Sa Ri Ga Ma Pa Di Ni Sa

sa....ri....ga....ma....pa....di....ni.....sa", - the sound of music more precisely the musical notes may bring some nostalgia in everyone's mind. Saint Composer Sri Thyagaraja Swami comes in my mind. Incidentally we also hail from Thiruvaiyaru. Sri Thyagaraja was born in Thiruvarur in the year 1767, month May, date 04.to the couple Seethamma and Rama Brahmam.

He had his education in Raja Sanskrit College in Thiruvaiyaru.He received the 'Upadesa Mantra" namely "RAMA THARAKA MANTRA" from his father Rama Brahmam. Sri Thyagaraja used to get dreams about Sri Rama in his childhood itself. He also took upadesam from Saint Krishnanandar for reciting "Shadakshari" mantra. He composed first "NAMO NAMO RAGHAVAYA ANISAM", a kirthana in the raga Desia Thodi.

He started learning more about musicology from the hand written script called 'Naradheeyam'. But he could not really understand many dictions written in the book. He started reciting ' Narada Mantra ' as a means to overcome the difficulties. He obtained the dharsan of ' Narada Muni " who gave him the script " Swararnavam ". Sri Thyagaraja composed 'Sri Narada...', ' Vara Narada...' Kirthanas to convey his gratitude to Narada.

Thyagaraja married Parvathy when he was 18. He lost her when he was 23 and married again her sister Kamalambal. This is where the biography written about Thyagaraja in handwritten script suddenly ends. Thyagarajar got his only daughter Seetha Mahalakshmamma married to Subbaramaiah.

He took to Sainthood in 1847 on Pushya Bahula Panchami day. He breathed his last at about 11 A.M. the next day when his disciples were singing in chorus 'Rama nama bhajana' .

"The spirit of sacrifice stands as the noblest among all DHARMAs and Saint Thyagaraja lived a life of sacrifice. he has sung in praise of this dharma in one of his krithis. No wonder that he was named Thyagaraja as he breathed always this spirit during his life. He had also composed musical dramas out of which ' Nouka Charithram and Prahalada Bhakthi Vijayam " rank very high.

Saint Composer Sri Thyagaraja's " Pancha Rathna Keerthnas " , I know not how to describe them, but all of you will agree when I refer to them as ' majestic in composition, poetic in diction, lifting in rhythm, moving in appeal and fills one's mind with a sense of devotion.'

Let us go back to basics again viz. " ...sa.. ri.. ga.. a.. pa.. da.. ni ... sa.." where

Sa - stands for Mayoora , Agni (deity), Sampada ( one of the Ashta Iswaryams)

Ri - stands for Cow, Brahma, and Gyanam (one among the eight..)

Ga - stands for Aja, Saraswathi, Vidhya (..do ..)

Ma - Krowncha -Parameswara-Subham

Pa - Kokila -Vishnu - Raksha

Da - Dhaivatham-Ashvam-Ganapathy

Ni - Gajah-Surya-Jyothi

Sa - Sachidanandam

Shadjam.., Rishabham.., Ghandharam.., Madhyamam.., Panchamam.., Dhaivatham.., Nishadam - these sanskrit words are the origins for the above.

The mega Movie " The Sound Of Music " also comes to my mind where Juli Andrews sing the equivalents 'Do.. Ri ...Me..' and also if I am right Hemamalini singing 'sa ri ga ma pa.. ' in Abhinethri (?) cinema.

GITANJALI :-- ( my thoughts about sa ri ga ma pa da ni sa continues ..... now, with Rabindranath Tagore's Nobel prize winning Poem Gitanjali )

"My heart would break with pride, when thou commandest me to sing..
I look to thy face, tears come in my eyes..
Away from the sight of thy face, my heart knows no rest nor respite..
and my work becomes an endless toil in a shoreless sea of toil"

In this atmosphere I write my poems 'Gitanjali', I sang them to myself in midnight under the glorious stars of Indian sky in the afternoon glow of sun set I used to write these songs till a day came that impelled me to come out once again and meet the heart of the large world.

Extracts from Tagore's Nobel prize acceptance speech......