Strong and silent string

Aug 3, 2010, 12.00am IST

Radha Kumar.

While driving from Brisbane to Sydney, apart from feasting my eyes on the beautiful images of the rich countryside, sign boards that simply said " Stop, rest, revive!" at regular intervals also caught my attention.

 

The terms almost seemed like friendly advice to us, caught up as we are in our self-indulgent hectic lifestyles. In the hustle and bustle, the very purpose of life is often pushed into oblivion. We are all the time chasing targets, meeting deadlines, competing, climbing, running, and getting exhausted. Do our trajectories have a central idea or purpose?
 

We could look to an interesting parallel in music. During the process of fine-tuning a musical instrument like the sitar, it is absolutely important that the strings are tuned keeping the naad or the sound of a single string called the "Jod ka taar" as the anchor. This string is tuned to note shadj or sa and the rest of the strings are beautifully blended to its sound such that it evokes harmonious music. Perfectly tuned strings then create different raagas.
 

Inlife, too, we are all operating to different vibrations evoking very distinct emotions. Sometimes states in life are as vibrant as a raag Basant, melancholic as raag Bhairavi, intense as raag Darbari, heroic as raag Sohini, vigorous as raag Hamir, simple as raag Yaman, or complex as raag Puriya Dhanyashri. Nevertheless the effect of the combination of swaras captures the mind and this melodic output draws out the senses to a state of meditative contemplation. Just like each stage in our life evokes diverse experiences, every raag has a very unique effect on listeners. The artiste, submerging himself in the melody, transports his audience to share the same experience. Thoughts merge and are in sync with the rhythm and music thus taking it far away from the challenges and stress of day-to-day life.

 

The magical outcome is the result of fine-tuning to a basic sur whose sound blends with our mind. When we adopt this method of fine-tuning to living, anchoring our lifestyles around our core values, not falling prey to herd instinct, it will definitely keep our thoughts anchored, focused and disciplined. It gives you a unique identity and more importantly peace of mind that you are on a path that you wish to embark on. Again, the basic sur here is the focus point, the base or the foundation. It only provides the silent support or the harmony but at the same time, it is the sound that amalgamates all the sounds of the strings and the tones of various raags so that melodious music is created.

In this entire process there is also embedded a deep philosophy. The creative rendering of the various ragas happens on the Baaj ka Taar, the first string, while the Jod Ka Taar, the second string gives the continuity. When the artiste very aptly uses the support of this silent string while his fingers move with practised dexterity in the first string the result is pure melody or naad. In the hectic pace of life it is imperative that we get acquainted with the silent Jod ka Taar and always stay in tune with its silent presence. But that will happen only when we stop, rest and revive ourselves in the journey of life!