SAINT TYAGARAJA AND GOPLU’S RAMA PATTABHISHEKAM SKETCH

This sketch of the Rama Pattabhishekam scene (Coronation of Shree Rama), by the famous artist “Gopulu” was copied from a portrait he found in Saint Tyagarja’s house. I first came across this lovely drawing, or sketch, of the Divine Scene depicting Rama s Pattabhishekam (Lord Rama s coronation), many years ago, in the book Sundara Kandam, published by LIFCO (The Little Flower Company), Chennai,’ India (1973). The book has the’ Tamil translation, by the Vaishnavite scholar Srinivas Iyengar, of all the verses of the Sundara Kandam. Every sloka is translated PERFECTLY AND CONCISELY, without the slightest loss of meaning. At the end of the Sundara Kandam Parayanam, devotees read the Pattabhishekam sargam, sarga 128 from the Yuddha Kandam. The above sketch accompanies that sarga and is my all-time favorite sketch of the coronation scene (see also article on Shree Rama Pattabhishekam sargam 128,

Page 1 of 4 from Yuddha Kandam http://www.scribd.com/doc/217118844/Shree-Rama- Pattabhishekam-Sarga-128-from-Yuddha-Kanda-of-Valmiki-Ramayanam).

This sketch was made by an artist who went by the pen name Gopulu . There are many more such divine sketches made by Gopulu, depicting various Ramayana scenes and I wish there was a way to compile all“ of them” into a book. Anyway, just today (April 10, 2014), I came across an interesting story about this sketch.

Gopulu worked for the Tamil weekly magazine named Ananda Vikatan, which I used to read from cover to cover, when I was a kid, within the hour after the magazine arrived (every Thursday morning, if my memory serves me right). Gopulu s sketches adorned many articles and novels that were serialized by this popular magazine, not just the articles on Ramayana and other scriptures.’ The characters he portrayed in his sketches were immortal, like your Facebook friends, now! He was also a political cartoonist.

Anyway, before Gopulu started his career as an artist, I found out today that he went to the temple town of Thiruvaiyaru (also called Thiruvaarur, I think) and stayed in the house of the Poet-Saint Tyagarja, who was a great devotee of Sri Rama. Gopulu made the sketch here by copying from the portrait of the Rama Pattabhishekam he found in Sa http://www.hindu.com/2000/02/13/stories/0413223e.htm (or click here to read the article). int Tyagaraja’s house; see

I am trying to get a better version of this all-time favorite Rama Pattabhishekam sketch, now made even more precious because of this association with the divine poet-saint.

In case you did not know, the temple town of Thiruvaiyaru is the birthplace of the three stalwarts of Carnatic music: Saint Tyagaraja, Muthuswamy Dikshitar, Shyama Sastry. It is said that one gets moksha if one dies in Kashi (modern name Varanasi) and even today there are many old people who go to Kashi, or have their children leave them at Kashi to die.

But, it is said that one gets moksha just being born in this temple town of Thiruvaiyaru; see article that I had posted on this topic on October 10, 2011

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(click here). http://www.scribd.com/doc/68257944/On-Getting-Moksha- Four-Shiva-kshetras-and-Carnatic-Music-stalwarts

I have visited this temple town only once in my life and only had time to see the beautiful temple (which needs care and repairs). I am NOT sure if I can petition for moksha on that basis; see sloka given in above article on moksha.

The temple town is also famous for its annual chariot festival, which goes through the streets very slowly. In Tamil when someone is a slow poke , walks slowly, or does things slowly, the joke is Thiruvaiyaru ther madhiri . “ ” “ ”

The Trinity of Carnatic Music from L to R: Dikshitar, Tyagaraja and Sastry

 Principal of TTD-run College of Music and Dance (March 11, 2014) http://news.ttdevasthanams.com/the-period-of-carnatic-music-trinity-is-golden-era-in- indian-music-music-college-principal/ and also the article  Origin of Carnatic Music (August 16, 2013) http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp- features/tp-fridayreview/origin-of-carnatic-music/article5026684.ece  Chandrika Pai http://www.chandrikapai.com/carnatic-music.html

The Principal, Smt. YVS Padmavathy, said, As a tribute to their (Carnatic music Trinity) impeccable contributions, TTD is celebrating a two-day musical fete in the college premises. While Sri Syama“ Shastry (1762-1827) was the emperor of Raga, Sri Thyagaraja (1767-1847) pioneered Swara and Sri

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Muttuswamy Dikshitar (1775-1835) immortalised the world of Shabda and

(see also http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muthuswami_Dikshitar). hence they are considered to be the “Trinity of Carnatic Sangeetha”, she added

← Muthuswami Dikshitar

Shyama Sastry ↓

Left: Dikshitar http://www.sangeetasudha.org/dikshitar/dikshitar.jpg Right: Sastry https://encrypted- tbn3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRvUe5xPYPiN6UsTkJMecs6xQ7q6Cl8 s7sE78AepE6O_J_CX8eO

Syama Shastry (1762-1827) Born first in 1762 Raga

Thyagaraja (1767-1847) Born next in 1767 Swara

Muttuswamy Dikshitar (1775-1835) Born last in 1775 Shabda

All three were contemporaries, in the 18th century, and were born BEFORE US Declaration of Independence in 1776.

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