Useful Information on Carnatic Music

Some info on Carnatic music.
>
>
> It is not easy to point to one period of history or one
> ancient form of music as the source of contemporary Carnatic
> music. Several changes in theory and practice have surely
> taken place from Vedic times to the present day.
>
> Historical records allow us to trace the interesting
> pattern of evolutionary changes in music.
>
> Divine Origins:
>
> It is the general belief in Indian culture, that all art
> forms
> have a divine origin. Carnatic music is also believed to
> have originated
> from the Gods. This has been separately discussed in the
> mythological
> section.
>
> Natural Origins: A number of musical sounds are naturally
> produced, e.g. the sound emanating from the bamboo reed when
> air passes through its
> hollows. Ancient man observed this phenomenon and designed
> the first
> flute! Some ancient treatises describe the connection of
> the origin of swaras to the sounds of animals and birds.
> Man, with his keen sense of observation and perception tried
> to simulate these sounds. His ability to distinguish between
> sounds of different frequencies, qualities and timbre would
> have been an important factor in the evolution of Carnatic
> music.
>
> Folk Origins:
>
> Folk music, also said to have a natural origin, is
> considered by
> many scholars as one source that has influenced the
> structure of Carnatic
> music. While folk music evokes more spontaneity, a
> classical system like
> Carnatic music is more organised. Certain folk tunes
> correspond to
> Carnatic melodies or ragas like Anandabhairavi,
> Punnagavarali,
> Yadukulakambhoji, etc.
>
> Vedic Origins:
>
> It is generally accepted that the Vedas are a probable
> source
> of Indian music, which has developed over the centuries
> into the
> sophisticated system that it is today. The word “Veda”
> means knowledge.
> The thousands of hymns in the Vedas, which are dedicated to
> the Gods and
> Hindu rituals, in the form of chants were passed down by
> oral tradition
> from generation to generation. There are four Vedas - Rig,
> Yajus, Sama
> and Atharvana. Of these, the Sama Veda is said to have laid
> the foundation
> for Indian music. Sama Veda consists mostly of Rig Vedic
> hymns, set to
> musical tunes. These used to be sung during Vedic
> sacrifices, using musical
> notes (3 notes - 7 notes), sometimes accompanied by a
> musical instrument.
>
> LITERARY SOURCES
>
> Sanskrit:
>
> Apart from the Sama Veda, there are references to music
> and
> musical instruments in the Upanishads, Brahmanas and
> Puranas. Epics
> like Ramayana and Mahabharata also have some references to
> music. The
> music system in practice during Bharata’s period must
> have been similar in
> some respects to the present day Carnatic system. Bharata's
> Natya Sastra
> mentions many musical concepts that continue to be relevant
> to Carnatic
> music today.
>
> Tamil:
>
> Tamil works like Silappadikaram, Tolkappiam and other
> Sangam
> literature works give old Dravidian names for the seven
> notes in the
> octave, and describe how new scales can be developed by the
> modal shift
> of tonic (shifting the reference Shadja) from an existing
> scale. In the old
> Tamil music, the concept of Pann corresponds to that of the
> modern Raga.
> The rhythmic meters found in several sacred musical forms
> like Tevaram,
> Tiruppugazh, etc., resemble the talas that are in use
> today. Above all,
> Tamil music was practised by the native Dravidians of
> Southern India.
> Since Carnatic music is prevalent in South India, many
> scholars believe
> that the ancient Tamil music is an important source from
> which Carnatic
> music is derived.
>
> After the Sangita Ratnakara of Sarngadeva (1210-1247), the
> word
> “Carnatic” came to represent the South Indian Classical
> Music as a
> separate system of music. A clear demarcation between
> Hindustani music
> and Carnatic music as two different forms of Indian
> classical music is seen
> around the latter half of the 14th century. Classical
> Indian music flourished in the southern capital cities,
> particularly in Vijayanagara and Tanjavur. A number of
> musical treatises describing the concepts of Carnatic music
> were written. The present form of Carnatic music is based on
> historical developments that can be traced to the 15th -
> 16th AD and thereafter.
>
> MYTHOLOGICAL ASPECTS
>
> In India, mythology has a very important place and its
> influence on the art
> and culture of the country is phenomenal, Carnatic music
> being no
> exception. Owing to its spiritual and devotional aspects,
> Carnatic music is
> associated with Hinduism, the dominant religion of India.
> The origin of this art has been attributed to the Gods and
> Goddesses. Moreover, individual deities are associated with
> different kinds of musical instruments. We cannot conceive
> of Krishna without the flute or Saraswati without the
> Veena.
>
> The literary sources such as the epics and mythological
> anthologies also
> mention the close association of music with divinity.
> Apart from these sources, many saints and scholars believe
> that music is
> the greatest form of tapasya (penance) and the easiest way
> to reach
> godhead or to attain salvation. Most of the musical
> compositions are either
> philosophical in content or describe the various deities or
> incidents from
> Hindu mythology. There are others who believe that music
> itself is divine
> and that the perfect synchronisation of the performer with
> the musical
> sound, Nada, is the real divine bliss. This practice is
> called Nadopasana.
> Many musicians and music lovers visualise divine forms in
> the Ragas or the
> melodic entities of Carnatic music.
>
> HISTORY OF CARNATIC MUSIC
>
> The history of Carnatic music can be studied based on three
> major periods
> of development, namely, Ancient, Medieval and Modern. Let's
> now look into
> the finer details of each.
>
> THE ANCIENT PERIOD (Vedic period - 4th Century AD):
>
> This was the vital period in the history of Indian music.
> During this period there is no mention of the term, Carnatic
> music, in any of the sources, but there is sufficient reason
> to believe that this period was crucial to the original
> development of Carnatic music. Some important references are
> cited here:
>
> Vedas:
>
> Of the four Vedas, Rig Veda (hymns) was first recited in a
> monotone
> known as archika, which later developed into the two toned
> chant (gatika).
> This was subsequently replaced by a three-toned chant,
> samika, which had
> a main tone and two accents, one higher and one lower. Sama
> Veda is
> considered as the main source for the development of Indian
> music and
> the first full scale with seven notes in the descending
> order are seen in the rendering, even to this day. The
> melody is close to the scale of the raga, Kharaharapriya
> (22nd Melakarta) or Natakapriya (10th Melakarta).
> Several references to music of musical instruments are seen
> in the Vedas.
> One of the earliest references to musical theory is found
> in the Rik
> Pratisakya (around 400BC), which mentions the origin of
> seven notes from
> the three notes.
>
> Upanishads (the concluding part of Vedas), containing the
> essence of
> Vedas (100 BC - 300 BC), mention the musical notes and
> gives other
> musical references. Musical instruments like the Vina and
> Dundubhi are
> mentioned in the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad. The two great
> epics,
> Ramayana (circa 40 BC) and Mahabharata, also have several
> musical
> references.
> There is also a mention of Gandharvas [(demi-gods) (600 -
> 500 BC)], who
> were exceptionally versatile in music. Bharata in his
> Natyasastra, also
> acknowledges saying that music belonged to the Gandharvas.
>
> Bharata's Natyasastra (The 2nd - 4th century AD)
>
> This is the earliest treatise to extensively elaborate on
> the science of music and dance. Music is dealt only partly
> in this treatise. Yet, various aspects like the ancient
> melodies (Jaatis) which are the archetypes of Ragas, their
> characteristic features, structure and the classification of
> the ancient instruments have been made in this work. The
> notes (swaras), their varieties, combination (varnas) and
> other such aspects are also
> elaborately described.
>
> Bharata has given the fundamentals of music as comprising
> Swara, Tala
> and Pada. The music till Bharata’s period was known as
> Marga (literally
> meaning way).
>
> In the ancient period, the native Dravidians of the south
> had their own
> style, which is generally called Tamil music, owing to the
> native regional
> language of the area. The Sangam literature till 3rd AD, in
> particular, has
> many references to this style. Works like Silappadikaram of
> Ilango Adigal,
> and its commentaries, describe the logical derivations of
> the important
> scales through the modal shift of tonic. The Tamil names of
> these notes
> have also been mentioned. Other works like Tolkappiam,
> Pattupattu, etc.
> also give musical references. Some of these descriptions
> and references
> correspond to contemporary Carnatic music concepts.
>
> MEDIEVAL PERIOD (5th - 16th Century AD) During this period,
> many
> important musical concepts evolved in clear terms and in
> this period, more
> care was taken to put into record, some of the important
> musical
> developments by several music scholars, to enable us to
> have proper
> historical links. Several musical composers and luminaries
> have also lived
> during this period.
>
> The work of Matanga (6th - 7th Century A.D.), Brihaddesi,
> is the first to
> mention the word, Raga. This text also gives the names of
> the then popular
> Ragas, with their suitable structures, and a basic
> classification system.
> The other notable feature during that period was the
> gradual development of
> the art of music as an independent form, breaking away from
> being overly
> dependent on forms of dance and drama.
>
> The Kudimiyanmalai inscriptions in a cave, near Pudukottai
> (Tamilnadu),
> has an array of musical diction (notation) of South Indian
> music in the 7th
> century AD. The Tevarams (6th - 9th century AD), songs in
> praise of Lord
> Siva, used more than 20 scales with Tamil names, which were
> equivalent
> to the present system of Carnatic music. Many of these
> Tevarams are still
> rendered as musical pieces in concerts. This corpus, along
> with the Divya
> Prabandham (compositions of the Vaishnavite Azhwars, 6th -
> 8th century
> AD), have been a significant contribution of the Tamil
> speaking region to
> Carnatic music.
>
> The Tiruppugazh of Arunagirinathar, who lived around the
> 15th century, is
> another inspiring Tamil work which significantly affected
> Carnatic music.
> This has complex rhythmic meters, which remain unique and
> unsurpassed
> in their grandeur.
>
> The Gita Govinda of Jayadeva (12th century) is a monumental
> work of the
> medieval period in Sanskrit, consisting of 24 songs, each
> set to a particular Raga. The rhythmic meter is determined
> by the meter of the verse. These were, probably, the
> earliest examples close to the regular musical compositions
> and are called Ashtapadis (ashta meaning eight and padi
> meaning foot). These are popular throughout India even
> today, though the original tunes are lost. Contemporary
> musicians from both the Carnatic and Hindustani traditions
> have set these songs to music independently.
> Sangeeta Ratnakara An important musical treatise was
> written by
> Sarngadeva (1210-1247). This work contains five thousand
> couplets in
> Sanskrit written in nine chapters, comprehensively covering
> Swaras,
> Ragas, Prabandhas (musical form of this period),
> Tala-vadyas (percussion
> instruments), Gamakas (ornamentations) and other such
> aspects. This
> work establishes the complete growth of Indian music from
> the period of
> the Natya Sastra (2nd century) to the 13th century. This
> work stands out
> particularly as a link between the two new systems that
> gradually split and
> evolved separately after his period, namely, the Hindustani
> music and
> Carnatic music. The music between the period of Brihaddesi
> and the
> Sangeeta Ratnakara was known as the Desi system.
>
> Sarngadeva’s work inspired many later scholars who wrote
> musicological
> treatises. The Sangeeta Sara, attributed to Vidyaranya
> (1320-1380) was
> the first to classify ragas as Melas (Parent) and Janya
> ragas. After this
> work, there seems to have been a lull in the theoretical
> development for
> almost two centuries. Ramamatya wrote his treatise,
> Swaramela Kalanidhi,
> in the 16th century. The clear exposition of Mela, Raga and
> Vina technique
> must be accredited to him. His effort served as a firm and
> fitting
> foundation to the growth of the modern music system and may
> be
> considered as the milestone in the scientific development
> of our music.
>
> Musical Forms.
>
> This period gradually traces the evolution from
> Gandharvagana forms like
> Dhruvagana of Bharata’s period, through the different
> kinds of
> Prabandhas, to the present day forms. Several important
> forms were
> composed during this period - Tevaram, Divyaprabandham,
> Tiruppavai (is a
> part of Divyaprabandham), Ashtapadis, Padams, Kritis,
> Gitams, apart from
> the Abhyasa gana, Alankara and Swaravalis for beginners.
> Tallapakkam Annamacharya (1425 - 1503 AD), composed in a
> new form
> called Kriti, having three sections, namely the Pallavi,
> Anupallavi and
> Charanam. This pattern became widely accepted and was
> popularised by
> later composers, in particular, the Trinity. This stands
> out as an
> outstanding contribution of Annamacharya to the practical
> side of our
> music. He is credited to have composed about thirty two
> thousand
> compositions of which around twelve thousand have been
> traced and some
> of these have been still preserved in copper plates. The
> Kritis were not as
> complicated as the earlier Prabandha forms.
>
> Purandaradasa (1484 - 1564 AD) is known as the Sangeeta
> Pitamaha (the
> grandfather of Carnatic music). A prolific composer, he
> laid the foundation
> for the systematic learning of the system and he is
> credited to have
> formulated the swara exercises for practice, apart from
> composing simple
> songs, Gitams, and a number of compositions (Kritis) with
> high
> philosophical import. In short, during the medieval period,
> one can say that Carnatic music gradually attained its
> individuality built over a historically strong foundation.
> In particular, after the 13th century, no major treatise is
> seen from the North. Tanjavur and Vijayanagara emerged as
> the major seats of Carnatic music, with a number of classic
> monumental works being produced in both the theoretical and
> practical aspects of music.
>
> MODERN PERIOD:
>
> (17th century to present day) The 17th century can be
> considered as a golden age of Carnatic music. It marks
> several important
> milestones of Carnatic music in diversified angles, thus,
> enriching this
> traditional art form, while preserving the past glories.
> Some of the most
> important developments in both Lakshana (theoretical) and
> Lakshya (practical) aspects took place during this period.
>
> Theoretical aspects.
>
> The well structured 72 Melakarta scheme was formulated by
> Venkatamakhi in his treatise Chaturdandi Prakasika in 1660
> AD. This
> scheme is the proud heritage of our music, and is not
> simply of academic
> interest, but also has immense practical value to all
> musicians,
> musicologists and students. Other important treatises on
> music written
> during this period are the Sangeeta Saramrita of Tulaja
> (1729 - 1735 AD),
> Sangeeta Sudha of Govinda Dikshita and the Sangraha
> Choodamani of
> Govinda (1750 A.D).
>
> By the end of the 19th century, notational schemes were
> developed, for
> written representation of musical compositions. These were
> published in
> works like Subbarama Dikshitar’s Sangeeta Sampradaya
> Pradarsini in
> Telugu and Manikka Mudaliar’s Tamil work, Sangeeta
> Chandrikai. A M
> Chinnasami Mudaliar published south Indian music
> compositions written in
> western staff notation. These early pioneers in recent
> times have paved
> the way for a research-oriented understanding of this
> practical art form.
> While the theoretical works were trying to keep pace with
> the practical
> music, the practical music itself was evolving continuously
> and a number
> of luminaries have made a tremendous impact on refinement
> of this art
> form, to keep it fresh and alive.
>
> Practical aspects.
>
> In the 18th century, within a short period from 1763 - 1775
> AD, were born
> the three great composers of Carnatic music, who were later
> to be
> celebrated as the Musical Trinity (Trimurti) - Syama Sastri
> (1762 - 1827)
> Tyagaraja (1767-1847) and Muthuswami Dikshitar (1776-1835).
> All of
> them combined their immense knowledge, deep spirituality
> and profound
> traditional musicianship with an amazing sense of
> creativity and innovative
> spirit. This has made their contribution to Carnatic music
> invaluable. The
> art of musical composition was elevated to great heights at
> their hands. It
> can confidently be asserted that all later composers have
> tried to live up to the standards set by these three bright
> stars. Other great composers who
> have contributed to the vast repertoire of Carnatic music
> compositions
> include Swati Tirunal (1813-1847), Vina Kuppayyar,
> Subbaraya Sastri,
> Gopalakrishna Bharati, Ghanam Krishna Iyer, Patnam
> Subramanya Iyer,
> Koteeswara Iyer, Muthaiah Bhagavatar, Mysore Vasudevachar
> and Papanasam Sivan and many others.
>
> Musical concepts.
>
> The 72 Melakarta scheme was responsible for the
> transformation in the
> Raga system of Carnatic music. Several new Ragas came into
> existence
> and were popularised by means of compositions tuned by the
> Trinity of
> composers along with others who followed the 72 Melakarta
> scheme. Many
> different kinds of musical compositions developed, having
> different
> structural arrangements (musical forms). These include the
> Varnam, Kriti,
> Padam, Javali, Tillana, Swarajati and other varieties.
> These forms have
> continued to remain popular in the 20th century.
>
> Till the end of the 19th century, the patronage of Carnatic
> music and
> musicians was mostly limited to the major temples and royal
> courts, as
> also a few rich landowners, who arranged concerts for
> various events. In
> the 20th century, the patronage has taken a different
> shape, with the
> advent of a number of organisations (Sabhas) and corporate
> sponsors who
> have brought a more professional outlook to this
> traditional art-form. As a
> result, Carnatic music is now heard in all major Indian
> cities, as also in
> major centers in Asia, Europe and America.
>
> Music Education.
>
> The learning and teaching processes have also adopted
> themselves to the
> changes in the living style, over the years. The
> traditional Gurukula system has given way to an
> institutional system of training in the 20th century.
> Several good musicians have taken to teaching as their
> profession. Modern educational tools have been pressed into
> service, with the growth of
> recording technology. From analog tape recorders to state
> of the art
> computers and internet connections are being put to use in
> imparting
> musical education worldwide.
>
> The written musical notation system has undergone several
> changes over
> the years and has been used as a reference material for
> learning. Research
> oriented study and documentation of musical forms have also
> increased
> over the years. A number of books in different languages,
> by musicians and
> musicologists, have also been useful to understand the
> different concepts
> of this system of music. The involvement of mass media and
> communications has been a vital factor in the increase in
> interest of the unexposed, to this traditional art form.
> Through all this change, Carnatic music has not only gained
> new vigour, but has also retained its freshness
> within the traditional framework of this system.
>
> TIME PERIOD IMPORTANT CREATIONS IMPORTANT PERSONALITIES
> NOTES.
>
> 1000 BC.
>
>  Sama Veda
>  Chants to Vedic hymns
>
> 500 - 1000 BC.
>  Parivrajaka Upanishad
>  Early Tamil school
>  Narada
>  Equivalent of Swara system defined
>
> 2nd century AD
>
>  Natya Sastra
>  Silappadikaram
>  Bharata
>  Ilango Adigal
>  Treatise on Dance and music (references to Tala,
> musical modes &
> forms)
>  References to Tamil music concept
>
> 5th century AD
>
>  Brihaddesi
>  Matanga
>  Early compilation of Ragas, then known as Jaatis
> 7th century AD
>  Kudimiyanmalai inscriptions (stone) in Pudukottai
> district, Tamilnadu
>  Musical notations (Probably the first)
>
> 7th - 9th century AD
>
>  Tevaram
>  Tirumurai
>  Divyaprabandha
>  Appar
>  Sundaramurti
>  Tirugnanasambandar
>  Manikkavachakar
>  Other Nayanmars & Azhwars
>  Sacred Tamil music forms
>  Pann concept
>
> 12th century AD
>
>  Gita Govinda
>  Sangeeta Makaranda
>  Panditaradhya Charita
>  Sangeeta Sudhakara
>  Jayadeva
>  Narada
>  Palkuriki Somanatha
>  Haripaladeva
>  Classification of Gamakas
>  Various srutis identified
>
> 1210 - 1247 AD
>
>  Sangeeta Ratnakara
>  Sarngadeva
>  Desi system of music was explained in detail.
>  The 22-sruti concept was born.
>  Distinction between Marga and Desi given.
>
> 12th, 13th & 14th century AD
>
>  Gradual emergence of Tanjavur and Vijayanagar as seats
> of music.
>  Muslim invasion of North India.
>  Development of Hindustani music.
>
> 14th century AD
>
>  Raga Tarangini
>  Sangeeta Sara
>  Lochana Kavi
>  Vidyaranya (1320 - 1380 AD)
>  Development of the concept of Raga alapana.
>
> 15th century AD
>
>  Tiruppugazh
>  Arunagirinathar
>  Purandaradasa (1484 - 1564)
>  Annamacharya (1424 - 1503)
>  Kanakadasa
>  Introduction and structuraing of basic music lessons.
>  Evolution of kriti, pada formats
>  Growth of Namasankeertana and Bhajana Paddhati (group
> rendition
> of devotional music).
>
> 1550 AD
>
>  Swaramela Kalanidhi
>  Ramamatya
>  Explanation of the word Mela, Vina techniques and other
> musical
> concepts.
>
> 1609 AD
>
>  Raga Vibodha
>  Somanatha
>
> - 1660 AD
>
>  Sangeeta Parijata
>  Ahobala
> -
> 17th century AD (approximately)
>
>  Chaturdandi Prakasika
>  Venkatamakhi
>  Evolution of modern music theory.
>  Development of 72-mela system.
>
> 17th century AD
>
>  Anupa Sangeeta Vilasa
>  Bhavabhatta Shahoji, Maharaja of Tanjavur (1684 -
> 1710)
>  Patronage of music and composers.
>
> 17th - 18th century AD
>
>  Sangraha Choodamani
>  Govindacharya
>  Development of musical forms like Varnams.
>  Musical treatise with the 72-melakarta scheme along
> with names
> written.
>
> 18th century AD
>
>  Trinity of Carnatic music - Tyagaraja, Muthuswami
> Dikshitar and
> Syama Sastri
>  Other Tamil composers like Gopalakrishna Bharati
>  Regarded as the Golden era of Carnatic music.
>
> 19th century AD
>
>  Composers like Subbaraya Sastri, Swati Tirunal, Tachi
> Singaracharlu,
> Maha Vaidyanatha Iyer, Patnam Subramanya Iyer, Vina
> Seshanna
> and Subbarama Dikshitar
>  Carnatic music became richer with more compositions.
>
> 1895 - 1950 AD
>
>  Sangeeta Sampradaya Pradarsini
>  Composers like Papanasam Sivan, Koteeswara Iyer,
> Mysore
> Vasudevachar, Muthaiah Bhagavatar
>  Muthuswami Dikshitar's compositions with notations
> published
> through the Sampradaya Pradarsini.
>  Concepts like Gamakas etc explained in the same.
>  Emergence of Sabhas.
>  Golden era for Carnatic concert scene.
>  Emergence of institutional education for music.
>  Development of mass media like radio and recording
> companies.
>  Influx of patriotic songs in the wake of the Indian
> freedom
> movement.
>  Carnatic music came to be adopted in film music.
>
> 20th century AD
>
>  Technological developments as a result of the
> electronic and
> computer age.
>  Adoption of western instruments like Guitar, Mandolin,
> Keyboard etc
> in the concert scene.
>  Arrival of TV, cassettes, CDs, CD-ROMs, VCDs etc.
>  Growth and globalisation of professional music.
> Carnatic music (also spelled Karnatak music or Karnatik
> music, and
> originally called Karṇāṭaka sangīta or Karṇāṭaka
> sangītam in India) is
> known as one of the two styles of Indian classical music,
> the other being
> Hindustani music. Its classical tradition is from the
> southern part of the
> Indian subcontinent, and its area roughly corresponds to
> the four modern
> states of South India: Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala,
> and Tamil Nadu.
> The main emphasis in Carnatic music is on vocal music; most
> compositions
> are written to be sung, and even when played on
> instruments, they are
> meant to be performed in a singing style (known as
> gāyaki). Like
> Hindustani music, Carnatic music rests on two main
> elements: rāga, the
> modes or melodic formulæ, and tāḷa, the rhythmic
> cycles.
>
> Etymology.
>
> Origins and history.
>
> Like all art forms in Indian culture, Carnatic music is
> believed to have a
> divine origin - it is believed to have input from the Devas
> and
> Devis.However, it is also generally accepted that the
> natural origins of
> music were an important factor in the development of
> Carnatic music.
> Ancient treatises describe the connection of the origin of
> the swaras, or
> notes, to the sounds of animals and birds, and man's keen
> sense of
> observation and perception that tried simulating these
> sounds - after
> hearing and distinguishing between the different sounds
> that emanated
> from bamboo reed when air passes through its hollows, man
> designed the
> first flute. In this way, music is venerated as an aspect
> of the supreme
> (nāda brāhmam). Folk music is also said to have been a
> natural origin of
> Carnatic music, with many folk tunes corresponding to
> certain Carnatic
> ragas.
>
> The Vedas are generally accepted as the main probable
> source of Indian
> music. The Sama Veda is said to have laid the foundation
> for Indian music,
> and consists mainly of hymns of Rigveda, set to musical
> tunes which would
> be sung using three to seven musical notes during Vedic
> sacrifices. The
> Yajur-Veda, which mainly consists of sacrificial formulae,
> mentions the
> veena as an accompaniment to vocal recitations during the
> sacrifices.
> References to Indian classical music are made in many
> ancient religious
> texts, including epics like the Ramayana and Mahabharata.
> The
> Yajnavalkya Smriti mentions "vīṇāvādanatattvajñaḥ
> śrutijātiviśāradaḥ
> tālajñaścāprayāsena mokṣamārgaṃ niyacchati" ("The
> one who is well
> versed in veena, one who has the knowledge of srutis and
> one who is
> adept in tala, attains salvation without doubt.").
>
> Carnatic music is based on music concepts mentioned in
> Bharata's Natya Shastra. The Natya Shastra mentions many
> musical concepts (including swara and tala) that continue to
> be relevant to Carnatic music today.
> Carnatic music saw revolutionary growth during the
> Vijayanagar Empire by
> the Kannada Haridasa movement of Vyasaraja, Purandara
> Dasa,
> Kanakadasa and others. Purandara Dasa who is known as the
> Sangeeta
> Pitamaha meaning the father (founder) of Carnatic music,
> laid out the
> complete fundamental principles and framework for Carnatic
> music.
> Venkatamakhin is credited with the classification of ragas
> in the Melakarta
> System and wrote his most important work; Chaturdandi
> Prakasika in
> Sanskrit. Govindacharya expanded the Melakarta Scheme into
> the
> Sampoorna raga system, which is the system in common use
> today.
>
> Even though the earlier writers Matanga, Sarangadeva and
> others also
> were from Karnataka, the music tradition was formally named
> Karnataka
> Sangeetha for the first time only in the 13th Century when
> the
> Vijayanagara empire was founded. Since the late 12th and
> early 13th
> centuries, as a result of the increasing Persian influence
> (and as a result of the Islamic conquest) in North India,
> Hindustani Music started evolving as a separate genre, while
> Carnatic music was relatively unaffected by these Arabic and
> Iranian influences. A clear demarcation between Hindustani
> music and Carnatic music can be seen in the latter half of
> the 14th century, as the word "Carnatic" came to represent
> South Indian classical music as a separate system of music.
>
> A unique development in the art of instrumental Carnatic
> music took shape
> under the patronage of the kings of the Kingdom of Mysore
> in the 18th
> through 20th centuries. The composers used to play their
> compositions on
> instruments such as the veena, rudra veena, violin,
> tambura, ghata, flute,
> mridangam, nagaswara, swarabhat.
>
> Some instruments such as harmonium, sitar and jaltarang,
> though uncommon to the southern region came into use and the
> English influence popularised the saxophone and piano. Even
> royalty of this dynasty were noted composers and proficient
> in playing musical instruments, solo or in concert with
> others. Some famous instrumentalists were:-
>
> Veena Sheshanna(1852-1926),
>
> Veena Subbanna
> (1861-1939),
>
> T. Chowdiah and others.
>
> Nature of Carnatic music.
>
> The main emphasis in Carnatic music is on vocal music; most
> compositions
> are written to be sung, and even when played on
> instruments, they are
> meant to be performed in a singing style (known as
> gāyaki).[17] Like
> Hindustani music, Carnatic music rests on two main
> elements: rāga, the
> modes or melodic formulæ, and tāḷa, the rhythmic
> cycles.[18]
> Carnatic music is practised and presented today by
> musicians in concerts
> or recordings, either vocally or through instruments.
> Carnatic music itself
> developed around musical works or compositions of
> phenomenal
> composers (see below).
>
> Important elements of Carnatic music.
>
> Śruti.
>
> Śruti commonly refers to musical pitch. It is the
> approximate equivalent of
> a tonic (or less precisely a key) in Western music; it is
> the note from which all the others are derived. It is also
> used in the sense of graded pitches in an octave. While
> there are an infinite number of sounds falling within a
> scale (or raga) in Carnatic music, the number that can be
> distinguished by auditory perception is twenty-two (although
> over the years, several of them have converged). In this
> sense, while shruti is determined by auditory perception, it
> is also an expression in the listener's mind.
>
> Swara.
>
> Swara refers to a type of musical sound that is a single
> note, which defines a relative (higher or lower) position of
> a note, rather than a defined frequency. Swaras also refer
> to the solfege of Carnatic music, which consist of seven
> notes, "sa-ri-ga-ma-pa-da-ni" (compare with the
> Hindustani sargam: sa-re-ga-ma-pa-dha-ni or Western
> do-re-mi-fa-so-lati).
> These names are abbreviations of the longer names shadja,
> rishabha,
> gandhara. madhyama, panchama, dhaivata and nishada. Unlike
> other
> music systems, every member of the solfege (called a swara)
> has three
> variants.
>
> The exceptions are the drone notes, shadja and panchama
> (also
> known as the tonic and the dominant), which have only one
> form; and
> madhyama (the subdominant), which has two forms. A 7th
> century stone
> inscription in Kudumiyan Malai in Tamil Nadu shows vowel
> changes to
> solfege symbols with ra, ri, ru etc. to denote the higher
> quarter-tones. In
> one scale, or ragam, there is usually only one variant of
> each note present.
>
> The exceptions exist in "light" ragas, in which, for
> artistic effect, there may be two, one ascending (in the
> arohanam) and another descending (in the
> avarohanam).
>
> Raga system
>
> A raga in Carnatic music prescribes a set of rules for
> building a melody -
> very similar to the Western concept of mode. It specifies
> rules for
> movements up (aarohanam) and down (avarohanam), the scale
> of which
> notes should figure more and which notes should be used
> more sparingly,
> which notes may be sung with gamaka, which phrases should
> be used,
> phrases should be avoided, and so on.
>
> In Carnatic music, the sampoorna ragas (those with all
> seven notes in their
> scales) are classified into a system called the melakarta,
> which groups
> them according to the kinds of notes that they have. There
> are seventytwo
> melakarta ragas, thirty six of whose madhyama (subdominant)
> is
> sadharana (perfect fourth from the tonic), the remaining
> thirty-six of
> whose madhyama (subdominant) is prati (an augmented fourth
> from the
> tonic).
>
> The ragas are grouped into sets of six, called chakras
> ("wheels",
> though actually segments in the conventional
> representation) grouped
> according to the supertonic and mediant scale degrees.
> There is a system
> known as the 'Katapayadi sankhya to determine the names of
> Melakarta
> Ragas.
>
> Ragas may be divided into two classes: janaka ragas (i.e
> melakarta or
> parent ragas) and janyaragas (descendant ragas of a
> particular janaka
> raga). Janya ragas are subclassified into various
> categories themselves.
>
> Tala system
>
> Tala refers to the beat set for a particular composition (a
> measure of time).
>
> Talas have cycles of a defined number of beats and rarely
> change within a
> song. They have specific components, which in combinations
> can give rise
> to the variety to exist (over 108), allowing different
> compositions to have
> different rhythms.
>
> Carnatic music singers usually keep the beat by moving
> their hands up
> and down in specified patterns, and using their fingers
> simultaneously to
> keep time. Tala is formed with three basic parts (called
> angas) which are
> laghu, dhrtam, and anudhrtam, though complex talas may have
> other parts
> like plutam, guru, and kaakapaadam. There are seven basic
> tala groups
> which can be formed from the laghu, dhrtam, and anudhrtam:
>
> Dhruva tala
>
> Matya tala
>
> Rupaka tala
>
> Jhampa tala
>
> Triputa tala
>
> Ata tala
>
> Eka tala
>
> A laghu has five variants (called jaathis) based on the
> counting pattern.
> Five jaathis times seven tala groups gives thirty-five
> basic talas, although use of other angas results in a total
> of 108 talas.
> Improvisation
>
> There are four main types of improvisation in Carnatic
> music, but in every
> type, adhering to the scale and phrases of the raga is
> required.
>
> Raga Alapana.
>
> This is the exposition of the ragam of the song that is
> being planned to be
> performed. A performer will explore the ragam first by
> singing lower
> octaves then moving up to higher ones and touching various
> aspects of the
> ragam while giving a hint of the song to be performed. It
> is a slow
> improvisation with no rhythm. Theoretically, this ought to
> be the easiest type of improvisation, since the rules are so
> few, but in fact, it takes much skill to sing a pleasing,
> comprehensive (in the sense of giving a "feel for the
> ragam") and, most importantly, original raga alapana.
>
> Niraval.
>
> This is usually performed by the more advanced concert
> artists and
> consists of singing one or two lines of a song repeatedly,
> but with
> improvised elaborations. Niraval comes out of manodharma
> sangeetha,
> where the selected line is repeated within the tala timing
> to bring out the
> beauty of both the raaga, and the line or composition being
> rendered.
>
> Kalpanaswaram.
>
> The most elementary type of improvisation, usually taught
> before any
> other form of improvisation. It consists of singing a
> pattern of notes which finishes on the beat and the note
> just before the beat and the note on which the song starts.
> The swara pattern should adhere to the original
> raga's swara pattern, which is called as
> aarohanam-avarohanam.
>
> Thanam
>
> This form of improvisation was originally developed for the
> veena and
> consists of expanding the raga with syllables like tha,
> nam, thom, aa, nom,
> na, etc.
>
> Ragam Thanam Pallavi.
>
> This is a composite form of improvisation. As the name
> suggests, it
> consists of Raga Alapana, Thanam, and a pallavi line. The
> pallavi line is
> sung twice, and Niraval follows. After Niraval, the pallavi
> line is sung
> again, twice in normal speed, then sung once at half the
> speed, then twice
> at regular speed, then four times at twice the speed.
> Kalpanaswarams
> follow.
>
> Compositions.
>
> In contrast to Hindustani music of the northern part of
> India, Carnatic
> music is taught and learned through compositions, which
> encode many
> intricate musical details, also providing scope for free
> improvisation.
> Nearly every rendition of a Carnatic music composition is
> different and
> unique as it embodies elements of the composer's vision, as
> well as the
> musician's interpretation.
>
> A Carnatic composition really has two elements, one being
> the musical
> element, the other being what is conveyed in the
> composition. It is
> probably because of this fact that most Carnatic music
> compositions are
> composed for singing. In addition to the rich musical
> experience, each
> composition brings out the knowledge and personality of the
> composer,
> and hence the words are as important as the musical element
> itself. This
> poses a special challenge for the musicians because
> rendering this music
> does not involve just playing or singing the correct
> musical notes; the
> musicians are expected to understand what was conveyed by
> the composer
> in various languages, and sing musical phrases that act to
> create the effect that was intended by the composer in
> his/her composition.
>
> There are many types/forms of compositions. Geethams and
> swarajatis
> (which have their own peculiar composition structures) are
> principally
> meant to serve as basic learning exercises, and while there
> are many other
> types/forms of compositions (including padam, javali, and
> thillana), the
> most common forms are the Varnam, and most importantly, the
> kriti (or
> kirtanam), which are discussed below.
>
> Varnam.
>
> This is a special item which highlights everything
> important about a raga,
> known as the sanchaaraas of a raga - this includes which
> notes to stress,
> how to approach a certain note, classical and
> characteristic phrases of a
> raga, the scale of the raga, and so on. Though there are a
> few different
> types of varnams, in essence, they all have a pallavi, an
> anupallavi,
> muktayi swaras, a charanam, and chittaswaras. They are sung
> in multiple
> speeds, and are very good for practice. In concerts,
> varnams are often
> sung at the beginning as they are fast and grab the
> audience's attention.
>
> Kriti.
>
> Carnatic songs (kritis) are varied in structure and style,
> but generally
> consist of three units:
>
> Pallavi. This is the equivalent of a refrain in Western
> music. One or two
> lines.
>
> Anupallavi. The second verse. Also two lines.
>
> Charana. The final (and longest) verse that wraps up the
> song. The
> Charanam usually borrows patterns from the Anupallavi.
> There can be
> multiple charanas.
>
> This kind of song is called a keerthanam or a kriti. There
> are other possible structures for a kriti, which may in
> addition include swara passages named chittaswara.
> Chittaswara consists only of notes, and has no words. Still
> others, have a verse at the end of the charana, called the
> madhyamakāla. It is sung immediately after the charana, but
> at double speed.
>
> Ugabhoga.
>
> Ugabhoga is an integral part of Carnatic music concert
> where the artist
> elaborates the treatment of raga characteristics through
> lyric based
> freestyle verses. It is the starting item of kriti that Sri
> Purandara Daasa
> introduced in the 15th century when he laid out the format
> for Carnatic
> music. Later it led to freestyle rendering of ragas without
> lyrics known as
> alaapane (alapana).
>
> Prominent composers.
>
> There are many composers in Carnatic music.
>
> Purandara Dasa (1480 - 1564) is known as the father
> (Pitamaha) of
> Carnatic music due to his pioneering contributions to
> Carnatic music.
> Purandara Dasa is renowned for formulating the basic
> lessons of Carnatic
> music. He structured graded exercises known as Swaravalis
> and Alankaras,
> and at the same time, introduced the Raga Mayamalavagowla
> as the first
> scale to be learnt by beginners. He also composed Gitas
> (simple songs) for
> novice students. Although only a fraction of his other
> compositions still
> exist, he is said to have composed around 475,000
> compositions in total.
>
> The contemporaries:
>
> Tyagaraja (1759? - 1847),
>
> Muthuswami Dikshitar,
>
> (1776 - 1827)
> and
>
> Syama Sastri, (1762 - 1827)
>
> are regarded as the Trinity of Carnatic music due to the
> quality of Syama Sastri's compositions, the varieties of
> compositions of Muthuswami Dikshitar and Tyagaraja's
> prolific output in composing kritis.
> Prominent composers prior to the Trinity of Carnatic music
> include:
>
> Annamacharya,
>
> Narayana Theertha,
>
> Vijaya Dasa,
>
> Bhadrachala Ramadas,
>
> Sadasiva Brahmendra
>
> and
>
> Oottukkadu Venkata Kavi.
>
> Other prominentcomposers are:
>
> Swathi Thirunal,
>
> Gopalakrishna Bharathi,
>
> Neelakanta Sivan,
>
> Patnam Subramania Iyer
>
> , Mysore Vasudevachar,
>
> Koteeswara Iyer,
>
> Muthiah Bhagavathar
>
> Subramania Bharathiyar
>
> and
>
> Papanasam Sivan.
>
> The compositions of these composers are rendered frequently
> by prominent
> artists of today.
>
> Composers of Carnatic music were often inspired by
> religious devotion and
> were usually scholars proficient in one or more of the
> following languages
> Kannada, Malayalam, Sanskrit, Tamil and Telugu. They
> usually included a
> signature, called a mudra, in their compositions. For
> example, all songs by
> Tyagaraja (who composed in Telugu) have the word Thyagaraja
> in them,
> all songs by Muthuswami Dikshitar (who composed in
> Sanskrit) have the
> words Guruguha in them, songs by Syama Sastri (who composed
> in
> Telugu) have the words Syama Krishna in them while
> Purandaradasa, who
> composed in Kannada, used the signature Purandara Vittala.
> Gopalakrishna Bharathi used the signature Gopalakrishnan
> and composed
> in Tamil. Papanasam Sivan, who has been hailed as the Tamil
> Thyagaraja
> of Carnatic music, also composed in this language, as well
> as Sanskrit, and
> used the signature Ramadasan.
>
> Learning Carnatic music.
>
> Carnatic music is traditionally taught according to the
> system formulated
> by Purandara Dasa. This involves swaravalis (graded
> exercises), alankaras
> (exercises based on the seven talas), Geethams or simple
> songs, and
> Swarajatis. After the student has reached a certain
> standard, Varnams are
> taught, and later, the student learns Kritis. It typically
> takes several years of learning before a student is adept
> enough to perform at a concert.
> The learning texts and exercises are more or less uniform
> across all the
> South Indian states. The learning structure is arranged in
> the increasing
> order of the complexity. The lessons start with the
> learning of the sarali
> varisai (solfege set to a particular raga).
>
> Carnatic music was traditionally taught in the gurukula
> system, where the
> student lived with and learnt the art from his guru
> (perceptor). From the
> late 20th century onwards, with changes in lifestyles and
> need for young
> music aspirants to simultaneously manoeuvre a parallel
> academic career,
> this system has found few takers.
>
> Musicians often take great pride in letting people know
> about their Guru
> Parampara, or the hierarchy of disciples from some
> prominent ancient
> musician or composer, to which they belong. People whose
> disciplehierarchies are often referred to are Thyagaraja,
> Muthuswami Dikshitar, Syama Sastri, Swathi Thirunal,
> Papanasam Sivan among others.
> In modern times, it is often common for students to visit
> their gurus daily
> or weekly to learn music. Though new technology has made
> learning easier
> with the availability of quick-learn media such as learning
> exercises
> recorded on audio cassettes and CDs, these are discouraged
> by most gurus
> who emphasize that face-to-face learning is best for
> students.
>
> Notations.
>
> Notation is not a new concept in Indian music. However,
> Carnatic music
> continued to be transmitted orally for centuries without
> being written
> down. The disadvantage with this system was that if one
> wanted to learn
> about a Kriti composed, for example, by Purandara Dasa, it
> involved the
> difficult task of finding a person from Purandara Dasa's
> lineage of
> students.
>
> Written notation of Carnatic music was revived in the late
> 17th century and
> early 18th century, which coincided with rule of Shahaji II
> in Tanjore.
> Copies of Shahaji's musical manuscripts are still available
> at the
> Saraswathi Mahal Library in Tanjore and they give us an
> idea of the music
> and its form. They contain snippets of solfege to be used
> when performing
> the mentioned ragas.
>
> Melody.
>
> Unlike Western music, Carnatic music is notated almost
> exclusively in tonic
> solfa notation using either a Roman or Indic script to
> represent the solfa
> names. Past attempts to use the staff notation have mostly
> failed. Indian
> music makes use of hundreds of ragas, many more than the
> church modes
> in Western music. It becomes difficult to write Carnatic
> music using the
> staff notation without the use of too many accidentals.
> Furthermore, the
> staff notation requires that the song be played in a
> certain key. The notions of key and absolute pitch are
> deeply rooted in Western music, whereas the Carnatic
> notation does not specify the key and prefers to use scale
> degrees (relative pitch) to denote notes. The singer is free
> to choose actual pitch of the tonic note. In the more
> precise forms of Carnatic notation, there are symbols placed
> above the notes indicating how the notes should be played or
> sung; however, informally this practice is not followed.
>
> To show the length of a note, several devices are used. If
> the duration of
> note is to be doubled, the letter is either capitalized (if
> using Roman script) or lengthened by a diacritic (in Indian
> languages). For a duration of three, the letter is
> capitalized (or diacriticized) and followed by a comma. For
> a length of four, the letter is capitalized (or
> diacriticized) and then followed by a semicolon. In this way
> any duration can be indicated using a series of semicolons
> and commas.
>
> However, a simpler notation has evolved which does not use
> semicolons
> and capitalization, but rather indicates all extensions of
> notes using a
> corresponding number of commas. Thus, Sā quadrupled in
> length would be
> denoted as "S,,,".
>
> Rhythm.
>
> The notation is divided into columns, depending on the
> structure of the
> tāḷaṃ. The division between a laghu and a dhrutam is
> indicated by a ।,
> called a ḍaṇḍā, and so is the division between two
> dhrutams or a dhrutam
> and an anudhrutam. The end of a cycle is marked by a ॥,
> called a double
> ḍaṇḍā, and looks like a caesura.
>
> Concerts.
>
> Carnatic music concerts are usually performed by a small
> ensemble of
> musicians who sit on a slightly elevated stage. Carnatic
> music concerts can
> be vocal recitals, accompanied by supporting instruments,
> or purely
> instrumental concerts, but irrespective of whether it is a
> vocal or purely
> instrumental concert, what is featured in a typical concert
> are
> compositions which form the core of this music. The
> lead-musician must
> also choose a signature octave based on his/her (vocal)
> range of comfort.
> However, it is expected that a musician maintains that same
> pitch once it
> is selected, and so to help all the performers maintain the
> selected pitch,
> the tambura is the traditional drone instrument used in
> concerts. However,
> tamburas are increasingly being replaced by śruti boxes,
> and now more
> commonly, the "Electronic tambura".
>
> In a vocal recital, a concert team may have one or more
> vocalists,
> accompanied by instrumentalists. Other instruments such as
> the veena
> and/or flute can be found to occasionally accompany a lead
> vocalist, but
> usually a vocalist is supported by a violin player (who
> sits on his/her left), and a few percussion players
> including at least a mridangam (who usually sits on the
> other side of the vocalist, facing the instrumentalist).
> Other percussion instruments that are also used include the
> ghatam, kanjira and morsing, which also accompany the main
> percussion instrument and play almost in a contrapuntal
> fashion along with the beats. The objective of the
> accompanying instruments is far more than following the
> melody and keeping the beats. The accompaniments form an
> integral part of every composition presented, and they
> closely follow and augment the melodic phrases outlines by
> the lead singer. The vocalist and the violinist take turns
> while elaborating or while exhibiting creativity in sections
> like raga, niraval and kalpanaswaram. Unlike Hindustani
> music concerts, where an accompanying tabla player can keep
> beats without following the musical phrases at times, in
> Carnatic music, the accompaniments have to know follow
> intricacies of the composition since there are percussion
> elements such as eduppu, in several compositions. Some of
> the best concerts feature a good bit of interaction with the
> lead musicians and the accompaniments exchanging notes, and
> accompanying musicians predicting the lead singer
>
> musical phrases.
>
> A contemporary Carnatic concert (called a kutcheri) usually
> lasts about
> three hours, and usually comprises a number of varied
> compositions.
> Carnatic songs are composed in a particular raga, which
> means that they
> do not deviate from the notes in the raga. Each composition
> is set with
> specific notes and beats, but performers improvise
> extensively.
> Improvisation occurs in the melody of the composition as
> well as in using
> the notes to expound the beauty of the raga.
>
> Concerts usually begin with a varnam or an invocatory item
> which will act
> as the opening piece. The varnam is composed with an
> emphasis on
> swaras of the raga, but will also have lyrics, the
> saahityam. It is lively and fast to get the audience's
> attention. An invocatory item, may alternatively, follow the
> varnam.
>
> After the varnam and/or invocatory item, the artist sings
> longer
> compositions called kirtanas (commonly referred to as
> kritis). Each kriti
> sticks to one specific raga, although some are composed
> with more than
> one raga; these are known as ragamalika (a garland of
> ragas).
> After singing the opening kriti, usually, the performer
> sings the
> kalpanaswaram of the raga to the beat. The performer must
> improvise a
> string of swaras in any octave according to the rules of
> the raga and return to beginning of the cycle of beats
> smoothly, joining the swaras with a phrase selected from the
> kriti. The violin performs these alternately with the main
> performer. In very long strings of swara, the performers
> must
> calculate their notes accurately to ensure that they stick
> to the raga, have no awkward pauses and lapses in the beat
> of the song, and create a
> complex pattern of notes that an experienced audience can
> follow.
> Performers then begin the main compositions with a section
> called raga
> alapana exploring the raga. In this, they use the sounds
> aa, ri, na, ta, etc. instead of swaras to slowly elaborate
> the notes and flow of the raga.
>
> This begins slowly and builds to a crescendo, and finally
> establishes a
> complicated exposition of the raga that shows the
> performer's skill. All of
> this is done without any rhythmic accompaniment, or beat.
> Then the
> melodic accompaniment (violin or veena), expounds the raga.
> Experienced
> listeners can identify many ragas after they hear just a
> few notes. With thenraga thus established, the song begins,
> usually with lyrics. In this, the accompaniment (usually
> violin, sometimes veena) performs along with the
> main performer and the percussion (such as a mridangam).
>
> In the next stage of the song, they may sing niraval or
> kalpanaswaram again. In most concerts, the main item will at
> least have a section at the end of the item, for the
> percussion to perform solo (called the tani avartanam).
>
> The percussion performers perform complex patterns of
> rhythm and
> display their skill. If multiple percussion instruments are
> employed, they
> engage in a rhythmic dialogue until the main performer
> picks up the
> melody once again. Some experienced artists may follow the
> main piece
> with a ragam thanam pallavi mid-concert, if they do not use
> it as the main
> item.
>
> Following the main composition, the concert continues with
> shorter and
> lighter songs. Some of the types of songs performed towards
> the end of
> the concerts are tillanas and thukkadas - bits of popular
> kritis or
> compositions requested by the audience. Every concert that
> is the last of
> the day ends with a mangalam, a thankful prayer and
> conclusion to the
> musical event.
>
> Audience.
>
> The audience of a typical concert has a reasonable
> understanding of
> Carnatic music. It is also typical to see the audience
> tapping out the tala in sync with the artist's performance.
> As and when the artist exhibits
> creativity, the audience acknowledge it by clapping their
> hands. With
> experienced artists, towards the middle of the concert,
> requests start
> flowing in. The artist usually plays the request and it
> helps in exhibiting
> the artist's broad knowledge of the several thousand kritis
> that are in
> existence.
>
> Modern concerts.
>
> Madras Music Season.
>
> Every December, the city of Chennai in India has its six
> week-long Music
> Season, which has been described as the world's largest
> cultural event.
> The Music Season was started in 1927, to mark the opening
> of the Madras
> Music Academy. It used to be a traditional month-long
> Carnatic music
> festival, but since then it has also diversified into dance
> and drama, as well as non-Carnatic art forms.
>
> TAALA OF CARNATIC MUSIC.
>
> Being able to feel the beats and keep with time comes by
> nature to every
> human being. No one can stop tapping his feet for good
> music. How does
> this tap come up? Our subconscious mind recognizes the
> rhythmic
> boundary and gets in sync with the music heard. Rhythm
> represents
> nothing but time which is measured in terms of beats.
> Without a conscious
> effort, many a times we would have felt the pulse and keep
> with time while
> listening to some music, following the rhythm by counting
> beats! One
> important thing to be aware of is the fact that music is
> primarily an
> intuitive process and so is the rhythm. “Tala” in
> Sanskrit means a
> “clap”.Tala is the pattern that determines the rhythmic
> structure in a
> musical composition. Carnatic vocalists demonstrate tala by
> clapping their
> palms. Instrumentalists, having their hands engaged on the
> instruments ,
> use their feet and the thighs to tap and mark the beats.
>
> Taala (rhythm) is the basic factor involved in the three
> major branches of
> Indian classical arts being geetham, vadyam and nrityam.
> Tala (rhythm) is
> a concept adopted to explain the time frame in music and
> dance. Indian
> music has more number of taalas (rhythm) than any other
> forms of music
> in the world. The diversity of taalas (rhythm) is
> considered as the most
> important characteristic of south Indian classical carnatic
> music.
> The most important talas in sout Indian classical carnatic
> music accounts
> to seven in number. They are dhruva, madyam, rupakam,
> tchampa,
> tripuda, ada and eka. Symbolic representation of the above
> said taalas are
> as follows.
>
> Dhruva Taala O
>
> Madyam Taala O
>
> Rupakam Taala O O
>
> Tchampa Taala O O
>
> Tripuda Taala O O
>
> Ada Taala O
>
> E ka Taala
>
> All the above said talas have forms like Tisram,
> Chaturastam, Ghantam,
> Misram, Sangeernam. Altogether there are 35 taalas in
> Carnatic Music. The
> most popular talas presently used in carnatic music are adi
> tala, rupaka
> tala,misrachapu and ghantachappu. The details of these
> talas are as
> follows.
>
> Adi Tala (Chaturasra Jati Tripuda)
>
> The tala is having 8 aksharakkala. Total number of matra
> accounts to 32
> (8X4). The jati for the tala is ta - ka - dhi - mi – ta
> – ka – dhi - mi'
>
> Rupakam
>
> The tala is having 3 aksharakkala. Total number of matra
> accounts to 12
> (3X4).
>
> The jati for the tala is ta - ka - dhi - mi – ta - ka -
> dhi - mi – ta - ka - dhi – mi
>
> Mista Chappu
>
> This tala is mainly displayed using two beats. Misra Chappu
> Tala is having
> 7 aksharakalam. Jati of this tala is ta – ki - ta - ta -
> ka – dhi – mi.
>
> Ghanta Chappu
>
> This tala is also mainly displayed using two beats.Total
> aksharakkalam of
> this tala is 5 (2+3). Jati for this tala is ta - ka ta - ki
> – ta
> All aspects of rhythm are guarded by a constantly repeated
> cycle of beats.
> Talas are just not just the recurrent time cycles, but have
> their individual structure and influence on the composition.
> Just as a raga brings out the bhavam(rasam/emotion) in the
> song, so does the talam have a role in revealing the
> mood/tempo of the composition. A composition like “Telisi
> Rama chintanatho” would spring up the pace and tempo
> setting in a lively environment;while on the other end,”
> Maayamma nine” in ahiri would
> leave a melancholic effect on the audience.Not the Ragam
> alone, but the
> talam also has a significant role in bringing out the
> complete mood of a
> song. The word “Talam” is said to have been derived
> from Thandavam-
> Divine dance of Lord Shiva and Lasyam – dance of Goddess
> Parvathi.
> Carnatic Music's contribution to the World of music is the
> concept of
> “Talam”. As just said above, each Talam has a defined
> structure.
> Let us take the simplest of the Carnatic Talas and
> understand its structure.
>
> Adi Tala, technically called “Chatushra jaathi triputa
> tala”. The way this
> Talam is constructed is as follows: 1 beat of the palm on
> the thigh followed by counting three fingers starting with
> the least small finger, proceeding towards the middle
> finger. -The above two steps gave us 4 rhythmic spaces
> (beats) in total. The second part of the structure is as
> follows:
>
> 1 beat of the palm and turning it over, then again a beat
> on the palm and
> turning it over -The last two steps gave us 4 more rhythmic
> spaces. If we
> count the total number of rhythmic spaces, we get 8 of
> them. In other
> words, we say Adi tala has 8 units or 8 aksharakaalams. The
> first part of
> the talam which consists of a beat and the counts is
> called
> “Lagu”(represented by the symbol “1”).The number of
> units in the lagu
> defines the “jathi” or the “family” to which the
> Talam belongs. Depending
> on the number of units in the lagu, the Talas can be
> grouped into different
> families/jaathis as follows: Tisra : 3 units Chatusra : 4
> units Khanda : 5
> units Misra : 7 units Sankeerna : 9 units In our example of
> Adi tala, we see 4 units in the lagu.So it belongs to
> chatusra jaathi. The second part of the structure mostly
> contains drutham(represented by the symbol “0”). 1
> drutham = one beat of the palm on the thigh followed by
> turning the palm
> over for a second beat. In some cases, there may be half of
> drutham, i.e.,
> just the beat of the palm without turning it and is called
> Anudrtham. In our example of Adi tala, the above is done
> twice.So we have two druthams.
> The lagu and the dhrutham/s together define the Tala
> lakshanam , in other
> words called the Angams of the Talam. Likewise we discussed
> different
> jaathis,we have different structures of Talams, just like
> the one structure
> we just followed above(Adi talam = chatusra jaathi triputa
> talam). Basic
> seven talams are defined in carnatic music which are being
> taught in the
> preliminary “Alankarams” chapter in the Music classes.
> They are: 1.
> Dhruva talam 2. Matya Talam 3. Rupaka Talam 4. Jampa Talam
> 5. Triputa
> Talam 6. Atta Talam 7. Eka Talam Any of the above Talam
> structure can be
> set to any jaathi.Thus the 7 structures and 5 jaathis
> together give rise to
> 35 combinations. To sescribe in detail,take for instance
> Adi tala(triputa
> talam ):This has the angam 1 lagu + 2 dhruthams. For diff
> jaathis, its
> structure will be as follows: Tisra jaathi triputa tala : 1
> (3 ) 0 0 Chatusra : 1
>
> (4 ) 0 0 Khanda : 1 (5 ) 0 0 Misra : 1 (7 ) 0 0 Sankeerna :
> 1 (9 ) 0 0 Where, the number in the brackets represents the
> jaathi. The Talams discussed so far are called the “Desi
> talams”.There is another set of complex Talams called
> “Marga Talams”.These are not in vogue today because of
> their complex structure. Tirupugazh, if sung to the original
> set rhythm can stand as a good example for Marga
> Taalams.There are 108 such Talams.

Coutsey: Internet source
>
>
>
>

Fresh Fish Story.......Follow this principle.....

The Japanese and the Fresh Fish story ...........Follow this principle.

The Japanese have always loved fresh fish. But the water close to Japan has not held many fish for decades. So to feed the Japanese population, fishing boats got bigger and went farther than ever. The farther the fishermen went, the longer it took to bring the fish. If the return trip took more time, the fish were not fresh. To solve this problem, fish companies installed freezers on their boats. They would catch the fish and freeze them at sea. Freezers allowed the boats to go farther and stay longer. However, the Japanese could taste the difference between fresh and frozen fish. And they did not like the taste of frozen fish. The frozen fish brought a lower price. So, fishing companies installed fish tanks. They would catch the fish and stuff them in the tanks, fin to fin. After a little thrashing around, they were tired, dull, and lost their fresh-fish taste. The fishing industry faced an impending crisis!

But today, they get fresh-tasting fish to Japan .

How did they manage? To keep the fish tasting fresh, the Japanese fishing companies still put the fish in the tanks but with a small shark. The fish are challenged and hence are constantly on the move. The challenge they face keeps them alive and fresh!

Have you realized that some of us are also living in a pond but most of the time tired and dull? Basically in our lives, sharks are new challenges to keep us active. If you are steadily conquering challenges, you are happy. Your challenges keep you energized. Don't create success and revel in it in a state of inertia. You have the resources, skills and abilities to make a difference.

Take a Risk, take a chance. Put a shark in your tank and see how far you can really go!

You can really go beyond your imagination..............

Consequences of sinful acts...................

Consequence of Sinful Acts?................

When we do not think, speak and act virtuously, we create negative karmas and bring suffering upon ourselves and others. We suffer when we act instinctively and intellectually without superconscious guidance.

We are happy, serene and stable when we follow good conduct, when we listen to our conscience, the knowing voice of the soul. The superconscious mind, the mind of our soul, knows and inspires good conduct, out of which comes a refined, sustainable culture. Wrongdoings and vices lead us away from God, deep into the darkness of doubt, despair and self-condemnation. This brings the demons around us. We are out of harmony with ourselves and our family and must seek companionship elsewhere, amongst those who are also crude, unmindful, greedy and lacking in self-control. In this bad company, burdensome new karma is created, as good conduct cannot be followed.


This sins accumulates, blinding us to the religious life we once lived. Penance and throwing ourselves upon the mercy of God and the Gods are the only release for the unvirtuous, those who conduct themselves poorly. Fortunately, our Gods are compassionate and love their devotees. The ancient Vedas elucidate:-

"The mind is said to be twofold:-

The pure and also the impure; impure by union with desire-pure when from desire completely free!"

20 Tips towards......................................

20.Tips towards.................Best & success.


What the Best Do.............. Better Than Everyone Else


1. When you face a setback, think of it as a defining moment that will lead to a future accomplishment.

2. When you encounter adversity, remember, the best don’t just face adversity; they embrace it, knowing it’s not a dead end but a detour to something greater and better.

3. When you face negative people, know that the key to life is to stay positive in the face of negativity, not in the absence of it. After all, everyone will have to overcome negativity to define themselves and create their success.

4. When you face the naysayer’s, remember the people who believed in you and spoke positive words to you.

5. When you face critics, remember to tune them out and focus only on being the best you can be.

6. When you wake up in the morning, take a morning walk of gratitude and prayer. It will create a fertile mind ready for success.

7. When you fear, trust. Let your faith be greater than your doubt.

8. When you fail, find the lesson in it, and then recall a time when you have succeeded.

9. When you head into battle, visualize success.

10. When you are thinking about the past or worrying about the future, instead focus your energy on the present moment. The now is where your power is the greatest.

11. When you want to complain, instead identify a solution.

12. When your own self-doubt crowds your mind, weed it and replace it with positive thoughts and positive self-talk.

13. When you feel distracted, focus on your breathing, observe your surroundings, clear your mind, and get into The Zone. The Zone is not a random event. It can be created.

14. When you feel all is impossible, know that with God all things are possible.

15. When you feel alone, think of all the people who have helped you along the way and who love and support you now.

16. When you feel lost, pray for guidance.

17. When you are tired and drained, remember to never, never, never give up. Finish Strong in everything you do.

18. When you feel like you can’t do it, know that you can do all things through Him who gives you strength.

19. When you feel like your situation is beyond your control, pray and surrender. Focus on what you can control and let go of what you can’t.

20. When you’re in a high-pressure situation and the game is on the line, and everyone is watching you, remember to smile, have fun, and enjoy it. Life is short;

you only live once and if you "live RIGHT" once is enough.

You have nothing to lose. Seize the moment & Opportunity.

Proud Red Rose...........Pl Read.....

An Inspirational Story:

Proud Red Rose.... Please Read and you will certainly like it.............

One beautiful spring day a red rose blossomed in a forest. Many kinds of trees and plants grew there. As the rose looked around, a pine tree nearby said, "What a beautiful flower. I wish I was that lovely." Another tree said, "Dear pine, do not be sad, we can not have everything."

The rose turned its head and remarked, "It seems that I am the most beautiful plant in this forest."

A sunflower raised its yellow head and asked, "Why do you say that? In this forest there are many beautiful plants. You are just one of them." The red rose replied, "I see everyone looking at me and admiring me." Then the rose looked at a cactus and said, "Look at that ugly plant full of thorns!" The pine tree said, "Red rose, what kind of talk is this? Who can say what beauty is? You have thorns too."

The proud red rose looked angrily at the pine and said, "I thought you had good taste! You do not know what beauty is at all. You can not compare my thorns to that of the cactus."

"What a proud flower", thought the trees.
The rose tried to move its roots away from the cactus, but it could not move. As the days passed, the red rose would look at the cactus and say insulting things, like: This plant is useless? How sorry I am to be his neighbor."

The cactus never got upset and he even tried to advise the rose, saying, "God did not create any form of life without a purpose."


Spring passed, and the weather became very warm. Life became difficult in the forest, as the plants and animals needed water and no rain fell. The red rose began to wilt. One day the rose saw sparrows stick their beaks into the cactus and then fly away, refreshed. This was puzzling, and the red rose asked the pine tree what the birds were doing. The pine tree explained that the birds got water from the cactus. "Does it not hurt when they make holes?" asked the rose.

"Yes, but the cactus does not like to see any birds suffer," replied the pine.
The rose opened its eyes in wonder and said, "The cactus has water?"

"Yes you can also drink from it. The sparrow can bring water to you if you ask the cactus for help."
The red rose felt too ashamed of its past words and behavior to ask for water from the cactus, but then it finally did ask the cactus for help. The cactus kindly agreed and the birds filled their beaks with water and watered the rose's roots.

Lesson to learn from the Story :-

Thus the rose and all of us learned a lesson and never judge anyone by their appearance again.

Never take some one for granted,Hold every person Close to your Heart and in high esteem because you might wake up one day and realise that you have lost a diamond while you were too busy collecting stones."

Remember this always in life.

Criticism..............It's pros & Cons.....................

Criticism...............It's pros & Cons.

It is easy to get angry with those who criticize you.
But it is better to listen and to consider what they have to say.
If the criticism is completely misdirected and unfounded, then you can simply let it go.

Yet often it can be valuable and productive to objectively consider what your critics are thinking.

The worst response to criticism is to become angry, insulted and defensive.
For by doing so, you actually give more power and credibility to that criticism. Instead, listen carefully and appreciatively to what your critics have to say.

Even if the criticism is decidedly negative, somewhere there are positive insights that you can gain from it.

Don't let your ego prevent you from learning something valuable. Being receptive to criticism strengthens your confidence and can improve your competence.

Choose to know and understand what others think of you.
Instead of getting angry and defensive over the words of others, choose to listen, consider and grow stronger because of them.

True Love......................

True love

I once had a friend who grew to be very close to me.
Once when we were sitting at the edge of a swimming pool,
she filled the palm of her hand with some water
and held it before me, and said this:

"You see this water carefully contained on my hand?
It symbolizes Love."

This was how I saw it:

As long as you keep your hand caringly open and allow it to
remain there, it will always be there. However, if you attempt
to close your fingers round it and try to posses it, it will spill
through the first cracks it finds.

This is the greatest mistake that people do when they meet love

They try to posses it,
They demand,
They expect

... and just like the water
spilling out of your hand, love will retrieve from you .

For love is meant to be free, you cannot change its nature.

If there are people you love,

allow them to be free beings.
Give and don't expect.
Advise, but don't order.
Ask, but never demand.

It might sound simple, but it is a lesson that may take a lifetime to
truly practice. It is the secret to true love. To truly practice it, you
must sincerely feel no expectations from those who you love,
and yet an unconditional caring."

Passing thought.............

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take;
but by the moments that take our breath away.....


Working for God on earth does not pay much,
but His Retirement plan is out of this world.

Help someone have a nice day,

Author - Unknown

Navagraha Gayathri Mantras& navagraha Stotras..........

It is said and believed from days immemorial that Chanting of Navagraha Gayatri & Navagraha Stotra regularly will remove the obstacles and difficulties, as the life f a person is said to be rules and governed by the Nine Grahas from time to time as per the planetary position according to astrology. Even those who doesn't believe in astrology an recite these verses for good in their lives.

Hope these Gayathri Mantras and Stotras will be of use to my beloved friends.



Navagraha Stotram [with Navagraha Gayathri].

1. Japaa Kusuma Sankaasam - Kaasyapeyam Mahaath' Yuthim
Thamo'urim Sarva Paapa Ganam - Pranathosmi Dhiwaakaram

Aswa Dhwajaaya Vidhmahe' - Padhma Hasthaaya Dheemahi
Thannas Soorya Pracho Dhayaath. - [ Sun - Soorya]

2. Dhadhi Sanka Thushaaraabham - Ksheero Dhaarnawa Sambhavam
Namaami Sasinam Somam - Sambhor Makuta Bhooshanam

Padhma Dhwajaaya Vidhmahe' - Hem Roopaaya Dheemahi
Thanno Soma Pracho Dhayaath. - [Moon - Chandran]

3.Dharanee Garbha Sambhootham - Vidhyuth Kaanthi Samaprabham
Kumaaram Sakthi Hasthancha - Mangalam Pranamaam Yaham

Veera Dhwajaaya Vidhmahe' - Vigna Hasthaaya Dheemahi
Thanno Bhowma Pracho Dhayaath - [Mars - Sevvai - Kujan]

4. Piryangu Kali Kaasyaamam - Roope'naa Prathimam Budham
Sowmyam Sowmya Gunopetham - Tham Bhudham Pranamaam Yaham

Gaja Dhwajaya Vidhmahe' - Suka Hasthaaya Dheemahi
Thanno Bhuda Pracho Dhayaath - [ Mercury - Bhuthan]

5. Dhe'vaanaancha Risheenaancha - Gurum Kaanchan Sannibham
Bhudhdhi Bhootham Thrilokesam - Thannamaami Bhruhaspathim

Vrusha Dhwajaaya Vidhmahe' - Gruni Hasthaaya Dheemahi
Thanno Guru Pracho Dhayaath - [Jupitar - Guru]

6. Hima Kundha M'runaalaabam - Dhaithyaanam Paramam Gurum
Sarva Saasthra Pravruththaaram - Bhaargavam Pranamaam Yaham

Aswa Dhwajaaya Vidhmahe' - Dhanur Hasthaaya Dheemahi
Thanno Sukra Pracho Dhayaath - [ Venus - Sukran]

7. Neelaanchana Samaabaasam - Raviputhram Yamaagrajam
Chaayaa Maarthaanda Sambhootham - Thannamaami Sanaicharam

Kaaka Dhwajaaya Vidhmahe' - Kadga Hasthaaya Dheemahi
Thanno Mandha Pracho Dhayaath - [ Saturn - Sani]

8. Ardha Kaayam Mahaaveeryam - Chandhraadhithya Vimardhanam
Simhikaagarba Sambhootham - Tham Raahum Prnamaamyaham

Naka Dhwajaaya Vidhmahe' - Padhma Hasthaaya Dheemahi
Thanno Rahu Pracho Dhayaath - [ Rahu ]

9. Palaasa Pushpa Sankaasam - Thaarakagraha Masthakam
Rowdhram Rowdhraathmakam Go'ram - Tham Kethum PranamaamYaham

Aswa Dhwajaaya Vidhmahe' - Soola Hasthaaya Dheemahi
Thanno Kethu Pracho Dhayaath - [ Kethu ]

Navagraha Sthothram

1. Japaa kusuma Sankaasam - Kaasyapeyam Mahaath' yuthim
Thamo'urim sarva Paapa ganam - Pranathosmi Dhiwaakaram.

One who looks like the Hibiscus flower, Son of Kashyapa, full of radiance,
Foe of darkness and the one who dispells all sins, I prostrate that Soorya.

2. Dhadhi sanka Thushaaraabham - Ksheero Dhaarnava Sambhavam
Namaami sasinam Somam - Sambhor makuta Bhooshanam.

The one who has the hue of curd and icebergs, one who emerges from the milky ocean, Chandra who adorns Shiva, I prostrate. that Chandra.

3. Dharanee garbha Sambhootham - Vidhyuth kaanthi Samaprabham
Kumaaram Sakthi Hasthancha - Mangalam Pranamaam Yaham.

The one who is the son of Bhooma Devi, One who has the lustre of lightning,
One who has Shakthi in his hand, and the auspoicious one, I prostrate that Angaraka.
4. Piryangu kali Kaasyaamam - Roope'naa Prathimam Budham
Sowmyam sowmya Gunopetham - Tham Bhudham Pranamaam Yaham.

The one who is dark like the bud of Priyangu flower, One who is unequalled in beauty and is intelligent, And the son of Chandra, One who is peaceful, I prostrate that Budha.

5. Dhe'vaanaancha Risheenaancha - Gurum Kaanchan sannibham
Bhudhdhi bhootham Thrilokesam - Thannamaami Bhruhaspathim.

The one who is the Guru of the Devas and Rishis, the one who is radiant and intelligent, The Lord of all the three worlds, I prostrate that Brihaspathi.

6. Hima kundha M'runaalaabam - Dhaithyaanam Paramam Gurum
Sarva saasthra Pravruththaaram - Bhaargavam Pranamaam Yaham.

The one who has the lustre of the dew, Lotus stem and Thumba flower, High priest of Asurasand the one who preaches the Shatras, I prostrate that ( Bhargava )Sukracharya.

7. Neelaanchana Samaabaasam - Raviputhram Yamaagrajam
Chaayaa Maarthaanda Sambhootham - Thannamaami Sanaicharam.

The one who is blue, one who is like charcoal, one who is the son of Surya and the brother of Yama, one who is born to Chaya and Surya, I prostrate that Saneeswara.

8. Ardha kaayam mahaaveeyram - Chandhraadhithya vimardhanam
Simhikaagarba Sambhootham - Tham Raahum Pranamaam Yaham.

The one who has half a body and is full of valour, One who opposes Chandra and Surya without fear, One who was born from Simhika's womb, I prostrate that Rahu.

9. Palaasa pushpa sankaasam - Thaarakagraha masthakam
Rowdhram rowdhraathmakam go'ram - Tham Kethum Pranamaam Yaham.

The one who looks like Palasa flower, One who is the king of the stars and
One who has a fierce form and is scary and angry, I prostrate that Kethu.

Yours in Divine Friendship.

J.K

A Healthy Life Style.............

A Healthy Lifestyle Triggers Genetic Changes

Source: www.reuters.com

WASHINGTON, DC, USA, June 18, 2008: Based on a small study, US researchers say that comprehensive lifestyle changes, including a better diet and more exercise, can quickly cause dramatic changes at the genetic level.

As reported in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the researchers tracked 30 men with low-risk prostate cancer who had decided against conventional medical treatment such as surgery and radiation or hormone therapy. Their decision allowed researchers to study biopsies in cancer patients before and after lifestyle changes. The men underwent three months of major lifestyle changes, including eating a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes and soy products, moderate exercise such as walking for half an hour a day, and an hour of daily stress management methods such as meditation.

As expected, they lost weight, lowered their blood pressure and saw other health improvements. But the “before” and “after” prostate biopsies were startling. That three-month period saw changes in activity in about 500 genes–including 48 that were turned on and 453 genes that were turned off. The activity of disease- preventing genes increased, while a number of disease-promoting genes, including those involved in prostate cancer and breast cancer, shut down.

The research was led by Dr. Dean Ornish, head of the Preventive Medicine Research Institute in Sausalito, California, and a well-known author advocating lifestyle changes to improve health. “It’s an exciting finding because so often people say, ‘Oh, it’s all in my genes, what can I do?’ Well, it turns out you may be able to do a lot,” Ornish, who is also affiliated with the University of California, San Francisco, said in a telephone interview. “‘In just three months, I can change hundreds of my genes simply by changing what I eat and how I live?’ That’s pretty exciting.”

Why God Vigneshwara is invoked & prayed first......

Why is Lord Ganesha prayed to or invoked in the beginning of all religious and auspicious ceremonies?


In Hinduism, all religious and auspicious ceremonies begin with the invocation of Lord Ganesh. The first prayer in all ceremonies, religious or secular, is dedicated to Lord Ganesha. But why is Lord Ganesha invoked in the beginning of all auspicious ceremonies? Because He is Vighneshvara, destroyer of obstacles and his blessing is necessary for the smooth conduct and functioning of any activity in the world. There is also an interesting incident mentioned in Hindu scriptures, which explains why the first prayer is always to Ganesha.


The answer to why Lord Ganesha is always the first God invoked in all religious ceremonies is linked to his divine birth.


Goddess Parvati using her supernatural powers gave birth to Lord Ganesha and assigned him the duty to guard the house while she was bathing inside. Lord Shiva appears and is denied entry by Ganesha as he is unaware that Shiva is Goddess Parvati’s husband. Lord Shiva too is unaware about Ganesha’s birth.


After a verbal duel, two engage in pushing and an angry Shiva takes out His trident and strikes and this cuts off the head of the boy.


Hearing the commotion, Goddess Parvati arrives at the scene. She demands the life of her son be brought back. Realizing his mistake, Shiva sends his attendance to fetch the head of the first living being sleeping facing north. The attendants find an elephant and brings its head. Shiva restores the life of Ganesha with the head of the elephant and makes him the commander of his attendants.


But Goddess Parvati was not happy with the revival. She said that Shiva had made his handsome son into an elephant and nobody will worship him and he will get no respect.


Lord Shiva then declared that from this moment Ganesha will be worshipped first, before the beginning of all ceremonies. All Gods and Goddess will be offered pujas and prayers only after paying respect to Ganesh. This declaration of Lord Shiva is followed even today.

The Power of Prostration at the Divine & Lotuse Feet......

The Power of Prostration at the Divine & Lotus feet of Guruji.........Never miss it.....


Prostration at the holy & Lotus feet of the Guruji has been performed in Hindu Faith for thousands of years. It's an ancient custom and a very valuable one, because it separates the people who can prostrate from those who cannot. It separates the deeper souls from those still going through the intellectual and instinctive areas of the mind. It allows the aspirant himself to know where he is on the path, and it allows the Guruji to know at a glance, without thought, where the seeker is on the spiritual path by the emanations out of the spine as he prostrates himself face down before him.

Prostration issues forth definite energies when done before the Guruji and the temple Deity. The ego is naturally subdued, humility strengthened, and the soul of Guruji and disciple enjoy deep rapport in that moment.

Hindu Faith have always had blind bhakti for God, Gods and Guru. Their mothers and fathers are often included and showered with the same feelings of love. They are by nature very sweet people. "Guru bhakti is the greatest blessing. Cherish it and relish it and be refreshed! Advance on the path of dharma. Call on the name of 'Guruji.' Know that there is not one wrong thing. And proclaim that all is truth. Seek for the grace of Guruji. Repeat 'Guru Namah.' You must realize Self by self. In you will peace and patience shine, and you will be your own support. Let 'like' and 'dislike' be snuffed out. Ponder not upon past karma. Resolve to kill the desires.

Devotees often transfer to their Guruji whatever feelings they have for their mothers and fathers. This does not mean that they cease to love their mother and father when they accept a Guruji. It means that if they have problems at home, they will have similar problems with their Guruji also. If they love and honor their parents, they will love and honor their Guruji. Devotees who have true bhakti are filled with love for all beings.

Their children will never upset them. They care for and love their mother and father. They do not go to a Guruji to escape unhappiness at home. They go to Guruji because their mother and father have taught them all they know, and now they must move onward. Even in this move, the parents' blessings are sought to follow the guruji . This is the traditional way-The God's way.

There are emanations that come out of the spine wherever the individual is functioning, different types of instinctive, intellectual feelings or those of super consciousness. The meditator works with those forces. He transmutes his energies to the crown chakra. You must work diligently to get there, and then you have it for eternity. This is the great heritage that is your right to receive by living on this Earth planet.

Transcendental beings, who have nerve systems so highly developed that they do not need a physical body in which to function and help those on Earth, can give a vital and a vibrant darshan which will help and stabilize you on the path. Delicate, subtle actinic beings that have once lived on the Earth and, just like you, have meditated, worked with their forces, attained Self Realization, brought forth darshan and finally dropped off the physical body, vowing to serve the people of the Earth. Hindus call them devas, Gods or Deities. All of them are right here, because everything is in one place. Everything of a same or similar vibration is in one place in the akasha. The great actinic bodies of all these evolved beings are right here. You can invoke the darshan of the Gods, too, if things really get rough for you on the path up the spine. These devas or Gods visit various temples at auspicious times, travelling in the akasha loka, which is close to
time-space consciousness.

An important Note on the Lotus Feet of Guruji:-

Please note that meridian part of the Feet(Guruji's) is an integral one of the body. Divinity enters into body through the Feet. Toes of the Feet touched during prostration are said to make one prosperous and successful in life.The feet of Guruji possess rich, valuable and divine characteristics to be prostrated and worshipped and that's why it is described as "DIVINE AND LOTUS FEET>"

Never miss to prostrate at the "Lotus Feet" of Guruji whenever one is graced and blessed with the opportunity &

You will be Blessed ones.

Releasing the past to realising the ultimate........

Releasing The Past to realizing the ultimate...................

The older we get, the more memories we have, and those memories contain emotion-both positive emotion and negative emotion. Emotion takes many forms. We can have happy emotions, we can have sad emotions, we can have emotions of depression, we can have emotions of elation, we can have emotions of discouragement, we can have emotions of encouragement.

As you go over your life, reliving it year by year, writing it all down from year one to the present, ten pages per year, you are the author of your own script. You are the star upon the stage of your own life. You may run into happy emotion, discouraging emotion, encouraging emotion. It's good to get rid of it all. If you uncover a period of your life that makes you depressed, then you have been carrying that depression around with you for many, many years. Reliving the depression and the unhappy feelings as you write about the experiences in detail and burn the paper unwinds and releases the pranic emotional energy from each memory. You especially want to deal with the traumatic areas of the inner mind and release the discouragement, the regret, the depression, the loss of faith in humanity, the loss of faith in yourself and all those negative emotions that you've been carrying for so many years. They will go away like paper dragons. They will
disappear.

You have three kinds of prana inside of you:

Spiritual,

Intellectual

&

Instinctive.

When you think, you make or cause a motion in that prana and create a form of prana. You speak, laugh, cry, think and interact with others; all this is the use and movement of one kind of prana or another, or a mixture of the three. In the inner mind, the subconscious pranic forms have a color and a corresponding sound when they vibrate with emotion, not unlike a Technicolor production. The purpose of this ancient tantra is to remove the color/sound from the memory pattern so that the memory would appear as a black-and-white silent movie when revisited, without the vivid, vibrating emotion.

Your life, in moving and creating with the prana inside of you, can be like writing on water. An experience happens and it just goes away, without residue, without attachment, without lingering emotion. Or your life can be like carving in stone; each experience remains with you,embedded in memory by the impact of emotion. As you look back through the pages of your life, you want to melt the stone, break it up and make it go away. That's the whole idea, regardless of what the motion is of the mind. The stones in your past are generally the surprise things that come along in life.

Living a routine life-you go to work and you come home, and one day is pretty much the same as another-does not produce memories with emotions so much. But then you come to a major change, such as moving to a new home, or some new person coming into your life. That makes a big impact, and you have to deal with it. Like many people, you may deal with these things by packing them
away: "I don't want to think about that anymore." "I don't like that person" or, "I like that person," but you are married so you can't like him or her too much; so you just pack it away and try not to think about it anymore. Those are some of the things you want to dig up and discharge, to break up the patterns.

Each of us has a story. You are the major actor on the stage of your life, playing the script that you wrote. You are the director and you are the lighting engineer, the stage manager, costume designer and make-up artist. When a particular experience or pattern of experience is repeated over a long period, it creates in the sub of the subconscious mind a latent tendency or propensity in that same direction.

This is a vasana, which may be positive, , or negative,. A negative vasana is like a subconscious motor that makes you do things you later wish you had not done. A positive vasana brings success and good fortune. Through the vasana daha tantra, we withdraw the energy from the memories, and in so doing weaken, even destroy, the pathways or vasanas that led us to the experiences that created the negative memories and leave in place the pure, positive vasanas that will continue to create a positive future.

Ten Guidelines from God............

Ten Guidelines From God

Effective Immediately.

please be aware that there are changes YOU need
to make in YOUR life. These changes need to be
completed in order that I may fulfill My promises
to you to grant you peace, joy and happiness in
this life. After all that I am doing, this seems very
little to ask of you. Please, follow these 10 guidelines.

1. QUIT WORRYING:

Life has dealt you a blow and all you do is sit
and worry. Have you forgotten that I am here
to take all your burdens and carry them for you?
Or do you just enjoy fretting over every little
thing that comes your way?

2. PUT IT ON THE LIST:

Something needs done or taken care of. Put it
on the list. No, not YOUR list. Put it on MY
to-do-list. Let ME be the one to take care
of the problem. I can't help you until you turn
it over to Me. And although My to-do-list
is long, I am after all... God. I can take care
of anything you put into My hands. In fact,
if the truth were ever really known, I take
care of a lot of things for you that you never
even realize.

3. TRUST ME:

Once you've given your burdens to Me,
quit trying to take them back. Trust in
Me. Have the faith that I will take care of
all your needs, your problems and your trials.
Problems with the kids? Put them on My list.
Problem with finances? Put it on My list.
Problems with your emotional roller coaster?
For My sake, put it on My list. I want to
help you. All you have to do is ask.

4. LEAVE IT ALONE:

Don't wake up one morning and say,
"Well, I'm feeling much stronger now, I think
I can handle it from here." Why do you think
you are feeling stronger now? It's simple.
You gave Me your burdens and I'm taking
care of them. I also renew your strength
and cover you in my peace. Don't you
know that if I give you these problems back,
you will be right back where you started?
Leave them with Me and forget about
them. Just let Me do my job.

5. TALK TO ME:

I want you to forget a lot of things.
Forget what was making you crazy..
Forget the worry and the fretting because
you know I'm in control.. But there's one
thing I pray you never forget. Please, don't
forget to talk to Me - OFTEN! I love YOU!
I want to hear your voice. I want you to
include Me in on the things going on in your life.
I want to hear you talk about your friends
and family. Prayer is simply you having
a conversation with Me. I want to be your
dearest friend.

6. HAVE FAITH:

I see a lot of things from up here that you
can't see from where you are. Have faith in
Me that I know what I'm doing. Trust Me;
you wouldn't want the view from My eyes.
I will continue to care for you, watch over you,
and meet your needs. You only have to trust Me.
Although I have a much bigger task than you,
it seems as if you have so much trouble just
doing your simple part. How hard can trust be?

7. SHARE:

You were taught to share when you were
only two years old. When did you forget?
That rule still applies. Share with those who are
less fortunate than you.. Share your joy with
those who need encouragement. Share your
laughter with those who haven't heard any in
such a long time. Share your tears with those
who have forgotten how to cry. Share your faith
with those who have none.

8. BE PATIENT:

I managed to fix it so in just one lifetime
you could have so many diverse experiences.
You grow from a child to an adult, have children,
change jobs many times, learn many trades,
travel to so many places, meet thousands
of people, and experience so much. How can
you be so impatient then when it takes Me
a little longer than you expect to handle
something on My to-do-list? Trust in My
timing, for My timing is perfect. Just
because I created the entire universe in
only six days, everyone thinks I should
always rush, rush, rush.

9. BE KIND:

Be kind to others, for I love them just
as much as I love you. They may not dress
like you, or talk like you, or live the same way
you do, but I still love you all. Please try
to get along, for My sake. I created each
of you different in some way. It would be
too boring if you were all identical.
Please, know I love each of your differences.

10. LOVE YOURSELF:

As much as I love you, how can you not
love yourself? You were created by me for
one reason only - to be loved, and to love
in return. I am a God of Love. Love Me.
Love your neighbors. But also love yourself.
It makes My heart ache when I see you
so angry with yourself when things go
wrong. You are very precious to me.
Don't ever forget......

Note: I received this from a friend and I have
no idea who wrote it, but I was so touched
I hope that you will be blessed by
it and will share it with others.

"Nothing lies beyond the reach of prayer except those things outside the will of God. May your days be filled with answered prayers. God bless us all always.".

Please pass it on to your friends....................

Adaptability......A means to peace.

This article is from the book" World Peace."

Adaptability, A Means To Peace


Adaptability is a virtue or noble quality by which one adapts or fits himself with others, whatever their nature may be. The man of adaptability accommodates himself with others, whatever their temperament may be. This is a most desirable quality for success in life. This has to be developed slowly. The vast majority of persons do not know how to adjust themselves with others. Adaptability is a peculiar knack or pluck to win the hearts of others by a little bending.

The wife does not know how to adapt herself with her husband. She displeases her husband always and makes quarrels in the house and gets a divorce. The clerk does not know how to adapt himself with his boss or superior. He quarrels with the superior and gets an immediate sack.The businessman does not know how to adapt himself with the customers and loses his customers and business. The Diwan does not know how to adapt himself with the Maharajah. He has to leave the State Service. The world runs on adaptability. He who knows this art or science of adaptability pulls on quite well in this world and is always happy under any conditions of life.

The man must be pliable if he wants to adapt himself. It does not need much wisdom or ingenuity for developing adaptability. If the clerk understands well the ways and habits and temperament of his superior and adjusts himself nicely to suit his ways, his superior becomes good with the clerk. You will have to use some kind, sweet words. A little lubricant to soften his heart is needed. That is all. Speak gently and sweetly. Carry out his orders to the very letter. Never retort him.

"Obedience is greater than sacrifice." Remember this maxim at all times. The superior wants a little respect. Say, very well Sir." It costs you nothing. Then your superior becomes good to you. He has for you a soft corner in his heart. You become his pet. He will do whatever you want. He will excuse your mistakes. Humility and obedience are necessary for developing adaptability. An egoistic, proud man finds it very difficult to adapt himself. He is always in trouble. He always fails in his attempts.

Egoism and pride are two important obstacles in the way of developing adaptability.

When one student does not know how to adapt himself with his fellow-mate who is living in the same room, friction comes in and their friendship is broken immediately. Adaptability makes friendship last for a long time. Students fight for little things. What sort of friend he is? I do not like him." The friendship is broken now. A simple thing upsets the mind. Adaptability is a strong catgut ligature that links people in unbroken love and friendship. A man of adaptability can pull on with anybody in any part of the world. People unconsciously love a man of adaptability. Adaptability gives immense strength and profound joy. Adaptability develops will.

A man of adaptability has to make some sacrifice. Adaptability develops the spirit of sacrifice. It kills selfishness. A man of adaptability has to share what he has with others. He has to bear insult and harsh words. A man of adaptability develops the feeling of unity or oneness of life. For Vedantic Sadhana it is of great help. He who practises adaptability has to destroy the feelings of contempt and the idea of superiority. He has to mix with all. He has to embrace all. Adaptability develops universal love and kills the feeling of hatred.

A man of adaptability has to put up with the unkind words and harsh treatment of his friends. He has to develop patience and endurance. These virtues develop by themselves unconsciously when he tries to adapt himself with others. A man of adaptability can live in a cool place. He can bear the heat of any place under all circumstances. He develops balance of mind. He can bear extreme heat and cold. Adaptability brings eventually Atma-Jnana. He who has this noble virtue is a great man in this world. He is always happy and successful.

Be Adaptable and Live in PEACE & Not in PIECE.

Compiled and edited by:-

J.K

Enrich your Life with Friends....................

Friendships:

Enrich your life with Friendship...............& Make your living Amazing.

Enrich your life and improve your health

Friendships are good for your health. During hardships, they are a source of comfort and strength. Learn how to find and nurture friendships and how to be a good friend.

They offer the shoulder to lean on. The good advice. The unspoken comfort. The good times and the shared laughter. Friendships offer all these benefits, and lots more. They boost your self-esteem, provide companionship, and even help protect your overall health and mental well-being.

It's not always easy to form the close bonds of friendships, though. It may be especially hard to develop and keep up friendships when your life is hectic — work demands, family time, school. But friendships are important for both men and women. Take a minute to think about the friends in your life. Do you have close friends? Would you like to develop more friendships?

Why friendships are so important

Good friends are good for your health. Talking with a friend over a cup of coffee, going to a ballgame together, chatting while your kids romp on the playground, or hitting the links for a round of golf can offer simple but powerful ways to connect.

Benefits of friendships

The connections of friendship can:

Increase your sense of belonging and purpose

Boost your happiness

Reduce stress

Improve your self-worth

Decrease your risk of serious mental illness

Help you weather traumas, such as divorce, serious illness, job loss or the death of a loved one

Encourage you to change unhealthy lifestyle habits, such as excessive drinking or lack of exercise

Share in your good times, such as a new baby, a new job, a new house
Friends can celebrate the good times with you or offer comfort during the bad. Just knowing that friends are there for you can help you avoid unhealthy reactions to stressful situations.

Ways to actively seek out friendships

Some people benefit from large and diverse networks of friends, while others prefer a smaller circle of friends and acquaintances. You may have certain very close friends you rely on for deeply personal conversations, and more casual friendships for movies, a pickup game of basketball or backyard cookouts.

But many adults, especially men and those in troubled relationships, find it hard to develop new friendships or keep up existing friendships. For one thing, time may be short. Friendships may take a back seat to your other priorities, such as long days on the job, keeping up the house, or caring for aging parents. Or may be you've moved to a new community and haven't yet found a way to meet people.

Developing good friendships does take some work. But remember that friends don't have to be your age or share a similar cultural, religious or educational background. And because friendships are so important to your overall sense of well-being, it's worth the time and effort to create friendships.

Meeting new people

Here are some ways you can develop friendships:

Work out. Join a class through a local gym, senior center or community fitness facility. Or start a lunchtime walking group at work.

Do lunch. Invite an acquaintance to join you for breakfast, lunch or dinner.

Accept invites. When you're invited to a party, dinner or social gathering, say yes. Resist the urge to say no just because you may not know everyone there or because you may initially feel awkward. You can always leave if you get too uncomfortable.

Volunteer. Hospitals, places of worship, museums, community centers, charitable groups and other organizations often need volunteers. You can form strong connections when you work with people who share a mutual interest.

Join a cause. Get together with a group of people working toward a goal you believe in, such as cleanup of a natural area, community development etc.

Join a hobby group. Find a nearby group with similar interests in such things as , music, gardening, books or crafts.

Go back to school. Take a college or community education course to meet people with similar interests.

Hang out on your porch. Front porches used to be social centers for the neighborhood. If you don't have a front porch, you can still pull up a chair and sit out front with a cup of coffee or a good book. Making yourself visible shows that you are friendly and open.

Join a faith community. Many faith communities welcome new members.
You may not become instant friends the first time you meet someone. But the seeds of lasting friendships can be sown with something as simple as a friendly wave as you're mowing the lawn or bringing in the newspaper.
Keep friendships nurturing and healthy

Developing and maintaining healthy friendships involves give and take. Sometimes you're the one giving support to your friends, and other times you're on the receiving end. Letting friends know you care about them and appreciate them will help ensure that their support remains strong when times are rough. It's as important for you to be a good friend as it is to surround yourself with good friends.

Here are some ways to make sure your friendships remain healthy and supportive:

Go easy. Don't overwhelm friends with phone calls or e-mails. Communication can be brief — five minutes on the phone or several sentences in an e-mail. Find out how late or early you can call, and respect those boundaries. Do have a plan for crisis situations, when you may need to temporarily set aside such restrictions.

Be aware of how others perceive you. Ask a friend for an honest evaluation of how you come across to others. Take note of any areas for improvement and work on them.

Don't compete. Don't let a friendship turn into a hidden battle over who makes the most money, has the best clothes or the coolest car. Don't fight over other friends. This will only turn friendships into unhealthy rivalries.

Adopt a healthy, realistic self-image. Both vanity and constant self-criticism can be turnoffs to potential friends.

Resolve to improve yourself. Cultivating your own honesty, generosity and humility will enhance your self-esteem and make you a more compassionate and appealing friend.

Avoid relentless complaining. Nonstop complaining is tiresome and draining on friendships. Talk to your friends about how you can change the parts of your life that you're unhappy about.

Adopt a positive outlook. Try to find the humor in things and appealing.

Listen up. Make a point to ask what's going on in the lives of your friends. Don't talk about your own problems all the time. Friendships can't last when you're self-absorbed.

Friendships pay dividends.

Friendships provide a sense of belonging and comfort. Friendships act as a buffer against life's hardships and help you develop resilience. They offer compassion and acceptance. And friendships can make you feel important and needed by giving you a chance to offer someone else comfort and companionship, too.

Relationships change as you age, but it's never too late to build new friendships or reconnect with old friends. The investment in your friends will pay off in better health and a brighter outlook for years to come.

&
I have a very good and great circle of friends who very recently brought my ailing wife from Hospital back home in stable condition with their sincere prayers to God............ and I indeed feel amazed.

J.K

Self Discipline...............................

Self Discipline.......Should you require inspiration & Motivation please get in contact with me.

"Self-discipline is when you tell yourself to do something and you don't talk back." - W. K. Hope

I admire people who have organized lives; their homes and workplaces are neat and organized and they actually can find their checkbooks, car keys and eyeglasses.

What does it take for a person to possess those characteristics?

The answer is self-discipline. Having self-discipline means that we are able to control our feelings and desires. It means that we make a decision, take action, and preserve.

So if the rewards of self-discipline are so great, why is it so difficult for many of us to be self-disciplined? It may have to do with our inability to delay gratification. It may also be because we only make changes to gain pleasure or avoid pain.

I find that I can be very self-disciplined in some areas and not so in others. I would like to recall the difficulties that I had when I began matriculation school. I struggled with maths and concepts that were totally foreign to me. I tackled the classes and preparation for the exams with the tenacity of a bulldog. I absolutely refused to fail and walk away from the humbling challenges that the classes posed.

It was during those times that I discovered within me the capacity for perseverance and self-discipline. Fortunately, I succeeded and later in IAF(A most disciplined school), while working I received my post graduate degree in commerce by attending evening college. There are rewards for delaying gratification in other areas.

What are the areas in your life that are begging for a great plan followed by self-disciplined execution?

Get a friend to help you achieve your goals. Ask him or her to require that you report regularly about your progress. Perhaps by being accountable to someone for our actions or inactions, you may find the courage to persevere.

"If we don't discipline ourselves, the world will do it for us."

William Feather

So it's better "Discipline yourself"

Affirmation:

"I will decide, plan, focus, and achieve; and I will not give in or give up!"

J.K

"Upanishads"............................

Upanishads....................

Upanishads are based not upon theological reasoning, but on experience of spiritual life. And life is not dogmatic; in it opposing forces are reconciled – ideas of non-dualism and dualism, the infinite and the finite, do not exclude each other.


Moreover the Upanishads do not represent the spiritual experience of any one great individual, but of a great age of enlightenment which has a complex and collective manifestation, like that of the starry world. Different creeds may find their sustenance from them, but can never set sectarian boundaries round them; generations of men in our country, no mere students of philosophy, but seekers of life’s fulfillment, may make living use of the texts, but can never exhaust them of their freshness of meaning.


Rabindranath Tagore

Thoughts not on;y affects.................................

Thoughts affect not only "The mind" but also........... "The body."


Negative thoughts are not going to help you to be happy and healthy. On the other hand, by developing positive thoughts you’ll feel comfortable, you’ll feel happy, and your positive thinking will help you to send good thoughts towards others.


Yoga is not to transform others. Transform yourself first. Correct your vision’ find the peace within you. Whatever you want to see outside, build it inside.

A Little Extra Effort..........Lot of Extra rewards.

A Little Extra Effort........A Lot of Extra rewards.............


A little extra effort will go a long, long way. When you've
Already done what must be done, go ahead and do just a
Little bit more.

Once you've established some good, solid momentum, make full
Use of it. When you're in the mode of accomplishment, keep
On cranking out those accomplishments.

Beyond your original goal is the opportunity to raise your
Performance to a higher level. With a little extra effort
You can get a lot of extra rewards.

Just an extra one percent can make the difference between
Being the best and being the same as all the rest. So every
Time you get the opportunity, give that extra one percent.

Persistent effort will get you almost there, and a little
Extra effort will carry you over the top. Once you think
You've done all you can, find a way to do a little more.

Rather than focusing on how little you can get away with,
Give your attention to how much you can accomplish. Build on
Top of what you've already created and the results will be
Spectacular.

Transform Self & The World...................

To transform one-self, essentially needs a transformer. To transform self and the world one needs a powerful transformer and to enlighten and see divinity one needs the support and back-up of an enlightened and divine transformer- That's what is my Parama Pujya Guruji Sri. Sri. Nimishanandaji- An Enlightened and Divine, Powerful Transformer.

My contact and association with Pujya Guruji and Nimishananda Asram is like a tiny tot period, and within that tiny tot period, I was guided,Now being guided and will continue to be guided by Pujya Guruji's divine and enlightened words of wisdom,divinity, benevolence and yet in simplicity ( It's undoubtedly my Poorva Janma Punya). The transformer installed in me by Pujya Guruji started functioning and Guruji dwelling in me, constantly continues to maintain the transformer in me.

The four steps as envisaged by Parama Pujya Guruji has now been stepped up in my transformer in me by Guruji's words and the 4 steps and the transformer has now become "Step-Up- Transformer", inspiring me to be guided by his divine and enlightened values and principles.

I just do not know how to pay back for all the virtues and values I am receiving from Pujya Guruji. All that I can say and affirm is " I am ordained by whatever Pujya Guruji tells me to abide by and comply with as per Guruji's divine wishes.

My pranams with reverence and dedication at the Lotus feet of My Parama Pjuya Guruji.

J.K

You are Here.......for What? read to find out.........

You Are Here......... For What?.............Pl Read to Find Out.

You are here not to impress anyone, but to improve everyone.

You are here not to grab all you can, but to give all you are.

You are here not to regret where you've been or worry about
where you are going.

You are here to live with all the fullness and richness you can imagine.

You are here to question, to answer, to search and to find.

You are here to love, to experience, to know and to share.

You are here to create, to encourage, to build and grow and support.

You are here to think, to act, and by so doing to make life all the more meaningful by way of your presence.


You are here now, able to do all these things and more in this very moment.

Go far, far beyond those pretenses and anxieties that only serve to weigh you down.


You are here now, and the possibilities are everything you could ever imagine. Live them, here, now.

Hold on Tightly.....................

Hold on to faith;

it is the source of believing that all things are possible.
It is fiber and strength of a confident soul.

Hold on to hope;

it banishes doubt and enables attitudes
to be positive and cheerful.

Hold on to trust;

it is at the core of fruitful relationships
that are secure and content.


Hold on to love;

it is life's greatest gift of all,
for it shares, cares, and gives meaning
to life.

Hold on to family and friends;

they are the most important people in your life,
and they make the world a better place.
They are your roots and the beginnings that you grew from;
they are the vine that has grown through time
to nourish you, help you on your way,
and always remain close by.

Hold on to all that you are
and all that you have learned,
for these things are what make you unique.

Don't ignore what you feel
and what you believe is right and important;
your heart has a way of speaking
louder than your mind.

Hold on to your dreams;

achieve them diligently and honestly.
Never take the easy way or surrender to deceit.
Remember others on your way
and take time to care for their needs.


Enjoy the beauty around you.
Have the courage to see things differently and clearly.
Make the world a better place one day at a time,
and don't let go of the important things
that give meaning to your life.


~by Kelly D. Caron~

"What's Svvadharma" ?

In the Bhagavad Gita, Sri Krishna emphasizes Svadharma, one’s own dharma.

The word ‘dharma’ is really untranslatable. ‘Religion,’ ‘duty,’ ‘righteousness,’ and the other English equivalents give only a partial meaning. Dharma is derived from the root ‘dhri’, meaning to hold or sustain. The word signifies the attitude behind a man’s action or duty that sustains him in his present stage of evolution and also helps him to realize his ultimate destiny.

The dharma of a man is determined by his past experiences and tendencies. The beginningless Soul assumes different forms in different births for the gaining of experience. The works performed in every birth leave impressions, which are stored up in the subconscious mind and are not destroyed with the death of the body. When the Soul assumes a new body, these impressions begin to operate. Thus they form his ‘svabhava’, or character; they determine his dharma – his duty, his religion, his sense of right and wrong.


Education and environment only help a man to manifest what he has inherited from his own past. ... So a man’s dharma is the basis of his thought and action; he cannot get rid of it any more than a dreaming person can get rid of his dream. To try to act against one’s dharma is to do violence to one’s nature. The duty determined by a man’s dharma is his natural duty.


That is the only real thing for him; all other duties are alien to his nature, imposed from outside and therefore sources of confusion. Krishna asks Arjuna to cling to his kshatriya dharma though it does not seem perfect from other standpoints. Better is one’s own dharma, though imperfectly performed, than the dharma of another well performed.

Trust & Friendship

Trust & Friendship.

Trust:

It is a relationship of reliance and dependence. It is the belief and the confidence one has in others.Trust does not need to involve belief in the good character, vices, or morals of the other party. Persons engaged in a criminal activity usually trust each other to some extent. Also, trust does not need to include an action that you and the other party are mutually engaged in. Trust is a prediction of reliance on an action, based on what a party knows about the other party. Trust is a statement about what is otherwise unknown -for example, because it is far away, cannot be verified, or is in the future.

Friendship:

It is the total acceptance of the others for what they are and being there for them at all times. Do you know the relationship between your two eyes? They blink together, they sleep together, they cry together, they see things together, they smile together and they sleep together but they never see each other. That’s true friendship and what friendship is all supposed to be.

The meeting of two personalities is like the contact of two chemical substances. If there is a reaction then they both are transformed. Such feelings are the emotions that each one has and we get carried away into another world. A beginning of a new relationship of trust and friendship and a feeling of joy and happiness. People will come and people will go but the ones who find you special will find reasons to stay. How often do people come into your life only because of a reason or a purpose? Then how long do they stay? It’s so often today that people want to meet you only because you might be of use and then when the job is done they walk out like it never meant a thing.

To me having a friend is like having a purpose to live and care for and to look forward to a brighter tomorrow. It’s hard to find a true friend these days but easy to come by with many acquaintances. Hold back your worth and they last a bit longer if not then you are not worth a penny too. In a friendship the understanding needs to be complete and the honesty solemn. One can’t keep telling stories and expect the other to believe you always but when he understands he will respect you.

Truth often comes alive in the most wrong situations and that is where the trusts takes the friendship into another oblivion. Even in times of mistrust is it not necessary to clarify and clear the misunderstandings? A true friend will always take the effort to get to the bottom of things and sort matters. The problem is with others who want to hide and run away. They look for excuses all the time and enjoy blaming the other. Another smart way people use is to induce the other to commit a mistake or to react and then use this reaction as a foothold to depart.

If you want to part then there are better ways and more civilised manners. Part, if you must, but part with no ill feelings in your heart. Part in a way that you are not embarrassed if you should bump into each other. Partings can be sad but they need not be bitter. Either way I would forgive the other, no matter what, because he/she meant something to me once.

The time comes for each one of us to accept and let go. Peace be with you.
Trust if you want to and be friends if you care to. Life will go on.


"The first step in life is the most important one, so take it now."- and you are not too late..................

“Never take someone for granted. Hold every person close to your heart and in esteem because you might wake up one day and realize that you have lost a diamond, while you were busy collecting stones."................

J.K

Extend all care,kind & Love..............

Extend all CARE KIND AND LOVE......................

Extend to each person, no matter how trivial the contact, all the care and kindness and understanding and love that you can muster, and do it with no thought of any reward. Your life will never be the same again.