SRI TYAGARAJA SWAMI
Sri Tyagaraja Swamigal's compositions in Anandha BairaviTyagaraja's two songs in Ananda Bhairavi are as follows. Many of HIS compositions are in the form of questions addressed to himself or to Rama. These two are addressed to Rama.First composition.Pallavi.NEEKE THELIYAKA POTHE NE NEMI SEYUTHURANEEKE THELIYAKAAnupallavi.LOKAA DHAARUDAVAI NAALONI PRAJVALINCHE JAALINEEKE THELIYAKACharanam.ENTHENDHU JOOSINA ENTHENDHU PALIKINAENTHENDHU SEVIMCHINA ENTHENDHU POOJIMCHINAANTHANDHU NEEVANI THOSEDANTHUKU NEE PAADHAARAVINDHAMUNU DHYAANINCHINADHENDHUKANI TYAGARAJA SANNUDHANEEKE THELIYAKAThe song means" Sakala Bhuvanangalukkum Neeye Aadhaaramaayirundum Ennulle Kozhundhu Vitteriyum Thuyaratthai (unhappiness) Nee Arindhu Kolla Villaiyaanaal Naan Enna Seiven Rama?Naan Engu Paarthaalum Edhu Sonnaalum Edhai Seidhaalum Edhai Poojitthaalum Avai Anaitthum Neeyaagave Thonra Vendum Enru Naan Vun (your) Thiruvadigalai Dyaanitthadhu Edharkku Enru Vunakke Theriyaamal Ponaal Naan Enna Seivane?"Second Composition.Pallavi.NEE BALAMAA NAAMA BALAMAANIJAMUGA PALUKAVE O RAMANEE BALAMAASREE BOOJAA MAATHALLI BALAMAASEELAAKULUTHAM BAKTHA BALAMAANEE BALAMAAGIRIRAAJA JAAMAATHAA AJA SURARAAJA KAANCHANA RAAJA AYAHARA RAAJA RAAVANA RAAJA VEEKARATYAGARAJA NUTHA BALAMAANEE BALAMAAHere Tyagaraja asks Rama "Are you more powerful or is your name more powerful or my Mother Seetha's POOJA more powerful and so on.In the back of Tyagaraja's mind he must have been thinking about a small episode that is narrated in some versions of Ramayana though not in Valmiki's. It is as follows.When the Vaanara Sainya was building the bridge across the ocean by throwing rocks into the sea Rama who was watching them also took a small rock and threw it into the sea.While the rocks thrown by the Vaanaras floated the one HE threw went down into the sea. Rama was embarrassed and turned round to see if any one had observed his action. Sure enough Anjaneya was looking at HIM with a smile. He called Anjaneya and asked him if he had seen anything. Anjaneya said 'Yes'.What did you see?Lord Rama, I saw you observing the sainya throwing rocks into the sea. Then I saw you also take a rock and throw it into the sea. Then I saw the rock sinking into the sea. Then I saw you looking embarrassed and turning round to see if anyone has observed all these.Well. Why did the rock I threw go down?My Lord, there is no mystery in this. The answer is very simple. The vaanaras are chanting your name and saying "JAI SRI RAM' and throwing the rocks. But you just threw it. I was able to cross the ocean by just saying RAM, RAM,RAM. But you yourself are needing a bridge for the same purpose. At the end of this YUGA you will go back to Heaven. But Your name will be here for ever. Your name my Lord is so powerful that it can achieve even what you cannot achieve.RAMA WAS STUNNED.Tyagaraja must have visualised this entire scene and so he asks Rama "NEE BALAMA NAAMA BALAMA"
SRI MUTTHUSWAMY DIKSHITAR
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SRI SHYAMA SHASTRI
Tyagaraja who composed many songs in the popular Ragas Thodi, Bhairavi, Kalyani, Combodhi, Sankarabaranam, Mohanam, Panthu varali etc. composed only two songs in the Raga Anandha Bhairavi ( A very popular raga considered by many music connoissiurs as the sweetest raga). The reason is as follows.Syama sastry was christened ShyamaKrishna at birth. In all his compositions he addresses Goddess Kamakshi as his sister. The word SHYAMA KRISHNA SODHARI (sister of Shyama Krishna) appears in all his songs. Those were the days when the temple for Goddess Kamakshi was being built in Thanjavur by its Maratha ruler Thulajaji. Young ShyamaKrishna would practise the songs in his wonderful voice to the delight of the passers-by, sitting on the tower meant for the temple bell. His aunt who was fond of him used to send him milk through her little daughter. One day the girl came calling him 'ANNA' (Brother), placed the milk by his side and disappeared. Shyama noticed her angelic charm that day with the necklace of the deity adorning her neck. He at once ran home to reprimand his mother for having sent her decked with the deity's jewel. When he learnt that she had not sent her that day as she was not available he knew that Goddess Kamakshi had come to enslave him. The first song that flowed from his lips praising HER grace was "Oh, Jagadamba" in the raga Ananda Bhairavi later followed by about 300 songs all addressed to Goddess Kamakshi as Shyama Krishna Sodhari. (Did SHE not address him as ANNA?). Many of his songs are in Ananda Bhairavi.In sweetness and devotion Shyama Sastri's songs are equal only to Tyagaraja's. Later Shyama Sastry sent his son Subbaraya Satry to Tyagaraja to learn music. Tyagaraja was so enamoured of his Ananda Bhairavi that he is said to have remarked that Sastri was born for the raga and swore that he would not make compositions anymore in that Raga in deference to Shyama Sastry. Prior to that Tyagaraja had cmposed 2 gems in Ananda Bhatravi.
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