Gurbani Raags
Other six raga names mentioned/used in Guru Granth Sahib are:
- Asawari*
- Lalit*
- Hindol*
- Vibas
- Kafi
- Bhopali
The ragas marked with asterix (*) sign mentioned above are listed in Guru Granth Sahib's ragamala, which has a mention of a total of 64 raga names, including 6 major ragas, 30 raginis and 48 sons of ragas. Thus out of a total of 64 ragas mentioned in the ragamala, the Sikh Gurus have used only 20 (17 major names, and 3 other raga names) ragas and have used 17 (14 major names and 3 other names) other ragas which are not mentioned in the Guru Granth Sahib's ragamala.
Specialist Terminology to understand musical terms used in the following pages.
1. Thaat- The tune of seven ascending and descending notes is called 'Thath oio' ,
- A Thaat must have seven notes out of the twelve notes [Seven Shuddha, Four komal (Re, Ga, Dha , Ni), one teevra (Ma) ], placed in an ascending order. Both the forms of the notes can be used.
- Thaat has only an Aaroha.
- Thaats are not sung but the raags produced from the Thaats are sung.
- Thaats are named after the popular raag of that Thaat. For example Bhairavi is a popular raag and the thaat of the raag Bhairavi is named after the raag.
The music books record ten basic thaats:
2. Arohi - The ascending scale (sa re ga ma pa dha ni sa) .This is the pattern of notes in which a Raag ascends the scale.
3. Avrohi - The descending scale (sa ni dha pa ma ga re sa) This is the pattern of notes in which a Raag decends the scale.
4. Vadi- The most popular note ,This is a note which is strongly emphasised within a particular Raag.
5. Samvadi- The second most popular note,This is a note which is emphasised within a particular Raag, but not as much as the Vadi.
6. Aurav- A raga of five notes
7. Khaurav- A raga of six notes
8. Sampooran- A raga of seven notes
9. Aurav-Khaurav- Where arohi has five notes, but avrohi has six notes.
10. Khaurav-Aurav- Where arohi has six notes, but avrohi has five notes.
11. Aurav-Sampooran- Where arohi has five notes, but avrohi has seven notes
12. Khaurav-Sampooran- Where arohi has six notes, but avrohi has seven notes.
13. Sampooran-Aurav- Where arohi has seven notes, but avrohi has five notes.
14. Sampooran-Khaurav- Where arohi has seven notes, but avrohi has six notes.
15. Saptaks - This refers to three divisions of a harmonium
- Mandar - first (top) part of seven notes
- Middle - central part of seven notes
- Tar - last part of seven notes.
16. The notes can be soft (komal) or sharp (teever)
Musical terms regarding a presentation of a raag in vocal style
1.Sthayee : The first part of the composition. Mainly develops in the the lower and the middle octave.
2.Antaraa : Second part of the composition. Develops in the middle or higher note.
3.Mukhadaa : The first line of the composition.
Common Themes of Shabads placed under Raags of Guru Granth Sahib
- Soohi - Being away from home. The soul being away from the House of Lord and the joy of meeting the true husband.
- Bilaaval - beautification of soul, happiness.
- Gaund - Separation, union, surprise.
- Sri - Maya and detachment
- Maajh - yearning to merge with Lord, giving up of negative values.
- Gauri - Principles, serious, thoughtfulness, composed
- Aasa - Hope
- Gujri - Prayer (Pooja)
- Devgandhari - Merging with spouse, self - realization
- Bihaagra - Yearning due to separation of soul and happiness due to meeting the Lord.
- Sorath - Merits of God
- Dhanasari - Mixed theme
- Jaitsree - Stability
- Todi - Maya, separation
- Bairagi - motivation to sing praises of Lord
- Tilang - many words from the vocabulary of Islamic origins are used, sadness, beautification.
- Raamkali - to give up the life of a wandering Jogi.
- Nat Narayan - Joy of meeting the Lord
- Maali Gaura - Happiness
- Maaru - Bravery
- Tukhari - Separation and union with Lord
- Kedara - Love
- Bhairav - Man's state of hell
- Basant - Happiness
- Sarang - Thirst to meet God
- Malaar - State of separated and united soul
- Jaijawanti - Vairaag (Detachment)
- Kalyaan - Bhakti (Prayer) Ras
- Vadhans - Vairaag (Detachment)
- Parbhati - Bhakti (Prayer)
- Kaanra - Bhakti (Prayer)
Feelings communicated by the music of Raags
- Soohi - joy and separation
- Bilaaval - happiness
- Gaund - strangeness, surprise, beauty
- Sri - satisfaction and balance
- Maajh - loss, beautification
- Gauri - seriousness
- Aasa - making effort
- Gujri - satisfaction, softness of heart, sadness
- Devgandhari - no specific feeling but the Raag has a softness
- Bihaagra - beautification
- Sorath - motivation
- Dhanasari - inspiration, motivation
- Jaitsree - softness, satisfaction, sadness
- Todi - this being a flexible Raag it is apt for communicating many feelings
- Bhairaagi - sadness, (Gurus have, however, used it for the message of Bhakti)
- Tilang - this is a favourite Raag of Muslims. It denotes feeling of beautification and yearning.
- Raamkali - calmness
- Nat Narayan - happiness
- Maali Gaura - happiness
- Maaru - giving up of cowardice
- Tukhari - beautification
- Kedara - love and beautification
- Bhairav - seriousness, brings stability of mind
- Basant - happiness
- Sarang - sadness
- Malaar - separation
- Jaijawanti - viraag
- Kalyaan - Bhakti Ras
- Vadhans - vairaag, loss (that is why Alahniya is sung in this Raag when someone passes away)
- Parbhati - Bhakti and seriousness
- Kaanra - Bhakti and seriousness
Excerpts taken from:
Guru Granth Sahib: An Advance Study
Dr Sukhbir Singh Kapoor
and other sources