Arangetram means ASCENDING THE STAGE OF LIFE.
Arangu means STAGE
Etram means ASCENT
Margam - a
topic that will be of great interest to people who love Spirituality.
Margam (OR) Maargam
is a logical progression of Ideas of Spirituality in a narrative structure.
MARGAM is the scientific format
in which Bharatanatyam is presented.
Margam "The most scientific format of Spirituality" was developed by Thanjavur Brothers who were the court musicians of Thanjavur who later moved to Travancore Court located in Kerala.
Margam was developed by Thanjavur Brothers and is the TOPLINE SUMMARY of NATYA VEDA.
The major objective of Margam is to experience - Dharma , Artha , Kama and Moksha.
Margam is a sequence of list of dance Items a student has to learn and it is structured in the form of an ENTRY INTO A TEMPLE TO WITNESS GOD.
Completion of all Items and presenting them is called Arangetram.
Lets explore Margam !
Dance Item
1 : Alarippu : It is like the first step towards entering the Temple
through a GOPURAM (Outer hall of the temple).
Alarippu
means BLOOM. This dance
item awakens the Physical limbs of the body.
Alarippu is about exploiting the full physical potential.
This
awakening is said to be the blossoming of the body and is symbolically compared
to the blooming of LOTUS FLOWER and it is performed in rhythmic pattern set
within a metrical cycle.
Dance Item 2
: Jathiswaram : Once you enter the temple , you cross the Ardha Mantapam (Half
way Hall). An item that consist of a pure
beautiful rhythmic patterns without expressions and emotions.
Kalyani Jatiswaram is a Nritta Item based on Yoga Philosophy. The item lays the foundation to perceive PURE CONSCIOUSNESS ; and it begins with SPACE CONSCIOUSNESS.
Developing SPACE TIME CONSCIOUSNESSES across all 8 directions of the universe.
Straight Line Movements are made across 8 directions of the universe in a circular fashion thereby creating a MANDALA.
Expressions (Abhinaya) is introduced here in this item. Dancer will first learn to EXPRESS based on SOUND RECEIVED.
SOUND CONSCIOUSNESS is developed.
Dance Item 4 : Kauthuvam / Kauthuka Bhimbam : Exploring Light
YOUR 9 EMOTIONAL WAVES NOW BECOMES 9 LIGHT WAVES.
ENERGY = LIGHT.
LIGHT CONSCIOUSNESS is developed.
Dance Item 5 : Varnam : Chitteswaram
Entering into the holy precinct of the God - Stand before Sanctum Sanctorum.
How should you stand before the Sanctum Sanctorum ?
One of the Natya Veda Shlokam.
"Kati Karna Samaayathra Koorparaamsha Shirasthatha Sumunnatham
Uraschaiva Saoushtavam Nama Thath Bhaved".
I align my ears with the waist, head raised with chin slightly up and the chest raised slightly.
This posture is called SAUSHTAVAM. I dance in life in SAUSHTAVAM POSE.
SAUSHTAVAM simply means SYMMETRICAL means "You perform only RIGHT ACTIONS in the dance of life".
Varnam - The Symmetrical Dance !
Dance Item 6/7 : Padam / Javali :
The dancer creates a Garbagriha(Sanctum Sanctorum) around herself where she meets the supreme reality.
These item has only expressions , emotions and love. You experience a beautiful journey from the Physical to Sublime.The quest for self realization is presented.
Physical body movements are not present anymore. Emotion is the basic truth of Life.
Physical body movements are not present anymore. Emotion is the basic truth of Life.
There is not much significance between Padam and Javali.
Body has no value by itself , it is only an instrument to EXPRESS and EXPERIENCE.
The colours and brilliance of outer corridors
of the temple disappear. You cross over the colourful beautiful outer corridors of a temple which represents ILLUSION and then move into the REALITY called Darkness and Emptiness (Sanctum) where you experience union with macro cosmos.
Dance Item 8 : Tevaram
Every Tevaram should begin with the SPIRITUAL UTTERANCE - THIRUCHITRAMBALAM.
Thiruchitrambalam = The hall of Pure Consciousness.
Thiru = Divine
Chit = The very functioning of the Conscious and the Unconscious
Ambalam = Space / Sky / Stage / Space between the 2 Eye Brows
Chit = The very functioning of the Conscious and the Unconscious
Ambalam = Space / Sky / Stage / Space between the 2 Eye Brows
The word is metaphorically compared with the HALL OF PURE CONSCIOUSNESS inside the Chidambaram Natarajar Temple. It conveys that the MACRO and the MICRO are one and the same.
You now have combined UNCONSCIOUS to the CONSCIOUS to arrive at PURE CONSCIOUSNESS.
CONSCIOUSNESS of the UNCONSCIOUS.
Dance Item 9 : Thillana : This item breaks into physical movements to show the joy of imminent union of the dancer with God. Here the Dancer has got insight of the supreme reality residing in the heart of the self.
Dance Item 10 : Keerthanam : Towards the end of this SPIRITUAL JOURNEY you recognize THAT GOD who guided you on this SPIRITUAL JOURNEY.
In this Item the dancer praises God who Guided her on the path of SPIRITUAL JOURNEY.
The last 2 steps of the 18 holy steps of Sabarimala Temple that lead to Sanctum Sanctorum are the following :
17th step : AVIDYA = ILLUSION and
18th step : VIDYA = ENLIGHTENMENT.
Goddess Shringeri Sharada and Kollur Mookambika Saraswati Devi have guided me on the ROAD NOT TAKEN - SPIRITUAL ROAD.
Both the Goddess were installed by a Spiritual Philosopher from Kerala called Saint Adishankaracharya.
Keerthanam 1 :
The Goddess that lead me to Sanctum and helped me understand Avidya / Illusion is "Sringeri Sharada Devi" located in the state of Karnataka.
Attainment of Moksha from EGO.
Keerthanam 2 :
The Goddess that lead me to Sanctum is "Kollur Mookambika Saraswati Devi" located in the state of Karnataka.
Kollur Mookambika Devi blessed with the divine power of Goddess Lakshmi.
Realization of one's own nature is BRAHMAN.
BRAHMAN = VIDYA = ENLIGHTENMENT.
IN THE SANCTUM.
The HEAVY BAGGAGE on the head called EGO / PRIDE is now removed and released.
The God that is residing in my heart - Lord Ayyappa.
Realizing that "Tat-Tvam-Asi" is the goal of life.
My Arangetram is complete.
Thank you all for being my AUDIENCE across APAC/US/EUROPE/ARAB.
Without AUDIENCE my ARANGETRAM would have been INCOMPLETE.
Meaning of Tat-Tvam-Asi = You are that which you SEEK.
Wish you all a very HAPPY NEW YEAR 2022.
My Guru Goddess Sringeri Sharada Devi who helped me ASCEND THE STAGE OF LIFE and made me SUCCESSFUL.
TRIBUTE TO MY GURU.
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