Question 7 from UPSC CSE 2018 - Art and Culture

Question

With reference to the cultural history of India, consider the following statements:
1. Most of the Tyagaraja Kritis are devotional songs in praise of Lord Krishna.
2. Tyagaraja created several new ragas.
3. Annamacharya and Tyagaraja are contemporaries.
4. Annamacharya Kirtanas are devotional songs in praise of Lord Venkateshwara.
Which of the statements given above are correct?

IASCODEX · Accepted Answer

Correct Option: B. 2 and 4 only

Strategy: Focus on associating composers with their primary deities and periods. Statement 1 is incorrect because Tyagaraja's Kritis predominantly praise Lord Rama, not Krishna. Statement 2 is correct—Tyagaraja is recognized for creating several new ragas. Statement 3 is eliminated by recalling chronology: Annamacharya (15th century) and Tyagaraja (18th–19th century) were not contemporaries. Statement 4 is correct; Annamacharya's compositions are dedicated to Lord Venkateshwara. Thus, option B (2 and 4 only) is correct.

Key Info: Tyagaraja (1767–1847) was a prominent Carnatic music composer, regarded as one of the Trinity of Carnatic music, along with Muthuswami Dikshitar and Syama Sastri. The majority of his kritis were devotional pieces dedicated to Lord Rama, revealing bhakti (devotion) and musical intricacy. Tyagaraja contributed to the expansion and creation of new ragas, enriching the Carnatic repertoire and is credited with original innovations in both raga compositions and tala usages.

Annamacharya (1408–1503), also known as Annamayya, was a saint-poet and regarded as the earliest known composer of Sankirtanas (devotional songs in Telugu) in praise of Lord Venkateshwara, the presiding deity of Tirumala (Tirupati). His works, called Annamacharya Kirtanas, form a significant body of Vaishnava devotional literature and are foundational in South Indian devotional music.

Chronologically, Tyagaraja and Annamacharya were not contemporaries, with about three centuries separating them. Annamacharya's compositions predate Tyagaraja by several generations.

Kritis and kirtanas are forms of devotional songs in Carnatic tradition, often dedicated to different deities such as Rama, Krishna, or Venkateshwara, each reflecting unique historical, regional, and religious influences specific to the composer's milieu.

IASCODEX · Answer

Option A: 1 and 3 only

IASCODEX · Answer

Option C: 1, 2, and 3

IASCODEX · Answer

Option D: 2, 3, and 4