Fundamental of Ancient Indian Music and Dance

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

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Instrumental Music
Still others provide that the rod, in all cases, should be made of red sandal-wood. Sarngadeva states that, in some cases, the length of the rod exceeds ten mustis.
Kinnarī viņas are of two kinds-laghvi and bṛhati. The laghvi is as follows: Danda, which is round, is three vitastis' five angulas long, five angulas wide, having many holes; the kakubha, made of saka wood, will be two and a half angulas wide and five angulas long, in its middle there will be a tortoise-shaped iron piece, half an angula less in length and breadth: the sarikā, made of a perforated piece of bone o the chest of a vulture and measuring the little finger of the hand or it may be made of iron or bell-metal. On the back of the danda, fourteen sarikas will be fixed with wax, mixed with the ashes of a burnt piece of cloth, on the fourteen places of svaras. Below the second heptad, the first särikā, a little longer than one finger, will be fixed at the place of Nisada. At intervals will be fixed sarikas of which each succeeding one will be a little bigger than the preceding one. The eighth one will be fixed three angulas apart from the preceding one. The other six sārikās will be fixed at gradually increasing intervals not exceeding four angulas. At the lower joint of the kakubha on the danda, will be fixed the first tumba. The second tumba, a little wider than the first, will be fixed between the third and the fourth sarikas, in the lower part. Into a hole, two angulas below the tip of the danda, a moving pin is to be placed: it will have a hole in its neck. One angula below it, a two-horned pin, resembling the feathered part of an arrow, one angula high, is to be made. In front of it, a little distance away, a fixed pin is to be placed. Then firmly fixing on the kakubha an iron string, smooth, round, even, strong and resembling elephant's hair, it will be drawn to the above two-horned pin, with its second end the moving pin will be surrounded. This pin will be twisted so long as the string does not become firm. By twist
1 One vitasti= 12 angulas.
2 See under alapini viņā.
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