WITH V.DAKSHINAMURTHY

Here is the music maestro V. Dakshinamurthy,unmindful of the hue and cry of the age,reluctant to fame,positions and controversies. Yes,the master beyond par excellence. All time favourite of music lovers who blended malayalam film songs with carnatic music,made them evergreen;a devotee of music.

A nonagenerian,'swamy',he is affectionately called takes life as a compassionate,delicate feeling. I met him at the Garuda Appartments, with his younger daughter Parvathi and family , which is on the north gate of the Sri Padmanabhaswamy temple in Trivandrum. I learned, for those who are pious at heart,old age cannot catch them easily. He presents a moving symbol of this fact ,energetic walking,movements, nonstumbling dulcet
voice,compliant,godly demeanour and radiant eyes. The old age of this perpetual traveller too is clear and undefiled.

He began, where is truth? My be he is quite conscious of our tarnished surroundings. He answered it as nothingness. Nothingness is the prime truth, the yogic essence says Swami. If there is real music ,it is God itself. He compares God to a merciful sea incessantly pouring out music. Sangeetha Ganga has no other way but to merge with the sea of music. As a music enthusiast his bliss lies in searching for the God with undying form of music.

His eloquence fills with spiritual plenty. In the contemporary world where spiritualism is played as trump card to win fame and fortune, among spiritual superstars who become best sellers in American market,this devout musician stands alone because of righteousness and creative goodness.He hasn't any wishes but for the immaculate naturalism,that is his spirituality. And his music is the completion emerging out of the depths of that spirituality.

Swamy always remembers what his Guru Venkitachalam Potti had said. 'Knowledge is like water in a well. It replenishes again, the more you draw,the more it supplies. Swami has no disciples in the Gurukula system but there are numerous informally. Just as his Guru advised he shared his knowledge to others and hence his life is gratified.

He spends his time travelling, to the dear and near in Chennai,Trivandrum, Palghat and to many temples. They satisfy him and in such fruitful journeys,places, time never bothers,he said. 'I don't want
to compare old and modern film songs. Likes and dislikes are creations of the mind. It's not easy for sound to become a song. Song is a completion,perfection. Sound is the beginning. Unfortunately most of the songs remain as sounds',he added.

When asked how he spends a day,what Swamy said became his definition of music. He turns every moment a chant through meditation. That is how the day goes. The tail end of the rosary is in the musician's hands. The song as kite, tied by its thread is in the infinite sky.Once chanting ceases songs vanish.Then what's music? He was silent for a moment, 'it's nothingness'.