[Advaita-l] Saint Thyagaraja's view of Sri Rama

[V Subrahmanian]

In many compositions of Sri Thyagaraja we see that he held Sri Rama to be
Para Brahman and did not restrict Rama to a god distinct from other gods.
One example is the song 'Rama nannu bhrovaraa' where he says 'cheemalo
brahma shiva keshavaadulalo' meaning You are the one inherent in all beings
from the ant to Brahma and Shiva and Keshava, etc. Thereby he is holding
Sri Rama as the Para Brahman whose forms are the gods and Trimurtis and
other jivas.

Here is another such kriti 'evara ni...' where Thyagaraja wonders 'How did
the eminent persons view You - as Brahma or as Shiva or as Vishnu?'

https://thyagaraja-vaibhavam.blogspot.com/2007/07/thyagaraja-kriti-evarani-nirnayinchiri.html

SivuD(a)nO mAdhavuD(a)nO 2kamala

bhavuD(a)nO para-brahmam(a)nO ninn(evarani)

(What did the most Eminent people determine as to who You are, and how did
they worship You? – whether Lord Siva or Lord vishNu or brahmA or the
Supreme Lord?) He further says that the Shiva mantra 'namah shivaaya' has
ma as the seminal syllable and the Narayana mantra has 'ra' and that makes
Rama.

mAdhava mantramunaku rA jIvamu(y)I

vivaramu telisina ghanulaku mrokkeda

vitaraNa guNa 4tyAgarAja vinuta (evarani)

(For the Siva mantra (OM namaSSivAya), ‘ma’ is the soul; for the vishNu
mantra (OM namO nArAyanAya), ‘rA’ is the soul; I salute the great
personages who understand this detail.)


We have seen Annamacharya too holding the Lord of Tirupati as Para Brahman
who is looked upon by various sects as their god:

Annamācārya reflects in this song:
http://karnatiklyrics.blogspot.in/2011/06/entha-matramuna.html

//The Vaishnavas worship you with reverence as Vishnu.
The Vedic philosophers tell that you are the Supreme Consciousness.
The Shaivas believe that you are Śiva & the Kapalikas praise you as
Adibhairava.
The Shakteyas consider you as the manifestation of the supreme power
Shakti. People chant your praise in a number of ways. Ignorant people
assume that you are insignificant.The wise recognize your infinite
greatness.//


[It is noteworthy that Sri Annamācārya distinguishes Vedāntins from
‘vaiṣṇavas’,

*koluthuru mimu vaishnavulu, koorimitho vishnudani*

palukuduru mimu *vaedaantulu, parabrahma anuchu*


By ‘Vedāntins’ he obviously refers to Advaitins for they alone hold the
Supreme Reality to be ‘Brahman’ beyond all names and forms.  Those who hold
the highest tattvam to be ‘Viṣṇu’ (the deity identified as Lakṣmipati,
etc.) are not vedantins as per this composer.

In this kriti he says:


Bhaavamulona .. Baahyamunandunu .. Govinda Govinda ani koluvabo Manasa ..
Hari Avataaramule Akhila Devatalu .. Harilonidhe Bramhandambulu ..

[All devatas are incarnations of Hari alone']


Om Tat Sat