Publications

Rasalila

A musical study of religious drama in Vraja

by Selina Thielemann, APH Publishing Corporation, New Delhi, 1998, ISBN 81-7024-864-7

Rasalila is a well-loved form of religious drama characteristic for and unique to the region of Vraja in northwestern Uttar Pradesh, one of India's foremost religious and cultural centers. The rasalila theatre of Vraja takes episodes from the childhood life of the Hindu god Krishna for its subject-matter; the central theme of the dramas is the enactment of the rasa, the circular dance performed by Krishna with the cowherd women of Vraja on an autumn full-moon night. The location of any of the episodes narrated in rasalila is Vraja, the homeland of Krishna which is also the homeland of the plays. The language of rasalila is Vrajabhasha, the principal language of north Indian literature and poetry, and the native dialect of Vraja. In its structure, rasalila represents a perfect combination of poetry, music, dance and drama. The characters of the rasalila are portrayed by child actors, Brahman boys of Vraja, who make visible the playful and spontaneous nature of Krishna’s childhood games. Vraja is famous for its rich traditions of devotional poetry and music. To the present day, the region has maintained strong links between the traditions of Vaishnava temple music and north Indian classical music. Rasalila, in its entirety, represents an ideal exponent of the great variety of musical styles in northern India, ranging from classical and semi-classical styles to genres belonging to the local folk music tradition of Vraja.

The present book offers the first comprehensive account of the musical elements of rasalila to be published in English language. The study, after providing a brief historical survey, focuses on in-depth analysis of the constituent musical components of the rasalila performance on the basis of examples from selected performances. All songs are transcribed into Indian and Western notations and subsequently discussed. The issues raised in the course of analysis are reconsidered in an interview with Svami Fatekrishna Sharma, one of the leading rasalila performers of the present, who offers his explanations from the insider's point of view. An extensive photographic documentation, displayed on 58 color plates, covers preparations for the performance, musical instruments, scenes behind the stage as well as the rasalila performance itself in its various parts and aspects.

Sounds of the Sacred

Religious music in India

by Selina Thielemann, APH Publishing Corporation, New Delhi, 1998, ISBN 81-7024-990-2

Music is a human activity which, in one form or another, is universally accepted and used as a mode of communication with the divine in the religious traditions all over the world, notwithstanding different concepts, contexts and attitudes that exist with regard to its rôle and understanding within particular theological systems. Music occupies its fixed place in ritual, prayer and sacrifice, but even when not used in specifically religious context, in everyday life, music tends to be associated with concepts and convictions emerging from the divine service, with ideas about God, creation and salvation. As a vehicle for the praise of God, music becomes the common denominator for all religions, because music is the most direct and the most immediate expression of the human quest for religious fulfillment. Music is the primary expression of bhakti, devotion, which is the basic concept underlying all religions and shared by them as a common denominator. Being the ultimate expression of loving devotion, music becomes the primary vehicle to arouse the emotional experience of union with the divine. The phenomenon of music is deeply rooted in the religious life of man, for music inherits the energy that unites the positive forces of the universe and thereby leads to direct communication with the divine. From very ancient times, when man started feeling that there was something beyond himself and the material world, music took possession of his ideas: being non-touchable, non-material, yet omnipresent in the nature, music was the most direct incorporation of the beyond. Music is two-fold in its nature: it is blessing and offering at the same time - offered in ritual and sacrifice, it is again received as a divine gift.

The present book includes lectures and short essays related to one and the same theme: music as sacred in Indian religious traditions. Beginning with reflections on music in the context of different religions in India, the compilation continues with four chapters related to specific traditions of religious music: to the Bauls of Bengal, to Vaishnava temple music of Vraja, to the dhrupada genre of North Indian classical music, and to rasalila theatre of Vraja. The traditions of Vaishnava music and performing arts in Vraja are reconsidered in the sixth essay, a lecture dedicated to the memory of the author's academic teacher Prof. Dr. Josef Kuckertz. Following two more accounts of Vaishnava temple music and classical dhrupada respectively, the final section of the book is reserved for philosophical considerations and scriptural references to music. An appendix contains examples of Baul and Vaishnava devotional songs in Indian and Western notations.

The music of South Asia

by Selina Thielemann, APH Publishing Corporation, New Delhi, 1999, ISBN 81-7648-057-6

Music in the South Asian cultural matrix is first of all characterized by its intrinsic link with religion as a living practice and experience. Though India is famous for its highly developed art music, the traditions of Indian classical music have always remained embedded in a devotional context, and the borderline between religious and art music is often fluent. Indian music theory has been essentially influenced by concepts of Indian philosophy, and ideas emerging from the divine service continue to bear effect upon the concrete shape taken by the music. South Asia distinguishes itself by a multitude of religious and cultural traditions, and bhakti, religious devotion, plays an important rôle in almost all of them. Since music represents the principal mode of human devotional expression, it is only natural that musical activity of one kind or another can be found on any level of South Asian society. A deeper comprehension of South Asian music, reaching beyond the mere acquaintance with theoretical and technical facts, requires full awareness of the religious background of this music which, in India, is perceived as a 'divine art'.

The present volume, which contains a series of lectures on the theme of South Asian music, intends to provide a general introduction to the music of South Asia in the form of handbook or reference work. The account is structured in such a way as to guide the newcomer systematically through the various aspects and areas of South Asian music, whereas insiders may dwell on those sections in which materials of current research and fieldwork experiences are presented. Thematic emphasis is laid on the basics of Indian music in the first part of the book, while the second part concentrates upon music as part of South Asian religious traditions as well as upon selected local musical practices. Beginning with reflections on the South Asian approach to music, the first part contains chapters on Sanskrit treatises and secondary literature, historical development, transmission, performance practice, musical instruments, scale and melody, rhythm and meter, musical compositions as well as musical forms and styles. The second part deals with music and devotional religion, with special emphasis on the North Indian Vaishnava temple music tradition, followed by specific chapters on regional musical traditions of Central and South India, Sri Lanka, Bengal, North India and Nepal, on tribal music, and on traditions of Indian theatre and classical dance. Three appendices contain additional papers on the transcription and analysis of Indian music. A separate bibliographic selection is provided for each chapter, and a comprehensive glossary defines the principal terms introduced in the chapters. Transcriptions of musical examples are provided in Western staff notation and partly in Indian notation.

Essays on Indian music

by Professor Josef Kuckertz

edited by Selina Thielemann, Indian Musicological Society, Bombay & Baroda, 1999

This volume, which is dedicated to the memory of Prof. Dr. Josef Kuckertz, contains twelve selected articles by Professor Kuckertz on various facets of Indian music. The essays, presented here in English translation, focus on the aspect of music as part of religious traditions in India, as well as on regional and tribal musical cultures.

The reader obtains a general insight into the rich field of music in India in the first article, titled What is Indian music?, before specific traditions are discussed in more detail in the following papers. Article 2 takes different approaches to music in Hinduism and Islam for its subject-matter, article 3 inquires into the transmission of Purandara Dasa's kirtana songs, article 4 discusses the reciprocity of textual content and melodic expression in Tyagaraja's kriti compositions, article 5 examines bhajana songs from Karnataka. Folk song as well as semi-professional and rural-professional music from Karnataka and Maharashtra are the subject of articles 6 and 7, tribal music of articles 8 and 9. The final three essays deal with polyphony found among Himalayan tribes, with various types of Indian oboe, and with the transmission of the Samavedic hymns. The compilation is concluded with an article by Selina Thielemann on the rhythmic-metric structures of Sinhalese vannama dances, which was written in close association with Professor Kuckertz and on the basis of recordings made by him in Sri Lanka in 1972.

A detailed bibliography offers insights into Professor Kuckertz's outstanding scholarship and many-sided interest. And, in place of an extended biographical account, the lead article makes Professor Kuckertz himself speak about his academic career, the account being enriched by his personal experience.

Singing the Praises Divine

Music in the Hindu tradition

by Selina Thielemann, APH Publishing Corporation, New Delhi, 2000, ISBN 81-7648-165-3

Music and faith, the two fundamental aspects of man's spiritual experience, are closely entwined on many levels and interact in various different ways. In bhakti, devotional religion, music represents the essential prerequisite for the communication between the phenomenal and transcendental realms. Music is the tool to evoke spiritual oneness, fulfillment in union with the divine - the principal quest of man, which becomes reflected in a broad variety of religious activities aiming at establishing and continuously maintaining the personal bond with the divinity. Music hence advances to be the foremost mode of worship in the bhakti tradition. Among the manifold kinds of music, again, singing is attributed special significance in the context of the divine service, for song is the only form of musical expression capable of vocalizing and - through the medium of the sung word - verbalizing the praises of God. The verbal statement, in turn, derives its devotional power from the sounding vibration of the sung melody - no matter whether this melody confines itself to mere chant or expands into an artistically perfected musical construction. It is the musical offering, the melodious manifestation of the soul's longing for union, in which fulfillment is sought, and it is the tune emanating from the chord of the heart through which ultimately the divine presence is evoked - as the lord himself proclaims: naaham vasaami vaikunthe na yogi-hrdaye ravau, mad bhaktaa yatra gaayanti tatra tishthami narada - 'I dwell not in Vaikuntha, nor in the hearts of yogis, nor in the sun; where my devotees sing, there be I, Narada'.

This volume presents a selection of lectures and essays on the theme of music in the Hindu tradition, with special emphasis on song as a mode of worship in Vaishnava bhakti. Beginning with two general expositions to introduce the reader into the topic of music in the Indian religious matrix, the thematic focus then turns towards the practice of devotional music in Vraja, one of India's foremost pilgrimage centers. Aspects considered in this context include musical activities in the temples of Vrindaban, the seasonal cycle of devotional songs, implications of the daily liturgical cycle for the treatment of ragas, the rasalila dramas, as well as the musico-literary heritage of the Vraja region. The theme of musico-literary traditions and their transmission is taken up again in the discussion of the works of the Madhvaite Vaishnava poet-composers of Karnataka. A further essay considers aspects of music and space in temple music performances, while the concluding set of articles is reserved for the dhrupada tradition of North Indian classical and devotional music.

Musical traditions of Vaishnava temples in Vraja

by Selina Thielemann, 2 volumes, Sagar Printers & Publishers, New Delhi, 2001, ISBN 81-7123-070-9

The region of Vraja, centered on the temple towns of Vrindaban and Mathura in northwestern Uttar Pradesh, is one of India's foremost pilgrimage centers. As the location of the legendary places associated with the childhood games and pastimes of Lord Krishna, Vraja developed into a stronghold of Vaishnava bhakti which is naturally rich of musical traditions. The bhakti religion emphasizes the emotional relationship between man and God, which is achieved and maintained through the aesthetic experience of the divine. Such an experience is evoked primarily through music and singing which, therefore, have always played a predominant rôle in Vaishnavite traditions, and whose significance is scripturally manifested in the Bhagavata Purana. Since the Vaishnava bhakti movement promoted the use of regional languages in place of Sanskrit, from the 15th century onwards, a rich tradition of devotional poetry in Vrajabhasha began to flourish in Vraja. Alongwith the poetic tradition, the musical practice of samajagayana, congregational singing of devotional poetry in the temples, became established. Samajagayana, conveniently shortened samaja, is an indigenous and peculiar tradition of Vraja which, unlike other types of Vaishnava music, became barely known and recognized outside its region of origin. Samajagayana is reserved exclusively for temples and places of worship, hence it is accessible only to the limited circle of those present in the respective location at the time of performance. In distinction to other forms of devotional music, samajagayana never made its way on the concert stage.

The present book, a comparative study of the tradition of congregational singing in the Vaishnava temples of Vraja and the classical dhrupada tradition, investigates the historical and structural connections between Vaishnava temple music and North Indian classical music and points at those musical categories on either side that provide the link between the two traditions. The study is structured in three parts covering the samaja and dhrupada traditions and their comparison respectively, preceded by a general introductory survey of the bhakti tradition, consideration of the rôle of music in several non-Hindu and non-Vaishnava traditions and demonstration of the theological and philosophical foundation of the rôle and function of music in Vaishnava bhakti given in scriptures. Regarding the Vaishnava temple music tradition of Vraja, the present survey is the first of its kind to be written in a European language. It covers the practice of samajagayana in the Caitanya, Radhavallabha, Nimbarka and Haridasi Sampradayas as well as the practice of daily temple singing of the Vallabha Sampradaya referred to as 'haveli samgita'. The account given on more than 900 pages is supplemented by a large number of musical examples transcribed into both Indian notation and Western staff notation, a photographic documentation displayed on 48 color plates, as well as a Vrajabhasha glossary provided at the end of the book.

The spirituality of music

by Selina Thielemann, APH Publishing Corporation, New Delhi, 2001, ISBN 81-7648-249-8

Music is generally known and perceived as a phenomenon of sound, as a well-arranged construction of organized sounds created so as to appeal to the aesthetic consciousness of man. The sounding artifact, however, is but the outer body of the musical reality. And this outer cover would be utterly useless and dead if it were not indwelled by a living soul, by the driving energetic force which enlivens the sounding structure and fills it with sweetness - with the sweetness of music. Of what kind is this innate spirit? Which is the spiritual essence of music? What is it that turns sound into music, and music into an experience of overwhelming bliss? It is joy - the joy that is born out of the union of two imaginative forces in the cosmic cycles of creation. It is joy nourished by the quest of universal love, joy that is established ever again in a continuous process of losing and attaining. It is joy that is infinite in its nature but finite in its revelations. It is joy that manifests itself in beauty and carries at its core the spark of intrinsic harmony from which arises all creativity - and all music. Joy is thus the quintessence of music, the inner spirit that qualifies a procession of notes as a melody, the vital soul that transforms an array of sounds into music.

Much has been written about music as a sounding reality, about its theory and structure, technicalities, special characteristics and underlying meaning. Musicological studies are of essential significance for the understanding of music in its structural, historical and cultural context, but such inquiries can never reach beyond the material phenomenon of music - beyond the outer body of the musical construction. The present book, however, aims at the inner soul, hence its approach towards music as a philosophical rather than physical entity. The essays are accordingly centered around music as a cosmic energy and its rôle and function in the universal game plan of creation. The first three chapters deal with music as such - with its inherent qualities, its dialectic disposition and its essence of infinity. The next following considerations are directed at music in relation to other cosmic energies, while the final three essays discuss music as a spiritual activity. The theoretical argument, wherever appropriate, has been enriched with poetic quotes reflecting the spirit of the Bauls of Bengal, a community of mendicant singers who live their religion through music.

Divine service and the performing arts in India

by Selina Thielemann, APH Publishing Corporation, New Delhi, 2002, ISBN 81-7648-333-8

Music and singing represent well-established ritual tools in religious traditions all over the world. In the South Asian cultural sphere, music constitutes moreover a most vital and indispensable component in every branch of the performing arts, be it dance, or theatre, or other types of dramatic enactment. Tied into an homogeneous whole by the bond of music, the performing tradition has therefore found its fixed place in rituals and liturgies anywhere in the religious life in India. While the spiritual power of music is acknowledged and effectively employed in the religious practice no matter whether ritualistic or devotional, it is devotional religion in particular which utilizes the intrinsic emotional energy concealed in the sounding reality. Music as a liturgical instrument functions in two principal modes, that is, as a medium to establish the contact between man and the aspired divinity, and as the channel into which man releases his overflow of emotions called forth at the touch of the divine. All performing arts moreover serve as offerings made to the divinity in the same manner as one would perhaps offer food, or light, or incense – the only difference resting in the fact that an offering of music or dance exceeds by far any offering of material goods in virtue and ritual effectiveness.

The present book consists of a number of essays related to the theme of music and the performing arts as part of the divine service in Indian religious traditions, with emphasis on devotional religion and specifically on devotional Vaishnavism. Besides providing some basic insights into the integration of the various performing traditions into the ritual schedule of the Vaishnava temples, the thematic focus is directed at the theoretical purport for the significance of music, dance and acting as liturgical tools outlined in Vaishnava theology, as well as at the spiritual weight of music in larger philosophical dimensions. Dance is treated separately in a single essay, again from the viewpoint of its historical and practical association with the traditions of temple art throughout India. Since dance and theatre are brought to life in essence through the union of their aural and visual components – as distinct from ‘pure’ music which is based on a primarily aural experience -, a small selection of colored photographs has been included in the compilation to suggest an impression of the extraordinarily rich and multifarious cultural heritage maintained by the Indian religious tradition.

Baul Philosophy

by Baul Samrat Purna Das and Selina Thielemann

APH Publishing Corporation, New Delhi, 2003, ISBN 81-7648-409-1

The Bauls of Bengal, widely known for their music which constitutes an important tool on the path of self-realization, can be regarded as the representatives of the Religion of Man - of the religion of humanity whose highest divinity is the human being. Baul philosophy embraces the positive streams of numerous faiths and philosophies, recognizing the ultimate unity of the Supreme Being whose eternal abode rests within man, at the core of the human heart. The Bauls therefore strive for attainment to the Supreme Divinity within their own inner being, referring to the divine truth as the Man of the Heart who sits enshrined in the temple which is the human body. Through their songs the Bauls articulate the matters pertaining to their spiritual quest, outlining the path of accomplishment in simple yet deeply meaningful words. The Baul thus is much more than the skillful singer-dancer for whom the public takes him at a superficial glance: the Baul is an ardent striver for the ultimate truth, a great thinker, a philosopher whose immense and profound knowledge has been attested on the touchstone of human spiritual experience.

The present book offers for the first time an insight into the spiritual aspect of Baul culture in which the tenets of the Baul's spiritual search are revealed from the insider's point of view. From the basic level to increasingly intricate stages, the procedures and methods of questing as well as their inner signification are introduced one after the other in systematic progression. The essentials of sadhana, of the journey towards realization are explained in easy language so as to make them comprehensible to anyone interested in the processes of human spiritual emancipation. Baul philosophy as such represents an open-minded spiritual tradition, an ocean of human spiritual thinking in which the many rivers embodying diverse religions are brought to confluence in perfect harmony in one single faith called the religion of man. It is this intrinsic integrity of a philosophy that elevates man to the highest seat, realizing that the sought-after treasure rests in each and every human being, which makes Baul sadhana a spiritual approach of universal relevance. The tenets of Baul philosophy, if settled in the minds of all humans, are capable of extending exceedingly beneficial effects upon mankind as a whole, guiding man towards fulfillment of his utmost quest and bestowing upon humanity the gift of peace, of joy, of bliss and all-encompassing harmony.

Samgita-sadhana

The path of human oneness

by Selina Thielemann, APH Publishing Corporation, New Delhi, 2003, ISBN 81-7648-474-1

The phenomenal presence of music is often regarded solely as an entertaining enjoyment designed for outward perception by the human senses. In its perfect transcendent personality, however, music embodies more than the delightful pastime it represents on the surface. Music is in essence a spiritual activity directed at the inward spheres of the human emotional consciousness, hence music, if earnestly practiced, signifies a spiritual exercise rather than a mere artistic skill. It is therefore not surprising that music counts among the foremost and indispensable constituents of sadhana, of spiritual striving for the object of attainment to the Supreme. In India, the execution of music as part of the spiritual practice is known as samgita-sadhana ('sadhana through music'), referring to both music as part of liturgical worship, and music as part of the individual striver's way of spiritual questing. The most important advantage of music over other spiritual procedures and methods of divine service rests in its emotional profundity, which enables the striver engaged in the musical exercise to immerse himself fully and unconditionally into the stream of transcendental sweetness that carries him very speedily and in an uncomplicated manner to the aspired destination of his spiritual journey.

This book represents a compilation of selected essays originally delivered as lectures, all centered around the theme of music in the context of man's continuous endeavor for realization of the Highest Truth. The explications are based on concrete examples from the South Asian musico-spiritual tradition, with particular reference to Vaishnava liturgy as well as to the philosophy of the Bauls of Bengal. The latter aspect recurs in some detail in four out of the ten papers contained in the present collection, not at last because the singer-philosophers from Bengal have made music the principal element of their complex and intricate spiritual practice nourished by a comprehensive philosophy which, without exaggeration, deserves to be called the philosophy of humanity. All essays reproduced in this volume are essentially inspired by the Baul spiritual heritage, and in the concrete by the thoughts of the author's revered spiritual teacher, the renowned folk singer and philosopher Baul Samrat Purna Das.

Worship through beauty

Music and finde arts in the devotional tradition of India

by Saurabh Goswami and Selina Thielemann

APH Publishimg Corporation, New Delhi, 2005, ISBN 81-7648-811-9

Art is the immediate manifestation of the human creative quest which, on its part, constitutes the aesthetic expression of spiritual thinking – the response of the beautiful to man’s intrinsic affinity towards the all- pervading energy of bliss whose subtle rays illuminate the universe in its energy corner. It is more than a mere chance that the arts, at all times and in all parts of the world, emerged in close association with their surrounding streams of faith. Whichever the religious tradition – be it one of the great world religions or the simple, naturalistic belief of an aboriginal tribe, articulations of artistic character, of one kind or another, are certainly part of the ritual activity.

The book, whose authors are actively involved in both the religious tradition and the practice of traditional art, is essentially inspired by the overwhelming presence of the divinity revealed through manifestations of beauty in the ancient arts of India. Those who ever had the opportunity to partake of the sublime experience of spiritual bliss evoked by an aesthetic satisfaction will know that beauty is indeed the core intent of all joy. To share this experience with reader is one of the main objects of the present volume, along with the plea for the protection of man’s endangered cultural riches lest some of these most excellent arts slip into oblivion to be lost forever.