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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

Page:

12 (of 99)


External source: Shodhganga (Repository of Indian theses)


Download the PDF file of the original publication


Warning! Page nr. 12 has not been proofread.

31
On each and every festive occasion, whether it is purely religious
like the Awakening of God (Suprabhāta) or a ritual like wedding, the
chief item of the celebrations is music - vocal as well as instrumental.
The sound of the musical instruments is regarded as divine, extremely
sweet and heart captivating.
2.2 Mythological Background of music
In Indian context all art forms are traced back to a mythological
background. Music and Musical Instruments are no exception to this
general rule. Thus we find that Vīṇ� is associated with Goddess
Sarasvati and Flute with Lord Kṛṣṇa. Śiva has a small drum called
Damaru in his hand. It is said that musical notes emanated from the five
faces of Lord Siva named as Sadyojāta, Vāmadeva, Tatpuruṣa, Īṣāna and
Aghora. Lord Siva taught these notes to his consort Pārvatī and the
tradition was passed on to Goddess Sarasvati, the divine bull
Nandikeśvara and to the divine sages, Tumburu and Nārada.
Saint Tyāgarāja's kriti in Cittarañjani Rāga substantiates this
viewpoint.
नादतनुमनिश� शङ्करं नमाम� मे मनसा शिरस� �
सत्योजाताद� पञ्चवक्त्र� सरिगमपधन� वरसप्तस्वर �
[nādatanumaniśa� śaṅkara� namāmi me manasā śirasā |
satyojātādi pañcavaktraja sarigamapadhani varasaptasvara |
]
I bow down my head along with my mind to Lord Sankarā, who is
the embodiment of Nāda, from whose five faces the seven svaras have
sprung out.
2.3 Vedic Origin
The Vedas, particularly, the Samaveda is considered to be the
Origin of Indian Music. According to Mythology, Brahma derived music
from Samaveda. It will be found that the Sāma saptaka, the basic scale of
Indian music is a perfect scale of high consonance.

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