Fundamental of Ancient Indian Music and Dance

Author(s): Sureshchandra Benarji
Publisher: L D Indology Ahmedabad

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Introduction
our rich heritage in the domain of fine arts. A comparative study of the Sastra and the history of music abroad will reveal to what extent India has influenced other countries, particularly her eastern and Far Eastern neighbours.
'Marga' is a term used now-a-days to denote classical music. For those who want to have a sound knowledge of ' 'märga. samgita', a knowledge of the Samgita-sastra is indispensable.
Indian dance has of late been very popular abroad. It is serving as a cultural link between India and foreign countries. The Sanskrit works on dance will acquaint those, who are interested in it, with the rich storehouse of knowledge enshrined in them.
Those who are interested in instrumental music will profit by a study of the Sastra. It will teach them not only the art of playing the instruments but also the scientific ways of making various instruments. They will also learn how many types of a single instrument can be made with precision.
Meaning of Samgita
The word has been derived from the root gai preceded by
sam
Gai means to sing. So, the derivative meaning of samgita is song. But, it is generally used to indicate the three fine arts called Gita (son), Vadya (instrumental music) and Nṛtta (dance). From the linguistic point of view, there has been an expansion of meaning of the word samgita. But, at present there has been a contraction of meaning. Now-a-days, samgita is commonly used to denote vocal music only. When compounded with the word yantra, as the second member of the compound it means instrumental music.
In the Samgita-damodara, gita denotes vocal and instrumental music. In this work, the term samgitaka stands for song accampanied by tāla and vadya.
Origin and Development of Indian Music
The origin of samgita is shrouded in a veil of obscurity. Among the ruins of Indus Valley Civilization (c. 3000-2500 B.C.)