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Following my post the state of music in Ramayana, there was some discussion about Sama and its
relation to music. I was asked to say a little more about the music in Sama Veda; hence this post.
1. Sama Veda Samhita
1.1. The earliest form of organized Music that we know about is the Music of Sama Veda or
the Saman. Sama Veda is linked to music through Yajna.
The Yajna-s, were at the very heart of the Vedic way of living. During the Yajna-s, it was customary
to invoke and invite devas (gods) by singing hymns dear to them or dedicated to them ; and to
recite the mantras while submitting to them offerings (havish) through Agni, the carrier (havya-
vahana). The group of priests who sang (Samaga or Chandoga) the Mantras, initially, compiled a
text for their use by putting together selected Mantras from Rig-Veda (the oldest known text) that
could be sung during the performance of a Yajna or a Soma Yaga. That collection of lyrical Mantras
came to be known as Sama Veda Samhita; and was regarded as one of the three Vedas(Trayi)..
1.2. Out of the 1,549 mantras in Sama Veda Samhita, as many as 1,474 mantras are taken from Rig
Veda (mainly from the eighth and the ninth Mandalas). Most of the mantras are in Gayatri chhandas
(metre), while some are in Pragatha. It is said; the term Sama is composed of: SA, which stands for
Rik (Vedic Mantra); and AMA, meaning various notes (Brihad Up: 1-3-22). Sama Veda is thus,
virtually, a musical rendering of the selected mantras from Rig Veda. In other words, Sama
took maathu (words) from Rig Veda; and provided dhathu the musical substance to those
words. Sama Veda is perhaps the earliest known musical literature.
1.3. The Sama Veda Samhita has two segments. The first segment is called Sama Yoni ( adhara)
mantra Samhita, meaning that it is the basic text. This segment contains the selected mantras as
they appear in the Rig Veda .This, virtually, is the source book. The second segment called Sama
gana text. Here, the mantras are not in the order they originally appear in Rigveda. But, the selected
mantras are rearranged to suit the sequence of rituals during the Yajna; or according to the meters
(chhandas) or the gods to whom mantras are addressed.
2. Sama-gana
2.1. While rearranging the text for the purpose of singing, the selected mantras are converted to
Saman by turning, twisting, elongating its syllables; and, by inserting various modulations, rests,
and other modifications. The musical effect or the floating form of the Sama-gana is enhanced by
interpolation of Svaras and meaningless sounds called Stobha (which resemble shouts of joy) such
as: Hoyi, Hoi, Hova, Hai, Haw, Oi, Ai, Ha, Ho, Uha, Tayo, etc. This is the text for singing; expanding
each mantra with notations and instructing how mantras are to be sung. This is the Sama Veda as it
is generally understood and sung.
2.2. Sama-singing (Sama-gana) was an integral part of a Yajna. Sama, thus, represents the earliest
known instance of deep relationship between religious life and Music. There were numerous styles
of singing Sama. Patanjali in his Mahabhashya remarks that there were a thousand recessions
(shakhas) or ways of singing Sama sahasra-vartma samvedah. That perhaps was a poetic
manner of suggesting there were a range of styles of rendering Sama. [Some texts speak of
thirteen Samaga-charyas ways of singing Sama. But names of about only eleven are mentioned:
Ranayaniya; Chatyamugra; Kaleya; Kalvala; Mahakaleya; Langalayana; Mahakalvala; Sardula;
Langala; Kouthuma; Jaiminiya]
2.3. In any case, of the many, only three recessions (shakhas) Viz. Kauthumiya, Ranayaniya and
Jaiminiya, have survived. The Kauthumiya and Ranayaniya carry the same set of mantras; but their
internal grouping differs; and there are also variations in their svaras (accent). The Jaiminiya is said
to be different from the other two, in both the aspects. Of the three shakhas, Kauthumiya is
regarded the prominent one.
3. Archika
3.1. Throughout, Sama Veda is arranged in two streams of classification. And, the two often
interrelate. One is Arcika, the way in which Sama Veda text is structured and the way its Riks
(stanzas) are grouped. The other is Gana, the musical aspect which details the manner of singing
the Sama Riks.
First, Archika (group of Riks sung in adoration), is essentially the collection of the texts (yoni) of
individual Riks adopted from Rigveda. Here, the selected Riks from Rigveda are put together under
several chapters (prapathakas). And, under each prapathakas; the Riks are bunched into sets of
ten (dasasti) or less.
3.2. The Sama Veda text is broadly made into two Arcikas. The first Arcika
(Purvarchika or Shadarchika) is made of six chapters (prapathakas) together with an Appendix.
The Purvarchika consists about 650 Riks selected from Rigveda that are grouped partly according
to meters (chhandas) and partly according the gods (devatha) that are propitiated. The first
five prapathakas have about 585 Riks to be sung in honour of Agni, Indra and Soma-
Pavamana. The sixth prapathaka having 55 Riks is called Aaranya or Aranyakanda. There is also
an Appendix consisting 10 Riks attached to Purvarchika; and is called Mahanamani (or Sakravayah)
to be sung in honour of Indra the Great (Mahan).
3.3. The second Arcika, Uttararcika (that which follows the first) is made up of
nine prapathakas divided into number of segments (khandas). Under these Khandas, about 900
Riks are grouped into about 300 songs of three Riks each. The Riks, here, are arranged according
to the sequence of events that occur in the course of the performance of the Yajna. It is presumed
that the Uttararcika is, comparatively, of a later origin. And, it is regarded as an essential
supplement to the Purvarchika.
4. Gana
4.1. As regards the Gana, the musical element of the Sama Veda, the Riks included in the first five
chapters (prapathakas) of the first Arcika (Purvarchika) and those under Mahanamani are known as
Grama-geya-gana that is the songs meant to be sung in homes in the villages praying to gods
(devatha) Agni, Indra Soma and Visvedevah during the course of domestic functions such as
Brahmayajna (teaching of Vedas), Upakarma and other worships.
The Riks included under the sixth chapter (prapathaka) of the Purvarchika that is Aaranya or
Aranyakanda are meant to be sung in the solitude of forests. Hence, they are named Aranya gana.
The singing is of contemplative nature; and, it is deemed as sacred-music.
The Purvarchika way of singing (both the Grama and the Aranya gana) is deemed Prakrti-gana, the
natural way of rendering a song. And, it appears that the hymn-melodies for the Soma-yaga
performed at homes in the villages (Grama) were different from those performed by the hermits
living in the forests (Aranya).
4.2. As regards the singing (Gana) of the Riks included under the second Arcika (Uttararcika), it
basically consisted two kinds of songs: Uha-gana (numbering 936) sung during the Soma Yajna;
and Uhya-gana (numbering 209) singing within oneself. The texts (yoni Riks) of most of the songs
were adopted from Purvarchika. But, here, the singing style is improvised with unusual variations;
and, therefore it is named Vikrti-gana (not the straightway of singing). It is also said; the same Rik
can be sung in different tunes, producing different Samas. The number of such Samas can vary
from one to eighteen..!
[It is also said; Uha and Uhya were composed for the purpose of indicating the order of rituals in
the Yajna. And, that Uha is related to Grama-gana, and Uhya to Aranya gana.]
In summary; The Sama Veda Samhita, is arranged in two primary sections the verse books
(Arcika) and melody books (Gana). The Arcika is divided in two parts: Purvarchika and Uttararcika.
And, as regards melody (Gana) there are four styles of singing hymns: Grama-geya-gana; Aranya-
gana; Uha gana; and; Uhya-gana. There is a mutual relation between the Riks contained in Arcika
and the Gana books.
5. Sama-chanting
5.1. The priests who sing the Mantras at the Yajna are designated as Udgathru-s (derived
from udgita to sing high or loud). The Sama Veda Samhita came to be compiled, essentially, for
their use and guidance. They were usually a group of three singers (Prasthothru, Udgathru and
Prathiharthra). And, the group, together, rendered the Sama in five stages.
Prasthava: The initial portion of the mantra is sung by an Udgathru designated as Prasthothru.
And, he starts with a deep Huuum sound (Hoon- Kara).
Udgita: Prasthothru is followed by the chef Ritwik (designated the chief Udgathru) who sings his
portion of the Rik. He commences with an elongated Om Kara.
Prathihara: the mid-portion is sung loudly by Prathiharthra. This adulates the Devatha to whom Rik
is addressed.
Upadrava: The chief Udgathru sings again; and
Nidhana: the final portion is sung by all the three together, commencing with prolonged Om-kara.
When a mantra, as per the above format, is sung three times, it is then a stoma. Some texts
describe the set of these five
stages (Prasthava, Udgita, Prathihara, Upadrava and Nidhana) as Bhakthi. Its number is extended to
seven by adding Hoon- Kara and Om Kara.
6. Elements of chanting
6.1. Shiksha, a branch of Veda lore (vedanga), deals with elements of chanting and phonetics.
According to Taittereya Upanishad (1. 2), the elements of chanting includes six factors: Varna
(syllable); Svara (accent); Maatra (duration); Balam (stress); Sama (even tone) ; and Santana
(continuity) . The first four deal with correct pronunciation of individual syllables; and the last two
with the recitation of the entire line or the verse.
Briefly, Varna is the correct pronunciation of every isolated syllable, combination of consonants
and ovals and compound letters. Svara is how a syllable has to be pronounced in one of the three
accents (udatta, anudatta and svarita). Maatra is the time duration for pronouncing a syllable. There
are of four types: hrasva a short one duration for short ovals; dhirga two unit-duration for long
vowels; plutam- longer than twounit duration; and, the fourth is ardha- maatra, half unit, meant for
consonants not accompanied by vowels.
Sama Svaras
6.2. In the beginning, Sama-gana employed only three notes called Udatta, Anudatta and Svarita.
The lyre (Vana-Veena) accompanying the singing had only three strings, one for each note. The
songs were perhaps like Ga Ga -Re Re -Sa Sa Sa. This kind of singing might have suited for
chanting hymns.
The three notes were differentiated depending on whether it was produced from above or below the
palate (taalu).
Udatta refers to sound produced from above the palate; and is acutely accented (uchchaih).
Anudatta was gravely accented (nichaih); produced from below the palate.
Svarita is a combination of udatta and anudatta, with udatta in the first-half. It is called a
circumflexed accent.
[It is also explained that in context of Sama Veda , Udatta meant the highest Svara; Anudatta , just
lower; and Svarita is the summation of the two.]
In the written/printed texts of the Rig Veda, Udatta is not indicated by any symbol; Anudatta is
indicated by underlining the syllable; and Svarita is indicated by a vertical line above the syllable.
The Samagana texts, however, indicate Udatta by writing the Sanskrit numeral one above the
letter; Anudatta by writing the numeralthree above the letter; and Svarita by writing the numeral
two above the letter. In the Sama text, the syllables that have no symbols are called prachaya.
Please see the following example:
7.5. In the later Sama texts, it became customary to write the numerals (one to seven) on top of the
Sama mantras to indicate their note-delineations (Sama vikara).
8. Derivation of Svaras
8.1 . Naradiya Shiksha (1.5.3; 1.5.4) explains that each Sama-svara was derived from the sounds
made by a bird or an animal in its appropriate season. For instance, bulls roar was Rishabha;
kraunchakas (heron) cry was Madhyama; elephants trumpet was Nishadha; and koels (cuckoo)
melodious whistle was Panchama and so on. Please see the table below.
(*)While on the subject of swaras, let me append here the wonderful explanation of the swaras in
Indian music offered by Shri S Rajam the renowned artist and musician. He says: The Seven
swaras have twelve swara divisions:
SA & PA are constant. Others have two levels (sthanas). Thus there exist twelve swara sthanas.
Four more having shades of other swaras Suddha Gandharam, Shatsruti Rishaba, and Suddha
Nishada & Shatsruti Dhaivata make up a total of sixteen.
72 Sampoorna Ragas having all seven swaras both in ascending (arohana) & descending
(avarohana) emerge as Mela ragas. Each mela has all the seven swaras but drafts varying
swarasthana formulations.
Each mela raga applied to permutations & combinations of swara sthanas gives scope to 484 janya
(sub) ragas. 72 mela ragas have thus a potential to give the colossal 34776 janya ragas. Of course,
this is only an arithmetical projection & not a melodic feasibility.
Of 72 melas, the first 36 have M1 & the second 36 have M2.
http://www.webindia.com/artindia/monm2.htm
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17 Comments
Posted by sreenivasaraos on September 15, 2012 in Music, Rigveda, Sanskrit
Tags: music, Sama Veda, stoma, Udgathru
1.
iphone 4S kopen
September 18, 2012 at 6:48 am
Ive found youre article on my iPhone 4 Kopen and i wanna say thanks for it! Its a nice www you have over
here! Ill visit it more in the future! Thanks, Frank
Reply
o
sreenivasaraos
September 18, 2012 at 4:05 pm
Dear kopen ,thank you for the appreciation.The post , because of its very nature, has many Sanskrit terms . I
trust you did not have much difficulty in following the subject. Please check other blogs too. Regards
Reply
2.
sreenivasaraos
September 18, 2012 at 4:07 pm
thank you.Regards
Reply
3.
sreenivasaraos
September 22, 2012 at 6:49 pm
Dear libreria online , Thank you for the visit . As I mentioned , I am not very familiar with the technical aspects. I
welcome help and guidence. Regards
Reply
4.
Saddha
November 27, 2013 at 1:33 am
Thank you for quite a detailed article in the Brahmanical Sama Veda. However, Krishna in The Bhagwad Gita
was not talking about the Brahmanical Sama Veda when he said, amongst Vedas I am The Sama Veda.
The Bhagwad Gita clearly does not mean that the tunes/melodies of the Sama are the most important!
There is another Sama Vedas aka Dhamma Vedas, this was revealed by Lord Buddha! This is known as the
Nikayas or Tripitika unfortunately preserved by every nation except India.
Krishna when he said he was the Sama Veda meant to be in tune to be in tune with what? The Dharma!
Who tune themselves with the Dharma? Buddhists since only they have the Dharma Chakra! Lord Buddha uses
the word Sama several times in various Suttas to describe tuning in accordance with The Dharma,
Dissonant and harmonious (visama and sama): Throughout ancient cultures, the terminology of music was used
to describe the moral quality of people and acts. Discordant intervals or poorly-tuned musical instruments were
metaphors for evil; harmonious intervals and well-tuned instruments were metaphors for good. In Pali, the term
sama even describes an instrument tuned on-pitch. AN 6.55 contains a famous passage where the
Buddha reminds Sona Kolivisa who had been over-exerting himself in the practice that a lute sounds
appealing only if the strings are neither too taut nor too lax, but evenly tuned.
Lord Buddha describes this tuning to the Dharma process in MN 41 PTS: M i 285 MLS ii 379 Saleyyaka Sutta:
(Brahmans) of Sala translated from the Pali byThanissaro Bhikkhu
Householders, its by reason of un-Dhamma conduct, dissonant [1] (visama) conduct that some beings here,
with the break-up of the body, after death, reappear in the plane of deprivation, the bad destination, the lower
realms, in hell. Its by reason of Dhamma conduct, harmonious [1] (Sama) conduct that some beings here, with
the break-up of the body, after death, reappear in the good destinations, in the heavenly world.
The true Sama Vedas is not knowledge of musical notes, it is knowledge and living in tune with the universe
through the Dharma Chakra.
Reply
o
sreenivasaraos
November 27, 2013 at 2:50 am
Thank you Dear Saddha for your detailed explanation.
I am grateful.
Regards
Reply
5.
sreenivasaraos
March 20, 2015 at 8:28 am
sreenivas: thanks to you . now i know what is sama veda. i belong to yajur(yajus shakha) but my wife was born a
sama vedi. so the first time i heard chants in musical form was during my wedding, and after 45 years i read your
blog to understand the origin of sama veda
rgds, girdhar
Reply
o
sreenivasaraos
March 20, 2015 at 8:28 am
dear shri gopal,
thank you for the comments. i am glad you could relate to it.
the later portion of the blog, i fear, became rather technical.
regards
Reply
6.
sreenivasaraos
March 20, 2015 at 8:29 am
that was a wonderful blog. i have to read it again & assimilate a lot of things. just loved it. pranaams to you. you
are great !
Reply
7.
sreenivasaraos
March 20, 2015 at 8:29 am
sir, i posted a short blog on colors and music. may see if time permits.
http://dmrsekhar.sulekha.com/blog/post/2008/09/svetomusica.htm
dmr sekhar
Reply
o
sreenivasaraos
March 20, 2015 at 8:30 am
dear shri sekhar,
thank you for your detailed response. i greatly appreciate the gesture.
i understand, in sound color synesthesia, individuals experience colors in response to tones or other
aspects of sounds. a lot of that subject is highly technical, and i do not pretend i understand all of that. i am
posting a few words from the little i know and from what i read.
the theory of synchronizing music with colors is highly interesting. there have been theories in that regard
even from the time of pythagoras. in the subsequent centuries others too followed it . there has, of course,
been plenty of debate around the issue. edwin d. babbitt, scientist who has done work in that field confirms (in
his the principles of light and color) the correspondence of the color and musical scales:
as c is at the bottom of the musical scale and made with the coarsest waves of air, so is red at the bottom of
the chromatic scale and made with the coarsest waves of luminous ether. as the musical note b [the seventh
note of the scale] requires 45 vibrations of air every time the note c at the lower end of the scale requires 24,
or but little over half as many, so does extreme violet require about 300 trillions of vibrations of ether in a
second, while extreme red requires only about 450 trillions, which also are but little more than half as many.
when one musical octave is finished another one commences and progresses with just twice as many
vibrations as were used in the first octave, and so the same notes are repeated on a finer scale. in the same
way when the scale of colors visible to the ordinary eye is completed in the violet, another octave of finer
invisible colors, with just twice as many vibrations, will commence and progress on precisely the same law.
the theosophists too, especially madam blavatsky, putforward theories relating colors to the seven types of
constitution of man and the seven states of matter. (please check- it is in the same page).she was primarily
trying to relate the aura in and around the human body to their colors.
you made a mention, also, of ragas and colors. the indian music made attempts to translate the emotional
appeal of a raga into visual representations. that gave rise to schools of paintings called ragamala, in which
each raga was personified by color, mood, a verse describing a story of a hero and heroine (nayaka and
nayika). the colors, substance and the mood of the ragamala paintings were determined not by the individual
notes that go to construct the scale of a raga, but by the overall mood , bhava and context of the raga.
in the traditional indian morphology, the colors of the deities represent and convey their attributes. for
instance, the highest divinities with sublime attributes (gunas) are sky blue signifying their true infinite nature;
shiva, the ascetic the supreme yogi is gauranga the colorless- without any attributes; hanuman and ganesh
are red like the blood full of energy, vitality and life; and kalis black does not signify absence of color but is the
sum and culmination of all colors and energies in the universe.
coming back to your subject, you might be interested to check the site that talks of people who see music, or
sounds. the article says it is another common form of synesthesia, to have colors associated with specific
tones, so that listening to music becomes a more intense and complex experience. with your scientific training
and background, i am sure you would be in a better position to appreciate it.
i am told there are musicians in hollywood who find that letters and numbers represent colours, rainbows of
textures, rainbows of moods and feelings too.
there have been attempts in the other direction too,of translating individual colours into music with the aid of
compute r graphics.
i understand there are schools that help the aspirants to hone their synesthesia condition.
regards
Reply
8.
sreenivasaraos
March 20, 2015 at 8:32 am
whether by intent, or by research or by serendipity, the twelve basic swaras have been discovered time and again
by civilisations across the world. Some however have discovered additional quarter tones, and have developed
different forms of scales- with upto 31 tones in a scale. The Vedic form of M G R S D- S N D P G (Nidhana or
diminishing order- also a convergent order) was converted to the more flexible ascending sequence leading to
progressive flexibility as decadence set in
some civilisations have 5 tonal octaves, some have more. all have to go through till the chromatic notes are
(re-)discovered, independently. civilisation has been here longer, and degraded and then revamped. music has
always been on the ascendancy!
I liked reading your post- will be keeping note of this!
regards
PP
Plasticpoet
Reply
9.
sreenivasaraos
March 20, 2015 at 8:32 am
Your article is mind blowing for person like me.
Hats off to you
Do you know me? Or my music?
Am I in your city? What is you phone number and address?
Sablu
Reply
o
sreenivasaraos
March 20, 2015 at 8:33 am
Dear Shri Sablu, Yes, as you said, it might very likely be by chance you bumped into this old blog while you
were lost in the Recent Comments page. Thank you. Since you consider it mindboggling for a person like
you, I reckon you would be interested in a few other articles I wrote on music. The ones that quickly come to
my mind are: The state of music in the Ramayana; Sri Mutthuswami Dikshitar and Hindustani music; the
Music of Sri Mutthuswami Dikshitar; and the music of Shri SRajam (a great musician scholar and a creative
artist; he was the uncle of our Shri VS Gopal who writes and sings delightfully on Sulekha).You may like to
click on the links.
As regards the several things you mentioned in your comment as also in your note, well I usally live in
Cincinnati OH; and Bangalore is the location with reference to which I check news updates etc. I am now
visiting India; may be here for another couple of months.
I am truly not surprised if you have not noticed me on Sulekha during all these four years. The reasons are
many and they are quite simple: I am not very active on Sulekha; I did not participate in any of the tag
games; I have also not contested in the ongoing EYC series; most of the friends who kept in touch with me
have since migrated out of Sulekha; now, I do not know many; I have not written or commented much; not
many read what I write and, what I have posted is truly not readable (many have groaned about the length). A
bright star on the Sulekha horizon once referred to me as the guy who writes about the dead who do not
contradict. I consider that sums me up pretty well and almost aptly. The reasons for not knowing me, you see,
are quite many. They are all valid; and without prejudice. Its OK.
SabluYes, I have, of course, seen the name many times spoken with affection, warmth and regard. I am
aware; Sablu is popular and is among the elite here. That is great. And, about why I have not checked into
Sablu music: I usually log into Sulekha late in the night when most have done with the computer and gone to
bed. I said most because, the one who keeps company with me is a little boy of just over three; and he
delights in running round the house, up and down the stairs, jumping and turning somersaults when no one
disturbs him. During those silent hours I prefer to just read or write than turning on music. I normally spend no
more than ninety minutes a day on Sulekha.
Now that I will be here where I am surrounded by sound all the time, I will surely check into your link with
pleasure and listen to that with delight.
Warm Regards
Reply
sreenivasaraos
March 20, 2015 at 8:33 am
Thank you so much Sir,
Im highly honored by your kind words and great response. I will love to read thousands blogs of yours in
music which made me so glad today to go through your precious blog. Boss such thing is gold and silver
even I invest lakhs I will not get such relevant info.
Does not matter you listen to my music as per your convenience and leisure.So you are actually in OH. Oh
Im so sorry I thought you are Bangalore based. Please do welcome here.
And please do write more music blogs like you wrote on samveda. i will go through one by one as you also
mentioned some links in your comment.
Kudos to your great knowledge and I touch your feet.
regards
SM
10.
sreenivasaraos
March 20, 2015 at 8:34 am
Hi,Thank you for posting. If you dont mind can I make a suggestion. The equivalent names for shadja, Rishabha,
Gandhara etc are not C , Db, D , Eb etc.. its == Pi, m2, M2, m3(A2), M3, P4, A4(Dim5), P5, m6(A5), M6, m7,
M7 ,8ve( Higher Shadja)P = PerfectA = AugmentedDim= DiminishedM = Majorm = MinorWhen sung:Ascending
and DescendingDo, Di, Re , Ri, Ma, Fa, Fi, Sol, Si, La, Li , Ti, Do Do, Ti, Te, La, Le, So, Se, Fa, Mi,Me, Re,
Ra, Do
GODWIN
Reply
o
sreenivasaraos
March 20, 2015 at 8:34 am
Dear Godwin, Thank you for breathing fresh life into an old and a forgotten blog. Thank you also for the
corrections suggested. I shall try to edit the blog. But, the problem is that in the present state of Sulekha
editing a blog is a risky proposition. I shall wait for a while // Para// Btw, I noticed in the scholarly essay
Samaveda und Gandharva included in the book Ritual, State, and History in South Asia: Essays in Honour
of J.C. Heesterman (page 146) it is mentioned that Madhyama = F28; Gandhara = E; Rsabha = D; Sadja=
C; Dhaivata = A; Nishadha = H; and, Panchama = G . Please let me have your views before I try to edit the
blog-post.// Para// Here is the link to the article Samaveda und Gandharvahttp://books.google.com/books?
Reply
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