My Perception of ‘Swara’ and ‘Sruti’:
Our Own Mystical Past
Background
Information
Human ears are sensitive enough to perceive energy
vibrations ranging from a few tens of Hertz (i.e. cycles
per second)
to over ten thousand Hertz, in the form
of ‘sound’. In this domain of sound, ‘music’ characterizes its presence in
terms of ‘octaves’. As per the ‘A-440: International Standard’, the Middle Octave (most suited for the human voice) ranges from 261.62 Hz to 523.25 Hz. The Octave that lies below this boundary
is also popular with the vocal musicians. (This Lower Octave ranges from 130.81 Hz to
261.62 Hz; however, vocalists constrained by limited voice-conditioning, can
operate only down to half of this octave length). Similarly, the
octave that is located above the Middle Octave is another region that is patronized
extensively by the artists. (This Higher Octave ranges from 523.25 Hz to 1046.5 Hz; even here,
vocalists with limited voice conditioning can operate only up to half of this
octave length).
Now, please look at the lower and upper edges of an octave;
it would be clear that Mother Nature had empowered number ‘2’ as the Master
Number (Please
recheck the above mathematics! The Middle Octave is ‘twice’ the Lower octave
and the Higher octave is twice the Middle octave). This is known as the ‘Arithmetic Division’ and in this
manner, mathematics happens to present itself in a ‘friendly’ manner, as we envision
‘octaves’ at the macro plane. However, mathematics becomes not so very
friendly, as we attempt to visualize similar divisions at the micro plane, i.e.
the spectral spread interior to the octave.
Intra-space within the octave is again influenced by the
Master Number ‘2’, but in a ‘complex’ manner! This spectral space is calibrated
by a process known as ‘geometric division’ that calls for employment of
advanced mathematical tools. Contemporary Western musicology calibrates the intra-octave
space by dividing it “geometrically” into 12 equal segments. A
single ‘segment’ is designated as ‘100 cents’ and therefore, the octave intra
space consists of a sum of 1200 cents.
I wish to share with the viewer, the computational
complexity that is involved while determining the size of a single ‘segment’:
it is determinable only after evaluating the 12th root of the
Master Number ‘2’. (Lot
many of us would recall their schooldays experience as to how hard it was to evaluate
the square root of ‘2’; it used to be a laborious manual process. However, such
tediousness had been surmounted well after the arrival of ‘logarithm’ as a
modern mathematical tool; subsequent incorporation of this tool within the
calculators and the computers made our life far easier!). This recent advancement of
calibrating the octave in terms of ‘cents’
(i.e. 12th root of ‘2’) had received wide acceptability in
contemporary Western music as well as with the Eastern musicologists. Even Indian
musical tones (which were traditionally described in terms of ‘srutis’) are
being described nowadays, in terms of this Western terminology of ‘cents’.
However, let us not forget that this Western concept
of calibrating the whole octave in terms of ‘cents’ is, after all, a recently acquired
knowledge, dating back to the 18th Century A.D. Prior to this
discovery, musicians were adopting the ancient Greek method of describing the
‘Notes’ in terms of their vibrating lengths: i.e. dividing the lyre string
lengths in terms of mathematical ratios such as 2/3, 3/4, and their multiples
such as 4/9, 9/16, 16/27, 27/32, 243/256 etc. (‘Note’ is the Western equivalent for what is
known as ‘swara’ in Indian musicology); it should be
borne in mind that this ancient Greek method of expressing ‘Notes’ as per their
‘fractional’ values, belongs to the relatively lower realm of mathematics, vis-à-vis the modern more advanced mathematical method of expressing in ‘cents’.
Medieval
Scenario
Sumerians (4000 B.C.) were highly religious-minded; they worshipped
gods in the form of a pantheon of 12 members. What is amazing is the fact that
these twelve gods were identified in terms of mathematical fractions: e.g. Anu
(60/60 = 1/1), Enlil (50/60 = 5/6), Enki (40/60 = 2/3) and Antu (55/60 =
11/12), Ninlil (45/60 = 3/4), Inanna (15/60 = 1/4), Ninhursag (5/60 = 1/12) and
so on. In this manner, the idea of “fractions” seems to have taken deep roots
in the Western psyche (even much prior
to the arrival of Greeks) and
had dominated their music for a long time.
As we turn towards the medieval Indian scenario, what we notice is somewhat awesome! ‘Seven sacred tones’
of music trickled down orally in the form of Holy Sama Veda (3500 B.C.).
‘Sadja-grama’, the earliest musical format that is known to Indian musicologists
is believed to be the exact replica of these ‘seven sacred tones’ of Holy Sama
Veda. Indian musicology graded the ‘shrillness’ index of these ‘seven sacred
tones’, in quantified terms known as ‘srutis’, (quite
similar to our contemporary concept of ‘cents’!) in this manner : the Tonic (Sadja = ‘0’ sruti), Rishabha (the Second) =
3 srutis, Gandhara (the Third) = 5 srutis, Madhyama (the Fourth) = 9 srutis,
Panchama (the Fifth) = 13 srutis, Dhaivata (the Sixth) = 16 srutis, Nishada
(the Seventh) = 18 srutis and the Sadja (octave) = 22 srutis. Please appreciate
that the octave was calibrated in terms
of 22 srutis.
The viewer is requested to pause here and deliberate on this very sophisticated
mathematical ‘concept’ institutionalized into the ancient Indian tradition. Unlike
ancient Greeks who divided the octave in terms of ratios based on
simple arithmetics, Indians seems to have been far more enlightened while
employing the ‘sophisticated’ mathematical concept of calibrating the octave in
terms of ‘tonalities’, known as ‘srutis’. It is, however, obvious from the
Indian musicological records that the ‘design rationale’ behind this
sophisticated mathematical design conceived by their Vedic ancestors had eluded
the medieval as well as the contemporary Indian
musicologists!
This ‘grey area’ notwithstanding, the strange tradition of ‘srutis’ had
trickled down through the ages unhindered and even subsequent musicologists of
the stature of Bharata Muni (200 B.C.), Datilla Muni (200 B.C.), Matanga Muni (6th
Century A.D.) and Saranga Deva (13th Century A.D.) chose
to remain oblivious of this technological sophistication; however, they had no
reservations about continuing with the ‘tradition’ in an unquestioning manner
and with blind faith. Even as late as 17th Century A.D.,
Venkatamakhin of Carnatic music traditions chose to retain this age old concept
of calibrating the octave in terms of 22 ‘srutis’ (in
his 72 Melakarta system of classification) and it forms the very basis for the contemporary
traditions of Carnatic music.
We can now discern two distinct streams of musicological concepts
flowing along the Western and the Indian routes. The Western stream knew about
‘Notes’ (founded on the simple arithmetics of ‘fractions’) without knowing how
to convert them into ‘tones’ (or ‘cents’) within the octave. The Indian stream
knew about identities of ‘Notes’ in terms of ‘srutis’ (belonging to the realm
of sophisticated mathematics similar to ‘cents’) and yet remained oblivious to
the far simpler technique of identification of ‘Notes’ in terms of ‘fractions’
(belonging to the realm of elementary mathematics) (and
also they didn’t know how to convert the tonal values into the corresponding
fractional values)!
Contemporary Criticism
Having compared the glaring differences between the traditional
concepts of ‘sruti’ and ‘swara’, I wish to place before the viewers, a major
controversy, raging in the minds of some outstanding Western scholars who had
studied our system of music. As per these critics, even the contemporary West (which is technologically far more advanced than the
East) could acquire the capability to calibrate the intra-octave
space in terms of 1200 cents, barely two centuries back. This musicological
capability became feasible only after Chu Tsai Yu (in the year 1584 A.D.) and
Simon Steven (1585 A.D.) solved the problem of finding the 12th root
of the Master Number ‘2’, as a great ‘mathematical
breakthrough’. This was indeed, a great feat involving extraordinary manual
exertions, as it was accomplished in the absence of modern mathematical tools
like ‘logarithms’. Even this became possible only because ‘12’ happened to be a
product of the small prime numbers ‘2’, ‘2’ and ‘3’ and it was relatively
easier to process them mathematically further at micro levels.
However, the mathematicians are aware that the ‘challenge-content’ inherent
in the Indian design of music while calibrating the octave in terms of 22 equal
segments is far more complex! ‘22’ is the product of the prime numbers ‘2’ and
‘11’ in which ‘11’ is a very large prime number and therefore, not amenable to
get resolved in terms of further micro level processing. Contemporary mathematical
experts contend that without employing mathematical tools such as ‘logarithms’,
it is well-nigh impossible
to evaluate the 22nd root of the Master Number ‘2’. As
per them, granting a capability to the ‘Ancients’ (“primitive” in terms of
scientific and technological knowledge base) in evaluating the value of the 22nd
root of ‘2’ would amount to gross
‘absurdity’! On the face of it, the criticism by the Western scholars sticks
and appears to be rather rational; in case we concede to this apparently
logical criticism, all the very idea of ‘22 srutis’ in music would sound
totally ‘irrational’, fit to be described only as a ‘myth’!
The Mystic
pre-Historic World
I have addressed this Western criticism quite frontally in my Book “The
Mystic Citadel of 22 Srutis Music” and have conclusively established in
scientific terms that the Indian octave, indeed, had been
calibrated in terms of 22 srutis. In addition, I had attempted to establish that 22
distinct ‘tones’ (based on 22 god-fractions
of ancient Sumeria) had
been, indeed, inserted in this matrix in a skilful manner, by some highly
competent designers. The ‘vital inputs’ related to these ‘22-fractions’ and
their corresponding ‘tones’, had been passed down to us in theological formats
such as the Sumerian pantheon of 12 gods and the ‘seven sacred tones’ of Holy Sama
Veda; (presumably, this was done
in order to ensure that the posterity continued to pass down these ‘assets’, at
least for the fear of God Almighty!) Our pre-historic glory (i.e. were there
some pre-historic civilizations who were far more advanced than us, in science
and technology?) is,
therefore, extremely mystical; I would request the viewers to peruse my ‘blog’
on ‘gods of Sumeria symbolize our ancient music’ at the link: http://sumeriangods.blogspot.com/ .
Also please visit my ‘blog’ at link: http://synopsis-nambirajan.blogspot.com/
(Gives a synopsis of my Book “The Mystic Citadel of 22 Srutis
Music”). This would lead you to the other related ‘blogs’ and
‘presentation’ packages that would throw greater light and unravel the mysticism
underlying the very concept of ‘22 Srutis Music’.
Contact
Me
For more details, contact me on Teles: 91 20 26729256, 9890266845, and
98501 21834. E-mail: snnambirajan@rediffmail.com
Please visit my web-site wherein
I had given some links that would get you connected to my ‘blogs’ and
‘Presentation Slides’ relevant to the pre-historic music of 22 Srutis: http://www.22sruti.com I would also request the viewers to peruse my
Book: “The Mystic Citadel of 22 Srutis Music” for details (available at my
postal address: Srinivasan Nambirajan, A-7/ 103, Florida Estate, Keshav Nagar,
Mundhwa, Pune-411036).
