Social Life in Ancient India: Studies in Vatsyayana's Kamasutra c8.s7.t4.1

c8.s7.t4.1

Three *kalās* appertaining to music, singing (*gīta*), playing on instruments (*vādya*) and dancing (*nṛtya*) have been given by our author the first place in the list of arts; besides, there are more—*udakavādya* or playing on cups filled with water in varying proportions and *vīṇāḍamarukavādyāni*, that is, playing on string instruments of which the chief was the *vīṇā* and also on percussion instruments represented by the *ḍamaru*.² This last most probably represents the earliest from which in course of time had evolved the *mṛdaṅga*, which has lately been proved by one of our eminent scientists to be the most scientifically constructed percussion instrument ever used.³ The *mṛdaṅga* was already known to the *Mahāvagga* and Aśvaghoṣa speaks of songs sung to the accompaniment of the *mṛdaṅga* and of music produced on *mṛdaṅgas* struck by the fingers of women, and the *Lalitavistara* mentions it again and again with other varieties of drums.⁴