Music is as vast as the sky, the oceans, the universe.

Hear, O children of harmony, the words of Ilaiyaraaja, the Maestro of the East, who proclaimed: “Music is as vast as the sky, the oceans, the universe.” These are not words of mere comparison, but a revelation of music’s boundless nature. For indeed, music cannot be contained in walls nor captured in chains; it stretches beyond measure, like the heavens that arch above us, the seas that have no end, and the cosmos that knows no boundary. It is both infinite and eternal, woven into the very fabric of creation.

For behold, the sky itself sings with the voices of the birds, the whispers of the wind, the thunder of the storm. The oceans echo with waves that crash and retreat in eternal rhythm, as if keeping time with a drum beyond human hearing. The universe itself hums with celestial vibrations, the music of stars and planets, a harmony the ancients called the “music of the spheres.” Ilaiyaraaja, who breathed life into melodies that fused tradition with modernity, understood this truth: music is not confined to instruments or voices—it is the language of existence itself.

Consider the story of Orpheus of Greece, who, with his lyre, was said to charm even the stones and rivers, to move trees to dance and beasts to lie in peace. This legend reveals the belief of the ancients: that music is not merely human craft, but a force of nature as vast as the universe itself. Orpheus’s melodies were not bound to earth—they reached into the underworld, softening even the heart of Hades. In this tale we see reflected the truth Ilaiyaraaja proclaimed: music, like the cosmos, transcends limits and boundaries.

Nor is this truth confined to myth alone. In the halls of India, where Ilaiyaraaja himself rose, music has always been treated as divine. The raga system of classical music was not seen merely as art, but as a reflection of cosmic order. Certain ragas were sung at sunrise, others at midnight, each believed to align with the rhythms of the universe itself. Here we see again that music is vast, not a narrow stream but an ocean into which all times, moods, and emotions flow.

Mark this wisdom: the vastness of music mirrors the vastness of the human soul. Within each person lies a universe of longing, joy, grief, and hope, and music gives voice to it all. Just as the sea holds both calm and storm, so music holds both sorrow and ecstasy. Just as the sky is painted with both dawn and dusk, so music paints both triumph and despair. In its infinite expanse, it reflects the fullness of our humanity.

The lesson is clear: if music is as vast as the universe, then to truly live is to immerse oneself in it. Do not limit your ears to only one song, one style, one culture. Explore widely, as a sailor explores oceans, as a star-gazer searches the skies. Learn to hear the divine rhythm in every note, whether sung in temple, shouted in marketplace, or played in solitude. For each note is a star, each rhythm a wave, each harmony a glimpse of eternity.

Practical wisdom calls you to action: fill your life with music that expands your soul. Sing, even if only to yourself. Listen, not idly, but with reverence, as one who gazes into the heavens. Create, if you can, for in creation you join the symphony of the universe itself. And above all, let music remind you of your smallness before the infinite, and yet your belonging within it.

Thus, beloved, remember Ilaiyaraaja’s words. Music is no mere art, no pastime—it is the sky, the oceans, the universe. It is the voice of creation, calling us to remember who we are, and inviting us to join in the eternal harmony that stretches from the beating of our hearts to the very edges of the stars.