Thiti (Mahala 1)

Rag Bilaval
Of the thirty-one principal rags in the Guru Granth Sahib, Rag Bilaval, a musical mode, has been designated the sixteenth place in the sequence. The Bani of five Gurus and four Bhagats is recorded under this rag, from pages 795 to 858 of the Guru Granth Sahib. This 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 medieval author has mentioned it. Some Sanskrit authors call it Velavali, Vilavali, or Bilavali. There are many other prevalent forms of this rag, such as: Alahia Bilaval, Shukal Bilaval, Devgiri Bilaval, Yamani Bilaval, Bihag Bilaval, Suha Bilaval, Eman Bilaval, Kamodi Bilaval, Bilaval, Madharmia Bilaval, etc. There are two forms of this rag recorded in the Guru Granth Sahib: Bilaval Dakhni and Bilaval Mangal.

Bilaval is considered a rag of auspiciousness and happiness. It is a 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. 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 a rag of sampuran jati (class), while some consider it a ragini. Bhai Kahn Singh Nabha also considers it a rag of sampuran jati, in which all the notes are shudh (natural). In the ‘Ragmala’ of 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 the Ragmala, considers Bilaval and Bilavali as separate, Bilaval has also been called Bilavali by Prof. Tara Singh and other scholars.

Rag Bilaval is born from its own that. Pandit Bhatkhande considers Bilaval that as a shudh that. In this that/rag, all notes are shudh. A morning rag, it is also called Rag Kalyan of the morning. Bilaval is 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 he established at Darbar Sahib, Amritsar. Even today, three Ragi (devotional hymn singers) groups do kirtan in a row from around 7 to 10 AM under the chaunki of Bilaval.

Gurmat Sanghit scholars such as Prof. Tara Singh, Bhai Avtar Singh and Bhai Gurcharn Singh, the Rag Nirnayak Committee approve of the following form of Rag Bilaval:

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.

Note regarding the term ‘jati’ in the Title
In the title of this composition, the word ‘jati’ is recorded in addition to the word ‘thitī.’ This word has appeared only two times in the Guru Granth Sahib: In ‘āsā mahalā 5 birhaṛe gharu 4 chantā kī jati,’ and ‘bilāvalu mahalā 1 thitī gharu 10 jati.’ In the Shabdarth Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji, ‘jati’ is interpreted as ‘chorus,’ while Prof. Sahib Singh interprets it as ‘a gat or rhythm/beat played on tabla.’ According to Bhai Kahn Singh Nabha, in music, the chorus in singing is called jati (yati); the pause in the beats of mridang (percussion instrument) is also known as ‘jati.’ In ‘Sri Guru Granth Bani Biura,’ Dr. Charan Singh writes that jati, gati, and sath are all tabla techniques. When the right hand performs the action of gati, meaning it works the edges (kinar of the tabla) and middle of the jori with the fingers like gati, and the left hand plays openly (khulas) like sath, it is called jati.