Arayar Sevai: Veda PramANam of Dance and Music : Part 2

[Guest guest]

Dear BhakthAs :

 

In the previous post , I referred to the Vedic culture

encouraging Music and Dance as part of the SaadhanAs to

enhance emotional discipline , grow the fire of inner

awakening and speed us towards the goal of total involvement

in Bhagavadh -Bhagavatha Sevai and prepare us to perform

Prapatthi through a qualified AchAryA to attain Moksha Siddhi .

 

Music as a part of "Vedic Speech "

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An UttarArchika Saaman says ,

 

Vaacham ashtapadhImaham navastharithaamruthAvrugham I

IndrAth paritanvam mamE II

-- Saama vedam : UttarArchika Saaman -Chapter 2 :IX.3

 

(Meaning ) : I receive from the Lord , the blessed knowledge

of the vast ,EIGHT - FOOTED VEDIC SPEECH WITH ITS NINE PARTS,

which is the urger of the Supreme Truth .

 

The Eight-footed speech consists of the Four VedAs ,

Four UpavEdAs , one of which is GHAANDHARAV VEDAM or

Music . If Vedam is considered as an offspring of

Vak ( SabdhA or divine , eternal sound , PraNavam ),

one can understand Music offered in service of the Lord

as linked to " Nithya Sabdham ". Saama vedam deals with

UpAsanA and naadhOpAsanai is an integral part of the worship

and contemplation of the Lord . The two song manuals of

PUrvArchika of Saama vedam ( GrAma Geya GhAnam and

AaraNya GhAnam ) and the complimentary pair of

the song manuals of UttarArchika Saamans ( UhaghAnam

and UhyaghAnam ) are part of this musical tradition

of timeless antiquity . Sage NaaradhA known for His

NaarAyaNa PaarAyaNam has blessed us with Naaradhi

SikshA to understand the details of the Saama GhAnam ;

the other text in this context is "Raaga VibhOdham ".

 

It has been pointed out that the Music during the Vedic

ages was in an advanced stage as an offering for the

upaasanA of the anantha kalyANa guNams of the Supreme

Being ; in this context , Sage Pingala , an early authority

on the subject has connected "the color " of the seven

chandas (metres like Gayathri , Ushnik , Anushtup ,

Brihathi , Pankthi , Trishtup and Jagathi )with the

seven notes (SvarAs ) of Music ( Shadja , Rishabha ,

GhAndhAra , Madhyama , Panchama , Dhaivatha and

NishAdha ). The colors of the notes relating to

the chandhas are given as " Sitha , Saaranga ,

Pisanga , KrishNa , Neela , Lohithadhi VarNA : ".

 

Bhagavan Hayagrivan's manthram includes reference to

His speech as PraNava Udgeetha Vachas (nithya

Sabdham )and it is this eternal Vachas that

blessed Swami Desikan to create the Sri Sookthis

that is helping us to open our inner eyes .The importance

of Saama VedA as ghAnam has been recognized by

GithAchAryan ( VedAnAm Saama VedhOsmi ).This vedic

speech transforming to GhAnam is the PramANam for

the divine music of NammAzhwAr's sahasra Saakhi

( thousand Branched ) Thiruvaimozhi or the equivalent

of Saama GhAnam in Vernacular .

 

The Vedic Origin of Dance

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At the Temple of Srirangam , SriviliputthUr ,

AzhwAr Thirunagari , we enjoy the Arayar sEvai with

abhinayam in the context of the VyAkhyAnam .This dance

form fitting to music and taaLam arose from the VedAs

according to the SasthrA knowing people.

 

The Chathur Mukha BrahmA is recognized as using

Rg Veda Rks to glean the text of Naatya Saasthram ;

he created thereafter , the wealth of gestures (abhinayams )

from the Yajur Veda manthrAs and the codified

gestures (mudrAs ) of Adhvaryu priests performing

Yaagams ; he created music from Saama Vedam

and from Atharva Vedam , the nine channels

of emotional expressions known as Nava rasAs

( SringhAram , Veeram , KaaruNyam , Adhbhutham ,

Haasyam , BhAyAnakam , Bheebhathsam , Raudhram

and Saantham ).Our AzhwAr's paasurams are filled

with these nava rasams as reflect on the leelAs

of the Lord reclining at Srirangam .

 

Th integrated essence of these constituent parts

from the Four VedAs( pathyam , abhinayam , Geetham and

nava Rasaas ) transformed itself into the divine

and symbolic art of Naatyam with its three principal

limbs of Nrittam , Nrithyam and abhinayam . When

practised by men , it became ThANdavam and Laasyam ,

the tender form , when practised by women . Lord KrishNA's

KaaLinga Narthanam , KudamAdu Kootthu , Navaneetha

Naatyam , Raasa KreetA ( KuRavai dance or dance

in a circular form ) are examples of this divine

dance .

 

Lord BrahmA imparted to Sage BharatA the secrets of

the three fold art of Nartanam (Abhinayam ,

Nrittam and Nrithyam ).Out of these grew the various

dance forms including Bharatha Naatyam .

 

The Abhinayam , which is an integral part of

Bharatha Naatyam is abundantly present in

Arayar's " performative commentaries " of

Divya prabhandhams .Abhinaya has six angAs

depicting the gestures connected with the hands ,

head , feet , chest , shoulders ,the sides and

the hip . These six angAs of abhinayam are

reinforced by Twelve UpaangAs entirely associated

with the organs of the face .These are subtler

gestures connected with the eyes , eyebrows ,

pupils , tongue, teeth , mouth , cheeks , chin ,

nose and breath .The sublime art of Bharatha

Naatyam glorifies all these angAs and UpAngAs

and earned a special tribute from Sage BharathA

in his treatise on Natanam , which dates prior

to Sanga Kaalam . The four kinds of lands

( Mullai/pastoral , Kurinchi/mountainous ,

Marutham/arable and neythal/coastal region )

had their own distinct dances .

 

Another Classification of Dances

*********************************

 

The different kinds of dances practised at

different lands for different purposes

fall into two major categories :

 

(1) Santhik Kootthu

(2) VinOdhak Kootthu

 

Santhik Kootthu is the more classical of the two ,

whereas VinOdhak Kootthu is more folkoric in scope .

 

Santhik Kootthu is further subdivided into

Sokkam or Suddha Nruttham and Meyk Kootthu .

Suddha Nrittham is pure dance that uses the 108

karaNams , which have been sculpted in the Gopuram

walls of Chidambharam NatarAjA temple , KumbhakOnam

SaarangapANi temple , VriddhAchalam and ThiruvaNNAmalai .

 

Santhik Kootthu is also a formal part of Aagama

SaasthrAs as an integral part of temple rituals .

Nava santhi rituals in nithyOthsavams and

BrahmOthsavams of Sri ViashNavite temples of Tamil Naadu

are not so much in vogue anymore. On the DhvajArOhaNam

day , the performance of Nava sandhi Kavutthuvam is

an important part. Specail raagams and TaaLams are

reserved for the dances at the nava sandhis of

the consecrated temples . My sister , VidvAmsini

PadmA VeerarAghavan recreated this nava santhi

kavutthuvam a few years back for the temple

uthsavam in ThiruviNNagar for a BrahmOthsavam of

Bhumi Devi SamEtha Sri Oppiliappan

and it has been preserved in a video .

 

We indicated earlier that the classic Santhik Kootthu

is split into sokkam ( Suddha Nruttham )and Meyk kootthu .

Latter in turn is split into three sub-categories :

 

Samak kootthu , laasyam and ThANdavam representing the

three guNAs : Satthvam, Rajas and Tamas respectively .

Arayar sEvai is largely Samak kootthu in the sense it

focuses on the saathvic aspects of Divya prabhnadham .

When dealing with Kamsa , RaavaNa and HiraNya Vadhams ,

the other GuNAs will come into fore to illustrate

the different rasams .

 

VinOdhak Kootthu or folk dance in contrast to

santhik kootthu (classic dance ) has entertainment

and amusement in mind . These do not enter into

the repertoire of Arayar sevai .

 

These VinOdhak Koothus are subdivided into 7 Parts ,

three of which are connectable to Lord KrishNA's dances ,

who enjoys His own VinOdhams . These three are :

 

(1)KuRavai or Raasa Kreetai or the dance in

circular formation

 

(2) Kudak kootthu or the dance with a pot on

the head at sandhis

 

(3)nokku or a dance marked by agility and grace

as the one done on the top of KaaLiyan's head

( KaaLinga narthanam ).Nokku in snagitha SaasthrA

( particularly in the playing Of VeeNA ) is one of the ten

gamakams or embellishments .

 

we will elaborate on each of them as enjoyed by

Srimadh Bhaagavatham and AzhwAr's anubhavams .

 

(1)Raasak Kreetai : Srimadh BhAgavatham salutes this carnival of

RaasA dance in chapter 33 of dasama skhandham . His use of

Dhruva TaaLam ,Abhinayam and music from His vamsanALam (flute )

are beautifully described in this sargam . Two verses from

this sargam are :

 

TathrArabhadha GovindhO rAsakreetaamanuvrathai:I

sthrIrathnairavintha: PreethiranyOnyAbhaddha Bhaahubhi : II

 

(Meaning ) : Now , GovindhA , the embodiment of

the teachings of Upanishads , started the RaasA dance

with the band of beautiful gOpis , who were Joyous at heart

and linked hands with Him , who appeared next to each of them .

 

gOpyO labdhvA achyutha Kaantha Sriya EkAntha Vallabham I

gruhItha kantayasthadhrorbhyA gAyanthyastham vijahilarE II

 

(Meaning ) : Having secured Him , the Eternal One

as their husband ,Him , the object of MahA Lakshmi's

exclusive love , and being embraced by Him , the Gopis

sported with great joy and sang many songs on Him .

 

(2)Kudak kootthu or dancing , while balancing a row of

pots on one 's head : The reference here is to a

Paasuram form kaliyan on the EmperumAn of Thiru

ArimEya ViNNagaram ( Periya Thirumozhi : 3.10.8 ):

 

" kunRathanAl mazhai taduttha k KUDAMAADU KOOTTHAN ".

 

The EmperumAn's ThirunAmam at this Divya Deesam is

KudamAduk Kootthan . ThaayAr here " has " also a Gatam

as inferred from her name , Amruthagatavalli . The Lord

can be visualized in our anubhavam as borrowing that

amrutha gatam from His consort to perform this dance

skillfully to amuse Her and to bless us .

 

There are many other references in the divya Prabhandham

about His "pot dance ".

 

(3) The third VinOdhA dance associated with Lord KrishNA

is Nokku dance marked by agility and grace. This is described

in the 16th sargam of Srimadh Bhaagavatham . In a beautiful

slOkam of KrishNa karNAmrutham ( 2.91) , Sri LeelA Sukhar

evokes the memory of this dance :

 

madhamaya madhamaya dhuragam

yamunAmavatheerya veeryasAli ya:

mama rathi mama rathiskruthi

samana paras sa kriyAth thrushNa:

 

Those Nupram wearing feet and the sunAdham

from them as He danced with agility on the

multiple hoods of the fierce serpent KaaLiyan

are saluted here .The celestial beings assembled on

the banks of YamunA river to watch this wonderful dance

of the Lord .

 

Another great KrishNa BhakthA describes the

magical nokku dance filled with the sounds (sunAdhams )

of the jingle of the Lord's noopuram and the bangles moving

and creating the most divine sound from that dance

efforts :

 

adhiruhya tatha: paNirAjapaNAn

nunruthE BhavathA mrudhu paadharuchA

kala sinjitha noopura manju miLath

kara kankaNa sankula sankkvaNitham

 

The arayars recreate with devotion these and

many other leelAs of the Lord of Srirangam

during the ThiruadhyayanOthsavam through their

celebrated dance and music with thALam kept

by beating hand cymbals to keep time .It is

a Bhaagyam to reflect on the sacred aspects of

this ancient tradition .

 

I will conclude this series of posting on Sri Vaikunta

EkAdasi , ThiruadhyayanOthsavam and Arayar Sevai

with Swami Desikan's celebration of the veNugOpaalan

at ThiruvahIndrapuram divya dEsam in the sixteenth

slOkam of Sri GopAla Vimsathi :

 

Jayathi laLitha vrutthim sikshithO vallavInAm

sithiLa valaya sinchA seethaLair hastha tALai :I

Akhila Bhuvana rakshA gOpa vEshasya VishNO :

adhara maNI sudhAyAm amsavAn vamsanALa :II

 

This scene is from the raasa Kreetai known

as the integrated nectar of Music and Dance

in the service to the Lord . Our Lord of BrindhAvanam

plays on His flute and creates divine music

of seven colors , nava rasams and seven svarams .

The gOpis acompany this music with the sound of

their tALams arising from their hands adorned by

jingling bangles . That tALam accompaniment

is like the laLitham exercise (abhinayam )

prscribed/described in the nAtya Saasthram of Sage BharathA .

Swami Sri Desikan says that the hand thALam appears

to teach abhinayam to the Lord's flute ( vallavInAm

sithila Valaya sinchA seethaLai:hastha tALai:

SIKSHITHA: VAMSANAALA : JAYATHI )and

makes that divine flute victorious .

 

May the notes of this divine flute and the

naadham from the noopurams (ankle jewelery bells )

of our Lord of Srirangam fill our hearts and

cleanse our minds during every day of the coming year !

 

NaarAyaNa , NaarAyaNa , NaarAyaNa !

DasAnu Daasan , ThiruviNNagar VaradAchAri Sadagopan