The Srimukham blessed by Mahaperiyava, to Dr V Raghavan’s work known as “Sri Muthusvami Dikshita Charita Kavyam”, is an amazing set of six verses, which we shall delve into in this article.
- Mahaperiyava is the 68th Shankaracharya of Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham, Pujyashri Chandrasekharendra Saraswathi Swamiji, also known as Paramacharya.
The name of Dr V Raghavan, a great scholar in Sanskrit, Indology, music and many other spheres, is well known. He is also known for his admiration for the musical compositions (Kritis) of Sri Muthusvami Dikshitar, one of the trinity of classical music of South India. He has played a major role in these majestic compositions being admired and sung widely today. Apart from bringing out the meanings and nuances of these Kritis through articles, and interacting with stalwarts in the field of music, to encourage them to learn the Kritis, Dr Raghavan has also composed a grand Kavyam (long poetic work) of about a thousand verses, detailing the life-history of Sri Muthusvami Dikshitar, with the historical context and the glory of the Kshetras where he was born, lived and visited.
Mahaperiyava has held that the trinity of Carnatic music, Sri Tyagaraja, Sri Shyama Shastri and Sri Muthusvami Dikshitar , are all Avatara Purushas, who came to rejuvenate the ancient music of the land, and show the path of Nadopasana (attaining the Divine through music). The verses composed by Mahaperiyava tell us about his Bhakti towards Sri Muthusvami Dikshitar, and how much he commends the life of Sri Dikshitar being written as a Kavyam. The six verses and their explanations follow. The verses are set in Upajati metre.
saṁgīta-sāhitya-kalākalāpāḥ śrīdīkṣitēndrāḥ kamalālayōtthāḥ |
atō janērēva vimukta-bandhāḥ svagīta- pīyūṣa-rasākta lōkāḥ || 1 ||
Translation : Sri Muthusvami Dikshitar, adorned with the arts of Sangita (music) and Sahitya (lyrics), was born in Kamalalaya (Tiruvarur) , and therefore liberated from the time of birth. He has drenched the world with his ambrosial songs.
It is said in the Puranas that one is liberated by being born in Tiruvarur, by seeing the blissful dance of Chidambaram, by dying in Kashi, and by remembering Arunachala.
“ jananāt kamalālayē darśanād-abhrasadasi |
kāśyāṁ tu maraṇān-muktih smaraṇād- arunācalē “ ||
Mahaperiyava is making a reference to this verse, when he says Sri Dikshitar was a Mukta (liberated soul) from his very birth. It is very touching that Mahaperiyava uses the respectful plural form for Dikshitar in this verse and subsequently too.
tēṣāṁ caritraṁ draviḍāvanīga-satkṣētra- sarvasva-caritramēva |
tatkhyāpanārthē kamalālayōtthaḥ śrīrāghavaḥ sundara-kāvyakartā || 2 ||
Translation : The life-history of his (Sri Dikshitar’s) is indeed the history of all (the glories) of the sacred Kshetras of South India. Sri Raghavan, himself born in Tiruvarur, is the creator of a beautiful Kavya to proclaim and celebrate that (life-history of Sri Dikshitar)
It is well-known that Sri Muthusvami Dikshitar visited many important pilgrim centres of South India, starting with Tiruttani, Tir upati, Kalahasti and Kanchipuram, numerous places in the Chola country, continuing to Madurai, Kazhugumalai, Tiruchendur, Rameshwaram etc. He has incorporated salient aspects of these temples in his Kritis too. Hence a study of his life is also a journey to all these places, following his footsteps.
tatastvatitē śatakadvayēpi yadyacca vr̥ttaṁ draviḍēṣu sāram |
vadānya-gītāgama-kōvidānām kāvyaṁ tvidaṁ sarvamabhivyanakti || 3 ||
Translation : Moreover, this Kavyam makes known every event of significance in the past two centuries that occurred in South India, and also tells us about the philanthropists, musicians and musicologists of those times.
The life of Sri Muthusvami Dikshitar begins with his grandparents migrating from Virinchipuram to the places near Kumbhakonam, due to the unrest caused in the region they lived, by the Carnatic Wars. His father was a great musical genius Sri Ramaswami Dikshitar who learnt from leading musicologists and musicians of his time. As he moved with his family to Tiruvarur and Manali, we come to learn about his patrons and other philanthropist kings and Zamindars who were ardent Rasikas of music and literature. Many of these names would hardly be known today, but for their connection and devotion to the Dikshitar family.
na kēvalaṁ kāvyamidaṁ padairapi arthairnavaiḥ kōmalitaṁ rasāḍhyam |
cāritra-kāvyēṣvadhunātanēṣu kaniṣṭhikādhiṣṭhitatāṁ cadhattē || 4 ||
Translation : This Kavyam is filled with Rasa, with not only graceful words but also new content.
Among modern-day biographical Kavyams, it holds the position of being indicated with the little finger (i.e. being the foremost).
A work of poetry has to be both pleasing to the ears as well as enriching to the mind. This quality is what Mahaperiyava is pointing out. He is also making a reference to an old verse which playfully ascribes a reason for the ring finger being called Anamika, which literally means “that which has no name”. This verse is meant to highlight the special status Kalidasa enjoys among poets.
purā kavīnāṁ gaṇanāprasaṁgē kaniṣṭhikādhiṣṭhita-kālidāsaḥ|
adyāpi tattulya-kavērabhāvāt anāmikā sārthavati babhūva ||
The author of this verse fancies that once there was a counting of poets and people counted Kalidasa with the first (little) finger. After that, they could not find anyone of comparable merit to count with the next (ring) finger. Hence that finger literally became “Anamika” – “that which has no name enumerated with it”.
By recalling this famous verse with the phrase “kaniṣṭhikādhiṣṭhita”, Mahaperiyava hints that this Kavyam is the first that would come to the minds of scholars when discussing biographical poems.
amuṣya kāvyasya kaviṁ bhavantaṁ manyāmahē yatkavikōkilaṁ tat |
tēnaiva sārthēna vibhūṣayāmaḥ padēna nārāyaṇa-saṁsmr̥tirnaḥ || 5||
Translation: We consider you, the composer of this Kavyam, as the Kokila (cuckoo) among poets, and hence we decorate you with the same phrase “Kavikokila”, with Narayanasmriti (thinking of Lord Narayana).
“Kavikokila” was the title cherished by Dr V Raghavan, which he has used in his other works, like songs, as his Mudra (signature).
The last verse needs some context to understand.
- Maharshi Vālmiki is also called Valmika- bhu or Valmika-janma, and all these names mean “he who emerged from the Valmika (termite-hill or ant-hill).
- He has sung the glory of Rama who is also called
- In Tiruvarur, Lord Shiva is enshrined in a t e r m i t e h i l l , a n d h e n c e c a l l e d Valmikalingam. Tiruvarur is also called the Valmika-kshetra for the same reason. Hence a person born in Tiruvarur can also be called Valmika-bhu or Valmika-janma.
- Now let’s see the verse.
valmīkabhūḥ rāghava-kīrtigātā valmīkabhūḥ rāghava ēṣa gātā |valmīkabhū-dīkṣita-kīrtigātā vālmīki- kāvyatvaṁ idaṁ dvidhaitā || 6 ||
Translation: The one born from the termite- hill (Sage Vālmiki), sang the glory of Raghava (Lord Rāma.) This Raghava, born of Tiruvarur (Valmika Kshetra) is the poet here, singing the glory of Dikshitar who is also born of Tiruvarur (Valmika Kshetra). This Kavyam therefore attains “Dvidhā Vālmiki- kāvyatvam”.
In this delightful verse which plays with the words Raghava and Valmika, Mahaperiyava graciously blesses the Kavyam to be like the Ramayana. While in the Ramayana, the author is Valmika-bhu, here both the author and the protagonist are Valmika-bhu, and hence this Kavyam has “Vālmiki-kāvyatvam” in two senses.
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