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
66 (of 99)
External source: Shodhganga (Repository of Indian theses)
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81
Silapadhik膩ram', which vividly describes the requisites of players
of these three instruments, avers "Kuzhal vazhi nindradu y膩zhe". The
Kuzhal or Ve峁噓 or Vamsa is a delicate instrument and is capable of
producing very delicate graces, embellishments, nuances and shades of
music.
N膩dasvaram is a robust instrument played mainly in temples and
during celebrations like marriage. The instrument is so called since it
appears like a cobra. N膩dasvaram is played vertically and its tone is also
very loud. It is an open-air instrument.
Ottu N膩dasvaram is a N膩dasvaram without finger holes and it
served as the drone in N膩dasvaram ensembles. N膩dasvaram is a
Mangala V膩dya'.
It has very essential role in occasions, festivals, royal functions etc.
啶夃い啷嵿じ啶掂 啶氞啶� 啶ぞ啶ㄠ 啶� 啶ㄠ啶ぞ啶｀ぞ啶� 啶啷嵿啶侧啶粪 啶� 啷�
啶多啶� 啶曕げ啷嵿く啶距え 啶啶椸 啶� 啶掂た啶掂ぞ啶灌啶班ぃ啷� 啶むぅ啶� 啷�
[utsave caiva y膩ne ca n峁沺膩峁嚹佱箖 ma峁単ale峁 ca |
艣ubha kaly膩na yoge ca viv膩hakara峁噀 tath膩 ||
] N膩峁瓂a艣膩stra - Chapter XXXIII - Verse 18
2.16.7 Musical Instruments in Sculptures:
The relics of Nag膩rjun膩 kon岣峚, Amar膩vati, S膩帽ci and the Ajanta
caves have a number of panels depicting musicians playing musical
instruments. The temples of Tanj膩v奴r, Chidambaram, 艢r墨rangam,
Sucindram, Madurai, Trivandrum, Aihole, Ellora, Halebid and Belur
exhibit sculptures with reference to musical instruments. The stone
pillars in some of these temples (example: Tirunelveli) produce sounds
of music when tapped. Some of the pictures in musical instruments in
sculptures are given in the appendix.
