Annamacharya
Om Namo Narayanaya
Annamacharya (also called Annamayya) was a 15th-century saint and is the earliest known musician to compose songs called Sankirtanas in praise of Lord Venkateswara of Tirupati. He is the first known composer in Carnatic music. The musical form of the keertana songs that he composed are still popular among Carnatic music concert artists, and have strongly influenced the structure of Carnatic music compositions. He is widely regarded as the "Telugu Pada Kavita Pitamaha".
Annamacharya was born on Vaisakha Suddha Pournami in the year Sarwadhari (May 22, 1408) in Tallapaka, Kadapa district of Andhra Pradesh. It is said that desiring a male child, the parents of Annamayya went on pilgrimage to the shrine of Venkateswara on top of the hill Venkatadri and met with an unusual experience. Within the precincts of the temple they saw in a vision, the ‘nandaka’ sword, and in due course were blessed with a son in answer to their prayers. The story about the mystic vision of Nandaka sword and the subsequent birth of Annamayya is in consonance with the traditional belief of the Vaishnavas that their saints are embodiments of the objects and attendants of Vishnu in Vaikuntha.
Annamayya pioneered singing of pada or samkeertana in Telugu language. He started composing lyrics at the age of 16, when he was fascinated by his devotion to Lord Venkateswara. This devotion is called 'Madhura Bhakti' in which the devotee is the beloved or ‘preyasi’ or jeevatma and the ‘Lord God’ is the supreme hero or Paramatma. Alamelmanga and Venkateswara represent Radha and Krishna in Vaishnava parlance.
Annamacharya considered his compositions as floral offerings to Venkateswara. In the poems, he praises the deity, describes his love for him, argues and quarrels with the Lord, confesses the devotee's failures and apprehensions, and surrenders himself to Venkateshwara. His songs are classified into the Adhyaatma (spiritual) and Sringaara (romantic) sankeertanas genres. His songs in the "Sringaara" genre worship Venkateswara by describing the romantic adventures of Venkateshwara and his consort Alamelu, while others describe the Bhakti of his devotees.
A strong urge to master the Visishtadvaita theology (of Sri Ramanujacharya) led Annamacharya sometime after his marriage to seek the guidance of a reputed Vaishnava preceptor of the age, Adivan Sathakopa yati, the founder of a mutt in Ahobalam. He spent several years studying the scriptures of his sect especially the collection of the hymns of the Alwars called ‘Divyaprabandham’ and the Ramayana of Valmiki which is regarded by the Srivaishnavas as ‘Saranagati Sastra’, treatise on self-surrender or ‘Prapatti’. Annamayya also learnt Vedanta from Sathakopa yati.
From specific references in two poetical works ‘Sripadarenu Mahatyamu’ and ‘Sakuntala Parinayamu’, it is learnt that Annamacharya performed the Kalyanotsava of the godess Alamelmanga with Lord Venkateswara, assuming the position of the bride’s father. In the past, Periyalwar had the honour of being hailed by the Vaishnavas as the Lord’s father-in-law as he had performed the marriage of his foster-daughter, Andal with Sri Ranganadha and Annamacharya appears to have enjoyed the same distinction among his contemporaries with regard to Sri Venkateswara.
In his later keertanas, he espouses subjects such as morality, dharma and righteousness. He was one of the first few who opposed the social stigma towards the untouchable casteism in his era, with his sankeertanas explaining that the relationship between God and human is the same irrespective of the latter's color, caste and financial status, in his songs "Brahmaṃ Okkatē Paraḥbrahmamokkatē" and "ē kulajuḍainanēmi evvaḍainanēmi".
Annamayya is said to have composed over 32,000 lyrics. Besides the samkeertanas, he also composed Ramayana in Dwipada metre, Venkatachala Mahatyam in Sanskrit, 12 Satakams, several prabandhas, Sringara Manjari and Sankeertana Lakshana in Sanskrit.
In his last days Annamayya spent most of his time in Tirupati organizing utsavas and pujas for the Lord. There he wrote a short narrative poem entitiled "Sringara Manjari", describing the passionate longing of a young girl for Sri Venkateswara and the fulfillment of her wish. He also composed numerous songs that vividly describe the pomp and spectacle, rituals and festivals associated with the shrine. Annamacharya appears to have spent the last years of his life in relative tranquility. Spending his time mostly at Tallapaka and Tirupati by turns and participating in the annual Brahmotsava festival of Sri Venkateswara without fail. He received several grants of land, besides other gifts unasked, from his admirers and spent the income from those sources quite lavishly in the service of the Lord by instituting new festivities and food offerings.
Annamacharya wrote the sankirtanas on palm leaves and later his son Tirumalacharya got them engraved on copper plates. But for reasons not known, most of these copper plates lay hidden in a rock built cell opposite to Hundi in the Tirumala temple unnoticed for over 400 years.
In 1922, twenty-five hundred copper plates, comprising of about 14,000 sankirtanas and a few other works, were found in a rock built cell, later named as Sankirtana Bhandagaram, opposite to the Hundi (donation box).
Annamacharya (also called Annamayya) was a 15th-century saint and is the earliest known musician to compose songs called Sankirtanas in praise of Lord Venkateswara of Tirupati. He is the first known composer in Carnatic music. The musical form of the keertana songs that he composed are still popular among Carnatic music concert artists, and have strongly influenced the structure of Carnatic music compositions. He is widely regarded as the "Telugu Pada Kavita Pitamaha".
Annamacharya was born on Vaisakha Suddha Pournami in the year Sarwadhari (May 22, 1408) in Tallapaka, Kadapa district of Andhra Pradesh. It is said that desiring a male child, the parents of Annamayya went on pilgrimage to the shrine of Venkateswara on top of the hill Venkatadri and met with an unusual experience. Within the precincts of the temple they saw in a vision, the ‘nandaka’ sword, and in due course were blessed with a son in answer to their prayers. The story about the mystic vision of Nandaka sword and the subsequent birth of Annamayya is in consonance with the traditional belief of the Vaishnavas that their saints are embodiments of the objects and attendants of Vishnu in Vaikuntha.
One day when he was sent to cut grass, he observed a happy band of pilgrims on their way to Tirupati. They were singing songs of the Lord, and the temptation to follow them was irresistible to Annamayya. He left his village and family and followed the pilgrims all the way to Tirupati. From Tirupati he started early morning and visited Narasimha Swami, Talayerugundu, Peddayekkudu, Kapurapungalu and reached Mokkallaparvata by evening. After crossing a tamarind tree in Talayerugundu he came across the ‘sripadas’. Peddayekkudu was very difficult to climb, a culvert called Karpurapungalavu comes before reaching the mokaalla parvata, the water there was said to be very fragrant. As a custom, the mokaalla parvata should be climbed with the knees. Legend goes that, without realizing it Annamayya climbed the mountain with his slippers and was unable to go any further due to exhaustion, when Alamelumanga appeared before him in the guise of an old woman and advised him to give up the slippers. She gave him divyaprasadam and disappeared at which point he recited spontaneously a satakam on Alamelumanga. Annamacharya then reached Tirupati safely. He visited the Swamy Pushkarini and recited several songs. On finally having darshanam of his Lord, he recited a song expressing his joy at finally being able to see in person the peerless form of his beloved Venkateswara.
Annamacharya considered his compositions as floral offerings to Venkateswara. In the poems, he praises the deity, describes his love for him, argues and quarrels with the Lord, confesses the devotee's failures and apprehensions, and surrenders himself to Venkateshwara. His songs are classified into the Adhyaatma (spiritual) and Sringaara (romantic) sankeertanas genres. His songs in the "Sringaara" genre worship Venkateswara by describing the romantic adventures of Venkateshwara and his consort Alamelu, while others describe the Bhakti of his devotees.
A strong urge to master the Visishtadvaita theology (of Sri Ramanujacharya) led Annamacharya sometime after his marriage to seek the guidance of a reputed Vaishnava preceptor of the age, Adivan Sathakopa yati, the founder of a mutt in Ahobalam. He spent several years studying the scriptures of his sect especially the collection of the hymns of the Alwars called ‘Divyaprabandham’ and the Ramayana of Valmiki which is regarded by the Srivaishnavas as ‘Saranagati Sastra’, treatise on self-surrender or ‘Prapatti’. Annamayya also learnt Vedanta from Sathakopa yati.
In his last days Annamayya spent most of his time in Tirupati organizing utsavas and pujas for the Lord. There he wrote a short narrative poem entitiled "Sringara Manjari", describing the passionate longing of a young girl for Sri Venkateswara and the fulfillment of her wish. He also composed numerous songs that vividly describe the pomp and spectacle, rituals and festivals associated with the shrine. Annamacharya appears to have spent the last years of his life in relative tranquility. Spending his time mostly at Tallapaka and Tirupati by turns and participating in the annual Brahmotsava festival of Sri Venkateswara without fail. He received several grants of land, besides other gifts unasked, from his admirers and spent the income from those sources quite lavishly in the service of the Lord by instituting new festivities and food offerings.
Annamacharya wrote the sankirtanas on palm leaves and later his son Tirumalacharya got them engraved on copper plates. But for reasons not known, most of these copper plates lay hidden in a rock built cell opposite to Hundi in the Tirumala temple unnoticed for over 400 years.
In 1922, twenty-five hundred copper plates, comprising of about 14,000 sankirtanas and a few other works, were found in a rock built cell, later named as Sankirtana Bhandagaram, opposite to the Hundi (donation box).
Annamacharya lived to a ripe old age of 95, and left for his abode in Vaikuntha on 23rd February in 1503. His prodigious literary career earned him a place among the all-time greats of Telugu literature.
Comments