Mrdanga (Books)

Expressions researched:
"mrdanga" |"mrdangas"

SB Preface and Introduction

SB Introduction:

The magistrate then sent constables who interrupted a saṅkīrtana and broke some of the mṛdaṅgas (drums). When Nimāi Paṇḍita heard of this incident He organized a party for civil disobedience. He is the pioneer of the civil disobedience movement in India for the right cause. He organized a procession of one hundred thousand men with thousands of mṛdaṅgas and karatālas (hand cymbals), and this procession passed over the roads of Navadvīpa in defiance of the Kazi who had issued the order.

SB Canto 1

SB 1.10.15, Translation:

While the Lord was departing from the palace of Hastināpura, different types of drums -like the mṛdaṅga, dhola, nagra, dhundhurī and dundubhi-and flutes of different types, the vīṇā, gomukha and bherī, all sounded together to show Him honor.

SB Canto 6

SB 6.3.25, Purport:

Recently, when we established a large Kṛṣṇa-Balarāma temple in Vṛndāvana, we were obliged to have Vedic ceremonies enacted by brāhmaṇas because the inhabitants of Vṛndāvana, especially the smārta-brāhmaṇas, would not accept Europeans and Americans as bona fide brāhmaṇas. Thus we had to engage brāhmaṇas to perform costly yajñas. In spite of these yajñas, the members of our Society performed saṅkīrtana loudly with mṛdaṅgas, and I considered the saṅkīrtana more important than the Vedic ritualistic ceremonies. Both the ceremonies and the saṅkīrtana were going on simultaneously. The ceremonies were meant for persons interested in Vedic rituals for elevation to heavenly planets (jaḍī-kṛta-matir madhu-puṣpitāyām), whereas the saṅkīrtana was meant for pure devotees interested in pleasing the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

SB Canto 8

SB 8.8.13, Translation:

The clouds in personified form beat various types of drums, known as mṛdaṅgas, paṇavas, murajas and ānakas. They also blew conchshells and bugles known as gomukhas and played flutes and stringed instruments. The combined sound of these instruments was tumultuous.

SB 8.15.21, Translation:

The city was filled with the sounds of mṛdaṅgas, conchshells, kettledrums, flutes and well-tuned stringed instruments all playing in concert. There was constant dancing and the Gandharvas sang. The combined beauty of Indrapurī defeated beauty personified.

SB Cantos 10.14 to 12 (Translations Only)

SB 10.16.27, Translation:

Seeing the Lord dancing, His servants in the heavenly planets—the Gandharvas, Siddhas, sages, Cāraṇas and wives of the demigods—immediately arrived there. With great pleasure they began accompanying the Lord's dancing by playing drums such as mṛdaṅgas, paṇavas and ānakas. They also made offerings of songs, flowers and prayers.

SB 10.50.37-38, Translation:

As the Lord entered His city, conchshells and kettledrums sounded, and many drums, horns, vīṇās, flutes and mṛdaṅgas played in concert. The boulevards were sprinkled with water, there were banners everywhere, and the gateways were decorated for the celebration. The citizens were elated, and the city resounded with the chanting of Vedic hymns.

SB 10.53.40-41, Translation:

Rukmiṇī silently went out on foot to see the lotus feet of the deity Bhavānī. Accompanied by her mothers and girlfriends and protected by the King's valiant soldiers, who held their upraised weapons at the ready, she simply absorbed her mind in the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa. And all the while mṛdaṅgas, conchshells, paṇavas, horns and other instruments resounded.

SB 10.70.20, Translation:

These performers would dance and sing to the sounds of mṛdaṅgas, vīṇās, murajas, flutes, cymbals and conchshells, while professional poets, chroniclers and panegyrists would recite the Lord's glories.

SB 10.71.14, Translation:

As the vibrations resounding from mṛdaṅgas, bherīs, kettledrums, conchshells and gomukhas filled the sky in all directions, Lord Kṛṣṇa set out on His journey. He was accompanied by the chief officers of His corps of chariots, elephants, infantry and cavalry and surrounded on all sides by His fierce personal guard.

SB 10.71.29, Translation:

Sūtas, Māgadhas, Gandharvas, Vandīs, jesters and brāhmaṇas all glorified the lotus-eyed Lord—some reciting prayers, some dancing and singing—as mṛdaṅgas, conchshells, kettledrums, vīṇās, paṇavas and gomukhas resounded.

SB 10.75.9, Translation:

During the avabhṛtha celebration, the music of many kinds of instruments resounded, including mṛdaṅgas, conchshells, panavas, dhundhuris, kettledrums and gomukha horns.

SB 10.83.30, Translation:

Just then there were loud sounds of conchshells and mṛdaṅga, paṭaha, bherī and ānaka drums, as well as other instruments. Men and women began to dance, and singers began to sing.

SB 10.84.46, Translation:

Mṛdaṅgas, paṭahas, conchshells, bherīs, ānakas and other instruments resounded, male and female dancers danced, and sūtas and māgadhas recited glorifications. Sweet-voiced Gandharvīs sang, accompanied by their husbands.

SB 10.90.8-9, Translation:

As Gandharvas joyfully sang His praises to the accompaniment of mṛdaṅga, paṇava and ānaka drums, and as professional reciters known as Sūtas, Māgadhas and Vandīs played vīṇās and recited poems praising Him, Lord Kṛṣṇa would play with His wives in the water. Laughing, the queens would squirt water on Him with syringes, and He would squirt them back. Thus Kṛṣṇa would sport with His queens in the same way that the lord of the Yakṣas sports with the Yakṣī nymphs.

CC Adi-lila

CC Adi 12.87, Purport:

Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura writes in his Anubhāṣya, “Śrī Maṅgala Vaiṣṇava was a resident of the village Ṭiṭakaṇā in the district of Murśidābād. His forefathers were śāktas who worshiped the goddess Kirīṭeśvarī. It is said that Maṅgala Vaiṣṇava, formerly a staunch brahmacārī, left home and later married the daughter of his disciple Prāṇanātha Adhikārī in the village of Mayanāḍāla. The descendants of this family are known as the Ṭhākuras of Kāṅdaḍā, which is a village in the district of Burdwan near Katwa. Scattered descendants of Maṅgala Vaiṣṇava, thirty-six families altogether, still live there. Among the celebrated disciples of Maṅgala Ṭhākura are Prāṇanātha Adhikārī, Puruṣottama Cakravartī of the village of Kāṅdaḍā, and Nṛsiṁha-prasāda Mitra, whose family members are well-known mṛdaṅga players. Sudhākṛṣṇa Mitra and Nikuñjavihārī Mitra are both especially famous mṛdaṅga players.

CC Adi 17.123, Translation and Purport:

When the saṅkīrtana movement thus started, no one in Navadvīpa could hear any sound other than the words "Hari! Hari!" and the beating of the mṛdaṅga and clashing of hand bells.

The International Society for Krishna Consciousness now has its world center in Navadvīpa, Māyāpur. The managers of this center should see that twenty-four hours a day there is chanting of the holy names of the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, with the addition of haraye namaḥ, kṛṣṇa yādavāya namaḥ, for this song was a favorite of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu's. But all such saṅkīrtana must be preceded by the chanting of the holy names of the five tattvas—śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya prabhu-nityānanda śrī-advaita gadādhara śrīvāsādi-gaura-bhakta-vṛnda.

CC Adi 17.125, Translation:

Chand Kazi angrily came to one home in the evening, and when he saw kīrtana going on, he broke a mṛdaṅga and spoke as follows.

CC Adi 17.135, Translation and Purport:

In the evening Lord Gaurasundara went out and formed three parties to perform kīrtana.

This is a scheme for performing kīrtana in a procession. During Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu's time, one party was composed of twenty-one men: four people playing mṛdaṅgas, one leading the chanting, and sixteen others striking karatālas, responding to the leading chanter. If many men join the saṅkīrtana movement, they may follow in the footsteps of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and form different parties according to the time and the number of men available.

CC Adi 17.181, Translation:

“Placing its nails on my chest, the lion said in a grave voice, ‘I shall immediately bifurcate your chest as you broke the mṛdaṅga drum!

CC Madhya-lila

CC Madhya 9.282, Purport:

The city of Pāṇḍarapura is situated on the river Bhīmā. It is said that Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu initiated Tukārāma when He visited Pāṇḍarapura, and thus Tukārāma became His disciple. Tukārāma Ācārya became very famous in the Maharashtra province, and he spread the saṅkīrtana movement all over the province. The saṅkīrtana party belonging to Tukārāma is still very popular in Bombay and throughout the province of Maharashtra. Tukārāma's book is known as Abhaṅga. His saṅkīrtana party exactly resembles the Gauḍīya-Vaiṣṇava saṅkīrtana parties, for they chant the holy name of the Lord with mṛdaṅga and karatālas.

CC Madhya 11.216, Translation:

In the four groups there were eight mṛdaṅgas and thirty-two cymbals. All together they began to vibrate the transcendental sound, and everyone said, "Very good! Very good!"

CC Madhya 13 Summary:

Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu divided His saṅkīrtana party into seven divisions. With two mṛdaṅgas in each division, there were altogether fourteen mṛdaṅgas. While performing kīrtana, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu exhibited various symptoms of transcendental ecstasy, and Jagannātha and Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu exchanged Their feelings very blissfully. When the cars reached the place known as Balagaṇḍi, the devotees offered the Deities simple food. At this time, in a nearby garden, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and His devotees took a brief rest from the dancing.

CC Madhya 13.33, Translation:

There were altogether four parties of kīrtana performers, comprising twenty-four chanters. In each party there were also two mṛdaṅga players, making an additional eight persons.

CC Madhya 19.132, Purport:

According to Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura, distributing literature is like playing on a great mṛdaṅga. Consequently we always request members of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness to publish as many books as possible and distribute them widely throughout the world. By thus following in the footsteps of Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī, one can become a rūpānuga devotee.

CC Antya-lila

CC Antya 7.75, Translation:

Fourteen mṛdaṅgas resounded with the loud congregational chanting, and in each group was a dancer whose dance of ecstatic love inundated the entire world.

Teachings of Lord Caitanya

Teachings of Lord Caitanya, Chapter Prologue:

The smārta brāhmaṇas became jealous of Nimāi Paṇḍita's success and complained to Chand Kazi against the character of Caitanya as un-Hindu. The Kazi came to Śrīvāsa Paṇḍita's house and broke a mṛdaṅga (khola drum) there and declared that unless Nimāi Paṇḍita ceased to make noise about his queer religion he would be obliged to enforce Mohammedanism on him and his followers. This was brought to Mahāprabhu's notice.

Krsna, The Supreme Personality of Godhead

Krsna Book Dedication:

A pure devotee of Kṛṣṇa, who raised me as a Kṛṣṇa concious child from the beginning of my life. In my boyhood ages he instructed me how to play the mṛdanga. He gave me Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa Vigraha to worship, and he gave me Jagannātha-Ratha to duly observe the festival as my childhood play. He was kind to me, and I imbibed from him the ideas later on solidified by my spiritual master, the eternal father.

Krsna Book 50:

When Lord Kṛṣṇa entered the city after the victory, many bugles, conches and kettledrums sounded, and the vibrations of various musical instruments like bherīs, tūryas, vīṇās, flutes and mṛdaṅgas all joined together to make a beautiful reception. While Kṛṣṇa was entering, the whole city was cleansed, all the different streets and roads were sprinkled with water, and the inhabitants, being joyous, decorated their respective houses and shops with flags and festoons.

Krsna Book 70:

All these functions would be accompanied by the beating of mṛdaṅga drums and the sounds of the vīṇā, flutes and bells, followed by the sound of the muraja, another type of drum. To these musical vibrations, the auspicious sound of the conchshell would be added. The professional singers called sūtas and māgadhas would sing, and others would perform their dancing art. In this way, as devotees, they would offer respectful prayers to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Sometimes the learned brāhmaṇas present in that assembly would chant Vedic hymns and explain them to the audience to the best of their knowledge, and sometimes some of them would recite old historical accounts of the activities of prominent kings.

Krsna Book 71:

The professional reciters like the sūtas, māgadhas and vandīs, accompanied by the brāhmaṇas, offered their respectful prayers to the Lord. Performing artists like the Gandharvas, as well as the royal jokers, began to play their paṇava drums, conchshells, kettledrums, vīṇās, mṛdaṅgas and bugles, and they exhibited their dancing art to please the Lord. Thus the all-famous Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Kṛṣṇa, entered the great city of Hastināpura, which was opulent in every respect. While Lord Kṛṣṇa was entering the city, all the people talked amongst themselves about the glories of the Lord, praising His transcendental name, qualities, form and so on.

Krsna Book 75:

The city of Hastināpura stands today on the bank of the Yamunā, and the statement of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam that King Yudhiṣṭhira went to bathe in the Ganges indicates, therefore, that during the time of the Pāṇḍavas the river Yamunā was also known as the Ganges. While the King was taking the avabhṛtha bath, different musical instruments vibrated, such as mṛdaṅgas, conchshells, paṇava drums, kettledrums and bugles, and the ankle bells of the dancing girls jingled.

Krsna Book 83:

As soon as I placed my garland on the neck of the Lord, there sounded immediately the combined vibration of mṛdaṅgas, paṭaha and ānaka drums, conchshells, kettledrums and other instruments, causing a tumultuous sound, and while the music played, expert male and female dancers began to dance, and singers began to sing sweetly.

Krsna Book 84:

When everything was complete, there was heard the vibration of mṛdaṅgas, conchshells, kettledrums and other musical instruments. Professional dancers, both male and female, began to dance. The sūtas and māgadhas, who were professional singers, began to offer prayers by singing. And the Gandharvas and their wives, whose voices were very sweet, began to sing many auspicious songs. Vasudeva anointed his eyes with black cosmetic, smeared butter over his body and then, along with his eighteen wives, headed by Devakī, sat before the priests to be purified by the abhiṣeka ceremony.

Krsna Book 90:

The only difference is that in the spiritual world such facilities are eternal, never-ending occurrences, whereas in the material world they are simply impermanent perverted reflections. When Lord Kṛṣṇa was engaged in such enjoyment, the Gandharvas and professional musicians would glorify Him with melodious musical concerts, accompanied by kettledrums, mṛdaṅgas and other drums, along with stringed instruments and brass bugles, and the whole atmosphere would change into a greatly festive celebration. In a festive mood, the wives of the Lord would sometimes sprinkle water on the His body with a syringelike instrument, and the Lord would similarly wet the bodies of the queens.