MSV Times | The Official Website of M.S.Viswanathan

MUSICAL SAINT VISWANATHAN
By Venky

DISCLAIMER : The views expressed below are from my own thoughts and experience and are sincerely not intended to degrade anyone nor hurt anyone's feelings.

I feel so happy ,privileged and fortunate to write this article on the Greatest Composer of all times Sri.M.S.Viswanathan whom I love to call as Musical Saint Viswanathan. This is a very minute tribute to this Musical Saint which will prelude all the other forthcoming articles that I would like to contribute to this commendable Herculean achievement MSVTIMES.COM created by my Dearest friend Ramkumar. Thanks and Hats Off !! to the Core Team that includes Sri.Sabesan, Sri.Ramki, Sri.Vaidhy and Ramkumar for such a beautiful and wonderful creation.

I pray all my Gurus and the Almighty on behalf of everybody to guide and help us as we march towards making this a Big Success.

I had always been attracted towards the Musical Saint's songs since my childhood (6 years) unknowingly. Even though I listened to many songs , some songs like "Atho Andha Paravai" and "Ilakkanam Maarutho" drove my attention very much not knowing that those were this Musical Saint's creations. I would like to thank my parents at this juncture for making me listen to songs viz.,"Paartho Gnyabagam Illayo","Vaarathiruppalo" that instilled a fondness for all those songs of yesteryears. I still remember the way I would sing "Atho Andha Paravai" by climbing on the window at our home and waving my hands , as if trying to imitate the inimitable song the way it was picturised . But I never knew and did not distinguish the Musical Saint's songs from the other old songs until I came to college and met my friend Ramkumar. The discussions we had on the old songs instilled an indelible impression upon the Musical Saint. I started to distinguish the Musical Saints' songs from the others' and ofcourse, learned to feel,understand and experience his songs in a new dimension. Since then there have been many instances wherein we both found amazing resonance ,harmony and joy in analysing,discussing this Musical Giant's songs, something very different and peculiar from our peers. I would always compare this with one of the beautiful musical dialogues "ANTHA NAAL GYABAGAM" where Chevalier Sivaji Ganesan says "PUTHAGAM PAYILEY, BUDHIYO PAATILEY". This was very true to us :o)) I started recognising this Musical Saint's contribution to the society,humanity and ofcourse to the Music itself.

Lately, I have started comparing this Creator to that of Sainthood , be it his professional career, Supreme thoughts and the Music itself. Only a Divine Soul can be an embodiment such a Musical Expertise , Supreme Thoughts and the Music perse.I sincerely believe that this Divinity is something that is not obtained in this life thorugh rigorous practise but is carried over from all his previous births.If "Melody Music" can be achieved through rigorous practise , then Quality Melody Music can be given by all the stalwarts who have learned and know better music than what this Musical Saint have learned or knows.This type of music can only be given by a person with a Divine grace in a Transcendental state. God knows, he might be born as one of the "Mummoorthigal" in his previous birth who came to this world with an "assignment" to contribute soul uniting music to the society and the mankind.Similarly, this Musical Saint's soul has taken this birth to create Soul-stirring Film music which is even more special and valuable than what Saint Thyagaraja or Syama Sastri has contributed to the society, for 2 reasons :

1. The Musical saint's music can unite layman's soul to the Supreme by constantly listening to his music.
2. The Musical saint's music is not based on the Bhakthi movement.

This Musical Saint with his music and great inherent qualities like simplicity,truth,non-violence, magnanimity, patience, dedication, altruism, gratitude, self-denial, self-abnegation,perfection,service to the needy,humanity and society,practising Dharma becomes equal to or more than the Great saints like Namdev, Chaitanya, Meerabai to our own Naalvar who proved and reached the abode of the Lord through "Namasankeerthanam" along with the aforementioned qualities. What a Blessed soul he must be to be devoid of all the evils or the "Maya" like ego and to know nothing other than music creation along with high thoughts and values !!

He composes music reaching a very high Transcendental state through extreme devotion wherein he derives the music that is inherent in him and also that is spread through this Universe like Prana. This is so obvious in the way he has composed and handled the various genres of world music viz., Western Classical, Gospel, Rock n Roll, Jazz without any wide knowledge in them to our own Carnatic,Hindustani,Folk,light music etc.Why should such a soul prepare prior to a song composing or a recording ? Everything comes and becomes spontaneous on the spot. The spontaenity he shows in the composing,recording and re-recordings are similar to all those Spiritual discourses of the great saints like Vivekananda, Paramahamsa Yogananda who hardly prepared anything prior to any of their discourses and spoke reaching a very high meditative state.

Only the Divine souls' creations can stand the test of time.The evergreen Thiruvasagam,Devaram are still sung, heard,felt and experienced through centuries that have stood the test of time and similarly, this Musical Saint's eternal and evergreen music is being heard and cherished by the mankind for the past 5 or 6 decades and hence is so evident and proves that his songs will enthrall the mankind until this world exists. As Kavignar points out ,"NAAN NIRANDHARAMAANAVAN AZHIVADHILLAI , ENDHA NILAYILUM ENAKKU MARANAMILLAI...." How true and apt are these words to this Musical Saint !!!

His music has the unique quality of giving Divine power,energy,bliss,poise,solace and the necessary relaxation to the listener which otherwise can only be achieved through deep meditation and yoga. I would like to narrate a true incident of my own life. I suddenly lost my very Best and a special friend couple of months back when I could not find anything soothing or convincing but for this Musical Saint's eternal music. I listened to the mellifluous "MAALAI POZHUDHIN MAYAKATHILEY.. " all through that terrific night that gave me solace in solitude.Such a Divine power it has !! Will Million Thanks suffice such a service and contribution to the mankind ???!!!

I believe that only a Blessed soul with a Divine grace could compose and record melody based soul stirring music for more than 1500 movies within such a short span of time and as well complete the re-recording within hours so beautifully when his peers and contemporaries thought to complete in days and weeks.

Many times I thought of categorising his music. But the very thought of it leaves me in a state of vacuum as I understand that this life isn't sufficient to even compile all his creations and achievements.Only then comes the question of catergorising ! His creations are so diverse and myriad like the Divine nature's creations in this Universe that they cannot be fitted and limited into categories.

Having created and achieved almost everything in Music, he is still so very near to everybody without any ego as the Supreme Lord and so down to earth chatting with his fans with great sense of humour and wit. Isn't it appropriate to call him "Musical Saint" ?

Our goal is not accomplished if we only pass on his music to the forthcoming generations. The best way to express our gratitude and do justice to this life and to the Musical Saint is to inherit, imbibe ,inculcate all those high principles from this Musical Saint's life and pass the same to the next generation.

I would like quote Kavignar's words here which I believe must be penned by having this Musical Saint on mind ,

"uNmaiyai solli nanmaiyai siedhaal ulagam unnidam mayangum
nilai uyarum pOdhu paNivu koNdaal uyirgaL unnai vaNangum

uNmai enbadhu anbaagum
perum paNivu enbadhu paNbaagum

aasai kObam kaLavu koLbavan pEsa therindha mirugam
anbu nanRi karuNai koNdavan manidha vadivil dheivam

idhil mirugam enbadhu kaLLa manam
uyar dheivam enbadhu piLLai manam

indha aaRu kattaLai aRindha manadhu
aaNdavan vaazhum veLLai manam....."

This Musical Saint has given Life to the above words , not only by scoring such a mellifluous music but by following them in his life and hence made his life an open book to all of us.

When I met him personally, I could not control myself from breaking down. It was such a proud and a Sacred moment that is inexplicable. Going by the words of Wordsworth , it is such a powerful emotion that I always recollect and cherish in tranquility and solitude.

My Humble Pranams at this Great Musical Saint's Feet !!!! SHRI GURUBHYO NAMAHA HARI: OM !!