Off his own bat
Meaning
By an individual's own efforts.
Origin
One question that I've been asked several times about the figurative
expression 'off his own bat' is "should that be 'off his own back'"?
Well no, it shouldn't. 'Off your own back' originated as a mishearing
of the former expression. It has gained sufficient currency to be
considered as a viable everyday alternative of the correct version,
but purists dismiss it as a straightforward error.
Bats come in many forms of course and, as is always the case with such
words when they occur in phrases where the context clear, the meaning
is open to fanciful interpretations. So, as with the yards in 'the
whole nine yards', which are guessed to be any number of things, the
'bat' in 'off his own bat' has been said to be one of these: the
flying mammal, a butter pat, a tool used in brickmaking etc, etc. In
fact, the bat in question is a cricket bat and the first activity that
was said to be done 'off someone's own bat' was to score runs.
The first citation of 'off his own bat' in print comes from the pen of
the celebrated cricket historian and statistician Henry Thomas
Waghorn, in Cricket Scores, 1742:
"The bets on the Slendon man's head that he got 40 notches off his own
bat were lost."
The 'Slendon man' was probably Richard Newland, the star of the
Slindon Cricket Club and cricket's first great all-rounder.
It is worth noting that the phrase is found in print several times
during the next century and all of the known citations are explicit
cricket references - the other supposed derivations of 'bat' in this
context owe everything to imagination and nothing to evidence. There's
an example in Our Village: Sketches of Rural Character and Scenery, by
Mary Russell Mitford, 1824:
"William Grey got forty notches off his own bat; and that brilliant
hitter Tom Coper gained eight from two successive balls."
Why runs that were scored 'off someone's own bat' were worth
mentioning derives from the arcane rules of cricket. Runs, which were
often referred to as 'notches' in early references to the game, may be
scored in cricket in several different ways. These include various
forms of 'extra' runs, for example, bowling misdemeanours like wides
or no balls; various forms of 'bye', in which the batsmen run without
first hitting the ball; and overthrows, where a fielder throws the
ball at the wicket and misses, giving time for the batsmen to run
again. All of these are counted towards the batting side's score, but
it is the runs that a batsman scores 'off his own bat' that gain kudos
for the player.
The first usage of 'off his own bat' as a figurative, i.e.
non-cricket, phrase is in Fragment on Irish Affairs by the Rev. Sydney
Smith, May 1845:
"Dr. Hodgson is a very worthy, amiable man... but [I] suppose he had
no revenues but what he got off his own bat."
Friday, May 29, 2009
Vegetarian Diet.
Why Vegetarian?
why do they choose to be vegetarian?
“Nothing will benefit human health and increase chances for survival of life on Earth as much as the evolution to avegetarian diet.”
Albert Einstein
“Nothing’s changed my life more. I feel better about myself as a person, being conscious and responsible for my actions and I lost weight and my skin cleared up and I got bright eyes and I just became stronger and healthier and happier. Can’t think of anything better in the world to be but be vegetarian.”
Alicia Silverstone
“I've found that a person does not needprotein from meat to be a successful athlete.In fact, my best year of track competitionwas the first year I ate a vegan diet.Moreover, by continuing to eat a vegan diet,my weight is under control, I like the way Ilook.”
Carl Lewis
“As custodians of the planet Earth it is our responsibility to deal with all species with kindness, love and compassion. That these animals suffer through human cruelty is beyond understanding and acceptance.Please help to stopthis madness.”
Why Vegetarian?
Health
A healthy vegetarian diet promotes:
• Good health and longevity
• Vitality for the young and old
• Improved immune system
• Better endurance and athletic performance
• Weight control
• Calm and clarity for the mind
• Mild and peaceful temperament
Breast cancer,Colorectal cancer: Female.
The Worrying Situation in Singapore…
In Singapore, year 2000
• Cancer kills 1 in 4 (27%)
• Heart Disease kills 1 in 4 (25%)
• Stroke kills 1 in 10 (10%)
Statistical source: Ministry of Health.
“It is my strong belief that the human immune system is the best weapon - ultimately, perhaps, the only weapon - against disease.”
Jau-Fei Chen, Ph.D., after more than 10 years in intensive cancer research.
Cancer.
National Health Survey.
• More than 1 in 4 has hypertension
• Nearly 1 in 4 has high blood pressure (>240 mg/dl)
• Nearly 1 in 2 has undesirable blood cholesterol levels (>200mg/dl)
Although Singaporeans are exercising more and smoking less,incidence of high cholesterol and high blood pressure still continue to increase, with no improvement in incidence of obesity and diabetes.
Prevention, not treatment, is the solution to many of our chronic diseases.
Cancer cells do not grow overnight. Atherosclerosis (hardening/narrowing of blood arteries),which contributes to heart disease and stroke, is a gradual build-up of plaque caused by a highfat and high cholesterol diet.
The Oxford Vegetarian Study showed that vegetarians were 40% less likely to die from cancer, when compared with non-vegetarians living a similar lifestyle.
Dr. Dean Ornish has actually reversed heart disease in his patients with a low-fat vegetarian diet as part of his lifestyle program. Without drugs or surgery, the amount of plaque in thearteries is reduced!
In a study in the U.S., vegetarians had an average cholesterol level of 161 mg/dl; vegetarians who did not even consume eggs or dairy products had an average cholesterol level of only133mg/dl; the population average was 210 mg/dl.
Our human immune system is amazingly powerful and is our best weapon against all diseases.However, it requires the appropriate raw materials and supportive environment to function optimally. Our diet and lifestyle can strengthen or weaken our immune system. Unleash these lf-healing potential present in every one of us with a healthy vegetarian diet.
Study after study has shown thatvegetarians live longer and healthier.They have lower rates of cancer, heartdiseases, hypertension, diabetes, obesity,kidney stones and gall stones.
Our cancer rates have climbed significantly over the years,especially for breast, colorectal and prostate cancers. These 3 cancers are strongly linked to meat consumption and a diet highin fats.
Our rates for cancer, heart disease and stroke have all risen dramatically from 1957 to now, along with our increasing intake of meat. In 2000, these 3 major killers accounted for 62% of our total deaths.
Statistical source: Singapore Cancer Registry.
Let your Food be your Medicine.
Why Vegetarian?
Nutrition.
Protein: It is virtually impossibleto be deficient in protein on a vegetarian diet. As long as caloric needs are met and a wide variety of plant foods are consumed, protein needs are easily met. In fact, plant protein is a much safer source than animal protein, since animal protein is linked with higher risks of osteoporosis, kidney disease and kidney stone formation, especially when consumed in excess. Our body cannot store excess protein. Soya protein is recognized as a complete protein with all the necessary aminoacids.
Good sources of protein: Soya products, legumes, whole grains, vegetables, nuts and seeds.
Plant Foods.
• contain absolutely ZERO cholesterol.
• are generally very low in total fat content.
• are low in saturated fats (except coconut and palm oil).
• are our ONLY source of fibre, which is important for our colon health.
• appeal to our taste buds naturally without any seasoning or even cooking.
• are full of vitality and important enzymes, especially when raw.
• contain plenty of antioxidants, which protect against free radical
damage, and, thus, chronic diseases such as cancer and heart disease.
• are our ONLY source of phytochemicals, such as soya isoflavones and
carotenoids, which protect our health in many significant ways.
• are our best food source of folates, which are important in protecting
against birth defects and heart disease Animal Foods.
• contain absolutely ZERO fibre.
Calcium:
Calcium is abundant in plantfoods. Our bodies absorb more than 50% ofthe calcium in many plant foods; while only32% of the calcium in milk is absorbed. Good bone health does not depend on calcium intake alone. Ironically, countries that have the highest intake of dairy products also have the world’s highest rates of osteoporosis. Other factors causing poor bone health include excessive animal protein,lack of exercise and lack of sunshine(vitamin D).
Oxalates, found in some vegetables likespinach, Swiss chard and beet greens, canbind calcium and lead to poor absorption.
Good sources of calcium: Dark green leafy vegetables, cooked dried beans, soya products, nuts, seeds, dried fruits, sea vegetables. many calcium-fortified foods like tofu, orange juice and soya milk.
Iron:
Almost all vegetables have higher iron content per calorie than meat, eggs or fish. Dairy products are deficient in iron and may even inhibit iron absorption. Iron deficiency is one of the most common deficiencies in the world. But long-term studies have shown that vegetarians are NO more likely to suffer iron deficiencies than non-vegetarians. Although non-heme iron (in plant foods) is not as well-absorbed by the body as heme iron (in animal foods), the problem can be alleviated by the consumption of vitamin C in the same meal, which can boost the absorption of non-heme iron fourfold. Moreover, non-heme iron has a special advantage: it is more sensitive to our iron needs and has better regulated absorption. When our iron stores run low, our body can absorb only twice as much heme iron, but up to ten times as much non-heme iron.When our iron status is good, heme iron is still absorbed, causing excessive iron stores, which our body cannot dispose of
easily.
Too much iron in the body catalyses the formation of harmful free radicals and aggravates cancers, heart diseases and aging.
Good sources: Dark green leafy vegetables, legumes, nuts, seeds, blackstrap molasses, sea vegetables, dried fruits, whole and enriched grains.
A vegetarian diet (even without eggs or dairy products) can meet ALL our nutritional needs.
Source:
‘’The Vegetarian Way’ by Virginia Messina, MPH, RD & Mark Messina, PhD
Our Body.
What is the natural diet for humans?
Carnivores enjoy the act of savaging and the scent of blood. Sharks, for example, are highly aroused by the scent of blood.
On the other hand, we cannot tolerate the sounds and cries of animals being killed, and the mere sight of blood is disturbing to us.
Are humans herbivores? While this is a complex issue, here is some hard evidence.
Our nails are flattened, and, unlike carnivores, we don’t have sharp,pointed teeth.
Both humans and herbivores have carbohydrate digestive enzymes in our saliva; while carnivores and omnivores don’t.
Most importantly, both the carnivores and the omnivores have acolon that is short, simple and smooth, and their stomach acidity is less than pH 1 with food in stomach; Humans, like herbivores, have avery long, complex and sacculated colon, and our stomach acidity is around pH 4 to 5.
Our long intestine length is designed for a high fibre diet (found only in plant food). Meat does not digest well in such an environment,and often turns toxic, which contributes to colon cancer.
“If slaughterhouses had glass walls, everyone would be vegetarian. We feel better about ourselves and better about the animals, knowing we're not contributing to their pain.” --Paul and Linda McCartney.
Why Vegetarian?
Compassion.
Like Humans, our fellow animals have the same capacity to feel Love, Fear and Pain Today’s animal farming is extensive and cruel. To enable them to survive the harsh conditions and to promote unnatural growth, farm animals are often injected with antibiotics and growth hormones. Very often, chicks are de-beaked; pigs are castrated,their teeth cut and their tails docked, all done without anaesthesia. They are often imprisoned in cramped conditions where their natural instincts are suppressed. From the moment of birth and throughout their lives, distress is a norm. Their last day is their worst. In distress, their bodies produce toxins. When we eat meat, their suffering is passed to us in the form of these toxins.
These animals are helpless, defenceless and innocent.There is no escape from the slaughterhouse as long as there is a demand for meat. Slaughtering is brutality and violence itself, no matter how “humane” we try to make it. When we eat meat, we eat violence. Directly or indirectly, we propagate violence.
Vegetarianism is the first step towards world peace.
“If any kid ever realized what was involved in factory farming, they would never touch meat again. I was so moved by the intelligence, sense of fun and personalities of the animals I worked with on Babe that by the end of the film I was a vegetarian.” --James Cromwell, actor in Babe
Meat Production Contributes to World Hunger and Environmental Problems
It takes 16 kg of grains to produce merely 1 kgof beef.
The world’s cattle alone consume a quantity of food enough to feed more than the entire human population on Earth. More than 80% of corn and 95% of oats grown in US are fed to livestock in US, not to hungry people.
Although world hunger is a complex issue, the high demand for meat by the affluent minority has no doubt contributed to the problem. We should all share and conserve Earth’s limited resources.
Meat production is grossly wasteful of the earth’s resources:-
Water.
• It takes more than 25,000 litres of water to produce 1 kilogram of beef.
• It takes 200 times more water to make a poundof beef than a pound of
potatoes.
Pollution.
• The meat industry is the single greatest polluter of our waters.
A vegetarian diet is best for our own health, for the environment and for the well-being of everyone with whom we share this earth. Be part of the worldwide move towards a healthier and more responsible way of life.
Vegetarian Society (Singapore)
PO Box 261 Tanglin Post Office Singapore 912409
www.vegetarian-society.org
vegsoc@singnet.com.sg
The Vegetarian Society (Singapore) is a non-profit organisation run entirely by volunteers. It was formed in 1999 with the primary objectives of promoting vegetarianism in Singapore through research and education, and of linking individuals and organisations that believe in the principles of vegetarianism. The society has no commercial or religious affiliations and is not restricted to any particular form of vegetarianism. We seek to propagate vegetarianism in all its aspects such as health benefits, animal rights, environmental issues and world hunger. We are the only registered vegetarian society in Singapore, and area member of the International Vegetarian Union and have links with other vegetarian societies all around the world.
Please give your support to the vegetarian movement. Contact us if you would like to help in any way.
“Nothing is more powerful than an individual acting out of his own conscience, thus helping to bring the collective conscience to life.”
Norman Cousins.
why do they choose to be vegetarian?
“Nothing will benefit human health and increase chances for survival of life on Earth as much as the evolution to avegetarian diet.”
Albert Einstein
“Nothing’s changed my life more. I feel better about myself as a person, being conscious and responsible for my actions and I lost weight and my skin cleared up and I got bright eyes and I just became stronger and healthier and happier. Can’t think of anything better in the world to be but be vegetarian.”
Alicia Silverstone
“I've found that a person does not needprotein from meat to be a successful athlete.In fact, my best year of track competitionwas the first year I ate a vegan diet.Moreover, by continuing to eat a vegan diet,my weight is under control, I like the way Ilook.”
Carl Lewis
“As custodians of the planet Earth it is our responsibility to deal with all species with kindness, love and compassion. That these animals suffer through human cruelty is beyond understanding and acceptance.Please help to stopthis madness.”
Why Vegetarian?
Health
A healthy vegetarian diet promotes:
• Good health and longevity
• Vitality for the young and old
• Improved immune system
• Better endurance and athletic performance
• Weight control
• Calm and clarity for the mind
• Mild and peaceful temperament
Breast cancer,Colorectal cancer: Female.
The Worrying Situation in Singapore…
In Singapore, year 2000
• Cancer kills 1 in 4 (27%)
• Heart Disease kills 1 in 4 (25%)
• Stroke kills 1 in 10 (10%)
Statistical source: Ministry of Health.
“It is my strong belief that the human immune system is the best weapon - ultimately, perhaps, the only weapon - against disease.”
Jau-Fei Chen, Ph.D., after more than 10 years in intensive cancer research.
Cancer.
National Health Survey.
• More than 1 in 4 has hypertension
• Nearly 1 in 4 has high blood pressure (>240 mg/dl)
• Nearly 1 in 2 has undesirable blood cholesterol levels (>200mg/dl)
Although Singaporeans are exercising more and smoking less,incidence of high cholesterol and high blood pressure still continue to increase, with no improvement in incidence of obesity and diabetes.
Prevention, not treatment, is the solution to many of our chronic diseases.
Cancer cells do not grow overnight. Atherosclerosis (hardening/narrowing of blood arteries),which contributes to heart disease and stroke, is a gradual build-up of plaque caused by a highfat and high cholesterol diet.
The Oxford Vegetarian Study showed that vegetarians were 40% less likely to die from cancer, when compared with non-vegetarians living a similar lifestyle.
Dr. Dean Ornish has actually reversed heart disease in his patients with a low-fat vegetarian diet as part of his lifestyle program. Without drugs or surgery, the amount of plaque in thearteries is reduced!
In a study in the U.S., vegetarians had an average cholesterol level of 161 mg/dl; vegetarians who did not even consume eggs or dairy products had an average cholesterol level of only133mg/dl; the population average was 210 mg/dl.
Our human immune system is amazingly powerful and is our best weapon against all diseases.However, it requires the appropriate raw materials and supportive environment to function optimally. Our diet and lifestyle can strengthen or weaken our immune system. Unleash these lf-healing potential present in every one of us with a healthy vegetarian diet.
Study after study has shown thatvegetarians live longer and healthier.They have lower rates of cancer, heartdiseases, hypertension, diabetes, obesity,kidney stones and gall stones.
Our cancer rates have climbed significantly over the years,especially for breast, colorectal and prostate cancers. These 3 cancers are strongly linked to meat consumption and a diet highin fats.
Our rates for cancer, heart disease and stroke have all risen dramatically from 1957 to now, along with our increasing intake of meat. In 2000, these 3 major killers accounted for 62% of our total deaths.
Statistical source: Singapore Cancer Registry.
Let your Food be your Medicine.
Why Vegetarian?
Nutrition.
Protein: It is virtually impossibleto be deficient in protein on a vegetarian diet. As long as caloric needs are met and a wide variety of plant foods are consumed, protein needs are easily met. In fact, plant protein is a much safer source than animal protein, since animal protein is linked with higher risks of osteoporosis, kidney disease and kidney stone formation, especially when consumed in excess. Our body cannot store excess protein. Soya protein is recognized as a complete protein with all the necessary aminoacids.
Good sources of protein: Soya products, legumes, whole grains, vegetables, nuts and seeds.
Plant Foods.
• contain absolutely ZERO cholesterol.
• are generally very low in total fat content.
• are low in saturated fats (except coconut and palm oil).
• are our ONLY source of fibre, which is important for our colon health.
• appeal to our taste buds naturally without any seasoning or even cooking.
• are full of vitality and important enzymes, especially when raw.
• contain plenty of antioxidants, which protect against free radical
damage, and, thus, chronic diseases such as cancer and heart disease.
• are our ONLY source of phytochemicals, such as soya isoflavones and
carotenoids, which protect our health in many significant ways.
• are our best food source of folates, which are important in protecting
against birth defects and heart disease Animal Foods.
• contain absolutely ZERO fibre.
Calcium:
Calcium is abundant in plantfoods. Our bodies absorb more than 50% ofthe calcium in many plant foods; while only32% of the calcium in milk is absorbed. Good bone health does not depend on calcium intake alone. Ironically, countries that have the highest intake of dairy products also have the world’s highest rates of osteoporosis. Other factors causing poor bone health include excessive animal protein,lack of exercise and lack of sunshine(vitamin D).
Oxalates, found in some vegetables likespinach, Swiss chard and beet greens, canbind calcium and lead to poor absorption.
Good sources of calcium: Dark green leafy vegetables, cooked dried beans, soya products, nuts, seeds, dried fruits, sea vegetables. many calcium-fortified foods like tofu, orange juice and soya milk.
Iron:
Almost all vegetables have higher iron content per calorie than meat, eggs or fish. Dairy products are deficient in iron and may even inhibit iron absorption. Iron deficiency is one of the most common deficiencies in the world. But long-term studies have shown that vegetarians are NO more likely to suffer iron deficiencies than non-vegetarians. Although non-heme iron (in plant foods) is not as well-absorbed by the body as heme iron (in animal foods), the problem can be alleviated by the consumption of vitamin C in the same meal, which can boost the absorption of non-heme iron fourfold. Moreover, non-heme iron has a special advantage: it is more sensitive to our iron needs and has better regulated absorption. When our iron stores run low, our body can absorb only twice as much heme iron, but up to ten times as much non-heme iron.When our iron status is good, heme iron is still absorbed, causing excessive iron stores, which our body cannot dispose of
easily.
Too much iron in the body catalyses the formation of harmful free radicals and aggravates cancers, heart diseases and aging.
Good sources: Dark green leafy vegetables, legumes, nuts, seeds, blackstrap molasses, sea vegetables, dried fruits, whole and enriched grains.
A vegetarian diet (even without eggs or dairy products) can meet ALL our nutritional needs.
Source:
‘’The Vegetarian Way’ by Virginia Messina, MPH, RD & Mark Messina, PhD
Our Body.
What is the natural diet for humans?
Carnivores enjoy the act of savaging and the scent of blood. Sharks, for example, are highly aroused by the scent of blood.
On the other hand, we cannot tolerate the sounds and cries of animals being killed, and the mere sight of blood is disturbing to us.
Are humans herbivores? While this is a complex issue, here is some hard evidence.
Our nails are flattened, and, unlike carnivores, we don’t have sharp,pointed teeth.
Both humans and herbivores have carbohydrate digestive enzymes in our saliva; while carnivores and omnivores don’t.
Most importantly, both the carnivores and the omnivores have acolon that is short, simple and smooth, and their stomach acidity is less than pH 1 with food in stomach; Humans, like herbivores, have avery long, complex and sacculated colon, and our stomach acidity is around pH 4 to 5.
Our long intestine length is designed for a high fibre diet (found only in plant food). Meat does not digest well in such an environment,and often turns toxic, which contributes to colon cancer.
“If slaughterhouses had glass walls, everyone would be vegetarian. We feel better about ourselves and better about the animals, knowing we're not contributing to their pain.” --Paul and Linda McCartney.
Why Vegetarian?
Compassion.
Like Humans, our fellow animals have the same capacity to feel Love, Fear and Pain Today’s animal farming is extensive and cruel. To enable them to survive the harsh conditions and to promote unnatural growth, farm animals are often injected with antibiotics and growth hormones. Very often, chicks are de-beaked; pigs are castrated,their teeth cut and their tails docked, all done without anaesthesia. They are often imprisoned in cramped conditions where their natural instincts are suppressed. From the moment of birth and throughout their lives, distress is a norm. Their last day is their worst. In distress, their bodies produce toxins. When we eat meat, their suffering is passed to us in the form of these toxins.
These animals are helpless, defenceless and innocent.There is no escape from the slaughterhouse as long as there is a demand for meat. Slaughtering is brutality and violence itself, no matter how “humane” we try to make it. When we eat meat, we eat violence. Directly or indirectly, we propagate violence.
Vegetarianism is the first step towards world peace.
“If any kid ever realized what was involved in factory farming, they would never touch meat again. I was so moved by the intelligence, sense of fun and personalities of the animals I worked with on Babe that by the end of the film I was a vegetarian.” --James Cromwell, actor in Babe
Meat Production Contributes to World Hunger and Environmental Problems
It takes 16 kg of grains to produce merely 1 kgof beef.
The world’s cattle alone consume a quantity of food enough to feed more than the entire human population on Earth. More than 80% of corn and 95% of oats grown in US are fed to livestock in US, not to hungry people.
Although world hunger is a complex issue, the high demand for meat by the affluent minority has no doubt contributed to the problem. We should all share and conserve Earth’s limited resources.
Meat production is grossly wasteful of the earth’s resources:-
Water.
• It takes more than 25,000 litres of water to produce 1 kilogram of beef.
• It takes 200 times more water to make a poundof beef than a pound of
potatoes.
Pollution.
• The meat industry is the single greatest polluter of our waters.
A vegetarian diet is best for our own health, for the environment and for the well-being of everyone with whom we share this earth. Be part of the worldwide move towards a healthier and more responsible way of life.
Vegetarian Society (Singapore)
PO Box 261 Tanglin Post Office Singapore 912409
www.vegetarian-society.org
vegsoc@singnet.com.sg
The Vegetarian Society (Singapore) is a non-profit organisation run entirely by volunteers. It was formed in 1999 with the primary objectives of promoting vegetarianism in Singapore through research and education, and of linking individuals and organisations that believe in the principles of vegetarianism. The society has no commercial or religious affiliations and is not restricted to any particular form of vegetarianism. We seek to propagate vegetarianism in all its aspects such as health benefits, animal rights, environmental issues and world hunger. We are the only registered vegetarian society in Singapore, and area member of the International Vegetarian Union and have links with other vegetarian societies all around the world.
Please give your support to the vegetarian movement. Contact us if you would like to help in any way.
“Nothing is more powerful than an individual acting out of his own conscience, thus helping to bring the collective conscience to life.”
Norman Cousins.
Non-violent Approach to Life thr'o Vegetarianism................
Non Violent Approach To Life Through Vegetarianism .................
I would like to start this article with a quotation that aptly describes today’s subject that is Non Violent Approach To Life through Vegetarianism.
“Unseen they suffer, unheard they cry.
In agony they linger, in silence they die.
Is it nothing to you, all ye who pass by?”
-Anonymous.
These are the lines that express the pain and suffering of the animals that are subjected to exploitation and torture by human for the human greed.
It is a sad to see that the innocent, dumb and defenseless creatures are being put to cruel pain far from the human eyes. The thought itself makes one’s heart bleed with anguish and grief. How can we as human beings sit quietly when our younger brothers and sisters are in terrible state? Is it not our duty to protect and help them? But how difficult it is to predict man for, “Man is an actor. He acts all manner of men, and each one is a lie. Only the animal in him is real,.......” says William Saroyan. Probably he is right by saying so, for the bestiality in the man has created a violent and destructive world in which we live today.
There is so much suffering going on in this world behind the curtain, that it is a highly guarded secret. How long shall we pretend to believe that animals have no souls and so they feel no pain. It is time to wake up from our slumber and ignorance and face the truth. Animals are living beings just like you and me and as we suffer from pain and agony they do also. Let us stop being violent and act to end the cruelty that is meted on the dumb and innocent creatures. For violence begets violence and love begets love.
To begin with let us see animals as living beings and not as things that are made for human beings to cut and consume. For they are lives full of emotions and feelings that experience pain and pleasure as we do. As Dr. Albert Schweitzer the Nobel Peace Prize Recipient in 1952 said in his book:-
“A Place for Revelation”.......... that “wherever you see life- that is you. What is this recognition, this knowledge apprehended by the most learned and most childlike alike? It is ‘Reverence for Life,’ reverence for the impenetrable mystery that meets us in our universe, an existence different from ourselves in external appearance yet inwardly of the same character with us. Terribly similar, awesomely related. This dissimilarity, the strangeness between us and other creatures are here removed. Reverence before the infinity of life means the removal of the strangeness, the restoration of shared experiences, and of compassion and sympathy.”
In this way when we learn to see the animals as ourselves from the point of view of "LIFE", we change our perception of them and become more compassionate towards them. When such an understanding dawns on us, the first change occurs in the food pattern. One starts to observe what one puts into the BODY WHERE SOUL IS HOUSED . For we know that, we are what we eat. What we eat reflects in our thinking and our thinking reflects in our action. If we want a healthy body, the body should be provided with healthy and wholesome diet, pure and untainted by blood(y) food. If we want a healthy mind, the mind should be provided with inspiring and positive thoughts.
One is often not aware of the fact that when one eats meat, one takes in protein along with the chemicals that are injected into the animals to fatten them up and antibiotics to control diseases and viruses. One also forgets that in flesh, the negative vibrations of pain, fear and rejection exist, and they permeate in every cell of the human body creating there the feeling of fear, pain and rejection. Meat contains no essential nutrients that cannot be obtained directly from plant sources. By cycling grain through livestock, we lose 90% of the protein, 96% of the calories, 99% of its carbohydrates and 100% of the fiber.
How does one hope to live with good feelings of health, happiness and sound mind when negative vibrations of pain blended with chemicals are working in the body? These are the main causes that lead to the fatal diseases of the mind and the body. That is the reason why we see so many people suffering from emotional, psychological and physiological diseases. Meat-centered diets are linked to many kinds of cancer, most notably cancer of the colon, breast, cervix, uterus, ovary, prostate and lung.
Statistically, approximately two million Americans die each year of which 68% are victims of the three major chronic diseases in which diet is major contributory factor: heart disease, cancer and stroke. The foods that have been singled out for special concern in connection with these diseases are eggs, meat, poultry, sea- food, animal fat and many more. If the body is fed with pure, natural and wholesome food, that involves minimum of violence, minimum of environmental damage and minimum of ecological imbalance it helps create harmony within the body and mind.
It is good to know the statistics. It takes 273 litres of water to produce 450 grams of wheat ie. (1228.5 cups of water), 1136.5 litres of water to produce 450 grams of rice and approximately 9092 to 27,276 litres of water to produce 450 grams of meat. A chicken processing plant uses 454 million litres per day – enough to supply the water needs of 25,000 humans. Livestock are responsible for consuming 80% of the world’s water supply. A litre is 4 ½ cups of liquid.
Methane from cattle accelerates the global warming and the ozone layer depletion. PETA’s (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animal) research shows that 26 billion animals are killed for food in the U.S. alone each year (9 billion land based, 17 billion aquatic). In this way when man lives a life involving gross violence like these he becomes a terrible threat to himself and to the entire planet.
The planet’s entire petroleum reserves would be exhausted in 13 years if the whole world were to take on the technological methods used in the U.S. that produce the standard American meat-centered diet.
Trees are being cut down at an alarming rate all around the world for meat production. If people made radical change in their diet only in U.S. alone 200 million acres could be returned to the forest.
If one becomes a vegetarian he saves 2,400 animals in a lifetime thus becoming a blessing to oneself and a blessing to the Mother Earth.
Today we see many people around the world slowly becoming aware of the animal abuse and environmental pollution and are turning vegetarians. Though it may be for religious reasons, for ethical reason, for ecological reason or for health or environmental reason. Whatever the reason may be the awareness is gaining momentum day by day and people are questioning their beliefs and conditioning.
If one can try this way of diet for few months from today one can find out for themselves the change in the state of mind and the body.
Let us see what vegetarianism means in today’s world.
The term Vegetarian is derived from the Latin word vegetus meaning “whole, lively, sound, fresh.” Thus a vegetarian is one who does not eat any meat, fish, fowl or eggs. There are those who consider themselves to be vegetarians even though they eat eggs. So the vegetarians are divided into three categories:
(1) Lacto -ovo-vegetarians : those that include milk, dairy products and eggs in their diets;
(2) Lacto-vegetarians : those that include milk, dairy products but no eggs in their diets;
(3) Vegans : those that do not include any animal products like milk, cheese, curd (yogurt), butter or eggs in their diets (most even eschew honey).
A vegetarian thus can easily sustain on foods like grains, legumes, beans, nuts, seeds, vegetables and fruits that are good sources of protein, vitamins, minerals and other nutrients.
We just saw the ethical, ecological and the health point of view of vegetarianism.
Now let us address the philosophical aspect of the issue in brief.
Since time immemorial scriptural studies and researches have revealed one thing that is common to all living beings and that is the desire to live and to be happy and not to die and be unhappy. But man in his pursuit of pleasure and happiness forgets this and goes to the extent of exploiting everything and everyone for his greed. To satisfy his yearning he engages in violent acts like hunting, killing, confining, or taking the life of freely roving innocent creatures and ignores their right to live happily. In this way, not only does he abuse the living creatures, but in turn abuses him self by doing this. He forgets that he too is part of the planet and cannot remove him self from the universal law of vibrations of the living which is, that which you throw out comes about.
To kill someone one has to be callous inwardly and then take a life. When one acts from a state of hard heartedness, one is gradually erasing the goodness in the self and reaching a point of hating everyone including the self. If one does not have reverence for one’s own self, how can one have reverence for other living beings? So in this way the act of brutality perpetuates and the vicious circle of hate and violence continues.
One never stops to think that eating meat for taste involves much pain and torture to a life! A life that cannot be created in the laboratory! A very precious life with a strong will to live! A life that needs time to unfold its own destiny on the earth, for a premature death breaks the cycle of natural expression of that life.
The philosopher Plutarch said,
“But for the sake of some little mouthful of flesh, we deprive a soul of the life and time it had been born into the world to enjoy.”
Very often people ask the question, “Why then, kill vegetables if not animals?” The Jain school of thought answers this question precisely.
According to Jain philosophy, all life is divided into five categories:
one sense, two sense, three sense, four sense, and five-sense beings having the sense of touch, taste, smell, sight and hearing. Vegetables are one-sense beings having only the sense of touch and animals are five-sense beings having all the five senses. The more the number of senses the more evolved the life is and more the feeling of pain. Life has to go through a laborious and strenuous process to evolve from one sense being to five-sense being. By slaughtering an animal one destroys completely the evolutionary progress of that life, which it has attained through suffering and pain.
The vegetable kingdom has not yet reached the blood “consciousness” which the animals and humans have. So the degree of pain is less. Where there is blood,there are more feelings, more emotions and greater possibility of feeling deep pain.
Here I would like to quote the views of Roshi Philip Kapleau on the above subject. He says that,
“ Flesh eaters often say that if you eat only vegetables you are also taking life. What, then is the difference between taking the life of, say a pig and that of a vegetable? He answers: all the difference in the world.
Does a potato cry out when it is taken from the earth the way a calf does when it is taken from its mother? Does a stick of celery scream in pain and terror when it is picked the way a pig does when it is being led to slaughter and is having its throat cut? And how sad, lonely, and frightened can a head of lettuce feel? We don’t need a polygraph to demonstrate that plants have consciousness of a sort, but this consciousness is obviously of a rudimentary kind far different from that of mammals that have well developed nervous systems.”
Nathaniel Altman said, “ a vegetarian actually eats fewer plants than a meat-eater does, because the animals that the meat-eater has for dinner consumed thousands of pounds of plants in order to reach slaughter weight.”
It is a fact of life that our present stage of evolution calls for the eating of plants in order to survive. Until we find a way of getting our nutrient from the sun we have to take it from the plant kingdom thus doing the least amount of harm to the sentient beings.
Two thousand and six hundred years ago, Lord Mahavir, the last prophet of Jainism and exponent of non-violence and compassion emphasized that thoughts that govern our actions are the products of the food we eat. The food that feeds the system has a definite influence on the person physically as well as emotionally, psychologically and spiritually.
Healthy, whole and harmless foods give rise to healthy whole and harmless thoughts. Once the thoughts are harmless and healthy, the actions also reflect the same qualities. Weakness in character always develops in those who are in poor health, mentally or physically.
Science has discovered in recent years that character and personality are attributes of the inner workings of the body and have a great bearing upon our success in life and in our happiness. The personality reveals and expresses itself through the physical body. The expression of the face, the smile, which is the manifestation of joy, happiness and compassion, reveal the personality within. Without a healthy body, these manifestations are not possible.
Thus a non-violent approach to life through vegetarianism expresses our reverence for all life forms including ourselves- from the minutest micro-beings to the major macro- beings, from the lowest developed consciousness to the highest developed consciousness.
I would like to end this paper with an Affirmation of Peace.
O Hidden Life, Vibrant in Every Atom
O Hidden Light, Shining in every Creature
O Hidden Love, Embracing All in Oneness,
May each of us who feels as One with Thee Know that we are therefore One with every other.
Pramoda Chitrabhanu
Jain Meditation International Center
New York City
I would like to start this article with a quotation that aptly describes today’s subject that is Non Violent Approach To Life through Vegetarianism.
“Unseen they suffer, unheard they cry.
In agony they linger, in silence they die.
Is it nothing to you, all ye who pass by?”
-Anonymous.
These are the lines that express the pain and suffering of the animals that are subjected to exploitation and torture by human for the human greed.
It is a sad to see that the innocent, dumb and defenseless creatures are being put to cruel pain far from the human eyes. The thought itself makes one’s heart bleed with anguish and grief. How can we as human beings sit quietly when our younger brothers and sisters are in terrible state? Is it not our duty to protect and help them? But how difficult it is to predict man for, “Man is an actor. He acts all manner of men, and each one is a lie. Only the animal in him is real,.......” says William Saroyan. Probably he is right by saying so, for the bestiality in the man has created a violent and destructive world in which we live today.
There is so much suffering going on in this world behind the curtain, that it is a highly guarded secret. How long shall we pretend to believe that animals have no souls and so they feel no pain. It is time to wake up from our slumber and ignorance and face the truth. Animals are living beings just like you and me and as we suffer from pain and agony they do also. Let us stop being violent and act to end the cruelty that is meted on the dumb and innocent creatures. For violence begets violence and love begets love.
To begin with let us see animals as living beings and not as things that are made for human beings to cut and consume. For they are lives full of emotions and feelings that experience pain and pleasure as we do. As Dr. Albert Schweitzer the Nobel Peace Prize Recipient in 1952 said in his book:-
“A Place for Revelation”.......... that “wherever you see life- that is you. What is this recognition, this knowledge apprehended by the most learned and most childlike alike? It is ‘Reverence for Life,’ reverence for the impenetrable mystery that meets us in our universe, an existence different from ourselves in external appearance yet inwardly of the same character with us. Terribly similar, awesomely related. This dissimilarity, the strangeness between us and other creatures are here removed. Reverence before the infinity of life means the removal of the strangeness, the restoration of shared experiences, and of compassion and sympathy.”
In this way when we learn to see the animals as ourselves from the point of view of "LIFE", we change our perception of them and become more compassionate towards them. When such an understanding dawns on us, the first change occurs in the food pattern. One starts to observe what one puts into the BODY WHERE SOUL IS HOUSED . For we know that, we are what we eat. What we eat reflects in our thinking and our thinking reflects in our action. If we want a healthy body, the body should be provided with healthy and wholesome diet, pure and untainted by blood(y) food. If we want a healthy mind, the mind should be provided with inspiring and positive thoughts.
One is often not aware of the fact that when one eats meat, one takes in protein along with the chemicals that are injected into the animals to fatten them up and antibiotics to control diseases and viruses. One also forgets that in flesh, the negative vibrations of pain, fear and rejection exist, and they permeate in every cell of the human body creating there the feeling of fear, pain and rejection. Meat contains no essential nutrients that cannot be obtained directly from plant sources. By cycling grain through livestock, we lose 90% of the protein, 96% of the calories, 99% of its carbohydrates and 100% of the fiber.
How does one hope to live with good feelings of health, happiness and sound mind when negative vibrations of pain blended with chemicals are working in the body? These are the main causes that lead to the fatal diseases of the mind and the body. That is the reason why we see so many people suffering from emotional, psychological and physiological diseases. Meat-centered diets are linked to many kinds of cancer, most notably cancer of the colon, breast, cervix, uterus, ovary, prostate and lung.
Statistically, approximately two million Americans die each year of which 68% are victims of the three major chronic diseases in which diet is major contributory factor: heart disease, cancer and stroke. The foods that have been singled out for special concern in connection with these diseases are eggs, meat, poultry, sea- food, animal fat and many more. If the body is fed with pure, natural and wholesome food, that involves minimum of violence, minimum of environmental damage and minimum of ecological imbalance it helps create harmony within the body and mind.
It is good to know the statistics. It takes 273 litres of water to produce 450 grams of wheat ie. (1228.5 cups of water), 1136.5 litres of water to produce 450 grams of rice and approximately 9092 to 27,276 litres of water to produce 450 grams of meat. A chicken processing plant uses 454 million litres per day – enough to supply the water needs of 25,000 humans. Livestock are responsible for consuming 80% of the world’s water supply. A litre is 4 ½ cups of liquid.
Methane from cattle accelerates the global warming and the ozone layer depletion. PETA’s (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animal) research shows that 26 billion animals are killed for food in the U.S. alone each year (9 billion land based, 17 billion aquatic). In this way when man lives a life involving gross violence like these he becomes a terrible threat to himself and to the entire planet.
The planet’s entire petroleum reserves would be exhausted in 13 years if the whole world were to take on the technological methods used in the U.S. that produce the standard American meat-centered diet.
Trees are being cut down at an alarming rate all around the world for meat production. If people made radical change in their diet only in U.S. alone 200 million acres could be returned to the forest.
If one becomes a vegetarian he saves 2,400 animals in a lifetime thus becoming a blessing to oneself and a blessing to the Mother Earth.
Today we see many people around the world slowly becoming aware of the animal abuse and environmental pollution and are turning vegetarians. Though it may be for religious reasons, for ethical reason, for ecological reason or for health or environmental reason. Whatever the reason may be the awareness is gaining momentum day by day and people are questioning their beliefs and conditioning.
If one can try this way of diet for few months from today one can find out for themselves the change in the state of mind and the body.
Let us see what vegetarianism means in today’s world.
The term Vegetarian is derived from the Latin word vegetus meaning “whole, lively, sound, fresh.” Thus a vegetarian is one who does not eat any meat, fish, fowl or eggs. There are those who consider themselves to be vegetarians even though they eat eggs. So the vegetarians are divided into three categories:
(1) Lacto -ovo-vegetarians : those that include milk, dairy products and eggs in their diets;
(2) Lacto-vegetarians : those that include milk, dairy products but no eggs in their diets;
(3) Vegans : those that do not include any animal products like milk, cheese, curd (yogurt), butter or eggs in their diets (most even eschew honey).
A vegetarian thus can easily sustain on foods like grains, legumes, beans, nuts, seeds, vegetables and fruits that are good sources of protein, vitamins, minerals and other nutrients.
We just saw the ethical, ecological and the health point of view of vegetarianism.
Now let us address the philosophical aspect of the issue in brief.
Since time immemorial scriptural studies and researches have revealed one thing that is common to all living beings and that is the desire to live and to be happy and not to die and be unhappy. But man in his pursuit of pleasure and happiness forgets this and goes to the extent of exploiting everything and everyone for his greed. To satisfy his yearning he engages in violent acts like hunting, killing, confining, or taking the life of freely roving innocent creatures and ignores their right to live happily. In this way, not only does he abuse the living creatures, but in turn abuses him self by doing this. He forgets that he too is part of the planet and cannot remove him self from the universal law of vibrations of the living which is, that which you throw out comes about.
To kill someone one has to be callous inwardly and then take a life. When one acts from a state of hard heartedness, one is gradually erasing the goodness in the self and reaching a point of hating everyone including the self. If one does not have reverence for one’s own self, how can one have reverence for other living beings? So in this way the act of brutality perpetuates and the vicious circle of hate and violence continues.
One never stops to think that eating meat for taste involves much pain and torture to a life! A life that cannot be created in the laboratory! A very precious life with a strong will to live! A life that needs time to unfold its own destiny on the earth, for a premature death breaks the cycle of natural expression of that life.
The philosopher Plutarch said,
“But for the sake of some little mouthful of flesh, we deprive a soul of the life and time it had been born into the world to enjoy.”
Very often people ask the question, “Why then, kill vegetables if not animals?” The Jain school of thought answers this question precisely.
According to Jain philosophy, all life is divided into five categories:
one sense, two sense, three sense, four sense, and five-sense beings having the sense of touch, taste, smell, sight and hearing. Vegetables are one-sense beings having only the sense of touch and animals are five-sense beings having all the five senses. The more the number of senses the more evolved the life is and more the feeling of pain. Life has to go through a laborious and strenuous process to evolve from one sense being to five-sense being. By slaughtering an animal one destroys completely the evolutionary progress of that life, which it has attained through suffering and pain.
The vegetable kingdom has not yet reached the blood “consciousness” which the animals and humans have. So the degree of pain is less. Where there is blood,there are more feelings, more emotions and greater possibility of feeling deep pain.
Here I would like to quote the views of Roshi Philip Kapleau on the above subject. He says that,
“ Flesh eaters often say that if you eat only vegetables you are also taking life. What, then is the difference between taking the life of, say a pig and that of a vegetable? He answers: all the difference in the world.
Does a potato cry out when it is taken from the earth the way a calf does when it is taken from its mother? Does a stick of celery scream in pain and terror when it is picked the way a pig does when it is being led to slaughter and is having its throat cut? And how sad, lonely, and frightened can a head of lettuce feel? We don’t need a polygraph to demonstrate that plants have consciousness of a sort, but this consciousness is obviously of a rudimentary kind far different from that of mammals that have well developed nervous systems.”
Nathaniel Altman said, “ a vegetarian actually eats fewer plants than a meat-eater does, because the animals that the meat-eater has for dinner consumed thousands of pounds of plants in order to reach slaughter weight.”
It is a fact of life that our present stage of evolution calls for the eating of plants in order to survive. Until we find a way of getting our nutrient from the sun we have to take it from the plant kingdom thus doing the least amount of harm to the sentient beings.
Two thousand and six hundred years ago, Lord Mahavir, the last prophet of Jainism and exponent of non-violence and compassion emphasized that thoughts that govern our actions are the products of the food we eat. The food that feeds the system has a definite influence on the person physically as well as emotionally, psychologically and spiritually.
Healthy, whole and harmless foods give rise to healthy whole and harmless thoughts. Once the thoughts are harmless and healthy, the actions also reflect the same qualities. Weakness in character always develops in those who are in poor health, mentally or physically.
Science has discovered in recent years that character and personality are attributes of the inner workings of the body and have a great bearing upon our success in life and in our happiness. The personality reveals and expresses itself through the physical body. The expression of the face, the smile, which is the manifestation of joy, happiness and compassion, reveal the personality within. Without a healthy body, these manifestations are not possible.
Thus a non-violent approach to life through vegetarianism expresses our reverence for all life forms including ourselves- from the minutest micro-beings to the major macro- beings, from the lowest developed consciousness to the highest developed consciousness.
I would like to end this paper with an Affirmation of Peace.
O Hidden Life, Vibrant in Every Atom
O Hidden Light, Shining in every Creature
O Hidden Love, Embracing All in Oneness,
May each of us who feels as One with Thee Know that we are therefore One with every other.
Pramoda Chitrabhanu
Jain Meditation International Center
New York City
Sunday, May 24, 2009
"What Reality Matters.......................
What really matters...................
At the end of the day,it is not
how much money you make,the kind
of car you drive,the label you
wear,the size of your house
or how many pats on the back you
received at the office.
At the end of the day,it is about
going home to find someone
waiting eagerly for you-with a
smile to steal your heart,and a
hug to make your day,
At the end of the day,it is not
about physical beauty because
beauty will fade.It is not about
the tattoo you have on your body
because it will go out of fashion.
It is not about the boundless
energy because energy levels
will dip with age.
At the end of the day,it is about
how you will pull yourself
together to meet every obstacle
along the way.It is abut every
sacrifice you make in order to be
together.It is about how you
forgive someone for the mistakes
he or she makes,
It is about working out misunderstandings,
and saying sorry and mean it
and to learn from your mistakes,
because life is not a bed of roses all the time.
At the end of the day,it is about expressing truth&love to everyone.
Have a nice day.....................Every day.
At the end of the day,it is not
how much money you make,the kind
of car you drive,the label you
wear,the size of your house
or how many pats on the back you
received at the office.
At the end of the day,it is about
going home to find someone
waiting eagerly for you-with a
smile to steal your heart,and a
hug to make your day,
At the end of the day,it is not
about physical beauty because
beauty will fade.It is not about
the tattoo you have on your body
because it will go out of fashion.
It is not about the boundless
energy because energy levels
will dip with age.
At the end of the day,it is about
how you will pull yourself
together to meet every obstacle
along the way.It is abut every
sacrifice you make in order to be
together.It is about how you
forgive someone for the mistakes
he or she makes,
It is about working out misunderstandings,
and saying sorry and mean it
and to learn from your mistakes,
because life is not a bed of roses all the time.
At the end of the day,it is about expressing truth&love to everyone.
Have a nice day.....................Every day.
Words ......"Sweet & Sour".......
WORDS....Sweet & Sour... Use the former and leave the latter........
They are all around us.
We see them.
We use them.
Some are harsh words... sour.
Some are soothing words . . .sweet.
Some are biting words...pungent.
Words can give pain and sorrow;
Words can give joy and pleasure;
Words can give you caution and direction.
They are vital for all communication.
When words are spoken there are going to be reactions. . .
Negative or positive. Either thoughts are triggered
Or emotions fired, or actions performed.
Words colour one's behaviour.
How lovely it is to hear words that are
Calm and free from rancor and aggression . .
.
To hear words that lift the soul,
And leave it with renewed vigor and the
Strength to face what is before us.
Such words are the sparks of purity.
It is important to remember...
That speech indicates what is in the mind.
As you think, so your words are uttered.
Mental calmness makes for calm words.
A pure mind makes for pure words.
It has been said that:-
"Speech may exault someone to kingship or send him to the gallows."
Do not let oneself indulge in false, Bitter and vicious speech.
Make your words to reflect your inner, spiritual nature,which hopefully is one of purity and peace.
Words, once spoken, can never be recalled. They reverberate all around, and
go places beyond our control.
When you utter words, try to think of what effect will they have on those who hear them.
Will they be the words that are poisonous and cause pain?
Ones tongue could be like that of a nightingale . . .
Sweet, very soothing and lovely to the ear,It should be the choice, to chose and use......
They are all around us.
We see them.
We use them.
Some are harsh words... sour.
Some are soothing words . . .sweet.
Some are biting words...pungent.
Words can give pain and sorrow;
Words can give joy and pleasure;
Words can give you caution and direction.
They are vital for all communication.
When words are spoken there are going to be reactions. . .
Negative or positive. Either thoughts are triggered
Or emotions fired, or actions performed.
Words colour one's behaviour.
How lovely it is to hear words that are
Calm and free from rancor and aggression . .
.
To hear words that lift the soul,
And leave it with renewed vigor and the
Strength to face what is before us.
Such words are the sparks of purity.
It is important to remember...
That speech indicates what is in the mind.
As you think, so your words are uttered.
Mental calmness makes for calm words.
A pure mind makes for pure words.
It has been said that:-
"Speech may exault someone to kingship or send him to the gallows."
Do not let oneself indulge in false, Bitter and vicious speech.
Make your words to reflect your inner, spiritual nature,which hopefully is one of purity and peace.
Words, once spoken, can never be recalled. They reverberate all around, and
go places beyond our control.
When you utter words, try to think of what effect will they have on those who hear them.
Will they be the words that are poisonous and cause pain?
Ones tongue could be like that of a nightingale . . .
Sweet, very soothing and lovely to the ear,It should be the choice, to chose and use......
Find Time for God...............................
Find Time for God.................
In this ever busy mundane world people are too busy with their daily chores and pressure of work to find time to say their prayers with concentration. They pray for name's sake without true devotion and an absorbed mind,always rushing to attend the unending work till the day of deprture.
How can such people expect to find their name in the book of life written by God? Please take some precious time every day to pray God with concentration and devotion with a serene mind.Such prayer helps for physical health while we are living and attain Godliness after this life ends.
Here is a poem with such pious thought.
The book of life........................
I bowed to pray but not for long.
I had too much to do.
I had to hurry and get to work
For returns would soon be due.
So I bowed and said a hurried prayer,
And jumped off from my prayer room.
My holy duty was now finished
My soul could rest at ease....
All day long I had no time
To spread a word of cheer
No time to speak of Divinity to friends,
They'd laugh at me I was afraid.
No time,no time,too much to do,
That was my constant cry,
No time to give to souls in need
But at last the time,the time to depart............
I went to the Lord,
I came,I stood with down cast eyes.
For in His hands, God held a book,
It was the BOOK OF LIFE.
God looked in to His book and said
"Your name I cannot find
I once was going to write it down...
But never found the time"
And please note that.....................................If you don't find
time for God...........He may not find time for you.
In this ever busy mundane world people are too busy with their daily chores and pressure of work to find time to say their prayers with concentration. They pray for name's sake without true devotion and an absorbed mind,always rushing to attend the unending work till the day of deprture.
How can such people expect to find their name in the book of life written by God? Please take some precious time every day to pray God with concentration and devotion with a serene mind.Such prayer helps for physical health while we are living and attain Godliness after this life ends.
Here is a poem with such pious thought.
The book of life........................
I bowed to pray but not for long.
I had too much to do.
I had to hurry and get to work
For returns would soon be due.
So I bowed and said a hurried prayer,
And jumped off from my prayer room.
My holy duty was now finished
My soul could rest at ease....
All day long I had no time
To spread a word of cheer
No time to speak of Divinity to friends,
They'd laugh at me I was afraid.
No time,no time,too much to do,
That was my constant cry,
No time to give to souls in need
But at last the time,the time to depart............
I went to the Lord,
I came,I stood with down cast eyes.
For in His hands, God held a book,
It was the BOOK OF LIFE.
God looked in to His book and said
"Your name I cannot find
I once was going to write it down...
But never found the time"
And please note that.....................................If you don't find
time for God...........He may not find time for you.
The Power of "Sri Ganesha Dhyana Sloka".............
"The Power of Sri Ganesha Dhyana Sloka"-The Best Medicine to cure Diabetics.
Let us see the "Dhyaana sloka" of Sri Ganesha( Sri.MahaGanapathi)
GajAnanam BhUta GaNAdi SEvitam
Kapithhajam bUphala sAra bhakshitam
UmAsutam Soka VinASakAraNam
NamAmi VighnESwara Pada pankjam
The normal meaning of this Sloka, no need to explain.
But let us see this in another context..
GajAnanam means = very big, very much, very high, plenty,
sufficient.
BhUta means = having bitter taste (example, the taste
of bitter gord
GaNAdi means = in total, or in totality, from top to
bottom, from bottom to top etc.
SEvitam means = if consumed, if drunk, or if eaten
Kapithha means = The stem of Lotus (lotus flower)
JambhU phala means = fruit of JAmbun or JAmun (one kind of
fruit, very famous and having medicinal
values)
SAra means = every, all, juice.
BhAkshitam means = if consumed, if eaten, if drunk etc
Uma means = sweet
Sutam means = which takes birth, taken birth from, taken birth
of
SOka means = dukh(sorrow), disease, illness
VinASa KAraNam means = becomes the destroying factor, becomes the
destroying element.
NamAmi means = be serious to wash, keep clean, keep neat (bow
downward towards your legs and see that it is free
of dirt)
VighnESwara means = to take immense care, take extra ordinary care to
remove all odds
PAda pankajam means = both the legs.
Now let us see how it is to be combined and studied –
Take the complete plant of bitter gordd (including roots, stems, flowers, and bitter gord), take the stem of lotus flower, take the jAmun fruit, all these things in equal quantity, make the juice of it and consume it. The word gaNAdi gives us the meaning for taking these items in ‘equal quantity’.
[ GaNa + aAdi ] GaNa means Number, aAdi means total ] means, all these items should in equal.
(Actually no need to explain like this. Those who are learned, on the topic, only an indication is enough to understand but for others this will be more useful.
Then what happens -
UmAsutam SOka vinaSam, means the illness, the disease, the sickness which takes birth from umA, that is, from sweet, will be vinASa kAraNam, means it will vanish
Now, which is SOka, which is the ROga, which is the disease we get from sweet ..? No doubt, it is Diabetics.
Then, those who are having Diabetic, they are to be very seriously careful to protect their legs, keep it very neat, clean and without dust, mud etc.
(Remember, the doctors advice the Diabetic patients to be careful towards their legs, keep it neat and clear etc)
Chanting of this mantra keeping the divine spirit of Lord GaNeSa in mind, no doubt, it will do away all hurdles in life.
But if one chants this mantra with the thinking explained above, it will result into destroying the Diabetic problems.
Thus, the DhyAAna Sloka is not only to praise Lord "Sri Ganesha" but if one is chanting this mantra the Diabetic disease will also get vanished.
Please pass it on to all your friends for their benefit.
Let us see the "Dhyaana sloka" of Sri Ganesha( Sri.MahaGanapathi)
GajAnanam BhUta GaNAdi SEvitam
Kapithhajam bUphala sAra bhakshitam
UmAsutam Soka VinASakAraNam
NamAmi VighnESwara Pada pankjam
The normal meaning of this Sloka, no need to explain.
But let us see this in another context..
GajAnanam means = very big, very much, very high, plenty,
sufficient.
BhUta means = having bitter taste (example, the taste
of bitter gord
GaNAdi means = in total, or in totality, from top to
bottom, from bottom to top etc.
SEvitam means = if consumed, if drunk, or if eaten
Kapithha means = The stem of Lotus (lotus flower)
JambhU phala means = fruit of JAmbun or JAmun (one kind of
fruit, very famous and having medicinal
values)
SAra means = every, all, juice.
BhAkshitam means = if consumed, if eaten, if drunk etc
Uma means = sweet
Sutam means = which takes birth, taken birth from, taken birth
of
SOka means = dukh(sorrow), disease, illness
VinASa KAraNam means = becomes the destroying factor, becomes the
destroying element.
NamAmi means = be serious to wash, keep clean, keep neat (bow
downward towards your legs and see that it is free
of dirt)
VighnESwara means = to take immense care, take extra ordinary care to
remove all odds
PAda pankajam means = both the legs.
Now let us see how it is to be combined and studied –
Take the complete plant of bitter gordd (including roots, stems, flowers, and bitter gord), take the stem of lotus flower, take the jAmun fruit, all these things in equal quantity, make the juice of it and consume it. The word gaNAdi gives us the meaning for taking these items in ‘equal quantity’.
[ GaNa + aAdi ] GaNa means Number, aAdi means total ] means, all these items should in equal.
(Actually no need to explain like this. Those who are learned, on the topic, only an indication is enough to understand but for others this will be more useful.
Then what happens -
UmAsutam SOka vinaSam, means the illness, the disease, the sickness which takes birth from umA, that is, from sweet, will be vinASa kAraNam, means it will vanish
Now, which is SOka, which is the ROga, which is the disease we get from sweet ..? No doubt, it is Diabetics.
Then, those who are having Diabetic, they are to be very seriously careful to protect their legs, keep it very neat, clean and without dust, mud etc.
(Remember, the doctors advice the Diabetic patients to be careful towards their legs, keep it neat and clear etc)
Chanting of this mantra keeping the divine spirit of Lord GaNeSa in mind, no doubt, it will do away all hurdles in life.
But if one chants this mantra with the thinking explained above, it will result into destroying the Diabetic problems.
Thus, the DhyAAna Sloka is not only to praise Lord "Sri Ganesha" but if one is chanting this mantra the Diabetic disease will also get vanished.
Please pass it on to all your friends for their benefit.
Saturday, May 23, 2009
Vegetarianism a very good source to......................
vegetarianism, A very Good Source to get rid of Ahimsa(Cruelty)
Gluttony is considered one of the seven deadly sins. There is no reason to take the life of an animal and eat it, except that you enjoy the taste or texture of its flesh. What is truly more important: a passing pleasure, or the life of a fellow being?
The Physician's Committee for Responsible Medicine advocates vegetarianism as the healthiest diet. Vegetarianism have far less incidence of heart disease, diabetes, obesity, cancer, and osteoporosis than consumers of meat and dairy. In fact, according to Dr. Neil Barnard, PCRM President, The beef industry has contributed to more American deaths than all the wars of this century, all natural disasters, and all automobile accidents combined.
Our bodies produce all the cholesterol we need.
Animals makes cholesterol too, which is why we add to our own whenever we eat them. In countries that ingest a lot of cholesterol, like the United States, heart disease is the number one cause of death. If you are worried about getting enough protein for strength, just think of gorillas; they only eat plants! Plants high in protein include beans, legumes, nuts, seeds, and all soya products like soya milk, soya protein powder, and tofu.
A vegetarian diet is not only good for animals and your own longevity, it is also good for the environment. The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization released a document in 2006 entitled Livestock's Long Shadow. This scientific study revealed that animal agriculture causes 18 percent of greenhouse gas emissions, more than all of the world's transportation combined. Writer Kathy Freston coined the phrase:
Vegetarianism is the new Prius because it takes very little land and water to produce a pound of soybeans, but it takes an unbelievable amount of land, water, and plant-based food to produce a pound of beef. In this way, meat addicts use up far more than their fair share of the world's food resources.
The organization Farm Sanctuary, with locations in California and New York, is a place where you can meet farm animals face to face. Once you've met and petted turkeys and witnessed how they enjoy affection and attention, you will NOT want to consume one that's been slaughtered for your temporary eating pleasure.
In recent weeks, Fox News online aired an undercover PETA video where pigs were being brutally abused at a factory farm in North Carolina. A male supervisor is heard boasting about beating the animals and women employees laugh as they cut the testicles off of one piglet after another without anesthesia. When we reduce animals to commodities, some people act accordingly.
Cows' milk is for calves, but most mother cows do not get to suckle their babies; instead, they grieve as their babies are taken away to be raised as veal. Human beings then use machines to confiscate the milk intended for her child, and human beings keep her chronically pregnant to keep her breast milk flowing.
Real men protect; they don't use or abuse.
There are many such knights in our midst. Vegetarians include spiritual leaders such as The Dalai Lama, who said, Life is as dear to a mute creature as it is to man. Just as one wants happiness and fears pain, just as one wants to live and not die, so do other creatures. Statesman and philosopher Mahatma Gandhi declared,
The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated.
Krishnamurti, Yogananda, and Deepak Chopra are spiritual leaders on the vegetarian roll-call. The current Pope (Benedict XVI) also spoke of farm animals when he said, We can see that they are given into our care, that we cannot just do whatever we want with them. Animals, too, are God's creatures... degrading living creatures to a commodity seems to me in fact to contradict the relationship of mutuality that comes across in the Bible.
Artist and scientist Leonardo da Vinci believed that the time will come when men such as I will look upon the murder of animals as they now look on the murder of men. Spiritual physicist Albert Einstein proclaimed,
Our task must be to free ourselves by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures. Nothing will benefit human health and increase chances of survival for life on earth as much as the evolution to a vegetarian diet.
Finally, I think this quote from Old McDonald's Factory Farm by C. David Coats says it all:
Isn't man an amazing animal? He kills wildlife by the millions in order to protect his domestic animals and their feed. Then he kills domestic animals by the billions and eats them. This in turn kills man by the millions, because eating all those animals leads to degenerative and fatal health conditions like heart disease, kidney disease, and cancer. So then man tortures and kills millions more animals to look for cures for these diseases. Elsewhere, millions of other human beings are being killed by hunger and malnutrition because food they could eat is being used to fatten domestic animals. Meanwhile, some people are dying of sad laughter at the absurdity of man, who kills so easily and so violently and once a year sends out cards praying for Peace on Earth.
I appeal to, those who are by habit eats non-vegetarian, to STOP IT to eat You will improve your health, help our environment, and personally reduce a lot of suffering for our animal friends. When you ingest animals who were not raised under humane conditions, you are absorbing cruelty, selfishness (evil), violence and tremendous suffering. Are those really things you want to take in and make an integral part of you and your life?
Our physical practises should enhance and support our spiritual practises; only in this way can we live lives of clarity, integrity and wholeness. Therefore make a physical and practical practise to discontinue with eating
non-vegetarian food, and save the society, nation and the world from sinking into incurable diseases. "Help Yourself & help Others be our motto", in living and thereby move away from "Cruelty to Enlightened One"
Gluttony is considered one of the seven deadly sins. There is no reason to take the life of an animal and eat it, except that you enjoy the taste or texture of its flesh. What is truly more important: a passing pleasure, or the life of a fellow being?
The Physician's Committee for Responsible Medicine advocates vegetarianism as the healthiest diet. Vegetarianism have far less incidence of heart disease, diabetes, obesity, cancer, and osteoporosis than consumers of meat and dairy. In fact, according to Dr. Neil Barnard, PCRM President, The beef industry has contributed to more American deaths than all the wars of this century, all natural disasters, and all automobile accidents combined.
Our bodies produce all the cholesterol we need.
Animals makes cholesterol too, which is why we add to our own whenever we eat them. In countries that ingest a lot of cholesterol, like the United States, heart disease is the number one cause of death. If you are worried about getting enough protein for strength, just think of gorillas; they only eat plants! Plants high in protein include beans, legumes, nuts, seeds, and all soya products like soya milk, soya protein powder, and tofu.
A vegetarian diet is not only good for animals and your own longevity, it is also good for the environment. The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization released a document in 2006 entitled Livestock's Long Shadow. This scientific study revealed that animal agriculture causes 18 percent of greenhouse gas emissions, more than all of the world's transportation combined. Writer Kathy Freston coined the phrase:
Vegetarianism is the new Prius because it takes very little land and water to produce a pound of soybeans, but it takes an unbelievable amount of land, water, and plant-based food to produce a pound of beef. In this way, meat addicts use up far more than their fair share of the world's food resources.
The organization Farm Sanctuary, with locations in California and New York, is a place where you can meet farm animals face to face. Once you've met and petted turkeys and witnessed how they enjoy affection and attention, you will NOT want to consume one that's been slaughtered for your temporary eating pleasure.
In recent weeks, Fox News online aired an undercover PETA video where pigs were being brutally abused at a factory farm in North Carolina. A male supervisor is heard boasting about beating the animals and women employees laugh as they cut the testicles off of one piglet after another without anesthesia. When we reduce animals to commodities, some people act accordingly.
Cows' milk is for calves, but most mother cows do not get to suckle their babies; instead, they grieve as their babies are taken away to be raised as veal. Human beings then use machines to confiscate the milk intended for her child, and human beings keep her chronically pregnant to keep her breast milk flowing.
Real men protect; they don't use or abuse.
There are many such knights in our midst. Vegetarians include spiritual leaders such as The Dalai Lama, who said, Life is as dear to a mute creature as it is to man. Just as one wants happiness and fears pain, just as one wants to live and not die, so do other creatures. Statesman and philosopher Mahatma Gandhi declared,
The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated.
Krishnamurti, Yogananda, and Deepak Chopra are spiritual leaders on the vegetarian roll-call. The current Pope (Benedict XVI) also spoke of farm animals when he said, We can see that they are given into our care, that we cannot just do whatever we want with them. Animals, too, are God's creatures... degrading living creatures to a commodity seems to me in fact to contradict the relationship of mutuality that comes across in the Bible.
Artist and scientist Leonardo da Vinci believed that the time will come when men such as I will look upon the murder of animals as they now look on the murder of men. Spiritual physicist Albert Einstein proclaimed,
Our task must be to free ourselves by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures. Nothing will benefit human health and increase chances of survival for life on earth as much as the evolution to a vegetarian diet.
Finally, I think this quote from Old McDonald's Factory Farm by C. David Coats says it all:
Isn't man an amazing animal? He kills wildlife by the millions in order to protect his domestic animals and their feed. Then he kills domestic animals by the billions and eats them. This in turn kills man by the millions, because eating all those animals leads to degenerative and fatal health conditions like heart disease, kidney disease, and cancer. So then man tortures and kills millions more animals to look for cures for these diseases. Elsewhere, millions of other human beings are being killed by hunger and malnutrition because food they could eat is being used to fatten domestic animals. Meanwhile, some people are dying of sad laughter at the absurdity of man, who kills so easily and so violently and once a year sends out cards praying for Peace on Earth.
I appeal to, those who are by habit eats non-vegetarian, to STOP IT to eat You will improve your health, help our environment, and personally reduce a lot of suffering for our animal friends. When you ingest animals who were not raised under humane conditions, you are absorbing cruelty, selfishness (evil), violence and tremendous suffering. Are those really things you want to take in and make an integral part of you and your life?
Our physical practises should enhance and support our spiritual practises; only in this way can we live lives of clarity, integrity and wholeness. Therefore make a physical and practical practise to discontinue with eating
non-vegetarian food, and save the society, nation and the world from sinking into incurable diseases. "Help Yourself & help Others be our motto", in living and thereby move away from "Cruelty to Enlightened One"
Bhagavad Gita in a Nutshell.....................
Bhagavadgita in a nutshel:-
In the first chapter, Arjuna gets into despondency and describes the horrendous fallout of the war.
Krishna admonishes him (in the second chapter) and starts a long philosophical discourse. Since the soul is immortal, there should not be grievance over death and destruction.When a work is done as duty without detachment, it leads to perfection.A perfect man becomes equanimous under the vicissitudes of life.
In the third chapter, Krishna clears the doubts about Jnana and karma and says that the path of karma is easier. He advices to perform duties without selfish motives.
Again, in the fourth chapter, he extols the greatness of jnaana or spiritual wisdom while saying that He is God himself and has come down to save dharma.
Clearing the doubt as to whether renunciation of action (karma sanyasa) or yoga of action (karmayoga) is better, he says that karmayoga is better and advises to maintain equanimity while doing karma (in the fifth chapter).
The process of dhyana (Meditation) is described in the sixth.A graphical description of the methods to control the mind is depicted.
In the seventh, Krishna says that He has created the Universe drawing from Prakrithi and only if one surrenders to Him can transcend His power of delusion (Maya).
Then he describes how a person who remembers Him at the time of death attains Him. The paths taken by the jeevas after death – the paths of light and smoke- are explained (in the eighth).
If a person can worship Him with devotion, He accepts them and blesses. His devotees will never perish (ninth).
The tenth chapter is devoted to the delineation of divine manifestations.
In the eleventh, He reveals His vishvaroopa and Arjuna offers prayers. This celestial form can be seen by those who have intense devotion.
Contemplation on the Unmanifest form (avyakta) is difficult and so, He advises to cultivate devotion to Him.
The characteristics of a bhakta (ideal devotee) are explained in the twelfth chapter.
The thirteenth describes the body (kshetra) and the Self (Kshetrajna) . The concepts of Jnana, Jneya, prakrithi and Purusha (the Knowledge, Brahman, nature and the self) are introduced. Prakriti or Nature comprises of three gunas- the sattva, rajas and tamas.
A detailed description of all the three is given in the fourteenth and also of the person who has transcended them.
In the fifteenth, Samsara is described as an inverted tree with its roots above (in Brahman). By taking refuge in Him, the tree can be cut and moksha attained. Description of transmigration of soul is also given.
Krishna then goes on (in the sixteenth) to describe the the traits which make a person divine or a demon.He advises Arjuna (through him to us too) to avoid three gateways to hell- lust, anger and greed.
The seventeenth describes Shraddha (faith), food, sacrifices (yajna), austerity (tapas) and gifts (daana). He gives the aphorism OM TAT SAT.
The eighteenth is the longest chapter.It deals with several miscellaneous topics like renunciation, tyaga, karma, karta, jnaana etc. The division of the society into four varnas according to the nature and vocation is mentioned. He finally advises Arjuna to surrender himself to the Lord and promises him to free him from all sins.Arjuna finally vows to fight the righteous war before him.
Hope this will be of use to my beloved Readers.
In the first chapter, Arjuna gets into despondency and describes the horrendous fallout of the war.
Krishna admonishes him (in the second chapter) and starts a long philosophical discourse. Since the soul is immortal, there should not be grievance over death and destruction.When a work is done as duty without detachment, it leads to perfection.A perfect man becomes equanimous under the vicissitudes of life.
In the third chapter, Krishna clears the doubts about Jnana and karma and says that the path of karma is easier. He advices to perform duties without selfish motives.
Again, in the fourth chapter, he extols the greatness of jnaana or spiritual wisdom while saying that He is God himself and has come down to save dharma.
Clearing the doubt as to whether renunciation of action (karma sanyasa) or yoga of action (karmayoga) is better, he says that karmayoga is better and advises to maintain equanimity while doing karma (in the fifth chapter).
The process of dhyana (Meditation) is described in the sixth.A graphical description of the methods to control the mind is depicted.
In the seventh, Krishna says that He has created the Universe drawing from Prakrithi and only if one surrenders to Him can transcend His power of delusion (Maya).
Then he describes how a person who remembers Him at the time of death attains Him. The paths taken by the jeevas after death – the paths of light and smoke- are explained (in the eighth).
If a person can worship Him with devotion, He accepts them and blesses. His devotees will never perish (ninth).
The tenth chapter is devoted to the delineation of divine manifestations.
In the eleventh, He reveals His vishvaroopa and Arjuna offers prayers. This celestial form can be seen by those who have intense devotion.
Contemplation on the Unmanifest form (avyakta) is difficult and so, He advises to cultivate devotion to Him.
The characteristics of a bhakta (ideal devotee) are explained in the twelfth chapter.
The thirteenth describes the body (kshetra) and the Self (Kshetrajna) . The concepts of Jnana, Jneya, prakrithi and Purusha (the Knowledge, Brahman, nature and the self) are introduced. Prakriti or Nature comprises of three gunas- the sattva, rajas and tamas.
A detailed description of all the three is given in the fourteenth and also of the person who has transcended them.
In the fifteenth, Samsara is described as an inverted tree with its roots above (in Brahman). By taking refuge in Him, the tree can be cut and moksha attained. Description of transmigration of soul is also given.
Krishna then goes on (in the sixteenth) to describe the the traits which make a person divine or a demon.He advises Arjuna (through him to us too) to avoid three gateways to hell- lust, anger and greed.
The seventeenth describes Shraddha (faith), food, sacrifices (yajna), austerity (tapas) and gifts (daana). He gives the aphorism OM TAT SAT.
The eighteenth is the longest chapter.It deals with several miscellaneous topics like renunciation, tyaga, karma, karta, jnaana etc. The division of the society into four varnas according to the nature and vocation is mentioned. He finally advises Arjuna to surrender himself to the Lord and promises him to free him from all sins.Arjuna finally vows to fight the righteous war before him.
Hope this will be of use to my beloved Readers.
Please "SWITCH OFF YOUR MOBILE PHONE...............
Pl. Do Not Use Mobile phone in the places "NOT ALLOWED"(SWITCH OFF)
Hope this is not too late to those who need to visit the hospital .
Just something to keep in mind........ .....
This mail was actually forwarded by a nurse in the Critical Care Unit of a local private hospital. Just turn off our phone next time when you are in the hospital. The person being affected may just be someone you love to Live. When you enter a hospital, do look out for signs that say, "NO CELL PHONES ALLOWED". You might not realize what unfortunate things can happen due to your negligence. Be considerate!
A 4 year-old girl was admitted due to leg fracture. As it was an open fracture, she had to undergo an operation to stitch the protruding bone back in place. The girl was hooked onto a life support system during the operation. The doctors input data into the life support system before she began the surgery. The operation went well until all in a sudden the life support system went dead.
It was found out that an idiot was using his/her hand phone outside the operation Theatre. The frequency had actually affected the system. They tried to track the fellow but to no avail. The little girl, young and innocent as she was, died soon after due to the failure of the life support system.
Message :
Be considerate. Do not use your hand phone at any hospital or places where you're told not to use it. You might not be caught in the act, but you might have killed someone without knowing it! Please pass this on to as many people as possible!
Hope this is not too late to those who need to visit the hospital .
Just something to keep in mind........ .....
This mail was actually forwarded by a nurse in the Critical Care Unit of a local private hospital. Just turn off our phone next time when you are in the hospital. The person being affected may just be someone you love to Live. When you enter a hospital, do look out for signs that say, "NO CELL PHONES ALLOWED". You might not realize what unfortunate things can happen due to your negligence. Be considerate!
A 4 year-old girl was admitted due to leg fracture. As it was an open fracture, she had to undergo an operation to stitch the protruding bone back in place. The girl was hooked onto a life support system during the operation. The doctors input data into the life support system before she began the surgery. The operation went well until all in a sudden the life support system went dead.
It was found out that an idiot was using his/her hand phone outside the operation Theatre. The frequency had actually affected the system. They tried to track the fellow but to no avail. The little girl, young and innocent as she was, died soon after due to the failure of the life support system.
Message :
Be considerate. Do not use your hand phone at any hospital or places where you're told not to use it. You might not be caught in the act, but you might have killed someone without knowing it! Please pass this on to as many people as possible!
History of Leap Year..................
Why Leap Years Are Used.
The history of the leap year and the purpose it serves.
The year 2008 is a leap year. If you look at a 2008 calendar, you will see that February has five Fridays–the month begins and ends on a Friday. Between the years 1904 and 2096, leap years that share the same day of week for each date repeat only every 28 years. The most recent year in which February comprised five Fridays was in 1980, and the next occurrence will be in 2036. February 29, the leap day, has been associated with age-old traditions, superstitions and folklore.
What is a leap year?
A leap year is a year in which one extra day has been inserted, or intercalated, at the end of February. A leap year consists of 366 days, whereas other years, called common years, have 365 days.
Which years are leap years?
In the Gregorian calendar, the calendar used by most modern countries, the following three criteria determine which years will be leap years:
1 Every year that is divisible by four is a leap year;
2.Of those years, if it can be divided by 100, it is NOT a leap year, unless :-
3.The year is divisible by 400. Then it is a leap year.
According to the above criteria, that means that years 1800, 1900, 2100, 2200, 2300 and 2500 are NOT leap years, while year 2000 and 2400 are leap years.
It is interesting to note that 2000 was somewhat special as it was the first instance when the third criterion was used in most parts of the world.
In the Julian calendar–introduced by Julius Caesar in 46 BC and patterned after the Roman calendar–there was only one rule: any year divisible by four would be a leap year. This calendar was used before the Gregorian calendar was adopted.
Why are leap years needed?
Leap years are needed to keep our calendar in alignment with the earth's revolutions around the sun.
Details .
The vernal equinox is the time when the sun is directly above the Earth's equator, moving from the southern to the northern hemisphere.
The mean time between two successive vernal equinoxes is called a tropical year–also known as a solar year–and is about 365.2422 days long.
Using a calendar with 365 days every year would result in a loss of 0.2422 days, or almost six hours per year. After 100 years, this calendar would be more than 24 days ahead of the season (tropical year), which is not desirable or accurate. It is desirable to align the calendar with the seasons and to make any difference as insignificant as possible.
By adding a leap year approximately every fourth year, the difference between the calendar and the seasons can be reduced significantly, and the calendar will align with the seasons much more accurately.
(The term "day" is used to mean "solar day"–which is the mean time between two transits of the sun across the meridian of the observer.)
Is there a perfect calendar?
No calendars used today are perfect; they are off by seconds, minutes, hours or days every year. To make a calendar more accurate, new leap year rules have to be introduced to the Gregorian calendar, complicating the calculation of the calendar even more. It will, however, need some modifications in a few thousand years. As for the tropical year, it is approximately 365.242199 days, but varies from year to year because of the influence of other planets.
Name of calendar
When introduced
Average year
Approximate error introduced
Gregorian calendar. AD 1582 365.2425 days 27 seconds (1 day every 3,236 years)
Julian calendar. 45 BC 365.25 days 11 minutes (1 day every 128 years)
365-day calendar - 365 days 6 hours (1 day every 4 years).
Lunar calendar - ancient 12-13 moon-months variable.
A calendar similar to the Julian calendar, with every fourth year earmarked as a leap year, was first introduced by King Ptolemy III of Egypt in 238 BC.
In ancient times, it was customary to have lunar (moon) calendars, with 12 and/or 13 months every year. To align the calendar with the seasons, the 13th month was inserted as a "leap month" every two or three years. Many countries, especially in Asia still use such calendars. Read more about Leap Year in Other Calendars.
Note: Many other calendars have been and still are used throughout the world.
Why the change from the Julian to the Gregorian calendar?
The Julian calendar introduced too many leap days, thus increasing the number of days between the vernal equinox of March 21, its scheduled date as noted in AD 325 during the Council of Nicaea. The introduction of the Gregorian calendar allowed for realignment with the equinox; however, a number of days had to be dropped when the change was made. Click on any one of the year links below for a better explanation of the calendars and the days that were dropped in order to make the switch to the Gregorian calendar.
The Gregorian calendar was first adopted in Italy, Poland, Portugal and Spain in 1582. This was done by dropping 10 days in October of that year.
.In Great Britain (and America), the Gregorian calendar would not be adopted until much later, in September 1752; 11 days were dropped.
Sweden (and Finland) had a "double" leap year in 1712. Two days were added to February–creating a date of February 30, 1712. (This was done because the leap year in 1700 was dropped and Sweden's calendar was not synchronized with any other calendar. By adding an extra day in 1712, they were back on the Julian calendar.)
The Julian calendar is currently (between the years 1901 and 2099) 13 days ahead of the Gregorian calendar (because too many leap years were added).
Other leap years facts.
The Gregorian calendar has a 400-year cycle until it repeats the same weekdays for every year–February 29, 2008, is a Friday and February 29, 2408, is a Friday.
The Gregorian calendar has 97 leap years during those 400 years.
The longest time between two leap years is eight years. The last time that occurred was between 1896 and 1904. The next time will be between 2096 and 2104.
The history of the leap year and the purpose it serves.
The year 2008 is a leap year. If you look at a 2008 calendar, you will see that February has five Fridays–the month begins and ends on a Friday. Between the years 1904 and 2096, leap years that share the same day of week for each date repeat only every 28 years. The most recent year in which February comprised five Fridays was in 1980, and the next occurrence will be in 2036. February 29, the leap day, has been associated with age-old traditions, superstitions and folklore.
What is a leap year?
A leap year is a year in which one extra day has been inserted, or intercalated, at the end of February. A leap year consists of 366 days, whereas other years, called common years, have 365 days.
Which years are leap years?
In the Gregorian calendar, the calendar used by most modern countries, the following three criteria determine which years will be leap years:
1 Every year that is divisible by four is a leap year;
2.Of those years, if it can be divided by 100, it is NOT a leap year, unless :-
3.The year is divisible by 400. Then it is a leap year.
According to the above criteria, that means that years 1800, 1900, 2100, 2200, 2300 and 2500 are NOT leap years, while year 2000 and 2400 are leap years.
It is interesting to note that 2000 was somewhat special as it was the first instance when the third criterion was used in most parts of the world.
In the Julian calendar–introduced by Julius Caesar in 46 BC and patterned after the Roman calendar–there was only one rule: any year divisible by four would be a leap year. This calendar was used before the Gregorian calendar was adopted.
Why are leap years needed?
Leap years are needed to keep our calendar in alignment with the earth's revolutions around the sun.
Details .
The vernal equinox is the time when the sun is directly above the Earth's equator, moving from the southern to the northern hemisphere.
The mean time between two successive vernal equinoxes is called a tropical year–also known as a solar year–and is about 365.2422 days long.
Using a calendar with 365 days every year would result in a loss of 0.2422 days, or almost six hours per year. After 100 years, this calendar would be more than 24 days ahead of the season (tropical year), which is not desirable or accurate. It is desirable to align the calendar with the seasons and to make any difference as insignificant as possible.
By adding a leap year approximately every fourth year, the difference between the calendar and the seasons can be reduced significantly, and the calendar will align with the seasons much more accurately.
(The term "day" is used to mean "solar day"–which is the mean time between two transits of the sun across the meridian of the observer.)
Is there a perfect calendar?
No calendars used today are perfect; they are off by seconds, minutes, hours or days every year. To make a calendar more accurate, new leap year rules have to be introduced to the Gregorian calendar, complicating the calculation of the calendar even more. It will, however, need some modifications in a few thousand years. As for the tropical year, it is approximately 365.242199 days, but varies from year to year because of the influence of other planets.
Name of calendar
When introduced
Average year
Approximate error introduced
Gregorian calendar. AD 1582 365.2425 days 27 seconds (1 day every 3,236 years)
Julian calendar. 45 BC 365.25 days 11 minutes (1 day every 128 years)
365-day calendar - 365 days 6 hours (1 day every 4 years).
Lunar calendar - ancient 12-13 moon-months variable.
A calendar similar to the Julian calendar, with every fourth year earmarked as a leap year, was first introduced by King Ptolemy III of Egypt in 238 BC.
In ancient times, it was customary to have lunar (moon) calendars, with 12 and/or 13 months every year. To align the calendar with the seasons, the 13th month was inserted as a "leap month" every two or three years. Many countries, especially in Asia still use such calendars. Read more about Leap Year in Other Calendars.
Note: Many other calendars have been and still are used throughout the world.
Why the change from the Julian to the Gregorian calendar?
The Julian calendar introduced too many leap days, thus increasing the number of days between the vernal equinox of March 21, its scheduled date as noted in AD 325 during the Council of Nicaea. The introduction of the Gregorian calendar allowed for realignment with the equinox; however, a number of days had to be dropped when the change was made. Click on any one of the year links below for a better explanation of the calendars and the days that were dropped in order to make the switch to the Gregorian calendar.
The Gregorian calendar was first adopted in Italy, Poland, Portugal and Spain in 1582. This was done by dropping 10 days in October of that year.
.In Great Britain (and America), the Gregorian calendar would not be adopted until much later, in September 1752; 11 days were dropped.
Sweden (and Finland) had a "double" leap year in 1712. Two days were added to February–creating a date of February 30, 1712. (This was done because the leap year in 1700 was dropped and Sweden's calendar was not synchronized with any other calendar. By adding an extra day in 1712, they were back on the Julian calendar.)
The Julian calendar is currently (between the years 1901 and 2099) 13 days ahead of the Gregorian calendar (because too many leap years were added).
Other leap years facts.
The Gregorian calendar has a 400-year cycle until it repeats the same weekdays for every year–February 29, 2008, is a Friday and February 29, 2408, is a Friday.
The Gregorian calendar has 97 leap years during those 400 years.
The longest time between two leap years is eight years. The last time that occurred was between 1896 and 1904. The next time will be between 2096 and 2104.
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Devotion is......................................Eternal.
Devotion is............... Eternal.
All will be immersed in divine music- but also knows exactly what it is............and means.
"What is the essence of Nama Sankeerthana? Its essential purpose is to know the love of God. Combining one's voice, tune, divine feeling and rhythm to the appropriate beat of the song, the devotee should immerse himself in the singing. Harmonizing the feeling with devotion and Love, the sacred words of the song should be an outpouring of love towards God.
"That alone is devotional singing."
"When the song is rendered without understanding the meaning of the words and without any inner feeling or genuine love for God, it is a mechanical performance. Bhaava (feeling), Raaga (melody) and Thaala (rhythm) are the essentials for right and righteous singing."
"Even the name Bhaarath signifies the combination of these three elements. (Bha-Ra-Tha) . In every action in daily life, the combination of these three elements should be observed. This rule can be applied even to one's studies. Bhaava, in relation to study of a subject, means understanding the subject thoroughly. Raaga implies cultivating a love for the subject and Thaala means expressing one's knowledge coherently and clearly."
“The wealth derived from singing God’s name, and meditation, is the influence of the higher energies in nature on one’s life. These not only cleanse the external body but also purify the inner tendencies.”
“Bhajan is one of the processes by which you can train the mind to expand into eternal values. Teach the mind to revel in the glory and majesty of God; wean it away from petty horizons of pleasure. Bhajan induces in you a desire for experiencing the Truth, to glimpse the Beauty that is God, to taste the Bliss that is the Self. It encourages man to dive into himself and be genuinely his Real Self. Once that search is desired, the path is easy. One has only to be reminded that he is divine. The malady is, it is being thrust out of recognition.
Man has come for a great destiny, on a sacred mission, endowed with special skills and tendencies to help him on, but, he fritters these precious gifts and crawls on earth from birth to death. Exercises like Bhajan elevate the mind and exhort the individual to seek and find the source of eternal joy that lies within him..”
“People may say that when you go to place of worship, Asrams etc. there is nothing but bhajan. Realize that there is nothing “Your heart grows when you are hearing bhajans with a full mind. On the other hand, if you do not sing melodiously, then you will not be getting joy. Community singing must be developed if you want to give to all people the thrill and joy of singing of prayers.”
“Bhajans should be sung with complete obliviousness of the body. Devotional fervour is more important than musical skill. The devotees who take part in the bhajans sang the bhajans whole-heartedly. Their hearts were full of sweetness. Hence sweet music flowed from their hearts.”
"The word of a song can be expressed in prosaic manner which has no appeal to the listener. But when they are sung melodiously as in the song: "Raama! Nannu Kaapaadu"--" Raama! save me," they tug at the heart-strings. Such sweetness is contained in the song when it is rendered melodiously. "
"Everyone, whether he is well versed in music or not, should listen attentively to the singer and try to repeat the words of the song with feeling of total devotion"
"Some persons attending bhajans do not move their lips at all. They may say that they are singing the songs mentally within themselves. This is not right. If you have devotional feeling, it should be expressed by the tongue joining in the bhajan. Only then it can be called Nama Sankeerthana- singing in unison with others. You must sing the names aloud, full-throated, as far as the voice can reach. Only then the Divine will respond in full measure and shower His grace. No one will go to the rescue of a drowning man if his cries are feeble. Only when he cries aloud at the top of his voice will the cries be heard and people will rush to save him. Sankeerthana means singing with fervour."
"Everyone should realize that every limb and organ in the body has been given to man to be used for a sacred purpose: The tongue to utter the Lord's name, the hands to offer worship, the feet to go the temple and so on. These organs should not be used for frivolous and unholy purposes. Sanctifying every one of the sense organs, man should purify the mind and contemplate on God."
All will be immersed in divine music- but also knows exactly what it is............and means.
"What is the essence of Nama Sankeerthana? Its essential purpose is to know the love of God. Combining one's voice, tune, divine feeling and rhythm to the appropriate beat of the song, the devotee should immerse himself in the singing. Harmonizing the feeling with devotion and Love, the sacred words of the song should be an outpouring of love towards God.
"That alone is devotional singing."
"When the song is rendered without understanding the meaning of the words and without any inner feeling or genuine love for God, it is a mechanical performance. Bhaava (feeling), Raaga (melody) and Thaala (rhythm) are the essentials for right and righteous singing."
"Even the name Bhaarath signifies the combination of these three elements. (Bha-Ra-Tha) . In every action in daily life, the combination of these three elements should be observed. This rule can be applied even to one's studies. Bhaava, in relation to study of a subject, means understanding the subject thoroughly. Raaga implies cultivating a love for the subject and Thaala means expressing one's knowledge coherently and clearly."
“The wealth derived from singing God’s name, and meditation, is the influence of the higher energies in nature on one’s life. These not only cleanse the external body but also purify the inner tendencies.”
“Bhajan is one of the processes by which you can train the mind to expand into eternal values. Teach the mind to revel in the glory and majesty of God; wean it away from petty horizons of pleasure. Bhajan induces in you a desire for experiencing the Truth, to glimpse the Beauty that is God, to taste the Bliss that is the Self. It encourages man to dive into himself and be genuinely his Real Self. Once that search is desired, the path is easy. One has only to be reminded that he is divine. The malady is, it is being thrust out of recognition.
Man has come for a great destiny, on a sacred mission, endowed with special skills and tendencies to help him on, but, he fritters these precious gifts and crawls on earth from birth to death. Exercises like Bhajan elevate the mind and exhort the individual to seek and find the source of eternal joy that lies within him..”
“People may say that when you go to place of worship, Asrams etc. there is nothing but bhajan. Realize that there is nothing “Your heart grows when you are hearing bhajans with a full mind. On the other hand, if you do not sing melodiously, then you will not be getting joy. Community singing must be developed if you want to give to all people the thrill and joy of singing of prayers.”
“Bhajans should be sung with complete obliviousness of the body. Devotional fervour is more important than musical skill. The devotees who take part in the bhajans sang the bhajans whole-heartedly. Their hearts were full of sweetness. Hence sweet music flowed from their hearts.”
"The word of a song can be expressed in prosaic manner which has no appeal to the listener. But when they are sung melodiously as in the song: "Raama! Nannu Kaapaadu"--" Raama! save me," they tug at the heart-strings. Such sweetness is contained in the song when it is rendered melodiously. "
"Everyone, whether he is well versed in music or not, should listen attentively to the singer and try to repeat the words of the song with feeling of total devotion"
"Some persons attending bhajans do not move their lips at all. They may say that they are singing the songs mentally within themselves. This is not right. If you have devotional feeling, it should be expressed by the tongue joining in the bhajan. Only then it can be called Nama Sankeerthana- singing in unison with others. You must sing the names aloud, full-throated, as far as the voice can reach. Only then the Divine will respond in full measure and shower His grace. No one will go to the rescue of a drowning man if his cries are feeble. Only when he cries aloud at the top of his voice will the cries be heard and people will rush to save him. Sankeerthana means singing with fervour."
"Everyone should realize that every limb and organ in the body has been given to man to be used for a sacred purpose: The tongue to utter the Lord's name, the hands to offer worship, the feet to go the temple and so on. These organs should not be used for frivolous and unholy purposes. Sanctifying every one of the sense organs, man should purify the mind and contemplate on God."
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
>
>
>
>
>
>
> 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
>
>
>
>
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