When a prayer becomes a way of life, it can no longer be seen as prayer alone. That-s the effect MS Subbulakshmi has had on many Indians, ever since she recorded the 20-minute-long morning hymn, Venkatesa Suprabhatam—an appeal for the Lord to arise and save the world—in the 1950s. Her rendition was so enchanting that the prayer soon became a staple in every South Indian home. Its popularity was also experienced closer home, in Mumbai, then Bombay, where radio stations started broadcasting the prayer, "as a starter to a programme of Marathi Bhajans".

Bengaluru-based history enthusiast Venkatesh Parthasarathy, who grew up in distant Delhi, remembers how Subbulakshmi-s melodic voice would glide and float through the walls of his home, every morning. "This [the taped recital] was played daily all through my childhood and growing years," he recalls. A few years ago, he thought of translating the poem, as a gift to his father, who was turning 80. "But, the more I read, the more I learnt how much there was to explore, so I kept exploring. The journey took a life of its own," says Parthasarathy, who is out with a new book, Venkatesa Suprabhatam: The Story of India-s Most Popular Prayer Westland. It-s a first-of-its-kind exploration of the original Sanskrit composition, its history, and the circumstances of the author, Prativadi Bhayankar Anna, who penned it roughly around 1420 CE.