Friday, April 20, 2018

साहित्यसङ्गीतकलाविहीनःसाक्षात्पशुः पुच्छविषाणहीनः . 
तृणं न खादन्नपि जीवमानःतद्भागधेयं परमम्पशुनाम् .. १२..
saahityasangeethakalaavihiinah  saakshaat pasuh puchchhavishaanahiinah
trinam na khadannapi  jeevamaanah tad bhagadheyam paramam pasoonaam

a person with  no taste for literature, music and fine arts is  virtually a cow or some similar animal, with the only difference that the former has no tail or horns.  It is indeed very fortunate for the animals  that such persons do not start eating grass for food because if it happens the horned animals will have to die of starvation. 
This sloka is found in some versions of Neetisatakam of Bharthruhari. 
 Our traditions are so great that every god in Hindu pantheon is adorned with a musical instrument.  The lord of Lords, the Nataraja, is an adept in playing Dakkaa and Damaru... In fact the Indian alphabets are said to have emanated from the Lord Shiva's fingerings on the percussion instrument fourteen times. It is described as under.
नृत्तावसाने नटराजराजो ननाद ढक्कांनवपञ्चवारम्।
उद्धर्त्तुकामो सनकादिसिद्धादिनेतद्विमर्शेशिवसूत्रजालम्II
On conclusion of his tandavanritta, the emperor of dancers, Lord Nataraja with a view to enlighten the great sages like Sanaka, played nine and five times in his Dakka...(udukku the small drum held in his hand) and out came the shivasuutraas, which were later on adopted as the basis for the entire philology and phonetics of India.. The great grammarian Paanini starts his aphorisms with these suutras.

अक्षरसमाम्नाय:शिवसूत्राणि
अ इ उण्
ऋ लृक्
ए ओंङ्
ऐ औच्
ह य व रट्
लण्
ञ म ङ ण नम्
झ भञ्
घ ढ धष्
ज ब ग ड दश्
ख फ छ ठ थ च ट तव्
कपय्
श ष सर्
हल्
इति माहेश्वराणि सूत्राणि अणादिसंज्ञार्थानि। एषामन्त्या इत:। हकारादिषु अकार: उच्चारणार्थ:। लण्मध्ये तु इत्संज्ञक:|
 
Lord Krishna's constant companion was his  flute..He mesmerized the damsels and the mortals and in-animates in Brindavan and the whole universe with his sweet breath emanating  through the divine flute.  Leelasuka or Bilvamangala swamigal  prays to this flute..
अयि मुरलि मुकुन्दस्मेरवक्त्रारविन्द
श्वसनमधुरसंज्ङे त्वाम् प्रणम्याद्य याचे।
अधरमणिसमीपम् प्राप्तवत्याम् भवत्याम्
कथय रहसि कर्णे मद्दशाम् नन्दसूनोः॥ २-११
ayi murali mukundasmeravaktrāravinda
śvasanamadhurasaṁṅe tvām praṇamyādya yāce |
adharamaṇisamīpam prāptavatyām bhavatyām
kathaya rahasi karṇe maddaśām nandasūnoḥ || 2-11
(Sree krishna karnamritham)
You sweet flute, you are in constant  company with the sweet musical breath from Mukunda's lips at one tip of yours and you have his ears at the other tip. I offer pranams to you and beg to you.. When you are held near the gems of those lips, please be kind enough to whisper on His ears about the miserable state I am in.. so that He will shower his mercy upon me. 

In Srimannaaraayaneeyam the Dashakam 69 on raasakriida is completely devoted to music and dance.
केशपाशधृतपिञ्छिकाविततिसञ्चलन्मकरकुण्डलं
हारजालवनमालिकाललितमङ्गरागघनसौरभम् ।
पीतचेलधृतकाञ्चिकाञ्चितमुदञ्चदंशुमणिनूपुरं
रासकेलिपरिभूषितं तव हि रूपमीश कलयामहे ॥१॥
A bunch of peacock feathers adorning the beautiful locks of hair; a pair of fish shaped earrings dangling from the ears; many necklaces intermingled with flower garlands adorning the neck; a golden girdle fastened to the yellow silk garment adorning the waist; sandal paste and other unguents smeared on the body emitting strong fragrance; gem studded anklets flashing forth a glow; on such a radiant form of Thee, with decorations appropriate for the Raasa, we meditate on.
  Kaalidasa starts his Shyamalaa dandakam with a prayer to the Vaagdevata, Saraswathi. 
माणिक्यवीणामुपलाळयन्तीं
मदालसां मञ्जुळ वाग्विलासां।
माहेन्द्रनीलद्युतिकोमळाङ्गीं
मातङ्गकन्यां मनसा स्मरामि॥
māṇikyavīṇāmupalāḻayantīṁ
madālasāṁ mañjuḻa vāgvilāsāṁ|
māhendranīladyutikomaḻāṅgīṁ
mātaṅgakanyāṁ manasā smarāmi||

I prostrate before Shyaamala, the daughter of maatanga....she nestles on her bosom a veena made of maanikya gem, she is supremely happy and relaxed , her words are very sweet and she is resplendent in the brighntess of  indraneela (peacock blue).

The great poet Jayadeva is very vocal in describing the dance of Krishna in Gita govindam.
ललितलवङ्गलतापरिशीलनकोमलमलयसमीरे ।
मधुकरनिकरकरम्बितकोकिलकूजितकुञ्जकुटीरे ।
विहरति हरिरिह सरसवसन्ते ।
नृत्यति युवतिजनेन समम् सखि विरहिजनस्य दुरन्ते ॥ अ प ३-१


In this springtime gentle vernal breezes from Mount . M alaya, the abode of sandalwood trees, that swivel round the slim tendrils of clove gillyflower plants and the  breeze hovers  gently, interwoven with both the fragrances... in this springtime that has bowers made lively with the intermingled buzzes of honeybees swarm and croons of Kokila throngs... that Krishna whom you are seeking is gloriously frolicking and dancing with young girls  in Brindavan right at this moment, for this is spring, isn't it...  therefore, come on... let's go... lovelorn people are unrequited, otherwise... [astapadi  3-1].
kanfusion

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