Year end Observation: Final for 1995

[Guest guest]

Dear memebrs of the Prapatti Group: I have the feeling

that number of you are not only interested in the Sri Samprahadhayam ,

but also in the Nada Upasana tradition of Natha Muni, who set our

Azhwars pasurams to Ragam and Taalam.

 

I want to conclude this year with a final posting on this subject. I was always

 

intrigued by the extraordinary times through which the Vaishnava saints lived

and survived. From Swami Desikan's times, when the invasion by Muslims

led to the plundering of the temples and the raising of stone walls for the

Moolavar

at Srirangam and the flight of the Bhattars with Sri Ranganatha's Utsava moorthy

,

there have been turbulent events .

 

I wanted to focus on the period from AD 1408 to 1847.

The year 1408 is the year of birth of Padakavita Pitamaha and Sangitanaacharya

Talapakkam Annamacharya , whose lyrical contributions to Telegu literature has

been

assessed as immense through its inclusion of the "Adhyaatmika and Sringara

Tattvam"

in praise of the Lord of Tirupati Hills. The Year 1847 AD was the year, when Sri

Thyagaraja

Swamigal reached the lotus feet of Sri Ramachandra on a Bagula Panchami day.

 

In between these 350 years, much happened in the Indian subcontinent and

great Bhaktas like Purandars Dasa, Bhadrachala Ramadass, Ramaswami

Dikshitar, Sangeetha Trimurthys of Thiruvaroor,Swathi ThirunaaL practised

their divine music

amidst the swirling currents of politics and war. The Vijayanagara empire came

and went.

The military thrusts from the Delhi Sultanate, Mughul emperors, Bahmani kings

of

Deccan, the British and other colonial rulers received counterthrusts from the

Marattas(Shivaji),

Rajput chieftains, the Sikhs, and Mysore rulers ( Hyder Ali and Tippu Sultan and

the Wodeyars).

That history formed the backdrop of the evolution of Carnatic music and the

Bhakti movement all over India. The "sages and supermen " of Music and

Acharyas ignored all calamities around them and pursued their divine mission

in life. Surdas (1483-1563) sang about Krishna on the banks of Yamuna at Agra.

Meera Bhai of Rajasthan (B 1550) lost herself in ecstasy singing about her

Lord Giridhara. Tulsidas (AD 1532-1623) composed his master piece on Ramayana.

Eknath of Maharahtra (!548-1600 ) composed his moving Abangs . Haridas Swami of

Gwalior

taught Tansen music and propagated the Bhakti cult. Narasimha Mehta (1414-1481)

 

defined as to who is a true Vaishnava thru his song Vaishnava Janatho. Sankara

Deva , the

Pada Composer from Mithila and Chaitanya Prabhu made the directions rich with

their Bhakti-laden songs and life.

 

I put my thoughts together on this subject in a six page long article for the

Carnatic Music

Association 's quarterly journal entitled "The Geo-Politics of Karnatic Music ".

That article came out this week. Some of you are members of this

association, which has done great service to Carnatic Music in North America

by sponsoring visits by eminent Musicians every year from India.

You might be interested to become members of this association, if you are

not already a member. You can support a good cause and also be in touch with

Musical events. Vaishnava Sampradhayam has been blessed with Ragam and Taalam

from Natha muni's time until now. May that tradition of the use of music for

the

Sankeerthanam of the Divya Damphathis continue and flourish!

 

With all the best wishes for a Happy new Year 1996 !

Subhamastu! Sarva Mangalaani Santhu !! Lokaa: Samasthaa: Sukhino Bhavanthu!!!

V.Sadagopan