Ragas and Raginis: A Pictorial and Iconographic Study of Indian Musical Modes Based on Original Sources c7.39

c7.39

The ancient sub-divisions of the rāgas into a sub-group of Kriyāṅga rāgas, have left their traces on some of the melodies—e.g. Guṇakriyā=Guṇakirī (Guṇa-kelī); Rāma-kriyā=Rāma-kirī, Rāma-kri (Rāma-kelī); Nāda-rāma-kriyā=Nāda-rāma-kri; Devakriyā=Devakri; Śiva-kriyā=Śiva-kri.³ When music, and rāga-gītis, originally associated with the stage and the drama, derived assistance and prestige from the cults and cult-worships, the melodies borrowed some more new names. Thus, Bhairava, and Bhairavī (probably associated generally with the Bhīrava clans) became the medium of singing solemn hymns to Śiva. Kedāra (a name of Śiva), Śaṅkarābharaṇa (‘the ornament of Śaṅkara’) and Hara-Śṛṅgāra (‘the passion of Śiva’), are apparently names given by devout Śaiva worshippers. Ghaṇṭā-rava, (lit. ‘the voice of the bell’) is apparently associated with the worship