Ancient Indian Education (Brahmanical and Buddhist) c10.13

c10.13

**Its Musical System.** Of course, the *Saṁhitā* can give only the texts as they are spoken. Their melodies were taught by oral and also instrumental rendering. Music is known to the Rigveda, as also the instruments producing music by means of percussion, wind, and string, such as drum (Dundubhi) [i, 28, 5], lute (Karkari, ii, 43, 3), and lyre or harp (Vāṇa) with its seven notes recognized and distinguished [x, 32, 4], together with the flute (of reed) called *Nādī* [x, 135, 7]. The oldest notation for music was probably that indicated by syllables such as *ta*, *cho*, etc. But very often the seven notes were indicated by the figures 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, corresponding respectively to F, E, D, C, B, A, G of our modern scale of music. It may be further noted that the *Archika* has got two supplements called *Grāmageya-gāna* (book of songs to be sung in the village) and *Āraṇya-geya-gāna* (book of forest songs). The number of melodies then known was quite large, being computed at 8,000 by R. Simon, while each melody had its own name. The melodies called *Bṛihat* and *Rathantara* are known to the Rigveda.¹