A Comparative Study of Some of the Leading Music Systems of the 15th, 16th, 17th & 18th Centuries c3.s6: (10) Purva

A Comparative Study of Some of the Leading Music Systems of the 15th, 16th, 17th & 18th Centuries c3.s6

Language: English

(10) Purva

c3.s6.1

इमन् स्वर संस्थानी निषादत्रयमां श्रुतिम् ।
गृह्णाति धैवतधैवा पूर्वायाः स्वरसंस्थितिः ॥

c3.s6.2

Translation — In the Purva thata, all the notes of the Iman thata with the exception of the Dhaivata are to be retained The dhaivata is to be raised one sruti

Observation — In this scale then we have 'sa', 'ri', 'ga', 'ma', 'pa', all of the Iman Thata and komal 'ni' which will be called tivra 'dha' by Lochana. No such scale appears to be in use in the music system of Western India at present. But there is one like it in the Southern system and is known there by the name of Chitrambari.

c3.s6.4

(11) MUKHARI.

c3.s6.5

शुद्धाः सप्तस्वरास्तेषु धैवतः कोमलो भवेत् ।
वीणायां जायते शुद्धा मुखारी संस्थितस्तदा ॥

c3.s6.6

Translation.—If in the shuddha swara scale the dhaivata becomes komal, the resulting scale will be called shuddha Mukhari, or Mukhari.

c3.s6.7

Observation.—This scale will correspond with the modern Hindusthani Asawari Thata or according to some the Jaunpuri Thata. The Southern scale answering this description would be Nata Bhairavi. There is a Mukhari scale in the Southern system also but it materially differs from Lochana's Mukhari.

c3.s6.8

(12) DEEPAKA..

c3.s6.9

The author gives no definition of this Thata. He simply says :—

c3.s6.10

सर्वैर्मिलित्वा लेख्यः ।

c3.s6.11

This shows that the Raga Deepaka had already gone out of use. Lochana says, if the Raga has to be revived, its features should be settled by the best living experts, evidently in a Conference.

c3.s6.12

Quaere.—What becomes of the usually told story that the raga deepaka was sung by Miya Tansen with disastrous results to himself in Akbar's Court.

c3.s6.13

The twelve thatas of Lochana with their swaras may be written in terms of the Hindusthani swara names thus.

c3.s6.14

(१) भैरवी—सा, री शुद्ध, ग कोमल, म शुद्ध, प शुद्ध, ध शुद्ध, नि कोमल । (२) तोडी—सा, री कोमल, ग कोमल, म शुद्ध, प शुद्ध, ध कोमल, नि कोमल । (३) गौरी—सा, री कोमल, ग शुद्ध, म शुद्ध, प शुद्ध, ध कोमल, नि शुद्ध । (४) कर्णाट—सा, री शुद्ध, ग शुद्ध, म शुद्ध, प शुद्ध, ध शुद्ध, नि कोमल । (५) केदार—सा, री शुद्ध, ग शुद्ध, म शुद्ध, प शुद्ध, ध शुद्ध, नि शुद्ध । (६) ইমন—सा, री शुद्ध, ग शुद्ध, म तीव्र, प शुद्ध, ध शुद्ध, नि शुद्ध । (७) सारंग—सा, री शुद्ध, म शुद्ध, & तीव्र, प शुद्ध, X, नि कोमल & शुद्ध । (८) मेघ—सा, री शुद्ध, ग शुद्ध, म शुद्ध, प शुद्ध, X, नि कोमल & शुद्ध । (९) पूर्वी—सा, री शुद्ध, ग शुद्ध, म तीव्र, प शुद्ध, X, नि कोमल & शुद्ध । (१०) धनाश्री—सा, री कोमल, ग शुद्ध, म तीव्र, प शुद्ध, ध कोमल, नि शुद्ध । (११) मुखारी—सा, री शुद्ध, ग कोमल, म शुद्ध, प शुद्ध, ध कोमल, नि कोमल । (१२) दीपक—Nil.

c3.s6.15

The author classifies his seventy-five 'janya' ragas under these Thatas as follows:—

c3.s6.16

(१) भैरवी—भैरवी, नीलांबरी। (२) तोडी—तोडी। (३) गौरी—मालव, धंनाश्री, चेतगौरी, पहाडी गौरी, देशी तोडी, देवकारी, गौंड, त्रिवण, मुलतानी, धनाश्री, बसंत, भैरव, रिमझिम, रामकली, गुर्जरी, बहुली, रेवा, मलिया, नट, मालवपंचम, जयतश्री, आसावरी, देवगंधार, सिन्धु आसावरी, गुणकली। (४) कर्णाट—कर्णाट, वागीश्वरी, सम्माच, सोरठ, परज, मारु, जयजयवन्ती, हुसेन, कामोद, केदार, मालवकौशिक, हिंडोल, धपराई, अडाणा, मालकन्स, सारंग। (५) केदार—केदारनाट, आमारनाट, खबावती, शंकराभरण, बिभास, इंडीर, श्याम, छाया नट, भूपाली, भीमपलासी, कौशिक, मारु। (६) ইমন—इमन, शुद्धकल्याण, पूरिया, जयकल्याण। (७) सारंग—मारंग, पटमंजरी, वृंदावनी, सामन्तसारंग, खड़स। (८) मेघ—मेघमल्हार, गौंडसारंग, बिलावल, अहेरा, शुद्धमेघ, देस, शुद्धनट। (९) धनाश्री—धनाश्री, ललित। (१०) पूर्वा—पूर्वा। (११) मुखारी—मुखारी। (१२) दीपक—Nil.

c3.s6.17

It will be observed that all these janya ragas of the Tarangini are known to the Hindusthani musicians of the present day. The grantha therefore should be of the greatest historical importance to them. It is interesting to note how many of these janya ragas have changed their swaras during the Mohamedan regime. Some of the ragas seem to have retained their original Thatas even to this day. The author does not give any detailed definition of the janya ragas because I believe the work Tarangini is essentially a book on prosody and not on Music. As to the times assigned for the singing of these ragas the author says as follows:—

c3.s6.18

अर्वाचीन रागसमयाः। आद्ये प्रहरे गातव्यो भैरवी रागमतमः। अन्त्येप्रहरवेलायां ज्ञेया रामकली पुनः॥ प्रातर्वेलावली ज्ञेया पूर्वाहे सुगमेऽपि च। पूर्वाह्ने चापि गातव्यो तोडीमति मनोहरः॥ षड्जदीं श्रादी च ज्ञेया गायकाद्यकैः। दिवा तृतीय प्रहरे गातव्यासारंग जनैः॥ कादी मध्याह्नसमये सरोऽपि च गीयते। अष्टमे प्रहरेऽस्तदन् गायेतु मालवम्॥

c3.s6.19

अपराहावसाने वा सायाह्ने सति याति वा । सायंकालस्तु कालो वै गौरारागस्य भूतले ॥ निशामुखे तु कल्याण: केदारस्तु महानिशि । द्वितीयप्रहरे रात्रौ कर्णाट: सर्वसंमत: ॥ तृतीयप्रहरे रात्रावडानाऽपि च गीयते । अपराहेपि सौराष्ट्र: प्रभाते संगवेऽपि च ॥ पंचमो मेघसंचारे मल्हार: परिकीर्तित: ।

c3.s6.20

These times of singing throw a good deal of light on the modern classifications of the Hindusthani ragas. The following times for instance will attract particular attention of the Hindusthani Musician.

c3.s6.21

BHAIRAVA & RAMAKALI.—To be sung in the early morning. GOURI.—To be sung in the evening. BILAWALI.—To be sung in the first quarter of the day. KALYAN.—To be sung in the first quarter of the night. TODI and SUHA.—To be sung in the forenoon. SARANG.—To be sung at midday. KANADA.—To be sung at midnight. ADANA.—To be sung in the third quarter of the night. MEGHA.—To be sung in the rainy season.

Linked texts (1)

Rāgataraṅgiṇī — Locana Paṇḍita 1706, Sanskrit