Tyāgarāja: Life and Lyrics

Tyagaraja (1767-1847) is undoubtedly South India's most celebrated musician-saint. His songs, remarkable for their beauty as well as for their sheer quantity, have been a source of inspiration to countless generations of Hindus. This study attempts to deepen our understanding of Tyagaraja's life and lyrics by providing fresh insights into the meaning this saint holds for South Indians. For the first time in Tyagaraja scholarship, the saint's life and works have been contextualized within a historical, social, and cultural framework. The book reconstructs the Maratha reign in the Kaveri delta in a comprehensive manner, and tries to establish links between Tyagaraja's works and the troubled history of this region. The volume also explores Tyagaraja's accomplishments as a composer, and contains faithful and lively translations in English of 160 of Tyagaraja's lyrics.