In search of divine inspiration

The connection between spirituality and music is a strong one, and the late Shri Sathya Sai Baba is not the only guru to have influenced musicians across the seven seas. Here's a look at the others who did

The dictionary defines inspiration as, 'stimulation of the mind or emotions to a high level of feeling or activity.' Religious leaders and spiritual thinkers would probably have a different take, seeing inspiration as proof of the divine. Music's connection with godmen then, by extension, might come as no surprise to them, given that music is founded on inspiration.

The passing of Sri Sathya Sai Baba at the age of 84, earlier this week has brought to light several of the influential, but controversial guru's associations with different ventures. One such philanthropic venture is the building of a hospital through the alleged donation by the founder of Hard Rock Cafe, Isaac Tigrett, from Tennessee, USA. The businessman is rumoured to have contributed a whopping 300 crores towards the Sri Sathya Sai Super Speciality Hospital in Puttaparthi, Andhra Pradesh.

Tigrett is not the only one to be influenced by the teachings of spiritual leaders from India. Pop diva Madonna's 1998-album Ray of Light featured the song Shanti/ Ashtangi, which was adapted from text by Shankaracharya, taken from the Yoga Taravali. Benaras-based Vagish Shastri, a Sanskrit grammarian, Tantric and yogi, heard the track and found that Madonna's pronunciation was incorrect. Shastri helped her brush up on her language skills, long-distance, via the telephone. Madonna continued her tryst with Sanskrit and Hindu philosophy with the track Cyber-Raga, released in 2000.

German composer Karlheinz Stockhausen, who is known for his ground-breaking contribution to Electronic Music, might have committed suicide after splitting from his wife, if it weren't for his reading of the biography of Bengali guru Sri Aurobindo, which is when the composition Aus Den Sieben Tagen came to him.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar may not call himself a Godman, but he does have several celeb-devotees. Back in 2003, India's first-ever reality TV-produced girl band Viva split, because one if its members, Seema Mirchandani, wanted to pursue the Art of Living. Over the years, the spiritual guru has also been associated with various large-scale musical concerts, including Antarnaad, Brahmnaad, Thevaram to promote classical music, and to support various social causes.

Monument(al) devotion
Sri Sathya Sai Super Speciality Hospital in Puttaparthi, Andhra Pradesh was allegedly built on the whopping 300-crore donation by the founder of Hard Rock Cafe, Isaac Tigrett, from Tennessee, USA. Tigrett is said to be a devoted follower of the baba. The Sri Sathya Sai Super Speciality Hospital is a hospital created to provide patient care facilities to all, free of cost. There are two hospitals, one in Puttaparthi, and another in Bangalore.