Ragas and Raginis: A Pictorial and Iconographic Study of Indian Musical Modes Based on Original Sources c6.67

c6.67

As an authority on music, the Prince is mentioned by Śārṅgadeva in his work.¹ He was also the author of a special treatise on music entitled Saṅgīta-ratnāvalī which is known only by references in other works.² The discussion of rāgas is confined only to the first 80 verses in the chapter in the encyclopaedia devoted to music, but the chapter does not contain any reference to the system of rāga-classification, which is attributed to Someśvara in the Rāga-darpaṇa, (Appendix 8) and other works; probably, the system was set out in the Saṅgīta-ratnāvalī.. The topic is introduced by tracing the rāgas indirectly from the Sāmaveda. 'From the jātis the rāgas were ascertained. From the rāgas came the bhāṣās, and then the vibhāṣās, and the antara-bhāṣikās.³ According to the author, Deśī-rāgas derived from the names of regions, have been current in his time, in popular and beautiful forms.⁴ "The rāga develops by hearing, and the mind is always pleased and elated by it, therefore they are called rāgas; I am proceeding to recite them by names."⁵ Then, the author gives a catalogue of the different classes or types of rāgas, apparently current in his time. Thus, the five śuddha rāgas are stated to be: (1) Śuddha-ṣāḍava, (2) Śuddha-pañcama, (3) Śuddhasādhārita, (4) Śuddha-kaiśika-madhyama, (5) Śuddha-kaiśika. The names of the five Bhinna-rāgas are: (1) Bhinna-ṣaḍja (2) Bhinna-tāna(?) (3) Bhinna-kaiśika-madhyama (4) Bhinna-pañcama (5) Bhinna-kaiśika. The three Gauḍas are: (1) Gauḍa-pañcama, (2) Gauḍa-kaiśika-madhyama, (3) Gauḍa-kaiśika. The rāgas proper are said to be eight in number : (1) Ṣāḍava, (2) Voḍda-rāga, (3) Mālava-pañcama (4) Takka-kaiśika, (5) Sauvīra, (6) Mālava-kaiśika, (7) Hindola, (8) Taka.¹ Of Sādhāraṇa melodies, seven names are given: (1) Narta, (2) Śaka, (3) Kakubha, (4) Harmāṇa-pañcama, (5) Rūpa-sādhārita, (6) Gāndhāra-pañcama, (7) Ṣaḍja-kauśika.