Sangeethajnaanamu bhakthi vinaa

Sangeethajnaanamu bhakthi vinaa... what is the use for erudition in music if there is no bhakthi.?.(tyagaraja)

this is the idea running very deep in the Indian psyche.. In fact most of the music composed in India through any genre or any paddhathi was predominantly religious. or based on religions.

The same idea would apply to most of the art forms in our country .

Many would consider it is premature or even blasphemous to conceive the idea of music other than in praise of God.

Maybe this idea is becoming less universal these days..

Views may vary on this issue... but for those who believed "Naatha thanumanisham shankaram pranamaamyaham.."(I bow before Shankara the eternal whose body itself is Rhythmic sound" ,

" Nidhi chaala sukhamaa, rama nee sannidhi chaala sukhamaa..".

" Gaayati vanamaalee"...

"Sancharadadharsudhaamadhuradhwani mukharita mohana vamsham"

Can we separate God from Music.?.

But then, is there any religion for God himself.?. this is the core issue..

So if music is rendered with devotion.. the caste and community of the singer may not be of much importance..

Even in our caste systems of yesteryears, singers, while on their job were not considered as untouchable just by birth..

Music is love, music is for love, love of humans, love of God..

The difficulties appear to arise because some rigid indoctrinates of certain sects were intolerant..

Actually there were people who hated music in the name of sects and groups.

But such thoughts are aberrations, which are to be discarded.

Music touches the heart.. grammar the intellect.

Music touches the heart.. grammar the intellect.

शिशुर्वेत्ति पशुर्वेत्ति वेत्ति गानरसं फणी।
साहित्यरसमाधुर्यं शङ्करो वेत्ति वा न वा॥
śiśurvetti paśurvetti vetti gānarasaṁ phaṇī|
sāhityarasamādhuryaṁ śaṅkaro vetti vā na vā||

The ultimate sweetness of music is understood and enjoyed even by an infant, even by an animal, even by a snake
Indeed we do not really know whether the erudite scholar can really enjoy the nectar like sweetness of literature..

This stanza indicates the spontaneous fountain of ambrosia emanating from music.. and touches our spirits and emotions more than the intellect..

The intellect gets attracted more to the play of words, usages, grammar et al.. It is the exculsive stuff of the scholar..

There are two planes or levels of enjoying the meirts of literature and fine art..

The emotional and the intellectual..

This applies in greater significance to performing acts.. like dance, songs, dramas, and so on..

In delivery of such art foms, the audio and video impacts are more pronounced than the laws of grammar and prosody, and vrittam and Chandas..

True, a good output or rendition without following such rules may not survive and is not likely to make any sustained impact..

But the results of output are enjoyed by the rasika more on the basis of the treat it gives to his mind and sensse organs and there can be very positive responses even from target audience which do not understand the meaning or purpose of the creation at all...The Rasa part is underlined here..

The Shishu, the Pashu, and the Snake respond to great music or visual outputs which are sublime.. even when they do not know the literature, languge, the lyric or text..

In fact this sloka is to underline the sublimity of the rasam..
and the erudite theorist, in his anxiety
to make the best of grammatic and literary rules,
and the rules of proper lifestyle and so on
might not be often in a state of mind where he can enjoy the output in all its pristine purity
in contrast to the ones who just enjoy them for the sheer beauty and aesthtics of it..

We are often captivated by literary or musical outputs even without knowing their meaning or purport..
A thing of beauty is a joy for ever..
The enjoyment is not confined to the trained eyes, earns and senses..
The capacity to enjoy comes instinctively..

vetthi vaa na vaa.. वेत्ति वा न वा
whether Shankara knows or not is a sort of dig at the grammarian and philosophy buff ..
and indeed a poser as to whether the study in deep for grammatical rules and structure by the erudite persons often stands in the way of enjoying the creation in an innocent way.

The sloka is found in many places in part or full.. It is found in Subhashita Ratnabhadakaram..
Some ascribe it to Kumarila, the arch Rival of Shankaraa and poorva mimamsa exponent ..
Some relate part of ths sloka to Sage Bharatha..
But suffice to say this sloka finds eminent mention in the art circles

And if Sahityam and Sangeetham merge into a symphony.. then we need not search for heaven elsewhere.

Just think of a Thiruppugazh or an Ashtapadi..

reaching God through Music...

reaching God through Music...

वीणावादन तत्त्वज्ञः स्वरशास्त्रविशारदः

ताळज्ञश्च अप्रयत्नेन परं ब्रह्माधिगच्छति

വീണാ വാദന തത്വജ്ഞ: സ്വരശാസ്ത്ര വിശാരദ: 

താളജ്ഞശ്ച അപ്രയത്നേന പരം ബ്രഹ്മാധിഗച്ഛതി

veenaavaadhana tattwajnaH swarashaastra vishaaradaH 

taalajnasya aprayatnena param brahaamdhigachati 

yaajnavalkya smriti... യാജ്ഞവല്ക്യസ്മൃതി याज्ञवल्क्यस्मृति

A persons who has completely mastered the art of playing the Veena, a person who is an expert in the science of swaraas, and and who is having pure sense of taala.... He reaches the Ultimate, Brahmam without any effort.

Fine arts and music are divine

साहित्यसङ्गीतकलाविहीनः, साक्षात्पशुः पुच्छविषाणहीनः .

तृणं न खादन्नपि जीवमानः, तद्भागधेयं परमम्पशुनाम् .. १२..

saahityasangeethakalaavihiinah  saakshaat pasuh puchchhavishaanahiinah
trinam na khadannapi  jeevamaanah tad bhagadheyam paramam pasoonaam

a person with  no taste for literature, music and fine arts is  virtually a cow or some similar animal, with the only difference that the former has no tail or horns.  It is indeed very fortunate for the animals  that such persons do not start eating grass for food because if it happens the horned animals will have to die of starvation.
This sloka is found in some versions of Neetisatakam of Bharthruhari.
 Our traditions are so great that every god in Hindu pantheon is adorned with a musical instrument.  The lord of Lords, the Nataraja, is an adept in playing Dakkaa and Damaru... In fact the Indian alphabets are said to have emanated from the Lord Shiva's fingerings on the percussion instrument fourteen times. It is described as under.
नृत्तावसाने नटराजराजो ननाद ढक्कांनवपञ्चवारम्।
उद्धर्त्तुकामो सनकादिसिद्धादिनेतद्विमर्शेशिवसूत्रजालम्II
On conclusion of his tandavanritta, the emperor of dancers, Lord Nataraja with a view to enlighten the great sages like Sanaka, played nine and five times in his Dakka...(udukku the small drum held in his hand) and out came the shivasuutraas, which were later on adopted as the basis for the entire philology and phonetics of India.. The great grammarian Paanini starts his aphorisms with these suutras.

अक्षरसमाम्नाय:, शिवसूत्राणि

अ इ उण्

ऋ लृक्

ए ओंङ्

ऐ औच्

ह य व रट्

लण्

ञ म ङ ण नम्

झ भञ्

घ ढ धष्

ज ब ग ड दश्

ख फ छ ठ थ च ट तव्

कपय्

श ष सर्

हल्

इति माहेश्वराणि सूत्राणि अणादिसंज्ञार्थानि। एषामन्त्या इत:। हकारादिषु अकार: उच्चारणार्थ:। लण्मध्ये तु इत्संज्ञक:|

 
Lord Krishna's constant companion was his  flute..He mesmerized the damsels and the mortals and in-animates in Brindavan and the whole universe with his sweet breath emanating  through the divine flute.  Leelasuka or Bilvamangala swamigal  prays to this flute..

अयि मुरलि मुकुन्दस्मेरवक्त्रारविन्द
श्वसनमधुरसंज्ङे त्वाम् प्रणम्याद्य याचे।
अधरमणिसमीपम् प्राप्तवत्याम् भवत्याम्
कथय रहसि कर्णे मद्दशाम् नन्दसूनोः॥ २-११

ayi murali mukundasmeravaktrāravinda
śvasanamadhurasaṁṅe tvām praṇamyādya yāce |
adharamaṇisamīpam prāptavatyām bhavatyām
kathaya rahasi karṇe maddaśām nandasūnoḥ || 2-11

(Sree krishna karnamritham)

You sweet flute, you are in constant  company with the sweet musical breath from Mukunda's lips at one tip of yours and you have his ears at the other tip. I offer pranams to you and beg to you.. When you are held near the gems of those lips, please be kind enough to whisper on His ears about the miserable state I am in.. so that He will shower his mercy upon me.

In Srimannaaraayaneeyam the Dashakam 69 on raasakriida is completely devoted to music and dance.

केशपाशधृतपिञ्छिकाविततिसञ्चलन्मकरकुण्डलं
हारजालवनमालिकाललितमङ्गरागघनसौरभम् ।
पीतचेलधृतकाञ्चिकाञ्चितमुदञ्चदंशुमणिनूपुरं
रासकेलिपरिभूषितं तव हि रूपमीश कलयामहे ॥१॥

A bunch of peacock feathers adorning the beautiful locks of hair; a pair of fish shaped earrings dangling from the ears; many necklaces intermingled with flower garlands adorning the neck; a golden girdle fastened to the yellow silk garment adorning the waist; sandal paste and other unguents smeared on the body emitting strong fragrance; gem studded anklets flashing forth a glow; on such a radiant form of Thee, with decorations appropriate for the Raasa, we meditate on.

  Kaalidasa starts his Shyamalaa dandakam with a prayer to the Vaagdevata, Saraswathi.
माणिक्यवीणामुपलाळयन्तीं
मदालसां मञ्जुळ वाग्विलासां।
माहेन्द्रनीलद्युतिकोमळाङ्गीं
मातङ्गकन्यां मनसा स्मरामि॥
māṇikyavīṇāmupalāḻayantīṁ
madālasāṁ mañjuḻa vāgvilāsāṁ|
māhendranīladyutikomaḻāṅgīṁ
mātaṅgakanyāṁ manasā smarāmi||

I prostrate before Shyaamala, the daughter of maatanga....she nestles on her bosom a veena made of maanikya gem, she is supremely happy and relaxed , her words are very sweet and she is resplendent in the brighntess of  indraneela (peacock blue).

The great poet Jayadeva is very vocal in describing the dance of Krishna in Gita govindam.

ललितलवङ्गलतापरिशीलनकोमलमलयसमीरे ।
मधुकरनिकरकरम्बितकोकिलकूजितकुञ्जकुटीरे ।
विहरति हरिरिह सरसवसन्ते ।
नृत्यति युवतिजनेन समम् सखि विरहिजनस्य दुरन्ते ॥ अ प ३-१

In this springtime gentle vernal breezes from Mount . M alaya, the abode of sandalwood trees, that swivel round the slim tendrils of clove gillyflower plants and the  breeze hovers  gently, interwoven with both the fragrances... in this springtime that has bowers made lively with the intermingled buzzes of honeybees swarm and croons of Kokila throngs... that Krishna whom you are seeking is gloriously frolicking and dancing with young girls  in Brindavan right at this moment, for this is spring, isn't it...  therefore, come on... let's go... lovelorn people are unrequited, otherwise... [astapadi  3-1]

The great tamil poet Arunagirinathar describes vividly the dance of Murugan, in Thiruppugazh :-

அதல சேட னாராட அகில மேரு மீதாட      அபின காளி தானாட ...... அவளோடன் றதிர வீசி வாதாடும் விடையி லேறு வாராட      அருகு பூத வேதாள ...... மவையாட மதுர வாணி தானாட மலரில் வேத னாராட      மருவு வானு ளோராட ...... மதியாட வனச மாமி யாராட நெடிய மாம னாராட      மயிலு மாடி நீயாடி ...... வரவேணும் கதைவி டாத தோள்வீம னெதிர்கொள் வாளி யால்நீடு      கருத லார்கள் மாசேனை ...... பொடியாகக் கதறு காலி போய்மீள விஜய னேறு தேர்மீது      கனக வேத கோடூதி ...... அலைமோதும் உததி மீதி லேசாயு முலக மூடு சீர்பாத      உவண மூர்தி மாமாயன் ...... மருகோனே உதய தாம மார்பான ப்ரபுட தேவ மாராஜ      னுளமு மாட வாழ்தேவர் ...... பெருமாளே. ......... சொல் விளக்கம் ......... அதல சேடனார் ... (பூமிக்கு கீழேயுள்ள) அதலத்தில் இருக்கும் ஆதிஸேஷன் ஆட ... நடனம் ஆடவும், அகில மேரு மீதாட ... பூமி மீதுள்ள மேருமலை அசைந்தாடவும், அபின (அபின்ன) ... மாறுபாடு இன்றி (சிவதாண்டவத்துக்கு) ஒற்றுமையாக காளி தானாட ... காளி தான் ஆடவும், அவளோ (டு) அன்(று) அதிர ... அக்காளியோடு அன்று அவள் அதிர்ந்து நடுங்கும்படி வீசி வாதாடும் ... (காலை ஊர்த்துவகோலத்தில்) வீசி போட்டியிட்டவரும் விடையில் ஏறுவார் ஆட ... ரிஷபத்தில் ஏறுவாரும் ஆகிய சிவனும் ஆடவும், அருகு பூத வேதாளம் அவையாட ... அருகில் பூதங்களும் பேய்களும் ஆடவும், மதுர வாணி தானாட ... இனிமை மிக்க ஸரஸ்வதியும் ஆடவும், மலரில் வேதனார் ஆட ... தாமரை மலரில் அமரும் பிரமனும் ஆடவும், மருவு வானு ளோராட ... அருகில் பொருந்திய தேவர்கள் எல்லாம் ஆடவும், மதியாட ... சந்திரன் ஆடவும், வனஜ மாமி யாராட ... தாமரையாள் நின் மாமியார் லக்ஷ்மியும் ஆடவும், நெடிய மாம னாராட ... விஸ்வரூபம் எடுத்த நின் மாமனார் விஷ்ணுவும் ஆடவும், மயிலும் ஆடி ... நீ ஏறிவரும் மயிலும் ஆடி, நீ ஆடி வரவேணும் ... நீ நடனம் ஆடி என்முன்னே வரவேண்டும்* கதை விடாத தோள் வீமன் ... கதாயுதத்தை தன் தோளினின்று அகற்றாத வீமன் எதிர்கொள் வாளியால் ... எதிர்த்துச் செலுத்திய அம்பு மழையில் நீடு கருதுலார்கள் ... பெரும் பகைவர்களின் (கெளரவர்கள்) மாசேனை பொடியாக ... பெரிய சேனை பொடிபட (உதவியவரும்), கதறு காலி போய்மீள ... கதறிச் சென்ற பசுக்கள் மீண்டுவரக் (குழலை ஊதியவரும்), விஜயன் ஏறு தேர்மீது ... அர்ச்சுனன் ஏறிய தேரின் பாகனாயிருந்து, கனக வேத கோடூதி ... தங்க மயமானதும், வேத ஒலியைத் தரும்சங்கை ஊதியவரும், அலைமோதும் உததி மீதிலே ... அலை வீசும் பாற்கடல் மீதிலே சாயும் ... (பாம்பணையில்) பள்ளி கொண்டவரும், உலக மூடு சீர்பாத ... (வாமனாவதாரத்தில்) உலகத்தை அளந்து மூடிய பாதத்தாரும், உவணம் ஊர்தி ... கருடனை வாகனமாகக் கொண்டவரும், மாமாயன் மருகோனே ... ஆன மாமாயன் திருமாலின் மருமகனே உதய தாம மார்பான ... அன்றலர்ந்த மலர் மாலையை அணிமார்பனாகிய ப்ரபுடதேவ மாராஜ ... (திருவண்ணாமலையை ஆண்ட) ப்ரபுட தேவ மஹாராஜனின் உளமும் ஆட ... உள்ளமும் மகிழ்ச்சியில் ஆடும் வண்ணம் வாழ் தேவர் பெருமாளே. ... அவனது நெஞ்சிலே வாழும் தேவர் பெருமாளே. Song 1053 - adhala sEdanArAda (common) adhala sEda nArAda akila mEru meedhAda      abina kALi thAnAda ...... avaLOd andru adhira veesi vAdhAdum vidaiyil Eru vAr Ada      arugu bUtha vEthALam ...... avaiyAda madhura vANi thAnAda malaril vEdha nAr Ada      maruvu vAnu LOrAda ...... madhiyAda vanaja mAmi yArAda nediya mAma nArAda      mayilum Adi nee Adi ...... varavENum gadhai vidAdha thOL veeman edhirkoL vALi yAlneedu      karudha lArgaL mAsEnai ...... podiyAga kadhaRu kAli pOymeeLa vijayan Eru thErmeedhu      kanaka vEdha kOdUdhi ...... alaimOdhum udhadhi meedhilE sAyum ulaga mUdu seerpAdha      uvaNa mUrdhi mAmAyan ...... marugOnE udhaya dhAma mArbAna prabuda dhEva mArAjan      uLamum Ada vAzh dhEvar ...... perumALE. ......... Meaning ......... adhala sEda nArAda: As AdhisEshan (the 1000-headed Serpent) danced in the netherworld, akila mEru meedhAda: Mount Meru (Sri KailAsh) on the earth also danced, abina kALi thAnAda: in unison with SivA's Dance, Kali also danced, avaLOd andru adhira: along with Her, making Her shiver, veesi vAdhAdum: raising His leg up in competition, vidaiyil Eru vAr Ada: SivA, who mounts on the Bull (Nandi), also danced, arugu bUtha vEthALam avaiyAda: and nearby, the BUthaganas and ghosts also danced, madhura vANi thAnAda: Saraswathi of sweet voice also danced, malaril vEdha nAr Ada: BrahmA on the Lotus also joined in the dance, maruvu vAnu LOrAda madhiyAda: all the Celestials and Moon also danced, vanaja mAmi yArAda: Lakshmi on Lotus, Your mother-in-law, danced, nediya mAma nArAda: Vishnu, the tall one (who assumed ViswarUpam) Your father-in-law, mayilum Adi nee Adi: Your peacock should also dance and You too, dancing, varavENum: should appear before me dancing!* gadhai vidAdha thOL veeman: Bhima, who never parted with his mace (gadha), from his shoulder, edhirkoL vALi yAl: shot a series of arrows (in MahAbhArathA War) needu karudhalArgaL mAsEnai: at the large army of his mighty opponents and podiyAga: decimated them (with the help of Krishna); kadhaRu kAli pOymeeLa: herds of sobbing cows came rushing to (Brindhavanam) (hearing the magical flute of Krishna); vijayan Eru thErmeedhu: as the charioteer on Vijayan (Arjuna)'s chariot, kanaka vEdha kOdUdhi: the golden and vedic victory-conch shell was blown (by Krishna); alaimOdhum udhadhi meedhilE sAyum: on the milky ocean with waves tossing about, He (Krishna) reclined on a serpent-bed; ulaga mUdu seerpAdha: (in Vamana Avatharam) he measured the entire world with one foot (that foot-bearer, Krishna) uvaNa mUrdhi mAmAyan: He, the Great Mystic, with Garuda for vehicle. marugOnE: You are His favourite nephew! udhaya dhAma mArbAna: Fresh garland adorning His chest, prabuda dhEva mArAjan: is the great King Praputa DEvA (of ThiruvaNNAmalai); uLamum Ada vAzh: Your presence made the King's heart dance with joy   dhEvar perumALE.: Oh the Greatest One of all Gods!  இப்பாடல் அருணகிரியார் வாழ்வில் மகத்தானது. சம்பந்தாண்டான் என்பவனோடு வாது செய்தபோது முருகனை திருவண்ணாமலை அரசன் ப்ரபுட தேவராஜனின் சபையில் வரவழைக்கப் பாடிய பாட்டு இது. இந்த வரியைப் பாடும்போது, முருகன் வேலும் மயிலும் விளங்க நடனக் கோலத்திலேயே சபையில் தோன்றி தரிசனம் தந்தான்.   This song has great significance in the life of the great poet Arunagirinathar.  The saint poet had a debate with one Sambanthaandan in the court of king Praputa Devaraya in Thiruvannamalai  and when challenged to bring the Lord to the court failing which the saint's life was at stake, the poet sang his song and loving this Murugan appeared atop his peacock dancing merrily and gave darshan to all. Fine arts and music are divine