Cruel act of dismantling (dismembering)Veena

BLASPHEMY TOWARDS VEENA-

The irony is that anything that is not within the prescribed form of a vedic veena (according to the authentic material gathered by me in my postings,"Veena/Gayathri -Mantra/Upanishads" , "Veena Rahasya" and "Deiva Veena-Maanushi Veena"), is NOT a Veena!A Veena is a Veena only as a whole,from the head (kudam)to the lion-face(simha-mukha),and seizes to be a Veena when the head and lion-face are severed from the trunk (dandi).Such veenas are being manufactured for travel comfort, to be carried as cabin baggage,so that the whole veena need not be checked in the aircraft due to its size and weight.In other words the Veena is being severed to make it travel friendly!

Even to claim otherwise (after dismembering the veena,claiming that the Veena is still original and the same as before) implies gross disregard and abuse of the instrument.Whatever maybe the reason for the blasphemous act of dismantling the Veena, the entire excercise of playing on a dismembered veena (that the Veena is held in place with the help of screws does not rectify its state of abuse) is not only sinful but also wasted ,because the prescribed practice of pranayama while playing the veena becomes futile due to the broken joints of the veena.Coordination of life-force energy and veena nada cannot result with one body-"Maanushi Veena"(veena) cruelly dismembered and with the other body-"Deiva Veena" (player's) being healthy.There is no nada in a dismembered veena-even if the latest digital mixer amplifiers and sound systems are there to make just about anything sound exotic.At this juncture,it has to be emphasised ,that the true nada of a Veena can be determined only WITHOUT a mike system.Only the naked tone of the veena (minus any technical gadget attached to it) can reveal the life (nada) contained within.Sound systems can change/enhance the tone of the instrument,and with the advanced technology that we have today,a veena could also be made to sound like a sitar or a gottuvadyam or a mandolin.

True tone of a veena emerges with the combined resonance of the player's prana and the veena's tone,which is simply not possible on a dismembered Veena.

Yes,it is difficult to handle a Veena,not only playing on it,but travelling with the instrument can also be extremely arduous.But it has to be done with love and devotion for the divinity.Adapting anti vedic methods of dismantling the Veena reeks of sacrilege !Nothing is as important or mandatory as preserving the body of the divine instrument,Veena.

I remember the phone call I had received from late Sri K.V.Narayanaswami many years ago. Sri K.V.N told me that a veena technician had left a dismantled Veena in his house.He said he had no use for it and asked me to take the veena away.Normally I would have flatly refused to even look at such a 'veena',since the call was from the Sri K.V.N , I promptly went to his house .I told him I would request some other veena technician to fetch the instrument,as I would never recommend anybody to play on a dismembered veena.Sri K.V.N. agreed to that and sadly I could not find any technician who was willing to take the veena.After a long search,I got back to Sri K.V.N when he informed me that he himself had found somebody who was willing to take the veena!

I also remember,this particular aged Ghanapati .(whom I had met at a "yaagam" , where I happened to perform )He came up to me and told me:"It is believed that in the process of reading Mahabharatham, people undergo untold difficulties, trials and tribulations. Many people even hesitate to read this particular epic fearing unforeseen changes and upheavals.Same is the case with veena playing.Play the true veena (veena in the prescribed,vedic form) and in the process you could encounter many cyclones and storms in life, but never lose heart,NEVER give up Veena!That will uplift you spiritually!"

Veena is an embodiment of the Goddess Herself!The nada that emanates from the Veena is the sweet speech of the Goddess.This is a divine instrument meant for pooja, not amputation!

Quan Yin/Nada Yoga

Legend says Quan Yin,originally a princess, having forsaken marriage,lived her life in a conventmuch to her father's anger and distrust.She was a Buddhist Bodhisattwa ( a mortal who has achieved enlightenment and earned the right to enter Heaven or Nirvana), and when at the gates of Heaven,She heard someone on Earth cry, and so turned back,vowing that she would stay on Earth to do all she could to ease our suffering.She would not enter heaven until everyone could go there with Her.She was known as the goddess of Compassion and Mercy.
There are many ways to invoke Goddess Quan Yin into one's life.The traditional mantra of OM MANI PADME HUM is one of the many approaches.One need not be a buddhist to invoke Her into his/her life.It is said to have a Quan Yin picture or statue in one's house brings good luck and protection to the household and family.

Master Ching Hai initiates sincere people longing to know the Truth,into the Quan Yin method.Master Ching Hai was born to well-off family in Aulac,the daughter of a highly reputed naturopath.She was brought up as Catholic, and learned the basics of Buddhism from Her grandmother.As a youg child she showed a precocious interest in philosophical and religious teachings, as well as uncommonly compassionate attitude towards all living beings.

As She grew,She travelled around many countries,searching for the perfect method of enlightment.Through many years of tests and tribulations,master Ching Hai finally found the Quan Yin method and the Divine Transmission in the Himalayas.After a period of diligent practice,during Her retreat in Himalayas,She attained complete enlightenment.

THE QUAN YIN METHOD:-The chinese characters mean contempaltion of the Light and Sound within oneself.These inner experiences have been repeatedly described in the spiritual literature of all the world's religions since ancient times.

INNER SOUND:-The primal vibration or Sound is in its nature transcendental and therefore perceived in silence.Jesus's disciples call it the "Holy Spirit"or the "Word"(which is from the Greek word "Logos"meaning Sound).In the beginning was the Word,and the Word was with God,and the Word was God.After Shakyamuni Buddha attained enlightenment,He spoke of this Sound too,calling it the "drum of immortality".Krishna equated Himself with Sound in Ether.Mohammed perceived this Sound in the cave at Gare-Hira when He had a vision of the archangel Gabriel, and Lao Tzu described the Tao as the "Great Tone".

Daily practice of the Quan Yin Method of meditation and keeping of the Five Percepts are most essential.

Excerpts from The Heart of the Goddess,Hallie Inglehart Austin:-

"QUAN YIN MEDITATION:-Sit in a comfortable position and close your eyes.Allow your breathing to deepen and your mind and body to relax.Imagine that it is nighttime and you are on top of a hill looking out over the ocean.The full moon has just risen and the moonlight shimmers on the water.You gaze at the moon for a long time;the moonlight is powerful but soft,and looking at it makes you feel calm and happy.

The moon now begins to get brighter and brighter,so bright that you are barely able to look at it.

Gradually,it becomes Quan Yin Herself,Her whole body surrounded by a glowing aureole.She stands on a lotus that floats on the waves.At the sight of you she smiles beautifully,tears of mercy and compassion shine in Her eyes.Imagine Her radiance filling you,Her strength,Her peace,Her compassion becoming a part of you.If you repeat Her name,your mind will be calm,and She will stay with you.

Finally it is time for Her to leave and She becomes smaller and smaller.At last the sea and sky vanish too,and you rest in contemplation of the beautiful ,empty space that is left.Let yourself become space.When you are ready,come back into your body and slowly stretch.Open your eyes and look at the world around you."This method is said to invoke the Inner Music within oneself.Master hing Hai said"When artificial light and artificial music(here 'artificial' means material) could make people become so relaxed and so wise-could you imagine how much the real thing can help us in our wisdom?The real thing is beyond this world,but it is accessible to every man,should we want contact with it. This is the Inner heavenly Music and The Inner Heavenly Sound.And depending upon the intensity of this Music,we can push ourselves beyond this world,go into a deeper level of understanding.

The Sound is the kind of vibrational power that pushes us into the higher levels,but it does that without any noise,without much trouble and no cost and no discomfort to the "experiencer".That is the way to go into the beyond."

Apart from the meditation mentioned above,The Five Percepts of the Quan Yin Method are:-

1.Refrain from taking the life of sentient beings;

2.Refrain from speaking what is not true;

3.Refrain from taking what is not yours;

4.Refrain from sexual misconduct;

5.Refrain from using intoxicants.

The above percept requires strict adherence to a vegan or lacto-vegetarian diet.No meat,fish,poultry,eggs(fertilized or nonfertilized).

Master Ching Hai has stressed elaborately on the importance of a vegetarian diet for the immediate attainment of enlightenment through the Quan Yin Method.

(Photos:-on top left,Goddess of Compassion and Mercy,Quan Yin.On bottom right:-Master Chang Hai,follower of Quan Yin Method).

Sri Ramana Maharishi /Nada Yoga

Arunachala Bhakta Bhagavat from "UNFORGETTABL-E DATES,"RAMANA MAHARISHI'S MIRACLES"(Mr.Bhaga-vat,New York)

"On the night of Wednesday,January 5th,1966,The Great Guru Ramana in His Infinite Mercy gave me formal initiation (in the dream) by placing his right hand on my head and instructing me to meditate on the heart by watching the breath and the sound.

Bhagavan Ramana appeared to me in a dream.He placed his right hand on my head and began to instruct me in Hindi,my mother tongue,in these words:-"Dekho Hridaya ke under se kahan se awaaz aatee hain.Jahan se awaaz aatee hain,usee par dhyaan rakho."(Watch wherefrom the sound emanates in the heart.Meditate on the centre wherefrom the sound emanates).This instruction of Bhagavan continues to reverberate in my heart even now.

The breath starts from the heart,abode of pranavayu.If we exhale and do not inhale immediately the need to take a new breath will start in the centre of the chest,rather down towards the solar plexus.That is the seat of the pranavayu.That is also the place of the "lower akasha",the space of the heart(upper akasha is in the head) ,where the vibration of the omkara dhwani,the Anahata nada,resonates.Mr.Bhagavata is instructed to contemplate on that sound and find its source (pure awareness)."

Sri Ramana Maharishi on Nada:-"He who meditates on it feels it.There are ten kinds of nada.After the final thundering nada,the man gets 'laya'.That is his natural and eternal state. Nada,Jyothi and enquiry(vichara) take one to the same point.

Meditation on nada is one of the several approved methods.The adherents claim a very special virtue for the method. According to them it is the easiest and the most direct method.Just as a child is lulled to sleep by lullabies,so nada soothes one to the state of samadhi.

Again just as a king sends his state musicians to welcome his son on his return from a long journey,so also nada nada takes the devotee into the Lord's abode in a pleasing manner.Nada helps concentration.

Nada-Upasana is good.It is better if it is associated with vichara.In that case the nada is made up of chinmaya(conciousness) and tanmaya(knowledge of self).

In the Tantras nada is said to be the subtle sound with tejas in it.(light-Heat).This light is said to be the body of Siva.When it develops and sound is submerged it becomes bindu.To be full of light (Tejomaya) is the aim. Kala is a part of the bindu."

Sri Ramana's advice is to associate nada-upasana with atma-vichara.While listening to the sound we should also be aware of its source:'Atman'.Sri Ramana Maharishi therefore recommends nada-upasana.

I find an inexplicable peace whenever I go to the ashram to stay there for 2 or 3 days,with my veena.To play my veena in the atmosphere purified,sanctified and electrified where He had walked,talked,withdrawn into Self,preached innumerable devotees,is a bliss that cannot be expressed in words.I had always wondered how lovely it would be to play the veena in the Skanda Ashramam where Bhagavan and His mother had stayed for a long time.But the climb to that spot is steep and I could never attempt climbing there with my veena.The other two places where I dream of playing veena is on the banks of Laka Manasarovar, and in the Sanctum Santorum of Lord Ranganatha's temple in Srirangam.I was told that women were not allowed to play inside the sanctum santorum of the Lord.A gentleman,named Sri Rangarajan is the blessed one to awaken the Lord with his veena playing everyday during Brahma muhurtham.He plays on a mini-sized veena.I had the oppurtunity to play on this,but found it difficult,because the frets are too small and minute.My dream to play the veena right in front of Kamakshi in Kanchipuram had been fulfilled.I was asked to sit in the narrow space in the cubicle where there is the dhwajasthambam ,bang opposite the Goddess.It was dark and hot.Nobody could see me,and the line of devotees moving below the place where I sat and played kept looking around for the source of the veena-nadam(there was mike system)!A few spotted me and were surprised and gathered around me.I was oblivious to everything except my great fortune to be able to look at Her directly while playing veena!

Veena/Gayathri Mantra/Upanishads

WHAT THE ANCIENT TEXTS SAY ABOUT VEENA-

It is in the spinal chord that the sushumna nadi runs.The thin hollow fibrous passage is also known as 'Brahmarandra'.Just as the veena is ever associated with its strings, the brahmarandra is inseparably associated with the power of the mystic"Om" or Parasakthi, the Supreme Power.The 24 vertebral joints that together constitute the spinal column are aligned in the living organism on the model of the above 24 seed-letters(bheejaaksharaas) of the Gayathri.This clearly means that the macrocosm and microcosm are but a condensation of the exalted splendor of the great Mother,Gayathri Devi.

DARSHANOPANISHAD:-"Prushta madhyasthitha nadi veena dandena suvrathi shamasthakaparyantham sushumnasamprathishtitha."

"O,man of learning,the chord that rises from between the posteriors even like unto the trunk of veena,goes upto the very brain.Inside this chord you find firmly established the Sushumna nerve."

SANDILYOPANISHAD:-"Gudasya prushtabhagesminveena danda sadehabhruthmoordastha dehaparyantham brahmanaadeethi kathyathe.Uchchaarayethparam shaktim brahmarandra nivasineem."

"At the rear of the posteriors there rises a straight nervine chord even as the trunk of the veena which rises upto the head.Inside this nervine chord one must locate the Sushumna nadi,one must meditate upon the Infinite power infusing this nadi,in other words,on the omkara which is the mysterious primival sound."

DHYANABINDOPANISHAD:-"Mooladhara sushumnaacha padmathanthu nibhashubha amoorthovarthathesamuththithaha."

"The nervous tendril that uprises from the mooladhara as sushumna nadi is as fine as a lotus filament and full of bliss-giving potency.There vibrates in this mysterious chord the indefinite primeval sonanteven as gross sounds issue from the sound of the Veena."(click on images to enlarge.) Courtesy-Yedathore Subbarama Sharma

Veena Rahasya!

THE SECRET OF VEENA-

"Playing veena is considered one of the highest forms of yoga as it connects the jeevatma to the paramatma, especially when the player handles the veena through the sheer power and force of his 'Prana' ( life-force energy)or 'kundalini shakti' that arises from the mooladhara chakra at the base of the spine.The veena yogi handles the instrument in perfect breath control and goes through the process of 'poorakam' (inhalation),'kumbhakam' (retention of breath), 'rechakam' (exhalation) and gradually into long stages of 'antara kumbhakam' (retention of breath after inhalation) and 'bahya kumbhakam' (retention of breath after exhalation).It is therefore possible to attain the state of samadhi through veena nada yoga.

Aithreya Brahmana states in the fifth chapter of the second part of the "AITHREYAARANYAKA"

ATHAH KHALVIYAM DEIVEE VEENAA BHAVATHI

THADANUKRUTHI MAANUSHI VEENA BHAVATHI!

The spinal chord extends from down the pelvis right upto the brain,sustaining the backbones.This is like the trunk of the veena.Just as there are 24 divisions in the veena,there exists similar assortment of 24 vertebrae in the spinal chord.The 24 vertebrae of the column are grouped as under by the scientists of the west in their treatises on anatomy.

DESCENDING ORDER ON VEENA:-

CERVICAL:-(7 NOTES AND VERTEBRAE)-S,N2,N1,D2,D1,P,M2

DORSAL:-(12 NOTES AND VERTEBRAE)-M1,G2,G1,R2,R1,S,N2,N1,D2,D1,P,M2

LUMBAR:-(5 NOTES AND VERTEBRAE)-M1,G2,G1,R2,R1

Thus totalling 7 joints(cervical belonging to the neck,dorsal belonging to the back and lumbar belonging to the loins).In the veena we see the mansions are large and roomy as they begin from the lower pitch. But as we proceed to the top pitch the frets shrink in size till towards the very end where they are rather minute.The division found near the lion-face(foot) are larger than those near the brain. Similarly,the vertebrae in the column are large and thick near the region of the waist,dwindling more and more in size and thickness as they approach the head.In vedas,the spinal chord is described as veenadanda. As already stated the lower end of the veena is termed as simha-mukha or lion-face.Even the lower end or basal stand of the vertebrae is shaped like veena's simha-mukha.

Physiology tells that the cerebral chord or naadi runs inside the thin hollow tube embedded in the centre of the vertebral column.This cerebral chord is gross.This is not the 'Brahmarandra naadi' or the subtle super physical nerve.The mystic nerve exists as pure ethereal power in this gross cerebral chord.The sukshma nerve is beyond our ken.No x-ray or any other mechanical device can ever hope to discover this ethereal chord in the gross cerebral tendril. Man can only perceive the movements or excitation of the body,but never the forces which cause the movement or excitation.

If inside the gross body we did not possess an ethereal non-physical double, our bodies are but dead.Therefore,inside our corporeal frames there do exist nerves embodying psychic power such as the 'sushumna' or the 'brahmarandra naadi',surya-chandra naadis known as the ida-pingala naadis or the right and left sympathetic chords,the six psychic lotuses known as 'shat chakras' all these enshrining deep occult currents.

In the mysteries concerning the presence of Omkara in the sushumna naadi, one can perceive the deep esoteric varieties that vitalize the veena held in the hands of Goddess Sharada Devi.The power of the manifest (aahatha) sound,issuing as sweet music from the strings of the veena on which we play, reside in the gross nerve fabrics enveloping the mystic sushumna chord.This means that the power of psychic music which brings out the earthly music, resides in the unseen sushumna veena, while the power of the earthly veena resides in and vitalizes the peripheral nervous fibres around the sushumna.Between these two veenas rises the wall of the cerebral spinal chord of utmost fineness which envelops the sushumna naadi even as a glass chimney divides the light of a wick from its atmospheric surroundings.

The timbre of the veena strings has for their prototype the sound of the vedas interfused in the undefined,unmanifest anaahatha or omkara vibration.The seven swaras are rooted in the Cardinal psychic centres of the sushumna naadi viz Mooladhara,Swadhishtana,Manipura,Anaahatha,Vishuddha,Aagna,Sahasraara .Even though the seven swaras have each of their particular habitats yet in manifestation they interact with one another and reign collectively over the whole sushumna region as the power of the Primal Omkara."(click on photo to enlarge). Courtesy- Yedathore Subbaraya Sharma

Deiva Veena-Maanushi Veena

ABOUT THE  VEENA-

Veena is a very ancient instrument dating back to vedic times.This instrument is in the hands of Saraswati,the consort of our creator,Lord Brahma. All emotions, feelings and experiences called the rasas have emanated from this instrument in the hands of Goddess Saraswati.Thus our hearts are fed by our Mother and our minds by our Father.
This instrument therefore is of divine origin and fills our emotional lives.If our emotions are noble and sattwic in nature they find expression in music played particularly on veena.
The human body created by God is the 'deiva veena'.The veena made out of wood by human beings is the 'maanushi veena'.The divine veena expresses the emotions of the immortals in the higher worlds.The human veena expresses the emotions of the mortals.Man was also known as the 'Gathra Veena'.'Gathra'here means body and not voice.The veena played by him is known as 'Daaru Veena'(veena made out of wood).
Saamaveda in a sloka says:-"Daaruvee gaathra veena sathve veenagana jaathishu
Saamikee gaathraveenatu thasyashruthyai lakshanam."
That means the human body known as Gaathra Veena and the veena made by wood known as Daaru Veena are meant for divine music.
There are innumerable references in our scriptures to show that the human body and the veena are similarly patterned.
The manushya veena (wooden veena) and the deiva veena(human beings) are equal to each other or analogous to each other.The deiva or gaathra veena which is the human body is permeated with naadam (musical resonance-the pranava naadam). Likewise,the maanushi veena or daaru veena contain dhwani and naadam.Like the head of the body veena also has a shirassu(head),the kudam in tamil.Like the man's udharam,veena also has a udharam(throat). Like the human fingers,veena also has thanthris(which are plucked by human fingers)The ranges,'sa pa' and 'sa ma' swaras permeate both the human body as well as the veena.
The human being attains poornatwa or mukthi with the help of seven dhatus, namely, skin,bone,brain,flesh,blood,semen and shonitha of the female.Similarly veena becomes perfectly tuned for divine experience with its seven strings.The distance between the bridge and the beginning of the frets is 48 inches.Similarly the distance between the centre of the eyebrows to the nucleus and mooladhara of a man is 48 inches.Like the human vertebrae, the frets in the ascending order become narrow and narrower and the swarasthanas from the first fret to the bridge of the veena get reduced in geometric progression.As the space between the frets get narrowed down from the first fret towards the bridge,the naadam gets progressively enhanced.The music gushes forth in merusthaanam(bridge) and consequently the 'prana' floating and touching the mooladhara lingers at a particular distance and only from this music originates. (This phenomenon of music originating from 'prana' has been described in "Silappadikaaram").
According to Vakopanishad the human body measures 96 inches.The centre is prescribed as the place two inches above the mooladhara.The veena resembles the human body both in the 'sthoola' form and in the subtle 'naada' form.The prana in the human body flows in the upper six and the lower six,that is in 12 regions and explains breath.Similarly 'naadam' in veena flows in the upper six and lower six sthaanaas and produces raga moorchanas.The human body is divided into three moolasthaanaas;swargam,marthyam and paathaalam.Similarly in veena there are three sthaayis(ranges ) mandharam, madhyam, dhaaram.
The yogis who practised Vasi yoga played the Yazh or Veena when heat was generated due to yoga sadhana. "Jathis" were rendered in seven swaras in Aarohana and Avarohana and "kumbhakam"(retention of breath) was made possible beyond the proportions of nature.
Conversely speaking the right kind of raga on veena can create sattwic and noble bhava and rasa in human beings. Human beings need to be elevated from the mundane,materialistic and ignoble thoughts and feelings of this material life to nobler and sattwic feelings and conciousness. Courtesy-Sadguru Sri Sivananda Murthy.

Aahatha Nada/Its role in elevation

Art is the most powerful medium capable of conveying the artiste's feelings to the listener.The origin of music is therefore 'feeling',musi-cally termed as 'bhava'.Every 'bhav-a' has a 'rasa' in it.

'Rasa' is the experience that arises in the emotional core of a listener as he registers the 'bhava' conveyed by the artiste.Therefore from the'bhava' of the artiste music flows and ends up in the same 'rasa' of the listener.This is the ideal of music.If the 'bhava' of the artiste is ennobling,his or her music can certainly elevate the listener's conciousness to great heights.For this reason alone,great composers like Sri.Thyagaraja,Sri Muthuswami Dikshitar,Sri Syama Sasthri and many other composers/devotees whose hearts were filled with love of God chose music to reach the feet of their chosen deity.

The 'bhava' or thought in praise of God is the lyric or sahithya and the music on which the sahithya is based is the 'rasa'.The core of devotion has found expression through lyric in thought andthrough music in experience.Raga and rasa being identical,the Indian science of music developed a language of its own to express any emotion or rasa in music.

Many times we have felt elevated by listening to few artistes.The bhava with which they render is evident through the feelings that arise in us while we listen to them.Whenever I wish to travel to Srirangam,Smt.M.S.Subbulakshmi and Smt.D.K.Pattammal not only take me there,they bodily(here the body is "sookshma shareera") lift me and take me all the way to Srirangam to place me right in front of Lord Ranganatha,and that too in His sanctum-santorum!!!Smt.M.S.'s "Ranga pura vihara" in Brindavana Saranga and Smt.D.K.P.'s "Ranganayakam" in Nayaki literally transport me to the Lord of the Universe.Which means they have rendered the compositions with such a magnitude of 'bhakthi bhava' for such a 'rasa' to result in the core of my being.To mention a few more,I literally have a vision of Kalidasa's darshan of the Goddess while listening to Smt.D.K.P.'s Syamala Dandakam,Sri.Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer's rendition of "O Rangasayi" once again transports me to Srirangam,Smt.D.K.P.'s rendering of "Panchashat Peetha Rupini" and her pause at the 'rishabha' in the anupallavi,"Padmanabha Sahodari" gives me dazzling visions of the Goddess in all Her beauty.

My Guru.late Sri.T.M.Thiagarajan,created a divine atmosphere around him during my class sessions that used to last for over an hour everytime.I felt I was going to a temple instead of a music class,when I used to learn from him.Every note he breathed had a divine aura and his musical intellect came from his Higher Self that was within him!There are many many more examples to quote,living and past musicains,who havetaken me to all the temples and gave me darshan of so many deities in India through their music.These great artistes,through the intensity of 'bhava' have rendered service of the highest order to their listeners.By imparting "Brahmanandam" to the listeners ,such artistes have reduced their 'karma' by leaps and bounds,and that by itself is a great penance!
All forms of popular music tend to provoke the senses,some make us sad,a few give us the illusion of happiness, a few are simply nerve-shattering(heavy metal and rock), certain musical approaches to God are essentially "rajasic" in nature,and there maybe a few that are even "tamasic."Carnatic music is one of the best forms of music that has the ability to bypass senses to attain the soul directly,because it is "sattwa guna pradhana."
There is music that simply does not contain any bhava and leaves the listener feeling listless and flat. If emotions of the artiste are sattwic and noble,their music elevates the listeners to great heights.If materialistic pursuit is the drive behind the rendering of the artiste,she or he attracts listeners who are essentially materialistic by nature.In music as pious and sacred as ours,it is essential to emphasise on its "sattwic" undertones through 'bhava' resulting in'rasa' of the listener that will lift him/her to spiritual heights.

The photograph above is of my Guru,late Sri T.M.Thyagarajan,who has attained heavenly abode through his lifetime of meditative and spirtually high-gnana singing and compositions.

The Practice Of Nadayoga

"By one who is desirous of attaining perfection in yoga,Nada alone has got to be closely heard(meditated upon)having abandoned all thoughts and with a clear mind."(Adi Sankaracharya-Yoga -Taravali).

Nadayoga through deep and absolute involvement in the music one can sing or play on an instrument, is similar to Bhakthi yoga.Nadayoga that contains the stages of yama,niyama,asana,pranayama,pratyahara,dharana,dhyana and samadhi is similar to Raja yoga .People who are not into any singing or playing an instrument can adapt the following methods in their spiritual journey.

For starters,Nadanusandhana asana should be practised.Nadanusandhana Asana:-A-kara,U-kara,M-kara,AUM.Sitting in vajrasana or sukhasana,inhale slowly and completely.First stage:Adopt chinmudra and while exhaling chant 'AAA' in a low pitch.Feeling the resonance in the abdomen and the lower parts of the body,repeat 9 times.Second stage:Adopting the previous mudra and breathing mode,chant 'UUU' feeling the resonance in the chest and the middle region of the body,repeat 9 times.Third stage:Same posture and breathing as the previous two stages,but adopt Adi Mudra-[Place palms on the thighs in vajrasana with the tip of the thumb at the base of the little finger and closing all the fingers over the thumb in a fist.Concentrate on the vishudha chakra(throat region)].Chant 'MMM' and feel the resonance in the entire head region,repeat 9 times.Final stage:Sitting in any meditative posture,adopt Brahma Mudra[Sit in any comfortable yogic posture.Sitting with the spine erct,move the face to the right by turning only the neck,chin coming in line with the right shoulder to whatever extent possible,with gaze directed to the right.Remain in this position for 3 or 5 breaths and get back to the original position.Next,turn the face to the left so that the chin moves towards the left shoulder and the gaze turns towards the left.Remain this way for 3 to 5 breaths and come back to original position.Relax muscles of the neck, and tilt the head back.Relaxing the neck in this manner,let the head come down as far down as possible under gravity,turn the gaze towards the eyebrows.Maintain posture for 3 to 5 breaths and return to original posture.In the fourth stage,the chin drops to the chest level,breathing reduces.In all stages it is essential to maintain concious breathing.All the four levels constitute one Brahma Mudra.Always turn the gaze in the direction of the face whenever the Mudra is attained and released.
Brahma Mudra has to be learnt under the guidance of a proper yoga teacher,For that matter all the above postures and mudras maybe done under the guidance of an experienced yoga practitioner.
Swami Satyananda who was born in 1923 in Almora took up sanyasa at the age of 19 from Swami Sivananda at the Sivananda Ashram,Rishikesh.He had practised and preached nadayoga extensively.
The following are excerpts from his preachings about nadayoga:-
Sittng in nadanusandhana asana,close your eyes and relax your whole body and mind.Feel at total peace.Inhale deeply and exhale with a humming sound like a bee.Keep the teeth seperated slightly and mouth closed.Feel the bee-like sound vibrate throughout the head region,starting from the throat pit.Do this for 30 seconds.Continue repeating this humming sound for 5 minutes.Apply your mind to the humming sounds.After a while,stop making the humming sounds and try to hear subtle sound manifestations.Try to pick up any sound and go on listening.You will find that one particular sound will become clearer and clearer;feel its intensity and purity.Concentrate totally on this sound and listen very carefully.If your hearing is sufficiently sensitive you may find that you can hear another sound in the background of the present predominant sound.It maybe very faint,but perceivable.Leave the first sound and concentrate on the new sound emerging behind it.Transcend the first sound;try to experience the fullness of the new or second sound.Prolong this way.Again with practice and if you have developed your sensitivity,you maybe able to hear another sound emerging.It will be faintly perceptible behind the louder second sound.Direct your awareness to this new sound.The more subtle the sound you perceive,the deeper you will delve into the depths of the mind.With practice this technique will lead you to meditation.If you cannot detect any subtle sound in your first attempt itself,don't despair;with practice you will surely make progress.
You will develop the knack of transcending first the external sound and then the progressively more subtle sounds.The sounds heard by the practitioner resemble those of bells,a lute,a bird chirping,veena,mridangam and so on.
This is a powerful yet simple method of revealing the experiences of your innermost being."
A CLASS TRANSCRIPTION IN NADA YOGA:-
"Sitting down to meditation,one must close his/her ears,with either index fingers or thumbs.Practising ujjayi with closed eyes;one should forget everything and keep breathing in and out in ujjayi in the spinal chord region.One should go on practising ujjayi with even greater concentration.
Plugging the ears,one must produce the sound of a humming bee and while producing the sound of a humming bee,one should mentally chant Om Om Om ..........
To understand the process better,1.first of all one should close their ears2.inhale in the form of ujjayi from the bottom to the top;3.then produce the sound of a humming bee-hummmmm....which should be continuous;4.while producing the sound,mentally chant Om Om Om...;5.practice the humming sound in exhalation;6.while inhaling it goes all the way up in the spinal chord in the form of ujjayi.
Inbetween if one is tired,he may rest his hands on his knees,but practice could continue even with ears open.
The important point to note is that the inhaling has to be done through ujjayi (via spinal chord).Secondly,with ears closed while one is producing humming bee-like sound (in exhalation),he has to mentally chant Om Om Om....If there is any other mantra one prefers to Om chanting,they could do the same,but the rule is to do it rhythmically.
After repeating the above process for many times,one has to stop humming and producing the sound.One must listen very carefully searchjing for internal sounds.One may listen to a second sound in the background of the first sound.It could be the sound of a bee;or a motor or the sound of ocean waves.But whatever may be the second sound,one should get tuned to it,letting go of the first sound.Again a new sound will emrge,it could be the first sound emerging or a new one altogether.Letting go of the first 2 sounds, one must concentrate on the third sound totally and absolutely.Like this one must go on for atleast 5 minutes.Each time a new sound emerges,one should concentrate on that.
Now,one should take his hands from his ears back to meditative position.Holding the body very still one should maintain the posture with eyes closed.This method is known as nadayoga;it brings down the nervous excitement and after this one can meditate on any form.Meditation is to be done within the inner walls of the forehead.The image or form which one wants to meditate is drawn on the inner wall of the forehead,as if it were a blackboard.Drawing the image,one has to concentrate on it fully.
The above process is also said to de-stress and rejuvenate a person,apart from being the practice of nadayoga.

Music of the Spheres/Celestial Music

"Music of the Spheres" is a phrase used by Pythagaros (ca.580-500BC),an early Greek mathematician and astronomer who was the first to discover a mathematical relationship in the frequencies of the various tones of the musical scales.

Material I could gather from various sources on Pythagaros and his contribution to music,and particularly ,celestial music:-

"Pythagaros and his followers believed that a Universal philosophy could be founded in numbers.According to him there were three forms of music:Music of instruments,music of human body and soul and Music of the Spheres (music of the cosmos).He was the first to establish the theory of strings as a tool for understanding the Universe.
When Pythagaros listened to a blacksmith's hammers pounding iron and producing a variety of reverbrations,he derived musical notes from the same.He analysed the hammers and realised that those that were harmonious with each other had a simple mathematical relationship-their masses were simple ratios or fractions of each other.That is to say that hammers half,two-thirds or three quarters the weight of a particular hammer would all generate harmonious sounds.He explained that if two strings in the same degree of tension were divided,one of them exactly in half,and when plucked,the pitch of the shorter string is exactly one octave higher than the longer string.He also discovered that if the length of the 2 strings in relation to each other are 2:3,the difference in pitch is called a fifth.He also taught that various musical notes had different effects on human beings and could also be used in healing people suffering from ailments.
In Astronomy Pythagaros taught that the Earth was a sphere at the centre of the Universe.He observed that the orbit of the moon was inclined to the equator of the earth.He taught that movements of planets travelling through the Universe created sounds that could be perceived by only those who were trained to hear them(this is the same anaahatha shabda that could be perceived only by yogis of high order at a very advanced stage of yoga).This music of the spheres could be replicated using a single string instrument called the monochord. The monochord was used for demonstration by Pythagaros to explain musical intervals and harmonics to his students."
Marsilio Ficino,(1433-1499),a humanist philosopher and astrologer observed that there was an essential congruity between the music of the spheres and the music of the human microcosm.When a person's soul is in tune with the Heavens it responds just as sensitively to the music of the spheres.
John Milton(1608-1674),the english poet said in his lyric poem"Arcades",Milton's genius of the Wood explains to an assembly of nymphs and shepherds how he listens to the music of the spheres at the end of the day."But else in deep of night,when drowsiness hath locked up mortal sense,then I listen to the celestial harmony."
Kircher ,a 17th century German Jesuit scholar said,"Tune the enneachord of my soul to Thy Divine will;play upon all the strings of my soul to the praise and glory of Thy name that I love Thee!"

Hazrat Inayat Khan/Saraswathi Veena

Hazrat Inayat Khan ,who was born in a family of musicians in Baroda on July 5th, 1882, was a sufi teacher from India who started the "Sufi Order in West"(nowcalled "Sufi Order International" in the early part of the 2oth century).Though his family background was Muslim,he was also steeped in the Sufi notion that all religions have their value and place in human evolution.
Very early in life Inayat Khan shaped into a versatile linguist with a remarkable mastery over a several languages such as Sanskrit,Gujarathi,Marathi,Urdu,Hindi,Persian,Arabic and English!Alongside his academic studies,young Inayat did excellently in the five years music course of the Baroda Music Academy and excelled in both instrumental and vocal music.What was more remarkable was that he excelled in both Carnatic as well as Hindusthani music.He composed beautiful religious songs and poured his soul into them as he rendered them.He wanted to attain God through his music.In 1909 he had recorded his music in India,during one of his concert tours.
During my brief stay in Delhi last year(during my husband's assignment in Jindal Steel),I had set out on a massive hunt for his recordings,but could not find them.I was pleased to find a book of his on music,in an old,dilapidated book shop in the middle of a busy market area,and that too in the basement!
What he said:-
"I GAVE UP MY MUSIC BECAUSE I HAD RECEIVED ALL I HAD TO RECEIVE".To serve God one must sacrifice the dearest thing,and I sacrificed the dearest thing to me. I had composed songs,I sang and played the veena; and practising this music I arrived at a stage where I touched the music of the spheres(I shall elaborate on this in my next posting).Then every soul became for me a musical note and all life became music.Inspired by it ,I spoke to the people,and those who were attracted by my music listened to them instead of listening to my songs.Now if I do anything,it is tune souls instead of instruments;to harmonize people instead of notes."
Legendary musicians, musicians who have been practising the art in privacy and away from the media/public glare,renowned and not so well-known teachers are all nada yogis even without intending to be so!The fire of knowledge has been kindled within them at some point of losing themselves (samyoga) in the sheer melody of their own music.The sadhana over a period of time ( it is not the period of time,but the intensity of involvement that matters) results in the practitioner becoming his music ("You become your subject").Hazrat Inayat Khan's statement in the same book-"I played the veena until my heart turned into the same!" bears testimony to the fact stated above.
I cannot help but understand the feelings of shock and remorse any musician could go through when he or she is unable to pursue nadayoga(due to ill-health/ageing/accidents/black magic by a third person),especially at an advanced stage.At this juncture, it is important to realise that the nada once established within,is bound to remain forever within them ,and that they themselves become the embodiments of nada.All the practice in the past would have accumulated the fire of knowledge within the core of their beings to lead them towards the most supreme of all nadayogas,"AUM".