grāma-rāgas technical_term

³³ TRANSLATION Kaiśikī is (the only one) with six aniśa svaras - sa, ga, ma, pa, dha, ni. Ṣaḍja - madhyamā is (the only one) with seven aṁśa svaras - sa, ri, ga, ma, pa, dha, ni. ¹ Thus sixty-three amsas have been explained. Madhyamodīcyavā and similarly gāndhārapañcamī and nandayantī, these three are known to be with one anisa viz. pancama. (241) Dhaivatī and pañcamī, these two should be known with two aṁśa (svaras) each viz. dhari and ripa. Gāndhārodīcyavā is with two (aṁśa svaras) viz. madhyama and şadja. (242) In ārṣabhī niridha, in naiṣādī the three niriga (and) in ṣaḍjakaiśikī sagapa are amsa (svaras); (these) three are said to be with three amsas each. (243) Şadjodīcyavatī is known to be with four amśasviz. samanidha, kārmāravī is with ripanidha, andhrī also with garinipa. (244) Ṣāḍjī is with sagamapadha (as amśas), madhyamā is also with five amśas viz. sarimapadha, gāndhārī is with sagamanipa and similarly is raktagāndhārī with the same five amśas. Kaiśikī is the one (jāti) that is known to have six amśas viz. sagamapanidha. (245-246) Ṣadjamadhyā is with seven amsas and thus those amsas are sixty-three (in total). [7. Prescription regarding the performance of jātis] Jātis are those that give rise to grāma-rāgas through their amśas.43 (247) During their performance the prescription (regarding temporal organisation) is based on yugma⁴⁴ (lit.even) and ayugma⁴⁵ (lit.odd). They are to be performed with three 46 mārgas viz. citra, vārtika and dakṣiṇa. (248)

TRANSLATION ¹²⁹ "Sometimes the aniśa, sometimes the nyāsa, sometimes ṣāḍava and auḍuvita (becomes obvious). The wise should arrange (the melody) after knowing the sparseness and abundance combined with graha and apanyasa and similarly low and high (mandra-tāra). The grāma-rāgas should be used in daśarūpaka 97 according to the prescribed rules. The gāna that is five-fold as praveśa (entry), ākṣepa (sudden change in emotive state), niṣkrāma (exit), prāsādika (pacifying) and āntara (filler of gaps) should be performed in these rāgas." [The application of gītis] In pūrvaraiga, the śuddhā should be there, the bhinnā is based on prastāvanā, 98 the vesarā should be 'done ' in the two mukhas (mukha and pratimukha sandhi),99 gauḍī is prescribed in the garbha (sandhi) and similarly sādhārita should be there in avamarsa sandhi¹⁰¹ and nirvahana (sandhi). (344) Thus ends the third chapter entitled "Raga-laksana" in Bṛhaddeśī composed by Matanga Muni.

TRANSLATION 133 I will tell you a complete description in essence. First the two grāmas have been spoken of and then the grāma-rāgas born of them. (9) Bhāṣāsare born of grāma-rāgasand vibhāṣās of bhāṣās and similarly from vibhāṣās are born antara-bhāṣās. ¹² (10) [The number and nomenclature of bhāṣās pertaining to grāma-rāgas] In ṭakka-rāga, there are ten and two (twelve) (bhāṣās); some hold them to be sixteen. After this, eight are said to obtain in mālava-kaiśika. (11) In kakubha, seven have been said to be there, five are known to be there in hindolaka, ten are well-known in pañcama, nine are known in bhinnaṣaḍja. (12) In sauvīrākā, on the other hand, there are four, in bhinna-paūcāma four, in boţṭa-rāga even so there is one and similarly in mālavapañcama (one). (13) Three are born of takkakaišika and two are there in vesara-ṣāḍava, similarly one in bhinnatāna and one is there in gāndhārapañcama. (14) There is one in pañcamaṣāḍava and thus bhāṣās and vibhāṣās have been said to be seventy-three in total. (15) Understand the names and descriptions of bhāṣās. Travaṇā is the first one and travaṇodbhavā the second one, veranjikā is the third one and chevāṭī the fourth. Mālavesarikā is the fifth one to be used there. Gūrjarī is the sixth, similarly saurāṣṭrī is the seventh and the eighth one is saindhavī, similarly

¹⁸³ TRANSLATION ¹⁵. Now the bhāṣās in pañcamaṣāḍava Having ṛṣabha as aṁśa, madhyama as the concluding note, this śakabhāṣā is said to be complete (and) having abundant gändhära-pañcama. The profusion of dhaivata-ṛṣabha is seen again and again. (This) bhāṣā (subsists) in pancamaṣāḍava, being born of śakarāga. 71 (142-143) Illustration - Ririsānini. Pānīririri [ . . . ma ]. Šakabhāṣā. [Thus in pañcamaṣāḍava] Thus are the bhāṣās manifested in (this)world, that are known to be accepted by many. That (bh\bar{a}s\bar{a}) is so modified as it is performed by one.⁷² (144) Similarly, (a bhāṣā) should be sung in accordance with its lakṣaṇas, with all effort. It should always be listened to by the singers in the context of wit and humour and whatever is seen in fighting or sacrifice (yajña), all that is shown by that (bhāṣā). Bhāṣās are obtained everywhere in grāmarāgas. (145-146) Thus ends in sarvāgamasamhita the fourth chapter dealing with bhāṣā- lakṣaṇa where Yāṣṭika is the leader. [ B. Bhāṣās according to Śārdūla] After this I shall speak of the description of bhāṣā according to Śārdūla.

³⁰¹ VIMARŚA 52. The word 'yatah' in this verse seems to imply that because the svaras have to match the angahāras performed in the order of āsārita, the formation or variation of amsas should be done in the text of the vardhamāna. Āsārita and vardhamāna have identical temporal dimensions with slight variation in splitting (shown below). These are the two gītakas alongwith which the performance of dance is prescribed in NS XXXI - ¹⁶ + ¹⁷ + ³² = ⁶⁵ \text{ Kalās} Asārita ⁹ + ⁸ + ¹⁶ + ³² = ⁶⁵ \text{ Kalās} Vardhamāna 53. 'Not exceptional' means those svaras, the operation of which in the formation of pentatonic varieties is not hindered by the rule of samvāda. 54. The strict prohibition of the omission of madhyama seems to be based on the fact that this svara is the link between gandharva and sāman, it being the tonic in sāman and the connecting point between the two triads of the heptad. 55,56.The words utsarga and apavada are borrowed from Pūrvamimāmsā. The former stands for the general rule and the latter for the exception to the same. 57. The import is not clear from here to the end of the Anu. 58. 'Sangati' stands for to and fro movement between two svaras in a jāti. NŚ uses 'paraspara-sañcāra' (mutual to and fro movement) and 'paras- paragamana '(mutual movement i.e. each of the two given svaras reaching out to the other) for this melodic phenomenon (cf.NŚ XXVIII. 96, 107). The word sangati is used even to-day in the oral tradition in the same meaning. It is notable that this relationship between any two svaras is purely melodic phenomenon; it does not depend on the acoustic relationship of samvāda. It is interesting to note that the word samvada has been used in our text in the place of sangati several times in the section on ragas. 59. Omission, in ancient thought, is not something absolute, rather it is the extreme state of sparseness. The svara that is omissible in a jāti is sparse in its complete state. 60. NŚ does not mention the mūrchanās of jātis. Matanga does this the first time. This innovation seems to be necessitated by the for introduction of fretted viņās (see Glossary). 61. Pañcapāṇi is another name of the tāla called ṣaṭpitāputraka, the third name being uttara.

^٠ VIMARŚA ³⁰⁵ central part of present Madhya Pradesh. The special preference for Mālavā requires further investigation. 29. The word gamaka is used here in the sense of vocal embellishments including shakes; it is not restricted to shake. ³⁰. See note ²². 31. Each grāmarāga is said to be born of one or more jātis. 32. Pūrvaranga has been described in NS IV and V; it embodies instrumental rendering, song, dance, dialogue etc. presented as a preliminary to drama. It has both ritualistic and psychological value as it ensures the success of drama by propitiating the gods and prepares the audience for being receptive to drama. 33. Kākalī and antara are always prescribed to be sparse, but here only the sparseness of gandhara is prescribed, although both antara and kakali are present. It could be construed that gandhara stands for the original gāndhāra and not antara. See note 91. ^• 34,35. The prescription of a specific varņa and alaṅkāra in a rāga is not easy to comprehend. It could only be surmised that the peculiar form of a raga in some cases becomes manifest in ascent, in other cases in descent and similarly a specific alaṅkāra could be assigned to a rāga on account of having a special role in establishing the same. 36. Mārga literally means path; it stands for the span of a tāla. NŠ describes three mārgas of each tāla, citra being the shortest, vārtika or vṛtti being its double and dakṣiṇa again being its double. Our text describes two additional mārgas viz. dhruva being half of the length of citra and śūnya being half of dhruva. (See Vol.I. Anu.113) 37. Kalā has many meanings; the main ones are-firstly, the time-unit that is equal to a guru i.e. two mātrās of tāla, secondly, the 'action' (kriyā) in tāla, sounded or unsounded and thirdly, the unsounded action. Here the first meaning is relevant because the length of kalā depends on the mārga in use at a given time. 38. Caccatpuța is the first among the five tālas described in NŠ XXXI. This is the only caturasra (lit. square) tala, being composed of four kalas or eight mātrās. 39. Garbha-sandhi is the third among the five sandhis or junctures in drama described in NŚ XIX; the first two being mukha and pratimukha and the last two being vimarsa and nirvahana. Garbha literally means 'womb', the inside or interior of something. In drama garbha-sandhi stands for that juncture where the 'sprouting' of the 'seed' has taken place, but the fruit is still enshrouded in the 'garbha'. 40. Our text does not uphold the relationship of any raga to both the grāmas; the decision always rests with the interval of pañcama, if it is composed of four śrutis, then relationship with ṣadjagrāma is confirmed and

VIMARŚA ¹⁸⁹ 117. Conflict with varna is not easily comprehensible. Perhaps the idea is that whatever pattern is established in an alaṅkāra it should be followed all-through. If varna is taken to stand for syllabic unit, then the conflict and its prohibition become clear. 118. Using an alaṅkāra without a varņa ( melodic movement ) is a contradiction in itself; here also, as above (note 117) the idea seems to be that an alaṅkāra should not be used without establishing a definite pattern. Here varna as a syllabic unit does not seem to be relevant. 119. Abhi Bhā on this ( NŚ XXIX, 45 ) says that four functions of alaṅkāra in relation to varna (the syllabic unit) have been figuratively spoken of as—(i) the alaṅkāra makes the varņa bright or brilliant ( like the moon ), (ii) it 'threads' or connects the varņa (like a river), (iii) it makes the varņa blossom (like a flower on a creeper) and (iv) it makes the varna colourful or delightful (like an ornament on a woman). 120. It is notable that all illustrations begin with sadja and do not extend beyond the tāra şadja. 121-145. All these notes pertain to 'sa' that belongs to tāra-sthāna. Section VII ( Pada-giti ) 1,2,3. Giti literally means song or the act of singing, but here it stands for specific pattern of singing with reference to the text of the song as manifest in its syllabic units (akşara) and metre (chandas). NŠ mentions only these four gītis, but BrD speaks of gītis also in the context of grāma-rāgas. In order to distinguish between these two types of gitis, the first type being related to the rendering of text and the second type being related to the rendering of raga, we have qualified the gitis under reference with pada, and the gitis of raga classification will be qualified with svara or raga. 4. Nivitta lit. means retreated or returned to; in alankāras nivitti means descent (of svaras); here it means repetition. 5. Nivitta lit. means receded or held back as opposed to pravitta meaning proceeded or set forth. Here it means accomplished or completed. 6-11. Three mārgas (lit. paths) are accepted in the ancient tāla-system which represent three 'degrees' of length of a given tāla-cycle, depending on the duration of kalā or standard time-unit, as follows - Duration of kalā Name of marga ² mātrās ¹. Citra ⁴ mātrās ². Vārtika or vṛtti ⁸ mātrās ³. Daksina 12,13,14. Ekakala, dvikala and catuşkala have been equated here with citra, vārtika and dakṣiṇa mārgas respectively. They lit. mean one 'kalā (2 mātrā )-unit, two-kalā (4 mātrā)-unit and four kalā (8 mātrā)-unit. Each of the five tālas of gāndharva have three T ¹