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
72 (of 99)
External source: Shodhganga (Repository of Indian theses)
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Sonnerat (Paris, 1782), who has done research on this subject, says
that, a musical instrument with a bow, by name 'R膩va峁嚹乻tram' has
existed in Hindustan more than 5,000 years ago. There is a great
probability that the fiddle originated in Hindustan, for Sanskrit scholars
inform us there are names of the bow, which cannot be less than 1500 to
2000 years old. These names are Ko峁嚹�, G膩rika, and Pariv膩da.
There are also sculptures found in our temples that go to support
this argument. The Agastisvarar temple in the Thirumalakudalu district
of Mysore has an image of a lady playing a musical instrument with a
bow, carved on a stone pillar. Historians say that this carving is more
than 1000 years old. Thus, these facts may be called to bring home the
fact that instruments similar to the violin had appeared in India before
the European violin arrived.
2.16.10 Plucked Instruments (Other than V墨峁嚹�):
Gottuvadyam is also one of the earliest instruments and was
known as Mah膩 Nataka V墨峁嚹� earlier. There are instruments called
Villadi V膩dyam, E岣峚kka (in Kerala) and Gettu V膩dyam, which are
essentially percussion instruments and not suitable for playing music.
Villadi V膩dyam has been used in "Villu P膩峁弓u" and even today there are
a few exponents of Gettu V膩dyam.
The various forms of Y膩zh and V墨峁嚹� have developed to reflect and
heighten various aspects of music. It was a result of such developments
that the V墨峁嚹� that we see today has come out of the Kachchapi V墨峁嚹� in a
much-improved fashion.
