Swati Tirunal was given an impetus in singing by Karamana Subrahmanya Bhagavatar, a well known musician of the palace. Subba Rao didn't only have theoretical knowledge of music, but was also quite skillful in its practical applicability. He got engrossed with singing and started to enjoy it. He even learnt to play the instrument swarabat, which could be a rare skill and is understood by hardly anyone. His immense love for music brought an outsized number of eminent musicians to the court, who, in turn, gave Swati a valuable insight into the sphere of Indian genre. A Maratha singer named Meruswamy alias Anantapadmanabha Goswami gave Rama Varma an introduction to Carnatic and Hindusthani music. He also gave him a deep understanding about the 'harikatha' tradition. Some scholars and musicians who worked in close association with Rama Varma include Irayimman Thampi (poet), Shatkala Govinda Marar (musician), Parameswa Bhagavatar (singer), Kilimannoor Koil (Sanskrit scholar cum poet) etc.