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Shyama sastri & his first song
Interesting Which I came across !
SHYAMA SASTRI, one of the Music Trinity, was christened Shyamakrishna at birth. What made him address Devi Kamakshi of Thanjavur as his sister (Shyamakrishna Sodari) in all his kritis is an interesting story handed down by the temple archakas of his time, according to Swaminantha Atreya, the asthana Sanskrit vidwan of the Kanchi mutt. Those were the days when the temple for Goddess Kamakshi was being built by Thulajaji, the Maratha ruler of Thanjavur. Shyama would practise the songs in his wonderful voice sitting on the tower meant for the temple bell. His aunt who was fond of him used to send him milk through her little daughter. One
day the girl came calling him "Anna" (brother), placed the bowl of milk by his side and disappeared. Shyama noticed her angelic charm that day with the necklace of the deity adorning her neck. He at once ran home only to reprimand his mother for having sent her decked with the deity's jewel.When he learnt that she had not sent the girl that day, as she was not available he knew that Goddess Kamakshi had come to enslave him. The first kriti that flowed from his lips praising Her grace was "Oh, Jagadamba' in Ananda Bhairavi which was later followed by about 300 kritis with his mudra `Shyama Krishna Sodari'. Did she not address him as "Anna"?....
Interesting Which I came across !
SHYAMA SASTRI, one of the Music Trinity, was christened Shyamakrishna at birth. What made him address Devi Kamakshi of Thanjavur as his sister (Shyamakrishna Sodari) in all his kritis is an interesting story handed down by the temple archakas of his time, according to Swaminantha Atreya, the asthana Sanskrit vidwan of the Kanchi mutt. Those were the days when the temple for Goddess Kamakshi was being built by Thulajaji, the Maratha ruler of Thanjavur. Shyama would practise the songs in his wonderful voice sitting on the tower meant for the temple bell. His aunt who was fond of him used to send him milk through her little daughter. One
day the girl came calling him "Anna" (brother), placed the bowl of milk by his side and disappeared. Shyama noticed her angelic charm that day with the necklace of the deity adorning her neck. He at once ran home only to reprimand his mother for having sent her decked with the deity's jewel.When he learnt that she had not sent the girl that day, as she was not available he knew that Goddess Kamakshi had come to enslave him. The first kriti that flowed from his lips praising Her grace was "Oh, Jagadamba' in Ananda Bhairavi which was later followed by about 300 kritis with his mudra `Shyama Krishna Sodari'. Did she not address him as "Anna"?....