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We often hear the comment that Carnatic
music is religious music associated with Hindu faith. This is far from the truth. We can apply two distinctively different
definitions to the word ‘religion.’ A narrower definition of religion would
be the beliefs, deities, and ritualistic practices of a specific community.
A secular definition of ‘religion’ would be the universal values that
transcend specific communities and their beliefs and point to a path that
leads towards emancipation. Which of
these two definitions of religion would be relevant in the context of Carnatic
music? Certainly, the secular
definition of religion.
If
Carnatic music is indeed secular, why do the lyrics contain so many
references to Gods and characters from Hindu epics and mythology? Music, like any other art form, is created by people from a
community and it is an expression of their culture, traditions, and way of
life. In India, where Carnatic music originated, the heroes and villains from
the epics and other mythological stories are household names. Therefore, it
is no surprise that the Carnatic music composers found these mythological
characters a never-ending source, not only to embellish their lyrics, but
also to convey valuable messages of wisdom.
Although Carnatic music composers found the
Gods and demons from Hindu mythology useful to tell a story or share their
messages, they did not use
them to promote their personal agenda or proselytize members of other
religions to convert to Hindu faith.
In their lyrics, the composers never proclaimed superiority of Hindu
religions over other religions and they did not assert that only membership
in Hindu religions leads to salvation. On the contrary, the composers specifically
opposed labeling oneself by caste, creed, and religions and claiming
superiority over others. They emphasized that Gods and villains do not live
outside of us, but within us. They urged
us to look inward and initiate personal changes in our conduct. We can find
support to these statements in the lyrics of many of the Carnatic music composers. However, in the interest of brevity, I
will share examples from the compositions of one of the greatest composers of
Carnatic music, Thyagaraja Swami.
Many of Thyagaraja Swami’s compositions
deal with Man – his problems, society’s ills and the consequences of belief
in wrong values. His messages are universal,
all-embracing, and filled with wisdom.
In several of his compositions, he reminds us to follow a righteous
path and also chides us for our negative thoughts and behaviors. While his
compositions are replete with reference to his personal God, Rama, Thyagaraja
Swami never proclaims Rama as ‘the’ God.
Instead, he criticizes us for belittling and for promoting one’s
chosen deity or beliefs over others. Sri Thyagaraja categorically states that
God does not care whether you are an Advaitist or a Dwaitist (Dwaithamu
Sugama, Reethi Gowla). For the truly
liberated, labels are irrelevant. He believed that, when we enter the
eternal realm, we will not walk through a door marked Hindu, Muslim, or
Christian.
While
his lyrics contain messages of truth and value, Thyagaraja Swami never preaches to the listener; he only
asks the listener to contemplate over these messages. For example, on education, Thyagaraja Swami says that the purpose of education is
not merely to earn money or to show off one's accomplishments. He says that
we should use our education to mold our character and use our knowledge to
benefit the society in which we live. If we fail in these objectives, he
says, we are like a mule carrying a load of books on its back; the mule
does not become any wiser because of its load of books. Likewise,
Thyagaraja Swami also criticizes blind adherence to religious rites without
understanding the true meaning behind the rituals. He says that rituals for
rituals sake are useless; one must use the rituals as a means to developing
mental discipline (Balamu Kulamu in Saveri). “What is the purpose in doing
Pooja by ringing a bell, burning camphor, and sitting cross legged, if all
the while your mind is racing and thinking of money, wealth, and power?”
(Manasu Nilpa Sakthi Lekha Pothe, Abhogi). In Balamu Kulamu kriti, Thyagaraja Swami,
also says, the birds and the fish bathe in water several times a day. Does
that make them spiritually liberated? The Stork and the Crane stand on the
banks of the river on one leg. Does that mean they are doing penance and
praying? They too are following their own rituals but cannot claim
spiritual enlightenment from this alone. The religious rituals are vital to
our lives. But, like the stork and the crane, the rituals should not be
used to obtain immediate gratification; instead, we should use the rituals
to cleanse ourselves mentally.
On
personal responsibilities, Thyagaraja says that we are responsible for our
actions. "No one else is responsible but I for my happiness and
sorrow." There is no point in asking an external God to save us from
our internal miseries. We should nourish the God within us and throw the
devil out. Poets and philosophers from other cultures also express similar
views. Schopenhauer, the German philosopher, says, "If you are looking
for God outside of yourself you are wasting your time." Jalaludhin
Rumi, the Iranian poet, says, "If you want to see the devil, look into
the mirror."
In
Carnatic music, the religious anecdotes and references are only a means to
communicate universal values that transcend specific religions or
communities. The ultimate objective
of the music and its lyrics is to encourage us to examine ourselves, our
society, and our environment and contribute to human welfare. While the
lyrics may appear to tell a simple story and dramatize religious
characters, a deeper reading of the lyrics would show that the songs have
profound meaning that are timeless.
Carnatic music is indeed secular.
Ram S. Sriram
Atlanta
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