Music Therapy 4 Professionals

                                                   

                                                     Music Therapy 4 Professionals

The month of May 2017 is very special for the world of music.  It marks the 250^th birth anniversary of the musical guru  Saint Thyagaraja (Born: 4^th May 1767_Chaitra Shukla Saptami).  Saint Thyagaraja is often referred to as the Tulsidas of the South, as both of them  composed their musical hymns  in praise of ‘Lord Ram’.  Thyagaraja’s musical compositions have immortalised the ‘bhakti movement’.  They are also the gems in the treasure house of the world famous South Indian Classical Music (also referred to as the Carnatic Music).

Life and work of Saint Thyagaraja are guiding lights for the modern day professionals.  He lived a simple life dedicating himself to the cause of  devotion, music, knowledge and ethics. 

History has recorded that the Maharaja of Thanjavur (Tamil Nadu) was very pleased with the musical genius of Saint Thyagaraja and wanted to appoint him as his court musician.  He lured him with huge wealth.  But the Saint was always dedicated to the cause of common man and refused the King’s offer and opened the eyes of the people and the King by composing the immortal Krithi ‘Nidhi chala Sukhama’?   Saint’s challenging question….’Nidhi chala Sukhama?.............. meaning ‘ can wealth give you the peace of mind and happiness’?............... is very relevant for the modern day professionals, who are ever ready to throw away ethical ways in pursuit of quick wealth!

Corruption  has become rampant and India today is regarded as one of the most corrupt countries in the world! However there is a ray of hope today in our fight towards ending corruption and let us resolve to keep  supporting  the same.

Saint Purandaradasa (1480-1564) also has reflected such spirit of renunciation of wealth by singing the immortal song ‘kereya neeranu kerege chelli’………..meaning ‘let us put back the gains from the pond for the good of the pond itself’!  Larger meaning of this immortal song underlines the spirit of ‘Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)’. 

Even today we have greats like Warren Buffett who have dedicated large part of their wealth for the cause of social good.

Charity by celebrities and power brands are a common tale, but an 84 year old retired bank employee Mr.Janardan Bhatt and his wife from Gujarat have donated their life time savings of Rs.1 crore (during 8^th May 2017)  for the cause of welfare of families of martyred army jawans. 

Certainly Mr.Bhatt has drawn a leaf from the teachings of Saints like Purandaradasa!

Greed  for wealth and loss of humility are concomitants.  Respect for elders and the learned is missing among many of our modern day youth.  As if Saint Thyagaraja knew this much before, he has composed one more great song……..’endaro mahanubhavulu, andariki  vandanamulu’, meaning ‘let us salute and bow before all those who have done great work’!

In spite of his profound knowledge and musical genius Saint Thyagaraja was the embodiment of humility and admiration for other’s good work.  Once disciples of the Saint informed him about one lesser known musical guru by name Muthanna, of a neighbouring town, who was an expert in singing the raag ‘Ananda Bhairavi’.  Saint was ever ready to listen to the music of such fellow musicians irrespective of their reputation.  Disguising himself,  he sat in the concert of Muthanna  who sang raag ‘Ananda Bhairavi’ on that day.  Pleased by the singing of Muthanna,  Saint Thyagaraja came out in the open and hugged him and offered him the gift of his choice.  Clever Muthanna requested the great Saint not to sing or compose further in the raag ‘Ananda Bhairavi’.  Thyagaraja readily agreed.  As a mark of respect for this event, even today no musician sings the compositions of Thyagaraja in the raag ‘Ananda Bhairavi’.  This event has a great lesson for our modern day professionals who are not at all liberal in praising the good work of others! 

Admiration of good work, especially from superiors to the juniors  can be the catalyst of growth  for modern organizations.

May, 2017 also marks 1000^th Birth Anniversary  of Saint Ramanujacharya and 700 years of Aradhana (day of disappearance) of Saint Madhwacharya.

In our great country there is no dearth of teachings from our great ‘gurus’.  But nothing is going to change unless we start doing the  noble task of ‘walk the talk’.   Let us make a small beginning  today by putting one small step forward in the right direction.

                                               -o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

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