Of auditory perceptions, Truth and St. Tyagaraja

In the din and turmoil of life in the fast lane, we remain oblivious of the importance of our sense perceptions in helping us relate to the external world. Of the five cognitive senses, the sense of hearing is the most important to gaining knowledge. Imagine looking at a rose and not knowing that it is a rose every time you look, because no one ever told you that it is a rose. But we all can recognize a rose as a rose, because we have heard the name rose associated with the form rose at some point in our lives.

Again, roses may vary in terms of shape, color and fragrance. However, the name or the sound to describe every flower still remains same; which is rose. So what you learn from seeing, tasting, touching or smelling will not be complete, until you simultaneously hear the sound in your mind, corresponding to every cognitive sense perception you use. Hence hearing is very important and serves as a direct means of attaining true knowledge.

What is Truth? Truth is that which does not change, ever! It is not limited by time, boundaries between nations or material things. Truth is self-evident and effortlessly enjoyed. So what is it, that is an expression of or rather, is Truth itself, which is self-evident and simply enjoyed through our sense perception of hearing? Music.

So let’s set the ball rolling with a piece that salutes all those men and women of wisdom, who live life with greatest simplicity and hence become simply greatest.

endaro mahanubhavulu, andariki vandanamulu…a melody composed by St. Tyagaraja (1767 - 1847 AD), in Raga Shri, Adi Taalam.

Here is John Anthony from a Chennai based band called Karnatriix, jazzing it up on the guitar for us and making it sound so out of this world. John has an impeccable sense of laya (tempo setting and maintaining) and plays this kriti without gimmickry (see how he does not move at all from his place throughout). Kudos to Karnatriix for bringing the orthodox and unorthodox together and demonstrating how they can complete (and need not compete with) each other.

I bet St. Tyagu will be smiling and saying “besh besh, Karnatriix romba nannaa irukku!” (wah wah, Karnatriix rocks!).