3 - Achievement of the Science of Music by Narada

Ambarisha said:

         1. O Markandeya of great intellect, by what means did the highly blessed, saintly lord Narada acquire the musical lore?

2. At fthat time did he attain equality with Tumburu? Tell me all these things. O highly intelligent one, you are omniscient.

Markanjeya said:

3. This matter has been heard by me from Narada of divine vision. This Narada of great intellect and of great refulgence mentioned it to me himself.

4-6 a. The saintly lord performed penance for a thousand divine years without breathing and recollecting the honour and gravity of Tumburu. He, as the repository of all penances, performed a severe penance. Then, Narada the great sage heard in the firmament the divine unembodied wonderful words uttered in a loud voice:

6b-11a. “O leading sage, wherefore do you perform the terrible penance? If your mind is interested in music go and see Uluka on the mountain on the northern bank of the Manasa lake.¹³ He is known as Ganabandhu one devoted to music. Go quickly and see him. You will acquire proficiency in music." Narada who was the best among the eloquent people became excessively surprised on being told thus. He approached Uluka on the mountain on the northern bank of the Manasa lake. All round him were seated Gandharvas, Kinnaras, Yakshas and Apsarasas. They were trained by that master and had acquired musical lore. All those who were seated there had exquisite sweetness of tone. They were happy and joyous. Then glancing at Narada, Uluka said after duly prostrating to him and worshipping him with greetings.

13. Manasottara-shaile-one the mountain to the north of the Manasa lake in the country of Gandharvas.

12-22. “O highly intelligent one, why have you come here? O brahmin, what has to be done by me? Tell me what I shall do to you?”

Narada said:

O leading Uluka of great intellect, listen to everything precisely. I shall recount all the antecedents of mine, all the wonderful things that occurred in the past. O scholar, in the previous yuga, Vishnu accompanied by Lakshmi set me aside though I stood near him. Delightedly he invited Tumburu and listened to his excellent songs. Brahma and other Devas were banished from their abodes. Kaushika end others of unswerving behaviour seated themselves (near) Vishnu for singing. With their songs they propitiated Vishnu and attained the chieftancy of the Ganas and they were happy. Due to this, I became dejected. I have come here to perform penance. What is given by me by way of charity, what is offered by way of Homa, what is heard or learnt by me — all these do not merit even a six-teenth fraction of the path of music associated with the glory of Vishnu. Pondering over this, O brahmin, I performed a terrible penance for a thousand divine years for that purpose. Thereafter, O Uluka, I heard an aerial voice pertaining to you viz. —"O divine sage, if you have any interest in music, go to Uluka. O brahmin, ere long you will know". On being urged thus I have come to you. What shall I do? O unchanging one, I am your disciple. Protect me.”

Uluka said:

23. O Narada of great intellect, listen to what befell me formerly. It is very wonderful and splendid and it will dispel my sins.

24-28. Formerly, there was a righteous king known as Bhuvanesha. He performed a thousand horse-sacrifices and ten thousand Vajapeyas. That king gifted away millions and crores of cows, gold pieces, clothes, chariots, elephants, horses and virgins to brahmins. He ruled over the earth making people in his kingdom sing in praise of himself and preventing from singing about others. He proclaimed thus: — “If any one sings in praise of Vishnu or anyone else, he will be killed by me. The great Being is worthy of being worshipped by the Vedas. May women sing about me, perpetually and everywhere. May the bards sing only about me."

29-33. Having ordered thus, the king of gfeat refulgence ruled over the kingdom. Very near the capital of that king there was a brahmin known as Harimitra. He was a devotee of Vishnu and was devoid of all Dvandvas (mutually clashing opposites.) He used to frequent the banks of rivers and worship the idol of Vishnu. He offered sweet rice cooked in milk, sweet pies, etc. to Vishnu with ghee and curds in plenty. After duly bowing down with his mind dedicated to Vishnu he sang in praise of him with exquisite beating of time and due intonation. He was endowed with excess of devotion and his innermost mind dwelt on Vishnu. Once upon a time, spies came there at the behest of the king.

34. They spoiled his activities of worship all round. They arrested the brahmin and informed the king duly.

35. Then the wicked king rebuked the excellent brahmin, confiscated his riches, and exiled him from his kingdom.

36-37. The Mlecchas ¹⁴ seized the idol of Vishnu and went off. Thereafter, on the lapse of a great deal of time, that king who had been honoured in the world passed away. He was afflicted with hunger and dejected. In his grief he said to Yama:

14. mlecchah — The term mleccha has a bearing on the date of this Purana. Mlecchas were wild ferocious tribes, such as Huns, whose acts of violence caused vast devastations and destructions and struck terror in the social life of the country. Like the cattle-lifting Panis of die Rugvedic age, they are mentioned here as stealers of the images of Devas.

38. O lord Yama, even though I have come up to the heaven, I have hunger and thirst always. What is the sin committed by me? What shall I do?

Yama said:

39-40. Sin has been committed by you in regard to Harimitra and his worship of Vasudeva. O king, due to that sin, the ailment of hunger has descended on you. It was due to delusion as a result of ignorance, that this great sin has been committed by you to Harimitra the devotee of Vasudeva.

41-44. O lord of men, your charitable gift, including sacrifice, etc. has perished. You called off Harimitra of great intellect who was singing about the lord with his musical instruments and seized his wealth and the presents offered by him in the worship of Vasudeva. These articles were looted by your servants. At your behest they committed sins. O excellent king, excepting the glory of lord Vishnu nothing else should be sung about by a brahmin in the course of his musical activity. Hence, a great sin has been committed by you. All your heavenly worlds have perished. Now, go to the mountain cavity.

45-47. You must continuously bite and eat your own body cast off by you previously. In your hunger you must eat your own body even as you are stationed in the great hell until this manvantara concludes. When the manvantara passes off in due course of time you will attain human birth on the earth.

Uluka said:

After saying thus, Yama who was conscious of everything vanished there itself.

48. Being eulogised by the chiefs of the Ganas, the glorious Harimitra went to the world of Vishnu on an aerial chariot, taking along with him the groups of his kinsmen, there.

49. The king Bhuvanesha, continued to stay in the mountain crevasse eating his own skin. Still he was overwhelmed with hunger and thirst.

50-56. I saw the king there. He told me everything. After seeing him and understanding everything, I approached Harimitra who was proceeding ahead on an aerial chariot sparkling like the sun, surrounded by the immortal beings. I attained excellent longevity by the grace of Indradyumna. It was due to him, O sage of good holy rites, that I could see Harimitra. Thanks to the power of his prowess, my mind turned towards music. O sage, I sat among the Kinnaras for sixty thousand years practising the art of music. My tongue was blessed and it was rendered clear. Then, I learnt music. Within twice that period I attained perfection in the art. By that time ten manvantaras had elapsed. I became a preceptor of music. Gandharvas and others came there. Kinnaras approached me as their preceptor. O sage of great penance, musical lore cannot be acquired by means of penance.

57-63. Hence, you shall acquire music from me along with proper hearing of the notes. The sage who was advised thus bowed down to Uluka and sang. Hear that, O excellent sage, and bow down to Vasudeva.

Markanndeya said:

On being uiged thus by Uluka, the sage Narada learned the art of music in accordance with the procedure of learning. At that time, Uluka said — “Be devoid of shyness now”.

Uluka said:

One shall eschew all shyness during sexual intercourse, while singing, when playing the game of dice, while conducting discourse in an assembly, when carrying out business transactions, while taking food, when hoarding wealth, and in calculating income and expenses.

One should never sing with bent body, nor while being shrouded under blankets, etc. While singing, undue manual gestures should be eschewed, mouth should not be opened too wide nor should the tongue be stretched out. One should not sing with the hands lifted up or with the eyes turned upwards. While singing, one should not survey one’s own body nor stare at another man.

64. It is not proper to clap at the buttocks while rising up nor should there be laughter, anger and shaking of limbs. Memory shall not be diverted elsewhere.

65. O sage of great intellect, in the practice of music these trends are not recommended. Beating of time, O sage, is impossible with a single hand.

66. Practice of music shall not be pursued by one overwhelmed with hunger, thirst or fear; nor shall it be conducted in darkness. These and similar things shall not be indulged in the practice of music.

Markandeya said:

67. That saintly lord Narada, who was advised thus, learned and practised music for the period of a thousand divine years adhering to those characteristics and injunctions laid down by his teacher Uluka.

68. Thereafter, he became richly endowed with the knowledge in the varieties of musical notes. He became an expert in playing on lutes and other instruments. He became conversant with all notes and tunes in the gamut.

69. The excellent sage perfectly understood the hundreds and thousands of different tunes. He mastered thirty-six thousand notes with their minute differences.

70. Gandharvas and Kinnaras who were associated with the sage were perfectly delighted with his singing.

71-75. After acquiring the art of music, the sage said to Uluka: — “O preceptor of intellect, the destroyer of ignorance,¹⁵ you are an expert in the art of music. Having approached you I have become richly endowed with the art. What shall I do for you?

15. dhvanksha-shatru. The musician sage Uluka is represented as an owl, the enemy of crows (dhvankshas). Or dhvankshasya andhakaramayasya ajnanasya shatayita — the remover of ignorance.

Uluka said:

O Brahmin, in the course of a day of Brahmi, there are fourteen Manus. After their reign, O great sage, the dissolution of the three worlds takes place. The tenure of my life lasts till that period. I have blessedness till then. O excellent sage, whatever you have contemplated in your mind shall be my teaching fee.

Narada said:

“O preceptor of great intellect, hail unto you. When this kalpa passes and merges into another you will become Garuda, be favourable to me. I shall go now.

Markandeya said:

After saying this, Narada went to Vishnu.

76-77. He sang songs in praise of Vishnu in the Shveta continent. After listening to that, lord Vishnu said to Narada — “O Mirada, still you are not better than Tumburu. I shall tell you the time when you will become better.

78-79. Having resorted to Uluka you have become perfectly familiar with topics of music. In the course of the twenty-eighth cycle of four yugas of Vaivasvata Manu I shall be bom in the family of the Yadus towards the end of Dvapara age, O sage of great intellect, I will be bom of Devaki and Vasudeva with the name of Krishna.

80. At that time you will approach me and remind me duly. Then and there, I shall make you fully endowed with the art of music.

81-83. I shall make you equal to Tumburu, nay even excelling him. Till then learn and teach this art among Devas and Gandharvas. After saying this, Vishnu vanished there itself. Thereafter, the celestial sage of divine refulgence became devoted to Vasudeva. Bedecked in ornaments Narada the store-house of austerities became engrossed in playing on his lute.

84-85. With his lute resting on his shoulders, the righteous sage wandered over all the worlds, viz. the worlds of Varuna, Yama, Agni, India, Kubera, Vayu and lsha. The sage who was proficient in playing on lute sang in praise of Vishnu after going to the assemblies of these guardians of quarters.

86-88. Here and there, he was duly worshipped by the Gandharvas and Apsarasas. Once upon a time, he went to the world of Brahma. There were two Gandharvas Haha and Huhu. They were adepts in the art of vocal and instrumental music. The divine Gandharvas were the bards of Brahma. In their company, the excellent sage of great refulgence sang in praise of Lord Vishu. He was duly honoured by Brahma.

89. After bowing down to Brahma, the grandfather of the worlds Narada wondered over the worlds, as he pleased.

90. After the lapse of a great deal of time, the sage went to the abode of Tumburu taking his lute with him. Seated, there, he began to sing.

91. On seeing the seven notes ¹⁶ Shadja etc. stationed there, the saintly lord went out hurriedly.

16. sadjadyah -seven notes of the musical gamut. Cf.

92. The sages of great intellect learned and taught this art in different places. The great sage became exhausted thereby.

93. Though he was an expert in the science of music he sat staring at the presiding goddess of the seven notes. But they did not descend upon the lute-strings while he played on them.

94-95. Thereafter on the mountain Raivataka ¹⁷ the great sage bowed down to Krishna and told him about what Narayana in Shvetadvipa had told him formerly in respect to the excellence in the art of music. On hearing this, Krishna spoke to Jambavati smilingly and joyously.

17. Raivataka or Raivata, a mountain near Dvaraka. F.E. Pargiter (MP. p. 289) identifies it with the Barada hills. Cf. Arch. Surv. of W. India by J. Burgess, Kathiawad, pp. 12, 15, 84 and 154. Pargiter holds that like the Himavat, Vindhya, and other ranges, which are often spoken of in the singular, Raivata denotes a group of ranges.

96-98. “O gentle lady, teach this excellent sage the art of playing on lute in accordance with the Shastraic injunctions” Saying to Vishnu laughingly, “As you say”, she taught the sage Narada. When a year was completed he approached Vishnu once again, bowed down to him and stood in front of him. Vishnu then said — “Go near Satya (Satyabhama) and acquire due training.”

99-102. “As you say”, saying thus, the sage bowed down to Satyabhama and began to sing. The scholarly sage was trained by her. When a year was completed, the sage went to the abode of Rukmini, on being directed by Vishnu. The excellent sage was addressed thus by the maid-servants and other ladies — “Although you have been singing for a long time, you do not understand the notes properly.

Then, with very great effort the sage was trained by the gentle lady Rukmini for a period of three years. The sage then sang when the presiding ladies of Svaras attained harmonious blend with the strings.

103. Then, Lord Krishna, the incomprehensible soul, himself called the great sage and taught him the excellent art of music.

104. Thereby the excellent sage surpassed Tumburu. The celestial sage thereupon danced in joy after duly bowing down to Vishnu.

105. Vishnu laughed and said: — “O great sage, you now know everything. With due and perfect knowledge sing in my presence.

106. What you have been seeking has been attained by you. Hence, sing in praise of me along with the sage Tumburu.

107-109. Thus urged, Narada acted accordingly. When Krishna worshiped Rudra the leader of the worlds, the sage sang in praise of Shiva at the behest of Vishnu. He sang in the company of Rukmini, Satya and Jambavati as well as Krishna. O excellent king, he had become by this time an expert in the seven primary notes. ¹⁸

18. Shruti-jati-vishradah— expert in music.

O leading sages, thus the gradual acquisition of the art of music¹⁹ by the sage Narada has been mentioned to you.

19. geyam— science of music.

110-112. O king, a brahmin who sings the glory of Vasudeva be fittingly attains the world of Vishnu. One who sings in praise of Rudra will be more excellent. Otherwise, one will fall into the hell. A person singing in praise of any one else will also fall into the hell.

One who is devoted to Vishnu mentally, verbally and physically, one who sings about him and one who hears his glory shall attain him. Hence, they know that he is the greatest lord.