Sun Stands Still to our Music, Meditation and Prayer on Solstice Days & Invigorates Us
(Savitar dheeyoyonah prachodayaat)
[Compilation for a discourse by N.R. Srinivasan, Nashville, TN, USA, June 2020]
Music Arising out of Sound is Divine
Nowhere in the world has the science of Sound and Music been studied so deeply and exhaustively as in ancient India. Panini, Patanjali, Bhartruhari, Nandikeswara, Anjaneya and Bharata are outstanding among those who have contributed to the unraveling of the mystery of sound, music and creation.
Hindu metaphysics and cosmologies speak of the primordial creative sound AUM (OM) as the power that gives birth to the many worlds of existence.
Mahabharata, Santi Parva, Section CLXXXIV says there are different kinds of sound. They are the seven original notes called Shadja, Rishabha, Gandhara, Mahdhyama, Panchama, Dhaivata and Nishada (S-R-G-M-P-D-N). These are the seven kinds of the property that appertain to space. Sound inheres like the Supreme Being in all space though attached especially to drums and other instruments. The notion that the power of music, especially the intoned word, can influence the course of human destiny and even the order of the Universe, goes back to the very oldest surviving form of Indian music, namely, the music of the Vedas. It is the power of the words enunciated with the correct intonation that determines the efficiency of the rites: a mistake may destroy everything. The priests claim that by their activity they not only uphold the order of human society but maintain the stability of the universe.
It is no wonder the Sun worship on both Summer solstice Day as well as Winter solstices Day makes humanity joyous enjoying the music coming from Nature(like chirping of birds/humming bees) as well as from the Lute of Narada travelling through three worlds, as Nadabrahmam, waking us up on these two most sacred days! The fundamental theory of Indian classical music, art and poetry is grounded in the theory of Nada Brahman or Shabda Brahman, therefore called as Aparabrahman (Mandukya) and is linked with the Vedic religion.
Swedes and many Nordic peoples celebrate a solstice holiday known as Midsummer’s Day. It’s an ancient day that many people still enjoy because summer calls for celebration! In mid-June, school is out and nature has burst into life. It seems like the Sun never sets. In fact, in the north of Sweden, it doesn’t, and in the south, only for an hour or two.
Historically, this day marks the midpoint of the growing season, halfway between planting and harvest. It is traditionally known as one of four “quarter days” in some cultures. Folks celebrate by feasting, dancing, singing, and preparing for the hot summer days ahead.
Note: Though June 24 is the traditional date of Midsummer Day, it’s often celebrated on the closest weekend to June 24. The Friday night of 2020 is Midsummer Eve (the big party day) and the Saturday is Midsummer Day.
Most places across North America have been enjoying more than 15 hours of daylight for a couple of weeks or more. These are all a prelude to the longest day and first day of summer, the Summer Solstice, and the “middle” of summer (that’s right!), June 24.
Astronomically speaking, summer begins on the solstice. In 2020, the solstice falls on Saturday, June 20 at 5:44 P.M. EDT. At this moment, the Sun reaches its highest and northernmost points in the sky and Earth’s North Pole tilts directly toward the Sun.
In fact, the Sun’s path of declination appears to stop before reversing direction. “Solstice” is a combination of the Latin words sol for Sun and stitium (sthiti in Sanskrit) for standing. (In late December, the Sun appears to stand still again, when we experience the winter solstice—the shortest day.) In terms of weather, farmers recognized the days around the solstice as the height, or middle, of summer. Crops were well under way and looking promising, so growers celebrated their anticipated harvest at Midsummer festivals.
At some point, Christian church authorities assigned June 24 as the birthday of St. John the Baptist, who foretold the birth of Christ (which would occur 6 months later in the calendar, during the darkest days). In this way, the period took on both secular and religious symbolism, giving everyone reasons to celebrate.
Celebrations for Midsummer typically begin on Midsummer’s Eve—the night before Midsummer’s Day. Dancing, feasting, bonfires, and general merrymaking are hallmarks of the night!
For ancient pagan Celtic peoples, who inhabited the British Isles, and modern Scandinavians, who experience almost continuous sunlight at this time of year (think “Land of the Midnight Sun”), the summer solstice is a magical time, one of new beginnings celebrated with bonfires, food, dancing, and festivals.
In agricultural communities, fine weather on Midsummer Day portends a fruitful season. In this year 20/20, start summer or mark its midpoint by adopting, or adapting, one or more of these practices.
In Sweden, Midsommar is a national holiday, second only to Christmas. All Swedes take to the countryside and make their own Midsummer flower garland. This is then followed by a lunch of pickled herring with potatoes, dill and chives, drinking nubbe (vodka snaps), and dancing around a tall pole adored with fresh-picked flowers.
In Greece, locals re-enact a 2,500-year solstice tradition: They hike to the peak of Mt. Olympus, with an elevation of 9,573 feet. Take a walk!
In Latvia, folks feast on bacon pie and sweet beer, and, in the dark hours of the short night, search for a fern flower believed to be a lucky charm for lovers. Choose your lucky charm and organize a search party.
In Britain, folks surround the ancient Stonehenge monument and dance and play drums to mark the Sun’s solstice peek—and peaking appearance—between slivers of rock. Stop whatever you’re doing while the Sun pauses overhead.
In Kraków, Poland, girls make flower-and-herb wreaths and float them down the Wisla River. If a boy takes up a girl’s garland, the belief is that they will marry. (If the wreath sinks, it is believed that the girl will die young!) Wreaths that connect while afloat symbolize two girls’ lifelong friendship. Fashion a flower or vine wreath.
Italy has regional midsummer traditions: In Rome, people eat snails. It is believed that these horned creatures will protect the consumer from devilry. In northern Italy, cooks prepare dishes with aged balsamic vinegar; this is the time when the year’s grapes are entering a critical stage of development. Sprinkle balsamic vinegar on a salad.
On Midsummer’s Eve, Danes dine with family and friends, then celebrate with bonfires into which they throw effigies of witches made of hay. Light a candle.
Spiritual Thoughts on Dakshinayana and Uttarayana Sacred Days
Sadguru Jaggi Vasudev of Isha Foundation as a yoga Guru has the following views on the two solstice days in the year. He says the change in the Sun’s relationship with the planet has a significant impact on the lives of people.
“In the yogic culture the change in the Sun’s relationship with the planet has a significant impact on the lives of people e, the summer solstice which falls in the month of June marks the beginning of Dakshinayana, which means in the Earth’s sky, the Sun begins to trace a southward movement in the northern hemisphere of the planet. Similarly, the winter solstice which falls in the month of December marks the beginning of Uttarayana or the northern run of the Sun. The half of the year from the beginning of Uttarayana in December to the beginning of Dakshinayana in June is known as Jnana pada. The other half of the year from the beginning of Dakshinayana to the beginning of Uttarayana is known as the Sadhana pada. In terms of sadhana, Dakshinayana is for purification, Uttarayana is for enlightenment.
The change in the Sun’s relationship with the planet has a significant impact on the lives of people, particularly for those who inhabit the region of the earth between eighteen degrees to forty-eight degrees north latitude, because this part of the earth gets the maximum impact in this shifting. A human being cannot escape anything that happens to the planet – He is not talking in environmental terms – because what we call as “myself” is just a piece of this planet, and a more sensitive and far more receptive part of the planet than what is there as earth. So whatever happens to the planet will happen a thousand-fold more within the human system. It is just that it takes some sensitivity and receptivity to experience it and make use of it.
Many people are making use of it in unconscious ways, not knowing what they are doing. Unconsciously, on certain days they behave in a certain way. Every human being, no matter what level of competency he has reached in his life, either a great athlete or an artist or a musician or a politician or an intellectual, whatever he may be, will for some unknown reason seem to function better on certain days and certain times. And for some unknown reason he does not seem to do the same things as well on another day. This is not just about us. The whole dynamics of the planet and the system is working upon us.
If we want this body of flesh and bone to imbibe the nature of the cosmic body, understanding and being in tune with this movement of Uttarayana and Dakshinayana is very essential.
In the northern hemisphere of the planet, Uttarayana is the time of fulfillment, Dakshinayana is the time of receptivity. They are also understood as – the first six months from January to June are masculine in nature, and the duration of the southern run is the feminine phase of the Earth. The earth changing her fabric from being masculine to feminine is very significant for a sadhaka because we are moving into the six months of sadhana phase where receptivity is good.
So Uttarayana and Dakshinayana have a significant impact on how the human system functions. Accordingly, spiritual aspirants shift their tone of activity – when the sun is in the northern run they are one way, when it moves to the southern dimension they are in a different way. During the southern run, what is below the Anahata chakra can be purified very easily. During the northern run, what is above the Anahata can be worked much more easily. If we look at the chakras as two different dimensions, the lower ones, the Manipuraka, the Svadhishthana, and Muladhara are more concerned in keeping the body stable, rooted. These are the earth qualities. They pull you to the Earth. The more we ascribe our energies to these three centers, the more our qualities will become earthy and in the grip of nature. The upper ones, the Vishuddhi, Agna, and Sahasrar are three centers which are always taking you away. If our energies become dominant in these centers, it is pulling us away from Earth. These centers make us trying to take us away from Earth. So between the first three and the last three, the first three are pulling us towards the Earth, the last three are pulling us away from the Earth. Anahata is a balance between the two.
The human body, if brought to a certain level of intensity and sensitivity, is a cosmos by itself. Everything that happens in the external sphere, in a subtle way, manifests in the body. It is happening to everybody, it is just that most people do not notice this. But a more organized and purposeful rearrangement of the human mechanism could be done if one becomes conscious of the external movement and aligns that with the movement that is happening within the human system. If we want this body of flesh and bone to imbibe the nature of the cosmic body, understanding and being in tune with this movement of Uttarayana and Dakshinayana is very significant.”
Winter Solstice has been celebrated in cultures the world over for thousands of years. This start of the solar year is a celebration of Light and the rebirth of the Sun. In old Europe, it was known as Yule, from the Norse, Jul, meaning wheel.
Today, many people in Western-based cultures refer to this holiday as "Christmas." Yet a look into its origins of Christmas reveals its Pagan roots. Emperor Aurelian established December 25 as the birthday of the "Invincible Sun" in the third century as part of the Roman Winter Solstice celebrations. Shortly thereafter, in 273, the Christian church selected this day to represent the birthday of Jesus (Jesus was born around April), and by 336, this Roman solar feast day was Christianized. January 6, celebrated as Epiphany in Christendom and linked with the visit of the Magi, was originally an Egyptian date for the Winter Solstice.
Most of the customs, lore, symbols, and rituals associated with "Christmas" actually are linked to Winter Solstice celebrations of ancient Pagan cultures.
Saturnalia-- was a lawless, drunken time in Rome where literally anything was okay — this was the original Purge, in which laws were suspended for a brief stretch of time. Saturn, the Roman god of agriculture, liberation and time (and parties!), was celebrated at what is perhaps the most famous of the Roman festivals, the Saturnalia, It was a time of feasting, role reversals, free speech, gift-giving and revelry. After solstice, the darkest night of the year, the renewal of light and the coming of the New Year was celebrated in the later Roman Empire at the Dies Natalis Sol Invictus, the “Birthday of the Unconquerable Sun,” on December 25.
Yule--Scholars have connected the Germanic and Scandinavian celebration to the Wild Hunt, the god Odin and the pagan Anglo-Saxon Mōdraniht. Yule-tide was traditionally celebrated during the period from mid-November to mid-January. Nordic countries use Yule to describe their own Christmas with its religious rites, but also for the holidays of this season. Present-day customs such as the Yule log, Yule goat, Yule boar, Yule singing, and others stem from the original pagan Yule, but are used in Christmas celebrations now, especially within Europe. Modern Wiccans and other neo-pagan religions often celebrate Yule as well. In most forms of Wicca, it’s celebrated at winter solstice as the rebirth of the Great horned hunter god, who is viewed as the newborn solstice sun.
Caroling--actually began as the Germanic and Norse traditions of wassailing. Wassailers (like Kathak street singers and dancers) went from home to home, singing to their neighbors and celebrating their “good health.” The traditional wassail beverage was a hot mulled cider, spiked with alcohol or fermented. Christmas around Winter Solstice Day is quite popular with Christmas Carole.
Both Winter and Summer solstice as described above were celebrated as joyous occasion with Music and dance often inked to spirituality and divine worship of Nature and Sun. Probably spiritual outlook comes from Vedic culture that Jaggi Vasudev has described at length.
Inspired by these pagan traditions The World Music Day is celebrated on June 21 to promote peace and spread goodwill through music. The day is also popularly referred to as Fete de la Musique, French for Make Music Day or World Music Day. Since India is a land of diversity with varied cultures, every region has its own unique musical form. You have heard of Lori celebration on Makara Sankranti Day with Bhangra Dance (falsely thought to be winter solstice day). Hence, to mark the importance of music, every year World music day is celebrated.
Stonehenge joyous celebration became associated with popular music in general, and rock music in particular. Stonehenge, acoustic field was the inspiration for sound in Stonehenge’s ritual culture throughout history, helping it to become an iconic representation of Pagan spiritualties. Famous Beatles were also inspired by this culture.
The World Music Day celebrated on June 21 is also known as Fete de la Musique was a music festival, which began in France in 1982. In 1981 French Minister of Culture Jack Lang conceived the idea. Since then the day has been celebrated every year as the World Music Day. American musician Joel Cohen in France, in 1976, proposed an all-night music celebration to mark the beginning of the summer solstice and since then the entire world celebrates World Music Day on June 21. On this day, musicians perform for free in parks, museums, train stations, castles etc. But this year due to Coronavirus pandemic the day is celebrated mostly indoors enjoying Zoom Light Music. World Music Day has become a worldwide phenomenon as countries the world rejoice in their own unique way to celebrate the day.
Chennai the capital of Tamil Nadu is a metropolitan city that holds its culture and tradition alive through its varied festivals and fares. Chennai Music and dance festival is one such cultural fest that showcases most captivating dances and music concerts inspired by Winter Solstice Music Tradition.
The Chennai Dance & Music Festival is a popular festival in South India and it is truly dedicated to the South Indian Classical music and dance, held during Mid-December to mid-January in the capital city of Chennai. People from all over South India come to Chennai during this time to be a part of this celebration of Indian music and dance.
This cultural infusion casts a grand show of budding talents and famous artist’s performances. Get awestruck by the blissful and rejuvenating performances of varied artists. It is a paradise for music and dance admirers. People from various parts of the country throng here to relish and take part in this lovely event.
How Christmas made Chennai the Mecca of Carnatic Art
Malabar perhaps has the most ancient if not the oldest church in the world. St. Thomas's Day is celebrated on December 21 by Malabar Christians and Anglicans; July 3 by Roman Catholics; October 6 in the East. When the Apostles left Jerusalem to preach to the people of other nations, as Jesus had instructed them to do, tradition says Thomas traveled eastward toward India. In Kerala, the smallest state in India, the Malabar Christians (or Christians of St. Thomas) claim St. Thomas as the founder of their church. For them his feast day is a major celebration. Thomas is the patron saint of India and Pakistan. In December Mayan Indians in Chichicastenago, Guatemala, honor the sun god they worshipped long before they became Christians with a dangerous ritual known as the palo voladore, or "flying pole dance St. Thomas's Day coincides with the Winter Solstice. St Thomas’s remains are buried in St. Thomas Church in Mylapore, Chennai. Thus here the pagan worship of Sun, singing and dancing welcoming the Winter solstice gave birth to Yuletide and Christmas Carole.
If one goes back into the history of the Music season, you will see how it was the most democratic process. The December music festival season was a completely secular and democratic affair close to a century ago. Muslims, Christians and Hindus, but more importantly passionate music lovers, made this possible. The season is synonymous with the building of prestigious Madras Music Academy. The December music season, as interpreted now did not begin for any religious reasons. None of what is popular today as Margazhi month of Shri Vaishnavas, legacy of poet saint Andal and so forth were remotely connected to the actual act or intention of beginning this festival. It was purely based on the fact that the High Court of Madras shut during the Christmas week and Easter week. The lawyers, advocates and judges who happened to be great patrons of Carnatic music would have enough time to attend concerts. It was keeping their convenience in mind that the music season began. Since the weather was also good in December, instead of summer when Easter Sunday falls, it was decided to be made a permanent feature shifting it to Christmas season from Easter Season. Often this music festival was held in open-air!
An All India Music Conference was held for the first time in Madras in 1927 when the Congress annual sessions took place when resolution recommending the organization of a proper Academy for Music in Madras was passed. The reason for acquiring the twenty-eight grounds of land where the Academy currently stands is because of the classical music enthusiasm of Justice Basheer Ahmed Sayeed. The Academy was formally inaugurated on August 18, 1928 by Sir C. P. Ramaswami Iyer at the YMCA auditorium in Esplanade that hosted the first Carnatic music conference. The Music Academy functioned in various venues across the city till it got its own venue in the current location on Cathedral Road, now called Radhakrishnan Salai. If not for Christmas, The Madras Music Academy conducted the annual December season through good and bad times. In the peak of the World War 2 when the city of Madras was evacuated, when the Tsunami hit Tamil Nadu, last year’s devastating floods and current political turmoil and cyclone. Nothing can disturb the real cultural spirit of Madras and the Music Academy stands as a proud witness to history when all people came together in united way to make Chennai, Carnatic Music Capital City of the World!
Towards the lighter last leg of certain Carnatic vocal concerts would pop up a composition that will have no lyrics called English Notes. The short item is widely acknowledged to have been composed by Harikesanallur Muthaiah Bhagavatar(1877-1945). Carnatic classical had, decades before the Bhagavatar’s creativity bloomed, felt the influence of Western music. Some of the ‘Nottuswara’ compositions of the famed Carnatic trinity’s Muthuswamy Dikshitar (1775-1835) are celebrated for their adaptation of the South Indian system. Studies say such simple Dikshitar melodies were inspired by Scottish and Irish tunes, thus marking early traces of an East-West blend in world music. They do have lyrics, typically praising Hindu gods. Muthuswamy’s younger brother Baluswamy Dikshitar (1786-1858) is widely accounted to be the mind and hands that introduced the Western violin to Carnatic music. The string-and- bow instrument subsequently underwent a lot of improvisations that eventually made it sound largely south Indian—to the extent that the violin has for long now been capable of solo performances besides its accompanist status. Muthaiah Bhagavatar, it seems was challenged by an Englishman to compose a music based on Carnatic genre that has a Western influence that inspired Bhagavatar to come up with English Notes.
Recently the four singers- Aruna Sairam, who has been chosen for this year’s prestigious Sangeetha Kalanidhi title by Music Academy, Nityasree Mahdevan, O.S. Arun and P. Unnikrishnan- were targeted on social media for singing songs in praise of Jesus by an orthodox and conservative Hindu Music lover group. These people seem to have no problem if Christians like Yesudas or American singer John Higgins sing Carnatic compositions. In fact poor Yesudas had to suffer at the hands of the church since they initially refused to baptize his son as he sang Carnatic music in praise of Hindu gods and regularly visited Sabarimala and Mookambika temples. “Considering the vile comments and threats issued by many on social media regarding Carnatic compositions on Jesus, I announce here that I will be releasing one Carnatic song every month on Jesus or Allah” said T. M. Krishna, a reputed Carnatic Musician, who was planning to give a concert in USA. It is unfortunate that in the wake of this Hindu phobia of the narrow minded controversy some centers in USA cancelled the music performance scheduled of T.M. Krishna and others sympathizing with Hindus in India forgetting their own dilemma of Interfaith weddings of their own children and their pop-music culture!
The Indian subcontinent has a long history of inter-ethnic marriage dating back to ancient India. Various groups of people have been intermarrying for millennia in the Indian subcontinent, including speakers of Dravidian, Indo-Aryan, Austroasiatic, and Tibeto-Burman languages. On account of such diverse influences, the Indian subcontinent in a nut-shell appears to be a cradle of human civilization. Despite invasions in its recent history it has succeeded in organically assimilating incoming influences, blunting their wills for imperialistic hegemony and maintaining its strong roots and culture. These invasions, however, brought their own racial mixing between diverse populations and the Indian subcontinent is considered an exemplary "melting pot" (and not a "salad bowl") by many geneticists for exactly this reason. However, society in the Indian subcontinent has never been completely free of ethnic strife and exploitation, and some groups have chosen to remain separate from mainstream social life. Ethnic conflicts in Pakistan between Baloch, Pashtun, Punjabis, and Sindhis, are other impediments to the melting pot thesis.
The Music Academy is a cultural heritage and the city Chennai shines as Carnatic Music Capital City of the World that also enthusiastically celebrated the World Music Day with light music and dance. It is no wonder some Tamil Christians are more influenced by their past Hindu culture and have also started celebrating Carnatic Christmas giving up Christmas Carole may be influenced the famous musician Jesudas. Chennai has also thus shown a way how Music and Dance brings fighting religions together promoting Interfaith! A popular Carnatic Musician from Mumbai Jayasri Remarked:”Music is a religion and singing Christian songs in Carnatic style is an interesting way to combine two religions. Christians all over the world adapt local customs and sing prayers so in local languages”.
Mumbai City music festival to promote World unity
The NCPA of India in the recent past organized a fusion music festival in the city in December, titled ‘One World Many Music’. The event had live performances from fusion band Indian Ocean and fusion group Asia Electric. Since then this annual festival promotes musical expressions from diverse world traditions. Dr. Suvarnalata Rao, head of programming, NCPA says, “We’re trying to bridge man-made divides through music. Even if language is foreign, music instantly connects.” Musician Niladri Kumar, known for inventing the Zitar (a modified version of the electric sitar), extols the cultural unity that the festival propounds--“Nowadays, anything that unites is very rare and should be promoted, since most things are divisive in nature. Plus, the ‘One World’ concept works better with music than any other form of art,” he says.
The National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA) is a multi-venue, multi-purpose cultural center in Mumbai, India, which aims to promote and preserve India's heritage of music, dance, theatre, film, literature and photography. It also presents new and innovative work of Universal Fusion in the performing arts field. The Centre was founded in 1969 by JRD Tata and Dr. Jamshed Bhabha, (brother of nuclear physicist Homi Jehangir Bhabha) who is a Parsi and philanthropist. He has been no doubt influenced by Hindu dharma of Vasudhaiva kutumbakam, krinvanto viswamaarym, sanghacchadvam samvadadvam, and aa no bhadrantu kratavah yantu viswatah from which Zoroastrianism Sprang. Their philosophy is very well reflected in NCPA where the coming-together for praying is extended to coming-together for singing and acting which some narrow minded Hindus want to restrict to Hindu Devotional lyrics!
Ravi Shankar the famous Musician said: “I try to give to my music the spiritual quality, very deep in the soul, which does something even if you are not realizing it or analyzing it - that's the duty of the music”.
In conclusion we pay our obeisance to the Ancients in several lands who celebrated these two landmark days of Eternal Sun that inspired folks to celebrate the joyous occasion with Music and Dance, forgetting pains and worries and spiritually elevate too!
[This compilation is based on various E-mails sent to HR Forum Participants, lecture on Uttarayana and Dakshinayana by Jagadguru Jaggi Vasudev, various Internet sources, my discourse on Eternal Tradition of Hindu Fine Arts http://nrsrini.blogspot.com/2020/06/fine-arts-of-hindus-originate-from.html
and dedicated to all music lovers who come-together to lead the world in joyous path forgetting their pains and worries for a while and spiritually awaken them.]
Om bhur bhuvah suvah | Tat savitur varenyam |Bhargo devasya dheemahi | Dhiyo yo nah prachodayat
“Om, we meditate upon the adorable effulgence of the Divine Creative Sun (Savitar) that we may be given impulse to our Intelligence.”
