THE MYSTERIES OF music

KUMARESH RAJAGOPALAN performed at the Global Spirituality Mahotsav, along with Shankar Mahadevan and Shashank Subramanyam, and here he speaks about music and how it unites us.

- KUMARESH RAJAGOPALAN

It is so important to show the world the beauty of being spiritual, and of our country being spiritual by nature. Being spiritual can take away the differences, take away the violence between people, and bring everyone together in this divided world.

And music is one element that brings all of us together. It is beyond meaning. It is beyond division. It is beyond race and religion. Just like you cannot see the Divine, you cannot see music. You can only perceive the Divine, and you can only perceive and experience music. You cannot grasp the Divine, and you cannot grasp music in your fingers. The Divine is beyond; it’s not the earth, nor the wind, nor the air, nor the fire. Music is also none of these. So it is good fortune that we have the ability to connect to that soundscape. And the Divine is using us as a channel to express that sound, which evokes a lot of different emotions in people. So we feel blessed, so honored to be part of this very unique spiritual program.

The source of sound, the source of music, is the aural and visual reflection of silence. Music is an aural medium, but when we sing a song, there are words. So the words bring out the visual element. If you take the melody without the words, it is just an aural experience. Beneath that, where does it come from? Silence. To be silent is very important, to be silent within, so that we can grasp the nuance of that sound.

Each swara (note) is connected to each chakra in our body. The seven notes, sa re ga ma pa dha ni, are connected with the seven chakras, from Muladhara to Sahastra Dal Kamal. So, it is a beautiful journey. We are so fortunate that we are able to embark on that journey to unravel the mysteries of sound, the mysteries of what is music. It's a kaleidoscopic reflection of Om. The seven swaras are the kaleidoscopic reflection of all. And we are able to connect to that and sit in silence and then let the music happen. It’s beautiful.