365bet娱乐

- 15 MUSIC IN THE MARKANDEYA PURANA In the Markandeya Purana, only a portion i.e. the verses 49 to 61 of the twenty third chapter has been devoted to the discussion of music. The main discussion on music begins with the dialogue between the serpent king Asvatara and Devi Sarasvati, the goddess of learning. The serpent king Asvatara was very fond of music. he took a vow of severe penance for getting a boon from the 35 goddess of learning. The goddess was very much pleased .36 with his austerity, she appeared before him and offered him a boon. Asvatara spoke - " Give thou me, O goddess, Kambala indeed my former companion, and bestow on us both a conversence with all sounds i.e. all the knowledge of the notes." Swami Prajnanananda in his article, has given the history of the names Asvatara and Kambala and concludes that Asvatara and Aambala wrote some authoritative books on music. Like Kohala and Dattila, Narada and Tumbaru, the names of Asvatara and Kambala are mentioned together in many places as old authors on Indian Music. Asvatara and Kambala occur in the Ramayana and the Mahabharata, Harivamsha and other puranas. In Sarangadeva's Sangita natnakara, we find mention of 'Kambalasvatarastatha' (1.16). Sarangadeva mentions again 37 the names of Kambala and Asvatara, while he determines the Jati of Music. The commentator Kallinath of the Natya sastra 38 of Bharatamuni also mentions them. 39

- io Devi Sarasvati bestowed the desired boon upon Asvatara and Kambala. Sarasvati spoke - "O most noble Naga, the seven musical notes, the seven modes in the musical scale (gramaragas), the seven songs (gitakani) also, and same number of modulations (murcchana), so also the fortynine 40 musical times (tala) and the three octaves (grama)- all these thou and Kambala shalt sing, sinless one, I have given thee the four kinds of quarter verse (pada), the three sorts of musical tunes (tala), three pauses in music (Yati) and the four-fold Todya (Atodya ?) what is contained within this and dependended thereon, measured in vowels and consonents - all that I have given to thee and and Ye shall be the teachers of all this in three worlds - in heaven, human world and netherworld".41 This speech of goddess Sarasvati covers practically the science and theory of Indian music. Here we find major technical terms in Indian Musical theory viz. Svara, Murchhana, Grana, Tana, Pada, Tala, Laya, Yati and also the musical instruments i.e. Atodya. 'Svara' is a musical note. Markandeya Purana mentions the seven laukika svaras, viz. Sadja, Risabha, Gandhara, Madhyama, Pencama, Dhaivata and Nisada and they are designated by their initial sounds, Sa, ri, ga, ma, pa, dha, ni. Those seven Svaras form the 'musical scale', Grama. Thus there would be seven scales as there are seven notes. But only three scales were common in early times, the Sadja grama, Madhyama grama and Gandhara grama. The interval

- 17 between the two notes is divided into several lesser notes called sruti. There are 4 Srutis between Sa and ri, 3 between ri and ga, 2 between ga and ma, 4 between me and pa, 4 between pa and dha, 3 between dha and ni and 2 between ni and Sa that is 22 Srutis in all. After determining the 22 srutis from a to Sa, the first attempt was naturally towards forming other scales by putting different notes successively in place of the main note Sa and the subsequent notes following at regular intervals. This gave rise to different gramas of which only the above mentioned three gramas were recognised in the old days. The Markandeya Purana also referred to the three gramas. At the time of Bharata, the Gandhara grama vas out of vogue. Markandeya Purana follows the Naradi Sikse by referring to the 'Gramatrayam'. Following the Maradi Sikse the Markandeye Purana has mentioned the seven grama-ragas. Raga is the most distinguishing feature of Indian music. The rages have their basis in the basic scales, Sadja grama and the madhyama grama. besides these two main grama-ragas, the other five ragas are mentioned in the Naradi Siksa. The seven grama-ragas are Sadava, Pancama, Madhyanagrama, Sadjagrama, Sadharita, Kaisika-Madnyama and Kaisike. 42 At the early stage there were Jatis or the Jatiragas. Jati means a mode of melody. In the Ramayana there is a mention of the seven Jatis. Later these melodic types gave birth to the grama-ragas by greater analysis.

- 18 Seven Gitakas are mentioned by the Markandeya Purana. Gitaka means the style of the chant. The seven gitakas are Madraka, Aparantaka, Prakari, Uvenaka, Ullopya, Ravindaka and Uttara. 43 These are song compositions belonging to the Gandharva or the Marga type of music. These are the seven traditional types of songs. The later Indian Music has ignored these seven types of songs. Gitis are of four kinds- Magadhi, ArdhamagadhI, Sambhavita and Prthula. Giti is a special type of song adorned by the four Varnas (Sthayi and others) and Alamkaras (Prasanna etc.) and possessing a clearly felt rhythm arising out of the arrangement of words. This Giti is the auxiliary of the Jati which is the precurssor of the Haga or the melody proper. The Gramaragas are originated from the Jatis. 6 It Markandeya Purana mentions the seven Murcchanas. should be taken as the seven murcchanas of each Grama, i.e. Sadjagrama, the Madhyama grama and the Gandhara grama, because Markandeya Purana has mentioned the Gramatrayam (three gramas). Murcchanas are the series of upward and downward notes. The murcchanas of the Sadjagrama are uttaramandra, rajani, uttarayata, Asvakranta, Abhirudgata, Matsarikrta, and Suddha Sadja. Those of the Madhyama grama are Sauviri, Harinasva, Kalopanata, Suddha-Madhya, margavi, Pauravi, and Hrsyaka. Natyasastra has described these fourteen murcchanas and their characteristics. Gandhara-grama was out of practice. All the works which enumerate the Gandhara-grama as the third grama speak of it as prevalent only in heaven.

- 19 Markandeya Purana, following the Naradi Siksa admits 49 Tanas. Narada describes in his siksa the forty nine tanas of the three gramas i.e. fourteen in Sadja-grama, twenty in Madhyama grama and fifteen in Gandhara grama. Bharata in his Natyasastra admits the 84 tanas. Regarding the type of the composition the Markandeya Purana says that the Padas are four in number - 'Caturvidham Padam'. Bharata says that which is composed in letters and which manifests the svara and tala is known as Pada. Bharata 44 divides the Pada, into, 'nibaddha' and 'anibaddha' and then into 'satala' and 'atala'. This appears as four in number. The Markandeya Purana also seems to consider those Padas as four in number. Sarangadeva also admits this division. But Bharata and Sarangadeva classified them into two groups. 'Satala-nibaddha' and 'atala-anibaddha'. According to Sarahgadeva the satala-nibaddha padas are possessed of six musical parts (Sadanga), six limbs i.e. Svara, Biruda, Pata etc. And 'atala' anibaddha pada' is alapa. 45 Regarding rhythm Markandeya Purana says that 'Talam triprakaram' Tala means the division of time in music. It consists of three things, kala, the duration of time, Kriya, the clapping of hands and mana, the interval between the clappings. Markandeya Purana admits the three kinds of Tala.46 These talas were manifested in three kinds of Laya 1.e. tempo. 'Laya' is the musical speed. The three kinds of

20 'Laya' are Druta (quick), Madhya (medium) and Vilambita 47 (Slow). The druta being twice as fast as the madhya and the madhya twice as fast as the vilambita. The Markandeya Purana admits these three kinds of tempo - 'Layatrayam. The pirana also admits the three kinds of 'Yati' 'Yatitrayam'. The three kinds are Sama, Srotogata and 48 Gopuccha. Yati is a break in the laya 'a rest in music'. The sama may occur in the beginning, at the middle or at the end of the laya, changes from vilambita to madhya or from madhya to druta. The Gopuccha occurs apparently when the time becomes slower after the rest, that is when the laya changes from druta to madhya or from madhya to Vilambita. Ghana. 49 Four kinds of instruments are mentioned by the Markandeya Purana. They are Tata, Susira, Avanaddha and 50 Thus the Purana has taken into account the traditional or well-known instruments viz. tata (stringed), the instruments having strings i.e. Vina etc., avanaddha (covered) peruussion 1.e. drum etc., susira (hollow) windinstruments flute etc. and ghana (solid) cymbal etc. We know from the Purana itself, that at the time of Markandeya Purana, Vina, Vemu Dardura, Panava, Puskara, Mrdanga, Pataha, Anaka, Devadundubhi, Sankha-these instruments were in vogue. - 51 Thus besides the vocal music, the instrumental music was practised at that time. The Markandeya Purana says that the two Nagas, Asvatara and Aambala with the fullest knowledge in versification, musical time, musical notes etc. observing musical Tala on the lute strings, being desirous of propitiating

- 21 the lord, with seven songs 'Gitakaih', both exerted themselves to the utmost with voice and tone combined. 52 Thus we see that the Markandeya Purana has given a brief account of the theory of Indian Music which is handed down by tradition.