Muthuswami Dikshitar was a famous Carnatic music composer. He was youngest amongst the well-known Trinity. He was born on March 24 in the year 1775 AD in Thiruvarur of Thanjavur district in Tamil Nadu. He was the eldest son of Ramaswami Dikshitar and Subbamma. It is said that they got Muthuswami after they pleaded for a child in the temple of Vaitheeswaran Koli.
According to the information of Subbarama Dikshitar, Muthuswami Dikshitar was born in the `Manmatha` year, in the month of `Panguni` under the asterism `Krittikaa`. Muthuswami got his name from the name of the deity `Muttukumaraswamy` of that temple. His two younger brothers were Baluswami, Chinnaswami and his sister was Balambal.
The family of Muthuswami Dikshitar was inclined towards the music. So, he also followed that hereditary tradition. His father was also a good composer and musician. Moreover, he was also a part of the `sishya parampara` of the path-breaking musicologist Venkatamakhin. At a very young age, Muthuswami picked up the threads of `botii`, the art and science of music. His knowledge in the art was more ignited by a monk named Chidambaranatha yogi, who initiated him into the Sri Vidya cult. His father sent him with Chidambaranatha yogi in a pilgrimage to many parts of North India to earn knowledge on music and philosophy. During this visit, he had been to many places and earned broad outlook, which is later reflected in many of his compositions. His guru gifted him a special `Veena` during their stay in Kashi. Later, Muthuswami became an expert in playing Veena and it had its influence in his compositions also. He also went to Tiruttani, a temple town in Chennai, according to the order of his guru. It is said that during his stay there, one day Muthuswami Dikshitar was meditating deeply and then an old man appeared before him. That man asked him to open his mouth and on doing so he dropped sugar candy into his mouth and disappeared and he got the darshana of the Lord Muruga. Just after that incident, he started his first composition known as "Shri naathaadi guruguho" in `Maayaamaalavagaula` raga. This song was addressed to the Lord Muruga in the first declension in Sanskrit. His later eight compositions were also on the Lord and were mostly with epithets worshipping his guru.
Apart from music, Muthuswami Dikshitar was also a scholar in Sanskrit. He learnt the Vedas, Sanskrit and other valuable religious texts like the Brahmin boys of that period. But he took his basic musical education from his father. After the death of his guru, Muthuswami continued the pilgrimage and compose on the temples at Kanchi, Arunachalam, Chidambaram, Turupathi and Kalahasthi. The three elements of music - bhava, raga and tala reflect very nicely in all of his compositions but his compositions were best in raga. His compositions span various raga scales with a huge speed.
Muthuswami Dikshitar came back to Thiruvarur after the pilgrimage and composed many songs on the praise of the deity in the Thiruvarur temple, which also includes Tyagaraja, the presiding deity at Tiruvarur. He also wrote on his friend Nilothpalambal, which are known as `Nilotpalamba krithis`, which revived the dying ragas like `Narayanagowla`. Then he wrote on the goddess Kamalambal an independent deity of high tantric significance in the same temple complex. At that time, he composed the famous `kamalamba navavarnams`, which was filled with `sahityams` and this showed his skill in composition. The `navavarnams` had all the eight vibhakthis and these are sung as a highlight of `guruguha jayanthi` celebrated every year.
Afterwards, Muthuswami Dikshitar composed the `Navagraha krithis` praising the nine planets. The contents of the songs showcase his deep knowledge of the mantra and jyotisha shaastras. His compositions disclose even the minutest details of the melodic mould. The lyrics of Muthuswami`s composition are descriptive, tied with the poetic excellence and very often metaphysical in declaration. The proficiency of him in lava or rhythm is reflected from his suladi sapta talas used in `Navagraha kritis`. His great belief in Sankara`s Advaita philosophy made it possible for him to write songs on the different deities of the Hindu dharma with equal respect. Muthuswami Dikshitar was avid traveller amongst the Trinities. As per Sangita Kalanidhi T.L. Venkatarama Iyer, `The whole of his biography can be summed up as one continuous story of pilgrimages to temples".
Muthuswami Dikshitar was a devotee of mother goddess `Devi`. His `Navavarana` gives a `sakta` mode of worship and it is written in a very perfect way. The performance of worship according to that gives the prescribed effect. One can know about his mastery in composition by going through his work. He has composed total 450 to 500 works and maximum of them are now sung in present day Carnatic music concerts. Many of his compositions are in Sanskrit and in the Kriti form, i, e, poetry set to music. The history of the temple and its background are also reflected in his compositions.
In his `Asampurna mela` sheme, Muthuswami Dikshitar worked on the project of composing in all the 72 `Melakartha ragas`, which was a musical example for many rare and lost ragas. Once, four dance gurus named Sivanandam, Ponnayya, Chinnayya and Vadivelu approached Muthuswami to learn music from him and pleaded to accompany him to Tanjavur. He taught them the 72 mela tradition entrusted by Venkata Vaidyanatha Dikshita. Then they composed a set of nine songs called `Navaratna maala` to show their respect and gratitude to their guru Muthuswami Dikshitar. Later, these four students of him became the `Tanjore quartet`, who are considered as the prime composers of music for Bharatanatyam.
There is an interesting tale regarding his death. It is said that on the day of Deepawali, narakachaturdashi, Muthuswami Dikshithar performed puja as usual and asked his students to sing the song `Meenaakshi me mudam` in the raga `gamakakriya`. As the students sang the lines, he raised his hands and left this world by saying `Siva paahi`. He died on October 21 in 1835. He did not have any children, but his musical legacy was continued and propagated by his brother Baluswami`s descendants. Subbarama Dikshitar and Ambi Dikshitar propagated his works immensely and made it popular.
