PART-9........RETURN TO THIRUVAAROOR
9
Return to Tiruvarur
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One of the nerve centres of the Chola region, not only of religion and spirituality, but of art and commerce too, Tiruvarur is even today a calm and peaceful town. One can imagine the kind of atmosphere that prevailed about a couple of centuries ago. The big temple complex with its huge sea-like tank, the Kamalalaya, is the nucleus around which life revolves. Not far from the tank and towards the north of it is Vadambokki street, towards the west of which flows the Vadambokki river, a tributary of the Cauvery. The river is the lifeline of this important kShEtra and generously waters the lands of a vast area. A small house stood on Vadambokki street, the house of Ramaswami Dikshitar. This was the house where Muttuswami Dikshitar was born and where he was returning to, after almost 15 years.
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One of the nerve centres of the Chola region, not only of religion and spirituality, but of art and commerce too, Tiruvarur is even today a calm and peaceful town. One can imagine the kind of atmosphere that prevailed about a couple of centuries ago. The big temple complex with its huge sea-like tank, the Kamalalaya, is the nucleus around which life revolves. Not far from the tank and towards the north of it is Vadambokki street, towards the west of which flows the Vadambokki river, a tributary of the Cauvery. The river is the lifeline of this important kShEtra and generously waters the lands of a vast area. A small house stood on Vadambokki street, the house of Ramaswami Dikshitar. This was the house where Muttuswami Dikshitar was born and where he was returning to, after almost 15 years.
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The citizens of Tiruvarur known for their piety and religiosity and their reverence for art and artistes, looked forward to welcoming one of their ilk back home. They had heard tales of Dikshitar's accomplishments in music and, familiar with his pious ways even as a lad, now eagerly awaited his arrival.
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Of course, the father's achievements were also significant, though fate would decree that those of the son overshadow them.
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The Tiruvarur temple had special reason to be proud of the Dikshitar family as Ramaswami Dikshitar had organised music for nAgaswaram and other instruments there. The grateful temple officials and others attached to the temple also joined the general public in eagerly expecting the family. One fine day Ramaswami Dikshitar and his family returned to Tiruvarur. It was a day of rejoicing and of celebration mainly at the thought that Dikshitar would thenceforth be living at Tiruvarur. The citizens of the town could be proud of the fact that two other natives of that holy soil were making waves in the field of art though no longer living there anymore. Now, the youngest of the three had returned to permanently settle down to add to the glory of the place.
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It was quite possible to live a life of piety, austerity, devotion and righteousness in those days, two hundred years ago. For, though alien rule had established itself on the soil, it had not yet become strong enough to strike at the roots of tradition or orthodox religion or at right conduct. The days of the upper crust of society, charged with the task of preserving and protecting the Vedic dharma, being lured by the spoils of an alien civilization and falling prey to it had not yet arrived. sadAchArA was still followed in all its splendour and its votaries were still respected and revered. The brahmin home reverberated with the Vedas, yagnAs and religious and spiritual practices. The other communities were no less religious or spiritual and they played a great role in working for the prosperity of the entire region. The temple was the place where all congregated in common devotion to God and all in society had a role to play in the preservation and growth of its cherished traditions. The arts of music and dance, not to speak of divine poetry, found their true home in the temple. This was a glorious tradition established by the Cholas in their region and was continued by the Nayaks and the Marattas.
Thus, a divinely inspired composer like Muttuswami Dikshitar could be assured of a congenial climate for the pursuit of his life's work. Of course, this is not to discount dark fate that always lurked by, waiting for the moment to strike at the pious. Two of the Trinity were targeted by fate which perhaps calculated that they were soft targets for its mischief. If backbiting by detractors was Tyagaraja's lot, Dikshitar suffered the pangs of poverty. The path of the spiritual aspirant is however, not a bed of roses as has been the case with several of them whether be they pure aspirants with the single-minded pursuit after truth or whether they were poets or musicians or artists besides. Tyagaraja and Dikshitar too had to suffer and this, they very well knew. But to the role played by such cruel fate in Dikshitar's life, we shall have occasion to revert later. .
Apart from the nitya karmAs that were prescribed for a brahmin, like the regular performance of sandhyA and the sacrificial fire, Dikshitar had his daily pUjAs too to perform. As he was a shri vidyA upAsakA, Dikshitar had to adhere to strict norms and regulations that were prescribed.
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The time left after such daily obligations was spent by him at the Tyagaraja temple. Dikshitar, right from his younger days, was attached to Lord Tyagaraja and Goddess Kamalamba. The peaceful atmosphere of the temple radiating immense spiritual power naturally attracted him very much and he was wont to spend long hours in its precincts, praying, singing and meditating. When his artistic inspiration welled up from within, Dikshitar burst into song. The composition would, of course, be gone over repeatedly and chiselled and perfected over time.
Thus passed by peacefully, Mutuswami Dikshitar's early days at Tiruvarur.
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continued in part-10
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