Moving Towards Lofty Prayers

Mydear Anna
Thanks to.share this lovely message early morning. Just now finished reading Aditya Hridayam and the song Hari Sundar Nanda Mukunda Hari Narayana Hari Om

 

Dear Cheeniya sir,
First let me thank you for translating into English.I know while translating the real essence may not come out.
Life is full of hues, some beautiful, some not so pleasant, happiness, sorrows and on and on.
When immersed in duties, responsibilities of life we do not think much about soul enriching thoughts... but somehow do get fleeting thoughts beyond life, purose of life and how to enrich with lofty thoughts. Many questions arise. Away from material desires... mind is a monkey. Sometimes successful. We try to compensate with prayer, puja etc. But as Bharatidasan said life would be beautiful with exquisite hues with enriching thoughts.
I guess Viswamitra would analyse better.
Syamala

 

Dear Cheeniya sir,

Bharatidasan has found his joy in the Tamil language and poetry, and you seem to have found the same in Bharatidasan. How wonderful, and what more can one ask? It has almost become impossible to figure out what's soul-enriching for each of us, with so much information overload. Some of us are luckier than others, and all we can do is gently lead others to look inwards.

The poem in its original form, I am sure, is soul-stirring. These days, we are attending a few arangetrams, and DH wants to understand Carnatic music better, focusing on raga, taala, and such good stuff - intellectually. When I was asked as to why I like Carnatic music, I surprised myself by saying "poetry" - I love the beauty of the soul-stirring words and the meanings they can imply!

Nice to read that you are enjoying reading poetry, and glad to see that you are sharing here.

Reading the lines below on 'gray'

reminded me of this --------------

Goes to prove that, depending on where we come from (internally), grey can also be interesting! Enjoy your sun shiny mornings and poetry, sir

 

I enjoyed the beautiful kavithai of Bharathi dasan.but i feel that
MUSIC COMES FIRST,LANGUAGE NEXT..I forward herewith my snippet of 2015 again.
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Many of my friends argue that they cannot remain in a concert hall of alapanas and Kalpana swaras and kritis of Thyagaraja, Dik****ar and others but can only enjoy and appreciate songs like’Enna Thavam Seithanai, Yasoda, Engum nirai Parbrahmam ‘Amma’ enrazhaikka?For them the lyrics alone matters.

Of course songs of poets like Bharathi are simple to understand.Will they be able to understand the meaning of Thevara Pathigams and Pasurams of Alwars, though their mother tongue is Tamil?


But what makes an infant respond to the lullaby of its mother? Does the baby understand the lyrics?

All children understand the music of their mothers' hearts.Even an uneducated man/woman turns to the sound of a drum.Does the drum speak?countries in the world make music,play music and move to music-whether it is jungles of South America or African tribal land and the intellectual Asia.When music pleases it evokes response-may be a simple clap or dance to the tunes.


Not the language, but it is the music that relates you to events –whether the day you met your beloved first, or the day your little darling came into this world.
Scientifically too,neurological links between music and both the left and right lobe of the brain are faster and stronger than those of language.Certain songs which we might not have heard for decades-we are surprised at our ability to reproduce verbatim, not because of lyrics, of music. Music and tunes linger long,while phrases of language memorized even with meaning vanish soon.


It can be said that we are opening ourselves to the global structure of language only through music.That is why gurukula system insisted on listening many number of times before the lyrics were presented in writing to the shishyas.Music and melody came first, lyrics and language came next.


If we start from language first,it acts like a sleeping pill offering instantaneous, yet temporary relief.Very often we hear that people who have lost their sense of speech due to paralysis,, or brain injury ,have regained speaking ability by listening to tunes which activated their memory .


Everyone will agree that listening and learning sounds ( music) first ,is the preliminary process of any language learning.Doesn’t matter,if you don’t understand .You may start singing along without knowing what you sing.But the rhythm of language automatically gets impressed in your brain.Picking melody ,sounds and patterns makes a fine imprint.


For those intellectuals who loudly proclaim that lyrics alone form the soul of music,I wish to say that every human being, whether educated or not is a born’Rasika’,though he may not be able to distinguish between Ananda Bhairavi and Ritigoula , or Simhendra Madyamam and Shanmuka Priya.Every street vendor has his own specific tune or unnamed raga to market his product,and the same can be invariably understood by one and all.
“ The man that hath no music in himself,
Nor is not mov’d with concord of sweet sounds,
Is fit for treason”says Shakespeare in Merchant of Venice.
For a poor labourer the rhythmic mixing sound of concrete is'mohanam',the digging sound of borewell is bhupalam,. and for a carpenter the sawing sound of wood is’Saveri’.A farmer finds pleasure in listening to winnowing sound,a fisherman enjoys the sounds of waves from the seas.Only the elite wants the lyrics to be understood in order to appreciate music.

Music is becoming global. Spanish enjoy French Music, Americans enjoy Chinese music. Neither know the language of the other nation.While there is so much of musical harmony among various nations, why can’t we , belonging to same nation and culture appreciate music for music sake without making fus on lyrics?
Why don’t we understand that music comes first and language next?

Jayasala 42

 

East or West, Music is Divine so the saying goes.
The song posted here has two more stanzas :
அறமிதென்றும் யாம் மறமிதென்றுமே
அறிகிலாத போது - யாம்
அறிகிலாத போது - தமிழ்
இறைவனாரின் திருக்குறளிலே ஒரு சொல்
இயம்பிக் காட்ட மாட்டாயா? - நீ
இயம்பிக் காட்ட மாட்டாயா?

புறம் இதென்றும் நல் அகம் இதென்றுமே
புலவர் கண்ட நூலின் - தமிழ்ப்
புலவர் கண்ட நூலின் - நல்
திறமை காட்டி உனை ஈன்ற எம்உயிர்ச்
செல்வம் ஆகமாட்டாயா? தமிழ்ச்
செல்வம் ஆக மாட்டாயா?.

and this song appears to be first written by its author for his novel novel called in Tamil “ parents passion” ( petrore āhrvām). It also cinematic version in tamil movie one night - ore iravū.
This song is replete of pathos. Desh is the raga in which exponents of carnatic music have sung this. It is available in UT.

 

Dear madam sister @jayasala, you hv raised pertinent questions. It is first tune that sets mood and lyrics later or never.
Cows in sheds and horses in barn listen to music but not the lyrics yet they enjoy and get extra hormone dopamine secreted.

Cows said to love the tintinabulation from the bells that they sport in their neck and yields milk in abundance. Music played via nadaswaram in the paddy field turns rich harvest. Music in lullaby puts child or infant to profound sleep. Lyrics comes next to music indeed.

 

THANK YOU THYAGARAJAN SIR FOR ENDORSING MY VIEWS ON LYRICS

JAYASALA 42

 

#6 I hv posted the remaining stanzas of the poem in post for which translation as below:

When we know not what is right and what is wrong, won't you explain a word from the sacred Tirukkural of the Tamil Lord?
Won't you, dear one, explain and show us?
In the ancient texts that distinguish between the outer world and the inner self, won't you, by your noble qualities, become the treasure of life that gave birth to you?
Won't you become the Tamil treasure?