Alahania (Mahala 1)

Alahani 1,2,4 and 5

Rag Vadahans 
Of the thirty-one principal rags in the Guru Granth Sahib, Rag Vadahans (a musical mode) has been designated the eighth place in the sequence. Under this rag, the Bani of four Gurus is recorded from pages 557 to 594 of the Guru Granth Sahib. It includes thirteen Sabads by Guru Nanak Sahib, sixty-one by Guru Amardas Sahib, thirty by Guru Ramdas Sahib, and sixteen by Guru Arjan Sahib.

Rag Vadahans has a prominent place in Gurmat Sangit (Sikh Devotional Music). The Gurus have used this rag in its classical form and tunes related to folk-poetry (Ghorian, Alahania, etc.). By using this rag in ‘Alahania,’ the poetic form related to death, and ‘Ghorian,’ the poetic form related to weddings, the Gurus have treated ‘joy and sorrow’ alike in the Guru Granth Sahib.

In the Sanskrit texts, Rag Vadahans is written as ‘Vadahansika,’ and it is considered a ragini. In the Guru Granth Sahib, two forms of this rag are recorded: Vadahans and Vadahans Dakhni. But there is no mention of this rag in ‘Ragmala’ recorded in the Guru Granth Sahib.

In Rag Vadahans, flavors of Rag Tilak Kamod, Rag Barva, and Rag Des can be found. Scholars of music have categorized this rag under Khamaj that. In this rag, when the notes ‘DhaMa PaNiSa (tar saptak - upper octave)’ are used, listeners get a taste of Rag Barva. But after this, when the singer uses the combination of the notes ‘Re (tar saptak - upper octave) Ni (komal - flat) DhaPa, Dha Ma GaRe,’ the feel of Rag Barva goes away. The rag that resembles the latter tune is Rag Des.

According to Bhai Vir Singh, Rag Vadahans is considered the son of Sirirag in the Bharat school of thought, ragini of Rag Pancham in Shiva school of thought, ragini of Rag Megh in Ragaranav school of thought, and the son of Rag Malkauns in the ‘Sur Tal Samuh’ Granth. Rag Vadahans is formed by a combination of Rag Maru, Rag Gaurani Durga, Rag Dhanasari, and Rag Jaitsari.

Bhai Kahn Singh Nabha is of the opinion that the form of Rag Vadahans belongs to Khamaj that. In this rag, both Ni are used, and the remaining notes are shudh (natural). Pa is vadi (prominent note) and Re is samvadi (sub-prominent note). This rag has a strong resemblance to Rag Barva.

Scholars of Gurmat Sangit, S. Gian Singh Abbottabad, Bhai Avtar Singh and Bhai Gurcharn Singh, Prof. Tara Singh, and the Rag Nirnayak Committee, etc., are unanimous about the following form of Rag Vadahans:

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

Singing Time
The third quarter of the day.

Alahani 3
Rag Vadahans Dakhni
Rag Vadahans Dakhni (a musical mode) is one of the thirty-one mixed rags/rag forms in the Guru Granth Sahib. Under this rag, only Guru Nanak Sahib has revealed Bani; there are three Sabads by him, which are recorded from pages 580 to 582 of the Guru Granth Sahib.

Rag Vadahans Dakhni is a form of Rag Vadahans itself. This rag is found only in the Guru Granth Sahib. In the title of this rag, the literal meaning of the word ‘Dakhni’ is of great significance. In the Guru Granth Sahib, wherever the word ‘Dakhni’ is written with any rag, it refers to rags of Carnatic or South Indian music, like Gauri Dakhni, Ramkali Dakhni, Bilaval Dakhni, Vadahans Dakhni, etc.

Guru Nanak Sahib undertook udasis (four travels) to spread the message of Sikhi to people from different religions, castes, regions, and cultural traditions. In order to propagate Bani, apart from adopting the poetic-forms, folk-tunes of various languages, the Guru recited Bani in rags prevalent in Hindustani (North Indian) and Carnatic (South Indian) music systems. This rag is an example of that. In this way, by composing Bani in rags belonging to both music systems, the Guru has significantly contributed towards bridging the gap between the two music systems.

In the Guru Granth Sahib, whenever rags of Hindustani music are used, only the names of rags have been mentioned in titles, such as Gauri, Vadahans, Bilaval, Asa, etc. Whereas, when rags of Carnatic music are used, the term ‘Dakhni’ has always been written in rag titles, such as in Bilaval Dakhni, Ramkali Dakhni, etc. This is an important indication distinguishing the two musical traditions to which the respective rags belong.

It is evident from the name of this rag, that it is not a rag of Hindustani music; rather, it is a rag belonging to South Indian or Carnatic music tradition. According to Prof. Tara Singh, this rag is considered to have originated from ‘Hari Kambhoji’ that of Carnatic music, which is similar to Khamaj that in Hindustani music. In this rag, Ni is komal (flat) and all other notes are shudh (natural). Its vadi (prominent note) is Pa and samvadi (sub-prominent note) Sa.

Sant Sarwan Singh Gandharv provides the description of this rag as: Khamaj that, Ni komal, vadi is Sa, samvadi is Pa and varjit svar (forbidden note) are Ga and Ni in aroh (ascending scale), jati (class) is aurav-sampuran. According to Prof. Kartar Singh, the form of Rag Balhans from Carnatic music has been considered to be the basis for Rag Vadahans Dakhni. The same form has been accepted by Rag Nirnayak Committee, which is as follows:

Description of Rag Vadahans Dakhni:
That: Mel Hari Kambhoji.
Svar (notes): Ni komal (flat), rest all notes shudh (natural).
Varjit Svar (forbidden notes): Ga and Ni in aroh (ascending scale).
Jati (class): aurav-sampuran.
Vadi (prominent note): Pa.
Samvadi (sub-prominent note): Sa.
Aroh (ascending scale): Sa, Re Ma Pa, Dha Sa (tar saptak - upper octave).
Avroh (descending scale): Sa (tar saptak - upper octave), Ni (komal - flat) Dha Pa, Ma, Re Ma Ga, Sa Re Ni (komal mandar saptak - flat lower octave) Dha (mandar saptak - lower octave) Sa.
Mukh Ang/Pakar (main part): Sa Re Ma Pa, Ma, Re Ma Ga Sa Ni (komal mandar saptak - flat lower octave), Dha (mandar saptak - lower octave) Sa.

Singing time
The third quarter of the day.