Jait Kalyan / Marwa Vibhas

[WARVIJ]

Posting which isn't currently displayed (thus I can't quote) cites a
variant chalan for Jait Kalyan and makes a side remark about the use of
tivra M and N in Marwa Thaat Vibhas, citing references from Pt. Shiv Dayal
Batish's "Ragopedia."

Thus, thought I'd put in my 2 rupees' worth:

B.S. Subbha Rao, in his compendium "Raganidhi" says regarding Jait Kalyan:

"Jait Kalyan belongs to Kalyan thaat. This raga is different from Jait
which belongs to Marwa thaat. In aroha swara Ri is kept weak so that the
aroha sounds as if it consists of only four svaras or Chatusvari Jati.
Aroha and Avaroha of Jait Kalyan are:
S G P D G -- P s or P D P s -- s r s P --- D G -- P -- R -- S.
Pakad or diagnostic swara groups are S G -- P D G P -- R S -- P s.
Vadi is P and Samvadi is R. In this raga sangatis s P and D G are
beautiful. Suppression of swaras R & D in aroha gives this raga an
independent swaroop and distinguishes it from the allied ragas."

Bhatkhande in the fifth volume of "Kramik Pustak Malik" says:
"Jait Kalyan, Kalyan thaat se utpanna honewaalaa kalyan ka ek bhed hai.
Ismen madhyam aur nishad swar varjya hote hain, arthat iski jati
Audava-audava hai. Vadi swar pancham hei. Iske aroha me "Ga - Pa" aur
aroha me "Dha - Ga" swaron ki sangati ranjkata - utpanak aur raajvaachak
hoti hai. Jaankaaron ka yeh bhi mat hai ki aroha me rishab aur dhaivat
swar is raag me svalp pramaan he lie jaaye. Vade swar ke bhed se, yeh
raga bhoopali se alag rakha jaa saktaa hai. Prachar me "Jait" naamak ek
raag aur hai, veh is raag se bhinna hai."
He then gives the following Uthaav:
S -- G, P G, P D P G, R S, P G, P D G.
And the following Chalan:
S, G P R, S, S, R S, S S G G P P, P, P D G, P D P R
S S R S, P (mandra) S, R S, G P, P D G,
P P s, s, r s, s D s, r s-----P, G P D s, P, P D G.

Essentially the same information is repeated in Vinayakrao Patwardhan's
"Raag Gyan."

Walter Kaufman in "The Ragas of North India" comments that "the note GA is
very strong and is often treated as a vishrantisthan. The note Re is so
weak in ascent that it is omitted in the majority of cases."

With regard to Marwa Thaat Vibhas:

Bhatkhande and Kaufman both agree on the use of the tivra Ma and shuddh Ni
in Marwa thaat Vibhas; I could not find it in Patwardhan but I am missing
a couple of volumes. Listening reveals some disagreement between gharanas
and even between singers of the same gharana. I listened to the
recordings of Marwa thaat Vibhas from Mallikarjan Mansur, Krishnarao
Chonkar, Shruti Sadolikar Katkar, Lalit Rao and Kesarbai Kerkar. Only
Mansur and Chonkar use M and N; the others remain strictly pentatonic
throughout.

Incidentally I have also heard a Vibhas which is modally pentatonic but
which uses both komal and shuddh Dhaivat in their obvious ascending and
descending avataras.

My own guruji, Shreeram G. Devasthali (a senior disciple of Gajananrao
Joshi who also learned w/ Pt. Anant Manohar Joshi and Ustad Mohd. Hussain
Khan), advised me:

"Don't be satisfied with what I tell you, or what any one teacher tells
you. Consult all the musicians, consult all the books, and make your own
decisions. Just because I tell you something is so, that does not make it
cast in stone. Hindustani music is a living thing, and you do only good
by asking questions and finding out about the distinctions and
disagreements between musicians."

IMHO it's not sound research to base assertions about a subject as
nebulous as Hindustani music on any ONE source (even one as comprehensive
as the Ragopedia, or Bhatkhande, or Patwardhan for that matter); we do
good for the music when we acknowledge the differences of opinion and
celebrate them as the manifestations of a vivid and powerful artistic
tradition. When there is a difference of opinion about a particular raga
I always tell my students about it, lest they get into barroom arguments
later on in life. I only treat something as confirmed if EVERYBODY agrees
on it -- which means that nothing's certain except SA!

Warren Senders

[amara...@gmail.com]

[premc...@gmail.com]

HI Warren,

Thanks for a theoretical analysis of Raag Jait Kalyan.

As a lover of music I would like to hear how the raag sounds. Please post a sample or two for our ears.

Sincerely

PJ

[ChristianAMR]

" Lagana lagi " ( lagana mori lagi , dr ekt ) - Tarana - Jait Kalyan - B Krishna Bhat

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dMVlOwQv8c0