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The second track from my Carnatic Projekt Series, the epic Tyagaraja Swami kriti in Raga Saramati, Mokshamu Galadha. Peace.
Details:
Song: Mokshamu
Raga: Saramati
Tala: Adi
Tyagaraja Swami
Arrangement, Flute and Video: Vijay Kannan
https://compiled.social/VijayKannan
Previously released on Carnatic Projekt:
Ep 1: Alaipayuthey Kanna - https://youtu.be/z56_VOYA_MY
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Saint Thyagaraja, one of the Trinity of carnatic music, was a musical genius with single minded devotion for Lord Rama. He was born in 1767 in Tiruvarur in Thanjavur district. His parents, aware of the divine predisposition of their child, named him Thyagabrahmam, after Lord Thyagaraja, the reigning God of Thanjavur, whose temple marks this place. Saint Thyagaraja's life is full of accounts of his musical scholarship (impromptu compositions and extempore singing, inimitable singing skill with a voice spanning 3 octaves) and deep devotion. Several compositions of his mark his encounters with Lord Rama.
Reference: shodhganga.inflibnet.ac.in
The Saint, content in his devotion, lived a simple life free from materialistic desires, on alms given by the audience that listened to his music as he sang on streets every morning. At least two incidences are known where he eschewed the company and patronage of a king, in order to serve ONLY ONE, the one in his heart, the Supreme Spirit.
His compositions speak of his love and longing for his beloved Shri Rama, entreating Him to come to him, to end the misery of separation. These songs depict the soul's longing for the infinite spirit. Along with his musical genius, Saint Thyagaraja was a self realised soul, who knew that the misery of the mind could end only when it merges in the Divine. Some of his compositions address the mind, even chastise the mind, asking it to focus on Him who delivers the soul from its delusion of sorrows and bestows upon it infinite bliss.
He is said to have received the divine gift of musical knowledge from Devarishi Narada. Several krithis of his are known, that are in praise of this Divine Sage.
For Saint Thyagaraja, music wasn't mere technical elegance or emotional expression but the path to attain salvation by immersing oneself in its devotion. Such was his life, his music, his habit.
In 'Mokshamu', in the beautiful engulfing notes of this philosophical song, the Saint ponders over this very theme; how music inspires devotion, and leads to salvation, Moksha ('jivanmukti', the realisation of the self, 'jiva', that liberates one from the cycle of births and deaths). The Lord waits to bless the devoted heart with His presence.
The Saint ponders, not as one who has doubts or questions about these, but as one who has already found the answer, and knows that answer to be true.
