Music-Bhakti Combination Is Vital for Moksha
Tyagaraja had surrendered himself, body and soul, to Rama. He dedicated his works to Him. However, he never attempted to narrate the Ramayana in his song-compositions though there are innumerable references to it. In fact, he has invoked various other deities as well though they are far less in number. He does not figure among the bhakti saints. It is as a vaggeyakara that Tyagaraja has attained immortality. The universality of his themes has a special appeal. His music goes straight to the heart. Pain, suffering, anguish, joy, ecstasy, and the eternal quest for the ultimate, all universal emotions. find an outlet in it. For Tyagaraja music was supreme. His kritis show that h works are a celebra tion of music itself. No composer has ad dressed himself to the art per se, to the presence of divinity in music. There are compositions dedicated to the goddess of arts and learning, Saraswati, but none to the art of music. He refers to the seven notes as beautiful goddesses who preside over music that emanates from the nabhi and travels up to the heart, throat, lips, and nose. The nectar of ragas yields the fruits of yaga, yoga, tyaga and bhoga - so partake of it with joy, he says, in the Ragasudharasa. Knowledge about the resonant sthanas of the saptaswaras will grant moksha or Swararagasudharasa. Tyagaraja believed that his music was of divine origin. In his kritis there are repeated references to the sage Narada, and to the Swararnavam, a treatise on musicology in the form of a dialogue between Siva and Parvati -a part of the larger work, Swararagasudharasa - which he said was presented to him by Narada himself. In the centre of the body is the life-breath; in the centre of the life-breath is sound; in the centre of sound is musical sound; in the centre of musical sound is godhead. That the body is a temple of music is brought out in the kriti Mokshamugalada. The fusion of life-breath and fire- prananala samyogamu - produces the primordial sound, OM or Pranavanada which is the basis of the saptaswara. Tyagaraja refers to the mooladhara from where nada emerges and travels up the chakras of the spine taking the jeevanmukta towards moksha. Did Tyagaraja choose music as the vehicle of Rama worship. Or was it the other way round? Did he use the Rama metaphor to experiment with his musical ideas? In sheer ecstatic joy he even suggests that Rama incarnated Himself to bless him for his kirtanas composed in the garland of gem-like ragas (Elavathara). For, he believed that without bhakti one cannot achieve heights of excellence in music and, through music, salvation (Sangita jnanamu bhaktivina sanmargamu galadeo manasa). There is no moksha for those devoid of music. Those who do not float on the ocean of bliss that is sangita are a burden on earth, 'bhoobharamu' (Anandasagarame). But those who do shall not only receive divine grace sarupya saukhya - but other benefits such as love, bhakti, vatsalya and blessings of the Lord. If knowledge of music without bhakti does not lead one to bliss, the obverse is also true. Bhakti saturated with the nectar of swara and raga is the sure path to paradise.
DISCLAIMER:
The views expressed in the Article above are INDIRA MENON views and kashmiribhatta.in is not in any way responsible for the opinions expressed in the above article. The article belongs to its respective owner or owners and this site does not claim any right over it.
Courtesy: INDIRA MENON Speaking Tree,Times of India
Music-Bhakti Combination Is Vital for Moksha
Tyagaraja had surrendered himself, body and soul, to Rama. He dedicated his works to Him. However, he never attempted to narrate the Ramayana in his song-compositions though there are innumerable references to it. In fact, he has invoked various other deities as well though they are far less in number. He does not figure among the bhakti saints. It is as a vaggeyakara that Tyagaraja has attained immortality. The universality of his themes has a special appeal. His music goes straight to the heart. Pain, suffering, anguish, joy, ecstasy, and the eternal quest for the ultimate, all universal emotions. find an outlet in it. For Tyagaraja music was supreme. His kritis show that h works are a celebra tion of music itself. No composer has ad dressed himself to the art per se, to the presence of divinity in music. There are compositions dedicated to the goddess of arts and learning, Saraswati, but none to the art of music. He refers to the seven notes as beautiful goddesses who preside over music that emanates from the nabhi and travels up to the heart, throat, lips, and nose. The nectar of ragas yields the fruits of yaga, yoga, tyaga and bhoga - so partake of it with joy, he says, in the Ragasudharasa. Knowledge about the resonant sthanas of the saptaswaras will grant moksha or Swararagasudharasa. Tyagaraja believed that his music was of divine origin. In his kritis there are repeated references to the sage Narada, and to the Swararnavam, a treatise on musicology in the form of a dialogue between Siva and Parvati -a part of the larger work, Swararagasudharasa - which he said was presented to him by Narada himself. In the centre of the body is the life-breath; in the centre of the life-breath is sound; in the centre of sound is musical sound; in the centre of musical sound is godhead. That the body is a temple of music is brought out in the kriti Mokshamugalada. The fusion of life-breath and fire- prananala samyogamu - produces the primordial sound, OM or Pranavanada which is the basis of the saptaswara. Tyagaraja refers to the mooladhara from where nada emerges and travels up the chakras of the spine taking the jeevanmukta towards moksha. Did Tyagaraja choose music as the vehicle of Rama worship. Or was it the other way round? Did he use the Rama metaphor to experiment with his musical ideas? In sheer ecstatic joy he even suggests that Rama incarnated Himself to bless him for his kirtanas composed in the garland of gem-like ragas (Elavathara). For, he believed that without bhakti one cannot achieve heights of excellence in music and, through music, salvation (Sangita jnanamu bhaktivina sanmargamu galadeo manasa). There is no moksha for those devoid of music. Those who do not float on the ocean of bliss that is sangita are a burden on earth, 'bhoobharamu' (Anandasagarame). But those who do shall not only receive divine grace sarupya saukhya - but other benefits such as love, bhakti, vatsalya and blessings of the Lord. If knowledge of music without bhakti does not lead one to bliss, the obverse is also true. Bhakti saturated with the nectar of swara and raga is the sure path to paradise.
DISCLAIMER:
The views expressed in the Article above are INDIRA MENON views and kashmiribhatta.in is not in any way responsible for the opinions expressed in the above article. The article belongs to its respective owner or owners and this site does not claim any right over it.
Courtesy: INDIRA MENON Speaking Tree,Times of India