4. Astonishing Power of Sabda

 The Eternal Element of Sound

We all easily experience the powers of hydro, thermal, electrical and wind energies in different forms. That Sabda or any form of sound also has similar or greater impact - cannot be believed or realized so clearly. Even the visible effects of music are found to vary according to the psychology or emotional state of the subject and are therefore experienced in varied contexts and intensities.

Scientific investigations on the existence and properties of sound waves indicate that the effects of sound could be as physical as those of other forms of energy. The Doppler Effect is worth mentioning in this regard. The historical breaking of a bridge due to the superimposition of the cyclic sound created by the orderly footsteps of Napoleon's army; Falls of several huge and stout bridges due to the synchronization of sound of noisy winds or noise of the surroundings - for instance, the falls of the Lao Bernard bridge in France in 1852 and 1871, the Ohio river's bridge in USA in 1854 and those of its Niagara water-fall in 1864, the bridge over Tacoma river in Washington, in 1940 …..etc - are some of the well known examples of this significant effect.

Some German scientists are said to have gained, during the time of First World War, the knowledge about the development of a weapon that could produce some waves of frequency higher than 10⁵ vibrations per second. Such waves would ruin the targeted persons in less than a second because the resultant sonic effect would destroy the neurons of the subjects at a rate faster than that due to a high power direct electrical shock.

According to acoustic experts, even the harmonious tune of a musical instrument if repeated under appropriate synchronization (in terms of frequency, amplitude, intensity and rhythm) with other musical outpuits (e.g. the tinkling sound of the bells in the ankle-ornament of a dancer) can result in the destruction of the stage set for the musical performance. Similar destructive effect sould be observed by the orderly, superimposed high-intensity audible sounds.

Occurrences of earthquakes are also largely attributed to similar effects, of periodic resonance of superimposed sound waves (at specific frequencies in a specific order) deep inside the earth's surface.

It appears that the destructive power of sound could be used, in lieu of dynamite for instance, to create high-energy explosions. In order to make constructive use of this gross effect of the amplified powers of superimposed sound waves some physicists have carried out systematic experiments in advanced laboratories. One interesting experiment conducted in the Wastingzt-house Laboratory at New York is worth citing here. An 8' long Iron rod of 50 kg weight was hung in the center of this laboratory. A small bottle-cork, weighing merely 0.5 ounce, was also hung parallelly near the rod. The experiment was set so that the cork would hit the rod at a constant frequency without any disturbance. An immediate thought in our mind would be that the hits of such a tiny cork would only result in its own destruction. But the facts are quite the contrary! After fifteen minutes of these periodic collisions the rod was found to have vibrations in it. An hour later the rod began to oscillate like a pendulum.

If the orderly vibrations (and hence the sound) of such a tiny dimensions, could be so powerful then one can imagine the gigantic impact of the enormous vibrations created by the ever more loud sound (ranging from day to day speech to the traffic noise ….. and to the explosive sound of space craft's….., etc) produced by the living beings on the earth ……, and …… by the natural collisions and (meteoritic) explosions in the space ………….!

Modern scientific research has gone a long way in its study of the sonic waves. These investigations coupled with the advancement of electronics have now made the speed recognition by machines like computers and robots, an established reality. Applications of the radio waves and the lasers have become integral part of modern life. It is not far from sight when experiments will be set in the advanced laboratories to verify and demonstrate the super natural physical effects of classical music such as - the automatic kindling of oil-lamps by Raga Dipak, the potential of Raga Malhar in commencing rainfall at any time at the singer's will, the power of Raga Sankar in transforming a dry wooden stem into a blossoming tree ….., etc.

The progress, at the same place, of the current practice of using the creative power of music in psychological treatments, stress management and in healthier maintenance of animals and vegetation…. etc, would certainly pave the ways for the realization and use of the knowledge of Sabda and Nada for an overall ascent of personality as described in the Nepalese scriptures of yore.

On the subtler front as well, modern science is moving towards investigating, to some extent, the latent powers and subtle energies of Sabda (Nada) as described in the ancient Nepalese scriptures. The journey of research from atoms to electromagnetic waves has finally been oriented on the fundamental and vital role of sound waves pervaded everywhere in the cosmic expansion. The big-bang hypothesis of the origin of the unverse is also coming closer to the 'theories' cited in the Vaidika literature.