4. Instrumental Music (Vādya)

Music is totally based on sound and the instrumental Music is nothing but the sound, created with different instruments. In Sanskrit the term ātodya is used to denote instrument.^[1] According to the Saṃgītaratnākara, instrumental Music is that which manifests nāda i.e., sound.^[2] The Nāṭyaśāstra^[3] as well as the Saṃgītaratnākara accepts four kinds of instrumental Music.^[4]

The Viṣṇudharmottarapurāṇa also accepts four kinds and gives the divisions of instrumental Music as-

1. tata,
2. suṣira,
3. ghana and
4. avanaddha.^[5]

These are discussed here—

1. Tata:

The musical instrument called tata denotes that kind of instrument which has strings.^[6] According to the Viṣṇudharmottarapurāṇa, the instruments having strings like vīṇā etc. are included in this group of musical instruments.^[7]

According to the Saṃgītaratnākara, vīṇā is of two kinds viz.,

1. śrutivīṇā and
2. svaravīṇā.^[8]

2. Suṣira:

The word suṣira means hollow.^[9] So it can be said that the instrument called suṣira is filled with holes and it is hollow from inside.^[10] The suṣira kind of instrument is also known as wind instrument.^[11] According to the Viṣṇudharmottarapurāṇa, instruments like flute etc. fall under the group of suṣira kind of instrument.^[12]

In the Saṃgītaratnākara, different kinds of wind instruments are mentioned. These are—

1. vaṃśa,
2. pāva,
3. pāvikā,
4. muralī,
5. madhukara,
6. kāhala,
7. tuṇḍukinya,
8. cukkā,
9. śṛṅgamata and
10. śaṅkha.^[13]

3. Ghana:

In the Kalānidhi commentary of Kallinātha on Saṃgītaratnākara, the word ghana is explained as mūrti i.e., material element^[14] and it is said that—

ghana ityasya vyākhyānaṃ mūrtiriti.^[15]

It can be said that as the word ghana denotes compactor solid^[16], this kind of Music instruments are made with some solid metals. According to the Saṃgītaratnākara, the ghana kind of instruments make sound when they strike together.^[17] The Viṣṇudharmottarapurāṇa mentions tāla i.e., cymbal as the example of ghana kind of instrument.^[18] The Saṃgītaratnākara also mentions tāla, kāṃsya, ghaṇṭā, kṣudraghaṇṭikā, jayaghaṇṭā, kamrā, śuktipaṭṭa etc as examples of ghana kind of instrument.^[19]

4. Avanaddha:

According to the Saṃgītaratnākara, those instruments whose mouths are covered with leather, known as avanaddha.^[20] In the Viṣṇudharmottarapurāṇa, murajā i.e., drum^[21] etc. are included under the group of avanaddha type of instruments.^[22]

In the Saṃgītaratnākara, some examples of avanaddha type of instruments are given. These are—

1. paṭaha,
2. mardala,
3. huḍukkā,
4. karaṭā,
5. ghaṭa,
6. ghaḍasa,
7. ḍhavasa,
8. ḍhakkā,
9. kuḍukkā,
10. kuḍuvā,
11. ruñjā,
12. ḍamaruka,
13. ḍakkā,
14. maṇḍiḍakkā,
15. ḍakkulī,
16. sellukā,
17. jhallarī,
18. bhāṇa,
19. trivalī,
20. dundubhi,
21. bherī,
22. niḥsāṇa and
23. tumbakya.^[23]

Different Elements and Characteristics Features of Instrumental Music:

The Nāṭyaśāstra says that the instrumental Music should be associated with some characteristics.^[24]

The Viṣṇudharmottarapurāṇa also discusses some characteristic features of instrumental Music which are discussed here.

a) In instrumental Music, the svaras i.e., notes are same with vocal Music. But the only difference is that in the case of vocal Music the notes raise from below to upwards where as in the case of instruments like vīṇā, flute etc., the order is reversed.^[25]

b) The Viṣṇudharmottarapurāṇa talks about three kinds of vṛttis of instrumental Music. On those vṛttis of instrumental Music, the playing procedures of instruments are dependent. Three kinds of vṛttis are- citrā, vṛtti and dakṣiṇā.^[26] Citrā, vṛtti and dakṣiṇā consist of two, four and eight mātrās respectively.^[27] In the Nāṭyaśāstra the term kalā is used to denote vṛtti.^[28]

c) In the Viṣṇudharmottarapurāṇa, the playing of murajā i.e., drum type of instrument is nicely explained. It is said here that to play these kinds of instruments, sixteen syllables are needed. These syllables are- ka, kha, ga, gha, ṭa, ṭha, ḍa, ḍha, ta, tha, da, dha, ya, ra, la and ha.^[29] These syllables are played on a drum kind of instruments with proper hand strokes. In the Nāṭyaśāstra, five kinds of pāṇiprahata i.e., hand strokes are recommended to play the drum type of instrument. These are- samapāṇi, ardhapāṇi, ardhārdhapāṇi, pārśvapāṇi and pradeśinī.^[30] These hand stokes can be completely controlled, semi controlled or may be free, according to their uses.^[31]

d) According to the Viṣṇudharmottarapurāṇa, there are four kinds of mārgas i.e., way of playing drum. These are- ahita, vitasta, ālipta and gomukhī.^[32] In this context the Viṣṇudharmottarapurāṇa seems to follow the Nāṭyaśāstra as Nāṭyaśāstra also accepts four kinds of mārgas.^[33] According to the Nāṭyaśāstra^[34] as well as the Viṣṇudharmottarapurāṇa, the mārgas are related in connection with their projection of different sentiments. The instruments should be played in different mārgas for the depiction of different sentiments. For example-In the projection of śṛṅgāra and hāsya rasas, the instruments have to be played in ahitamārga. In vīra, raudra and adbhuta, the mārga of playing instruments should be vitastamārga. In karuṇa and śānta, the āliptamārga and in bībhatsa and bhayānaka, the gomukhīmārga are followed.^[35]

e) In the Viṣṇudharmottarapurāṇa, the sitting arrangements of the musicians are also discussed. According to the Viṣṇudharmottarapurāṇa, the musicians should sit near the door of the greenroom. Moreover, they should be visible properly.^[36] The Nāṭyaśāstra also says about an orchestra which should be endowed with players of stringed instruments, singers, attendance of the singer, players of vipāñcī, vīṇā, vaṃśa, mṛdaṅga, paṇava and dardura.^[37]

From the above discussion, it can be said that the Viṣṇudharmottarapurāṇa offers a very technical and minute discussion about the elements of Vocal Music as well as Instrumental Music, through which one can get an overall knowledge about the technicality of Indian music and its richness during the period of this purāṇa specifically.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

ātodyaṃ vādyam/ Śabdakalpadruma, Vol-1, p.170

[2]:

….vādyaṃ nādavyaktyā praśasyate/ Saṃgītaratnākara, Vol-1, 2.1

[3]:

caturvidhaṃ tu vijñeyamātodyaṃ lakṣaṇānvitam/ Nāṭyaśāstra, 28.1

[4]:

[...] Saṃgītaratnākara, Vol-3. 6.3

[5]:

caturvadhamātodyaṃ tataṃ suṣiraṃ ghanamavanaddhaṃ ca/ Viṣṇudharmottarapurāṇa, 3.19. p. 38

[6]:

…..tataṃ tantrīgataṃ…../ Nāṭyaśāstra, 28.2

[7]:

[...] Viṣṇudharmottarapurāṇa, 3.19. p. 38

[8]:

[...] Saṃgītaratnākara, Vol-3. 6.7

[9]:

V.S Apte, The Student’s Sanskrit English Dictionary, p.609

[10]:

suśiraṃ chidramasyāstīti suṣiramiti suṣiravādyasya lakṣaṇam/ Saṃgītaratnākara, Kalānidhi commentary, Vol-3,6.p.318

[11]:

V.S Apte, The Student’s Sanskrit English Dictionary, p.609

[12]:

…..suṣiraṃ vaṃśādi…./ Viṣṇudharmottarapurāṇa, 3.19. p. 38

[13]:

[...] Saṃgītaratnākara, vol-3, 6.11-12

[14]:

V.S Apte, The Student’s Sanskrit English Dictionary, p.444

[15]:

Saṃgītaratnākara, Kalānidhi commentary, Vol-3,6.p.318

[16]:

V.S Apte, The Student’s Sanskrit English Dictionary, p.197

[17]:

……..sābhighātād vādyate yatra tad ghanam/ Saṃgītaratnākara, vol.3, 6.6

[18]:

……ghanaṃ tālādi…./ Viṣṇudharmottarapurāṇa, 3.19.p.38

[19]:

[...] Saṃgītaratnākara, vol.3, 6.15

[20]:

carmāvanaddhavadanamavanaddhaṃ tu vādyate/ Ibid., vol.3, 6.6

[21]:

V.S Apte, The Student’s Sanskrit English Dictionary, p.443

[22]:

…..avanddhaṃ murajādi…../ Viṣṇudharmottarapurāṇa, 3.19.p.38

[23]:

Saṃgītaratnākara, vol-3, 6.12-14

[24]:

[...] Nāṭyaśāstra, 28.1

[25]:

[...] Viṣṇudharmottarapurāṇa, 3.19.p.38

[26]:

[...] Ibid., 3.19.p.38

[27]:

[...] Ibid., 3.19.p.38

[28]:

[...] Nāṭyaśāstra, 31.5-6

[29]:

[...] Viṣṇudharmottarapurāṇa, 3.19.p.38

[30]:

[...] Nāṭyaśāstra, 33.p.1355

[31]:

ete ca pāṇiprahatā nigṛhītārdhārdhanigṛhītā muktā yathāyogaṃ kāryā bhavanti/ Nāṭyaśāstra, p.1359

[32]:

……ahitavitastāliptagomukhīmārgāḥ……/ Viṣṇudharmottarapurāṇa, 3.19.p.38

[33]:

Nāṭyaśāstra, 33.p.1355

[34]:

…..mārgāśrite rasaiḥ samyak/ Ibid., 34.23

[35]:

[...] Viṣṇudharmottarapurāṇa, 3.19.p.39

[36]:

bhavanti cātra nepathyabhavanadvārāsamānaraṅgābhivīkṣaṇam/ Ibid., 3.19.p.39

[37]:

[...] Nāṭyaśāstra, 28.4-5