Four Fold Description of Sound: A Vedic View

M. G. Prasad Stevens Institute of Technology

Hoboken, new Jersey

acknowledgement

▪ my deep gratitude to my guru yogi-seer Sriranga Sadguru of Astanga Yoga Vijnana Mandiram, Mysore, India whose work is an inspiration and guidance to my Vedic studies in acoustics

Sri Saraswati

Acoustical knowledge of ancient Hindus

▪ “It would form a fascinating chapter of history to try and trace the gradual development of musical instruments and musical knowledge, from the rhythmic chanting of rig-veda in the ancient home of the Aryan race to the Indian music of the present day”

Sir C. V. Raman (1922)

Sanaatana Dharma (Vedic Hinduism)

❖Vedas are the source literature. ❖Vedas are infinitely large collection of mantras

(chants)

❖Vedas and Vedic literature deal with all aspects of life such as religion, philosophy, culture, science, arts, etc.

❖Acoustics plays an important role in Vedas and Vedic literature.

Veda Mantras

❖Mantras (chants) are orally transmitted from teacher to disciples.

❖Precision in intonations and phonetics.

❖ Intrinsic pitch difference can be overridden

❖Provides experience and meaning.

❖Oral transfer of knowledge through ages through memory

Speech, Music, Literature and Yoga

On Naada

▪ “Just as from a seed comes naturally sprout, branch, leaf, flower, unripe fruit and full fruit like wise starting from spiritual light as seed the naada, svara and akshras have developed into the various aspects of knowledge”

Yogi-seer Sriranga Sadguru (1913-1969)

Vedic order of natural elements and perception

Element Sense of perception Space Sound (hear) Air Touch and Sound Fire See, Touch and Sound Water Taste,See,Touch and Sound Earth Smell,Taste,See,Touch, Sound

❖Space is characterized by only sound ❖Sound is the most subtle sense of perception

Sound is Universal - Lindsay's wheel of acoustics

Noise▪ Psychological ▪ loss of mental

balance ▪ unnecessary rage

in speech levels ▪ false adjustment

to noisy environment

▪ Industrial ▪ product noise

control

▪ design factor, diagnostics, quality control

Noise vs. Music

Effects of Stress Concomitant Noise

Sharper Image Soundscape Environment

Pavlov's Experiment

Sound Pressure and Level

Sound Spectrum

Thresholds of Hearing

Two Bramhans▪ There are two Bramhans to be

realized: SHABDA and PARAM Bramhan. One who has realized and is well versed in Shabda Bramhan will realize Param Bramhan ...

Amrita Bindu Upanishat

One desiring for the bliss of yoga should deeply meditate on Naada having relinquishing all worries

Shankaraacharya

The speech has four stages, the first three are hidden inside and The fourth are spoken by people Veda

Para is at Mooladhaara, Pashayanti is at navel, Madhyama is at heart, vaikhari is established at throat

Consciousness▪ Consciousness

(Chaitanya) in all beings is Shabda Bramhan according to me ... Sharada Tilaka by Lakshmana Deshika

▪ We worship the NADA Bramhan second to none which is blissful and is in all beings as consciousness and has expressed (manifested) itself as universe ... Sangita Ratnakara (Saranga Deva)

How sound manifests

▪ An individual (soul) with a desire to speak encourages the mind. The mind strikes the heat (fire) center at the navel, which then pushes the air (wind). the sound (NAADA) energy then gradually moves up through stomach, heart, throat, mouth as audible sound... Ganarahasya Prakashini

▪ The sound 'NA' refers to the prana (air) and sound of 'DA' refers to the anala (fire). The resulting signal from the union of these two Prana and Anala is termed as NAADA (seed sound) ... Sangita Ratnakara

In the beginning

NADA (sound) manifests the letters, letters constitute the word and words make a sentence, so the entire activities of life is carried on through language. Thus, the whole phenomenon (universe) is dependent on NADA (sound) ... Sangita Ratnakara by Sarangadeva

▪ In the beginning was the word and the word was with God, and the word was God ... St. John, New Testament

Pythagoras & Sarangadeva on Sound

Psalms

Manifestation of Sound

▪ Vaikhari is word manifestation. Madhyama is at memory level. Pashyanti is intentive level. Pure causal is Para.

▪ The manifested air driven letters and assemblies first are caused at Mulaadhaara, then at heart as Pashyanti, then through intelligence as Madhyama (before it manifests) then as Vaikhari. All this happens in Sushumna of beings

Some concepts

Uses of Sound

▪ In all aspects of life

▪ Sounds of nature are joyful

▪ Sounds of bell, conch shell

▪ Sounds of Speech

▪ Sounds for diagnostics

Shabda

Cognition through Speech

Naada and Shabda as per Panini

Speech Sound Production

Letters of the Alphabet

Origins of Sanskrit Alphabet Sounds

Acoustical Aspects of Sanskrit

Features of Vedas

Inverted Tree

Shiva Aphorisms

Shiva Panchaakshari mantra

Holy Name

▪ Remember the name of thy lord at morning and evening (Islam)

▪ By obtaining the water of God's name through the guru, quench the four fires of cruelty, wordly-love, anger and greed (Sikh)

▪ What is the first thing we should teach the child when it begins to speak ? We must first teach him the name of God. And then the name of our prophet (Zorastrianism)

▪ The medicine is the calling upon the name of Amida, and it is wrapped up in the six syllable Na Mu A Mi Buts(u). It means absolute concentration on Amida's name. For this medicine no capital or special wisdom is needed. All one has to do is recite the words with the mouth. Here indeed is the pivot of fundamental power (Hauim, 18th century Zen)

▪ As the clap of the hands, the birds (as sins) in the tree (as our body) fly away, so do our sins disappear at the chanting of God's name and glories (Ramakrishna Paramhamsa)

Hellen Keller - The Miracle

Music and Sanaatana Dharma

▪ Sounds especially from nature,chants and music provide joy and spiritual experiences for humans.

▪ Music (in Sanskrit) called Sangeeta includes Vocal music, Instrumental music and Dance.

▪ The notes of music are derived from nature (for ex: from sounds of animals and birds).

▪ Music and Dance are part of religious offering in a Hindu worship.

▪ “Music should become the bridge that takes the listeners from sensual level to the spiritual level of Atman”– Yogi-seer Sriranga Sadguru

Sapta Svaras (seven tones) from nature

▪ Sa: Peacock (C) ▪ Ri: Cow (D) ▪ Ga: Goat (E) ▪Ma: Krouncha bird (F) ▪ Pa: Nightingale (G) ▪ Dha: Horse (A) ▪ Ni: Elephant (B)

A Raga is a pleasing combination of these notes. Raga also provides spiritual experience. Raga also depicts moods and sentiments. There are hundreds of ragas.

Indian Musical Drums

Sri Krishna and Bamboo Flute

MEASUREMENTS OF TONES FROM A BAMBOO FLUTE [A5]

COMPARISON OF SCALES FLUTE A5

Veena, Spinal Cord, Tortoise (ref: Amaravani – Sangita and Stotra by SriRanga Sadguru)

Complex Plot of OM (375-750Hz)

Complex Plot of OM (393-786Hz)

Tyndall’s Experiment effecto of sound on Flame

Spectral Analysis of Conch Shell sound

Straightened Conch Cavity

Nataraja

Chakras

Speech

▪ Speech has dual abilities. It can console or provoke

▪ Speech should be truthful and pleasant. Speech should not be untruth although pleasant to hear or speak.

▪ Truthful speech is first step in 'Yama' of Ashtanga Yoga

▪ Cultured speech is an essential ornament for a cultured person

▪ Speaking and listening are in every person as a gift from God for spiritual development

Sound Concepts

▪ Sound effectively carries information ▪ Sound effectively connects source-path-listener ▪ Sound (word) is the subtle body (form) of the object ▪ Sound connects idea (thought) to object (action)

▪ kaaya-Vaachaha-Manas ▪ Sound gives totality to action 'Karate' sounds ▪ Solitude or silence is absence of sound ▪ Memory is always associated with sound (Can you

remember anyone without their sound ?) ▪ Sound is the thread in necklace of letters

(aksharmaalaa) ▪ Sound is the subtlest connecting link to world (even

in dark you can hear)

Sound Demonstration

▪ When sound originates ? ▪ Ringing the bell ▪ follow the sound ...

▪ Amplification of sound ▪ Bell and Ivory

▪ Empty Vessel Resonances ▪ Node at the center

▪ Two Tubes - Resonances ▪ Close ears to external sound ▪ listen to internal sounds ▪ Ear is the only sensor connecting inside

and outside

Sound Demonstration (Continued)

▪ Sandhi effect ▪ gana+esha=Ganesha ▪ a+u=o

▪ Soft-Hard aspirations ▪ Alpa-Mahaa Praana (ka, Kha)

▪ Erect Body Posture ▪ Sound depends on body posture

▪ Sound expresses effectively feelings the best ▪ Eureka .... ▪ haa .. uuu

▪ Compound letters ▪ kta, Br

Sound Demonstration (Continued)

▪ Deep Breathing ▪ HamSoHamSoHamSo .... Hamso ...

▪ Speech is delivered while ▪ Exhaling

▪ Observe acoutic environment ▪ around you

▪ Clarity of recitations ▪ proper sound excitations

▪ Internal Dialogue ▪ Speech through silence

▪ Collective chanting harmony ▪ 1,1+1,1+1+1,...Many

Sound Demonstration (Continued)

▪ Form to formless ▪ Name - Picture, Word-Object

▪ Merger of two sounds ▪ one octave apart

▪ Listening is very difficult

▪ Proper body posture

Summary ▪ NAADA Yoga is union of Source-Path-Receiver, through

vibration-Sound (Spanda-Naada)

▪ Shabda (Naada) is the manifestation of Param Bramhan. It is essential pathway

▪ Word-Object (Pada-Padaartha) identity

▪ Naada (resulting from movement and also self existing) is the seed of articulation and the manifestation of various expression (See-Tree)

▪ Supreme being manifests itself through 'Nama (Naada), Form and Spiritual Energy' in Deities (Devata)

Summary (Continued)

▪ Listening with receptive and pure mind (concentration) is essential in spiritual path and development (Sruti, Srvana, Srotavya)

▪ Purity of mind, clarity and precision in phonetics and devotion leads to spiritual experiences through Japa, Bhajan, Music, Mantra, Chants, etc

▪ Sound is the most subtle measure (Sabda Tanmatra). Sound space are eternally united. Sound and space are both bodies of the Supreme Being. (Sanskrit)

▪ Om is the name and form of the Supreme

Oh! Sound

You surround everything around. You are everywhere to be heard. You are outside but also inside. You are produced ever in nature. You come from humans and machines. You are with motions and patterns. As an annoying noise, you displease someone. As a diagnostic tool, you are useful to someone. As a painful noise, you can hurt anyone. As a soothing music, you comfort everyone. It isn’t easy to place you as music or noise. Either wanted or unwanted, you are always sound. M.G. Prasad

acknowledgement

▪ my deep gratitude to my guru yogi-seer Sriranga Sadguru of Astanga Yoga Vijnana Mandiram, Mysore, India whose work is an inspiration and guidance to my Vedic studies in acoustics