Indian music during

prevedic and vedic time

Introduction
From ancient to Modern times, Indian music has
developed from various sources, such as, number of
divine origins, various scholastic writings by
musicians, learned artists of art, drama, natya
sastra, different cultural, religious writers including
that of foreign scholars. In spite of having the
influence of foreign religious and cultural practices
and perceptions, it has not lost its beauty. Music in
India is in existence even before from times
immemorial. Due to the inconsistency, it is difficult
to enumerate the exactness of periodicity in the
classification of Indian music.
Religious beliefs about creation of
music in Prevedic time
It is near total belief of Hindus that instruments played and used by
different Gods and Goddesses, and the Nada or Sabdha that produced by
each instrument played a significant part in creating classical music of
India.
The Common Indian belief is that the creator of nature Lord Brahma is
the creator of music as the God of creation
Lord Shiva invented a music instrument from the hunting bow, which is
said to be the first string instrument. The sabdha or Nadha that
originated from the instrument culminated into music.
It is a belief of many Hindus that being a healer of many problems, Lord
Shiva created the words or Nada, referred to as AUM or OM from his naval
to be chanted by all the humans on earth to have relief from their sins.
Another belief is that Indian music is evolved from the Rudra Veena
creation of a string instrument of Lord Mahadev basing on the limbs of his
wife and the tones that give sound took birth as music
Belief of lord vishnu as the creator
of music
According to Vaishnaviates, Lord Mahavishnu being supreme Eternal God of
the entire Universe, music is also his creation. In order to popularize it in all
the worlds, especially among mankind, he had handed over the
responsibility to Lord Brahma as a creator to do needful.
Basing, on the command, Brahma started thinking ways and means for the
promotion of music among his creations. It appears that in the beginning
human mind was originally said to have been devoid of any aesthetic sense.
It is said that Brahma, the creator, one day complained: it is true that I have
created all these wonderful things and showered beauty everywhere.
However, what is the use? My children, the human beings, simply pass time
by; they do not seem to be sensitive to all the beauty around. All this seems
to have been waste on them.
Saraswathi, the Hindu goddess of all art forms, took the hint and assured
Brahma that she would create in man the power to respond to, appreciate,
and to sustain music for generations. That is why there is a veena, symbolic
of fine art, in Saraswatis hand, which the image-makers invariably place on
her hand
Music during primitive period of
human civilisation
After the divine period, during primitive periods of human
civilization, God descended music to earth through sound or
blowing of winds and other natural sounds.
It was further regarded, the imitation of the sounds by human
beings of various animals and birds,sensations achieved from
sounds of rainfall rivers and pleasant sounds made by birds and
animals frightening sounds of thunder etc also led to the
development of primitive music including that of the ancient
Indian Music.
After primitive periods, the Indus-valley civilization which is
considered as an advanced civilization ranging between 5,000
B.C.-3,000 B.C., contributed quite sufficiently for the development
of classical Indian music much before the Vedic periods.
According to scholars, the materials that were derived from
excavation such as, a distorted flute, dancing women in bronze,
some sort of a stringed instrument resembling veena were
considered as significant contributing factors for the development
According to Sir John Marshall, the then Director General
of Archaeology in India, basing on the excavations of the
Indus valley, particularly on the Bronze statue of a dancing
girl,he has said the people of India in the ancient past
were in possession of relatively mature culture with a high
standard of art and craftsmanship in no uncertain
terms amply specifies the contribution of Indus valley
civilization for the development of classical Music.
Apart from the above, the worship of Rudra, Sun God, and
Goddess Sarswati clearly denotes that music believed to
be created by divinity has precluded and handed down to
mankind through nature and various forms.
Music during vedic time
After the first two historic periods, Vedic period
is considered as the most authoritative period
for the development of music in a systematic
manner. This period ranges between 2000 B.C.
to 600 A.D. This period is also known as post
Indus valley civilization or the period of Aryans.
During this period, music was mainly
developed through Vedic hymns and mantras.
Through these mantras and hymns, the scales
of music were developed through musical
notes. Study of Vedic period reveals that music
had a notable place in the society of Aryans
 Every family, especially that of the Brahmans were
supposed to learn the Vedic hymns without failure.
Their singing, dancing and playing on instruments, was
done in a strict discipline.
Women were given much prominence to learn all forms
of music (Vocal, instrumental and Dancing) considering
them as the representation of Goddesses. It was the
belief that the primitive tribes used to sing these
mantras in one high tune, which were popular as ek
swari gaayana. A number of sacred hymns were tuned
in this fashion, which was later crystallized into Gatha
gayana which is a system of singing with two notes,
consists of a high and low tune. This further crystalised
into Sama gana gayana chant, which were sung in three
main notes. The notes were udatta(raised), anudatta
(lowered) and swarita (level).
According to Mandukya Shiksha, treatise music of
the period, the three forms became the base
scales referred to as Graamas. With the help of
these notes, the rishis later developed the
sargam syllables or note names of music, which
further evolved into seven notes as the base of
Indian music over a period of time
According to available sources, music during
Vedic period was developed under six principal
schools . They were, (1) Vedic or Sama Veda
School; (2) Gandharva Naradha School; (3) Dohia
Brahma School; (4) Muni Bharata School; (5)
Nandikeswara School; and (6) Matanga School.,
the development of music during the vedic
period can be mainly attributed to the four
texts, Rig Veda, Yajur Veda, Sama Veda and
Atharva Veda.
Though all the Vedic scriptures contain
various aspects of music, mainly the Rig and
Sama Veda are considered as the most
dominant ones that had richly contributed for
the development of music.
Music in Rigveda
Among the Vedas, Rig-Veda is considered as the oldest
Veda. The Rig Veda samhita is the oldest text among the
Vedas. Being the early text of Vedas, it is regarded as
the treasure of knowledge or gyan. It is a collection of
1,017 Vedic Sanskrit hymns and 10,600 verses in all. It
is further divided into ten books. All hymns were in
poetic literature sung in a song sequence.
In the entire work, last two parts deal with the
systematization of music. About one fourth of the verses
were devoted to Gayatri Mantra, which is described as
the Gayatri Meter; consisting of 3 meters of 8 syllabus
each; 4 syllabus free and last 4 fixed in cadence
 Vedic hymns were sung or pronounced in monotone, and referred
to as archika period. In due course of time, it was developed to
three tones (one main tone, and two accents, one higher and the
other lower called Udatta and Anudatta [Link] type of
pronunciation later developed into Gana and Gatha.
In due course of time, in order to balance the tonal aspects of these
two notes a supportive note referred to as svarita was developed.
After the evolution of this note, the period was referred to as samik
period. All these forms were formed part of stoma or stotra, since
singing a song was equivalent to chanting of a mantra in a
particular fashion. At times, the stutirupam vacham also explains
the meaning or significance of the sacrifices made by the people
were described through singing in gana. Some times gana was used
in the sense of prayers on the name of stuti or chanting in praise of
deities.
Music in samveda
Among the four Vedas, the Sama Veda is considered
as the most important Veda contributed
authoritatively for the development of music. It is
the origin of Indian music.
According to available sources, during the period of
Sama Veda music was considered as synonymous
for samaganas, which means group singing.
Jaiminiya Sutra defines and uses the term Saman
only in the sense of Giti. It was through these
samaganas (group singing or chorus singing)
wherein the rhythmic nature of music was
developed.
 In the sama sa and ma are taken sama where sa
means richa and ma means music.
The Vedic notes of the samagana were used in three
registers (stanas). Accordingly, it can be stated that
Vedic song samagana was very systematic. Different
samaganas were sung in sacred occasions of the
sacrifices to please Gods, priests and public.
These Sama Ganas of three notes later crystallized
another note described as svarantharita, which is of
four notes. This was further developed into a
pentatonic scale which is of five notes. This had the
power to produce itself into a raga.
 These Vedic samaganas have had their base
in a fixed scale with a frame of five, six, and
seven Vedic tones. These tones were in
descending order. The seven Vedic tones were
caturtha, tritiya, divitiya, prathama, mandra,
atisvarya, krushta.
The next important stage is Saman or the
period of Tune. In this period, gana is present.
1) Grama geya-- songs sung in hamlets 2)
Aranya geya---songs sung in forests 3) Uha
geya---songs sung in contemplation 4) Uhya
geya---the mystic songs
conclusion
The above brief examination of the early history of origin
and development of Indian music amply makes it clear that
from its early evolution to modern times; it underwent a
number of changes. The subtle examination of evolution of
music in its primitive periods to modern times, it to be
remembered that music born through singing. Man in his
attempt to give a shape to his voice, discovered a number of
means and methods of expression, especially through
different schools of thought namely, Hindustani, Carnatic and
other schools of thought. In spite of difference in their
aesthetics and presentation among the various schools of
music, the foundation of raga evolved during the Vedic
period being the common origin for all systems of schools
even in the contemporary era.