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Literary and Performing Arts
Madhyama, Pañcama, Dhaivata and Niṣada; which was marked by Murchanā, Krama, Kampa and the three Gramas; which had the accompaniment of the Ravaṇahastaka; which had Alamkāras, sweetness of notes, aesthetic charm and sophistication; which had the ascending scale, the descending scale, Sthayin and Sañcarin; which was characterized by Tilaka (melody), lower and upper octaves, Tānas and smooth melodiousness; which was like a bow in that it was endowed with jiva (i.e. 1. bowstring. 2. the dominant note).4
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Two things are noteworthy in this account. Firstly, the instrument providing accompaniment to Ravana's vocal recital, which was called Viņa in the earlier sources (which have been also followed in this matter by some later accounts), is called Rāvaṇahastaka. The name obviously derives from the myth of the instrument's creation. Secondly the music offered is not some sort of folk music. It is rather highly cultured and sophisticated music, the same type that has been codified in musicological texts. This means that this Ravaṇahastaka of the ninth century had already secured a place in the elitist music.5
In another passage of the same text, describing similarly Ravana worshipping the Jina, the former is described as singing a Mangala song6 while playing on the Ravaṇahastaka (LXXI, vi. 18). In this description of the festival of Jina-worship, the following traditional list of musical instruments is given: Mukunda. Nandi, Mardala, Huḍukkā, Dhakka, Kāhalā, Ruñja, Bheri, Jhallari, Daḍikkā, Pāņi-kartarī, Dardura, Tāla, Śankha, Daunḍa, Dakka, Taṭṭari, Jhuṇakka, Bhambha, Jhimkiri, Vavvisa, Vaṁśa, Kāmsyikā, Trisari, Viņa and Pāvikā.
Svayambhu (and following him, Rajasekhara and Hemacandra) have defined in their manuals of prosody an Apabhramsa metre called Ravaṇahastaka. It is of the Antarasama Catuṣpadi type, with each of its half containing 7+ 13 Mātrās. The metre was generally used for the Ghatta (i.e. the concluding piece) of a Kadavaka (i.e. a verse paragraph) of an Apabhramśa Sandhibandha
| SR No. | 022756 |
| Book Title | Indological Studies |
| Original Sutra Author | N/A |
| Author | H C Bhayani |
| Publisher | Parshva Prakashan |
| Publication Year | 1993 |
| Total Pages | 376 |
| Language | English |
| Classification | Book_English |
| File Size | 25 MB |