How sweet is nectar?
How sweet will nectar
be?
The first question
can be answered only by immortals or people who have seen the nectar in one
form or the other. Coming to think of it, is there anything called nectar at
all? Is it defined by the taste alone or is it by its so called property of giving
immortality? Before we get into this, let us see what AruNagirinaadar, one of
the greatest tamizh poets says:
‘My senses cease to
exist. Through my lotus-like intellect I see the sacred vision of the 6 faces and
the 12 shoulders and there I see and feel the sweet nectar that flows
transcending the shores of all the worlds. I dissolve myself in the ultimate
ocean.’
பத்தித் திருமுகம் ஆறுடன் பன்னிரு தோள்களுமாய்த்
தித்தித்து இருக்கும் அமுது கண்டேன் செயல் மாண்டு அடங்கப்
புத்திக் கமலத்து உருகிப் பெருகிப் புவனம் எற்றித்
தத்திக் கரைபுரளும் பரம ஆனந்த சாகரத்தே.
தித்தித்து இருக்கும் அமுது கண்டேன் செயல் மாண்டு அடங்கப்
புத்திக் கமலத்து உருகிப் பெருகிப் புவனம் எற்றித்
தத்திக் கரைபுரளும் பரம ஆனந்த சாகரத்தே.
The devotee of Shanmukha feels the nectar when
he has the vision of his favourite God.
This verse is mystic and esoteric too. It is
said that the life force called ‘KuNdalini’ resides inside all human beings and
when activated, it flows upwards through the seven chakras finally culminating
in the head with the Intellect opening like the lotus flower. This is
considered to be the ultimate ecstasy. But for this to happen, one must lose
the senses, and therefore the self.
Let us now look at another poem by yet another poet.
‘Monkeys jump from branch to branch even as the
devotees pluck flowers for Him in Thiruvengadam. Draped in dusk red, He
reclines on the serpent with the beautiful lotus-shaped navel that gave birth
to Brahmma the creator. Is this not the pleasing soul that resides in my
heart!’
‘மந்தி பாய் வட
வேங்கட மா மலை வானவர்கள்
சந்தி செய்ய
நின்றான் அரங்கத்து அணையான்
அந்தி போல் நிறத்து
ஆடையும் அதன்மேல் அயனைப் படைத்தது ஓர் எழில்
உந்தி மேல் அது
அன்றோ!அடியேன் உள்ளத்து இன்னுயிரே!’
This was sung by the Vaishnavaite saint
ThiruppaaNaazhwar.
I find a lot of parallels between the two verses
though they sound different.
Monkey is a metaphor for the mind while flower
is a metaphor for good thoughts. Serpent is symbolic of the kuNdalini and here
too we see the lotus which is a metaphor for the Intellect.
Two different poets in two different eras
singing about two different Gods. The
common thread? Ultimate ecstasy also called as the nectar.
Let us now go back to the two questions asked in
the beginning. The answer to the first question can be given only by people
like AruNagirinathar and ThiruppaaNaazhwar.
However, the second question can be answered by
mortals like us because it is easy to go on a fantasy trip and imagine things
which exist and which don’t. But fantasy trips can be dangerous too since there
are more chances of tripping and crash landing which in effect would prove to
be detrimental.
We surely need not be a saint or a siddha
purusha to discover the nectar. In my last year’s special post, I mentioned
about divinity and said that if at all there is one thing in the world that
unites atheists, agnostics and believers, it is music. I had also said that
some great souls have made us realise the divine through their immortal
compositions. If the poets discovered and enjoyed the nectar, great musicians
make us discover and enjoy the nectar.
ILaiyaraaja is the greatest living example. His
compositions make us realise many things that we would not have realised all
along. It gives us feelings that are hard to describe. Like the works of the immortal poets
that have esoteric meanings, his compositions too have very deep meanings and
value. The music awakens the Shakti hidden inside us that travels upwards and
culminates in our experiencing the blossoming of the lotus and our seeing and
feeling the nectarine flow.
Since his creativity is backed by a very sound
classical knowledge, the way he uses the ragas are mind boggling and his
approach is wondrous.
Take the ragam Shanmukhapriya for example. This
56th melakarta raga is steeped in classicism and has a beauty of its
own. ILaiyaraaja has made us look at some unknown dimensions of this raga.
‘PoNNu paakka ’, ‘Ammaadi Chinna paappa’ ‘Abhisheka neraththil’, ‘Vettu vedippom’, ‘Vengaaya saambaarum’ and
‘Kaadal kasukkudaiah’ smile at us with gay abandon. If he had the audacity to
compose such humorous song in this classical raga- without in anyway diluting
the raga-, he also had the confidence and knowledge to compose ‘Tam tananam’, ‘Ta
ki ta ta dhimi’ and ‘Sollayo vaai thiRandhu’, compositions that radiate
classicism in the same raga.
The song of the day ‘Nenjam inikkiRadhu’ from
‘ThenpaaNdi Singam’(1988) too effuse beauty , resonate with melody and is full of
virtuosity.
It starts with a flourish. Mridangam
reverberates with a string of syllables in chatushram. In fact, in just a
matter of two cycles, it plays a very brief Tani avartanam with intricate laya
patterns. The soft textured Veena follows and shows eloquent vignettes of Shanmukhapriya. It also draws a beautiful sketch of the ragam with typical
prayogas like ‘pa dha ni’, ‘dha ni sa’ ‘Sa ni dha pa ma’.
Pallavi starts lucidly. There are four different
sangatis for ‘Nenjam’ alone. This coupled with the akaaram makes it a complete
classical experience with the interspersed Veena heightening the effect.
The composition is in the 8-beat adi taaLam.
However, the vocals in the last line of the Pallavi completes only half a
cycle. The Veena completes the next half and seamlessly the composition moves
on to the first interlude. Mesmerisingly innovative!
The Veena and the flute that coalesces with it
now, travel with unbridled enthusiasm. It is like swift paced ripples that show
us the contours of the ragam with dexterity. In the last two avartanams, Laya
raga raaja is in full flow as the swaras go in pairs of two, three and four.
The first CharaNam is soaked in beauty. The
first line itself has two variations with the phrase ‘anjuvar’ touching the
tara staayi swaras the second time it is rendered. The following line too has
special sangatis in ‘Vaazhthadhu kettu’.
The Pallavi when rendered again with the akaaram, is left with half avartanam and the
VeeNa takes over yet again. The subtle flute joins and what follows is a
question- answer session. The Veena and Flute play a set of notes with
lightning repartees from the percussion. After two avartanams, the percussion
and the melodic instruments merge together signifying the union.
With poise, the Veena now flows like a stream
touching all dimensions of the raga. We get to see the six faces and the twelve
shoulders glistening with beauty.
The second charaNam is different from the first
charaNam showing us the versatility of the composer . The first line which is
rendered thrice is succinct, with the lilting Veena making it more fascinating.
The phrase ‘uyir ondRuthaan’ in the following line itself gives the essence of
the raga. Laya Raaja comes to the fore again in the following line ‘adhai
ninaiththaale’. The percussion which follows the chatushram pattern the first
time, shifts to the 3-beat cycle Tisram.
After 4 tisrams, it again subdivides into 6 maatraas ( taa ta ri ki ta) – and
from then on, it alternates between 3 and 6 making it a wholesome experience.
And we are soaked in the nectar. Why wouldn’t we
be?
The previous post in Tamizh and this post were read out to an invited audience in Chennai on the 15th of Sep 2013 as part of Geetanjali Event.
The previous post in Tamizh and this post were read out to an invited audience in Chennai on the 15th of Sep 2013 as part of Geetanjali Event.
