S-R-m-P-D-nN-S

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A seldom-heard Sarang variant which appears in several different guises. All main forms include the swaras SRmPDnS, and most add shuddha Ni, while some also include shuddha Ga amidst other quirks. Thankfully, rare raga explorer Moumita Mitra recently conducted a survey of known renditions (read in full below), categorising them into three streams: ‘komal ni only’ (SRmPDnS: e.g. Asad Ali Khan), ‘double Ni’ (SRmPDnNS: e.g. K.G. Ginde), and ‘double Ni & shuddha Ga’ (SRGmPDnNS: e.g. Jitendra Abhisheki). Alongside detailed analysis, she recorded her own amalgamation of these three forms, set to lyrics from Bhatkhande’s Kramik Pustak Malika. Abhirang has similarly recorded three distinct prakars, all based around altering the descent of Brindabani Sarang: the first adds nDnP (SRmPDnNS), the second also adds mGmR (SRGmPDnNS), and the third adds GmR but avoids Dha (SRGmPnNS) – while Ishwar Chandra Karkare‘s breakdown includes shades of Nayaki Kanada (nnPmP). A pair of similarly-named ragas – ‘Vadhans’ and ‘Vadhans Dakhani’ – appear in Sikh traditions, but it is unclear if these are connected to the main ‘Badhans’ lineage: despite overlapping swara-sets, their movement patterns seem distant from the Sarang family (e.g. NSRGPmGR). Compare to the nearby Miyan ki Sarang and Samant Sarang.

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राग बदहमसा सारंग

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Aroha: SRmPNS

Avroh: SnDnP, mPGmRS

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Chalan: common phrases – e.g. SRmP; nDnP; nDnP; RmPnDnP; mPNNS; nP; mR; RPmR; RmPnDnP; mPmR; mRS (Mitra)

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—Asad Ali Khan (1997)—

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[composition, e.g. 21:58] n/S, R(SRS)n S, m\R R/P m\R, R/m\R, R, S; n/S, S\n (S)n\P, P, (nDn)P, m, P, S(nSn) S, S, R(nRn)S, m\R R/P m(Rm)R, m(RmR), m\R, m\R, S; n/S, S R(gRgnSn), S RP m\R, m(RmR), R(gR), R(gR)S…

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Histories, melodies, mythologies, etc…

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—Moumita Mitra’s analysis—

Vocalist Moumita Mitra released an analysis of Badhans Sarang in 2022, including a detailed survey of available renditions. Here is her summary of the raga, lightly edited for clarity: “After comparing all the recordings and notations, I found that three versions exist right now: with komal ni only, with both Ni, and both Ni plus Ga:

 

—First version: with komal ni only [SRmPDnS], e.g. Asad Ali Khan: Phrases like these are used: SRmPnS; RmPDnDP, nDnPmPmRS, mPnDnP, PD, mPmRS – as well as SRmPnDnP, mPnS, mPnSRnS nDnP, RnPDnDP, PDmPmR, mRnS.

 

—Second version: double Ni, and Dha is also used but sparingly [SRmPDnNS], (e.g. Ajay Ginde, and also found in Ali Akbar Khan’s notations): SRmPnDnP, mPNNS, SNSRNSnP, mP, mPnDP, mPmR, SNS. Phrases like these are also used: mPnP, mPnDnP, RmPnDP, mPNS, SnDnPmP, RmRS.

 

—Third version: both Ni & shuddha Ga [SRmPDnNS], but rendered a little differently, further ‘apart’ from the Sarang family (e.g. Jitendra Abhisheki & Birendra Kishore Roychoudhury): SRmPnDnP, mPGmRS, RPGmRS, SRmPnDnP, mPNNS, nDnPmPGmR, PGmRS, RPmR. The phrases RPmR and mPmRS are used as well as GmRS.

 

Combining these, the most common phrases are: SRmP nDnP, nDnP, RmPnDnP, mPNNS, nP, mR, RPmR, RmPnDnP mPmR mRS. Shuddha Ni is introduced with the sequence mPNNS, nP, and also with mRNS around low Sa. From all these versions of the raga, you may follow whichever you find most aesthetically suitable. This bandish is my own experiment, combining all the different characters – a jhaptal composition, with lyrics from Bhatkhande’s Kramik Pustak Malika…”

 

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—Moumita Mitra demo (2022)—

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• Classifiers •

Explore hidden inter-raga connections: swara geometries, melodic features, murchana sets, ragangas, & more (also see the Full Tag List):

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Swaras: -4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10+

Sapta: Audav | Shadav | Sampurna

Poorvang: SRGM | SRG | SRM | SGM

Uttarang: PDNS | PDS | PNS | DNS

Varjit: Re | Ga | Ma | Pa | Dha | Ni

Thaat: 10 | 32 | Enclosed | Inexact

Chal: All-shuddha | All-komal | Ma-tivra

Gaps: Anh. | Hemi. | 3-row | 4-row | 5-row

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Aroha: Audav | Shadav | Sampurna

Avroh: Audav | Shadav | Sampurna

Jati: Equal | Balanced | Av.+1 | Av.+2

Samay: Morning | Aftern. | Eve. | Night

Construction: Jod | Mishra | Oddball

Origin: Ancient | Carnatic | Modern

Dominance: Poorvang | Uttarang

Prevalence: A-list | Prachalit | Aprach.

• Prakriti: Miyan ki Sarang, Samant Sarang, Surdasi Malhar

See all shadav ragas which omit Ga – and also compare to other members of the Sarang raganga

–Swara Geometries–

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• Core form: S–R–m–P–D–nN–S

• Reverse: SrRgmPnS

• Complement: SrgGMdS

• Imperfect: 2 (Dha, Ni)

• Detached: 1 (Ni)

• Symmetries: none

• Murchanas: Anup (on Pa)

–Global Translations–

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• Carnatic: ~Narayani

S-R₂-M₁-P-D₂-N₂-N₃-S

• Jazz: Bebop Dominant (no 3rd)

1-2-4-5-6-b7-7-8

• Pitch classes (‘fret-jumps’):

0-2-5-7-9-10-11-0

(2–3–2–2–1–1–1)

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o • o • • o • o • o o o o

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• Tanpura: Sa–Pa

• Names: Badhans Sarang, Badhamsa Saranga, Badahamsa, Barhans, Vadahamsa (n.b. connections to the Sikh ‘Vadhans’ are unclear)

• Transliterations: Hindi (बदहमसा सारंग), Punjabi (ਵਡਹੰਸੁ)

—Jitendra Abhisheki (~1980s)—