The First Day of Spring

Today is officially the start if the spring season – The spring equinox (also called the Vernal Equinox occurs today at 9:57 am PDT. (March 20th, 14:57 UTC).

According to Indian mythology, the spring season personified as Vasanta is a friend of Manmatha, the God of Love. Manmatha arrives along with Vasanta during the spring season to Earth. Manmatha carries a bow made of sugarcane, and arrows of five types of flowers, that are abundant during the season. How can any one hit with these arrows not fall in love?

Spring has been the inspiration of poets for ages. Here are a few Samskrta verses from Bhartrhari’s Sringarashataka and Kalidasa’s Rtusamhara, which have translated to Kannada:

ಕುಸುಮಿಸಿಹ ವೃಕ್ಷಗಳು ಕೊಳದಲ್ಲಿ ಕಮಲಗಳು
ನಸುಗಂಪು ಗಾಳಿ; ಜೊತೆ ಬಯಸುವೆಣ್ಣುಗಳು
ಮಸುಕು ಸಂಜೆಯ ನಲಿವು ಹಾಯಾದ ಹಗಲುಗಳು
ಎಸೆದಾವು ಮಿಗೆ ಗೆಳತಿ ಹಿತ ವಸಂತದಲಿ!
(Rtusamhara 6-2)

ಕೆಂಬಣ್ಣದಾ ಚಿಗುರ ಹೊತ್ತು ತಲೆಬಾಗಿರುವ
ಕೊಂಬೆಕೊಂಬೆಗೆ ಹೂತ ಮಾಮರಗಳೀಗ
ತಂಬೆಲರಿನಲಿ ತೂಗಿ ಹುಟ್ಟಿಸಿದ್ದಾವು ಮಿಗೆ
ಹಂಬಲವ ಹೆಣ್ಣುಗಳ ಮನದಿ ತವಕದಲಿ
(Rtusamhara 6-15)

ಹೊಮ್ಮಿರುವ ಮಾಂದಳಿರ ಮೊನಚು ಬಾಣಗಳನ್ನು
ಚಿಮ್ಮಿಸಲು ದುಂಬಿಸಾಲಿನ ಬಿಲ್ಲ ಹೆದೆಯ
ಹಮ್ಮುಗೊಳಿಸುತ ಯೋಧ ಬಂದಿಹ ವಸಂತನಿವ-
ನೊಮ್ಮೆಗೇ ಪ್ರಣಯಿಗಳ ಮನವ ಪೀಡಿಸಲು
(Rtusamhara 6-1)

ವಸಂತದಲಿಂಪಾದ ಕೋಗಿಲೆಗಳ ಗಾನ
ಮಲೆನಾಡ ಗಿರಿಗಳಲಿ ಸುಳಿವ ತಂಗಾಳಿ
ಅಗಲಿ ನೊಂದವರ ಜೀವವನೇ ಸೆಳೆದಾವು
ಕೇಡುಗಾಲದಲಮೃತವೂ ಆದಂತೆ ನಂಜು!
(Srngarashatakam – 38)

ಬೀಳ್ವ ಮಂಜನು ಬೀಳ್ಕೊಡುವುದಕೆ ಋತು ವಸಂತನು ಬಂದಿರೆ
ಹೂತ ಮಾಮರದಲ್ಲಿ ಮೆಲ್ಲಗೆ ಕೊಂಬೆರೆಂಬೆಯನಲುಗಿಸಿ
ಕೋಗಿಲೆಯ ಸವಿದನಿಯ ಹಾಡನು ದಿಕ್ಕುದಿಕ್ಕಲಿ ಪಸರಿಸಿ
ಮಂದ ಮಾರುತ ಹೃದಯಗಳನೂ ಜೊತೆಯಲೇ ಸೆಳೆದೊಯ್ದನೆ!
(Rtusamhara 6-22)

-neelanjana

p.s: Just noticed that I had a post with the same title a few years ago!

Raga Tweets

Since the music season is upon us, here is old one: a list of tweets I’ve been posted on Twitter earlier.

A few of them may be lame, some of them repeats but hopefully good for a read!

I should acknowledge some of these are from my ideas of my friends too.

Some knowledge of Samskrta and/or Kannada might help.

Q: Name a raga that is liked by male snakes
A: PunnaagavarALi ’ಪು’ನ್ನಾಗವರಾಳಿ

Q: Name a raga that is sung by snakes
A: nAgadhwani

Q: Name one raga that can be played even in a ‘broken’ instrument?
A: ‘bhinna’ shaDja

Q: Which raga is the favorite for hypnotists?
A: Mohana

Q: Which is a raga that might be liked by a street seller?
A: ‘mAruva’ dhanyAsi ‘cause it has the word ‘sell’ in it :

Q: Which is the best raga to sing on November 1st?
A: Kannada

Q: Which raga is best to sing in a Court?
A: Darbar

Q: Which raga is very aptly sung during the Fall season?
A: Hemanta

Q: Which raga is apt to sing in the spring season ?
A: Vasanta

Q:Which is the best raga to sing on a road?
A: bahu’dAri’ ಬಹು’ದಾರಿ’

Q: What is a really funny tALa?
A:Mathya tALa, Because it goes like: LOL. One laghu (l),one drta(o), followed by laghu(l) (Courtesy @p6)

Q: Which raga most film makers can’t do without?
A: Nayaki

Q: Which is the raga bore well diggers sing?
A: tODi

Q: Which raga do folks from Norway, Sweden or Iceland wish for during their long winter days?
A: Suryakanta

Q:Which is the favorite raga for KPC (Karnataka Power Corportation) employees?
A:Sharavati ಶರಾವತಿ

Q: Which is the raga liked by those working in armed forces?
A: Senagrani, a.k.a. Senapati/Senavati

Q: Which raga do theater artists like best ?
A: Nataka Priya

Q: Which raaga do school teachers hate most?
A: Kaapi

Q: ಚಿಕ್ಕಮಗಳೂರಿನಲ್ಲಿ ಹೆಚ್ಚಾಗಿ ಕೇಳಿಬರೋ ರಾಗ ಯಾವುದು? Which is the raga often heard in Chikkamagalooru town?
A: ಕಾಪಿ Kaapi
(Chikkamagalooru is a big producer of Coffee in India)

Q: Which is the favorite raga of thieves?
A: Takka

Q: Name two ragas observational astronomers dislike most?
A: Suryakanta, Purnachandrika

Q: Which raga amateur astronomers hate most?
A: Chandrajyoti

Q: Which raga does a high school physics teacher like most?
A: Andolika
(Andolika = pendulum)

Q: Which raga do they sing at an Ayyangar Bakery?
A: Vansapati

Q: Name 3 of the most favorite ragas for astronomers?
A: mangaLakaishiki, budhamanohari, gurupriya

Q: Which raga did P T Usha listen to before her athletic events?
A: Vegavahini

Q: Why was the musician’s wife angry?
Q:Because he sang “ni mama dapa, ni mapa dapa, nee dapa’
( for non-kannadigas – this means “your mom is obese, your dad is obese, you’re obese)

Q: Which is the favourite raga of ENT specialists ?
A: There are two : Karnaranjani and Nasikabhooshani

Q: Which raaga did Gouthama Buddhya sing in Bodh Gaya under the pipal tree?
A: “Calm” Bodhi

Q: Which ragas does Abhinav Bhindra listen to before his gold medal?
A: Mararanjani, Charukeshi, Sarasangi, Harikambhoji, Shankarabharana & Naganandini ( May be a bit technical)

Q: Which is the best raga to sing on a solar eclipse day?
A: Ravichandrika

Q: Name the most favored raga at Procter and Gamble?
A: Dhavalambari

Q: Which ragas should not be sung by people suffering from allergies, asthma etc?
A: Vasantha, hindolavasanta, vasantabhairavi etc

Q: Which are Shiva’s favorite ragas?
A: Gouri and Gangatarangini

If you haven’t read earlier, here is an old post of mine, with my memories of a music season I attended.

Lot of water has flown through Kaveri, but I am glad some things have not changed!

Enjoy the music season.

-neelanjana