Ragmala

Ragmala or Ragamala, literally means a 'garland of Ragas, or musical melodies'. "Mala" means "garland", while "Raga" is a "musical composition or mode", which has also given rise to the series of Ragamala paintings.

This is the name given to the last composition in the Sikh Adi Granth, Guru Granth Sahib and like the Japji Sahib at the beginning of the Guru Granth Sahib, this composition has no heading to show the name of the author.

ikhism and Ragamala

The traditional and official position of the SGPC,is that according to Article XI (a) of Sikh Rehat Maryada (SRM): "The reading of the whole Guru Granth Sahib (intermittent or non-stop) may be concluded with the reading of Mundawani or the Rag Mala according to the convention traditionally observed at the concerned place. (Since there is a difference of opinion within the Panth on this issue, nobody should dare to write or print a copy of the Guru Granth Sahib excluding the Rag Mala). Thereafter, after reciting the Anand Sahib, the Ardas of the conclusion of the reading should be offered and the sacred pudding (Karhah Prashad) distributed".It is worth noting that only one minority Sikh body the AKhand Kirtani Jatha (AKJ) differ in their opinion about the inclusion of Ragmala in the Granth It is also notable that the Akhand kirtani Jatha contavenes chapter V / article VI d) It is improper, while singing hymns to rhythmic folk tunes or to traditional musical measures, or in team singing, to induct into them improvised and extraneous refrains. Only a line from the hymn should be made a refrain. to further clarify even the word Waheguru or Satnam to that matter cannot be used as a refrain as in the case that the the Jatha does exemplarily again and again. Though SGPC may get political the original Taksals of the Sikh religion condemn not reading Ragmala and consider it blasphemy, unbecoming of a Khalsa Sikh.

The Adi Granth contains the following thirty-one ragas (in the serial order):Sri raga, Manjh, Gauri, Asa, Gujri, Devagandhari, Bihagara, Wadahans, Sorath, Dhanasri, Jaitsri, Todi, Bairari, Tilang, Suhi, Bilaval, Gond (Gaund), Ramkali, Nut-Narayan, Mali-Gaura, Maru, Tukhar, Kedara, Bhairav (Bhairo), Basant, Sarrang, Malar, Kanra, Kalyan, Prabhati and Jaijawanti.

But of the above thirty-one ragas, technically fourteen are ragas and the rest are raginis. It may be noted that no distinction has been made in the Scripture between a raga and a ragini. Ragmala given at the end of the Guru Granth Sahib gives the following eighty-four melodies.

The Ragas

Six are male (parent) ragas; the thirty raginis are their wives and the remaining forty-eight are their sons. These are listed is as follows:

*(1) Parent Raga: Bhairav ragaWives: Bhairavi, Bilawali, Punyaki, Bangli, Aslekhi.Sons: Pancham, Harakh, Disakh, Bangal, Madhu, Madhava, Lalit, Bilaval.

*(2) Parent Raga: Malkaus ragaWives: Gaundkari, Devagandhari, Gandhari, Seehute, Dhanasri.Sons: Maru, Mustang, Mewara, Parbal, Chand, Khokhat, Bhora, Nad.

*(3) Parent Raga: Hindol ragaWives: Telangi, Devkari, Basanti, Sindhoori, Aheeri.Sons: Surmanand, Bhasker, Chandra-Bimb, Mangalan, Ban, Binoda, Basant, Kamoda.

*(4) Parent Raga: Deepak ragaWives: Kachheli, Patmanjari, Todi, Kamodi, Gujri.Sons: Kaalanka, Kuntal, Rama, Kamal, Kusum, Champak, Gaura, Kanra [36] .

*(5) Parent Raga: Sri ragaWives: Bairavi, Karnati, Gauri, Asavari, Sindhavi.Sons: Salu, Sarag, Sagra, Gaund, Gambhir, Gund, Kumbh, Hamir.

*(6) Parent Raga: Megh ragaWives: Sorath, Gaundi-Malari, Asa, Gunguni, Sooho.Sons: Biradhar, Gajdhar, Kedara, Jablidhar, Nut, Jaldhara, Sankar, Syama.

Ragas in Guru Granth Sahib

If we compare the above scheme with the ragas of the Guru Granth Sahib, we find that only two major ragas - Sri raga and Bhairav - have been included in the Scripture. The remaining male parent ragas, namely Malkaus, Hindol, Deepak and Megh have been excluded. Sri raga is the first raga in the Scripture instead of Bhairav raga of the Ragmala. Asawari used in the Scripture as a part of Asa raga is according to ragmala the wife of Sri raga. The following eleven wives (raginis) and eight sons of the parent-ragas are included in the Scripture:

*Bhairavi: Son: Bilaval

*Malkaus: Wives: Devagandhari, Dhanasri and Son: Maru

*Hindol: Wives: Tilang (Telangi) and Son: Basant

*Deepak: Wives: Todi, Gujri and Son: Kanra

*Sri Raga: Wives: Gauri, Bairavi and sons: Sarang, (Sarag), Gaund

*Megh: Wives: Sorath, Asa, Suhi (Sooho), Malar and sons: Nut, Kedara

There is no mention of Bihagara, Wadahans, Mali-Gaura, Kalyan [37] , Manjh, Jaitsri, Ramkali, Tukhari, Prabhati and Jaijawanti in Ragmala.

References

External links

* [http://www.sgpc.net/rehat_maryada/section_three_chap_five.html Sikh Rehat Maryada]