CHENNAI: Nada Yoga happens when the individual ego connects with the cosmic consciousness through the process of sound. If today we have a tradition of Carnatic music which follows this path of worship with music called Nadopasana, the base has been provided by the music trinity saints - Thyagaraja, Syama Sastri and Muthuswami Dikshithar.
At a time when so much talk about yoga, meditation or spiritualilty was not so popular, Muthuswami Dikshithar lived to compose many songs on many deities and on different holy places.
Sangita Kalanidhi K Govinda Rao, carnatic vocalist, participated in the birth anniversary celebrations of Dikshithar organised by Sri Muthuswamy Dikshithar Foundation. In his book on Compositions of Muddusvami Dikshitar brought out by Ganamandir Publications, he says, from time to time the fabric of spiritual unity is reinforced by the presence and influence of poets, philosophers and saint singers whose contributions have upheld this faith. The music trinity was not only masters of the art of music, but also great saints who led a life of pure devotion and renunciation.
He likens the compositions of Muthuswami Dikshithar to a castle with all its paraphernalia. His compositions are in praise of numerous gods and goddesses, full of devotional, philosophical, literary, historical, mythological and astrological details. Employing the apt Sanskrit words and phrases, the musical content of his compositions were in the original classical Indian music of the greatest quality with its majesty, grandeur and splendour.
Speaking on Dikshitar Mahima, Shri Ganesha Sharma said the profound knowledge that Dikshithar had in the Vedas, Shastras and Upanishads and the other aspects of knowledge such as astrology was vividly described in the songs of Dikshithar. "One can even master the science of astrology by learning to sing the Navagraha Kritis of Dikshithar," he said. Never choosing to compose songs on ordinary mortals, all of his compositions had the deep import of chanting mantras.
The compositions of Dikshithar are supposed to be of the type of 'Narikela Paka', or the essence of a coconut, which has a hard shell, a softer cover within and water inside. Each of his song was a map of the divine image he sang about - whether it was on Krishna, Shiva, Dakshinamurti, Lakshmi, Saraswati or any deity. Almost with the lilt of nursery rhymes were his Nottuswaram music compositions in Sankarabharanam such as 'Shakti Sahita Ganapathim', or 'Varashivabalam'.
The event was followed by a vocal concert by Sriram Parthasarathy, accompanied by Varadarajan on the violin, Neyveli Narayanan on the Mridangam and K V Gopalakrishnan on the Kanjira. The concert had all Dikshithar Krithis on Krishna including, Govardhana Gireesham, Shri Krishnam Bhajamanasa, Santhana Gopala Krishnam and Balagopala.
It was an evening of meditation with music through the words of Muthuswami Dikshithar that came alive through the programme organised S K Venkataraman, managing trustee of the Foundation and K. Vaidyanathan, convenor.
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