Vanjara

Rag Sirirag
Of the thirty-one principal rags in the Guru Granth Sahib, Sirirag or Srirag, a musical mode, is designated first place in the sequence. The Bani of five Gurus and four Bhagats is recorded from pages 14 to 93 of the Guru Granth Sahib. This 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. Guru Amardas Sahib states that Sirirag is the most prominent among all the rags. However, the singing of this rag is only considered successful when the being develops a love for the eternal IkOankar:
rāgā vici srīrāgu hai je saci dhare piāru. -Guru Granth Sahib 83.

Bhai Gurdas 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 also consider Sirirag significant. From a popular mythological perspective, Pandit Oankar Nath Thakur writes, “This is the sixth rag and is named ‘Siri’ as it is believed to have originated from the ‘great’ (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.

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. Professor Tara Singh is of the view that Guru Arjan Sahib, in arranging the sequence of rags in the Guru Granth Sahib, did not overlook the classical tradition of Hindustani music, which is why Sirirag is placed in the first position.

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, Re, Dha are komal, Ma is tivar (sharp), and other notes are shudh. 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 to be Re and samvadi to be Dha.

Bhai Vir Singh considers Sirirag to be a pure and refined rag in Gurmat Sangit (Sikh Devotional Music). Bhai Avtar Singh, Bhai Gurcharn Singh, Sant Sarwan Singh Gandharv, and Dr. Gurnam Singh describe two different forms of Sirirag, namely Purvi that and Kaphi that. On the other hand, S. Gian Singh Abbottabad, Prof. Tara Singh, Rag Nirnayak Committee, etc., confirm the Purvi that form, which 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 fourth quarter of the day (dusk).