Saint Thyagaraja 🎻

 Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva are called the supreme trinity Gods in Hindu mythology. Similar in other mythologies too this Archetype of Number 3 is present. This is also applied in carnatic music, the classical and base of music. Thyagaraja, Muthuswamy dhikshitar and Shyama sastrigal are three legends and considered as trinity in carnatic music. There is a lot to talk about these geniuses but today I want to share about the one among them, the most famous one, Thyagaraja. 

Today I wanted to speak about him because today it is 'Thyagaraja aradhana'. 'Aradhana' is a Sanskrit term meaning devotion, worship or adoration ( as Google says), an act towards the God or saint. Today 7th January 2026, is celebrated as Thyagaraja aradhana and all the carnatic singers would definitely sit and sing the songs composed by Thyagaraja. He is a great devotee of Lord Rama ( avatar of Vishnu) and it is said that he had the blessings of having seen Lord Ram. He was such a great devotee that he forgets everything around him when he sits in front of the idol of Ram. He was very poor and despite this, his family only chanted Lord Ram. They were very much attached to Lord Ram that made them always to adore him. He had an elder brother who was always worried and also a bit very materialistic. He was also a bit jealous of Thyagaraja and his bhakti towards Lord Rama. Because such a bhakti always gaind his younger brother an attention and respect. But Thyagaraja was only concentrating on his bhakti and so was his wife and his daughter as they firmly believed that Lord Ram will take care of everything. This made his brother furious and led him to throw the idol into a river nearby making Thyagaraja worried but at the end Lord Ram finds the way home to Thyagaraja and also teaches a lesson to the latter's brother. Such a divine story and it's said that Thyagaraja has chanted 'Rama' for more than one lakh crore times in his life. 

He has composed many songs in praise of Ram and showing the love that he had towards him. One among his compositions is the 'Pancharatna kritis' which every single carnatic singer and learner would know. It is of five songs where 'pancha' means five and all the five songs describe the grace of Lord Ram and how he resides in his heart and at the same will also reside in everyones' who listens to these compositions. Each song has a separate meaning associated and could be talked about for hours. Such wonderful and devoted compositions which always bring tears to me when I listen to them. Most of his compositions are in Telugu. 

This Aradhana is greatly celebrated mainly in 'Thiruvaiyaru' a town in Thanjavur district, which is the birth and resting place of Saint Thyagaraja. I have visited that pleasant place where you can find river kaveri flowing happily beside the temple of Thyagaraja. 

Such a great saint and music composer whom I always respect.🙇🙇🙏🙏.