Pre-Buddhist India: A Political, Administrative, Economic, Social and Geographical Survey of Ancient India Based Mainly on the Jataka Stories c6.s3.90

c6.s3.90

Among the Fine Arts, the *Kalās* or *sippas*, appertaining to music both vocal (*gīta*) and instrumental (*vādita*)—and dancing (*nacca*) were widely cultivated. Not only the kings and nobles who were, as we saw, always surrounded with musicians (*gandhabbā*) and dancers (naṭanaccakā),¹ but ordinary people too loved to sing and dance or hear and witness others doing so. Women of course were naturally gifted in this respect. Even a poor girl gathering firewood in a garden does her work with the accompaniment of singing.² Another young girl gathers flowers of all kinds, makes them into a flower-wreath (pupphacumbatakam), climbs a mango tree with beautiful flowers, standing on the bank of a river, and plays there, dropping flowers into the water and singing in a sweet voice.³ A great merchant's son does not go after any serious learning but only enjoys in singing and dancing (gītanacca).⁴ Undoubtedly people had a great love for music.⁵ The kinnaras, as usual, are noted for sweet music and dancing.⁶ Naturally there were master-musicians (gandhabbā), like Guttila and Musila⁷ and Sagga,⁸ who taught music to others and sometimes also held competition among themselves.