Complete discussion-circle and exercise answers for Chapter 8, covering svaras, rāga-jāti, classification systems, musicians, scales, and Teen Tāla notation.
Question Answers
Discussion Circle
Q1If you could name a rāga what would it be? Describe how you would like the rāga to make a listener feel.
If I could name a rāga, I would call it Rāga Prakṛiti Anand. I would like this rāga to make listeners feel peaceful, fresh, and close to nature. Its mood would be calm like a morning breeze, joyful like birds singing, and soothing like flowing water.
Question Answers
Exercises
Q1Explain the following in one line:
i. Ṣhāḍava-saṁpūrṇa
Answer: Ṣhāḍava-saṁpūrṇa is a rāga-jāti in which the ārohaṇa has 6 svaras and the avarohaṇa has 7 svaras.
ii. Vibhāg
Answer: Vibhāg is a division or group of beats within a tāla.
iii. Jātis in Hindustani Music
Answer: Jātis in Hindustani Music classify rāgas according to the number of svaras used in the āroha and avaroha, such as Auḍava, Ṣhāḍava, and Saṁpūrṇa.
Q2If a rāga has 6 svaras in the ārohaṇa and 6 in the avarohaṇa, what is the jāti of the rāga? Give an example from the rāgas you have learnt.
If a rāga has 6 svaras in ārohaṇa and 6 svaras in avarohaṇa, its jāti is Ṣhāḍava–Ṣhāḍava.
Example: Rāga Śhrīrañjanī has 6 svaras:
S R G M D N S.
Q3Which are achala-svaras/prakṛiti-svaras and chala-svaras/vikṛiti-svaras? Explain with examples.
S and P are called achala-svaras or prakṛiti-svaras because they do not have lower or higher variants. For example, Ṣhaḍja and Pañchama remain fixed.
The svaras R, G, M, D, and N are called chala-svaras or vikṛiti-svaras because they have lower and higher variants. For example, R can be Komala R or Śhuddha R, and M can be Śhuddha M or Tīvra M.
Q4Name two rāgas and their scales derived from Śhaṅkarābharaṇam.
Two rāgas derived from Śhaṅkarābharaṇam are:
| Rāga | Ārohaṇa | Avarohaṇa |
|---|---|---|
| Haṁsadhvani | S R₂ G₃ P N₃ Ṡ | Ṡ N₃ P G₃ R₂ S |
| Kaṇṇaḍā | S G₃ M₁ D₂ N₃ Ṡ | Ṡ N₃ Ṡ D₂ P M₁ G₃ M₁ R₂ S |
Q5Answer the following:
i. A rāga with 5 notes is called _____.
Answer: Auḍava
ii. The Meḻakartā system was devised by _____.
Answer: Venkatamakhi
iii. Vishnu Narayan Bhatkhande grouped the Hindustani rāgas in the _____ system.
Answer: Thāṭ system
iv. Complete the series: SMGR, RPMG, _____.
Answer: GDPM
Each svara moves one step forward: S→R→G, M→P→D, G→M→P, R→G→M.
Q6What is the difference between Jatisvaram and Svarajati?
Jatisvaram is a Carnatic Music composition that mainly has svaras and sometimes rhythmic syllables, but it generally has no lyrics or sāhitya.
Svarajati combines simple lyrics or sāhitya with musical notes or svaras, and it may also include rhythmic patterns.
Q7Give a brief introduction of Rāga Haṁsadhvani.
Rāga Haṁsadhvani is a janya rāga derived from Śhaṅkarābharaṇam. It is an Auḍava rāga because it has five svaras. In this rāga, the svaras M and D are omitted.
Its scale is:
Ārohaṇa: S R₂ G₃ P N₃ Ṡ
Avarohaṇa: Ṡ N₃ P G₃ R₂ S
It gives a bright, devotional, and joyful feeling.
Q8Describe one system of classification of rāgas with examples.
One system of classification of rāgas is based on the number of svaras used in the ārohaṇa and avarohaṇa. In Hindustani Music, this is called Rāga-jāti.
| Number of Svaras | Jāti | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 7 svaras | Saṁpūrṇa | Alhaiyā Bilāval, Yaman |
| 6 svaras | Ṣhāḍava | Gurjarī Todī |
| 5 svaras | Auḍava | Bhūpālī, Haṁsadhvani |
Rāgas may also have mixed jāti, such as Auḍava–Ṣhāḍava, Ṣhāḍava–Saṁpūrṇa, and Saṁpūrṇa–Auḍava.
Q9Find out about the contributions of the following stalwarts to Indian music.
i. Tānsen
Answer: Tānsen was one of the greatest figures of Hindustani Classical Music. He was known for his dhrupad singing, rāga compositions, and powerful vocal performances. He was also a famous musician in Emperor Akbar’s court.
ii. Kumar Gandharva
Answer: Kumar Gandharva was a great Hindustani classical vocalist known for his unique singing style. He did not limit himself to one gharana and brought freshness to khayal, bhajans, and folk-based music. He received honours such as the Padma Bhushan and Padma Vibhushan.
iii. Mīrābāī
Answer: Mīrābāī was a Bhakti poet and devotee of Lord Krishna. Her devotional songs and poems became very popular, especially in northern India, and they continue to inspire devotional music even today.
iv. MS Subbulakshmi
Answer: M. S. Subbulakshmi was a legendary Carnatic vocalist. She made Carnatic and devotional music popular across India and abroad. She was the first musician to receive the Bharat Ratna in 1998.
Q10Identify the Rāga-jāti based on the following:
i. 5 svaras in āroha and 6 svaras in avaroha
Answer: Auḍava–Ṣhāḍava
ii. 6 svaras in āroha and 5 svaras in avaroha
Answer: Ṣhāḍava–Auḍava
iii. 5 svaras in āroha and avaroha
Answer: Auḍava–Auḍava
iv. 7 svaras in āroha and 7 svaras in avaroha
Answer: Saṁpūrṇa–Saṁpūrṇa
Q11Complete the table.
| Svara | Note Position | Variant Names Hindustani | Variant Names Carnatic |
|---|---|---|---|
| S | No variant | No variant | No variant |
| R | Higher R | Śhuddha | Chatuḥśhruti |
| M | Lower M | Śhuddha | Śhuddha |
| N | Higher N | Śhuddha | Kākalī |
| P / Pañchama | No variant | No variant | No variant |
Q12Write the tāla lipi notation of Teen Tāla.
Teen Tāla has 16 mātrās divided into 4 vibhāgs. Its tālī comes on the 1st, 5th, and 13th mātrās, and khālī comes on the 9th mātrā.
| Mātrā | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bol | Dha | Dhin | Dhin | Dha | Dha | Dhin | Dhin | Dha | Dha | Tin | Tin | Ta | Ta | Dhin | Dhin | Dha |
| Tālī/Khālī | X | 2 | 0 | 3 |
Tāla Lipi:
X Dha Dhin Dhin Dha | 2 Dha Dhin Dhin Dha | 0 Dha Tin Tin Ta | 3 Ta Dhin Dhin Dha ||
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