Raga
In describing a Rāga, the following aspects hold fundamental importance:
1. The name
2. The Āroha and Avaroha (ascending and descending movements)
3. The Ṭhāṭa (musical scale)
4. The Laya (tempo), indicating whether it is slow, intermediate, or fast
5. Whether the aesthetic value is expressed in the Purvāṁga or Uttaraṁga (lower or upper tetrachord)
6. The Vādī, also called Aṁśa (dominant note)
7. The Graha, specifying the opening and concluding notes
8. The section of the scale that must prevail
9. The Jāti, indicating whether it is Sampūrṇa, Ṣāḍava, or Auḍuva (heptatonic, hexatonic, or pentatonic)
10. Classification based on the criteria of Ṥuddha, Sālaṅka or Chāyālaga, Saṁkīrṇa (pure, mixed, or blended)
11. The Calana (progression), indicating whether it is Ṥuddha or Vakra (regular or irregular)
12. Exhibition time, specifying the season or time as appropriate
13. The Pakaḍa, a short phrase useful for immediately recognizing the Rāga, following the principle of 'Rañjayati Iti Rāgah'.
According to the Saṁgītaratnākara, the term Rāga has two meanings:
1. The sound produced through the Svaras (notes), forming a cluster of notes that attract the listener's mind.
2. The sound produced through the Svaras and Varṇas, which attract people's minds.
This definition emphasizes the unique arrangement and interrelation of notes, distinct from compositional harmony, contributing to the aesthetic enjoyment of the listener. The Indian classical music system has created countless Rāgas through precise rules governing composition, juxtaposition, and interrelation of notes.
The ten Ṭhāṭas are recognized, serving as a foundation for creating various Rāgas. The Jāti system classifies Rāgas based on the number of notes used (Sampūrṇa, Ṣāḍava, Auḍuva). The purity classification distinguishes between Ṥuddha, Sālaṅka or Chāyālaga, and Saṁkīrṇa Rāgas.
Paṇdit Viṣṇunārāyaṇa Bhātakhaṇḍe's classification criteria include the number of notes used, the presence of Vādī, and the time of day or year for exposition. Additionally, Rāgas are grouped based on their psychological impact, Ma's nature, and moments of the day or night.
The concept of Goṣṭī reflects the sentimental nature of Rāgas within a group, not necessarily governed by identical notes. Some principal Rāgas include:
Kānhaḍā
Mālakauśa
Kāfī
Malaśrī
Kāmoda
Megha
Khamāj
Lalita
Gauḍa Sāraṅga
Ṥaṅkarā
Naṭa
Ṥuddha Kalyāṇa
Vṛndāvanīsāraṅga
Ṥuddha Malhāra
Bilāvala
Śrī
Bihāga
Sindhu
Bhairava
Hindola
The ideal time for executing Rāgas is classified based on the time of day, season, and psychological impact. This classification helps evoke the intended mood and aesthetic experience for both the musician and the listener.
Moments of the day:
(1) Dawn
(2) Early morning
(3) Late morning
(4) Early afternoon
(5) Sunset
(6) Evening
(7) Night
(8) Late at night
The moments of the day are classified as follows in a list of Rāgas ordered according to the time of day, widely accepted by the Seniyā Gharāna and much of the musicological community:
- 4:00-5:30 AM: Vasanta, Paraja, Sohanī, Lalita, Pañcama, Bhāṭiyāra, Vibhāsa, Bhākāra
- 5:30-7:00 AM: Megharañjanī, Vibhāsa, Jogiyā, Kālīṁgaḍā, Prabhāta, Rāmakalī, Guṅakalī or Guṅakarī, Bhairava
- 7:00-10:00 AM: Hindola, Malaśrī, Gauḍasāraṅga
- 10:00-11:30 AM: Āsāvarī, Bhairavī, Toḍī, Jaunapurī, Kaṭa, Deśī
- 11:30 AM-1:00 PM: Sūhā, Sughrāī, Devaśāśkha, Sāraṅga
- 1:00-4:00 PM: Haṁsakiṁkiṇī, Paṭamañjarī, Pradīpikā, Dhāni, Bhīmapalāśrī, Dhanāśrī, Pīlū, Multāni
- 4:00-5:30 PM: Pūravī, Puriyā, Dhanāśrī, Jayaśrī, Revā, Śrī, Triveṇī, Taṁka, Mālavī, Gaurī
- 5:30-7:00 PM: Puriyā, Māravā, Jayet, Mālīgaurā, Sājagiri, Varāṭī
- 7:00-10:00 PM: Yamana, Bhūpālī, Ṥuddha, Kalyāṇa, Jayet Kalyāṇa, Candrakānta, Hamīra, Kāmoda, Syāma, Chāyānaṭa, Bihāga, Hemakalyāṇa, Naṭa, Maluhā, Ṥaṅkarā, Durgā, Māṁḍ, Pahāḍī
- 10:00-11:30 PM: Khamāj, Jhiṁjhoṭī, Tilaṁga, Khambāvatī, Durgā, Rāgeśrī, Gārā, Suraṭha, Deśa, Tilaka Kāmoda, Jayajayantī
- 11:30 PM-1:00 AM: Kāfī, Saindhavī, Sindhūrā, Bāgeśrī, Bahār, Ṥahāna, Megha, Malhāra
- 1:00-4:00 AM: Darbārīkānhaḍā, Aḍāṇā, Nāyakīkānhaḍā, Kauśika Kānhaḍā, Mālakauśa
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