Music! It is a divine power. In Indian Vedic culture, it is considered that this creation of world was initiated from the sound 'Omkaram'.
As per scientific research also, music has magical power and miraculary power. Music evolves from the deep emotions of human heart, such as extreme happiness or sorrow.
I explain you one small observation in my life. One day one of my neighbor's sons who were 2 years aged had troubled his mother. She had beaten him; so he was crying with loud voice. Actually, he was too kid to wear dress in full sense. He used to wander with half-nude body. His name was Gang Naidu. With in two minutes, he converter his loud cry in to the then popular song of cinema and was singing.
"దుంబాలే ఆ దుంబలేè"
Its real humming was "Jumbare. Oh jumbare."
Because he was too kid to pronounce words in perfect, he mispronounced the words of the song and was singing. It was so funny but it was a demo that music evolutes from our deep emotions. If we watch surroundings and nature, we can notice hundreds of demonstrations. Even small kids of age around one year, try to sing songs in their own language, not in their mother language, with their own tune as "Du….th….lala…………."
Music is in the blood of Indians, in the blood of human beings. This is the universal truth. This is experienced by every body all over the world. Each and every person accepts this since centuries.
In Indian culture music had an important role. It was developed as science i.e. Sasthram. So much musical knowledge was recorded in that science. So many singers had strengthened it. It is in continuity till now.
There are unlimited songs, tunes, ideas and feelings in music world, which are suitable to every emotion, every context, and every incident in human life. It is known that music has great influence on our emotions, feelings and tensions. Ultimately, it can control our lives.
That's why in Indian life style, there is a concept of 'పని పాటలు' i.e. work with music. In olden days, when there were no machines to make work easy such as grinders, mixies, tractors instead of mortars and ploughs, while performing work, people used to singin chorus. Those were famous with their co-ordination work names. For example the songs, tunes enjoyed in the work of grinding grains with mortar are known as'రోటి పాటలు' i.e. mortar songs; songs in the works of water fetching from the well are known as 'నూతి పాటలు' i.e. well songs, songs in the work with grinding stone are known as 'తిరగలి పాటలు' i.e. grinding stone songs; and songs at the work of sowing and planting are known as 'నాట్ల పాటలు' i.e. planting songs and songs at the work of thrashing are 'కోతల పాటలు' i.e. thrashing songs. The tunes, lyrics and humming of such songs are suitable to the work and motivate the people who engaged in that work to emit more ability in that particular work. At the same time, it is welcomeble to new talents always. Vennelamma, Venniyalao, Kunalamma, Jabilamma Padalu etc. are best example to this. While doing such works, the team managers of workers should have the skill of management, motivation as well as music.
Music can motivate the three main characters in people i.e. Satwa, Rajassassu and Tamassu. For an example, when drum beat is heard, automatically heart beat will raise in each irrespective of their age. That folk drum beat has genetic or race regarding relation with Indians. May this case is applicable to the people, all over the world; with respective their own music beats.
For each nation, for each race, there will be their own life style; their own metabolism of body, which had developed, depends up on their environment and nature. The food habits, religions, culture, traditions, feelings etc. every feature depends up on the environment of their area. That's why only, when people adopt the food habits of another environment, after long run, they show negative impacts on those people. That means by adopting the food habits of other countries, and other environment, we experience disease etc. disadvantage. For example, by adopting Pizza, burger, chocolate and ice cream food habits, and our people experiencing the disadvantage of obesity, constipation and other health problems. By forgetting our own traditional food habits such as Javari, millets, bazra etc. our generation lost strength, and immunity when compared with our previous generation who had taken the traditional food.
I'm not saying that we should not welcome the interaction and influence of other countries culture to ours, but I'm saying that there should be limitations of such interaction and involvements. Wherever there is good, we have to accept it and wherever there is bad, we should eliminate it. Same case is applicable to music and other arts.
When the army of ancient kingdom was ready to do war with other kingdoms, the music songs tunes, which could motivate the achievement motivation, thrust to win in the soldiers, were made to hear by the soldiers. While performing daily exercises of war arts also, same kind of music was heard by them. This was discussed in so many old writings of India. You can examine whether such tunes can motive you are not by hearing them. Such tunes are still in alive with folk artists such as Burra Kadha, Hari Kadha, Oggu, Padya Nataka, Chekka Bhajana, Kolatam, etc. You can watch their tinge in the old movies also. In now days i.e. after 1992, by movies and albums, such motivate tunes and music we are enjoying. The music in between 1970 to 1992 was terrible, that could drive out the strength of the youth from them, if the music is in-quality and fills the people with in-spirituality, after long time, the nation will become weak because people become lack of enthusiasm and spirits to work, to invent & to think. For example, the songs from old Maya bazaar movie, 'Hay Bakta paripala' etc. and 'singamalai' from New Simhadri movie etc. you can verify the spirits could create by such emotional songs. If you observe 'Yennalu Yennellu' etc songs of that period of 1970 to 92, definitely you can identify the motive of such tunes in cinemas. In fact, the classical music had successfully defeated by the strategy; and hence the cinema music was the only alternative or monopoly of music in those days. Unlike this time i.e. period after 1992, there were no private albums in India, because there was no this type of development in those days. The reason of it you can think and identify. I try my level best to explain it to you in this writings.
There are so many kinds of songs in music, devotional songs, work songs, love songs, solo songs, in classical as well as in modern music including western music. But the music whatever it is, either classical or modern, it should not exited only nerves, it have to excite nerves as well as mind and soul also. "The music beat is enough" means there will be the end of the music.
Actually, music hearing through devices has the advantage of all time availability. Whenever we want to hear it, we can hear that with the help of D.V.D., C.D. players, T.V., F.M. Radio, Radio, net, I-pod etc. But hearing the music directly when the singer is singing is different experience. The singer and the listener can share the art at a time, and when the producer of the art i.e. singer and the receiver of the art i.e. listener are in the same frequency of the feelings of such music. Nobody can describe that fact of resonance i.e. high pitch of joy. By experiencing only we can know it. Our joy gets multiple when we are in-group. This principle is using now in pubs with disc Jackie's. But this leads the youth in to which peaks, we are experiencing in the society. For such costly hobbies and experiences, how much money they need, and to get money for those luxuries what young people are doing, we are reading in Newspaper very frequently. To get extreme joy in such pubs and mobs, the youth is tempting towards narcotics. Such news also we are receiving frequently.
To experience which extreme joy, now the youth are searching in pubs, our fore fathers when they were young, they enjoyed such extreme joy in healthy ways, with free of cost. That was not liquor. That was not narcotics. That was the nectar of devotion to God, which ever the name of God. In singing, in playing small tools of music or with hands clapping, in Bhajana, in dancing, with devotion to God, they enjoyed the limit less joy, the extreme joy, which can make us to forget our selves? Such divine joy is known as Paramanandam or Bhrahmanandam.
It is welcomable that the youth at present are getting attraction towards yoga, devotion.
In fact, the 'love' among young girls and boys is the most attractive topic of youth. The love in youth, which tends ultimately to sex in maximum cases, is not the entire target of life. There are so many other factors in life, to perform to enjoy and to achieve.
In fact, the 'love' is not confined to youth i.e. a girl and a boy or a women and a man. Love is universal. Love is the other form of God. One kind of love is the love among young boy and young girl or woman and man. But it is not the entire life. Love among parents and their children, love among friends, love among master and his pets, love among neighbors, love among leaders and their followers, love among teachers and their students, every love is the emitting form of God. Love and affection are the divine feelings. We can notice love among animals and birds with their belongings.
That's why our elders say that "Don't take love as the synonym of sex". Such love is not the entire thing to fill the life. But unfortunately, all of our art forms, movies, music, literature etc. of now days is confined to so-called love among youth of opposite sex.
The great prophet in Hindu culture, Sri Adi Sankaracharya in his Bhaja Govindam, advised the people to achieve the freedom of soul. In those slokas, he told us, "In childhood we are interested in games. In pre youth we are interested in sex. In our post youth, we are interested on carriers. In late age we are interested in our family. When we will be free to achieve freedom of soul."
In this context, I refer you a historical event about which I read in my student hood. This relates to Sri Ramanujacharya, the Preacher of Visishtadyitha and his disciple Padma pada. Before his hermit life, Padma paada was a rich young man called Ranga dasu. He belonged to the non-Brahmin community by birth. Being a business young man he used to express his deep love towards his lower Ranga Nayaki, who was a very beautiful and talented girl. He didn't care to the public comments regarding his love and service that he was doing to Ranga Nayaki.
One day, when Sri Ramanujacharya was walking to the temple of Sri Ranga along with his disciples, he had seen this Ranga Dasu. Which scene did he see you know? It was pre noon time. The sun was hot. The street was busy with traffic of walkers and animal riders. Ranga Nayaki was holding a basket with flowers, fruits and other materials which were required to devote God and walking towards the temple. Ranga Dasu was holding an umbrella to her and walking backwards by facing her. His eyes were wide and drinking her beauty with vision. He was with high concentration and not allowing the eye lashes to vibrate. People watching them were laughing at them. Ranga Nayaki was feeling embrossing and at the same time, little bit pride. But RangaDasu was not even hearing the comments and laughing of public. He didn't notice the presence of people in the surroundings.
Sri Ramanujacharya observed all this. He followed them. After performing pooja in the temple, when they sat in the temple garden, Sri Ramanuja charya approached them and started to talk with Ranga Dasu. He enquired the young man why he was not caring people and their comments while attending and servicing Ranga Nayaki. Ranga Dasu replied with firm voice as "Swami! I like her beauty. I like her beautiful eyes. I don't like to tire that eyes and I can't bear if her eyes become tire, and to lose their brightness and beauty due to that hot son. That's why I had held an umbrella to her. I don't like to loss my time for even few moments in watching her beautiful eyes. That's why I walked backwards. I am very clear in my ideas and hence I didn't care about people whatever they say about me."
Then the monk i.e. Sri Ramanujacharya told him "Child! Whatever the beauty, you are thinking is not permanent. When your lover becomes old or deseaseful or in satisfied, the beauty of her eyes will decrease or vanish. When she died, you can't find it anywhere. There is definite death for each and every living being. So the beauty for which you are dedicating your life is temporary only. I'll show you everlasting beauty. It won't get decrease by time. It never dies. Do you want to see it?
In beginning, Ranga Dasu didn't believe this argument. After convince, he agreed to follow Sri Ramanujacharya. In which manner he shown the divine beauty, and beauty of God to Ranga Dasu in the temple of Sri Ranga, we don't know. As result, Ranga Dasu left his wealth, his business, his love and his lover, became the disciple of Sri Ramanjucharya.As a monk, and was famous as Padmapada.
The story behind this was – the affection of Sri Ramanujacharya a towards Rangadasu, made the other disciples to feel jealousy. They asked their Guru as "Guru Deva! Rangadasu belongs to Shudra, not Brahmin by birth. After taking bath in the river Kaveri, you used to touch him when we go to temple. Is it practicable?" Acharya didn't give reply to them but smiled.
Next day when he was taking in the river Kaveri, Ranga dasu was on the other bank of the river because the Guru sent him on boat with an order to bring something from the other side village of the river. But, when he reached the other bank, he called on him with a loud voice as "Ranga dasu! Come to me immediately."
Ranga dasu replied, "Yes Guru deva". He didn't wait for the boat to return. He was watching his Guru and putting foot on the water. The river Kaveri raised lot us flowers to bare his every foot until he reached the bank of the river i.e. his Guru dev. The disciples surprised about it and realized the dedication, commitment and concentration power of Rangadasu, by recognizing which Acharya had turned his lifeboat from Ranga Nayaki's direction to God Sri Ranga direction.
Since this incident, Rangadas was famous as Padma pada. This story might be fantasy or truth. But the spirit of this story, the idealistic view of this story is truth.
If any person understand this truth, definitely such person will try to achieve the freedom of soul i.e. Moksha. Such person will try to experience the extreme joy in life. Music is the best way to achieve such goal in life. It has such power on souls. That's why in our Sanskrit literature our elders said that,
" శిశుర్వేత్తి పశుర్వేత్తి ర్వేత్తిగానరసం ఫణి"
That means the music can mesmerize kids, animals and even snakes.
So many critics I read and heard on this proverb in between the time of 1980 to 92; such "as snakes have no years; the snakes can notice the sounds by its muscles beneath its stomach from sound waves through earth. So its vibrating of hoof according to the movement of Nagaswaramu i.e. an instrument used by a professional who makes snake show in the market areas, is not scientific. Hence the above Sanskrit slokam is not truth."
May those critics were truth or may not. But now-a-days scientists had proved that milch cattle give more yields when music is used in their farms. We have the experience of animals in our pets to enjoy music. Then why don't we consider the meaning or spirit or feeling of that slokam?
In our conversations, in our communications, meaning has much importance than the language. The meaning of that slokam is very clear as concern as the impact of music on our lives.
When the newborn baby is crying, whenever the mother starts to sing 'జోల పాట' i.e. lullaby, immediately the baby starts to smile. That is the power of music.
Fortunately, we have so many great devotees, great musicians in India. Since ancient times, until now, the Goddess Saraswathi Devi had blessed us with so many talented voices and pens. Our culture is flourished with so many singers and lyric writers. Tyagayya, Annamayya, Sri Chaitanya Prabhu, Purandara Dasu, Vipra Dasu, Sura Dasu, Meera Bai, Tukaram, Sri Rama Dasu etc etc how many names that I can refer? By referring the names of musicians in all languages, in all time, in all countries, it self will become a big book and I'm not eligible to do so. Just I want to draw your attention on music in this angle.
In our Hindu culture, there is a concept of Narada Maharishi. I refer Hindu culture because Hinduism is not a religion, it is a culture and it is a life style. In the concept of Narada Maharishi, on whose name great Devotional formula were popularized to keep the people in proper life style. Narada Maharishi was a great devotional singer.
As per the belief of Hindu, Narada Maharishi is the grandson of God Sri Maha Vishnu and son of God Brahma Deva. He preached people to devote themselves to God through music. Though he was scholar in music, he learnt music further to perfect his talents by consulting Sri Krishna and Satya Bhama Devi as per Kala Poornodayam written by Pingali Suranna who belonged to Ashta Diggajalu i.e. 8 poets of Sri Krishna Deva Raya, the famous ruler of Telugu people before 5 to 6 centuries to this time. Such Narada Maharishi told people that how God liked music, how music could mesmerize the souls and how music can evolutes our souls to high heaven.
But in vice versa, the music from 1970 to 92, like all other art forms and other systems, music also had dragged the people to increase their Tamassu i.e. Character of least quality. As per Sri Bhagavad Geetha, the characteristics of human beings are classified into three categories.
- Satwa Guna
- Rajo Guna
- Tamo Guna
All of our feelings, thoughts, emotions and our actions and reactions can be identified and classified with respective to the above three characteristics i.e. Trigunas. Strategically or as per the coup of spying, the music had successfully dragged the people to increase the Tamo Guna in them. Tamo Gunam can make the minds of people to fill with laziness, lustful, desires, and with Arishadwargas i.e. six bad emotions; they are Kama Krodha Lobha Moha Mada Matcharyas. In English they are – Desires, Anger, Miser, Crazy, pride and Jealousy. People with such Tamo Gunam always think about luxuries, and to enjoy always. They don't like to work. They remember only their rights but not responsibilities. When they want to enjoy the fruits without working to grow the plants, naturally they try to theft the fruit. The corruption to get ranks, marks, seats, jobs etc. are the other forms of thefting fruits only.
Such that successfully a country or a spying agency or a spying boss can destroy their enemy country or targeted country. This spying coup and its results, we are experiencing in India now. May be same case in most of other parts of the world.
In ancient times, in Hindu culture, family life which was called as Gruhastha Ashram had great importance. In family, mother had great importance and influence. Because, being mother, women had important role in creating responsible and good children who would become next generation. Inventing a computer or inventing a space ship is great, no doubt about it. But creating an engineer who can invent a computer and creating a scientist who can invent a space ship is much more great, any doubt about this? I hope that everybody agree with me.
In those days, when there were no musical equipments like MP3 etc. Only the aid is human voice & flute, Veena etc. instruments. Hence, women had to learn music to keep the tensions of the other family members under control that means within limits. Such that in marriage talks and customs, girls had to show their musical talents. That tradition was criticized and omitted without referring the reasons and effects behind it.
Whatever there is bad, we have to eliminate it. Wherever there is good, we have to adopt it and further modify it until it become suitable to present circumstances. When we do such elimination of bad and modification of good from ancient times, we have to consider the limitations.
But strategically or due to spying coups, such limitations were not considered in the time of 1970 to 1992, by all the people. We are facing the impacts of such limitless situations now.
It is a happy thing to notice that the present youth is able to think, to under stand the things and trying to learn, to practice the traditions up to the limits. Hence we can hope a good and faithful future for our next generation.
************END*****************
No comments:
Post a Comment