The ancient raga system of India is known for its emotional content and impact. Ragas were selectively used along with appropriate rhythms and beats to address turbulent minds and to balance emotional upheavals during unbearable losses, trauma and other emotional lows experienced by our forefathers. ‘Raga Chikitsa’ was one of the ancient texts which dealt with the therapeutic role of ragas.
Recent years have witnessed the revival of research on Indian ragas for their therapeutic role. We all know that ragas can effectively address the emotional needs of humans in a subtle and unpretentious way. Thus, it can be an adjunct to counselling. Ragas have been known for their emotional impact on humans for a very long time. Most of the ancient texts and manuscripts depicting ragas as a medical intervention (e.g., Raga Chikitsa) are still untraceable and some of them have been totally lost with the passage of time.
However, remnants of some of these texts are fortunately available to this day, thanks to the efforts made by the Tanjore Saraswathi Mahal Library since independence. They all go to show that Indian musicology had laid emphasis on the emotional role of ragas through trial and error and had come out with a choice of tones (swaras) that address the emotional needs of listeners.
It appears that these therapeutic concepts were well-developed and practiced in India by the 12th and 13th centuries, but were lost thereafter. Improvising music to inculcate pleasant feelings have been dealt with in Sangita Sudha, a 17th century work, authored by the Nayaka King Raghunatha Nayak and his minister Govinda Dikshitar.
Ancient Indian musicologists were not only concerned with the aesthetics of a raga, but had also emphasised on their therapeutic impact on emotional situations. In this context, the Sanskrit term bhaava, which denotes the emotional bed that infuses life to the scale of a raga was regarded as the ‘soul’ of music.
Thus, while laying down the aesthetic norms, classical musicologists were researching the ability to fill a raga-scale with bhaava. This has made Indian ragas an ideal tool for emotional healing which includes addressing the various conditions of mental imbalances such as anxiety, stress, trauma and the like.
Raga as a Therapy for Emotional Victims
Ancient musicological treatises on this aspect of music, as collected by King Sahaji (1684-1711) were fortunately preserved in the Thanjavur Saraswathi Mahal Library in the form of several palm leaf manuscripts. After independence, these were studied by music scholars and published as a series of books by this library.
From here we are able to understand how our ancient musicologists manipulated the raga structure to derive maximum benefit from the raga system.
Raga Aalaap or Improvisation
Expanding a raga structure is referred to as alap raga alapana. This way of rendering involves an imagination aimed at a determined intention. To achieve a consistent bhaava, musicologists had, in the past, worked on various ‘catches’ (pidi in Tamil), which infused pleasant feelings in listeners. Pidis are the note-clusters which form the building blocks of a raga. Thus, for example, let’s take five pidis: SA, SA RI, SA RI GA, SA RI GA MA, SA RI GA MA PA.
These are the five pidis, which can be found within the body of a typical Indian raga. Based on centuries of experimentations with such clusters, and keenly observing their impact on the minds of listeners, certain conclusions and generalisations have been drawn which stand to benefit music therapists in arriving at the ‘appropriate’ raga structures to address various mental ailments.
Based on the understanding that only a pidi that satisfies the mind can be therapeutic, they devised ways and means to execute through imagination the right kind of pidis that could satisfy the listeners instantly.
Of the five pidis, as illustrated above, it was observed that it is either SA RI GA MA or SA RI GA MA PA which give maximum satisfaction to the listeners with a sense of completion, whereas the remaining three pidis namely SA, SA RI and SA RI GA are just capable of creating a sense of expectation in the minds of the listeners and never a sense of completion, which alone renders satisfaction.
In these “incomplete” examples, only suspense is created in the minds as there is no sense of completion.
While listening to these pidis, the listeners are bound to feel a certain inadequacy, and at the same time a certain curiosity to reach a conclusion or completion. The Probable Reason for Completion felt through the selected Pidis. The swaras SA and MA are considered samvadi swaras, the same way SA and PA are heard. Samvadi swaras are the friendly notes which are close to each other.
Aalaap for Emotional Healing
Aalaap or improvisation of a raga is a popular aspect of classical music in India. Aalaap is regularly practiced by both Camatic as well as Hindustani musicians. As aalaap refers to the contemplative exposition of a raga with irregular phrases sans rhythm, it is highly intuitive and emotional in character.
It helps the musician and his or her listener in channelising and expressing emotional horizons freely without bothering about the social etiquette or behavioural restraints in normal social living.
Aalaap, (also referred to by some as ‘aalapana’ according to the musical traditions), can be divided into the following five parts:
Akshiptika (also Aayatham): Aayatham is a Tamil word, which means `preparation’. The Sanskrit word `akshiptika’ refers to `throwing out in all directions’. Here, the emphasis is just to commence the musical experience with a selected raga piece by pronouncing the swaras (notes) in an enjoyable way, so as to bring out the subtle emotion (raga bhaava) from a centre-point.
It involves a slow, smooth and leisurely way of extending the emotional nuances hidden behind these swaras, by exploring both elevation (aaroha) and going down (avaroha). It is like switching on an aeroplane by the cockpit crew before it takes off. The detailed description of this stage has been described in Sangita Ratnakara, the oldest text available on music.
Raga Vardhani (also Eduppu): Raga Vardhani refers to the take-off stage in raga experience. The Tamil word `eduppu’ here connotes the beginning of the expansion of the chosen raga. Having acquired a clear form by now, the musician is ready for take-off. Raga Vardhani thus begins its voyage!
Makarini (also Vartarti): In this form of aalaap, all the swaras show their presence. It refers to the top expansion of the raga. Muktayi (also Nyasa) : All good things have to come to an end! It refers to the finale of the aalaap. Aalaap, the ancient form of contemplative music has many advantages as it exercises the brain and balances the emotional flow in a pleasant manner.
Though negative emotions such as fear, anger, melancholy etc. are expressed through ragas, they are expressed so pleasantly that they do not have any adverse effect on the listeners.
On the other hand, it is this author’s experience that such negative feelings, expressed so pleasantly through the ragas, help in addressing similar negative emotions suppressed by listeners.
With powerful tones and tunes, sounds and beats, it is possible to address such emotional incrustations through a catharsis.
This article was published in Bhavans Journal August 31, 2014 – Pages 56 to 60
Edited by Geeta Shreedar, Nov. 15, 2021
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