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The following is an attempt to very briefly narrate the story of Dikshitar (1775 1835) Muthusvami Dikshitar was the oldest of four children born to Ramasvami Dikshitar . Theirs was a distinguished musical family. Father Ramasvami Dikshitar is credi ted with having created an elaborate nadasvaram protocol to be strictly adhered to at the Tiruvarur Tyagaraja temple. Dikshitar underwent the best of classical induction when the family moved to Man ali, near Chennai in response to patronage extended by a Zamindar there. It was during the stay at Manali where it is said that the family came in contact with the western music played by the bands of the East India Company. Dikshitar was sent with his preceptor, Chidambara Natha Yogi to Banaras in North ern India, where he spent five years with the Guru getting initiated in the Sree Vidya Upasana and sharpening his musical skill. This phase of life brought Diks hitar in touch with the ancient dhrupad form of music, whose influence shows in his later compositions. Upon his return to Manali, Dikshitar undertook a pilgrimage to Tiruttani near Ti rupati. It was here that he composed his first composition sri nathadi guruguho j ayati and the subsequent series of the guruguha vibhakti kritis. He then returned to Manali. Dikshitar then spent time in Kanchipuram where he came in contact with Upanishad Bhrahmam, another of his preceptors. He set the verses of ramashtapadi to music and also composed kritis and nottusvara sahityas in praise of the several deiti es in Kanchipuram. Enroute to Tiruvarur, his birthplace, he visited Tiruvannamalai and several othe r kshetras, whose praise he sang with his weighty kritis. His stay in Tiruvarur was a period of great musical output, all in praise of the deities enshrined there. The Tyagaraja and Nilotpalamba vibhakti kritis, the Ka malamba Navavarana kritis, the vaasara kritis (navagraha) ,several of the kritis on Ganesha can be attributed to this period. His brothers left for Madurai, to honor an invitation and during this time, Diks hitar spent this phase of life in the city of Thanjavur, where the well known da nce quartet of Thanjavur were his disciples. It was during this time that he com posed kritis illustrating each one of the 72 raganga ragas that form the theoret ical basis of all ragas, per the musical lineage of Venkatamakhi. Dikshitar then went searching for his brothers to Madurai, visiting Tiruchi, Sri rangam and other places enroute. In Madurai he was saddened upon hearing of his brother Chinnaswamy Dikshitar s demise. He set forth in search of his other brothe r Balusvami Dikshitar to Ramesvaram and learned by chance that the vidvan had ea rned the royal patronage of the king of Ettaiyapuram. An overjoyed Dikshitar reached Ettaiyapuram and spent his last years there, comp osing and contributing significantly to the musical wealth and pedagogy of that area. Dikshitar shed his mortal coils in a very peaceful manner on the day of Di pavali in the year of 1835. He was survived by his younger brother Balusvami Dikshitar, who inherited the en

tire music wealth of the master. Balusvami passed it on to his adopted son Subba rama Dikshitar, who summarized all of if not at least a large chunk of what he h ad learned, into an encyclopedic work by name Sangita Sampradaya Pradarsini. The above, is an objective account of his life, stating only the physical events that happened during his lifetime. The metaphysical aspects of the events and t he miracles that happened in his life will be dealt with in other articles.