Deivathin Kural Series - 83

Om Namah Sivaya.
Deivathin Kural # 83 of 09 Oct 2006.
(Continued from last friday)
1. To day's talk is on 'Gandarva Vedam' in pages 406 to 408 of Volume One of Deivathin Kural.
2. There is a Tamil word, 'purattal', which has a meaning, which is a mix of the following words:- blend, twist, turn, mix, combine, fuse, coalesce, concoct and such. The colloquial modern equal slang is 'kalakkal'.
Why is there so much importance to this act of mixing? In some way the entire universe is a matter of mixing. Actually this kalakkal is an art. All art is known as 'kalai' in Tamil. Cooking is also an art, in which various ingredients are mixed in various sizes, at differnt temperatures. All art is born of mixing only.
3. We have so many books. They are a mix of words and words are a mix of letters. English language has only 26 alphabets. The whole of literature is a 'purattal' of letters in to words; words in to ideas; ideas into concepts, phrases, idioms, expressions and so on. When we write or talk, no one listens to it. But when a poet does that, in that there is beauty and attraction. Instead of random mixing, there is a method in the process, which when a Rabindranath Tagore does, each word becomes a gem in its setting.
4. Painting is similarly an art of mixing. Take a brush, crayons and a palette; mix the colours in to different combinations of emphasis. You and me, if we do that, may end up with nothing noticeable. The same colours in the same setting, may turn out to be a thing of enormous beauty and allure, when a Raja Ravi Varma does. There is a painting of a lady, holding an earthen oil lamp in her hands, in the Mysore Maharajhas palace. The small lamp is hidden behind her fingers, with the two palms held together. You do not see the lamp. But when you switch off all the lights in the room, you can see the phosphorescence lighting up the girls face, hands and the facade of the dress. You do not see the light. But you see the lambent effect in her translucent fingers. You can actually trace the blood vessels. That is 'Kalakkal'.
5. Music is also 'purattal' only. We make noice. Take a violin or any musical instrument. In untrained hands it will make only jarring sounds. But when the sound we make, is brought under the control of discipline, of beat, pitch and harmony; as tutored by a Guru and practiced by the protege, it metamorphoses in to pleasing Music. Within the constraints of the discipline of, Raaga, Taala and Laya, 'kalakkal' of the notes, seemingly boundlessly, takes you to the Seventh Heavens, with the sky as the only limit. More the 'purattal', more the thrill. Such musicians are paid handsomely, whereas people will pay to stop us from singing.
6. For singing we do the 'kalakkal' with the human voice. In drums such as, Mridangam, Davil, Kanjira and Tabala, the mixing is done on leather surfaces. In Veena, Guitar, Violin, Mandolin and Tanpura, the 'purattal' is done on strings. In such instruments, between the 'purattal', there is a background sound, known as 'anurananam', which gives the 'laya'. The sound of the earlier pull or strum on the string, goes on to wrap and entwine around the second sound. This is 'anurananam'.
7. In the Flute, Saxaphone, Nadaswaram and such instruments, air passes through holes and different sounds are created by closing and opening the holes, by the finger tips or some devices. Same thing happens in Harmonium. The idea is 'kalakkal and purattal'.
8. Instead of kalakkal of only sounds, if you add turning and twisting the human body parts, with facial expressions, it becomes 'Natyam' or classical dancing. Dancing without facial 'Bhava' or 'Abhinaya', is 'Niruttam'. When we do sytematic pooja, of the sixty four 'upacharas', Niruttam is also one. In classical dance forms, we get the happiness of hearing the music, meaning of the words, facial expressions and 'Angarchaya aanandam', ie., the thrill of seeing the graceful movements of the human body, doing the kalakkal!
9. All these arts collectively known as, 'Gandarva Vedam'. Gandarvas are 'happy go lucky' people. They are always singing and dancing. That is why all these art forms are, together known as Gandarva Vedam.
(The last four e-mails from # 80 of 04 Oct, including this one, completes a series of related subjects.)
Sambhomahadeva.