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
[ Victorious is this three-eyed First Raga, Bhairava, with the Ganges on his head, a lunar digit as the mark on his forehead, possessed of body adorned with a serpent, wearing elephant-skin, holding a trident in hand and carrying a human skull. ]
Bhairavi
(Ragini of Bhairava)
sphatika-racita-pithe ramya-kailasa-śṛnge
vikaca-kamala-patrair-arcayanti maheśam
karadhṛta-ghana-vadya pitavarṇāyatākṣi sukavibhir-iyamukta bhairavi bhairavastri u
[This wife of Bhairava, large-eyed, yellow-complexioned, holding a ghana1 instrument in hand, worrshipping with petals of lotuses in bloom, Mahadeva, seated on a crystalpedestal on the charming Kailāsa peak, is called Bhairavi by good poets.]
Śabda, Śārīra
Sabda or voice is the basis of songs. Sabda has been divided by Śarngadeva (Prakirṇaka-39-67) into four principal kinds, viz.
(i) Khāhula-arising from phlegm. If it pervades the sthanas called mandra and madhya, it is called aḍilla. (2) Nārāṇa-arising from bile. it is compact, deep and inaudible in the three places mandra madhya and tāra respectively.
(3) Bombaka-arising from wind. Having no substance within like the trunk of the Eranda tree. It is harsh, loud like the ass's bray and heavy.
(4) Miśraka-arising from the admixture of the above three. It has four varieties, viz. combination of (a) Nārāṇa-khāhula (b) Naraṭa-bombaka (c) Bombaka-khāhula and (d) mixture of these three. Each of these has sub-varieties.
1
A class of musical instruments made of metal, e.g. cymbal.