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 2 - Origin and evolution of Music and Musical instruments
10 (of 99)
External source: Shodhganga (Repository of Indian theses)
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The N膩峁瓂a艣膩stra by Bharatamuni illustrates the musical experience
in a different way. The (physical) causes or the reasons for a particular
experience - vibh膩va - lead to the experience - anubh膩va. The experience
(anubh膩va) gives rise to an emotional connection or experience (mood),
ephemeral in nature - bh膩va. This ephemeral experience in turn leads to
the aesthetic experience, which is referred as a psychological state of
mind - rasa.
Human experience according to the N膩峁瓂a艣膩stra is comprised of
eight sentiments, and the text says that the music is capable of evoking
these in the listener.
These eight sentiments are: 艢rng膩ra rasa (romantic, erotic), H膩sya
rasa (comic), Karu峁嘺 rasa (sympathetic), Raudra rasa (anger/wrath),
V墨ra rasa (heroic), Bhay膩naka rasa (terrifying), B墨bhatsa rasa
(unpleasant, odious), Adbhuta rasa (wondrous). Rhetoricians like
Anandavardhana have advocated the inclusion of a ninth rasa, namely
S膩nta rasa.
Sound has its own reflection - pratidhvani (echo). Musical pitches
(艣ruti) are seen as caused by momentum and frequency of vibrations. A
svara (tone) is believed to consist of a 艣ruti (fundamental tone) and some
anura峁嘺na (partial tones or harmonics). The relationship between 艣ruti
and svara can be understood as - parin膩ma (nodal change), vya帽jana
(manifestation), j膩tivyaktyoriva tad膩tmyam (genus and species),
vivartana (reflection), and karyak膩ra峁嘺bh膩va (cause and effect).
