Friday, December 17, 2010
PILGRIMAGE TO CHENNAI NAVAGRAHA TEMPLES
Continuing Veenavaadhini's intent of visiting temples and singing Dikshitar's Kritis in the shrines where he composed them, we were pondering where we could sing the Navagraha Kritis. These were composed by the great composer to help people like his disciple Thambiappan overcome the malevolent influences of the planets, and were not composed in particular Kshetras. In fact, the only exception is the Angaraka Kriti, where Vaidyanatha Kshetram is mentioned.
So when we heard of the tours conducted by Sowbhagya Travels, which covers the Navagraha Sthalams around Chennai, it seemed a good thing to take up this trip and also sing the Kritis in those Sthalams. The day picked for this was Sunday, November 28, 2010.
We started very early in the morning, at 5.45am. Here is a brief account of each place visited, in the order of visiting. Naturally, this had to be as per geographical convenience and not in the order of the Grahas.
Given that, as a rule, temples of Vishnu do not have shrines for Navagrahas, it is only natural that every single temple we visited for the Yatra was a temple of Shiva. In every temple,we visited the shrines of Swamy(Shiva) and Ambal(Parvati) and then proceeded to the shrine of the particular Graha to sing. In four places( Budha, Guru, Shukra and Rahu) there weren't separate shrines for the Graha and we sang the Kriti in the main shrine itself.
1. Agasteeshwarar Koil, Pozhichalur ( Shanaishchara)
A beautiful , serene temple, with a Gaja-prishta Vimana ( the wall around the main shrine is not rectangular, but rounded like the backside of an elephant - we saw this structure in many places that day), this temple had a separate idol of Shanaishchara, next to the Navagrahas. We sat facing him and sang "Divaakara tanujam".
2. Somanatheshwarar Koil, Somangalam ( Chandra)
This place was apparently earlier "Chola-mangalam" and the entire temple is idyllic and lovely. The icon of Chandra is one of breathtaking beauty - tall and handsome with a gentle smile. Here is sat in the open, ouside Chandra's shrine and sang "Chandram Bhaja Maanasa".
3. Nageshwarar temple, Kunrathur ( Rahu)
Built by the saint Sekkizhar, this grand old temple is modelled on the Thiru-Nageshwaram temple near Kumbakonam, the deity of which is Sekkizhar's "Ishta Devata". This town being his birthplace, Sekkizhar's has a separate shrine etc. We sat in the main shrine and sang "Smaraamyaham Sadaa Raahum" here.
4. Sundareshwara temple , Kovur (Budha)
Graced by the visit of Saint Thyagaraja, this small and gracious temple, we were told, has a Maha-vilva tree ( where each stalk has nine, not three leaflets). The saint has composed Kovur Pancharatnam here and his arrival in a palanquin is depicted on the main Gopuram. We sat in the main shrine and sang "Budham Ashrayaami" here.
5. Vaidyeswarar temple, Poonamallee (Angaaraka)
A busy temple on the Chennai templegoers' circuit, this temple has a small shrine for Angaaraka just outside the Swamy Sannidhi. In fact it is only the feet of Angaaraka, under a small stone Palmyra tree ( his shrine is under a real Palmyra in Vaideeswaran Koil). So we sat right opposite that to sing "Angaarakam Ashrayaamyaham".
6. Velleeshwarar temple, Mangadu ( Shukra)
Close to the famous Kamakshi temple, this temple is quiet with a lot of greenery. Here too we saw a Mahavilva tree. We sat in the main shrine to sing "Shri Shukra Bhagavantam".
7. Agasteeshwarar temple, Kolapakkam (Surya)
This small village, now part of Chennai, houses a beautiful temple that is very neat and has a impressive little Nandavanam. That day being "Kalabhairava Ashtami", there was a Laksharchana going on and many people were present. There is a nice shrine for Surya, topped by a grand sudhai (limestone& mortar) idol of the Sun God in his chariot with its seven horses. Just the right setting to sing "Suryamurte Namostute"!
8. Neelakanteshwarar temple, Gerumbakkam( Ketu)
This small non-descript temple has a shrine for Ketu , and also a bas relief carving of a snake in the ceiling of the main shrine. We sat near the shrine and sang "Mahaasuram".
9. Ramanatheshwarar temple, Porur (Guru)
The last stop of the day turned out to be a very memorable and unique one. This newly, brightly renovated temple was teeming with devotees and here too, the "Kalabhairava Laksharchanai" was going on. On hearing our request to be allowed to sing, the members of the Bhakta Jana Sabha happily gave us the stage with mikes etc and asked us to sing for at least 15 minutes and more if possible! So this became an impromptu mini-concert, and we sang "Shri Mahaaganapati-ravatu maam", "Ekaamranaatham" and of course "Brhaspate Taaraapate", concluding with "Valli-Devasena-pate" ( composed by Brahmasri Ananthakrishna Iyer). We were overwhelmed by the affection and plaudits we received after this and left the temple after having cups of hot sweet Paayasam, our hearts full with joy and gratitude.
PS: The tour also included three more temples which are en route - The Kamakshiamman temple in Mangadu and the Murugan and Mookambikai temples in Kunrathur.
Report by Rajani Arjun Shankar.
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
EVENTS OVER THE PAST FEW MONTHS
A hectic quarter of the year began with Guru Purnima Celebrations featuring two veena chamber concerts, one a duet by students Jayash and Manash Ramanathan of Tampa, Florida. They impressed the audience with their brisk rendition of Bilahari varnam in two speeds, an adroitly played Pantuvarali (Sarasaksha), and a moving Desh tillana of the legend Shri Lalgudi Jayaraman. The second concert was that of Santosh Jayaraman, a student of Sri Guruguha Gana Vidyalaya, Kolkata, now also training at Veenavaadhini. His playing displayed ample musical maturity, the highlight being his ragam assay of Karaharapriya and the ragamalika ragam preface to Teerada Vilayattu Pillai.
On September 5th, we had Sri Adoor Sudarshan from Kerala give a wonderful chamber concert. He was accompanied by Sri VV Ravi on the violin and Sri Ramkumar on the mridangam. To quote rasika Venkitesh, who also co-sponsored the programme, "This is easily the best live concert of the recent past which I heard. The singing soaked with vidwat, bhava and kanakku. Detailed Kharahapriya and neraval and swarams with kanakku was the best. Followed by Kalyani raga vistaram with sruthi bedam. Varnam in mohanam, and Sobillu was there in the beginning and was nice. Ravi's kalyani alapana was nice too. Kharaharapriya and Kalyani sruthibedam touched my heart. Tanam , followed by pallavi in kalyani was the next item. Four krithis with detailed raga and neraval and swaras, remarkable concert." Ramkumar was outstanding on the mridangam.
Veenavaadhini also organised Navarathri Special Programme wherein all the students rendered mini vocal and veena recitals. It being the 2nd Day of Navarathri, Kamalambam Bhajare was vocally rendered by Smt Jaysri with Sri Jeyaraaj accompanying her on the Veena. Students also gave concerts in local events conducted elsewhere in the city. Kum Meenakshi gave vocal concerts at the Navarathri Utsavams at TVS Sriperumbudur Balaganapathy Temple, Siddhi Buddhi Temple in RA Puram, and Saibaba Temple, Mylapore. Kum Veena Venkatramani played veena at RA Puram Siddhi Buddhi Vinayakar Temple. Kum Aishwarya gave a 2-hour vocal concert at the Navarathri Celebrations at Vallishwarar Temple in Mylapore.
The month of November began with Meenakshi's Pradosham Veena Concert at the famous Kapaleeshwarar Temple in Mylapore on November 3rd. On Deepavali Day, a Musical Tribute to Nadajyoti Muthuswamy Dikshitar was paid by group singing of his Aradhana Kritis, led by Smt Jaysri and Sri Jeyaraaj. Our thanks to Smt Latha Parameshwaran and Sri Raj Prameshwaran for the excellent arrangements at their place for the Deepavali Sangitanjali.
Sunday, September 5, 2010
WORKSHOP ON NAVAGRAHA KRITIS
Veenavaadhini recently conducted a workshop on Navagraha Kritis of Muthuswamy Dikshitar. It was a nine-day workshop wherein the following kritis were taught.
1. Surya Murte - Saurashtra - Chatusra Jati Dhruva
2. Chandram Bhaja - Asaveri - Chatusra Matya
3. Angarakam - Surati - Rupakam
4. Budham Ashrayami - Natakuranji - Misra Jampa
5. Brihaspathe - Atana - Tisra Triputa
6. Sri Sukra Bhagavantham - Paraju- Khanda Jati Ata
7. Divakara Thanujam - Yadukula Kambhoji - Chatusra Eka
8. Smaramyaham - Ramamanohari - Rupakam
9. Mahasuram - Chamaram - Rupakam
All the students received booklets containing the notation for all the kritis as well as word-by-word meanings (translation provided by Smt Rajani Arjun Shankar)
Local newspaper Mylapore Times carried a report. Click Here for the link.
Monday, August 16, 2010
Friday, July 23, 2010
TRIBUTE TO TRINITY
Veenavaadhini recently presented two veena chamber concerts as part of Tribute To Trinity series.
Concert #1: Kum HR Meenakshi - Veena (Student of Veenavaadhini), Sri Sajeev - Mridangam. Click here to listen to this concert.
Concert #2: Sri L Ramakrishnan - Veena, Sri Ramkumar - Mridangam
It was Meenakshi's maiden veena performance and she was blessed to have Kalpakam Mami witness it. Our pranams to Mami and it was wonderful to have her grace the event. Thanks to Ramakrishnan for bringing her, and for playing a wonderful concert. Sajeev and Ramkumar gave excellent support.
Meenakshi played with sensitivity and presented all the songs and the manodharma aspects neatly, with emphasis on bhava. Her songlist is as follows:
1. vanajAksha - Mandari Varnam
2. brovavamma - Neelambari - Syama Sastri
3. saileshwaram - Sumadyuti – Muthuswamy Dikshitar
4. thavadAsoham - Punnagavarali - Tyagarajaswamy
L. Ramakrishnan, disciple of Smt Kalpakam Swaminathan, presented a very classical concert.
Given below is a review of L Ramakrishnan's concert penned by rasika S. Sivaramakrishnan.
List of kriti-s
1) sarasUDa (varnam) – sAvEri – Adi – kothavAsal venkaTrAma iyer
2) shvEta gaNapatim – rAgacUDAmaNi – tisra tripuTa – muthusvAmi dIkSitar
3) sarasvati namOstutE – sarasvati – rUpakam – g.n. bAlasubramaNiam
4) bhavanuta – mOhanam – Adi – tyAgarAja
5) hiraNmayIm – lalitA – rUpakam – muthusvAmi dIkSitar
6) sarOja daLa nEtrI – shankarAbharaNam – Adi – shyAma sAstri
7) sarasamu – kApi – Adi – rAmanAthapuram srInivAsa iyengAr
8 ) patiki hArati rE – suraTi – Adi – tyAgarAja
It is but a fact that only those with a high degree of commitment to classical music would retain their passion for Veena. L Ramakrishnan (presently a disciple of Smt Kalpagam Swaminathan who graced the occasion) fitted the bill perfect when he gave a quality chamber concert at Veenavaadhini. Trinity's compositions was the main theme.
As a person who has been at the 'playing side' as well as the 'receiving side' in Veena recitals, I can very well appreciate the 'travails' of a Vainika. Perfect Sruti alignment of the instrument and ensuring an aesthetic acoustics are indeed obvious challenges the artist has to tackle before he begins the concert.
Another hidden challenge (known only to the player) is 'calibrating himself' to the 'melam status' of the Veena wherein subtle adjustments need to be made throughout the playing to overcome any micro-tone differences in the swarasthaana-s. Perhaps this is one important reason why many vainika-s try the electronic veena-s. Ramakrishnan used the traditional Veena and tackled the challenges quite well.
But by the time he settled down, the varnam was over (The varnam is a casualty even in vocal concerts and is invariably a mike-test item!).
Svetaganapatim in Ragachudamani was perhaps being heard for the first time by most in the audience including me. (But whether the scale is a choodamani of a raga seems to be debatable). LR rendered this samashticharana piece commendably well. Saraswati served the twin purpose of addressing the Veena goddess as well as remembering the composer whose centenary is being observed this year.
Bhavanuta came as refreshing piece in a contrasting scale. Lalita was thoughtfully placed before Sankarabharanam. Aalaapana with taana in Ghanaraaga panchakam was presented briefly. A few additional taana avartanams in the main raga could have been attempted by LR.
The outstanding thing about LR's rendering of saraojadalanetri was the Niraval segment. In Veena kutcheri-s listeners may not be often able to distinguish between Niraval and swaraprastaara. Ramakrishnan's grasp of the underlying features and fingering techniques stood out. Swaraprastaara with a neat korvai completed the kriti.
The concluding items in Kaapi and Surati were sober and communicative.
Ramakrishnan's Kaalapramaana was very good. A collar-mike could perhaps help the vainika to take the vocal rendering to the audience better.
Ramkumar, the young mridangist played enthusiastically.
Sunday, June 6, 2010
MUSICAL EVENING BY VEENAVAADHINI STUDENTS
Mr Raj Parameswaran and Dr Latha Parameswaran hosted a programme by Veenavaadhini Students recently. The main programmes of the evening were two Vocal recitals, one by 12-year-old Kumari Harini and the second by Kumari Kamakshi and Kumari Meenakshi. Harish Kalidas from Sri Guruguha Gana Vidyalaya of Kolkata accompanied the artists on the violin and Master Gomathishankar played the mridangam.
For Harini, a 7th grade student, it was the first stage performance. She began her recital confidently with Jalajaksha varnam in Hamsadhwani in two speeds, followed by Marugelara in Jayanthasri and Sriman Narayana in Bowli. She then sang a bright Amritavarshini raga alapana for the song Ananda Amritakarshini, followed by competent kalpana swarams. She wound up her recital with a soulful Vande Mataram.
Kamakshi and Meenakshi began their recital with Sri Ganesha Charanam in Tilang. They also sang Sri Guruguha in Devakriya and E Vasudha in sahana and drew admiration from the audience. The main item of the evening was Ekamranatham Bhajeham in Gamakakriya. The raga alapana sung by Meenakshi and the swarakalpanas suffixed to the song were bhava dominant. A Tillana of Dr Balamuralikrishna in raga Brindavani sung at the end won the hearts of the audience present. Harish's alapanas of Amritavarshini and Gamakakriya were very expressive and were wholeheartedly appreciated. Gomathishankar played mridangam displaying a lot of maturity for someone his age. Apart from these concerts there were also group singing programmes by students through the evening.
Veenavaadhini thanks Dr Lata and Sri Parameswaran for having taken the initiative to organize this programme and giving opportunity to these young students to display their talent. Excellent dinner was provided after the programme.
For Harini, a 7th grade student, it was the first stage performance. She began her recital confidently with Jalajaksha varnam in Hamsadhwani in two speeds, followed by Marugelara in Jayanthasri and Sriman Narayana in Bowli. She then sang a bright Amritavarshini raga alapana for the song Ananda Amritakarshini, followed by competent kalpana swarams. She wound up her recital with a soulful Vande Mataram.
Kamakshi and Meenakshi began their recital with Sri Ganesha Charanam in Tilang. They also sang Sri Guruguha in Devakriya and E Vasudha in sahana and drew admiration from the audience. The main item of the evening was Ekamranatham Bhajeham in Gamakakriya. The raga alapana sung by Meenakshi and the swarakalpanas suffixed to the song were bhava dominant. A Tillana of Dr Balamuralikrishna in raga Brindavani sung at the end won the hearts of the audience present. Harish's alapanas of Amritavarshini and Gamakakriya were very expressive and were wholeheartedly appreciated. Gomathishankar played mridangam displaying a lot of maturity for someone his age. Apart from these concerts there were also group singing programmes by students through the evening.
Veenavaadhini thanks Dr Lata and Sri Parameswaran for having taken the initiative to organize this programme and giving opportunity to these young students to display their talent. Excellent dinner was provided after the programme.
Saturday, May 15, 2010
MUSICIANS NEED FOOD TOO!
This wonderful article was forwarded by Uma Venkataramani. One must read this to learn about the significance of our "Sappadu"
Pl enjoy this good collection of explanations by Paramacharya of Kanchi...Many have samskrit base....------------ --------- --------- --------- ---------
To the awe and amazement of his devotees, Paramacharya often discussed about down-to-earth laukika matters with keen interest, deep understanding and knowledge. In this lecture, he explains the origin and meaning of the names of common Indian dishes and their connection to spirituality. In these explanations, I have mostly used the translated words of what Paramacharya actually spoke, extracted from the Tamil publication titled Sollin Selvar (The Expert of Words), Sri Kanchi Munivar by Sri Ra. Ganapathy.
A South Indian Meal
A typical South Indian meal is served in three main courses: sambar sAdam, rasam sAdam and more (buttermilk) sAdam. Sambar is also known as kuzhambu in Tamil, a term that literally translates to 'get confused'. Paramacharya explains how these three courses are related to the three gunas of spirituality: the confusion of sambar is tamo guna, the clarified and rarified flow of rasam is rajo guna and the all-white buttermilk is satva guna. Our meal reminds us of our spiritual path from confused inaction to a clear flow of action and finally to the realized bliss of unity.
sAdam
Cooked rice, the main dish of a South Indian meal is called sAdam. That which has sat is sAdam, in the same way we call those who are full of sat, sadhus. We can give another explanation for the term: that which is born out of prasannam is prasAdam. What we offer to Swami (God) as nivedanam is given back to us as parasAdam. Since we should not add the root 'pra' to the rice we cook for ourselves, we call it sAdam.
rasam
Rasam means juice, which is also the name of filtered ruchi. We say 'it was full of rasa' when a speech or song was tasteful. Vaishnavas, because of their Tamil abhimAnam, refer to rasam as saatthamudhu. It does not mean the amudhu (amrita) mixed with sAdam. It was actually saatramudhu (saaru or rasam + amudhu), which became saatthamudhu.
Vaishnavas also have a term thirukkann amudhu that refers to our pAyasam. What is that thirukkann? If rudrAksham means Rudra's eye, does 'thirukkann' mean Lakshmi's eye? Or does the term refer to some vastu (article) added to pAyasam? No such things. Thiru kannal amudhu has become thirukkann amudhu. Kannal means sugercane, the base crop of suger and jaggery used in pAyasam.
I was talking about rasam. If something is an extraction of juice, then would it not be clear, diluted and free of sediments? Such is the nature of our rasam, which is clear and dilute. The other one, served earlier to rasam in a meal, is the kuzhambu. Kuzhambu contains dissolved tamarind and cut vegetable pieces, so it looks unclear, its ingredients not easily seen.
buttermilk as our dessert
A western meal normally ends with a dessert. In a South Indian meal, desserts such as pAyasam are served after the rasam sAdam. Any sweets that were served at the beginning are also taken at this time. After that we take buttermilk rice as our final course. Paramacharya explains that since sweets are harmful to teeth, our sour and salty buttermilk actually strengthens our teeth, and this has been observed and praised by an American dietician. We gargle warm salt water when we get toothache. The buttermilk is the reason for our having strong teeth until the end of our life, unlike the westerners who resort to dentures quite early in their life.
vegetable curry
Although cut vegetable pieces are used in sambar, kootoo and pacchadi, in curry they are fried to such an extent that they become dark in color (the term curry also means blackness or darkness in Tamil). May be this is the origin of the name curry.
uppuma (kitchadi)
If the term uppuma is derived from the fact that we add uppu or salt, then we also add salt to iddly, dosa and pongal! Actually, it is not uppuma but ubbuma! The rava used for this dish expands in size to the full vessel where heated up with water and salt. The action of rava getting expanded is the reason for the term ubbuma.
iddly
The term iduthal (in Tamil) refers to keeping something set and untouched. We call the cremation ground idukaadu (in Tamil). There we keep the mrita sarira (mortal body) set on the burning pyre and then come away. The term iduthal also refers to refining gold with fire. The (Tamil) term idu marunthu has a similar connotation: a drug given once without any repetition of dosage. In the same way, we keep the iddly wet flour on the oven and do nothing to it until it is cooked by steam.
idiyaappam
(This is rice noodles cooked in steam). Brahmins call it seva while others call it idiyaappam. But unlike an appam which is a cake, this dish is in strands. The term appam is derived from the Sanskrit ApUpam meaning cake. The flour of that cake is called ApUpayam. This word is the origin of the Tamil word appam.
appalaam (papad)
The grammatical Tamil term is appalam. This dish is also made by kneading (urad dhal) flour, making globules out of it and then flattening them. So it is also a kind of appam. Because of its taste a 'la' is added as a particle of endearment!
laddu
ladanam (in Sanskrit) means to play, to throw. ladakam is the sports goods used to play with. Since the ball games are the most popular, ladakam came to mean a ball. The dish laddu is like a ball, and this term is a shortened form of laddukam, which derived from ladakam.
Laddu is also known as kunjaa laadu. This should actually be gunjaa laadu, because the Sanskrit term gunjA refers to the gunjA-berry, used as a measure of weight, specially for gold. Since a laddu is a packed ball of gunjA like berries cooked out of flour and sugar, it got this name.
The singer of mUka panca sati on Ambal Kamakshi describes her as Matangi and in that description praises her as 'gunjA bhUsha', that is, wearing chains and bangles made of gunjA-berries of gold.
pori vilangaa laddu
Made of jaggery, rice flour and dried ginger without any ghee added to it, this laddu is as hard as a wood apple, though very tasty, and hence got its name from that fruit and the original pori (puffed rice) flour used to make it.
Indian Dishes of Turkish Origin
Our halwa is a dish that came from the Turkish invasion. bahU kalam (long ago) before that we had a dish called paishtikam, made of flour, ghee and sugar. But then the Arabian term halwa has stuck in usage for such preparation.
sojji
sUji is another name from the Turkish. It has become sojji now. It is mostly referred to these days as kesari. In Sanskrit, kesaram means mane, so kesari is a lion with kesaram. It was a practice to add the title 'kesari' to people who are on the top in any field. Thus we have Veera Kesari, Hari Kesari as titles of kings in Tamilnadu. The German Keisar, Roman Caesar and the Russian Czar -- all these titles came from only from this term kesari.
What is the color the lion? A sort of brownish red, right? A shade that is not orange nor red. That is the kesar varnam. The powder of that stone is called kesari powder, which became the name of the dish to which it is added for color.
vada
A Tamil pundit told me that the name vada(i) could have originated from the Sanskrit mAshApUpam, which is an appam made of mAsham or the urad dhal. He also said that in ancient Tamilnadu, vada and appam were prepared like chapati, baking the flour cake using dry heat.
dadhya araadhana
Someone asked me about the meaning of this term. He was under the impression that dadhi was curd, so dadhiyaaradhana( i) was the curd rice offered to Perumal. Actually, the correct term is tadeeya AradhanA, meaning the samaaradhana( i) (grand dinner) hosted to the bhagavatas of Perumal. It got shortened in the habitual Vaishnava way.
Vaishnavas offer the nivedanam of pongal with other things to Perumal in their dhanur mAsa ushad kala puja (early morning puja of the Dhanur month). They call it tiruppakshi. The original term was actually tiruppalli ezhuchi, the term used to wake of Perumal. It became 'tiruppazhuchi' , then 'tiruppazhachi' and finally 'tiruppakshi' today, using the Sanskrit kshakara akshram, in the habitual Vaishnava way. It is only vegetarian offering, nothing to do with pakshi (bird)!
The term dhanur mAsam automatically brings up thoughts of Andaal and her paavai (friends). In the 27th song (of Tiruppaavai) , she describes her wake up puja and nivedanam with milk and sweet pongal to Bhagavan, which culminates in her having a joint dinner with her friends. Vaishnavas celebrate that day as the festival koodaara valli, following the same sampradhAyam (tradition). The name of this festival is from the phrase koodaarai vellum seer Govinda, (Govinda who conquers those who don't reach Him) which begins the 27th song. It was this 'koodaarai vellum' that took on the vichitra vEsham (strange form) of 'koodaara valli'.
pAyasam
payas (in Sanskrit) means milk. So pAyasam literally means 'a delicacy made of milk'. This term does not refer to the rice and jaggery used to make pAyasam. They go with the term without saying. Actually pAyasam is to be made by boiling rice in milk (not water) and adding jaggery. These days we have dhal pAyasam, ravA pAyasam, sEmia pAyasam and so on, using other things in the place of rice.
Vaishanavas have a beautiful Tamil term akkaara adisil for pAyasam. The 'akkaar' in this term is a corruption of the Sanskrit sharkara. The English term 'sugar' is from the Arabian 'sukkar', which in turn is from this Sanskrit term. The same term also took the forms 'saccharine' and 'jaggery'. And the name of the dish jangiri is from the term jaggery.
kanji (porridge)
Before we become satiated with madhuram (sweetness), let us turn our attention to a food that is sour. As an alternative to sweetness, our Acharyal (Adi Sankara) has spoken about sourness in his Soundarya Lahiri.
Poets describe a bird called cakora pakshi that feeds on moon-beams. Sankara says in Soundarya Lahiri that the cakora pakshi were originally feeding on the kArunya lAvaNyAmruta (the nectar of compassion and beauty) flowing from Ambal's mukha chanran (moon like face). They got satiated with that nectar and were looking for somthing sour, and spotted the full moon, which being only a reflection, issued only sour beams!
Acharyal has used the term kAnjika diya, which gives an evidence of his origin in the Malayala Desam. He said that since the cakora pakshis were convinced that the nectar from the moon was only sour kanji, they chose to feed on it as an alternative.
The term kAnjika means relating to kanji, but the word kanji is not found in Sanskrit. It is a word current only in the Dakshinam (south). There too, kanji is special in Malayala Desam where even the rich lords used to drink kanji in the morning. This was the variety came to be known as the 'Mayalayam Kanji'.
Kanji is good for deham as well as chittam. And less expensive. You just add a handful of cooked rice rava (broken rice), add buttermilk, salt and dry ginger, which would be enough for four people.
The buttermilk added must be a bit more sour. The salt too must be a bit more in quantity. With the slight burning taste of dry ginger, the combination would be tasty and healthy.
tAmbUlam
It is customary to have tAmbUlam at the end of a South Indian dinner. In the North, tAambUlam is popularly known as paan, which is usually a wrap of betel nut and other allied items in a calcium-laced pair of betel leaves. In the South, tAmbUlam is usually an elaborate and leisurely after-dinner activity. People sit around a plate of tAmbUlam items, drop a few cut or sliced betel nut pieces in their month, take the betel leaves one by one leisurely, draw a daub of pasty calcium on their back and then stuff them in their month, chatting happily all the while.
The betel leaf is known by the name vetrilai in Tamil, literally an empty leaf. Paramacharya once asked the people sitting around him the reason for calling it an empty leaf. When none could give the answer, he said that the usually edible plants don't just stop with leaf; they proceed to blossom, and bear fruits or vegetables. Even in the case of spinach or lettuce, we have to cook them before we can take them. Only in the case of the betel leaf, we take it raw, and this plant just stops with its leaves, hence the name vetrilai or empty leaf.
Pl enjoy this good collection of explanations by Paramacharya of Kanchi...Many have samskrit base....------------ --------- --------- --------- ---------
To the awe and amazement of his devotees, Paramacharya often discussed about down-to-earth laukika matters with keen interest, deep understanding and knowledge. In this lecture, he explains the origin and meaning of the names of common Indian dishes and their connection to spirituality. In these explanations, I have mostly used the translated words of what Paramacharya actually spoke, extracted from the Tamil publication titled Sollin Selvar (The Expert of Words), Sri Kanchi Munivar by Sri Ra. Ganapathy.
A South Indian Meal
A typical South Indian meal is served in three main courses: sambar sAdam, rasam sAdam and more (buttermilk) sAdam. Sambar is also known as kuzhambu in Tamil, a term that literally translates to 'get confused'. Paramacharya explains how these three courses are related to the three gunas of spirituality: the confusion of sambar is tamo guna, the clarified and rarified flow of rasam is rajo guna and the all-white buttermilk is satva guna. Our meal reminds us of our spiritual path from confused inaction to a clear flow of action and finally to the realized bliss of unity.
sAdam
Cooked rice, the main dish of a South Indian meal is called sAdam. That which has sat is sAdam, in the same way we call those who are full of sat, sadhus. We can give another explanation for the term: that which is born out of prasannam is prasAdam. What we offer to Swami (God) as nivedanam is given back to us as parasAdam. Since we should not add the root 'pra' to the rice we cook for ourselves, we call it sAdam.
rasam
Rasam means juice, which is also the name of filtered ruchi. We say 'it was full of rasa' when a speech or song was tasteful. Vaishnavas, because of their Tamil abhimAnam, refer to rasam as saatthamudhu. It does not mean the amudhu (amrita) mixed with sAdam. It was actually saatramudhu (saaru or rasam + amudhu), which became saatthamudhu.
Vaishnavas also have a term thirukkann amudhu that refers to our pAyasam. What is that thirukkann? If rudrAksham means Rudra's eye, does 'thirukkann' mean Lakshmi's eye? Or does the term refer to some vastu (article) added to pAyasam? No such things. Thiru kannal amudhu has become thirukkann amudhu. Kannal means sugercane, the base crop of suger and jaggery used in pAyasam.
I was talking about rasam. If something is an extraction of juice, then would it not be clear, diluted and free of sediments? Such is the nature of our rasam, which is clear and dilute. The other one, served earlier to rasam in a meal, is the kuzhambu. Kuzhambu contains dissolved tamarind and cut vegetable pieces, so it looks unclear, its ingredients not easily seen.
buttermilk as our dessert
A western meal normally ends with a dessert. In a South Indian meal, desserts such as pAyasam are served after the rasam sAdam. Any sweets that were served at the beginning are also taken at this time. After that we take buttermilk rice as our final course. Paramacharya explains that since sweets are harmful to teeth, our sour and salty buttermilk actually strengthens our teeth, and this has been observed and praised by an American dietician. We gargle warm salt water when we get toothache. The buttermilk is the reason for our having strong teeth until the end of our life, unlike the westerners who resort to dentures quite early in their life.
vegetable curry
Although cut vegetable pieces are used in sambar, kootoo and pacchadi, in curry they are fried to such an extent that they become dark in color (the term curry also means blackness or darkness in Tamil). May be this is the origin of the name curry.
uppuma (kitchadi)
If the term uppuma is derived from the fact that we add uppu or salt, then we also add salt to iddly, dosa and pongal! Actually, it is not uppuma but ubbuma! The rava used for this dish expands in size to the full vessel where heated up with water and salt. The action of rava getting expanded is the reason for the term ubbuma.
iddly
The term iduthal (in Tamil) refers to keeping something set and untouched. We call the cremation ground idukaadu (in Tamil). There we keep the mrita sarira (mortal body) set on the burning pyre and then come away. The term iduthal also refers to refining gold with fire. The (Tamil) term idu marunthu has a similar connotation: a drug given once without any repetition of dosage. In the same way, we keep the iddly wet flour on the oven and do nothing to it until it is cooked by steam.
idiyaappam
(This is rice noodles cooked in steam). Brahmins call it seva while others call it idiyaappam. But unlike an appam which is a cake, this dish is in strands. The term appam is derived from the Sanskrit ApUpam meaning cake. The flour of that cake is called ApUpayam. This word is the origin of the Tamil word appam.
appalaam (papad)
The grammatical Tamil term is appalam. This dish is also made by kneading (urad dhal) flour, making globules out of it and then flattening them. So it is also a kind of appam. Because of its taste a 'la' is added as a particle of endearment!
laddu
ladanam (in Sanskrit) means to play, to throw. ladakam is the sports goods used to play with. Since the ball games are the most popular, ladakam came to mean a ball. The dish laddu is like a ball, and this term is a shortened form of laddukam, which derived from ladakam.
Laddu is also known as kunjaa laadu. This should actually be gunjaa laadu, because the Sanskrit term gunjA refers to the gunjA-berry, used as a measure of weight, specially for gold. Since a laddu is a packed ball of gunjA like berries cooked out of flour and sugar, it got this name.
The singer of mUka panca sati on Ambal Kamakshi describes her as Matangi and in that description praises her as 'gunjA bhUsha', that is, wearing chains and bangles made of gunjA-berries of gold.
pori vilangaa laddu
Made of jaggery, rice flour and dried ginger without any ghee added to it, this laddu is as hard as a wood apple, though very tasty, and hence got its name from that fruit and the original pori (puffed rice) flour used to make it.
Indian Dishes of Turkish Origin
Our halwa is a dish that came from the Turkish invasion. bahU kalam (long ago) before that we had a dish called paishtikam, made of flour, ghee and sugar. But then the Arabian term halwa has stuck in usage for such preparation.
sojji
sUji is another name from the Turkish. It has become sojji now. It is mostly referred to these days as kesari. In Sanskrit, kesaram means mane, so kesari is a lion with kesaram. It was a practice to add the title 'kesari' to people who are on the top in any field. Thus we have Veera Kesari, Hari Kesari as titles of kings in Tamilnadu. The German Keisar, Roman Caesar and the Russian Czar -- all these titles came from only from this term kesari.
What is the color the lion? A sort of brownish red, right? A shade that is not orange nor red. That is the kesar varnam. The powder of that stone is called kesari powder, which became the name of the dish to which it is added for color.
vada
A Tamil pundit told me that the name vada(i) could have originated from the Sanskrit mAshApUpam, which is an appam made of mAsham or the urad dhal. He also said that in ancient Tamilnadu, vada and appam were prepared like chapati, baking the flour cake using dry heat.
dadhya araadhana
Someone asked me about the meaning of this term. He was under the impression that dadhi was curd, so dadhiyaaradhana( i) was the curd rice offered to Perumal. Actually, the correct term is tadeeya AradhanA, meaning the samaaradhana( i) (grand dinner) hosted to the bhagavatas of Perumal. It got shortened in the habitual Vaishnava way.
Vaishnavas offer the nivedanam of pongal with other things to Perumal in their dhanur mAsa ushad kala puja (early morning puja of the Dhanur month). They call it tiruppakshi. The original term was actually tiruppalli ezhuchi, the term used to wake of Perumal. It became 'tiruppazhuchi' , then 'tiruppazhachi' and finally 'tiruppakshi' today, using the Sanskrit kshakara akshram, in the habitual Vaishnava way. It is only vegetarian offering, nothing to do with pakshi (bird)!
The term dhanur mAsam automatically brings up thoughts of Andaal and her paavai (friends). In the 27th song (of Tiruppaavai) , she describes her wake up puja and nivedanam with milk and sweet pongal to Bhagavan, which culminates in her having a joint dinner with her friends. Vaishnavas celebrate that day as the festival koodaara valli, following the same sampradhAyam (tradition). The name of this festival is from the phrase koodaarai vellum seer Govinda, (Govinda who conquers those who don't reach Him) which begins the 27th song. It was this 'koodaarai vellum' that took on the vichitra vEsham (strange form) of 'koodaara valli'.
pAyasam
payas (in Sanskrit) means milk. So pAyasam literally means 'a delicacy made of milk'. This term does not refer to the rice and jaggery used to make pAyasam. They go with the term without saying. Actually pAyasam is to be made by boiling rice in milk (not water) and adding jaggery. These days we have dhal pAyasam, ravA pAyasam, sEmia pAyasam and so on, using other things in the place of rice.
Vaishanavas have a beautiful Tamil term akkaara adisil for pAyasam. The 'akkaar' in this term is a corruption of the Sanskrit sharkara. The English term 'sugar' is from the Arabian 'sukkar', which in turn is from this Sanskrit term. The same term also took the forms 'saccharine' and 'jaggery'. And the name of the dish jangiri is from the term jaggery.
kanji (porridge)
Before we become satiated with madhuram (sweetness), let us turn our attention to a food that is sour. As an alternative to sweetness, our Acharyal (Adi Sankara) has spoken about sourness in his Soundarya Lahiri.
Poets describe a bird called cakora pakshi that feeds on moon-beams. Sankara says in Soundarya Lahiri that the cakora pakshi were originally feeding on the kArunya lAvaNyAmruta (the nectar of compassion and beauty) flowing from Ambal's mukha chanran (moon like face). They got satiated with that nectar and were looking for somthing sour, and spotted the full moon, which being only a reflection, issued only sour beams!
Acharyal has used the term kAnjika diya, which gives an evidence of his origin in the Malayala Desam. He said that since the cakora pakshis were convinced that the nectar from the moon was only sour kanji, they chose to feed on it as an alternative.
The term kAnjika means relating to kanji, but the word kanji is not found in Sanskrit. It is a word current only in the Dakshinam (south). There too, kanji is special in Malayala Desam where even the rich lords used to drink kanji in the morning. This was the variety came to be known as the 'Mayalayam Kanji'.
Kanji is good for deham as well as chittam. And less expensive. You just add a handful of cooked rice rava (broken rice), add buttermilk, salt and dry ginger, which would be enough for four people.
The buttermilk added must be a bit more sour. The salt too must be a bit more in quantity. With the slight burning taste of dry ginger, the combination would be tasty and healthy.
tAmbUlam
It is customary to have tAmbUlam at the end of a South Indian dinner. In the North, tAambUlam is popularly known as paan, which is usually a wrap of betel nut and other allied items in a calcium-laced pair of betel leaves. In the South, tAmbUlam is usually an elaborate and leisurely after-dinner activity. People sit around a plate of tAmbUlam items, drop a few cut or sliced betel nut pieces in their month, take the betel leaves one by one leisurely, draw a daub of pasty calcium on their back and then stuff them in their month, chatting happily all the while.
The betel leaf is known by the name vetrilai in Tamil, literally an empty leaf. Paramacharya once asked the people sitting around him the reason for calling it an empty leaf. When none could give the answer, he said that the usually edible plants don't just stop with leaf; they proceed to blossom, and bear fruits or vegetables. Even in the case of spinach or lettuce, we have to cook them before we can take them. Only in the case of the betel leaf, we take it raw, and this plant just stops with its leaves, hence the name vetrilai or empty leaf.
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Healing by Music Therapy - Ragas
Who does not like the melody of music? Whose emotions do not vibrate and flow with the sonorous tunes and rhythm of music? Indeed, we all experience the enchanting effects of good music in some form or the other. The classical compositions (ragas) of music create deep impact on our mind and emotions. The melody of vocal and instrumental music soothes our mind and heart. Not only that, the sonic vibrations of its specific compositions also heal psychological disorders. Moreover, depending upon its nature, music can awaken or intensify specific kinds of emotional streams and mental tendencies and thus influence the habits and nature of the engrossed singers/players and audiences.
The immense potential of the power of Shabda (cosmic flow of sound) hidden in music was well recognised by the ancient Indian sages and they had devised several musical patterns emanating from the "Omkara" for chanting of the Vedic hymns and for distinct spiritual effects. The Shastric schools of music discovered musical octave (sa, re, ga, ma, pa, dha, ni, sa) indwelling in the subtle sounds of Nature and invented the basic classical ragas for activating specific streams of natural powers and effects; a wide variety of musical compositions were generated consequently. Ever since then music has been an integral part of human culture with varied applications and forms. Despite its degeneration into the noisy and destructive kinds of so-called ’modern music’, the creative and soothing role of music has not lost its prominence. The last few decades have seen revival of classical Indian and western music in a big way through increasing interest of researchers in music therapy.
Rhetorically commenting on the ecstatic impact of soothing music, Carlyle had once said "God walks behind good music". So, how could there be any disease or suffering where God is? There will only be an unflinching flow of bliss all over. His feelings seem to be true if we look at the marvellous effects of sonorous, calming musical compositions on the soft cores of emotions and subtle layers of the mind and also on physiological processes, as observed by some music therapists in the modern laboratories. In this respect, the effects of music can be likened to that of yoga. According to the Vedic Philosophy, yoga and music both are part of Nada Vidya. Yoga deals with realisation of anahata nada the sublime sound (extrasensory vibrations) of the eternal force of cosmic consciousness. Music pertains to the perception and expression of the infinite spectrum of the rhythmic flow of the ahata nada (perceivable sonic currents) pervading in Nature. Both have direct impact on the shat chakras hidden along the endocrine column and hence affect our physical as well as subtle bodies.
The seven basic swaras (musical notes) of the musical octave have a one-to-one correspondence with these chakras (nuclei of subtle energy). The lower most (in the kava equina region along the erect endocrine column), viz., the Muladhara Chakra is associated with the swara "sa"; that means, the practice of chanting this particular musical note will have impact on awakening or activation of this particular chakra. Similarly, the chakras successively upwards in this direction namely, the Swadhisthana, Manipura, Anahata, Vishuddha, Agya and the top-most Sahastrara Chakra… have correspondence respectively with the swaras "re", "ga" "ma", "pa", "dha" and "ni". Significantly, the order of the compositions of these swaras in the "aroha" (ascending) and "avaroha" (descending) patterns of the Shastric musical tunes also match with the top-down (from Sahastrara to Muladhara) and bottom-up (from Muladhara to Sahastrara) directions of the flow of energy.
Some of the sounds naturally produced inside the human body are easily perceivable if one sits quietly at a calm place. Usually these are felt in the heart (beat), throat and head (cerebral region). In the state of deep meditation, while concentrating on the internal sounds of the body, one can distinctly feel these and several otherwise non-audible sounds; their rhythmic compositions are also said to be in tune with the musical octave. The subtler sounds of the heart are said to be musical expressions of the emotions. Also, it is said that humans feel, recognise, create and express music only because of the emotional sensitivity of the human heart. Moreover, music also happens to be the best means for expressing the inner feelings. This is why good music is often described as the voice of the heart.
The original ragas of the Indian classical music (Shastric Music) are created according to the deep knowledge of harmonious consonance between the seven swaras and chakras. This is why shastric musical compositions are found to have significant positive effect on the mind-body system and also have the potential to awaken the otherwise dormant faculties. There are several historical examples of the immense remedial power of the shastric ragas. For instance, in 1933, when the Italian dictator Mussolini was terribly suffering from insomnia, no medicine or therapeutic mode could help him get sleep. Pt. Omkarnath Thakur, a great shastric musician was visiting Europe around that time. When he heard of Mussolini’s affliction, he agreed to perform remedial musical programme to allay the latter’s sufferings. His performance of the raga puriya indeed worked magically and Mussolini went into deep sleep within half-an-hour. This and similar incidents attracted the attention of many contemporary musicians, scientists and physicians and triggered research in music therapy.
A group of London based physicians has scientifically experimented on different aspects of music therapy. In their views, the shastric ragas could induce healing of all kinds of ailments. They argue that the immediate benefits these ragas offer is mental peace by alleviating tensions and providing an enchanting and creative diversion to the mind. Interpretation of the Vedic scriptures on Nada Vidya implies that Shastric Music helps synergetic augmentation of the panch pranas (the five major streams of vital energy in a human being). In concordance, research in energy medicine (pranic healing) and classical music shows that specific shastric ragas enhance the level of vital energy. It is the deficiencies and disorders in the vital energy distribution in the mind body system, which is the root cause of its ailing state. The smooth and increased flow of vital energy rejuvenates the mind and empowers the immune system as well as the auto-regulatory healing mechanism of the body. This is how classical music generates new hope, joy and enthusiasm in the otherwise dull or depressed mind and removes the disorders and relieves one of the untoward pressures and excitements of inferiority, despair, fear, anger, etc. Because of its fast remedial effects, which lead to eventual cure of the psychosomatic disorders, music therapy based on classical ragas is being used or advised these days for the treatment of insomnia, migraine, hypertension, chronic headache, anxiety, etc. and empowers the immune system as well as the auto-regulatory healing mechanism of the body. This is how classical music generates new hope, joy and enthusiasm in the otherwise dull or depressed mind and removes the disorders and relieves one of the untoward pressures and excitements of inferiority, despair, fear, anger, etc. Because of its fast remedial effects, which lead to eventual cure of the psychosomatic disorders, music therapy based on classical ragas is being used or advised these days for the treatment of insomnia, migraine, hypertension, chronic headache, anxiety, etc.
Because of its impact on the chakras (and hence on the pranas), shastric music not only vibrates and soothes the mental strings, but also energises and balances the organs of the body. According to Dr. W. H. J. Wales, the Indian classical music can cure the problems of the digestive system, liver including the diseases like jaundice. Dr. Jane remarks that this music rhythmically vibrates the tissue-membranes of the ear and, relaxes the nerves and muscles beneath the temple and in the brain; as a result of which the sensory and motor systems are energised and activated.
The empirical studies on therapeutic evaluation of the classical ragas have shown interesting results. Singing or engrossed listening of Raga Bhairavi has been found to uproot the diseases of kapha dosha e.g. asthma, chronic cold, cough, tuberculosis, some of the sinus and chest related problems etc. Raga Asavari is effective in eliminating the impurities of blood and related diseases. Raga Malhar pacifies anger, excessive mental excitements and mental instability. Raga Saurat and raga Jaijaivanti have also been found effective in curing mental disorders and calming the mind. Raga Hindola helps sharpening the memory and focussing mental concentration. It has been proved effective in curing liver ailments.
Apart from the classical ragas played on musical instruments, the rhythmic sounds of temple bells and shankha (conch shell or bugle) produced during devotional practices have also been found to have therapeutic applications. A research study in Berlin University showed that the vibrations of the bugle sound could destroy bacteria and germs in the surroundings. More specifically, it was found that if the shankha is played by infusing (through the mouth) twenty-seven cubic feet of air per second, within a few minutes it will kill the bacteria in the surrounding area of twenty-two hundred square feet and inactivate those in about four-hundred square feet area further beyond.
Dr. D. Brine of Chicago had treated hundreds of cases of hearing impairments/ deficiencies by making the patients play or listen to the sounds of shankha played rhythmically at appropriate (as per the case) pitch and intensity. Several research experiments on music therapy in general and on the sounds of temple-bells and bugles are going on in the Moscow Sanatorium and some research centres in Germany, Holland and Australia. The results are very positive and encouraging towards developing suitable courses on music therapy that could be an integral part of medical practices. The need and importance is especially felt and emphasized for healing of psychosomatic disorders. According to Dr. Hacken, although western classical music is also being used in some studies, its applications are limited to certain kinds of diseases/disorders and are also of much lesser significance in terms of the intensity and impact of positive effects as compared to the Indian classical music.
Rock, pop, jaz, rap and disco types of western music have become quite popular in the modern times especially among the teenagers and youth. But these and other varieties of fast and high-beat music are found to have detrimental effects on health in general. Dr. Balaji, who has been a part of music therapy research teams in Sweden and Germany, has shown that although, listening to such a music for five-ten minutes removes lethargy and instantly generates new alacrity, listening to it for longer periods and frequently has damaging effects on the ear drums and the spinal column. The smooth and balanced flow of several important physiological fluids also gets disturbed and leads to different kinds of physical ailments. Further, as this kind of music induces sexual and other kinds of negative and unnatural excitements, its harms on mental health are far more serious; apart from its debauching effects on spiritual well being.
As mentioned earlier, the scope and utility of music therapy should be viewed, considering its intimate and delicate connection with the inner emotions. These and the core of consciousness force in the inner mind are most sensitive to the musical currents and corresponding vibrations in the sublime expansion of cosmic sound. The next is the nervous system and brain functions. The corresponding effects on the organs and the physiological system of the body as a whole are obvious consequences. From its very origin, the Indian classical music is most suitable and beneficial in this respect and also for spiritual elevation because of the soothing and harmonising impact of the shastric ragas on the sat chakras and the pranas. The findings of research laboratories on immense potential of the shastric ragas in music therapy scientifically support these theories. The results and well-tested applications should be propagated by the researchers for the benefit of large number of patients suffering from varieties of psychosomatic disorders these days.
Deeper research on the spiritual aspects of the Indian classical music and compositions of the shastric ragas might also give some clues about the lost links of the knowledge of the Vedic Science of mantras. This might also open new avenues of reviving the applications of mantra-therapy, as elaborated in the Scriptures.
THIS WAS AN ARTICLE FROM http://www.akhandjyoti.org/ . Hope you enjoyed it!
The immense potential of the power of Shabda (cosmic flow of sound) hidden in music was well recognised by the ancient Indian sages and they had devised several musical patterns emanating from the "Omkara" for chanting of the Vedic hymns and for distinct spiritual effects. The Shastric schools of music discovered musical octave (sa, re, ga, ma, pa, dha, ni, sa) indwelling in the subtle sounds of Nature and invented the basic classical ragas for activating specific streams of natural powers and effects; a wide variety of musical compositions were generated consequently. Ever since then music has been an integral part of human culture with varied applications and forms. Despite its degeneration into the noisy and destructive kinds of so-called ’modern music’, the creative and soothing role of music has not lost its prominence. The last few decades have seen revival of classical Indian and western music in a big way through increasing interest of researchers in music therapy.
Rhetorically commenting on the ecstatic impact of soothing music, Carlyle had once said "God walks behind good music". So, how could there be any disease or suffering where God is? There will only be an unflinching flow of bliss all over. His feelings seem to be true if we look at the marvellous effects of sonorous, calming musical compositions on the soft cores of emotions and subtle layers of the mind and also on physiological processes, as observed by some music therapists in the modern laboratories. In this respect, the effects of music can be likened to that of yoga. According to the Vedic Philosophy, yoga and music both are part of Nada Vidya. Yoga deals with realisation of anahata nada the sublime sound (extrasensory vibrations) of the eternal force of cosmic consciousness. Music pertains to the perception and expression of the infinite spectrum of the rhythmic flow of the ahata nada (perceivable sonic currents) pervading in Nature. Both have direct impact on the shat chakras hidden along the endocrine column and hence affect our physical as well as subtle bodies.
The seven basic swaras (musical notes) of the musical octave have a one-to-one correspondence with these chakras (nuclei of subtle energy). The lower most (in the kava equina region along the erect endocrine column), viz., the Muladhara Chakra is associated with the swara "sa"; that means, the practice of chanting this particular musical note will have impact on awakening or activation of this particular chakra. Similarly, the chakras successively upwards in this direction namely, the Swadhisthana, Manipura, Anahata, Vishuddha, Agya and the top-most Sahastrara Chakra… have correspondence respectively with the swaras "re", "ga" "ma", "pa", "dha" and "ni". Significantly, the order of the compositions of these swaras in the "aroha" (ascending) and "avaroha" (descending) patterns of the Shastric musical tunes also match with the top-down (from Sahastrara to Muladhara) and bottom-up (from Muladhara to Sahastrara) directions of the flow of energy.
Some of the sounds naturally produced inside the human body are easily perceivable if one sits quietly at a calm place. Usually these are felt in the heart (beat), throat and head (cerebral region). In the state of deep meditation, while concentrating on the internal sounds of the body, one can distinctly feel these and several otherwise non-audible sounds; their rhythmic compositions are also said to be in tune with the musical octave. The subtler sounds of the heart are said to be musical expressions of the emotions. Also, it is said that humans feel, recognise, create and express music only because of the emotional sensitivity of the human heart. Moreover, music also happens to be the best means for expressing the inner feelings. This is why good music is often described as the voice of the heart.
The original ragas of the Indian classical music (Shastric Music) are created according to the deep knowledge of harmonious consonance between the seven swaras and chakras. This is why shastric musical compositions are found to have significant positive effect on the mind-body system and also have the potential to awaken the otherwise dormant faculties. There are several historical examples of the immense remedial power of the shastric ragas. For instance, in 1933, when the Italian dictator Mussolini was terribly suffering from insomnia, no medicine or therapeutic mode could help him get sleep. Pt. Omkarnath Thakur, a great shastric musician was visiting Europe around that time. When he heard of Mussolini’s affliction, he agreed to perform remedial musical programme to allay the latter’s sufferings. His performance of the raga puriya indeed worked magically and Mussolini went into deep sleep within half-an-hour. This and similar incidents attracted the attention of many contemporary musicians, scientists and physicians and triggered research in music therapy.
A group of London based physicians has scientifically experimented on different aspects of music therapy. In their views, the shastric ragas could induce healing of all kinds of ailments. They argue that the immediate benefits these ragas offer is mental peace by alleviating tensions and providing an enchanting and creative diversion to the mind. Interpretation of the Vedic scriptures on Nada Vidya implies that Shastric Music helps synergetic augmentation of the panch pranas (the five major streams of vital energy in a human being). In concordance, research in energy medicine (pranic healing) and classical music shows that specific shastric ragas enhance the level of vital energy. It is the deficiencies and disorders in the vital energy distribution in the mind body system, which is the root cause of its ailing state. The smooth and increased flow of vital energy rejuvenates the mind and empowers the immune system as well as the auto-regulatory healing mechanism of the body. This is how classical music generates new hope, joy and enthusiasm in the otherwise dull or depressed mind and removes the disorders and relieves one of the untoward pressures and excitements of inferiority, despair, fear, anger, etc. Because of its fast remedial effects, which lead to eventual cure of the psychosomatic disorders, music therapy based on classical ragas is being used or advised these days for the treatment of insomnia, migraine, hypertension, chronic headache, anxiety, etc. and empowers the immune system as well as the auto-regulatory healing mechanism of the body. This is how classical music generates new hope, joy and enthusiasm in the otherwise dull or depressed mind and removes the disorders and relieves one of the untoward pressures and excitements of inferiority, despair, fear, anger, etc. Because of its fast remedial effects, which lead to eventual cure of the psychosomatic disorders, music therapy based on classical ragas is being used or advised these days for the treatment of insomnia, migraine, hypertension, chronic headache, anxiety, etc.
Because of its impact on the chakras (and hence on the pranas), shastric music not only vibrates and soothes the mental strings, but also energises and balances the organs of the body. According to Dr. W. H. J. Wales, the Indian classical music can cure the problems of the digestive system, liver including the diseases like jaundice. Dr. Jane remarks that this music rhythmically vibrates the tissue-membranes of the ear and, relaxes the nerves and muscles beneath the temple and in the brain; as a result of which the sensory and motor systems are energised and activated.
The empirical studies on therapeutic evaluation of the classical ragas have shown interesting results. Singing or engrossed listening of Raga Bhairavi has been found to uproot the diseases of kapha dosha e.g. asthma, chronic cold, cough, tuberculosis, some of the sinus and chest related problems etc. Raga Asavari is effective in eliminating the impurities of blood and related diseases. Raga Malhar pacifies anger, excessive mental excitements and mental instability. Raga Saurat and raga Jaijaivanti have also been found effective in curing mental disorders and calming the mind. Raga Hindola helps sharpening the memory and focussing mental concentration. It has been proved effective in curing liver ailments.
Apart from the classical ragas played on musical instruments, the rhythmic sounds of temple bells and shankha (conch shell or bugle) produced during devotional practices have also been found to have therapeutic applications. A research study in Berlin University showed that the vibrations of the bugle sound could destroy bacteria and germs in the surroundings. More specifically, it was found that if the shankha is played by infusing (through the mouth) twenty-seven cubic feet of air per second, within a few minutes it will kill the bacteria in the surrounding area of twenty-two hundred square feet and inactivate those in about four-hundred square feet area further beyond.
Dr. D. Brine of Chicago had treated hundreds of cases of hearing impairments/ deficiencies by making the patients play or listen to the sounds of shankha played rhythmically at appropriate (as per the case) pitch and intensity. Several research experiments on music therapy in general and on the sounds of temple-bells and bugles are going on in the Moscow Sanatorium and some research centres in Germany, Holland and Australia. The results are very positive and encouraging towards developing suitable courses on music therapy that could be an integral part of medical practices. The need and importance is especially felt and emphasized for healing of psychosomatic disorders. According to Dr. Hacken, although western classical music is also being used in some studies, its applications are limited to certain kinds of diseases/disorders and are also of much lesser significance in terms of the intensity and impact of positive effects as compared to the Indian classical music.
Rock, pop, jaz, rap and disco types of western music have become quite popular in the modern times especially among the teenagers and youth. But these and other varieties of fast and high-beat music are found to have detrimental effects on health in general. Dr. Balaji, who has been a part of music therapy research teams in Sweden and Germany, has shown that although, listening to such a music for five-ten minutes removes lethargy and instantly generates new alacrity, listening to it for longer periods and frequently has damaging effects on the ear drums and the spinal column. The smooth and balanced flow of several important physiological fluids also gets disturbed and leads to different kinds of physical ailments. Further, as this kind of music induces sexual and other kinds of negative and unnatural excitements, its harms on mental health are far more serious; apart from its debauching effects on spiritual well being.
As mentioned earlier, the scope and utility of music therapy should be viewed, considering its intimate and delicate connection with the inner emotions. These and the core of consciousness force in the inner mind are most sensitive to the musical currents and corresponding vibrations in the sublime expansion of cosmic sound. The next is the nervous system and brain functions. The corresponding effects on the organs and the physiological system of the body as a whole are obvious consequences. From its very origin, the Indian classical music is most suitable and beneficial in this respect and also for spiritual elevation because of the soothing and harmonising impact of the shastric ragas on the sat chakras and the pranas. The findings of research laboratories on immense potential of the shastric ragas in music therapy scientifically support these theories. The results and well-tested applications should be propagated by the researchers for the benefit of large number of patients suffering from varieties of psychosomatic disorders these days.
Deeper research on the spiritual aspects of the Indian classical music and compositions of the shastric ragas might also give some clues about the lost links of the knowledge of the Vedic Science of mantras. This might also open new avenues of reviving the applications of mantra-therapy, as elaborated in the Scriptures.
THIS WAS AN ARTICLE FROM http://www.akhandjyoti.org/ . Hope you enjoyed it!
Saturday, January 23, 2010
VEENAVAADHINI STUDENTS IN LOCAL EVENTS
Young students of Veenavaadhini participated in local events in India and abroad recently.
Radha Madhuri played veena at Thyagaraja Music Festival organized by Hampton Road's Association of Virginia, USA.
Master K. Vignesh participated in Thyagaraja Utsavam organized by Udayam, Kolkata. He was accompanied on the mridangam by Sri R Srinivasan. All of these were mini-programs of about 10 minutes each.
One must wholeheartedly applaud the efforts of organizations like these which conduct such programs year after year, providing opportunities to so many children pursuing our classical arts. In fact, for all established musicians giving full fledged concerts, these programs would have been their valuable first few steps in the career climb. It is also most appropriate to have one's first stage performance to be a tribute to the Trinity of Carnatic Music (Thyagarajaswamy, Muthuswamy Dikshitar and Syama Sastri), since it is only their compositions that form the basis of any carnatic recital. 
HR Kamakshi and HR Meenakshi presented a vocal recital under the auspices of Kalaranjani on January 1, 2010. They were accompanied on the violin by Kumbakkonam Selvaprasad and on the mridangam by Gomathishankar. Samskruthi.info reviewed their concert. Click Here To View.
Jayash and Manash participated in Thyagaraja Utsavam organised in Tampa, Florida. You can watch a video recording of their recital in the space above.
Monday, January 4, 2010
Yatra To Kanchipuram
Sunday, November 22 dawned very early for the eighteen of us. Students of Smt Jaysri and Sri Jeyaraaj, and their families, along with the Vainika couple, all assembled at their Mandaveli home by 5.30 and we set off with a prayer and a smile.
The journey was quite exciting –seeing the break of dawn, enjoying the cool breeze as well as going on the empty roads which we have always seen busy . We stopped in Tambaram to pick up some more members of our group. Soon we were experiencing the soothing sights of greenery after we left the city limits. We noticed many birds like parakeets, mynahs, bee-eaters, warblers, drongos and many, many kingfishers. The children especially enjoyed seeing these.
We reached the imposing temple of Goddess Kamakshi at 7.30am. After a brief stop at the office , we were led to the platform right in front of the sanctum sanctorum. Here we settled down, while some of us stood to be able to have a good darshan. We then sang "Kamakshi Kamakoti pitha vasini", "Kanjadalayatakshi" and "Kamakshim Kalyanim" there. After these, the Gurukkal requested us to sing more, and “Devi Brova Samayamide”, which we had to decline politely due to lack of time etc. We were then taken to the shrine, where the Gurukkal explained the significance of Arupa-lakshmi and Vishnu shrines flanking Goddess Kamakshi’s shrine. We offered Kamakshi’s kunkuma prasadam on Lakshmi as instructed by him. We then had the great fortune of seeing Deeparadhanai at close quarters and receiving Kunkuma prasadam and flowers. During this time we sang “Samaganapriye Kamakotinilaye”, a short but lovely Nottuswaram, and Smt Jaysri sang “Shringara Rasamanjari”. Being in the presence of the Goddess was an overwhelming experience even to us, so we could only imagine what state a Srividya Upasaka like Dikshitar would have been in. We then wound back to the entrance. Latha and later Arjun took videos of us near the entrance.
Since it was close to 9am, and we had many children with us, our next stop had to be breakfast. We went to Neo Rama Café, which proved true to its reputation. We were provided delicious idlis, pongal and coffee, along with attentive, quick service. Soon we were on our way to Kailasanatha temple, with renewed vigour.
In the beautiful Kailasanatha temple, unique in both its colour as well as architechtural style, we were introduced to many important aspects of the temple by the elderly, articulate priest. He explained the significance of the Praakara which is narrow, and only allows one person to go in at a time, and requires bending, crawling etc to come through. It represents the cycle of death and birth. Most of us went around it and we all received the prasadam and settled down to sing before the lord. We sang Kailasanatham Bhajeham in Vegavahini. Here too the Gurukkal asked us to sing many more songs, like “Siva Siva Siva ena raada” and we had to explain that we were on a time-bound schedule.
From Kailasanatha to Ekamreshwara : the maginificent and huge, ancient temple of Shiva, sung by the Thevaram trio and many other saints, welcomed us with its expansive corridor with its gigantic granite pillars. We went to the mandapam just opposite the sanctum sanctorum. Seeing the Lord in his form of the unusually shaped Lingam, as well in the Somaskanda form just behind that, we sang “Ekamranathaya” in Viravasanta, followed by “Ekamranatham” in Gamakakriya. We felt fortunate while receiving the Prasadams of Ekamranatha as well as Nila-tunda Perumal who is enshrined in the Praakaram.
Our final destination was the abode of Lord Varadaraja in Vishnu-Kanchi. This temple, famous for the shrines of Goddess Perundevi Thayar and Lord Varadaraja Perumal, is also known for the Thanga Palli (Golden Lizard), which people touch for good luck. Here we settled at the base of the flight of steps that lead to Perumal’s Sannidhi, and sang "Varadarajam Upasmahe"(Saranga) and "Varadaraja pahi vibho"(nottuswaram). Then we went up to see Lord Varadaraja, who was resplendent in all his finery. The receiving of Tirtham, Tulasi etc were made all the more heart-warming by the gracious welcome given by the Bhattar, saying that the lord was happy to see musicians, just as we were happy to see him. He also enquired more about the Vainika couple’s musical lineage etc.
The mission of the day accomplished, we had a nice lunch at Sangeetha’s and left. We were back in Chennai by 4.30 pm.
Report by Rajani Arjun Shankar
PERSONALITY
Srividya Anantharaman, Srividya Akka, or just Akka to the many, many students that she has, is the face of Carnatic Music in Kolkata. In charge of Sri Guruguha Gana Vidyalaya, the music school founded by her grandfather Brahmasri Ananthakrishna Iyer in the year 1943, she took over the reins from her father and aunt, Late A Anantharama Iyer (Sir) and Late A champakavalli (Teacher) respectively, and has been carrying forward their noble mission of upholding the tradition of Carnatic Music and particularly disseminating Dikshitar kritis to students in this part of the country.
We caught up with Srividya for a brief chat on her recent Chennai visit.
Q. It must have been quite a responsibility to take over a school which had a reputation to live up to. You have had to take a lot of care to continue the work of Sir and Teacher in much the same manner as they did. How did you cope up with this ominous task?
A. My full fledged career as a teacher started more with destiny bringing me into the profession as opposed to myself taking the initiative to plunge into it. I went into computer training as a profession for a good part of my life, but I had been teaching on and off, lending my father and aunt a helping hand, probably it was in my system. However, now I am fully engaged only in teaching carnatic music.
Q. Do take us through some of the activities of Guruguha Sangeeth Sammelan, the students wing of the Vidyalaya.
A. An important feature of our year-round programs is that they are mostly theme based; built on songs on a particular God, say Krishna, Muruga, Shiva, etc, covering all composers. For our annual Dikshitar Aradhana program also we maintain a theme. This actually started way back around the late 80s, taking up Navagraha as a theme, for example.
Q. The modern-day carnatic music Guru is very different from what people like Sir and Teacher were. What do you think has changed and what according to you has remained the same? As a corollary, how different are the students of these times from what we were?
A. Method of teaching needs to be altered a little bit keeping in mind the psyche of the students. Drawing appropriate comparisons with current events etc, goes a long way in making the student identify with what he/she is learning. They need to know the reasons for everything and if you do explain logically they are ready to take. Guru-sishya bhava has not changed but they have to be approached more as a friend. The loyalty and dedication is always there, the intent not to let the guru down; they read facial expressions, and if my smile is a pasted one and not genuine, they can guess they have not been upto the mark.
Q. Fascination and leaning towards carnatic music is not as much an automatic response for either the student or the rasika, in comparison to, say, popular music or even other forms of classical music. Do you think it is in the interest of carnatic music that we leave it as it is, to be enjoyed by a niche audience, or modify it to lend it more instantaneous appeal?
A. Modify, definitely. But within the limits of tradition.
Q. How would you define the roles and responsibilities of the student (in the context of carnatic music)?
A. Sishya's role is not only about performance, it should been seen in totality, cultural values, vinayam, devotion, hard work, consistency, all matter. It is also the responsibility of the teacher to tell the student if she or he is not ready yet. Quality should not be compromised. Parental role is important. They must take them to various programs and concerts and try to always keep the interest alive. Music should be compulsorily taught to all children. Initially it may feel like a lot of pressure but they then eventually listen to music as a relaxation even during board exams - it has that quality - at any age or stage one can listen and enjoy. Don't we sort out problems better if we listen to music.....
We wish Srividya Anantharaman health, wealth and happiness and may she continue the magnificient work she is doing for the cause of Carnatic Music for a long, long time.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
