Ragas and Raginis: A Pictorial and Iconographic Study of Indian Musical Modes Based on Original Sources c6.63

c6.63

The only other comment which the text of Matanga calls for is that it represents a very early stage in the development of the rāgas, when Kakubha, destined to be pushed to a subordinate position as a rāgiṇī, later on, figures as a major melody, to which several minor melodies (bhāṣās) are affiliated. At this stage, Bhairava, which was later derived from Bhinna-ṣadja,¹ an ancient jāti-rāga, had not yet come into existence. Unfortunately the successive developments are not supported by documents as there is a considerable gap between the text of Matanga and the next landmark.