The Song Celestial

[Guest guest]

Srimate SrivanSatakopa Sri Vednta Desika Yatindra Mahadesikaya Nama:

 

 

 

The Song Celestial

 

 

 

Everybody loves a song. The baby in the cradle stops crying the

moment it hears mother's lullaby. Lovers always have a song on their lips (if

modern cinema is to be believed). Almost everybody likes a catchy tune, and

either sings out aloud or hums it under his or her breath. Many of us are

bathroom singers, irrespective of whether our voices are tuneful or not.

Devotees burst into song at the least provocation, moved by the Lord's beauty

and greatness. It is not only human beings who are musical- birds sing and so do

bees. Music thus pervades our lives, and even in death, the lifeless body

listens to a dirge. In this piece, adiyen would like to indicate how music

pervades our Sampradaya too.

 

 

 

Srimad Ramayana, the great itihAsA, has music running through

the epic, right from the beginning. The pArAyaNa slokas (a prelude to Srimad

Ramayana recital), begin with the following couplet-

 

"Koojantam Rama Rama iti madhuram madhura aksharam

 

Aruhya kavitA shAkhAm vande ValmIki kOkilam"

 

In this captivating couplet, Srimad Ramayana is likened to the incredibly sweet

song of a cuckoo (Sri Valmiki), which, perched atop the tree of poetry, cries

out "Rama, Rama" in tones full of moving melody. The next sloka too speaks of

"RAma kathA nAdam", or the honeyed, musical words of the story of Sri Rama, as

told by Sri Valmiki.

 

The same pArAyaNa slokAs say that wherever the hallowed story of Sri

Rama is sung, Sri Maruti is present, with hands folded in supplication and eyes

overflowing with tears of joy-

 

"Yatra yatra RaghunAta keerthanam, tatra tatra krita mastakAnjalim

 

BAshpavAri paripoorNa lOchanam, Marutim namata rAkshasAntakam".

 

 

 

Sri Bharata, meeting Sri Rama after the 14-year exile, requests

the latter to assume the reins of Ayodhya, and, as its king, to awaken everyday

to the music of the VeeNA, the flute, melodious voices and percussion

instruments-

 

"toorya sanghAta nirghOshai: kAnchI noopura nissvanai:

 

madhurai: geeta sabdaischa pratibudhyasva Raghava!"

 

Sri Rama's coronation was a joyous occasion not only for the

residents of Ayodhya, but for the celestials too, who burst into song and dance,

unable to contain their delight. Says Sri Valmiki,

 

"prajagu: dEva gandharvA; nanrutu; cha apsarOgaNA:

 

abhishEkE tat arhasya tatA Ramasya dheemata:".

 

We are told that the Ramayana was sung (not recited) by Sri Lava and Sri Kucha,

sons of Sri Rama, in their father's presence, and the melodies so moved the

King, that he left his throne and came closer and closer to the songsters.

Recited or sung, Srimad Ramayana is always sweet -"pAtyE gEyE cha madhuram".

 

Even the villain of the piece, RavaNA, is said to have been an expert

exponent of the VeeNA. There are thus any number of references to music and

musical instruments in the Adi Kavya of Sri Valmiki.

 

The TaittirIya Yajur BrAhmanam too contains references to the

VeeNA, and to Brahmins singing and playing the VeenA-

 

"BrAhmaNou VeeNA vAdinou gAyEtAm".

 

It is no idle speculation to say that the Vedas, with the three

swarAs (udAttam, anudAttam and svaritam) formed the basis for the present day

music with the seven svarAs. The Sama Veda is almost entirely musical, and is

most pleasing to hear-this Veda is sung and not recited, as is indicated by the

usage, "SAma gAnam". The Taittiriya Upanishad attests to the fact that the Nitya

Suris in Sri Vaikuntam please the Lord through melodious singing of SAma

mantras-

 

"Etat SAma gAyan AstE".

 

 

 

The Bhagavat GeetA too, as the very name indicates, is a song- the Song

Celestial. Sri Krishna's association with music is indeed close. The master

exponent of the flute so moves even animals, that they forget their grazing and

listen in rapt attention, motionless as a painting, without realizing the

half-chewed grass slipping out of their mouths, says Sri PeriAzhwar-

 

"MaruNda MAn kaNangal mEygai marandu

 

Meynda pullum kadai vAi vazhi sOra-

 

Ezhuthu chitthirangal pOla nindranvE".

 

Sri Nammazhwar's Tiruvaimozhi too is an extremely musical composition (being the

essence of Sama Veda), as the Azhwar himself attests at more than one place-

 

"PaNNAr pAdal in kavigaL yAnAi tannai tAn pAdi"

 

The Lord Himself sings melodious songs of His own praises using me as an

instrument, says Sri Nammazhwar. Naturally, these songs are sweeter than the

music generated by a flute or other instrument-says Sri Nammazhwar," Kuzhalin

malia sonna pAdal".

 

Even though the present day manner of recitation of Divya Prabandas is indeed

good, the fact remains that these compositions were meant to be sung, and not

merely recited, however resonantly. We should remember Sri Nathamuni with

gratitude not merely for his recovering the lost treasure of the Divya

Prabandas, but also for setting them to music. Swami Desikan acknowledges this

by paying him this tribute-

 

"TALam vazhangi Tamizh marai innisai tanda vaLLal". Further, in Sri Prabanda

Saram, Swami Desikan repeatedly refers to the divya prabandas by the term

"pAttu", signifying that these were set to music and sung, during his times.

 

 

 

Sri Tondaradippodi Azhwar says that not only human beings, but also the birds

and bees, especially the latter, sing the Lord's praise in the groves of

Srirangam- "VaNdinam muralum sOlai, mayilinam Alum sOlai, koNdal meedu aNavum

sOlai, Kuyilinam koovum sOlai" (TirumAlai).

 

 

 

Two of Emperuman's devotees have made it their profession to sing on the Lord's

greatness- Sri TiruppAnAzhwar, who belonged to the group of devotees known as

"PANar", or wandering minstrels. Perhaps to indicate that this sort of

kainkaryam is the most pleasing to the Lord, Swami Desikan, while referring to

this Azhwar, says "nam PANa nAthan", reflecting the closeness which he feels to

the Divine Singer.

 

This Azhwar confirms Sri Tondaradippodi Azhwar's observation about the song and

dance number by the bees and birds of Srirangam- "MamayilAda vaNdu pAda"

(AmalanAdipirAn).

 

 

 

Sri AndAl tells us that singing the Lord's name and simultaneously fixing our

thoughts on Him has the effect of destroying our past sins and saving us from

sinning further-"VAyinAl pAdi manatthinAl chintikka, pOya pizhayum pugu taruvAn

nindranavum, teeyinil doosAgum"

 

 

 

Another staunch devotee of the Lord, who emancipated not only himself but also a

higher caste Brahmin, was NampAduvAn, born in the lowly community of eaters of

dog-flesh. His pious life and worthy deeds are remembered even today, on the

Kaisika EkAdasi/DvAdasi days. The power of his single song was such that it

could relieve a BrhmaRAkshas (a Brahmin-turned Rakshasa due to procedural lapses

in the performance of YagAs) of his travails.

 

The VeeNA, perhaps the most complete musical instrument, figures in the Daya

Satakam too, in a beautiful sloka, which follows:

 

 

 

"VedAnta Desika padE vinivEsya bAlam

 

dEvO DayA shatakam Etat avAdayan mAm

 

vaihArikENa vidhinA samayE griheetam

 

VeeNA visEsham iva VenkatasailanAtha:"

 

 

 

Says Swami Desikan-

 

I am but a child, in age, knowledge and devotion. The Lord, as part of His

leelA, placed me on the high pedestal of VedAntAchArya, (Master of Vedanta). Not

content with that, he created a beautiful stotram too, using me as an

instrument. He has put me in the place of a high-quality VeeNA, which produces

melodies which gladden the heart and uplift the soul. Even though I am, by

myself, (like the Veena), incapable of composing a stotram, the Lord,( like an

expert musician who can produce soul-stirring music from the most ineffective of

instruments), has composed this excellent poetical work of Daya Satakam, using

me as but an instrument.

 

 

 

There are melodies galore spread throughout the Scriptures and the Sampradaya.

The ones mentioned above are but the opening notes of a Grand Symphony, and

connoisseurs would surely find ways to listen to the whole captivating concert.

 

 

 

Srimate Sri LakshmiNrsimha divya paduka sevaka SrivanSatakopa Sri Narayana

Yatindra Mahadesikaya Nama:

 

 

 

---------dasan, sadagopan.

 

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

bhakti-list, "sadagopaniyengar" <sadagopaniyengar@e...>

wrote:

> Even the villain of the piece, RavaNA, is said to have

been an expert exponent of the VeeNA. There are thus any number of

references to music and musical instruments in the Adi Kavya of Sri

Valmiki.

>

 

Not to forget that Hanuman heard singing ranging all 3 sthaayi's

tara, madhyama and mandara. I think it is in the 3rd sarga or so of

the Sundarakandam. The precise phrase used is:

 

suzrAva madhuram gItam tristhAna svara bhUSitam

 

Lakshmi Srinivas

[Guest guest]

"suzrAva madhuram gItam tristhAna svara bhUSitam"

 

This is in fourth canto of Sundara Kanda, slokam 10.

 

Lakshmanan

 

bhakti-list, "lsrinivas" <lsrinivas> wrote:

> bhakti-list, "sadagopaniyengar" <sadagopaniyengar@e...>

> wrote:

> > Even the villain of the piece, RavaNA, is said to have

> been an expert exponent of the VeeNA. There are thus any number of

> references to music and musical instruments in the Adi Kavya of Sri

> Valmiki.

> >

>

> Not to forget that Hanuman heard singing ranging all 3 sthaayi's

> tara, madhyama and mandara. I think it is in the 3rd sarga or so of

> the Sundarakandam. The precise phrase used is:

>

> suzrAva madhuram gItam tristhAna svara bhUSitam

>

> Lakshmi Srinivas

[Guest guest]

The complete paragraph as follows is taken from

SUNDARA KANDAM

 

CHAPTER 4 – HANUMAN’S SEARCH IN LANKA

 

VERSE 8-13 (Translated by Swami Tapasyananda)

 

8. Hanuman, the emissary of Rama and the well-wisher

of Sugreeva the monkey king, delightfully traveled

everywhere in the city charming with decorations

consisting of variegated garlands.

 

9. Of diverse designs were the houses into which the

son of the Wind-god entered one after another.

 

10. He heard the intoxicated ladies of the city

singing ravishingly like the women of the Apsaras, in

three kinds of pitch known as Taram, Madhyam and

Mandram proceeding from the head, neck and chest

respectively.

 

11. From the house of the noblemen he heard, besides

loud laughters the tinkling sound of waistbands and

anklets, the sounds produced when people ascended the

staircases.

 

12. He heard also the sound of Mantras uttered by

Rakshasas doing Japa in their homes.

 

13. Hanuman saw some Rakshasas who were engaged in

Vedic studies and many others singing the panegyrics

of Ravana.

 

Bala

Penang, Malaysia

 

 

 

=====

 

M. Balakrishnan

 

http://www.geocities.com/WallStreet/District/9622/resbala.html

 

 

 

 

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