Bani Bhagat Sadhna

Rag Bilaval
Out of the thirty-one principal rags in the Guru Granth Sahib, Rag Bilaval has been designated sixteenth place in the sequence. The Bani of five Gurus and four Bhagats is recorded under this rag, on pages 795 to 858 of the Guru Granth Sahib. It includes thirty Sabads by Guru Nanak Sahib, fifty-one by Guru Amardas Sahib, thirty by Guru Ramdas Sahib, one hundred and thirty-seven by Guru Arjan Sahib, three by Guru Teghbahadar Sahib, twelve by Bhagat Kabir Ji, two by Bhagat Ravidas, and one each by Bhagat Namdev and Bhagat Sadhna Ji.

Bilaval is an old and famous rag. Almost every author of the medieval era has mentioned this rag. Sanskrit authors call this rag Velavali, Vilavali, or Bilavali. There are many other prevalent forms of this rag, such as: Alhia Bilaval, Shukal Bilaval, Devgiri Bilaval, Yamani Bilaval, Bihag Bilaval, Suha Bilaval, Eman Bilaval, Kamodi Bilaval, Bilaval, Madharmia Bilaval, etc. Two forms of this rag are recorded in the Guru Granth Sahib: Bilaval Dakhni and Bilaval Mangal.

Bilaval is considered to be a rag of auspiciousness and happiness. It is tradition to do kirtan in Rag Bilaval during happy occasions. Even in the Guru Granth Sahib, in the Bani revealed under this rag, there is ample description of the distinctive happiness experienced through union with the Divine that results in ecstasy, joy, and bliss on the path of spiritual life. But as per Gurbani, all rags and melodies, including Rag Bilaval, are pleasant only when the consciousness is attached to Nam:
bilāvalu tab hī kījīai jab mukhi hovai nāmu.
rāg nād sabadi sohaṇe jā lāgai sahaji dhiānu. -Guru Granth Sahib 849.

Some scholars consider Rag Bilaval to be a rag of sampuran jati (class), and some consider it a ragini. Bhai Kahn Singh Nabha also considered it to be a rag of sampuran jati, in which all notes are shudh (natural). In the ‘Ragmala’ recorded in the Guru Granth Sahib, Bilaval is considered to be the son of Rag Bhairav, and Bilavali is considered to be the wife (ragini) of Rag Bhairav. Even though in Ragmala, Bilaval and Bilavali are considered separate, Bilaval has also been called Bilavali by Prof. Tara Singh and other scholars.

Rag Bilaval is born from its own that. Pandit Bhatkhande has considered Bilaval that as a natural that. In this that/rag, all notes are natural. Because it is a morning rag, it is also called Rag Kalyan of the morning. Bilaval has been considered adhar saptak (foundational octave) in the northern Indic music style since the early part of the nineteenth century. Bilaval’s svar saptak (vocal octave) matches the key of C-Major in the western music. Today it is the principal rag of Bilaval that.

In Gurmat Sangit (Sikh Devotional Music), Rag Bilaval falls into the category of prevalent and significant rags. Guru Arjan Sahib positioned chaunki of Bilaval after chaunki of Asa Ki Var in the tradition of kirtan chaunkis established by him at Darbar Sahib, Amritsar. Even today, three Ragi (devotional hymn singers) groups do kirtan in a row from around 7 to 10am under the chaunki of Bilaval.

Prof. Tara Singh, Bhai Avtar Singh Bhai Gurcharn Singh, Sardar Gian Singh Abbottabad, Rag Nirnayak Committee and other scholars have given the following form of Rag Bilaval follows:

Description of Rag Bilaval
That: Bilaval.
Svar (notes): All shudh (natural) notes.
Varjit Svar (forbidden notes): None.
Jati (class): sampuran-sampuran.
Vadi (prominent note): Dha.
Samvadi (sub-prominent notes): Ga.
Aroh (ascending scale): Sa, Re Ga, Ma Pa, Dha, Ni Sa (tar saptak - upper octave).
Avroh (descending scale): Sa (tar saptak - upper octave) Ni Dha, Pa, Ma Ga, Re Sa.
Mukh Ang/Pakar (Main Part): Ga Re, Ga Pa Dha Pa, Ma Ga, Ma Re Sa.

Singing Time
The first quarter of the day.

In Gurmat Sangit (Sikh Devotional Music), Rag Bilaval falls into the category of prevalent and significant rags. Guru Arjan Sahib positioned chaunki of Bilaval after chaunki of Asa Ki Var in the tradition of kirtan chaunkis established by him at Darbar Sahib, Amritsar. Even today, three Ragi (devotional hymn singers) groups do kirtan in a row from around 7 to 10am under the chaunki of Bilaval.

Prof. Tara Singh, Bhai Avtar Singh Bhai Gurcharn Singh, Sardar Gian Singh Abbottabad, Rag Nirnayak Committee and other scholars have given the following form of Rag Bilaval follows:

Description of Rag Bilaval
That: Bilaval.
Svar (notes): All shudh (natural) notes.
Varjit Svar (forbidden notes): None.
Jati (class): sampuran-sampuran.
Vadi (prominent note): Dha.
Samvadi (sub-prominent notes): Ga.
Aroh (ascending scale): Sa, Re Ga, Ma Pa, Dha, Ni Sa (tar saptak - upper octave).
Avroh (descending scale): Sa (tar saptak - upper octave) Ni Dha, Pa, Ma Ga, Re Sa.
Mukh Ang/Pakar (Main Part): Ga Re, Ga Pa Dha Pa, Ma Ga, Ma Re Sa.

Singing Time
The first quarter of the day.