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Lakshanagranthas: A chronological overview of historical raga texts spanning the past 3500 years – with key quotes, contextual discussion, and multilingual links to the original source material. Get in touch with more info!

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• Search | Megalist | Tags •

[coming soon]

• Raga Index: Home •

—Works in Focus—

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• Vedas (~C16th-9th BCE; Vyasa/anon.)
• Ramayana (~C7th BCE-C3rd CE; Valmiki/anon.)
• Naradiya Shiksha (~C1st BCE; anon.)
• Natyashastra (~200 BCE-200 CE; Bharata Muni)
• Dattilam (~C1st-3rd; Datilla)
• Brihaddeshi (~C6th-9th; Matanga)
• Kudumiyanmalai inscriptions (~C7th; anon.)
• Sangita Makaranda (~C7th-11th; Narada)
• Sangita Samarasya (~C10th-13th; Prasavadeva)
• Abhinavabharati (~980-1020; Abhinavagupta)
• Manasollasa (C12th; Someshwara)
• Sangita Ratnakara (C13th; Sarngadeva)
• Man Kautuhal (1486-1516; Raja Man Singh)
• Mesakarna Ragmala (1509/1570; Mesakarna)
• Raga Tarangini (~C15th-C17th; Locana Kavi)
• Swaramela Kalanidhi (c.1550; Ramamatya)
• Raga Manjari (~1560-90; Pundarika Vitthala)
• Guru Granth Sahib (1604; Guru Arjan)
• Raga Vibodha (1609; Somanatha)
• Sangita Darpana (~1625; Damodara Misra)
• Chaturdandi Prakashika (1660; Venkatamakhim)
• Sangit Parijat (~1665; Pandit Ahobal)
• Raga Darpan (~1666; Faqirullah)
• Usul Un-Naghmat-i Asafi (1792-1813; Muhammed Raza Khan)
• Hindustani Sangeet Paddhati (1909-31; V.N. Bhatkhande)
• Sangeetanjali Vol. 1-7 (1938-62; Omkarnath Thakur)
• Raga Nidhi Vol. 1-4 (1956-65; B. Subbha Rao)
• The Raga Guide (1999; Joep Bor)

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—Other Shastras—

• All shastras: full list of over 100 texts through time

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“Ustad Faiyyaz Khan was singing in a mehfil, when a scholar interrupted him and said, ‘You are not singing correctly; this raga is described differently in the shastras’. Khansaheb asked the scholar show him the shastra. When he produced it, Khan put the book to his ear and said ‘I can hear nothing, it is silent’. The scholar asked Khansaheb to read it. Khansaheb’s reply was that ‘I don’t care what is written in the shastras – whatever you are singing, just sing it.’ Indian music cannot be explained by just writing…” (RICMP)

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—WORKS IN FOCUS—

• Vedas •

Vyasa/anon. (~C16th-9th BCE)

[ENGLISH]

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• Natyashastra •

Bharata Muni (~200 BCE-200 CE)

[ENGLISH]

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• Kudumiyanmalai inscriptions •

Mahendra Pallava? (~C7th)

[LINK]

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• Sangita Ratnakara •

Sarngadeva (13th-century)

[ENGLISH]

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• Raga Tarangini •

Locana Kavi (~C15th-17th)

[SANSKRIT / transliterated]

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• Raga Manjari •

Pundarika Vitthala (C16th)

[LINK]

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• Guru Granth Sahib •

Guru Arjan (1604)

[ENGLISH]

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• Sangita Darpana •

Damodara Misra (~1625)

[LINK]

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• Sangit Parijat •

Pandit Ahobal (c.1665)

[LINK]

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• Raga Darpan •

Faqirullah (c.1666)

[LINK]

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• Hindustani Sangeet Paddhati •

V.N. Bhatkhande (1909-31)

[LINK]

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• Raga Nidhi Vol. 1-4 •

B. Subbha Rao (1956-66)

[Vol.1: A-C] [Vol.2: D-J] [Vol.3: K-P] [Vol.4: R-Z+]

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(1956; 1964; 1965; 1966)

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• SHASTRA •

author (date)

[LINK]

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—ALL SHASTRAS—

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