nAdasvaram or nAgasvaram ?

braindrain · Post by **braindrain** » 16 Feb 2009, 14:30

Pardon me for asking this question. But, what is the right word ?

Many ancient texts seems to have used the word nAgasvaram , however , nAdaswaram is more prominent these days.

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 16 Feb 2009, 16:03

I have read somewhere on the forum that nAgasvaram is the right word, though nAdasvaram sounds nice:with nAdam and svAram. Isn't maguDi more appropriately a nAgasvaram?!

prashant · Post by **prashant** » 16 Feb 2009, 16:05

tyAgarAja mahadhvajArOha of Dikshitar has a line - 'nAgasvara maddaLAdi vAdyam'

vijay · Post by **vijay** » 16 Feb 2009, 17:36

"Naga" I think refers to the snake-like shape of the instrument. I remember an article from the sangeetham days which argued that both terms were acceptable. Sambamurthi, OTOH, insists that it is Nagaswaram

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 16 Feb 2009, 19:02

rAgA nAgasvarAvali and not nAdasvarAvali...

cmlover · Post by **cmlover** » 17 Feb 2009, 01:43

Nagasvaram is totally of southern origin. There is an ancient Tamil tribe called naagarkaL. They were snake charmers as well as snake worshippers. Possibly nagasvaram evolved out of their pipes (maguDi). Later it got sanskritized as 'nadasvaram' which is what is the term commonly used to day.

PUNARVASU · Post by **PUNARVASU** » 18 Feb 2009, 22:54

There was a discussion on this in an earlier thread; it is also called 'nAyanam' in tamizh. I have heard my grand parents use this word.

cmlover · Post by **cmlover** » 19 Feb 2009, 01:41

The general term used was also 'mELaM'.

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 19 Feb 2009, 09:45

CML,
While mELam also meant the ensemble, wasn't it used more particularly to tavil (drum)? geTTi mELam (fast-intense) playing for the tying of the tAli in a wedding (mAngalya dhAraNam)?

Yes, Punarvasu. They even printed out the programs this way: nAyanam: Rajaratnam Pillai...

cmlover · Post by **cmlover** » 19 Feb 2009, 20:11

Yes
mELam referred to the ensemble of nagasvaram, tavil, otthu and jAlra.
I am curious about the origin of the word 'tavil' also popularly known as 'koTTumELam'

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 19 Feb 2009, 22:57

'tavil' beats me, that beaten instrument! It is the same as koTtu mELam and paRai. So, nAyanam, paRai and kanjak karuvi (jAlrA) make a mELam (also called vAcciyam)!

gobilalitha · Post by **gobilalitha** » 20 Feb 2009, 07:07

On auspicious occsions it is our tradition to start the function with nadaswaram or nagaswaram(whatever it is), unlike the northener's shenai, which to our ears seemingly produces a wailing sound(I am sure I will face a volley of protests). Before the nadaswaram is played, the tavil vidwan starts with his beats.WHAT TALAM IS IT? adi,I suppose. GOBILALITHA

VK RAMAN · Post by **VK RAMAN** » 20 Feb 2009, 07:42

The reason for feeling like that is in south Indian movies, sheNai is used for melancholic scenes and south Indians are conditioned to that...

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 20 Feb 2009, 08:40

Also because we hear a brisk nATai, hamsdhvani and ah, that bilahari which starts off any festive day with cheer. The shehnAi with a durbAri or a mAlkauns in vilambit and goes on and on without progressing to a cheerful gait.

keerthi · Post by **keerthi** » 20 Feb 2009, 17:32

Going to the original topic, it is nAgaswaram; from the sanskrit nAga - meaning elephant. Doesn't the trumpet of the elephant resemble the sound of our instrument.

Needless to say, prof. SAmbamoorthy was right.

cmlover · Post by **cmlover** » 20 Feb 2009, 20:23

vAh rE bismilla!

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 20 Feb 2009, 21:21

No more speculations. Thank you Keerthi!
And irattai nAyanam to that, CML!