The Inherence of Sanātana-dharma in Classical Indian Arts

The term ‘inherence’ is defined as the existence of something as a permanent and an

inseparable attribute, the term that we often come across in the works on Nyāya as ‘samavāya’.
An art in which is explained as ‘an expression of human creative skills whose products are to be
appreciated primarily for their imaginative, aesthetic, or intellectual content.’ The word ‘Kalā’
although conveys the literal meaning of an ‘Art’, widely differs from the latter in its very nature,
for Art stands for ‘aestheticism’ while, Kalā, is envisaged by the great ācāryas as form of
‘aesthetic-spiritualism’. An Art is a profane activity solely aimed at entertainment and one’s
creative satisfaction , a kalā, on the other hand is something sacred and spiritual aimed at the
‘Supreme-bliss’ and as a form of ‘devotional service’1. While 64 kalā or arts are enumerated in
traditional accounts, this article is primarily concerned with the forms of performing arts of gīta,
vādya, nṛtya and nāṭya that owe their origin, development and existence to the sanatana
dharma.

The origin of performing arts according to authoritative texts:

All texts concerning performing arts unanimously ascribe a mythological origin to the respective
art form. All these only reflect the reverence that these ācaryas had towards these art forms and
would be unjust to dismiss these legends as mere fancies or exaggerations. The Nāṭyotpatti or
the origin of Nāṭya according to the Nāṭyaśāstra is as follows –

“Towards the end of Treta-yuga of the Vaivasvata Manvantara, when the mankind became inclined
towards perverseness due to lust and greed, the Devas led by Indra approached Brahmā and said ‘We
look forward to a pastime that would please the eyes and ears, more so the Śudras are prohibited from
recitation of the Vedas, therefore create the fifth veda that would be available to all the varṇas’.
Brahmā created the fifth Veda, known as the Nāṭyaveda after extracting recitation (pāṭhya) from the
ṛgveda, the songs (gītam) from the sāmaveda, gesticulation (abhinaya) from the yajurveda and the
sentiments (rasa) from the atharvaṇaveda. This veda, the essence of all art forms shall guide the
actions of the worlds in the future’ – [Nāṭyaśastra , Chapter 1]

This story is further continued by Nandikeśvara, who explains the descent of dance on this world.

The Nāṭyaveda was given to Bharata, by Brahmā who presented before Lord Śiva, along with the
gandharvas and the apsaras, the three-fold aspects of dance, viz. nṛtta (pure dance), nṛtya (gesticulative
dance) and naṭya (dramatized representation). Pleased by the performance, Śiva, was reminded of his
own dance and through his attendant Taṇḍu instructed Bharata in Tāṇḍava (the vigorous dance), who in
turn passed it on to the sages. Pārvatī, on the other hand had already initiated Uṣā, the daughter of
Bāṇāsura into lāsya (the graceful dance), who later taught it to the Gopis and they , in turn to the
womens-folk of Sauraṣṭra. Thus the art was brought down to this earth in succession. [ Abhinaya-
darpaṇa].

1
Madhusudana Sarasvat
The Saṅgītaratnākara describes the Brahman as the ‘embodiment of Sound’ (Nādabrahman). According to
the Saṅgīta-Makaranda of Nārada , Brahma created gīta from the Sāmaveda and imparted it to Nārada
who popularized the art on this world (ससमववद सदददद गगतद तजगसह दपतसमहह।तदगतद नसरदसययव तवन ललकव षष वदररत मम॥ ). The
Rāgamāla of Puṇḍarīka Viṭṭhala refers to the origin of the six antique rāgas from the mouth of Pārvati and
various forms of Śiva viz. Vāmadeva, Sadyojāta, Tatpuruṣa, Īśāna (सदलजसतलदवल शषद भयर वल वसमदवव त:। दहनदललल
दवद शकसरसखयसतवघनसततपषर षतह॥शगरसगह शषद नसटसखयलपगशसनवदनलदव:।नटनसरसयरल रसगल दगररजसमषख जसततह॥)

Notwithstanding the mythological accounts, the origin and evolution of these art forms can be
traced directly to the Vedas, vedāngas and the vedic sacrifices and there are no two opinions in
this regard. It is a known fact that the svaras or the solfa syllables of Indian music viz,. Sa, Ri,
Ga, Ma, Pa, Dha and Ni are the successors of the vedic tones caturtha, tṛtīya, dvitīya,
prathama, kṛṣṭa, atisvārya and mandra2 respectively. The earliest form of music practiced in
India was the sāmagāna or the tonal rendering of the hymns of the sāmaveda. It is also to be
noted that the Gāndharva-veda or the science of fine arts is the Upaveda of the Sāmaveda. It is
well documented that major vedic sacrifices had the playing of instruments like vīṇā as an
integral part. The dramatized recitation of the dialogue hymns of the Ṛgveda during sacrifices,
the mimic cow raids against the relatives of the king and the symbolic walking of the king
towards each direction representing universal rule (Dig-vyāsthāpana) during the Rājasūya
sacrifice are undoubtedly the earliest instances of the development of anukaraṇa or enactment,
the root of drama.

The purpose of the art-forms

दवशसदनतयरस यस समभलगव सस कलस न कलस मतस। लगयतव परमसननदव ययसतमस सस परस कलस॥
The above verse from the Śaivadiddhānta ideally defines the Indian concept of kāla as that which leads to
Bliss is alone the highest art and not the one which entertains. The bliss spoken of is the rasāsvāda or the
spiritual aesthetic pleasure that one experiences through these arts. Madhusūdana Sarasvati, the eminent
philosopher and aesthetician lays down the purpose of Gāndharva as ‘Devatārādhana’ and
‘Paramānanda’. The Yājñavalkya-smṛti glorifies these art-form in the immortal verse –

वगरसवसदरततवज: शषद तजसदतदवशसरदह। तसलजशचसपयससवन मलकमसगर दनगचछदत॥

The Viṣṇudharmottara-purāṇa equtes the offering of gīta, vādya and nṛtta to Viṣṇu with with a yajña

गगतद वसदद तथस ननत द दतवस दवव सय दवषरवव सवरक समसमनद सय यजसय फलमशनषत व॥

A number of Purāṇas like the Bhāgavata stress upon the greatness of these art forms as the best means of
devotional service to please the Lord.
गसयननषस मरनम कमर जनमचसदभनयनमषहह ह । लभतव दनशचलसद भदकद मययष ध व सनसतनव॥

The Uddhava-Gītā section of the Bhāgavata alone contains around half a dozen verses like the above
extolling the sanctity of these art-forms and their significance in formal worship.

The Role of Music in Religion and Religious practices

2
The vedic tones were evolved in the avarohaṇa-krama or the downward process.
The importance of arts in the Hindu religion is best illustrated by its theology where the deities
themselves are represented as artistes both in iconography and mythology. Sarasvatī, Rājamātangī and
Daṣiṇāmūrti are represented as vaiṇikas. Śiva is Naṭarāja, the king of dancers even as his son Gaṇeśa who
is represented as Nṛtta-Gaṇapati in one of his sixteen forms.The Shalapurāṇa of Cidambaram refers to a
dance contest between Śiva and Kālī. The 108 karaṇas explained in the Nāṭyaśastra are iconographically
represented trough dancing images of Śiva and Pārvati in several temples of Tamil Nadu. Viṣṇu is
represented as player of paṭaha (drum) , Brahmā as the wielder of cymbals and Surya along with Candra
are represented as the flautists during the dance of Śiva. Kṛṣṇa is ever represented as the master-flautist
who mesmerizes the universe with its ambrosial melodies. The same Kṛṣṇa is extolled in the Bhāgavata
as Sakalakalādiguru, the first preceptor of all art-forms. On the hoods of Kāliya he performs the vigorous
tāṇḍava, with the Gopis the graceful Rāsa. Hanumān is extolled as an expert Vaiṇika.

As mentioned above, music has been an integral part of our religious practices ever since the vedic
period. The Kauśitakī Brāhmaṇa refers to the importance of singing, dancing and playing of musical
instruments in certain Vedic rites. The celebrated Aśvamedha sacrifice is said have two vīṇā players, a
Brahmin who would play by the day and a Kṣatriya who would play by the night. Sacrifices such as
Puruṣamedha are said to have been accompanied by songs, dances and instruments such as vīṇā and
percussion instruments. All through these millennia, music has remained and still remains an integral part
of our religious practices. Among the upacāras or homage to deities are included gīta and nṛtya along
with vādya, a practice which continues in temples till date. More so in case of temples like the
Tyāgarājasvāmī temple of Tiruvārūr, where in the music-rituals involve unique instruments like the
Śuddha-maddala.

The tradition of sacred art-forms

Sanskrit texts on saṅgīta and nāṭya refer to the pūrvācāryas or the founder-preceptors of the tradition of
our art-forms. Brahmā, Bharata, Mataṅga, Nārada, Tumburu, Nandī, Āñjaneya, Rāvaṇa, Rambhā, Arjuna,
Svāti and others belong to the celestials and epic characters, followed by Bhoja, Rudraṭa, Nānyabhūpāla,
Somanatha and Jagadekamalla who were the earlier writers on the subject. Following them were the
commentators of Nāṭyaśāstra like Lollaṭa, Udbhaṭa, Śaṅkuka , Abhinavagupta and Śārṅgadeva, the
author of the authoritative work Saṅgīta-ratnākara. Simhabhūpāla, Punḍarīka Viṭhala, Śubhaṅkara,
Rāmāmātya, Kumbhakarṇa and Veṅkaṭamakhi are a few names among the writers posterior to
Śāṛngadeva. From the first category works of Bharata, Mataṅga, Nandi and Nārada are available and the
works of others are only known to us from quotations in later works and represents the ancient stage (upto
11Th Century CE). The erudite works of writers from Bhoja upto Veṅkataṁakhi are available and belong
to the medieval stage (12th to 18th Century CE) . The modern writers of treatises on arts were
Mudduveṅkaṭamakhi, Tuljājī , Balarāmavarma and Svāti Tirunāl. These were some of the eminent
musicologists and aestheticians who were the writers of works on lakṣaṇa. The divine origin and the
sanctity of our arts were duly recognized and propagated by them.

As regards the lakṣya or the lyrical (practical) aspect, there is no exaggeration in stating that its
foundation lies in religion and particularly the philosophy of Bhakti. Tiru Nilakanta Yazhpanar, one of
the Nāyanmārs is said to have attain liberation by playing on his yāzh (lute). Tirujñanasambandha
was gifted with a pair of cymbals by the universal parents. The immortal songs of Ānḍāl and other
āzhwars represent the finest specimen of ancient Tamil poetry and music. The glorification of these

art-forms as means to Godhead in Bhāgavata and other Purāṇas inspired the saints of the Bhakti cult to
choose them as the most effective forms of Kīrtana and Śravaṇa forms of devotion. Purandaradāsa,
who is known as the Karṇāṭaka-Saṅgīta-Pitamaha belonged to the Haridasa tradition of Karnataka.
While the emotional songs of Tyāgarāja were inspired by Purandaradāsa and Haridasas,
Muttusvāmī Dīkṣitar followed the path of the āzhvārs and nāyanmārs and eulogized the Lord in his
various forms at different temples across India. The great composers were not excluded to the
followers of the Bhakti-mārga, but belonged to various sampradāyas. While the Haridasas belonged
to the dvaita sampradāya, Nārāyaṇa Tīrtha, the author of the opera ‘Kṛṣṇa-līlā-taraṅgiṇī’ was a
Sannyāsi of the Advaita Sampradāya. Well-known philosopher and composer, Sadāsiva
Brahmendra was a paramahamsa sannyāsi. Candrasekharendra Sarasvatī V, the composer of the
operatic poem Śivagītimālā was the 62nd pontiff of the Kāñcī Kāmakoṭī Pīṭham. In the North we had
the aṣṭachāp poets such as Sūradāsa, who were patronized by Vallabācārya to compose and sing
kīrtanas in praise of Kṛṣṇa. Swami Haridāsa, one of the earliest exponents of Hindusthāni style of
Music and poet is said to have had a vision of Kṛṣṇa by singing his kīrtanas

The roots of dance forms such as Kūcipuḍi , Bhāgavatamelā, Odisī and Sattrīyā can be directly
traced to temples and monastaries. Bharatanātym and Kathakaḷī are not different in the sense; they
too were temple art-forms in their antecedent forms.

A close review of the origin of Classical Indian music and dance makes it amply clear that aspects of
the Sanātana dharma are the very essence of these art forms. Today sporadically we come across
intellectual voices who speak about ‘liberating’ music from clench of religion, something that would
amount to the art losing its soul. It may be argued that these art forms are universal and that the
treatises like Nāṭyaśāstra vouch for their universality. It must however be remembered that they are
universal in the sense, everyone is entitled to attain the divine bliss irrespective of his caste, age or
sex through these arts, If the intention of the pūrvācāryas was to make these purely secular or
profane, there would have been no mention about creation of the fifth-veda as the essence of the
four!

I conclude with an ode to this great tradition and its great preceptors and recall a verse from the
Padmapurāṇa, where Viṣṇu says:

नसहद वससदम वयकष णठव यलदगनसद हदयव न च।

मदकसह यत गसयदनत तत दतषसदम नसरद॥
(O Nāā rādā, neither do I reside in Vāikunṇ tṇhā or in the heārts of yogis. I reside where my devotees
sing)