Month: July 2016

MUSIC AND NARADA

Brahma the creator, indulges in the art for relaxation.  Saraswathi, the Goddess of learning and music, invented the exquisite Veena, which bears her name.

Narada is a brilliant figure among the divine beings,  in the musical world.

Narada means one who gives and spreads the name of the The God Narayana.  Narada is a vedic sage who plays a prominent role in a number of Hindu Ithihasa puranas.  He is depicted carrying Veena named Mahathi and a khartal and is generally regarded as one of the great masters of the ancient musical instrument Veena.  Narada uses the Mahathi veena to accompany his singing of songs, prayers, hymns and mantras as an act of devotion to Lord Narayana.  Narada represents Bhakti Yoga.  The Narada Bhakti Sutra is attributed to him.

The great Ithihasa Mahabharata explains Narada’s qualifications and experience in detail.  All celestial beings worshiped Narada for his knowledge. He was capable of arriving at definite knowledge about religion, wealth, salvation.  Narada was a complete master of every branch of learning.

Karnataka Sangeetha Pitamaha, Sri Purandaradasa is said to  be the incarnation of the sage Narada.

—– to be continued.

– Dr.V.Meenakshi Jayakumar

Music  was regarded as scared.  There were professional celestial beings such as the Gandharvas and Apsaras who performed before the Devas.
“The musicians in the upper planetary systems are called Gandharvas, and the dancing girls are called Apsaras. After being attacked by the demons and evolving a form of a beautiful woman in the twilight, Brahma next created Gandharvas and Apsaras.” – Srimad-Bhagavatam 3:20:38.

                      

Gandharva (right) with an Apsara, 10th century,  Vietnam

                Gandharvas are considered as the celestial singers. They were the descendants of Kashyapa and his wife Arishta. In many occasions, the Gandharvas have been depicted as leading a more open life, especially with the Apsaras, who were their wives or mistresses. In Mahabharata, Arjuna has been depicted as a close friend of Gandharvaraj Angarparna (also known as Chitrasena), who taught him the art of music and dance.

Ramayana talks about a Gandharva named Danu, who is cursed to become Rakshasha Kabandha, but ultimately freed upon his death at the hands of Lord Rama.

                 Apsaras were originally thought of as female celestial being representing the spirit of the clouds and water (Ap means water in Sanskrit). The Bhagavata Purana also states that the Apsaras were born from Kashyap and Muni.

Apsaras are beautiful, supernatural female beings. They are youthful and elegant, and superb in the art of dancing. They are often wives of the Gandharvas, the court musicians of Indra. They dance to the music made by the Gandharvas, usually in the palaces of the gods to entertain them. Apsaras are said to be able to change their shape at will, and rule over the fortunes of gaming and gambling.

Urvasi, Menaka, Rambha, Tillottama and Ghritachi are the most famous among them. They are the courtesans at the palace of the Gods who were repeatedly sent to disrupt the austerities of different sages.

 

 

Many of the important characters in the epics have been born of Apsaras, such as Drona from Apsara Gritachi, Kripa from Apsara Janapadi and Shakuntala from Apsara Menaka. These women were infamous for abandoning their children upon birth and returning to their heavenly abodes. Arjuna becomes a eunuch on being cursed by Apsara Urvashi.

• to be continued
• Dr.V.Meenakshi Jayakumar.