Historical Development of Indian Music: A Critical Study c8.28

c8.28

There runs an allusion in the Śatapatha-Brāhmaṇa (VII 2.4.1-7), from which we know that music is in itself Devī Sarasvatī or it can be said, music has originated from the goddess. The Śatapatha-Brāhmaṇa says that Viśvāvasu a Gandharva, stole Soma from Gāyatrī. Gāyatrī is the Vedic metre like Vṛhatī, Jagatī etc. and represents the Sun. Gandharva Viśvāvasu is known as a renowned author on music. When the *Devas* came to know of the theft of *Soma* by Gandharva, Viśvāvasu, they sent the beautiful virgin *Vāc* or *Vācdevī* to rescue *Soma*, the nectar. The Gandharvas, it is said, were fond of women and beauty. When *Vācdevī* approached the Gandharvas, they were charmed with her divine and exquisite beauty and grace. They came to gods and said: ‘Let yours be the *Soma* and let *Vāc* or *Vācdevī* be ours’. This *Vāc* is *Devī Sarasvatī*. Here *Devī* and the art of music have been identified. Afterwards *Devī* was conceived as the presiding Deity of all arts, and the musicologists called her the unmanifested causal sound, *Nāda*. The Gandharvas got *Devī* in their possession and so they excelled all others in music.¹