Mohit Chauhan: Namaskar Sadhguru. I grew up in the hills in Himachal Pradesh, and I’m extremely attached to the mountains, and the beauty, and the silence that I found over there. And of course a lot of inspiration came to me from Mahadev, and music. Would love if you can shed some light on the connection between these three – Mahadev, Mountains and Music – and their significance in our lives.
Sadhguru: Namaskaram Mohit. Now you’re sounding like a 3M company – Mahadev, mountains and music.
He [Shiva] was the greatest mathematician, and also among the greatest musicians ever
Well, Mahadev means a great lord. Of course you’re referring to Shiva. He was the greatest mathematician, and also among the greatest musicians ever. But people did not hear much of his music, because he danced to his own music, and others did not hear that music. They only were captivated by his dance, and they did not know to what rhythm he is dancing. But it’s his own rhythm, and his own music, of course in the mountains.
So, you come from… you’re a pahadi, so naturally there is a certain thing about mountains. When you walk in the mountains, and when you’re in the mountains, you have to walk. Only now roads are coming in, otherwise people walked. Mountain people always walked. When you simply walk without knowing how far is your destination, when you have to keep walking day in and day out, you will see, you will develop a rhythm of your own. A certain music, and a certain lilt to your walk, and to your moments, because you have to conserve your energy. You can’t walk like how city people are walking. You walk in a certain way, with minimum energy and maximum movement. And that becomes a kind of music and dance within itself.
And naturally pahadi people, or the mountain people, always came up with a music which is unique in itself
And naturally pahadi people, or the mountain people, always came up with a music which is unique in itself. Which is limited in its range in terms of Indian classical music. If you look at, it it’s limited in range. But there is a lilt and a rhythm to it, which is unique. Simply because the very walk and the way mountain people exist, they have to find a rhythm. Otherwise in the terrain they cannot really survive. Because minimising consumption of energy is an important part of being in the mountains.
And, well people are loving your music, keep it going. And very important that you bring more of pahadi music to the plains, because people who live on the plains… plains give you a certain comfort, you can move whichever way you want, you don’t have to conserve your energy. But it’s important that people learn how to move with minimum energy and maximum movement, because that leads to a kind of dance of its own. Dance and music are not different. Dance is just music in motion.
