Music as Sadhana

Abstract

The great Saint-Composer Thyagaraja of Carnatic (South Indian) music has said: Music gives one the fruit of sacrifices (yiiga), and con- templation (yoga), renunciation (tyga) as well as enjoyment (bhoga), These words give us in a nutshell the Indian view on music as sadhana , Thyagaraja knows that those who are proficient in sound, the mystic syllable OM, and the music notes-which are all forms of the Lord him- self-are liberated souls. Music as sound is the primordial manifesta- tion of Brahman. It is both pleasing as sweet melody and demanding like any other rigorous discipline. I shall attempt to explore in the following pages the basis and the limits of this tradition