Wednesday, December 30, 2009

Veena - The queen of instruments

mangala vadhyam namastubyam|
sri brahmapathni hastha viharam||
adhi goraroopam naadhaadharam|
sakala chalachala vastu mohitam||

That implies: take my respects the spiritual instrument. You rest in the hands of saraswathi (brahma pathni). You are the most beautiful and you are base for the mighty music. You are successful in attracting all the stationary and dynamic (living and non living) things. These four lines are part of the song I am about to compose later.

I have said almost all I want to say in the above four lines. Though I wish to continue my article.

VEENA... a lovely instrument with melodious tones made wood and strings. Everybody would have seen veena atleast once in their life time... She is wonderful creation believed to be made by lord paramashiva himself.

There are several types of veena found in our history viz. Rudra veena, saraswathi veena etc. Veena is one of the greatest asset of indians. Let us restrict our focus to the most common veena of today i.e. saraswathy veena. It has 7 strings, 4 for main notes and 3 will be used similar to chords. The strings have names and they are

1. main strings :
a. sadjama string
b. panchama string
c. mandhara string
d. anumandhara string

2. sarani strings or chord strings:
a. aathara sadjama string
b. aathara panchama string
c. thara sadjama string

The main strings are used for playing the main notes whereas the sarani or chord strings will be played according to the period of tala or beat. For this reason veena is also called as sakala vadhyam.

Our Indian carnatic music has one more prestigious feature called GAMAKAS. Gamakas is quite a difficult topic to speak about and understand. So for now let me stop with the simple detail of this. Gamakas are classified into 10 types and veena is the only instrument which supports all the 10 gamakas.

Octaves and strings:

1. The sadjama string gives 24 different frequencies in the aathara stayi and thara stayi. The notes starts from aathara sadjama to shiva thara stayi sadjama. It corresponds to the normal octave and the octave above of the keyboard.
2. The panjama string gives the frequencies from madhira stayi panchama to thaara stayi panjama. It corresponds to the notes in the range between 'G' in the octave below the normal octave and 'G' in the octave above normal octave.
3. The mandhara string gives frequencies from mandhara sadjama to thaara sadjama and this corresponds to the octave lying below the normal octave and normal octave of the piano or keyboard.
4. anumandhara string gives frequencies from anumandhara panjamam to the sadharana panjamam. To speak in terms of octaves it starts one and half octave below the normal octave and lies till the 'G' of the normal octave.

Working:

Almost everyone will be aware of the relation between frequency and length, thickness etc. of the vibrating element. The frequency is inversly proportional to the length and thickness of the vibrating element. This is the basic principle of operation in the veena. The vainikar (veena player) will change the length of the vibrating element by pressing the string with his two fingers above mettu in order to produce notes with different frequencies.

The property of thickness of the string and different natural frequency of different elements is exploited to make the different strings to have different free natural frequency (the frequency achieved with full length).

To conclude, It is not easy to restrict the veena to a single article. It is just a start. We will be in constant touch.

Friday, November 20, 2009

Who rules whom

Well. This topic is very famous in the society. Confused?? You can very well come with an intelligent guess. Of course, I am going to talk about the endless and confusing conflict between the mind and heart. To be more accurate and to the point this post deals with the tug of war or a running war between the emotions and thoughts. Let us proceed...

Some people may be proud enough to say "I am rather a mind ruler". Congrats for them to be a mind ruler. But to what extent they are mind rulers? They may successful to say a no to one close friend; may be a winner in avoiding eyes to shed tears for things which induce the emotions; may be good in controlling their face to be index of heart. But are they successful in avoiding tears when someone close to them demises or atleast gets some pain?

The real mind ruler is one who under problems or stress thinks "What next" but not "How and Why this". If one starts thinking why/how this, he/she will be more interested in finding a blame which can be made on others and how to get themselves out of that problem successfully immaterial whether the problem gets solved or not. They wont give place to any emotions. So are they mind rulers??

Yes yes we cannot have a binary sets in psychology like digital electronics. The psycho sets are always fuzzy ones and overlapped indeed. But the majority wins not only in democracy but also in psychology. Even the great mind rulers failed to control their emotions in certain circumstances. So it is always filled with confusions.

How you want to be? Are you getting sick if someone begs for food; or someone tells you the most painful story? Does your eyes shed blood for sorrows which our earth bears? Welcome to the world of heart. You can enjoy sorrows pains everything. But you may be lacking in one thing. That is the easness of converting pains to pleasures.

The process of changing pains to pleasure is quite simple indeed. One small analogy. How big the sun is but how small it looks when we see from the earth! Thats what a real mind ruler does. He/she will stay far away from the problems and look for solutions. If one is near his problem he/she gives more weights to emotions rather than what they really feel. So the mind ruler knows how to make pains to pleasures.

Enough enough are you coming to say mind rulers are the best and the heart is not having any value. Never, seldom... Same analogy. If one sees the sun farthest, you obviously miss out to notice its real size. Similarly by evading the roots of emotions one miss out how big the issue is really.

So, which is best?

If one gives importance to thoughts than emotions, misses out how big the problem really is. If one gives importance to emotions to thoughts, no way the person has to live with the problem and he can hardly get solutions for that. So it is always better to be a mind ruler to arrive at a initial solution and later the solution can be developed by giving importance to emotions.

Now we are clear that by whom and how we want to get us ruled. The conflict between the mind and heart will exists forever. It is a battle running 24x7. Clearly define your stratergies for tough times. By that you can easily solve all the problems.

To be successful in life one needs to have a better control over his thoughts and emotions. It is one hard earned skill possessed by experienced persons. But if one really work on it, things can be made easy.

No goal is unreachable unless you dont want to reach it. Put yourself under stress. Think about the situations in multiple dimensions. Take decisions by thinking thrice or more [twice is surely not enough ;)] . Mistakes give you great lessons. One cannot have time to do all sorts of mistakes. So learn from others mistakes as well.

If one decides his ruler, then he is the ruler of the world. Mind and heart now goes together.

Monday, October 5, 2009

Songs

4. Song about Mahalakshmi

Ragam: Poorvi Kalyani
Talam: Aadhi

Pallavi:
Mahalakshmim bhajhe sri
Mahavishnu Vakshastala vasini

Anupallavi:
Mangala roopini kanaga dharini
Mangalya bala pradhayini

Charanam:
Maidhili sri rookmini
Mandhahasini poorvi kalyani
Venkatesa poojitha padmasini
kshera sagara putri kamali

Songs

3. Song praising saraswathy

Ragam: Keeravani
Talam: Roopakam

Pallavi:
Keeravani bhooshitha vani
Swara-janani hamsa vahini

Anupallavi:
Sakala kala nipuni
Vedha roopini manonmani

Charanam:
Veena pustaka dharini
Brahma patni brahmi
Panditasya Vagh viharini
Deena venkatesa paripalini

Madhyamakalam:
Savitri gayatri saraswathi Shankhari vidya bharathi
Thana thana thana thana thana thana thana thana thana
Thana malini mama janani Sarva gnana pradhayini

Tuesday, September 29, 2009

are you you?

how silly the question is! he is he; she is she; i am i; then why the hell question 'are you you?'? ok well. let me reframe the question by including myself and everyone in this beautiful land. are we we? think for a while by waking all your deepest past and embedded soul. you have enjoyed this world for -- years. in that long lived life how many of us got all our wants full-filled and live the life we really wanted?

suppose you would like to go for a pub but if your sweet girlfriend asks you to accompany her for shopping; also you would like to go to temple but your sweet heart wants you to come for beach; ranging from this small wishes to longer ones like you longed to become anthropologist or psychoanalyst but your parents made you a physician; then you wanted to marry mary but you end up with rosy;

how many unfruitful attempts, shattered dreams, unhappy situations! leave aside all those things. i agree we do not have control over wishes getting full-filled. but how many of us are allowed to take efforts to full-fill our wants, wishes or needs?

you are the part of society and since you want to live sticking to it, you loose all your independence and individuality. being a part in the society how many of us achieved the co-ordination between the greatest brain and so called mind? all are proud to say they are extroverts. do they really think they are extroverts? ok assume they are claiming for their extroversion. can they just imagine what are the things they had lost to earn the title of extroverts. the moment you are amicable with anyone your individuality is injured atleast for 1 per cent. now comes the conflict between mind and brain. brain is very practical whereas your mind is very sentimental. everybody's brain needs solitude in contradiction to this everybody's mind needs lovely relationships. so no one is completely extrovert nor completely introvert. we are just toys of situation and everyone is ambivert. assume their is a complete introvert and can we conclude that he/she can say YES for the topic. no he too cannot. because an introvert struggles hard to define his own YOU (by sticking to grammar HE/SHE) then how could he can say yes? the pitiable so called introverts are adjusting their personalities all the time for themselves.

we need love, affection and friendship. for that we need adjustments. obviously your individuality is lost whenever you are adjusting for someone immaterial whether the person for whom are adjusting is your mom, dad, spouse or any other relation. so you cannot be 100% you, but you can try to be a better you.

ya here goes some tips to make a better YOU.

# none other can play your role better than you. so stop comparing and changing yourself.
# live the day. forget the unpleasant past and do not bother for the unknown future.
# try to be independent to the maximum extent you can.
# find your matching spouse. if you can't what is the harm in leading a single life?
# always defend your deeds, actions and words.
# do not adjust for anybody unless it is absolutely necessary.

last words. if you go on caring about society you will be fooled everytime. people have no time to keep an eye on what you are doing. even if some shit does that what harm you are going to face with that. so, live for yourself. be a better YOU.

i am not against friendship or love. i am believing that being oneself is more important than friendship or love. keep your inner circle small or if possible even make it one with zero radii.

NOW ask yourself "are you you?"

Songs

2. yet another song on lord ganapathy

ragam: mohanam
talam: adhi

pallavi:
sidhi budhi pradhakaram
sathjana sahita ganapathim

anupallavi:
sakala lokha nayakam
sarva vigna nasakam

charanam:
aadhi-moorthim adhi teeram
mooshigasura vadha karam
modhaga hastam mohana roopam
venkatesa vinuta vignarajam

madhyama kalam:
pranava swaroopa vakra tundam
baktha jana paripalana devam
shivatmajam sripathi poojitha
gowri putram ganeshwaram

Sunday, August 23, 2009

Songs

1. on lord ganapathy language sanskrit

Ragam: sindhuramakriya
Talam: aadhi

Pallavi:
vigna naasa vinayaka
vijaya prada vignesha

Anupallavi:
tava paadam charanam asmi

Chittaswaram:
sa ga pa ga ri ga sa; |sa ga ma pa ta pa ga ma||
pa ta ni SA GA RI GA SA|SA ni ta pa ga ri ga sa||
sa ni. ta.; ni. ta. sa;|sa ga ga; ga ma pa; ||
pa ga ma pa ta ni SA; |SA ni ta pa ga ri ga ma||

Charanam:
mooshigavaahana modagapriya
gajavadana gambeera
sundara roopa sadha deena
venkatesa chinta nivasa
mama sankataharana heramba

Saturday, July 25, 2009

Deekshidhar - A Great musician and Sanskrit Pandit

Everyone will be aware of the carnatic music trinities Muthuswamy Deekshidhar, Syama Sastrigal and Thiyaraja Swamigal. All of the three born in the divine place named Thiruvarur. Deekshidhar the youngest of the three lived in thiruvarur for his lifetime. All of his songs are in sanskrit and contains "Guruguha" as krithi karta mutrai (a mark of identification set by the composer). Many of his songs also have raaga mutrai (mark of identification for the raaga of song)also.

He had composed around 500 songs. He handled variety of raagas and talas for his krithis. His sanskrit knowledge will impress everyone. The depth of meaning found in the song will make us to fall to his feet. He had made songs on variety of deities right from lord shiva, loka janani matha shakthi, lord mahavishnu and his various avatars, lakshmi, ganapathy, murugan etc etc to lord ayyappan and vaatatmaja hanuman, whereas the other two focussed more on a single deity.

Though all his songs are beautiful and mind blowing, I like the following songs very much.

1. Amba neelayatakshi -- neelambari
2. Akilandeshwari rakshamam -- jujavanthi
3. Dharmasamvardhini -- madhyamavathi
4. Sri Varalakshmi -- sri
5. Hiranmayeem lakshmeem -- lalitha
6. Kanjathalayatakshi -- kamala manohari.

The list will be growing so I restrict myself with this six. I will be cursed by the musicians if I forgot to mention about the raaga Hamsadwani which is said to be discovered by the Deekshidhar's father Ramaswamy deekshidhar. Our music deity has composed one of the greatest song of hamsadwani on Lord Ganapathy "Vaathapi Ganapathim", which in my opinion an epitome for the raaga Hamsadwani.

Majority of his songs will have a madhyama kaala sahityam which will be in turita kaalam (sung with a faster phase compared to rest of the song), which will make the listener to amaze. He has composed 9 great songs on the goddess kamalambika of thiruvarur, the collection is called as Kamalamba navavarnam. All the songs will be spell bounding.

His sanskrit knowledge will be greatly exhibited in all of his compositions. I personally like the charana sahityam of kanjadalayadakshi and the pallavi of sri varalakshmi the most. He is the legend and no one can describe his knowledge and talent fully in words. This is a small attempt by an ordinary music lover.

To understand about the deekshidhar more one have to show his bakthi to the raaga, the god and the guruguha. Let us praise the god through various compositions of deekshidhar and lead a better meaningful life...

May Deekshidhar bless all of us and make us to prosper in life.

Thursday, July 23, 2009

Love Makes Life Beautiful

Oh.. who don't want to love and be loved.. everyone does. it's such an attractive feel which is a god given gift for earthly creatures. right from the smallest grass to the so called six sensed human everybody loves and get love from others. when we are born, from mom, later from dad, at teens longing for a girls', from friends and lot lot of people. but have you ever tried to think why the love we get from one person is so different from some other person.??

many of us would not have. tat is the problem of we people. the parents love will be with us though we are not reciprocating any. but a friends love often needs a reciprocation, at least to a certain extent. but if it is to opposite sex (especially for guys who are trying to win a girls cute heart) it needs extreme efforts. you can at the maximum get some 20% of what you show. this is not the fault of those people. it is a fact which is quite natural.

winning a girls heart and make her to have a feel for you is a difficult task but if you achieved it you are one of the luckiest person. if a girl started believing you and accepts your love, she will give you the love which you cannot even dream. such a pure love is very hard to obtain.

guys here are a few tips to make you a better lover.

1. please be frank as much as you can.
2. no need to impress her with your look, but with your care and affection.
3. she expects nothing except a pure love affection and protection.
4. respect her wishes likes and dislikes

but make sure that the girl is not a sort of lots who will abuse your love and care. if you are fool enough to do that, many shrewd selfish girls are out to make you absurd.

girls think twice before you do things. it is a well known fact, in fact a proved one that the girl's mind is unstable and dynamic, but do not be dynamic in selecting your man. after all we guys expect only one thing from you which is nothing but a cute heart which is full of love.

i am blaming neither sex. she is so because she is a SHE and he is so because he is a HE. but everyone has common humanitarian characters which needs to respected and valued.

there are fellows who are just looking girls as a toy for sex. but i wont consider them as a human even. similarly there are girls who abuses a guy in the name of love. they are still worse. fellow men and women, try to show your human characteristics out, then you can observe how beautiful our blue planet is!!!

no one can be best man if he/she does not give respect to his/her fellow men. for the prats who involve themselves in brainwashing and canvassing what i can say is keep your dirty nose well away from the others' business. give respect to everyone's opinion. do not behave like a know it all.

love your parents, better-half, siblings, relations, friends, each and every fellow human beings and all living and non living creatures. life is short but make people to remember you by sharing your love.

LOVE MAKES LIFE BEAUTIFUL

Sunday, July 12, 2009

To lead a better marital life

Though I am single, with my observations i am trying my best to say about some simple principles with which we can enjoy the happiest marital life.

First for guys,

The mistake often we people do is not showing our love explicitly to our spouse. Unfortunately that is the biggest expectation of the opposite sex. Many of the girls are complaining that their husband is not as same as he was before marriage. Guys think, we are spending more time waiting for girl friend when she was lover but failing to wait for even a 5-minute after marriage. Many of our people will go verbose on accusing girls for taking more time for dressing, make up and in shopping. But we people enjoy actually being out with beautifully dressed spouse. So what harm in waiting for she to get her things finished before going out? How much time we are spending in chat and surfing useless things? Think for a while.

Where do our romantic messages and talks vanishes after marriage? We people are comfortable with friends (of either sex) always, but not the same with our beloved spouse. Be romantic, flirt and joyful to the lady love forever. Just do that for a day and see the response it will be extremely pleasing.

Do not try lying with the wife. If you got caught red handed later the love meter readings will suddenly fall to negative values. Speak openly with the better half for at least some 15 minutes about the days' incidents before bed.

Try to fulfill her fantasies to the best possible extent. Do not forget to kiss before leaving for work. Take her out for a date at least once a week. If you follow these simple things you will be a deity for your lady.

My dear lady friends,

i. avoid calling, messaging or mailing your hubby unless it is absolutely necessary. Things such as "dear honey had lunch?" will be sweet for a few days but later it will be annoying when he found that message at peak of work

ii. Believe the fact that your man loves you the most than anything on this earth. But we poor guys are not talented enough to explicitly express it in innovative way everyday.

iii. Kindly treat generously your spouse's forgetfulness. If he forget something that is absolutely unintentional and it does not mean he has forgotten you and your love.

iv. Do not try to expose your possessiveness. Possessiveness is sweet but not always. Show it in times when it will be sounding beautiful.

v. Last but not the least do not compare yourself with your man's best friend (of either sex). You are so much important than the best friends for your hubby. So do not degrade your level by those silly comparisons.

With these things well understood you can make your man to do whatever you like. Also You can well root the thought that 'i am lucky to have her' in the brain for your guy.

For the betterment of both mr and mrs,

Understand the fact that 'giving away your own opinion for your spouse nature is a temporary solution. The permanent solution will be accepting his/her character'. Always give pleasant surprises to your better half (Make sure that it will be happy ones else surprises will become shocks). Share gifts on important days like anniversary, day of first meet, day of proposal etc. Greet at midnight 12 on the day of birthday with a sweet kiss and nice gift. Solve problems by having a nice conversation. Value the friends of your spouse. Better make them as your brother or sister.

You cannot lead a single life for long time. You may think you are happy as a single but reality differs. Let us make the earth a heaven and a very happy place to live in by leading a charming double family.

Long live anthropes.