This series of publications from our emerging nonprofit library unfolds ancient Vedic classical music in the light of meditation. It is a rare opportunity for a music lover, an artist or a spiritual aspirant to gain access to such meditative art treasures of the ancient world. The tradition of Sanskritic indigenous knowledge is well known for its seamless combination of art and music with meditation and spirituality. Naturally, the entire Vedic worship paradigm rests upon this exquisite tapestry that culminates with merging into bliss by reposing in lighted silence beyond the shades of beauty.
Our archive project searches out maestros, savants, chanters and adepts who are capable of reproducing the ancient mystique of the Vedic times for the modern seeker. Drawing upon esoteric Sanskrit texts and manuscripts, our monastic council of highly realized Vedic monks guides the conception, recording and production of these music projects. The monks oversee the authenticity of the material as from the hallowed indigenous tradition.
Indic classical music has an unbroken tradition and an accumulated heritage of centuries that has been traced back to the Vedic Sanskrit period. Pupils and maestros of Indic classical music recognize Sāmaveda to be the source of music. Both the well-organized classical music and the classical dance traditions consider Sāmaveda to be root of their melodies and rhythms. The unbroken oral traditions claim that during the flourishing times of Sāmaveda lineages (later than the R̥gVeda period that flourished in Āryāvarta, the landmass between Saraswati and Ganga rivers), music was held to be derived from Sāmaveda chants and intonations, and the form of music defined as Sāmagāna was prevalent which involved singing verses set to musical patterns.
The compositions were devotional and often used during community rituals and restricted to worship environs or Vedic fire ceremonies. As in R̥gveda, the hymns of Sāmaveda (saṃhitā) are composed with a liturgical purpose and ultimately aimed at revealing spiritual philosophy. Their metres shift in a descending order and form the repertoire of the Sāmagāna singer (udgātr̥). For example, all seven notes of the Karnatic rāga karaharapriyā are found in this Veda in the descending order. In this respect, Karnatic classical music is said to retain the traditional octave in congruence with the Sāmaveda heritage.
