Ragas and Raginis: A Pictorial and Iconographic Study of Indian Musical Modes Based on Original Sources c8.71

c8.71

As has been pointed out, “Songs (gītis) have been sung long before the rāgas as such were formulated” (Fox-Strangways). By the time of Matanga, the songs, or melodies (gītis) were grouped under seven classes of which the fifth, viz. the rāga-gīti was the most significant, the group of melodies being recognised by the name of ‘rāgas’. They were seven in number, some having proper names derived from the names of early tribes, or from ancient culture areas. As new melodies were discovered or accepted they were affiliated to one or other of these seven rāga-gītis, which were regarded as root-rāgas, and the new melodies were accepted as bhāṣās or derivatives of the root-rāgas, or major melodies. As other new melodies were discovered, or evolved,—they were accepted as bibhāṣās (derivatives of bhāṣās) and as bhāṣāngas, kriyāngas, and rāgāngas. The relation of rāgas and bhāṣās and bibhāṣās are akin to the later classification of rāgas and rāginīs.