Anjuli

Rag Maru
Of the thirty-one principal rags in the Guru Granth Sahib, Rag Maru has been designated the twenty-first place in the sequence. The compositions of six Gurus and four Bhagats is recorded under this rag from pages 989 to 1106 of the Guru Granth Sahib. This includes sixty-five Sabads by Guru Nanak Sahib, one by Guru Angad Sahib, seventy-five by Guru Amardas Sahib, thirteen by Guru Ramdas Sahib, one hundred forty-eight by Guru Arjan Sahib, three by Guru Teghbahadar Sahib, eleven by Bhagat Kabir Ji, two by Bhagat Ravidas Ji, and one each by Bhagat Namdev Ji and Bhagat Jaidev Ji.

One of the meanings of ‘Maru’ is barren land, desert, or sandy area. Perhaps that is why Rag Maru is considered the rag of the deserts. Guru Nanak Sahib also uses the word Maru in one of his compositions in the same sense:
mārū mīhi na triptiā agī lahai na bhukh. -Guru Granth Sahib 148.

Bhai Kahn Singh Nabha, while associating Rag Maru with enthusiasm and zeal, writes that Rag Maru has the effect of making warriors ready to accept death. For this reason, many scholars consider Rag Maru to be a special rag of war. He quotes the line ‘ummal lathe jodhe mārū vajiā’ from Chandi Di Var (pauri 16) and interprets Maru as ‘war-drum, a large kettledrum with loud noise’ (jangi nagara, uchi dhuni vala dhonsa). In both these interpretations, the meaning of the word Maru is connected to war.

The effect of Rag Maru is such that when a melody of this rag is played, cowardice dissipates: suṇ ke sudh nā rahe kāiar kī, jab bājai dhun mārū. It seems Guru Arjan Sahib recorded the following passion-filled salok of Bhagat Kabir Ji under Rag Maru because of the enthusiastic nature of this rag:
sūrā so pahicānīai ju larai dīn ke het.
purjā purjā kaṭi marai kabahū na chāḍai khetu. -Guru Granth Sahib 1105.

Rag Maru that is popular in Gurmat Sangit (Sikh Devotional Music) has its own distinct form and effect. As per some scholars, Rag Maru, along with enthusiasm, is also a rag associated with a sense of separation. Therefore, it is sung both during war and at the time of someone’s death. The tradition of singing Sabads in this rag during ceremonies related to death is very old. The notes of this rag create an atmosphere that conveys a sense of separation or detachment. The Gur Partap Suraj Granth also contains references to the singing of Rag Maru during the cremation of Guru Harigobind Sahib’s body and Guru Teghbahadar Sahib’s head. For example, the time of the cremation of Guru Harigobind Sahib’s body is described as follows:
shabad rabābī gāvan gavaiṁ. mārū ar vaḍhans sunāvai.

In the idiom of the Nihang Sikhs, the meaning of ‘mārū gāuṇā’ (singing Maru) is to cry or call out in pain. Therefore, the acts of crying, wailing, lamenting, etc., are also called ‘mārū gāuṇā.’ It seems that Nihang Sikhs may have coined this idiom for crying and wailing from the tradition of singing Sabads from Rag Maru, which are filled with the feeling of separation or detachment at the time of someone’s death.

Rag Maru is also used as a symbol of crying or calling out in pain in some poems. For example, a poem ‘asade upar hoye papan da sabut’ written by Gurmukh Singh Musafir during the days of Akali Movement:
kannī suṇ lavīṁ rāg sabh bulbulāṁ dā,
kise rāg dī sānūṁ pichān kī e.
bulbul bāg dī phire betāb vekhī,
bināṁ rāg mārū hoṇ gāṇ kī e.

Rag Maru is a popular and old rag. This rag is also known as Malav, Maruv, Maruva, or Marvika, and is sung in many ways. In the Guru Granth Sahib, under Rag Maru, Bani is recorded in two more forms of the rag, namely Maru Kaphi and Maru Dakhni.

In the Hanuman school of Hindustani music, Rag Maru is considered the son of Malkauns. In the Bharat school of music, it is considered the son of Hindol. In the Shiv school of music, it is considered the son of Srirag. In the ‘Ragmala’ of the Guru Granth Sahib, it is considered the son of Malkauns:
mārū mastaaṅg mevārā. prabalcanḍ kaüsak ubhārā.
khaükhaṭ aü bhaürānad gāe. asṭ mālkaüsak saṅgi lāe.1. -Guru Granth Sahib 1430.

As per Bhai Kahn Singh Nabha, jati (class) of Rag Maru is sharav. The note Pa is varjit (forbidden) in this rag, while Sa, Ga, Dha, and Ni are shudh (natural), Re is komal (flat), and Ma is tivar (sharp). Its vadi (prominent note) is Ga, and samvadi (sub-prominent note) is Dha.

Prof. Tara Singh mentions three types of this rag: the first belongs to Marva that, the second to Bilaval that, and the third to Khamaj that. In the first one, Sa and Re are komal, Ma is tivar, Pa is varjit; the remaining notes are shudh. In the second type of this rag, all notes are shudh. Its vadi is Ga, and samvadi is Ni. The jati of this rag is aurav-sampuran. In the third type of this rag, both Ni are used, and the remaining notes are shudh. In this rag, it is a tradition to keep Re and Dha varjit in aroh (ascending scale), while all seven notes are used in avroh (descending scale). The jati of this rag is aurav-sampuran.

Dr. Gurnam Singh also mentions three types of this rag. In the first type, Rag Maru is considered a derivative of Marwa. It is believed that the second type is derived from Khamaj that, and the third from Bilaval that. Sardar Gian Singh Abbottabad, Bhai Avtar Singh, Bhai Gurcharn Singh consider Rag Maru to be from Khamaj that.

Therefore, scholars have different viewpoints about Rag Maru. The only form of this rag approved by the Rag Nirnayak Committee is as follows:

Description of Rag Maru
That: Khamaj.
Svar (notes): Both Ma, both Dha, both Ni, rest all notes are shudh (natural).
Varjit Svar (forbidden notes): Re (in aroh - ascending scale).
Jati (class): sharav-sampuran.
Vadi (prominent note): Ga.
Samvadi (sub-prominent note): Ni.
Aroh (ascending scale): Sa Ga Ma Pa, Dha Ni Sa (tar saptak - upper octave).
Avroh (descending scale): Sa (tar saptak - upper octave) Ni Dha Pa, Ma (tivar - sharp) Pa Dha (komal - flat) Ni Dha (komal - flat) Pa, Ma Ga Re Sa.
Mukh Ang/Pakar (main part): Pa Pa Ni (komal - flat) Dha Pa, Ma (tivar - sharp) Pa Dha (komal - flat) Ni Dha (komal - flat) Pa, Pa Dha Pa Ga, Re, Ga Re Sa.

Singing Time
The third quarter of the day.