TNS-Alegend of our times

The music which reflects the divinity within and transmits the same in the listener is a great blessing, where there is a communion with the inner self which is purely divine. To achieve that one should listen with open heart, a heart free from ego, prejudice and preconceived notions. To such a heart the divinity manifests in the form of music, blessed is the artist who is adept in receiving and communicating Naadhabrahman of which he had direct experience and equally blessed is the rasika who is able to receive it fully. Such a musician is a vadhaanya, a generous man ,who gives everything he has. Sa eva vadhaanyah yaha aseshavisraananadakshah sva kosajaatharatnaani mahaarhaani sangeethaarnava uddhrthaani. This is the impression one gathers on hearing the music of TNS.
A musician like TNS comes only once in a millenium. some singers cash on their melodious voice alone, others try to become popular by gimmicks and set patterns and even those who are able to put feeling into their singing lack the skill of presenting a raaga in its full splendour or fail to indulge in a delightful swaraprasthaara with a mastery in laya . TNS alone possesses all these skills and heart rendering melody in addition and also depth of feeling enhanced by the mastery over raaga and laya.
The concerts of TNS are audio visuals For instance, in the recent concert at the Bharatiya vidya Bhavan in Mylapore where he was awarded the title of 'Sivan isai selvan' by the Papanasam Sivan Rasikar Samgam, TNS sang the kriti 'Thanigai valar saravanabhava' in thodi, one could actually see the playful dance of the peacock when he sang the line 'Thulli vilaiyadaivarum thogai mayil.' Later in the song 'Enna thavam seidhanai,' TNS depicted Krishna calling his mother in different moods 'Amma enrazaikka', as only he can do, bringing out the full significance of the sahihyabhava. When he reached the part of the song 'Uralil katti vay poththi kenjavaihthai,' it was a different story altogether. The rasikas witnessed the difficulty Yasodha experienced in trying to tie the Parabrahmam to the mortar and the enchanting scene in which Krishna was entreating His mother,'kenja vaiththai kannanai,' all being presented visually in the mode of singing. TNS is not a mere isai selvar but also a iyal isai nataka selvar as all the three aspects are present in his music. It made this rasika exclaim ' Enna thavam seidhomo,' to listen to such music and to be able to understand and appreciate its merit.
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TNS is a genius and nadhopasaka par excellence. He breathes music and lives on music. Even when he is tired, as when he has just arrived after his tour out of town, the moment he goes on stage he is full of vigour and produces enchanting music with no sign, whatsoever of his exhaustion due to travel. This makes his rasikas wonder as to what is his secret of energy, only to conclude that his music is his secret energy! TNS is nota mere musician. Her is the embodiment of music. A rasika of more than thirty five years standing remarked that TNS is the emperor of Thodi to which this rasika would like to add that TNS is really the emperor of whole empire of ragas with Thodi as his capital! Whichever raga he handles, it vies with others to become his masterpiece. Same thing happens, when he renders the krithis, those which are well known to be the specialties of others seem to woo him to become his.
When a musician commited to his art sings the nadabrahman is manifest in his music even perhaps without his knowledge and the listener who is attuned to the spirit of the singer which is trying to express the divinity through his music is able to feel the presence of God. I am writing this through my own experience. When a singer forgets himself in his music he becomes one with God. The listener who has same wave length is able to experience the divine presence. This happens not only with the sahithya bhava but also during the raga alapana and swaraprasthara, which proves that bhava in music is not confined to words or language. That is why I feel that words are only auxiliary and not prerequisite to bhavasangeetham. If the musician contacts the divinity through his music he is able to communicate it to the fortunate rasika who is a sahrdhaya and receives the divine outburst of the musician like a well tuned wireless receiver equiment.When that happens the rasika is no more satisfied with anything less like the mongoose in Mahabharatha which became golden in one half and was not satisfied with anything which could not make his other half golden too. When God chooses to appear to me through the music of TNS who am I to prevent Him!