į 393-402 in three measures, the small ( laghvi), big ( bṛhati) and medium ( madhyamā ). It is not improbable that open-stringed viņās were also described in more than one measure. 58. The word sthana is used here in the sense of smallest intervals that would be 22x3=66 in the three sthanas (registers). 59. High and low are established according to whatever is medium, just as fast and slow are determined on the basis of medium or normal. 60,61. The prefixing of two svaras in the lower register and three in the higher register has been prescribed in the 12-svara-murchana in order to fix the minimum or standard range of performance of a jāti or rāga. ( see glossary ) 62. The range of tara (high) and mandra (low) is to be established by the mūrchanā. 63. The order of 12-svara-mūrchanās given here is not valid, with reference to the 7-svara-mūrchanās, because they follow the descending order and here (in 12-svaras) the ascending order has been followed i.e. in 7-svara mūrchanās sa-ni-dha-pa-ma-ga-ri is the order of the starting points, but here in 12-svara- mūrchanās dha-ni-sa-ri-ga-ma-pa is the order of starting points, which is confusing. Simhabhūpāla (vide S R I Sudhā, p. 110) has also given the same order as BrD.¹ S R has not noticed them at all. ( see glossary ) 64. The order prescribed here for 12-svara murchanas in madhyamagrama is confusing from the first point itself. ni-sa-ri-ga-ma-pa-dha is the given order against ma-ga-ri-sa-ni-dha-pa of the 7-svara-mūrchanās. If the mūrchanā meant to begin from ma in the 7-svara-arrangement, is said to begin from ni, it would mean assigning four svaras viz. ga-ri-sa-ni in the mandra and only one svara viz. ma in tāra which would not serve the purpose. Simhabhūpāla (SRI, Sudhā p. 110) has given a slightly different order here, viz. sa-ri-ga-ma-pa-dha-ni which is all-right for the first murchana of ma which would get three svaras in mandra and two in tara. But the total order of starting points suffers from the same discrepancy as those in sadja-grāma, because it follows the ascending order as against the descending order of 7-svara-mūrchanās. 1. Varņa stands for colour, letter, syllable, caste and here, pattern of melodic movement; just as in language, letter or syllable is the primary unit, in the visual realm colour is the primary element, similarly in music, varna is the primary unit of melodic movement. 2. 'Gāna' or singing is mentioned here as the primary vehicle of melodic rendering. 3. Equal means either, without a gap, or repetitive, like sāsāsā. 4. Unimpeded means without a gap. 5. Gita is melodic rendering with the voice or on stringed and wind instruments.

VIMARŠA 6. Pada as textual unit ( with or without meaning ) is the basis for the discernment of varna. In a melody, the units of varna are conceived like the cups in which a liquid is poured⁹; melody being fluid and flowing, its units have to be perceived in association with something concrete. Indian traditional thought on melody has tried to see varna as the primary melodic unit in association with pada, the more concrete textual unit. Each pada of a musical piece is either rendered with a steady ( sthāyin ) or ascending ( ārohin ) or descending ( avarohin ) or circulatory ( sancārin ) pattern of melodic movement⁷ and these patterns are to be identified in accordance with the accompanying textual units. (vide NŚ XXIX, 18) the melodic varņa 'extends' or 'stretches' the textual unit and thereby it (melodic varņa) is accomplished.⁸ 7. Movement of svaras in 'mutual directions' is another way of speaking about the to and fro movement. 8. The condition of proceeding in each unit of phrasing alongwith the last component ( svara ) of the previous unit has been imposed by BrD alone², no anterior or posterior text is known to have done this. Most probably the author had in mind certain spacific ragas and their melodic structures which he was trying to codify. 9. sañcārin lit. means moving around. SR (I,6.3ab) defines it as that which combines the other three.⁵ 10. 'Paraspara' or mutual for gapless movement of svaras is an expression peculiar to BrD. 11. Alankaras are usually structured with repetitive motifs and one or more of the varnas accord the pattern of melodic movement.¹³ 12. The human body being accepted as the primary instrument for rendering melody, it is being exclusively referred to here. Stringed and wind instruments would, by implication, follow suit. 13. Guṇa of the text has been translated as repetition in accordance with the spirit of Abhi Bhā on this verse. 14. 'Syllable' stands here for the component of textual unit and the textual unit itself. The melodic varna streches or extends the textual varna. 15. The varnas take effect according to the melody taken here as a totality. 16. It is not possible to say definitely that the second 'sa' in this triad is intended to be in the high register. 17. This whole line is reproduced from the notation of dhaivati in BrD. 18. These three lines have been reproduced from the notation of nandayanti in BrD and SR, wherever BrD is inadequate. 19. Reproduced from ibid. 20, 21. NŚ (XXVIII, 12,14,15) speaks of the wooden ( dāravī) and bodily ( śārīrī ) viņā as the substrata of svaras.³ 22. 'Sānīn' means pertaining to the body (bodily viņā). 23. Being the primary units of melodic movement, varņas are responsible for the construction or structuring of melody.¹²