Fundamental of Ancient Indian Music and Dance

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

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Fundamentals of Ancient Indian Music and Dance
Again, rāgas may be suddha (pure or unmixed) and Chāyālaga or sālaga (mixed); the latter being so called owing to its having the shadow or likeness of another rāga. Bhāṣā, Vibhāṣā, Antarabhāsā
These terms were probably too well-known at the time of Garrigadeva to be defined by him. These appear to denote minor rāgas, all fancied as females, which have no independent existence are produced by main rāgas. While bhāsās are said to be born of certain rāgas vibhāṣās appear to be their minor varieties. Antarabhāsā may be that which exists between two bhāsās. For example, Kakubha rāga has six bhāsās called bhinnapañcami, kambhoji, madhyama-grāmā, ragantī, madhuri and sakamiśrā, three vibhāṣās called bhogavardhani, ābhirikā and madhukarı and one antara-bhāṣā called Salavāhanikā.
According to śārnigadeva, there are 90 bhāṣās, 20 vibhāṣās and 4 antarabhāsās.
It is interesting to note that, at least down to the time of Śāingadeva, the term rāgini did not come into vogue. The idea of six rāgas, with 36 rāgiņīs as their consorts, was a later development
Rāgas and rāgiņi have been fancied as having forms with anthropomorphic features and traits of character. It should be noted that such Dhyānas (figures to be meditated upon ) occur only in later treatises. Some of these are quoted below and translated into English. These will at once reveal the poetic fancy behind the forms conceived and the spiritual outlook of the writers on the sastra.
Śrīrāga asțādaśābdah smaracāramūrtiḥ,
dhiro lasat-pallava-karņapūraḥ, sadjādi-sevyo'runa-vastradhāri
śrirāga esa kşitipālamūrtiḥ 11 [This Śrīrāga, aged eighteen years, is handsome like Cupid, steady, shining with ear-ornaments of leaves; he is served by sadja etc, wears a scarlet cloth and looks like a king. ]