Sitar music and vaishnavism?

[Guest guest]

Greetings,

 

I am someone who is interested in sitar music, and I've been learning to play for several months. So far I'm doing fine, and I believe I will stick with it. I've also been doing my best to be Gaudiya Vaishnava for several years, and in that time, the only instruments I've seen played are mrdanga, kartals, harmonium, etc.

 

My question is, is the sitar and Gaudiya Vaishnavism compatible? Is it possible to be a Vaishnava and to contribute to any Vaishnava bhajans with my sitar? Do Vaishnavas in India or beyond play the sitar? Some may dismiss the sitar as being the amalgamation of the Indian veena and the Iranian sehtar, but the harmonium, a key musical fixture in many Krishna bhajans, is a western invention.

 

Thanks for any help!

[Guest guest]

If ya can still chant, it works. I never cared for horns or even flutes, because the player plays and doesnt chant (unless hes ian anderson of jethro tull, who could sing and play the flute at the same time).

 

The sitar would not work well with street chanting, but temple bhajanas would be well accompanied by sitars.

 

my opinion, which youre all entitled to.

 

haribol, mahaksadasa

[Guest guest]

Here is a fun website listen to how nicely people are singing bhajans and playing sitar, flute, and so many lovely instruments in traditional way:

 

www dot tirumala dot org

 

There's hundreds of free online bhajans at this website and if you are Gaudiya Vaisnava you will recognize the name of your beloved Thakurji and Srimatiji in many of the categories, titles, and songs.

 

 

 

This website has nice esraj, flute, and violins accompanying one of the songs in the Radhe Krishna category.

 

www dot geetatemple dot net

 

 

If I understand correctly, the version of Hinduism that many Gaudiyas follow was based in Mathas. Mathas are centers for pilgrims to hear stories or kathas, get a meal of prasada, and have a safe place to stay in the holy dhama. So it is a humble type of tradition with a focus on parikramas or walking pilgrimmage. This people in that tradition became expert in instruments you can play when you walk and chant on pilgrimmages.

 

However that is not the entire universe of the warp and weft of the fabric that is Vaisnavism in India. It's nice to learn about the other ways in which people who love Radha and Krishna express those feelings. In the very opulent temples then there are evening bhajans to put Deity to sleep and sitar is played for pleasure of Thakurji and Srimatiji.

 

So if I am not mistaken the instruments which are played when seated are used devotionally in that type of venue. There are ragas for each portion of the day. There is a copy of Gita Govinda which has a CD and has ragas to go with each part of the devotional story. Gita Govinda has been performed all over the world with devotional dance troupes accompanied by devotional musicians and I am pretty sure they are not banging the karatalas only when they are telling the story of Divine Love.

 

Even you look at any picture of gopis there are always some are playing instruments like sitar and vina for Radha and Krsna. And you read up about the characteristics of the eight chief principal gopis each one has different area of expertise, such as can play certain instrument very nicely.

 

So you can think of yourself internally as maidservant of gopis and when you practice you are making pleasing atmosphere for Radha and Krsna to enjoy in the different angas of the day as described in books by the previous acharyas such as BVT and the Six Goswamis.

 

Also Ravi Shankar made devotional CD with George Harrison "The Music of India" and I have seen different devotional musicians present their music for pleasure of the Deities at many temples. Sitar is one of the instruments of the spiritual world; you are very fortunate you are attract to it and show past life punya and sukritya that is for sure.

[Guest guest]

Thank you very much, both of you, for your great, informative answers

 

- guest threadstarter

[gHari 0]

As with anything, it can be devotional or it can be more <a href=http://canoeparts.ca/KINGDOM/GARY target=new>teardrops in the ocean of eternity</a>, The difference is the cause, the motivation.