Saint Thyagaraja and Maharshi Tayumanar - Seer-poets of Indian art and music

Editor's Notes Saint Thyagaraja is the triumph of Indian art and music. India is celebrating the bicentenary of the seer-poet. This book commemorates his bicentinary. We have delight in publishing this book by a modern seer-poet to honour the occasion. Seer-poets live in tune with the Divine and their art is an efflorescence of the inner beauty. Thyagaraja is the eternal voice of India's soul. His songs are our spiritual heritage.
Their influence on the hearts and minds of the people at large is widening. He is a reincarnation of Valmiki and an apostle of Bhakti Yoga. Kavi Yogi Maharishi Shuddhananda Bharati is a votary of Thyagaraja since his boyhood and imbibed his spirit. His songs, which are popular in the land, draw their inspiration from Thyagaraja. One of his ancestors was very close to the saint and could sing many kirtans of Thyagaraja.
On hearing them daily our Kavi Yogi too was fired with psychic devotion for song-offering. Kavi Yogi has sung more than 5000 kirtans. His outstanding genius as a modern poet and composer has been acknowledged by the Madras State Sangita Nataka Sangham which granted him Rs. 1000 to publish his Kirtananjali and awarded him the title of Sahitya Karta (Sahitya Akademi awards). His life, his poems, his writings and his very breath are consecrations to God.
He is the author of 1000 works in several languages. In part two, the soul-thrilling hymns of Maharshi Thayumanar are sung in every Tamil home. They are sublime Upanishads. They inspired the author of this book, Yogi Shuddhananda Bharati, in his boyhood. The Yogi dedicates this humble flower of love to the Jnani Thayumanar. We hope that a study of this book will kindle the Divine spark latent in every heart.
It is a real pleasure for me to present Saint Thyagaraja and Maharshi Thayumanar to you. We have much to learn from this wonderful text ! Thank you to Dr. Shuddhananda Bharati for having transmitted Saint Thyagaraja and Maharshi Thayumanar to us. With the blessing of Aum Shuddha Shakti Aum. Editions ASSA, Christian Piaget