Hari OM,
This week we started our class with prayers. We then discussed two topics - Dances of India and Music of India.
The following topics were covered in the Dances of India:
- Indian dance is considered the fifth Veda. Sage Bharatha wrote the Natya Shastra which was propagated by Sage Narada. He took kavya from the Rigveda, sangíta from Samaveda, abhinaya from Yajurveda, and rasa from Atharvaveda to compose the Natya Shastra.
- Dance forms are structured around nine rasas or emotions - happiness, anger, disgust, fear, sorrow, courage, compassion, wonder and serenity.
- The most famous classical dance forms are Kathak of Uttar Pradesh, Odissi of Orissa, Kuchipudi of Andhra Pradesh, Manipuri of Manipur, Bharatanatyam of Tamil Nadu, Kathakali and Mohiniattam of Kerala.
- The popular folk dances are Hikkat from Kashmir, Bihu from Assam, Bhangra from Punjab, Garba from Gujarat, Kolattam from Tamilnadu/Kerala and Karakattam from Tamilnadu.
The following were covered in the Music of India:
- Indian music is called Sangita and includes singing, playing of instruments and dancing. Indian music is melodic in nature and unlike western music is not based on harmony.
- Indian music has two major aspects: RAGA and TALA. Raga is a melodic scheme that expresses emotions and mood. Each Raga is made of a specific set of notes in an octave (at least five) in an ascending and descending arrangement (scale).
- Tala is a cycle of beats that maintains the rhythm for the song. Unlike the rëgas (which are in the thousands), there are only a few structures of the talas.
- The classical music has two distinct styles: one is the North Indian which is known as the Hindustani style, and the other is the South Indian which is known as the Carnatic style.
- There are varied types of string, wind, and percussion instruments that are performed as accompaniments or solo in Indian music. Traditionally, some of them are unique to certain regions. For example, Ghatam, Vína, Nadaswaram, and Mridangam are typically South Indian, while Santura, Sitara, Shehnai, and Tabala are North Indian.
We then continued with Mahabharata:
- On the 17th day, Karna and Salya enter the battlefield ready to face Arjuna and Lord Krishna. Yudhisthira lies in his tent after being insulted by Karna and he admonishes Arjuna for not having done his duty yet. In the meantime, Bhima fulfills his vow by killing Dushasana viciously.
- The fateful duel begins and soon both Arjuna and Karna use divine astras. Karna aims a fatal shot at Arjuna's neck but Lord Krishna ensures that it misses. Karna's chariot then sinks into the ground and he is unable to remember the incantation for the Brahmastra. He laments these unfortunate events for having sealed his Fate and remembers the vows taken against him by the Brahmin and his own Guru. Lord Krishna says to Karna that this is the way things must go given all the circumstances and injustice done to the Pandavas. It is then finally that Arjuna kills Karna on Lord Krishna's command.
- Afterwards, Duryodhana is beyond himself in grief and visits Bhishma, who reveals to Duryodhana Karna's true identity as "Kaunteya" rather than "Radheya". Duryodhana is further grief-stricken that his dear friend would go to such great lengths to fight for him and give up his own life while still knowing his true identity.
- Salya is appointed as the next commander of the Kaurava Army on the 18th day and is killed by Yudhisthira in battle. Sakuni is killed by Nakula and Sahadeva. After all this, there are only 4 fighters on the entire Kaurava side remaining and Duryodhana in defeat goes to the Dwaipayana lake to end his own life. However, Yudhisthira finds Duryodhana and challenges him to one final battle.
- Bhima fights on the Pandavas behalf and there is a terrible mace fight between Bhima and Duryodhana. Balarama is also present. Bhima is losing the fight to the very skilled Duryodhana when he sees Arjuna gesturing to his thigh. Bhima remembers his vow and commits a gruesome act by striking Duryodhana in the thigh, nearly killing him. Balarama is furious that the Pandavas would resort to such unrighteous fighting, but Lord Krishna says that all these are only right given the injustice faced by the Pandavas for so many years and the many wrongs done by Duryodhana.
- That night the five Pandava brothers and Lord Krishna go to sleep in the enemy camp, and Ashwattama in retaliation decides to set fire to the entire Pandava army while they are sleeping in a brutal midnight massacre. So many die in this terrible act of adharma, including Dhristadyumna and all of Draupadi's children. Draupadi desperately desires revenge on Aswatthama but he is unable to be killed. Ashwatthama then tries to kill the Pandavas but Lord Krishna protects them and also protects the unborn child of Abhimanyu, who is still in the womb of Uttara and will be born as Parikshit. Lord Krishna also cursed Ashwattama to wander the world alone..
We concluded the class by chanting the Chinmaya Pledge.
Pranaams!
Krishna and Vijay