AMBA

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Here is a bhajan, sacred song, that covers the phenomena of Nada, Sound as it manifests itself in the entire Creation as one Note throughout. The Sound and its manifestation via Sur or Note is therefore inherently divine. As of now I have no clue as to who the poet is. The song has been sung very nicely by many such as Pt. Jitendra Abhisheki, Smt. Devaki Pandit and Smt. Aarti Ankalikar. They are all on you tube. 

 

एक सूर चराचर छायो जी ।

 

घट घट तुंभा (कुंभा) बना उसी का ।

 

एसो नाद जगायो ॥

 

तार अखण्ड अभेद हुए सब ।

 

जब यह सूर लगायो ।

 

ताल काल से रह्यो अबाधित ।

 

सम से सम समझायो ॥

 

किसे सुनाना कैसे सुनना ।

 

सूर कहाँ से आयो ।

 

सुननेवाला कोई न था ।

 

जब अलख निरंजन गायो जी ॥

 

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Oh one ( hark), know that one note pervades the entire world of the mobile and the immobile.

 

It is only one single note that pervades this universe like an umbrella under which everything is covered. Not just living things that move but also the inert that does not move.

 

Each and every pot is made a container by it.

 

Kumbh refers to a pot that has contents in it. Ghata is just a container without the contents in it. 

 

Thus,  the Sound was awakened.

 

Here reference is being made to the origin and manifestation of the entire creation via

Sound. 

 

The strings all became therefore, unbroken and undifferentiated,

 

When this note was attached.

 

Reference here is to seeing all of creation with all its individual parts and varieties just as being really one.  

 

It became bereft of rhythm and time. 

 

As it merged the beginning, to the end.

 

There is no unit of time, as time stands still. Very indicative of classical India music rhythm that always begins with the first beat and ends in one too. Thus, it is a cycle not a bar as we see in Western music.

 

Who is to hear this and how to hear this ?

 

Referring to the fact that this is not available to just anyone. 

 

Where did this note originate or come from?

 

Untraceable is the source of this Note as it really has no beginning or end.

 

There was none to hear this,

 

Oh one ( hark) when it was sung with no qualities or coloration.

 

This is therefore a Nirguna bhajan

 

 

 

There is so much to this song. I am reminded of Nada yoga as in Nada Bindu Upanishad , Surangamasutra ( Mahayana Buddhism ), and the works of Kashmir philosophers, Vasugupta who wrote the Spanda Karika and Kshemaraja who wrote Spanda Sandoha. 

 

Enjoy

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Translation and Commentary by

 

Sah. Vasantiji

 

Petaluma, July 2021