Gandharva

Gandharva (Sanskrit, m गन्घर्व gandharva; . Pali gandhabba ) is in the early writings of the Indian Vedas, one gifted with magical abilities lower spirit beings, later a demigod ( upa - deva ), who knows the secrets of heaven and divine truth and revealed. In the various text collections, the Gandharvas have different abilities with which they are narrated in the Hindu mythology. They are regarded as personifications of sunlight or have the task to prepare as ministering spirits to Soma, the drink of the gods, and to protect them. According to Buddhist tradition, they are among the gods ( devas ). In the classical epics written in Sanskrit Gandharvas ( other Gandharvas plural ) come in larger groups before together with their female companions, the Apsaras, as a musician and singer.

Gandharva referred to in theory and practical guidance also the ancient Indian ritual music that was especially created to to enjoy the heavenly gods. The ( semi-mythical ) Bharata Muni scholars first described the strict set of music including dance and drama in detail in the work created around the time of Natyashastra. This ancient Indian music theory Gandharva Veda contains many of which still apply today basics of Indian classical music.

Origin and manifestations

The number of Gandharvas is specified in the Atharvaveda in one place with 6333, the Mahabharata mentions " seven times 6000 Gandharvas ". In the early and later writings, they are very fond of women, and have a magical power over them. The Apsaras appear in a group with the Gandharvas than their wives or playmates.

Gandharvas are familiar with medicine from, check the Soma nectar and help to transform the night sky. In the environment of the Vedic god Indra, the lord of the sky, the Gandharvas entertain with music of the gods in the festivities. The gods in their assembly hall surrounded by thousands of Gandharvas and Apsaras, sing, play instruments, dance and perform auspicious rituals. Abode of the gods is the holy mountain Kailasa, the summit of which is enveloped in the sound of celestial music and fragrant scents.

According to the Atharvaveda, the world is divided into four areas, which correspond to the four Vedas in the list: 1) The earth consists of oceans, mountains and seven islands. 2) The airspace populate Gandharvas, Apsaras and other lower deities, called Yakshas. 3) In heaven all the gods including the Vasus, Rudras ( Rudra wake of ) the Adityas and hold on. 4) In the otherworldly, the highest room bored the principle of Brahman. After the Yajurveda the Gandharvas knew the great mysteries, that is the residence of the gods and the world order.

Where did the Gandharvas came and who their leader is, above there are different information. In Vishnupurana once they are descendants of Brahma; they came into the world, as they aufsaugten the divine melody and speech ( gam dhayantah ). Elsewhere, they are presented as sons of a celestial sages ( rishi ) named Kashyapa and his wife Arishta. In Harivamsa is Muni, another of Kashyapas women called their mother, that they also have come there from the nose of Brahma. The singer Citraratha, son of Muni, is the leader of the heavenly musicians who live together with the Apsaras in magnificently landscaped cities. After Padmapurana there are 60 million Gandharvas, which go back to Vach, the daughter of Daksha, wife of Kashyapa another.

In the vorepischen texts Gandharvas are hardly in conjunction with music and how the Apsaras rarely mentioned. In a hymn of the Atharvaveda sounds from the trees music after previously Apsaras had stopped under. In the same passage a Gandharva is mentioned between dancing apsaras.

Your actual awareness begins with the Mahabharata. A Gandharva king called Visvavasu, he is the son of Danu and to have played so beautifully vina at a sacrificial ceremony that everybody in the audience thought he was playing for him alone. Visvavasus son Citrasena accompanied Arjuna, when he stayed in Khandava forest and brought him to dance, sing and play the harp at.

Even the mythical sage Narada, the son of Brahma and inventor of the oldest stringed instrument vina is their leader. Narada acts as a messenger of the gods and bears the epithet Deva Gandharva ( " divine Gandharva " ) or Gandharva Raja ( " king of the Gandharvas ").

One of the most famous celestial musician is usually depicted with a bow harp Pancasikha, which occurs only in the Buddhist, but not in the Hindu tradition. Pancasikha one of the companions of Indra, describe two Jatakas as Pancasikha, Indra and Matali ( charioteer of Indra ) be reborn together in a family. According to the famous story once wanted Indra Buddha visit. Indra was hoped that the Buddha an extension of his expiring life span in heaven, but doubted whether this would receive him, because Buddha did not know him. So Pancasikha should run ahead to awaken the Buddha with soft music from meditation and prepare for the visit. Pancasikha brought songs of praise to the Buddha, and addressed to Apsara love songs represents a stone relief of 2 / 3 Century AD from Nagarjunakonda ( island in Nagarjuna Dam in Andhra Pradesh ) shows how many similar illustrations that scene. Indra, which can be seen at a high cylindrical headdress, stands right next to him Pancasikha playing harp. Between the two visitors and Buddha are six living creatures have (possibly Bodhisattvas ) dazugesellt, the three front occupants keep their ears.

On a Gandhara relief at the Stupa of Sikri (northwest of Taxila ) from the 2nd century AD Pancasikha Indra announces to visit the Buddha, who has retired to meditate in a cave. Links below the seated Buddha travels the Pancasikha less represented with far -reaching hand movements in the four strings of his harp. Even smaller and pushed into the background Indra is on the left side. Maybe Indra is still far away, as Pancasikha making music before Buddha.

In Vishnupurana we find the story of the struggle of the Gandharvas with the serpent deities ( nagas ), the underground kingdom they plundered. The Naga leaders then turned to Vishnu and asked for support. Vishnu promised to intervene in the form of the king Purukutsa ( also a poet Vedic mantras ). The Nagas married her daughter Narmada ( Narmada River in central India ) with Purukutsa, who tracked down the Gandharvas and destroyed.

The Gandharvas are hybrid creatures like the snake multiform Nagas or also playing music Kinnaras with bird legs (the female equivalent are the Kinnaris ). The Kinnaras are good-natured, helpful mythical creatures, they always occur in pairs ( for example if they bathe together in the river ) and are excellent musicians. On festive occasions they entertain together with Gandharvas and Apsaras. One such festival was held, as the palace of the king Yudhishthira, one of the five Pandavas of the Mahabharata, was opened and everyone, including the invited Rishis headed by Tumburu sang heavenly songs. Tumburu is the son of Rishi Kashyapa and his wife Pradha, he is regarded as the best musician among the Gandharvas. According to another story, he is equated with Viradha, a man-eating demon ( Rakshasa ), which came back to life after his cruel death as a beautiful Gandharva. It turned out afterwards that of dwarf multiform god Kubera had sentenced him to an existence as a Rakshasa, from which he was liberated by Rama.

In Hindu literature have Kinnaras sometimes horses legs like the Gandharvas, to which they are sometimes expected, but only because they too are hybrid creatures and make music. In any case, the two celestial beings are related to horses ( vajin ). Both can be menschengesichtig shown with horses abdomen. Many Gandharvas, especially those based on the wind ( wind god Vayu ) thus moving the other hand, have a horse's head. Accordingly, called the mother of all horses Gandharvi, as Kadru the snakes ( nagas ) gave birth, Rohini and the cows. The relationship between the Gandharvas and the horses will be highlighted in several places in the Mahabharata. The Gandharvas there own furious galloping horses that can change color as desired. The Gandharva Tumburu gives Yudhishthira 100 horses, which he will later lose at dice. Arjuna is replaced by singer Citraratha also horses.

Since the 19th century, and is discussed via a connection of the Sanskrit word gandharva with the Greek Kentauros, the Centaur, a hybrid creature of Greek mythology with a human torso and lower body horses. Apart from the etymology, which is today judged differently, there are similarities in the appearance and behavior of the two mythical creatures. They ride equally on the storm wind, therefore, provide for Women and are equipped with magical skills. Horses were for the early Indo-European steppe peoples hunting or totem animals, even before they were domesticated as a riding and pack animals.

In earlier writings affection for women let the Gandharvas sometimes act as threatening and receive a negative description. In one verse of the Atharvaveda they appear hairy like monkeys and dogs similar, but transform into beautiful shapes to seduce women. Hairy they are also in other texts: In the Mahabharata bears at one point a dancing Gandharva a tuft of hair at a different point grinds Arjuna a Gandharva, whom he defeated in battle by the hair away with it.

In the Mahabharata, the arming of the Gandharvas is described at several battles, some times they are mentioned as archers. Citraratha, Arjuna defeated in battle, tells Arjuna his magical abilities ( cakshusi vidya ), which allow him to see into all the three worlds and to be able to so in the fight to defeat the humans. Maybe he meant with these skills and the expertise.

From a Gandharva and Apsara, the gender of the Amrita derives. According to the Samaveda of these come from the god of death Yama and his twin sister Yami. Yama went over the sea and was later the first mortal man. Yami followed him to beget offspring with him. However, it is not clear whether it was this myth in the sense of making a Gandharva in a straight line responsible for ensuring that on the earth the human race originated.

Ancient Indian music theory

The ancient Indian music was loud the Mahabharata in the three sectors of society 1) Music of the Gods, which is strictly regulated, heavenly music deva gandharva, 2) Music of the Kings, their court and the Brahmins, desa gita, and 3) the music of all ethnic groups outside the caste hierarchy divided. The first two categories of music could be performed only by selected and trained musicians because the music according to the Vedic classification of the three life goals ( trivarga ) in kama ( pleasure), artha (material pursuit, political action ) and dharma ( religious duty ) the area of ​​the dharma has been assigned.

In Natyashastra the word gandharva music of the heavenly musicians Gandharvas is derived. The Gandharva Veda, the collection of theoretical treatises on music, regarded as one of the four basic sciences, which are derived from the Vedas and are summarized as Upa - Veda. The other three are Ayurveda ( Healing Arts ), Dhanurveda ( martial arts ) and according to different sources Sthpatayaveda (also Vastuveda, architecture) or Arthashastra ( statecraft ).

Text sources

In the Indian sage Bharata Muni, said to have lived around the time of, or before, the Natyashastra is returned, a treatise on the performing arts. It is the most comprehensive and most revered works for Gandharva music. Bharata describes gandharva than the gods desired, a strict set of music, their performance was, therefore, as a sacrifice to the gods. This music of stringed instruments ( generally vina ) produced and accompanied with various other instruments. The Gandharva repertoire, as it is described in the Natyashastra in detail, ritual action includes (theater), Instrumental Music, Text ( pada ), dance and mime. An essential part of the ancient Indian classical as of today (dance) theater is the prelude Purvaranga, which consists of several well-defined parts, and in which the master of ceremonies sutradhara the audience welcomed. Bharata's Natyashastra describes how in Purvaranga the four dancers have come to the stage, their costumes, their dancing style, the mime as they are made ​​up, and the nature and mood ( svara ) of musical instruments. The strict gandharva style of Purvaranga then follows a second, less defined style that is called gana.

A little later than the Natyashastra, between the 1st and 5th centuries AD, the way Dattila from earlier texts presented the musicological work Dattilam together. The third source of Gandharva music is a significant commentary on Natyashastra, which the Kashmiri scholar and musician Abhinavagupta wrote the early 11th century. The extensive work Abhinavabharati is since 2006 the first ( three-volume ) English translation. The entire musical tradition Sarngadeva summed together in the 13th century in Sangitaratnakara.

All works span a period of over 1000 years and a musical tradition that so fixed already appears in the Natyashastra that they must have been collected for centuries before. This confirms Bharata himself, mentioned in verse 525 that music theory was previously described by " Narada ," he thus reflects only the accepted theories. It remains unclear who Bharata says. He might have been associated with the legendary sage Narada, whose work Naradya Shiksha is mentioned in connection with the Gandharva music and the Samaveda, or to Narada as one of the heavenly Gandharvas. In the latter case, Bharata would have put in a sacred tradition.

Structure

Structural basis of the Gandharva Music comprehensive, rhythmic unit of time was tala, which were subordinate to the pitch ( svara ) and the text ( pada ). In the resulting from the Samkhya theory of music Gandharva Veda include the divisions of the seven svaras (notes), two gramas ( Urskalen ) from which emerged seven murchanas (modes ), and jatis ( basic melodic forms ) contain 18. It developed in Bharata Gharana ( tradition ) today's terms as sruti ( microtones ), Gamaka ( ornamentation ), raga ( melodic structure ), tala ( rhythmic structure) or prabhanda (composition). Outstanding among the subrogated in today's music forms is upohana, the free rhythmic introduction of the song with meaningless syllables. It corresponds to the present-day South Indian form of improvisation alapana ( North Indian opening alap called). Prastara ( " spread " ) was called to finish a piece of a special musical sequence. This corresponds to about vistara today.

The strict Gandharva music Purvaranga consists of seven gitakas ( compositional forms, song genres ) together, which also saptarupas ( " seven forms " ) are mentioned and are part of the overall concept of tala. The formal characteristics of the gitakas include key words: rhythm pattern (Pattern, talavidhi ); on the musical structure, exploratory verses ( slokas ); parallel the music following body gestures; Emphasis on the final syllable; in the form of a palindrome repetitive syllables ( uttara tala ); Tempo increases in the ratio 1: 2: 4; Repetitions of text and melody in double speed as a method for reconciliations ( upavartana ); vocal introduction ( upohana ); melodic development by permutation, repetition and compression ( prastara ). The first three gitakas hot Madraka, Aparantaka and Ullopyaka. Their common characteristic is that they can be listed in one-, two -, and four-time time shape in each different among members intervals of time ( matras ). The other gitakas are Ullopyaka, Rovindaka, Prakari, Uttara and Ovenaka. The latter is the most complex form of gitakas with a variety of structural elements and changes of tempo.

It can be derived from sources quite accurately the rhythmic structures and sequence and pitch of the notes ( svara ) of gandharva discretion, but lacking sufficient knowledge about the connection between the two, so that leaves only vague assess despite all practical attempts to reconstruct how the music actually sounded may have. Today's South Indian music is more of the ancient Indian tradition rhythm arrested as North Indian. But attached as an exception today 's most popular North Indian rhythm structure Tintal with 16 beats (in 4 × 4 equal sections divided ) directly with a corresponding ancient Indian rhythm, whose 16 beats were divided into 4 padabhagas together. In Indian music history continuous future, but nowhere a revolutionary leap took place.

Musical practice

Essential to the ancient Indian musical practice is the connection between musical rhythm and body movements. Each drum beat goes evolutionarily preceded by an appropriate gesture. The set in the tala rhythmic structures have evolved from the hymn singing ( Samhita ) accompanying ritual hand movements developed. Already Abhinavagupta saw the origin of the rhythm in the fixed sign, which may be particularly the presentation of the Samaveda Hymns played a role, but whose former meaning was lost in the transfer to the musical form. Preserved in music are silent gestures with which the beginning is displayed during certain sequences of notes mark the end. Among the silent gestures include avapa ( curved fingers with the palm facing upwards ), nishkrama ( palm with the fingers extended downward ), Vikshepa (curved to the right hand) and Pravesha ( curved fingers with the palm facing down ). The names can be found in certain song forms ( Dhruva ) today Indian dances again.

The oldest figures show the stringed instrument vina in the form of bow harps on Buddhist places of worship ( stupas ) from the 2nd century BC Mature written evidence of bow harps are from the Brahmanas before the middle of the 1st millennium BC, an instrument is described there with seven strings and with other properties that saung today Burmese National Instrument resemble gauk. Another vina - type was a long-necked lute, as it appears to the 3rd century AD in the art of Gandhara and the stupas of Amaravati and Nagarjunakonda in 1. The later developed bar zithers with gourds as they are known today about rudra vina as no longer belong to the Gandharva music.

The used for the Purvaranga orchestra was small and was besides string instruments from flutes and percussion instruments including, clay pots (about ghatam ) were drums and small Bronzezimbeln for acoustic transmission of hand movements. These men and women singing together.

Others

Derived from the ideal notion of a Gandharva and Apsara as bright, practiced in the fine arts pair, gandharva (or gandharvavivaha ) means one of the five traditional forms of marriage: the agreed only between the young man and the young woman love match without the otherwise necessary in India parental consent and without the usual rituals.

In the Mahabharata, the term " city of the Gandharvas " ( Gandharva Nagaram ) is a metaphor for an optical illusion or illusion, which can be seen in the sky or on the water.