There are different expressions in human existence. Some are concerned with existence, livelihood, life and death while others pertain to the domain of Nandana vigṋana or aesthetic science, with joy as its basis, derived from the mind’s expressions. The environment influences our expressions of aesthetic science.
The song which you feel like singing in blinding darkness, the kind of thoughts that come to your mind, the sadhana you yearn to pursue, are not what they would be on a moonlit night. For that is altogether a different environment. The struggle against all odds which is natural in the darkness of a new moon night, is not so natural on a full moon night. That is why tantrics used to do shava sadhana (meditating on the corpse) in the darkness of a new moon night, and not on a full moon night.
Waging war against the forces of time by chanting sounds of tantric awakening is possible in the dense darkness.On a full moon night, one sings songs of lighter flavours. At that time one becomes fascinated by the beauty of flowers, ripples on the river, the colour of leaves and the scintillating sky. But on a new moon night, you are enveloped in black, conducive to your static propensities, tamasika vrittis. One will struggle fiercely against such staticity. Similarly, every expression of life, every existential vibration, is dependent on the environment.
What is kirtana? There is the reverberation of leaves and trees. The water, sky, all all are dancing with joy. In such an environment, the mind of a spiritualist tends to dance, to rush ahead. On the one side, there is the fertile land of the Gangetic plain, and on the other side, lies the dry terrain of Raeh, western Bengal. This environment of complex diversity is favourable for kirtana. That is why the low-lying areas of Birbhum is the birth place of kirtana; the very environment is conducive to it. Environment has a tremendous impact on every human expression. The gigantic River Padma is racing ahead. Neither side of it can be seen. One is overtaken by the feeling that unfamiliar environment surrounding me is verily my friend because there is no other friend around. There is no one else by my side. Then, whom do I find as my friend? Yes, I find the “unknown environment” to be my only friend. Hence addressing this unknown environment, I sing out “Bandhure” -- O, my friend -- prolonging, in particular the “re” or ‘O’ sound so that this elongated “re” sound, while floating along with the sonic vibrations of Nature, merges with the unknown friend. This is the speciality of bhatiyali songs.
What is unique about this aesthetic science? When does aesthetic science become sweet and fascinating? It becomes so when internal psychic expressions move towards the supra-sensuous. It becomes crude in the absence of the supra-sensuous. But when there is dominance of the supra-sensuous, it establishes human beings in prajiṋabhaava or intuitive ideation. When we cultivate a particular part or aspect of the science of music or aesthetic science, it is to be remembered that aesthetic science will have to be based on mysticism.
Humanity, in its all-out quest for this aesthetic science, attains spirituality. One must acknowledge this. Herein lies the excellence of aesthetic science.
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