A Tribute to Saint Tyagaraja !! Part III


Jai Sriman Narayana !!
 
 
 

As the years passed by,  Tyagaraja had grown up into an young adult.  One day, Tyagaraja followed his father Rama Brahmam for  Unjavruthi  ( receiving alms)  and singing Bajans of Lord Rama.  His father felt unwell and informed his son that the time has arrived to leave this world and go to Lord Rama's Lotus feet.   His father handed Rosary beads to his son seeing Thyagaraja’s deep devotion towards Lord and instructed him to chant the holy names of Lord Rama.   Rama Brahmam could visualize Lord Rama before him at the time of death.  Tyagaraja followed his father in chanting ‘Rama Nama’.  His father advised Tyagaraja that Lord Rama would provide dharshan to him when he finishes the 100 crores of chanting Rama Nama, Tharaka Mantra.  Shortly, his father passed away when Thyagaraja was at the age of twenty one.   Tyagaraja started composing thousands and thousands of compositions of Lord Rama.   At the age of thirty seven, his mother also passed away.

 

 

Immediately after the sad demise of his father, Tyagaraja took in charge of the worship of Lord Rama.  Tyagaraja did not stop daily rituals to Lord, which was meticulously carried out by his father when he was alive.  He engaged in the worship of Lord with his Nadha Upasana, thousands and thousands of compositions and phrases flew out of his mind praising the glories of Lord Rama.  He continued to do the same from the dawn to dusk.  In the night, he mellifluously sang ‘Lali’/lullaby to his Lord.  Every moment in his life has passed with the remembrance of Lord Rama.  The Rama Nama and the compositions praising the Lord formed a staunch devotion in him.   

 

 Ksheera Sagara Sayana………….

 

He constructed every word and phrase with utmost devotion and dedication to Lord.  He had lots of disciples to learn under him, his devotion to Lord grew day by day.    His brother Japyeshan, who was in charge of taking care of the family, was irritated at his brother's irrational behavior and devotion to Lord.  He compelled Tyagaraja to sing before the Kings and rich people instead of singing in front of the lifeless idol of Lord Rama.  He urged Thyagaraja to sing before the rich thereby he could acquire wealth for the family.   Thyagaraja was well aware of the eternal truth that, The Supreme Lord is the provider of the wealth and the origin of the wealth; he flatly refused to follow Japyesha. 

 


Japyeshan blamed Thyagaraja that he had been providing nothing to the family so long, he has to earn some money otherwise he will be separated from the family.   Finally, the greedy Japyesha divided the wealth of the family and looted them.   Tyagaraja opted for the idol of Rama which was previously worshipped by his father and gracefully left all the wealth to his brother.  After this heartbreaking incident, Thyagaraja confronted with an Astrologer, who started blabbering seeing pitiful state of Thyagaraja and it was annoying.  Thyagaraja answered him back that the heart where Lord Rama resides the planets could do nothing.  
 

 
Jai Sriman Narayana !!

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