I am big fan of typography myself and was surprised I haven’t done any good font collection yet! While doing research I was amazed how many really high quality fonts are available for free. And now with Sifr and similar tools you can use any font in your web-design actually, but if you are graphic designer you get even bigger enjoyment through such detailed and beautiful fonts. Balance between readability, elegance and use fonts with artistic approach to get best out of them, really that’s all you need to do. And by the way I am thinking about inspiring and effective typography article in soon future to show you very best examples – stay with us – get inspired and save your time because research has been done already for you!

Finally be sure to check license to these fonts, they may be free but some of them require reference or may not be used for commercial projects for free, although most of them are.

1. Sansation Typeface

2. Fertigo Pro Typeface

Beautiful font and it’s still unbelievable it is free! Now Fertigo Pro version is released with extended language support and more.

3. Megalopolis Extra Typeface

Revamped version of the 2004 one. Now in OT with extended language support and OpenType features with alternates, ligatures, different styles of figures, etc.

4. Walkway Typeface

5. Nadia Serif Typeface

6. Modeno Font

7. M+ OUTLINE Typeface

Really beautiful font with many variations – thin, light, regular, medium, black, heavy – be sure to check this free premium font.

8. Fontin Sans Typeface

9. Diavlo Typeface

Diavlo is a free font that contains 5 weights: Light, Book, SemiBold Medium, Bold and Black. Read and look more to this one in this *.pdf document.

10. Museo Typeface

This OpenType font family comes in five weights and offers supports CE languages and even Esperanto. Besides ligatures, contextual alternatives, stylistic alternates, fractions and proportional/tabular figures MUSEO also has a ‘case’ feature for case sensitive forms.

11. Gentium Typeface

12. Delicious Typeface

This font has been my favorite for some time, beautiful detail, every character has unique shape too.

13. Junction Typeface

Created by Caroline Hadilaksono

Inspired by my favorite humanist sans serif typefaces, such as Meta, Myriad, and Scala, Junction is where the best qualities of serif and sans serif typefaces come together. It has the hand drawn and human qualities of a serif, and still retains the clarity and efficiencies of a sans serif typeface. It combines the best of both worlds.

14. CartoGothic Std Typeface

15. Anivers Typeface

This OpenType font family comes in regular, italic, bold and small caps and has some nice OpenType features. Besides ligatures, contextual alternatives, fractions, oldstyle/tabular numerals, Anivers also has a ‘case’ feature for case sensitive forms and tabular numerals … so Anivers can crunch numbers with ease.

16. Medio Typeface

17. Birra Stout Typeface

18. Rezland Typeface

19. OFTEN Typeface

20. Engel Light Typeface

21. Contra Typeface

22. Nilland Typeface

Created by Manfred Klein

23. Calluna Typeface

Calluna supports a very wide range in languages and is a very complete OpenType typeface. Each font counts 723 glyphs. You can find detailed info on he character set and the OpenType features in the Calluna PDF specimen.

24. QuickSand Typeface

This is a free and elegant sans serif typeface.

25. Mentone Typeface

26. Vegur Typeface

27. Swansea Typeface

28. GeoSans Light Typeface

Created by Manfred Klein

I enjoy this font because of it’s thin and elegant font lines displaying text in really fashion way.

29. COM4t Nuvu Regular Typeface

30. Steiner Typeface

31. Chunk Typeface

Created by Meredith Mandel

Chunk is an ultra-bold slab serif typeface that is reminiscent of old American Western woodcuts, broadsides, and newspaper headlines. Used mainly for display, the fat block lettering is unreserved yet refined for contemporary use.

32. Aller Sans Typeface

Check out *.pdf document for full examination.

33. Juvelo Typeface

Self explaining image below, but I enjoy this font because of its unique glance and serifs.

34. Goudy Bookletter 1911 Typeface

35. Temporarium Typeface

36. Bellerose Typeface

37. Ambrosia Demo Typeface

Here’s a demo version of font called Ambrosia. It has all letters, numbers and a few symbols.

38. Surrounding Typeface

39. Circled Typeface

Very sharp and elegant letters, new font but it got my sympathies right away!

40. Nevis Typeface

This strong, angular typeface is ideal for headings. It features 96 of the most commonly used glyphs (characters).

41. Zephyr Typeface

42. Advent Pro Typeface

Excellent and very popular unique font with many, many different variations to play with.

43. SerifBeta Typeface

This is called as beta version, but still seems very complete for me – included in the set are Regular,Italic,Bold,Bold Italic for optical sizes 72, 12 and 6. Size 72 also includes italic swash characters and Black weights. (demo pdf)

44. Evolution True Type Font

Note that you have to give credit if you use this font and you must contact author before using in commercial projects!

45. Sliced AB Typeface

46. Technical Forest v2 Typeface

Only for non-commercial use.

47. Alte Haas Grotesk Typeface

48. Comfortaa Typeface

Comfortaa is a simple, good looking, true type font with an amazingly large number of 466 different characters and symbols. You can see them all in the preview.

It is absolutely free, both for personal and commercial use.

49. MOD™ font

MOD is applicable for any type of graphic design – web, print, motion graphics etc and perfect for t-shirts and other items like logos, pictograms, 215 character set.

50. Whiteboard Modern Typeface

Created by Jay Hilgert

Whiteboard Modern is a hand-drawn face resembling the flowing motion and freedom of writing in an open space, such as a dry-erase board.

51. Neighbourhood Type

52. Soraya Font by JustMyType

On JustMyType site you can find several more very unique and interesting letters.

Half serif, half sans serif. Capital letters A-Z, available only in Illustrator AI format.

Dutt is the founder of Breakthrough, an international human rights organisation, that launched the multi-media campaign Bell Bajao to stop violence against women.

In order to create more awareness about the campaign, Breakthrough joined hands with three prominent male designers – Aki Narula, Lecoanet Hemant and Narendra Kumar – who custom designed items in support of the Bell Bajao campaign.

Mallika informed it was a conscious effort to involve male designers since they want more men to participate in fighting violence against women.

Aki Narula shares, “It is very upsetting to realise that domestic violence may not happen in your house but it may take place in your neighbourhood. This is the first time that I am designing for a cause and it gives me immense pleasure to do so.” Aki designed a roomy, white tote that can be carried for bar to the beach, and from class rooms to office. The tote has six pockets with designs of various bells. (See pic above)

Narendra Kumar who designed a unisex t-shirt believes that it is important to create awareness about violence against women among adolescents and teenagers because that’s when impressions form and when they grow up these teens can be agents of change. The t-shirt has the design of a crossword which depicts the intellect according to Nari. The designer has priced his tees at Rs 500 per piece because he wants to keep it reasonable so that more people can purchase it, thereby creating more awareness. (See pic above)

Hemant Sagar’s t-shirt represents the female expression ‘Stop’ with a design of a woman’s hand decorated in mehendi. The designer explained, “If you ever witness domestic violence, don’t turn away. Deal with such issues hands-on. The hand on the t-shirt can also be interpreted as the hand of Fatima and mehendi is symbolic of a married woman.”

These creations that were designed with so much thought are available at Muse throughout the month and will then be sold online on www.breakthrough.tv. Proceeds of the sales will be directed towards supporting the organisation’s human rights initiatives.

http://www.idiva.com/bin/idiva/Fashion-rings-the-bell

Dream girl, Hema Malini has achieved enormous popularity in Bollywood and also quite famous in the politics too. Hema Malini continues to be a member of parliament and has touched sixties. Hema Malini has a striking beauty even at the age of Sixty and apt for the title ‘Dream Girl’

Hema Malini had couple of wrinkles on her face in the recent times, and she got it treated to regain the glowing beauty.

However, Hot Image branding & fan falling crowd has always been more for Rekha in the Bollywood, even though Hema Malini has a striking beauty. Rekha has built this image with her exposing flair and doesn`t hesitate to expose even at the age of sixty.

Bollywood general view is that, Hema Malini is good in all the aspects, other than exposing when compared to Rekha.

http://spicypopcorn.sulekha.com/blog/post/2008/10/striking-beauty-in-bollywood.htm

Back to serious topics, there is no dearth of ambitious plans to be pursued before one “arrives”. The arrival might mean status and riches for the ordinary mortals, but not to the special and ordained “ME.” To “ME” it means recognition in creative writing. In my mental eye I see my bottom glued to my writer’s chair, creating literature at the speed of Abhinav Bindra’s gold winning bullet. Reality is otherwise; I spend hours at computer games. The so called free time disappears in a jiffy through the finger tip exercise which involves clicking just the navigator keys. Game after game is either won or lost and is
re-played with the self-made-and-meant-to-be-broken promise,” This one is the last.”

Look at the achievers reaching the limelight before crossing their twenties. Here I am at my …oh… no…. didn’t I say that I would not divulge my age. Perhaps I should say (just as the exasperated parent uses the age of the donkey to refer to the wasted years of the progeny) that I am of the age of two or three and a half (and a half!?!) donkeys. But again the age of the donkey might be kept a secret lest the readers should use their mathematical abilities to calculate ‘you know what.’

Does the donkey know that it is compared with its human contemporaries? Does it refer to the counterparts in the derogatory manner when it comes to tutoring its offspring? Imagine the father-donkey braying at the weak-kneed son” you are the age of two and half humans and yet unable to carry two loads of laundry.” Ha… ha… isn’t it real fun? The adage that we get what we give can never be truer.

Call this funny? My mood is not at all funny. Cannot scoff the stuff RK.Rowlings are made of. This is supposed to be a somber occasion; the muse is expected to descend from her pedestal and touch with her magic wand so that I would be inspired to reel out reams and reams of interesting and absorbing stuff that people of all ages and regions would love and compete to read. Newspapers are keen to print trivia about me to augment the readership and the television channels virtually battle to air my interviews. The day is not far off when I have to avoid the media in order to have a few moments of privacy and there…ok…ok… I get the point; I can ill afford to brag in the same strain if I entertain any hope of retaining my reader.

You… my avid reader….are you still there?

It’s all right; I do understand… no offence… guys/girls….if you have moved out.

Yes… the fantasy borders on the ludicrous….that is why it is tough to pour out the heart. It is tougher still to activate the brain…to stoke the latent ember. Leashes of abuse fail to provoke a reaction. Sudden sparks die early deaths in aborted attempts.

To sit in front of the computer screen and gaze at the blank page and wait for inspiration that is never going to strike is the bane of every budding writer. It then becomes not only easy but also natural to switch over to games which are designed to engage the player for hours and the passage of time is neither felt nor regretted.

My heart has virtually walked out of this article. The brain is numb as usual. So what the heck if the question posed at the beginning remains unanswered? My games are beckoning and I leave with a promise to return. I do not bat an eye lid about making the promise. From experience I know that promises are made not only to be kept but also to be broken.

—————————————THE END——————————————————

http://chitrawrites.sulekha.com/blog/post/2008/09/ramblings-of-a-deranged-writer.htm

[This is the second in the series of articles I would be posting on the art of painting in ancient India with particular reference to the Chitrasutra of Vhishnudharmottara purana

This article covers certain general aspects discussed in Chitrasutra. ]

1. The Text

1.1. The Vishnudharmottara Purana or the Vishnudharmottara (as it is usually referred)is a supplement or an appendix to the Vishnu-purana. It is generally believed to be a later insertion into Vishnu Purana. The part- three of the Vishnudharmottara gives an account of – then – hitherto known branches, theories, methods, practices and ideals of Indian painting, among other things. It deals not only with its religious aspects but also, and to a far greater extent, with its secular applications. It initiates the aspirant to a world of joy and delights that only the colors, forms and representation of things — seen and imagined– can bring forth.

1.2. The Vishnudharmottara asserts that it is but a compilation and is attempting to preserve the knowledge that was hidden in older sources. Sadly, all those older texts are lost to us. Vishnudharmottara is thus the earliest exhaustive treatise available to us on the theory and practice of temple construction, painting and image making in ancient India.

1.3. Chitrasutra is that part of the Vishnudharmottara which deals with the art of painting. It is a compilation of the then known theories and practices of the art. Its compiler described it as “the legacy of the collective wisdom of the finest minds’. Explaining why he took up the compilation, he said he was prompted by his concern for the future generations; for their enlightenment, delight and quality of life .He said it was his firm belief that paintings are the greatest treasures of mankind as they have the aura and power to beneficially influence the minds and lives of the viewers.

1.4. In that context Chitrasutra makes some amazing statements:

*. Great paintings are a balm on the troubled brow of mankind.

*.Of all arts, the best is chitra. It is conducive to dharma and has the virtue to liberate (emancipate) an individual from his limited confines

*. Wherever it is established- in home or elsewhere- a painting is harbinger of auspiciousness.

*. Art is the greatest treasure of mankind, far more valuable than gold or jewels.

*. The purpose of art is to show one the grace that underlies all of creation, to help one on the path towards reintegration with that which pervades the universe.

*.A painting cleanses and curbs anxiety, augments future good, causes unequalled and pure delight; banishes the evils of bad dreams and pleases the household -deity. The place decorated by a picture never looks dull or empty.

1.5. Vishnudharmottara is dated around sixth century AD, following the age of the Guptas, often described as the Golden Age of Indian Arts. It is perhaps the world’s oldest known treatise on art. However, not much is known of its author, as is the case with most other Indian texts too. Vishnudharmottara follows the traditional pattern of exploring the various dimensions of a subject through conversations that take place between a learned Master and an ardent seeker eager to learn and understand. Chitrasutra too employs the pretext of a conversation between the sage Markandeya and king Vajra who seeks knowledge about image making (shilpa).

2.1. King Vajra questions “How could one make a representation , in painting or image, of a Supreme being who is devoid of form, smell and emotion ; and destitute of sound and touch?”. Markandeya explains” The entire universe should be understood as the modification (vikriti) of the formless (prakriti).The worship and meditation of the supreme is possible for an ordinary being when the formless is endowed with a form; and that form is full of significance. The best worship of the supreme is, of course, contemplation of the formless with eyes closed in meditation.”

2.2. With that, the life in its entirety becomes a source of inspiration for artistic expressions. In another passage, Chitrasutra cites the nature that envelops the artist as the source of his inspiration. And, in order to express those emotions in a visible form, an understanding of natya is essential.

2.3. The Chitrasutra commences with a request by king Vajra to sage Markandeya seeking knowledge about image-making.

The sage then instructs, without the knowledge of music one cannot understand natya. And, without the knowledge of natya one can scarcely understand the technique of painting. “He who does not know properly the rules of chitra (painting)” declares the sage “can scarcely discern the essentials of the images (shilpa)”.

3. Chitra and Natya

3.1. That does not mean, the positions of the dancers have to be copied on murals or scrolls. What it meant was that the rhythm, fluidity and grace of the natya have to be transported to painting. The Chitrasutra says “it (natya) guides the hand of the artist, who knows how to paint figures, as if breathing, the wind as blowing, the fire as blazing, and the streamers as fluttering. The moving force, the vital breath, the life-movement (chetania) ; that is what is expected to be seen in the work of a painter, to make it alive with rhythm and expression. Imagination, observation and the expressive force of rhythm are the essential features of painting”.

The Chitrasutra recognized the value and the significance of the spatial perspective.

*.“He who paints waves, flames, smoke and streamers fluttering in the air, according to the movement of the wind, should be considered a great painter”

*.“He who knows how to show the difference between a sleeping and a dead man ; or who can portray the visual gradations of a highland and a low land is a great artist “

3.2. The Shilpa (sculpture) and Chitra (painting) are closely related to Natya (dance) in another way too. The rules of the iconography (prathima lakshana), in particular, appear to have been derived from the Natya-sastra. The Indian sculptures are often the frozen versions or representations of the gestures and poses of dance (caaris and karanas) described in Natya-sastra. The Shilpa and chitra (just as the Natya) are based on a system of medians (sutras), measures (maanas), postures of symmetry (bhangas) and asymmetry (abhanga, dvibhanga and tribhanga); and on the sthanas (positions of standing, sitting, and reclining). The concept of perfect symmetry is present in Shilpa and chitra as in Nrittya; and that is indicated by the term Sama.

3.3. The Natya and Shilpa shastras developed a remarkable approach to the structure of the human body; and delineated the relation between its central point (navel), the verticals and horizontals. It then coordinated them, first with the positions and movements of the principal joints of neck, pelvis, knees and ankles; and then with the emotive states, the expressions. Based on these principles, Natya-sastra enumerated many standing and sitting positions. These, demonstrated the principles of stasis, balance, repose and perfect symmetry; And, they are of fundamental importance in Indian arts, say, dance, drama, painting or sculpture.

4. Painting in ancient society

4.1. According to Chitrasutra, all works of art including paintings played an important role in the life of its society. The text mentions about the presence of paintings as permanent or temporary decorations on walls of private houses, palaces and of public places. Apart from wall paintings, the floors of the rich homes and palaces were decorated with attractive patterns and designs inlaid with precious stones.

4.2. Paintings had relevance in the private lives too. It is said; every cultured man had at his home a drawing board(phalaka) and a vessel to store brushes (vartika or tulikas). He painted for pleasure or in earnestness. The young lovers exchanged paintings as loving gifts. Painting – chitra kala- was recognized as an essential part of the curriculum in the upbringing of children of “good families”.

4.3. While on the subject I may mention that Chitrasutra observes: the pictures which decorate the homes (including the residential quarters of the king) should display sringara, hasya and shantha rasa. They should exude joy, peace and happiness; and brighten up the homes and lives of its residents. Pictures depicting horror, sorrow and cruelty should never be displayed at homes where children dwell. For instance the text mentions the pictures which show a bull with its horns immersed in the sea; men with ugly features or those fighting or inflicted with sorrow due to death or injury; as also the pictures of war, burning grounds; as being inauspicious and not suitable for display at homes.

But, the text says, the pictures of all types of depictions and rasas could be displayed at court-hall, public galleries and temples.

4.4. Hallow figures (sushira) of gods, demons, yaks has, horses, elephants, etc, were placed on the verandas of hoses, on stages and in public squares etc. as pieces of decoration . Such hallow images were usually made of clay, cloth, wood or leather .

4.5. The patas (poster like paintings) were commonly displayed in public squares. It is mentioned, such paintings were employed as a means and method of communicating with the towns people. The messages displayed picturesquely on the patas could be understood by all- – lettered and unlettered alike.

The art, thus, entertained educated and enlivened common people.

5. Appreciation of art

Above is the second picture for Express Yourself # 34. This building certainly has a grand desiign. In 1970, something I heard on the news changed my life; it got me thinking about the grand design of this universe.

Into the Light, by Harry Kottler, 2006,
18”x24”, acrylic and collage on clayboard

The Grand Design

by Harry Kottler

As a child, my sister perished

And I had two friends who died, too.

The Lord Divine I had cherished.

Now I doubted He was true.

In my twenties, my doubt doubled

Midst America’s political strife.

My heart was sick, and my mind was troubled.

I longed to know how to live my life.

Then I heard on the television

People moaning about the environment.

They said pollution was unnatural.

They said the world was being rent.

I thought about the word unnatural.

What could be unnatural about human deeds?

Surely man is part of nature

Even when he plants bad seeds.

That idea turned on a light bulb.

My mind lit up with consciousness.

Either there is a grand design

Or all designs must be dismissed.

Suddenly, I knew the world is perfect.

If it’s not perfect, how can there be

Any beauty or any virtue

Or any trace of sanity?

A grand design must be quite perfect

Or else there is no plan at all.

Miraculously, unity now I worshiped

As I broke through a mental wall.

That wall had said, “The world has trouble.”

That wall had said, “Oh, woe is me.”

Now it began to turn to rubble

As I reached for eternity.

There is a design behind each story.

There is a design behind the Whole.

Find the light that leads to glory.

Find the light which is your soul.

Dismiss the thought, “I’ve got these problems.”

Nurture the thought, “My life is fine.”

In a cloth, each thread is cotton.

In the Whole, each soul’s divine.

In a cloth, each stitch is perfect.

In a structure, each beam is right.

In the Whole, we each can nurture

Clarity and true insight.

The grand design is all around us,

And we’re of the grand design as well.

To know this surely will astound us.

Hear the ringing of God’s bell!

I was lost, and then I found God.

One great thought steered me to His feet.

Now this bard sends you a message:

The Whole is completely neatly sweet.

http://harryandhelen.sulekha.com/blog/post/2008/09/the-grand-design.htm

The only discipline that lasts is self-discipline.
- Bum Phillips

If I can stop one heart from breaking, I shall not live in vain; If I can ease one life the aching,Or cool one pain, Or help one fainting robin Into his nest again, I shall not live in vain.
–Emily Dickinson

Talent is God given. Be humble. Fame is man-given. Be grateful. Conceit is self-given. Be careful.
- John Wooden

Life is a great big canvas, and you should throw all the paint on it you can.
- Danny Kaye

We must all hang together, or, assuredly, we shall all hang separately.”
- Benjamin Franklin at the signing of the Declaration of Independence, July 4, 1776

Fame always brings loneliness. Success is as ice cold and lonely as the North Pole.
–Vicki Baum Austrian-US novelist

The measure of success is not whether you have tough problem to deal with, but whether it is the same problem you had last year.
- John Foster Dulles

A smile is the lighting system of the face, the cooling system of the head and the heating system of the heart.
–Unknown

We enjoy warmth because we have been cold. We appreciate light because we have been in darkness. By the same token, we can experience joy because we have known sadness.
–David Weatherford

Do or do not. There is no try.
-Yoda (Star Wars)

Even a smile is a Charity
-Prophet Muhammad

We come to love not by finding the perfect person, but by learning to see an imperfect person perfectly.
-Sam Keen

Sometimes, I wish I had never met you. Then I could go to sleep at night not knowing there was someone like you out there.
-Anonymous

This may sound selfish, but, I hope that I die before you do, because I never want to know the pain of what it’s like to be without you.
-Unknown

How on earth are you ever going to explain in terms of chemistry and physics so important a biological phenomenon as first love?.
-Albert Einstein

Love can heal the deepest wounds, but it can also create them.
-Unknown

If I could give you one gift, I would give you the ability to see yourself as I see you, so you could see how truly special you are.
-Unknown

A friend is someone who can see the truth and pain in you, even when you’re fooling everybody else.
If I could give you one gift, I would give you the ability to see yourself as I see you, so you could see how truly special you are.
-Unknown

History will be kind to me for I intend to write it.
-Sir Winston Churchill

A prisoner of war is a man who tries to kill you and fails, and then asks you not to kill him.
-Sir Winston Churchill

I am always ready to learn although I do not always like being taught.
-Sir Winston Churchill

the object of war isn’t to die for your country but make the other poor bastard die for his
-Anonymous

Don’t frown because you never know who might be falling in love with your smile.
-Anonymous

The world is a dangerous place to live, not because people do evil, but because people sit by and let them.
- Einstein, Albert

Success is how high you bounce when you hit bottom.
-Anonymous

You always pass failure on the way to success.
-Anonymous

Most success springs from an obstacle or failure. I became a cartoonist largely because I failed in my goal of becoming a successful executive.
-Scott Adams

I like to be against the odds. I’m not afraid to be lonely at the top. With me, it’s just the satisfaction of the game. Just performance.
-Barry Bonds

How on earth are you ever going to explain in terms of chemistry and physics so important a biological phenomenon as first love?.
-Albert Einstein

Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.
-Winston Churchill

While there’s life, there’s hope.
-Unknown

Patience makes lighter What sorrow may not heal.
-Unknown

Failure is the condiment that gives success its flavor.
-Truman Capote

Be not afraid of life. Believe that life is worth living and your belief will help create the fact.
-William James

It is always right that a man should be able to render a reason for the faith that is within him
-Sydney Smith

Hope, like faith, is nothing if it is not courageous; it is nothing if it is not ridiculous.
-Thornton Wilder

Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear – not absence of fear.
-Mark Twain

Better hazard once than always be in fear.
-Thomas Fuller

Do what you fear and fear disappears.
-Anonymous

Keep your fears to yourself, but share your inspiration with others.
-Anonymous

It’s faith in something and enthusiasm for something that makes life worth living.
-Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr

If I were dying, my last words would be, Have faith and pursue the unknown end.
-Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr

Believe your beliefs and doubt your doubts.
-F F Bosworth

Faith is to believe what you do not see; the reward of this faith is to see what you believe.
-Saint Augustine

Desire, ask, believe, receive.
-Stella Terrill Mann

Most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be.
-Abraham Lincoln

The true test of character is not how much we know how to do, but how we behave when we don’t know what to do.
-John Holt

Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.
-George Weiss

To bear failure with courage is the best proof of character that anyone can give.
-W Somerset Maugham

Be not afraid of life. Believe that life is worth living and your belief will help create the fact.
-William James

Sow an act…reap a habit; Sow a habit…reap a character; Sow a character…reap a destiny.
-George Dana Boardman

Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, ambition inspired, and success achieved.
-Helen Keller

Life is a great big canvas, and you should throw all the paint on it you can.
-Danny Kaye

Man is a rational animal who always loses his temper when he is called upon to act in accordance with the dictates of reason.
- Oscar Wilde

When a man assumes a public trust, he should consider himself as public property.
- Thomas Jefferson

It has been said that man is a rational animal.
All my life I have been searching for evidence which could support this.
- Bertrand Russell

http://poorva22587.sulekha.com/blog/post/2008/09/a-compilation-cool-quotes.htm

Following my post the state of music in Ramayana, there was some discussion about Sama and its relation to music. I was asked to say a little more about the music in Sama Veda; hence this post.

1. Sama Veda samhita

1.1. Sama Veda is linked to music through yajna. It was customary to invoke and invite deities by singing their hymns; and to recite the mantras while the rituals were being performed. Those who sang were designated: Udgatru .They selected those riks (mantras) from Rig Veda that could be sung. And, they compiled such selection into a collection; and that collection came to be known as Sama Veda Samhita. Out of the 1,549 mantras in Sama Veda, as many as 1,474 mantras are taken from Rig Veda. It is explained, SA stands for rik, while AMA stands for various notes (Brihad Up: 1-3-22). Sama Veda is thus, virtually, a musical rendering of the selected mantras from Rig Veda. In other words, Sama took maathu (words) from Rig Veda; and provided dhathu the musical substance to those words.

1.2. The Sama Veda Samhita was two segments. The first segment is called Sama – Yoni (adhara) mantra Samhita, meaning that it is the basic text. This segment contains the selected mantras as they appear in the Rig Veda .This, virtually, is the source book. The second segment called Sama –gana text, details how the selected mantras are to be sung. This is the text for singing; expanding each mantra of the first segment with notations. This is the Sama Veda as it is generally understood and sung.

2. Sama-gana

2. 1. As regards the styles of singing, Patanjali says that there were a thousand ways of singing of Sama “sahasravartma samvedah“. That might be just a poetic way of saying there were many styles of singing Sama. Of these, only three recensions Viz. Kauthumiya, Ranayaniya and Jaiminiya have survived. The Kauthumiya and Ranayaniya carry the same set of mantras; but they are grouped differently and there are variations in svaras (accent) too. The Jaiminiya is said to be different from the other two, in both the aspects.

2.2. Udgathrus , the singers at the yajna , for whose guidance the Sama Veda came to be compiled , are usually a group of three singers; and the group together renderers the mantras in five stages:

Prasthava: The initial portion of the mantra is sung by an Udgathru designated Prasthothru. He starts with Huuum sound (Hoon Kara).

Udgita: He is followed by the chef Ritwik (designated the chief Udgathru) who sings his portion of the rik. He commences with an Om Kara.

Prathihara: the mid-portion is sung loudly by Prathiharthra.

Upadrava: The chief Udgathru sings again; and

Nidhana: the final portion is sung by all the three together.

When a mantra, as per the above format, is sung three times, it is then a stoma.

3. Elements of chanting

3.1. The shiksha branch of Veda deals with elements of chanting and phonetics. According to Taittereya Upanishad (1. 2) , the elements of chanting includes six factors : Varna (syllable);svara(accent);maatra(duration);balam(time-duration);sama(even tone ) ; and Santana (continuity).The first four deal with correct pronunciation of individual syllables; and the last two with the pronunciation of the entire line or the verse.

3.2. Briefly, Varna is the correct pronunciation of every isolated syllable, combination of consonants and ovals and compound letters. Svara is how a syllable has to be pronounced in one of the three accents (udatta, anudatta and svarita).Maatra is the time duration for pronouncing a syllable. There are four types: hrasva- a short one-duration for short ovals; dhirga- two unit-duration for long vowels; plutam- longer than two –unit duration; and, the fourth is ardha- maatra, half unit, meant for consonants not accompanied by vowels.

4. Sama music

4.1. The music, based on Sama mantras was classified into:

(i). Grama_geya gana: was sung amidst people of the society. It was a natural way of singing.

(ii).Aranya gana: Sung in contemplation, in the woods and groves. This was also a natural singing.

(iii).Uhaa gana: Sung during the Soma yajna. The singing here followed a rather complicated pattern. And,

(iv).Uhya gana: secrect or singing within oneself.

4.2. In the beginning, Sama-gana employed only three notes called Udatta, Anudatta and Svarita. The lyre (Vana-Veena) accompanying the singing had only three strings, one for each note.The songs were perhaps like Ga Ga -Re Re -Sa Sa Sa. This kind of singing might have suited for chanting hymns.

The three notes were differentiated depending on whether it was produced mfrom above or below the palate (taalu).

Udatta refers to sound produced from above the palate; and is acutely accented (uchchaih) .

Anudatta was gravely accented (nichaih); produced from below the palate.

Svarita is a combination of udatta and anudatta, with udatta in the first-half. It is called a circumflexed accent.

In the written/printed texts of the Rig Veda, Udatta is not indicated by any symbol; Anudatta is indicated by underlining the syllable; and Svarita is indicated by a vertical line above the syllable.

The Sama –gana texts, however, indicate udatta by writing the Sanskrit numeral –one above the letter; anudatta by writing the numeral –three above the letter; and svarita by writing the numeral –two above the letter. In sama text , the syllables that have symbols are called prachaya.

5. Sama svaras

5.1 .But, the scale, gradually, over a period of time, expanded from three to seven notes Narada Shiksha explaining the Sama music states: there were: seven notes (svaras); three gramas; 21 moorchanas; and 49 taanas in Sama music. It also gives the relation between the Sama notes (Sama svara) and notes on the flute (Venu svara):

In the later Sama texts, it became customary to write the numerals (one to seven) on top of the Sama mantras to indicate their note- delineations (Sama vikara).

5.2. Naradiya Shiksha (1.5.3; 1.5.4) explains that each sama-svara was derived from the sounds made by a bird or an animal in its appropriate season. For instance, bulls roar was Rishabha; kraunchaka’s (heron) cry was Madhyama; elephant’s trumpet was Nishadha; and koel’s (cuckoo) melodious whistle was Panchama and so on. Please see the table below.

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http://www.bollywood.ac/2008/08/18/priyanka-chopra-to-play-12-different-characters-in-a-film/

The universe is said to hum to the sound of ‘Aum’ from the beginning of creation. Sounds surround us all the time. The buzz of an alarm clock, the crowing of a cock or the chirping of birds wakes us up in the morning.

Throughout the day we hear various sounds – cars, engines, horns, telephones, peoples voices, radio, TV, the call of birds and barking of dogs, the whistle of the wind, the falling rain and so many other natural and artificial noises.

Sound travels in waves and is the product of vibration. When a drum is struck, the vibration of the stretched leather on a hollow space generates a tone. A frog croaks by forcing air over its vocal cords, making them vibrate. A trombone produces sound when the player causes the air inside the instrument to vibrate.

The frequency of sound is measured by the unit, Hertz. Sound is the most important aspect of communication and speech. Music and sounds in nature provide pleasure. They are also a source of entertainment and information. The sounds of horns or alarms also warn us of danger. Doctors use the sounds of the chest and heart to diagnose ailments.

Acoustics is the science of sound and its effects on people. Natural sounds are heard in human voice based on animal and bird sounds and other sounds made by the wind in the trees, falling water etc. Man has learnt to record various sounds from nature and create his own music.

Sounds that are unpleasant, jarring and cause harm is called noise and it can hurt and cause stress e.g. crackers bursting, horns honking etc. That is why there is a conscious effort to control noise pollution.

Music on the other hand soothes and pleases. Musical sounds are the most interesting. Apart from the range of voices, pitches and tonal qualities, music is also produced mainly through three kinds of instruments – reed (flute), percussion (drums) and string (violin).

Music is one of the oldest arts and is part of many cultural and social activities. Music is a performing Art just like dance and drama. Opera combines singing and orchestral music with drama. Ballet and dance need music to help the performers with their steps and also to evoke an atmosphere. Music is used in Film and TV dramas to help set the mood and also to emphasize action

Musical composers need musicians to interpret and perform their works. Musical performances are partnerships between composers and performers.

Music is an important part of all cultures. People use music to express feelings and ideas. It helps to entertain, relax, motivate, heal and lift the soul to sublime levels.

People use music:

1. In ceremonies, especially religious ones, music helps to create a sense of mystery and awe.

In fact some musical instruments are played in some cultures only by priests on important occasions like harvest ceremonies etc.

Western church music tries to create a feeling of distance from the daily world. Choral music is a manifestation of participation.

In the East music is part of the liturgy, the ceremony and is considered a manifestation of the devotees feelings and involvement in the deity.

Bhakthi Yoga has been the motivating factor for the best compositions in Indian music.

The Psalms of David are also poems written in devotion to the Almighty.

2. In work

It has been found that productivity is enhanced when music is played in the background.

In routine jobs in factories and manufacturing, soft music relieves the tedium of the job.

Music has become a stress reliever in IT jobs with the advent of MP3 and other music download facilities of the Internet.

Muzak or background music has become common and irritating when it is played on the telephone for ‘call waiting’ facilities.

Music is also played on trains, planes and even tourist coaches to distract the passengers at the beginning and end of journeys.

3. In personal life:

— as a hobby

–as a profession

–as a tremendous stress relieving factor.

4. Social activities are enhanced and enriched by music.

Music is an integral part of Balls, parties, festivals, fetes, carnivals and national celebrations.

Music has replaced common ringing tones of phones and especially cell phones announce their presence with loud tunes of popular, patriotic and religious songs. Even reversing cars and vehicles are using music to warn people about their movements!

The difference between music and cacophony is very little. One man’s music is another’s bugbear. Likewise lyrics can range from the sublime, to poetry and come down to the level of gibberish.

Music is based on rhythm. The human ear seems to react to the perceptible presence of a unit of time (the beat). Rhythm is the natural echo of the pulse and the throb of blood circulating in the human body.

Rhythm relates to the time aspect of music. It is quite distinct from pitch, which is the property of sound that varies with variation in the frequency of vibration. Rhythm includes the effects of beats, accents, measures and grouping of notes into beats. When the performer wisely uses all these factors, the listener appreciates the performer’s sense of rhythm that is an integral part of music.

Music played on an instrument tries to come close to the pitch, tone and vibrations of the human voice. A player attains mastery over an instrument and ultimately he or she is associated completely with the name of the instrument. Yehudi Menuhin and Lalgudi Jayaraman with the violin, Yani and Liberacci with the piano, sitar and Ravi Shankar, mandolin and Srinivasan, Mali, Sashank and Hari Prasad Chaurasia with the flute, Santoor and Sharma, Balachandar, Chittibabu and Gayathri with the veena, Kadri and the saxophone, Ustad Alla Rakha and Zakir Hussain with the tabla, Madurai Mani Iyer with the mridangam, Vinoo Vinayak and the ghatam and so many other players and instrument in classical music.

“If music be the food of love, play on,

Give me excess of it”-

Shakespeare’s famous lines from Twelfth Night sums up the importance of music in romance.

A child hears music in the lullaby that the mother sings. Music is an indicator of moods in human beings ranging from happiness, love, sorrow and separation and can express any of the nine emotions or navarasas.

From the Big Bang to the primordial hum of the Aum, the sounds of nature and civilization to music and emotions, sounds are an important part of human existence. The lack of this important faculty provides a challenge for survival in this world that is governed by sound. Sounds can enhance, intrude and harm life. The sounds of silence, as the Beatles put it, can help voices share so much. The ultimate bliss however is the inward journey that can shut out all sound and merge with the divine.

http://padmininatarajan.sulekha.com/blog/post/2008/08/sounds-and-music.htm