Ragas and Raginis: A Pictorial and Iconographic Study of Indian Musical Modes Based on Original Sources c9.19.3

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.