Music in the Vedas: Its Magico-Religious Significance

by Ganesh Umakant Thite

In this book an attempt is made to study the vedic music as a magico-religious phenomenon. Music is believed to be either a power-substance or a means to please the gods. Music can attract gods and make them do according to the desires of musicians or it can please gods and then the gods will grant the desired results to the musicians. A musician can get the desired results with the help of music without the help of gods also. Music is useful in order to get rain, food, cattle, long life, progeny, victory in the battles etc. It can be useful to kill the enemies black-magically. The vedic musical instruments also are supposed to be useful in order to get these results.

Music and musicians are sometimes glorified and sometimes condemned. The musicians occupy double position in the society because they are believed to be power carriers. Music, like electriciy, is indifferent by itself. It can be useful or harmful according to the way it is used. It can be auspicious or inauspicious. It can bring social harmony or create quarrels. The divine musicians like Gandharvas and Apsarases are also double-natured. They are connected with fertility as well as sterility.

Vedic music is a part of vedic sacrifices. Vedic music is not meant for the entertainment of human beings. It is a means to achieve the desired goals in a magico-religious manner. This book aims at studying all these aspects.

1. Acknowledgement

2. Introduction

3. Dvisvabhava (Double-Natured) Music

4. Music: A Power Substance

5. Music and Gods

6. Music and Sacrifice

7. Some Musical Elements

8. Gandharvas and Apsarases

9. Doctrine of Music in the Veda

10. Conclusion

11. Bibliography

12. Index

 

 

Ganesh Umakant Thite was educated in Tilak Maharashtra Vidyapeeth and University of Poona. He has been teaching and working as a research scholar in the Department of Sanskrit, University of Poona, since 1979.