{"id":114,"date":"2024-12-26T13:28:23","date_gmt":"2024-12-26T04:28:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/raag-hindustani.com\/blog\/?p=114"},"modified":"2025-11-09T14:29:42","modified_gmt":"2025-11-09T05:29:42","slug":"vedic-roots-of-rhythm","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/raag-hindustani.com\/blog\/2024\/12\/26\/vedic-roots-of-rhythm\/","title":{"rendered":"The Vedic Roots of Rhythm in Indian Classical Music"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-large-font-size\"><strong>Rhythm in Poetry<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Let me begin by linking to this wildly popular recent recording of an ancient hymn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-4-3 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Shiv Tandav Stotram\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/KRhcTPKdmrk?start=26&#038;feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"padding-top:0;padding-right:0;padding-bottom:0;padding-left:0;line-height:1.5\">While there are a number of reasons for its popularity, one of the main reasons is its driving rhythm that goes \u201c<em>da-<\/em><strong>dum<\/strong><em>-da-<\/em><strong>dum<\/strong><em>-da-<\/em><strong>dum<\/strong><em>-da-<\/em><strong>dum<\/strong>,\u201d where \u201c<em>da<\/em>\u201d is a light (or short) syllable, and \u201c<strong>dum<\/strong>\u201d is a heavy (or long) syllable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"padding-top:0;padding-right:0;padding-bottom:0;padding-left:0;line-height:0\"><em>ja-<\/em><strong>T\u0101<\/strong><em>-Ta-<\/em><strong>v\u012b<\/strong><em>-ga-<\/em><strong>laj<\/strong><em>-ja-<\/em><strong>lap<\/strong><em>-ra-<\/em><strong>v\u0101<\/strong><em>-ha-<\/em><strong>p\u0101<\/strong><em>-vi-<\/em><strong>tas<\/strong><em>-ta-<\/em><strong>l\u0113<\/strong><em><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"padding-top:0;padding-right:0;padding-bottom:0;padding-left:0;line-height:0\"><em>ga-<\/em><strong>l\u0113<\/strong><em>-va-<\/em><strong>lamb<\/strong><em>-ya-<\/em><strong>lam<\/strong><em>-bi-<\/em><strong>t\u0101m<\/strong><em>-bhu-<\/em><strong>jan<\/strong><em>-ga-<\/em><strong>tun<\/strong><em>-ga-<\/em><strong>m\u0101<\/strong><em>-li-<\/em><strong>k\u0101m<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"padding-top:0;padding-right:0;padding-bottom:0;padding-left:0;line-height:0\"><em>Da-<\/em><strong>maD<\/strong><em>-Da-<\/em><strong>maD<\/strong><em>-Da-<\/em><strong>maD<\/strong><em>-Da-<\/em><strong>man<\/strong><em>-ni-<\/em><strong>n\u0101<\/strong><em>-da-<\/em><strong>vaD<\/strong><em>-Da-<\/em><strong>mar<\/strong><em>-va-<\/em><strong>yam<\/strong><em><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"padding-top:0;padding-right:0;padding-bottom:0;padding-left:0;line-height:0\"><em>cha-<\/em><strong>k\u0101<\/strong><em>-ra-<\/em><strong>chan<\/strong><em>-Da-<\/em><strong>t\u0101n<\/strong><em>-Da-<\/em><strong>vam<\/strong><em>-ta-<\/em><strong>n\u014d<\/strong><em>-tu-<\/em><strong>nah<\/strong><em>-shi-<\/em><strong>vah<\/strong><em>-shi-<\/em><strong>vam<\/strong><a href=\"#_ftn1\" id=\"_ftnref1\">[1]<\/a><strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-right\" style=\"padding-top:0;padding-right:0;padding-bottom:0;padding-left:0;line-height:0\">(<em>Shiva T\u0101ndava St\u014dtram<\/em>, Verse 1)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Anyone familiar with English poetry may recognize the rhythm as being similar to the iambic pentameter for which Shakespeare is famous. In the Indian tradition, this meter is called the \u201c<em>pancha-ch\u0101mara chhanda<\/em> (\u092a\u091e\u094d\u091a\u091a\u093e\u092e\u0930 \u091b\u0928\u094d\u0926).\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The word for poetic meter in Sanskrit is \u201c<em>chhanda<\/em> (\u091b\u0928\u094d\u0926),&#8221; or &#8220;<em>chhanda<\/em>s (\u091b\u0928\u094d\u0926\u0938\u094d)\u201d in Vedic Sanskrit<a href=\"#_ftn2\" id=\"_ftnref2\">[2]<\/a>, which is where the concept first emerges, pre-1500 BCE. Vedic hymns are all in verse form, composed in mainly seven meters based on the number of syllables in each section of a verse.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For example, the most famous Vedic meter is the <em>g\u0101yatr\u012b chhanda<\/em> (\u0917\u093e\u092f\u0924\u094d\u0930\u0940 \u091b\u0928\u094d\u0926), which has three sections of eight syllables each (8\/8\/8), while the most frequently used one is the <em>trishTup chhanda<\/em> (\u0924\u094d\u0930\u093f\u0937\u094d\u091f\u0941\u092a\u094d \u091b\u0928\u094d\u0926), which has four sections of 11 syllables each (11\/11\/11\/11).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Vedic meters are relatively simple, with no specified patterns of light and heavy syllables, but over time, meters with specific stress patterns emerged. For instance, the <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Ramayana\">R\u0101m\u0101yana<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Mahabharata\">Mah\u0101bh\u0101rata<\/a> (both dated to sometime in the middle of the first millennium BCE) are composed in a more refined and rhythmic version of the Vedic <em>anushTup chhanda<\/em> (\u0905\u0928\u0941\u0937\u094d\u091f\u0941\u092a\u094d \u091b\u0928\u094d\u0926, 8\/8\/8\/8).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This <a href=\"https:\/\/swarajyamag.com\/culture\/a-recitation-that-many-hindu-households-wake-up-to#:~:text=The%20first%20verse%20in%20the,scholar-poet%20Prathivadhi%20Bhayankaram%20Annangaracharya\">14<sup>th<\/sup> century Sanskrit hymn<\/a> below is one of India\u2019s largest-selling non-film recordings ever. It begins with a verse borrowed from the R\u0101m\u0101yana, with subsequent verses also continuing in the same <em>anushTup<\/em> meter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"MS Subbulakshmi Sri Venkateswara Suprabhatham | Lyrical Video\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/krGYd5tZe0A?start=3&#038;feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Notice the \u201c<em>da<\/em>&#8211;<strong>dum<\/strong>&#8211;<strong>dum<\/strong>\u201d pattern in the fifth, sixth, and seventh syllables of the first and third sections of each verse, and a \u201c<em>da<\/em>&#8211;<strong>dum<\/strong>&#8211;<em>da<\/em>\u201d pattern in the same syllables of the second and fourth sections.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"line-height:0\">kau-sal-y\u0101-sup-<span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em><u>ra<\/u><\/em>&#8211;<strong>j\u0101<\/strong>&#8211;<strong>r\u0101<\/strong><\/span>-ma<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"line-height:0\">p\u016br-v\u0101-sandh-y\u0101-<span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em><u>pra<\/u><\/em>&#8211;<strong>var<\/strong>&#8211;<em>ta<\/em><\/span>-t\u0113<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"line-height:0\">ut-ti-shTha-na-<span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em><u>ra<\/u><\/em>&#8211;<strong>sh\u0101r<\/strong>&#8211;<strong>d\u016b<\/strong><\/span>-la<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"line-height:0\">kar-tav-yam-dai-<span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em><u>va<\/u><\/em>&#8211;<strong>m\u0101n<\/strong>&#8211;<em>hi<\/em><\/span>-kam<a href=\"#_ftn3\" id=\"_ftnref3\">[3]<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-right\" style=\"line-height:0\">(R\u0101m\u0101yana, Book 1, Chapter 23, Verse 2)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here is another example of a famous verse in the same meter from the Bhagavad G\u012bt\u0101, which is a part of the Mah\u0101bh\u0101rata. (An interesting thing about verses in the same meter is that you can easily sing or chant them in the same tune).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"line-height:0\">ya-d\u0101-ya-d\u0101-<span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em><u>hi<\/u><\/em>&#8211;<strong>dhar<\/strong>&#8211;<strong>mas<\/strong><\/span>-ya<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"line-height:0\">gla-nir-bha-va-<span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em><u>ti<\/u><\/em>&#8211;<strong>bh\u0101<\/strong>&#8211;<em>ra<\/em><\/span>-ta<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"line-height:0\">abh-yut-th\u0101-na-<span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em><u>ma<\/u><\/em>&#8211;<strong>dhar<\/strong>&#8211;<strong>mas<\/strong><\/span>-ya<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"line-height:0\">ta-d\u0101t-m\u0101-nams-<span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em><u>ri<\/u><\/em>&#8211;<strong>j\u0101m<\/strong>&#8211;<em>ya<\/em><\/span>-ham<a href=\"#_ftn4\" id=\"_ftnref4\">[4]<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-right\" style=\"line-height:0\">(Bhagavad G\u012bt\u0101, Chapter 4, Verse 7)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Stricter meters involve the application of specific patterns of light and heavy syllables to the entire verse, not just parts of it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The <em>pancha-ch\u0101mara<\/em> (<em>da-<\/em><strong>dum<\/strong><em>-da-<\/em><strong>dum<\/strong><em>-da-<\/em><strong>dum<\/strong><em>-da-<\/em><strong>dum<\/strong>) meter I began this article with is one example. Another example is the <em>bhujanga-pray\u0101tam <\/em>(\u092d\u0941\u091c\u0919\u094d\u0917\u092a\u094d\u0930\u092f\u093e\u0924\u092e\u094d, literally \u201csnake movement\u201d) meter, which has a stress pattern of \u201c<em>da<\/em>&#8211;<strong>dum<\/strong>&#8211;<strong>dum<\/strong>, <em>da<\/em>&#8211;<strong>dum<\/strong>&#8211;<strong>dum<\/strong>, <em>da<\/em>&#8211;<strong>dum<\/strong>&#8211;<strong>dum<\/strong>, <em>da<\/em>&#8211;<strong>dum<\/strong>&#8211;<strong>dum<\/strong>.\u201d&nbsp;The <em>Vishnu Bhujanga Pray\u0101tam St\u014dtram<\/em>, composed by Adi Shankaracharya in the 8<sup>th<\/sup> century, is in this meter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-4-3 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Vishnu Bhujanga Prayata Stotram | Adi Shankaracharya | POWERFUL VISHNU MANTRA\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/ROXra3uUThM?start=38&#038;feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-large-font-size\"><strong>The Importance of <em>Chhandas<\/em> to Ancient Indians<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Knowledge in ancient India was passed down through an oral tradition, so it was imperative to compose in a format that was easy to memorize and pleasant to recite. Most things (even academic texts in fields such as mathematics and medicine) were composed in verse rather than prose and passed down with remarkable accuracy through the oral tradition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Chhandas<\/em> was, therefore, the subject of a great deal of research in ancient times and, interestingly, it even resulted in the development of combinatorics and other branches of mathematics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In the <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Sanskrit_prosody\"><em>Pingala Sutr\u0101s<\/em><\/a> (\u092a\u093f\u0919\u094d\u0917\u0932\u0938\u0942\u0924\u094d\u0930\u093e\u0903, 600-200 BCE), for instance, Pingala discusses the binary system as a way of coming up with permutations of Vedic meters. He also discusses a sequence of numbers that later became famous as the Fibonacci sequence. The largest compilations of <em>chhandas<\/em> describe over 600 different meters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-large-font-size\"><strong>From Rhythm in Poetry to Rhythm in Music<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Rhythm in Indian classical music has been directly influenced by the Vedic disciplines of <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Shiksha\"><em>shiksh\u0101<\/em><\/a> (\u0936\u093f\u0915\u094d\u0937\u093e, phonetics) and <em>chhandas <\/em>(poetic meter).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Shiksh\u0101<\/em> is the scientific study of speech sounds and their classification. In Sanskrit, one of the ways in which syllables are classified is based on length. For instance, vowels are classified as short (a, i, u) or long (\u0101, \u012b, \u016b, \u0113, \u014d, ai, and au), with long vowels said to take twice as long to speak as short vowels.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A syllable is defined as a speech sound with one vowel, and syllables are also classified as short (\u0939\u0943\u0938\u094d\u0935, <em>hrsva<\/em>) or long (\u0926\u0940\u0930\u094d\u0918, <em>d\u012brgha<\/em>) based on the length of the vowel used, how many consonants are involved, and a few other rules. Additionally, there are special syllables that are thought to be extra-long (\u092a\u094d\u0932\u0941\u0924, <em>pluta<\/em>), taking three times as long to speak as short vowels. The unit of time required to speak a short syllable is called <em>m\u0101tr\u0101<\/em> (\u092e\u093e\u0924\u094d\u0930\u093e).&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Interestingly, in the discipline of <em>chhandas<\/em> (poetic meter), short (<em>hrsva<\/em>) and long (<em>d\u012brgha<\/em>) syllables are treated as light (\u0932\u0918\u0941, <em>laghu<\/em>) and heavy (\u0917\u0941\u0930\u0941, <em>guru<\/em>) syllables instead. This is based on a recognition that, during recitation, short syllables are de-stressed while long ones are stressed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In both metrical poetry and music, time and emphasis combine to create rhythmicity. Naturally, a rhythm can only be experienced when you have an \u201caction\u201d to mark it (like a beat or a stressed syllable), but in order for the beats or stressed syllables to sound rhythmic, they must also come at regular time intervals. This idea is explored in great detail in Bharata\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Natya_Shastra\"><em>N\u0101tya Sh\u0101stra<\/em><\/a> (\u0928\u093e\u091f\u094d\u092f \u0936\u0938\u094d\u0924\u094d\u0930, 200 BCE-200 CE).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The <em>N\u0101tya Sh\u0101stra<\/em> deconstructs rhythm into several elements and discusses each separately. These elements include beats (\u0915\u094d\u0930\u093f\u092f\u093e, <em>kriya<\/em>, literally \u201caction\u201d), the interval between two beats (\u0915\u093e\u0932, <em>k\u0101la<\/em>), tempo (\u0932\u092f, <em>laya<\/em>), and cyclicality (\u092a\u0930\u093f\u0935\u0930\u094d\u0924,<em> parivarta<\/em>), among others. Beats are further categorized into sounded actions (\u0938\u0936\u092c\u094d\u0926 \u0915\u094d\u0930\u093f\u092f\u093e, <em>sashabda kriy\u0101<\/em>) and unsounded actions (\u0928\u093f:\u0936\u092c\u094d\u0926 \u0915\u094d\u0930\u093f\u092f\u093e, <em>nisshabda kriy\u0101<\/em>), which are the equivalent of claps (\u0924\u093e\u0932\u0940, <em>t\u0101li<\/em>) and waves (\u0916\u093e\u0932\u0940, <em>kh\u0101li<\/em>) in contemporary Indian classical music.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>While beats, intervals between beats, and tempo are common elements of rhythm in all music, rhythm in Indian classical music is additionally characterized by complex patterns of stressed and unstressed beats, and the cyclicality of these patterns, which plays an important role in the performance of music and dance. &nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It seems obvious that the idea of stressed and unstressed beats in rhythm patterns derives from <em>chhandas<\/em>, while dividing rhythm cycles into sections of varying lengths derives from <em>shiksh\u0101<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The <em>N\u0101tya Sh\u0101stra<\/em>, for instance, describes five classical rhythm patterns as combinations of short (I), long (S), and extra-long (S`) sections, with <em>m\u0101tr\u0101<\/em> (time) counts of 1, 2, and 3, respectively.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"line-height:0\"><em>chacchatpuTa =<\/em> SSIS` (2+2+1+3 = 8 <em>m\u0101tr\u0101s<\/em>)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"line-height:0\"><em>ch\u0101chapuTa =<\/em> SIIS (2+1+1+2 = 6 <em>m\u0101tr\u0101s<\/em>)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"line-height:0\"><em>ShaTpit\u0101putraka =<\/em> S`ISSIS` (3+1+2+2+1+3 = 12 <em>m\u0101tr\u0101s<\/em>)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"line-height:0\"><em>sampakveShT\u0101ka =<\/em> S`SSSS` (3+2+2+2+3 = 12 <em>m\u0101tr\u0101s<\/em>)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"line-height:0\"><em>uddhaTTa =<\/em> SSS (2+2+2= 6 <em>m\u0101tr\u0101s<\/em>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Of the above, the first two remain highly relevant to this day in classical music and dance genres across India, albeit with changes and diversification over time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-large-font-size\"><strong>Timekeeping vs. Musical Accompaniment<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Unlike in poetry, where rhythmicity is called <em>chhanda<\/em>, in music, rhythm is called <em>t\u0101la<\/em> (\u0924\u093e\u0932), which comes from <em>t\u0101li<\/em> (clap), which itself comes from the word <em>t\u0101lu<\/em> (palm of the hand). After all, clapping is one of the most intuitive ways to express rhythm in all cultures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In Indian classical music and dance, however, claps, waves, finger taps, and a few other gestures are used to mark the place in the rhythm cycle. This is typically done by singers to keep track of the rhythm while singing and is quite different from rhythmic accompaniment of a performance. Here is a demonstration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Ep 3 #SangeetCharcha :Ekgun, Dugun, Tigun, Chaugun | Shuddha Swar Riaz| #IndianClassicalMusic #Short\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/EBhvdnC5utk?start=8&#038;feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>The <em>N\u0101tya Sh\u0101stra<\/em> describes multiple classes of instruments, of which <em>ghana-v\u0101dya<\/em> (\u0918\u0928 \u0935\u093e\u0926\u094d\u092f, i.e., solid instruments like the <em>manjira<\/em>, which are small cymbals) and <em>avanaddha v\u0101dya<\/em> (\u0905\u0935\u0928\u0926\u094d\u0927 \u0935\u093e\u0926\u094d\u092f, i.e., covered instruments like the <em>mridanga<\/em> and other drums) are related to percussion. Interestingly, the text mentions only the solid instruments as being responsible for keeping time. Some scholars wonder why the drums were excluded from this categorization. &nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>My reasoning is that this is because the function of timekeeping is distinct from percussion as an accompaniment to music or dance. While the drums play many types of interim beats to accompany and enhance the beauty of a performance, the solid instruments serve primarily to keep time by consistently marking the sections of the rhythm pattern used at the required pace.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This can be seen even today in performances that feature both <em>tabla<\/em> and <em>manjira<\/em>. The <em>tabla<\/em> will play a variety of beats, but the <em>manjira<\/em> will typically only mark the beginning of each section of a rhythm cycle, serving as a much more effective marker of time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"\u091a\u0926\u0930\u093f\u092f\u093e \u091d\u0940\u0928\u0940 \u0930\u0947 \u091d\u0940\u0928\u0940 - \u0915\u092c\u0940\u0930 \u092d\u091c\u0928- \u092e\u0948\u0925\u093f\u0932\u0940 \u0920\u093e\u0915\u0941\u0930, \u090b\u0937\u092d \u0920\u093e\u0915\u0941\u0930, \u0905\u092f\u093e\u091a\u0940 \u0920\u093e\u0915\u0941\u0930\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/GNlB3YQ6mjM?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-large-font-size\">Suggested further reading<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/raag-hindustani.com\/blog\/2024\/09\/25\/vedic-music\/\">The songs of our ancestors \u2014 Vedic music from 1500~ B.C.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/raag-hindustani.com\/blog\/2025\/07\/22\/indian-classical-music-history-1\/\">The History of Indian Classical Music \u2013 Part 1<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-medium-font-size\">Footnotes<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"#_ftnref1\" id=\"_ftn1\">[1]<\/a> \u091c\u091f\u093e\u091f\u0935\u0940\u0917\u0932\u091c\u094d\u091c\u0932\u092a\u094d\u0930\u0935\u093e\u0939\u092a\u093e\u0935\u093f\u0924\u0938\u094d\u0925\u0932\u0947 \u0917\u0932\u0947\u0935\u0932\u092e\u094d\u092c\u094d\u092f \u0932\u092e\u094d\u092c\u093f\u0924\u093e\u0902 \u092d\u0941\u091c\u0919\u094d\u0917\u0924\u0941\u0919\u094d\u0917\u092e\u093e\u0932\u093f\u0915\u093e\u092e\u094d \u0964<br>\u0921\u092e\u0921\u094d\u0921\u092e\u0921\u094d\u0921\u092e\u0921\u094d\u0921\u092e\u0928\u094d\u0928\u093f\u0928\u093e\u0926\u0935\u0921\u094d\u0921\u092e\u0930\u094d\u0935\u092f\u0902 \u091a\u0915\u093e\u0930 \u091a\u0923\u094d\u0921\u0924\u093e\u0923\u094d\u0921\u0935\u0902 \u0924\u0928\u094b\u0924\u0941 \u0928\u0903 \u0936\u093f\u0935\u0903 \u0936\u093f\u0935\u092e\u094d \u0965 1 \u0965 <a href=\"https:\/\/medium.com\/sanatana-dharma\/the-beauty-of-the-shiva-tandava-stotram-7b12c3e63eed\">The <em>Shiva T\u0101nDava St\u014dtram<\/em>, said to have been composed by Ravana<\/a>, is filled with Shiva-related imagery. The first verse describes the sacred Ganges flowing through Shiva\u2019s dense matted hair, the enormous snake coiled around his neck, and the <em>Damaru<\/em> he plays rhythmically as he does his auspicious <em>t\u0101nDav<\/em> dance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"#_ftnref2\" id=\"_ftn2\">[2]<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Vedic_Sanskrit\">Vedic Sanskrit<\/a> is the more ancient form of Sanskrit. It is the language in which the Vedas are composed. <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Vedas\">The Vedas<\/a> are collections of hymns composed by seers (<em>rishis<\/em>) over a period of many centuries, if not millennia, along the banks of the Himalayan rivers, where they lived and taught in <em>ashrams<\/em>. Sometime around 1,500 BCE, over a thousand of these hymns were compiled into a ten-volume work called the Rig Veda, and they have come down to us unchanged since that time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"#_ftnref3\" id=\"_ftn3\">[3]<\/a> \u0915\u094c\u0938\u0932\u094d\u092f\u093e \u0938\u0941\u092a\u094d\u0930\u091c\u093e \u0930\u093e\u092e \u092a\u0942\u0930\u094d\u0935\u093e \u0938\u0902\u0927\u094d\u092f\u093e \u092a\u094d\u0930\u0935\u0930\u094d\u0924\u0924\u0947 \u0964 \u0909\u0924\u094d\u0924\u093f\u0937\u094d\u0920 \u0928\u0930\u0936\u093e\u0930\u094d\u0926\u0942\u0932 \u0915\u0930\u094d\u0924\u0935\u094d\u092f\u0902 \u0926\u0948\u0935\u092e\u093e\u0939\u094d\u0928\u093f\u0915\u092e\u094d \u0965 \u0968 \u0965Meaning: \u201cO R\u0101ma, beloved son of Kausaly\u0101, the day dawns. Awake, O best among men! God\u2019s work is waiting to be performed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"#_ftnref4\" id=\"_ftn4\">[4]<\/a> \u092f\u0926\u093e \u092f\u0926\u093e \u0939\u093f \u0927\u0930\u094d\u092e\u0938\u094d\u092f \u0917\u094d\u0932\u093e\u0928\u093f\u0930\u094d\u092d\u0935\u0924\u093f \u092d\u093e\u0930\u0924 \u0964 \u0905\u092d\u094d\u092f\u0941\u0924\u094d\u0925\u093e\u0928\u092e\u0927\u0930\u094d\u092e\u0938\u094d\u092f \u0924\u0926\u093e\u0924\u094d\u092e\u093e\u0928\u0902 \u0938\u0943\u091c\u093e\u092e\u094d\u092f\u0939\u092e\u094d \u0965 \u096d \u0965Meaning: \u201cWhenever morality is weakened, O Bh\u0101rata, and immorality rears its head, I (Vishnu) manifest myself (in this world to restore morality).\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-medium-font-size\">References<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><em><a href=\"https:\/\/archive.org\/details\/evolutionofragat0000gaut\">Evolution of r\u0101ga and t\u0101la in Indian music<\/a><\/em>, Gautam, M. R.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/sangeetgalaxy.co.in\/paper\/%E0%A4%A8%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%9F%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AF%E0%A4%B6%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%B8%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%A4%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B0-%E0%A4%AE%E0%A5%87%E0%A4%82-%E0%A4%B5%E0%A4%B0%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%A3%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%A4\/\">\u0928\u093e\u091f\u094d\u092f\u0936\u093e\u0938\u094d\u0924\u094d\u0930 \u092e\u0947\u0902 \u0935\u0930\u094d\u0923\u093f\u0924 \u0924\u093e\u0932-\u0924\u0924\u094d\u0935: \u090f\u0915 \u0905\u0927\u094d\u092f\u092f\u0928<\/a>, Dr. Ritu Singh<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/playlist?list=PLhRKsB88RuSn9tQ2gSAlaT97_scgj6o9m\">\u091b\u0928\u094d\u0926 (Meters)<\/a>, Dr. Vasudev Prasad<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/instavm.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/H12.pdf\">CHHANDA SHASTRA OF PINGLA &#8211; A MATHEMATICAL REVIEW<\/a>, Mrs Shefali Joshi &amp; Anant Vyawahare<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=Whm3LrWEENI\">Chandas &#8211; Vedas, vedangas and upangas<\/a>, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=Ul7L_cAsYlw\">Chandas- Part 2<\/a>, Tattvam<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Sanskrit_prosody\">Sanskrit prosody<\/a>, Wikipedia<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Vedic_metre\">Vedic meter<\/a>, Wikipedia<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Pingala\">Pingala<\/a>, Wikipedia<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/medium.com\/sanatana-dharma\/the-beauty-of-the-shiva-tandava-stotram-7b12c3e63eed\">The Beauty of the Shiva Tandava Stotram<\/a>, Rashmi Sharma<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/swarajyamag.com\/culture\/a-recitation-that-many-hindu-households-wake-up-to\">A Recitation That Many Hindu Households Wake Up To<\/a>, K Balakumar<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>How did rhythm in Vedic poetry influence rhythm in music?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[4,3],"tags":[39,34,13,22,38,40,35,36,41,51,5],"class_list":["post-114","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-indianmusichistory","category-vedicmusic","tag-bharatas-natya-shastra","tag-chhandas","tag-indian-classical-music","tag-indian-music-history","tag-natya-shastra","tag-pingala-sutras","tag-poetic-meter","tag-rhythm","tag-sanskrit-poetry","tag-shiv-tandav-stotram","tag-vedas"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":222,"url":"https:\/\/raag-hindustani.com\/blog\/2025\/07\/22\/indian-classical-music-history-1\/","url_meta":{"origin":114,"position":0},"title":"The History of Indian Classical Music \u2013 Part 1","author":"S\u0101dhana","date":"July 22, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Learn about the evolution of the seven-note scale from the Vedas, and the evolution of ragas from Vedic and folk music.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;IndianClassicalMusic&quot;","block_context":{"text":"IndianClassicalMusic","link":"https:\/\/raag-hindustani.com\/blog\/category\/indianclassicalmusic\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/raag-hindustani.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/ThreeSwaritasSevenNotes-1.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/raag-hindustani.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/ThreeSwaritasSevenNotes-1.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/raag-hindustani.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/ThreeSwaritasSevenNotes-1.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":13,"url":"https:\/\/raag-hindustani.com\/blog\/2024\/09\/25\/vedic-music\/","url_meta":{"origin":114,"position":1},"title":"The songs of our ancestors \u2014 Vedic music from 1500~ B.C.","author":"S\u0101dhana","date":"September 25, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"What did music sound like 3000\u20133500 years ago? Vedic music is an unbroken tradition of singing and chanting that has been kept alive for thousands of years, which makes it a very authentic piece of live history.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;IndianMusicHistory&quot;","block_context":{"text":"IndianMusicHistory","link":"https:\/\/raag-hindustani.com\/blog\/category\/indianmusichistory\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/img.youtube.com\/vi\/PLiNK-KgBCVJDu6hTlOo1HnprUxKWIelvQ\/0.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":42,"url":"https:\/\/raag-hindustani.com\/blog\/2024\/09\/26\/music-and-religion\/","url_meta":{"origin":114,"position":2},"title":"Indian Classical Music and Religion","author":"S\u0101dhana","date":"September 26, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"The Bhakti movement, a religious movement that swept across India for over a thousand years, profoundly influenced Indian culture, including music.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;IndianMusicHistory&quot;","block_context":{"text":"IndianMusicHistory","link":"https:\/\/raag-hindustani.com\/blog\/category\/indianmusichistory\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/img.youtube.com\/vi\/XIYhajdSvyE\/0.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":44,"url":"https:\/\/raag-hindustani.com\/blog\/2024\/09\/26\/bollywood-musicals\/","url_meta":{"origin":114,"position":3},"title":"Why are Indian films mostly musicals?","author":"S\u0101dhana","date":"September 26, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Indian films have inherited the ancient Indian tradition of storytelling through music and dance. There are also other reasons why Indian films continue to be musicals.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;BollywoodMusic&quot;","block_context":{"text":"BollywoodMusic","link":"https:\/\/raag-hindustani.com\/blog\/category\/bollywoodmusic\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/img.youtube.com\/vi\/55LRrp3XNA4\/0.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/raag-hindustani.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/114","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/raag-hindustani.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/raag-hindustani.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/raag-hindustani.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/raag-hindustani.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=114"}],"version-history":[{"count":16,"href":"https:\/\/raag-hindustani.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/114\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":275,"href":"https:\/\/raag-hindustani.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/114\/revisions\/275"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/raag-hindustani.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=114"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/raag-hindustani.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=114"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/raag-hindustani.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=114"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}