Swami D.R. Parvatikar - Raga Nayaki Kanara and Bhopali - Rudra Veena - Rudra Vina

With Dattatreya Rama Rao Parvatikar, known as Swami D.R. Parvatikar or Veena Baba we add another musician from the 20th century to this historical collection of Rudra Veena players. Rather known as a Sanyasi and Nada Yogi who lived in the Himalayas, he was a multiverse instrumentalist. He played not only several instruments like in Sitar, Vichitra Veena, Rudra Veena and Swarmandal, but invented also his own Veena called Dattatreya Veena (also Bhram Veena), a mixture of Sitar and Swarmandal. The sound of this instrument was captured in recordings of Alain Daniélou taken for a UNESCO project: ‘UNESCO Collection of Traditional Music of the World’.

While these recordings are available on disc and CD we present here some short pieces of Swami D.R. Parvatikar Rudra Veena playing, which seem according to the audio quality also be done in the 1950ties by Alain Daniélou.

Though there are no information about his musical training and tradition we can hear in his Veena playing a Khyal based style that uses a short Alap, Jor, Jhala, followed by Teental and Sitarkhani Gats as played on Sitar. A trend we see with several (amateur) Rudra Veena players in the 20th century resulting from the increasing extinction of pure Veena traditions and the popularity the Sitar gained in that time.
However the short clippings added in the end of this upload demonstrate his well-versed command over the Jor and fast Jhala techniques.

From the little known about him we can gather that he was not too much involved in professional performing, rather exploring his Sadhana of spiritual practice and music as well as teaching both of them. He started a Nada Yoga School in Rishikesh in the 1950ties. We can hear in the Bhoopali recording a student playing accompanying him.

I hope you will enjoy also this unique Rudra Veena recordings.
Carsten

[samirchandra]

Thank you for preserving and publishing his music. It is indeed divine music. When i was really young i saw him few times when he had come to visit my father. I heard from my father that Parvatikar ji used to learn music from my great grand father, Pundit Nadanand Bapuji from Hyderabad, India. My great grand father was a very renowned sitar musician from south India.

[sunildeo]

I heard him long long back, when I were a engineering student in V.J.T.I. Mumbai. That is in the year 1963-1965. Quite impressed by his Veena.

[vivekmalhotra]

16:53 *Rudra Veena...*
*It's like Sati Viyog Veena....* 😥😥
*I can't stop crying...*
*It's like out of body experience....*
*Unbelievable sensation goosebumps....*
*Indeed music has the power to change the world*

[bhaskarbulusu]

He is playing to himself immersed in bliss. Not a care for the world around him. Realised souls coming to be amongst us is our good fortune.

[tarrytao]

I heard from saints that he got sakshat darsan of mata saraswati...i was curious. and i searched on the youtube and after hearing this i am damn sure that he had.

[theamazingworld]

❝ वेदः शिवः शिवो वेद: ❞ अर्थात वेद ही शिव है, और शिव ही वेद है ।
अथर्ववेद📚 
ग्यारहवां कांड 
सुक्त-२
• तव चतस्रः प्रदिशस्तव द्यौस्तव पृथिवी तवेदमुग्रोर्वन्तरिक्षम् । तवेदं ॥१०॥


हे अतिशय बलशाली रुद्र ! पूर्व आदि चार दिशाएं तुम्हारे अधिकार में हैं . द्यौ, पृथ्वी, विशाल अंतरिक्ष तथा आत्मा के द्वारा भोक्ता के रूप में वर्तमान सारे शरीर तुम्हारे अधिकार में है . पृथ्वी पर जितने सांस लेने वाले हैं, वे भी तुम्हारे अधिकार में हैं . इन सब पर कृपा करने के लिए तुम्हें नमस्कार है . ( १० )

                                               Bhavarth : सब ब्रह्माण्ड व सब प्राणी प्रभु के प्रशासन में ही चल रहे हैं ।

Sandarbh : प्रभु के प्रशासन में


जिन जगन्नियन्ता जगदाधार वेदवर्णित अद्वितीय परमेश्वर से यह सम्पूर्ण जगत सदा - सभी अवस्थाओ मे सर्वथा व्याप्त है । जो काल के भी महाकाल है--अर्थात जो काल की सीमाओ से भी परे है। जो ज्ञानस्वरूप चिन्मय परमात्मा सुह्वदता आदि दिव्य गुणो से नित्य सम्पन्न है, समस्त गुण जिनके स्वरूपभूत और चिन्मय है, जो समस्त ब्रह्माण्डो को भली प्रकार से जानते है, उन्ही का चलाया हुआ यह जगत्-चक्र नियमपूर्वक चल रहा है।

[thiruvetti]

Rudra Veena is the most soulful divine musical instrument and Swami D.R. Parvatikar takes me to a divine abode of Lord Vishnu with his music.

[darshanvasist]

Such a musical marvel. I really wonder why his works are not presented on a higher podium. It will be a great tribute to the mystic saint

[tmadhavamenon]

thank you, guruji. he was indeed, according to all reports, a great yogi - a parivrajaka who never stayed long at a place. He wandered all over the Himalayas, and his music was part of his spiritual discipline. I am not quite sure, but i thought i heard some hints of a classical karnatic style submerged deep in his technique. His faster passages sound a little like the Ragam Tanam Pallavi format. I am sure that all lovers of the esoteric schools of music will thank you for having unearthed this hidden gem, and brought it out for our delectation. certainly this great swamiji, who made a sadhaka of music, must be a landmark in bringing out the versatility and devotional dedication of rudraveena playing. namaskars, guruji, and thanks.

[bahraichianfoodie]

Omg....I'm listening this and I feel my soul start dancing....har har mahadev

[chiraranjanbakshi]

I watched him playing veen many years ago on TV ! Most memorable part of the performance is the expression of heavenly Peace and contentment on his face !🙏🙏🙏🙏

[yogeshwardixit]

1972-73 में मैंने स्वामी जी को मथुरा के द्वारिकाधीश मंदिर में बहुत सुना है। वे वर्ष में कुछ दिन मथुरा में गुजारते थे। द्वारिकाधीश मंदिर में बाल जी चतुर्वेदी भगवान की सेवा में ध्रुपद-धमार गाते थे और स्वामी जी उनके साथ वीणा पर संगत करते थे। मैं मुग्ध होकर सुना करता था।

[nileshsatpute]

Art like this should be preserved. What a awesome veena music❤

[explorerelka]

Such talents we were never aware of. Vielen Dank, Carsten

[gauravk]

Wow. Soul touching music! Thank you Carsten for preserving this and publishing it on YouTube.

[mathandtharka]

Thanks for bringing out this divine music by the divine man. In 60s I remember hm playing in Manthralayam during RAGHVRNDRA ARAADHANA. He would sit for hours and hours and keep playing

[akshaykamble]

17:00 Min is taking me out of this world 🕉️😌
ॐ नमः शिवाय 🙏🏻

[jvsuryanarayana]

I used to hear and enjoy the music in my early adulthood. I am very thankful to get a chance to hear him again.

[shivrashtraofficial]

And I just found this piece through the inspiration of Mahadevi Maatangi .
Thank You Sir 🙏

[kusumagrajkamble]

Wow.. आंखो मे आंसू और चेहरे पे मुस्कुराहट आ गयी... इतना खुबसुरत अनुभव पहले राहुलजी देशपांडे इनका गाना सुनके हुआ था.. और आज यहा... क्या बात है..
आपका तहे दिल से धन्यवाद....❤🙏🏼🙏🏼🫂🫂