Click to view the PREVIOUS document

Indian Classical Music And Sikh Kirtan
by Gobind Singh Mansukhani (M.A., LL.B, Ph.D.) © 1982

Ragmala
View Previous Page - Back to the Table of Contents - View Next Page
Click to view the NEXT document
Ragmala
The Adi Granth contains the following thirty-one ragas (in the serial order):
Sri raga, Manjh, Gauri, Asa, Gujri, Devagandhari, Bihagara, Wadahans, Sorath, Dhanasri, Jaitsri, Todi, Bairari, Tilang, Suhi, Bilaval, Gond (Gaund), Ramkali, Nut-Narayan, Mali-Gaura, Maru, Tukhar, Kedara, Bhairav (Bhairo), Basant, Sarrang, Malar, Kanra, Kalyan, Prabhati and Jaijawanti. But of the above thirty-one ragas, technically fourteen are ragas and the rest are raginis. It may be noted that no distinction has been made in the Scripture between a raga and a ragini. Ragmala given at the end of the scripture gives the following eighty-four melodies. Six are male (parent) ragas; the thirty raginis are their wives and the remaining forty-eight are their sons. Ths list is as follows:

(1) Bhairav raga
Wives: Bhairavi, Bilawali, Punyaki, Bangli, Aslekhi.
Sons: Pancham, Harakh, Disakh, Bangal, Madhu, Madhava, Lalit, Bilaval.

(2) Malkaus raga
Wives: Gaundkari, Devagandhari, Gandhari, Seehute, Dhanasri.
Sons: Maru, Mustang, Mewara, Parbal, Chand, Khokhat, Bhora, Nad.

(3) Hindol raga
Wives: Telangi, Devkari, Basanti, Sindhoori, Aheeri.
Sons: Surmanand, Bhasker, Chandra-Bimb, Mangalan, Ban, Binoda, Basant, Kamoda.

(4) Deepak raga
Wives: Kachheli, Patmanjari, Todi, Kamodi, Gujri.
Sons: Kaalanka, Kuntal, Rama, Kamal, Kusum, Champak, Gaura, Kanra [36].

(5) Sri raga
Wives: Bairavi, Karnati, Gauri, Asavari, Sindhavi.
Sons: Salu, Sarag, Sagra, Gaund, Gambhir, Gund, Kumbh, Hamir.

(6) Megh raga
Wives: Sorath, Gaundi-Malari, Asa, Gunguni, Sooho.
Sons: Biradhar, Gajdhar, Kedara, Jablidhar, Nut, Jaldhara, Sankar, Syama.

If we compare the above scheme with the ragas of the Adi Granth, we find that only two major ragas-Sri raga and Bhairav-have been included in the Scripture. The remaining male parent ragas, namely Malkaus, Hindol, Deepak and Megh have been excluded. Sri raga is the first raga in the Scripture instead of Bhairav raga of the Ragmala. Asawari used in the Scripture as a part of Asa raga is according to ragmala the wife of Sri raga. The following eleven wives (raginis) and eight sons of the parent-ragas are included in the Scripture:
Bhairavi: Son: Bilaval
Malkaus: Wives: Devagandhari, Dhanasri
Son: Maru
Hindol: Wive: Tilang (Telangi)
Son: Basant
Deepak: Wives: Todi, Gujri
Son: Kanra
Sri Raga: Wives: Gauri, Bairavi
Sons: Sarang, (Sarag), Gaund
Megh: Wives: Sorath, Asa, Suhi (Sooho), Malar
Sons: Nut, Kedara
There is no mention of Bihagara, Wadahans, Mali-Gaura, Kalyan[37], Manjh, Jaitsri, Ramkali, Tukhari, Prabhati and Jaijawanti in Ragmala.

History - Donation - Privacy - Help - Registration - Home - Search

Copyright © 1995-2002 Sikhnet