मार्गदेशीविचारः २

Another definition of mārga and deśī music this time from the Saṃgītaratnākara of Śārṅgadeva Edited by Pandit S. Subrahmanya Sastri, revised by Smt. S. Sarada, Adyar Library and Research Centre, Madras, second edition 1992. Click for more...

[saṃgītalakṣaṇam]

saṃgīta comprises three things: gīta (song), vādya (instrumental music) and nṛtta (dance):

SaṃRa_1.21cd: gītaṃ vādyaṃ tathā nṛttam & trayaṃ saṃgītam ucyate

[mārgadeśīvibhāgaḥ]

It is divided twofold, into mārga, “classical” and deśī “regional”:

SaṃRa_1.22ab: mārgo deśīti tad dvedhā & tatra mārgaḥ sa ucyate

Mārga was “sought after” or “perceived” (mārgito) by Viriñca (=Brahmā) and employed by Bharata etc.:

SaṃRa_1.22cd: yo mārgito viriñcādyaiḥ & prayukto bharatādibhiḥ
SaṃRa_1.23ab: devasya purataḥ śambhor & niyatābhyudayapradaḥ

Kallinātha ad loc: mārgita iti “mārga anveṣane” ity asmād dhātoḥ karmaṇi niṣṭhāyāṃ rūpam / mārga iti tu tasmād eva dhātoh karmaṇi ghañantam /
Siṃhabhūpāla ad loc: mārgito 'nveṣito dṛṣtaḥ /

SaṃRa_1.23cd: deśe deśe janānāṃ yad & rucyā hṛdayarañjakam
SaṃRa_1.24ab: gītaṃ ca vādanaṃ nṛttaṃ & tad deśīty abhidhīyate

Kallinātha ad loc: deśaśabdena tatratyā janā lakṣyante, tair yatheccham kriyamānāyāṃ gītādikriyāyāyām ācāryakṛtā saṃjñā /

[teṣāṃ prādhānyavicāraḥ]

Vocal music is predominant as instrumental music and dance follow it:

SaṃRa_1.24cd: nṛttaṃ vādyānugataṃ proktaṃ & vādyaṃ gītānuvarti ca
SaṃRa_1.25ab: ato gītaṃ pradhānatvād & atrādāv abhidhīyate