Notes

Variations - (Pathanthara)

References
Discussion of this Kriti

⁴ – praNava nAdamu sapta svaramulai paraga – In the kRti 'vara rAga layajnulu', SrI tyAgarAja states 'dEhOdbhavambagu nAdamul' – ‘nAda emanating from the body’ - In lalitA sahasranAmaM, Mother is called ‘parA’, ‘paSyanti’, ‘madhyamA’, ‘vaikharI rUpA’.

“parA – The transcendent Word - above the other lower stages of speech known as paSyanti (speech in the inaudible stage), madhyamA (speech in the middle stage of its expression) and vaikharI (uttered audible speech)”. (Translation by Swami Tapasyananda). Discourse of Kanchi Paramacharya (Page 30) on ‘parA’, ‘paSyanti’, ‘madhyamA’, ‘vaikharI'.

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Comments
¹ – mOksha - SrI tyAgarAja uses the words ‘mOksha’ and ‘jIvan mukta’ simultaneously. Both words apparently mean the same thing. However, according to the verse of tirumUlar given below, ‘jIvan mukta’ is the first of the five stages of mukti.
According to muktikA upanishad, there are only two kinds of mukti – 'jIvan-mukti' and 'vidEha mukti' aka 'kaivalya'. The same upanishad also mentions 'sAlOkya', 'sArUpya', 'sAmIpya' and 'sAyujya' to be four kinds (stages?) of mukti. (It is presumed that 'sAyujya' to be same as 'jIvan-mukti')
There is one more variation of mukti defined as sadyO mukti - krama mukti. 'krama mukti' probably refers to, what is termed as, 'purushArtha' - 'dharma', 'artha', 'kAma' and 'mOksha'. Some times this is also referred to as 'bhukti - mukti'.

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The following are the statements of SrI tyAgarAja in various kRtis -

1. nAdOMkAra is the state of the parabrahman (sadASiva mayamagu nAdOMkAra) – kRti ‘rAga sudhA rasa’;
2. 'knowing the nAda emanating from mUlAdhara is, indeed the blissfull emancipation; recognising the locations (in the body) of seven svaras is indeed emancipation (mUlAdhAraja nAdameruguTE mudamagu mOkshamurA; kOlAhala sapta svara gRhamula gurutE mOkshamurA O manasA) - kRti 'svara rAga sudhA';
3. sapta-svara are the elaboration of praNava nAda (praNava nAdamu sapta svaramulai paraga) – kRti ‘sIta vara.’;
4. those well-versed in the sapta svara are the living-liberated (nAdOMkAra svara vidulu jIvan mukutulu) – kRti ‘rAga sudhA rasa’;
5. in order to become jIvan mukta, the knowledge of sangIta should been ordained (jIvan-muktuDaguTaku sangIta jnAnamu dhAta vrAyavalE) – kRti ‘sItA vara’;
6. In the current kRti, in pallavi, he asks ‘is it possible to attain mOksha if one is not a 'jIvan mukta’;
7. In the current kRti, in anupallavi, he asks ‘is it possible to attain mOksha for those who do not have knowledge of music combined with true devotion?’

To summarise (according to SrI tyAgarAja)– to be living-liberated (jIvan mukta) one should have (a) understanding about the origins of nAda (OMkAra and mUlAdhAra), its manifestation as sapta svara; and (b) also true devotion. Conversely, those who do not have this understanding - not being jIvan mukta – cannot attain mOksha. Here 'mOksha' seems to refer to 'vidEha mukti' or 'kaivalya'.

Please also refer to jIvan muktAnanda lahari by Adi SankarAcArya

SrI tyAgarAja is concerned only with the nAdOpAsana or nAda yOga – attainment of mOksha through the route of sangIta. The other methods, for attainment of jIvan mukti and thence mOksha, – karma, jnAna, bhakti and rAja yOga – are not discussed by SrI tyAgarAja.

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Five-stage progression towards mukti is defined in the tamizh treatise of tirumUlar – ‘tirumandiram’ as under –

ஓதிய முத்தி யடைவே உயிர்பர
பேதமி லச்சிவம் எய்துந் துரியமோ
டாதி சொரூபஞ் சொரூபத்த தாகவே
ஏதமி லாநிரு வாணம் பிறந்ததே (திருமந்திரம் - 2864)

Jiva reaches to (jIva) mukti first;
Then passes on to Param State;
And thence to Siva State;
In the Turiya practised therein,
Is the Primal Self-illuminated Manifestedness;
And having attained Svarupa,
Is reached the State of Nirvana,
(In Ariya Turiyatita State). (Translation Dr. B Natarajan)

² - sAkshAtkAra – paramAtmA is ever-evident. He is also called sAkshi – eternal witness - evidence.

³ - sad-bhakti sangIta jnAna vihInulaku mOkshamu galadA – In the kRti 'svara rAga sudhA' SrI tyAgarAja asks ' of what avail if a crane (and/or) a frog enjoys on the Lotus called Supreme Bliss' (paramAnandamanE kamalamupai baka bhEkamu celagiyEmi). To my understanding, those who advocate 'secular music' are indeed like the crane and frog, described by SrI tyAgarAja, usurping on the music.

⁵ – Siva manO-vidhamu - nAdOMkAra is the state of the parabrahman (sadASiva mayamagu nAdOMkAra) – kRti ‘rAga sudhA rasa’. Please also refer to kRti ‘nAda tanumaniSaM’ – rAga cittaranjani wherein SrI tyAgarAja describes Sankara is the embodiment of nAda.
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