Eternal fragrance!

"Veena Vadana Tatvagnyah Shruthijaathi Vishaaradhah

Thaalagnyashcha apraythnena mokshamargam niyachchathi!"-(Yagnyavalkya Maharishi-Liberation or salvation can be easily attained by the practitioner who can play the veena effortlessly and perfectly in the aspects of shruthi,laya and manodharma!).

"Darshana Sparshanechasya Bhoga Swargaapavargade

Puneetho Viprahathyadi paathakaiah pathithamjanam!"(Sarangadeva says that the mere sight or touch of veena cleanses even a sinner who has slayed a brahmin!).

When musical notes are sung or played,they interact with the seven chakras of the body and not only that,they even represent Saptha Mathrikas, Brahmi, Maheswari, Kowmari, Vaishnavi, Varahi, Indrani and Chamundi.The sapthaswaras originate from the Sahasrara chakra and from there, they travel to their assigned positions to remain there.

The manner in which the Sapthaswaras (in descending order) travel from Sahasrara to their designated positions is illustrated below:-

Since Sahasrara is allotted the supreme position of containing all the Sapthaswaras,the order starts from Nishadam to Rishabham in the descending order,as a result the Saptha Mathrikas are mentioned from the last to the first in their order:-

1.Nishadam (ni) is represented by Chamundi Shakthi and correlates with the Muladhara Chakra.When the note "nishadam" is touched by the practitioner,the sound starts from Sahasrara and travels all the way below the spine to the Muladhara chakra and remains there.It has no upward motion.

2.Dhaivatham (dha) is represented by Indrani Shakthi and is related to the Swadhishtana Chakram.When the note "dhaivatham" is touched by the practitioner, the sound starting from Sahasrara ,travels all the way down to the Muladhara chakra and raises upwards to reach the Swadhishtana at the genital region and stationed there.

3.Panchamam (pa) is represented by Varahi Shakthi and is related to the Manipooraka Chakra.When the note "panchamam" is either sung or played on an instrument by the practitioner,the sound starting from Sahasrara Chakra travels all the way down to the Muladhara Chakra and raises to reach the Manipooraka Chakra at the solar plexus or navel region to be stationed there.

4.Madhyamam (ma) is represented by Vaishnavi Shakthi and related to the Anahatha Chakra.When the note "madhyamam" is touched by the practitioner,the sound that arises from the Sahasrara travels all the way down to the Muladhara Chakra,raises up from there to go to the Anahatha Chakra at the cardiac plexus or the heart region to stay there.

5.Gandharam (ga) is represented by Kowmari Shakthi and is related to the Vishudhi Chakra. When the note "gandharam" is touched by the practitoner, the sound travels from the Sahasrara Chakra way down to the Muladhara Chakra and raises upto reach the Vishudhi Chakra, at the carotid plexus at the throat region and stays there itself.

6.Rishabham (ri) is represented by Maheswari Shakthi and is related to the Agna Chakra.When the note "rishabham" is touched by the practitioner, the sound travels from the Sahasrara all the way down to the Muladhara Chakra and raises upto the Agna Chakra which is at the medula plexus between the eyebrows and stays there.

7.Sadjyamam (sa) is represented by Brahmi Shakthi and is related to the Sahasrara Chakra , where all the swaras originate as well as dissolve themselves.

The movement of 'prana' in the human body and the flow of sound, 'naada' in the veena is similarly patterned. According to Maithraayanniya Upanishad the prana circulates in the human body on a single day and night for 21,600 breaths. According to our ancestors, the sun revolves around the Mahameru 21,600 times in a single day. A day in the life of a man is known as one revolution of the earth and one breath of sun. 21,600 days constitute 60 years in a man's life time which is known as 'parivruthi'. Two 'parivruthis' constitute a 'kalachakram'. This is also known as 'Purusha Ayush' consisting of 120 years in astrology. This constitutes two days in the life of sun.

A drop of blood as it circulates within a human body takes along with it one breath of the human being. This drop of blood along with one breath takes nearly 7 minutes to circulate within the human body. Similarly, when the veena string is plucked once, the nada wave emanating from it takes nearly 7 minutes to travel back and forth between the bridge of the veena to the beginning fret of the veena.

Lord Shiva was known as 'Veena Gana Priya'. In Thiruvilayadal Puranam Lord Shiva takes the form of wood cutter and plays 'yazh' for the sake of his disciple 'Panipathiran'. Lord Shiva stated that yazh or veena is an instrument bubbling with life because kuril, nedil ­'consonants' and' gamakam' can be played in it without interruption.

A man who recites Gayathri 100 times is absolutely elevated. He reduces 21,600 breaths to 108 breaths per day through pranayama. Hence he enhances one year of life span to 200 years of life span. The veena yogi, by meditating on the tharasthaayi shadjamam within the lotus of his heart is able to reduce the 21,600 breaths to 2,160 breaths. He reduces the same to 1,080 breaths by meditating on madhyasthayi shadjamam and to 540 breaths by meditating on the Aadhara Shadjamam. Therefore the yogic power of the three sthaayis contribute towards the strengthening of the longevity of man to make good use of life towards realising God.' (Incidentally the 'Hrudayakamalam' , the lotus of the heart) has 12 petals bearing
Bijakharas 'ka', 'kha', 'ga', 'gha', 'nga', 'cha', 'chcha', 'ja', 'jha', 'gnya', 'ta', 'tha'.
The first, eighth and eleventh petals 'ka' 'ja' and 'ta' are bheejaaksharas to be meditated upon to unravel the secrets and mysteries of all fine arts towards cosmic truth. Muthuswami Dikshitar's has composed the krithi 'Kanja thalaayadaakshi' in Kamalamanohari with these bijaksharas being emphasised in the beginning of the krithi itself. It is also interesting to note that Saint Thyagaraja composed' Sobhillu Sapthaswara' with the seven aksharas of the Tharaka Mantram 'Sri Rama Rama Rama' (Sri Ra Ma Ra Ma Ra Ma) in mind and not 'Sa ri ga ma pa da ni' as misunderstood by many. Saint Thyagaraja, overjoyed by the vision of Lord Rama sang in praise of the Tharaka Mantram which granted him the vision.

p.s:The comment posted by Music Lover,raising the doubt about why Sri Thyagaraja has composed "Sobhillu Sapthaswara" in a janya raga instead of a sampoorna raga is a very relevant and valid one,something that never struck me.It throws light on the fact that the saint composer was referring to the Tharaka Manthram by not composing "Sapthaswara" in a sampoorna raga! Courtesy-Yedathore Subbarama Sharma