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The Song Celestial

From the Bhakti List Archives

sadagopaniyengar • May 9, 2002 


 
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.



[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]



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