Sri Soori Swamigal
It is a well-known fact that the literature in all the languages of India have their origin in the great ancient epics. Stories from the Ramayana and the Mahabharatha have been translated into almost all Indian languages and form the basis of the spiritual and literary development of the people of India.

Sri Venkatasoori Swamigal (1817-1889), the great Sourashtra sage, has earned a unique name as the one who has composed the entire Ramayana in carnatic music. He was another master in carnatic music and like his guru Sri Venkata Ramana Bhagavathar, had a profound reverence for his mentor. Sri Venkatasoori was born in Ramachandrapuram near Aiyampettai. His father was Sri Narayana Sharma, a priest by profession, and his mother was Renganayaki. Subburaman(for that was Venkatasoori's maiden name) was very much attracted by Prahalathan's deep devotion and the splendidly ferocious Narasimha form of Lord Vishnu when he was watching a play in his boyhood. Soon he became an ardent devotee of Sri Narasimha and developed the ability to compose songs. In his 15th year, he learnt both carnatic music and Hatayoga from Sri Venkata Ramana Bhagavathar of Valajapettai. He had an unrivalled scholarship in Sanskrit, Telugu,Sourashtra and Tamil Languages and was well-versed in priestly incantation, his family profession. At 21, he got married to Lakshmi Devi and led his life in Paramakudi for a few years, and then in Tanjore. Since he spent the longest period of 25 years in Tanjore,  he was popularly known as "Tanjavaur Aiyann". It was this town that recognized his abilities as a poet and announced them to the world.

It was not long, before Sivaji, the Maharashtra Emperor (1833-1855) came to know about Subburaman's great learning, moral sense and poetic abilities. He invited the poet to attend his daughter's wedding and Subburaman, who responded happily, blessed the young couple with a "Mangalashtagam", his composition in Sourashtra language. The poems he had composed attracted every scholar's attention at the emperor's court. The emperor too showed his hearty appreciation by presenting the poet with many valuable things.

In Sivaji's court was the arrogant poet-laureate Venkatachari, who challenged Subburaman to a debate  in logical reasoning. Keeping a cool head throughout, the Sourashtra poet established his superior intelligence  and emerged victorious. In appreciation of this victory, Sivaji honoured him with the title "Venkatasoori" (the one who won Venkatachari) and made  him his own Poet Laureate. To show his boundless love, the emperor also removed his richly studded necklace and put it on Venkatasoori. It is by this name that Subburaman was popularly known ever after. (Soori in Marathi means "one who has won").

In the later part of his life, Venkatasoori went to Madurai and started a school at the Draupathiamman Temple in South Masi Street for the development of Sourashtra language. While in that town he fulfilled the request of Sri Chetti Venkatachalaier, his  noble patron, by composing in Sourashtra musical Ramayana quite in tune with the "Varnamettus" in the Tamil Ramayana of Arunachalakavirayar. In this composition, there are 584 slogas and 297 keerthanas. Its nuances are so subtle that only those with a high degree  of scholarship can interpret it as it is. The British Scholar Dr.Randleis of the view that Venkatasoori's musical Ramayana is one of the greatest literatures in print. Soori has coined and employed many a new Sourashtra word in this Ramayana.  "HOONI" (the sun as warmth-giver), derived from "hoon" (warmth),  and "amruthkhanin" (the Devas who drank nectar),derived from "amruth" (nectar), are just two instances in point. In an attempt to popularise the Bala Ramyana and the musical Ramayana of Venkatasoori, the then Sourashtra Bhasha Parivarthini Sabha published these works in Telgu in 1904 and 1905 respectively.

Soori Swamigal realised the importance of writing in Sourashtra alphabet if that language had to flourish. He brought out several sourashtra books  in print, making many worthwhile changes in the alphabet.The manuscript copies of Swamigal are being preserved by his disciples and progeny.

Another remarkable work by Venkatasoory Swamigal is the Sanskrit version of Sri Thiagaraja Swamigal's "Nauka Charithram" in Telugu. In 1947, Madurai Sourashtra Sabha published this work, to which the late Sri P.Sambamoorthy, former head of the Department of music at Madras University, wrote a preface much adoring the work:"Kavi Venkatasoori", he has said, "has given us an admirable poem in Sanskrit. His charming and racy style, poetic gifts and imagery and his capacity for vivid  and colourful portrayal of incidents are all patent in this work". "Nauka Charithram" is an outstanding example of Swamigal's Sanskrit scholarship. Valajapettai Venkataramana Bhagavathar, Soori's guru and Sri Thiagaraja's great disciple, is said to have written a prose version of Nauka Charitharam in Sanskrit.

Soori's reverence for his guru Sri Venkata Ramana Bhagavathar was immense. In 1867, the latter paid a visit to Madurai and composed and sang several songs at Meenakshi Amman Temple. When his disciples enthroned him on apalanquin and took out a procession on the streets of Madurai, Soori Swamigal did him great honour and  reverence by performing a pooja to his beloved guru.

No less was his reverence for Sri Doha Theertharya Swamigal, his spiritual master, who tried to propagate his fame  in several ways. Being well-versed in "Kathaakaalatchepam" (Panegyric of spiritual masters inhistory). In his sonorous voice, he glorified the history of the first great spiritual master of Saurashtra community, Rukmani, Rukmani Chakkubhai and Thamarai Dhavajan Charithram (a translation from Marati) bear clear testimony to his great mastery over this form of poetic narration.

Miracles do happen in great men's lives and Soori's is not an exception.when he was rendering his service as priest in  Anchaneya Temple inTanjore, a scorpion stung him once. The excruciating pain so much drove him mad with anger that at the very moment be cursed the scorpion away in poetry. The reptile, unable to bear the flame of his words, was simply burnt to ashes.

Another episode says that he happened to stay at Kishkindha (the town of Vali and Sugrivan in  Ramayana during his pilgrimage to Kasi (Varanasi). Purohitam Venkataramier, who was endearingly called by people as "KasiAiya" was his host. Since Swamigal had known the glory of that former kingdom of monkeys very well, he was steeped in his devotion to Sri Anchaneya, singing hymns on the heroism of the Monkey-God. No one could tell from where, a host of little and big monkeys descended before him all on a sudden,put a lot of fruits before the poet, and disappeared as quickly.

Venkatasoori Swamigal had been a guru to many denizens of Kumbakonam town. Chief among his disciples were the 'Palace Poet' Rengasamy Bhagavathar, Krishna Bhagavathar (Bhagavathar singer) and Gilled Bhadrusamy Aiyer. The last of these has the reputation of being the one who conducted the maiden Sourashtra Brahamana Conference at Kumbakonam in 1897. Apart from these three, Srivilliputhur Koti Kannigadhanam Srinivasa Thathachariyar, Ananthasayanam Sri U.V.Padmanabhachariyar and several other Vaishnavite Acharyas were proud of being his disciples and sang slogas about his distinct qualities.

When Sri Venkata Ramanar attained the Lord's feet, Soori Swamigal took on himself the sacred duty of immersing the holy cinders in the Ganges at Kasi. There he paid his last homage to his guru with profound sorrow and immense reverence. When he went on a pilgrimage to Kasi once again at the age of 72, he did not know that it was going to be his last. He breathed his last on the banks of the Yamuna after a visit to Nepal.

Sri Jilladi Badhrusamy Aiyer , the popular Sourashtra Brahmin at Kumbakonam and Arisilar Nadapputheru Rengarayar had the statue of Soori Swamigal installed at the temple of Sri Pandari Nathar and worshipped him there. Many Sourashtras visit this temple even today, but it is not properly maintained.

Till recent times, there had been associations engaged in disseminating knowledge of this great poet of Sourashtra race, especially in Aiyampettai and Tanjore. Efforts are on to revive these associations. Madurai Sourashtra Sabha has been doing its best to commemorate Sri Soori Swamigal's Birthday by arranging music concerts on that day.

When his disciples enthroned him on a palanquin and took out a procession on the streets of Madurai, Soori Swamigal did him great honour and reverence by performing a pooja to his beloved guru.  Another episode says that he happened to stay kiskindha (the town of valiand Sugrivan in the Ramayana during his pilgrimage to kasi (Varanasi). Purrohitam Venkataramier,who was endearingly called by people as "Kasi Aiyo" was his host. Since Swamigal had known the glory of that former kingdom of monkeys very well,he was steeped in his devotion to Sri Anchaneya, singing hymns on the heroism    of the Monkey-God. No one could tell from where, a host of little and big monkeys descended before him all on a sudden, put a lot of fruits before the poet, and disappeared as quickly.

Sreeman Natanagopala Nayagi Swamigal - with a long snow-white beard, a hair-do like of Aandaal, a countenance filled with divine radiance a longpure, white cloth extending from waist to ankle, with an anklet adorningthe legs; and the whole figure in a poem of dance expressing "Nayagi Bhaava",with Lord Natanagopaala dancing in then background that is Sreeman Natanagopaala Nayagi Swamaigal, the Madurai Born Sourashtra gem. It is in this form that this great sage is worshipped today in all Sourashtra households. The childhoodname of this sage, popularly known to Sourashtra  as "Kooppaan Saamiyaar",was Ramabhadran.

Sreeman Natanagopala Nayagi Swamigal

Ramabhadran is said to have received the divine call in his early age and left both school and home in answer to it. He observed severepenance at Tirupparankundram near Madurai, for twelve years, taking only morsels of food and sour fruits to keep body and soul together. He became the disciple of Nagalinga Adigal, who had mastered the rarest Yogasidhis, and learnt those sidhis in no time. As a result of his rigorous exercise in just 18 days he attained the power of rising 21 feet high from the earth even in Yogasana stance. Quite soonhe was graced with the "Sadanandha Adigal" by his guru and set off towards Madurai. The king of Sivaganga, who learnt about Adigal's Yogic power, wished to put his to secretly to test. He sent an immensely beautiful girl to Adigal to ravish him with her beauty. She only had to surrender herself in defeat and touch, not his heart, but his feet. The king was still doubtful ofhis powers and tried burying the Yogi alive; but forty hours later thesurface of the dome cracked. As the onlookers were wondering what was happening. Sadhanandha Adigal walked with ease along the road to Madurai. Adigal felt asleep in a grove near Teppakkulam owing to his long walk in the blazing sun. At this time some of his disciples who had come with him saw a huge cobra raising its hood and sheltering the yogi from the hot sun. They described this amazing event to every one whom they met next. Once during his several pilgrimages, Adigal had left sattur and was walking with his disciples in the darkness of the night. A gang of robbers way laid them and tried to attack them. Adigal blew some sand into their eyes and deprived them of their sight. The robbers regretted their sin and fell at his feet. Adigal took pity on them and with his grace gave them the light of their eyes. After a few years Adigal happened to engage himself in a philosophical debate with a Vaishnavite Acharya named Vadabhadra sayi. From that time onwards he changed his saivite countenance and came to be known as "Natanagopala Nayagi Swamigal". Andaal's devout posture as the spouse of Sreeman Narayana quieten raptured him. and it was in this form that he dressed and decorated himself and sang the glory of Lord Narayana. An ardent devotee of Swamigal who was blessed with a male child because of his grace, made a gift of her saree, blouse and jewels to him in fulfilment of her vow. Swamigal who as dispassionately steeped in Nayagi Bhaava wore them all and manifested himself quite like the Lord's spouse. Seeing Swamigalin this same form in Srirangam and appreciating his ripeness in that form Jeeyar Swamigal gave him the name "Natanagopala Nayagi Swamigal" and blessed him. From then onwards Nayagi Swamigal expressed his devotion to Narayana in beautiful heart-melting songs in both Sourasthra and Tamil. Singing the Lord's praise in full-throated ease he showed his people how to attain supreme bliss through devotion. He himself arranged to publish his Sangirthanas(Devotional Songs) in 1887. In 1914 this great soul could realise that his long life of dedication to God was coming to an end. He gave his last dharsan to his disciples and devotees before he communed with the Cosmic Light on that rare Vaigunta Ekadasi day that combines the presence of the Star Karthikai in the Month of Margazhi. It is remarkable that such an auspicious day (known in Tamilas "Mukkodi Ekadasi") occurs only once in twenty years. It was Swamigal's last wish that his material body shouldbe laid in a Samadhi at Kadhakinaru on the Alagar Koil Road, a place facing the Narasingha Perumal Temple near Yanai Malai (Elephant-shaped hill). His wish was fulfilled, and a temple of Lord Venugopalan, the favourite Divine form of Swamigal. has been raised near his Samadhi. A Number of beautiful paintings briefly narrate the glorious history of Sreeman Natanagopala Nayagi Swamigal. Great care has been taken by the devout successors of Swamigal in Sourashtracommunity to preserve the Kirthanas of Swamigal Even today quite a fewchildren of the community sing his simple hymns melodiously. The Credit for this certainlygoes to Srimathi Sivanandha Vijayalakshmi, who has dedicated herself tosinging and spreading the glory of her spiritual guru. Pictures of NayagiSwamigal can be seen in most of the Sourasthra households today For more details please click here!