Music – aprimordial aplomb of nature

“The God created the universe with the help of Sound and Light”.   Sound is a source of energy that never dies.  In common parlance improvisation of Sound interwoven with emotions, sentiments, objective, purpose packed in a deft manner, enriched in the qualities of providing tranquillity, delight and enjoyment to mind, solace to soul, soothing to ears creating an internal environment filled with happier moments in all beings including humans may be defined as “Music”.  In an aadi granth viz., “Brihat Desi” Sage Matanga commences with the sloka: -

नानाविदेषुदेशेषु जन्तूनां सुखदाभवेत्

The sound (music) produced in any naturally inclined environment like sound produced by winds, thunderstorm etc. give spontaneous delight, enjoyment to the micro-organism, forthwith delight and enjoyment for general mass and the King.

After creation of Universe, nature came into being.  With coming tofore, nature ensured to provide all living beings, food, shelter, air, water, fire, the umbrella of sky, peaceful, wonderful, beautiful, exquisite places on land, mountainous, forest, and hilly areas including places adjacent to oceans, where, all beings including humans can dwell comfortably and co-exists with other beings of nature.  The universe contains innumerable galaxies, the stars, the planets, other extra-terrestrial objects that form part of nature in its eternal womb. It has been rightly said “प्रकृतेः स्वभावात्” the nature is endowed with some original behaviour that is eventually maintained with no variation or alteration, everyday Sun/Moon rise & sets, six ritus (season)in a year keeps repetition without alteration, similarly, there are other innumerable activities are taking place in repetition in a periodic &rhythmic manner.  These activities in nature undoubtedly makes provisions covering one and all for sustaining &sustenance.

The Pancha Boodha Tatva is a classic example of how life is created, living devised for all beings by these inevitable Pancha Boodha consisting of Earth, Water, Fire, Air and the Sky, each representing a distinct character working in its own rhythmic manner totally inconsonance with one another for providing, maintaining, progressing life and living conditions for betterment.  At times, these also possesses destructive qualities causing massive destructions through Earthquakes, Volcanoes, Tornadoes, Whirlwinds, High winds, floods, cloudbursts, Thunderstorm and other natural calamities.  

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These elements are identifiable with a respective syllable as given below for each sounding: -

Earth    लं(Lam)

Sky        हं(Ham)            

Air          यम्(Yam)

Fire        रम्(rum)

Water वं(Vam)

It is very perceptibly mentioned in our Vedo-Upanishad and other Sanatana religious treaties that from the womb of Sky our Sages brought out sounds of varying magnitude to be used for prayers, appeasing a deity classified as “Mantras”.  These Mantras have syllable to be pronounced in a specified manner containing vibrations capable of bringing fruitful results, each syllable with different vibrations produces prolific goodness aiming to ameliorate human conditions for betterment. Invariably these are termed with various names containing musical notations totaling in 4 or 3 notations. Rig, Yajur, Sama and Atharva Vedas are sung in a particular manner, and these are devised by our Sages.  These are taught in Guru Shisya Parampara from the Guru to Shisya or from Father to Son and continue till date in the same manner and learnt only under the tutelage of an erudite scholar also termed as “Acharya” and learning from Acharya is referred to as “Acharya Mukhena”.  These learnings are devised to be strictly under a Guru or Gurukul.  

Similarly, every part of the nature when bestow/shower its affection, blessings indicate its positive action through perceptible manner, like prior to shower the clouds send lightning followed by thunderstorm communicating its intended action through sound or light, the Sun rise & Sun set every day bestows hope during rise and provides peace after setting.  The magnetic field in and around Earth, Moon, Sun and other Planets constantly produces sound that has been referred to as “Pranav” OM.  The nature in its abundance has earmarked sound with melody of nightingale, cuckoo, peacock, other birds as also animals domesticated Cow, Buffalo, Sheep, Goat, wild animals in forest, mountains and river/sea producing sound differently/distinctly filling the environment with music aimed to afresh and refresh.  Sage Matanga in Brihat Desi describing Sound says whatever spoken at the floor level the sound travels to crossing different sphere in sky is broken into infinite sound syllable.

आनन्त्यम्श्रुति नामतु दर्शनीयं विपास्वेताः

अथध्वनि विशेषाणां अन्त्यम् गग्नोद्धरे

We get to know when through the five spheres the sound travels up to ionosphere where radio-active waves are present sends down the sound, subsequently at mesosphere where most meteors burn up, and its properties can influence radio wave propagation through scattering, the entire Radio broadcast, Radio Telephony in Aircraft operations world over work on these principles, reference to context was available much before these were scientifically and systematically developed over the period.

The humans are bestowed with a malleable, prolific mind that is capable of performing multiple activities.  The day and night activities are envisaged and carried out accordingly. In respect to music humans apart from vocal, also play various kinds of musical instrument varying in size, magnitude and utility.  The multiplicity of musical instrument since time immemorial has been an inevitable fact, an undoubtable axiom, in as much as spreading the music patronizing enhanced usage of newly cultivated, developed musical instruments all over the world.  With the advent of new centuries, old musical instrument co-exists with the newly developed musical instrument.  In the present scientifically modern and advanced digitally supported musical instruments are used for amateur or professional performances are very well accepted in Society.

Indian culture/cultural heritage has been one of the topmost and finest in its endeavour occupying an enriched-pivotal position in the world.  The scientifically/systematically developed Classical Music has 2 Branches viz.,Hindustani style (as prevalent in North, West & Eastern States) and Carnatak style (as prevalent in Southern States) of India.  Both are distinct from one another though the same notations are used but the manner, style of rendering makes it distinct, differing from one another. There are several treaties on music written by our Sages to name, “Brihat Desi” by Matanga, Saaranga Deva “Sangeeta Ratnakari” the treasure is very rich and filled with other musically oriented work that shed light on music theory, sound its linking with nature, vibrations as contained in raw sound with slight alteration bringing melodic, soothing effect, voice culture –maintaining good tonal quality with enriched “kharza and tehrav”, purity of classicism a prism to devotion so on and so forth.  Similarly, Saints all over India had given their contribution from Centuries by maintaining the tempo constantly throughtheir kirtanas, bhajans, abhangs, work on devotional bhakti, gyana uplifting the very purpose of having taken birth as humans towards GOD or self-realisation,viz., Eknath, Thukaram, Kabir, Mira Bhai, Gyaneshwar, Namdeo, Surdas, Andal, Purandara Dasa, Annamacharya, Sadashiva Brahmendral, Thyagaraja, Muthuswmy Dikshitar, Shyama Shastri, the list is endless as such confined to these names.  Even the great epic Ramayana while it is in the mind of Sage Valmiki got its birth interwoven in musical form.

India on account of its vast land consisting of plains, mountainous, locations near Oceans are all different in its basic core of climate, weather, vegetation, soil, language, psychology, faith, belief, worship, history, heralding new technology, educational system, general behaviour & attitude and other quantifiable habitats/traits.  Music, vocal, instrumental as compounded to be the diurnal activities also vary in terms of folk and other forms of classical music including fusional music.

One particular notation or style of music may occupy the central theme in a location like Gharanas of classical music in north, similarly it is referred to as Pani in Carnatak classical music, devotional music like Abhang, Bhajans, Ravindra Sangeet of Bengal, Bhatyali style of Assam, Tappas as sung in Punjab Province, Ragini as sung in Haryana,  Gurbaani as sung in Gurudwaras, Rubaaayat, Caroles, Thevaaram, Thiruvaasgham, Naamasankirtanam and other styles of music existing in societal set up.  

In nutshell, we can sum up dialect has a deep connection with music as majority of folk songs are written and sung in a particular manner suiting the topography, philosophy prevalent and based on other activities being performed. The Tribal music has its charm all over the world and in Indian context too.  Generally, music sung or played in musical instrument developed by using the material available in Jungle and sung in one single or 3 to 4 notations, something peculiar to its thought process in relation to societal norms, dwelling habitats, daily activities and remaining untouched with the modern scientific & technological developments.

The two distinct styles of classical music viz., Carnatak and Hindustani are very scientific, systematically cultivated and taught from the formative stage in Guru-shisya Parampara, the students under the tutelage of a master resides in gurus house like a family member, undergoing severe process of learning over a well extended period.  As the student is residing in the master’s house, the day begins in the morning with practice of Alankars, Sargams in different raags & taals, the guru practically teaches the various aspects of music, listening simultaneously, making corrections wherever required.  The broadly based music theory, the different aspects of Classical singing like Raag alapana, Khayal, Thumri, Dadra, creativity of swar in Hindustani style, raag alapana, thanam, Kirtana, Niraval and swara prasaaram are covered and taught in the pragmatic manner directly by the guru who himself constitutes to be an erudite scholar in music.  In this style learning is followed by practical training.  It is considered “gurumukha vidya” the struggle of continuing to learn under the guru for a very long extended period ensures end product is developed with laborious practice sessions of daily, providing orientations for creativity particularly when you are one with nature.  Raags have particular time for singing and are based on “Prahar” throughout 24 hours.  These primarily suit the time, the ritu and sung or played with devotion.  Many of our Raags are composed musically in orientation with nature viz., Megh Malhar,Jyoti, Megharanji, Amrutvarshini, Jyotiswarupini, Garudadhawani, in the name of god/goddesses like Shankara, Durga, Shankarabharanam, Kalyani, Saraswati,Vasantha, Lalita.  By and large these raags represent a particular mood be delightful, joyous, sad, devotional, bhav-bhaktiSwaroop etc. The best part after having completed successful training under the tutelage a practitioner of classical music with the requisite standard can sing and play anything newly heard since the faculty over the period is enriched in all nature of music capable of coding and decoding musical notations.

From the commercial perspective film music, light private music has utilised the classical or semi-classical music and liked by masses for the last over 8 decades.  Musico-therapy is gaining momentum in Society, for mental illness, stress relief, various raags are used that is capable of brining under control the stress, for hypertension, diabetic and other nature of illness Musico-therapy over sustained period has been successful to reduce the effect drastically, in severe cases of sleeplessness which is a common factor, Musico-therapy has worked positively and ensured proper sleep.  The therapy aims to ensure production of Melatonin secretion through listening music in requisite volumes ensuring proper sleep.  The only requirement is like any therapy, it is time consuming, once commenced it has to be completed in the earmarked period and in the manner devised (intermittently one should not leave in between).

The nature bestowed “Music”through Sound to humanity and all living beings.  It is an elixir, nectar flowing from all spheres and is a perennial, ceaseless resource like Sunlight, Wind, Rainfallf or ameliorating & conditioning life and living for betterment in the most peaceful manner. It is an inescapable, indelible, insurmountable element permeate in the prayers of all religion/religious beliefs connecting one and all providing peace, tranquillity, delight ensuring an environment of gleeful, gratified, radiant, beatific, blessings pouring in from the creation of Universe.

Om tat sat

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