Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 42
Anūcāna (True Learning), the Vedāṅgas, and Śikṣā: Svara, Sāmavedic Chant, and Gandharva Theory
पितॄन् प्रीणाति गांधारो गंधर्वान्मध्यमः स्वरः ॥ देवान्पितॄनृषींश्चैव स्वरः प्रीणाति पंचमः ॥ ४२ ॥
pitṝn prīṇāti gāṃdhāro gaṃdharvānmadhyamaḥ svaraḥ || devānpitṝnṛṣīṃścaiva svaraḥ prīṇāti paṃcamaḥ || 42 ||
Nada Gāndhāra menggembirakan para Pitṛ (leluhur); nada Madhyama menyenangkan para Gandharva. Dan nada Pañcama meredai hati para Deva, para Pitṛ, dan para Ṛṣi juga.
Sanatkumara (teaching Narada)
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: bhakti
FAQs
It teaches that specific swaras (musical notes) carry subtle efficacy: when used in sacred singing/recitation, they can please particular classes of beings—ancestors, celestial musicians, gods, and seers—thereby supporting dharmic merit and inner purification.
By implying that properly intoned devotional sound (nāda) is not merely aesthetic but an offering (upacāra) that pleases higher beings; this frames bhakti as disciplined worship through voice, melody, and reverent performance.
Śikṣā (phonetics) and the science of svara: the verse links correct tonal practice to ritual/spiritual outcomes, reinforcing why precise notes and intonation matter in Vedic-style chanting and sacred music.