The Resonance of Art, The Resonance of the Soul : Padmaja Phenany-Joglekar

Jaisā dīpe dipu lāvije

Tetha koṇa ādila oḷakhije

Taisā sarvasve maja bhaje

To mīcī hoūna ṭhāke

(When one lamp is lit from another, who can tell which was the first? In the same way, one who worships me with their entire being, themselves becomes Me.) These lines by the revered poet-saint Dnyaneshwar Mauli come to my mind on this auspicious occasion of Deepavali. My guru, the Bhavagandharva Padma Shri Pandit Hridaynathji Mangeshkar, always says, "Padmaja, when your notes find their perfect resonance, achieving a state of oneness with the divine, a lamp of melody begins to glow in the heart of every listener." It is difficult to say which lamp is lit first, but when the audience becomes one with the artist, the presence of God can truly be felt. At that moment, the thunderous applause of the listeners becomes a music like the monsoon rainfall. For an artist, that sound of applause—that

—is the most beautiful melody in the world. This is the outer sound. But what of the

—the inner resonance? Truly, if one practises

(the worship of sound) or devotion to any art form with complete faith and absorption, a meeting with the supreme essence is possible. In fact, it is certain. The only prerequisites are a high degree of perfection and excellence in the art. When I close my eyes while singing, my connection with the physical world is severed, and I begin to have a vision of the

(musical notes). In that moment, the inner resonance—the

—awakens in my body and mind. "When you have a vision of the divine notes, the demons and demonic thoughts are vanquished on their own," my second guru, the world-renowned sarangi maestro, the venerable Padma Vibhushan Pandit Ram Narayanji, used to say. Music is a universal language of dialogue, a language of pure love that unites souls. Creativity is its very essence. Music must lead both the artist and the listener towards introspection. A concert, a

, is not mere entertainment; it is a process that guides one towards the inner self. To become a great singer or instrumentalist is no simple feat, regardless of the genre one performs. An artist with only a sweet voice and knowledge of notes cannot become a true master. And we must all acknowledge that mere fame is not the same as timeless greatness in art. Only when one pours their entire being into the words and notes, becoming one with the composition, can the music reach not just the ears and minds of the audience, but their very hearts. After all, no matter how exquisite a tape recorder may be, it is not an artist. An artist must be able to take flight into the heavens.

The value of being unique was an ethos instilled in my siblings and me by our parents, both consciously and unconsciously. My father, Shri Shankarrao Phenany, was an expert in the art of the scraperboard. It is an exceedingly difficult medium, and we saw him work day and night, lost to the world, with profound devotion. He assimilated that foreign art into his very bloodstream and produced work of the highest calibre, which is why, even today, he is counted among the handful of the world's finest scraperboard artists.

When I think of painting, I sense its inner resonance as well. It reminds me of my first guru in music and my elder sister, Ushatai. Her paintings have been exhibited all over the world—in England, America, Sri Lanka, India, and France. When she sets out to paint a portrait, Ushatai first conducts a deep study of her subject's personality. Watching her is to witness a miracle. Her every powerful, decisive stroke and flick of the brush is accompanied by a toss of her head, her dance-like steps moving back and forth as she brings the person in her mind to life on the blank canvas. To see Ushatai in this state of complete inner and outer absorption is not just beautiful; it is magical. I am often left spellbound, lost in the wonder of her art. Whether it is the portrait of me on the back cover of my book , or the vibrant portrait of Pandit Hridaynathji, captured in 20-25 minutes as he sang with his eyes closed in deep meditation, or even her portrait of the great Atalji, her work reveals not just a physical likeness but the very temperament of each individual. A life force emanates from it. This cannot emerge unless the artist mentally merges with their subject. Before producing all of my music albums, Shri Bhalchandra Datar of Nashik’s Datar Genetics—Datarbaba as I call him—brought me books by all the great poets whose work I was to sing: Kusumagraj, Indira Sant, Shankar Ramani, Grace, Suresh Bhat, Vinda Karandikar, Mangesh Padgaonkar, Harivanshrai Bachchan, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, V. P. Singh, Ahmed Faraz, Dr. Bashir Badr, and so many others. He encouraged me and had me study each verse until I understood the poet and the poem, grasping the subtle, implied meaning of every single word. A person's character is reflected in their art, in their work. To understand what the poet truly wishes to convey, I must first enter their innermost world. Only then does the poem become my own, just as the poet intended it to be. And only then can it bring joy to the listeners. That is when the audience is enchanted. A dry performance, executed without internalising the poet, can never lead to the blossoming of aesthetic delight. In the process of entering the poet's emotional universe, I have often wandered through the landscapes of my own soul. As I experience this —this sacred confluence of art, its creation, and its appreciation—a sweet, golden bell is always tinkling in my heart. The emotions in the poetry of masters like Grace and Ramani are sometimes veiled in mist. But to achieve with music what is achieved with painting or photography, music itself must become the painter. This state of absorption also manifests in dance. Be it vocal or instrumental music from anywhere in the world, it has the power to enchant. With Western music, our bodies begin to sway to its rhythm and melody; with Indian music, even the soul begins to dance. Such is the power of each art form to induce this state of divine absorption. It is why even Western audiences are seen swaying, captivated by the music of a master like the great Bharat Ratna Pandit Ravi Shankar. The eminent scholar Durgabai Bhagwat, who inspired me to become a music composer, once told me in conversation, "Padmaja, whether it is the humble art of cooking, or sewing, or writing—if you pour your entire being into anything you do, you are guaranteed to succeed. But you must go to the very depths of that thing." This is the invaluable advice she gave me, which I wish to share with the next generation. Every art form is a gift from God. The more I share my joy, the more my own joy is multiplied. That is why, when I teach students from across the world, I find profound happiness in giving their talents an opportunity, in guiding them, encouraging them, and having them sing with me on stage. It is a unique and precious joy. Teaching them inspires new ideas in me. Some of my blind or autistic students make me think about how to present music in new ways to make it more accessible for them. They compel me to enter the depths of their inner worlds. Seeing them progress, I experience the feeling of, (Lamps have been lit, O lamps have been lit, at the very bottom of the darkness). This experience is not just joyful; for me, it is the highest bliss—. Music is my spirituality. When I worship the notes—whether I am singing a sacred mantra or a classical composition—my state is exactly as described by Sant Dnyaneshwar Mauli: (Gazing into the mirror, I no longer see my own form; the Lord of Rakhumadevi has made me thus). When a radiant note is struck, the concert blossoms, deepening in colour like henna on a palm in the month of Shravan. It is like gently shaking a night jasmine tree and being showered by its fragrant, delicate blossoms. To be lost in that resonance, to emerge drenched in a shower of notes like the buzzing bee in the song , is to feel the divine touch of transcendence. My only prayer to the Almighty is that this state of divine absorption may forever bring joy to others.

- Padmashree Padmaja Phenany-Joglekar

Singer, honoured with the 'Padma Shri' award. Contact: 9820320650

 (This article is the translated version of the original article  कलेतील नाद अंतर्नाद  written by  Padmashree Padmaja Phenany-Joglekar

, published

 in the 

Sahitya Chaprak Diwali Ank 2025 )

To listen to the audio of this article, click https://youtu.be/U2lWjREaKXU https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U2lWjREaKXU