Fundamental of Ancient Indian Music and Dance

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

Page 34

Vocal Music
454
कोवा । गाधीनगर, पि ३८२०००
The ascent and descent of the seven svaras in order are called murchana. The number of murchanas in each of the two terrestrial gramas, mentioned above, is seven.
Each murchana is of seven kinds due to its commencing from the svaras beginning with the first etc. In them, after singing the final svaras, the earlier svaras are to be sung in order (krama). These murchanas are called krama. Their total number is 392.
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Tāna :
Tana, derived from root tan-to spread out, is so called as is spreads out a raga. Tanas are twofold, śuddha and kūta; the former arises when the svaras are uttered in the regular order. When uttered by violating the order, they give rise to the latter kind of tana.
Jāti:
Jati is the designation of songs with varṇa and alamkāra etc. Matarga, in his Bṛhaddeś, clearly defines jati. Acc. to him, jati is the name of the svaras which are manifested with śruti, graha, svara (alamkāra, varna) etc. From these svaras the relish of the charm of each of the svaras or rāgas is possible. Jatis are the sources of Gandharva and Desi rāgas.
Jatis are divided into śuddha (pure) and vikṛta (modified). Under the former are included the seven named after the svaras, e.g. Sadji, Arsabhi, etc. Those are known as śuddha which have their title svara as nyasa, apanyāsa', amsa, graha, which are devoid of tāra nyāsa and which are complete. When these characteristics, excluding nyasa, are lacking, we have vikṛta jati. The number of vikṛta jatis is about 139. The relation between jati and raga is one that subsists between the generator (janaka) and the generated (janya). Before the names of ragas came into vogue, jatis were prevalent.
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1 It is the name of that svara in which a vidari is completed. Vidari means part of a nibaddha song.