Tyagaraja’s songs stand out for their soul stirring and simple lyrics. In the song “Teliyaleru Rama”, Tyagaraja bemoans the fact that we do not know the path to Bhakthi (devotion). Instead of seeking Rama’s grace, the composer says people are more interested in making money—bAga paikam(u-) jana lOlulu-airE. The song is in the 9th Melakartha raga Dhenuka. Here is a recording from my concert for Sri Rama Lalitha Kala Mandira in Bangalore. The accompanists are B.Raghuram (violin) and Ranjani Venkatesh (mridangam).
Chitra Srikrishna 