Seven Commandments

The very fabric of Indian music is based on the Sapta Swaras. In the same way, every artiste- be he vocalist, instrumentalist or percussionist is guided by the ‘Seven commandments’ of:

Sa: The Sanctity of Carnatic music
Ri: The richness of this great fine art
Ga: The Galaxy of great musicians- the predecessors of this age, who are a great source of inspiration.
Ma: The maturity that he aspires to gain with experience in the field
Pa: The passion for his art
Da: The aim to dazzle his audience, but maintaining dignity all the time.
Ni: The niceties and nuances of the art that separate the good from the best.

Alas, some of today’s trends seem to follow a ‘Vakra’ mode. Today’s scene witnesses various combinations like: S M P N D S

Snobbism

Money

Pay

Noise 

Disrespect for senior musicians 

Shady

Or S R G D N S

Scheming

Recommendations

Gallery

Degrading others

Narrow mindedness

Selfishness

We all know that though both Sampoorna and Vakra ragas are essayed, it is the Sampoorna ragas (like Kalyani or Thodi) that offer unlimited scope for development, ragas that can be unfurled for limitless hours. These ragas stand the test of time.

However attractive a Vakra raga may seem, it will be impossible to essay a Kuntalavarali for hours on end. Scintillating it may be-but for a few moments only. These ragas are time bound.
In the same way, it is the ‘Seven commandments’ – the ‘Sampoorna path’ that will stand a practitioner in the long run, even long after his life time.

If one is guided by the mottos of the ‘Vakra mode’ however, the ‘moments of glory’ will soon vanish.  It is always the enduring values that stand the test of time. 

Let us remember Saint Thyagaraja’s immortal Chakkani Rajamargamu. Why follow the by-lanes when the Great Path is available?