A Comparative Study of Some of the Leading Music Systems of the 15th, 16th, 17th & 18th Centuries c6.s5: Raga-Adhyaya

A Comparative Study of Some of the Leading Music Systems of the 15th, 16th, 17th & 18th Centuries c6.s5

Language: English

Raga-Adhyaya

c6.s5.1

In the Raga-adhyaya of the Raga Mala, Pundarika, first lays down his six 'purusha' ragas, and then gives each of them five 'bharyas', and five 'putras'.

c6.s5.3

It will be seen that all these raga names are to be found in the modern Hindustani system. Nay, many of the ragas, will be found to have preserved as nearly as possible their old forms. The new time theory of the Hindustani musicians naturally brought in some characteristic changes and made the arrangement of the ragas still more attractive. In describing the thata of each raga in the Raga Mala Pundarika accomplishes two wonderful things. He first gives the swaras of the ragas and then gives the devatatmakā appearance or picture of the raga as also the time for its singing. For instance,

c6.s5.4

स्रोजातोद्भवपद्म प्रथमगतिगतिः सविधेन्दोः कपर्दी ।
रक्तायामसिमौली सितवसनो मरमंदस्मिनेत्रः ॥
कण्ठे शृंगि दधानः श्रवणयुगलतो मुद्रिके चन्द्रचूडे ।
ईमंतेऽपि प्रमाते विलसति वृषभे भैरवः शुद्धपूर्वः ॥

c6.s5.5

Explanation.—Here the first line tells us that Shuddha-Bhairava drops pa'and n and is प्रथम गतिगति that is it takes the komal ga and komal ni. The rest of the sloka describes the Mahadeva who is the presiding deity of the raga.

c6.s5.6

I shall not go into all the slokas describing all the ragas here but shall write down the first raga Shuddha-Bhairava with its swaras as given in the book. The Raga Mala is a printed book now which can be had for a few annas.

c6.s5.7

| शुद्ध भैरव | स, शुद्ध रि, एकश्रुति ग, | शुद्ध म, | शुद्ध प, | शुद्ध ध | एकश्रुति नि | Explanatory Note |
| १ धनाश्री | स, एकश्रुति रि, | एकश्रुति ग, | ,, | ,, | शुद्धतीव्र एकश्रुति नि | विपुननि = * |
| २ भैरवी | स, | ,, | ,, | ,, | ,, | ,, | मदनश्रुति = * |
| ३ सैंधवी | स, | ,, | ,, | ,, | ,, | ,, | मतिश्रुति = * |
| | | | | | | कनश्रुति = * |
| ४ मालवी | स, | शुद्ध रि, | तिव्रनि म, | ,, | शुद्ध ध | तिव्रति नि | मदनश्रुति = * |
| ५ वसंत | स | ,, | ,, | तिव्रधति | ,, | ,, | तिव्रति नि | |
| दुःक्रमः | | | | | | | |
| १ भैरव | स, | शु. रि, | तिव्रति ग, | शु. म, | शु. प, | शु. ध, | एकश्रुति नि | |
| २ कु.तति | स, | ,, | तिव्रतिव | हाटी: | takes all | notes of | the सप्तकनि | |
| ३ पंचम | स, | ,, | ,, | ,, | ,, | ,, | ,, | |
| ४ दरब | स, | शु. रि, | तिव्रति ग, | शु. म, | शु. प, | शु. ध, | तिव्रति नि | इति स्वर | |
| ५ बंगड | स, | ,, | ,, | तिव्रति र, | ,, | ,, | ,, | तिव्रति नि | |