Man as a creation of God excels all the rest. He is given all facilities - physical, mental, emotional and spiritual - by Almighty to attain a noble ideal and transmit the same to his fellowmen. Yet human history records only a select few who lived a full life and served the humanity with a life-giving mission. Such men lived forever in the tender rememberances of man even after their short earthly sojourn. Their physical body, no doubt, perished, yet the "Yasassareera" lives forever. My master Tiger Varadachariar was one such great man who lives among us even now through his fame-body. "Narah pathitha kayopi - yasah kayena Jeevathi" so goes the verse.

It was a hot summer afternoon towards the close of June 1944, when I first contacted Tiger Varadachariar in the precincts of Kalakshetra - the Temple of Arts. I was called upon for an interview. My curious ideas about him and imaginary cruelty associated with his title immediately disappeared from my mental horizon when he addressed me with all his gentleness "Annaval" and asked me take my seat. Soon I discovered in him the very embodiment of gentleness and greatness in the elaborate sense. Be it noted that my humble self became later his favorite "Kozhandai" when I had the rare privilege of sitting at his feet as one of his disciples and serve him to his last moments. He was a Tiger in music but a gentle cow otherwise.

I was, however, anxious to listen to his music and see the real Tiger in him. Fortunately I got an immediate opportunity. On the 3rd of July, 1944, the Sangita Siromani course was inaugurated, and under the auspices of Kalakshetra there was a series of music concerts arranged for nearly a week. In that series, Smt. Rukmini Devi, the president of Kalakshetra had cautiously arranged such artists who belonged to a class by themselves by their ripened 'anubhava' and ardous 'Sadhana'. In that series Tiger sang one day.

That day I felt to be very near the Ocean of music. That day I listened to music not of the ordinary routine type but the type suggesting infinite varieties. There was saturation of "Bhava" and vitality. The entire personality seemed to sing and that has been the uniform experience when anybody listened to him. Later I discovered that he was not a platform Vidwan but the "Musician of Musicians" who expressed himself whenever the inner soul urged almost neglecting the surroundings. And it was during such moments that one could really enjoy "Tiger-Superb".

Such a rare combination of sublime art and a open heart is almost an impossibility in the realm of professional musicians. Vidwans of the past generation were usually frank in their views but as a rule had a bit of restlessness regarding the progress of their fellow vidwans. Maha Vaidyanatha Iyer and Patnam Subramanya Iyer whom posterity remembers with pride and who occupy a place in the musical history next only to the accepted 'Trinity' are not known to be in gentle terms. They did not like even their disciples to compare notes. The modern Vidwans though polished outwardly cannot be said to be completely free from such professional bias. Perhaps it is almost a necessity in the professional career. But the "Musician of Musicians" was a rare exception who defended himself and his ideals without hindering the interests of his fellow Vidwans and Rasikas. Rightly therefore was he considered to be the "Ajathasatru" of the modern musical world.

It is indeed difficult to describe in detail the various phases of his personality. He was mainly an artist in the true sense of the word. Besides he was a linguist; for he could speak about 6 languages, i.e., Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Kanarese and English, and had a working knowledge of Sanskrit too. He was a sportsman and he won a prize in the Annamalai University staff race Competition when he was in his advanced Sixties and when he was the Head of the Music Department.

In private talks, he wa a perfect rasika. In music Conferences he was an authority for he sang what he preached. He was a shrewd observer of things though outwardly he seemed to be careless. He was besides all these devotee at heart and had immense faith in His mercy.

As an artist Tiger was in the first place an exponent of "Bhava Sangeetha". Whatever he sang had something beyond the usual display of "swara" and "tala" suggestive of a grandeur comparable only to the dizzy heights of the Himalayas. In the Kumarasambhava, in the opening scene the description of the Himalayas by Kalidasa is rendered by him in the Ghana ragas Nata, Gaula, Arabhi, Varali and Sri - which is so thrilling that one actually hears and sees through imagination the extent of the grand Himalayas. Such is the power of "Tiger Music".

Secondly he was a teacher not of the "sing-a-song" type but of an unusual character. No student of the ordinary caliber could ever aspire to understand his music much less to follow. It was, therefore, the musicians or the students of the advanced type who were able to understand his music. But the "mountain must go to Mahomet" and not otherwise. As a rule Tiger attempted to teach but he failed miserably and the student remained where he was before.

The astounding impediment to his teaching was his never ending stream of Kalpana. His Kalpana did not limit in raga elaboration and swara singing alone but extended from the simplest of geethas onwards. Thus there was a variety of suggestion and variation in his renderings, though to a shrewd observer there will be a golden unbroken thread of unity in the background. One must realize in "Tiger Music", "unity in variety" and vice-versa.

In the realm of "Raga Alapana" and "Swara Kalpana" he was a master in his own way. His conception of raga was not either based or bound by skeleton notes but was an entity by itself. It is a known fact that "Raga Bhava," as for that matter "Bhava" itself, is something which is beyond the realm of ordinary theorization and discussion.

It is like spontaneous high flown poetry which sometimes overthrows the grammarian and the poor grammarian has to mend his peg to hang the new coat of originality and artistic imagination.But such an apparently free exposition touched the inner being and fulfilled the soul - need of "Raga Bhava". Rasikas who attended "Tiger Music" will even now remember the sweeping outline of Hamsadhwani which was usually rendered after his favorite "Kalyani Varnam" in the commencement of the concert and before the "Vathapi Ganapathim".

Swara Kalpana at present is nothing better than a play of Jathis in the shape of swaras. The tendency is more turned to the "Laya Vinyasa" than to the "Raga Vinyasa". It should be remembered that Lord Nandikeshwara has blessed us with the melodious Mridangam and other tala vadyas for the purpose. The duty of the musicians should therefore be to do full justice to the genuine swara prasthara expatiating the "Raga Bhava" in varied aspects.

Those who heard 'Tiger' singing swaras did not feel any difficulty in reckoning the tala, for he followed the "Sarva laghu paddhati" employing the 'Dirgha' and 'Hrsava' swaras - the method of Taneekaras. But all the same the infinite varieties of the 'Swara Colors' bewildered both the listener and the accompanists. There was perfect 'Kala Pramana Sudda' in all his renderings not to speak of the swara kalpana alone and this might be well said as one of the major characteristics of 'Tiger-Music'.

Madhya Kala or 'Tana' may be considered as a paraphrase of Swara singing. But the voice culture should be of a superior order so that the phraseologies such as 'anantham' assume deep and sonorous patterns with a peculiar tonal luster. This in the field of 'Madhyakalas' he was a pastmaster. Tiger was at his best, and even superb sometimes in his private expositions and class demonstrations.

He would on those occasions go on with an 'Apoorva' raga and sing Ragam, Tanam and Niraval. One another occasion he would sing innumerable 'Sangathis' for a theme insignificant in the ordinary eyes. On yet another occasion he would compare Tyagaraja and others with suitable examples and establish 'his' superiority. He once told me that he got Rs. 5 by singing eighty sangathis for the Khamas Javali 'ERA RARA' at the rate of one anna a Sangathi. Even then he had more to sing but the gentleman who proposed the game withdrew. Perhaps on such occasions he felt less of formality (than on usual platform) which accelerated, the flow of genius.

Curiously neither his 'Sareera' nor his 'Saareera' was attractive, judges by the usual standards. His middle stature, his protrouding belly, slightly enlarged head, the pattai Namam - the vaishnavite insignia on his forehead - simple but dignified dress and lastly the intelligent face with the characteristic squint eye - all these made a profound and jovial impression upon the spectators. Neverthless his appearance and gait had a special beauty akin to that of a majestic elephant and it was all glee when he appeared before an audience - be it a concert or a discussion or a demonstration.

His voice was of the 'bass' type with a tinge of ferociousness. In the lower 'Sthayis' it almost resounded like the roaring of a Lion and in its electric speed when unimaginable. "Drutakala Sancharas" when displayed, it reminded of the unfailing sweep of the Tiger. But the immense possibilities of 'mellinam' and 'vallinam' the subtle curvatures in the Sancharas and the attended minute vibrations, the sonorousness, the masterly grip and many more were some of the unusual attributes of my master's voice.

In the last Music Academy Conference he attended in his life, i.e. in 1949 while demonstrating 'Mandra sthayi sancharas' he described his type of music as 'boring a mountain to catch a rat' as opposed to 'placing soft butter on tender plantain leaf'. It is obvious that one needed an enormous amount of 'Sadhana' and 'deep knowledge' to master his type of music.

The most outstanding feature of 'Tiger-Music' was 'Swanobhava'. He usually forgot his audience and sang to himself to the best of his satisfaction. So unassuming he was that he would even in the midst of a concert appreciate himself and exhibit his inner satisfaction, through his vague gaze at the audience with an innocent childlike smile. He was also very sensitive to his defects and when providentially a performance did not reach his expected heights he felt very sorely and even wept like a child afterwards. He was absorbed so much that he even used to suggestively perform some 'Hastas' when singing or express the 'Bhava' by some movement of his limbs.

Never from his mouth escaped a discouraging word. He was all encouragement that he gave recommendation letters to almost all who approached him without hesitation. On such occasions he used to say "What? Do we lose our grandfather's property?" Once in Mysore he gave a certifying letter to a boy who sang the "Swaravali" and the "Varisas" of course along with the Pilayar Geetham. Curiously the letter neither exaggerated nor under estimated the candidate but was a true picture.

The contact of Tiger with Kalakshetra is an important event in the modern musical history. Kalakshetra was already a Temple of arts. But his presence made it much more holier and art- conscious and there was an unspeakable 'Musical Magnetism' all around. At present there are two such magnets instead of one (Sri Sambhasiva Iyer and Sri Vasudevachariar).

My own contact with him dates from the year 1944 when I joined as a student in the Sangita Siromani course of Madras University in Kalakshetra. I had the rare privilege of being his only student and for sometime his colleague too. Those were my "Golden days of Divine Commumion", if I may say so. Never did I hear one single harsh word. All was benediction and blessings. His classes were musical feasts with the full display of "Nava Rasas". His company was a study by when art should flow some divine process; Many a time I have seen him singing to himself about the propriety of his misdoings' if any, forgetting the surroundings. Once he was actually weeping while singing "ENTA NINE" in Mukhari and asking himself "Do you think that you will get the bhagya of Sabari? Far from it". Is such an "art" and "heart" possible? Perhaps if He wills. Full five years have passed away since his demise. But the musings on him and his music carry us to an altogether different world.