Long before acoustics came to be understood in Europe as a subject of study, ancient Arab, Greek and Indian civilisations were already familiar with the therapeutic role of sounds and vibrations and the latter day concepts pertaining to them. While music as a whole is well recognised for its entertainment value, Indian civilisation went a step forward to impart to it a curative aspect.
The ancient system of Nada Yoga, which dates back to the time of the Tantras, has fully acknowledged the impact of music on body and mind and put to good use the vibrations emanating from sounds to uplift one’s level of consciousness. The Indian genius recognised that ragas are not just mere commodities of entertainment: vibrations in their resonance could synchronise with one’s moods and health. By stimulating the mood and controlling the brainwave patterns, ragas could work as complementary medicine.
A raga is the sequence of selected notes (swaras) that lends appropriate ‘mood’ or emotion in a selective combination. Depending on its nature, a raga could induce or intensify joy or sorrow, violence or peace and it is this quality which forms the basis for musical application. Playing, performing and even listening to appropriate ragas can work as medicine. Various ragas have since been recognised to have definite impact on certain ailments. The ancient Hindus had relied on music for its curative role: the chanting and toning involved in Veda mantras in praise of God have been used from time immemorial as a cure for several disharmonies in the individual as well as his environment. Several sects of Bhakti such as Chaitanya Sampradaya and Vallabha Sampradaya accorded priority to music. Historical records, too, indicate that Haridas Swami, guru to the famous 16th century musician Tansen in emperor Akbar’s time (1542-1605 AD), cured a queen of the emperor with a selected raga.
The great composers of classical music in India called the ‘musical trinity’ – equivalent to Bach, Beethoven and Mozart – were quite sensitive to acoustical energies. Legend has it that Saint Thyagaraja brought a dead person back to life with his Bilahari composition ‘Naa Jeevadhara’. Muthuswamy Dikshitar’s Navagriha Kriti is believed to cure stomach ache. Shyama Sastry’s composition Duru Sugu uses music to pray for good health.
Raga Chikitsa was an ancient manuscript, which dealt with the therapeutic effects of raga. The library at Thanjavur is reported to contain a treasure on ragas. Living systems show sensitivity to specific radiant energies – be it acoustical, magnetic or electromagnetic. As the impact of music could be easily gauged on emotions and thereby on the mind, it can be used as a tool to control physiological, psychological and even social activities of patients. Indian classical music can be classified into two forms: Kalpita Sangita or composition, which is previously conceived, memorised, practised and rendered and Manodharma Sangita or the music extemporised and performed. The latter is fresh and natural as it is created almost on the spot and rendered on the spur of the moment.
According to an ancient Indian text, Swara Sastra (5), the 72 Melakarta ragas (parent ragas) control the 72,000 important nadis or nerves in the body, which are believed to transmit life energy into every cell of the body. It is believed that if one sings with due devotion, adhering to the raga lakshana (norms) and sruti shuddhi (pitch purity), the raga could affect the particular nerve in the body in a favourable manner.
While the descending notes in a raga (avarohana) do create inward-oriented feelings, the ascending notes (arohana) represent an upward mobility. Thus, music played for soldiers or for dancers has to be livelier, with frequent use of arohana content. In the same way, melancholic songs should go for ‘depressing’ avarohanam. Although it is not a rule, most western tunes based on major keys play joyful notes, while those composed in minor keys tend to be melancholic or serious. Certain ragas do have a tendency to move listeners, both emotionally as well as physically.
Ragas like Darbari Kanhada, Kamaj, and Pooriya are said to help in defusing mental tension, particularly in the case of hysterics. For those who suffer from hypertension, ragas such as Ahirbhairav, Pooriya and Todi are prescribed. To control anger and bring down the violence within, Carnatic ragas like Punnagavarali and Sahana do come handy (it is generally believed in music circles, though scientific endorsement doesn’t appear to be forthcoming). It is the combination of rhythms and tempo which affect the quality of a raga.
Not only psychological impact, but also somatic or physiological impact of ragas has come to light in some recent works. For instance, digestion is reported to be activated with Hindustani ragas such as Deepak which is believed to cure acidity. For constipation, the musical folk remedy is Gunkali or Jaunpuri. Malkauns or Hindolam are said to control fevers. For headaches, relaxing with ragas like Durbari Kanada, Jaijaiwanti and Sohni is said to be beneficial. The Chennai based tiny Nada Centre for Music Therapy has quite recently embarked on raga therapy research to re-discover the therapeutic ragas by trial and error methods. Some modest progress is already visible, giving green signals. For want of logistics, the project has been shelved: we are hopeful it will be revived with the support we get from music lovers and medical professionals all over India.
There is a growing awareness that ragas could be a safe alternative for many medical interventions. Simple iterative musical rhythms with low pitched swaras, as in bhajans and kirtans are time-tested sedatives. They have a relaxing effect, as observed with alpha levels of brainwaves. They may also lead to favourable hormonal changes in the system. To unearth the goldmine on which the Indian musical system rests, it is necessary that exponents of Indian ragas join medical experts to help evolve a scientific system of raga therapy for the most common illness of modern times: stress and stress-related disorders.
This article was published in Dignity Dialogue – April 2010 – Pages 32, 33
Edited by Geeta Shreedar, August 6, 2021