Carnatic Music - Soul Healer - Part 3

        In continuation from the previous part of this post, Carnatic Music - Soul Healer - Part 2,

http://divinediyaas.blogspot.com/2019/09/carnatic-music-soul-healer-part-2.html

      

        Music is a language of emotion, it can represent different feelings and barge into the soul with no boundaries or limitations.

          There are seven swaras (Sa, Re, Ga, Ma, Pa, Dha, Ne) in carnatic music. Similarly, there are seven chakras in the human body and each chakra is corresponding to a respective swara and its frequency.... 

Check the below picture for reference.

Like ascending swaras from Sa to Ni, chakras will start from Muladhara Chakra (bottom) to Sahasrara Chakra (top).

Sa - corresponds to - Mulandhara Chakra

Re - corresponds to - Swadhistanam Chakra

Ga - corresponds to - Manipuraka Chakra

Ma - corresponds to - Anahata Chakra 

Pa - corresponds to -  Visuddhi Chakra 

Dha -corresponds to - Ajna Chakra

Ni -  corresponds to - Sahasrara Chakra

      Ragas help in activating these seven chakra. Certain ragas invokes specific emotions and induces specific senses in humans. 

               Every sound, for example: the words we speak, singing, laughing, shouting, crying has different vibration and frequency. The frequency relates to one's mind and brain activity. While singing, these swaras acts as auditary stimulus to the brain and activates nerve centers.

Arohanam (ascending scale of notes in raga) - matches with bottom to top chakras - Mulandhara chakra to Sahastrara chakra

Avarohanam (descending scale of notes in raga) - matches with the top - bottom - Sahastrara Chakra to Mulandhra Chakra

Seven swaras of the music is related to seven chakras i.e the flow of energy in the human body. 

Check the below picture for the seven chakras in human body, its frequency for respective chakras...

Carnatic Music In Water

      Jala tharangam / Jal Tarang - It is an Indian melodic percussion instrument. It consists of set of ceramic or metal bowls tuned with water. 

Jal - means Water and 

Tarang - means waves in water. 

           It is an ancient Indian wave instrument, which produces ragas and melodies. The cups that are tuned to the notes of raga by adjusting the amount of water in it. The musicality of this instrument is completely dependent on the quantity of the water in the cups and the size of the cups.  The pots are typically lined up with decreasing size from left to right. The bigger bowls generate notes of lower octaves, while the small bowls generate notes of high octaves. 

The sounds of seven swaras in carnatic music will be reproduced using these cups. Even, musical songs can be played using this Jala Tharangam. 

In advanced countries, Have you ever heard of fine music from water or from earthenware pot (Ghatam)?

Music has an affinity for water. The association between them was identified by scientists recently. Check out the below picture, where the scientists compared the Sri yantra with the sound of OM in water.

OM in pure water, forms ancient Sri yantra, i.e conversion of sound vibration into visual patterns....

        Sound frequencies create this radical symmetrically harmonic form with a small sample of vibrating water. This pattern appears frequently throughout the nature

         Crystal of water that are exposed to carnatic music looks like the picture below...

Let us see about visualisation of sounds, to understand better....

Cymatics - is the study of visualisation of sounds. It is a subset of modal vibration phenomenon. It analyses sounds by applying principles of wave mechanics. As sound is also a type of wave, it can be displayed visually. 

            In Cymatics, the modes of vibration of a membrane or a plate can be observed by sprinkling the vibrating surface with a fine dust (like, powder, flour or fine sand). The powder moves due to the vibration of the sound and forms pattern of lines or geometrical shapes depending upon of the frequency of the sound.

        For a pure sound of only one frequency, like a tuning fork or whistling, the wave looks smooth and regular, also called as sine waves. 

When there are different frequencies, the sand naturally gravitates to the area where the least amount of vibration occurs causing a fascinating geometric pattern. Different patterns emerge in the excitatory medium depending on the geometry of the plate and the driving frequency. 

           When the Pranava Mantra OM was chanted into the Cymatics apparatus, the divine Sri Yantra was formed in the sand on the vibrating plate. The power of OM sound and its frequency, can be realised by the Sri Yantra pattern that it makes on the sand.

        This was known to ancient sages and rishis in India and thats why they have given more importance to this divine mantra and called it as Pranav mantra 'OM'!!!

Now, coming back to the topic of carnatic music, carnatic music is a powerful sound, it connects with human body, mind, plants, animals and everything in this universe. As it is the music of devas, each raga was designed with very purpose. Every raga and notes has unique frequency that vibrates with the senses of human body, it can make plants to grow faster and healthier, it connects with the animals, it connects with the weather and even with an atom in this world.

        All these sounds, frequency, vibration, mantras, water had strongly attracted a great scientist 'Nikola tesla'. He read many sanskrit books, analysed about mantras and it's frequencies. He also mentioned in his book about some of the sanskrit terms that he used. Also, he is the one who completely, understood the concepts of frequency, vibration and energy in the universe. Even, a thought of a man is also having a certain frequency...

        In ancient Tamilakam, there was a great poet and saint called, 'Thirunavukuarasar' and popularly called as 'Appar'. He did many miracles to help people, he also miraculously opened the locked temple door by merely singing hymns of Lord shiva. He sang many hymns in praise of Lord Shiva and Some of Appar's hymns set to various Panns - the melodic modes of Ancient Tamil music. 

        Pann (பண்) - is the melodic mode used by the tamil people in their music in ancient times. The ancient panns over centuries evolved first into pentatonic scales and then into seven note carnatic swaras later. Initially, tamil music is heptatonic (musical scale with 7 pitches per octave), called as Ezhisai. There are several reference for these panns in Sangam and pre- sangam literatures...

Saint Thirunavukuarasar's Magic: 

        Once Appar and saint Thirugnana Sambandar went to a temple called 'Thiru marai kadu' and shocked to see that devotees are entering into the temple through the side entrance of the temple and not the main door was locked. When questioned about this, they got to know that the main entrance of the temple was locked forever by veda people and since, they didn't return to this temple, its door was locked endlessly and couldn't open by normal people. 

Thus, both the great poets together sang hymns of Lord Shiva to please him to open the temple door. While, they were singing the hymns, the door of the temple started to break and the doors opened automatically. That's the power of hymns, the power of sound and music from the great poets.

Thirumaraikadu temple door

        Once, Appar had also turned a snake bitten dead boy into alive by singing hymns to God, which made the snake to take its own poison from the boy's body. Every hymn he sang does not only has meaning, it has powerful sound and vibration. He was a powerful saint and great devotee of Lord Shiva.

Nowadays, music is also used for healing!

        Music provides a total brain workout. Researches shows that listening to music can reduce anxiety, blood pressure, and pain as well as improve sleep quality, mood, mental alertness and memory. Music also has the capacity to imitate emotions

        Music floods the brain with a chemical called dopamine. Dopamine is the chemical in the brain associated with pleasure, motivation and reward. Studies have shown that certain pieces of classical music will have the same effect on everyone. Music helps scientists understand complex functions of the brain and opens up treatments for patients who are recovering from strokes or suffering with Parkinson's. Research even suggests that music may alter the structure of the brain. 

        Numerous scientific and psychological studies have shown that music can lift our moods, combat depression, improve blood flow, lower levels of stress-related hormones such as cortisol, and ease pain. 

Studies have shown that music produces several positive effects on a human's body and brain. Music activates both the left and right brain at the same time, and the activation of both hemispheres can maximize learning and improve memory.

        During ancient times, sages and siddhars used to carry a 'Kamandalam' -  a copper pot in their hands with water in it. They utter powerful mantras / words and spill little water from the pot over the respective person or a thing, then their words will become true. That's the power of frequency of Mantras or sounds, which has affinity with water. 

        Sages in ancient India, knows the power of sound, frequency, vibration and energy in the world. That's why they gave importance to mantras, sounds, carnatic music and specific ragas, notes etc. In Indian ancient temples, there are many artistically carved musical pillars which produces the sounds of these seven swaras and even sounds of musical instruments such as Nadaswaram,  chenda, tabla.  Hearing to specific ragas in carnatic music, makes one to come out of depression, makes one to laugh, makes one to cry and even makes one to go unconscious. 

Music is a powerful tool that's having association with Humans, plants, trees, animals, nature, weather and with the Universe... Everything in this universe is made of Sound, Frequency, Energy and Vibration. In ancient India, music was not just entertainment, it was considered in terms of these scientific factors !!

- Aarthi Thiyagarajan

Vidyashankara temple, Sringeri - A Stunning Engineering with Geometric and Astronomical Marvel !!

        Vidyashankara temple at Sringeri in Karnataka, is a masterpiece of engineering architecture with outstanding knowledge of astronomy and Geometry. This ancient temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva. He is the main deity of this temple and hence called as 'Shankara', the garbagriha of Lord Shiva is topped by a heavy majestic square shaped vimana.  This temple is not only a place of devotion, it is also a place of abundant knowledge. 

           

         This temple exhibits the ancient knowledge of priceless Science, Fine Arts, Mathematics, Geometry and Astronomy. It is guarding the ancient knowledge and secrets in a such a way that people who visit here for worshiping Lord Shiva will receive his blessings with good thoughts and good knowledge. 

         This ancient temple combines the features of Hoysala and Dravidian style of architecture. There are many pillars in this temple and every pillar was precisely built with perfect angle and geometrical patterns. None of the pillar differ from the designed angle. This temple has six doorways. 

        The eastern half of the structure is called as Mantapa, which is surrounded by twelve pillars. These 12 pillars are popularly known as 'Rasi Stambhas', marked by the twelve signs of the zodiac. 

Astronomical brilliance:       

         

            These 12 pillars were skilfully designed and constructed in such a brilliant way that the rays of the sun, fall on each pillar in the chronological order of the twelve solar months of the Sidereal solar calendar. 

What is Sidereal Solar calendar ?

Sidereal Solar calendar : It means, in simple terms,  the position of Sun with respect to the corresponding Zodiac is considered to calculate a month and to calculate a year. This calendar is being followed by people of Tamil Nadu, Kerala, West Bengal, Assam, Punjab, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Burma, Thailand and much more....

        This zodiac based calendar system was used in ancient times, as it's the precise one. Not a single change happened in this calendar calculation for several thousand years, it is an error-free calendar...

But, in the modern calendar (Gregorian calendar), many changes had happened in the past. 13 days were missed / skipped in this calendar, while implementing it. Even now, there are several days are being missed out continuously. Yet, we call this is an accurate one. Enough of colonisation !! It's high time to return to our ancient roots....

For more details about continuously missing days in modern calendar, reach out to the post below,

https://divinediyaas.blogspot.com/2021/04/significance-of-ancient-tamil-calendar-and-accuracy.html

For detailed explanation about Sidereal solar system, reach out to the post below,

https://divinediyaas.blogspot.com/2021/04/why-tamil-new-year-is-being-celebrated-in-April.html

        Now, coming back to Vidyashankara temple, how did the ancient Indians designed pillars in such a way that, sun rays precisely fall on the corresponding solar month ? 

        It means that they have calculated the position of the Sun and Position of the 12 Zodiacs accurately.  They knew that this calculation is precise, very confident about their knowledge and wanted to pass on this knowledge to the future generations. So, they have designed this beautiful temple with knowledge of Astronomy as a tall standing open library. 

The information that are stored in paper, manuscripts, modern storage devices, cloud platforms etc can be destroyed. But, the information inscribed on the strong stones, can not be erased. Also, it requires some skills to understand the scientific secrets carved in such temples. In this way, our ancient Indian ancestors constructed a temple with devotion and science as open secret...

        In this temple, each column is topped by a yazhi with a rolling stone ball in its mouth. Every morning when the sun rays enter, they hit at one specific pillar indicating particular solar month of a year. The rays of the sun fall on each of pillar in the order of the twelve solar months. 

Check the 12 zodiac pillars of the temple, in a aerial view layout.

This temple is a proof for accuracy of sidereal solar system. It's an example for astronomical and mathematical knowledge of our ancient ancestors.

Sri Adi Shankaracharya had established four mutts / peetha / peedam (Monastery) in 4 directions of India: 

1. Badri Jyotir matha peetha in the North, 

2. Dwarka's Shardha Peetha in the West, 

3. Govardhan matha Peetha in Puri in the East,

4. Sharada Peetham in Sringeri in South.

Four mutts were established to represent and to safeguard each veda. In this place Sringeri, Sharada mutt was established to safeguard Yajur veda and to teach Advaita vedanta. 

Geometric patterns:

On the floor of this temple, there is a large circle drawn with converging lines corresponding to the direction of the shadows cast by the each pillar.  This shows the expertise of ancient Indians in angles and geometry....

Sri Yantra and Temple Geometric pattern:

        The geometric patterns and the angle of every cuts are same. The angle of pillar cuts are resembling wit Sri Yantra (below picture for reference) as they both are having same degree of angle at the outer design.

In the below picture, the base of the temple(outer design) is constructed in such a way that the all converging lines are cut exactly at the same degree of angle. Resembling like a 3D representation of Sri Yantra. 

Not only the base of the temple, the angle that pillars were cut, the top design of the the temple all were exactly cut at the same angle.

Check the above picture for reference of the temple base and the top design of the pillar..

        In Sri Yantra,  the intersection of lines form a design of small triangles arranged in a specific pattern. The pattern and the degree of angles that these triangles are aligned in Sri Yantra is looking similar with the geometric pattern and the angle of lines designed in this temple.

The temple base, the pillar angle, the top of the pillar and the top of the temple ate designed with the same geometric pattern with same degree of angle when viewed in 3D.

 - This temple stands as an unerasable Library of knowledge. 

 - The intricate carvings in the temple, indicates the artistic skill set of ancient Indians.

 - The geometric patterns and angle precision indicates, the deep knowledge of Indians in Geometry

 - The Engineering work of this temple, indicates their ancient engineering knowledge

 - The Zodiac pillars design, indicates about the abundant astronomical and mathematics  knowledge of Indians.

        Ancient Indian people's expertise in angles, geometry and their vast knowledge about astronomy is being reflected in this temple design.  This temple is an architectural wonder with a perfection in geometric design, engineering skills and astronomical values. So, a temple is just a place to worship, It is more than that. No wonder why our ancient ancestors had built so many temples in India!!!!

Hara Hara Mahadev!!!!

- Aarthi Thiyagarajan