SRI GOPAALA KRISHNA BHAARATHI

RAAGA : BHEHAAG                                       THAALA : AADHI

Nataraaja Nataraaja narthana sundhara Nataraaja
Sivaraaja Sivaraaja sivakaami priya Sivaraaja

NAMA PAARVATHI PATHAYAE !!  HARA HARA MAHAADEVAA !!!

In the village Narimanam near Tiruvarur, in the year 1811, Gopalakrishnan was born as the blessed son of Ramaswamy Bhaarathi.  Gopalakrishanan's father and grandfather kothandarama iyer were well known Vaideekas.  At a very young age he attained great proficiency in music and many languages.  Gopalakrishna Bhaarathi also had the benefit of Ganathara Vedaadhyayana under Govinda Iyer and was a great yogasadhak too.  His parents passed away in his early age and Bhaarathi was living under the patronage of Annavaiyer, a Mirasdar of Anandathandavapuram.

Bhaarati, who remained a Brahmachari, earned lot of money through discourses and music concerts.  He bequeathed most of his earnings for charitable purposes at Chidambaram and Mayavaram.

A great yogi and gyani, he followed his religious disciplines with unswerving devotion.  He has composed many beautiful songs with the Mudra Gopalakrishna or Balakrishna.  However, he was more heartly interested in musical-plays of which NANDANAR CHARITHRAM is the biggest and the most popularly known.  In the PERIYAPURANA of SAEKKIZHAR the Nandanar Charithram is short.  Bharathi developed the plot exhaustively in his work.  His songs besides being rich in BHAAVA-RAGA-LAYA excelled in RHYME AND RHYTHM.

Because of his Nandanar Charithram, bhaarathi became famous and he was invited to sing his compositions by many cultured men.  bhaarati went to Kaaraikkaal on the invitation of a French official who took pains to publish Nandanar Charitram.  Bharathi's other works include Tiruneelakantar Charithram, Iyarpagi Nayanar Charithram, Kaaraikkaal Ammaiyar Charithram, Gnana Sindy, Gana Kummi songs etc.

Vedanayakam pillai is foremost amongst Bharathi's disciples.

When Thyagaraja and Bhaarathi met once they rendered their compositions and were thrilled and overjoyed on the occasion.  Bharathi impressed by Thiagaraja's Pancharatna Kirtans  and composed similar Pancharatnams on Lord Nataraja.      Bharathi became one with the kunjidapada of Chidambaresa on the Maha Sivarathri day in the year 1881 A.D.

SIVAKATAKSHAM - PARIPOORNAM