Ragas and Raginis: A Pictorial and Iconographic Study of Indian Musical Modes Based on Original Sources c9.19
Rāgas and Rāginīs: A Pictorial and Iconographic Study of Indian Musical Modes Based on Original Sources c9.19
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c9.19.1
It has already been indicated that the sound-form of a rāga is the medium—its kernel, or, body, so to speak, through which the spirit of the rāga manifests itself. The objective of the rāga is the rasa—the aesthetic emotion, the theme, the subject-matter,—the motif of the melody. As the soul must inhabit a body, so every rasa is incarnated in the rūpa (form) of particular rāga or rāgiṇī. To invoke the rasa, one must mediate upon the rūpa. Each particular form of rāga—is suitable for the expression of a particular type of rasa, that is to say, each rāga is associated with and is the medium of a particular sentiment, or emotion—its characteristic and definite ethos. A musician should, therefore, have a knowledge of the relation of the rāgas to their associated rasas—the form of a rāga being a perfected vocabulary, or phrase to express in a significant and an impressive manner a particular class of emotion. From very early times, a knowledge of this form and its contents, was considered a sine quo non of musical education. It is necessary to realise what the *Devatā*, or the image of the deity of a rāga stands for. Unlike the conception of the innumerable divinities in the Hindu Brahmınic or Buddhist-tantric (Mahāyānist) pantheons, the musical divinities—the presiding genuises of the rāgas are not conceived and symbolised in individual image-forms or icons.
c9.19.2
The *devatās*, no doubt, stand as the symbols or the personifications of the essential *rasa*—the theme, or objective of each rāga. But their plastic representation invariably takes a dramatic rather than an iconic form, a dynamic as opposed to a static visualisation. In the iconography of images, it was necessary to distinguish the bewildering conceptions of Brahmanic gods—by devising differentiating features of heads, arms, weapons (*āyudha*), vehicles (*vāhanas*), and poses (*mudrās*). In describing, or symbolising the character of a *rasa*, it was possible to suggest the same by an individual icon, or image. *Rasa* is a state of the mind—its expression can only be effective and adequate in a dramatic form,—it lives in an environment and in relation to other realities,—in moods and in phenomena. The *rasa* of the presiding principle of a rāga is rendered through actions—rather than in images through symbolised icons. The *Devatās* of the world of music—have also their *dhyānas*—contemplative prayer-formulas,—but they usually take a dramatic pattern,—rather than the static iconic phrase—of the religious images. They are the picturization of emotions in a concrete and plastic form answering to, rather than symbolising, the abstract states of the mind. They are depicted in an appropriate dramatic and emotional setting—the surrounding circumstances which give rise to the various emotion. In a general sense, music is the universal language of emotions.
c9.19.3
Music of all races and countries is made the vehicle of human feeling. The Indian system cannot claim a special feature in this respect. All systems of music have evolved, according to each racial temperament, different melodies connoting joyous, sad, or heroic feelings. All phases of Western music have airs or "tunes" answering to various moods of the mind. The Indian melodies have similar connotations. The Vasanta rāga is the human reaction to the joy of life in Spring, Megha-rāga, to the advent of the rains,—with all the exuberance of desire and opportunity for enjoyment. Puravī, —the evening melody, is the lamentation of nature for the parting day. Āsāvarī is the melancholy pleading of a grievance for a just redress. Bhairavī—is the melody of love and devotion. Madhumādhavī bespeaks the peace of love and contentment. Lalita stands for unsatiated love, and the sorrow of separation at day-break. Toḍī—is the surrender of animal life to the magic and enchantment of the beauty of nature. Naṭa—is the symbol of the heroic or martial spirit in man. And so on. We have a complete vocabulary in terms of significant melodies—to express the whole gamut of human feeling in all shades and varieties of moods, skilfully woven with the moods of nature.
c9.19.4
The special feature of the Indian system of melodies arises from the fact that while in Western music—there is room for more than one moods in the same composition,—each Indian melody has for its theme one definite mood—which must not be departed from, or variegated, or tinctured by the shade, or colour of any other feeling. Each melody is, as it were, —dedicated to its own theme,—its ethos, its presiding genius, —its devatā. And it is by the prayer of the musician,—the singer, or the interpreter,—who has to immerse and identify himself in the theme,—that the devatā—the spirit of the melody is made visible (mūrtimanta) in the symphonic form,—the nādamaya rūpa. Before he can call up the devatā of any rāga—by his prayers,—the interpreter (the worshipper of the rāga) has to visualise the image in his mind. For this purpose,—the dhyānas for contemplations appear to have been formulated.