The life and contribution of the galaxy of the many great realised souls.

     Very happy to be able to share what I know and to add to what I know. First thanks for this opportunity.
     My greetings to the sharers and to those who may help to add. My first dedicated thought goes to the saint singers in  karnatic Music. The great Trinity and those greater souls whom they adored. Next my dedicated thoughts go to those great saintly souls of very long line whose spiritual powers protect the human race beyond the narrow minded seperatism of any tone, material or intellectual, racial or geographical, or what not. That class of noble souls uplifted humanity in all climes and in all times. But for them we will not be what we are now. Our effort to remember them will rejuvenate our own generation at present. This will also form the foundation for the future generation to develop the attitude and effort to draw the benefits from that perennial source of the galaxy of the great, realised souls, saints and saint singers
     As I understand the view of the present generation who may not view in the same way as I do , I assure you that you can safely go through my point of view and you will not reap any adverse effects by just going through this (my) point of view.
     The words, the thoughts of many great souls were being quoted by many generations in the past, and will be quoted by many generations to come in the future. Let us think now, how and why the words of those great souls meaningfully live ? What is the power behind their words, How much is that power? One student of a great Teacher did try ( I avoided saying Guru and disciple, since I know some may develop an alergy if I use those words! No harm meant.) to conduct experiment to measure the strength of his teacher. He travelled by bus, away from the Guru, sorry the teacher. He presents the result that within 5 kms radius he could visualize the form of the teacher very easily; that beyond 5kms, he could visualize the teacher's form with difficulty. This is not a fantasy but reality. One should develop a confidence, first not to avoid if something is presented, as good and beneficial.Like what confidence one seems to have in one's own parents. At any point, any great soul
when he or she presents his or her experience,  for others to share, voluntarily at their level of maturity, guidance absorbed. One must understand that they are not sharing their experience with any profit motive or driven by ego.  It is purely in the spirit of our thamiz saying "NAn petra pERu           ivvayyagam peRuga". Telling it in English " My fortune gave me this realisation/experience and I want every one in this world must enjoy acquiring the same fortune." It is in that noble spirit, I am trying to post these blogs hoping these may offer some guidance or some information to some few souls who happen to be pleased to go through these efforts, presentations.
     I do welcome any mistakes pointed out and as well any other expression of views. But being the successors, of a very great treasures of spiritual knowledge and divine arts, it is our primary duty to understand our fortune and live up to the expectations of the vedic and upanishadic injunctions. Vasishta and the lore of great sages, guided generations of righteous kings, who governed the land and people awarding peace and prosperity.Then followed the saints and saint singers. In our linguistic regions people were comfortably following Bakthi margam. In the last 500 years there were invasions, but still peoples' faith in bakthi always guided them and never failed to protect
the mass. It all amounts to reinforce bakthi and our own goodness as the insulating armour of protection  for  individuals, society, nation as well the whole world. The spirit of our sages' prayer "sarvesham swasthir bavathu..."-May the whole world flourish with prosperity and peace" should be our flag of faith.
     Starting right from Narada, VyAsa, Vsishta, viswamitrA, the lore of sages who form  the active
participants in the Vedas, PurANas, Ithihasas, Upanishads, were all great researchers in the field of the higher science of Spirituality, and who bequeathed the treasures revealed,with universal love for the welfare of the human race. No living being can claim that the truth revealed belongs to himself, his nation, etc. Every bit of matter, all truths revealed belong to the whole world.
     'VivEkananda, was the disciple of the saint Ramakrishna.The latter, was actually crying and praying to CalkattA KALI-his heart's deity, thirsting for his disciple Vivekaananda. Such was the bond between the guru and his discipLe. Vivekananda spread the message of SriRamakrishna. The guru and the disciple held mother India and her children, the people of India, very next to their heart.
VivEkAnanda passed away 16 years after the death of his master. At this context, I find these lines:-
'But the flame of that pyre is still alight today. From his ashes like the phoenix of old, has sprung anew the conscience of India-the magic bird-faith in her unity and in the Great Message brooded over from Vedic times by the dreaming spirit of his ancient race-the message for which it must render account to the rest of mankind.'
     India was spiritually well advanced from the time of the Vedas and was eagerly ready to disseminate it's treasure of messages to the eager aspirant who thirsts for godrealisation or salvation.
The only criterion required was sincerity in spiritualenquiry, giving up desire, anger, ego,and having universal love(love for the entire creation,); last but not least, love for the Supreme Being. It is the will of the Supreme Being that India should disseminate the revelations to the great souls, those great messages to the entire humanity; no reservation whatsoever under any silly flag of colour, creed, race, nationality and religion. The entire humanity are children of that One Supreme Being, the creator.Our ancient sages deserved those great messages by working out their purity of mind, Love for God and love for fellow beings.
     We have to learn to understand , first of all what is good, to be sought after. There lies the greatest
secret. Our great sages, Seers have thought about the whole of the humanity, and have drawn the list of aspirations, one must seek. The scale of selection is that the good one seeks must have eternal value.
On the line of that scale, they have given ways and means, targets/goals and disciplines in the physical, mental, emotional planes to be dedicatedly followed. IF WITH FULL FAITH, one implicitly obeys their injunctions, they are led to unique success.

ஒரு சிஷ்யன் இறைவனை உணர ஓர் ஆழ்ந்த அனுபவம்.

     'ஒரு யோகியின் சுயசரிதை'-யில் ஸ்ரீ பரமஹம்ச யோகானந்தர், தான் ஒரு பள்ளிமாணவனாக இருந்த 

பொழுதே கிடைக்கப்பெற்ற ஓர் ஆன்மீக படிப்பினையை விளக்கமாக பகிர்ந்துகொள்கிறார் .அவருடைய பெற்றோர், இறையருளில் திளைத்து முதிர்ந்த ஒரு குருவின் அருளாசியால் பிற்ந்த நான்காவது  மகன் 

இந்த யோகி அவர்கள். 

இவருடைய பெற்றோர் வைத்த பெயர் முகுந்தன் என்பதாகும்.

எட்டு குழந்தைகளை தாய் அன்பின் அரவணைப்போடு இதிஹாஸ, புராண கதைகளினமுதத்தையும் இணைத்தே வர்ஷித்து வளர்த்து வந்தாள்.முகுந்தன் உயர்நிலை-பள்ளி படிப்பை, தந்தையின் விருப்பப்படி இடையுரின்றி முடித்திருந்தான். முகுந்தனுடைய பதினோராவது வயதிலேயே, பக்தையாக வாழ்ந்துவந்த தாய், பரகதி அடைந்துவிட்டாள். இறக்குமுன்பாக அவர், ஒரு அருளாளர் வாயிலாக தான் அறிந்திருந்த ரஹசியத்தை, அவருடைய அருட்கட்டளைப்படி, மூத்தமகன் அனந்தன் மூலமாக,மகன் முகுந்தனிடம் ஒப்படைத்திருந்தாள்.           

உயர்நிலை பள்ளிப்படிப்பை முடித்திருந்த முகுந்தன் பள்ளிமாணவன் மட்டு

மல்ல.முகுந்தனுடைய தாய் அறிவித்திருந்த விஷயங்களின், ஆன்மீக ஆழங்கள், முகுந்தனுடைய அன்மாவில்

 ஆழமாக பதிந்துள்ளவையே.முகுந்தனுடைய அன்னையை சந்தித்த அந்த அருளாளர் ஒரு தேய்வீக 'தாயத்தையும்' உடன் அளித்திருந்தார்.அந்த தாயத்தையும் முகுந்தனிடம், மூத்தமகன் முலம்

ஒப்படைக்கவேண்டிய தருணத்தையும் குறிப்பிட்டிருந்தார், அந்த அருளாளர். முகுந்தனின் அன்னை, அந்த அருளாளரின் கட்டளைகளை செவ்வனே நிறைவேற்றியிருந்தாள்

. ஆன்மிக தளத்தில், முகுந்தன் பக்குவமாக முன்னேற, முந்தைய பிறவிகளில் அவருடன் தொடர்புள்ள பலப்பல மகான்களின் அருட்செயல்கள் ஒரு வலை போல் பின்னிக்கொண்டு முகுந்தனை சூழ்ந்து நிற்பதை நம்மால் உணரமுடிகிறது.
      ஸ்ரீ பரமஹம்ச யோகானந்தர்,தன் பன்னிரெண்டாவது வயதில் முகுந்தன் என்ற உயர்நிலை-பள்ளி மாணவனாக அண்ணன் அனந்தன் ஒப்படைத்த அந்த சிறு பெட்டியைப்-பெற்றுக்கொள்ளும்பொழுது,                      

முகுந்தன் எந்த மனநிலையில் ஏற்றான் என்று அறிவது அவசியமாகிறது. "யோகானந்தராக" அந்த மனநிலையை தெளிவுபடுத்துகிறார். பெட்டியை ஏற்றவுடன், அந்த தாயத்து என் வசத்தில் வந்தவுடன், என் ஆன்மீக விழிப்பின்
ஜ்வலிக்கும் ஒளிப்பிழம்பு, என்னை ஆட்கொண்டதை உணர்ந்தேன்; என் ஆன்மாவின் ஆழ்தளத்தில் உரைந்திருந்த பல நினைவுகள் தூண்டப்பட்டு விழித்தெழுந்தன. அஸாதாரணமான அந்ததாயத்து, வட்டவடிவில் அமைந்திருந்தது. மேலும் அது காலத்தைக்கடந்து நிற்கும் பழமையுடன் தொடர்புடயதாக காணப்பட்டது.வடமொழி(ஸம்ஸ்க்ருத) எழுத்துக்கள் நிரம்பியதாகவும் இருந்தது. என்னுடய கடந்த காலங்களில், பல பிறவிகளில் என்னை ஸூக்ஷ்மமாக வழி நடத்திய குருமார்களால் அனுப்பப்பட்டுள்ளாது என்று அறிந்துகொண்டேன். மேலும், இந்த தாயத்துடன் தொடர்புடயதாக ஒரு முக்யத்வம் அமைந்திருந்தது. இது "ஸூக்ஷ்ம-லோகத்தில்" படைக்கப்பட்டது; இயற்கையாகவே குறைந்த கால-அளவில் மறைந்துவிடக்கூடியது. இது சம்பந்தப்பட்ட "ரஹஸியங்கள்", வெளியிடப்படமுடியாத காரணங்களால்,"ரஹஸியங்களாகவே" பாதுகாக்கப்படுகின்றன; பாதுகாக்கப்படவேண்டும். இறைவனுடய தெய்வீகப்பேரரசின் தெய்வீகப்பெரும் கட்டளைகள் மதிக்கப்பட்டு, போற்றப்படவேண்டியவை என்பது மட்டுமல்ல; அவை மீறுதல் என்ற நினைப்புக்கும், கேள்விக்கணைகளுக்கும், வாதப்ரதிவாதங்களுக்கும் அப்பாற்பட்டவை; அப்பாற்பட்டவையே என்று கூறுவதையும் இன்றியமையாததாகவே உணருகின்றேன். அந்த தாயத்து, முகுந்தனுடய அன்னையின் செய்தியின்படி, "அன்னை, ஒரு முன்பின் அறிந்திராத 
மஹானுடய அருட்செய்தியின்படி, மறுநாள் தியானத்தில் ஈடுபட்டிருந்த நிலயில்   
அன்னயின் கையில் அந்த தாயத்து அருளப்பட்ட பொருளாகவே வந்துசேர்ந்தது."

Prayer on GaNapati during ThyAgarAja ArAdana

SuklAmbaradaram vishNum SasivarNam chathurbujam
Prasannavadanam dhyAyEth sarva vignopashAnthayE |

     We should pray to Lord GaNapathy to remove all obstacles when we start any plan of action.  He is all pervading, wears white dress, possesses moon like lustre, has four hands and has ever bliss radiating face. ( the Lord GaNapathy chooses to present before his ardent devotees, in a form suited for their heart's desire.)
   
     Sri ThyAgaraja swAmigaL in his kruthi, "Shri GaNapati ni sEvimparE,.......".  in rAgam, sourAshtram and ThaLam- Adi,, ethusiastically invites all devotees to adore Lord GaNapati, when He is coming dancing gloriously after being worshipped by Brahma.This kruthi forms the first kruthi sung before the "pancharathna kruthis"-( 5gems like kruthis composed by Thyagaraja swAmigal). These are sung When SwAmigaL's ArAdana is offered in different karnAtic music-centres and by groups of musicians all over India and abroad too.

     The context chosen by our SwAmigaL, to worship Lord GaNapati with other devotees is a special occasion. Swamigal gives a picture of GaNapati thus:-" Brahma has worshipped Lord GaNapathy. After accepting that worship, GaNapati is coming out gLoriously dancing. The Lord part-took the offerings, jack fruit coconuts, jambu fruits, and then comes to earth treading with  his heavy resounding steps.Lord GaNapati Himself has installed the holi feet of Hari in His heart.He also comes out dancing in a variety of rhythms.Lord GaNapati is also praised by ThyAgaraja swAmigal in all humility."      

     We will go through the text-sAhithyam of the kruthi with the meaning. That is an interesting  experience as well enlightening experience. Next time one hears the kruthi, is definitely going to enjoy the music-ragam along with the meaning, the thoughts expressed by Sri ThyAgarAja swAmigaL. He-swAmigaL invites devotees who usually adore Lord GaNapati to join himself in worshiping the Lord in a special context.

      P.  ShrigaNapatini sEvimparE, shritamAnavulArA!...........                                    (Shri)

      AP.VAgAdipAdi supUjala chEkoni
            BAga natimpuchu vedalina.........................                                                       (Shri)
         
    In the pallavi, swAmigaL calls out"oh men of devotion! come and adore, worship Lord GaNapati."

     In anupallavi swamigaL describes the context, as  well the Lord's captivating appearance.
          "Adore GaNapati, who, having received the worship of BrahmA, is coming, dancing gloriously!"

     ch. Panasa-nArikElAdi-jambU-palamulAraginchi
           Ganatarambuganu mahipai padamulu
           Gallugallana nunchi
           anayamu HaricharaNayugamulanu hruda-
           yAmbujamuna nunchi
           vinayamunanu ThyAgarAja vinuthudu
           vividagatula dalangumani vEdalina.................................                                  (Shri)    
       
    Here,  swAmigaL further explains thus in the charaNam:-" Lord GaNapati, after partaking of the offering of jack-fruit, coconuts, jambu fruit etc., is coming treading the earth with his heavy resounding steps! Who, with the holy feet of Hari installed in His heart, comes out dancing in a variety of rhythms! GaNapaty whom TyAgaraja praises in all humility."

     This kruti on Lord GaNapati is one among the many krutis on Lord GaNapati. In general any    
kruti by Sri TyAgarAja SwAmigaL is fully charged with pure devotion, bakti. They are, if sung with
pure devotion, in one's family-altar, the kruti of the saint-singer is capable of earning the grace of the
divinity. To earn the divine grace, one's concentrated thought of the divinity with the yearning to worship, offer a prayer are the powerful tools that are capable of guiding one nearer to ones adored
deity.When I say nearer, it means one will be shaped to mentally spend more time in god-thought, as well an interest to offer scheduled, unfailing prayer routine, which is the first platform for our progress.

     Our India/BhArath is blessed with many, many saints and saint singers who who spent their whole lives in working out their spiritual unity with the Supreme Being. They were all born, understood the goal of the human birth, and worked out their salvation, in their own way. There are innumerable realised souls from time unknown, in all the yugas. They all loved humanity at large, and left ways and means, for every human being born, to seek the same goal.Once we understand the purpose of human birth, one day or other every one of us will start working along the spiritual path laid down by their personal experience.

     Sangeetam-karnatic music is one vidya, a divine art. Any knowledge or art has it's source only in and from the supreme Being. So they all should be dedicated only to Divinity. Dance, sangeetam, painting, sculpture, knowledge of any branch are all to be dedicated only to Divinity. If we and our society are to flourish, we have to follow these creative guidelines, and consciously honour them for our own good.

     Dr.RadakrishNan in his foreword to"The Spiritual Heritage of TyAgaraja", says" We have had in our country from the time of the Rg Veda down to our own days a long line of torch bearers who stress the primacy of spiritual values,  who point out that even as the human being is above the animal, the spiritual man is above the human. We are not yet; we hope to be."....."it is good to be reminded of the supreme values of knowledge, discipline and devotion..... We have had a few great spirits in the last century who emphasised the ideals of the race and demonstrated their vitality and power of survival and one of the most notable of these saint-singers was TyAgarAjA"

     Around 800 krutis of Sri TyAgarAja SwAmigaL have been collected, saved and brought out as books with text(sahityam), commentry in tamil/english, and even with swara notations. Each kruti is a gem of it's own kind,a treat for the ear through it's sangeetam-dimension; in their thought force, pregnant with puranic-itihasic-epic-links, they educate and uplift our inner core to unimaginable fields of refinement and bliss.The love, intimacy, purity of the right claimed by a deeply sincere devotee are all a welcome treat for one's soul.

     There is an introductory thesis by Sri.V.Raghavan. It helps us to educate ourselves, to deeply understand the life, dedicated by Sri ThyAgarAja swamigal purely for adoration and love of Sri RAma. Sri Raghavan details for us thus:- "One of the distinguishing characteristics of ThyAgarAjA
as a composer is the large number of songs he has given us on the noble art that he handled, and the many references he has made to it in his other songs. These songs and references cover every aspect
of the art, musical criticism, elucidation of musical concepts, the best way to practise music, music as a help to spiritual effort and above all, music itself as a Yoga and a siddhi, a path and a realisation."
The 206 pages of the thesis is a constant enlightening guidance for an enthusiastic aspirant; one can become a sincere student, why even a sishyan /sishyai too of ThyAgarAja SwAmigal.For one interested in learning enthusiastically, about the saint singer, his musical thesis on  bakti/devotion, and Sri Rama, a university, of oceanic dimension is awaiting. Fortunate souls will surely awaken themselves to start their exploration. It is my sincere prayer and authentic dream that more younger generation should educate themselves about all the eternal saints, saint-singers, and the heritage they have bequeathed for the posterity, with universal love; what do they expect from all of us? Nothing
but spiritual upliftment of one and all. We all owe it as duty towards our great realised souls.          

     Note. In anupallavi- the text is "VAgAdipAdi"=VAgAdipa+Adi ;This means, Brahma and other devas. SwAmigaL tells here that we are having darshan of Lord GaNapati right after He received worship from Brahma and other Devas, Indra,Vayu, Agni, VaruNa, and other devas.