1

The Changing Concept of Tāla in North India1

(N. Ramanathan)

Tāla has been explained1 as Time divided regularly through actions, which measures as well as

controls the duration in Gīta (music), Vādya (drumming) and Nṛtta (dancing). The nature of tāla and its

relation to music has been discussed in detail in an earlier paper2. It is sufficient to point out the

various functions of tāla here.

a) Tāla marks off time segments, that is, it provides a structured temporal ambience for rhythmic

music (and drumming and dance). It is as if tāla unfolds a scroll of time on which music is painted.

b) It co-ordinates the various limbs of a performing art :-

i) the movement of the dancer, the music and the drumming in the execution of dance;

ii) the music and the drumming, say, dhrupada and pakhāvaja, or kṛti and mṛdaṅgam, in a music

concert.

When we speak of the 'changing concept of tāla in North India', we mean the change from the

conception of tāla recorded before the emergence of the 'North Indian' and 'South Indian' systems of

music, and also the distinction from the tāla system in present day South Indian music. We can

approach the musical systems that existed prior to the advent of dhrupada and khyāla only through

the verbal descriptions and the passages of notation available in works on music.

Sāmagāna:

Sāmagāna is regarded as our earliest music. But there is no mention of tāla in that system. The

work Mātrālakṣaṇam3 does describe time related concepts in the context of Sāmagāna. However, the

sub-classifications, drutā, madhyamā and vilambitā under vṛtti, and aṇu-mātrā under mātrā, seem to

have entered the terminology later, after the gāndhārva system of music had developed.

Gāndharva:

Theoretical accounts of gāndharva (music) are found in Nāṭyaśāstra and Dattilam. The main

features of the tāla system in gāndharva4 are --

1
Paper presented at the History of North Indian Music: 14th-20th centuries. International Symposium organised jointly by the
Rotterdam Conservatory of Music and the International Institute of Asian Studies, at Rotterdam, The Netherlands from 18 to
20th December, 1997.
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1 Three kinds of time units are recognised - laghu, guru and pluta. Five primary tāla-s are

described, which are built up of these time units. The tāla units are manifested through kriyā-s or

actions of hands. These five basic tāla-s acquire different forms according to --

a) the three mārga-s or paths - citra, vārtika and dakshiṇa - in which the duration between two

successive kriyā- s is doubled, as one proceeds from citra to vārtika to dakshiṇa. e.g.,

Caccatpuṭa tāla

Citra-mārga S(2m) S(2m) I(1m) Ś(3m)

Vārtika-mārga S(4m) S(4m) I(2m) Ś(6m)
Dakṣiṇa-mārga S(8m) S(8m) I(4m) Ś(12m)
[m=mātrā; S=guru; I=laghu; Ś=pluta]

or according to --

b) the three types of arrangements - ekakala, dvikala and catuṣkala. A single time unit is a

separate entity, a tāla unit, in ekakala; in dvikala two time units form a single tāla unit; in the

catuṣkala four time units together form a single tāla unit. In dvikala and catuṣkala only one

kind of time unit figures and that is guru. e.g.,

Caccatpuṭa-tāla

Ekakala S S I Ś
Dvikala SS SS SS SS
Catuṣkala SSSS SSSS SSSS SSSS

2 A tāla normally consists of disparate time units, which can be perceived in all three mārga-s and

in ekakala. Hence a tāla is described in terms of the units constituting it, rather than in terms of its

total duration, expressed in kalā-s. Thus Caccatpuṭa is described only as guru-guru-laghu-pluta,

although it could be described as a 4-kalā tāla, as its total duration is 4 kalā-s. (guru=kalā).

In the dvikala and catuṣkala states, guru-s are the only units constituting the tāla, so the structure

is naturally described in terms of the total number of kalā-s. Thus dvikala Caccatpuṭa would be a

tāla of 8 kalā-s and catuṣkala Caccatpuṭa a tāla of 16 kalā-s, in structure as well as in total

duration.

3 Although five basic tāla-s and their various forms have been described, the duration of a section

in a gītaka or nirgīta song, is rarely measured through repeated rendering of a basic tāla. The

concept of time measure is not cyclic.

4 Against the background of the marked time span spread out by a tāla, the music expresses itself

in pulses or stresses, with four pulses in the music fitting into one kalā of the tāla.
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This mode of arranging music in tāla is seen in the gītaka-s, especially the seven principal gītaka-

s, madraka etc., and in āsārita and vardhāmāna, among the minor gītaka-s.

There are other gītaka-s like ṛk, sāma and gāthā, in which the metrical laghu-guru structure of the

syllables of the text dominates, and the formation of tāla reflects this rhythmic arrangement.

Dhruvā-gāna:

In the Nāṭyaśāstra, apart from the gāndhārva music presented in the prelude (pūrvaraṅga), the

music in the drama or the main part of nāṭya, namely, the dhruvā-gāna, is also described. However,

on the employment of tāla in dhruvā-gāna, little information is available. We gather that a time unit

called 'druta' whose value was half of that of laghu, was also used. From the commentary5 of

Abhinavagupta on NS we gather these three features -

a) The tāla did not have a variety of kriyā-s, like the four saśabda and niḥśabda kriyā-s employed in

gāndhārva, but had only one kind of saśabda-kriyā.

b) Repeated rendering of the same tāla-s kept the time for these songs.

c) The songs and these tāla-s were rendered in a medium or fast tempo.

Bharata does not mention any specific tāla-s for dhruvā-gāna. The tāla-s seem to have been

fashioned after the chanda or vṛtta (metre) underlying the text of the songs. In fact in dhruvā songs,

the metre was predominant. However, from the commentary of Abhinava, and from the work called

Sarasvatī-hṛdayālaṅkāra-hāra (Bharatabhāṣya) of Nānyadeva, we do get the names of some tāla-s

used in dhruvā songs. From these texts we also gather that the duration of a time unit could be

increased by half its value, by appending to it a duration called virāma.

Prabandha-s:

Prabandha songs belong to the Deśī system of Saṅgīta, as opposed to the Mārga system

represented by the Nāṭya of Bharata. The early prabandha-s represented the music (gīta) of the deśī

theatre, in which dancing (nṛtta) and drumming (vādya) were the other constituent limbs. Bṛhaddeśī is

the first available work on this subject. The tāla-s such as Caccatpuṭa used in the mārga system, as

well as certain deśī tāla-s, seem to have been employed in the prabandha-s. These have been

described in works like Sarasvatīhṛdayālaṅkārahāra, Mānasollāsa, Saṅgītasamayasāra and

Saṅgītaratnākara. In principle, these tāla-s were similar to the tāla-s of dhruvā-gāna. A tāla was a

cycle of time units, and only one kind of sounded or saśabda-kriyā was used6.
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Dēśī-gāndharva:

Jāti songs In the dēśī system we observe a jāti song, based on some specific variety of a jāti

(melody source). And we have 18 jāti songs, each based on one of the varieties falling under each of

the 18 jāti-s. The tāla-s of these songs were from among the five (Caccatpuṭa etc.) belonging to the

mārga-gāndharva, and were rendered in slow, medium and fast tempos. And the cyclical time-

unfolding system of the dhruvāgāna tāla-s is seen to be a part of this form, distinguishing it from the

gītaka. And the kriyā-s used in the tāla-s of jāti songs belonged to a different set of eight - dhruvakā,

sarpiṇī, kṛṣyā etc., out of which seven were niḥśabda7.

Later Dēśī

In the later dēśī music, the following developments seem to have taken place, as we gather from

Mānasollāsa, Saṅgītasamayasāra, Saṅgītaratnākara and other works.

1) Citra is no longer the smallest mārga. Its expanse has increased and shorter mārga-s, citratara,

citratama and aticitra, have entered the picture.

2) A time unit smaller than druta, called aṇudruta, is also mentioned. Time units like guru and pluta

get so enlarged, that more than one kriyā is employed to manifest them.

It is here that we come across a very interesting statement in Saṅgītapārijāta.

laghau syātkevalaṃ ghāto gurau ghātaśca kṣepakaḥ |

ghātaśca bhramaṇakṣepa iti tritayakam plute |

aṇudrutādikalāśca kathyante pāṭavarṇataḥ || SPar, p.103

After saying how the time durations of laghu, guru and pluta are to be manifested, Ahobala adds

that the time duration of aṇudruta and others (druta) will be expressed through 'pāṭavarṇa'.

'Pāṭavarṇa' refers to the syllables of 'pāṭa' or the text for drums. And we find that when the tāla-s are

described in Saṅgītapārijāta, in the representation with symbols, each time unit is shown with the

'pāṭavarṇa-s' indicative of its duration.

Prescription of pāṭavarṇa-s for the aṅga-s (a term used in the later deśī system to denote time-

units) of a tāla brings us close to the practice prevailing in present day North Indian music.

Tāla and Pāṭavarṇa:

Although Saṅgītapārijāta is the first available work which specifically states that pāṭavarṇa-s are

being given to indicate the time duration of an aṅga, the practice is seen in an earlier work,
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'Saṅgītopaniṣat-sāroddhāra' (SUS 1350 AD), of Sudhākalaśa. The account in SPar is reproduced in a

later work, Saṅgītasāra (1779-1804 AD) of Savāī Pratāpa Siṅghadeva in Hindi. The work is also

popularly known as Rādhāgovinda-Saṅgītasāra (RGSSar).

The use of the term 'pāṭa' suggests that the syllables were played on some drum instruments.

The fact that a very systematic documentation of the ' pāṭavarṇa-s' associated with different tāla-s is

presented in SUS, suggests that this practice must have existed for at least a century. Since

'pāṭavarṇa-s' or 'bōla-s' are part of the "ṭhekā" in present day tāla system, it would be useful to take a

brief look at the details of a few tāla-s given in the above mentioned texts.

Saṅgītopaniṣat-sāroddhāra:

The tāla-s are classified according to their time value. Thus tāla-s with values around one mātrā

are taken first. They are8 --

Ekatālī druta O

Āditāla laghu I

Caṇḍaniḥsāruka druta-drutavirāma O O'

Krīḍātāla druta-drutavirāma O O' (in madhya-laya)

Antarākrīḍā druta-druta-drutavirāma O O O'

Tṛtīyaka drutavirāma-drutavirāma O' O'

Laghuśekhara laghuvirāma I'

In the above list we find that Caṇḍaniḥsāruka and Krīḍātāla have identical structures. But the

difference is in the laya in which the two are rendered. Sudhākalaśa makes it clear that the tāla-s

differ in their māna (laya)-s.

... tālāḥ syustrividhāḥ smṛtāḥ |

drutamadhyavilambānāṃ mānānāṃ bhedataḥ punaḥ || SUS 2,41

So it is the difference in the tempo of rendering, that distinguishes these two tāla-s from each

other. Again, when it comes to giving the pāṭa-s, a tāla is renderd four times and that foursome is

taken as a unit.

ekatālyāditālanām caturvāramupāśrayāt |

kurmo meleti ... SUS 2,43

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The reason for this step is quite clear. It appears that the above tāla-s were rendered with just one

kriyā. And when this is so, it is difficult to see an individual identity in such a tāla. It is difficult to

conceive of a tāla with just one unit. But even when such tāla-s are taken in renderings of four, it is

very difficult for the tāla to get an identity, since, on the basis of kriyā-s alone one will not be able to

make out the end of a set of four. For instance, an ekatālī foursome rendered five times would be -

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

In the above illustration it is difficult to make out whether a foursome is being rendered five times,

or a fivesome four times. Several other groupings are possible. So obviously it is the pāṭavarṇa-s that

bestowed an identity on a tāla. Let us look at some examples.

Ekatālī:

thu ga ta ki dhi gi tā

O O O O

Āditāla:

ta dhi thau draiṃ

I I I I

Saṅgītapārijāta and Rādhāgovinda-saṅgītasāra:

Rāsa-tāla (Āditāla) is said to be made up of only one laghu, yet the pāṭavarṇa-s illustrate not a

group of four laghus-s (as in SUS), but a group of seven.

Saṅgītapārijāta (p.114) --

ta ta dhi dhi [I]

dhi gi na ga [I]
na ga thom - II [I]
ja ga [+ja] na [I]
na ga tho - II [I]
ta ta dhi mi II [I]
dhi mi thoṃ - II [I]

Rādhāgovinda-saṅgītasāra (vol.VII, pp.55-56) clearly states --

"cotho rāsatāla yaha sāta tālo hain.

yāko ādi tāla kahate hain |

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sāta laghu |"

I I I I I I I

ta ta dhi gi dhi gi ta ga na ga thoṃ - ja ga ja ga na ga thoṃ - ta ja dhi mi dhi mi thoṃ -

Although not explicitly stated, it is obvious that a drum instrument must have been performing the

pāṭavarṇa-s to manifest the tāla, since there does not seem to be any other purpose in giving the

pāṭavarṇa-s.

Structure of Tāla-s in North Indian Music:

Having studied Tāla in the various earlier musical systems, we now turn to North Indian Music. A

number of tāla-s are used in North Indian music. Cau-tāla and Dhamāra are prominent in the

dhrupada tradition. In the khyāla-s we have vilambita Tīna-tāla or Tilavāḍā-tāla, Eka-tāla, Jhūmarā-

tāla, madhyalaya Tīna-tāla, Rūpaka-tāla and Jhapa-tāla. In ṭhumarī, the important tāla-s are

Dīpacandī, Pañjābī, Kaharavā and Dādarā.

In order to see how the structure of a tāla is perceived in the system, let us take the most popular

tāla, namely, the Tīna-tāla. There are two versions of this, the vilambita Tīna-tāla or the Tilavāḍā, and

the madhyalaya Tīna-tāla or simply Tīna-tāla.

Tīna-tāla:

Vilambita Tīna-tāla or Tilavāḍā:

Its duration is 16 mātrā-s. There are four vibhāga-s or divisions. There is a 'tālī' or clap or sounded

action on the 1st, 5th and 13th mātrā-s, and 'khālī' or 'blank' or unsounded action on the 9th mātrā.

Mātrā 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16

Kriyā X X O X

Bōla dhā tirakiṭa dhīn dhīn dhā dhā tīn tīn tā tirakiṭa dhīn dhīn dhā dhā dhīn dhīn

Madhyalaya Tīna-tāla:

Its duration is 16 mātrā-s. There are four vibhāga-s or divisions. There is a 'tālī' or clap or sounded

action on the 1st, 5th and 13th mātrā-s, and 'khālī' or 'blank' or unsounded action on the 9th mātrā.

Mātrā 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16

Kriyā X X O X

Bōla dhā dhin dhin dhā dhā dhin dhin dhā dhā tin tin tā tā dhin dhin dhā
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Certain conceptual problems come up when we examine the madhyalaya Tīna-tāla and also the

two varieties together.

1 How is the tāla primarily defined?

In terms of the time units manifested by kriyā-s or by bōla-s?

The obvious answer is, "in terms of the bōla-s". This is because --

a) There are no time units, like druta, laghu and guru here, in this system itself. The book called

"Tālapaddhati" by Usmānkhān Sultānkhān, published in 1888, does mention aṇudruta, druta,

laghu etc. But this seems to be a deliberate attempt to include these aṅga-s. And most of the

other books written around the same time by Maulā Bakṣa also reflect the same approach. This

seems to be an influence of the Southern system. Thus it appears that the North Indian tāla

system gave up the use of laghu, guru etc. somewhere in the past or probably never had them.

b) There are only four kriyā-s and the total duration is given as sixteen mātrā-s. It is very difficult to

attribute four mātrā-s to each kriyā without the presence of the accompanying bōla-s. One kriyā

can manifest only one time unit. Thus the time duration is computed on the basis of the bōla-s

and not on the basis of tāla kriyā-s. Thus '16 mātrā-s' is computed on the basis of the 16 bōla-s in

the ṭhekā.

In this context the term 'bōla' acquires a special meaning, referring not to one letter or syllable, but

to a unit which may have one or more letters. For instance, "ti-ra-ki-ṭa" in Tilavāḍā, manifesting the

second and tenth mātrā-s, has to be taken as one bōla or as a single syllabic unit which manifests

one mātrā. If ti-ra-ki-ṭa were to be treated as four bōla-s, then the total number of bōla-s in Tilavāḍā

would be twenty-two and the duration value would be twenty-two mātrā-s.

Now it could be argued that ti-ra-ki-ṭa could be taken as four bōla-s but played within the time

duration of one mātrā. But the mātrā is not independently shown by a kriyā; it is the bōla-s that

manifest the mātrā. And hence ti-ra-ki-ṭa has to be taken as one bōla like 'dhīn', manifesting one

mātrā. This is an important distinction in the execurtion of tāla, from that existing in South Indian

Music and in some of the earlier systems, where it is the kriyā, not the bōla that manifests the time

unit.

One cannot take the mātrā to be manifested by the hasta-kriyā-s, as there are only four kriyā-s

and one action can manifest one time-unit and not four. And since there are four kriyā-s they would

manifest a total of four time-units, in which case, the Tīna-tāla would have a total duration of four

mātrā-s and not sixteen. This is because, conceptually, a time unit is the duration between one kriyā

and the next. Since the total duration of Tīna-tāla is sixteen and not four, the tabalā strokes or bōla-s
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and not the hasta-kriyā-s are to be taken as the actions or kriyā-s that manifest the time units. And

consequently the 'ti-ra-ki-ṭa' has to be taken as a single 'tabalā-kriyā'.

2 If there is no concept of aṅga and if the bōla-s played on the tabalā manifest the time duration,

what then is the function of the kriyā-s of hand? Are they superfluous?

Although most of the musicians in the khyāla tradition do not render the kriyā-s with their hands,

the execution of the kriyā-s serves the purpose of marking out the division or vibhāga of the tāla. As

stated above, in Tīna-tāla the vibhāga is one of 4-4-4-4, in other words the kriyā-s come on the 1st,

5th, 9th and 13th mātrā. The kriyā on the 9th is however not a sounded one but an unsounded one.

Two questions come up here.

Why should one kriyā be unsounded, why should it also not be a sounded one?

Why should the tāla of 16 mātrā-s have vibhāga-s or divisions?

If all the kriyā-s were sounded ones, since they are all of uniform duration, the form of the tāla

would not be clear. In other words, the end of a cycle will not be perceptible. For this reason, one

kriyā has to be a soundless one. This would result in one kriyā aurally lasting a longer duration.

However when, out of four kriyā-s, three are sounded, the question still remains as to how the

form is perceived as -- "X X O X" and not as "X X X O". The form is achieved through the feature

of melodic and tabalā emphasis called "sama" which marks the second saśabda kriyā as the

commencing kriyā of the tāla cycle.

Now if the structure of the tāla is created by the bōla-s rendered on the tabalā and not by the

kriyā-s as pointed out above, why should the form created by kriyā-s be considered at all? This

brings us to the question of the need for vibhāga or divisions in a tāla.

Normally we would expect the demarcation of vibhāga-s to bestow an identity on a tāla that

would distinguish it from another tāla of the same duration. Thus Dhamāra tāla and Dīpacandī,

both having a duration of 14 mātrā-s, are distinguished by the vibhāga-s. However the vibhāga is

not always the distinguishing feature, for in Eka-tāla and Cau-tāla, the vibhāga-s are identical and

it is the bōla-s that make them different. All the same, the kriyā-s do play a role by creating a

vibhāga in the bōla arrangement, although it may be secondary. It is also possible that, earlier,

the kriyā arrangement of the tāla was the dominant feature and the vibhāga the principal factor

distinguishing one tāla from another. And when the ṭhekā took over the dominant role, the

vibhāga factor became secondary.

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In Tīna-tāla we notice another point. The bōla-s played on the tabalā create a vibhāga which is

slightly different from the vibhāga created by the kriyā-s of the hand. The bōla-s are --

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16
dhā dhin dhin dhā dhā dhin dhin dhā dhā tin tin tā tā dhin dhin dhā

While rendering the ṭhekā on the tabalā, in playing the four bōla-s of the 10th, 11th, 12th and 13th

mātrā-s, the left hand is silent. The inaction on the part of the left hand, which is also sometimes

called khālī, does not coincide with the khālī of the hastakriyā-s, as shown below.

Mātrā 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16
Hasta X X O X
kriyā-s
Tabalā X X X X X X X X X O O O O X X X
left hand
tin tin tā tā

Thus, while the division in the mātrā structure created by the kriyā-s is 4-4-4-4, that by the tabalā

is 4-5-4-3. This variance helps create a grip between the time divisioning through kriyā-s and that

through the tabalā playing, and bestows a vitality on the tāla.

In fact the tāla-s commonly used could be classified broadly into two types according to the

vibhāga and bōla-s -

a) those whose bōla structure can be divided symmetrically into two halves

b) those whose bōla structure cannot be divided into two halves

This is shown in the list below.

Symmetrical Tāla-s:

Tāla Mātrā Vibhāga

Dhamāra 14 3-2-2 (7) 3-2-2 (7)
Jhūmarā 14 3-4 (7) 3-4 (7)
Jhapa 10 2-3 (5) 2-3 (5)
Dīpacandī 14 3-4 (7) 3-4 (7)
Pañjābī 16 4-4 (8) 4-4 (8)
Tīna 16 4-4 (8) 4-4 (8)

Non-symmetrical Tāla-s:

Tāla Mātrā Vibhāga

Cau-tāla 12 2-2-2-2-2-2
Eka-tāla 12 2-2-2-2-2-2
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Rūpaka 7 3-2-2

In the 'symmetrical' tāla-s, we notice that the tāla-s are divided into equal halves in terms of

mātrā-s, and in both the halves the sub-divisions are identical. Again, with respect to the hasta-kriyā,

the first half in each tāla starts with a tālī and the second half with a khālī. And with respect to the

bōla-s we find that, if the first syllable of the first half is 'dhā', 'dhin' or 'dhi', the first syllable of the

second half is respectively, 'tā', 'tin' or 'ti'. This last point does not hold true in the case of Tīna-tāla.

Again the second half in all the tāla-s except Tīna-tāla, begins with the left hand of the tabalā

remaining silent. Thus we find that Tīna-tāla stands a little apart from the others.

Thus, in creating a tāla form, several operations are involved, the ṭhekā being the most prominent,

and the kriyā-s of the hand remaining secondary.

3. Another problem is the non-standardisation of the fundamental unit "mātrā". The Tīna-tāla is seen

to be rendered in madhyalaya as well as in drutalaya. The duration value of the Tīna-tāla is taken as

sixteen mātrā-s, whether it is in madhya laya or in druta laya. Mātrā has been defined as a more or

less fixed finite duration, in earlier music, and two tāla-s cannot have the same duration value in terms

of mātrā-s, when one has a time span double that of the other.

In SUS we come across two tāla-s, Caṇḍaniḥsāruka and Krīḍā, which both have the same

structure, namely, one druta and one druta-virāma. While describing the structure of Krīḍā, SUS adds

that the tāla is "madhyamāna". In other words the tāla is rendered in madhyalaya, which distinguishes

it from Caṇḍaniḥsāruka, as the latter must have been rendered either in druta or in vilambita laya.

In the same manner, one could distinguish madhyalaya Tīna-tāla from the drutalaya Tīna-tāla. But

the difficulty arises here because the duration of Tīna-tāla is expressed in terms of mātrā-s, which is

not the practice adopted in SUS. SUS merely mentions the druta-drutavirāma structure, and does not

express the duration in terms of mātrā-s. Now the difference between the two tāla-s is seen in the

druta and drutavirāma being rendered in madhyamāna in Krīḍā and in a different māna or laya in the

other. This circumstance due to which a time unit attains different māna or duration, is called mārga.

Now the same explanation could be extended to Tīna-tāla, and we could say that in madhyalaya Tīna-

tāla the mātrā is of madhyamāna, while in drutalaya Tīna-tāla the mātrā is of drutamāna.

However, this explanation is not valid, since a 'mātrā' is a fixed unit and not a proportional unit.

The aṅga-s like druta and laghu are mutually definable and express proportional time durations.

Further, the proportional time durations vary according to the mārga of the tāla. On the other hand

'mātrā' is a fixed time unit which was standardised in the period of NS, as the time taken to utter five
 12

short syllables. In Western music too we find time units such as One-fourth or Crotchet being

standardised as one hundredth of a minute etc., through the metronome. Now the proportional time

units, like druta and laghu, will be used when the time units that comprise a tāla structure are of

different durations. And when the time units have a uniform duration, a term like 'kalā' or 'mātrā' is

used to express the duration. In the present day system --

a) there is no concept of mārga.

b) there is no concept of proportional time-units.

c) the mātrā has not been standardised.

So the system has no option but to ascribe the 16-mātrā value to the two Tīna-tāla-s, irrespective

of the difference in māna. The above mentioned three shortcomings are true for the South Indian

System too. The conceptual problem noticed in Tīna-tāla is there in other tāla-s too.

e.g., Dhamāra and Dīpacandī tāla-s.

1. Dhamāra-tāla: Duration - 14 mātrā-s.

Mātrā 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14
Kriyā X O X O X O
Bōla ta dhi ṭa dhi ṭa dhā - ka ti ṭa ti ṭa tā -

2. Dīpacandī: Duration - 14 mātrā-s.

Mātrā 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14
Kriyā X X O X
Bōla dhā dhin - dhā gē tin - tā tin - dhā gē dhin -

In these two tāla-s, although the number of mātrā-s is 14, the number of bōla-s or syllables is not

14. In Dhamāra there are 12 and in Dīpacandī there are only 10 syllables. This creates conceptual

problems. That is, we would have to consider one syllable as manifesting two mātrā-s, as for instance,

the syllable 'dhā' as manifesting the 6th and 7th mātrā-s in Dhamāra. This would not be proper, since

a mātrā is not a variable unit and each mātrā would require one syllabe to generate it. If two mātrā-s

are taken as being created by one syllable, then one will have to treat the two mātrā-s together as one

single time-unit and regard it as a "guru-unit" in relation to the other units which will have to be

regarded as "laghu-s". Thus the two tāla-s would have to be viewed as --

Dhamāra

| | | | | S | | | | | S

ta dhi ṭa dhi ṭa dhā ka ti ṭa ti ṭa tā

 13

Dīpacandī I S I I S I S I I S dhā dhin dhā ge tin tā tin dhā ge dhin

| S | | S | S | | S

dhā dhin dhā gē tin tā tin dhā gē dhin

One could have a counter argument that, if a mātrā-unit can be manifested by two syllables and

not necessarily one, as seen in Cau-tāla, Ēka-tāla, Jhūmarā and Panjābi, why cannot two mātra-s be

manifested by one syllable. Or in other words in those contexts, in these four tāla-s the two syllables

would have to be understood as manifesting not one mātrā but two half-mātrā-s.

We have seen till now the structural aspect of tāla and the organisation of kriyā-s and the bōla-s

and have noted some of the conceptual problems. We now go on to the problems that are seen when

the tāla is actually in use in performed music.

Tāla and Vilambita-khyāla:

We know that not all music is sung to the rendering of tāla. For instance, while singing an ālāpa in

a dhrupada or playing it before a gata on an instrument, there is no rendering of tāla, and,

consequently, no playing of a pakhāvaja or a tabalā. In the dhrupada style, the pakhāvaja is played

when the song commences. A song has a melodic line which expresses itself in terms of rhythmic

stresses or pulses. It is this rhythmic part of the songs that is related to the tāla.

For instance, see the notation9 of this dhrupada song.

'Nīra bhare nīla baran'

Rāga: Malhāra Tāla: Cautāla

X O 5 O 9 11
ṡ - ṡ ṡ ṡ-n ṙ ṡ - ṡ ṡd nm p
nī ऽ ra bha rē ऽ . . nī ऽ la ba . ra na

pn p - nm p p p nd nṡ ṡd n p
ni rā ऽ dhā - ra dha ra sa . mī . . ra

In the above notation we notice that for every mātrā there is a short (hrasva) letter of the text and

the long (dIrgha) extends over two mātrā-s. And while singing, all the mātrā-s of the tāla would be
 14

melodically stressed. This rhythmic pulse would be clear from the audio illustration of another

dhrupada.

Illustration 1 - Dhrupada composition10

Now in a vilambita-khyāla composition, there is a coupling of the song with the tāla, in name. But

when we listen, especially, to the initial ālāpa portion of a vilambita-khyāla performance, it is very clear

that the melodic line does not express itself in rhythmic pulses, except when it is nearing the "sama".

This is quite often true of the elaboration in ṭhumarī too. Such ālāpa portions do not sound very

different from an instrumental ālāpa preceding a gata. The audio illustrations should make this clear.

Illustration 2 - Khyāla ālāpa11

Illustration 3 - Flute ālāpa12

And during such elaborations in khyāla and ṭhumarī in vilambita-laya, there does not appear to be

any perceptible rhythm that could link the music to the tāla. The melodic line and the tāla line seem to

go parallel without any connection or relation between the two, except when nearing the 'sama'. Only

when the tempo increases a little, does the music line manifest rhythm, and it is then that the tāla

becomes relevant.

It looks as though the khyāla form, during the course of its historical development, absorbed the

concept of ālāpa from the dhrupada and integrated it with its tāla-bound development. And possibly

the tempo of khyāla-rendering slowed down because of this. And hence the tāla accompaniment, the

playing of tabalā, during the khyāla-ālāpa appears to be, for the great part, a mere formality.

To sum up, this paper has attempted to point out certain lacunae in the present day theoretical

system because of which the explanation and description of the tāla system remain inadequate and

incomplete. The reason is the age old one, namely, the lakshaṇa (theory) not catching up with the

lakshya (practice). For instance, some concepts like mārga, laghu-guru would need to be brought in.

The problem, of course, is for the musicologists alone and not for the performers. On a personal note I

would, however, add that it is good for the lakshya if the lakshaṇa does not catch up with it.
 15

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Appendix

Abbreviations

NS Nāṭyaśāstra

Datt Dattilam

AB Abhinavabhāratī

SHA Sarasvatīhṛdayālaṅkārahāra

BB Bharatabhāṣya

SUS Saṅgītopaniṣatsāroddhāra

SPar Saṅgītapārijāta

SDar Saṅgītadarpaṇa

RGSSar Rādhāgovindasaṅgītasāra

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Notes

1. "kālo laghvādimitayā kriyayā ..." SR 5,3 "....kālastasya pramāṇaṃ hi ..." NS 31,1

2. See the article "Tāla - A Conceptual and Structural Analysis" in 'Essays on Tāla and Laya'.

3. See Ch.1-3, Mātrālakshaṇam.

4. See Ch.31 of NS and vv.109cd-242 of Datt.

5. AB on NS vol.IV, p.152,ll.14-17; p.303,ll.15-16.

6. SDar, v.683

7. BB (SHA), 6,110.

8. SUS, pp.24-27

9. Saṅgītāñjalī vol.V,pp.80-81

10. Dhrupada in Rāga Lalita, sung by N.Zahiruddin Dagar and F.Wasifuddin Dagar, Music Today,

Maestero's Choice, A91011.

11. Vilambita khyāla in Rāga Lalita by Ustad Amir Khan, EMI Cassettes, STC 5090.

12 Ālāpa of Rāga Jaita (Bibhāsa-aṅga) rendered on Flute by Pt. Hari Prasad Chaurasia, EMI

Cassettes, 6TWOS 49432.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Bibliography

Bharatabhāṣya of Nānyabhūpāla, ed. Chaitanya P Desai, Indira kala Sangita Vishvavidyalaya,

Khairagarh. M.P. a) vol.I 1961, b) vol.II 1976

 16

Bharatabhāṣya of Nānyabhūpāla, Photocopy of the manuscript at Bhandarkar Oriental Research

Institute, Pune, and the transcript of the same at the Department of Musicology, Banaras Hindu

University, Varanasi.

Bharatabhāṣya of Nānyadeva, Ms no.111 of 1869-70, Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute,

Pune.

Dattilam of Dattilamuni, ed. K Sambasiva Sastri, Sri Setu Prasadamala Series XIV,

Tiruvanantapuram, 1930.

Essays on Tāla and Laya by N. Ramanathan, published by Percussive Arts Centre, Bangalore,

1997.

Mānasollāsa or Abhilaṣitārthacintāmaṇi of Someśvara, ed. G K Shrigondekar, Oriental Institute,

Baroda, 1961.

Mātrālakṣaṇam - Text, Translation, Extracts from the Commentary, and Notes, Including

References to Two Oral Traditions of South India by Wayne Howard, Published by the Indira Gandhi

National Centre For the Arts, New Delhi in the Kalamulasastra Series (No.1), in association with

Motilal Banarsidass, Delhi. 1988.

Nāṭyaśāstra of Bharatamuni with commentary of Abhinavabhāratī by Abhinavaguptācārya, vol.IV

(Ch.s28-37), ed. M Ramakrishna Kavi and J S Pade, Oriental Institute, Baroda, 1964.

Nāṭyaśāstra-vārttikam (Bharatabhāṣya) of Mānyapati (Nānyabhūpāla), Paper Manuscript R5592,

Government Oriental Manuscripts Library, Madras. Copy of the manuscript at BORI, Pune.

Saṅgītaratnākara of Śārṅgadeva with the commentaries Kalānidhi of Kallinātha and

Saṅgītasudhākara of Simhabhūpāla, vol.III-ed. Pandita Subrahmanya Sastri revised by S Sarada,

1986

Saṅgītopaniṣatsāroddhāra of Sudhākalaśa, ed. Umakant Premanand Shah, Oriental Institute,

Baroda, 1961.

Saṅgītadarpaṇa of Dāmodara Paṇḍita, ed. by K Vasudeva Sastri, pub. in Tanjore Sarasvati Mahal

Library series, Tanjavur, 1952.

Saṅgītasamayasāra of Saṅgītakara Pārśvadeva, ed. T. Ganapati Sastri, pub. in the Trivandrum

Sanskrit Series no. 87, 1925.

Saṅgītapārijāta of Ahobala, pub. by R S Gondhalekara, Pune. 1898.

Saṅgītasāra compiled by Maharaja Savai Pratap Singha Deva of Jaipur in seven parts, published

by B.T.Sahasrabuddhe for The Poona Gayan Samaja. Pt.6 or Tālādhyāya, 1912.

Saṅgītāñjalī by Pt.Omkaranath Thakur, published by the author, Part 5, 1958.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 17

Tāla-s commonly used in the North Indian System

[ Kriyā-s X = saśabda; O = niḥśabda ]

The structure and bōla of tāla-s used in Dhrupada :

1. Cau-tāla: Duration - 12 mātrā-s.

Mātrā 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
Kriyā X O X O X X
Bōla dhā dhā din tā ki ṭa dhā din tā ki ṭa ta ka ga di ga na

2. Dhamāra-tāla: Duration - 14 mātrā-s.

Mātrā 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14
Kriyā X O X O X O
Bōla ta dhi ṭa dhi ṭa dhā - ka ti ṭa ti ṭa tā -

The structure and bōla of tāla-s used in khayāla :

1 Tīna-tāla: Duration - 16 mātrā-s.

Mātrā 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16

Kriyā X X O X

Bōla dhā dhin dhin dhā dhā dhin dhin dhā dhā tin tin tā tā dhin dhin dhā

2. Eka-tāla: Duration - 12 mātrā-s.

Mātrā 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

Kriyā X O X O X X

Bōla dhīn dhīn dhā tṛ ka tū nā kat tā dhā tṛ ka dhī nā

3. Jhūmarā-tāla: Duration - 14 mātrā-s.

Mātrā 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14
Kriyā X X O X
Bōla dhin dhin tra ka dhin dhin dhā gē tra ka tin tā tra ka dhin dhin dhā gē tra ka

4. Jhapa-tāla: Duration - 10 mātrā-s.

Mātrā 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Kriyā X X O X

Bōla dhī nā dhī dhī nā tī nā dhī dhī nā

 18

5. Rūpaka-tāla: Duration - 7 mātrā-s.

Mātrā 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Kriyā O X X

Bōla tī tī nā dhī nā dhī nā

The structure and bōla of tāla-s used in Ṭhumarī :

1. Dīpacandī: Duration - 14 mātrā-s.

Mātrā 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14
Kriyā X X O X
Bōla dhā dhin - dhā gē tin - tā tin - dhā gē dhin -

2. Pañjābī: Duration - 16 mātrā-s.

Mātrā 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16

Kriyā X X O X

Bōla dhā ka dhī - ka dhā dhā ka dhī - ka tā tā ka tī - ka dhā dhā ka dhī - ka dhā

3. Kaharavā: Duration - 4 mātrā-s.

Mātrā 1 2 3 4
Kriyā X O
Bōla dhā gē na ti na ka dhi na

4. Dādarā: Duration - 6 mātrā-s.

Mātrā 1 2 3 4 5 6
Kriyā X O
Bōla dhā dhī nā dhā tū nā