Essay name: Musical Instruments in Sanskrit Literature
Author:
S. Karthick Raj KMoundinya
Affiliation: University of Madras / Department of Sanskrit
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.
Chapter 1 - Introduction: Musical instruments in India
18 (of 21)
External source: Shodhganga (Repository of Indian theses)
Download the PDF file of the original publication
17
The Viṣṇudharmottara PurÄṇa describes how the nine rasas
(sentiments) such as hÄsya, Å›rǹgÄra, vÄ«ra, raudra, adbhuta, karuṇa,
bÄ«bhatsa, bhayÄnaka and Å›Änta - fit with in the seven svaras of music.
नवरसाः ततà¥à¤° हासà¥à¤¯à¤¶à¥à¤°à¥ƒà¤™à¥à¤—ारयोà¤� मधà¥à¤¯à¤®à¤ªà¤žà¥à¤šà¤®à¥� à¥� वीररौदà¥à¤°à¤¾à¤¦à¥à¤à¥à¤¤à¥‡à¤·à¥� षडà¥à¤œà¤ªà¤žà¥à¤šà¤®à¥Œ à¥� करà¥à¤£à¥�
निषादगानà¥à¤§à¤¾à¤°à¥� à¥� बीà¤à¤¤à¥à¤¸à¤à¤¯à¤¾à¤¨à¤–यà¥� धैवतमॠà¥� शानà¥à¤¤à¥‡ मधà¥à¤¯à¤®à¤®à¥� à¥�
[navarasÄá¸� tatra hÄsyaÅ›rṛṅgÄrayoá¸� madhyamapañcamau | vÄ«raraudrÄdbhuteá¹£u á¹£aá¸japañcamau | karuṇe
niá¹£ÄdagÄndhÄrau | bÄ«bhatsabhayÄnakhayo dhaivatam | Å›Änte madhyamam ||
] Viṣṇudharmottara PurÄṇa Section III â€� Ch. XV
The nine rasas and their respective emotive svaras are as follows.
Madhyama and Pañcama for HÄsya and ÅšrngÄra, á¹¢adja and Pañcama for
the depiction of Vira, Raudra and Adbhuta rasas, Niá¹£ada and GÄndhara
for exhibiting Karuna, Dhaivata for Bibhatsa and BhayÄnaka and
madhyama for ÅšÄnta rasa.
According to the Linga PurÄṇa, the worship of Viṣṇu is to be
performed along with offerings, songs, dance and musical instruments.
अरà¥à¤šà¤¨à¤‚ गाननृतà¥à¤¯à¤¾à¤¦à¥à¤¯à¤� वादà¥à¤¯à¥‹à¤¤à¥à¤¸à¤µà¤¸à¤®à¤¨à¥à¤µà¤¿à¤¤à¤®à¥� à¥�
करà¥à¤¤à¤µà¥à¤¯à¤‚ विषà¥à¤£à¥à¤à¤•à¥à¤¤à¥ˆà¤°à¥à¤¹à¤� पà¥à¤°à¥à¤·à¥ˆà¤°à¤¨à¤¿à¤¶à¤� नृà¤� à¥�
[arcanaá¹� gÄnaná¹›tyÄdyaá¹� vÄdyotsavasamanvitam |
kartavya� viṣṇubhaktairhi puruṣairaniśa� nṛpa ||
] Linga PurÄṇa II. 2.5
The direct vision of the svara devatÄs and experiencing the
Brahmananda - the blissful state of mind is referred in the Adbhuta
¸éÄå³¾Äå²â²¹á¹‡a.
कृषà¥à¤£à¤¦à¤¤à¥à¤¤à¥‡à¤� गानेà¤� तसà¥à¤¯à¤¾à¤¯à¤¾à¤¤à¤¾à¤ƒ सà¥à¤µà¤°à¤¾à¤™à¥à¤—नाà¤� à¥�
बà¥à¤°à¤¹à¥à¤®à¤¾à¤¨à¤¨à¥à¤¦à¤ƒ समà¤à¤µà¤¨à¥à¤¨à¤¾à¤°à¤¦à¤¸à¥à¤� à¤� चेतसà¤� à¥�
[kṛṣṇadattena gÄnena tasyÄyÄtÄá¸� svarÄá¹…ganÄá¸� |
brahmÄnandaá¸� samabhavannÄradasya ca cetasi ||
] A blissful joy arose in the mind of NÄrada on listening to the music
of Kṛṣṇa and by the vision of the Svara devatÄs.
