Indian God/Goddess to play the violin- pls nominate

[Rsachi]

Dear all,
I have come to know just now (4:35 AM IST) that some extremely competent body (maybe Music Academy or Sangeet Natak Academy) wants to redress a historical lacuna. Despite the total conquest of Carnatic music by the lovely instrument violin, we have not thought about associating the instrument with a suitable God or Goddess. We need to do this immediately and announce it before the season.
Your nomination please. Please also give your rationale.

Please remember that
The violin can be played standing or seated.
Can be played with two hands only.
Normally it is played by bowing with the right hand.
It uses 4-7 strings, and some variations have double violins.
Most users today are trying an electric pick-up. But the officially anointed deity will not use such modern attachments.
The violin looks and sounds beautiful whether played by a man or a woman, wearing any traditional costume.

Nominations will be welcome before midnight September 28. After that date the winner will be announced and a modern-day Ravi Varma will be commissioned to paint the official portrait of the deity with the violin. We do not know when it will come as a postage stamp.

[VK RAMAN]

She has sacred scriptures in one hand and a lotus (a symbol of true knowledge) in the second. With her other two hands she plays the music of love and life on the violin. So I nominate Goddess Saraswathi and the puja must be held on Novami and violin played on Vijaya Dasami Day. Early morning dreams (4:35 am IST), it is understood, comes true. Good Luck.

[Pratyaksham Bala]

veLLait tAmarai pUvil iruppAL
violin seyyum oliyil iruppAL !

[Pratyaksham Bala]

A sculpture in Chidambaram Temple !
http://qph.is.quoracdn.net/main-qimg-3f ... _webp=true

[Rsachi]

Thanks. Let us await many more equally enthusiastic and also independent/original nominations...

[arasi]

PBala,
Loved that violin player from Chidambaram!

Sachi,
Very interesting thread! No surprise, coming from you. Are you serious about it, though? Is it really something which has been announced?

I believe that the vINA was 'born' to be Saraswathi's musical instrument. She holds it so gracefully, sitting down and playing it divinely.

That itinerant (not really a) god, ambassador at large with a bit of mischief in him, has to carry the cumbersome vINA with him at all times (not as unaccompanied baggage!)). He deserves to carry something lighter, after all these eons of carrying a vINA around. He deserves a break.

Imagine him with the sweet sounding violin carried in its case as a back pack! He can take it out and play it any time he likes and to delight others. So, if any celestial being can be nominated, he is my choice.

nArada violin gAna lOla!

[venkatakailasam]

India possesses the oldest extant bowed instrument in the world.

The association of the instrument with Ravana is based on extremely old mythology,
The earliest ancestor of the violin and a musical instrument credited by mythology was to demon king Ravana..says Amsterdam-based musician and a PhD in molecular genetics Patrick Jered..

It was called Ravanahattha.

Professor Suneera Kasliwal of Delhi University Published a book called 'Ravanhattha: Epic Journey of an Instrument in Rajasthan.'

"The oldest part of Nataraja temple at Chidambaram has figures of musicians. One of the figures in the panel plays a bowed instrument resembling the violin. The sound box shaft and neck of the instrument can be distinctly seen. The difference from the modern violin is that the ribs are not marked out and the shape of the sound holes is not the same. The slides are represented by a smooth curve." ...-carnatica

As Ravana is an ardent devotee of Shiva and as Nataraja temple has a Sculpture of a bowed instrument resembling the violin,
the God of violin has to taken as Shiva..

[Rsachi]

Arasi, don't ask me how serious this topic is. India's supreme court says even cleaning the Ganga has not been addressed seriously

I agree that the mANikya vINA belongs in vINA pustaka dhAriNI's mRdu pANi.

I agree Narada, who often fiddles when tempers and towns burn, is a great candidate.

I think we should seriously consider Parvati. She has a vainika, singer, dancer husband. Her brother plays the flute. Imagine a VVV trio! Apart from an occasional jugalbandi with Sarasvati. Also her sons are now grown-up and she wants a new pastime.

Also we should seriously consider Rama. His bow and arrow are somewhat retired after the Lanka episode. He has long arms, a calm mind, and his sons sing Ramayana all the time, playing vINa as stated by Valmiki. Ideal chance for playing the bowed instrument violin.

I would also recommend Ganesha. But his trunk comes in the way a bit.

[vgovindan]

IMHO, the word vINA has two forms - one generic and other specific.
The generic term vINA means any musical instrument based on strings.
The specific term vINa as is generally understood now, seems to have come in use much later.
We seem to be more glamorized by the kind of pictures we see of our Gods and Goddesses - as if they are true for all time - including hoary past.

For all you know sarasvati might have been playing a progenitor of violin; nArada might have been playing ek tAra - kind of single string music instrument played by roaming musicians.

It is not the Gods and Goddesses who are to be associated with violin, but we need to get dissociated from the kind of mental imageries we seem to be carrying.

We seem to be going into more and more idolatory than substance.
Unless this topic has been raised more as a humour, I feel it is time that Hinduism did some introspection about its fundamentals versus forms - which (forms) seems to be most exhaustive among all cultures - I sincerely wish I am wrong.

[Rsachi]

VGovindan,
Sir I don't know what has upset you more..
The form of the vina, the association of gods and goddesses with instruments, or my question. I want you to cheer up a bit. So I suggest this thread should be taken in a lighter vein.

[Nick H]

I would also recommend Ganesha. But his trunk comes in the way a bit.

His virtuosity on multiple instruments seems to be under-appreciated, except by the sculptors. He is able to handle modernity, from umbrellas to TV remote controls, without any difficulty at all. I am sure that he must have mastered the violin and, somewhere, will be found playing it already.

[Pratyaksham Bala]

... I am sure that he must have mastered the violin and, somewhere, will be found playing it already.

http://www.exoticindiaart.com/details/h ... s_hi18.jpg

[uday_shankar]

The generic term vINA means any musical instrument based on strings.

Indeed. The "vina" of Bharata's Natya Shastra was most certainly a Yazh like instrument. More interestingly, the "experiment" on shrutis he describes is impossible and impractical and therefore most likely a thought experiment .

Unless this topic has been raised more as a humour, I feel it is time that Hinduism did some introspection about its fundamentals versus forms - which (forms) seems to be most exhaustive among all cultures - I sincerely wish I am wrong.

Govindan sir, so long as there are gunas, forms are a good thing to have. Judaism, Islam and evangelical Christianity deride Hinduism for its "idolatrous" nature. As for me, I want no part of the Semitic "God", be it Jehovah or Allah. Both of them are "aroopa", i.e., formless, but they are full of malevolent "gunas", breathing fire and brimstone and wrath on humanity. At least, if we could see them in some form or "roopa", we might be able to judge their malevolent disposition better and take cover! On the other hand, take the Shivalinga - it has a "roopa" but is entirely benign and "nirguna". So in the ultimate analysis, it is more important to strive to attain a state of oneness with the nirguna Brahman while acknowledging the infinitude of roopas or forms, something that the Allah and Jehovah worshippers with their obsession with heaven and hell can never comprehend. Forms can be myriad and they are harmless. Gunas are the evil!

[priyaram78]

I know a violin can be used for creating happy, joyous music but I have always felt, a violin has a sad, melancholic tone, pulling the heartstrings.....and I can think of only Sita Devi, Sri Rama's wife playing a violin, pining for her Lord Rama while in Ashokavanam.

[Rsachi]

Priyaram, what an excellent thought!

[Pratyaksham Bala]

Valmiki playing Violin in his ashram !
(From "Sita Sings the Blues")
http://www.ninapaley.com/Sitayana/SitaJ ... Violin.jpg
Sita Devi and maids are seen in the background.

[vgovindan]

Let me also join the chorus.
The contribution of Romas (gypsies) to the Music is World-wide acknowledged. They trace their origin to India.
There is a Roma Goddess - Valli (consort of subrahmaNya).
Why don't we dedicate the instrument to this Goddess in honour of Romas and their musical tradition?

btw I understand KBS is a Roma. IMHO, there is none in CM to surpass her voice range.

The story of Romas - http://www.rootsworld.com/rw/feature/gypsy1.html

[venkatakailasam]

Shri Govindan...
I hope this topic has been raised more as a humour......

And I play violin about Your mercy
And I sing about Your love
Your goodness, Lord
Your righteousness
I want to sing..and play violin
[chorus]
And we'll sing holy, holy, holy
We'll sing holy, holy, holy
We'll shout holy, holy
Are You Lord almighty...

It is sung in Chorus...[repeat and fade out]....
from THIRD DAY LYRICS....with changes..

[sureshvv]

I nominate Lalgudi Jayaraman

[arasi]

PBala,
Lakshman for lyrics and you for your endless pictures and stuff...two hanumAns in speedy procurement.

Wonder why HanumAn hasn't been nominated yet.

Your GanESa reminds me of an old time great--violinist Rajamanickam Pillai.

[Pratyaksham Bala]

Wonder why HanumAn hasn't been nominated yet.

http://worth1000.s3.amazonaws.com/submi ... 4x2000.jpg

[arasi]

There you go!

[VK RAMAN]

4:35 am IST is not only coming true but creating havoc among Gods

[Ranganayaki]

I saw only one sensible/appropriate answer to this rather silly though interesting question . Nice thread again, RSachi.

[SrinathK]

At this rate, it might require a new avatar of Vishnu. Let's preserve the violin till then and ask Him to play it.

The next debate would be if the God/goddess must play it standing or sitting )

[thanjavooran]

Ha Ha Ha. A good subject. Solomon Pappya to please note.
Thanjavooran
21 09 2014

[vgovindan]

uday Shankar,
This is in regard to the term 'vINA'.
Please listen to Jayanti Kumaresh who, in her interview says 'any string instrument is called vINA - vAnIyantE iti vINa'. She also mentions that the present form of vINA has come into vogue about 350 years ago.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=quqpPzTclZ4 (3.10)
That's what I mentioned as 'generic' term.

[VK RAMAN]

In that case Gitar, Sitar, etc fall under the category vINA. Thanks vgovindan

[venkatakailasam]

refer to my post #7

Ravana created the violin’s ancestor!’

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/nri/ ... 438058.cms

Perhaps we do not like Ravan and hence do not like to attribute the instrument to him....and go on making all permutations and combinations...

well...

Anjaneya ...Lord Hanuman had reinvented the original form of fretless veena which is called as Hanumath Veena..modern days Chitra vina..

[vgovindan]

Uday Shankar,
Further to my post.
As per tiruviLaiyADal purANam (Isai vAdu venRa paDalam 15), the vINa is rested on the left shoulder. This could mean that either the extra resonator (surakkai) now in vINa was not existent then, or it (resonator) was used for resting on the shoulder. In any case, the present posture for playing vINa seems to be a later development.
http://www.tamilvu.org/slet/l41d0/l41d0 ... I&link=435 (Tamil website)

PS: It is interesting to note that the depiction of Hema Natha Bhagavatar in Film 'tiruviLaiyADal purANam' seems to be an interpolation of what is actually mentioned in the purANam. As per purANam, the contest was between the wife of bANa pattirar and a courtesan by who had enamoured the king.

[Rsachi]

Ekanta veena seva in Srirangam