In Hinduism

Natyashastra (theatrics and dramaturgy)

Source: Google Books: Saṅgītaśiromaṇi: A Medieval Handbook of Indian Music

Vāggeyakāra (वाग्गेयकार, “composer”).—A first class (śreṣṭha) composer possesses these good qualities (guṇa). The one who makes additions in the text, while his musical setting is weak, is a mediocre (madhyama) composer. The one who has a certain skill in composing music and writing texts, but who is not great in his prabandha compositions, is also mediocre (madhyama). The inferior type of composer (adhama) is the one who composes bad music, though his texts are good.

A first class composer (śreṣṭha) is called vastukavi (i.e. poet as well as composer). A mediocre composer (madhya) is regarded as a varṇakavi (i.e.e a composer of the music). The inferior composer (adhama) is a paraphrast (kuṭṭikāra), since he only writes a text to the music of somebody else.

Bharata himself says: “In the evening during summer, at dawn in winter, in the middle of the night in spring, at any time in autumn and at noon during the rains, Inspiration (bhāratī, i.e. Sarasvatī, the goddess of speech) will come to the composer and take away any harm done to his work by a false witness or a thief of songs”.

context information

Natyashastra (नाट्यशास्त्र, nāṭyaśāstra) refers to both the ancient Indian tradition (shastra) of performing arts, (natya—theatrics, drama, dance, music), as well as the name of a Sanskrit work dealing with these subjects. It also teaches the rules for composing Dramatic plays (nataka), construction and performance of Theater, and Poetic works (kavya).

General definition (in Hinduism)

Source: Wisdom Library: Hinduism

Vāggeyakāra (वाग्गेयकार) refers to a “composer” (one who composes text as well as music), according to the Saṅgītaśiromaṇi 14.37-45. There are three grades of composers defined:

1. śreṣṭha (first class composer), also termed vastukavi,
2. madhyama (mediocre composer), also termed varṇakavi,
3. adhama (inferior composer), also termed kuṭṭikāra.

According to Śārṅgadeva’s Saṅgītaratnākara 3.3-9, “the best vāggeyakāra (one who composes both music and text) is possessed of these excellences: a thorough knowledge of grammar, proficiency in lexicography, knowledge of prosody, proficiency in lexicography, knowledge of prosody, etc.”

Languages of India and abroad

Kannada-English dictionary

Source: Alar: Kannada-English corpus

Vāggēyakāra (ವಾಗ್ಗೇಯಕಾರ):—[noun] a composer of musical songs.

context information

Kannada is a Dravidian language (as opposed to the Indo-European language family) mainly spoken in the southwestern region of India.

See also (Relevant definitions)

Full-text: Gana.

Relevant text

Search found 1 books and stories containing Vaggeyakara, Vāggeyakāra, Vāggēyakāra; (plurals include: Vaggeyakaras, Vāggeyakāras, Vāggēyakāras). You can also click to the full overview containing English textual excerpts. Below are direct links for the most relevant articles:

Triveni Journal

Is Music a Vidya or a Kala < [Jan - Feb 1939]

Madhura Bhakti and Sufism < [October – December, 2004]

Muthuswami Dikshita < [January – March, 1987]

+ 4 more chapters / show preview