1. BkE-SathyanarayanaR-Suladis&Ugabhogas-0075

Suladis and Ugabhogas Suladis And Ugabhcgas of Karnataka Mušic Karrataka Muaic

Aexdony lullieatiom Soues Prof. R. Sathyanarayana of Mysore Brothers Sni Varalakalıni Acadomy

Pysore 1967

CONTENTS

Page 1. INTRODUCTION

II. ANTIQUITY

III. ETIMOLOGY 4 IV. STRUCTURE 10

V. TRANSITION 16

VI. FORMAL CULMINATION 21 VII. FORMAL CONTINUITY - 28

VIII. LAKSHYAPRAYOGA - 33

IX. THE EVOLUTION OF THE SULADI TALAS 45

X. THE SULADI NRTTA 62

XI. UGABHOGA 68

XII. PLACE IN KARNATAKA MUSIC 74

XIII. CONCLUSION 75

BIBLIOGRAPHICAL REFERENCES 78

MANUSCRIPTS 82

SCHEME OF TRANSLATION THE SULĀDIS AND UGĀBHOGAS OF The Samskrta alphabet has been transliterated KARNĀTAKA MUSIC according to the following scheme : aiiu ūrrie ai o au m h I. INTRODUCTION k kh g gh n Karnataka music is as unique in form as in content c ch j jh ñ in the galaxy of world music. Its achievements in the t th d dh n realms of acoustical and aesthetic theory, technique, t th d dh n instrumentation, composition as well as in research are

p ph b bh m great and glorious. The compositional patterns chara- cterizing this music, past and present, are studied in yrlvś sh sh | ksh their technique, endless in variety, heart-warming in their content and soul-satisfying in their beauty. They span the entire gamut of human experience, from the erotic to the ethical, from the mundane to the mystic. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS They are unique in their sublimation of each musical

Acknowledgements are due to : expression of experience into devotion and divinity. The following is an attempt to elucidate two such (i) Sri Varalakshmi Academies of Fine Arts, forms of Karnataka music : the suladi and the ugabhoga. Mysore for reference facilities of printed A brief background of the technology of compositions in works and manuscripts. Indian music will be useful in placing them in a historical (ii) Oriental Research Institute, Mysore for perspective. Musical composition of any and all types reference facilities of manuscripts. has been denoted in India under the generic name of (iii) Sangeeta Vidwan Sri G. R. Dasappa of prabandha (lit. knit together, essay), until about the Raghuveer Press, Mysore for the neat and 13th century A.D., when Gopalanayaka of Karnataka quick printing of "Suladi and Ugabhogas distinguished the prabandha from the gita in his definition

of Karnataka Music ". of the term caturdandi. In spite of this distinction, the 1. Gopālanāyaka, cit., Venkațamakhi, Caturdaņdīprakāsika IX, 5, p. 75. Venkatamakhi restricts the term gita to the seven salaga sudas (oide infra). It is not clear whether he derives this equation from Gopalanayaka.

2 SULĀDIS AND UGĀBHOGAS ANTIQUITY special compositions that were restricted to localized term prabandha appears to have retained its generic usage'. connotation in our musical literature. The prabandha has been defined by our early writers through its general The salaga sūdas have evolved into the suļādis. physical analysis. It contains four melodic organs or avayava : udgraha, the commencement ; dhruva, the body II. ANTIQUITY of the song; melapaka, a bridge between these two; abhoga, the conclusion. An optional fifth organ, called The sālaga sūda prabandhas rank among the most the antara, spanned the dhruva and the abhoga and ancient, yet sophisticated musical forms of India Bharata mentions and describes them : was exclusively used in a special group of songs called the sālaga sūdas. The prabandha consists of six elements or dhatus : svara, solfa passages; biruda, signature of the composer, name of the composition or of patron, etc .; Krshņadāsa (c 1600 A.D.) ascribes the following passage pada, words; tena, the syllables te and na signifying Dattila (c 200 B.C. to 200 A.D.):6 auspiciousness ; pata, vocalised sounds of the percussive and other musical instruments ; tala, cyclic time measure3. The prabandha has been divided into sūda, ālikrama and viprakirņa. The sūda has been further divided into suddha and chäyalaga, the latter term having phoneti- It is interesting to note that Matanga (c 5th century A.D.) cally deteriorated into salaga. The eight compositional mentions the elā, karaņa, dhenki, vartanī, jhombada and varieties called ēla, karaņa, dhenki, vartani, jhombada, the ekatāli8 but does not use the term sūda for these. lambhaka, rāsa and ekatālī are sūdas while twentyfour others, such as the varna, varņasvara etc. are ālikramas; 4. Ibid., IV. 311-324 et seq. several unclassified compositions are grouped under the 5. Bharata, cit. Tulaja, Sangītasārāmrta, XII. p. 144. Cf. viprakīrņa3. The suddha sudas strictly conformed to Simhabhupāla, Sangītasudhānidhi, commemtary on Sangītaratnākara, IV, 313-314, p. 335. The passage cited is mot found in the extant their theoretical prescription or approximated to it as impressi typis of the Nātyasāstra. nearly as was practicable and were sung only in jatis, 6. Krshņadāsa, Gītaprakāśa. extr. Ramakrishna Kavi, Bharata- grama ragas and their derived archaic ragas. The salaga kośa, p. 737. südas, on the other hand, were a distinct group of 7. This passage is not found in the available edition of Dattilam, which is, however, an admitted condensation or abridge - 2. Sārngadeva, Sangītaratnākara, IV, 7-9; 12-19. ment of a larger work : Dattilam, pp. 1, 23-24. 8. Matanga, Brhaddesi, pp. 142 et seg. 3. Ibid., IV, 23-33 et seq.

SULĀDI AND UGĀBHOGAS ETYMOLOGY 5 He does not also mention the salaga sūdas. Nevertheless, unexplained and underived by all our authors on music. these latter must have been well known and practised in It is Kallinātha (c 1440 A.D.) who gives a clue to its India and especially in Karnataka since very early times origin : since they are described by Someśvara (c 1130 A.D.)9, Haripala (c 1175 A.D.)1, Pārśvadeva (c 1200 A.D.)", and other writers before Sarngadeva. Parśvadeva names This is followed by Venkatamakhi (c 1650 A.D.) : the suddha sūdas as jaghanya sūdas; he has derived this nomenclature from Jagadekamalla12. The corrupt Tulaja derives the same definition from them both and incomplete text of Manasollasa and of Sangita- (c 1730 A.D.) : samayasara contain the salaga sūdas in random order and with lacunae. Thus Sarngadeva may be said to be the first to present these systematically in a theoretical context. In as much both Kallinatha and Venkatamakhi were of As usual, he has summarised earlier data on definitions Karnataka origin and since the term süļa, sūda or its other and views in an eclectic and compact manner. For more forms are not found in any other Dravidian language than three hundred years his descriptions and definitions except. in Kannada, this is clearly a Kannada word were borrowed almost universally by later authors, connoting a group of certain song types. The term though, as will be shown, these songs were continuously gita as distinct from prabhanda in the above statements moulting into a nearly metamorphic ultimate form should be taken in the restricted sense of Venkatamakhi during this period. as applying only to the sälaga sudas such as the dhruva. It derives from the root sul (or anes) meaning to sound III. ETYMOLOGY and to occur in a predetermined order1e, and indicates that these seven songs were sung in a presribed order and in It is remarkable that, notwithstanding a history of talas which were displayed only through the sounded beats some two thousand years, the term suda has been left in them17. 9. Somesvara, Manasollāsa, XVI. 4, pp. 59, 69 etc 13. Kallinātha, Sangītakalānidhi, commentary on Sangītaratnā- 10. Haripala., Saagītasudhakara, extr. Mummadi Cikka- kara, IV, 22. p. 213. bhupala, Abhinava Bharatasarasangraha, p. 322. 14. Venkatamakhi, op.cit., IIX, 5, p. 69. 11. Pāršvadeva, Sangītasamayasāra, pp. 28-40. 15. Tulaja, op. cit., XII, p. 143. 12. Jagadekamalla, Sangitacudamani, Manuscript in the 16. Kesirāja, Sabdamanidarpaņa, Kittel Edn., (1872), p. 33, Manuseripts Library of Sri Yaralakshmi Academies of Fine Arts, nos. 53, 54. Mysore, 17. Vida infra, Section IIX.

6 SULĀDIS AND UGĀBHOGAS ETYMOLOGY 7 The evolution of the term sūda into sūdādi or sūļādi presents a problem of considerable interest. Hulagur The second reference is made by Ashstavadhana Krishnacharya's derivation of the term sūda from südha Somanārya (c 1550 A D.) in his Svararāgasudhārasa : and suddha and his statement that the salaga sudas were the creations Sripadaraya a e wholly unacceptable in view of the above indisputable evidence of their earlier origin and usage'. The suffix-adi in this term, meaning, begin- ning with or et cetera clearly suggests that other prabandhas It is incontrovertible that the suladis in their present form were conventionally prescribed or sanctioned to be sung were procreated and propagated by the saint composers after the seven salaga sūdas. The term sūdādi has replaced of the haridasakuta of Karnataka in the 15th and 16th the earlier salaga süda to signify these latter in a definitely centures, A.D. Hence Pundarika Vitthala is probably modified and crystalline form undoubtedly in the 15th- referring to them when he speaks of lakshyakovidaih. 16th centuries, A.D. This is inferred from the fact that Vyasarāya, the preceptor of Purandaradasa and the Kallinatha acknowledges the process of modification in their usage and yet retains rhe term salaga suda without royal preceptor of three generations of Vijayanagar em. offering a current equivalent term, which he frequently perors, was a great sanskrit scholar and a great musical does, in the 15th century A D.19 In the next century we composer who was reverently known as Abhinavabharata- have for the first time the name sūdādi or sūlādi applied muni and as Kalpanācaturānana. Since Purandaradāsa to these songs by two foremost writers. Thus Pundarika uses the name suladi in his song อ สง สสส สอ ส รอ สย ตรง Vițțhala, in his Nartananirņaya:

88"2, this form of the name must have been quite in vogue, sanctioned-and perhaps even created-by Vyāsarāya, In any case, the term suļādi and the สงอฮอ พอ รัอย ค รัง สุว สอ สง สอ ยอย ส082355081 corresponding compositional form were propagated by the haridasas of Karnataka to such an extent that both the term and the prabandha have come to be retained today only in exclusive association with them. Hence

18. Krishnacharya, Hulaguru-, Karņāțaka Sangỉtavū the suffix-adi must have had some practical significance. Dāsakūțavū, p. 99. 19. Kallinātha, op. cit., pp. 336-342. 21. Somanārya, Ashțāvadhāna-, Svararāgasudhārasa, extr. 20. Pundarīka Vitthala, Nartananirnaya, Manuscript in the Bengeri Manuscript in the Mss. Library of Sri Varalakshmi Manuscripts Library of Sri Varalakshmi Academies of Fine Arts, Academies of Fine Arts, Mysore. Mysorc. 22. Keshavadasa, Beluru-, Karņāțaka Bhaktavijaya, p. 205.

8 SULĀDIS AND UGĀBHOGAS ETYMOLOGY 9

This contention, viz., that the salaga suda songs were followed by other songs is supported by textual authority. The prescription of a particular order of these and other songs in theory was indicated by the suffix-krama or -adi. Someśvara describes the suda- สอย งอ ริ มี เอย สง สอส ( สง . 1300 A.D.) : สง , ส , สงธ์ , ๔อส๙ , krama thus : dง03, สำ รพส , ทอ อูล ชงศ ฮอย ที่ ยั่ง 28 ๘พี.ส รอง ซี ( สง . 1400 A.D.): สงสผอส สม งอง ส รอกี รผสoรี สอ สอ ผอส สง สงส 3 ส.อ ส่ง สง สร ลา รู พอ๘สสง๐๕ สอ นอล ส๘ , สงค์ เค รัง ._ This prescription is adjacent to the description of the suddha sudas in the above text and therefore may be 2o๘๕cมG ( สง . 1430 A.D.) : สรส สงผ3,a50 deส = dpงoม 3ส8 taken to apply to them. However, Subhankara (16th century, A.D.) mentions that the salaga sudas were พอ ส่ง พอ (1539 A.D.) : สอส สง ผงูค รัง เอย วล 3อยล ธส พูวส followed by compositions in yati and jhumari24. The probable practice of following up of the rendering of the กัว ยลอส สส , (1648 A. D.) : สอ ขอ ส สง3 กะรส . ผ อสุ ส อสง sālaga sūdas with ālikrama and viprakirņa prabandhas was replaced by the haridasas with a more compact and ชื่อ ที่ สำ ดรังอ่ง 82 practicable form wherein the above appendages were Thus it is clear that this prabandha has been sung in athetised. Thus the term sūdadi or sūļadi or suļādi Karnataka since at least the 12th century A.D. It is came to stay in Karnataka music. important to note that the names of the suladi talas as we The Kannada origin and usage of the name suļadi know them today have been mentioned by Aggala as long and of the corresponding prabandha is borne out by a ago as 1189 A.D. This is supported by the incontrover- reference to it by many a famous Kannada poet. The tible testimony of Haripala cited above". The signi- following few examples may be cited : ficance of this will be briefly described later. ษ กุ่ย (1180 A.D.) : ส่ง32สงส๖๐ อส่ง ๖ 26. Ibtd., XV, 72. 27. Janna, Anantanathapuranam, X. 8 prose. 28. Somanatha, Palkuriki-, Panditārādhyacaritramu, Par- vataprakaraņamu, pp. 446, 447, 449. 29 Padmananka, Padmarajapuraņam, V, 62. 23. Someśvara, opi. cit., XVI, 4, p. 60. 30. Chandraiekhara, Pampāsthanavarnanam, 74, p. 27. 24. Subhankara, Sangitadāmodara, II, pp. 27, 28. 31. Bahubali, Nagakumaracaritam, XXII, 98. 25. Aggala, Candraprabhapurănam, XV, 52. 32. Govindavaidya, Kanțhīravanarasarajavijaya, IIX, 61. B

10 SULĀDIS AND UGĀBHOGAS STRUCTURE 11

IV. STRUCTURE for these. In this manner, we have varna which significs

The above quotations from kannada poets as also from the names of a nrtta, vrtta, tala and prabandha. We have

Pundarika Vitthala“ amply establish that these salaga instances of such prabandhas since at least 1500 years in

süda prabandhas were specifically restricted to be sung to our country : witness the descriptions by Matanga of the prabandhas varņa, hayalīlā, gajalīlā, jayavardhana etc.15 certain talas. This conventional prescription and practice became so rigid in course of time that these tālas came to Next, we notice an important step in the evolution

be known as the suļādi tālas. of the salaga suda prabandha : while in the 12th and 13th centuries A.D. (Cf. Someśvara and Sarngadeva) these The phenomenon of restricting a prabandha with were regarded as seven separate and distinct compositions respect to a täla is nothing new in our musical literature. which were prescribed to be sung in a particular order In fact, prabandhas were classified into nibaddha and and manner, they came to be designated and sung as anibaddha depending on whether they were set to täla or one prabandha, called the suladi in the 16th century not respectively. The krti is an example in modern times A.D. (Cf. Pundarika Vitthala and Somanārya) in which of the former, while dandaka, cürņikā, gamaka (e.g., bhā- each of the above was considered a stanza or the equiva- ratavacana) etc., are examples of the latter. The nibad- lent of the modern carana This shift from plurality to dha prabandha is again divided into two classes: niryukta singularity was undoubtedly wrought by the saints of the and aniryukta. The niryukta prabandha was distinguished haridāsakūța as is quite evident in their compositions from the latter in that it was prescribed to be sung only to which are preserved even today. In other words, the certain specific tālas, metres, sentiments, etc.85 Thus we suļādi became a tālamālikā prabandha, just as we have have niryukta prabandhas from the times of Matanga rāgamālika prabandhas today. However, this should be such as krauñcapada to be sung in prati tāla, simhavikrama regarded as an adaptation rather than an invention by in ādi tāla, dvipadī in karaņa tāla and kalahamsa in Srīpādarāya, Vyāsarāya, Vādirāja, Purandaradāsa and jhampā tāla etc“. An interesting development of this others. The idea of a rāgamālikā, tālamālikā or even situation is the fact that prabandhas, dances and prosodial rāga-tāla-mālikā is coeval with Matanga in our music. patterns were named after tälas in ancient India, since the Thus the caturanga prabandha was sung in four caranas tālas provided the rhythmic definitions or descriptions each set to a different raga, tala and language. The śarabhalila was sung in eight caranas, each in a separate 33. Sarngadeva, op. cit., IV, 21, 22, pp. 212-213. Note that räga and tāla80. Sārngadeva, who draws upon Matanga, Pārśvadeva (op. cit., IV, 23-25, p. 25) adds a third variety called Arjuna, Someśvara, Sadāsiva and Jagadekamalla for his ubhayatmaka prabandha in which some aspects of the song are fixed by prescription while others are arbitrary and optional. 35 Ibid., S1. 400, 412, 418. 421, pp. 144-146. 34. Matanga, op. cit., SI. 408, 421, 422, 423, 425, pp. 144-146. 36. Ibid., SI. 419, 420, 421, 415, p. 145.

12 SULĀDIS AND UGĀBHOGAS STRUCTURE 13 description of the prabandhas, delineates several praban- hence these are tridhatuka prabandahas. [Even though dhas which are ragamālikās and tālamālikas, both under all our writers are unanimens in excluding the melodic the alikrama and the viprakirna. Thus the pancatalesvara element melāpaka from the salaga sūdas, Kallinātha“ and was sung to the five classical marga talas-caccatpuța, Pundarika Vitthala20 are indeed explicit on this point, cācapuța, shațpitāputra, sampakveshțāka and udghațța, to Janna21 in the early thirteenth century A D. makes the accompaniment of pātāksharas from pataha, hudukkā, interesting observations. He clearly states that the seven śankha, kāmsyatāla and muraja respectively, besides svara songs consisting of the dhruvaka etc. are desi in their singing. Tālārnava is another tālamālikā which was usage (and, presumably, in origin); that they were sung to a large number of talas. While the former had collectively called sūļakrama; that these were called gitas different talas set to different parts of the song, the latter (and not prabandhas) and that these also consisted of the had different talas for the same parts of the song ". melapaka. No other writer, including the kannada poets, Among the raga-tāla-malika prabandhas, Sarngadeva has associated this spanning melodic element with the describes śriranga, śrīvilāsa, pancabhangi, pañcānana, salaga sudas. Since Janna offers this passage in the umātilaka, and rāgakadamba 38. It is noteworthy that the context of a performance for celestial beings, it may be variety of the ragakadamba called bhramaredita was tentatively inferred that this signifies a possible archaic composed to 32 ragas and 32 talas; an actual composition -and perhaps localised-practice. The particular mention of this type was quite popularly known and sung in the of the melapaka in this context and the very informed, 15th century 89; this has probably evolved into the song detailed and accurate musicological references by Janna called bhramaragita of the haridāsas. preclude the possibility of his ignorance in the matter.] The salaga sūda prabandha and the suladi should Except the first, viz., the dhruvaka prabandha, in which therefore be analysed for structure and organization the third section of the udgraha assumes the role of the against this background. From a detailed study of antara, the others may or may not employ the antara. If Manasollasa, Sangitasamayasara, Sangītaratnākara, they do, they are caturdhatuka prabandhas; if they do Sangitopanishat-saroddhara etc., the following structural not, they are, like the dhruvaka, tridhatuka prabandhas, data of the salaga sudas may be summarized: They are in which case they are called upantara in colloquy. niryukta prabandhas and belong to the taravali jati because they have only two organs, pada and tala. They The salaga sudas are seven in number : dhruva, mantha, pratimanțha, nihsāruka, rāsa, addatāli and possess udgrāha, dhruva and ābhoga but no melāpaka; ekatali. Of these seven, only the dhruvaka is differen. 37. Sárńgadeva, op. cit., IV, 253-265, pp. 306-309. from the others in construction. The others have 38. Ibid., IV, 265-267, pp. 311-312, 304. similar structures except in the prescribed talas and 39. Kallinatha, op, cit., p. 305. ascribed "invisible' auspicious powers (adrshtaphala).

14 SULĀDIS AND UGĀBHOGAS STRUCTURE 15

Each one of them has a number of subvarieties depending After the äbhoga, the first section of the udgräha, that is, on these factors. They are to be sung thus ; first, the the dhruva is sung, at which the song rests. It should be udgräha, containing only one section (and therefore only noted that of the seven salaga sudas, it is only the one dhatu) possessing one or two caesuras, is sung. Then dhruvaka which has prescriptions regarding the size of the melodic element called dhruva is sung twice. If each verse line. There are, thus, sixteen varieties of this thereis no antara, the dhruva is followed by the äbhoga, prabandha : the first has eleven syllables per verse line, sung once ; this is followed by the singing of the dhruva, the second has twelve syllables, the third has thirteen on which the song rests. If there is antara, it is sung in syllables etc., and the sixteenth has twentysix syllables per any order at the pleasure of the singer, but should be verse line. followed by the dhruva, äbhoga and dhruva, each rendered Each one of the sālaga sūdas is a niryukta prabandha once in the same order. These songs have no prosodial with respect to sentiment, tala and adrshtaphala. The or other prescriptions regarding the size of each verse line: extent of the verse line is arbitrary and optional in the Again, since they are to be sung consecutively and since case of the mantha, pratimantha etc. Any one varitey different rägas are not prescribed, it is to be inferred that from each could presumably be sung in the given order to the sālaga sūdas are to be sung to the same rāga, a constitute the sālaga sūda prabanđha practice which is retained even today. That they were sung to a single rāga since at least 1600 A.D. is seen The assignment of talas to these may now be noticed. from Krshnadāsa : Sūdaprabandhah Kathita ekarāganive- The dhruvaka prabandha was again exceptional in that,it sitah (Vide infra). was not sung to its namesake tala in the period under consideration. It is interesting that among the very The dhruvaka prabandha, on the other hand, has an numerous desi talas in vogue in this period we do not hear udgräha of three sections ; the first two of these are sung of a dhruva tala at all40. This occurs for the first time in to the same dhatu, while the third is in a somewhat the Ragatalacintamani of Poluri Govinda along with the higher key. This third segmen is called antara. The other modern suladi talas" and then in the Caturdandi- entire udgraha is sung twice. The first section of the prakāśikā of Venkatamakhi “ though its form is given by udgraha is itself the dhruva, but this is not repeated after Pundarika Vitthala for the first time without assigning a the antara; that is, it has no independent existence in the name?0. The dhruvaka prabandha is unique in the use of song. The udgraha is followed by abhoga. This has two sections : the first section has two segments, both sung to . Except once in the highly corrupt and unreliable text of the same dhatu. The second section of the abhoga is sung Aumapatam, XX, 355, p 37. 41. Govinda, Polūri-, Rāgatāļacintamani, V, 132 ff. p. 200 in a different dhatu of a somewhat higher key. This et. seq. second section contains the name of God or of the patron. 42. Venkațamahki, op. cit., III, 83-116, pp. 29-32.

16 SULĀDIS AND UGĀBHOGAS TRANSITION 17 talas in. that it employs nine separate talas viz., pratimaņțha, nihsāru, krīdā, ēka, ādi, jhampā, dvitiya, descriptions at once obvious. The sālaga sūda prabandha laghusekhara and hayalila for its sixteen varieties whereas passed through a transitional epoch in the 14th and 15th the others use the namesake talas alone, multiplying into centuries A.D. their subvarieties in terms of differences in the number and Such changes are reflected in the evolution of the arrangement of the component parts of the same uniquely dhruvaka prabandha of the salaga sudas in the above named tala. Thus, for example, the mantha prabandha period. Another equally important factor is the gradual is sung to six varieties of mantha tala, each of these latter crystallization of the present suladi talas out of the melange being named by prefixing the terms jagana, bhagana. of the desi talas. The dhruvaka prabandha, it will be sagana, ragana, nagana and the sixth unnamed one which remembered, was niryukta, that is prescribed with respect has two drutaviramas followed by a laghu. to the syllabic quantum of each verse line. That this was Regarding the themes for these archaic songs, no undergoing a slow change in practice so that theory had primary evidence is available to state their nature or scope, to make allowances for it is clear from two sources. First They were composed certainly in kannada and possibly in we have the authority of Ragarnava, cited by Sarngadhara other languages. That they did not exclusively contain (c 1350 A.D.). According to this work, the dhruvaka is of praises of God is clear from the prescription of sentiments three types, uttama, madhyama and kanishtha, depending which range from sambhoga to viraśrngara. It is interest- on the number of caranas, padas or the stanzas it contains. ing to note that a number of śuddha sūdas, alikramas and Clearly then, the dhruvaka was changing in its very size. viprakirnas are definitely associated with this or that The uttama dhruvaka has six, the madhyama has five and language but the salaga südas are nowhere so associated. the kanishtha, four. From the foregoing description of the This allows an inference of two alternative possibilities: structure of the dhruvaka prabandha it is clear that there (a) that these were so very well known to be sung in are five parts in it : three of udgraha and two of abhoga. kannada alone that no separate mention of the fact was The first part of the udgraha, I repeat, functions also as deemed necessary by the authors or (b) that they could be the dhruva while the third performs the function-an sung in any language. Extant evidence does not allow optional function -- of the antara. Now, another section any preference between them. was added to the abhoga in practice, so that it had a total of three segments and the dhruvaka prabandha had a total of six parts, The uttama conformed to the textual V. TRANSITION prescription of the three-segment udgraha, but was further changed in that its last segment contained gamaka Even a casual acquaintance with the current usage of the suladi makes its drastic differences from the foregoing prayoga, that is, elaboration of the words in it in rãga only, but not set to tala. The last addendum of the

18 SULĀDIS AND UGĂBIOGAS TRANSITION 19

äbhoga was sung in a higher key and in gamaka, or discrepancy between prescription and practice of these contained the author's signature. In the madhyama prabandhas. In the first place, some of the talas prescri- dhruvaka, the äbhoga had only two segments, the second bed for the various salaga sūdas were different only in being in a higher key and containing the patron's name. name but were morphically identical. He explains this The kanishtha had only four padas; here the udgraha anamoly ably in his commentary on the tala chapter of had two segments, the second being in a somewhat higher the Sangitaratnäkara. In the second place, the akshara- key. The äbhoga also had two sections, the second in a niyama of the 16 varieties of the dhruvaka prabandha somewhat higher key, containing the patron's name. The was not realised in contemporary practice. Then how injunction of padaniyama (i e., conformity to the prescri- could these departures be accepted in practice and the bed number of sections or parts) and varnaniyama (i.e., songs still called dhruvakas? The explanation is that conformity to prescribed syllabic content) was relaxed into the term akshara was given an extended connotation to padaniyama and or varnaniyama. Even then, if the include pada i.e., word, so as to cover this growing diver- varnaniyama was followed in two sections, the others gence in practice. After all, padartha is' (often) described were exempted from this rule: as aksharärtha. Therefore, it was enough if the dhruvaka conformed to this numeral or magnitudinal prescription in syllables or words. When even this was absent in a song which was composed and sung under the 3สอ สผอล เอลอ ล ผุสอ3 ลว รง สงอ สลอ /18 name of the dhruvaka, only the adrshtaphala, i.e., the The importance of the dhruvaka prabandha in con, capacity to give the variously promised auspicious and temporary musical practice is reflected by Sarngadhara's other desirable effects was absent. For, after all, these syllabic prescriptions were only for this latter purpose. eulogy : Even if this is absent, the drshtaphala or visible (and ๔๘๐รรร ส สสอ เอ ลือ กะรอ ส ผง , สร0 สสอ1" therefore the chief) effect of janarañjana or papular appeal was still there; hence the dhruvaka of current and by Sudhakalasa's praise: practice was not to be disparaged. The other salaga sudas such as the mantha also did not conform to the The second authority in this regard is Kallinatha textual prescription of tala, rasa or the promise of (c 1440 A.D.). He offers a very lucid analysis of the invisible-and intangible-effects in current usage; the 43. Sarngadhara, Sarngadharapaddhati, 1966-1975, pp. nātha : same argument holds in their case also. Thus Kalli- 293-294 et seq 44. Ibid., 1965, p. 293. 45. Sudbakalaša, Sangītopanishat-saroddhāra, I, 51, p. 9.

20 SULĀDIS AND UGĀBHOGAS FORMAL CULMINATION. 21 was thus an obvious necessity to extend the interpretive scope of the textual requirements in his time but not enough to warrant a total rejection of the Itraditional description of this song type. It may be noted that he nowhere calls these prabandhas suladi, a term which must have crept into textual usage in our musical theory between 1450 A.D. and 1550 A.D.47

This illustrates an important principle. Whenever VI. FORMAL CULMINATION a set of newly observed facts differ from an extant Let us now brief ly examine the form of the suļadi as explanation of them, be it a physical or biological disci- may be reconstructed from texual data and actual, pre- pline or in other empirical disciplines such as the musi- served compositions of the 15th to 17th centuries, A.D. cological, an extension of the connotative, signific or A major change that the suladi underwent in this denotative values of the definitive terms is first attempted period, notably in Karnataka, its native land, is in the to interpret observation in terms of theory. This is literary themes. Whereas until this period the salaga always an inevitable transitional state. It is only when südas could be composed on practically any theme rang- fact or observation outgrows even this scope of the terms ing from physical love to divine praise, now they were that the old theory is rejected and a new theory installed ; exclusively sung in the praise of God, or for the social or new definitions are coined. The accent is always on the moral uplift of the individual. The haridasas of Karnataka acceptance of practice, especially in art disciplines. This were directly responsible for this. is clear from the above extract from Kallinatha. Note in particular his acknowledgement of the departure from The second major change consisted of a shift in the textual requirements of the dhruvaka prabandha with application of the talas to these prabandhas -- from the respect to rasa and tala and also of his observation that desi varieties to the seven talas used by us now, viz., the arrangement of the melodic componencts such as the dhruva, mathya, rūpaka, jhampā, tripuța, atta and eka, udgraha etc. was no longer characteristic of and specific to besides an eighth called jhompata. This involved three the dhruvaka as found in practice. In other words, the steps : (a) selection out of the desi talas, such time dhruvaka and mantha, etc. werc losing the characteristics measures as were simple and possessed a reasonablo which distinguished them in theory and practice. There 47. Note however, that the term sudadi is mentioned only once 40. Kallinātha op. ct., pp. 339, 340. by Sudbakalaia (op. cit., I, 95, p. 14):

22 SULĀDIS AND UGĀBHOGAS FORMAL CULMINATION 23

temporal span ; and fixation in each of them the organs with respect to number, arrangement and type of accent many other prabandhas such as kanda and vrtta to be

in the cycle of the avarta; (b) representing all the sung besides the sudas. This probably applied to the

rhythmic requirements of current and potential practice salaga sudas as well. The compactness and unity of the

so that these talas would be unambiguous, comprehensive suļadi could be maintained only by athetizing the latter.

and adequate. They would have rigidity enough in form Enlargement would be necessitated by a desire for comp-

to confer stability and endurance and yet possess enough leteness in rhythmic display. We have two indications

elasticity to allow for necessary additions and subtractions of such enlargement in the 16th century A.D. Thus

demanded by the aesthetic needs and/or conventions of Krshnadāsa :

the current and future generations; (c) the development of a scheme by which these talas could be applied, corre- lated, stabilized and propagated in contemporary musica practice. How these three methodological problems were Subhankara specifies these nine prabandhas thus: solved by the haridasas of Karnataka will be considered in the section on Suladi Talas below. A third change was essentially formal. This involved a 1 He also states that the prabandhas called adhu

a shift from plurality to singularity. What were once (atța), pratimaņda, nišāruka, rāsaka and adbhuta (?) are regarded as seven separate songs came to be considered chuțikilas. Note the use of the word chutikila, which and sung as a single song. This was made possible b refers to the practice of keeping time with the chutika,

conferring rigidity in the prescription of chronological .e., snapping of fingers : in other words, the use of the

sequence, continuity and unity in mood and theme as wel middle and fast tempos. Further, Subhankara enume-

as unity in rhythmic and melodic structure. These thret rates ten other varieties called madhyabhāga (?), carcari,

are the fundamental aspects of any musical composition gomnīvrtta, pari, ukthā, padvalikā, veda, pañcama, āryā,

This was achieved by regarding these prabandhas a jayaśri and pañcacamara from an unspecified source

stanzas of a single composition and by bestowing These and many other varieties of the sālaga sūdas are described in detail by Kumbhakarna in his Sangitarāja recurrent melodic pattern on them. In this last, howeve (IV, 2, 27-29, (p. 553). Subhankara goes on to make textual prescription appears to have been strictly enforce the improbable claim that the pratimantha and these until comparatively recent times. latter ten are not sung according to Bharatamuni : Such a change would also be reflected in the enlarge ment and athetization in form. For example, th 48. Krshņadāsa, op. cit , loc. cit. sūdakrama of Someśvara as shown above" require 49. Subhankara, op. cit., II, p. 18.

24 SULĀDIS AND UGĀBHOGAS FORMAL CULMINATION 25

the application of the talas59, indicates that in his times the suladi had come to be sung only to the dhruva, mathya, rūpaka, jhampā, tripuța, atta, eka and the jhompata Hence one concludes that these ten beginning with carcari talas besides another called ragana mathya. The jhom- are found described in the Tumburunataka. However, pata tala has two drutas of two counts each, followed these are irrelevant to the suladis of Karnataka. Irrele- by a laghu of four counts 4. The ragana mathya has a vant also are the so called sankirņa sūdas he describes at laghu sandwiched between two gurus as against the the end of the chapter. The jhumari may be noted here ordinary mathya which has a druta sandwiched between as departing the rules of prosody; the yati is of four two laghus. The former is usually of the caturasra variety, types : (a) lila of 13 syllables sung to a pluta in karuņā having four counts per laghu, though the trisra and rasa, (b) āndolitā of 15 syllables, sung to a tāla of khanda varieties are also known. two laghus, a virama and a druta in vira and śrngara, It may be noted in passing that Subhankara, Venkata- (c) kaumudi of 17 syllables, sung to lalita tala (i.e., one makhi and others agree that the suladi was sung to nine pluta followed by a laghu) in häsya rasa and (d) hamsa- talas. This change took place between 1550 A.D. and māla of 19 syllables, sung to four drutas followed by a 1650 A.D., since Pundarika Vițthala 20 and Somanārya21 guru in sānta rasa. have mentioned only the seven suļadi talas. An apparent Venkatamakhi sheds revealing light on the suļādis. anachronism in the names of the salaga sudas (and of the He clearly states that the above compositions were sung talas) may be noticed in the case of Haripala (c 1175 only to nine talas, and that the prabandhas were sung A.D.):

to the desi talas : สมุบผู่ รวย สง .... 83 ส พอ คว ลอง ส โระ สม , 300000308 10 and in Sudhākalaśā :

Thus even though he closely follows Sarngadeva in the description 6f the sālaga sūdas in the gita prakaraņa in 53 Ibid., VII, pp. 60-74. 50. Ibid., loc. cit. 54. Ibid., III, 85, p. 29. 51. Ibid., p.28. 52. Venkajamakbi, op. cit., III, 111-113, pp 31, 32. 55. Sudhākalasa, op. cit., I, 91, 92, p. 13. D

26 SULĀDIS AND UGĀBHOGAS FORMAL CULMINATION 27

If we also read Aggaļa (1189 A.D.) with this, and thaya which are the four veritable pillars of music, This term was promoted by Gopalanāyaka of Karnataka as has been noted above.1 the conclusion becomes inescapable that these prabandhas The term gita appears to have been used in both a and their namesake talas :were known and practised in general and a restricted sense in our music. In its Karnataka at least since the 12th century A.D., but that general scope of anything sung with an aesthetic appeal, these acquired universal adoption and application in the Sarngadeva defines gita as rañjakah svarasandarbho gita- 15th and 16th centuries A.D. in other parts of India also. mityabhidhiyate (op. cit., IV, 1, p. 203). Kallinātha

A fourth and minor change that the suladi under- explains the use of the epithet ranjakah as applying to went in the 15th-16th centuries has already been sandarbha (Ibid.). Names of works such as Gitaratnāvali noticed: This is essentially a theoretical one : the salaga of Jyayana etc. also support this definition. A lage sudas were specifically and uniquely called gitas in number of our musical treatises employ the term in this contradistinction to the prabandhas. Venkatamakhi general sense. However, in Karnataka, gita has signified raises the pertinent question : since the term gita has the specifically the salaga sudas at least from the 12th century etymological scope to signify anything sung and should A. D. Note that Aggala35, Janna", and Govinda-vaidya"9 thus cover alapa, thaya and prabandha also, why should clearly distinguish the gita from the prabandha and apply

the salaga sūdas alone be called gitas ? the former only to the salaga sudas. This usage by the practical exponents in music, vidyavantaru, in Karnataka (Sarngadeva, op. cit., VI, 797, p. 440 ; vide also Kallinātha on the same), appears to have been recognised in theory He himself gives a lucid and convincing answer : the term for the first time by Gopalanayaka as noted above. That has acquired a conventional meaning and refers only to this gained ground is clear from the fact that Krshnadasa the sālaga sūdas : named his work Gitaprakasa in about 1600 A.D. because of his comprehensive treatment of sālaga sūdas. The use of the suffixes -adi and -krama with "sūda' may be remarked. Padmananka29 uses the word sūdadi, perhaps for the first time. We have already seen that The need for such a distinction arises in the justification Janna" uses the word sulakrama. It is interesting that of the term caturdandi covering gita, prabandha, ālapa two out of the three classes of prabandha should be called südakrama and alikrama, and that the origin or derivations 56. Venkațamakhi. op. cit., IIX, 2-4, p. 69. of both suda and ali should be left unexplained. Since the

28 SULĀDIS AND UGĀBHOGAS FORMAL CONTINUITY 29

sanskrit terms ali and krama overlap in their connotations, it is highly probable that ali is also of a desya i.e., as far away as Tanjore. In fact, no composition corres-

localised, popular origin. It is also very likely that, like ponding to the suladi is either preserved or known in any

the sudas, the alikrama prabandhas were sung in a language in India other than in kannada. It is sometimes

continuous, regular order. Sarngadeva makes it clear that claimed that Annamacarya, the vaishnava saint of Andhra

the ali prabandhas could be interspersed among the and a senior contemporary of Purandaradasa, composed

fuddha sudas. If so, these twenty-four songs become similar songs. That he was not the originator of the

ali-krama (op. cit., IV, 27, p. 213). Note that the suffix suladi is evident from the many suladis composed before his time by Sripadaraya etc. It must also be admitted -krama appears to have been inspired from sūdakrama here. In the case of such admixture, the eight śuddha- that Annamacarya nowhere employs the name suļadi for these alleged compositions; nor indeed, his grandson, sudas and the twenty-four ali prabhandas are together Cinnamacarya. called sūdālikrama (Iid., IV, 28, p. 213). This term has Again, the talas have nowhere been

misled some modern authors to equate the sūdali to sūļadi prescribed or specifically indicated for any of his composi-

by an argument of syllabic inversion. Such an cquation tions, though presumably these seven talas were them- selves employed. The magnitude of the verse line in is clearly untenable since the sudali applies only to the these compositions sometimes approximates to.the avarta admixture of suddha sudas with the alikramas as has of the one or the other of these talas, but this alone does been asserted by both Simhabhupala and Kallinatha not constitute a suļadi; the above mentioned prescriptions (loc. cit ) and also since such admixture is obviously of the melodic pattern should be rigidly observed in a precluded in the salaga sudas from which our modern suļadi. Such an authentic example from Purandaradasa suladis derived directiv in name and form. It may be will be discussed below. Unfortunately, the songs of remarked that Aggala" calls the suddha suda prabandhas Annamacarya have not been preserved in the original as suddha gitas, the ali prabandhas as desi prabandhas music and therefore we are not in a position to affirm and the sālaga sūdas as desi gitas. that he composed suladis. We have the authority of Tulaja (c 1730 A.D.) for VII. FORMAL CONTINUITY some very interesting information on the suladis. He The form of the suladi as discussed in the foregoing derives his definitions and descriptions regarding the was fixed and stabilised by the 18th century A.D. and had suļadi from the Nartananirnaya of Pundarika Vitthala, become very popular as a composition in classical music. whom he reveres as being equally proficient in theory and It is noteworthy that by this time the suladi had come practice :

to be recognized as a distinct form characterizing the dasa sahitya and devotional music of Karnataka even 57. Tulaja op. ci., p. 111.

30 SULĀDIS AND UGĀBHOGAS FORMAL CONTINUITY 31

Pundarika Vitthala himself bases his material on that of Śarngadeva " and makes the following interesting state- ment after his description of the mantha prabandha :

He answers this question himself: I, having understood the lakshana of the dhruva prabandha, shall clear this doubt; for this purpose, I shall take the example of the variety of dhruva called jayanta, from a suļādi of Puran- .It should be noted that the alternative südakrama is daradāsa in devagāndhāra rāga and rāsā tāla : ascribed by Pundarika Vitthala to lakshya-viśaradas. This reference is certainly to the lakshya-visaradas of Karnataka from where he hails. That practice was divided in his time-presumably since a long time if credence is to be attached to the above quotations from Aggaļa, Haripāla and Sudhākalaśa-10, 25, 55, between retaining the archaic form and accepting the new morphological form of the suladi is obvious from the Then he proceeds to show how these are actually above statement. equivalent and that this divergence in practice arises This divergence in contemporary practice, however, because of a difference in the application of talas. He was neither absolute nor arbitary. The two schools had illustrates this with a suļadi of Purandaradāsa, hasugala a common basis so that they were essentially equivalent, kareva dhvani, which must have been so great a fa vourite except in minor details and variations. Such a reconci- with the people of his times that he does not find it liation is ably attempted by Tulaja. He asks, how are necessary to give the full song: theory and practice to be reconciled in the face of the fact that the currently used forms of the dhruvaka etc. I have been able te reconstruct the music and words of prabandhas, which are quite renowned, do not conform this suladi with great difficulty using the corrupt version to the prescribed rules at all ? in Sangita Sampradāyapradarsini61 and the above source.

58. Pundarīka Vitțhala, . cit., extr. Tulaja, op. cit., XII, 60. Tulaja, op. cit., p. 150. pp. 146-153; also Ms. loc. cit. 61. Subbarāma Dīkshita, Sangīta Sampradāyapradarsinī, 59. Ibid., extr., Tulaja, op. cit., p. 152. Vol. I, pp. 577-586.

32 SULĀDIS AND UGĀBHOGAS LAKSHYAPRAYOGA 33 It is astonishing that this composition should have retained its close conformity with textual requirements over the many as 21 suladis of contemporary usage in illustrating centuries especially in view of the great popularity it the lakshyas of the various ragas in vogue. "

enjoyed. Thus in the dhruvaka prabandha of the above suļadi, the music is tridhatuka and corresponds exactly to the theory in the udgraha, dhruva and abhoga ; this is VIII. LAKSHYAPRAYOGA

also truc of the mantha and other stanzas of the song. We shall analyse the lakshyas in the available suladis Tulaja also records certain departures from textual for characteristic and distinguishing features. I have description and tradition in current musical practice. examined a large number of suladis including a few by First, there was a relaxation in the prescribed chronologi- Vyāsarāya and Srīpādarāya, but mostly by Purandaradāsa

cal order of the stanzas : and Vijayadasa, who are the most prolific composers of the suladis and must be regarded as the stabilizers of the suladi in practice. In fact, if reliance may be placed on the Second, a change in the prescribed talas : above cited song of Purandaradasa "2, sixtyfour thousand suladis were composed by him alone ! Even after making due allowances for the spuriousness of this composition, Third, changes wrought by differences in local usage : exaggeration, etc., he must have composed at least several hundreds of suladis, especially in view of the fact that

In this he is referring to the differences in tala application- Tulaja considers him, some 150 years later, as the fore-

It is of interest that that Tulaja uses the currently most authority in both theory and practice of the suladi60.

employed dvitiya tāla for the rasa and Subbarama After Purandaradasa, Vijayadasa is certainly the foremost

Dikshita changes this to the present adi tāla. Tulaja composer of the haridasa school.

concludes his discussion of the suladis thus : The suļadis are, then, talamalika compositions. They consist of several stanzas, the number of which varies from five to nine or ten. The number of lines differs from stanza to stanza in the same suļādi and from suļādi to suladi. The magnitude of the verse line is also not fixed.

The popularity of the suladis in Tulaja's age may further The availablei suladis rarely conform to the textually

be noticed from the fact that he gives passages from as prescribed size in words or syllables. They approximate more or less in the syllables per line with the size of the

62. Tulaja, op. ci., p. 153. 63. Ibid .. X, pp 72-111, passim.

34 SULĀDIS AND UGĀBHOGAS LAKSHYAFRAYOGA 35

avarta of the corresponding tala. The above mentioned modulations derived from the grama." The jati is the suļādi, hasugaļa kareva dhvani, however, does conform to local usage in kannada of the name yati prescribed by the prescription for the jayanta dhruva. Their literary Subhankara as an integral part of the suladi " and may themes are purely religious and spiritual. Thus they include also possibly, but not very probably, mean that this biography, ritual, worship, divine praise, cthics, social concluding section was chorally sung. From the available reformation, enunciation, elucidation or interpretation of evidence, it cannot be said that jati was specifically vedic or upanishadic thought, communion with God, the restricted to this or that tala. It oftens serves to place of devotion in religious and spiritual experience and function as the literary (but not the musical) counterpart so on. They are permeated with the fragrance of intimacy of the pallavi in the krti and is usually the epitome sincerity, and simplicity. In fact, the haridasa has often of the literary theme. The suladis almost invariably sung a suladi as a lullaby to send the Lord to sleep. He commence on dhruva tāla and are immediately has made the complete, unconditional and irrevocable followed by mathya tala in almost all the imprimees, as surrender of his soul to the Lord's care in the suladis. He would be expected from the order of the suladi tala-

is intimate enough to chide Him and mock Him in many alankaras in vogue from the 17th century A.D. Notable

a suladi. God is his father, mother, friend and master exceptions are the two given by Subbarama Dikshita®

indeed, he has even yearned for this truant and unfaithful which commence with rūpaka and adi talas respectively

Lord as a love consumed, virahotkanthitā nāyika. The and do not appear to contain the jati. The unreliable

suļādi reflects many a facet of the philosophical, religious, Udupi edition of the suļādis of Purandaradāsa, Vijayadāsa

spiritual, mystic, social and musical personality of and others also gives instances of atta, tripuța and cka tàlas in initial usage66. Such disorder has also been noted Karnataka. by Tulaja59 who indicates conitemporary sanction or at The suļadis appear to contain a traditionally prede- least usage. The mathya tāla was presumably always termined pattern in their tala characteristics. They contain used as a ragana variety rather than in its present form, a minimum of five and a maximum of eight talas. Of though this is not specifically indicated in any available these, dhruva and mathya are inevitably used without impressi typis. The triśra, caturaśra and khanda ragaņa exception in all the suladis I have examined. Each suļadi invariably concludes with what is called jati or jate. The 64. Sārngadeva, op. cit., 1, 4, 9, p. 103. jati is always of two lines, each having approximately the 65. Subbarāma Dīkshita, op. cit., pp. 115-120, 577-586. same prosodial construction and extent, but variable from 66 Guru Rao, Pavafje-, (ed.) Purandaradāsara Suļādigaļu, suļādi to suļādi. The jati is often called the mūrchana. pp. 2, 26, 28. A unique instance of this kind is noticed by Huchcha The musicological justification of this latter term, if any, Rao Bengeri and Krishna Sharma Betageri (eds ), Mahatmyajiāna, p. 145, commencing with triputa tāla. is not knowu and has no relation to the namesake scalic

36 SULĀDIS AND UGĀBHOGAS LAKSHYÁPRAYOGA 37

mathya talas appear to be mostly used. The particular In the last three varieties, the middle talas are sometimes advantage of employing the ragana mathya tala is the found interchanged in sequence. It should be noted that facility of uniform prosodial constrution and the promotion in these five varieties the adi and eka talas are never of a sense of triple, cuadruple and quintuple movement, employed together in the same suladi. The rūpaka tāla i.e., triśra, caturasra and khanda gati bhedas. The ragana appears to have been omitted altogether in this class, even mathya does not appear to have been used in any though the Udupi edition gives such instances also07. compositions other than the suladis. "A variety of mathya This issue could be settled only after patient examination tala called pancagati matte (pancagati, pancaghata?) is of authentic and early sources. It will be noticed in the employed frequently in the yakshaganas of kannada and above varieties that only either adi or eka and either telugu for nearly two centuries. This is simply the jhampa or triputa tala has been used. Note also the purely miniature caturasra mathya tala in fast tempo (druta kannada forms tivude, tivade, trivude etc. which have laya) which has the following prosodial construction: exclusively replaced the classical term triputa in all 00001 or 00010: available manuscripts and impressi typis. A further important observation is that every one of these types contains the triputa, jhampa or both. This must be

A careful analysis of the extant. suladis reveals that read with Sudhakalasa's statement 55 that the best salaga

they may be broadly classified into some four types südas contain the triputa and jhampa talas. The inclu-

I. The first has six caranas and is represented by sion of adi tala as a distinct entity may not appear justi-

five talas. This type may again be subdivided into five fiable at first sight since it is triputa tala with a caturaśra

varieties on the basis of the following sequential arrange+ laghu. But, as will be described below, the adi tala was a later evolution of the jhompata tala by a process of ment in tālas : inversion in practice and the name of the adi tala of (a) Dhruva, mathya, tripuța, atta, adi and jati. later usage has stuck to the caranas which were probably This appears to have been the type most favoured by our sung to jhompata. This tala is regarded as quite distinet haridasa composers, since they occur in by far the largest from the triputa tala by Venkatamakhi ", in view of the number. The order of the talas has been strictly main- difference in extent and avayava. tained in them. (b) Dhruva, mathya, tripuța, atța, eka and jati. II. The second class of suladis has eight caranas.

(c) Dhruva, mathya, jhampa, atța, adi and jati. These may be subdivided again into only three varieties

(d) Dhruva, mathya, jhampă, tripuța, eka and jati- on the basis of the tala assignment :

(c) Dhruva, mathya, eka, ațta, jhampā, jati. 67 Guru Rao, Pavañje -- , op. cit., pp. 12, 15, 54.

38 SULĀDIS AND UGĀBHOGAS LAKSHYAPRAYOGA (a) Dhruva, mațhya, jhampā, rūpaka, tripuța, atța, 39

ädi and jati. IV. These are suladis in which one or more talas (b) Dhruva, mațhya, eka, rūpaka, tripuța, ațța, ādi are repeated once or twice. These are also few and far and jati. between. Thus in a suladi of Purandaradasa 55, sa Koeue (c) Dhruva, mațhya, jhampă, rūpaka, tripuța, atța eka and jati. caraņas have dhruva, mațhya, rūpaka, jhampā, tripuța, Here the rüpaka tala appears to be an indispensable part dhruva, tripuța, atța and ādi tālas respectively, concluding

of the suladi. I have not yet noticed an exception to as usual in the jati. Several instances of this type are

this. In this class, only two out of jhampā, eka and adi available in the Udupi edition of suladise9. In the two

The suļadis noticed by Subbarama Dikshita mentioned above, talas have been used together, but not all three. the first has the following arrangement : rūpaka, triśra above three varicties are derived by adding rūpaka tāla and one of these latter three talas to each of the six- ragana mathya, dhruva, triputa and eka. The second has : ādi, khaņda ragaņa mațhya, dhruva; ādi, rūpaka, caraņa suļādi. Thus ädi, eka and atța. I (a) +rūpaka + jhampā = II (a). This classification is by no means complete. The I (b) +rūpaka +ādi = II (b). suļadis were so popular with our musicians and listeners I (b) +rūpaka + jhampā = II (c). for several centuries that they have blossomed into innumerable inflorescences, full of sweetness and beauty In other words, these varieties have an inner constant on many a vaggeyakaralata. It would be a difficult task core of rūpaka, tripuța and ațța tālas besides the constant to classify them into all the possible mathematical per- commencement of dhruva and mathya talas and the mutations and combinations. This difficulty has already constant conclusion with jati The remaining two been experienced by Kallinatha who found that the caranas are chosen from the above three optional talas. dhruvaka as well as the other six salaga sūda prabandhas Even though at least two more possibilities are available were changing their patterns rapidly and by Tulaja" in this class, I have yet to notice such suladis. Perhaps who was himself a composer of the suladis of merit. a wider search of manuscript material will prove more In fact, the uniform commencement of a suladi with fruitful. the dhruva and mathya talas as found in nearly all the later sources appears to have been a rearrangement III. Only a few instances of suladis consisting of all the eight talas with jati are found. This type consists 68, Huchcha Rao Bengeri and Krishna Sharma Betageri, of nine caranas, so that there is no repetition of any tāla. (eds.), op. cit., p. 7. 69. Guru Rao, Pavañje-, op. cit., pp. 34, 87 etc.

40 SULĀDIS AND UGĀBHOGAS LAKSHYAPRAYOGA 41

wrought. in about the 18th century A.D. when the Rao stating (op. cit. in fra, p. 345) that a single suļadi may sūlalankaras came to be fixed in sequence. It is also be set to more ragas than one. Mugali asserts that interesting that very few of the suladis in the later sources Sripadaraya and Purandaradasa have composed each appean to be upantaras i.c., use the optional melodic stanza of the suladi in a different raga and that this practice bridge called the antara between the dhruva and the was modified later by Vijayadasa into setting the entire abhoga. This, again, apnears to have been athetised in suļādi to a single rāga (op. cit. infra, p. 299). Available later practice for reasons which are mainly methodologi- evidence appears to contradict these views. The melodic cal. These two changes suggest that the suladis were elements are few and conform to the theoretical require- probably subjected again to a process of alignment with ments; these are repeated in all the caranas, presumably. theoretical or textual prescription or with empirical However, in the lakshya, hasugala kareva dhvani, the standards in the 18th century A.D. at the hands of the different caranas have different dhatus, each having a core haridasas and the regular musicologists. .The athetisation of dhruva which is repeated to conclude it. So also is the of the antara would be found desirable by them to avoid case with the other suladi given by Subbarama Dikshita. the arbitrariness of musical structure its use would It is a pity that most of the extant manuscripts do not involve; without the antara, the form would become specify the ragas for the suladis even though they were more rigid and compact. That the early usages of sung obviously in several ragas. Thus one finds the suladis contained the initial employment of talas also suļādis set to sāveri, srī, devagāndhāri, bhūpāla, yarakala- other than the dhruva and mathya and the use of the kambhodi, nati, varāļi, sankarābharana, mecabauli, antara, often more than once in the same suļadi, becomes gauļa, kāmbhodi, regupti, mukhāri, dhanyāsi, desi, āhiri, clear from the unquestionable evidence of a very early malahari, bhairavi, ānandabhairavi, todi, kalyāni, madhy- manuscript which will be mentioned in the concluding amāvati, mohana kalyāni, kanada etc. It may be noticed section of the present work. The two suladis offered by that many of these correspond to those often described Subbarama Dikshira belong to such an early tradition. collectively as battisa raga. These latter are a group of 32 ragas traditionally handed down in Karnataka with a The suladis are, of course, sung in a single raga set to special religious significance and are mentioned and all the caranas, ; such a traditional practice is indicated by enumerated by many a kannada poet, and twice by Krshnadasa : sudaprabandhah kathita ekaraganivefitah“ and Puranadaradasa himself, in his song tutturu tūrendu, and by Pundarika Vitthala: ete sarvadhatvekakhandakah20. naļinajanda taleya tūgi"". It is possible that the sūļadis That is, the dhatu of each salaga suda prabandha (and were orginally sung to these 32 ragas and this rule might later, stanza) was set to the same single khanda or have been relaxed later. Tulaja offers not only the segment. All early sources of the suladis and Tulaja establish this point unequivocally. Yet we find Krishna 70. Idhem., Purandaradāsara Kīrtanegaļu, pt. v, pp. 17, 19. F

42 SULĀDIS AND UGĀBHOGAS LAKSHYAPRAYOGA 43

names of some of the ragas in which suladis were sung in his days and presumbly at least some fifty years before, as well as actual extracts from their contemporary usage. This information, some three hundred years old, is quite important in reconstructing the history of the suladis. Tulaja gives lakshyas for the suladis in the following rāgas : śrī, šuddhanāți, ārdradesi, țakka, nādarāmakriyā, Hence the suladi should be sung to the well known gaulipantu, gaula, malahari, varāli, rāmakriyā, seven talas of the modern alankara, in the melodic śankarābharaņa, pūrvagaula, nārāyaņadesākshi, kedāra, elements called udgräha, dhruva and abhoga in middle bhairavi, rītigaula, hindolavasanta, mukhāri, bhūpāla" and slow tempos such that the duration of the musical and devagandhara 5. Since these ragas have been note is the same as that of the corresponding syllable in exactly described by him, it would be a relatively simple in the literary theme. It is essentially a liturgical piece; matter to reconstruct suļadis in them. that is, emphasis is more on the meaning of the words rather than on music. This is, incidentally, in confor- As to the actual mode of singing the suladis, it must mity with the earlier description by Kallinatha that out be admitted that even their rare current usage today does of the six elements of the prabandha, the salaga sūdas not elucidate or illustrate, let alone emphasize, their rhyth- have only two: pada and tāla: padatalabaddhatvat mic bias and specific characteristics. It is deeply regretted duyangah i taravali jatimantah." His description and that there does not seem to be any continuous and consis- lakshya differs from Pundarika Vitthala's prescription of tent tradition of suladi singing even in the madhva unoptional initial usage of the dhruvaka and the employ- monasteries of Karnataka where one would except it to ment of kūțapāțaksharas, i.e., imitative syllables common be kept alive, however crudely. Quite obviously, the to the pataha and other musical instruments20. This tradition is not extinct ; it could not be, with suchi a rich latter practice of empolying kūțapāța in the suļādis appears and fertile background, abundance of available lakshya to have been in vogue from at least the 13th century A.D. and fervent adherents to the mädhva faith. It is only Sarngadeva prescribes that the mantha and other sālaga that the tradition is hidden in unknown, and perhaps sūdas were to be sung to accompaniment of an instumental unlikely, soil. It is the primary duty of those who composition called jakka, which consisted of repeated consider themselves as lovers of Karnataka music, playing of a single text of (kūta) pāța with many pauses: Karnataka culture, and of mādhva philosophy and mädhva way of life to bring to light and propagate it. Thus it happens that we have to depend on Subbarama 71, Subbarama Dīkshita, op. cit., Sangītalakshanasangrahamu, p. 51. Dikshita for the method of suladi singing. He states : 72 Kallinātha, op. cit., p. 342.

44 SULĀDIS AND UGĀBHOGAS THE EVOLUTION OF THE SULADI TĀLAS 45 vandana, dāsya, sakhya, and ātmanivedana. It commences with an introductory carana and concludes with a Note the alternative name, yati, for the jakka; this was summary. The talas have not been specifically prescribed presumably retained by the haridasas at the end of the in it, nor the raga. The syllabic magnitude or prosody of suļādi as jati. the verse lines are not of much use here in inferring the tala. Though Subbarama Dikshita mentions only the seven suļadi talas and the ragana mathya for the suladis, usage IX. THE EVOLUTION OF THE appears to employ one more tala called turupu jhampe; SULĀDI TĀLAS one such instance, the srshtiprakarana suladi of Vijayadāsa : gunakalades avedajiva has been recorded in The term tala of Indian music, often approximately the available impressi typis" as containing this tala. It is and inaccurately translated as "time', "time measure' noteworthy that the same composition also contains the 'beat' etc, may be roughly defined as a temporal device normal jhampa tala and thus distinguishes it from the which measures out a song into divisions of constant and former. This is called turita jampe in kannada yakshagana reasonable span of time, with a small number of definitely, and turupu jampa in telugu yakshagana. This has the uniformly and constantly placed accents in each such duration of ten kalas distributed into three beats. Its equal division. It is a temporal foil to the song against pata is as follows : the uniform rhythmic background of which a predeter- mined or ex tempore cross rhythmic theme, independent or inherent in the song, may be displayed. It provides movement to the melodic theme of a song through such a function. It also bestows unity and coherence in space Another unique suladi may be noticed here: this is and time to the tonal substance of song. It confers the navavidhabhakti suļadi of Purandaradāsa : hariya convergence, direction and stability on the intrinsic and ombhattu bhaktiya balladhira". This has eleven caranas, devoted to the nine modes of devotional service to God, extrinisic rhythmic material in a song. This latter aspect of the definition of the term is high-lighted in Indian musical vic., śravaņa, kirtana, smarana, pādasevana, arcana, theory which offers 73. Sarngadeva, op. cit., VI, 953, 954, p. 429. st 1ts as the etymological derivation of the word tala. 74. Guru Rao, Pavañje -, Vijayadāsara Suļādigaļu, Vol. II, The intimate relation of musical rhythm with prosodic 75. Huchcha Rao Bengeri and Krishna Sharma Betageri, (eds .. rhythm has been recognized by the ancient Indian ep a, p. 1. 76. Sārńgadeva, op. cit., V, 2, p. 3.

46 SULĀDIS AND UGĀBHOGAS THE EVOLUTION OF THE SULĀDI TĀTAS 47 musicologist who borrows names of prosodial units such triple and quadruple movement. An extension of this as the laghu, guru, pluta, matra etc., into musical theory principle was practised somewhat implicitly to obtain retaining their original connotations and relative temporal quintuple movement (khanda gati). The unit of time sizes, and adapts them for his purpose. Since their for all the talas was the matra, which, by definition, had conventionally and arbitrarily postulated absolute values the duration required for the utterance of five short in prosody would provide a span too short for musical syllables : purposes, he has offered them a flexible size in terms of eka-, dvi- and catushkalas". The talas of ancient Indian music were divided into marga and desi varieties". The These syllables were ka, ca, ta, ta and pa by former served as standards of reference with respect to convention®1. unit time and span and also served as basis for further The marga talas were distinguished by equating the derivation by permutation and combination of their laghu to the matra and by a rigorous adherence to this component organs. These are five in number : caccatputa, prescription. In the desi talas, the matra was gradually SSIS'. cācapuța, SISS', shațpitāputraka, S'SSIS', sampa- transformed by insistent and persistent practice into a kveshțāka, S'SSSS' and udghatta, SSS, where I,S,S' denote duration of four short syllables81 as this is by far the most a laghu, a guru and a pluta respectively. The laghu has natural and comprehensive unitary interval on the basis the duration of five short syllables, the guru has twice the of which, or against the background of which other duration of the laghu while the pluta has three times the temporal movements can be derived or displayed. While duration of the laghu. Through a differece in the number the laghu became synonymous with the marga talas, it and arrangement of these component organs, the druta, had the variable size of four, five or six syllabic duration denoted by 0 (half in duration of the laghu) and the in the desi tälas. These were respectively called, manushya, virāma, denoted by', (half in duration of the just desya and divya laghus®2. Some misconceptions are precedent organ) and the rarely used kākapāda (also currently prevalent regarding the desi talas. These are callcd hamsapada), denoted by + (four times the duration commonly called märga talas, probably because of their of the laghu), a large number of secondary talas are built antiquity and obsolescence. The term marga has a clear up. These latter are called desi tālas. Tālas are again theoretical function to perform in our musical theory divided in ancient Indian musical theory into tryaśra and besides denoting archaism and should not be misapplied. caturaśra"9; these two form respectively the framework for Only the above five have been named mārga tālas in our

77. Ibid., V, 81. 21 et seg, p 9 et seg 80. Bharata, Națyašāstra, XXXI, 3. 78. Ibid., V, 3, 4, p. 4. 81. Kallinatha, op. cit., pp 139-142. 79. Ibid., V, 17, p. 9. 82. Govinda, Poluri-, op. cit., V, 81, pp. 184-185.

48 SULĀDIS AND UGĀBHOGAS THE EVOLUTION OF THE SULADI TALAS 49 music by tradition and textual authority. Again, it is frequently held that the desi talas were, and should be, by Kallinatha who states that such variations in the employed only for purposes of dance and not for classical laghu are the essenee and attraction of all desi art and not music. Ample manuscript and textual evidence is available a demerit, and that the use of the virama is allowed by to disprove such a contention. theory only in the form of an uncounted appendage of the just precedent organ and never as a distinct, individual The 14th and 15th centuries A.D. may be termed the organ of a tala, and that the similarity in the structural watershed in the history of Indian music. This period pattern, but not merely the absolute value of the temporal reveals both a conceptual revolution and a renaissance of span, was, and should be, the criterion for determining fundamental values and mark out new frontiers in the the usage and individuality of a tala81. These two practice of music. This is reflected in the theory and idiosyncracies in practice were firmly established by the practice of the tala also. The marga talas gradually 17th and 18th centuries A.D. and actually culminated began to fade away from vogue and the desi talas held the into a tenet of theory. The virama, which was regarded stage almost completely. There was considerable variation as an uncounted appendage of the just precedent organ, in the practice of these talas. The same name often assuming half the duration of the latter, was given an denoted different structures and different structures, the independent and distinct status in the composition of the same name81. The virama (later called the anudruta), tāla, with one quarter of a four-syllable mātra as its size. was not postulated by the ancients such as Bharata, The laghu remained, as in the days of Sarngadeva, the Dattila and Matanga as an organ of the tala ; it was left basis of defining and determining the composition of a undescribed by Sarngadeva8 but was slowly creeping into tala, but it obtained wider range and scope, being classified practice in the day of Simhabhupala : into the five jatis, tryaśra, caturaśra, khanda, miśra and sankirna, having respectively the duration of six (later, three), four, five, seven and nine syllables. The tryasra and became the subject of a raging controversy during the laghu of six syllables changed into that of three in this life of Kallinatha81. Again, the laghu was being used transition period. Thus lalakalāvilāsa: with a variable size, especially in the middle of the 15th century A.D."1 These factors were reconciled to theory 83. Note however, that Someivara (op. cit., XVI, 4. 84) deseribes the duration of one quarter of a matra and calla it drutaka or bindu. สสสเค รอ อ สง พรส ฟ รงธอจ , อ นอง สระ สะ ! 84. Simhabhüpala, op. c, on V, 16, p. 8. 85. Govinda, Polüri-, op. cit., V. 79, 80, pp. 183-184.

50 SULĀDIS AND UGĀBHOGAS THE EVOLUTION OF THE SULADI TALAS 51 The prabandhas of medieval Indian music were often divided into rāga-prabandhas and tala-prabandhas by virtue of specific association by tradition in usage of a Convention and theoretical considerations ruled that the particular raga or tala. The suladis, sanskritized into caturaśra jāti could not be applied to such tālas as had a sūdadi-prabandhas, belonged to the latter class. They virama in them87. The works of Poluri Govinda and were developed by the vaishnava saint musicians of the Pundarika Vitthala throw interesting light on this dāsakūța of Karnataka into au enduring and beautiful important phase of our musical evolution. pattern and by a host of their school too numerous to mention here. The term suladi is, as has been shown It is a paradox that the very limitless variety and wide range of possibilities which prompted the desi talas into above, unambiguously of kannada origin and derives from existence and abundant usage should have tolled the knell the root sul, meaning to sound and to occur in a predetermined of their departure into oblivion. Yet their history order. Though these prabandhas were known since bears eloquent testimony that such was the case. The ancient times, those of the salaga suda variety, namely, impossibility of systematizing or standardizing them, the the dhruva, maņțha, pratimanțha, niḥsāruka, rāsaka, complex prescription of sasabda and nihsabda kriyas, the addatāli, and ekatāli were specially favoured by the over-elaboration of secondary rules for their use, confusion dasakūta and were adapted to suit their literary needs. and indeterminacy in the use of the laghu and the virama, This adaptation consisted essentially of simplification, inconveniently large tempural spans, the use of the sweeping away of superfluous detail of variation, and kakapāda, the growing preponderance of fancy rather than application of a number of modified desi talas in a definite musical value in the creation of these talas and many and fixed order to these songs. Since the discursive con- other similar practical deficiencies chased the desi talas out tent of these songs was the dominating interest, the of currency. However, they left a legacy of conceptual melodic and rhythmic themes had to assume a secondary and rhythmic material which contained none of these and subservient role. Thus, since the words were, more deficiencies but had the strength and attraction of simpli- or less, chanted in these songs in a nibaddha way to a simple dhätu, the temporal span had to be short, with a city, convenience, compactness and adequacy. It is gratify- minimum of simply but adequately placed accents. These ing that this material was developed into a specific, eliminated altogether the use of the nihsabda kriyās and unequivocal, enduring and memorable contribution by were displayed entirely in terms of the sounded beat, i.e., Karnataka. cāpu (hence the name capu talas). Since the tālas were 86. Parameśvara (? ), Tālakalāvilāsa, cit. Acyutarāya, Tāla- also fixed in order for occurrence in these songs the name kalavaridhi, extr. Ramakrishna Kavi, op. cit., p. 250. suļādi is doubly appropriate. The signal service of these 87. Govinda, Polūri-, op. cit., V, 134, p. 201. great songsters consisted of removing the widely prevalent

52 SULĀDIS AND UGĀBHOGAS THE EVOLUTION OF THE SULĀDI TĀLAS 53 confusion regarding the laghu and the virama, the adop- tion and adaptation of specific desi talas from the vast nagar emperors who witnessed the acme of the glory of South India. The result was enduring for at least four melange of practice with a skill and forethought which is reasons : eloquently witnessed by the triumph of these talas over the ravages of Time and by their exclusive current usage (1) The times badly needed such a change and the today. Setting aside all textual or conventional prescrip- propagation of these talas was aided by their simplicity, tion of desi talas for the prabandhas, they gradually adequacy and easy applicability to both classical and replaced the earlier prescriptions by (1) pratimathya applied music. IIS', (2) baddhāpaņa, also called addatāli or tripuța (2) The propagators were large in number, worked 101 and 011 respectively, (3) yatilagna 01, (4) jhampā with a religious zeal and devotion and had the backing 10'0', (5) dvitiya or turanga 001, (6) kudukkā or prati of both the royalty which was far reaching in influence 0011, or varņayati 1100 and (7) eka or ādi I or 0-tālas88 and range and also of the ordinary teacher and composer. and renamed them dhruva, mathya, rūpaka, jhampā, (3) These propagators produced so huge a number tripuța, atța and eka tālas respectively because these of compositions exclusively in these talas and established were exclusively associated with the gitas i.e., suladis them in practice, that those set to other talas gradually traditionally and currently. That such an ancient melted away into an ever decreasing minority. tradition existed in Karnataka has been already (4) The songs of the dasakuta contain so much shown above 10, ", . They also added three others to these staple talas: the jhompata (the inverted present adi valuable moral, ethical, spiritual, ritual and religious tala), ragana mathya, and the turupu jhampe. The material, and often are the epitomes of the vedas and suļadi was, and still is, an yathākshara prabandha. upanishads-Purandaradāsa's works are, in fact, collect- ively called 'Purandaropanishat'-besides containing These dasakuta composers were instrumental in important material from the mantra sastra and the yoga establishing these talas in vogue almost to the exclusion sastra, that they were cherished and perpetuated by of all other talas even in their own times. Their work was posterity for these values in addition to their musical facilitated by the enviable royal patronage of the Vijaya- value and excellence. 88. The description of these talas have been eclectically extracted from [a] Sarngadeva, op. cit., V. 236-312, pp. 134-160. [b] Nandi. Limitation of space does not permit us a detailed study kesvara. Bharatārnava, VII, 430-492, pp. 202-262, [c] Nārada- of the fascinating history of these talas here. So I will Sangiamakaranda, Nrtyādhyaya, II and III, [d] Jagadekamalla, be content with briefly tracing their evolution into their ep. cif .. Ms. in the Sri Varalakshmi Academies of Fine Arts Library, present form as gleaned from three major authorities : Mysor, and [e) Goparippendra, Taladipika, Ms. in the Manuscripis Pundarika Vitthala, Polūri Govinda and Venkațamakhi Library of Sri Varalaishmi Academies of Fine Arts, Mysore, It is Pundarika Vitthala who mentions, for the first time

54 SULĀDIS AND UGĀBHOGAS THE EVOLUTION OF THE SULADI TALAS 55 as well as names and describes the present suladi talas thirtythree, in stead of thirtyfive talabhedas". There is with all the five laghu jati variations and gives an indeed a flood of light in the transitional state of these important orientation in theory regarding these 89. tālas in his Rāgatāļacintāmaņi and Tāļadasaprāņadipīkā. Ramakrishna Kavi asserts that these suļadi tālas are Thus, he states that the virama, instead of being the mentioned by Arjuna and Hanūman, but leaves this uncounted appendage of the just precedent organ, emerged statement unsupported 90. His manuscript sources appear as an independent entity and was equated to the anudruta. to be of questionable antiquity for such a statement. The anudruta and the druta were no more regarded in Polüri Govinda gives the following structures for the terms of the duration of the laghu, but were assigned suļādi tālas: dhruva, ISO, mațhya 101, rūpaka 01, absolute durations of one quarier and one half of the jhampă OUI, tripuța 000', atța 1001, and eka, 091. It four-syllable matra, i.e., a duration of one and two may be noticed here that the two consecutive (initial and syllables respectively9: The nascent state of the anudruta final) laghus of our present dhruva tāla are fused into a is clear from the above stipulation regarding the jatis. guru so that the latter laghu is not accented; the order of the organs in the jhampa tala is inverted; what we The reason for such a restriction is not far to seek. now regard as a laghu of three kalās in triputa tāla Besides the above equation, the anudruta also served an started its career as a viramanta druta but obtained at entirely different purpose ; it was defined as the period of the hands of Govinda a double accent on the first and the rest following a tālakriyā: kriyanantaravisrāntirupatvad third kalās; finally, his atța tāla was transformed into its bhinnakālaśca (Kallinātha, op. cit., p. 141). When these present form through the contiguity of the initial and final concepts were forged into a rigid form so that the anudruia laghus. In fact, he has himself incorporated these changes had a clear cut definition and duration, its scope was also in the suļādi tālas in his later work, Rāgatāļacintāmaņi9. restricted. Clearly, it could not follow large temporal Govinda makes the further interesting observation that spans; if it did, it would introduce asymmetry into the tālas containing the anudruta, i.e., tripuța and jhampā structure and would also introduce difficulties of mani- tälas cannot have a caturara laghu. They can thus have pulating in higher speeds (kāla). Hence it was omitted only four jatis each, while the remaining five can be from the desi talas. It is noteworthy that it has been reckoned in all the five jatis, thus making a total of inserted into only such suļādi tālas as have (in current usage) only one lagu and at least one druta. In tripuța 89. Pundarīka Vitthala, op. cit., Ms. in Mss. Lib. of Sri tāla, 000', it serves as the drutavirama while in the Varalakshmi Academies of Fine Arts, Mysore. jhampā tāla, OUI, it serves as the anudruta, being equal 90. Ramakrishna Kavi, op. cit., p. 301. 91. Govinda, Polūri-, Tāļadašaprāņadīpikā, 86, 87, p. 63. 93. Idhem., op. cit., loc. cit., Tāļadasaprāņadīpikā, 89, 90, p, 64. 92. Idhem, Ragatāļacintāmani, V, 133, 134, pp 200, 201. 94. Idhem., ibid., inter alia.

56 SULĀDIS AND UGĀBHOGAS THE EVOLUTION OF THE SULADI TĀLAS 57 in temporal value. In both the cases, it follows a druta. jhompata came to be identified later with our present adi In cannot follow a laghu in the suļadi talas as virāma in tala by inversion. Thus the above restriction was replaced the trisra, khanda, misra and sankirna laghus because it by the jatibheda tattva in our musical practice. The would give an impracticable fractional value and in the musicians and musicologists of the 15th to the 17th caturaśra laghu because it would then be equivalent to centuries, A.D. must be congratulated on their methodo- the trisra laghu in dvikala. It cannot follow a laghu as logical insight and achievement in this matter. the anudruta; for, the trisra and caturara laghus would be transformed into caturasra and khanda laghus Again, the trisra jati laghu with its former duration of respectively, while the khanda, miśra and sankirņa laghus six syllables was reduced by practical exponents into half would become the equivalents of trisra, caturasra and this value. As is natural in such states of transition, there khanda laghus in dvikala. (In the case of the modern was an attempt at reconciling ancient theory with current jhampa tala, where in the anudruta follows the laghu, the trends of practice, as is evident in the retention, at least problem has been solved by accenting the former.) This in theory, of three types of laghu : that of six syllables, latter situation has been ineffectually and pseudo-theoreti- derived from the earlier tryasra talas, was called deva laghu; cally covered in recent works (Cf. Ganabhaskaramu by K. that with five syllables, derived from the classical mātra, V. Srinivasa Iyengar, inter alia) by naming the laghus was called desya laghu; that of four syllables, which with six, eight, ten, eleven, etc. counts as maia or sankara enjoyed exclusive current usage, was called the manushya laghus. This is the reason why the anudruta came to be laghu. Depending on the use of such laghus, Govinda associated originally with the druta alone in the suladi divides the suļādi tālas into mārga and deśya varieties, ālas. assigning the former, as usual, to celestial use and only the latter for mortals9s. In an overall estimation of this phase, Further, the caturasra triputa tala is similar to the it may be noted that the laghu was in its final stages of jhompața tāla ; the caturaśra jhampā tāla is similar to the standardization into four syllables, the virama and the trisra triputa tala except that the second druta in the druta had already clearly emerged as distinct entities; lattter is left unaccented. It is to avoid morphological though the number of each kind of organ was fixed in confusion and to maintain the individualities of the' the construction of a tala, the sequence of such organs jhompața tāla and the triśra tripuța tāla that the caturaśra was still in a fluid condition and that the trisra laghu of jati was proscribed from these. The triputa tala, 000', three syllables, which was postulated just about now, was having no laghu, could not be permuted by jatibheda. Hence the final drutavirama was transformed into an still occasionally represented by the combination of a druta and anudruta, as in the case of the triputa tala. initial triśra laghu. This facilitated the uniform application of the principle of the jati for all the talas. Again, the 95. Idhem., Ragatāļacintāmani, V, 8I, pp. 184, 185. H

58 SULĀDIS AND UGĀBHOGAS THE EVOLUTION OF THE SULADI TÄLAS 59 However, it is from Venkatamakhi that we find the dhruva tala corresponds to our own except that there is clear origins of our present suļadi talas even more. an inversion and that the druta is not accented. Even Indeed, it is he that first associates varna-alankaras with though the natyadandi dhruva had theoretical sanction, the suladi tālas so that the term alankāra is synonymously the vainikas, Venkatamakhi says, preferred that of the understood today with the suļadi tālas. As a matter three accents since the rhythmic display has greater of fact, these very alankaras have been retained now with possibilities in the latter. Similarly, the natyadandi but few modifications. The value of his descriptions lies jhampā had an anudruta of one syllable, then a druta of in his assigning a definite duration in the form of a two syllables, and finally a laghusekhara of seven syllables. number of syllables to the various organs in each suladi It is obvious, then, that the laghusekhara was regarded in tala, so that the structure of each of these talas is crystal his times as a separate unitary organ of a variable size. clear. Besides the above suladi talas, he also describes The väggeyakāra jhampā had the same size of ten the jhompata having the structure 001 where the laghu syllables, but was divided only into two accents: a has four syllables, so that by gradual inversion, which virāmanta druta of three syllables followed by a laghu- commenced even in his days, it emerged as our adi tāla. śekhara of seven syllables. The natyadandi was the Next, in the case of the dhruva and jhampa talas, he theoretically approved standard ; nevertheless, the practical describes two varieies depending on their use in dance exponents such as the vainikas preferred the variety with or in classical music. Thus the natyadandi dhruva had the three dhatus for the same reason as above. Even a laghu of four syllables, followed by a guru of ten sylla- though the sequence of organs in the dhruva and jhampa bles, so having only two accents, on the first and fifth tālas is given as above in the Caturdandiprakāśikā, their syllables respectively. This corresponds to the dhruva illustrations correspond exactly to their modern compeers tāla described by Polūri Govinda in the Taļadaśaprāņadī- Stipulating the laghu of four syllables, the druta of two pika and points to its fluidity in contemporary use. syllables and anudruta of one syllable, the structure of Note also that this tala makes use of laghus of four and the other suladi talas according to Venkatamakhi may be five syllables, thus admitting a possibility of contiguous written down as follows: mathya 011, rūpaka 01, quadruple and quintuple movement. The vinadandi tripuța 000', atța 0011, and eka 0,“. It will be observed dhruva, on the other hand, had two successive laghus that in the mathya and atta talas, the sequence has of four syllables each, followed by a laghusekhara of suffered a change because of the contiguity of the initial six syllables, thus having three accents on the first, and final laghus. Similarly, the trisra laghu of our triputa fifth and ninth syllables respectively The credit of tāla still continues to be composed of a viramanta druta reviving the earlier concept of laghusekhara in a tangible i.e., three syllables with an initial accent. It may be form must thus go to Makhi. Note that this form of recalled here that the triputa tāla in its cāpu form is

60 SULĀDIS AND UGĀBHOGAS THE EVOLUTION OF THE SULADI TĀLAS 61

sometimes even today displayed with two consecutive Nanyadeva was restricted to one laghu and retained in accents of two kalas each followed by an unaccented ' husi practice under the same namc. This is actually called of threc kalas. It is also of interest that in the above ckatāli, a variety of bhanga tāla : arrangements the organs arc placed in the order of increasing sizes. This logical arrangement underwent a transformation into their present forms due to the desire for raktilābha of the vainikas. Venkatamakhi points out It should also be noted that the present adi tala is an

that this inversion of the order of the organs was evident inversion of the jhompata tala and has no correspondence

in his own times : with its archaic namesake. So also the eka tala. The present adi tala, may however, be regarded as derived by combining one avarta of the archaic adi tala and two avartas of the archaic eka tāla. Besides the above, two other talas are found used in our music; these are the desyadi and madhyadi talas. These have come into vogue only since the last century, This change was firmly established in practice during especially used in Tyagaraja's songs. It is easily seen Tulaja's time and these talas were reigning supreme in that these are only different forms of adi tala wherein the their present forms during the advent of the Musical Trinity accents appear differently because of a difference in of South India. It may be noted in passing that the eka arrangement. tala of one druta, due to its low possibility of yield of rakti was altered into the desi (not our) adi tala accord- There is an interesting reference to what is called suladi tāla in Narada's Sangītamakaranda: ing to Venkatamakhi : This is enumerated as one of the ten varieties of tāla pra- bandhas, i.e., prabandhas which are restricted to specific talas. Narada also makes another illuminating observa- tion :

though it is equally probable that the original eka tala of one druta or one laghu or of one guru as defined by 98. Nanyadeva, Sarasvatihrdayalankarahara, exrt. Ramakrisbna Kavi, op. cit., p. 92. 96. Venkatamakhi, op. cit., III, 114-116, p. 132. 99. Narada, op. cit., Nrtyadhyāya, III, 8. 97. Ibid., I1I. 108-110, p. 31. 100. Ibid., III, 18

62 SULĀDIS AND UGÄBHOGAS THE SULĀDI NRTTA 63

and concludes this passage with the colophon: laghu from that of a single tala in the history of our music. sulädih If this statement can be relied upon, this takes" This is a natural corollary of the basic theorem in back the origin of the term suladi to considerable anti- Indian music that tala is the device which equates gita, quity and also establishes that these eight represented the vädya and nrtta and is also their foundation in rhythmic abbreviated form of the suladi. This might have inspired structure and configuration : the haridasas to evolve the suļadi by athetisation as discussed above. But this is not conclusive because the impressi typis of the Sangitamakaranda is highly corrupt It is not generally known that the suladi has been and amorphous as I have discussed elsewhere.101 Finally, closely associated with a specific dance form in Karnataka Venkațamakhi says that the suļādi tālas had chased out and elsewhere. The quotation from Govindavaidya cited all their desi and marga cousins completely from practice above" is an instance of this This form has been called in his days. suladi nrtta and has been described by the foremost Tulaja traces the final epoch in the history of these musicologists of the 17th and 18th centuries A.D. Catura suļādi tālas, when he points out apparent discrepancies Damodara is probably the first writer (c 1620 A.D.) to of the suļadi prabandhas in theory and practice and tries describe this dance under this name; it consisted of dance to reconcile them. He points out that these are no performed in different tempos set to the seven suļādi tālas discrepancies at all, but old principles appearing in new the in prescribed order employing sophisticated footwork, garbs. He states that suladis were being composed in hand gestures and body movements. Thus the dhruva large numbers in his days, including his own compositions nrtya is described : and that these were both famous and popular. He pays glowing and deservedtributes to Vyāsarāya and Purandaradäsa and others of the haridāsakūta, to whom we owe a deep debt of gratitude for an adequate, simple and elegant tala system The patra here paints his body and is suitably embellished. X. THE SULĀDI NRTTA He dances to the right and to the middle front in two Reference has already been made to the fact that movements and displays beautiful and plentiful hand prabandhas, vrttas and nrttas often derived their names gestures. Note that the dance follows the structure of

101. Sathyanarayana, R. (ed.), Abhinava Bharatasarasangraba, 102. Acyutaraya, op.cit., extr. Ramakrishna Kavi, op.cit., p. 246. Introduction, pp. lix, lx. 103. Damodara, Catura-, Sangītadarpanam, VII, 221-223, p. 220.

64 SULĀDIS AND UGĀBHOGAS THE SULĀDI NRTTA 65

the dhruvaka prabandha described above. The dance The rupaka nrtta is set to the rūpaka tala: in it are first thus has an udgraha, followed by abhoga and is concluded sung the udgraha and abhoga parts of the song in fast with the dhruva which is the first segment of the udgraha. tempo ; then the dhruva is sung in fast, middle and slow The patra now dances the mantha nrtya thus: tempos; dance is performed to this.

The jhampa is danced to a song in the middle tempo and to the front. It consists of long strides; the dancer performs a lasyanga called kalasa with his hands. The

The mantha dance is performed to the udgraha sung once kalasa has an antarā

in mantha tala. The dhruva element is danced to twice, three-or four times; then the abhoga, once. The dance concludes with a display of attractive hand gestures. The mantha nrtya is auspicious and has a preponderance of an element called saushthava. This is a stationary pose in which the waist and knees are in the same line; elbows, The kalasa consists of the hand gestures like the pataka, shoulders and head are also aligned, the chest is high and of the duration of a pluta, made horizontal and vertical, the body is restful : like lightning among the inky clouds :

Thus in the saushthava the different organs are in their natural positions in a natural state-i.e., neither too high As a desi lasyanga, it consists of a concluding cquation

nor too short and are immobile. Damodara then describes of song, tempo, tala and dance :

the rūpaka nrtya: ne3ao3e สอ มสว หวม อ สรง รอย ส สอด พงสู81

107 Ibid., VII, 227, 228, p. 220, 221. 108. Asokamalla, cit., Ramakrishna Kavi, op cit., p. 122. 104. Ibid , VII, 223-225, p. 220 105. Särngadeva, op, cit | VII, 1037 -1039, p. 321. 109. Devannabhatta, Sangītamuktavali, exir. Ramakrishna 106. Damodara, Catura-, ep, cit., VII, 225, 226, p. 220 Kavi, op. cit., p. 122.

66 SULĀDIS AND UGĂBHOGAS THE SULADI NRTTA 67

It also consists of imitative vocalised syllables of various Lastly, the ekatali nrtya is performed to the song musical instruments in three tempos : type called ekatali in fast tempo, interspersed with bhramari movements containing calanikas During the concluding alapa of this song which has a kalāsa, läsyangas are displayed. The dance is full of variety and appeals to the common man :

The jhampa tala nrtya is followed by triputa nrtya, called trtiya nrtya by Damodara :

It may be noted that Damodara associates only men with the suladi dance and it follows the same chronological It is set to tripuța tala in fast tempo and to very beautiful order as of the suladi talas. He calls this the suddha. hand poses. It also consists of the lasyangas and a few paddhati to distinguish it from folk dance varieties such kalāsas. It is scholarly. as the cindu, katțari, ālāpa, daru, vaipota, bandha, kalpa,

The addatala nrtya is performed to the accompani- jakkari, gondali, perani etc., which he calls desi nrtyas. Thus the suladi dance had attained a classical status in ment of singing the udgraha etc. in slow tempo. Its the early 17th century A.D. Damodara is not, however, dhruva portion has some beautiful hand poses. This alone in describing this dance. Veda, who freely drew dance appeals to the lay men : upon Damodara for the dance chapter in his Sangita- makaranda (which came to be regarded as an important authority for dance in the 18th and 19th centuries A.D.) and who was the pupil of Ananta, Damodara's son, also describes it :

110. Idhem., op. cit., Manuscript in the Mss. Library of Sri Varalakshmi Academies of Fine Arts, Mysore. This description is followed by an example in nattuvangam set to eka tāla. 111, Damodara, Catura -, op. cit., VI1, 229, 230, p. 221. 113. Ibid, VII, 233, 234, p. 221.

111. Ibid, VII, 231, 232, p. 221. cit., p. 737. 114. Veda, Sangitamakaranda, extr. Ramakrishna Kavi, op.

68 SULĀDIS AND UGĀBHOGAS UGĀBHOGA 69 Devannabhatta states that the suladi nrtya was well The meaning of the term ugabhoga is as obscure as its rooted in theory and practice in his days, but that the origin. Many fanciful attempts are in evidence to confer nattuvanga etc. had not obtained the rigidity of archaism : both an antiquity and a rational meaning to it. But it must be admitted that these are singularly unsuccessful. Traditional belief, unsupported by etymological and other similar considerations, holds that suļadi is derived from suļuhu-hadi i.e., path to the perception of God.11" Similarly, ugabhoga has been distorted into yugabhoga, Tulaja, who has based the (unpublished) dance chapter of his Sangitasaramrta prominently on Devannabhatța, also meaning the enjoyment of the merger with God. Krishna describes the suladi nrtya!1f. It is therefore clear that the Rao decomposes the term into uk-abhoga, meaning verbal suladis have had a firm tradition and history in both expression of all human experience.11a Mugali opines that music and dance in Karnataka and other parts of South the word ugābhoga is a phonetic deterioration of udgrāha- India. The potentiality of the suladis for dance is obvious abhoga, two of the melodic elements of song11". Both these authors have based their musicological views on in their remarkable rhythmic variety and temporal those of Hulaguru Krishnacharya190. This derivation is structure. It is indeed probable that the 'nartana seva' of the haridasas was conducted to the accompaniment of entirely unacceptable, for it is the most basic tenet of compositional technique that the dhruva is an indispensa- suladi singing. Unfortunately little of this tradition ble part of a song. In fact, it derives its name for this appears to have been preserved pure today. reason. The very Sarngadeva on whom these authors depend for their definition states that the dhruva is so XI. UGÅBHOGA called because it is a permanent part of any song : It is remarkable that this compositional form, which must have had a history of at least five centuries, does not Then how could the ugabhoga consist of only the find even a mention in any of our musicological treatises. udgraha and abhoga? It may be recalled that the suļadi Nor is there a reference to this term in any Dravidian also consists mainly of these parts, with an optional, but literature until recently. It should be noted that exclusive use of the antara. It definitely excludes the Purandaradasa does not use this term anywhere in his 117. Krishna Rao, K.M., Sri Jagannathadasaru, p. 345. songs whereas he recognizes the term suladi ". 118. Ibid., p. 348. 115. Devaenabhaita, op. cit., Ms loc. cin 119. Mugali, R. S., Kannada Sahityacaritre, pp. 299, 300. HG Tulaja, op ca, Introduction, p. xxiv et passim. 120. Krishnacharya, Hulaguru-, op. cit., p. 95. 121. Sarngadeva, op. cit., IV, 9, p. 205.

70 SULĀDIS AND UGĀBHOGAS UGĀBHOGA 71

melapaka; the dhruva is no distinct part of the song. haridasa literature. Extant evidence leads to the Even then, the first segment of the udgraha is styled by inescapable conclusion that both origin and meaning of courtesy as dhruva to conform to this all important the term are indeterminate at present. principle and these sālaga sūdas are defined as tridhātuka, or, if they also contain the antara, caturdhatuka. Hence The ugabhoga is sung today much as the kannada such derivation is invalid, however easy or attractive. counterpart of the śloka or like bharatavacana, i.e., Krishnacharya further states that the ugabhoga existed gamaka. The literary theme is varied but is predominantly- even before the 12th century A.D., being set to the 120 religious, ritual, spiritual, divine praise etc. It consists of desi talas and to the five marga talas. According to him a simple and short theme in one or more sentences. It is it was sung in slow tempo; it was sung in kannada since often prose, though occasionally one comes across a 1200 A.D. and was propagated in North India by prosodial structure and poetic characteristics. It is not Gopālanayaka. He equates it to the thayi and even to associated with any specific raga or ragas, nor with any the khyal of North Indian music! All this must be particular mode of rendering cither in form or music. It is emphatically refuted as purely conjectural. There is not usually sung in a single rāga. a shred of evidence, textual, traditional or empirical, to support any of these wild guesses which are dogmatically The origin of the musical form of the ugabhoga is

asserted as proven facts. The definitions and descriptions unambiguously seen in the salaga sudas which were, as

of the sthāyāvāga which came to be later known as thāya has been shown above, the forerunners of the suladis.

and of the melodic element called asthayi in North Indian Thus in the rasaka prabandha, an ex tempore elaboration

musical compositions clearly make it impossible to correlate of the music and of the words was prescribed in the body

them, let alone equate the ugabhoga to the khyal. Beluru of the song. If the first of the two segments in the

Keshavadasa is similarly guilty of uncritical enthusiasm. udgrāha had such alāpa, it was called nanda rāsaka.

His interpretations of the terms udgrāha etc. of a song Depending on whether the alapa occurred at the beginning,

are directly opposed to every textual definition, conven- middle or end of the dhruva pada, the rasaka was called

tion, practice and usage. He holds that the ugabhoga is kambuja, varada and vinoda respectively.1 That the

anibaddha sakshara rāgalapti122. Mugali again endorses alapa was applied to the words in udgraha and the dhruva

these views""8. It may be pointed out that the use of the is clear, because in the ekatali prabandha Sarngadeva

term ugabhoga is found only in late manuscripts of specifically prescribes an aksharavarjita alapa prior to the udgraha in the variety called vipula and calls such

122. Keshavadasa, Beluru-, Haridasa Sahityavimarse, pp. nirakshara alapti, prayoga. The variety called candrika, 18, 19. 123. Mugali, R. S., ep., cit., lec. cit. 124. Sarngedeva, op. cit., IV, 852-356, p. 341.

72 SULĀDIS AND UGĀBHOGAS UGĀBHOGA 73 on the other hand, has an alapa in words in the antara.11 It is obvious that these alapti portions attained an so called song forms as sung at least by his own virasaivite

independent status in course of time and emerged from the heroes, notwithstanding the fact that his descriptions

body of the suladis as a distinct compositional type and abound with an astonishing wealth of musicological

left the suladis more compact. In this sense, the information of great value. The terms vacana, hadu, gite"

ugabhogas are as old as the salaga sūda prabandhas. etc. must therefore be accepted only in the most liberal

Basavaraju, then, is wrong when he asserts that sense of anything chanted or recited. Similarly, his

Purandaradasa and other haridasas imitated the virasaiva claim127 that the songs of the haridasas were also called

saints or derived inspiration from them to model the vacanas and that these were set to prosody, talas and

ugabhogas on the vacanas."8 In fact, the reverse ragas to be later called 'svarapada' or 'svaravacana'

possibility is considerable. His claim that the vacanas, should be set aside as a result of loyalty and enthusiasm His criticism of Halagatti and Mugali 18 is unjust and mantragopyas etc. were an integral part of what we regard as Karnataka music today is also unacceptable. It must unnecessarily harsh. No data of the chronology of his

be noted that in the hundreds of musical treatises of source materials are available in his otherwise scholarly

South India which were composed .with the expressed work; even assuming that these are about two or three

purpose of describing contemporary music, not a single hundred years old, the mention of raga and tala for

reference is to be found which may, even by a stretch of compositions in them does not necessarily prove that these

imagination, be construed or interpreted as distinctly ascriptions obtained at the origin of the archetypes or

virasaivite contribution, much less a reference to the of these forms. A detailed examination of his other

vacana, sataka, kalajnana, ashțaka, tārāvali etc. These musicological claims is beyond the scope of the present work were at best chants to the accompaniment of drone, drum or lute. It is significant that even the Sangitaratnakara, The ugabhoga may, then, be summarized as a piece written by the fervent saiva, Sarngadeva, which describes of sahitya of a usually religious theme which is displayed

or mentions many a folk-musical form in the 13th century in a more or less ex tempore musical baskground and A.D., does not make even a passing reference to any of the essentially liturgical in importance, rather than musical.

above in the very period which is the acme of virasaivite It took its birth as a part of the suladis, but later ..

musicological activity. Nor does the foremost virasaivite probably in the 15th and 16th centuries A.D. when the

exponent of this age, Palkuriki Somanatha, a great sulādis themselves culminated and settled into their

musicologist himself, mention any of these or the other present form-emerged as a distinct entity. Whatever

125. Ibid., IV, 356-361, pp. 341, 342. 127. /bid., P. 82. 126. Basavaraju, L., Sivadīiagītāñjali, Introduction, p, 104. 128. Ibid , pp. 93, 94.

74 SULĀDIS AND UGĀBHOGAS CONCLUSION 75

the origin or history, it is a beautiful musical form and into their present state and status. They gave us the unique to its motherland, Karnataka. mayamaļavagauļa as the initial pedagogical musical scale. They gave us the devaranama or pada which is the arche-

XII. PLACE IN KARNATAKA MUSIC type of the song type to-day called the krti.

The foregoing discussion adequately establishes that Above all, they gave us glimpses of God, of beauty

the suladi and the ugabhoga are distinct and unique and poetry in music and literature. They have made us

contributions of Karnataka to Indian music. The suļādi better men.

as well as its namesake dance are unique and specific in their form. These were quite prominently popular til XIII. CONCLUSION recent times in the whole of South India and in other regions where Karnataka rulers, musicians, composers The present work was inspired by the author's desire or musicologists flourished. The suļādis and ugābhogas to bring to light at least some of the beauty and importance have irrigated the cultural soil of the country with the of the suladis and ugabhogas. It is an unfortunate fact perennial and sweet flow of devotion, ethics and social that these songs are not preserved in their original form reformation and have indeed become popular vehicles of even in their motherland. It is high time that concerted

ideological thought. Whatever their original purpose and and concentrated effort is made by our musicologists and scope, they have come to stay as forms of classical music musicians to restore to them their rightful place on our

retaining their appeal and application to the masses. modern musical platforms. This involves much research,

The haridasas of Karnataka are undoubtedly the reconstruction and interpretation.

largest single group of composers and singers who have Foremost in this work is the critical edition of the texts contributed most to the healthy and all-sided develop- of the suladis from all authentic extant primary and ment of our music. They have, in fact, anticipated the formal and theoretical trends of modern classical Karnataka secondary sources. The search for these materials must at least now be united, coordinated and intensified. In music by at least three centuries and have laid firm addition to their search in traditional haridasa families, foundations for such trends. They have, like Vyāsarāya, orthodox mādhva brāhmaņa families, mādhva mutts, preserved ancient forms of our songs and initiated new Research Institutes and Manuscripts Libraries, etc., the ones; like his worthy disciple Purandaradāsa, given the following sources are also worthy of mention: the initial exercises in practical music training. They all saint Tyagaraja's collections of songs, now partly deposited have given us new musical forms like the vrttanāma, at the Saurashtra Sabha, Madhurai, as well as other guņdakriyā, etc. They developed the suļādi and ugābhoga places of deposit or ownership. It is established from the

76 SULĀDIS AND UGĀBHOGAS CONCLUSION 77 saint's biography that he was exposed to the considerable Karnataka music. The latter half of the manuscript influence of the songs of the haridasas of Karnataka contains the text of a large number of suladis with the particularly of Purandaradāsa, including ugābhogas and name of the raga given at the beginning. The lakshyas suladis sung daily by both his parents. A collection and edition of these songs would authenticate the text and, and melas for these ragas are given in the first half of the tradition of at least two centuries. A second source is manuscript. I hope to be able to edit and publish the contents of this manuscript in the future. Tulaja's collections, preserved and enlarged by Sarabhoji. These are deposited in the Saraswathi Mahal Library of The All Karnataka Purandaradasa's Fourth Centenary Tanjore. They give us a living tradition of some three Celebrations Committee of Dharwar deserve the apprecia- centuries. It is a fortunate circumstance that hundreds of tion and gratitude of every one interested in our music, suļadis are preserved in authentic, if not original, music literature and culture. They have been doing the much in at least five palm leaf manuscripts here179. Yet another, needed and long neglected work of collecting all available little noticed by musicologists, is a palm leaf manuscript in sources of dasa sahitya and publishing the critical edition the Oriental Research Institute, Mysore. This is shown of Purandaradasa's songs in text. The critical and in the Institute's deseriptive catalogue of kannada scrupulously detailed, accurate and honest scholarship as manuscripts as K 570:10. The manuscript has been called well as patience and devotion of its editors, Sri Huchcha " Ayata suladigalu'. This title was wrongly and arbitrarily Rao Bengeri and Sri Betageri Krishna Sharma command conferred by perhaps the original owner and misleads one our respect, admiration and emulation. to believe at first sight in the existence of a special class of I thank the All Karnataka Purandaradasa's Fourth sulādis called ayata suļādis. The manuscript is unique in that it gives in its first half, alapana in notation in all Centenary Celebrations Committee, Dharwar, for com- manding me to offer my humble but sincere homage to its stages such as ayata (ayitta), sthayi, etc., etc. (hence its Sri Purandaradasa and other saints of the haridasakūta. title !) in a very clear and detailed manner for some sixty ragas in a tradition which is at least two hundred and fifty to three hundred years old. Hence it is of inestimable value in reconstructing the actual practice of medieval

129. Descriptive nizmbers 10906 to 10910 inclusive, A Descrip- tive Catalogue of Sanskrit Manuseripts in the Saraswathi Mahal Library, Tanjore, Vol. XVI, pp.7330, 7331. 130. Kannada Hastapratigaļa Varnātxmka Sūcī, Oriental Rescarch Institute Mysone, Vol. I, P.133.

BIBLIOGRAPHICAL REFERENCES 79 SULADIS AND UGĀBHOGAS OF Idhem., Rāgatāļacintāmaņi, Ed. Subba Rao, T. V., Madras KARNĀȚAKA MUSIC Government Oriental Series, No. LXXXIX, Madras, BIBLIOGRAPHICAL REFERENCES 1952.

Govindavaidya : Kaņțhiravanarasarājavijaya, Ed. Shama Aggaļa: Candraprabhapurānam, Eds. Narasimhachar, S. G., and Ramanuja Iyengar, M. A., Karnataka Sastri, R., Mysore Oriental Library Kannada Series, No. 15, Mysore, 1926. Kavyakalanidhi, Mysore, 1901. Bähubali : Nāgakumāracaritam, Ed. Shantiraja Shastri, Guru Rao, Pavanje-, Purandaradasara Kīrtanegaļu, Srimanmadhvasiddhānta Granthālaya, Udupi. A., Mysore Jaina Association, Mysore, 1933. Idhem., Purandaradāsara Suļādigaļu, Srimanmadhva- Basavaraju, L .: Sivadāsagītāñjali, Jagadguru Sri Shiva- siddhanta Granthalaya, Udupi, 1927. ratrishwara Granthamala, Mysore, 1963. Idhem., Vijayadāsara Suļādigaļu, Srīmanmadhvasiddhānta Bharata : Natyasastra, Eds. Shivadatta and Kashinatha Granthālaya, Udupi, Vol. I, 1924 ; Vol. II, 1939. Panduranga Parab, Kavyamala Series, No. 42, Bombay, Huchcha Rao, Bengeri-, and Krishna Sharma, 1894 Betageri_, Eds. Māhatmyajñāna, All Karnataka Ibid., Eds. Batukanatha Sharma and Baladev Upadhyaya, Purandaradasa's Fourth Centenary Celebrations Chowkhamba Sanskrit Series, No. 60, Banares, 1929. Committee, Dharwar, No. 3, 1964. Candraśckhara: Pampāsthānavarņanam, Ed. Krishna Jagadekamalla ; Sangītacūdāmaņi, Ed. Velankar, D. K., Jois, N., Sharana Sahitya Granthamala, No. 21, Gaekwad Oriental Series, No. CXXVII, Baroda, 1958. Bangalore, 1955. Damodara, Catura_,Sangitadarpanam, Ed. Vasudeva Janna : Anantanāthapurāņam, Eds. Srinivasachar, D., and Rangaswami Iyengar, H. R., Mysore Oriental Library, Sastri, K., Saraswathi Mahal Series, No. 34, Tanjore, Mysore, 1930. 1952. Dattila : Dattilam, Ed. Sambashiva Sastri, K., Trivandrum Kallinatha, Sangitakalanidhi, Commentary on Sangita-

Sanskrit Series, No. XCIV, Trivandrum, 1928. ratnākara, vide infra.

A Descriptive Catalogue of Sanskrit Manuscripts in Kannada Hastapratigaļa Varņātmaka Sūci, Mysore the Saraswathi Mahal Library, Tanjore, Vol. XVI, Ed. Oriental Research Institute, Mysore, Vol. II, 1962. Sastri, P. P. S., Tanjore, 1926. Keshavadasa, Beluru-,: Karņāțaka Bhaktavijaya, Subodha Govinda, Polūri-, Tāļadasaprāņadīpikā, Ed. Vasudeva Prakatanalaya, Bangalore, 1963. Sastri, K., Tanjore Saraswathi Mahal Series, No. 13, Idhem., Haridāsa Sāhityavimarse, Harimandira Publica- Tanjore, 1950. tions, Mysore.

80 SULĀDIS AND UGĀBHOGAS Kesirāja, Sabdamanidarpanam, Ed. Kittel, F., Basel Mission, Mangalore, 1872. Krishnacharya, Hulaguru-,: Karņāțaka Sangītavū Dāsa- kutavu, Kannada Research Institute, Dharwar, 1951. Krishna Rao, K.M., Srī Jagannathadasaru, Usha Sahitya- male, Mysore, 1956. Kumbhakarna: Sangitarāja, Ed. Premalata Sharma, Hindu Vishwavidyalaya Nepalarajya Sanskrit Series, Vol. V, Banares Hindu University, Banares, 1963. Matanga : Brhaddesi, Ed. Sambashiva Sastri, K., Trivan- drum Sanskrit Series, No. XCIV, Trivandrum, 1928. Mugali, R. S., Kannada Sāhitya Caritre, Usha Sahitya- male, Mysore, 1953. Nandikesvara, Bharatārnava, Ed. Vasudeva Sastri, K., Tanjore Saraswathi Mahal Series, No. 74, Tanjore, 1957. Nārada, Sangitamakaranda, Ed. Telang, M.R., Gaekwad Oriental Series, No. XVI, Baroda, 1920. Padmaņānka, Padmarājapurānam, Ed. Mallaradhya, B, Bangalore, 1909. Parsvadeva, Sangitasamayasāra, Ed. Ganapati Sastri, T., Trivandrum Sanskrit Series, No. LXXXVII, Trivan- drum, 1925. Ramakrishna Kavi, M., Ed. Bharatakośa, Sri Venkatesh- wira Orieatal Series, No. 30, Tirupati, 1951. Sarngadeva, Sangitaratnakara, Ed. Subrahmanya Sastri, S., Adyar Library Series, Adyar, Vol. I, No. 30, 1943; Vol. II, No. 43, 1944; Vol. III, No. 78, 1951; Vol. IV, No. 86, 1953. Sarngadhara, Sarngadharapaddhati, Ed. Peter Peterson, Bombay Sanskrit Series, No. XXXVII, Bombay 1888.