this space is a celebration; a celebration of who and what we are, a celebration of the beauty and bliss of our collective legacy; of our wealth a space for recollection of the timeless wisdom and knowledge of the music and morals weaved into our fabric, and of the art and architecture blessed upon us a space for us, to reminisce about our culture understand its depth and breadth and regale in its universal joys a space that traverses the cultural vibes of India; welcome to
Cover Design: Chakradhar Potharlanka
To bring you the 3rd edition...
12 5
CONTRIBUTORS FROM GLOBAL CITIES, SPENT
250+
HOURS
Share your email address here to receive future editions. All articles explore and celebrate Indian culture and are well researched, secular and non-partisan.
Namaste We are deeply saddened and pained to see the second wave of the pandemic devastate our country. One cannot escape a feeling of helplessness and fear. Though, as we go through the eye of this storm, we know that our collective strength will get us through and this too shall pass. Under this backdrop, we present the third edition of Tarang with articles that shine light on sensibility, humility and empathy. In these challenging times, more so than ever, we believe we can find solace in our own roots; to calm us, to steady us and to hopefully offer everyone a place of much needed shade and comfort. This edition features many complex Indian philosophies which are juxtaposed with the profile of a Veena maestro and a prolific Indian painter. As a garnishing, we highlight a few Indian games that you can play and leave you with some food for thought by exploring the role of desire in one's life. The biggest joy for us is to bring you the much deserving silence and slower speed which reading permits. Reading is a medium which sparks imagination, a quality especially useful when speaking about themes that promote perpetuity and contemplation. In our quest to explore the depth of our culture, we find that we have more observations than answers and we have a feeling that's the journey Tarang has embarked upon.
Dr. DVK Vasudevan
FOUNDER, SANSKRITI FOUNDATION
We are sure you will enjoy this edition and will want to read more. Our last edition was read by more than 1,000 people and you can access earlier editions here. Edition 1
Edition 2
In this edition... 07
Painting Prayers
A prolific artist who colours his silence on the canvas
What do we minimally owe each other?
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A search for an answer in the Indian concept of Dharma
Traditional Games of India
15
Ancient games that test active thinking and not luck
Artist Feature
19
31
Dr. Jayanthi Kumare sh
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As a 6th generation musician, what does music mean to this Veena Maestro
A Few Desires More Seeing ants at work, he wonders about human growth
35
The Odyssey of Indian Music Overview of 2,000+ years of Indian Music - first in a two part series
Catuṣkoṭi
A mind-boggling logic system from India's history vault
Thirukkural Timeless Wisdom
39 Tweet-sized wisdom nuggets from two thousand years ago
Contributors Chakradhar Potharlanka Zoophilist, aesthete by nature and melomaniac towards Carnatic. IT Engineer and an amateur landscape painter.
Dr. TLN Swamy
chakradharpotharlanka@ gmail.com
drtlnswamy@gmail.com
Ishan Singhal Ph.D Student in Cognitive Science. Football enthusiast. Amateur philosopher.
Kothai Ramanathan
ishansinghal@hotmail.com
#OffTheGrid
Maramraju Venkata Manasa Doctoral Researcher in Nano Technology; Carnatic Vocalist & Ethnomusicologist. Interested in contemplating Music Science.
Pathanjali Tallapragada IT engineer by profession. Enjoy sketching, learning violin and cycling.
mv_manasa@yahoo.com Ramya Mudumba Ph.D Student in Cognitive Science. Carnatic music student. Trekker. Poet.
Doctor by profession. Flutist by passion with a zeal for penning and painting.
Software Professional. Simple and Spiritual.
https://www.instagram.com/ Pathanjali_art/
Venu Dorairaj Coffee, Cricket and Carnatic for the good life.
#OffTheGrid http://cloudsofthedusk. wordpress.com Vinita Sidhartha Founder of Kreeda - a passion project to research and revive traditional games of India. vinita@kreedagames.com
Check page 27 to see how you can contribute to our next edition!
PAINTING PRAYERS
Abstract
HR Devulapalli
Transcend
By Maramraju Venkata Manasa
Art stirs emotions. Ever evolving and always subjective, it can bond the artist, the medium and the viewer in a stunning triad, sometimes more intimately than the most intimate of lovers. A powerful stimuli, the emotions that get stirred depend on the viewer’s history, story and the moment when the art is received. When done right, art instantaneously destroys and creates both the artist and the viewer. Hyderabad-based artist - Hanumantha Rao Devulapalli’s colour-filled subliminal paintings often end up mesmerizing the observer while building an intimate relationship with them.
Bhramara Celebrating plurality of thoughts, Bhramara serenades to the life giving Sun. Having displayed his art in more than 100 exhibitions, he finds an artist’s perspective different from others. It is a perspective with high expectations from everything the artist interacts with and, most of all, with their own work.
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Often, his work interprets his experiences and speaks to a quiet journey into a deep rumination. Setting him apart from art that portrays the world by painting three-dimensional spaces, his art reflects musings towards a world of ecstasy and delight.
Feel our colours:
Vibha
Dyuthi
LIKE A SAGE WHO TOOK TO THE CANVAS His artwork is the result of stabilizing layers of constantly moving images which reside in the far reaches of mind. The process which is intense and intricate is a play between the use of seven elements - colour, line, shape, form, texture, value and space. In Purnodayam, the full moon and blue lotus illustrate the flourishing of nature or a man, while creating an enigmatic feel for the viewer. Imbibing philosophy and creating abstraction in his work is how he is uniquely identified.
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Purnodayam
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For him, painting was a natural instinct which started with scribbling in notebooks, caricaturing teachers and classmates. Their appreciation and attention used to encourage him to explore, but the seriousness to practice art came when he failed his 10th class board exams. In fact on the evening of his board results, he purchased a sketchbook, pencils and a colour set and started practicing art almost everyday which he does even today.
This process is an intense and intricate execution with layers of colours and lacerations.
With a desire to create images that are pleasing, calming and meditative, an average sized artwork often takes weeks to finish. A self-confessed aesthete, he finds his ongoing desire to push the envelope on beauty as a weakness. Perhaps one day when he revisits his Exaltation which depicts liberation from worldly connections, he may relinquish the pursuit of beauty.
Exaltation
For now, our heart beams bright when we look at his Orange Fields, where sun rays spread over the fields and lay hands on the harvest terrain. Learn more about this prolific painter here.
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Orange Fields
WHAT DO WE MINIMALLY OWE EACH OTHER?
A Bharateeya Perspective
Thanks to the advent of the internet and
often convey as if the meaning of dharma was
increased global movement of people and
set in stone. Similar to the concept of
goods, we now live in an increasingly
‘righteous goals’ and moral teachings that
intertwined society, that as time passes, has
emerged in the West. However, what if
become only more interconnected both at a
dharma is meant to be interpreted more
personal and community level. Thus leading
dynamically. With its meaning dependent on
to a widespread influence of our actions over
both the context and one’s role in that context.
a larger community. In prof. Eknath Easwaran's translation of the Even though a larger, more interconnected
Bhagavad Gita, he interprets dharma to mean
society provides us with more resources, it
'the principles of sustainability'. Specifically
also entails that we make greater
defining it as “dharma means many things,
contributions for its sustenance. Whether it be
but its underlying sense is 'that which
in terms of knowledge, resources, or services.
supports,' from the root dhri, to support, hold
With this increasingly complex connectedness
up, or bear. Generally, dharma implies
that we share, how then do we not only go
support from within: the essence of a thing, its
around sustaining our ever-growing
virtue, that which makes it what it is”. Seen in
communities but also decide what we owe
this way, dharma can mean the dynamic
each other within and across our
interpretation of our duties given a certain role
communities? One small attempt is made
in a context, to not only sustain that role but
here to redraw this question for the modern
the context in which it presents itself.
world, and ask “What do we minimally owe each other?”. And look for an answer to this question in the concept of dharma. English translations of dharma point to words like ethics, righteousness, goodness, dutifulness and/or morality. These translations .
Is your dharma something that is set in stone? Or is it supposed to be interpreted dynamically?
How can this be something we minimally owe each other? What is common here that it could apply to every interaction we have with people within and between communities across our lives? Consider what a student owes her teacher which could be different from what she owes her parents. What a person owes their country could be significantly different then what they owe their neighbour. However, the point of commonality here is not in what is owed, but in the act of owing. For instance, a student may owe being ‘the best student the teacher has ever had’, Credit: Keith Negley. Original here
The point of commonality here is not in what is owed, but in the act of owing.
of the government. However, what do we owe those inside the car with us when we drive? Or those around us on the road or in other cars? Or to those who may inhale the fumes from our vehicles?
whereas as neighbours we may owe each other help in moments of distress. Though
There are entire movements and revolutions
what we owe each other here is different, but
across the world campaigning for what we
the act of owing is what is common. To
rightfully deserve. World history is littered with
sustain a house, a school, a community or
wars, struggles, riots, protests and
even a country, we owe each other to be
movements over rights. Rights to freedom,
mindful of the roles we play within them.
vote, ownership, education, food, peace, liberty, safety and so on. But where are the
Take for example driving on the road. Often,
movements for what we owe and where are
we find ourselves aggrieved by the number of
the protests demanding citizens fulfil their
potholes on the roads or by narrow lanes and
duties? Sadly no cavalries or bandwagons
congested traffic. We believe that our
appear in sight that seek to remedy the
governments owe us better roads (and in
injustices we inflict on each other by not
general better infrastructure and welfare
fulfilling our roles in society. Nor are there
systems) as we rightfully deserve them by
political rallies where politicians promise that
paying taxes and being participative members
from now on citizens would be held
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accountable for their actions. Where is the
some moral principles. The purpose here is to
clamour to lay out what we owe each other?
only make us question and wonder what is the minimal and basic gesture we owe to
Consider the recent fractionalization of our
those around us. This is by no means an easy
societies amidst the crisis brought about by a
exercise, especially with the world around us
novel risk of disease over
being interconnected in
the past year. While we
ways where even small
have rallied together for
actions by us have far
personal safety and aimed
reaching consequences.
to protect ourselves and
But perhaps this is why it is
those closest to us, have
more important now than
we stopped to think what
ever, for us to have an
we owe each other in our
empathetic gaze towards
community at large? As we
our actions and their
impulsively focused on
outcomes.
self-preservation, did our actions burden both those
One possible way to do
who were forced out of
this, is to consider our
work and those who were
dutiful role in a given
forced to work?
context and see whether
Instead of looking out for neighbours or the
our intended actions in a given scenario fulfils
less-privileged, several of us acted against our
the duties of that role. And contributes to
community by hoarding more than we needed.
sustaining the essence of that role and the
In chasing the best possible outcomes for
community through that role. You may not be
ourselves, not only did we alienate ourselves
aware of your dharma at every given moment
from those around us but also from the debt
or in your given role. It could be that you don’t
we owe to those who sustain our lives. More
even know what your dharma is in the first
so now, the current circumstances stand as an
place, therefore perhaps the least we can do
opportunity for us to consider what we owe.
is to actively sit and contemplate it once in a while. I leave you to ponder, whether you
This writeup is not written with the aim of being
fulfilling your dharma and I fulfilling mine could
a sermon, nor is to dictate or evangelize
be what we minimally owe each other?
I leave you to ponder, whether you fulfilling your dharma and I fulfilling mine could be what we minimally owe each other?
Tarang
We owe you easy access:
Traditional Games of India: Games of Alignment By Vinita Sidhartha India has a rich culture of traditional games. From the well-known and popular dice game described in the Mahabharatha to the numerous mythological stories of the games played by Shiva and Parvathi to the marble courts of Chaupad in Fatehpur Sikri built by Emperor Akbar where colourfully dressed women from his harem moved around instead of game pieces, we have grown up hearing about traditional games being played. Thanks to the stories, many believe that the traditional games of India are limited to dice and chess. But that is not the case. In the homes of the common folk, games were traditionally played by families with all generations coming together around a board drawn on the floor with chalk or even etched into the floor. In the year 1793, Harikrishna, son of Venkatram, born in Aurangabad in South Maharashtra, concluded his book Kreedakausalyam in which he describes the famous games of his time. He says, and I paraphrase:
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Dahdi at Agatheeswarar Temple, Chennai, India
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I hereby describe the organisation, structure and rules of this ancient shastra, the reason being that …. scholars do not study them. In this book there is a description of several board games; the intention of this shastra being that people will enhance their brain power by studying them. Almost 250 years later, we are still trying to document and popularise our traditional games. Among them, perhaps the widest range of games are classified as games of alignment. Games of alignment are, in simplest terms, three-in-a-row games. Maybe every one of us has played the game of Tic Tac Toe or Noughts and Crosses on the back of our school books. That is perhaps the most simplistic of three-ina-row games. In that game, Xs and 0s were marked on a grid alternately by players. A skilful player could achieve the objective with ease. Two talented players would often end in a draw. To equate this game to the complexity and variety of games of alignment in our country is to equate book cricket to a one day international.
Teen Goti or Kattam Vilayattu These games of alignment start simply enough with names such as teen goti or Kattam vilayattu – simply known as three gotis (game pieces) or the square game. There are two versions of this game – while one version allows you to move along the diagonals, the other does not. What makes it different from noughts and crosses is that after the placement of three pieces on the board by each player, they can move their pieces. The game continues until there is a result. The game is meant to be fast paced, forcing players to think quickly and avoid error under pressure.
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Every game is rooted in philosophy, and the wide variety of games of alignment have many lessons to teach us. These games, in particular, test our ability to perform under pressure. In life, there are times when the need of the hour is quick decision making. The ability to analyse a situation at a glance, think quickly and react effectively.
To equate Tic Tac Toe to the complexity of games of alignment in our country is to equate book cricket to a one-day international.
Char goti An exciting and unusual twist to the games of alignment is this game which requires the player to get four (char) game pieces in a row. This unusual twist makes for an exciting and nailbiting game of strategy, with each player trying to outwit the other. The strategy for this game is critical because there are two distinct stages – a proactive stage and a reactive stage. While the game pieces are being laid out, each player places them proactively based on his inner-thinking and strategy. But once the players start moving pieces, the thinking has to change. The moves of the players will be and have to be influenced by the moves of the opponent. This ability to adapt and respond to the environment and the actions of others while still working toward the original goal is a critical aspect of life.
Nav Goti or Dhadi The game of Dahdi or Nav Goti (nine game pieces) is perhaps the most complex of all games of alignment. Interestingly this game is played in many parts of Europe and is popularly known as Nine Men's Morris.
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In fact, many of the games we believe are traditional to India often have parallels or similarities with games played elsewhere in the world. Did they develop simultaneously in different parts of the world? That might sound fantastic to some, but if we pause to think, it could well be possible. Take a black and white checked floor and allow a child to play. In a short while, the child, no matter where in the world, will come up with games that include hopping or jumping from one square to another. Games are a response to human thought, philosophy and the environment. As some of these are so elemental, it is likely that this creative response could be similar in different parts of the world.
Did the games get exchanged along trade routes? Travel in traditional times was not the one-day affair it is today. It took months, even years, to travel across countries. Families went along and interacted with the locals, probably passing the time by playing together. We will never know for sure, but the fact remains that similar games are found across the world.
The game of Dahdi is a twoplayer game with nine-game pieces each. The game's objective is to create a series of “dahdis” or three-game pieces in a row and remove one game piece of the opponent each time. This coming together of three game pieces repetitively to defeat the opponent is symbolic of synergies required to overcome any obstacle.
Four in a row game at Kapaleeswarar Temple, Chennai, India.
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A timeless sight of players bonding over a game.
Our social boards:
Games of alignment offered by Kreeda - Vinita's passion project. Learn more here.
Synergy is a part of our everyday life, and the synergy of people, ideas and efforts can make a difference. Life is a series of challenges and journeys, each requiring a constant interface with our environment. And with every obstacle we face and every journey, we undertake we need the support of people, the synergy of ideas and the alignment of efforts. The alignment of game pieces is the alignment of resources – the synergies we achieve that determine the outcome. There are no dice in this game - so there is no element of chance. The decision is ours. The synergies or alliances are ours to create and the results ours to accept. Our temples and monuments today carry etchings of traditional games that have survived the passage of time - games that were once played by peasants and artisans and ordinary folk – people like you and me. These were not the games of kings and princes but those of people facing the ups and downs of everyday life much like we do today.
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In these games, we find an echo of sentiments we can relate to, and in preserving these games, we not only preserve our cultural heritage but also understand the very essence of the human psyche.
MEET SUBBU Till i don't get 3 more idli's, you won't hear a JOKE from me. PS.: he is fed and cracking on page 38
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Dr. Jayanthi Kumaresh In conversation with a Saraswati Veena Maestro...
How did you come to take up the Veena? Can you share some snippets from your student life?
"I think it’s perhaps a case where you don’t choose the instrument, the instrument chooses you."
I come from a family where music has been the mainstay for the last 6 generations. But we have predominantly had violinists - legendary violinists like my uncle Lalgudi Jayaraman, my mother Smt Lalgudi Rajalakshmi and Smt Srimati Brahmanandam. The next generation is also replete with violinists. So, my mother got me started on the Veena because her elder sister, Smt Padmavathy Ananthagopalan, was the only Vainika in the family. So, at the age of 3, I started learning the Veena. I don’t think I had to make a conscious choice. At 3, one hardly knows. I just found myself playing the Veena. I think it’s perhaps a case where you don’t choose the instrument; the instrument chooses you. yearly chart with a plan for the entire year detailing out what to do and when. Then there would be a When I went to live with my Guru, Smt Padmavathy meticulous timetable for the day - Wake up at 4 AM Ananthagopalan, in Chennai and learn in the strict and practice till 7; Do the homework and go to Gurukulam tradition, she would have a big yearly school; Come back and practice Veena; Study for a chart; Not a monthly, weekly or daily chart but a bit; Listen to a concert and put Talam for several Thani Avartanams; Learn a new lesson and practice that. So there would be no time to think. The one thing I remember very vividly is the beauty with which my Guru planned the time for me. That taught me how Time Management was the key to acquiring more input in your most impressionable age and when your receiving capacity is at its maximum. If the motivation comes later in life, it is a different thing. But there are certain periods of our life when we are most receptive, and our retention capacity is at its peak. At that age, when the input is given, I think that makes a considerable amount of difference.
Smt. Padmavathy Ananthagopalan
"If perfect is the destination, then there is nothing called perfection because that keeps receding in the horizon."
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It is said that to become a master at anything one needs 10,000 hours of practice. Do you believe so too? Practice is the key. Perfection is a myth in part. Because Art can keep getting better and better, but it can never be perfect. There is no "perfect." If perfect is the destination, then there is nothing called perfection because that keeps receding on the horizon. My Guru believed that practice was the ultimate key. Not just picking up the instrument and playing something, but mindful practice. Students often say that "I played this so well at home, but I am making mistakes in class." Because there is no supervision at home to correct when the mistake is made, they assume what was played was right. That is the great advantage of the Gurukula system, where the teacher gets to listen as you practice and corrects you then and there. Practice with such awareness is meaningful practice and not just playing what comes nicely to you. One needs to divide practice time purposefully between technique, repertoire, creativity and innovation for growth as an artist. As an artist, what gives you the most satisfaction in a performance? What is your favourite composition? What is your favourite ragam? There is something called magic that sometimes happens in concerts when the Shruti is perfectly aligned; the instrument is in perfect pitch; your form, hand, mental state is in perfect tuning. You and your coartists are in the same vibration energy cycle. You are all in sync, your mind-body is in sync, your soul is in sync, and you communicate that energy to the audience.
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In that moment when everything is in sync, not a whisker moves, and everybody is on that divine plane - tuned to that vibration which we can neither see nor touch or quantify the magic of music. When that happens you realize, it was a magical moment. You try and strive for it every single time, but that divinity happens once in a way, and when that happens, it gives the greatest satisfaction of being a musician, of rising to a higher plane within your self and also making a difference in somebody else’s mental soul, their state of happiness and peace.
"In that moment when everything is in sync, not a whisker moves, and everybody is on that divine plane." There are so many favourite ragams that I cannot name a single one. And similarly can’t name one favourite song. Few of my favourite ragams are Nattakurunji, Shanmukapriya, Purvikalyani, Behag, Kapi. There are several favourite compositions some favourite for me to play and some to listen to. So very difficult to name just one. But one of them is Amba Neelayadakshi.
Our social sounds:
As a quintessentially Indian instrument, does the Veena have acceptance on a global platform? What do you see as the nuances of performing to a global audience vis-a-vis Indian audience? The Veena is such a divine, ethereal, mystical, grand, beautiful, national instrument of India. In a great way, the story of India and that of the Veena run parallel. In the western world, just the Veena kept on the stage; its appearance is so Grand, so quintessential, that everybody gasps. There is a feeling of wow when they see such a beautiful instrument. Globally the reception has always been very warm and positive. The audience like the unique sound / twang of the Veena. It is not like any sound or instrument they have seen before. It is also a very unique Indian instrument. As for performing internationally, sometimes you feel it is easier to play for an audience who do not come with pre-conceived notions or already have a lot of judgment, expectations, prejudices, likes and dislikes. It is like a clean slate, and you feel very happy to go and make that first drawing on it. And the response has been very beautiful because instrumental music itself is de-regional and de-religious, and they lap up the sound from the Veena.
Playing to an Indian audience again cannot be generalized either because there are audiences who know the music, and there are audiences who do not. For people who know, you can try more complicated compositions meant for connoisseurs' delight. For the people who are not yet initiated, you try playing lighter stuff for them to savour and gradually get the taste. Again, playing in North India is very different from playing in the South. You try to play the music that they are familiar with. It is always helpful to take them from the familiar to the unfamiliar. In India itself, there are several types of audiences - People who know the songs, people who are moved by bhakti, people who look at Carnatic music as an art form. Each audience is different; each hall is different. Each concert is different. The way you tailor each performance is therefore very different. Any memorable / stand-out performances from the many you have given over the years? Any Awards that you cherish above others? There are several memorable performances, each for different reasons. One such performance was a concert with Ustad Zakir Hussain Ji at Bangalore's Chowdaiah memorial hall. Not having played with him earlier, I was full of questions How will this work? How will the Veena sound with the Tabla instead of Mridangam and Ghatam? Will I match up? Will people like it? Should I play pure
"Carnatic music is my mother tongue. It has been my life, my way of expression, my companion & my identity. It is the best language in which I express myself."
Carnatic music? Or should I play different patterns? All buzzing in my head. But once the concert started, my fears were all put to ease. Zakir Ji is like the God of percussion, and it felt like you are being take care of by the God of percussion, and you are making this melodic journey together for the thousands of people who are there. That joy, freedom, protectiveness and the beautiful amalgamation of melody and rhythm is truly memorable. In terms of Awards, yes, several awards have meant very dearly. It wouldn’t be fair to say that one means a little more than the others. However, one award was interesting because it was delivered by a courier just a month ago. When I opened the door, there were three big boxes with a six-feet tall Kutthivalakku (lamp), which had to be fitted together. It contained a shawl, citation and a beautiful Navaratna mala along with the award itself. Of course, there have been several awards - like Kalaimamani, Sangeetha Choodamani, Veena Vaaridi but this Shri K S Narayana Swamy award from Shanmukhananda Sabha during the lockdown when you are not performing, and everyone is inside their homes, not travelling and feeling a bit low due to the pandemic really pepped me up and made me very happy. How do you prepare for a concert? What goes into the planning, preparation and execution of a concert? How do you choose the songs / raga? Planning a concert is an art by itself. The minute a concert gets booked, the planning starts. Where is this venue? How will the acoustics at this venue be? Who are my co-artists? What would sound best with these coartists? Have I played in this venue before? How will the sound be in this venue? What is the occasion - is it Rama Navami or a corporate event or Navaratri. The timing of the concert - is it a morning concert, is it an evening concert, or a late-night concert. The duration of the concert. So, it is not just playing anything. Apart from all of this, what do you feel inspired to play on the day of the concert? You might feel inspired to play something that was unplanned. And your physical and
Awarded by her Guru, in the company of her mother and Kumaresh Ji.
mental health on the day of the concert plays a great role. There may also be some requests Somebody may request to play Sahana, or the organizer will say yesterday only they played Kalyani. Or to play something specific that has not been played yet in that concert series. So, all these factors determine what we play at the concert. How do you and Shri Kumaresh Ji complement each other in your musical pursuits? Kumaresh Ji and I come from different schools of music. Different instruments, different expressions, different audiences. So, we have a lot to share in terms of musical content, and what we can do in the Veena I do, and what can be done in the Violin he does. So when we play together, each of us try and see that we cover different aspects of the music so that the audience gets a 360 view of the entire spectrum. We try and do variety - if one does Bhava, the other does Speed. If one does a big Tanam, the other does the Kalpana Swaram. So, there are several aspects that we try to cover. Our repertoires are quite different, so when we play together, we try and create our own repertoire, our own compositions and play it exclusively for the Strings Attached series.
Where did the idea of the Cup O' Carnatic series come from? Is there enough innovation in Carnatic music to engage and make our music relevant to the audience? Communication is the key to any art form. About 4 years ago, we were discussing about doing something to bring Saraswati Veena and Carnatic music closer to the next generation
and to make certain aspects of music easily comprehensible. That is how the idea of Cup O Carnatic came up. People would write asking several questions - where to buy a Veena, how do I improve my Talam. So we thought we would do a series like this and in a fun way, and that was the genesis of the Cup O Carnatic series. The response was huge with millions of views that we did Season 2 and Season 3. A couple of years ago we did a 30 day web series "Season of Carnatic" leading up to the Chennai Margazhi season discussing 60+ ragams for audience to easily identify when they attend concerts. During the pandemic times, we came up with Cup O Carnatic Fun series where we wanted to show how versatile Carnatic music is by linking it through many popular tunes like Harry Potter, James Bond, Game of Thrones and more. That got an extremely amazing response. Recently we came up with the Cup O Carnatic Kids series, which is exclusively for the kids and the kid in all of us, however old we are, highlighting stories that we have all read from Panchatantra Jataka tales told with the help of music; the music is introduced; the ragas are introduced and it's like listening to the story all over again. The response has been so overwhelming that we are getting several requests to continue this kids series.
Carnatic music is tethered to our religion and its soul. Do you see that as a limitation for our music to reach a broader audience? Instrumental music in general, as against Carnatic music, is a sonic experience. It is a beautiful aural experience without having to worry about knowing the Sahityam, the God or the religion. The beauty of the instrument, the tone, the dynamics, all this catches the listener, which is why instrumental music has had an appeal worldwide. It does not have any dividing aspects. It is all-inclusive and can gel with any type of culture. As an Art form, I would say Carnatic music is religionoriented but not religious music. Of course, definitely at one stage, it is entertaining, at another educative and elevating. So, it's more for the soul than for something worldly like religion and anything that divides people. So, I think it's common for mankind generally.
Who has influenced your style of playing the most? Are there any musicians - outside of your Gurus - whom you get inspired from? Inspiration for me comes from everywhere. Definitely my mother, my Guru Smt. Padmavathy Ananthagopalan, Dr. S. Balachander sir, my uncle Lalgudi Jayaraman, my husband Shri Kumaresh, Brother-in-law Shri Ganesh, nephew Shri Abhishek Raghuram. Tell me who is not an inspiration. Even my youngest student is my inspiration. And it need not be connected with music. When I see someone work very hard towards a goal, I get inspired to do the same thing in my music. When I see someone practicing it could be cricket, it could be tennis - or somebody in the road trying to dig a borewell with a single-minded purpose, it somehow motivates me to come back, pick my Veena and practice harder. I have had several influences on my music. In addition to my Gurus and family, several great Hindustani musicians like Ustad Amir Khan, Kishori Ji, Zakir Ji. So many people and so many influencers. I listen to all kinds of music and like to take away something from that - something as a listener, something as a performer. Every single opportunity is something for us to learn. What role does silence play in music? This question about silence is very pertinent to ask a Vainika because, unlike a flute or violin or vocal,
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25
there is no sustenance in Veena. When you play a note on a flute or a violin, you can go on and sustain it. However, In Veena, when you pluck the string, the note stays for some time and then the sound dies. Then there is another pluck. So, this essentially gives a silence between two notes, two phrases and two sentences. So, silence helps us understand the next note in a better way. When a passage of music comes through the Veena, it is a passage that has better punctuation - more semicolons, more commas, more full stops. The silence gives more meaning to the music.
"Music has always been about stretching boundaries. It has been challenging but it has also been very giving." What do you feel is often misunderstood or overlooked about Veena as an instrument?
What is your advice to students taking up the Veena or any other art form? Do you see this as a viable career option? One can choose to take music as a career. But it is more important that music should choose you. Because not everybody who aspires to be a musician can be one. It is not enough if you have talent or creativity. It is not enough if you get the right Guru, the right direction and the right opportunities. There has to be expression, communication, and divinity in your music. Luck and timing are important too. There are so many things that have to come together to be a successful artist. But music is such a beautiful thing that Saraswathi Devi gives us so many ways of making a living - you could teach in a school or online or privately. One can become a music professor, a musicologist, or a critic. There are many options. To become a Doctor, one spends 12 years in school, 5 years doing MBBS, 2 years of MD and then further specialisation. Similarly, to become a musician, if you put in the same amount of work, one is bound to be successful. But learning music for 2 years & expecting to be a full time professionalsorry, that is not happening. If you are willing to put in the effort, music will certainly give back in more ways than you know.
One thing is regarding the way a Veena should be amplified. One school of thought is that only when it is played acoustic with an external mic the real feeling of Veena comes through. But Veena is known as the Gamaka Vadya. There are so many little techniques, nuances and dynamics in the Veena, which would be beautifully amplified with the right contact mic or pickup. Veena is no longer the chamber instrument people thought it was. It can enthral a crowd of more than 50000 people, and still, every nuance can be heard and enjoyed with the right technology. We should be more open to amplifying the Saraswathi Veena.
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26
What excites you about
Music & Arts & Music Arts
Culture & Tradition
History & Heritage
Share your knowledge and passionate thoughts on any of the above subjects &
get featured in our next issue Send us your excerpt/idea for consideration at
editor.tarang@gmail.com Ideas should reach us by 27th June 2021
CATUṢKOṬI
Nāgārjuna, a Buddhist philospher. Source: Unknown
AN INDIAN LOGIC SYSTEM WHERE PARADOXES CO-EXIST
“Does the world have a beginning?” A: Yes, it does have a beginning. B: No, it doesn’t have a beginning. A Buddhist: “No, the world does not have a beginning; it does not fail to have a beginning; it does not have and not have a beginning; nor does it neither have nor not have a beginning.” This makes no sense intuitively! How can there be a possibility that something is both true and false at the same time? How can it be neither true nor false? Or worse, how can it be neither of the above two? Classical logic as we know it does not allow for such possibilities. It adheres to the law of non-contradiction, which simply states that ‘X exists’ and ‘X does not exist’ cannot simultaneously be true. Further, it constrains either one of them to be true. In fact this was taken as ultimate with such gusto that an important Aristotelian, Avicenna declared: “Anyone who denies the law of noncontradiction should be beaten and burned until he admits that to be beaten is not the same as not to be beaten, and to be burned is not the same as not to be burned.” Indian logic, on the other hand, is a store of uncommon, mind-boggling logic systems, of which some not only overthrow the law of non-contradiction but pushes the reader to wonder how contradictions can co-exist.
A exists A exists & doesn't exist
A doesn't exist
Neither A exists nor it doesn't exist
The mainstream western logic allows for two-valued truths (true or false) whereas Indian logic systems like Catuskoti or Sapthabhanga allow for more, even upto seven truth values. In the example that we started with, the four possibilities of Catuskoti are put forward. In negation, the possibilities are 1. ‘The world has a beginning’ 2. ‘The world doesn’t have a beginning’ 3. ‘Both’ and 4. ‘Neither’. In a famous dialogue between a student and Buddha himself, whether an enlightened being (Tathagata) exists after death, we see a similar construct of the four-cornered logic. The student asks Buddha if he holds the view that a Tathagata exists after death, Buddha says, “I do not”. He asks whether a Tathagata does not exist after death to which Buddha again replies, “I do not hold such a view”.
"Indian logic is a store of uncommon, mind-boggling logic systems, some not only overthrow the law of non-contradiction but pushes one to wonder if contradictions can co-exist."
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Surely, one must think the possibilities end here. Either Tathagata exists or does not exist after death. An Aristotelean might give up on Buddha and take a break. But the dialogue here goes on. He asks if a Tathagata both exists and does not exist after death, to which Buddha replies “No”. He then asks Buddha if a Tathagata neither ‘exists’ nor ‘does not exist’ after death (simply put neither ‘A’ nor ‘not-A’), and Buddha says no again. Though Buddha, and subsequently Nagarjuna in his ‘Madhyamakarika’ reject all the four possibilities to describe the ineffable, ultimate reality( hinting at a fifth possibility), it is nevertheless exhilarating to know that such a logic system comes from India. Contrary to intuition, Catuskoti, which allows for ‘both’ and ‘neither’ values is not just some esoteric system but is recognized as perfectly coherent in mathematics Catuskoti is dated back even before Buddha to Rig Veda itself which flirts with such possibilities: 'There was neither non-existence nor existence then; there was neither the realm of space nor the sky which is beyond. What stirred? Where? In whose protection? Was there water, bottomless deep?' The astonishing aspect to note here is that rejecting something (X doesn’t exist) doesn’t necessarily have to mean accepting it (X exists). For example, consider these statements: ‘The King of France is bald’ and ‘The King of France is not bald’ (1). If the presupposition that France has a king is not true, then both the statements are negated. Neither is he bald nor is he not bald. Let us consider a situation where two contradicting statements can be both true. In west, there is a famous paradox called the liar's paradox. Consider a person A who always lies. He then declares:
"Everything I say is a lie."
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"The astonishing aspect to note here is that rejecting something doesn’t necessarily have to mean accepting it." If he always lies, then even this statement should be false that 'everything he says is a lie'. This would mean that in fact everything he says is not a lie. This contradicts what we started with. So, it follows that the statement is true and nottrue. It remains a paradox within the confines of classical logic. From Catuskoti’s perspective though, this possibility happily fits in! Is this all supposed to be mystic? I suppose not. Such many-valued logic systems are a indispensable part of modern logic and are perceived as better alternatives to talk about various concepts. Nagarjuna, in his Madhayamakarika, uses it as a clever tool to reject that things in the world have absolute nature of existence, of being red or sweet etc. He shows how contradictions can co-exist where the nature of things is that they have no inherent nature (and hence everything is interdependent).
Our logical channels:
A Few Desires More
By Venu Dorairaj
Sipping on a cup of filter coffee in my
bore a striking resemblance to our human
garden, I chanced on a procession of ants
populace crisscrossing the world as we
that were going about their business
go about our day-to-day busy lives.
briskly. Apart from an occasional stop for a quick tête-à-tête with an oncoming mate,
However, there end all similarities. Where
they were working hard to transport the
these ants seem to be purely interested in
food they had just discovered. The image
their sustenance, the sad truth is that we
of those ants - all similarly sized, single-
seem to be predominantly focused on
minded, and working as hard as the other -
indulgence.
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31
Gone are the days of the simple Roti, Kapada aur Makaan. Luxuries and possessions, enjoyed by a few, have now become an existential need for one and all, and this trend is gobbling up everything at an alarming speed. And like a Lion that has tasted blood, our every desire fulfilled is two new ones created. What drives our insatiable hunger for wealth, possessions and experiences; Why are we unable to reign in our desires and live a life of contentment with what we truly need?
As The Bhagavad Gita notes, it is not so much the wealth that is the problem but the attachment we build. “What attachment,” did you ask? The sort that we feel when we see that first scratch on our impeccable new car. Or the tiny crack on our latest smartphone or that tea stain on our new designer saree. All religions seem to warn of the dangers of such attachment and longing for possessions. Buddhism regards greed as one of the three poisons to beware of. Jainism believes materialism is
Why are we unable to reign in our desires and live a life of contentment with what we truly need?
an impediment to one’s happiness. It seems to be a universal doctrine among all religions that accumulation and attachment to wealth are the root cause of one's suffering. Yet, we never tire of coveting and
All tough and relevant questions but with seemingly no easy answers. Yet, answers are available if only one would care to look deep enough.
RELIGIONS ON MATERIALISM From scriptures to saints to sadhgurus, our history is replete with people who have transcended the world of possessions and entrapments and found a simpler way of living. Of course, it is naive to believe that we can all leave our lifestyles and follow their austere path. But their lives and stories could provide us with, perhaps, a thought or two on how to strike a crucial balance between our needs and wants; between our happiness and greed lest our avarice lead us to the same fate as the mythical King Midas.
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consuming more things without so much as a reflection as to what we truly need or feel gratitude for what we already have. Further, the euphoria over market economics, backed by the marketing hyperbole, has kept us tethered to the notion that the only way to happiness is to buy more stuff. We seem conditioned to think that our only purpose today is to earn money, bucket loads of it, and find even more ways to spend it. But has this left us truly happy, or has it only made us more compulsive? The answer may lie in what we internally feel when our neighbour sports a brand new car or goes on a fancy vacation. Materialism seems to have left us constantly desiring more and more as we compare our lives with that of our friends and acquaintances.
32
THE ROAD NOT TAKEN Purandara Dasa, a wealthy merchant and a miserly one at that, renounced all his wealth to become a devotee of the Lord and led the life of a mendicant along with his family. Crafting some of the finest music in praise of Lord Vittala after this transformation, he is regarded as the Pitamaha of Carnatic Music. And all this while subsisting on just alms when he could have lived like a King. Could he have created such divine music while still being attached to his wealth? Perhaps, not. While we are tempted to seek returns in any small thing that we do, it is worth realizing that generations of
As desire increases, so increases the power of pleasure, so the power of pain.
musicians have subsequently performed and lived off of singing his innumerable songs. Tyagaraja, one of the Trinity of music composers was once known to have been invited by a King to his darbar with promises of wealth. However, he politely refused the invitation and composed the famous song - Nidhi Chaala Sukhama, Ramuni Sannidhi Seva Sukhama - in response, preferring the bliss at Lord Rama’s feet to any amount of wealth. Even during his time, it must have been easy to be smitten by the temptation of wealth and
Swami Vivekananda There have been innumerable such Saints and Swami’s who have given up their possessions and turned the corner for better. Closer to our times, we have had people like APJ Abdul Kalam and Mother Teresa, who have shown that a beautiful life can be crafted amidst all the pulls of the modern world. There have also been businessmen who have not only created wealth ethically for themselves but have also stood for
offer?
equitable distribution of wealth. These people have shown us that there is a way of life away from the desire for more and more.
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We desire your company:
the possibility of a ‘good life’ that it would usher. Nonetheless, he ignored the lure of it. Would we be able to say no to such an
Mahatma Gandhi
The world has enough for every man’s need, but not everyone’s greed
All these are indeed idealistic. Controlling
The fact is there is no silver bullet. Yet, these
our desires and wants is no easy task, even
thoughts and questions are relevant to each
for the staunchest of us. It is said that the
and every one of us. Eventually, as one
easiest way to trap a monkey is with a
ponders deeply about these questions,
simple pitcher jar filled with nuts and fruits.
specific and personal answers will emerge
The monkey is so caught up in getting more
that should help one find that sweet spot of
than what can be taken out of the mouth of
contentment and happiness. A first step may
the jar that it does not even let go of some
be to just be grateful for what we have and
from its fist to escape and ends up being
mindful of our real needs. Perhaps those
captured. With all the evolutionary intellect,
ants know something we do not?
our plight is no better than these monkeys. Even though we recognize the entrapments
As I watched the Sunday Sun quickly vanish
of our desires and our ironical pursuit, we
on the horizon, I glanced again at the busy
seem incapable of telling a need from a
ants as a quote by Mahatma Gandhi popped
want. We are unable to know where the
in my head. Gandhiji is said to have observed
buck stops, and literally at that.
astutely that, “The world has enough for every man’s need, but not everyone’s greed”.
So, how do we find that elusive balance and be centered in a world that does its best to tempt us to indulge in more and more?
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I wondered, sadly though, if the world had enough to fulfill even one man’s greed.
34
THE ODYSSEY OF INDIAN MUSIC By Dr. TLN Swamy
Music is energy That reverberates in the shrine Of this mystical celestial design
Music is serene That transcends thy sense Into the infinite cosmic expanse
Music is elation That bestows eternal ecstasy To thy life’s mundane odyssey
Music is joy That makes thy soul dance Enchanted in a blissful trance
Music is divine That instils unflinching devotion Into thy agnostic conscience in abnegation As per the Indian mythology, music has always
The whole universe is kept integrated under
been an integral entity in the grand scheme of
the spell of that mother frequency originated
things right from the creation of cosmos itself.
from the Adiparashakti. The Trio of Shristi
The “Omkara Pranava Nadam'' is deemed to be
Sthithi Laya kara who are the manifestations
the primeval sound emanated at the very moment
of that Shakthi seem to have revelled to the
of cosmic creation, as depicted in the Aitareya
tune of that Nadam. As the Layakara Adiyogi
Brahmana of Rigveda. Since then, the Pranava
Shiva performed the cosmic dance with
Nadam is believed to be reverberating throughout
rhythmic fluttering of his Dhamarukam the first
the cosmos at an imperceptible frequency.
instrument of rhythm, the Sthithikara Vishnu
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35
supported it by trumpeting his Conch the first instrument of music while the Srustikartha Brahma joined the act by chanting his Vedas, thus becoming the first voice of music.
MOTHER OF MUSIC Goddess Saraswathi, the Mother of Music and knowledge blessed mankind with the knowledge of music. She patronized Veena the very first complete musical instrument and also promulgated music through her son Narada amongst all the worlds in existence. Gana Gandharvas carried forward the music further and brought it down from the heavens to the earth. Thus, Indian mythology had Damaru or Dhamarukam is a small
placed a great emphasis on Music and laid the seeds for its origin and
two-headed drum which is also the
proliferation. Indian music also holds the distinction of introducing the rhythmic
instrument of the deity Lord Shiva
instruments like the Dhamaruka of Shiva, stringed instruments like the Veena of
and considered holy in Hinduism.
Saraswathi, wind instruments like the Venu of Sri Krishna and many more such variety of musical instruments from time to time.
ANCIENT INDIAN MUSIC TEXTS
Sarangadeva
Vedas also were chanted to a set
Written in the late 12th century,
rhythm. Samaveda in particular
Sangeetha Rathnakara details the
mentions the methods for singing
origin of music, the Swaras,
Vedic hymns and is considered to
Shrutis, Ragas and Talas
be the source or headwaters of
contributing to the Indian system
the river of Indian music. Many
of notation which is perhaps the
Vedic era texts including the
oldest and the most elaborate in
Puranas made mentions of music
the whole world. Sarangadeva
and dance with accompanying
born in a brahmin family of
musical instruments. The most
Kashmir in the era of Islamic
notable of them all are the
invasion in the north west frontier
Bharatamuni’s “Natya Shastra”, a
of Indian subcontinent, migrated
treatise on the performance arts
southwards into the somewhat
and Narada’s “Sangeetha
safer Deccan region to settle near
Makaranda”. But the most
Ellora caves in the court of a
important musicological text on
Yadava king and pursued his
Indian music is “Sangeetha
music ideas to develop the most
Rathnakara” in Sanskrit written by
important treatise on Indian music.
Sarangadeva.
Bronze statue of Goddess Saraswathi playing Veena.
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36
Despite his primary work at the court being to look after financial accounts Sarangadeva excelled in pursuing his music to the extent of developing the Bible of Indian music.
JAYADEVA Around the same period of time was born another pioneer of Indian music in the form of Jayadeva who is known for his epic poem “Gita Govinda” and the “Ashtapadis”. These found an important place in the rendering of Indian classical music as well as the Odissi music of the East Indian region from where this lyrical genius had emerged. Gita Govinda set to traditional Odissi ragas is still sung every night during the last ritual at Jagannath temple of Puri, a tradition that has continued unbroken since the time of Jayadeva who used to sing himself in the temple. In fact, the impact of his hymns was such that some of them have found their way into the “Guru Granth Sahib” the primary scripture of Sikhism owing to the profound effect of his works on its founder Guru Nanak when he visited Puri.
FORKING OF MUSIC Hindustani
Carnatic
The continued Muslim conquests in India around this point of time and their rule starting with the Ghaznis in the 11th century, the Ghoris in the 12th century, the Khiljis in the 13th century, the Tughlaqs in the 14th century, the Lodhis in the 15th century and finally the Mughals from 16th century onwards casted an immense influence on the form and philosophy of ancient Indian music evolving it into distinct genres of Hindustani and Carnatic
Muslim conquests in India led to evolution of
music. As the southern part of India had limited influence of the
two distinct music genres.
Muslim rule during these centuries, Carnatic music flourished
THE PERSIAN TOUCH
under the patronage of Hindu rulers particularly the
The Indian music in the north however continued to acquire distinct features from the music traditions of the Muslim courts and their practices evolving into Hindustani music.
Vijayanagara kings.
VANGUARDS OF THE MUSICAL VOYAGE
Particularly from the Persian touch provided by
During the 16th century, Indian music
Amir Khusrau of the Delhi Sultanate around the
continued to evolve in the traditions
13-14th century. He was a Musician and
established by the Pioneers such as
composer in Persian and Braj Bhasha. He tried
Purandara Dasa with regards to the Carnatic
to systematize Hindustani music with certain
genre and Mian Tansen when it comes to
genres of music like Khyal and Tarana and was
Hindustani music. Carnatic music had been
credited with introducing ragas like Yaman
carried forward by the great saints such as
Kalyan. New instruments like Sitar also got
Annamacharya, Tyagaraja and many other
introduced during his time.
dedicated great Musicians.
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Our vibes are social:
At the same time, Hindustani music furthered by the likes of Meerabai and many other Musical gharanas. How did a wealthy merchant Srinivasa Nayaka become the father of Carnatic music Purandara Dasa, how did Ramtanu Pandey the son of a temple priest turned into the magical Hindustani musician - Mian Tansen and what are the contributions made by other vanguards of the Indian musical voyage? Let us rein our curiosity till the next issue where we pick up from here...Until then, perhaps treat yourself to a song?
f
unny side up
Subbu says Why are there no good Indian actors?
Because all the good ones are trying to get your bank details over the phone.
The three most well known languages in India are
Shouldn't you have listened to me when I told you not to play the Shenai
English, Hindi, and...
after eating the paan? See now, it spilled on the groom's father...
JavaScript
Seems like the marriage will be off. Cartoon by: Pathanjali Tallapragada
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Source: Unknown
38
Thirukkural By Kothai Ramanathan Standing on the Kanyakumari coast, Indian mainland’s southernmost tip, one cannot miss the statue of Thiruvalluvar erected on an island just off the coast. At 133 ft, the figure is certainly not the tallest in India. Still, it is a tall reminder of the 133 chapters of the Thirukkural that Thiruvalluvar has left behind espousing his views on virtue, wealth and love. In an age where wit and wisdom get packaged in byte-sized tweets of 140 characters, the Thirukkural could be considered a consolidation of tweets that contain timeless wisdom. The Thirukkural is a classic Tamil text consisting of 1330 short couplets or Kurals, which have captivated great thinkers and shaped many minds. Structured as three divisions, the Kural
Timeless Wisdom of Thiruvalluvar
Thiruvalluvar statue off Kanyakumari coast
not only stood the test of time but continues to be a shining light, a beacon, guiding one and all through the vagaries of life. Each kural or couplet contains precisely seven words; four words on the first line and three on the second. With such an economy of words and strictness of structure, can a Kural convey anything worthwhile, one may begin to wonder. But savour this for a thought on controlling one’s speech. In this couplet, Thiruvalluvar talks about the need to guard ourselves regarding what we speak and warns that a loose tongue will lead to misery.
consists of the first 38 chapters that focus on moral and cosmic order (dharma), the next 70 on political and economic matters (artha), and the remaining about pleasure (kama). Estimated to be about 2000 years old, the Thirukkural has
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We won't be unwise:
In a related couplet on the importance of speaking pleasantly, Thiruvalluvar says that “speaking with cheerful countenance is even better than gifts given with joy.” One is never too old to reflect and ponder on such nuggets of wisdom.
In an age where it seems ever harder to untangle the truth from the untruth, the right from the wrong, the Kural helps us find our moral compass and lead a life of righteousness. With anxiety and distractions becoming the ruling force, Thiruvallur suggests that “anxiety of mind can only be conquered by those who are united to the feet of Him who is incomparable.”
Similarly, the Kural deals with all the aspects of our lives - Fear, Anger, Gratitude, Fame, Jealousy, Compassion, Charity and more. And not being confined to any particular religion or dogma, the Kural presents a secular and robust code of conduct that applies universally. This probably is one of the many reasons for its widespread acceptance.
We may not all be aware even of the name of Sage Thiruvalluvar... Few saints have given to the people as much knowledge as he has done in the minimum of words -- Mahatma Gandhi There hardly exists in the literature of the world a collection of maxims, in which we find such lofty wisdom as in Thirukkural. -- Albert Schweitzer, Nobel Laureate
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Thiruvalluvar statue from up close
As we struggle with newer and newer health issues and ailments, the Kural advises what modern dietary thinking has only recently found out. Thiruvalluvar talks about the correct quantity of food to be consumed and the importance of understanding which food is agreeable and which is not.
The Kural’s second division, the biggest of the three, discusses the political and economic dimensions. Addressing the Army recently, the Indian Prime Minister quoted the following Kural to highlight a strong army’s qualities.
While wealth in itself is an important topic covered in the Kural, it makes it very clear that “wealth of learning / knowledge is the only true wealth.” The Kural suggests that it is better to employ wealth for useful purposes or charity and should not be hoarded. On Charity, the Kural has this to offer. The Kural has had a significant influence on
While there are many memorials in remembrance of
many eminent people. Leo Tolstoy's concept of
Thiruvalluvar and Thirukkural, and the 15th of
non-violence is said to have been bolstered
January celebrated as Thiruvalluvar day, true
when he read the German translation of the
respect to the scripture would be when we try to
Thirukkural, which he is later said to have
understand his teachings and try to imbibe them
instilled in Mahatma Gandhi when the young
into our lives. Surely, one small tweet-sized Kural
Gandhi corresponded with him seeking his
everyday should do us wonders?
advice.
As a work that has been translated into 42 languages, the Kural's impact continues to spread with commentaries by several renowned people (including the popular one by C Rajagopalachari) available in print and online.
What did you eat? You made it to the last page! After a million edits, numerous zoom meetings and countless discussions, we write this paragraph with tired wrists. It's all worth it if we got you scratcing your head or brought a smile to your face or got you feeling fine about life. Yeah that would be our gold standard right now. We do not know in what frame of mind you are when you read this, but we sure hope that you can drop your shoulders once and smile from your heart, just once. Jai Hind :) See you in the next edition!
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About Us Founded in 2005 by Guru Violin Vasu and friends, the mission of Sanskriti Foundation is to promote Indian art, culture, and values by conducting trainings, workshops and an annual Tyagaraja Aradhana music festival. Foundation members benefit from meeting like minded people, attending cultural seminars and attending bi-monthly concerts. If you would like to learn more and become a member, you can reach us here: http://www.sanskritifoundation.in.
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Editorial Team Satyameet Singh Ramya Mudumba Venu Dorairaj Dr. TLN Swamy (Advisor) Dr. DVK Vasudevan (Advisor) A special thanks to Amukta Malyada and Pathanjali Tallapragada for editing support.
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