Interpreting  the  "graham"  part  of  the   ciTTasvara

passages in the krti-s of muttusvAmi dIkshitar.            

                       (N Ramanathan)                      

                                                                    

     A  traditional  and very interesting feature  of  South       

Indian  art  music is the singing of passages of  svara,  in       

other words, passages made up of the svara syllables, sa  ri       

ga  ma  pa  dha and ni, as part of  kalpita  and  manOdharma        

sangItam.  I wish to draw attention to a curious feature  in        

the notation of a composition, where, below each line of the        

ciTTasvara  passage,  there  is a  different  set  of  svara        

syllables in the same metrical or hrasva-dIrgha format. This        

will be clear from the example given below.                         

                                                                     

     In  the krti "guNijanAdinuta"{1} of muttusvAmi  dIkshitar        

set in gUrjari rAga, Adi-tAla, at the end of anupallavi, the       

following svara passages are to be sung.                            

                                                                    

                         T-1                                        

       l4                       O            O                     

       ss,s  rrgg  ,s,r  g,sr | g,,d  ,dp, | ddpp  mmgg ||         

graham:rr,r  ggmm  ,r,g  m,rg   m,,n  ,nd,   nndd  ppmm            

                                                                   

       ddp,  mg,d  pmg,  dg,g | gpgd  p,mg | dmg,  pmgr  ||        

       nnd,  pm,n  dpm,  nm,m   mdmn  d,pm   npm,  dpmg            

                                                                   

       ssrd  ,spd  spdr  srgg | dnsr  gmpm | srgp  dpmg  ||        

          '    ''   ''          ''                                  

       rrgn  ,rdn  rdng  rgmm   nsrg  mpdp   rgmd  ndpm            

                                                                   

          .    ..   ...  ....   ....                               

       pdns  pdrs  drss  grss | mgrs  ,ndp | mg,p  grsn  ||        

                                                      '            

       dnsr  dngr  ngrr  mgrr   pmgr  ,snd   pm,d  mgrs            

                                                                   

     We  see that there are two lines, the lower  one  being       

marked  "graham".  Today  there are two ways  in  which  the       

`graham' part is being rendered. In the first one the svara-       

s are rendered in their proper positions. And in the  second        

method  the same music is sung to a different set  of  svara        

syllables.  For  example,  the  first  svaram  `ri'  of  the       

`graham'  will be sung in the pitch of `sa' of the  original        

svara  passage. The aim of this paper is to  establish  that        

the second method of singing is the correct one.                    

                                                                    

     In the sangIta-sampradAya-pradarSini (SSP) of subbarAma        

dIkshitar  we find this feature in 16 songs. Of  course,  in       

not all of them are both passages prescribed to be sung.  In       

many only the `graham' passage is to be sung. In the SSP, in        

almost  every  rAga described, a lakshya gIta  (present  day        

lakshaNa-gIta)  attributed  to vEnkaTamakhi is  given  which        

describes  its characteristics or lakshaNa. The  gItam-s  in        

which the graham passages are found  belong to the following        

rAga-s.                                                             

                                                                   

                    T-2                                            

1    SuddhasAvEri             (6)  bhairavi                        

2    bhinnashaDja             (7)  vElAvali                        

3    hejjajji                 (8)  kEdAragaula                     

4    rItigaula                (9)  nArAyaNagaula                   

5    ghaNTArava or ghaNTa     (10) Arabhi                          

                                                                   

     Apart from these there are four kIrtana-s of muttusvAmi        

dIkshitar,  one  kIrtana of ponnayya piLLai, a  disciple  of        

muttusvAmi  dIkshitar and one prabandham of vEnkaTamakhi  in        

which  graham  passages occur. These are  in  the  following        

rAga-s.                                                            

                    T-3                                            

rAga           Commencing words         Composer                   

bhinnashaDja   SrIguruguhamUrtiki nE    ponnayya piLLai            

hejjajji       rAmacandrabhaktam        muttusvAmi dIkshitar       

rEvagupti      sadA vinata              do                         

kannaDabangAla rENukAdEvi               do                         

gUrjari        guNijanAdinuta           do                         

bauli          uddhataripujana          vEnkaTamakhi               

                                                                    

     Thus there are 16 songs in 14 rAga-s in which  `graham'        

passages  occur. It is now our problem to  investigate  what        

these graham passages are.                                         

                                                                    

     `graha'  in the melodic context is one of the  defining        

characteristics of jAti in the ancient period. It was  later        

adopted  for defining rAga too. graha is the svara on  which        

compositions  set  in  a rAga commences.  However  the  term        

`graham'  used in the above examples has been  very  clearly        

explained   by  subbarAma  dIkshitar  in  the  SSP{2}. While        

explaining   graha  as  one  of  the  lakshaNa-s   (defining        

characteristics)  of rAga, he says, "graha: the  svara  with        

which  the  rAga is seized (commenced) is  the  graha  svara        

(graha-seizing or grasping)." While describing the lakshaNa-       

s  of rAga-s, for each rAga a particular svara is  specified        

as  graha."  If  for a rAga a svara  other  than  shaDja  is        

specified  as graha then irrespective of what that svara  is        

it  has  to be placed in the position of `sa' and  sung.  If        

shaDja  is the graha svara, then it should be placed on  the        

shaDja  pitch position." subbarAma dIkshitar then draws  the        

attention of the reader to a few examples of svara passages,        

in which this feature called `graha' is seen and adds, "This        

manner of singing is called graha-svaram". According to  him        

this graha-svara concept is explained by gOvindAmAtya in his        

work  rAga-tAla-cintAmaNi  and  there  was  a  tradition  of         

singing graha-svara-s 400 years ago.                              

 

     From the above account it is clear that graham involves

a  rAga  in which a svara other than shaDja  is  the  graha-

svara. Now the example from the song "guNijanAdinuta"  given

at  the beginning of this section is based on  gUrjari  rAga

which  has  rshabha  as  the graha-svara.  If  in  the  main

ciTTasvara  passage  we  replace the  syllabe  `sa'  by  the        

syllable  `ri', `ri' by `ga', `ga' by `ma' and so on we  get        

the `graham passage'. This is shown below.                          

                                                                    

                         T-4                                        

       ss,s  rrgg  ,s,r  g,sr   g,,d  ,dp,   ddpp  mmgg             

graham:rr,r  ggmm  ,r,g  m,rg   m,,n  ,nd,   nndd  ppmm             

                                                                    

     Now  if  the graham passage is sung  according  to  the        

first  method, that is, with the different svara-s  sung  in        

their normal positions then the music would be different.           

                                                                    

     If however the passage is sung according to the  second        

method the music will be the same; only the syllables of the        

text  will be different. In fact, in this case, when  played        

on  a musical instrument, no difference will be  discernible        

between the two passages.                                           

                                                                    

     Let  us  take  a few more examples.  In  the  following        

examples  too only a portion of the svara passage  is  being         

given.                                                              

                                                                    

                         T-5                                        

1. krti: `rENukAdEvi'{3}             rAga: kannaDabangAla             

          l7                    U   O                               

          d, ,m ,p ,m dd mp gg  rs  ds ,,                           

                                     '                              

 graham:  s, ,d ,n ,d ss dn pp  mg  sg ,,                           

                                                                    

     In  kannaDabangAla, gAndhAra is the graha-svara.  Hence        

the syllable `ga' will replace `sa', `ma' will replace `ri',         

`pa'  will  replace `ga', `dha' will replace `ma'  and  `ni'        

will  replace `pa' to get the graham passage. In the  normal        

svara   passage  of  the  kannaDabangAla  song,  shaDja   is        

functioning  as the graha-svara and in it nishAda  (seventh)        

is   omitted.  And  in  the  graham  passage,  gAndhAra   is        

functioning  as  the graha-svara and  its  seventh,  namely,        

rshabha is omitted.                                                 

                                                                    

     Now in this song it will become difficult or impossible        

to  sing the graham passage according to the  first  method.        

Since,  if  all  the svara-s are to  remain  in  the  normal        

position we find that one new svara, namely, `ni' figures in        

the  `graham'  which is not there in the original.  Now  the        

question  would be, which variety of `ni' should  be  taken.        

And, even for the sake of argument if we take the `ni' to be       

of the variety belonging to the same parent mEla, number  15       

or mAyAmalavagaula, and sing it, what musical purpose  would       

be  achieved by this as we would be deviating from the  rAga       

svarUpa of `rEvagupti'.                                            

                                                           

     On  the other hand if the second method of  singing  is

adopted,  then  again one could ask, what purpose  would  be

achieved  since there is nothing musically new  and  further

singing svara syllables out of position will sound  strange.

The  answer for this is that although nothing musically  new

is achieved there is a musicological significance to this as        

will be established shortly. Let us take the other examples.        

                                                                    

                    T-6                                             

2    krti: `sadAvinata'{4}                rAga: rEvagupti            

          O     l4            O      l4                            

                  . ...       .            .                        

          rg,p  ,ds,rgr,      sd,p   g,pdpds,                       

 graham:  gm,d  ,nr,gmg,      rn,d   m,dndnr,                       

                                                                    

     In the rAga rEvagupti, ri is the graha-svara.                  

                                                                    

                    T-7                                            

3    gItam: `ArE tridaSaramaNi'{5}        rAga: bhairavi             

       .      .. .. ..   .. ..  .. .                               

       s, ,,  sg rg rs   gg rr  sr sn dn   pd nd  dp mg rs         

graham:d, ,,  ds ns nd   ss nn  dn dp mp   gm pm  mg rs nd         

                                                                   

     Thus  all the 14 rAga-s in which we  have  compositions       

containing  graham  passages have for their  graha  a  svara       

other than shaDja.                                                 

                                                                   

                    T-8                                            

     The graha-svara-s of these are:                               

                                                                   

     rAga           graha-        rAga            graha-           

                    svara                         svara             

  1. SuddhasAvEri   pa        8.  rItigaula       ni               

  2. bhinnashaDja   ri        9.  ghaNTArava      dha              

  3. hejjajji       ma        10. bhairavi        dha               

  4. rEvagupti      ri        11. vElAvali        dha               

  5. karNATabangAla ga        12. kEdAragaula     ni               

  6. gUrjari        ri        13. nArAyaNagaula   ni               

  7. bauli          ma        14. Arabhi          ni               

                                                                    

     The songs presented in SSP cover in all 192 rAga-s  and       

out of these there are 23 rAga-s which have for their  graha       

a  svara  other  than shaDja. Apart from  the  14  mentioned        

above, the other 9 are:                                    

       

                          T-9                                      

     rAga           graha-        rAga            graha-           

                    svara                         svara            

  1. chAyAgaula     ni        6.  AndhAli         pa               

  2. gaula          ni        7.  nArAyaNi        ga               

  3. malahari       dha       8.  pUrvagaula      ni               

  4. kannaDagaula   ni        9.  dESAkshi        ga                

  5. madhyamAdi or                                                  

     madhyamAvati   ma                                              

                                                                    

     In  other words we do not come across in SSP  instances       

of graham passages for songs in the above 9 rAga-s.        

                                                           

Note:  In the above list the graha prescribed for  bauli  in

the rAga-lakshaNa in the appendix part of CP is shaDja.  But

earlier  texts  like  sangItasudhA  and  caturdaNDIprakASikA

mention madhyama as the graha and this is seen in the graham

passage in the SrIranga-prabandham.                                

                                                                   

     Now in singing the graham passage in a song, the  graha       

of the particular rAga will have to be sung in the  position       

of  shaDja  and the other svara-s in the  positions  of  the       

subsequent svara-s; if dhaivata is the graha in a rAga, then       

dha should be sung in the position of sa; ni in the position       

of ri; sa in the position of ga and so on. This means  that,        

instead  of  shaDja,  dhaivata is the svara  which  will  be       

identified with the tonic.                                         

                                                                    

     In the SR{6} and earlier texts the term aMSa was used  to       

denote the tonic. But in SSP and the CP-anubandha, graha  is       

the  term  consistently  used and the term  aMSa  is  almost        

absent.  In CP, rAga-s are classified with respect to  their        

graha-svara,  e.g. rAga-s having shaDja as graha are put  in        

one group, those having rshabha as graha are put in  another        

group  and so on. Thus graha was the term which came  to  be       

used  to convey the sense of tonic. Of course in the  system       

of  the present day there is no question of any svara  other        

than shaDja being the tonic and hence all rAga-s have shaDja        

as  graha  and, as seen above, in the rAga  bauli  too,  the        

graha has changed from madhyama to shaDja. but designating a        

svara  other than shaDja as graha indicates a tradition  not        

belonging to the modern period but to a period more than 400        

years  ago as pointed out by subbarAma dIkshitar. He  refers        

us  to  a text "rAgatAlacintAmaNi", written 300  years  ago,       

which  he  says discusses this concept of graha  in  detail.       

This   work   in  telugu  written  by  pOluri   gOvinda   or        

gOvindAmAtya as subbarAma dIkshitar refers to him, discusses        

the  placing of different graha-svara-s in the  position  of        

shaDja  in the context of the derivation of mUrchanA-s  from        

grAma-s.  He  does not discuss this aspect  of  graha  while        

describing the lakshaNa-s of rAga-s.                              

        

     This passage in rAgatAlacintAmaNi (RTC){7} forms part of        

the description of the methods of deriving mUrchanA-s. After        

describing  one  method of deriving  mUrchanA-s  the  author        

gives  the method "according to the view of others".  it  is        

quite  apparent  that both these methods are  based  on  the        

description found in SR. SR too, after describing one method        

of deriving mUrchanA-s, refers to another "according to  the        

view of the others". We shall take a look at the  discussion        

in SR before continuing with RTC.                                   

                                                                     

     In SR, SArngadEva speaks of the derivation of different        

mUrchanA-s from a grAma by shifting the tonic; this  accords        

with  the  practice detailed in earlier texts  like  NS  and        

Datt.                                                                

                                                                    

     madhyasthAnasthashaDjEna mUrchanArabhyatE'grimA     ||        

     adhastanair nishAdAyaiH shaDanyA mUrchanAH kramAt |   

                                        SR 1,4,12cd-13ab   

                                                           

     The  above  verse  pertains to the  derivation  of  the

mUrchanA-s of shaDjagrAma. The first mUrchanA starts on  the

shaDja  of the middle register.: sa ri ga ma pa dha ni.  The

subsequent  six  mUrchanA-s start on the nishAda  and  other       

svara-s  situated  below this shaDja. That  is,  the  second        

mUrchanA  starts on the nishAda in the mandra-sthAna: ni  sa        

ri  ga ma pa dha. The third mUrchanA starts on  dhaivata  in        

the  mandra-sthAna. And the last mUrchanA begins on  rshabha        

in the mandra-sthAna.                                               

                                                                     

     Similarly   SArngadEva  describes  the  procedure   for        

deriving  the  mUrchanA-s of the  madhyamagrAma.  The  first        

mUrchanA   starts  on  the  madhyama-svara  of  the   middle       

register, and so on.                                                

                                                                    

     madhyamadhayamam Arabhya sauvIrI mUrchanA bhavEt  ||           

     shaDanyAs tadadhO'dhaHsthasvarAn Arabhya tu kramAt |           

                                        SR 1,4,13cd-14ab           

                                                                   

     After  this,  SArngadEva speaks of  another  method  of       

deriving  mUrchanA-s  which  he attributes to  the  view  of       

others (parE).                                                     

                                                                   

     shaDjasthAnair nyAdyai rajanyAdyAH parE viduH     ||           

     hAriNASvAdikA gAdyair madhyamasthAnasaMsthitaiH   |            

     shaDjAdIn madhyamAdIMSca tadUrdhvaM sArayEt kramAt ||          

                                        SR 1,4,14cd-15cd            

                                                                    

     In this method the second mUrchanA (called rajanI)  and        

other  mUrchanA-s are obtained by placing nishAda,  etc.  on        

the position of shaDja; for the second mUrchanA, nishAda  is        

to  be placed on shaDja, and shaDja and other svara-s  moved       

up. Once nishAda takes the place of shaDja, shaDja will move        

up  so  that  the  interval of  ni-sa  as  existing  in  the        

shaDjagrAma,  namely four Sruti-s will be  maintained.  Thus        

shaDja will not move to the position of rshabha, but it will       

become an independent second svara.                                

                                                                   

     Similarly in the case of the madhyamagrAma, the  second       

mUrchanA  is  derived by placing gAndhAra in  the  place  of       

madhyama and moving madhyama to the second position, pancama       

to the third and so on.                                             

                                                                     

     In this method of deriving mUrchanA-s the tonic is  not       

shifted from one pitch level to another but is stationed  at       

the same position. It is only the intervals that are shifted       

by bringing different svara-s to occupy the position of  the       

tonic.  Whereas  in  the  more  ancient  method,  by  taking       

different  svara-s as tonic, the tonic got shifted to  lower       

and  still  lower pitch levels, in the present  method,  the       

tonic  remains  stationary  and shaDja  is  also  identified        

permanently  with the tonic. That is, shaDja is  always  the        

first  note, rshabha the second, gAndhAra the third, and  so        

on. But in the second method mentioned by SArngadEva, though

the tonic remains stationary, it could be shaDja or  rshabha

or  any  note. The first, second and  modern  positions  are

illustrated below.                                         

                                                            

                         T-10                              

                         I                                          

sa-mUrchanA              4-s- 3-r- 2-g- 4-m- 4-p- 3-d- 2-n          

ni-mUrchanA         2-n- 4-s- 3-r- 2-g- 4-m- 4-p- 3-d-              

dha-mUrchanA   3-d- 2-n- 4-s- 3-r- 2-g- 4-m- 4-p-                   

                                                                    

                         II                                        

sa-mUrchanA              4-s- 3-r- 2-g- 4-m- 4-p- 3-d- 2-n         

ni-mUrchanA              2-n- 4-s- 3-r- 2-g- 4-m- 4-p- 3-d-         

dha-mUrchanA             3-d- 2-n- 4-s- 3-r- 2-g- 4-m- 4-p-         

                                                                     

                         Modern system                             

sa-mUrchanA              4-s- 3-r- 2-g- 4-m- 4-p- 3-d- 2-n         

ni-mUrchanA              2-s- 4-r- 3-g- 2-m- 4-p- 4-d- 3-n-         

dha-mUrchanA             3-s- 2-r- 4-g- 3-m- 2-p- 4-d- 4-n-         

                                                                    

     (In the modern method, nishAda-mUrchanA cannot strictly        

be called so, since the first svara is always shaDja.  Hence        

the  practice  of calling different scales by  the  mUrchanA        

does not exist now.)                                                

                                                                    

     We see in the above illustration that there is a lot in        

common  between method II and the modern system, namely  the        

tonic  remaining stationary. In fact, if we  substitute  sa,        

ri, ga etc. for 1st, 2nd and other svara-s present in method       

II. the modern nomenclature results.                               

                                                                   

     Coming  to RTC{8}, we find that the author describes  the       

method  II  of  SArngadEva in  detail.  The  description  is       

briefly outlined here:                                             

                                                                   

     The   first   mUrchanA  is   formed   by   placing            

     madhyasthAna-shaDja first and madhyasthAna-nishAda            

     towards  the  end.  Then instead  of  starting  on            

     mandrasthAna-nishAda    etc.     (mandra-dhaivata,            

     mandra-pancama etc.), the remaining six mUrchanA-s            

     are   formed  by   placing   madhyasthAna-nishAda,            

     dhaivata,  pancama, madhyama,  gAndhAra,  rshabha,            

     successively  as the first svara. That is, in  the             

     first  mUrchanA:  sa ri ga ma pa  dha  ni,  [place             

     nishAda  in  the place of shaDja,  shaDja  in  the             

     place   of  rshabha,  rshabha  in  the  place   of            

     gAndhAra,   gAndhAra  on  madhyama,  madhyama   on            

     pancama,]  pancama  on dhaivata  and  dhaivata  on              

     nishAda. In this way the svara-s nishAda etc.  are             

     placed as graha-svara-s (emphasis mine) on  shaDja             

     etc.  without the intervals of the  seven  svara-s    

     shaDja, rshabha etc. being altered. Now the second    

     mUrchanA starting with nishAda is obtained. In the    

     same way the five remaining mUrchanA-s have to  be    

     obtained. The other mUrchanA-s, viz. `dha ni sa ri    

     ga ma pa', `pa dha ni sa ri ga ma', `ma pa dha  ni    

     sa  ri ga', `ga ma pa dha ni sa ri' and `ri ga  ma             

     pa dha ni sa' are similarly formed.                           

 

     The derivation of mUrchanA-s from the madhyama-grAma by        

the same method is explained next by gOvindAmAtya.                  

                                                                    

     What is important in the above discussion is the use of       

the  word `graha-svara' by the author. This usage, which  is       

seen in SSP{9}, seems to have had a long tradition. Thus  even       

a  few centuries ago the term `graha' seems to have  denoted       

the svara functioning as the tonic.                                

                                                                    

     In  the post-SR period, with the emergence of the  mEla       

system,  it  is firmly established that all the  rAga-s  are       

based  on  the seven svara-s in the order  shaDja,  rshabha,       

gAndhAra,  madhyama,  pancama, dhaivata  and  nishAda,  with       

shaDja  identified with the stationary tonic. Even then  the       

lakshaNa-s  of  rAga available in the post-SR texts  do  not       

present a changed picture but exhitbit a transitional  stage       

where part of the old definition is retained and part of the       

new  system  is introduced. Let us take a  few  examples  of       

rAga-s  and  see how they have been defined in  the  various       

texts and especially with respect to the graha-svara.                   

        

a)   rEvagupti:                                                     

                                                                    

                         T-11                                        

     Texts{10}                       graha-         varjya-          

                                   svara          svara            

                                                                    

1.   sangItaratnAkara (rEvaguptA)  ri                               

2.   sadrAgacandrOdaya             ri             sa & pa           

3.   rAgavibOdha                   ri             sa & pa           

4.   svaramElakalAnidhi            ri             ma & ni            

5.   sangItasudhA                  ri             ma & ni           

6.   caturdaNDIprakASikA           ri             ma & ni           

7.   sangItasArAmrta (rEvagupta)   ri             ma & ni           

8.   caturdaNDIprakASikA (appendix)ri             ma & ni           

9.   sangItasampradAyapradarSini   ri             ma & ni           

10.  sangrahacUDAmaNi              sa             ma & ni          

                                                           

     In this rAga we see that from SR to SSP every text has

uniformly mentioned `ri' as graha, but as far as the svara-s

to  be  omitted are concerned there  are  differences  among

texts. While SR does not prescribe any svara to be  omitted,

two texts mention shaDja and pancama to be omitted, and  the

remaining  prescribe  madhyama and nishAda. But if  we  take       

this scale, as starting from rshabha and the svara-s  shaDja       

and pancama as the ones to be omitted. i.e., varjya-svara-s,       

then it will be as follows.:                                       

                                                                   

          ri   ga   ma   (pa)   dha   ni   (sa)                    

                                                                   

          (Note: the varjya-svara-s are in brackets)               

                                                                   

     If  we  transform this scale into  the  modern  system,       

placing shaDja on rshabha, we get:                                  

                                                                   

          sa   ri   ga   (ma)   pa    dha  (ni)                    

                                                                   

     This  is the scale mentioned in modern works  like  SSP       

and San.cUD; that is, `sa ri ga pa dha'.                           

                                                                   

     Now  if  we try to derive the scale  according  to  the       

prescriptions given in svaramElakalAnidhi, sangItasudhA etc.        

we get the following:                                               

                                                                    

          ri   ga   (ma)  pa   dha   (ni)   sa                       

                                                                    

     This, when transformed into the modern system, will  be        

as follows:                                                         

                                                                     

          sa   ri   (ga)   ma  pa    (dha)   ni                    

                                                                   

     But  `sa ri ma pa ni' is not the scale of rEvagupti  as       

detailed   in  these  texts.  sangItasudhA   itself,   while       

describing  the AlApana elaboration of  rEvagupti,  mentions       

only the five svara-s shaDja, rshabha, gAndhAra, pancama and        

dhaivata.                                                           

                                                                   

     This means that many of the texts inherited the  graha-        

svara prescriptions from earlier works, but when it came  to        

mentioning  the  varjya-svara-s they  followed  contemporary       

practice. This is reflected in the following examples too:         

                                                                   

b) bauli:                                                           

                    T-12                                            

     Texts{11}                       graha-    varjya-               

                                   svara     svara                 

                                                                    

1.   svaramElakalAnidhi            ma        pa                    

2.   sadrAgacandrOdaya (bahuli)    ma        ga & ni       

3.   rAgavibOdha                   sa        ma & ni       

4.   sangItasudhA                  ma        ni            

5.   caturdaNDIprakASikA           ma        ma            

6.   sangItasArAmrta               ma        ma            

7.   caturdaNDIprakASikA (appendix)sa        ma&ni(ArOha)  

8.   sangItasampradAyapradarSini   ma        ma&ni(ArOha)           

9.   sangrahacUDAmaNi              sa        ma&ni(ArOha)           

                                                                    

     In  the  case of bauli, the confusion  in  the  post-SR        

period   is  even  more  glaring.  caturdaNDIprakASikA   and       

sangItasArAmrta  take  madhyama as graha  and  overlook  the       

obvious contradiction when they prescribe madhyama itself as       

the  varjya-svara. The lakshaNa given  in  sadrAgacandrOdaya        

and sangItasudhA is meaningful only when considered  against        

the background of method II of mUrchanA derivation, as shown       

below.                                                             

                                                                    

          ma   pa   dha  (ni)   sa   ri  (ga)                      

                                                                   

     When transformed into the modern system, the scale will       

read:                                                              

                                                                   

          sa   ri   ga   (ma)   pa   dha (ni)                      

                                                                    

     In fact, as pointed out earlier, sangItasudhA makes  it       

clear  that  bauli  with madhyama as graha  and  nishAda  as       

varjya  is  the  same  as bauli with  shaDja  as  graha  and       

madhyama  as  varjya. rAgavibOdha presents the  lakshaNa  as       

seen in modern practice. All the other works agree with  the       

scale mentioned by the rAgavibOdha.                                

                                                                   

c) madhyamAdi or madhyamAvati                                       

                                                                    

     SSud  and CP{12} prescribe madhyama as graha and  rshabha       

and  dhaivata as varjya-svara-s. This scale, when  projected       

through method II of mUrchanA-derivation will be:                  

                                                                   

          ma   pa   (dha)  ni   sa  (ri)   ga                       

                                                                    

     When transformed into the modern system, it will be:          

                                                                   

          sa   ri   (ga)   ma   pa  (dha)  ni                      

                                                                     

and  this  is  how  it is found  to  exist  in  present  day        

practice.                                                           

                                                                     

     However  in  the appendix on rAga-s in CP and  in  SSP,        

though  the graha-svara mentioned is madhyama,  the  varjya-       

svara-s are given as gAndhAra and dhaivata. This is  because

these two works followed the earlier works while prescribing

the  graha-svara-s,  but  have  based  the  prescription  of

varjya-svara-s on the contemporary practice.               

                                                           

     Thus  we see that in the post-SR period there  is  much

confusion   in  the  texts.  Though  the  mEla  system   has       

established  itself,  defining rAga-s in  terms  of  varying       

graha-svara-s  has not been dispensed with. The  description        

of  rAga-s  are  directions based on  the  older  system  of        

varying graha-s, while instructions regarding varjya-svara-s       

are  based  on  the  new system  which  has  shaDja  as  the       

permanent  graha.  But  the fact remains that  the  mode  of       

describing   rAga-s  was,  some  centuries  ago,  based   on       

different  svara-s being placed on a fixed tonic. This  gave       

way  to the modern system, where shaDja is  identified  with       

the tonic.                                                          

                                                                   

     Now  the `graham' passage of svara-s mentioned  in  the        

songs listed above, reflects a return to the older practice.       

For instance:                                                      

                                                                    

1.   In  the krti `guNijanAdinuta' in gUrjari rAga,  in  the       

normal  passage  the svara-s are sung as is done  in  modern        

practice,  where  shaDja coincides with the  tonic.  In  the        

`graham'  we  have  a  return  to  method-II  of   mUrchanA-        

derivation seen above, i.e. the graha-svara is placed on the       

tonic, and the subsequent svara-s renamed back to what  they       

would have been in the rshabha-mUrchanA.                            

                                                                    

2.   In the krti, `rENukAdEvi', in kannaDabangAla rAga,  the        

`graham'  passage  returns  to  the  older  position   where        

gAndhAra is the graha and its (gAndhAra's) seventh i.e.  the        

rshabha is the varjya-svara.                                        

                                                                    

3.   In  the  krti  `sadAvinata'  in  rEvagupti  rAga,   the        

`graham' passage returns to the older position where rshabha        

is  the graha and its fourth (pancama) and seventh  (shaDja)       

are the varjya-svara-s.                                            

                                                                    

     Similarly in the case of other songs too we can see the        

principle  behind the graham passages. And it is also  clear         

that `graham' svara passage can figure only in those  rAga-s       

whose graha (as in older tradition) is some svara other than        

shaDja.                                                             

                                                                    

     Finally,  the `graham' singing must have been  part  of       

the system five or six centuries ago, but then the  question        

arises  why composers in the last two hundred  years  should        

have incorporated graha-svara passage also. The only  answer        

to  this question seems to be that the composers might  have       

been  fascinated by the older method of deriving scales  and

this SAstrIya feature must have influenced their prayOga{13}.

                                                            

     ------------------------------------------------------

        

                           Notes                                   

                                                                   

1    SSP Part-1, pp.234-236                                        

2    SSP Part-1, sangIta-lakshaNa-sangraha p.28                    

3    SSP Pt.1 pp.217-218                                            

4    SSP Pt.1 pp.212-213                                           

5    SSP Pt.1 pp.466-467                                           

6    aMSa  was one of the ten main  melodic  characteristics        

     defining  a  jAti. From its various  roles  defined  in        

     detail  in NS, Datt., etc., it could be  inferred  that        

     the  aMSa functioned as the tonic. In the  jAti-s,  the        

     scale as such is never described. It is only classified        

     according  to the grama to which it belongs. The  grAma        

     conveys  the  intervals  of svara-s  taken.  aMSa,  the        

     fundamental or the tonic note, will determine the scale        

     within the grAma.                                              

7    RTC pp.74-76                                                  

8    RTC  p.75; the text is somewhat corrupt, and hence  the        

     account is not very coherent.                                 

9    SSP Part-1, sangIta-lakshaNa sangraha p.28                    

10   SR 2,2,100cd-101ab; SRC pl16; SMK 5,57; RV 4,9;               

     SSud v.778,p.190; CP 5,79; SSar p.88; SSP p.211;              

     anubandha to SP p.8, v.9; SanCuD p.95                         

11   SMK 5,31; SRC p.16; RV 4,19cd; SSud p.179; CP 5,36&88;        

     anubandha to CP p.9,v.16; SSP p.252; SanCuD p.94              

12   SSud p.205; CP 5,36&86cd-87ab; anuba. to CP p.12,v.14;        

     SSP Pt.2,p.648                                                 

13                                                                 

  a) Dr  R Sathyanarayana has discussed in the article  "Sri        

     Mudduswami  Dikshita: musicologist", in the Journal  of        

     the    Indian   Musicological    Society,    vol.7,no.4        

     (Dec.1976),  pp.23-31,  Baroda, 1976,  the  subject  of        

     graha-svara  with reference to the graha-svara  passage        

     occurring in a krti by muttusvAmi dIkshitar set in  the        

     rAga  rEvagupti. Although the conclusion of the  author        

     is that "in other words, the music is identical in both        

     cases  whereas  the  names of the  notes  employed  are        

     different  in each case" (p.30), this does not go  with        

     some  of  the earlier statements like  that  "rEvagupti        

     seems to have been chosen by the composer to illustrate        

     the  principles  of modal shift of  tonic  (grahabhEda)         

     which  yields  two  tAna-s, one of which  is  the  rAga        

     itself, while the other is the ni-derivative" (p.29).         

                                                                   

     There  are  not two scales as  Dr  Sathyanararyana  has        

     suggested; rather the same scale is defined differently        

     by  two  theoretical  systems  belonging  to  different        

     periods in history.                                           

                                                                    

 b)  Dr S Seetha has also presented a  lecture-demonstration        

     on this graha-svara feature in the krti-s of muttusvAmi        

     dIkshitar,   under   the  title  "Grahabheda   in   the        

     Compositions   of   Dikshitar",   during   the   annual        

     conference of the Music Academy, Madras 1986. The paper        

     is not yet published.                                         

                                                                    

               --------------------------------------              

               Explanation of Diacritical Marks                    

                                                                   

     For the non-english words, the Roman letters have  been        

adopted  to  serve  the  purpose  of  diacritical  marks  to        

represent  the  Indian script. The following table  is  self        

explanatory.                                                        

                                                                   

     a    A    i    I    u    U    r    e    E                     

                                                                   

     ai   o    O    au   m    H                                    

                                                                   

     k    kh   g    gh   n    c    ch   j    jh   n                

                                                                   

     T    Th   D    Dh   N    t    th   d    dh   n                

                                                                   

     p    ph   b    bh   m                                         

                                                                    

     y    r    l    v    S    sh   s    h                          

                                                                   

                    -------------------------                      

                                                            

                         Abbreviations                             

                                                                   

               NS       nATyaSAstra                                

               Datt     dattilam                                   

               SR       sangItaratnAkara                           

               RV       rAgavibOdha                                

               SPar     sangItapArijAta                            

               RKau     rasakaumudI                                

               SDar     sangItadarpaNa                             

               SRC      sadrAgacandrOdaya                          

               RTV      rAgatattvavibOdha                          

               CP       caturdaNDIprakASikA                        

               SSar     sangItasArAmrta                            

               SSP      sangItasampradAyapradarSinI                

               SanCuD   sangrahacUDAmaNi                           

               ---------------------------------------             

                         Bibliography                              

                                                                    

[  Note  :  Following  is  the  list  of  works  from  which        

references  have  been actually cited in  the  articles.  If        

there  are two editions of the same text, then the  citation        

is  from  the one listed first. The other one  if  used  for        

citation would have been specifically mentioned. ]                 

                                                                   

caturdaNDIprakASikA of vEnkaTamakhi                                 

ed.   pt.Subrahmanya   Sastri,   T  V   Subba   Rao,   T   L        

Venkataramayyar, Madras Music Academy, Madras 1934.                

                                                                   

dattilam of dattilamuni                                             

ed.  K  Sambasiva Sastri, Sri Setu Prasadamala  Series  XIV,        

Tiruvanantapuram, 1930.                                            

                                                                   

nATyaSAstra  of bharatamuni with commentary  of  abhinavabh-       

AratI by abhinavaguptAcArya,                                       

vol.IV (Ch.s28-37) ed. M Ramakrishna Kavi and J S Pade,1964.        

Oriental Institute, Baroda.                                         

                                                                   

rasakaumudI of SrIkaNTha                                           

ed. A N Jani, Oriental Institute, Baroda, 1963                     

                                                                   

rAgavibOdha of sOmanAtha, ed. S.Subrahmanya Sastri,  Adayar,        

1945.                                                              

                                                                    

sadrAgacandrOdaya  of puNDarIka viTThala, ed. Ganesa  Sarma,        

Bombay 1912.                                                       

                                                                   

sangrahacUDAmaNi of gOvinda ed. by Pt.S.Subrahmanya  Sastri,        

Adyar Library, 1938                                                

                                                                   

sangItapArijAta  of ahObala pub. by R S Gondhalekara,  Pune.        

1898.                                                              

                                                                   

sangItaratnAkara  of SArngadEva with the  commentaries  kal-       

Anidhi of kallinAtha and sangItasudhAkara of simhabhUpAla,         

a)   vol.I - ed. Pandita Subrahmanya Sastri revised by  S          

     Sarada, 1992                                                  

b)   vol.II- ed. Pandita Subrahmanya Sastri revised by  V          

     Krishnamacarya, 1959.                                          

                                                                   

sangIta-sampradAya-pradarSinI of SubbarAma dIkshitar, Pt.  1        

& 2, Vidya Vilasini Press, Ettayapuram, 1904.                      

                                                                    

sangItasArAmrta  of tulaja, ed. S.Subrahmanya Sastri,  Music        

Academy, Madras, 1942.                                             

                                                                    

sangItasudhA  of raghunAtha nAyaka, ed.  P.S.Sundaram  Ayyar        

and S.Subrahmanya Sastri, Music Academy, Madras, 1940.             

                                                                   

svaramElakalAnidhi  of rAmAmAtya, ed.  M.S.Ramaswami  Ayyar,        

Annamalai University, Chidambaram 1932.                          

 

-----------------------------------------

                         T-10A                  

Viewing the modern rAga-s as derived in terms of the three

stages of mUrchana described in T-10

 

                         I                      

SankarAbharaNa      -s--r--g-m--p--d--n         

kharaharpriya         --r--g-m--p--d--n-s        

tODI                     --g-m--p--d--n-s--r

                                                

                         II                     

SankarAbharaNa      -s--r--g-m--p--d--n         

kharaharpriya      --r--g-m--p--d--n-s          

tODI               --g-m--p--d--n-s--r          

                                                 

                         Modern system          

SankarAbharaNa      -s--r--g-m--p--d--n         

kharaharpriya      --s--r-g--m--p--d-n          

tODI               --s-r--g--m--p-d--n