A Comparative Study of Some of the Leading Music Systems of the 15th, 16th, 17th & 18th Centuries c5: The Sangeeta Parijata

A Comparative Study of Some of the Leading Music Systems of the 15th, 16th, 17th & 18th Centuries c5

Language: English

The Sangeeta Parijata

c5.1

The next treatise we discuss is the Sangita Parijata of Ahobala. It is one of the most remarkable and popular works dealing with the northern or Hindustani system of music. It is a printed book now and a copy of it can be had anywhere at a very small cost. It is the opinion of some of our scholars that Ahobala was originally a southern pandit, but one subsequent to some in northern India, and a little prior to others. We shall not discuss the author's date in any detail here as we find in the Sangita Parijata some references which are not common in the southern system of Music and not at all in the Northern Music. The system of Music however as described in the book, is undoubtedly the northern. There is no direct evidence to show when Parijata was written. But there is circumstantial evidence to prove that it must have been written about the latter half of the seventeenth century. Sir W. Jones in his Asiatic Collections, Vol I says that Sangita Parijata was translated into Persian by Pandit Dinanath, son of Basudeva in the year 1724 A.D. I have myself seen a copy of the Persian translation in the Royal Asiatic Library. The copy bears the seal of the Curator of Diwani-i-Khas of Shah's Library. We know that Mahomed Shah came to the Throne of Delhi in the year 1719 A.D. Parijata is freely quoted by Bhava Bhatta Pandit in his well known work Sangita Anupa Vilas. Bhava Bhatta's father, was in the service of the Emperor Shah Jehan. Bhava Bhatta himself was in the service of Raja Anupa Singh of Bikaner who was a contemporary of Aurangzeb. There is reason to believe that Ahobala had some acquaintance with the famous southern treatise Raga Vibodha written by Somanatha in 1610 A.D. These facts would go to prove that the Sangita Parijata was written somewhere in the latter half of the 17th Century.

c5.2

Like all other Sanskrit writers preceding him, Ahobala accepts the division of the scale into twenty-two Srutis, to which he gives the well-known ancient names, तत्रा गान्धारी etc. The principle of locating the Shuddha Swaras on the srutis is the same as that followed by the ancient writers. It is this:

c5.3

चतुश्चतुश्चतुश्चैव षड्जमध्यमपञ्चमाः ।
द्वे द्वे निषादगान्धारौ त्रिस्त्रिश्र्रषभधैवतौ ॥

c5.4

The Shuddha swara was represented always by the last Sruti. In other words, the usual rule षड्ज मध्यमः पञ्चमः etc. was faithfully followed by him. It will be seen presently that the Shuddha scale of the Sangita Parijata is identical with that of the Raga Prakasha. It corresponds with our modern Ka'i scale. Ahobala describes his Vikrita Swaras in the following verses:

c5.5

स्वरोमिमश्रुति यानि तीव्रश्रुती प्रचक्षते ।
स्वरोमिमश्रुती यानि तदा तीव्रतरी भवेत् ॥
स्वरोमिमश्रुतीयानि तर्हि तीव्रतमो भवेत् ।

c5.6

चतसः श्रुतयो यस्मिन्नाधिकाः स्युर्यदा स्वरः ॥ अतितीव्रतमार्गां च प्राप्नोतीति जगुर्बुधाः । स्वरः पश्चानिवृत्तः श्चेत्कोमलादिरिरीरितः ॥ एकश्रुतिपन्नित्वात् स्वरः कोमलसंज्ञकः ।
* श्रुतिद्वयपरित्यागात्पूर्वशब्देन भण्यते ॥

c5.7

Translation. When a note rises one sruti, it becomes tivra; when it rises two Srutis, it becomes tivra-tara; when it goes up three Srutis, it is called tivra-tama, and when it goes up four Srutis, it is called Ati-tivra-tama. When a note goes back (is lowered by one sruti) it becomes komala. When it is lowered two srutis, it becomes 'purva'.

c5.8

Observation. This was also the process, described in the three treatises we discussed. Lochana and Hrdaya say nothing about the 'purva' note.

c5.9

Some of the ancient Sanskrit writers, give fanciful distinctions between the Sruti and the swara. But the distinction between them pointed out by Pandit Ahobala is by far the most reasonable. Ahobala says :—

c5.10

श्रुतयः स्युः स्वराभिन्नाः श्रावणत्वेन हेतुना । अहिकुण्डलिवत्तत्र भेदोक्तिः शास्त्रसंमता ॥ सर्वाश्च श्रुतयस्तत्ररागेषु स्वरतां गताः । रागाहेतुत्व एतासां श्रुति संज्ञैव संमता ॥

c5.11

Translation. There is no essential difference between the Sruti and the Swara. Both are sounds capable of being heard. According to the Shastras, the distinction between them is something like that which exists between the snake and its coil, or between gold and the ornaments made out of it. All Srutis are capable of being used as swaras in the various Ragas. Sounds actually used in the Raga become swaras for that Raga. Those not so used remain srutis only.

c5.12

Observation. He means to say that the swaras of one raga will again become srutis only when the Raga is changed, and a different set of Srutis is selected as Swaras for the new raga. The selection is always to be made from the twenty-two srutis into which the scale is divided. The following chart will show the places and the names of the different Shuddha and Vikrita swaras of the Sangita Parijata.

c5.13

c5.14

It may be pointed out here that although Ahobala Pandit used twenty-nine swara names in his music system, in the descriptions of his ragas, he never used more than twelve swaras. A reference to the chart will show that many of his vikritas are only different names for the same sounds. He does not make any secret of it. He tells his readers what notes he would not use in his ragas. Thus.

c5.15

पूर्वकोमलनिर्वच तथा तीव्ररेव च ।
अतितीव्रमेनैव सर्वे रागा उदाहृता: ।।
तत्र पूर्व तथा तीव्र तीव्रतर थे स्वरम् ।

c5.16

तीव्रतमं तथा गं च मं च तीव्रं स्वरं तथा ॥ मं च तीव्रतमं धं च पूर्वाख्यं तीव्रसंज्ञितम् । तीव्रतरं निषादं च तीव्रतमं च निस्वरम् ॥ इत्येतांश्च दश त्यक्त्वा रागलक्षणमीरितम् ।

c5.17

Translation.—In giving the 'laksanas' (definitions) of the Ragas, I have omitted the use of the following ten swaras:

c5.18

(१) पूर्व री (२) तीव्र री (३) तीव्रतर ग (४) तीव्रतम ग (५) तीव्र म (६) तीव्रतम म (७) पूर्व ध (८) तीव्र ध (९) तीव्रतर नि (१०) तीव्रतम नि ।

c5.19

About the remaining twelve vikritas, he further points out.

c5.20

ऋषभः शुद्ध एवासौ पूर्व गांधार उच्यते । गांधार शुद्ध एवासौ रिस्तीव्रतर इप्यते ॥ अतितीव्रतमो गः स्थान्मध्यमः शुद्ध एवहि । धैवतः शुद्ध एवासौ निषादः पूर्वसंज्ञकः ॥ निपादः शुद्ध एवासौ धस्तीव्रतर इप्यते ॥

c5.21

Translation.—Shuddha 'ri' is the same as Purva gandhara Shuddha gandhara is no other than tivra-tara 'ri'; ati-tivra-tama 'ga' is shuddha maddhyama itself. Shuddha dhaivat is purva nishada. Shuddha nishada and tivra-tara-dhaivata are one and the same.

c5.22

Observation.—He means to say that these ten swara names disclose only five Swaras. Thus we have only seven vikritas left out of the twenty-two. Out of these seven again, Komal 'ga' and Komal 'ni' will have to go out. They correspond with tivra 'ri' and tivra 'dha' respectively which sounds are not to be used in any of the ragas at all. This leaves only five real vikritas. Ahobala thus uses twelve notes only in his raga descriptions.

c5.23

The method of placing the shuddha and vikrita notes on the sounding wire of the Vina, or in other words the method of expressing the positions of the shuddha and Vikrita Swaras in terms of the lengths of the speaking wire of the vina is exactly the same as that used by Hrdaya in his Hrdaya Prakasha. We can therefore, safely say that the shuddha and vikrita swaras of Ahobala, are identically the same as those of Hrdaya with this exception that Hrdaya uses tivara-tara 'ga', tivra-tara 'ni' instead of Ahobala's tivra 'ga' and tivra 'ni'. The verses in which Ahobala describes the placing of his shuddha and vikrita notes are as under:—

c5.24

धन्यवच्छिन्नवीणायां मध्ये तारकसःस्थितः । उभयोः षड्जयोर्मध्ये मध्यमं स्वरमाचरेत् ॥ त्रिभागात्मकवीणायां पंचमः स्यात्तदग्रिमे ।

c5.25

मपयोः पूर्वभागे च स्थापनीयौश्च रिस्वराः ॥
षड्जपञ्चमयोर्मध्ये गाधारस्य स्थितिन्र्भवेत् ।
मपयोर्मध्यदेशे तु धैवत स्वरमाचरेत् ॥
तवांशद्वयमत्याग शियादस्य स्थितिन्र्भवेत् ॥
इति शुद्धस्वराः ।

c5.26

Then follow verses describing the Vikrita Swaras We need not go into those here All this is found in the Hrdaya Prakasha, which we have already considered The shuddha and Vikrita Swaras of the Sangita Parijata may be expressed in comparative vibrational values thus

c5.27

c5.28

Ahobala does not classify his ragas under any particular Thatas, but his reference to some Thata names here and there is enough to prove that in his time, the method of classifying Ragas under Thatas was common He describes about 122 Ragas in the Parijata In the raga description he mentions in each case the note used in the raga, the aroha and avaroha the Graha and Nyasa and also the Murchana The Murchana in the Parijata is nothing more than the first 'tana' of the 'swara-karana' given under each Raga We shall speak of the Murchana when we examine Srinivasa Pandita's work Raga Tatwa Vibodha Sri Nivasa was a faithful follower of Ahobala

c5.29

The following Shlokas will give the reader a clear idea as to how Ahobala defines his Ragas in the Sangit Parijata,

c5.30

शुद्धमेतद्भवः पूर्णो धैवादादिवमुर्द्धनः ।
आगेहे गनिवर्ज्यः स्याद्रागः.मैधयनामकः ॥
आगेडितस्वरर्युक्तः स्फुरितन च शोभितः ॥
इति मैधवः
घमारिमपपपध । गनिधघपमपमाग
रिमा । घमारिमगरिघमगौर । निनिध
मपमगरि । पपमगागगगरिस ॥
इति स्वरकरणम् ॥
आगेहे रिहीनास्यात्पूर्णाशुद्धरर्युता ।
गाधारस्वरपूर्वा स्यादनाधर्म्ममन्तिका ॥
इति धनार्थीः
गमपनिध । रिमनिधपम । गमपमगरिस ।

c5.31

The first of these, the *Gospel of the Hebrews*, was used by the Jewish Christians of Palestine, and was probably a version of the Gospel of Matthew, though it contained some traditions not found in our canonical books. The *Gospel of the Egyptians* was used by the ascetic sects of Egypt, and was marked by a strong tendency towards mysticism and asceticism. The *Gospel of Peter* was used by the Docetists, and taught that Christ did not really suffer, but only appeared to do so.

c5.32

These gospels, and others like them, were not accepted by the Church as a whole, and were gradually lost or suppressed. The Church, however, felt the need for a standard collection of writings that would serve as a guide for faith and practice. This led to the formation of the New Testament canon, a process that took several centuries to complete.

c5.33

The first step in this process was the collection of the letters of Paul, which were widely circulated among the churches. Then came the four Gospels, which were accepted as the authoritative accounts of the life and teachings of Jesus. The Acts of the Apostles and the other epistles were gradually added, and finally the Book of Revelation.

c5.34

By the end of the second century, the core of the New Testament was generally accepted by the Church. The process of canonization was not a formal act of a council, but rather a gradual recognition by the churches of the writings that were most valuable for their life and worship. It was only in the fourth century that the canon was formally closed by the councils of the Church.

c5.35

The formation of the New Testament canon was a crucial event in the history of the Church. It provided a standard of faith and practice that helped to unify the Church and to protect it from the influence of heretical sects. It also ensured that the teachings of Jesus and the apostles would be preserved for future generations.

c5.36

c5.37

c5.38

c5.39

c5.40

c5.41

five it is called 'ouduva'. The 'mela' has thus three varieties, or forms. Vikrita swaras also enter the construction of the Mela.

c5.42

शुद्धसंपूर्णमेलस्य भेद एक उदाहृतः ।
तैत्रैकस्वरत्यागात् षाडवः षड्विधो मतः ॥
पंचाधिकदशत्वं हि स्वरद्वयवियोगतः ।

c5.43

Translation.—Shuddha sampurna mela has only one form. With one note omitted the 'mela' assumes six forms. With two notes omitted, it has fifteen varieties or forms.

c5.44

Observation.—By dropping ni, dha, pa, ma, ga, re, one at a time, we get six 'shadava' varieties, and by dropping ni, dha; ni, pa; ni, ma; ni, ga; ni, re; dha, pa; dha, ma; dha, ga; dha, ri; pa, ma; etc., two at a time, we get fifteen 'ouduva' varieties.

c5.45

A Raga is derived from the 'Mela' but has 'aroha' and 'avaroha'. Melas become Ragas themselves, as soon as you give them 'aroha' and 'avaroha'. By applying the principle of 'odavashadava-sampurna' to these arohas and Avarohas we can obtain 484 ragas from each Sampurna Mela. This is in fact the principle on which the Raga system of the Karnatic music is based.

c5.46

We shall now briefly consider the function of the 'Murchhana' which seems to have played an important part in the production of the Raga. Ancient writers define Murchhana as follows :—

c5.47

क्रमात्स्वराणां सप्तानामारेहश्चावरोहणम् ।
मूर्छनेत्युच्यते ग्रामद्वये ताः सप्त सप्त च ॥
रत्नाकरे ॥

c5.48

In the time of Ahobala and Sri Nivasa, however, the definition seems to have undergone a slight modification. These authors define 'Murchhana' thus :—

c5.49

आरोहश्चावरोहश्च स्वराणां जायते यदा ।
तां मूर्छनां तदा लोक आहुर्माधर्या बुधाः ॥
सप्तसंख्यायुतास्ताः स्युस्तासांनामानि वक्ष्येहम् ।
तत्र तूत्तरमंद्रास्यात् षड्जपूर्वकसंभवा ॥
द्वितीया रजनी प्रोक्ता निषादस्वरपूर्विका ।
धैवतादिसवरोद्भूता तृतीया चोत्तरायता ॥
× × × ×
आरोहश्चावरोहश्च तथैव विकृतेष्वपि ।

c5.50

मध्यमञ्च समागम्य तदूर्ध्वस्वरमात्रजन् । पूर्वैकस्वर लक्वाममारोहादिरुच्यताम् ॥ शुद्धासु यानि नामानि तान्येव रिहनेष्वपि । तदारोहणपूर्वस्य मेदा ज्ञेया मर्नार्वमिः ॥

c5.51

The original 'Murchhana' names were retained for those murchhanas which took all the seven notes. There was only one 'grama' in use in the time of these writers. Ahobala distinctly says —

c5.52

अथ ग्रामाश्रयः प्रोक्ता स्वरमदोहरूपिण । षड्जमध्यमगाधारमभिमत समन्वित । ॥ मूर्छनाधभूताग्ने षड्जमाधिवृतम् । गगा मप्रदगालम्ब्यः ६० ६० पारिजाने ॥ गाधारमध्यममामात्रयोजनकौ मतौ । गाधारमध्यम ग्रामौ यदि आला प्रकस्पितौ । तर्हि तक्षण प्रोक्तमर्धागारमानत । ॥

c5.53

In the music systems of Ahobala and Sri Nivasa the Mela or Thata was merely a series of notes capable of producing "Ragas".

c5.54

मेलः स्वरसमूहः स्याद्रागव्यजनशक्तिमान् ।

c5.55

Mela assumed three different forms namely "odava" "shadava" and "sampurna," because it had to produce three definite kinds of ragas. The definition of the Mela says nothing of the Aroha and the Avaroha. It was the 'murchhana' which brought these into the Mela. A raga necessarily required the aroha and the avaroha. Hence the presence of the murchhana was absolutely necessary for the production of the raga. In fact it stood midway between the mela and the raga. The mela remaining the same, it was quite possible to obtain different Ragas by a mere change of the 'murchhana'. Sri Nivasa says —

c5.56

पात्बेतु च पूर्णेषु मेलेषु सष्टो र । आरोहे चारुगेहे च सन्न्यासावतिलः । मूर्छनाभेदमेदाच्च स्वरभेदस्तथा । न्यासितः श्रुतिभेदत्वं तत्तन्निदिशुवः । रागा अन्यनिः प्रोक्ता ह्यसङ्करविवर्द्धः ।

c5.57

These slokas mention various ways of producing Ragas in a Mela of given Swaras. The practical importance of the murchhana in the actual singing of a Raga will be more clearly understood if we examine one or two raga definitions of Srinivas. But before we do it, it will be useful to know how a raga was sung in the time of the author. The author says —

c5.58

आदावुद्ग्रहते येन स तानोद्ग्राहसंज्ञकः ।
आद्यंतयोश्चानियमस्ताने यत्र प्रजायते ॥
स्थायी तानः स विज्ञेयो लक्ष्यलक्षणकोविदैः ।
संचारी तु स विज्ञेयः स्थाव्यागेहविमिश्रितः ॥
यंत्र रागस्य विश्रांतिः समाप्तिद्योतको हि सः ॥

c5.59

Every Raga had four parts, namely 'udgraha' 'sthayi' 'sanchari', and 'muktayi'. 'Udgraha' was the first part with which the raga 'alapa' was commenced. We shall now examine one or two raga definitions :-

c5.60

शुद्धमेलोद्भवः पूर्णो धैवतादिकमूर्छनः ।
आरोहे गनिवर्ज्यः स्याद्रागःसैंधवनामकः ॥

c5.61

Translation.—The raga "Saindhava" is produced from the shuddha thata. Its murchhana is Dhaivata and it drops the notes gandhara and nishada in the Aroha.

c5.62

Observation.—What is the function of the Murchhana here, we ask? The answer will be found in the swara-karana given under the definition of the raga. It runs as follows :-

c5.63

मंपम गरिस निधधस । इत्युद्ग्राहः ।
धसरि इ० इ०

c5.64

(This is really the 'murchhana' of dhaivata)

c5.65

धसरिममगरिपष्पमगरिनीधपमगरिरिगरि
सनिध धस । इति स्थायी ।

c5.66

Then comes the third portion of the 'alapa' called 'sanchari', and last comes the 'muktayi'. This shows that in singing a raga practically the murchhana was nothing more than the first member of the Raga alapa. We shall take another example.

c5.67

आरोहे रिधहीना स्यात्पूर्णा शुद्धस्वरैर्युता ।
गांधारस्वरपूर्वा स्याद्धनाश्रीर्मध्यमान्तका ॥

c5.68

Translation.—The Raga "Dhanasri" is produced from the shuddha swara thata. It drops 'ri' and 'dha' in the 'aroha' its murchhana is "gandharadika". The 'nyasa' or ending note is maddhyama.

c5.69

Illustration ग म प नि स । रि स नि ध प म । ग म प म ग रि स । ग म प नि प नि स रि स नि ध प म । ग म प म प म ग म ग रि स । ग म ग म प नि प नि स ग स म ।

c5.70

To sum up then, the Mela first laid down the right swaras with the right 'varjya-avarjya' rule for the raga intended to be sung. The 'Murchhana' added the necessary aroha and avaroha, and thus produced the actual raga The 'alapa' invariably started with the 'murchhana' determining the name of the Raga

c5.71

Later on it appears, the distinction between the mela and the Murchhana gradually disappeared and there was no restriction observed as to the 'udgraha' or the start Murchhana then merely meant perhaps the Aroha and Avaroha of the raga and it always started from the shadja In the Southern music system, even now, murchhana merely means the aroha and avaroha and nothing more Its starting point is 'always the same as that of the पहज Mela, which therefore coincides with it In the northern or Hindusthani system of the present day, the term murchhana has lost all its ancient significance The murchhana coinciding with the mela became indistinguishable from it The mela directly produces the raga by the process of aroha and avaroha, strangely enough some of our modern Mahomedan professional artists are known to use the term in the sense of a kind of 'gamaka' too It will not be necessary to go into the raga-adhyaya of the Raga Tatva Vibodh, because there the author borrows the whole of his material 'from the Sangita Parijata It is noteworthy that in the time of all these three or four authors that we discussed all music was based on the well-known twelve notes only Sri Nivas emphatically disallows the use of the remaining ten srutis in the composition of the melas He says :—

c5.72

श्रुतयो द्वादशैवात्र स्वरस्थानतयोदिताः ।
तथोक्तवारिताः सर्वा स्वरस्थानतयादिशन् ॥
न श्रुतिभ्यस्वरोत्यप्रस्तारात्प्राममेलजान् ।
युक्तेदगाद्युजो रागान्कम्पयंतु मनास्त्वनः ॥

c5.73

There were in his time it appears some Pandits, who talked of admitting twenty-four srutis into the scale, and with reference to them he says :—

c5.74

चतुर्विंशती मरां प्रोक्तां गतां द्वाभ्यांवर्धितां ।
चतुर्भिः पमधा युक्ता एवं श्रुतिविनिर्णयः ॥
अन्याश्च विहतान् कुर्यात् श्रुतिश्रविभागतः ।
प्रत्यक्षमानसिद्धार्थं शास्त्रबोधपदंभवत् ॥
एव थोमयपक्षहानमेलममुद्रवाः ।
अनता अपि रागाः स्पुर्गमकीदमाइमेदतः ॥

c5.75

He has no quarrel with these theories, but in his own system he never allowed more than twelve srutis in the composition of his melas as Swaras He probably allowed the other srutis to come in occasionally as graces or ornamental Swaras in special cases

c5.76

आदावुद्ग्रहते येन स तानोद्ग्राहसंज्ञकः
आद्यंतयोश्च नियमस्ताने यत्र प्रजायते ।
स्थायी तानः स विज्ञेयो लक्ष्यलक्षणकोवि
संचारी तु स विज्ञेयः स्थाय्यागेहविमिश्रितः ॥
यंत्र रागस्य विश्रांतिः समाप्तिद्योतको हि सः ॥

c5.77

c5.78

c5.79

Translation.—The raga "Saindhava" is produced from the shuddha thata. Its murchhana is Dhaivata and it drops the notes gandhara and nishada in the Aroha.

c5.80

Observation.—What is the function of the Murchhana here, we ask? The answer will be found in the swara-karana given under the definition of the raga. It runs as follows :-

c5.81

मंपम गरिस निधधस । इत्युद्ग्राहः ।
धसर इ० इ०

c5.82

(This is really the 'murchhana' of dhaivata)

c5.83

धसरिममगरिपप्पमगरिनीधपमगरिरिगिरि
सनिध धस । इति स्थायी ।

c5.84

c5.85

c5.86

Translation.—The Raga "Dhanasri" is produced from the shuddha swara thata. It drops 'ri' and 'dha' in the 'aroha' its murchhana is "gandharadika". The 'nyasa' or ending note is maddhyama.

c5.87

c5.88

To sum up then, the Mela first laid down the right swaras with the right 'varjya-avarjya' rule for the raga intended to be sung. The 'Murchhana' added the necessary aroha and avaroha, and thus produced the actual raga. The 'alapa' invariably started with the 'murchhana' determining the name of the Raga

c5.89

Later on it appears, the distinction between the mela and the Murchhana gradually disappeared and there was no restriction observed as to the 'udgraha' or the start Murchhana then merely meant perhaps the Aroha and Avaroha of the raga and it always started from the shadja In the Southern music system, even now, murchhana merely means the aroha and avaroha and nothing more Its starting point is always the same as that of the षड्ज Mela, which therefore coincides with it In the northern or Hindusthani system of the present day, the term murchhana has lost all its ancient significance The murchhana coinciding with the mela became indistinguishable from it . The mela directly produces the raga by the process of aroha and avaroha, strangely enough some of our modern Mahomedan professional artists are known to use the term in the sense of a kind of 'gamaka' too It will not be necessary to go into the raga-adhyaya of the Raga Tatva Vibodh, because there the author borrows the whole of his material from the Sangita Parijata It is noteworthy that in the time of all these three or four authors that we discussed all music was based on the well-known twelve notes only Sri Nivas emphatically disallows the use of the remaining ten srutis in the composition of the melas He says :-

c5.90

श्रुतयो द्वादशैवत्र स्वरस्थानतयोदिता ।
तथोक्तवारिता. सत्रा अस्वरस्थानतयादिशन् ॥
न श्रुतिभ्यस्वरोत्पन्नप्रस्तारप्राप्तमेलजान् ।
युक्तादगहयुजो रागान्कल्पयतु मनास्वन ॥

c5.91

There were in his time it appears some Pandits, who talked of admitting twenty-four srutis into the scale, and with reference to them he says :-

c5.92

चतुभिरती सरी प्रोक्तौ गनौ द्वाभ्यांव्यवस्थितौ ।
चतुर्भिः पमधा युक्ता एवं श्रुतिविनिर्णयः ॥
अन्याश्च विहतान् कुर्यात् श्रुतिक्षेत्रविभागतः ।
प्रत्यक्षमानसिद्धार्थं शास्त्रबोधपटुर्भवेत् ॥
एव चंमियपक्षज्ञातमेलप्रमुद्वाः ।
अनता अपि रागाः स्युर्गमकेदग्रहाइमेदतः ॥

c5.93

He has no quarrel with these theones, but in his own system he never allowed more than twelve srutis in the composition of his melas as Swaras He probably allowed the other srutis to be used occasionally as graces or ornamental Swaras in special cases.

Linked texts (3)

Saṅgītaratnākara — Śārṅgadeva, Sanskrit
Saṅgītapārijāta — Ahobilasūri 1600, Sanskrit
Rāgavibodha — Somanātha 1584, Sanskrit