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this is a non- commercial blog. Thanks for your great pictures.
tamilandvedas.com, swamiindology.blogspot.com
Twenty five years ago French scholar Jean Le Mee produced a book with selected Rig Vedic hymns and pictures on every page for every mantra. He gave a beautiful introduction to the Rig Veda and Sanskrit language. I give below only first few pages of the book.
XXX LAST HYMN IN THE RIG VEDA 10-191
–SUBHAM—
tags- Rig Veda, Jean Le Mee, Beautiful, Introduction, Pyramids ,
Pictures are taken from various sources for spreading knowledge.
this is a non- commercial blog. Thanks for your great pictures.
tamilandvedas.com, swamiindology.blogspot.com
Here is the story from the Aitareya Brahmana,
“The Devas and Asuras waged war in these worlds,
The Asuras made these worlds fortified places (Puras, Polis in Greek) and made them as strong and impregnable as possible; they made the earth of iron, the air of silver, and the sky of gold. Thus they transformed these worlds into fortified places. .
The Devas said, these Asuras have made these worlds fortified places; let us build other worlds in opposition to these. They then made out of her/earth a seat, out of the air a fire hearth, and out of the sky two repositories for sacrificial food. (These are called Havirdhana).
The Devas said, let us bring the ‘Upasads’. By means of a siege/upasada one may conquer a large town. When they performed the first Upasad, they drove the Asuras from this world. When they performed the second, they drove them out from the air and when they performed the third, they drove them out from the sky. Thus they drove them out from these worlds.
xxx
What is Upasad?
Upasad is a particular ceremony which is to take place immediately after the great ‘Pravargya’ ceremony, during which the priests produce for the sacrifice (Yajamana) a golden celestial body , with which alone he is permitted by the gods to enter heaven. When in this way the sacrificer is born anew he is to receive the nourishment appropriate for an infant’s body, and this is milk. The chief part of the Upasad ceremony is, that one of the priests, the ‘Adhvaryu’, presents milk to him in a large wooden spoon, which he must drink. Formerly it had to be drunk from the cow which was to be milked by the Adhvaryu. But this custom has now fallen into disuse.
(We may compare it to a miracle in the Pathrrup Pathu – Ten Decads- in 2000 year old Sangam Tamil Literature where the poet disappeared after the Tenth Yaga. The poet earlier demanded the Chera king that he may be sent to heaven in physical body. When the Tamil king asked him to suggest the way forward, the poet asked the Tamil king to perform Ten Yagas for him. Chera king obeyed and at the tenth sacrifice both the Tamil poet and his wife went to heaven in physical body. Visvamitra , earlier tried the trick with the king Trisankhu, but failed miserably for lack of penance. But Trisankhu became Southern Stars- now in the flags of Australia, New Zealand and few other countries)
Martin Haug continues the story,
“The Asuras, thus driven out of these worlds, repaired to the Ritus/ seasons. The Devas said, let us perform Upasad. The Upasads being three, they performed each twice; that makes six in all, corresponding with the six seasons. Then they drove the Asuras out from the Ritus/ seasons.
(In European countries the seasons are four; but in the Rig Veda and Tamil Sangam literature the seasons are six, typical Hindu and Indian, a severe blow to Max Muller gang and Marxist gang)
The Asuras now repaired to the months. The Devas made twelve Upasads, and drove them out from the months. After having been defeated here also , they repaired to the half months. The Devas performed 24 Upasads and drove the Asuras out of half months . After having been defeated again, the Asuras repaired to the day and night. The Devas performed Upasads and drove them out.
Therefore the first Upasad ceremony is to be performed in the first part of the day and the other in the second part of the day. The sacrificer leaves thus only so much space to the enemy as exists between the conjunction of day and night, that is the time of twilight in the morning and evening.
(Hindus believe that time- twilight time- should be allocated to worship of gods and so they perform Sandhya Vandana 3 times everyday- ealrly morning, mid day and early evening.)
xxx
Asura Gayatri
Thus the Asuras of the Hindu literature are being the supreme beings of the Parsis, Ahura Mazda with his arch angels, is according to these statements, hardly to be doubted. But there exists, perhaps, a still more convincing proof. Among the metres, used in the Yajur Veda , we find seven such which are marked by the epithet ‘Asuri’ such as Gayatri Asuri, Usnih Asuri, Pankti Asuri. These Asura metres, which are foreign to the whole Rigveda, are actually found in the Gatha literature in the Zend Avesta, which professedly exhibits the doctrine of Ahura religion.
The Gayatri Asuri consists of 15 syllables which metre we discover in the gatha Ahunavaiti, if we bear in the mind that the number of 16 syllables, of which it generally consists, is often reduced to 15. Compare, for instance, Yas.31-6 and the first two lines of 31-4.
The Usnih Asuri, consisting of 14 syllables, is completely extant in the Gatha Vohu- khshathra ( Yas literature) , each of which comprises 14 syllables.
The Pankti Asuri consists of 11 syllables, just as many as we found in the Gathas Ushtavaiti and Spenta- mainyu.
This coincidence can certainly not be merely accidental, but shows clearly, that the old Gatha literature of the Zend Avesta was well known to the Rishis who compiled the Yajur Veda.
Of great importance, for showing the original close relationship between the Hindu and Parsi religions, is the fact several of the Hindu gods are actually mentioned by name in the Zend Avesta, some as demons and, others as angels.
I will show them in another article.
Xxx
My comments
Asuras in Zend Avesta are good and Devas are bad is not new to Hindu religion. Whenever a new prophet forms a new religion or sect, he decried the old gods and practices. The oldest schism in Vedic society was seen in the creation of the Shukla and Krishna Yajur Vedas. In the Vedic period we saw Indra and Agni were at the top position. Later Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva occupied top positions. During the times of Adi Shankara there were over 90 sects in Hinduism. Shankaracharya wiped out all the unwanted bad practices and made ‘six- god worship’ Shanmatha.
Later several reformers like Dayananda of Arya Samaj established a new sect. Very recently we saw Hare Krishna movement and its founder Bhakti Vedanta Prabhupada showed Lord Shiva as Demi god.
In Egypt, King Eka Nathan= One God, Akhnaton introduced Monotheism and revolted against the domination of the priests. This was due to Hindu influence.
Tamil Alvars and Nayanmars projected either Vishnu or Siva as the greatest god. Saints like Vallalar and Narayana guru created new practices and new temples.
In recent times Guru Nanak formed Sikh religion to control the atrocities committed by Muslim rulers.
Muslims called non Muslims as kafirs and Christians called non Christian s as pagan. Both the religions split into several sects
So schism is seen in every religion including Buddhism and Jainism. It is no wonder it happened in the oldest and longest religion.
When did happen in Hinduism during Vedic period is undecided. There are many theories. When Max Muller said Parsis migrated from India into Iran, Martin Haug said it happened the other way around. It is always debatable. No one knew even the date of the Vedas. It ranged from 6000 BCE to 1500 BCE!
WRITTEN BY S NAGARAJAN Post No. 10,633 Date uploaded in London – – 6 FEBRUARY 2022
Contact – swami_48@yahoo.com Pictures are taken from various sources for spreading knowledge; this is a non- commercial blog. Thanks for your great pictures. tamilandvedas.com, swamiindology.blogspot.com
மஹரிஷி ததீசி! – 1 ச.நாகராஜன்
மஹரிஷி ததீசி மிகுந்த தவ வலிமை கொண்ட ஒருவர். அவரது கடுமையான பிரமசரிய விரதத்தால் தவ ஆற்றல் மிகுந்தது. இதனால் தேவேந்திரன் மிகுந்த பயத்துக்குள்ளானான். அவரது தவத்தைக் கலைக்க நானாவித பொருள்களை அவருக்குக் கொடுத்துப் பார்த்தான்.
ஆனால் அவரோ அதை ஒரு பொருட்டாகவே மதிக்கவில்லை. ஆகவே தேவேந்திரன் யோசனை செய்து, அப்ஸரஸ் ஸ்தீரிகளுள் மிகுந்த சௌந்தர்யம் கொண்ட பேரழகியான அலம்புஷை என்பவளை அவரிடம் அனுப்பினான். அந்தச் சமயத்தில் ததீசி முனிவர் சரஸ்வதி நதிக்கரையில் தேவர்களைத் திருப்தி செய்யும் பொருட்டு யாகங்களைச் செய்து கொண்டிருந்தார்.
அப்போது பேரழகியான அலம்புஷை அவர் முன் தோன்றினாள். சகல வித அங்கங்களும் லாவண்யமாக அமைந்திருக்க, அவளைப் பார்த்தவுடனேயே ததீசியின் சுக்லம் வெளிப்பட்டு சரஸ்வதி நதியில் விழுந்தது.
அதை சரஸ்வதி நதி மிகுந்த ஜாக்கிரதையுடன் தன் கர்ப்பத்தில் தாங்கிக் கொண்டாள்.
காலக்கிரமத்தில் அது ஒரு சிசுவானது. பிறந்த குழந்தையை சரஸ்வதி ததீசியிடம் கொண்டு சென்றாள்.
அப்போது ததீசி ரிஷிகள் கூட்டத்தின் மத்தியில் இருந்தார்.
அவரைப் பார்த்த சரஸ்வதி, “ ஓ! ரிஷிபுங்கவரே! அலம்புஷயைப் பார்த்த மாத்திரத்தில் உமது சுக்கிலம் வெளிப்பட்டது. அதை என் கர்ப்பத்தில் தாங்கினேன். இதோ குழந்தை பிறந்து விட்டது. இது உமது குழந்தை தான். வாங்கிக் கொள்ளும்” என்று கூறி குழந்தையை ததீசி முனிவரிம் கொடுத்தாள். மிகுந்த சந்தோஷத்துடன் குழந்தையை வாங்கி உச்சி முகர்ந்த ததீசி, சரஸ்வதிக்கு ஒரு வரத்தைக் கொடுத்தார்.
“விஸ்வதேவர்கள், ரிஷிகள். நானாவித கந்தர்வர்கள், அப்ஸரஸ்கள் ஆகிய அனைவரும் உன் ஜலத்தைக் கொண்டு செய்யும் அர்க்கியங்களினால் மிகுந்த திருப்தி அடையக் கடவர்” என்று ததீசி வரத்தைத் தந்தார்.
மேலும் அவர் கூறினார் : “ ஓ! புண்ணியவதியே! நீ ஆதிகாலத்தில் பிரமதேவருடைய தடாகத்திலிருந்து உற்பத்தி ஆனாய். கடும் தவம் புரியும் மஹரிஷிகள் அனைவரும் உன்னை அறிவர். இனிமையான அவயவங்களைக் கொண்ட நீ எனக்கு இந்தக் குழந்தையைக் கொடுத்து உதவி செய்திருக்கிறாய். இந்தக் குழந்தையின் பெயர் ஸரஸ்வத்.. அதனாலேயே இனி இவன் அழைக்கப்படுவான். புதிய உலகங்களை சிருஷ்டிக்கக் கூடிய ஆற்றலை உடைய இவன் இனி உன் பெயராலேயே அழைக்கப்படுவான். நீயும் புண்ய நதிகளுள் சிரேஷ்ட நதியாகக் கருதப்படுவாய்”.
சரஸ்வதி மிகுந்த மகிழ்ச்சியுடன் தன் குழந்தை ஸரஸ்வத்தைத் தன்னுடன் எடுத்துக் கொண்டு சென்றாள்.
பின்னர் ஒரு சமயம் தேவர்களுக்கும் அசுரர்களுக்கும் கோரமான யுத்தம் ஒன்று நடக்க ஆரம்பித்தது. அசுரர்களைக் கொல்லத் தக்க ஆயுதம் ஒன்றிற்காக தேவேந்திரன் மூன்று உலகங்களிலும் அலைந்து கொண்டிருந்தான். ஆனால் அப்படிப்பட்ட ஆயுதம் அவனுக்குக் கிடைக்கவில்லை.
பிறகு பிரம தேவரது யோசனையின் பேரில் அனைத்து தேவர்களையும் தேவேந்திரன் அழைத்தான்.
“ஓ! தேவர்களே! ததீசி முனிவரது முதுகெலும்பு கிடைத்தாலொழிய நாம் வெல்ல முடியாது. ஆகவே நீங்கள் அனைவரும் அவரிடம் சென்று பிரார்த்தனை செய்து அவரது முதுகெலும்பைக் கேளுங்கள்” என்று கூறினான்.
எல்லா தேவர்களும் ததீசி முனிவரிடம் சென்று அவர் முதுகெலும்பிற்காக பிரார்த்தனை செய்தனர்.
உடனடியாக எந்த வித மறுப்புமின்றி ததீசி தன் ஜீவனை தேகத்திலிருந்து விடுத்தார். அழியாத மஹிமை கொண்ட உயர் பதவியை அடைந்தார். இன்றளவும் அவரது தியாகம் உலகெங்கும் பேசப்பட்டு வருகிறது. அவரது முதுகெலும்பைக் கொண்டு தேவேந்திரன் வஜ்ராயுதம், சக்கிரம், மற்றும் இதர கனமான ஆயுதங்களைச் செய்தான்.
பிரம்மாவின் புத்திரரான பிருகு மஹரிஷியிடத்தில் அவரது அரிய தபோ மஹிமையால் பிறந்தவர் ததீசி.
அவரது முதுகெலும்பிலிருந்து உருவாக்கப்பட்ட சக்தி வாய்ந்த வஜ்ராயுதத்தினால் மந்திரங்களைப் பிரயோகித்து அசுரர்களில் தொள்ளாயிரத்து தொண்ணூறு வீரர்களையும் த்வஷ்டாவின் குமாரனும் மகா தபஸ்வியுமான விஸ்வரூபனையும் மிகுந்த பராக்ரமசாலியான விருத்ராசுரனையும் தேவேந்திரன் கொன்றான்.
தக்ஷ பிரஜாபதி யாகம் ஒன்றைச் செய்ய ஆரம்பித்தபோது அதில் ருத்ரருக்கு அவிர்ப்பாகம் கொடுக்க ஆக்ஷேபணை தெரிவித்தார். அதை அறிந்த ததீசி மஹேஸ்வரரை அவமதிக்கக் கூடாது என்று எவ்வளவோ எடுத்துச் சொன்னார். ஆனால் அதை தக்ஷர் கேட்கவில்லை. ததீசி எச்சரித்த பிரகாரம் யாகம் மஹேஸ்வரரால் அழிக்கப்பட்டது. ததீசி மஹரிஷிக்கும் தக்ஷ பிரஜாபதிக்கும் இடையே நடந்த சம்வாதம் தக்ஷ மஹரிஷியின் சரித்திரத்தில் விரிவாக இடம் பெற்றிருக்கிறது.
Pictures are taken from various sources for spreading knowledge.
this is a non- commercial blog. Thanks for your
புலவர் புராணம் நூல் பற்றி இந்த பிளாக்கில் 2018-ல் பதிவிட்டேன். முருகதாஸ் சுவாமிகள் , கவிதை வடிவில் எழுதிய அந்த நூலில், 72 தமிழ்ப் புலவர்கள் /கவிஞர்கள் பற்றிய சுருக்கமான வரலாறு உள்ளது. 350 பக்கங்களுக்கு மேலுள்ள இந்த பெரிய சைஸ் புத்தகத்தை கடந்த சில நாட்களாக ‘பேஸ் புக்’கில் பதிவிட்டு வருகிறேன். சில ஆராய்ச்சி மாணவர்கள் தங்கள் எடுத்துக் கொண்ட ஆராய்ச்சிக்கு இது உதவும் என்று சொல்லி எனக்கு எழுதி முழு புஸ்தகத்தையும் கேட்டனர். ஈராண்டுகளாக வைரஸ் காய்ச்சல் தாக்குதலினால் பிரிட்டிஷ் லைப்ரரிக்குச் செல்ல முடியவில்லை. இப்போது நிலைமை முன்னேறியுள்ளதால் முழு புஸ்தகத்தையும் போட்டோகாப்பி எடுத்து வெளியிட்டு வருகிறேன்.
வெளியிட்ட ஆண்டு 1908
இதோ புலவர் புராண விவரங்கள் :-
xxxxxx subham xxxxxxxx
tags– புலவர் புராணம், முருகதாஸ் சுவாமிகள், தண்டபாணி சுவாமிகள்
Pictures are taken from various sources for spreading knowledge.
this is a non- commercial blog. Thanks for your great pictures.
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Martin Haug (1827- 1876) German Indologist, has done some good research in the Zoroastrian and Hindu scriptures . He was well versed in many languages including Hebrew, Latin, Sanskrit and Avesta. He translated the Aitareya Brahmana of Rigveda.
He says Zend Avesta, the Parsi scripture is like the Hindu Vedas. But becaus of some schism both were developed in a different way. He also pointed out the word Asura had positive connotation in the early part of the Rrigveda . He gives an interesting story ofrom the Aitareya Brahmana.
I am giving below his argument and added My Comments at the end.
“Let us look at the close connection between the Vedas and Zend Avesta. The most striking feature is the use of the names Asura and Deva. Asura is Ahura in the Zend.
Deva stands for the divine beings in the Hindu scriptures. In the Zend Avesta and modern Persian literature Deva is the general name of an evil spirit, a fiend or demon.
In the confession of faith, as recited by the Parsis to this day , the Zoroastrian religion is said to be Vi- daevo,,”against the Deavas”.
(See Yasna 12-1) and one of their most sacred books is called
“Vi daevo datta” , now corrupted into Vendiddad,i.e.”what is, given against , or for the removal of the Devas”.
The Devas are the originators of all that is bad, of every impurity, of death; and are constantly thinking of causing the destruction of the fields and trees, and of the houses of the religious men. The spots most liked by them, according to Zoroastrian notions, are those most filled with dirt and filth, especially cemeteries, which places are, therefore, objects of the greatest abomination to a true Hormazd worshipper.
Asura is, in the form of Ahura, the first part of Ahura Mazda (Hormazd), the name of God among the Parsis ; and the Zoroastrian religion is distinctly called the Ahura religion( see Yasna 12-9) in strict opposition to the Deva religion.
But among the Hindus, Asura has assumed a bad meaning, and is applied into the bitterest enemies of their Devas, with whom the Asuras constantly waging war, and not always without success, as even Hindu legends acknowledge. This is the case throughout the whole Puranic literature, and as far back as the later parts of the Vedas; but in the older parts of the Rigveda Samhita we find the word Asura used in as good and elevated a sense as in the Zend Avesta.
GOOD ASURAS IN RIG VEDA
The chief gods such as
Indra RV 1-54-3
Varuna RV1-24-14
Agni RV 4-2-5; 7-2-3
Savitri RV 1-35-7
RudraRV 5-42-11
Aae honoured with the epithet Asura, which means living, spiritual, signifying the divine, in its opposition to human nature. In the plural, it is even used, now and then, as a name for all the gods as for instance in RV 1-108-6 :
“This Soma is to be distributed as an offering among the Asuras” by which word the Rishi means his own gods whom he was worshiping.
We often find one Asura particularly mentioned , who is called Asura of heaven RV 5-41-3; heaven itself is called by this name, RV 1-131-1
“Our father who pours down the waters 5-83-6;
Agni, the fire god, is born out of his womb 3-29-14; his sons support heaven”.
In a bad sense we find Asura only twice in the older parts of the Rigveda
2-32-4; 7-99-5 in which passages the defeat of the sons or men of the Asura is ordered, or spoken of; but we find the word more frequently in this sense in the last book of the Rigveda ( which is only an appendix to the whole, made in later times) , and in the Atharva Veda , where the Rishis are said to have frustrated the tricks of the Asuras 4-23-5 and to have the power of putting them down 6-7-2
In the Brahmanas, or sacrificial books, belonging to the each of the Vedas, we find the Devas always fighting with the Asuras. The latter are the constant enemies of Hindu gods, and always make attacks upon the sacrifices offered by devotees. To defeat them all the craft and cunning of the Devas were required; and the means of checking them was generally found in a new sacrificial rite. Thus the Asuras have given rise to a good many sacrificial customs, and in this way largely contributed towards making the Brahmanical sacrifices so complicated and full of particular rites and ceremonies.
To give the reader an idea of the way in which the battles between the Devas and the Asuras are said to have been fought, a translation of a passage, taken from the Aitareya Brahmana 1-23 of the Rigveda is here given:-
WRITTEN BY S NAGARAJAN Post No. 10,628 Date uploaded in London – – 5 FEBRUARY 2022
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ச.நாகராஜன் கட்டுரைகள் ஜனவரி 2022 INDEX January 2022
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PROF.MAX MULLER says
It can now be proved even by geographical evidence, that Zoroastrians had been settled in India before they immigrated into Persia ………..
That the Zoroastrians and their ancestors started from India during the Vedic period can be proved as distinctly as that the inhabitants of Massilia started from Greece.
Max Muler said it again in his lectures on the Science of Language …
The Zoroastrians were a colony from northern India . they had been together for a time with the people whose sacred songs have been preserved in the Veda. A schism took place, and the Zoroastrians migrated westward to Arachosia and Persia .
Kanchi Parmacharya swamikal (1894-1994) also said that Zoroaster is ‘Saurashtra’ (in Gujarat) and their scripture Zend Avesta is ‘Chandas’ Avesta (Please see my earlier articles on India- Iran connections)
Professors Bhagavat and Apte have in their ‘Key to interpret the Veda’, pointed out that there are references to the Persians and Parthians in the Rigveda .
RV 1-105-8
sam maa tapanthi abhitah sapatnaariva parsavah
The Parshus ( Persians) harass me all round like cowives
Daasaa cha vrutraa hatamaaryaani cha sudhaasamindraavarunaavasaavatahm
Oh you men, looking to you and your wealth the Pruthus and Parshus, fain for spoil, march forward. Oh Indra- Varuna, you smote and slew the Dasa and Aryan enemies, and helped Sudas with favour.
Prof.Ludwig also renders ‘pruthuparsvah’ by Parthians and Persians.
xxxx
According to PANINI 5-3-117, the words ‘paarsavah’ in the singular ‘parsavau’ in the dual and ‘parsavah’ in the plural, are taken as the name of a warrior tribe, the last of the three suggesting the singular ‘parsu’
In the cuneiform inscriptions at Behitsan we have the countries Paarsah and Partava which may be compared to Parsu and Pruthu in the Rigveda.
WHO ARE DASYUS?
As has been shown by Dr Muir in his Sanskrit texts, the word Dasyu is used for men and not demons in the Aitareya Brahmana (7-18) and Manu Smrti (10-43), Mahabharata Shanti Parva (65-2429; 168-6293 and even some passages in the Rigveda (4-41-2, 6-14-3, 10-22-8).
He further says , “I have gone over the names of the Dasyus and Asuras mentioned in the Rigveda, with the view of discovering any of them could be regarded as of Non-Aryan origin; but I have not observed any that appear of that character.
In the Manu Smrti, we were told (11-43/45) that the Kamboas, Yavanas, Sakas, Paradas, Pahlavas etc were Dasyus. The Pahlavas were either Persians or Parthians, as several scholars have asserted. If then the Dasyus dwelt in India in the Vedic and Post Vedic times they probably included Pahlavas.
SOURCE BOOK –
PARSIS OF ANCIENT INDIA BY SHAPURJI KAVASJI HODIVALA, 1920 SOAS LIBRARY
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I listen to his Abhangs everyday; he merges himself into ragas; he dissolves himself into music; with other musicians , EGO comes first; very visible; with Bhimsenji, only devotion is seen; it is like a saint singing the songs. So I decided to share this article from Tribune. Today 4th February 2022 is his Birth Centenary. My big salute to him)
On Pandit Bhimsen Joshi’s birth centenary, doyens of music recall the magic of his voice
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The powerful throw of the towering voice of Pandit Bhimsen Joshi (1922-2011) shook the audiences. photo courtesy: Mukta Monish Mehta
Krishnaraj Iyengar (From Tribune Newspaper)
GOD, would you do this for us?” asks an emotional Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia, pausing to clear his throat. “Make an exception,” he continues, “…a special provision for saints like Pandit Bhimsen Joshi to return to the earthly realm every once in a while, spread their magic, enlighten us yet again and then you can take them back.” India is commemorating the birth centenary of the music legend who was born on February 4, 1922.
Pandit Bhimsen Joshi visited Punjab in 1934 to learn from Dhrupad singer Pandit Mangatram.
Panditji’s rendering was beyond comparison. His ‘taans’ in Raag Miyan Malhar would recreate a monsoon storm sweeping across the ocean raging under a blanket of grey clouds; his early morning Raag Ahir Bhairav and Raag Ramkali would awaken the ‘chakras’ with meditative composure. His rendition of Raag Darbari Kanada resounded with gilt-edged grandeur; his passionate Marathi ‘abhanga’ renditions could transport the listener to the sanctorum of Pandharpur and the spiritual revelry of Maharashtra’s devout. This versatile colossus still drenches the souls of music lovers throughout the globe.
Beyond the powerful throw of his towering voice and the sheer volcano of cosmic energy that shook audiences with each ‘antara’ of his renditions of various ‘raags’, there lay a heart-melting gentleness at the very core of his ‘gayaki’, an unpretentious childlike innocence and yearning.
Bhim Anna to the Kannadigas, Panditji was born in Gadag in Karnataka’s Dharwad district. Named after his paternal grandfather, he would often chuckle about how he was aptly named ‘Bhimsen’ since even heftily built ladies would find the sturdy and unusually heavy infant difficult to lift!
As much a Maharashtrian as he was a Kannadiga, his music, India’s national classical treasure, is central to both states.
Dawn of a doyen
“My father was infatuated with music since his childhood. As a child, he would hang out at a local gramophone records shop that would often play recordings of great legends,” says Jayant Joshi, Pandit Bhimsen Joshi’s elder son.
It was here that he listened to an archival recording of the legendary Kirana Gharana’s doyen Khansaheb Abdul Karim Khan. “He was around eight or nine. It was Khansaheb’s rendition of the ethereal ‘thumri’ in Raag Jhinjhoti, ‘Piya bin nahin aavat chain’, that inspired him to become a singer,” he continues.
In his quest for a guru, he travelled far and wide across India and spent time learning from some of the leading stalwarts of the time. He would often joke about how while other youngsters ran away from home for ‘other reasons’, he ‘ran away’ in search of a guru!
Jayant says, “My father had a passion for assimilating diverse influences. When he was working at All India Radio, Lucknow, he would often travel to Benaras to listen to renowned ‘thumri’ singer Siddheshwari Devi.” Bhimsenji, according to him, created his own ‘rasaayan’, which became his uniquely individualistic style.
He finally found his guru right near him and his ‘taleem’ in the Kirana tradition began taking shape. Pandit Rambhau Kundgolkar, better known as Sawai Gandharva, incidentally a direct disciple of Khansaheb Abdul Karim Khan whom young Bhimsen idolised, resided in Kundgol, not far from his village. “Sawai Gandharva initially tested my father’s sincere resolve. Only then began his serious ‘taleem’ in the ‘gurukul’ system. My father lived with his guru, performed household chores and took care of his mentally challenged son,” Jayant shares.
I vividly remember my father’s concert at Mumbai’s famed classical venue
Parle Tilak Vidyalaya, where he sang a stunning Raag Vrindavani Sarang to a packed auditorium. After he finished, the audience that was in raptures actually forgot to applaud. There was silence after the concert until he mentioned that he had finished. Jayant Joshi, Pandit Bhimsen joshi’s son
A singer cannot be born without the indispensible stamp of Bhimsenji. Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia, flute maestro
Passionate about driving, there was a time when Panditji would drive to his concerts across India. Once while traversing the Chambal valley, he was stopped by dacoits. When they got to know that he was a singer, they demanded that he sing like their favourite vocalist, Bhimsen Joshi. After an enthralling spontaneous performance, when they finally asked his name, the overjoyed dacoits, with utmost reverence, escorted him to safety. Pandit Nayan Ghosh, sitar and tabla maestro
Around 20 years ago, Panditji had a slip disc and was advised total rest. I was blessed to be sitting by his bedside and singing. When I began Ustad Abdul Karim Khansaheb’s famous Bhairavi thumri ‘Jamuna ke Teer’ with an unusual murki decoration, he almost jumped out of the bed and exclaimed, ‘Wah! Yeh baat hai!’ I can never forget that blessed moment. Pandit Jayteerth Mevundi, vocalist
Punjab connection
In Bhimsenji’s powerful voice, ‘Changey nainan waaliyan kudiyan Sadarang nu daindiyaan sainat’ in the serious morning Raag Todi sounded more prophetic than romantic. This Punjabi ‘bandish’, depicting composer Niamat Khan Sadarang’s infatuation with pretty-eyed damsels, was given to him by tabla maestro Ustad Allarakha. The ‘bandish’, an attempt at the language by the composer and the singer, both non-native speakers, is worth a hear. His connection with the region, however, goes beyond it. Bhimsenji’s Punjab visit in 1934 was the turning point of his life. Here, he took lessons from Dhrupad singer Pandit Mangatram and accompanied eminent singers on the tanpura during their concerts. “It was in Jalandhar during the famous Harivallabh Sangeet Sammelan that Gwalior Gharana stalwart Pandit Vinayakrao Patwardhan suggested that the young Bhimsen, instead of travelling all the way to North India, return to his own hometown in Karnataka where his future mentor Sawai Gandharva lived,” smiles Jayant.
Performer par excellence
“After legends like Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan and Ustad Amir Khan, Pandit Bhimsen Joshi is considered India’s most iconic vocalist who enjoyed tremendous popularity among masses and music connoisseurs alike. He successfully propagated Indian music worldwide, and even in India’s remotest areas. My father, Pandit Nikhil Ghosh, actively supported Bhimsenji during the latter’s early struggling years,” says sitar and tabla maestro Pandit Nayan Ghosh.
Pandit Ghosh says that Bhimsenji had developed his own individualistic style and brought a unique dimension to the Kirana ‘gayaki’ with his robust and highly tuneful voice. “Panditji studied under several masters, including sarod maestro Ustad Hafiz Ali Khan, Rampur Seheswan stalwart Ustad Mushtaq Hussain Khan, to name a few, and several masters in Kolkata. His singing was a melting pot of diverse influences, yet distinctly individualistic. Today, a whole generation follows his style, be it ‘khayal’, ‘thumri’, ‘abhanga’ or ‘santvaani’,” he adds.
Many maestros reminisce about his powerful stage presence and inexhaustible energy. “I have witnessed him singing for nearly five hours continuously,” Pandit Ghosh remembers. Veteran flautist Pandit Nityanand Haldipur agrees: “Bhimsenji was a giant of a musician, a product of tremendous ‘sadhana’ and stamina. He never seemed to tire and it reflected in his energetic performances.” Jayant adds, “When he took to stage, an inexplicable ‘tej’ overtook him.”
Pandit Venkatesh Kumar, a renowned vocalist and Bhimsenji’s ardent follower, is still surprised at how even during his early recordings, the master would encompass an entire ‘avartan’ cycle in a slow-paced ‘bada khayal’ with speedy ‘taans’ alone, truly a superhuman feat!
While his moving Raag Shuddha Kalyan is etched in the hearts of millions, his hallmark icons include Raag Miyan Malhar, Raag Todi, Raag Multani, Raag Abhogi, Raag Darbari Kanada, Raag Puriya and Raag Bhairavi… the list is endless. ‘Riyaaz’, he believed, was the way for a singer to rectify the flaws of his throat. It’s different from mere singing which is to present what you already know best to the audience.
Speaking about his own style, Pandit Bhimsen would admit, “I have never been choosy about imbibing from various traditions. I have heard countless performances of numerous great artistes of all ‘gharanas’ throughout my life. One never knows how and where whose influence can sink in and show up while you perform. Some of these concerts seem to me like they happened just yesterday.”
His first overseas trip was to Kabul at King Zahir Shah’s palace. It is believed that Pakistani ‘ghazal’ stars Mehdi Hassan and Ghulam Ali would perform in Pune only on the condition that Bhimsenji honoured them with his presence.
His on-stage spontaneity and histrionics, admirers believe, were literally his soul in action. He would be in a trance. “He never indulged in deliberate gimmicks like catchy ‘taans’ for mass appeal. When he sang, he was lost in his own world,” recalls Pandit Nityanand, who has heard him over five decades.
“Jab woh gaate the, aisa lagta tha ki bhagwan ki awaaz hai,” says Pandit Chaurasia. When India conferred Bhimsenji with the Bharat Ratna in 2008, it was his wife’s dream come true. “Previously, singers were hardly honoured. When he received the news, he was unwell, but overjoyed. His biggest award, however, was the love and respect of peers and admirers,” Jayant recounts.
LEGACY LIVES ON
“A singer cannot be born without the indispensible stamp of Bhimsenji,” gushes Pandit Chaurasia. Panditji’s monumental style made a mark on a dynamic generation of India’s classical vocalists, including his younger son Pandit Shrinivas Joshi and celebrated vocalist Ustad Rashid Khan.
Eminent disciple Pandit Anand Bhate calls Bhimsenji’s teaching style ‘sarvaangi paddhat’, a system of all-round imbibing. It included traditional Kirana Gharana facets, the dos and don’ts of stage performance and offering audiences fulfilling recitals within limited time slots. “Guruji would say, ‘sing in your own voice rather than imitating mine’,” says Pandit Bhate. He says that his style could well be called Bhimseni Gayaki, a bouquet of various styles over a Kirana base.
When vocalist Jayteerth Mevundi sings, he often leaves the audiences tearful. With his astounding ‘tayyari’ and subtle nuances imbibed from the maestro, he reminds them of Pandit Bhimsen Joshi. Having studied under Pandit Arjun Sanakod and Pandit Shripati Padegar, the latter a disciple of Bhimsenji, he was blessed to be encouraged by the master himself by being offered a chance to perform at Pune’s prestigious Sawai Gandharva music festival. “Panditji himself tuned my tanpura before the programme,” he recalls.
“He would become the ‘raag’. It would haunt listeners for days,” he says, remembering Bhimsenji’s ingenious combinations like Raag Kalashree (Kalavati and Rageshree), Lalit-Bhatiyar and Marwa-Shree wherein he masterfully ascended with Marwa’s re Ga Ma Dha and descended to Shree’s Pa re.
“Like Bheem was to the Pandavas, Panditji was the Bheem of Indian music, ” says a tearful Pandit Venkatesh Kumar. The simplicity and grandeur of his music were, according to him, a personification of his nature and personality. Pandit Bhimsen Joshi’s philosophy was sublimely simple — “Real singing happens when you cannot forget it even if you want to. ‘Swapnyaat suddha te yeta’ (It even haunts you in your dreams).”
Tamil and Vedas 