Verses related to Music/Dance

[keerthi]

I have put a couple of verses from the Kashmiri poet Kshemendra of the 10-11th, that refer to musicians / music. I welcome other rasikas to add verses that they notice.

This work is from his satire 'kalA-vilAsa' or the 'Art of Artfulness'. Each chapter is dedicated to describe one vice. The chapter on Shamelessness or Depravity is entirely a description of musicians, dancers, actors, jugglers, acrobats and bards.

tamasi varAkas-chauro hAhAkArENa yAti santrastaH |
gAyana-caurah prakatam hAhAkRtvaiva harati sarvasvaM ||


6.4. A miserable thief calls out ‘ha! ha!’ in the night out of fear, and goes home empty handed; while the musician-thief bleats ‘ha! ha!’ in broad daylight, and carries off a fortune.

pApAdhadhAninigamasA – dhAdhAmAmAsamAsagAdhAmA |
kRtvA svara-pada-pAlI(m) gAyana-dhUrtAs-carantyete ||

6.5. Going up and down the scales, humming ‘papa-dha-dhanini-gamasa – dhadha-mama-samasa-gA-dhama’ these villainous singers go about their beat.

[Rsachi]

Is Kshemendra the same as Xemendrix the Gaul?

[srkris]

Keerthi Sir,

Very interesting. How did you find these verses in the first place.
How do we go about digging for them out of the tens of thousands of verses of sanskrit poetry we have?
Are you asking if anyone else has stumbled on such verses by accident?

[keerthi]

srkris, Don't call me sir!

I came across these in the course of working on an introductory volume on the poet Kshemendra, for which I read through all his available works. I generally keep an eye open while reading kAvyas and stotras for references to music, dance, food, flora and fauna; and note those that take my fancy.

I suggested that people could post verses from classical literature (in all languages) that pertain to music and dance, so that we can get a picture of the past poets' ideas about the fine arts. There are, I'm sure innumerable instances in the literary corpus of Sanskrit as well as the DeshabhAShas.

My next instalment is from the familiar Ramayana -


kuzIlavau tu dharmajnau rAjaputrau yashasvinau | bhrAtarau svara-sampannau dadarsha-Azrama-vAsinaH || 1.4.5||

The residents of the Ashrama looked at Kusha and Lava,those radiant princes who were well versed in Dharma,and had rich tuneful voices.

pATHyE gEyE ca madhuraM pramANaih tribhir-anvitaM | jAtibhiH saptabhiH yuktaM tantrI-laya-samanvitaM || 1.4.7 ||

(Their performance of the rAmAyaNa) was pleasant both when sung and when recited, it was endowed with the three measures (the vilamba, madhya and druta laya or tempi), the seven jAtis of tone, and sung to the laya of a string instrument.

This is an important revelation. TyAgarAja too says 'tantrI-laya-svara-rAga-vilOlulu' in the song 'nAdOpAsana jEse'; thereby making the point that the tambura is not merely a drone for keeping the basic shruti, but also a device for maintaining laya. [Also see 1.4.33 below]


tau tu gandharva-tattvajnau sthAna-mUrchana-kOvidau | bhrAtarau svara-sampannau gandharvau+iva rupiNau ||1.4.10 ||

Those two brothers, versed in the gandharva-tattva - musical lore, were experts in the knowledge of the sthAnas and their mUrchanas; those sweet-voiced ones also resembled gandharvas in appearance.


tau cApi madhuraM raktaM svacittAyata-niHsvanaM | tantrI-layavat atyarthaM vishrutArthaM agAyatAM || 1.4.33||

They sang, with melody and feeling, with tranquil minds? [not sure of second pAda], keeping pace with the tambura, they sang with emphasis on the meaning of that famed story.

tatas-tu tau rAma-vacaH pracOditau
agAyatAm mArga-vidhAna-sampadA |
sa cApi rAmaH pariSad-gataH shanair-
bubhUSaya-Asakta-manAh babhUva || 1.4.36 ||

Then those two, encouraged by Rama, sang in the rich Marga style, and Rama, in the midst of the assembly, was engrossed in their singing.

The reference to the Marga style of singing in the AdikAvya is interesting.

[rshankar]

Keerthi - mArga style as opposed to dESi style?

[keerthi]

Keerthi - mArga style as opposed to dESi style?

I guess..

[arasi]

Keerthi, 'sir', just looking at this thread. You are worth listening to, as always...

[Tattvamasi]

" Saregamapadanirathamtham veenasankranthakanthahasthamtham!
shantham mrudula svantham kuchabharathantham namami shivakantham!"- Kalidasa in his Navaratnamala

Here's MS Amma singing the verse before Nada Tanumanisham

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=734fDjHgLwE

[rshankar]

Here's MS Amma singing the verse before Nada Tanumanisham
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=734fDjHgLwE

So, here is the verse that Smt. MSS sings before this kRti:
सरिगमपधनिरतां तां वीणासंक्रान्तहस्तां ताम् |
शान्तां म्रुदुलस्वान्तां कुचभरतान्तां नमामि शिवकान्ताम् ||
Based on the bolded word here, isn't this a verse describing pArvati - the wife (कान्ताम्) of शिव? I ask because Cienu says that this is a verse on Saraswati.

[Pratyaksham Bala]

... here is the verse that Smt. MSS sings before this kRti:
सरिगमपधनिरतां तां वीणासंक्रान्तहस्तां ताम् |
शान्तां म्रुदुलस्वान्तां कुचभरतान्तां नमामि शिवकान्ताम् ||
Based on the bolded word here, isn't this a verse describing pArvati - the wife (कान्ताम्) of शिव?

Yes, this verse is addressed to Parvati.
Though usually veena is associated with Goddess Saraswati, in this verse Kalidasa depicts Goddess Parvati as holding a veena.

[vgovindan]

Here is the full version of 'navaratna mAlA' kAlidAsa. This kRti is addressed to mAtangi - a rUpa of Lalita mAha tripurasundari as SyAmaLAmbA. It is not incorrect to say that the kRti is addressed to pArvati. But here Siva is 'Siva kAmESwara' and not Siva of Trinity.

http://sanskritdocuments.org/doc_devii/ ... ml?lang=sa

Matangi as Sarasvati

http://shaktisadhana.50megs.com/Newhome ... tangi.html

[Tattvamasi]

Here is the full version of 'navaratna mAlA' kAlidAsa. This kRti is addressed to mAtangi - a rUpa of Lalita mAha tripurasundari as SyAmaLAmbA. It is not incorrect to say that the kRti is addressed to pArvati. But here Siva is 'Siva kAmESwara' and not Siva of Trinity.

http://sanskritdocuments.org/doc_devii/ ... ml?lang=sa

Matangi as Sarasvati

http://shaktisadhana.50megs.com/Newhome ... tangi.html

Sir,

In "Mamava Meenakshi", Dikshitar swamigal describes her as "rajamathangi,mannikyavallaki paanni madhura vaanni varalli venni" in the Pallavi. So i guess this hymn is in praise of Goddess Meenakshi and not Goddess Saraswathi. Would anybody like to diaagree with me? It would be very nice to hear your inputs as well.

Thank you.

[vgovindan]

tattvamasi,
I agree Dikshitar has sung about Meenakshi as rAja mAtangi - Madurai is considered as ODyANa pITha. However, we are discussing about Kalidasa.
You may also refer to Syamala Dandakam also by Kalidasa.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wmpBgBfYzNk

[Tattvamasi]

tattvamasi,
I agree Dikshitar has sung about Meenakshi as rAja mAtangi - Madurai is considered as ODyANa pITha. However, we are discussing about Kalidasa.
You may also refer to Syamala Dandakam also by Kalidasa.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wmpBgBfYzNk

Sir,
I was quoting Dikshitar swamigal to explain my point,i.e, that kalidasa here is indeed describing Goddess Meenakshi and not Goddess Saraswathi as pointed out earlier.

thank you for the link. I will listen to it.

Kind regards,
sanjay

[rshankar]

Smt. DKP's rendition of the syAmalA daNDakam (in the link provided) is absolutely serene and beautiful...and you should listen to it.

[Tattvamasi]

Smt. DKP's rendition of the syAmalA daNDakam (in the link provided) is absolutely serene and beautiful...and you should listen to it.

Will definitely listen. Thank you

Kind regards
Sanjay