Shuddhananda Bharati (1897 to 1990) was an interesting mendicant philosopher and composer of fairly recent vintage. While he wote extensively in several languages including English and French (!!), in the Carnatic world it is as a Tamizh composer that he is best known. It is said that his first composition was eppaDi pADinarO in karNATaka dEvagAndhAri, which came out spontaneously at the Chidambaram Nataraja temple.
And what poetic insight for a first composition, expressing his desire to sing in praise of the lord, much as the great devotees before him (the great nAyanmArs for instance) had done. And he is clear - it’s not enough to sing like them. He wants to sing like them having gained insight into the deepest meaning of the Lord (“poRuluNarndu unnayE eppaDi pADinarO!”)
https://youtube.com/clip/UgkxHwWMx1VwmskiF08uUYQBXY1x_8t5ocLS
