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The Samaveda contents stem mostly from the Rigveda. I does include 75 mantras however. This
book is interesting to me because of the inclusion of collections of melodies. The Yajurveda Samhita
contains matieral that is independent of the first two books. This section details the rituals and
sacrifices that were performed during the Vedic period.
The final section is the Artharvaveda Samhita and contains the poetry of the Atharvan and
Angirasas. There is evidence that the text were compiled in a time between the Rigveda and 900 BC.
The text contains hymns on a variety of subjects from philosophy as well as magic spells that can give
one better heath and relationships. This Veda gives us more information about the Vedic times and the
customs of Vedic people.
Samhita is the oldest component of the Vedas. This section contains mantras, hymns, and
prayers. The word Samhita can e translated to mean correct or arranged. Mantras have no defined
meaning themselves. They can be thought of more as sacred sounds. The Vedic Samhitas are one of the
oldest active Hindu traditions and were chanted in ritual ceremonies.
The Brahmanas are an amalgamation of commentaries on the Vedas. There are multiple schools
or shakhas and they each had their own Brahmana. Although most of these texts have been destroyed,
there are 19 which still exist.
The Upanishads serve to clarify truths that are contained in the Vedas. They serve to get one
closer to Brahman or Ultimate Reality, and touch on concepts such as the soul. These texts have been
incorporated into Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism. Like other parts of the Vedas the author of the
Upanishads isn't known.
I have chose to discuss the various Vedic texts that influenced Carnatic music composers.
Carnatic music is the classical music of southern india. This music features improvisation but also
relies heavily on compositions. The components of Carnatic music are sruti which are the discrete
pitches, swara or timbre, and raga which is a system of pitch class sets. These components are
grounded and organized by the tala which is a pattern of rhythms for a song. I will focus on Tyagayya
who is included in the Trinity of Carnatic music composers.
Tyagayya lived from 1767 to 1847 and was influenced the development of indian classical
music. The majority of his pieces were dedicated to the god Rama. History remembers five of his
compositions over all. This collection is called Pancharatna Kriti. The first song is written in Sanskrit
like the vedas, however the other four are in Telugu. All of the songs include lyrics of praise to the
deity Rama and are in Adi Tala.
The first song in the set is Jagadananda karaka. This is the only song in the set written in sanskrit,
and praises Ramachandra. The second is Dud ukugala nann dora kod uku brcur yent. In this song
Tyagaraja asks how Rama can redeem him for his sins, and then lists his transgressions. This song
includes wordplay. In Sadhinchane o manasa, Tyagaraja writes about lord Krishna and set his lyric with
the Arabhi raga. The fourth is Kana kana ruci r kanaka vasana ninnu. This song is set in the Vararli
Raga, which is considered a rare raga. This song is the least performed in the set. The fifth and final
song is entitled Endaro mahanubhavulu, this songs lyric discusses musicians and saints including