The term Mürcchanā means the changing of key or modulation of voice (and sounds) in the Science of Music. For more explanation, see Footnote No 3, p. 662.
Şūta said:
1-3. (Listen to and) understand the details of Manu’s sons. Pruşhadhra tortured the cow of his preceptor and ate it. Due to the curse of the noble-souled Chyavana, he attained the status of a Shūdra.
Karūşha’s son Kärūşha was a Kshatriya invincible in war. He became as valorous as the group of a thousand Kshatriyas. Bhalandana, son of Nábhagarişhta2(?) was a scholar.
2. A. reads: Nābhāga was the son of Arişhta. Bhalandana was a scholar,
4. Bhalandana had a very powerful son named Prämshu. Prāmśhu had a son who became well known as Prajáni.
5. Prajāni had a valorous son named Khanitra. His son was the glorious Kşhupa of great fame.
6. Kşhupa’s son was Vimsha who had no one equal to him. Vimśha’s son was Vivimšha, the righteous performer of religious rites.
7. Vivimśha’s son was the virtuous-souled and valorous Khaninetra. In the beginning of Tretäyuga, his son Karandhama was born.
8. Karandhama’s son was the vigorous Āvikşhit. By means of his good qualities, Avikşhit surpassed his father.
9. (His son) named Marutta was a virtuous-souled king equal to an emperor. He was taken to heaven by (sage) Samvarta along with his friends and kinsmen.
10. In this connection a great dispute arose between Samvarta and Bruhaspati. On seeing the magnificence of the Yajña, Bruhaspati became angry with him.
11. When the Yajña was brought to a successful conclusion by Samvarta, he (Bruhaspati) became more furious. He was intent on the destruction of the worlds but he was propitiated by the deities (gods).
12. Emperor Marutta obtained Narişhyanta (as son). Narişhyanta’s successor was the king Dama, wielding the staff of justice and punishment.
13. The valorous king Râşhtravardhana was his son. His son was Sudhrutin and Sudhrutin’s son was Nara.
14. Kevala was his son and Bandhumān was the son of Kevala. The virtuous-souled king Vegavān was Bandhumān’s son.
15. Budha was Vegavan’s son and Trunabindu was the son of Budha. He became king at the beginning of the third Tretayuga.
16. His daughter was Dravida (Idavida in Bd. P.) who be came the mother of Viśhravas. He had a son also named Viśhäla. He was an extremely virtuous king.
17. The city of Vishala (Vaishali)1 was built by king Vishala, Viśhāla’s son was the king Hemachandra of great strength,
1. Besad in the district of Muzaffarpur. The name is now officially changed as “Vaiśhāli’, though local people still call it Besad.
18. After Hemachandra (his son) Suchandra became very famous. Suchandra’s son was the well-known king Dhūmråśhva.
19. Dhūmråśhva’s son Sruñjaya became a great scholar. Srunjaya’s son was the glorious and valorous Sahadeva.
20. Kruśhāśhva was Sahadeva’s son. He was extremely righteous. The valorous Somadatta of great brilliance was Kruśhāśhva’s son.
21. Janamejaya was the son of the saintly king Somadatta. Janamejaya’s son named Pramati was very famous.
22. By the grace of Truņabindu, all the kings ruling over Viśhälä were long-lived, noble-souled, valorous and very righteous.
23. Sharyāti begot twins, a son and a daughter. The son became well known as Anarta and the daughter was Sukanyā who became the wife of Chyavana.
24. Anarta’s successor was the heroic (king) named Reva. His kingdom was Ānarta1 and the capital city was Kuśhasthali.
1. Anartta, old name of Gujarat (including Saurāshtra) and Kuśhasthali is modern Dwarka.
25. Reva’s son was Raivata. He was very virtuous and was also known as Kakudin. He was the eldest of a hundred brothers. He became the king and ruled over Kuśhasthali.
26-27. He went to lord Brahma’s presence accompanied by his daughter and heard the musical performance of the lord of Devas for the duration of a Muhūrta which was equivalent to many yugas according to the calculation of human beings 2. He returned to his own city in his own prime of youth, but the city had been occupied by Yadavas. It had been renamed by them as Dvaravati, a beautiful city with many gates.
2. Accidentally Einstein is anticipated by the imaginative Purāņa writer.
28-30. It was then protected by Vasudeva and other leading Bhojas, Vrushnis and Andhakas. On hearing the story of the occupation of Dvărakā by Yadavas) with all the facts, Raivata, the suppressor of enemies, gave his daughter of good rites named Revati, to Balarama in marriage and went to a peak of mount Meru and became engrossed in penance.
Virtuous-souled Rāma (Balarama) sported with Revati. On hearing the story, the sages enquired thereafter.
The Sages asked:
31. O son of Sūta, o holy lord, how is it that even after the lapse of a long period of many Yugas, Revati did not become old? How did her hair not turn grey?
32. After going to the mountain Meru how did Sharyati’s son have progeny of his own? How did they survive till now on the earth? We wish to hear precisely:
33. How many are the groups of gods? How are the Gan dharvas? How was that music on hearing which Raivata considered a long period as only a Muhūrta?
Sūta explained:
34. To a person who goes to the world of god Brahma. there is neither hunger nor thirst. He has neither old age nor fear of death. No ailment affects him.
35. O excellent sages, as to the question put to me on Gāndharva (science of music), I shall explain it precisely, O good sages of holy rites.
36. The Svara Mandala1 (the whole group pertaining to musical notes) is comprised by seven Svaras (notes), three Grāmas2 (basic scales), twentyone Mürcchanās3 (the modes of gradual ascent and descent of the seven notes of the basic scale) and forty-nine Talas1 (Tānās).
1. It suggests the ascent and descent of seven notes, known as Svara saptaka. See v. 37.
2. Grama: Grama means the group of seven notes. The three Grāmas mentioned in Purăņas are (1) Şhadja-grāma, (ii) Madhyama-grāma and (iii) Gāndhara-grāma. These three were the basic scales-the Sa-scale, the Ma-scale and the Ga-scale. These had the notes Sa, Ma and Ga as the starting points. Thus the order of notes in these scales will be as follows:
(i) The Sa-scale: Sa, Ri, Ga, Ma, Pa, Dha, Ni
(ii) The Ma-scale: Ma, Pa, Dha, Ni, Sa, Ri, Ga
(ii) The Ga-scale: Ga, Ma, Pa, Dha, Ni, Sa, Ri
Out of these Ga-scale fell into disuse later. Dattila, an ancient writer on Music, states that it is not found in this world while later scholars say that it went to Heaven. They say that due to the extremely high and low notes it disappeared. But for the reasons given by later writers like Shargadeva, it seems that it was not perfect in its aspect of consonance. And consonance is vitally essential for the melodic music of India. Bharata, in his Natya-shästra describes the Sa-scale and Ma-scale on the basis of the fourth (Sa-Ma Saṁvāda) and the consonance of the fifth (Sa-Pa Samvaada). In the Sa-scale the consonance of the fifth was more prominent (Sa-Pa, Ri-Dha and Ga-ni) while that of the fourth in the Ma-scale (Sa-Ma and Ri-Pa).
The number of Shrutis (the microtones) in the Saptaka fixed by Bharata is 22. The Shruti intervals were distributed in the notes as follows:
Sa-Scale: 4Sa, 3Ri, 2Ga, 4 Ma, 4Pa, 3 Dha, 2Ni=22
Ma-Scale: 4Ma, 3Pa, 4 Dha, 2 Ni, 4Sa. 3Ri, 2Ga=22
The Sa-Ma consonance has the interval of 9 Shrutis and the Sa-Pa consonance that of 13 Shrutis.
3. Mūrcchana:
Mürcchand was the gradual ascent and descent of the seven notes of the basic scale. The word is derived from the root v mürcch- ‘to increase’, ‘to pervade’. As Mūrcchanās started from each note of the scale, there were seven Mürcchanās of each scale. Thus the Marchands of three Grāmas numbered twenty-one.
37. The following are the names of the svaras: Şhadja (Sa), Rushabha (Ri), Gandhāra (Ga), Madhyama (Ma), Pañchama (Pa), Dhaivata (Dha), and Nişhāda (Ni). These are the seven svaras (notes).
(The Text dealing with Music is corrupt and obscure. An
For example, the Sa-scale Mürcchanās would be:
(1) Sa Ri Ga Ma Pa Dha Ni......
(2) Ni Sa Ri Ga Ma Pa Dha......
(3) Dha Ni Sa Ri Ga Ma Pa......etc.
The Saman-scale was descending having the notes Ma Ga Ri Sa Dha Ni Pa as per Naradiya Shikşhā (I. 5,1 and 2). Due to the influence of the Saman scale, there was the descending order followed in the case of starting notes of the Mürcchanās. Mürcchanäs served as the basis of different types of songs. They also brought in the notes of the low (Mandra), high (Tara) registers (Sthāna). If the first Mürcchana of the Ma-scale is rendered taking Ma as the Shadja and the remaining notes accordingly, then it would be indicated as:
4Sa, 3Ri, 4G, 4Ma, 2Pa, 3 Dha, 2Ni=22 Shrutis
This gives the Gandhāra of 4 Shrutis called Antara Ga, Its consonant note would be Ni of 4 Shrutis called Kakali Ni. These two were called the Sadhārana notes. Their use was restricted. Their employment was allowed when the songs had two Shruti Ga and two Śhruti Ni notes in small measure. The Mürcchamas with these two Sadharana notes were called Sadharanikruta Mürcchanás.
1. Tala or Tana:
Täna is the Mürcchana in which one or two specific notes are dropped. When one specific Svara (Note) is dropped, it is called shādava Tana (a Täna consisting of six notes) and when two specific notes are dropped, it is called Auduva Täna (a Täna consisting of five notes). According to Purāņas, there are twenty Tänas of Madhyama-grāma, fourteen of Şhadja grāma and fifteen of Gandhāra-grāma. Thus the number of Tänas of the three grāmas is given as forty-nine.
According to Bharata (Natyashastra) when the single note Sa, Ri, Pa, or Ni is dropped from the Mürcchanas of the Madhyama Grāma, twenty one Şhadava Tänas would be effected (7x3=21).
By dropping Sa Pa Ga Ni or Ri Dha from the Mūrcchanās of the Sa-scale twenty-one Auduva Tānas would be effected (7x3=21). When Ri Dha or Ga Ni are dropped from the Mürcchands of the Ma-scale, there would take place fourteen Auduva Tänas (7x2=14). Thus the total number of the Tānas of the two Gramas is eighty-four according to Bharata. These are given as Suddha Tanas by later Achāryas.
attempt is made to emend it with similar verses on Music in Bd. P. and other Purānas.)
38-39. The Mūrcchanās of the Ma-scale (Madhyama-grāmika) are known as Saubīrī (Sauviră in Bd, P.) of the Madhyama grāma, Hariņāsyā, Kalopabalopeta (also known as Kalopanata) the fourth Shuddha-madhyama, Shärngi, Pāvani and Druşhtākā in the serial order. Mūrcchanās of Madhyama-grāma are explained. Now understand (the Mürcchanās of) the Sa-scale (Shadja-grāma).
40. Uttara-mandrā, Rajani, Uttarāyatā, Shuddha-shadja should also be known as the seventh.1
1. The text omitted the names Abhirudgatā, Matsarikruta and Aśhvakränta.
41a. Know the Mürcchanās of the Ga-scale (Gandhāra-grāmikā) as they are being described by me.2
2. Strangely enough neither our text nor Bd. P. gives the Mürcchanās of the Ga-scale.
N. P. II.50.35b-36a records them as follows:
Nādi, Viśhālā, Sumukhi, Chitra, Chitravati, Mukha and Bala. Without any introduction the text proceeds to enumerate the Tanas from 41b.
The Puranic concept of a Täna is different from that of today.
41b-48. (The names of the Tänas are as follows:).
The first of the series is Āgnishtomika, the second is Vajapeyika; the third is called Paundraka; the fourth is Aśhvamedhika; the fifth is Rājasūya; the sixth is Chakrasuvarņaka; the seventh is Gosava by name; Mahāvrushtika is the eighth; Brahmadāna is the ninth; the next is Präjăpatya; the later should be known as) Näga-pakşhaśhraya, Gotara, Hayakranta, Mrugakränta; the charming Vişhnukrānta, the most excellent Süryakrānta, Mattakokila-Vädin, Savitra, Ardhaśhāvitra, Sarvatobhadra, Suvarna, Sutandra, Vişhņu, Vaişhnuvara, Sågara, Vijaya which is charming to all beings. We know Hamsa and Jyeşhtha as dear to Tumburu (or “Tumburupriya’ be taken as a separate name), the pleasing Adhātrya.
These are followed by Gandharvas, desired by Alaṁbuşhā and dear to Närada. It is mentioned by Bhimasena that they are liked by citizens. (Bd. P. takes ‘Nagara-priya’ as the name of a Täna.)
49-50a. (The Täna) called Karopanīta-Vinatā, Śhrīḥ, Bhargava-Priya.
The Ma-scale (Madhyama-grāma) consists of twenty (Tanas) while fourteen (Tānas) constitute the Sa-scale (şhadja-grāma). They desire (opine) that there are fifteen (Tänas) belonging to the Ga-scale (Gandhāra-grāma).
(The deities associated with Mūrcchanās)
50b. The Mürcchand Gandhārī accompanied with Sauvira is hence sung by god Brahma.
51. And god Brahmă is the presiding deity here of the Uttarādi-svara,
Hariņāsyā is originated in the region of Hari. Mūrcchana Hariņāsyā has Indra as its presiding deity.
52. The Mürcchanā Karopanita-vitalā was sung by Maruts in Svara-Mandala. That is Kalopanita. Hence its presiding deity is Māruta.
53. The Mürcchana Suddha-madhyamă originated in the Manu (ru?) deśha.
Shuddha Madhyama is the note here and the presiding deity is Gandharva.
54. Since it moves along with the deer for the guidance of Siddhas, it is, hence, called Märgi. The Lord of animals (the Lion) is its deity.
55. As the Mürcchanā is associated with hermitages and also with the various (human) voices of citizens, it is called Rajani due to its association with rajas (dust/atmosphere).
56. The Tāla (beating time) is known as having Şhadja as its deity. Hence Uttara-tāla is known first as well extended.
Hence it is Uttara-mandrā whose diety is Dhruva.
57. Since it is after Apāna (?), Uttarāyaṇa having Dha (Dhaivata) as the starting point, is the Mūrcchana the deities of which are Pits (manes), the deities (worshipped in) Shraddhas.
58. The great sages worship the Fire-god with the Suddha Şhadja (pure Sa-) note; it should be known as Shuddha-Şhadjika.
59. It starts from the Pañchama note causing delight to the good people.
The Mürcchana belonging to Yakşhīs (female Yakşhas) is called Yakşhikā Mūrcchana.
60. (Defective) That Mūrcchana which serpents of poisonous eyes do not approach and the serpent-deities become as it were drawn by Brahmā, is called the Mūrcchanā of serpents (Ahi-mūrcchana) and here the deity is Varuņa.
61. The Mürcchanā with which Kinnaras (sing) in imitation of birds, is the excellent (Uttamā) Mürcchana. Its deity is the Lord of Birds (Garuda).
62. By the sound of Gandhāra Räga, the earth (or cow?) is held in support. Hence it is called Vishuddha-Gandhārī (of pure Ga). And Gandharva is its presiding deity.
63. The Mürcchana Uttara-Gandharī is so called as it was created after Gāndhära. Its (presiding) deities are Vasus.
64. The Şhadja Mūrcchanå first approached god Brahma (Pitamaha). Hence its greatness. Its deity is the Fire-god.
65. The Mūrcchanā called Mandaşhaşhthā is divine and extensive. The names of its qualities cannot be described. Its deity is Panchama (the note Pa).
66. All the seven Notes (Svaras) and the Mūrcchanās are recounted completely. Mürcchanās with Sädhäraņa Svaras1 (e.g. Antara Gāndhara, Kakali Nişhada) are many. Only six of them are known.
1. The Shadharana Svaras are:
(i) Antara Gandhara i.e. modern Shuddha Gāndhara
(ii) Kakalt Nishada i.e. modern Tivra Nishāda