The
circumstances that led to the discipleship of Venkataramana Bhagavatar under
Thyagaraja were interesting. Venkataramana Bhagavatar originally lived in
Ayyampet village of Tanjavoor district. When young he used to go to Thiruvaiyar
everyday to attend the bhajanas of Thyagaraja. A desire arose within him that
he must do some kind of service to the Great Composer. Every morning he brought
plenty of tulasi leaves and kept the same on the pial of the house of the
Thyagaraja for use in his pooja. The used to take the same to the pooja room.
One day, Venkataramana fell ill and there was no tulasi for pooja of the day. Thyagaraja enquired and
the disciples narrated that one young
man from Ayyampet who used to bring the leaves could not come on that day. Â Thyagaraja was all along under impression that
his disciples only brought tulasi every day. He expressed a strong desire to
meet that boy when he comes next. Thus Venkatarama Bhagavathar came under the
umbrella of discipleship. He continued the service to bringing tulasi, however.
Later his son also continued this activity of bringing tulasi. Thyagaraja
wrote: palumaaru chirakaalamu paramatmuni paadamulanu tulasee dalamulache
poojintu.. in Mayamalava gaula ragam. Later Venkataramana became a great
bhagavthar and was known to be an important source the posterity for hundreds
of compositions made by Thyagaraja.
