सङ्गीतरत्नाकर: प्रथम भाग (शार्ङ्गदेव - स्वरगताध्याय सविस्तार व्याख्या व अनुवाद सहित)

104 Treatment of Svara
तत्र स्यात्सगुणाद्ध्यानाद्भुक्तिर्मुक्तिस्तु निर्गुणात् ।। १६४ ।।
ध्यानमेकाग्रचित्तैकसाध्यं न सुकरं नृणाम् ।
तस्मादत्र सुखोपायं श्रीमन्नादमनाहतम् ।। १६५ ।।
गुरूपदिष्टमार्गेण मुनयः समुपासते ।
सो ऽपि रक्तिविहीनत्वान्न मनोरञ्जको नृणाम् ।। १६६ ।।
तस्मादाहतनादस्य श्रुत्यादिद्वारतो ऽखिलम् ।
गेयं वितन्वतो लोकरञ्जनं भवभञ्जनम् ।। १६७ ।।
उत्पत्तिमभिधास्यामस्तथा श्रुत्याविहेतुताम् ।
The pursuit of the manifest¹ (saguṇa) leads to worldly
enjoyment and the meditation of the unmanifest² (nirguṇa)
leads to salvation. (164cd).
wise do not, due to the imperfections of the body, hate it and grow
indifferent to its proper upkeep and care ; on the contrary, they find
in it a suitable means, not only for enjoying life in this world, but also
for saving their souls in the other world as well. i e., for gaining
immortality, the final beatitude.
The author further makes it clear that Life or Divinity may be
conceived either as manifest and conditioned from the individual view-
point, i.e , delimited in time-space, or as absolute, non-dual reality from
the universal point of view.
He further informs that the individual's point of view, delimited
in time-space as it is, leads to worldly enjoyment. The word,
‘enjoyment’, i. e., bhukti is neutral and comprehends both pleasure and
pain, delight and sorrow, all the pairs of opposites in feeling, knowing
and willing; bhukti in fact is experience. This he calls the pursuit of
the manifest, i e., conditioned reality which implies the unmanifest, the
unconditioned. Meditation of the unconditioned, the unmanifest,
Brahman without any attributes, without any specific conditions leads to
freedom, to perfection, to spiritual emancipation.
A reference may, in this context, be invited to Bhaṭṭa Nāyaka’s
concept of bhoga, explaining aesthetic experience being subjectively
as well as objectively true and yet free from the limitations of individu-
ality. Thus, in his view, the effective operation of the media lies

1. Literally, Brahman with attributes implying conditioned existence.
2. Literally, attributeless Brahman implying unconditioned
   Section 2 . The Genesis of the Human Embodiment...
   Contemplation attainable through one-pointed concen-
   tration of attention is not conveniently within the reach of
   people³; therefore, under the circumstances⁴, the sages take
   resort to the easier means of worshipping the unmanifest
   nāda⁵, by the procedure laid down by the preceptors. Even
   that, being devoid of emotional colour⁶, does not interest the
   (common) people. (165-166)
   in their efficiency to liberate the subjective self well as the object
   presented from the limitations of personality. From this point of view
   music being an auditory art, has greater advantages than other art
   media. Music is truly a universal language and therefore is capable of
   being used as a medium not only of aesthetic experience but also of
   spiritual experience. Indeed, music has been used as a powerful instru-
   ment for spiritual and religious awakening, specially in India. The
   author is stressing the point (as also in the next verse) that even though
   all human endeavour may culminate in the awakening of the unmanifest
   (anāhata) nāda within, it can best be achieved through the pursuit of the
   manifest (āhata) nāda, i. e., through the cultivation of musical arts
   which cater to the individual, the social and the spiritual good of
   humanity at the material and the spiritual levels at the same time.
   Now, it has been stated in the previous verse that devotion to the
   manifestation of deity or the manifest deity leads to worldly experience;
   while, one-pointed attention fixed upon the unmanifest, the attributeless,
   unconditioned Brahman leads to final emancipation. With regard to
   worldly experience as well, the goal ultimately is to rise above need for
   further experience and be free from limitations of every sort. The
   intelligent people as it has been said, make use of the body as a means
   of gaining experience as well as salvation. Experiencing the sense
   objects and their pursuit is open to all and is also within the reach of
   almost all the human beings, but salvation is attained, as far as our
   text is concerned, by contemplating the formless, the limitless reality;
   and that is not approachable by all, even though that is the accepted
   goal of all human existence. It is not possible for everybody to meditate
   upon the attributeless Brahman, because it requires one-pointed concent-
   ration of mind to be held without the aid of a visible object. It requires
   a code of self-discipline without any external stimulus or any other
   source of inspiration.
3. Ordinary people are meant, i. e., the average human being.
4. Since the direct approach is beyond the reach of an average human being, in such a case.
5. Nāda is primordial sound