A New Discovery

Pentatonic Dimension of GOD Shiva

A music composition can have a minimum of five musical notes of which two has to be either in the first tetra chord or in the second tetra chord.

Interestingly the five notes (ச, ரி, க, ப, த‌ or Western Notes C, D, E, G, A) of a pentatonic Indian Raga called ‘mOhanam’ has the unique aspect of all the five notes having the fifth relation among themselves, as shown below.

                         ச ‍  ரி  க  ம      ப‌  
                                                     .        .

                         ப  த   நி  ச   ரி

                         ரி  க  ம   ப   த 
                                               .        .       .

                      த  நி    ச       ரி   க‌                                       

                                    HO – Higher Octave

                                  C – D-    E- -------  F - G

                                  G – A –   B – (HO) C – D

                                   D - E -     F ---       G – A

                                    A – B – (HO) C – D -  E
                                     

Next to the octave, the most significant musical relation is the fifth in terms of the consonant relation. In ancient Indian – Tamil music, the fifth relation was termed as ‘kiLai’ (meaning branch) as proved in http://musicresearchlibrary.net/omeka/items/show/2442 

Interestingly the five letters (ந ம சி வா ய‌) nha , ma, shi, vA, ya  related to the God Shiva are musically related to the above five notes of ‘mOhanam’ raga as revealed in the following evidence from the sacred text of ‘periya purANam’ The following poem is related to the performance of music in flute.

திருவாளன் எழுத்தஞ்சுந்

தூய இசை கிளை கொள்ளும் துறையஞ்சின் முறை விளைத்தார்.

-  ஆனாயநாயனார் புராணம் 951

 thiruvALan  ezhuththanchunh

thUya ichai kiLai koLLum thuRaianjen muRrai viLaiththAr

 - AnAyanhAyanAr purANanm 951

 thiruvALan – referring to God Shiva

ezhuththanchunh – The five letters nha , ma, shi, vA, ya of God Shiva

thUya ichai  - pure ( with pitch accuracy) music

kiLai koLLum  - undergoing the branching (fifth) relation

thuRaianjen muRrai – the five times method showed above

viLaiththAr – accomplished ( by the flutist referred in the poem)

The musical richness of a composition depends on the scope for consonance in the music notes employed. Of all the compositions, any music in the world in the pentatonic scale having the notes C, D, E, G & A will have the maximum scope for the musical consonant richness. No wonder all these five notes are related to the five letters of the musical God Shiva. To know more on 'The Musical Dimension of Shiva - A New Discovery' ,visit
http://musicresearchlibrary.net/omeka/items/show/2447

Through rich music one can have an experience beyond the description of words – which AnAyanhAyanAr in the above reference felt as the embrace of God Shiva, when he played the ‘mOhanam’ in his flute.

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