Vanajakshi - Kalyani

Vathapi Ganapathim - Hamsadhwani

MDR singing Sriranjani Varnam

MDR singing Vachaspati Varnam

The last day in the first month of the English calendar has become sacred to rasikas and devotees of "Sampradaya Sangeetha"; for it was on this day that my revered Guru, Brahmashri Tiger Varadachariar left us forever. Like Mahatmaji my master had the glorious Rama Nama on his lips even during the last moments; quiet appropriately, for he completely dedicated his life to maintaining the central theme of Saint Thiagaraja, who was a staunch devotee of Shri Rama.

Musicians like other artists are of two kinds; namely the musician of the hour and the musicians of all time. To the latter class belonged Tiger Varadachariar who was perhaps almost the last but not the least link in the golden chain of Maha vidwans right down from the times of Shri Thiagarajaswamy.

He belonged to the illustrious sishyaparampara of the famous Patnam Subramanya Iyer. Patnam Subramanya Iyer himself was the direct disciple of Manambuchavadi Venkata Subba Iyer, who in his turn had the unique privilege of having Thiagaraja Swamy, has his paramacharya. I have heard it said by one of the veteran authorities of our times that my master was the true and genuine upholder and interpreter of Patnam Subramanya Iyer's school of music.

His father, though not a musician himself, was much interested in music. He was a pouranika, who led the lives of a Vedic Brahmin according to the orthodox traditions. He was a scholar in Sanskrit and Telugu. My master also knew tolerably well, his own Saka (Sama Shaka) and could even compete with professional Vaideeks.

Like his father, he was a scholar in Telugu and had a special liking for it. Nobody who listened to him either in concerts or in domestic circles, could ever miss the overflowing of the bhava in his renderings of his classical compositions. He made deep studies regarding the background and allusions in the compositions of Shri Thiagaraja.

Tiger Varadachariar spent his teens in Kaladipet, a suburb of Madras City where he had the good fortune of associating with some of the veteran musicians of the time - Masilamani Mudaliar (better known as photograph Masilamani Mudaliar), the Singaracharlu brothers, Tiruvottiyur Tyagayya (son of Veena Kuppa Iyer), Pallavi Sesha Iyer and others. In fact his association with Patnam Subramanya Iyer himself was during this period; for the latter used to stay in Madras most of the time. Besides Tiruvottiyur was a center of musical culture. Even musicians like Pallavi Sesha Iyer and Mysore Sadashiva Rao used to take part in the annual celebrations such as Radha Kalyanam and Shri Rama Navami, conducted assiduously by Tiruvottiyur Tyagayya.

His Early Teachers

Such were the formative influence that later made the young Varadachariar, an authoritative custodian of classical carnatic music. He used to refer to the Masilamani Mudialar & Tiruvottiyur Tyagayya. Mr.Mudaliar was a contemporary of the famous Coimbatore Raghava Iyer, whom he used to invariably accompany on his violin.

He had an additional string on his violin named after Raghava Iyer to suit the sonorous and highly rich voice of the latter. It seems that my master was very much loved and appreciated by Mr.Mudialiar who wanted to teach him whatever he knew. In my master's own words 'I was a special favorite of Masilamani Mudaliar who was very affectionate because I was much junior to him. He had an attitude approaching respect or regard for my natural talents. He was ever ready to teach me whatever he knew; but this 'kozandai' (he often used to refer to himself like this) could not be easily managed. Somehow I studied the famous Arabhi Varnam 'Sasijha mukhi' and there ended my gurukula vasam with Mr.Mudaliar'.

He referred to the Tiruvottiyur Tyagayya as one of the most musician composer and bhaktha after the model of the great Thiagaraja, about whom he would never permit himself any liberty in speech, even in jest. My master had an ideal for which he worked and he did not like to become one sided. He was totally free from all petty bias. His association with the then prominent musicians and composers, critics and lovers of music did not however make him lose his individuality.

He was for sometime in Calicut working in the survey office. This was towards the close of the last century. Later he resigned the post and then ventured to take up music as his profession. He spent a good many years in Malabar not as a popular vidwan but as a custodian of the ancient tradition of music. He had contacts with the then leading musicians of the place like Palaghat Anantharama Bhagavathar, Mukkai Ganapathy Bhagavathar, Shri Mahadeva Bhagavathar ( son of the great Parameshwara Bhagavathar who adorned the court of Shri Swati Tirunal), Eranakulam Doraiswamy Bhagavathar and others.

His long stay in Malabar gave him a keen appreciation of the language and the local manners and mannerisms in music, so much so he seemed later a 'pucca malayalee' to malayalees. He used to recall with pleasure several anecdotes of this period to show the hospitable nature and unprejudiced mentality of the vidwans of those days. It is said that once Shri Anantharama Bhagavathar on hearing him sing straight away approached the platform in the middle of the performance and shook hands saying, 'well, Mr.Varadachariar, your music is really masculine and transcendent.' On another occasion Shri Mukkai Ganapathy Bhagavathar who was a adept in Pallavi singing, on hearing his music, openly declared, 'this must be Patnam Subramanya Iyer himself singing. Who says it is our survey Iyengar, - nonsense!'

His stay in the Mysore state also was pretty long. His late Highness Shri Krishnaraja Wodeyar recognized his genius and honored him in a fitting manner by presenting him 'Todas' (golden bangles). Besides he conferred the title of 'Tiger-Lion' on him in recognition of his masterly treatment of the art. This title was so apt that he was thereafter known as Tiger Varadachariar and better still in popular circles simply as Tiger.
It was the present Rajapramukh Shri Jayachamarajendra Wodeyar, who in 1944, conferred on him the title of Sangeetha Shastra Visharada and enrolled him as one of the chief Asthana Vidwans with an honorable pension. This unique honor which he enjoyed till his very end came to him when he inaugurated the Sangeetha Shiromani course in Kalakshetra where he remained as Principal and where he found a happy home under the kind patronage of Smt. Rukmini Devi. His professional career in general was not that of the usual platform vidwans but of an entirely different character. Those were the days when the ancient Gurukulam system in its strict sense was in decadence. Music was in due course absorbed in the educational system. The Music Academy, University of Madras, the Annamalai University, the Kalakshetra all took up this subject and systematized its study. My master started of all these novel attempts in the propagation of music along modern lines. His genius thus found a worthy channel for its free flow. He is even now, revered by all the students of music as their affectionate Acharya. He was not merely a musician, but he was a 'musician of musicians'.

In Kalakshetra, he found himself in the midst of a congenial and intimate circle. It was here that he composed the immortal tunes of Kumara Sambhavam and it was here that he entered his final abode, in full consciousness and all satisfaction, all peace, and all spiritual glory.