The Poet
by Dr.
R. Krishnaswamy and P. Sreenivasan
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Thyagaraja Swami’s compositions are described as poetry
set to music. He was the only poet
among our composers. He has
considerably enriched Telugu literature of the 19th century. He has composed verses of every known kind
from simple kanda padyams to the more elaborate and complex varieties. Among the verses, both introductory and
invocatory, appearing in the two operas or song dramas are Seesa padyams,
Utpalamalas, dwipadis, sardhoola vikruditham and kandapadyam. There are over 160 padyams in all between
the two It is said that Swami composed a third natakam by name
Seetharama Vijayam. This claim is made
by Professor Sambamurthy and others based on a license granted to one
Wallajapet Loka Narayana Sastrulu for printing a poetry drama, Seetharama
Vijayam at Gnanabhanu Achukootam, Choolai, |
The greatness of Swami’s poetic skill is in that all
his verses and songs can be read as prose and do not need to be rendered into
prose form or anvaya. The lakshanas
(attributes) of pure poetry are all there and so they can be read with meter
and prosody with equal felicity. Another
noteworthy skill in his mastery over dwitiyakshara prasa or prosody based on
the second letter of the opening word in each line. Ha, Ksha, and similar dwitiyaksharas are
handled with amazing ease and fluency.
“Kaddana Variki” (Thodi), “Gruhabalamemi” (Revagupti) and the only
Tisra Triputa kriti, Lalgudi Sthala kriti, “Mahita pravruta sreemathi” (Kamboji)
are good examples. His description of the Yamuna, with the gopis sporting;
of the Kaveri as it flows from the hills and dales; his description of
Thiruvayyaru” reflect his poetic skill and imagery, both in Telugu and
Tamil. His Satodalankara too is marvelous;
in creating an onomatopoeic effect.
This skill, one could say, he had acquired by his study of Pothana “kala kala mukha kala
sokkuche palukulolam ruthamu lolikadu swamiki” in Gandhamu Poyyagara (Punnagavarali) and
the charana of the Saranga
kriti “Emi deva balkuma”
creating a battle scene effect. Swami has used parayayanams
or synonyms very skillfully in narrating the Ramayana. Basing the progress of the story on the
Lord’s feet, hands, weapons, eyes, etc., the story is told from Viswamitra yoga Samrakshanam to
Pattabishekam.
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To give an example, the parayayanams
“angrulu, katha padamulu” and “charanmulu” are
used to say “when am I going to see the feet that walked beside Viswamitra; the feet which made Ahalya
come back to life; the feet which pressed and broke the Shiva dhanus and the feet which Janaka
washed with milk at the wedding. The
story then moves from yagasamrakshanam to Sita Swayamvaram (Please also
refer to the kriti Vinayamunu in Sowrashtram). Swami has used words and combination of words of his
own creation. This needs some
examination to be fully understood.
For example, in the divyanama kirtana “Manasa Sancharare” (Punnagavarali), he
uses the word “bharye” to mean Chandra. |
This is derived from “bha” nakshatra and “arys” or leader
or the great one; meaning “sreshta” indicating here
the moon. Hence “mukhajitha
bharye” for mukhajitha
soma or Chandra. In the madyamavati kriti “Rama Samayamu
Brova”, he uses the expressions, yenta, bhanta, nishantha – to mean Ramachandra. This
is arrived at by “ya antha”
i.e., the letter following “ya” is “ra”; “bha antha”
– the letter following is “ma” and nishantha,
meaning dispeller of darkness (the moon).
This explanation was got from His Holiness the Paramacharya
of Kanchi Mutt when his clarification was
sought. He explained that Swami was
well versed in mantra sastra also where such techniques
are employed to guard the secret and sanctity of the mantras. |