Kūļa-tāna involves permutation and combination with definite numbering of each variety
"This applies to kūļa-tāna where permutation and combination is involved and definite numbering of each variety is effected."
<sup>181</sup>
VIMARŚA
is also used. This is how the distinction brought about by mandra and tara could be
understood. Abhi Bhā on NŚ XXVII, p. 27 also seems to support this view.
48. 'Sukha' has been translated here as convenience or it could be rendered
as facility. The facility of the performer and listener is said here to be the
objective of the distinction between mūrchanā and tāna. NŠ and Abhi Bhā have
the reading 'nānātva' which means variety of mūrchanā and tāna, but since our
author has tried to distinguish between murchana and tana, we have accepted
the reading anyatvam which means distinction (see note 78 under textual notes
on the section ). In NS mūrchanā-tāna is also a compound name for the 84
tānas. BṛD does not use this compound and emphasises the distinction between
the two; viz. mūrchanā and tāna.
Brahaspati has commented on the reading 'variety' ( nānātvam ) of NŠ and
said that the variety of murchana and tana accords facility to the performer by
making possible the use of three sthanas (registers) and also the omission of
svaras (according to a specific system as embodied in the 84 tanas). The
distinction between murchana and tana brought out in the reading accepted by
us could be construed to mean that mūrchanā as a complete scale in ascending
and descending establishes the three sthanas and tana (involving omission)
establishes a specific pattern in ascent. It is interesting to note that even today
omission of one or two svaras is very effective in the ascent in all those ragas
that involve omission in ascent and use the omitted svaras in descent. ( see
glossary)
49. Since specific omissions are prescribed for the two grāmas, tāna the result
of this specific omission could be said to be the distinguishing feature between
the jātis and rāgas of one grāma and the other.
50. This applies to kūļa-tāna where permutation and combination is involved and
definite numbering of each variety is effected. Retrieving the number of a given tana
(arrangement of a given number of svaras) and retrieving the form of a tana whose
number alone is given is known as uddista and nasta respectively. (see glossary)
51, 52. The word tāna-prayoga is being used here to convey two things—in
the first instance the number of tanas (permutation of a given number of
svaras ) is implied and in the second instance the number of svaras constituting
the specific tāna (combination of svaras) is implied.
53, 54, 55 & 56. Krama is a combination of svaras where the original order
remains intact and uthrama is a permutation where the original order is
changed. The method of obtaining the number of kramas and utkramas of a
given-number of svaras is like this—multiply the earlier numbers of a given
number, without leaving any number in-between. For example if the number of
svaras is six, 1 \times 2 \times 3 \times 4 \times 5 \times 6 = 720 would be the number of kramas and
uthramas taken together; the last number of this series viz. 6 is the number of
kramas and the remainder viz. 714 is the number of utkramas.
57. 'Māna' could stand here for the measure (length, breadth and the like) of the
viņā concerned. For example, kinnarī, the viņā with frets has been described in SRVI,