Secrets of Vedic Music

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In this book of Vedic music, the author has given many QR codes for readers to experience real and practical Vedic music while reading the book. He has explained 3 universal concepts of musical sounds i, e. udatta, anudatta and svarita that appear for the very first time in Vedic music, drawing inspiration from the definition of the Veda i. e. 'Vidyate iti vedah'. He has demystified the secrets of Vedic musical tones by extending the usage of Vedic term 'Samvad' (consonance) while citing scientific explanation of 7 swar (note) and 12 sur (tone) in a saptak.

It is said that Indian music has descended from the Sam ved, but, except ban, veena, sapta dhatu, karkari, dundubhi, gargar, adambar, godha, aghati, vakur/bakur, nali, tunav, vitanda and shankh, we don't come across any music related words of current times in the Vedas. In contrast, we apply essence of all the following terms of Vedic music, i. e. prastava, hinkara, udgitha, upa drava, nidhana, vikara, vishleshana, vikarshana, abhyasa, virama, stobha, udghat, roha, gati, prenkha, parva, namana, karshana, vinata, ati krama, atyut krama, pratyut krama and samprasarana, but never utter any of them in context of contemporary Indian music.

The author Ramkrishna Das 'Nadrang' (MSc- Physics- BHU-1989, BEd- Mumbai Univ-1995) has taught Physics at Rizvi College and National College, Mumbai (1991-95). He was an all India topper in Visharad Examination (vocal music-2012) of Gandharva Mahavidyalaya (ABGMM). He is an authority of Indian Ragdari Music. He has taught in the Music Department of Mumbai University (2007-09). He was deputed by ICCR, Ministry of External Affairs, Govt of India to teach music at Johannesburg, South Africa (2014-16). Presently, he serves as a Music Coordinator at Bhavans Cultural Centre Andheri (Mumbai). He is a B High grade khayal and thumri singer to All India Radio, Mumbai. He has Dhrupad- Dhamar-Khayal-Thumri-Tappa-Bhajan recitals of about 150 hours in 200 rags on YouTube. In the years 2000 and 2009, he received Junior and Senior research fellowship from Ministry of Culture, Government of India. He has published more than 250 write ups on music in 28 newspapers and periodicals (1993-2023). He has published 5 books on Indian music. He has performed classical and semi-classical music in many concerts of India, England, Germany, South Africa, Fiji, Lesotho and others.

There had been music in all ages with the human being. People of rural, tribal and urban background had been singing, dancing and playing musical instruments since the times of antiquity till today. Music as a form of art reflects ras-bhav (sentiments, essence of emotion) that is dear to both an artiste and the connoisseurs.

Music always found some application for meeting select purposes of life. Music had been a medium of expression of ones heart and mind, joys and sorrows as well as various feelings and emotions. In the same way, music had been medium for relaxation to a listener too. Music is employed for deriving aural pleasure and satisfaction. At times, people relished the sonorous beauty of music through the lyrics, tune and rhythm.

Music itself is a temporary real entity unless it is being stored in the form of audio visual recording, but it becomes an artificial entity when it imitates emotions and events of real life. Music gets a long life in the mind and memory of a performer or a listener as a tonal impression if it is special, interesting or otherwise.

Folk music is the music of the commoners that does not require any systematic training or learning as such, but the urban music. Folk music and cultured music had parallel existence almost in every part of the globe. The earliest sophisticated music of educated people of India was Vedic music.

I think it is fair to know the right meaning of the frequently used words in the beginning for the better understanding of a subject. As I am planning to introduce the subject of Vedic music in a pedagogical manner, thus, I will try to demystify the concepts of the terms ved, shastra and sangeet in the beginning. I think, people must stick to lexical meaning first, and then go for highlighting their own agenda if it is needed.

Indian classical music is loosely translated as shastriya sangeet, therefore it becomes essential to know what is a shastra. It is not uncommon to get befooled by some pretending scholars who interpret shastra and dharma in their own way; the act is highly condemnable. But, in the era of internet and AI-ChatGPT, it is not easily possible to mislead people for one can quickly verify the veracity of any claim by searching the right meaning on Google. Google and Bing are not all experts, but they are better than nothing.

In context of communication and meaning, I think one must know the fact that all spoken, written and printed meanings of words are called verbal expressions like song, prose and poetry, whereas body language (gesture), beckon, indicator, painting, sculpture, photo, etc. are non-verbal expressions besides film, documentary, video, the mixed media of expression.