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Fundamentals of Ancient Indian Music and Dance
The bending of the fingers, with the palm upturned, is called avapa. Nişkrama is the name of the stretching of the fingers with the palm turned downwards. The casting of the hand, with the fingers outstretched and the palm upturned on the right side, is called vikṣepa. The contraction of the fingers of the hand, remaining on the right side with the palm turned downwards, is called praveśa. The placing of the hand below, with the snapping of the thumb and the forefinger together, is called dhruva. The production of the clapping sound with the right hand is called samya. Such a sound, produced by the left hand, is known as tala. The production of such a sound with both the hands together is called sannipata
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Marga, mentioned above, is fourfold, viz. dhruva, citra, vārtika and dakṣina.
As regards deśt tāla, its difference from the marga tāla appears to rest chiefly on the fact that while the former appeals to the common folk, the latter is appreciated by the experts or connoisseurs. According to the Samgitaratnākara (Tālādhyāya-237), such a tala, when accompanied by cymbals etc., becomes attractive. The author further states that such a tāla should be yathaśobha, i.e. it should not violate Sobha Kallinātha explains sobha as attractiveness caused to the appreciating mind by the similarity of time in the repetition of tālas in the part of songs.1 Another characteristic of desi tala has been stated as the determination by the measures called laghu etc. without violating sobha. In desi tāla, druta and pluta have half a matrā and three mātrās respectively.
Of desi tāla, one hundred and twenty varieties have been distinguished. Śarrigadeva says (Taladhyāya-312) that there are little known talas too. He lays down nineteen ways of ascertaining the mutual difference among the well known and little known tālas.
1 Sobhaśabdena gitavayaveṣu talavṛttinām kālasamyanibandhana sahṛdayahṛdayamgamatā.
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