The Captivating Concert

[Guest guest]

Srimate

SrivanSatakopa Sri Vedanta Desika Yatindra Mahadesikaya nama:

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12.0pt">                            The

Captivating Concert

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0in;margin-left:.5in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:justify">       There is any number of musical

instruments. There are stringed instruments like the VeeNA, the Violin and the

YAzh. There are percussion instruments like the Mridangam, the Ghatam, the

KanjirA etc., which help in adhering to TALAm or layam, which is supposed to be

the Father of Music, while Shruti is the Mother (“Shruti mAtA, laya: pitA”).

And there are Wind instruments like the nAdasvaram and the Flute, which emit

sweet sounds through the controlled play of wind through seven strategically

placed holes in a cylindrical wooden device. Of these, one might say that the

Stringed Instruments are man-made, while music derived through the other two

forms is very much present in nature. The rhythmic lapping of waves against the

banks of a river represents Nature’s own unvarying TALam, keeping beat to some

cosmic music. Similarly, the Wind, whistiling through tunnels and

trees, plays  a unique tune, with a melody all its own.

 

Of all the instruments,

perhaps the simplest is the Flute, which consists merely of a cylindrical

bamboo tube, with holes drilled in at intervals. It doesn’t need any tuning or

adjustment, as other instruments do, before they are ready for a performance.

The Flute is an ever-ready device, ready to pour out melodies the moment the

player’s mouth is put to it. There has been a plethora of vidvAns who have won

acclaim, playing one instrument or the other. In particular, the Flute can

boast of any number of virtuosos, who have succeeded in holding appreciative

audiences spell bound for hours together. The apparently effortless ease with

which melodies can be made to flow out of this simple, cylindrical tube appeals

to the imagination of all music-lovers. Tiruvalluvar too, while listing

melodious devices, thinks of the Flute first and foremost—“Kuzhal inidu, YAzh

inidu enbar tam makkaL mazhalai chol kELAdavar”.

 

Obviously, the Flutists

have a rich and hoary tradition, like other exponents of music. It would be

interesting to discover who started the lineage of flutists, who have

contributed so much to the entertainment of audiences. Speaking only of

mortals, the earliest player of the VeeNA we can recount is the Rakshasa Ravana

(though we hear of celestials like Sarasvati and NArada keeping constant

company with the instrument) bestowing an undying stigma on the instrument.

 

The Flute, on the other

hand, has no such dishonour to live down—on the contrary, it is perhaps the only

instrument which can claim the unique distinction of having been played by the

Lord Himself. Have you heard of Emperuman using any other musical instrument?

Have you come across any mention in the Scripture about the Veena, the

nAdasvaram or the YAzh having been played by the Lord? Thus, the Flute appears

to be the only musical device to have had the eminent good fortune of having

Emperuman as one of its exponents. We might also say that Sri Krishna was the

first ever player of this instrument, since there appears to be no mention

about the flute, in earlier literature.  

 

It is thus clear that the

first ever musical maestro to adopt the Flute as His instrument of choice, was

none other than the Lord. We are therefore curious to know what His performance

was like. The Shruti tells us that the Lord is adept at whatever He does and is

the Master of all that exists. As if to prove this true, Emperuman’s portrayal

of a Musician, and a Flutist in particular, was magnificent beyond measure.

 

Before we embark on a

critique of the Lord’s concert, we should find out the nature of the instrument

He handled. We are told that the Lord’s flute was made of the finest of bamboo,

neither too old nor too tender, perfectly seasoned and ideal for the production

of the most marvellous of melodies. We have this on the authority of Swami

Desikan, who mentions this in GOpAla Vimsati—“adharAhita chAru vamsa nAlA:”.

This, in turn, is based on Sri Tondaradippodi Azhwar’s pasuram in

Tiruppalliezhucchi, confirming that the Lord’s flute was made of beautiful

bamboo—“vEynkuzhal Osaiyum vidai maNi kuralum eettiya isai disai parandana”.

This flute is described as “divya vENu” by Swami Desikan—the divine device of

bamboo, to denote its capacity to produce mesmerising melodies. And the Lord is

described as “divya vENu rasika:” to denote His fascination for the flute.

 

Before going into the

quality of the Lord’s music, we should first ascertain the reaction of His

audiences, which would give us a fair idea of His talents in the field. Music

in general, irrespective of the exponent, appeals to our aesthetic sense. Even

a VidvAn of mediocre talent is able to hold people’s ears, while ones with even

a little expertise are able to impress audiences. It is therefore no wonder

that those endowed with real talent enthral their listeners. However, even

their capabilities stop with human audiences and cannot exercise sway over

bestial ones. 

 

There appears to be no

word, adequately descriptive, which is capable of portraying in full the

enthralling effect the Lord’s music had on listeners. Sri Periazhwar considers

the melodiousness so alluring, that he devotes all of ten pasurams—“nAvalam

periya teevinil vAzhum nangaimeergAL”. Without any prelude, Azhwar comes

straight down to the task of describing the melody, and tells us that the same

is unprecedented, unheard of ever before or after—“idu Or arpudam kELeer”. It

is significant to note that all the ten pasurams have a single theme, viz.,

extolling the music emanating from the Lord’s flute.

 

Young girls, yet to enter

their teens, hearing the divine tunes, were so enchanted, that they rushed

towards the source of the music involuntarily, with each individual part of

their budding physiques aflame with passion and totally out of control with

delight, to surround the Flutist, forming a colourful garland. Due to the

sudden physical change, their dresses, worn tight around their waists,

automatically slipped and their hair, worn in a comely coiffure, tumbled down.

Becoming totally dishevelled, they ran homewards again to restore their

physical and mental composure, holding their trailing dresses in their hands,

but unable to prise their eyes away from the bewitching figure and their ears

from the melodies emanating from Him.

 

One might consider such a

reaction from unlettered and impressionable GOpIs, who are hardly connoiseurs

of good music, to be nothing extraordinary. Let us see then, how the delightful

damsels from DEvalOka, to whom music and dance are the daily occupation, were

affected in this regard.  The moment the

bewitching tunes fell on their ears, these boundlessly beautiful young women

from Paradise rushed to Nandagokulam, their minds mad with delight, their eyes

filled with tears of joy, their carefully done-up hair coming down in a cascade

with the flowers therein scattering all over GOkulam, and pearls of sweat

adorning their blooming faces. When the 

captivating strains of the flute reached IndralOka, RambA, oorvasi,

TilOtthama and MEnaka, who were the acclaimed virtuosos of music and dance,

hung  their heads in shame,  acknowledging their abject defeat before the

overpowering performance of the Lord.  

Tumburu and NArada, who had hitherto considered themselves unparalleled

in their performance with the VeeNA, threw away their instruments in disgust

and despair, the moment the enthralling melodies from Sri Krishna’s flute fell

on their ears. Professional singers of the celestial breed, known as KinnarAs,

vowed never to touch their respective musical devices, despairing of ever

gathering up the courage to perform before audiences who had heard the

bewitching strains emanating from the Divine Flutist even once. A similar fate

befell the GandharvAs, who had music and dance as their reason de etre—these

maestros were simply shamed into silence.

 

The Havis offered in the

YAgAs and YagyAs forms the staple food of the Celestials, conveyed to them by

the sacrificial fire. However, when the Lord’s lilting tunes reached the

DEvalOka, the dEvAs forgot all about the Havis and rushed to the earth (which

they normally despise), to surround the Boy Wonder, like bees attracted by

honey-filled flowers. The BhAgavata Purana tells us that even exalted dEvatAs

like Brahma, Shiva and Indra, hypnotised by the celestial strains, bowed their

heads and minds in supplication and appreciation—“savanasha: tat upadhArya

surEshA: Shakra Sharva ParamEshtti purOgA:”

 

Was it only the human and

celestial races which were rendered spellbound by the magnificent melodies of

the Lord? No, says Sri Periazhwar, citing the conduct of dumb birds, bees, cows

and deer. The moment they heard the mesmerising music, birds left their nests

and flocked to the source of the strains, where they fell to the ground at the

Lord’s feet, listening with rapturous attention. The bees nestling in the

vanamAla worn around His neck buzzed with bliss, providing an apt accompaniment

(Shruti) to the vENu gAnam. Whole herds of cows surrounded Sri Krishna, their

heads down in attention, ears unmoving and legs giving away due to the

overwhelmingly delightful experience. Whole herds of deer, listening raptly to

the Flutist, completely forgot their grazing. Such was the overpowering bliss

occasioned by this divine music that they even forgot to swallow the portions

of grass they had already imbibed and stood like statues, with half-chewed

grass and saliva dribbling down their chins from their gaping mouths—“maruNdu

mAn kaNangaL mEygai marandu, mEynda pullum kadai vAi vazhi sOra”. It was as if

these beasts were proving VaLluvar’s dictum, “sevikku uNavillAda pozhudu siridu

vayittrukkum eeyappadum”.  So motionless

were these deer as to resemble lifeless paintings, rather than living,

breathing creatures—“ezhudu chitthirangaL pOla nindranavE”. Srimad BhAgavata

Purana depicts the same captivating scene in what is almost a translation of

Azhwar’s sree sookti—

“VrindashO vraja vrishA

mriga gAvO vENu vAdya hrita chEtasa ArAt

  danta dashta kabalA dhrita karNA nidritA

likhita chitram iva Asan”

 

“

 

It was not only living

beings which were affected by the Lord’s concert—even lifeless trees were so

delighted to hear the strains thereof, that they started secreting honey, in an

endearing expression of their enjoyment. Moved by the melodies, Flowers in full

bloom fell to the ground on their own, imagining themselves to be adorning the

Lord’s lotus feet, while up-growing shoots of plants bowed their heads

automatically, as if lending their ears to the enchanting tunes emanating from

the Lord’s kuzhal. Swift-flowing rivers slackened their pace and became almost

motionless, with gentle waves dancing to the tunes of the Lord’s celestial

song. Providing a majestic TALam were the clouds, which, enthralled by Sri

Krishna’s melodies, gently sprinkled Him with light, fragrant showers of

appreciation, moving along with Him to provide a protective canopy. The

BhAgavata Purana wonders at the strange effect the Lord’s song had on living

beings and non-living things—while living beings became mesmerised and

motionless with bliss, acquiring the characteristics of non-living things, the

latter exhibited behavioural traits common only in sentient beings.

 

It was not only the

enthralling music flowing from the Lord’s lips that caused all this

commotion—His mesmerising posture, with His left chin bewitichingly

bent  to rest on His left shoulder, the bow-like

eyebrows dancing up and down, keeping beat to the music, His beautiful stomach

filled with air to be blown into the flute (appearing to be still pregnant with

all the worlds He had swallowed during the Cosmic Deluge), the corners of His

coral lips touching the appropriate places and channelling air into the correct

hole to generate various svarAs, the long and beautiful fingers holding the

flute in place, His broad , black and lotus-like eyes dancing mischievously

with a life of their own, mirroring emotions appropriate to the theme of music,

His long, jet-black and curly hair moving in time with the low and high notes,

resembling the dance of a peacock with its feathers in full display and His

holy feet crossed in an endearing posture, with one foot resting firmly on the

ground and the other raised slightly to display the glorious symbols (shankham,

chakram, gadA, padmam, chariot, flag etc.) adorning the sole.

 

It is this peroformance,

which was a treat as much to the eyes as to the ears, that made all sentient and

non-sentient beings and objects forsake whatever they were engaged in and

listen in rapturous attention to the Lord’s concert. It was as if the entire

universe had come to a stand still, as if in a hypnotic trance. Nothing moved,

nothing wanted to move, when the distinguished performance was in session. None

had ears and eyes for anything else but the VENugAnam and the MuraLIdhara.

Their ears were inundated by the facile flow of fabulous music and their

wide-open eyes with the entrancing spectacle of the Lord’s endearing gOpa

vEsham.

 

 It is this captivating scene and enthralling

melody that Azhwar recaptures for posterity in his ten pasurams. He is so

filled with the blissful experience that he issues a clarion call to the entire

JambUdvIpA to share the same—“nAvalam periya teevinil vAzhum nangaimeer! Or

arpudam kELeer”.  “puviyuL nAn kaNdadOr

arpudam kELeer!”.

 

GOpIs were under strict

orders from their parents to avoid Krishna’s company. And as obedient

offspring, they did stay at home, though their hearts very much throbbed with

love for Him. However, the moment the strains of MuraLIdharA’s flute came

wafting with the wind, the very same GOpIs threw all controls to the wind and

ran to where the Lord was holding court on the sandy banks of the Yamuna, drawn

to Him despite themselves, like fireflies to the lamp. It was the melody of Sri

Krishna’s pAdukA which augmented the sweetness of His kuzhal, says Swami

Desikan in Sri Paduka Sahasram—

 

“Guru jana niyatam tat

gOpikAnAm sahasram

 Dinakara tanayAyA: saikatE divya GOpa:

 Vasam anayat ayatnAt vamsa nAda anuyAtai:

 Tava khalu PadarakshE! TAdrusai: manju

nAdaI:”

 

There is extraordinary

similarity in the depictions of the Lord’s enthralling vENu gAnam, between Sri

Periazhwar Tirumozhi and the 35th Chapter of the Dasama Skanda of

Sri BhAgavata Purana, so much so that the two appear to be translations of each

other. This only goes to show that the thought processes of those who come

under the spell of the Lord, is identical, with language never a barrier for expressing

their blissful experience.

 

The Flute triumphs over

the PAnchajanya in its relishment of the Lord’s fragrant lips. While the

Shankha is raised to the lips but occasionally, the VENu enjoys a much more

prolonged association with the coral lips of Krishna, during all His

scintillating musical performances. It is for this reason, perhaps, that Sri

Periazhwar devotes ten pasurams to the Flute’s blissful experience, compared to

His distinguished Daughter’s pasurams devoted to the PAnchajanya, beseeching

the same to tell Her the taste of the Lord’s perfumed lips—“karuppooram nArumO,

kamala poo nArumO……..MAdhavan tan vai suvayum nAttramum….sol Azhi veN sangE”.

However, Sri Andal realises Her oversight later in Her NAcchiAr Tirumozhi and

beseeches Her friends to treat Her fever of separation from the Lord, by

showering Her with Krishna’s saliva flowing through His flute—“ nedumAl oodi

varugindra kuzhalin tuLai vAi neer koNdu kuLira mugatthu tadaveerE”.

 

The Lord uses any number

of strategies to attract and retain the affections of errant human beings. The

bewitchingly beautiful tirumEni He sports during avatArAs, the endearing

qualities He displays when dealing with mortals, the occasional exhibitions of

His supremacy through enactment of apparently impossible acts—all these are but

various tactics the Lord employs to entice wayward mortals, so that they come

under His influence and forsake their usual life of sin and sorrow. The Lord’s

vENu gAnam too would appear to be one of His numerous strategems to this end,

which, according to Sri Periazhwar’s accounts, met with resounding success. His

bewitching music is a net with which He catches elusive chEtanAs, says

Azhwar—“amuda geeta valai”.

 

Srimate Sri

LakshmINrsimha divya paduka sevaka SrivanSatakopa Sri Narayana Yatindra

Mahadesikaya nama:

Dasan, sadagopan

[Guest guest]

Kudos to Sri Sadagopan Iyengar swamy for coming up with newer and novel

and interesting topics one after the other for his articles, this time on

the Lord's flute concert. Adiyen wishes to add Sri Bhattar's slokam

summarising the effect of Krishna's flute beautifully.

 

*shailognischa jalAmbabhUva munayo mUDhAmbabhUvurjaDA:

*prAjnAmAsuragA ssagopam amritAmAsurmahAshIvishA:

*govyAghrA ssahajAmbabhUvur apare tvanyAmbabhUvu: pare

*tvam teshvanyatamAm babhUvitha bhavadveNukvaNonmAdane

 

(Srirangarajastavam)

 

Hill and fire melted into water! The wise sages became brainwashed! The

cowherds and trees became scholars. The great venomous reptiles

became nectar-spewing! The cows and tigers mingled with fraternal love!

Others became yet others of opposite characters and You! merged as one

among them in your intoxicating flute recital.

 

In SrimannarayanIyam in the tuneful "keshapAsha" decade Sri Bhattathri

says that even the stars and the time stood still to enjoy the concert.

 

Adiyen Ramanuja dasan

Ramanuja