Musical Instruments in Sanskrit Literature
by S. Karthick Raj KMoundinya | 2008 | 66,229 words
The essay studies the Musical Instruments in Sanskrit Literature and its relationship with the South Indian musical tradition. The study emphasizes the universal appeal of music and documents how it pervades various aspects of life, art, literature, painting, and sculpture. The thesis further examines the evolution of musical instruments from ancie...
Musical Instruments in the Uttararamacarita of Bhavabhuti
Bhavabhuti also gives a graphic description of a battlefield wherein the drums are beaten in order to create a feverish sensation or a stunning effect on the elephants. The Gosha of the Dindima drum is exemplified here. agarjagirikunjakunjaraghatanistirnakarnasvara jyanirdhosamamandadundubhiravairadhyatamujjrmbhayan | velladdheravarundamundanikarairviro vidhatte bhuvam trsyatkalakaralavaktravighasakhya kiryamanamiva || Uttararamacarita (V - 6) Sending forth the twang of his bow, that swells with the loud sounds of the kettle drums, and grates fearfully against the ears of the elephant herds roaring in the mountain-caverns, the hero makes the ground, with the numerous heads and headless trunks frightfully dancing about, appear as if spattered with the morsels from the horrible mouth of the god of death when satiated. Bhavabhuti refers to Dundubhi in Uttararamacarita. jrmbhitamca vicitraya mangalaya dvayorapi | stanayitnorivamandadundubherdundumayitam || Uttararamacarita (VI - 2) And to announce good fortune to both, the gentle and deep sound of the celestial drum, is going forth like the rumbling of a thundercloud. The resonant voice of hero is often compared to the sound of a drum. Bhavabhuti resorts to the same idea while referring to the majestic voice of Lava. bhramisukrtaputantarmandalavrtticaksuh pracalitacatulabhutandavairmandalayantya | karakisalayatalairmugdhaya nartyamanam sutamiva manasa tvam vatsalena smayami || Uttararama-Charita III ( 19 ) Rama says - I remember thee with affectionate hearts like a son as thou wast made to dance by my fair wife to the beatings of her tenderhands, who was adoring thee by the quick and charming play of her eye-brows.
212 dadatu taravah puspairarthyam phalaisca madhuscayutah sphutitakamalamo dapraya pravantu vananilah | kalamaviralam rajyatkanthah kvanantu sakuntayah punaridamayam devo ramah svayam vanamagatah | | Uttararamacharita III - ( 24 ) Let the trees dropping honey, furnish an array with flowers and fruits, let the winds of the wood laden with perform at full-blossomed lotuses blow gently, let the birds with melodious tunes, sing sweetly without stopping fox here has king Rama, come again in person to this forest. Mrdanga is referred as a pious instrument in another place. kathoraparavatakanthamecakam vapurvrsaskandhasubandhuramsayoh | prasannasimhastimitam ca viksitam dhvanisca mangalyamrdangamamsalah | | Uttararama-carita VI ( 25 ) Lava Kusa's body is dark-blue like the neck of a full grown pigeon, has well turned shoulders that resemble the neck at a bull, their look is steady like tht of a pleased lion, and their voice is deep like that at the drum of rejoicing. The sudden stopping of the sound of the drum signifies pathos. After Sita goes with Mother earth, nepathye apaniyatamatodyam - Let the Drums be stopped. (Uttara-rama-charita VII act.) Even today we find that when there is some tragedy or a death, there is no playing the musical instruments especially the percussion instruments.