with the statement " DoragUnA iDuvaMDi sishyudu ".
The sangItha guru in human form was SoNTi VenkataramaNa gAru .

(3) The last of the AchAryAs for the Sage Vaalmiki avathArar 
was Naaradha Maharishi .Sage NaaradhA was also the AchArya 
for PrahlAdhA and VaalmIki . On a PourNami day ,the great VishNu 
bahkthA , NaaradhA appeared before Thyagaraja and 
gave him a book (SvarArNavam ) to hold until he 
returned from his anushtAnam at the Cauveri river bank . 
The sage waited and waited .The visitor never returned .
At chandhrOdhayam, he saw the form of Sage NaradhA with 
his mahathi VeeNai in hand climbing into the sky . Then
our Sadhguru realized , who it was that blessed him with 
the subha darsanam that day . He broke out in the Bhairavi
raaga song " Sri Naaradha Muni GururAya ! "

Throught his song , he offered his salutation 
to the BhakthA of Sriman NaarAyaNa na,a PaarAyaNar ,
Sri NaaradhA : " Oh Guru SrEshtA! I am blessed with 
your darsanam today , probably because of my tapas
in earlier births . I have sought you with all my heart .
Today I have had the blessed fortune of feasting my eyes
on you an dhearing your divine music . I am rid of 
the bondage of SamsAra with your param paavana darsanam. 
With VeeNA shining in your hand , You are the sadh guru ,
who has saved ThyagarAjA !

Thyagaraja swamigal dedicated Krithis in RaagAs
KaanadA ( Sri Naaradha ! Naadha sarasIryha Brubga ! 
Subhaanga!) , DharbhAr ( Naaradha Guruswami ),
Vijaya Sri ( Vara Naaradha ! NaarAyaNa smaraNAanandha 
anubhAvamugala ).Each one of them are testaments 
to his Guru Bhakthi to Sage NaaradhA and his gratefulness
for blessing him with the SvarArnavam , a great treatise 
on Musical intricacies .
NaarAyaNa , NaarAyaNa , NaarAyaNa ,
V.Sadagopan 

At 11:10 AM 4/6/99 -0700, you wrote:
>NamaskAram.
>
>May I request the revered members of the Bhakti list to point out
>who the guru (AchAryan) of Saint ThyAgarAjA was?
>
>Thanks in advance
>Lakshmi Narasimhan
>
>
>