Nirvanashtakam

manobuddhyahaṃkāra cittāni nāhaṃ na ca
śrotrajihve na ca ghrāṇanetre 
na ca vioma bhūmir na tejo na vāyuḥ cidānandarūpaḥ

śivo'ham śivo'ham. 1

I am not mind, nor intellect, nor ego,

nor the reflections of inner self (chitta).
I am not the five senses. I am beyond that.
I am not the ether, nor the earth, nor the fire, nor the wind
I am indeed, That eternal knowing and bliss,

Shiva, love and pure consciousness.

na ca praṇasajño na vai paṃcavāyuḥ
na vā saptadhātur na vā paṃcakośaḥ 
na vākpāṇipādaṃ na copasthapāyu cidānandarūpaḥ
śivo'ham śivo'ham. 2

Neither can I be termed as energy, nor five types of breath,
nor the seven material essences, nor the five coverings
Neither am I the five instruments of elimination,
procreation, motion, grasping, or speaking.
I am indeed, That eternal knowing and bliss,
Shiva, love and pure consciousness.

na me dveşarāgau na me lobhamohau mado naiva me naiva mātsaryabhāvaḥ
na dharmo na cārtho na kāmo na mokşaḥ cidānandarūpaḥ
śivo'ham śivo'ham. 3

I have no hatred or dislike, nor affiliation or liking,
nor greed, nor delusion, nor pride or haughtiness,
nor feelings of envy or jealousy.
I have no duty (dharma), nor any money,
nor any desire (kama), nor even liberation (moksha).
I am indeed, That eternal knowing and bliss,
Shiva, love and pure consciousness.

na puṇyaṃ na pāpaṃ na saukhyaṃ na dukhyaṃ na mantro na tīrthaṃ na vedā na yajña
ahaṃ bhojanaṃ naiva bhojyaṃ na bhoktā cidānandarūpaḥ
śivo'ham śivo'ham. 4

I have neither merit, nor demerit.
I do not commit sins or good deeds, nor have happiness or sorrow, pain or pleasure.
I do not need mantras, holy places, scriptures, rituals or sacrifices.
I am none of the triad of the observer or one who experiences,
the process of observing or experiencing, or any object being observed or experienced.
I am indeed, That eternal knowing and bliss,
Shiva, love and pure consciousness.

na me mṛtyuśaṃkā na me jātibhedaḥ pitā naiva me naiva mātā na janmaḥ
na bandhur na mitraṃ gurunaiva śişyaḥ cidānandarūpaḥ
śivo'ham śivo'ham. 5

I do not have fear of death, as I do not have death.
I have no separation from my true self, no doubt about my existence,
nor have I discrimination on the basis of birth.
I have no father or mother, nor did I have a birth.
I am not the relative, nor the friend, nor the guru, nor the disciple.
I am indeed, That eternal knowing and bliss,
Shiva, love and pure consciousness.

ahaṃ nirvikalpo nirākāra rūpo vibhutvāca sarvatra sarveṃdriyāṇaṃ
na cāsangata naiva muktir na meyaḥ cidānandarūpaḥ śivo'ham śivo'ham. 6

I am all pervasive. I am without any attributes,
and without any form.
I have neither attachment to the world, nor to liberation.
I have no wishes for anything because
I am everything, 
everywhere, every time, always in equilibrium.
I am indeed, That eternal knowing and bliss,
Shiva, love and pure consciousness.

By Adi Shankara

Thyagaraja

Like science, music is a lofty expression of the human spirit. In the Indic tradition, music is as ancient as the Sama Veda which goes back to the second millennium before the Common Era.
Thyagaraja (1767 - 1847) is a star of the first magnitude in the firmament of carnatic music.The songs that flowed from Thyagaraja's heart were not contrived constructions of a calculating composer, but the powerful outpouring of love and longing for the Divine. What Milton Cross wrote about Johann Sebastian Bach is just as true of Thyagaraja: "He lived but to worship god and to write music." We cannot fathom by what magic music becomes God's instrument to give us a taste of mystical rapture.
In the traditional framework, action (karma), knowledge (jnana), and devotion (bhakti) are the recognized paths (margas) to God-realization.
Thyagaraja adopted music as another marga. For him, joyous bhajan songs were not just prayers in tunes, but powerful means for attaining spiritual fulfillment. His divyanama sankirtanams and utsava sampradaya kirtanams were meant explicitly for this purpose.
At least 400 of Thyagaraja's songs are still sung. His music has inspired many to both singing and creativity. His name has become synonymous with Carnatic music. Thyagaraja was a saint who not only experienced the highest order of spiritual fulfillment for himself, but also helped many generations to have a taste of the same.