Contrary to people’s expectations, I have neither learnt Carnatic nor Hindustani music (Indian classical) from any teacher as per the traditional approach. During my childhood, often I would get very strong inner vibrations (antah sphurana).

Due to the strength of those vibrations I began experimenting on the violin and sitar. Slowly I figured out the ragas (musical notes) and talas (beats). Thus I would move forward. At each step some divine light was leading me and teaching me thus. The supreme indivisible energy (akhanda divya shakti) would possess me. The devotional renderings of the great saints who were experts in music have always influenced me right from my infancy. I have composed thousands of devotional songs in Telugu and Sanskrit and in various other languages. Gradually, in music I could see various types of powerful energies that were unseen, unheard or even unimagined of before. Let us call them as those hidden deep secrets about music, unheard of before. In those days, I would be extra cautious to ensure that no previous bhavas (feelings) relating to music would linger in the mind. My trips to other countries only facilitated towards this.

(Bhaktimala 1991)