Sthitapragna Lakshana according to Thyagaraja

Vidwan OS Thyagarajan, 1990 'Parvathi' Ramanavami Concert

An introspection by R. Sachi

We are pleased to share a concert recording from the 'Parvathi' Ramanavami series held 27 years ago.

Vidwan OS Thyagarajan has had a stellar career spanning several decades. He specialises (!) in mainstream Carnatic music, full of the repertoire drawn from Saint Thyagaraja.

In this concert, he has presented Manasu Svadhinamaina, a famous composition in Shankarabharana, highlighting the requirement of abhyasa and vairagya in the life of an advaitic aspirant. In The Spiritual Heritage of Tyagaraja, The sahitya has been translated as follows:

This reminds of what Bhagavan Krishna says in the Bhagavadgita, while describing the Sthitapragna.

Bg 2.71

vihāya kāmān yaḥ sarvān pumāṁś carati niḥspṛhaḥ
nirmamo nirahaṅkāraḥ sa śāntim adhigacchati

Bg 2.72

eṣā brāhmī sthitiḥ pārtha naināṁ prāpya vimuhyati
sthitvāsyām anta-kāle ’pi brahma-nirvāṇam ṛcchati

Translation:

71. That man attains peace who, abandoning all desires, moves about without longing, without the sense of 'l-ness' and 'my-ness'.

72. This is the BRAHMIC -state, O Son of Pritha. Attaining this, none is deluded. Being established therein, even at the end of life, one attains to oneness with BRAHMAN.

Sri OST has been accompanied very well by Sri Manjunath and Sri Lakshminarayan, both great musicians from Mysore.

Come let us enjoy this lovely concert!

Details

O.S.Tyagarajan -------------------- Vocal
Mysore Manjunath ---------------- Violin
P.G.Lakshminarayana ------------- Mridangam
on 4-4-1990 during Ramanavami Music Festival at "Parvathi".

Song List

01. Ramanannu Borvara-Harikambhoji-Thyagaraja *** 02. Pantuvarali raga *** 03. Sundaratara Deham – Pantuvarali- Thyagaraja ***04. Sriranjani raga *** 05. Brochevarevare-Sriranjani-Thyagaraja *** 06. Shankarabharana Raga *** 07. Manasu Svadhina Maina – Shanakarabharana-Thyagaraja *** 08. Tani *** 09. Shloka (Bageshri, Hamasanandi, Behag) 10. Sada Enna – Behag-Vijaya Vitthala Dasa *** 11. Mangalam

Carnatic vocal music - a grand idea

Vid. O. S. Thyagarajan – Ramanavami 1995

An R. Sachi Text

We are happy to present a fine vocal concert by Vid. O. S. Thyagarajan from the 1995 Ramanavami festival.

Every time a responsive rasika listens to good vocal Carnatic music, he cannot help wondering what a grand idea it represents in terms of a musical experience.

To begin with, its melodic canvas gracefully spans three octaves. A good vocalist has to sound melodious over a range. The tambura drone provides a vibrancy to the silences as well as the sounds throughout. The prayerful words take us right away to a different world of thoughts and sensibilities. Add to that the power of rhythmic structure and the accompaniment of a good violin and mridangam: a well presented vocal Carnatic music concert turns out to be a magnificent experience. And when a vocalist maintains that level for well over two hours, it speaks of mastery. We are reminded of all this when we listen to this very good concert of OST.

OST sets the stage with a beautiful rendering of Thyagaraja’s Meru Samana.

Everything about this song is grand- Mayamalavagowla, one of the grandest ragas in the Indian classical system (= Bhairav in HM); the tempo of the song that treads a regal pace; and the theme of Rama’s exquisite appearance. As the song progresses in this concert, we notice the excellence of the vocalist’s and violinist’s manodharma and attunement. The mridangam of Vid. Ganesh is also very responsive. We are surely going to have a grand concert. As they sometime advertise, “Satisfaction Guaranteed”.

After more Thyagaraja songs, OST takes up Kaddanuvariki as the main item with elaborate raga alapana, song rendition, and niraval and swaras. Vid. Nagaraj’s violin speaks eloquently and very melodiously throughout. Todi is a raga without parallel in terms of depth, musical possibilities and suitability for vocal rendering. In this song, Thyagaraja makes a point how a good musical rendition can be a grand devotional offering. So he hints that if you invoke the lord in the right way, He will surely appear to give you a grand experience.

( Both lyrical translations quoted above are from
The Spiritual Heritage of Thyagaraja )

Concert Details

Parvathi Ramanavami 1995 Mysore held on 16-4-95.
O.S.Thyagarajan ----- vocal
Mysore Nagaraj ---- violin
K.R.Ganesh ------ Mridangam

Song List

01 Meru samana- Mayamalavagowla-Thyagaraja*** 02 Sri Rama Padama-Amrutavahini- Thyagaraja *** 03 Ranjani Raga*** 04 Durmargachara-Thyagaraja *** 05 Orajoopuchu –Kannadagowla- Thyagaraja *** 06 Todi Raga*** 07 Kaddanu variki-Thayagaraja *** 08 Sloka-Sri Raghavam – Sahana –Vandanamu- Thyagaraja *** 09 Neene Anathabandhu – Shubhapantuvarali - *** 10 Uyyalaloogavayya – Nilambari- Thyagaraja *** 11 Mangalam***

Classicism as the Core: Vidwan O. S. Thyagarajan - 1994

[ The following text is due to R.Sachi ( click ) ]

This time we are happy to feature a well-known senior vidwan, Sri. O.S. THyagarajan. He has come and performed in Parvathi around 8 times over the past few decades.

Recalling his music, Sri K. Srikantiah says, “there are a few artistes who are simple, not after crowd-pulling music, and focused on giving a wholesome concert with classicism as its core value. The foremost among such artistes was Palghat K.V. Narayanaswamy. Sri O.S. Thyagarajan comes in the same mold. A man of few words, I found his music and personality endearing for its calmness."

[Courtesy: The Hindu ]

Gleaning from various sources on the Internet:

Sri O.S.Thyagarajan was born on April 3,1947. He is a classicist who paints in glorious colours the fine shades of raga, krithi and swara in his numerous concerts.

He had his earlier training under his father Sangeetha Bhooshanam O.V. Subramanian, and later under the celebrated maestro Lalgudi G. Jayaraman and finally, Sangeetha Kalanidhi T.M. Thyagarajan. An ‘A- Top’ graded artist of the All India Radio and of Doordarshan, he has been giving a large number of concerts well appreciated and relished.

The titles conferred on him are “Sangeetha Choodamani” (Sri Krishna Gana Sabha), Sangeetha Kala Sagara (Kalasagaram, Hyderabad), “Nada Gana Kala Praveena”, “Sangeetha Samrajya” Madurai, “Nadha Booshanam” Shanmukhananda Sangeetha Sabha, and New Delhi.

He is regularly featured by all leading sabhas in Chennai as well as throughout India and has toured many countries, including USA, Canada, Australia, Singapore, Middle East, Malaysia, Hong Kong, South Africa, and many cities in Europe. He worked as Dean, Faculty of Fine Arts, and Annamalai University for 5 years. He has trained many disciples too.

In an interview he gave a couple of years ago, OST, as he is fondly known, called upon artistes to spread “Sasthriya Sangeetham." He recalled his first lesson from his guru in 1980. “Never try to get applause by singing something absurd and if you don’t get applause despite sensible singing never bother. This is one lesson I remember even today,” he said, revealing his utmost reverence for the two Thyagarajas – the saint composer and his guru.

In this concert held in Parvathi in 1994, we enter straight away into a concert in full swing, to the strains of the raga Asaveri. Featured in Thyagaraja’s opera, Prahlada Bhakti Vijayam, the song is a plaintive cry by the devotee to the lord:

" RARA MAYINTIDAKA " (Asaveri)

Oh Raghuvira! Tyagaraja's fortune! Pray, come to my house; I bow to you. Bless me. I cannot bear the separation any longer. Till now, with unfulfilled desire, I have been in long and vexatious search for you. Pray, do come today at least, in all your glory. My purpose in seeking you is to implore you every morning to teach me, to have the privilege of the Darshana of your enchanting face, to stand by your side and worship you every day, and thus be blessed. Believing that you alone are my refuge, I have allowed myself to be in your grip. Why do you forget this, and why do you not come to me promptly?

(Taken from The Spiritual Heritage of Thyagaraja)

The other songs, with enthusiastic accompaniment on the violin and mridangam, are a scintillating Shanmukhapriya “Marivere”and “O Rangashayi”rendered in a majestic Kambhoji by Vidwan O.S. Thaygarajan.

The concert is well recorded and the five items featured all showcase melody, virtuosity and bhava, all in the mould of pure classicism.

Concert Details: ( "Parvathi" Ramanavami, April 12, 1994 )

Vocal - O.S. Thyagarajan
Violin - H.K. Venkatram
Mridangam - T.A.S. Mani
Ghatam - G.S. Ramanujam

Song List:

01.Rara Mayintidaka – Asaveri – Thyagaraja*** 02. Marivere – Shanmukgapriya – Patnam Subramanya Iyer *** 03. O Rangashayee – Kambhoji – Thyagaraja *** 04. Narayanaya Namo Madhavaya – Karnaranjani – Narayana Tirtha *** 05. Sri Raghavam - Shloka – Kapi, Varali, Sindhu Bhairavi ***