Indian Classical Music and Sikh Kirtan

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needs, evolved new modes and patterns of devotional music based on, and intimately related to, the well-known indigenous forms and styles of devotional music, characteristic of other religious faiths. Here we discern a synthesis that so truly governs the catholicity of the Sikh religion whose contribution to devotional music is not only of outstanding merit, but is also a part and parcel of the great heritage of this country in its religious and devotional modes of expression and appeal.'


Arrangement of Ragas

A few points and characteristics of the major ragas of the Scripture are given as follows:

(1) Sri Raga
Sri raga is one of the parent ragas from which other ragashave been derived. The word Sri means supreme or exalted and as such this raga powerful. Bhai Gurdas calls it a supreme raga, supreme like the philosopher's stone among other stones, because it has the power of converting baser metals into gold. The gurus gave it the first place. This raga is sung in the evening-a period of dusk and darkness. Man's mind and his inner state as a mortal is one of darkness-caused by maya-and ignorance of his spiritual potentialities. So from darkness to light is the law of nature.

In Sri raga, Guru Nanak has dealt with the existing ignorance and superstition and the neglect of spiritual values on account of man's ego, greed and love of wordly pleasures:

'The foolish and greedy soul is attached to and lured by greed,
Being materialistic and evil-minded, the individual is not soaked in God's Name and continues coming and going' [4].

Some writers state that this raga is associated either with extreme heat or extreme cold. In the hot season, we need water; in the cold season, we need warmth and fire. As such, the Guru has referred to man's thirst for water and compared the soul to a fish' and likened man's passions to a dreadful fire' [5]. Basically the Gurus have pinpointed in this raga the longing of the individual soul for the Universal Soul.

(2) Manjh
This is a regional raga of Manjha- the central portion of the Punjab-and is sung in the afternoon. Here Guru Nanak has given an account of social, cultural and religion conflict between the Hindus and the Muslims in his age. Guru Arjan has composed the calendar- Barah Maha-in this raga. He has dwelt on the characteristics of different months, and the importance of water and milk in the agricultural economy of the punjab[6]. Metaphorically these two things respectively signify that man without devotion and kindness is no good at all.

(3) Gauri
Gauri has the largest number of composition which cover about 14 per cent of the total number of pages of the Scripture. It contains two important compositions of Guru Arjan, Sukhmani and Bavan-akhri (acrostic). As it is a serious raga, the Gurus have given herein the exposition of profound concepts like fear, consciousness, soul and salvation. There are a large number of variants of this raga which have been listed later in this chapter.

(4) Asa
Asa raga literally means the melody of hope. As the Gurus emphasised the singing of God's praises before dawn, this raga is conducive to kirtan before day-break. It is a soothing and pleasing raga, appropriate for the singing of the Asa-di-var, the morning-prayer of the Sikhs. Guru Ramdas's Chhants ser the tone of this blissful composition:

'My eyes are damp with the nectar of the Lord;
My soul is filled with His love' [7].

(5) Sorath
It is a ragini of Megh raga and is sung at night. The Gurus have referred to the darkness of superstition and maya which envelopes the individual. Guru Nanak says:

'This mammon is the enticer of the world, o brother,
All the deeds done in its wake are sinful'[8].

(6) Dhansri
This raga is very appropriate for worship and supplication. Guru Nanak many Bhagats have composed Aarti in this raga. The Guru has described the adoration of God by the objects of nature:

needs, evolved new modes and patterns of devotional music based on, and intimately related to, the well-known indigenous forms and styles of devotional music, characteristic of other religious faiths. Here we discern a synthesis that so truly governs the catholicity of the Sikh religion whose contribution to devotional music is not only of outstanding merit, but is also a part and parcel of the great heritage of this country in its religious and devotional modes of expression and appeal.'


Arrangement of Ragas

A few points and characteristics of the major ragas of the Scripture are given as follows:

(1) Sri Raga
Sri raga is one of the parent ragas from which other ragashave been derived. The word Sri means supreme or exalted and as such this raga powerful. Bhai Gurdas calls it a supreme raga, supreme like the philosopher's stone among other stones, because it has the power of converting baser metals into gold. The gurus gave it the first place. This raga is sung in the evening-a period of dusk and darkness. Man's mind and his inner state as a mortal is one of darkness-caused by maya-and ignorance of his spiritual potentialities. So from darkness to light is the law of nature.

In Sri raga, Guru Nanak has dealt with the existing ignorance and superstition and the neglect of spiritual values on account of man's ego, greed and love of wordly pleasures:

'The foolish and greedy soul is attached to and lured by greed,
Being materialistic and evil-minded, the individual is not soaked in God's Name and continues coming and going' [4].

Some writers state that this raga is associated either with extreme heat or extreme cold. In the hot season, we need water; in the cold season, we need warmth and fire. As such, the Guru has referred to man's thirst for water and compared the soul to a fish' and likened man's passions to a dreadful fire' [5]. Basically the Gurus have pinpointed in this raga the longing of the individual soul for the Universal Soul.

(2) Manjh
This is a regional raga of Manjha- the central portion of the Punjab-and is sung in the afternoon. Here Guru Nanak has given an account of social, cultural and religion conflict between the Hindus and the Muslims in his age. Guru Arjan has composed the calendar- Barah Maha-in this raga. He has dwelt on the characteristics of different months, and the importance of water and milk in the agricultural economy of the punjab[6]. Metaphorically these two things respectively signify that man without devotion and kindness is no good at all.

(3) Gauri
Gauri has the largest number of composition which cover about 14 per cent of the total number of pages of the Scripture. It contains two important compositions of Guru Arjan, Sukhmani and Bavan-akhri (acrostic). As it is a serious raga, the Gurus have given herein the exposition of profound concepts like fear, consciousness, soul and salvation. There are a large number of variants of this raga which have been listed later in this chapter.

(4) Asa
Asa raga literally means the melody of hope. As the Gurus emphasised the singing of God's praises before dawn, this raga is conducive to kirtan before day-break. It is a soothing and pleasing raga, appropriate for the singing of the Asa-di-var, the morning-prayer of the Sikhs. Guru Ramdas's Chhants ser the tone of this blissful composition:

'My eyes are damp with the nectar of the Lord;
My soul is filled with His love' [7].

(5) Sorath
It is a ragini of Megh raga and is sung at night. The Gurus have referred to the darkness of superstition and maya which envelopes the individual. Guru Nanak says:

'This mammon is the enticer of the world, o brother,
All the deeds done in its wake are sinful'[8].

(6) Dhansri
This raga is very appropriate for worship and supplication. Guru Nanak many Bhagats have composed Aarti in this raga. The Guru has described the adoration of God by the objects of nature:

Displaying Page 65 of 100