I am a Musical man and Music is been my alternate source of Life in its perspective!I hum music all through the day and keep myself oxygenated with this magic!! One negative point that I should also tell in me is that I do not follow the exact set pattern of a song and like to deviate or stray here and there within the ambit of raga or the composition. I like experimenting and this is the reason I hate to sit through a concert unless its a classical recital or Hindustani shastriya Sangeeth. Its only sonu Nigam who has impressed me the most after Kishore Kumar whose concerts I have attended a couple of times at Ravindra rang shala, New Delhi, years back. Of late, Sonu has also started singing differently and has lost his melody. Probably, that's what the youth of today wants, keeping in time?
yesterday, I had been to Land mark, a famous store in Chennai where you get almost everything barring provisions! I thought of devoting some time to see if any new collections of Music have arrived in the classical/devotional section.
In our childhood, Our parents have told us about a few reigning deities and have taught us hymns and slokas worshipping a few deities which were traditional and popularly sung by one and all. I was in for a pleasant surprise when I noticed singers who have sung prayers and hymns on virtually everything that you see on earth besides several renderings on various gods and goddesses. We were warned by our household priests and elders not to recite Gayathri Mantra aloud but to chant it within ourselves with only the lips in motion and here I find gayathri Mantra recited aloud by famous and infamous musicians brought out in C D format for all ears!! I saw a CD on Tulasi mahima, one on river Ganges, one on sun God and all other planets, and several others on different incarnations of Devi, Lord shiva, Lord Vishnu and other gods alike.As it is each and every day of ours is ruled by a particular planet and there are many volumes of Cds in praise of these planets, available in the racks.
There was a CD on Mrityunjaya Mantra and several Cds on all the four Vedas!! We were told that for reciting Vedas, Rudram (Hymn on Lord shiva) etc one has to be very clean in his habits and thoughts and this inculcated a sense of fear in us as children and we never ventured anywhere near these godly things. I remember, as a kid, Devi Mahatmyam used to be read in our house by a priest on last Friday of every month. strict rules were observed on that day which included a compulsory second bath, apply the sacred ash on the forehead etc.. and sit through the proceedings. The only interest which kept me awake was serving of Chakkarai Pongal and vadai at the end of the Pooja!! So much so that all these mantras and shlokas were recited only by authorised priests for specific purpose in the household. These days, its all there in the music shop for a price and one can put it on in the systems at home and not only listen but also make the neighbours listen through increased decibel levels!! Amavasai Tarpanam can be done with the help of a Cd specially made for this purpose.
In short, the necessity of inviting a Brahmin Purohit or a priest for performing these religious rites is greatly reduced ?? The priest or a Brahmin is essentially required for such occassions for giving phala-dhanam in order to reap the benefits of the pooja so conducted and for having guided the religious program.
Very soon in the coming years, one can find Cd's on mantras for walking, jogging, sleeping and who knows, may be to stop you from snoring too?? Expect the unexpected is the undercurrent of this label. Who knows, may be for the ever sincere dog of yours, there could be a Cd on Dog-mantra or the Cat-mantra which can be recited for the well being of the dog or the cat!! Mantra for sitting and Mantra for standing, mantra for friendship mantrta for getting into a college of your choice, Vashiya mantra for the girl or the boy you like etc etc.. and to ward off confusion from all these mantras, there could be a Cd on Mind clarity and so on.....
Even as I enter my Pooja room I stand confused as to which Mantra and slokam should I recite and more confused about the deity to be chosen not to speak of volumes of books printed in Tamil and Sanskrit on various gods!
The Hindu religious heads should throw some light on this subject and make it a lighter study for people like me so that the focus remains intact and there are only a few gods/goddesses on whom these praises can be showered!
This will make praying easier and welcome everyone for more prayers!!
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