Revathi

Revathi

To the common man, it is an Indian name. A beautiful one.
To the astronomer, it is the name of the most beautiful star in the night sky known in English as Aldeberon, which is a red giant.
But to me, it is music. It is the name of a raga, in Carnatic classical music ; the most captivating of all ragas.

Oh! That feeling I feel when I listen to compositions in this raga! It is so difficult to express that feeling in words…..I have tried my best here……..

As the notes unfurl, I recline in my chair, rest my head backwards and look above, facing the sky. There is a faraway look in my eyes as if in a trance.
I am elevated to a higher mental plane. I become philosophical. I am both happy and sad at the same time. All the flamboyance is gone. The mask wears off. The present is forgotten. The circumstance does not matter anymore. I am true to myself. I am in touch with myself.

A gravity acts upon me almost instantaneously. The effervescence suddenly disappears and there is a sense of settlement. A feeling of detachment engulfs me.
For a moment, all fetters are severed. The restless mind is relieved of all that it dwells upon……….. At once I let go of everything that I cling to, of all those things that cling to me.

The fall of notes to a low pitch the most entrancing of all………..
As the notes fall to a low pitch, my blood pressure drops, my pulse slows down, my heart beats slower. Literally………..
It is as ithough
The flooding sea has receded at once as if responding to a summons.
The storm has calmed at once as if paying attention to the falling notes.
The fluttering leaf has finally touched the earth below. The frivolousness of it submitting itself to the gravity ……the same gravity that is acting upon my soul…..

It is the raga which has been chosen for the recitation of Vedic hymns. The “Om”, which is the beginning of every hymn, every prayer is recited in Revathi. Now I know why. There sure is something really divine about this raga…

You will know when you listen…..

Unfortunately it is not often sung because it is considered the raga of poverty. But at least once in a day, I listen to a composition in Revathi.