Study of Tyagaraja Swami, 1767-1847, Telugu devotional poet and composer; includes a sampling of his compositions, with melody (raga) and beat (tala) indication.
This book is an English translation of 565 songs of one of the greatest musician-saints, Tyagaraja. The text of the compositions is in Sanskrit. The translator of these songs, C. Ramanujachariar, wanted to take the lyrics embodying the trials and yearnings, the religious fervour and devotional experiences of Tyagaraja beyond southern India. The scheme of classification of the songs are given in two charts. The index of the songs is given in Sanskrit and English. Its preface and introductory thesis (two thirds of the book) is authored by V. Raghavan. S. Radhakrishnan, who was then the vice-president of India, has written the foreword. Ramanujachariar was an administrator, actor, musician and primarily a spiritual seeker. He was well known as the Secretary of the Ramakrishna Mission Students Home, Chennai. V. Raghavan was a Sanskrit scholar and musicologist. A recipient of the Padma Bhushan, he has authored over 120 books. The book is a treat to English-knowing readers who wish to familiarise themselves with the immortal songs of Tyagaraja which present lofty truths in simple and appealing language. For students of Carnatic Music, it can be a reference book.
As the most famous composer of Telugu kritis or (kirtanas), Thyagaraja, who is fondly remembered as Tyagayya, has caught the imagination of filmmakers in the Telugu film industry. Apart from references to his works, using the kirtanas as songs, two films were made on his life. Chittor V. Nagaiah made a biographical epic on Thyagaraja 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 Thyagaraja's life.
Recent scholarship on the history of music in South Asia has examined the processes by which music as an art form was reinvented for nationalist purposes, yet, the disciplined study of music (and its aesthetics) remains only a few centuries old. Studying music through a historical lens has opened new approaches to interdisciplinary studies. Music as History in Tamilnadu examines how history can be interpreted through aesthetics and music and vice versa. Musicologists focus on the study of musical activity, while ethnomusicologists examine this activity first-hand using the 'field' research methods of cultural anthropology. The historian's task, then, is to interpret the musical past as part of cultural production and thereafter relate music to general historical trends. This collection of essays seeks to establish the interdisciplinarity between music (the Karnatak system) and the history of Tamilnadu, south India.
The inspiration to add one more book of Sri Thyagaraja's compositions arose in the mind of the compiler, when he attended Thyagaraja Aradhana festival some time back. The inspired singing of the great vidwans and the enthusiastic response of the truly international audience sparked the idea in the compiler's mind, that the saint-composer's goal and the heart-felt enjoyment and enlightenment of the audience would be even better served if the text was available in English script and the original Telugu, with the full meaning in English. When he mooted the idea with late Dr. G. Venkatadri and his uncle Dr. R. Venkataraman, they welcomed and backed it. In brief, the idea is to present in the composer's original medium all the songs of Thyagaraja available to date, from the labors of previous compilers like Dr.Manchala Jagannatha Rao (published by TTD) and Sri T.S. Parthasarathy, with an occasional reference to the monumental work of Sri.Govinda Rao, when necessary. This book serves the multiple objectives, such as: to provide for the lovers of Carnatic music, -- and particularly Thyagarajs's-who do not know Telugu, a version in English script notation. The saint-composer conceived of 'Svara, raga sudharasayuta BHAKT' as heavenly. Indeed, in the next line of the song he proclaimed that those who stop with enjoying the great music alone are like herons and frogs sitting on a red lotus, missing the honey within. The heart melted by the music, is meant to receive the Bhava, the Bhakti. The vast circle of ardent lovers of Thyagayya's music in India and abroad needed to be furnished with accurate and complete meaning of every line of his compositions. Perhaps there is no book in Telugu giving all the songs of Sri Thyagaraja with their meanings. It was inaugurated at the 2008 annual celebration of the Thyagaraja Aradhana Samiti at Cleveland USA.
Started in 1958, Sanathana Sarathi is a monthly magazine devoted to Sathya (Truth), Dharma (Righteousness), Shanti (Peace) and Prema (Love) - the four cardinal principles of Bhagawan Baba's philosophy. It is published from Prasanthi Nilayam (the Abode of Highest Peace) and acts as a mouthpiece of Baba's Ashram as it speaks of the important events that take place in His sacred Abode, besides carrying Divine Messages conveyed through Divine Discourses of Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba. The word meaning of Sanathana Sarathi is the 'Eternal Charioteer'. It signifies the presence of the Lord in every being as the atma guiding their lives like a charioteer. It implies that he who places his life, the body being likened to a chariot, in an attitude of surrender in the hands of the Lord, will be taken care of by the Lord even as a charioteer would take the occupant of his chariot safely to its destination. The magazine is an instrument to disseminate spiritual knowledge for the moral, physical and mental uplift of humanity without any discrimination as the subject matter discussed therein is always of common interest and of universal appeal. The fifteen Vahinis - streams of sacredness - known as the Vahini Series comprising annotation and interpretation of the Upanishads and other scriptures, Itihasas like the Ramayana, the Bhagavatha and the Mahabharata, and authentic explanations on Dhyana, Dharma, Prema, etc., have been serially published in this magazine as and when they emanated from the Divine pen of Bhagawan Baba. This magazine is published in almost all Indian languages, English and Telugu from Prasanthi Nilayam and others from respective regions. Every year Sanathana Sarathi comes out with a special issue in November commemorating the Divine Birthday. The English and Telugu magazines are posted on the 10th and 23rd respectively, of every month, from Prasanthi Nilayam. This magazine has wide, ever increasing circulation in India as well as abroad, as the study of it brings the reader closer to the philosophy of the Avatar in simple understandable language THUS SPAKE SAI... Discoursing during the launch of Sanathana Sarathi... From this day, our Sanathana Sarathi will lead to victory the cohorts of truth - the Vedas, the Sastras and similar scriptures of all faiths, against the forces of the ego such as injustice, falsehood, immorality and cruelty. This is the reason why it has emerged. This Sarathi will fight in order to establish world prosperity. It is bound to sound the paean of triumph when universal Ananda is achieved.