The Seven Raga

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Sa, Re, Ga, Ma, Pa, Dha and Ni.

It is believed that Indian music came about after the introduction of the sama veda.

 

 

There is a fascinating mythological tale about the origin of the swaras, as follows:

It is believed that Lord Shiva once addressed a celestial congregation, for the welfare of mankind. While the subject of His address became the Vedas, the differences in His tonal quality became the seven swaras.

Shiva is known to have five faces or the ¡panchavaktra¢, which are, Satyojata, Vamaka, Tathpurusha, Isana and Aghora.

He first addressed the audience at the centre, and then the immediate left and right. The centre tone became the basic note or the sadja (sa), while the ones on the immediate left and right became the ¡ni¢ of the lower octave and ¡ri¢ respectively.

Shiva then addressed the audience to the far left and right. Here, two notes emanated out of each face, to reach to the farthest sides. So there emanated the notes ¡dha¢ and ¡pa¢ of the lower octave on the left side and ¡ga¢ and ¡ma¢ on the right.