Observation on the emotions in verses!

rshankar · Post by **rshankar** » 25 Feb 2006, 09:49

In the slOkam rendered by Sri MDR on rAma (shringAram kshithinandhini viharaNE....) the nine emotions alluded to are shringAram, vIram, adhButham, hAsyam, bIbathsam, roudhram, Bayam, kAruNyam, and shAntham.
In Adi Sankara's Soundarya Lahari, the emotions of the Devi are:
shivE shringArarDHrA (shringAram)
thad ithara janE kutsana parA (bIBathsam)
sarOshAm gangAyAm (jealousy)
girIsha charithE vismayavathI (adhButham)
hArAhiByO BIthA (Bayam)
sarasIruha sowBAgya jananI (supposed to indicate vIram/valor)
saKI sushmErA (hAsyam? smile)
thE mayi janani dhrishtih sa karuNayA (kAruNyam)

These lists (of emotions) suggest that if I were to construct a venn diagram, there would be some emotions common to men and women, and some the exclusive preserve of either gender. While that may be true of us mortals (the resident Psychiatrist DRS can enlighten us here!), is it also true of the immortals? Or is this mere poetic license?
Ravi

vasanthakokilam · Post by **vasanthakokilam** » 26 Feb 2006, 01:25

Once gods are anthropomorphized and accepted, emotions also go along. So, we can say Shiva is from Mars and Parvathi is from Venus..

new_cmfan · Post by **new_cmfan** » 26 Feb 2006, 01:49

Once gods are anthropomorphized and accepted, emotions also go along. So, we can say Shiva is from Mars and Parvathi is from Venus..

Would that mean ardhanArEswarA is from Earth?:)

rshankar · Post by **rshankar** » 26 Feb 2006, 05:15

drshrikaanth · Post by **drshrikaanth** » 26 Feb 2006, 06:49

Ravi
I am a bit lost on what the original question was. Let me say what comes to my mind. Firstly the navaraa shown in both SlOkas are the same. Then coming to the rasas in us mere mortals, there is not just some overlap but all rasas are felt by both genders. The context may be different but being male or female does not exclude anyone frm having certain emotions. That is the concept of ardhanArISvara. There are both masculine and feminine qualities(yin and yang) in each of us.
Coming to Gods, the answer is obvious. God is nirduNi and saguNi at the same time. If we can weave mythology and story about various Gods, then they can also feel emotions. But then there is but One God and all the Gods are representations of particular aspects.

Ekam sat viprA bahudA vadanti
(RgvEda)

Seeing various in emotions in Gods is as much poetic licence as it is human limitation.

rshankar · Post by **rshankar** » 26 Feb 2006, 08:24

DRS,
The 9 rasas in re to Rama did not include jealousy, and the ones re Devi did not include roudram or shantam...That is what I was enquiring about, but the last sentence of your posting clarifies the answer...
Thanks.
Ravi

drshrikaanth · Post by **drshrikaanth** » 26 Feb 2006, 17:33

DRS,
The 9 rasas in re to Rama did not include jealousy, and the ones re Devi did not include roudram or shantam...That is what I was enquiring about, but the last sentence of your posting clarifies the answer...
Thanks.
Ravi

Actually sarOSha means wrathful/anfry woman". She was furious with gangA not jealous. She is a woman of substance and action. Even a poet would consider her too great for an emotion like jealousy(which is anyway a combination of raudra, bhIbhatsa and bhaya).
Jealousy/asUyA is not part of the navarasa at all.

That settles raudra. Coming to SAnta, this is a late entrant into the elite group of the navarasas. It is not considered as a pure rasa. Probably, it was not given its present status at the time of SankarAcArya and hence he left it out and only saw the 8 rasas in dEvi.

rshankar · Post by **rshankar** » 27 Feb 2006, 06:46

DRS,
Thanks for the correction/explanation!
MANY years ago, I saw a thematic presentation by Chithra Viswesaran called Devi Ashtarasa Malika, based on this slOkam from 'soundarya laharI' with absolutely lovely compositions used to illustrate the various rasAs...the part about 'sarOshAm gangAm' was a malayalam piece: very humorous...pArvatI notices what appears to be a woman on shivA's head and wants to know who she is. shivA says 'no way, no how'! pArvatI insists that she sees long tresses: shivA tells her that she must have mistaken the waves in the river on his head for a woman's tresses. She then says that she sees a beautiful face: he says that must be a lotus. She persists, and says she can see big eyes: shivA tells her it is just the fish in the river. She then says, I see a long and slender neck: he says, no, that is stalk of the lotus. pArvatI then says, I see some thing that looks like woman's breasts...this is when shivA decides that discretion is the better part of valor and runs away! In the piece, as I remember it, the emotions portrayed appeared to me to be more like jealousy than anger!
I have been looking for this composition since then: but have not found it yet. Anyone else have it?
Ravi

vasanthakokilam · Post by **vasanthakokilam** » 27 Feb 2006, 12:22

jealousy(which is anyway a combination of raudra, bhIbhatsa and bhaya).

drshrikaanth, I find it interesting. I want to understand it better. Could you explain this further please with translation of bhIbhatsa and bhaya and how they together bring out jealousy.

drshrikaanth · Post by **drshrikaanth** » 27 Feb 2006, 23:04

---
drshrikaanth, I find it interesting. I want to understand it better. Could you explain this further please with translation of bhIbhatsa and bhaya and how they together bring out jealousy.

bhibatsa is disgust. bhaya is fear.

Lets look at it from the point of view of a woman who has discovered that her busband is having an affair. Now her reaction to this "other woman" and her husband will be that of anger. Disgust at the thought of such an affair and the woman who would stoop to carrying on with another woman`s husband/man. And a sense of feeling threatened and a fear of loss of the husband. And a sense of perplexity and envy as to what her man found in this other woman that atrracted her to him. All these together is jealousy.

vasanthakokilam · Post by **vasanthakokilam** » 28 Feb 2006, 05:27

Thanks drshrikaanth. That provides a different perspective.

After I read your reply, I am beginning to think the fear-jealousy link also may have an evolutionary link. It is an evolutionary response along the lines of fight or flight. So fear of losing control of the situation can cause one to feel jealous which then can goad them to take action one way or the other ( fight or flight ). I find it interesting to observe that people ( as a species ) feel jealous of the fortunes and good life of those they know but be completley indifferent to the fortunes and good life of millions of others far removed from them. There is a french expression that captures all this in a compact form which I can not recollect now. Something along the lines 'we want our friends to do well but not too well'

I do not know whether this all ties back or relevant to the original question by rshankar.....but interesting nonetheless

cmlover · Post by **cmlover** » 02 Mar 2006, 10:25

Ever since Shankar mentioned about the Siva Parvati humour I almost had the obsession to find it. Since I did not find it here is an amtaeur attempt to create it. Ignore my errors since I have chosen some colourful ragas to create the moods which a good naTTuvannar and dancer could transform into a fine theme with suitable aDavus. So here it is:
http://rapidshare.de/files/14477425/Siv ... n.mp3.html
Of course I can provide the lyrics if there is any interest

rshankar · Post by **rshankar** » 02 Mar 2006, 22:25

CML,
That was LOVELY!
Thank you for coming up with this composition: I have looked for the 'original' Malayalam piece for over 20 years now without much success.
This will make a lovely dance piece with the addition of appropriate jathIs...
Can we have the lyrics and why you chose the various rAgas for each segment?
Ravi

kiransurya · Post by **kiransurya** » 02 Mar 2006, 22:35

CML
Can you explain the meaning to me. I liked the way u sang the song. No clue of what it means and the language.
Yes, I would like the lyrics if possible with notation, to teach myself.
Cheers

cmlover · Post by **cmlover** » 03 Mar 2006, 00:52

Siva's Equivocation

This is an episode between Siva and Parvati. Parvati starts gazing at

Siva in wonderment (adbhuta rasa). I chose ShaNmukhapriya here which is

a very versatile dance raga commonly used in dance. This intital part

can be nicely expnaded with jathi and adavu according to the taste and

skill of the dancer. It is capable of demonstarting varying emotions of

Parvati.
(main pallavi for pArvati)
Parvati: yAravaL um thalai mEl ... ayyA...
chIrAkavE chiriththuk koNDirukkum peN (yAravaL...)
(who is that woman on your head? She keeps smiling blithely..)
This portion can be nicely expsnded with apt pallavi repeats,

jathiswaram and abhinayam..

Now Siva responds affecting innocence and almost accusing Parvati of

having a delusion. I chose khamas here which is another fine dance raga

which can portray humour, ridicule, wonder etc..
(main pallavi for Siva)
Siva: yaarumE a^NgillayE (kaNNE)vINpazhi
chArumE un mozhiyinaal..peNNE...
(Nobody is there dear! By your words you are raking up a scandal)
This again can be elaborated with swarams and jathi and the dancer can

display nicely the emotions of Siva ( as one caught red-handed and

trying to hide!)

Now Parvati starts doubting her senses and starts questioning almost

dancing around Siva. I have chosen behag here which can portray nicely

the emotion of doubting oneself.

Parvati: nIlak kuzhal thlaimEl kANuthE (athu um)
neRRiyil vizhunthu viLayAduthE...
(I see a bluish tress which is playfully dangling on your

forehead..)The elaboration will depend on the imagination of the dance.

It is optional to return to main pallavi for pArvati to repeat her

query...

Now Siva is trapped he uses his wits to get out. I chose kAnada here

which is a rakti raagam conveying in an apolgetic tone...

Siva: alai mOthum nathi illayA (athu)
thalai meethu vIzhvathillayA...
(Isn't there a river (on my head) with billowing waves! Will it not

fall on me forehead?...)
The quizzical mood can be nicely conveyed by a masterly handling of

kAnada (optionally one could use sahAna here). Again one can return to

Siva's main pallavi as a response to Parvati's pallavi...

A half-hearted Parvati starts looking a bit more carefully and

recognizes a lovely face. I chose cArukESi here to convey her

recalcitrance. The pitch is almost accusing...

Parvati: azhaki oruththi mukham thOnRuthE (avaL)
pazhakinavaL pOl kANuthE (ayyA)...
( I see a lovely face and it looks like she is familiar with you)
cArukESi gives plenty of scope for musical elaboration. It is up to the

dancer to make it interesting...so that the music does not dominate the

dance

Return to Parvati's pallavi optionally..

Now Siva has to think fast and he fibs innovatively and almost

defiantly. I chose aTANa to depict the defiance..

Siva: thAmarai malar bhakthan thanthaan (athu)
thaAn unakku mukhamaay kANuthu/thONuthu...
(A devotee gave me a lotus flower. That is what appears(deludes) to you

as a face)
The defiance of Siva should be forcefully depicted and aTANa gives

ample scope (the dancer can display the masculinity nicely here).
Retun to Siva's pallavi if appropriate..

Now parvati has started looking for fine features in the face and

discovers fluttering eyes! Here I chose maaNDu to match the defiance of

aTANa.

Parvati: kaNkaLin vizhikaLum kANuthE (avai)
kanni thaan enRE thOnRuthE...
(I can see the eyes with eyeballs and they do confirm it is a woman..)
mANDu as a high pitch raga can be quite accusing. In a way Parvati

counters stating that a lotus cannot have eyes. The dance should

display power in the accusations... Return to Parvati's pallavi

optionally..

Siva has a brain wave! He has a nice convincing explanation. I chose

vasantha which is indeed one of dancer's favourite for brisk

movement.As also beautiful jathis..

Siva: nathikaLil meen thaan illayO (avai)
naarikaL kaN pOnrathE...
(aren't their fish in the river? don't they look like woman's eyes?..)
Siva almost derides and uses fast movement to hide away from her..Again

return to Siva's pallavi if appropriate.

This is the final coup! Parvati has seen a distinct womanly feature. I

have resorted to Sindhubhairavi which can effectively convey varying

emotions ranging from pathos to self-pity and the feeling of being

cheated, despondency ..(you name it)

Parvati: ko^NkaikaLum kANuthE (ayyA).. avaL
na^Nkai thaan enrE kooRuthE...
(There are breasts to be seen. They declare that she is a woman!)
The power of sindhubhairavi and abhinaya can lead to a crescendo. This

is where the total femininity of form can be displayed...
No need to return to pallavi since the cat is out of the bag

Damage control time for Siva and he appropriately chooses flight. I

chose paraZ as the fast tripping raga here. Siva gives a pretext and

starts running..

Siva: nAn ini thAmathyEn thillayil
naDamaaDa nEram AkuthE...
(I can't wait any longer, It is time for me to dance at

chidambaram(thillai)..)
This is a fast piece almost a thillaanaa style..

Now Parvati is in hot pursuit.. I chose hindOlam here for the bouncing

effect (SGM) which the mridangist can provide

Parvati: nillum..nillum ..nillum
yaar avaL cholluM... chollum...chollum
nillum..nillum..nillum
yaar avaL cholluM... chollum...chollum
cholluM... chollum...chollum
(stop..stop.. who is she? say.. say ..say...)

The dance terminates with a bang with Parvati in hot pursuit

disappearing into the wings..

Elaborately done the piece can take about an hour. The repetion of

pallavi's can be left out to reduce time. This can be done as a major

piece! I hope somebody will render it in their golden voice to be

adapted for dancing. I enjoyed conceiving it. Thanks to Shankar's

inspiration..
pl comment..

Sorry kiran (too difficult for me to notate since that is not crucial..)

rshankar · Post by **rshankar** » 03 Mar 2006, 01:22

CML,
WONDERFUL!
adhButham, adhButham, adhButham
(in hindhOLam?)!
But I can't take the credit for the inspiration: that should (rightly) belong to the composer of the lyrics used by CV.
Ravi

rshankar · Post by **rshankar** » 03 Mar 2006, 01:30

CML,
The explanations of what you perceive the dancing pair to do is wonderful. Gives an idea of how you saw the lyrics and music. Thank you for sharing that with us.
I tend to repsond to all music that way: i.e. imagining it danced out...the ones that touch me are the ones that have made conceptual sense to me (in terms of 3-dimensional movements, gestures and expression - somewhat like what Balasaraswathi is reported to have told Jon Higgins when he first saw her perform at Wesleyan University - it is not dance...watch carefully, it is all music or something to that effect).
Ravi

cmlover · Post by **cmlover** » 03 Mar 2006, 01:58

Thanks shanrar

I indeed saw the whole dance and heard the music inside my mind. I only had to verbalize and jot it down! Ultimtely the inspiration comes from Him/Her.

vasanthakokilam · Post by **vasanthakokilam** » 03 Mar 2006, 02:25

CML, great job. Good imaginative story, lyrics and choice of ragas. Congratulations. Is this your first major piece?

rshankar · Post by **rshankar** » 03 Mar 2006, 03:10

I only had to verbalize and jot it down! Ultimtely the inspiration comes from Him/Her.

CML,
I agree totally...probably from Him+Her rather than Him/Her (shakthi illAdha shivan verum sanyAsa kAvi allavO?)
I was taught by my mother that the rhythm generated when shivA dances the tAndavam along with pArvatI's lAsyam (at the kanaka saBai in chidhambaram) gives rise to the rhythm inherent in all living beings in the universe and this combination of tAndavam + lAsyam gives rise to tAlam...or tALam...I wonder if she made it up! Although, I think that Prof. Sudharani Raghupathy's Laghu Bharatam says something like tA represents the 'male energy' and the lA 'female energy'.
Ravi

cmlover · Post by **cmlover** » 03 Mar 2006, 03:10

vk

Harikatha was my forte! Now my aging voice cannot stand the rigor. I have written many skits and dramas and occassionaly choreoed dances (amateur!). Under the behest of pUjya baapuji I translated the whole of gIta into blank verse; but never published it shocked by his assasination! Now there is very little juice left in me!

cmlover · Post by **cmlover** » 03 Mar 2006, 03:19

Thanks shankar for that gem!
tANDavam+lAsyam--> tAlA
It must go into the books like
pada +laya+ vinyAsam = palavi

drshrikaanth · Post by **drshrikaanth** » 03 Mar 2006, 03:57

CML
I savoured your poem as well as your singing. Its very nice. Sahana was laughing away at Siva`s plight and admiring your skills. I particularly liked Siva`s excuse to hurry away.

cmlover · Post by **cmlover** » 03 Mar 2006, 06:01

Thanks DRS!
I wish you were singing for Siva and Sahana for Parvati in front of indrAkShi viSAlAkShi samEta rAmESvaru!