Ramasami Iyer

Bharathi was obviously uninterested in money and that made him develop a reluctant attitude toward the rich. He cherished his relationship with the poor and preferred their patronage to that of the rich.

Ramasami Iyer was Bharathi's prime disciple. Hailing from a family that traditionally offered services to the Mayuranathar Temple, Ramasami Iyer treated Bharathi like his father and took good care of him. Ramasami Iyer's north facing house was on the southern 'mada viLaaka', located close to the east of the southern outer wall of the Mayuranatha temple. The 'thiNNai' outside Ramasami iyer's house was a place one could frequently see Bharathi.

Pilgrimage

Time and again Bharathi would visit 'siva sthalas'. He would attend the temple festivals and record what he saw in the form of kirtanas, sindhu etc.

Once, on seeing the 'Bhikshatana Murthi' coming around the streets of Chidambaram during the utsavam, he composed a kirtana, 'Pichchaikkaara vEsham kattugiRIr' in raga Gaulipanthu.

On another occasion, he visited Thiruvannamalai during the kaarthigai deepam festival and performed 'Giri PrathatchaNam'. The scenes he saw during the Giri PrathatchaNam and the activities of the saints and devotees left a big impression on Bharathi's mind. He transformed his lasting impression into a kirtana in raga Nadanamakriya.

(Pallavi)

kaNNaalE kaNdEn ? vERonRum
eNNaamalE ninREn

(Anu Pallavi)

paNNaadha puNNiya paripaagamE ? thiru
aNNaamalaiyaanai uNNaamulaiyudan (kaNNaalE)

(charaNam)

kaattuth thazaigaLaip pandhalaayalangkaaram
seydhidum orupuRam
kaalgaL kangaLillaadha pEdhaigaL
kai viriththidum orupuRam
maattuk kidaigaL madhai mandhaiyaay
vandhu vazanguvadhu orupuRam
vaayilaadhavOr Umai naadakam
kaatti maRaindhidum oru puRam
paattup paaduvaar thaaLam pOduvaar
pasikkuthinRoru kaasu thaarumenRu
aattang koLLuvaar ninRu varundhuvaar
annathaan girip pradhakshiNandhanil (kaNNaalE)

Haraharaa siva chidhambaravenbaar
ambalap paradEsigaL
aruNagiriyin magimaiyaik ? koN
daaduvaar sthalavaasigaL
ariya thavangkaLaip purindhu mUlath
thazalezuppuvaar nEsikaL
aanandhaamrutham koNdu thammai
aRivar njaanaprakaasigaL
periya kOpura mun thiruvIdhiyum
piRangku sIrthiruththa thErun thIrthamum
piriyaraang kugai namachchivaayam
periya bakthartham madamum jOthiyum (kaNNaalE)

pundhi makizavE ukkaak kudiththidum
pugaiyinaalaa mOdhamum
puraiyillaatha av andhaNar kUdip
pukazndhidum chathur vEdhamum
pandhi pandhiyaay thEvathaacigaL
paadi varum sangIthamum
paaraLandha gOpaalakrishNan
paNindhidum thirup paadhamum
andhi vELaiyum maNdapangkaLil
aarathi kaRpUram pukaindhida
cindhai makizavE malai mukaddinil
dhIpa tharisanam thaabam thIravE (kaNNaalE)

This way, Bharathi played a big role in wiping away the dearth of Tamil kirtanas. His kirtanas were popular among public and artistes. Vidwans and Bhagavathars spread his songs all over Tamilnadu. Artistes from distant places, when visiting Mayuram, would visit Bharathi and enquire about his latest compositions and learn the same.

(To be continued...)
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