(The Mahaswami (late) Sri Chandrasekharendra Sarasvati Swami is considered a saint of recent times. His discourses on various topics while on a visit to Madras in 1930's are indeed the benchmark.)
Sri Appar Swami (Devotee & Tamil Poet) has listed various items, which generate pleasure and peace to the mind. Though these appear as pleasures arising out of the sensory organs, Sri Appar has included them in his list as those giving permanent and divine pleasure. What are these items?
Firstly, pure and blemish-less sound of the Veena,
Milky white light of the full moon,
Gentle breeze from the south,
Regeneration of life during the early spring, and
A tank or pond wherein the lotus flowers are constantly
buzzed by the bees.
Thus, while citing sensory pleasures as examples of pleasure derived from intense devotion to God, Sri Appar gives the first place to music.
Good music - particularly that played on the instrument most suited to Indian music, namely, Veena - would always have a divine connotation. Our ancestors devoted all their music as a form of worship of God. That music created an intense awareness of God both in the performers as well as in the audience. Sri Yaagnavalkya, the author of Dharma Saastra, has stated thus: It is enough to perform music in a blemish-less manner; there is no need for meditation, yoga , tapas (intense penance), pooja (worship with flowers etc.), or difficult sacrifices. The music itself would lead the way to Moksha (liberation).
Another special feature is that not only the artist but also all in his audience derive the same pleasure from his performance as the artist himself does.
Goddess Saraswati (the goddess of the arts, learning etc.) always plays on the Veena and sings about the various playful acts of Parameswara, so says Soundarya Lahari.
Sri Sankara Bhagavatpada sets out in Soundarya Lahari the Goddess' graceful neck thus. He describes beautifully that the entire art of music is born from the Goddess. Three lines, seen on the throat, are auspicious signs of ideal beauty or signs associated with the great. Sri Acharya refers in this context to the three of the seven basic notes in music (swaraas), namely Shadja, Madhyama and Gaandhaara. All the different Raagaas (combination of notes or musical scales), with ornamentation (gamaka ) have their roots in these basic notes or scales.
O! Goddess! You are expert in the nuances (tempo and ornamentation) of music. The three basic notes were themselves born out of your neck. To indicate, as it were, the limits of places of generation or ending of the three swaraas appropriate to the three basic notes, the three lines have appeared on your neck! (Another interpretation is that Shadja, Madhyama and Gaandhaara are the three villages considered to be the source of the major Indian melodies.)
Gale Rekhaas Tisro Gati Gamaka Geetaika
Nipune
(Soundarya Lahari, 69
)
The Bhagavatpada , who has enunciated the advaita (non-duality) doctrine, was equally adept in music. Music itself merges the individual souls with their root, namely, Paramatma (supreme God). Kalidasa (the great Sanskrit poet) has sung as "sarigamapadaniratham" in his "Navarathna Maalika" describing the Goddess in her appearance as Syaamala carrying the Veena. The poet says that her soft heart and the eternal peace residing therein, which is synonymous with advaita, become clear from her music. Music may cause many pleasant feelings, but peace alone must be the ultimate end of music. Moreover music causes soft feeling hearts. Muthuswamy Dikshitar (a great devotee) entered into samaadhi (tomb) playing on the Veena the good qualities of Meenakshi alias Syaamala who is herself highly skilled in musical ornamentation. Thyagaraaja (music composer and devotee) has in one of his songs, set in the Syaama Raaga, (on hearing which even those without knowledge of the language, get limitless peace of mind), sung that there is no happiness or welfare without peace. Sri Appar (Devotee & Tamil Poet) too has referred in his poem to the intense devotion to God leading to great peace.
DIVINE EXPERIENCE THROUGH MUSIC: Saraswati, the Goddess of Arts & learning, is always having the Veena in her hands. Kalidaasa , the great Sanskrit poet, has composed "Navarathna Maalika". In that poem, he has stated that Paraasakthi, Sri Parameswara's consort, also has the Veena in her hands. He states that the Goddess is playing on the Veena's strings by the tips of her fingers; and that she is enjoying the ornamentation and combination of the seven swaraas .
Sarigamapadanirathaam thaam
Veenasankraantha kaanthahasthaam thaam
Sivakaantha (Siva's consort) is thus immersed in music; She is Saantha (full of peace), Mridula swaantha (having a heart full of mercy). I bow to Her- thus says Kalidaasa .
Saanthaam Mridulaswaanthaam
Kucha Barathaanthaam namaami Sivakaanthaam
From the tenor of the sloka , it appears that the Goddess has become the embodiment of peace due to her complete absorption in music. Likewise it seems as though, owing to her musical experience, her heart has become soft like the petals of a flower and full of mercy.
When Paarvathi (Sri Parameswara's consort) is looked upon as the Goddess of Music, she takes the name of Syaamala. Syaamala is immersed in music and is full of ananda (happiness) and saanta (peace). She has a child-like heart. She will pour out her mercy on her devotees. The quality of mercy is forever pouring out of her. In the divine presence, brim-full of music, peace and happiness will arise spontaneously. If we surrender ourselves unto Siva Kaanta (Siva 's consort), we shall attain this peace and happiness.
From these, it is clear that music will lead to happiness, peace, a soft heart and merciful nature.
One can attain divine experience through relentless study of the Vedas, yoga , meditation and ritual worship (pooja). The same experience can be got easily without much hardship through music (that is also divine in nature) with good knowledge of the arrangement of notes and rhythm. This is the declaration of the great sage Yaagya Valkya Maharishi, who has composed the scripture Dharma Saastra. Referring to music played on the Veena, he has stated thus -
'Aprayatnena' - even without severe effort - one can reach the path to Moksha (liberation). If we immerse our mind in divine music and become totally absorbed in it, we can easily experience God. The listeners to the music we enjoy singing orally or playing on instruments, will also get the same divine experience. Practice of no other art leads to the experience of pleasures both to the players as well as to the audience. Great devotees such as Thyagaraja had surrendered their hearts and minds fully unto the Supreme God through the path called music. These great personalities are the constant witnesses to the fact that music itself is Godhead.
Paarvati is the energy behind the Supreme God (Brahmam). Sound itself is the Supreme God. The Goddess has her happiness from her immersion in music. This fact denotes that the energy and the Supreme God are one and indivisible. This is the essence of advaita (non-duality). The Goddess pours out her natural grace and mercy: She blesses those who worship her through music, to merge their Atma (souls) with the Paramatma (Supreme Soul or God).