Part 3.4-5 - Structure and Contents of the Tālalakṣaṇam

The main subject matter of Tāḷalakṣaṇam deals with Tāḷadaśaprāṇās. The mūla text is in the form of anuṣṭup verses in saṃskṛta. The telugu commentary in most part, is in a pratipadārtha format. But, there are a few occasions where the commentator does discuss certain aspects in detail. The text matter is presented at a stretch without any marked divisions into chapters. The author does not provide us with a table of contents in the beginning of the work, nor do words such as adhyāya or prakaraṇa appear anywhere. Nevertheless there is a rationale in the way the work has been organized. Initially the list of the daśa prāṇas is given, followed by a detailed explanation of each, in the very same order. At the end or beginning of a prāṇa, we at times find pointers such as “Atha prastāraḥ”, “Atha naṣṭam” etc. The commentary gives a summing-up/ introductory statement at every juncture. For instance, “Iṅkanu jātiprāṇa lakṣaṇamu”, “Iṅkanu graha prāṇānaku lakśaṇam” etc.

The work begins with the following maṅgalācaraṇam.

विष्णुं लोकगुरुं प्रणम्य शिरसा षण्मार्गसन्दर्शकम्
कीर्तिप्रीतिकरं जनस्य लघुना कालेन कामप्रदम् ।
सेव्यं सद्यतिभिर्धृतप्लुतपदं न्यासात्तलोकत्रयम्
तालानां कथयामि लक्षणमहं पूर्वोक्तशास्त्रक्रमात् ॥

viṣṇuṃ lokaguruṃ praṇamya śirasā ṣaṇmārgasandarśakam
kīrtiprītikaraṃ janasya laghunā kālena kāmapradam |
sevyaṃ sadyatibhirdhṛtaplutapadaṃ nyāsāttalokatrayam
tālānāṃ kathayāmi lakṣaṇamahaṃ pūrvoktaśāstrakramāt || 

In this benedictory śloka, the author proclaims tāla, to be a form of Lord Viṣṇu (Tāla is Viṣṇusvarūpa). Following the style of many earlier writers like Śārṅgadeva, the śleṣālaṅkāra has been used to bring out another set of meanings for the words in the śloka, that would indicate the gist of the subject that would be dealt with. It is interesting that the very same verse is found in Saṅgītacūḍāmaṇi of Jagadekamalla^[1]. It is preceeded by a short introductory statement—“Atha tālaprakaraṇam”. Jagadekamalla lived during the 12th Century C.E., which is around 300 years prior to Acyutarāya.

Further, we find the very same verse in manuscript titled Bharataśāstram (GOML-R 20175/ SR 8893). In this case, the śloka is followed by—“Iti kohala vadanam”. Though this śloka finds a place in Saṅgītacūḍāmaṇi, the material that follows it is different. Therefore this śloka is a part of some other work. The connection to Kohala is also relevant because the same śloka appears in Tālalakṣaṇam, which is also attributed to him. Thus we see that this one śloka occurs in three different works at different points of time. Could this then be a śloka, which had come down through many centuries he ages as Kohala’s composition, and due to its popularity/ relevance used by many lakṣaṇakāras at different points in time? 

Subsequently, the importance of tāla, the etymology of the word tāla, nature of tāla (nitya or anitya) are discussed in detail. 

Interestingly the author says that one who does not follow tāla correctly will go to hell.

तौर्यत्रिकं तालहीनं चालयेत्पुरुषाधमः ।
स पापी नरकं घोरं आशु गच्छति सान्वयः ॥

tauryatrikaṃ tālahīnaṃ cālayetpuruṣādhamaḥ |
sa pāpī narakaṃ ghoraṃ āśu gacchati sānvayaḥ ||

He then goes on to give us the list of the daśaprāṇas.

कालो मार्गक्रियाङ्गानि ग्रहो जातिः कला लयः ।
यतिः प्रस्तारकश्चेति तालप्राणा दश स्मृताः ॥

kālo mārgakriyāṅgāni graho jātiḥ kalā layaḥ |
yatiḥ prastārakaśceti tālaprāṇā daśa smṛtāḥ ||

1 Kāla

Kāla means time. It can be described as the relation between the time measure followed in tāla and the duration as experienced in daily life. 

The author defines the basic unit of measuring time in the context of music—kṣaṇa.

उपर्युपरि विन्यस्य पद्मपत्रशतं सकृत् ।
यः कालः सूचिसंभेदात् क्षणस्स परिकीर्तितः ॥

uparyupari vinyasya padmapatraśataṃ sakṛt |
yaḥ kālaḥ sūcisaṃbhedāt kṣaṇassa parikīrtitaḥ ||

Kṣaṇa has been defined as defined as the time taken for a needle to pierce through hundred lotus petals stacked one on top of the other.

He then gives the other units of measuring kāla, in relation to kṣaṇa

Lava = 8 Kṣaṇas;
Kāṣṭa = 8 Lavas;
Nimeṣā = 8 Kāṣṭas;
Kalā = 8 Nimeṣa;
2 Kalā = Caturbhāgam;
2 Caturbhāga = Anudrutam;
2 Anudruta = Laghu;
2 laghu = Guru;
3 Laghu = Pluta;

2 Mārga 

In the context of tāla, mārga refers to the duration of the time units. The author discusses the different schools of thought regarding mārga in this segment. He begins with the four mārgas mentioned by Śārṅgadeva.

S. No.	Text being referred	No. of Mārgas	List of Mārgas
i.	Saṅgītaratnākarā	4	Dhruva, Citra, Vārtika, Dakṣiṇa
ii.	Tālakalāvilāsa	4	Citra, Citratara, Citratama, Aticitratama (fit for Deśi tālās)
iii.	Saṅgītamārga and Caturasabhāvilāsa	5	Dakṣiṇa, Vārtika, Citra, Citratara, Citratama
iv.	Saṅgītavidyāvinoda	6	Dakṣiṇa, Vārtika, Citra, Citratara, Citratama, Aticitratama
v.	Jainamata	12	Dakṣiṇa, Vārtika, Citra, Citratara, Citratama, Aticitra, Caturbhāga, Sṛti, Tṛti, Anutṛti, Gharṣaṇa, Anugharṣaṇa, Svara

3 Kriyā

Kriyā means action. The actions used to manifest tāla are called kriyās.

Tālalakṣaṇam refers to the two kinds of kriyās viz.

1. mārga kriyās;
2. deśī kriyās.

Mārga kriyās are of two kinds—

1. Niśśabda kriyās — Āvāpa, Niṣkrāma, Vikṣepa, Praveśa;
2. Saśabda kriyās — Dhruva, Śamyā, Tāḷa, Sannipāta.

Deśī kriyās are of eight kinds: 

1. dhruvakā, 
2. sarpiṇī, 
3. kṛṣyā, 
4. padminī, 
5. visarjitā,
6. vikṣiptā,
7. patākā, 
8. patitā. 

Of these dhruvakā alone is said to be saśabda and the rest are niśśabda kriyās. Saṅgītamakaranda also uses the term deśī-kriyās.

4 Aṅga

Aṅga denotes a limb of a tāla. The author begins by mentioning the four types of aṅgas (druta, laghu, guru, pluta) according to the views found in Saṅgītacūḍamaṇi. Āñjaneyamatam also gives the same four aṅgas. Tālakalāvilāsam gives a more detailed account of the aṅgas. He lists five aṅgas namely anudruta, druta, laghu, guru, pluta and gives the Adhidevatas, symbols for each of the aṅgas, time duration of each aṅga in terms of laghvakṣaras, reasons for having special designations for laghu, pluta etc. He also gives specific names for each of the five aṅgas.

S. No	Name of the Aṅga	Special Designation
i.	Anudruta	Ardhacandra, Vyañjana, Anunāsika, Avyakta
ii.	Druta	Ardhamātra, Vyoma, Bindu, Valaya
iii.	Laghu	Mātra, Sarala, Hrasva, Kalā
iv.	Guru	Dvimātra, Vakra, Dīrgha, Yamala
v.	Pluta	Trimātraka, Samodbhava, Tryaṅga

The author also talks about a sixth aṅga, namely haṃsapādam kākapādam as mentioned in Tālakalāvilāsam and Caturasabhāvilāsam, which was used in the citratālas.

5 Jāti  

The author begins this section by saying that there are five jātis in all, viz.

1. caturaśra, 
2. tiśra, 
3. miśra, 
4. khaṇḍa and
5. saṅkīrṇa. 

According to the authors of Tālakalāvilāsam and Nṛttacūḍāmaṇi, the duration taken to utter the caturaśra laghu is four laghvakṣaras, the duration for a tryaśra laghu is three laghvakṣaras and so on. It is interesting to note that the author of Nṛttacūḍāmaṇi says that five varieties of laghus are only possible in the imaginary realm or to show off one’s prowess and not admissible in lakṣya. The author of Āñjaneyamatam accepts only two kinds of laghus viz. caturaśra and tryaśra and the other three jātis are only derivatives from these.

6 Graha

The etymology of the word graha is dealt with at the outset, followed by the names of the three graha-s-sama, atīta and anāgata, along with their definitions. When the music and tāla commence at the same time, it is said to be sama graha. If the tāla starts before the gīta, then he calls it atīta graha. And, if the gīta starts before the tāla, he calls it anāgata graha. A noteworthy aspect here, is that the definitions of atīta and anāgata graha are exactly the opposite of what is in practice today. It is interesting to note that the interpretation of graha in Kallinātha’s commentary on the Saṅgītaratnākara is opposed to that of Siṃhabhūpāla’s. Present day lakṣya in Karṇāṭaka music follows Siṃhabhūpāla’s interpretation. It is quite possible that this work follows Kallinātha’s. 

In this context the author makes out a list of works which support his views on this subject.

1. Saṅgītaratnākara;
2. Tālakalāvilāsa;
3. Saṅgītamaṇidarpaṇa;
4. Kātyāyanamata;
5. Nṛttacūḍāmaṇi;
6. Saṅgītavidyāvinoda;
7. Caturasabhāvilāsa;
8. Jainamata;
9. Āñjaneyamata;
10. Saṅgīstārṇava;

Regarding viṣama graha, he disagrees with the views put forth by Saṅgītārṇava and gives the opinions of Bhaṭṭa Lollaṭa, Triśaṅku, Kapardi, Raṅgarāja and other commentators on Bharata sūtra. The author begins a section dealing with the interrelationship of jāti, mārga, graha and laya. He deals with both technical as well as some philosophical aspects with regard to these.

7 Kalā  

The author mentions the three kalās viz.

1. ekakala, 
2. dvikala and
3. catuṣkala.

When there occurs one guru akṣara in each pāda of a tāla, it is called ekakala. When two guru akṣaras occur in each pāda, it is called dvikala and when four guru akṣaras occur in each pāda, it is called catuṣkala. The author then proceeds to explain the concept of kalā using the mārga tālas. He gives all the details regarding the structure of the tāla, the kriyās to be employed, the mārgas to be used etc. for each of the five mārga tālas.

8 Laya  

The author explains the importance of viśrānti between two consecutive kriyās in a tāla. He calls this laya.

Laya is of three types viz.

1. druta, 
2. madhya and 
3. vilambita.

In druta laya, the gap between the kriyās is very small. The author also explains the relationship between mārga and laya using some examples. He says that there are six mārgas and three layas for each of them. He also mentions that laya can be of several varieties. 

For instance, druta laya can have druta, madhya and vilamba varieties, madhya laya can have madhya druta and vilamba varieties, and vilamba laya can have vilamba, madhya and druta varieties.

द्रुतादौ द्रुतमध्यादि भेदेन असावनेकधा ।

drutādau drutamadhyādi bhedena asāvanekadhā |^[2]

9 Yati  

The author describes yati as a regulated manifestation of laya. If one laya is operating throughout the tāla, it is called samā-yati. If laya is proceeding in the same mārga throughout, it is samā-yati. If vilamba, madhya and druta layas come in this order in a tāla, it is called śrotovahā-yati and if the order is druta, madhya and vilamba layas it is called gopucchā-yati. The author of Caturasabhāvilāsam mentions six varieties of yati namely, śrotovahā, gopucchā, samā, yavamadhyā (mṛdaṅgā yati), vedimadhyā (pipīlikā yati), and viṣamā yati. He also lists out some other yatis like khaḍga yati, nāga yati, cakta yati, padaśu yati etc. as given by Śārṅgadeva. Śārṅgadeva says that the three main yatis would suffice, but other varieties can be technically formulated. It is noteworthy that the term yati is being used in Tālalakṣaṇam, to connote change in tempo. In some later works, it came to denote the pattern in the arrangement of aṅgas in a Tāla. Today the term yati is used in the arrangement of sāhitya in the lyrics of a composition.

10 Prastāra

Prastāra refers to the working out the varieties that a basic form of a tāla can yield, by breaking down its aṅgas into smaller units and then making permutations and combinations. 

The author begins mentioning that he would be dealing with pañcāṅga prastāra, or prastāra using the five aṅgas namely, 

1. anudruta, 
2. druta, 
3. laghu, 
4. guru and
5. pluta. 

Though the author makes this remark initially, he later on gives details for virāma prastāra also. The author has based his information on Saṅgītaratnākara. The portion on prastāra is dealt with in great length and detail. It would account for almost half of the entire text. The explanations are given along with suitable diagrams of the each of the merus.

Footnotes and references:

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[1]:

Saṅgītacūḍāmaṇi: 1958: p.6

[2]:

Tālalakṣaṇam: GOML: Acc no. R7979: Fol.103