Anand Sanskar | Wedding Ceremony 2/2

Sabad 1 and Sabad 3
Rag Sirirag
Out of the thirty-one principal rags in the Guru Granth Sahib, Sirirag or Srirag (a musical mode) has been designated first place in the sequence. Under this rag, the Bani of five Gurus and four Bhagats is recorded from pages 14 to 93 of the Guru Granth Sahib. It includes sixty Sabads by Guru Nanak Sahib, two by Guru Angad Sahib, seventy-two by Guru Amardas Sahib, thirty-five by Guru Ramdas Sahib, forty-two by Guru Arjan Sahib, two by Bhagat Kabir Ji and one each by Bhagat Trilochan Ji, Bhagat Beni Ji, and Bhagat Ravidas Ji.   

Sirirag is an old, melodious, and complex rag. Regarding this rag, Guru Amardas Sahib has said that Sirirag is the most prominent among all the rags. But the singing of this rag is successful only when the being develops a love for the eternal IkOankar:
rāgā vici srīrāgu hai je saci dhare piāru. -Guru Granth Sahib 83.

Bhai Gurdas Ji also considers this rag as the supreme rag:
panchīan mai hans mrig rājan mai sārdūl rāgan me sirīrāgu pāras pakhān hai. -Bhai Gurdas, Kabit 376/3.

Apart from the Gurmat tradition, various schools of thought that follow the rag-ragini tradition have also considered Sirirag a significant rag. From a popular mythological perspective, Pandit Oankar Nath Thakur writes, “This is the sixth rag and is named as ‘Siri’ as it is believed to have originated from the ‘supreme/glorious’ (sri) mouth of Parvati; the other five rags having originated from the five mouths of Shankar (Shiva).” It is difficult to validate what is true in this mythological perspective, but it can surely be said that it is an old rag.

Prof. Tara Singh’s belief regarding the placing of this rag at the first position in the sequence of rags of the Guru Granth Sahib is that Guru Arjan Sahib didn’t ignore the classical tradition of the Hindustani music. At the time of the compilation of the Guru Granth Sahib, the Guru gave the first place to Sirirag, which originated from the octave of shudh (natural) notes of music.

In the Medieval Period, komal (flat) Ga and Ni were used in the octaves of natural notes, which is similar to today’s Kaphi that. Earlier, Sirirag was also sung on the notes of Kaphi that. Even today, the same form of the rag from Kaphi that in the North Indian style is prevalent in the Southern music system, which they called ‘Kharhar Pria.’

Proponents of the modern that system have classified Sirirag under Purvi that. From a musical perspective, in this rag, Re, Dha are flat, Ma is tivar (sharp) and other notes are shudh (natural). In its aroh (ascending scale), there is a practice of forbidding the notes Ga and Dha. In its avroh (descending scale), seven notes are used in the vakar rit (arc style). Consequently, its jati (class) is aurav-vakar sampuran. Its vadi (prominent note) is Re and samvadi (sub-prominent note) is Pa. Some scholars consider its vadi (prominent note) to be Re and samvadi (sub-prominent note) to be Dha.

Bhai Vir Singh has considered Sirirag to be a pure and refined rag in Gurmat Sangit. Bhai Avtar Singh and Bhai Gurcharn Singh, and Sant Sarwan Singh Gandharv and Dr. Gurnam Singh have described two different forms of Sirirag, namely Purvi that and Kaphi that, whereas S. Gian Singh Abbottabad, Prof. Tara Singh, Rag Nirnayak Committee, etc. have depicted its form as that of Purvi that. The same form is given below: 

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

Singing Time
The dusk time.

Sabad 2
Rag Ramkali
Out of the thirty-one principal rags in the Guru Granth Sahib, Rag Ramkali (a musical mode) has been designated eighteenth place in the sequence. Under this rag, the Bani of six Gurus, four Bhagats, and three Gursikhs (a Sikh who follows the Guru’s way) is recorded from page 876 to 974 of the Guru Granth Sahib. It includes one hundred sixty-six Sabads by Guru Nanak Sahib, seven by Guru Angad Sahib, ninety-one by Guru Amardas Sahib, six by Guru Ramdas Sahib, one hundred sixty-eight by Guru Arjan Sahib, three by Guru Teghbahadar Sahib, twelve by Bhagat Kabir Ji, four by Bhagat Namdev Ji, and one each by Bhagat Ravidas Ji, and Bhagat Beni Ji. Bani ‘Sadu’ revealed by Baba Sunder Ji and ‘Ramkali Ki Var’ by Bhai Balvand Ji and Bhai Satta Ji are also recorded under this rag. Compositions of ‘Sidh Gosti’ and ‘Oankar’ by Guru Nanak Sahib, and ‘Anand’ by Guru Amardas Sahib are also revealed in this rag.

Ramkali is an old and famous rag. The names Ramkriti, Ramkriya, Ramgiri, Ramkari, and Ramkeli are also found to be used for this rag. It has an important place in the rags sung in the morning. This is a rag of compassion. This rag has been specially adopted by the Nath-Yogis. The contributors to the Guru Granth Sahib, while having a dialogue with Nath-Yogis or Sidhs, have also revealed most of their compositions in this rag. ‘Sidh Gosti’ revealed by Guru Nanak Sahib under this rag, is an example of that.

In the Guru Granth Sahib, Sabad is considered to be more important than rag. Rag is the means through which all-pervasive IkOankar is to be enshrined in the heart. Referring to Rag Ramkali in the Guru Granth Sahib, Guru Amardas Sahib states that if by singing this rag, the all-pervading IkOankar dwells within, only then should one be considered to be adorned: rāmkalī rāmu mani vasiā tā baniā sīgāru. -Guru Granth Sahib 950.

In the Guru Granth Sahib, another rag named Rag Ramkali Dakhni is also recorded under Rag Ramkali. This rag is available only in Gurmat Sangit (Sikh Devotional Music); it is not found in Hindustani or Carnatic music.

Scholars have differing opinions about Rag Ramkali. In the Bharat school of thought of Hindustani Music, it is considered to be a ragini of Rag Hindol, and in the Hanuman school of thought, it has been considered to be a ragini of Srirag. Bhai Kahn Singh Nabha has considered it to be an aurav-sampuran ragini of Bhairav that.

Bhai Avtar Singh Bhai Gurcharn Singh have mentioned three different forms of Rag Ramkali. First is aurav-sampuran, in which Ni komal (flat) and Ma shudh (natural) are used. In the second one, both Ni are used. In the third one, both Ma, and both Ni are used. Pa is vadi (prominent note) and Sa is samvadi (sub-prominent note). The third form is more prevalent. S. Gian Singh Abbottabad, Dr. Gurnam Singh, and Rag Nirnayak Committee have described this rag as follows:

Description of Rag Ramkali
That: Bhairav.
Svar (notes): Re and Dha komal (flat), both Ma, both Ni, rest all shudh (natural).
Varjit Svar (forbidden notes): Re (in aroh - ascending scale).
Jati (class): sharav-sampuran (some scholars believe it to be sampuran-sampuran).
Vadi (prominent note): Pa.
Samvadi (sub-prominent note): Re.
Aroh (ascending scale): Sa, Ga Ma Pa, Dha (komal - flat) Ni Sa (tar saptak - upper octave).
Avroh (descending scale): Sa (tar saptak - upper octave) Ni Dha (komal - flat), Pa, Ma (tivar - sharp) Pa Dha (komal - flat) Ni (komal - flat) Dha (komal - flat) Pa, Ga Ma Re (komal - flat), Sa.
Mukh Ang/Pakar (Main Part): Dha (komal - flat) Pa, Ma (tivar - sharp) Pa Dha (komal - flat) Ni (komal - flat) Dha (komal - flat) Pa, Ga Ma Re (komal - flat) Sa.

Singing Time
The first quarter of the day.

Sabad 4
Rag Vadahans 
Out of the thirty-one principal rags in the Guru Granth Sahib, Rag Vadahans (a musical mode) has been designated 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 folk-tunes (Ghorian, Alahnian, etc.). By using this rag in ‘Alahnian,’ the poetic form related to death, and ‘Ghorian,’ the poetic form related to weddings, the Gurus have highlighted the equality of ‘joy and sorrow’ in the Guru Granth Sahib.

In Sanskrit texts, the 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) 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 Srirag 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 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 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.

Sabad 5
Rag Asa
In Gurmat Sangit (Sikh Devotional Music), Rag Asa (a musical mode) has a lot of importance. The melodious notes of this rag can be heard everywhere in the land of Panjab. Every morning, the golden rays of dawn stream down together with the sweet melody of ‘Asa Ki Var.’ When the redness of every evening gradually begins to be absorbed in the lap of nature, the melodious notes of this rag sing the praises of ‘So Daru.’

Out of the thirty-one principal rags in the Guru Granth Sahib, Rag Asa has been designated fourth place in the sequence. Under this rag, the Bani of six Gurus and five Bhagats is recorded from page 347 to 488 of the Guru Granth Sahib. It includes one hundred seventy Sabads by Guru Nanak Sahib, fifteen by Guru Angad Sahib, forty-eight by Guru Amardas Sahib, thirty by Guru Ramdas Sahib, one hundred eighty-eight by Guru Arjan Sahib, one by Guru Teghbahadar Sahib, thirty-seven by Bhagat Kabir Ji, five by Bhagat Namdev Ji, six by Bhagat Ravidas Ji, and two each by Bhagat Dhanna Ji, and Baba Farid Ji. Guru Nanak Sahib has revealed the greatest number of Sabads in this rag.

There are many prevalent forms of Rag Asa. In earlier times, ragis (professional singers of Sabads from the Guru Granth Sahib) used to sing this rag in various angs (styles or variations). Like Pahari ang, Bilaval ang, Kalian ang, and Kaphi ang. Four other forms of Rag Asa are also available in the Guru Granth Sahib, such as Rag Asa Kaphi, Asavari Sudhang, Asa Asavari, and Asavari.

Rag Asa does not fall in the category of commonly sung rags of Hindustani music. There is not much information available about this rag in the musicology texts. Another rag similar to this is Rag ‘Mand.’ Even though the same notes are used in both Rag Asa and Rag Mand, they differ in their usage (singing style). Both these rags are considered to be based on folk tunes.

Rag Asa is devotional in nature. Darbari ragi (court musician) and poet of the state of Patiala, Master Bhai Prem Singh, writes in ‘Ratan Sangit Bhandar’ that Rag Asa is obtained from a combination of Srirag, Rag Megh, and Rag Maru. This rag falls in the category of sandhi-prakash rags, which are sung and played during mornings and evenings. This is an utrang vadi rag.

Rag Asa is Panjab’s famous and melodious rag. Long before Guru Nanak Sahib’s time, the famous ‘Tunde Asraje Di Var’ (an ode to the maimed king Asraj) was also sung in this rag. The Bani of the Bhagat contributors of the Guru Granth Sahib, who predate Guru Nanak Sahib, is also written in this rag. This establishes the fact that this rag was prevalent even before Guru Nanak Sahib’s arrival. Folk legends, songs, stories, and tunes sung and narrated in Rag Asa were extremely pleasing. Due to its unique qualities, outside of the kirtan tradition, Rag Asa is dominant in folk-music, classical music, and cinema also.

Sri Vimalkant Rai Chaudhary has given two forms of Rag Asha in Hindustani music. In one form, notes Re Ga Dha Ni are komal (flat), and in the other form Ni is flat and jati (class) is given as aurav-sharav. This second form of Rag Asha is closer to the Rag Asa prevalent in Gurmat Sangit. The same form has been accepted by the Rag Nirnayak Committee, which is as follows:

Description of Rag Asa
That: Bilaval.
Svar (notes): All shudh (natural).
Varjit Svar (forbidden notes): Ga and Ni in aroh (ascending scale).
Jati (class): aurav-sampuran.
Vadi (prominent note): Ma.
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 Dha Pa, Ma, Ga Re Sa Re Ga Sa.
Mukh Ang/Pakar (main part): Re Ma, Pa, Dha Sa (tar saptak - upper octave), Ni Dha Pa Ma, Ga Sa Re Ga Sa.

Singing Time
The first quarter of the morning (dawn) and the evening (dusk).

Sabad 6
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 Ji, and one each by Bhagat Namdev Ji 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.