A morning in the life of Saint Thyagaraja
It was
a beautiful November morning in the year 1828 in Thiruvaiyaru in Tamilnadu. The
Cauvery river was flowing that year as the monsoon had run its course. The
crops would be a good bumper crop that year. It was just another day in the
household of the man who was called the composer saint.
He had woken
up early as was his won’t and had done his morning prayers on the banks of the
river Cauvery just like the Sage Agastya who had had done the same. He was excited
for the day and had a spring in his step. His friend had gone to the punya
kshetra’s and pilgrimage in the North of India and had brought him gifts. He
was specifically excited about the Shaligram and Ganga water that his friend
had got for him. It was a divine gift that he would take care and propitiate
along with his favorite deity, Rama. His friend had invited him for lunch and
said he would give the gifts. He had asked him to come around 11AM.
Thyagaraja
told his wife not to worry about lunch for him and said he would have lunch at
his friend’s place. He headed to his friend’s place and called out to him. The
friend’s wife was not a fan of Thyagraja. She thought that Thyagaraja could use
his musical skills at the Tanjore court and make money and bring benefit to the
people of the village. She was not too keen on serving him food and giving him
the gifts that her husband had procured for Thyagaraja, even if it was not
expensive and cost her nothing. There was an argument going on between the
friend and his wife. The friend was not winning the argument and he came out
sheepishly. Thyagaraja was a perceptive man. To give his friend a break, he
mentioned to him that he could not come into his house and have lunch due to
other circumstances and giving his friend an out and not embarrass him. The
grateful friend agreed that they would meet another day.
Thyagaraja
went home and his wife was surprised that he had returned early. She asked him
what the matter was. Thyagaraja smiled and called his students and said he was
going to sing a song.
He
started singing the song, Entha Nerchina in the Raga Suddha Dhanyasi.
Pallavi
enta nErcina enta jUcina
enta vAralaina kAnta dAsulE
Meaning: No matter how educated, well-traveled or well educated
(like his friend), they are all devotees of their wives
Anu Pallavi
santatambu SrI kAnta svAnta
siddhAntamaina mArga cinta lEni vAr(enta)
Meaning: Those who do not follow the Siddhanta Marga or Bhakti
Marga of Sanatana Dharma and worship in their heart the one who is in the heart
of Lakshmi (sic) Vishnu, is a devotee of the wives.
When he finished the Anu Pallavi, his wife stopped him in
his tracks. She asked him how he could say Kanta Dasule when Rama got into
trouble for listening to his wife. Wouldn’t that mean Rama was the kind of
person who would listen to his wife too and ignore the divine path?
Thyagaraja was stunned. He knew his wife had asked him a
good question. She was constantly asking him why Krishna and Rama had behaved differently
in the avatars and he had spent many an evening explaining it to her.
Thyagaraja then thought about it for a couple of minutes and
ended the song thus.
Caranam
para himsa para bhAm(A)nya dhana
para mAnav(A)pavAda
para jIvan(A)dulak(a)nRtamE
bhAshincEr(a)yya tyAgarAja nuta (enta)
He said, those who don’t behave like Rama i.e. people who
bother others, covet others wealth, who speak ill of others and who create harm
for others are the ones who are devotees of the wives. And Thyagraja praises
the Lord (in this case, Rama).
The wife then smiled at him and said that was a good
recovery. Thyagaraja grinned and he taught the song to his students in his
informal gurukula.
Sadhguru Thyagaraja Swamiki, Jai!!
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