कौसल्या सुप्रजा राम पूर्वासन्ध्या प्रवर्तते ।
उत्तिष्ठ नरशार्दूल कर्त्तव्यं दैवमाह्निकम् ॥१

Thus starts one of the most well-known stutis of all time, Sri Venkatesha Suprabhatam. This original verse was in Bala Kanda, Sarga 23 and sloka 2 of the Valmiki Ramayana.

In this first verse, Maharishi Vishwamitra addresses the glorious son of Kausalya (Sri Rama) and beseeches him to wake and engage in the auspicious duties of the day.

With this stirring and beautiful sloka, Sri Venkatesha Suprabhatam begins. This stuti is sung every morning in front of the Tirumala garbha-griham when the doors are opened for morning darshan of Sri Venkateshwara.

Sri Venkatesha Suprabhatam was originally composed by Sri Vaishnava bhakti saint Prativadi Bhayankara Anna. He was a disciple of Manavala Mamunigal (or Varavaramuni), a highly respected and influential acharya of SV and Vishishtadvaita philosophy,

Sri Prativadi Anna composed the Suprabhatam on the instruction of his guru, Manavala Mamunigal. The need for a daily morning prayer for Venkateshwara was felt after similar prayers were composed for Sri Ranganatha Swamy in Srirangam.

Sri Anna-gaaru also went on to compose Suprabhatams for each of the 108 divya desham kshetras of Sri Narayana. He also went on to write commentaries on Sri Ramanujacharya's Sri Bhashyam, the Bhagavatha Purana, Ashtaloki of Parasara Bhattar, etc.

Around 1456 CE, the recitation of Venkatesha Suprabhatam became the standard practice in Tirumala Srivari gudi (temple). This is recorded in a series of endowments made to the Tirumala temple by Vijayanagara ruler Sri Saluva Narasimha.

In the following decades, the popularity of the Suprabhatam was so great that it even influenced Pedda Tirumalacharya (the son of Talllapaka Annamacharya) to compose the Sri Venkateswara Prabhatastavamu in the dvaipada meter. This was also a morning invocation prayer, in Telugu.

Following the adopting of the Suprabhatam into the vernacular, the stuti itself gained significant popularity along with spreading हरि bhakti among the masses in Rayalaseema region, and adjoining regions of what is now Tamilnadu and Karnataka.

Even now, centuries later, the Venkatesha Suprabhatam holds a deep place in the hearts of bhaktas of Sri Venkateshwara. Many households even today, listen to or render this stuti every morning.

This stuti has played a vital role in reinforcing and strengthening bhakti bhava, across generations. The contributions of Prativadi Anna gaaru, Manavala Mamunnigal, Swami Vedanta Desikan and other shishyas in the Ramanujacharya guru parampara must be remembered, and respected.

Thanks to their efforts and sacrifices, we can rejoice in the भक्ति of भक्त वत्सल, मोक्ष प्रदायक श्रीमन्नारायण during this painful, and worrisome कलियुगम्
I hope this thread has been useful, and has helped you all appreciate the brilliance and glory of our acharyas.

ఏడుకోండలవాడా వేంకటరమణా గోవిందా గోవిందా!

Source: Venktesa Suprabhatam, The Story of India's Most Popular Prayer by Venkatesh Parthasarathy.