GAYATHRI (Regd.) Silver J ubilee Year 2011

We are glad to inform all members of Gayathri thatwe have arranged a meeting to felicitate Sri Kothamangalam Vasudevan, Dr CM Neelakandhan,

Dr NM Narayanan, Sri Sreejith Namboodiri MN, Bhavadas KS & Devadas KS who are in Delhi on an invitation from Govt. of NCT of Delhi & Saher for Veda chanting (Rigveda & Samaveda)

on Saturday 23rd April, 2011, at 4.30 pm at Community Hall, Dhruva Apts, 4 I.P. Extn., Delhi-110092.

P R O G R A M M E

4.30 PM: Invocation by Dr. N.M. Narayanan

4.35 PM: Welcome address by S J C Chairman, Sri Eswaran Potty

4.45 PM: Rigveda recital by Sri Kothamangalam Vasudevan and Dr .N. M Narayanan

4.50 PM: Speech by Sri Kothamangalam Vasudevan and Dr C M Neelakandhan

5.10 PM: Samaveda recital by young experts Srijith Namboodiri, Bhavadas & Devadas.

5.15 PM to 6.45 PM – Interactive session (on Vedas, Gayathri history, Silver Jubilee, future prospects etc.)

6.45 PM: Vote of Thanks by SJC General Convenor Sri C K Parameswarn

All Gayathri members are requested to kindly attend

This is a unique opportunity to interact with one of our founder-leaders, Shri Kothamangalam Vasudevan!

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Rigveda Chanting : Kothamangalam Vasudevan Namboothiri and N.M. Narayan

Vedic chanting refers to the recitation of the hymns of the Vedas, the most ancient sacred texts of India. Counted among one of the four Vedas, the Rig is a magnificent collection of over 10,000 verses. These contain ancient prayers for prosperity and hymns dedicated to several nature gods. As one of the oldest religious tradition of the world, Vedic chanting has continued for several millennia. Some of its verses continue to be recited as Hindu prayers at religious and other occasions. The tradition has been kept alive and unbroken by a handful of people who implicitly understand that fidelity to pronunciation and accent is important because of the belief that the energy of the mantra is in its sound. The human voice chanting these verses has the healing power to replenish the universe, and promote harmony and health. K.M. Vasudevan Namboothiri and N.M Narayanan present Rigvedic Chanting. Shri Namboothiri learned Sanskrit and the Rig Veda traditionally. After his post-graduation in Statistics, he worked as an officer in the Indian Statistical Service. H sought voluntary retirement after 21 years and is now engaged fully in the teaching and propagation of the Rig Veda. Dr Narayanan is a scholar of the Rig Veda and studied the canon through the traditional system up to Ghanapatha, or ‘Bell mode’ – an advanced stage of learning to chant the scripture in which words are repeated back and forth in a bell shape. A Ph.D in Sanskrit Poetics, he is Assistant Professor, Department of Sanskrit at Sree Kerala Varma College, Thrissur.

The Sukta begins with the Mantra ‘Bhadram karnebhih….’ in Rig Veda. This 10-verse sukta invokes all the divine beings of the cosmos, requesting them to bestow noble thoughts, well-being, health and long life to all animate and inanimate objects in the world. The sukta also wishes brotherhood and peace among the human beings of the world. The 10 verses will be first chanted in Samhita Swara. The eighth verse, or Rk - Bhadram karnebhih srunuyama devah… will be chanted in Samhita, Pada, Krama, Jata and Ratha modes (all elaborated musical methods of chanting).

Samveda Chanting : Sreejith Namboothiri M.N, Bhavadas K.S. & Devadas K.S.

Sreejith Namboothiri MN, Bhavadas KS and Devadas KS present Sama Veda chanting. The Sama Veda is a collection of samans, or chants, derived from the Rigveda and are better known for their precision of poetic meter than for their literary quality. The Sama also meticulously instructs on how certain hymns must be sung for optimum effect on the environment and the one who chants them. The verse, or Rk, beginning ‘Yajna yajna vo agnaye…’ of Jaimineeya Sama Veda will be chanted with their modes, Archika and Samagana, or Gramageya. The four Samas of the Rk will be chanted. The Samagana or Gramageya mode of chanting is highly elaborate and musical. The elaboration of swaras of Sama chanting has various similarities to the elaboration of swaras in classical music.

The full Rk is: Yajna yajna vo agnaye Gira gira ca dakshase / Prapra vayam amrtam jatavedasam Priyam mitram na samsisham //. Translated, the verse means, “Oh! Rtwiks (purohitas of yaga!), please pray to God Agni in Yagas for prosperity. You praise God Agni who knows everything, who is eternal and who is the friend of the universe.”Sreejith Namboothiri MN has studied the Sama Veda (Keraleeya Jaimineeyapatha) traditionally. He did his Acharya degree in Sanskrit, post which he has been teaching at Vadakke Madham Brahmaswam since 2007. He has participated in and presented papers on the Vedas at many seminars in the state and other parts of India. Bhavadas KS and Devadas KS, 12 and 11 years respectively, have been learning Sama Veda traditionally since 2007.