UPSC Prelims 2018 Q44: Art & Culture – Music
- (a) 1 and 3 only
- (b) 2 and 4 only
- (c) 1, 2 and 3
- (d) 2, 3 and 4
Answer: (b) 2 and 4 only
Explanation
Tyagaraja and Annamacharya - Carnatic Music Traditions
| Statement | Claim | Verdict | Detail |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Most Tyagaraja Kritis are devotional songs in praise of Lord Krishna | FALSE | Tyagaraja (1767-1847) was a devout Rama bhakta - the overwhelming majority of his kritis are in praise of Lord Rama, not Krishna. |
| 2 | Tyagaraja created several new ragas | TRUE | Tyagaraja is credited with creating rare and new ragas like Kharaharapriya, Devagandhari variants, and popularising many others. He is considered the greatest innovator of the Carnatic tradition. |
| 3 | Annamacharya and Tyagaraja were contemporaries | FALSE | Annamacharya (1408-1503) lived in the 15th century (Vijayanagara era), while Tyagaraja (1767-1847) lived over 250 years later. Not contemporaries. |
| 4 | Annamacharya kirtanas are in praise of Lord Venkateswara | TRUE | Annamacharya composed 32,000+ sankeertanas dedicated to Lord Venkateswara of Tirumala. He is called the 'Pada Kavita Pitamaha' - grandfather of Telugu sankeertana literature. |
Answer: (b) 2 and 4 only.
Why each option is right or wrong
- (a) Incorrect. Statement 1 is wrong (Tyagaraja praised Rama, not Krishna) and Statement 3 gets the era wrong (Annamacharya was 15th century).
- (b) CORRECT. Statements 2 (Tyagaraja created new ragas) and 4 (Annamacharya sang of Venkateswara) are both correct.
- (c) Incorrect. Statement 1 is factually wrong.
- (d) Incorrect. Statement 3 is wrong - Annamacharya (15th c.) and Tyagaraja (18th-19th c.) are separated by centuries.
Key point
Carnatic Trinity (18th-19th c.): Tyagaraja (Rama bhakti, new ragas), Muthuswami Dikshitar (Devi, multi-language), Syama Sastri (Devi). Annamacharya (15th c.): 32,000+ sankeertanas on Lord Venkateswara at Tirumala - 'Pada Kavita Pitamaha'.
Remember
Tyagaraja (1767-1847), a devout Rama bhakta and one of the Carnatic Trinity, composed devotional songs mostly in praise of Lord Rama, not Krishna, and is credited with creating several new ragas. Annamacharya (1408-1503) lived three centuries earlier and composed over 32,000 sankeertanas in praise of Lord Venkateswara of Tirumala. They were not contemporaries.
Common mistakes
- Confusing Tyagaraja's Rama-bhakti (his main deity) with Krishna-bhakti - Tyagaraja's compositions overwhelmingly address Rama.
- Placing Annamacharya in the same era as Tyagaraja - they are separated by ~300 years.
- Missing Annamacharya's role - he is called the earliest known composer of Telugu kirtanas, pre-dating the Carnatic Trinity by centuries.
Exam tip
Timelines to memorise: Annamacharya = 15th c. (Vijayanagara). Purandara Dasa = 16th c. (Kannada, 'Pitamaha of Carnatic music'). Tyagaraja + Dikshitar + Syama Sastri = 18th-19th c. (Trinity).
Sources
- Sangeet Natak Akademi - Documentation on Carnatic Composers
- NCERT Class 11 - An Introduction to Indian Art (Chapter on Music)