Editorial Health Reflectons Places Music & Art Travel Column Poetry Folklore Prev Issue Next Issue

Namashkar.

In this session, we occupy ourselves with a coup d'oeil of the hoary Raga Bhairav and members of its extended family. Bhairav connotes three entities: the rAga, the rAgAnga, and the thAT. All the three converge only in the flagship Raga Bhairav. Concerning its etymology, "Bhairav" is the epithet associated with Lord Shiva's fierce, bhayAnak swaroopa. In old treatises Bhairav is referred to as the AdirAga and comes attached with a wealth of lore. In his monumental exegesis Hindustani Sangeet Paddhati, Pandit Vishnu Narayan Bhatkhande has sifted through Bhairav's tortuous history and its passage through time in great, and sometimes painful, detail. We shall here confine ourselves to its contemporary musical structure and practice.

Bhairav is so fundamental to Indian tradition that its impaction on the nation's musical soul can never be overstated. Even the unlettered in the land is familiar with its germ in some form or the other. The overlay of Bhairav strains on an early, bucolic Indian morning affords a purifying experience like no other. Verily, it falls to the lot of the noblest of rAgas, deserving of renewal and reflection in the portals of the mind every single day.

Throughout this promenade M = shuddha madhyam, m = teevra madhyam.

The swara set constituting the Bhairav thAT - S r G M P d N - is congruent with the 15th Carnatic melakartA Mayamalavagoula. Raganga Bhairav (Bhairavanga) is composed of two chief threads, one each in the poorvAnga and uttarAnga regions.

G M P G M (G)r, S
The point of note here is the special Andolita treatment accorded the komal rishab in the avarohAtmaka movement. This ucchAraNa is vital, represents Bhairav's signature, and at once precipitates the Raganga.

G M (N)d, d, P
This is the uttarAnga marker of the Raganga. The swara lagAv of both r and d is Andolita, a sine qua non for effective expression of the Bhairavanga.

The lakshaNAs of Raga Bhairav are now formally fleshed out:

G M (n)d, (n)d, P, P G M (G)r, S
The komal nishAd, while nominally varjya, is nevertheless cultivated through the Andolita nature of the dhaivat. That is to say, it is "gupt" (hidden) and rarely laid out explicitly in notation although in some of the old Dhrupad compositions there is a somewhat less inhibited recourse to the komal nishAd. Notice the pancham - 'langhan alpatva' (skipped) in the Arohi movement and 'nyAsa bahutva' (point of repose) in the avarohi mode. This is characteristic of Ragadari music where a swara may be called upon to wear multiple hats in service of the rAga. The swara, it must be emphasized, is not synonymous with note.

G M (N)d, (N)d N S", N S" (N)d N d P
The dhaivat is now caressed with the shuddha nishAd, the retreat from S"->d is mediated by a meeND. Although the intonational nuances are difficult to convey through the written word we shall shortly remedy the situation with the tools of current technology. The offerings in our audio package embosom all the subtleties of ucchAraNa.

S G M P G M, G M (G)r, S r G M P
The rishab is often rendered alpa and skipped in Arohi movements. An occasional deergha madhyam makes for a pleasing effect. The treatment of gandhAr calls for careful handling since an inopportune nyAsa may inadvertantly create an AvirbhAva of Raga Kalingada (to be discussed later). Ragas Kalingda and Gouri (Bhairav thAT) use the same set of notes but embody different Ragangas.

Building on the foregoing discussion leads to the following formulation:

S, (G)r (G)r S, (N')d' N' S, N' S G M, G M (G)r, S
S r G M P, P G M (N)d, d, P, P GMPGM (G)r, r S
G M (N)d, d, P, G M P d N S", r" S" N S" (N)d, d, P

The gAyaki of the rAga thus outlined is complemented by straight Arohi-avarohi runs (SrGMPdNS":S"NdPMGrS) and other supporting gestures. With this propaedeutic we are now ready for a dip in the Bhairav ocean. The prefatory pieces are Bhairav-based samples drawn from the 'light' arena. The operative word here is "based." Oftentimes the scale of Bhairav will be plied but not the conduct demanded by the rAga.

We open with M.S. Subbulakshmi's bhajan from Jayadeva's Geeta Govinda: jaya jagadeesha -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/bhairav/mss.ram

The Gemini composer duo of M.D. Parthasarthy and Emani Shankar Sastry brought forth this Lata number in SANSAR (1952): ammA roTi de -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/bhairav/sansar.ram

Salil Chowdhary, by a long shot the most beautiful and complex musical mind to have come out of Bengal, files two beautiful Lata solos, one in MUSAFIR (1957): mana re Hari ke guna -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/bhairav/musafir.ram

And the much loved melody from JAGTE RAHO (1956): jAgo Mohan pyAre -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/bhairav/jagteraho.ram

A haunting melody from composer Roshan in SANSKAR (1952), again in Lata's ethereal voice: haNse Tim Tim -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/bhairav/sanskar.ram

BAIJU BAWRA (1953) carried what is probably the most famous Bhairav-based composition in the popular imagination. Composer Naushad teams with Lata -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/bhairav/baijubawra.ram

O.P. Nayyar throws caution to the winds in a cavalier romp through Bhairav territory. Asha figures in this PHIR WOHI DIL LAYA HOON (1962) sparkler: dekho bijlee Dole -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/bhairav/phirwohidil.ram

On the Marathi stage the Bhairav scale is most strongly sensed in narrative musical passages known as 'sAki' (some may argue that Kalingada, not Bhairav, is the basis for these folk-inspired tunes). Vasantrao Deshpande flashes an instance of this sub-genre in the folksy (Lavani-esque) Hindi sAki from SHAKUNTALA -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/bhairav/vasantrao.ram

We close out the 'light' round with a bhajan of the 14th C saint Namdev, rendered by Kumar Gandharva -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/bhairav/kg_bhajan.ram

It is a pleasure to acknowledge the assistance of Sir Vish Krishnan in the above compilation.

We turn now to the Classical department where we have gathered compelling representative samples of Bhairav and associated melodies. The choice for inclusion of a clip was governed by the following criterion: Does it say something important about the rAga, and say it well?

For all its pervasive influence and gravitas, performances in pure Bhairav are few and far between. The Dhrupadiyas get the first shot. Nasir Aminuddin Dagar, in a composition set to the 10 beat Sooltala: Shiva Adi -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/bhairav/nadagar_bhairav.ram

A comprehensive suite in Bhairav by one of India's finest musical minds and the greatest living Hindustani composer, Pandit Ramashreya Jha "Ramrang" follows. The first two selections are culled from a public performance in Goa in 1999. Yours truly provides Harmonium support and Tulshidas Navelkar plays the Tabla.

The vilambit Khayal in Ektala: samajha mana bAware -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/bhairav/jha_bhairav_vil.ram

The druta bandish:

bana nahiN Ave banAye sakhi apno banAye
te Hari ke banAye bane pala chhina meiN ri
Hari tAre saNwAre kAja bighana TAre
'Ramrang' sumirata deta banAya pala chhina meiN ri

http://www.sawf.org/audio/bhairav/jha_bhairav_druta.ram

Jha-sahab's sAhitya of the following Dhrupad-anga composition (Sadra) in Jhaptala is inspired by Kabir. There's a deft play on words, and he explains the import -

mAlA kara phire manuvA anata phire
sumirana ki yaha bAni nahiN kara kA manakA DAra de
'Ramrang' mana kA manakA phera surata gahi

http://www.sawf.org/audio/bhairav/jha_bhairav_jhaptala.ram

A sampler of Bundu Khan's Sarangi is always considered a rare treat. He plays a Dhrupad in Chautala. Notice the caress of the komal nishAd -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/bhairav/bundu_bhairav.ram

Barkatullah Khan, the grand Senia master of the Sitar, is not a familiar name to today's rasikas. Among his students were Ashiq Ali Khan and Ashiq Ali's son, Mushtaq Ali Khan. Ah, what Ragadari!

http://www.sawf.org/audio/bhairav/barkatullah_bhairav.ram

Salamat Ali's Khayal is solid -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/bhairav/salamat_bhairav.ram


A very young and sprightly Gangubai Hangal -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/bhairav/gangubai_bhairav.ram

Kumar Gandharva's own composition contains delicate glides and shading of swara. In particular, keep an ear out for graces imparted to the dhaivat: ravi ke karama -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/bhairav/kg_bhairav.ram

The Bhairav montage concludes with Mallikarjun Mansur's tremendous display -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/bhairav/mm_bhairav.ram

We now take up the variations on the Bhairav motif. The commentary from this point on will be concise and terse. Specific inquiries are welcome and will be addressed (as always, time and weather permitting). A few of the prakArs are 'big' enough to merit more spacetime than is allotted here. As we make our way through the Bhairav matrix, fix your attention on the Bhairavanga and on the varied melodic interpolations and extrapolations of its kernel.

Raga Gunakali/Gunakri

in this nominally pentatonic (Audav-jAti) rAga - S r M P d - it is not unusual to lace the rishab with G along the M->r contour and thus generate an AbhAsa of Bhairavanga.

Jha-sahab has written a beautiful bandish describing Lord Shiva's visit to Brindavan to see the baby Krishna. The text verbalizes the Great Yogi's response to an apprehensive Jashoda -

jAne nahiN apne lAla
jAke Dara Darapata yamakAla tAhi kauna DarAve?
Shiva Brahma-Adi Sanaka-Adi dhyAve
'Ramrang' veda naeeta nita gAve
yaha to anAdi ananta kahAve

http://www.sawf.org/audio/bhairav/jha_gunkali_druta.ram

Mushtaq Hussain Khan of Rampur-Sahaswan -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/bhairav/mushtaq_gunkali.ram

Kumar Gandharva's maverick treatment assigns explicit values to both the gandhAr and the nishAd. His own composition: Ava mhArA mana basiyA -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/bhairav/kg_gunkali.ram

Raga Bairagi

http://www.sawf.org/audio/bhairav/amirkhan_bairagi.ram

En passant, another pentatonic Bhairavanga rAga employing the S r M d N set has been advanced in recent times. It goes by the name "Kshanika."

Raga Anand Bhairav

In this traditional prakAr, the komal dhaivat is replaced by its shuddha counterpart. The komal nishAd is subtly dropped into the scheme in an avarohi passage S" D n P inspired by Bilawal. In Bhairavanga rAgas where either the rishab or the dhaivat is rendered shuddha, the madhyam tends to assume a more powerful role and is often elevated to the level of a vAdi swara. Note that Anand Bhairav is susceptible to undesirable Bhatiyar influences in ill-conceived or careless assays.

Jha-sahab presents a traditional composition of 'Sadarang' and tops it with his own druta cheez Hari bina tero kaun sanga sAthee -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/bhairav/jha_anandbhairav_vil.ram

http://www.sawf.org/audio/bhairav/jha_anandbhairav_druta.ram

K.G. Ginde dispenses a smart, taut composition of his guru S.N. Ratanjankar: bina darasa mana tarasata nisadinA -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/bhairav/ginde_anandbhairav.ram

Ravi Shankar's handling is exemplary. Notice the hint of komal nishAd, not to mention the arresting layakAri -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/bhairav/rs_anandbhairav.ram

Raga Saurashtra Bhairav

In this uncommon derivate, both the dhaivats are pressed into service. The basic idea involves insertion of strands of Bhinna Shadaj (G M D N ) into the Bhairav fabric. In such situations it is not unusual to find divergence in implementation across Gharana borders as witness the following two cuts.

Jha-sahab sketches his composition: barani na jAya chhabi -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/bhairav/jha_saurashtrabhairav_jhaptala.ram

Ghulam Hasan Shaggan of Kirana -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/bhairav/shaggan_saurashtrabhairav.ram

Raga Mangal Bhairav

In this shuddha dhaivat-laden Bhairav prakAr, the nishAd is attenuated and there prevails an AvirbhAva of Durga in the uttarAnga via the M P D S" cluster.

Parveen Sultana -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/bhairav/parveen_mangalbhairav.ram

Rasiklal Andharia -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/bhairav/andharia_mangalbhairav.ram

Raga Bhatiyari Bhairav

The constituents of this hybrid rAga are, as the name suggests, Bhairav and Bhatiyar. Jha-sahab's treatment uses the shuddha dhaivat only, retaining for the most part the Bhatiyar framework. The Bhatiyar-ic P G r S is displaced by the Bhairavanga molecule G M (G)r, S.

Pandit Ramashreya Jha "Ramrang": dhurana murana tAnana soN -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/bhairav/jha_bhatiyaribhairav_druta.ram

A different perspective is purveyed by Jagannathbuwa Purohit 'Gunidas' in his composition presented here by C.R. Vyas: E Ali ri -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/bhairav/crvyas_bhairavbhatiyar.ram

Raga Bhairav Bahar

The attributes of a well-designed, wholesome hybrid rAga are a judicious choice of the constituents and a smooth transition at the junction of the disparate constituents (Electrical Engineers like of talk of impedance matching in similar situations). Let us see how the various conceptions of Bhairav Bahar adduced stack up.

'Aftab-e-Mausiqui' Faiyyaz Khan -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/bhairav/faiyyaz_bhairavbahar.ram

Basavraj Rajguru elaborates on a composition of Achapal (Tanras Khan's guru): jobanA re lalanA ko -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/bhairav/rajguru_bhairavbahar.ram

Omkarnath Thakur spins a different yarn -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/bhairav/ot_bhairavbahar.ram

Raga Ahir Bhairav

Among the most popular Bhairav prakArs today, Ahir Bhairav admits the shuddha dhaivat and komal nishAd. The poorvAnga patently hews to the Bhairav protocol, the uttarAnga carries elements of Kafi. This is a solid composite and has carved out a swaroopa all its own. The powerful madhyam registers. A sample chalan is:

D' n' r, S, S r G M, M, G M (G)r, D' n' r, S
G M P D n D P, D n S", S" n D P, G M (G)r, r S

Amir Khan's grand, deeply introspective mien is written all over this piece -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/bhairav/amirkhan_ahirbhairav.ram


Hirabai Barodekar: rasiyA mhArA -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/bhairav/hirabai_ahirbhairav.ram

Raga Virat Bhairav

A rather busy uttarAnga characterises this uncommon rAga. The nishAd is komal, and both the dhaivats are in attendance. The shuddha dhaivat is used sparingly, in special sanchAris such as GMPDnDn and PDnS".

Nivruttibuwa Sarnaik: nayo nayo bairAgi -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/bhairav/sarnaik_viratbhairav.ram

Raga Kabiri Bhairav

This Jaipur-Atrauli specialty also has a busy uttarAnga and accomodates both the nishAds and dhaivats. Notice the lagAv of D and n in the avarohi S->D prayoga and the special handling of the komal rishab in the tAr saptaka. We have two magnificent renditions on tap.

Mallikarjun Mansur -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/bhairav/mm_kabiribhairav.ram

Kishori Amonkar's attack on the shuddha dhaivat takes one's breath away -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/bhairav/kishori_kabiribhairav.ram

Raga Shivmat Bhairav

The twist here lies in the prayogas involving the komal gandhAr and komal nishAd in an otherwise Bhairav framework,. Although the specific nature of their swara-lagAv varies among different schools and styles, the general prescription may be summarized in these two tonal strips:

G M (G)r, r g r S

P d n d P

In Jha-sahab's drut cheez, Lord Shiva finds himself in trouble (again), this time on the eve of his wedding to Parvati. Parvati's mom strongly disapproves of Him given his appearance. She says to the Great Yogi, "No way Jose! You are not getting anywhere close to my girl." The G.Y. is taken aback and demands an explanation. But Parvati's mom will have none of him. Parvati, after all, comes from a high-status family, is convent-educated, enjoys fine dining, movies and rollerblading - a perfect blend of the East and West. The G.Y. isn't exactly her idea of a stud and she says as much:

baurAhe ko nA doongi apno dulAri Girija-kumAri rAkhoongi ghara apno
ek na mAnoongi sikha kAhu ki
'Ramrang' byAhu na Girija-kumAri rAkhoongi ghara apno

http://www.sawf.org/audio/bhairav/jha_shivmatbhairav_druta.ram

Kumar Gandharva is a bundle of energy -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/bhairav/kg_shivmatbhairav.ram

A different angle from the prism of Vilayat Hussain Khan 'Pranpiya' -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/bhairav/pranpiya_shivmatbhairav.ram

The pupil follows his guru. Jagannathbuwa Purohit 'Gunidas' -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/bhairav/gunidas_shivmatbhairav.ram

Vasantrao Deshpande -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/bhairav/vasantrao_shivmatbhairav.ram

And now, the man who has reified this rAga: Mallikarjun Mansur. His AIR recording is a modern classic. The huge meeND from P to S spanning the P->M->G->r->S locus betrays an unusually developed musical genius. Alladiya Khan's composition is the standard issue to all the Atrauli-Jaipur children: prathama Allah -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/bhairav/mm_shivmatbhairav.ram

Raga Devata Bhairav

This rAga was brought forth by the influential Agra figure, Azmat Hussain Khan 'Dilrang.' Its notable feature is a Bhairavi-like descent via the komal gandhAr - M g r S. Abhisheki, who took tAleem from Azmat Hussain, amplifies on the idea -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/bhairav/abhisheki_devatabhairav.ram

Raga Beehad Bhairav

A progeny of Kumar Gandharva's, it bears some resemblence to Shivmat Bhairav with its use of both g and n. The distinction lies in the chalan bheda and swara-lagAv. Kumar sings his own composition: banA bani Ayo -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/bhairav/kg_beehadbhairav.ram

Raga Prabhat Bhairav

The introduction of a Lalitanga through the agency of the madhyams placed cheek by jowl leads to an AvirbhAva of this old rAga. The motivated reader will discern the varied flavours issuing from individual temperaments below.

Jha-sahab hauls a traditional 'Adarang' composition -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/bhairav/jha_prabhatbhairav_vil.ram

K.G. Ginde volleys Ratanjankar's bandish in Tilwada: ab to jAgo manavA -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/bhairav/ginde_prabhatbhairav.ram

Gangubai Hangal also sings to Ratanjankar's tune but in vilambit Ektala -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/bhairav/gangubai_prabhatbhairav.ram

Raga Bhavmat Bhairav

This Lalitanga-laden variant incubated in the fertile imagination of Kumar Gandharva. The dhaivat is shuddha, the nishAd komal. Kumar himself lays out the premilinaries -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/bhairav/kg_bhavmatbhairav.ram

Raga Ramkali

The main plot here concerns the insertion of a peculiar tonal phrase m P d n D P into the Bhairav flow. While Ramkali retains the primary Bhairav lakshaNAs it has its own eccentricities. For instance, there is a predilection for skipping the rishab in Arohi prayogas as in: N' S G M P.

K.G. Ginde presents a traditional Khayal ascribed to 'Sadarang': mAchariyA mendi suno-

http://www.sawf.org/audio/bhairav/ginde_ramkali.ram

Shruti Sadolikar's clip supplies the distinguishing Ramkali phrase. The composition is credited to Alladiya Khan of Atrauli-Jaipur: yeh banA sAri raina -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/bhairav/sadolikar_ramkali.ram

D.V. Paluskar is a class act -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/bhairav/paluskar_ramkali.ram

Pandit Vishnu Narayan Bhatkhande has discussed an arcane version of Ramkali that uses both the gandhArs. Another idiosyncrasy is observed in the Maihar tradition which eschews the komal nishAd. Ravi Shankar's resounding AlAp in this brief segment has a curious feature: the komal nishAd manifests itself very subtly (and presumably inadvertantly given the Maihar proscription) as an AbhAsa ("swara kA AbhAsa honA" - i.e. when a swara is not explicitly intoned but an impression of it is created). Zoom in on the region between 0:26 and 0:27 -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/bhairav/rs_ramkali.ram

Raga Roopkali

The rAga takes inspiration from Ramkali for its teevra madhyam but there is no komal nishAd. An additional feature is the casual hire of the shuddha rishab. Aslam Hussain Khan's Khayal is launched from that very swara -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/bhairav/aslamkhan_roopkali.ram

Ragas Hussaini Bhairav, Bakula Bhairav, Basant Mukhari, Kaushi Bhairav

These different rAgas are grouped together under one header because they share the same scale, corresponding to the 14th Carnatic melakartA, Vakulabharanam: S r G M P d n. It is a truism that a mere scale does not a rAga make. The reader is invited to figure out the lakshaNAs and implementation of the details for each of these rAgas.

Hussaini Bhairav by Younus Hussain Khan (Pranpiya's son) discloses a peculiar swoop on the mandra pancham from the shaDaj. The Bhairavanga surfaces in the poorvAnga -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/bhairav/younus_hussainibhairav.ram

Bakula Bhairav derives its name from the parent melakartA and was conceived by Sumati Mutatkar. The treatment is Bhairav-like albeit with the komal nishAd. Her own Dhrupad composition -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/bhairav/mutatkar_bakulbhairav.ram

Basant Mukhari emits alternating scents of Bhairav (in the poorvAnga) and Bhairavi (in the uttarAnga). There are no universally accepted precepts for this rAga in its Hindustani adaptation. In some treatments the Bhairavanga is not articulated, whereas in others it is. S.N. Ratanjankar renders his own composition: uThata jiyA hooka -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/bhairav/snr_basantmukhari.ram

Kaushi Bhairav comes in two varieties. The one considered here is due to Baba Allauddin Khan of Maihar. This melody stands apart from the above three despite congruence of scale. The central theme is the Malkauns-anga, expressed in the uttarAnga and sometimes via the d' n' S M cluster. The tonal activity is centred on the madhyam. It is instructive to compare Allauddin Khan's own interpretation with that of his disciple Ravi Shankar.

Allauddin Khan -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/bhairav/baba_kaushibhairav.ram

There is much to be said for Ravi Shankar's brilliant, searching mind. He has added to his guru's theme, fructifying the germ of an idea -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/bhairav/rs_kaushibhairav.ram

Raga Zeelaf

This haunting pentatonic melody is composed of the following swaras: S G M P d. Jitendra Abhisheki gives a superb account with his own composition. Notice the strong madhyam. Zeelaf also employs the subtle GM->S meeND: taba te juga samAna -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/bhairav/abhisheki_zeelaf.ram

Raga Devaranjani

This import from the South has a vichitra swaroopa. The rishab and gandhAr swaras are varjya thus leaving open the wide interval S-M-S. I have posted a note on this rAga some years ago on the Usenet newsgroup rec.music.indian.classical (RMIC). K.G. Ginde breathes life into S.N. Ratanjankar's composition -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/bhairav/ginde_devaranjani.ram

Raga Nat Bhairav

A relatively recent entrant into the Hindustani catalogue, this melody was popularized by Ravi Shankar. He seized upon the idea after hearing a demonstration of an allied theme by Prof. B.R. Deodhar. The sampoorNa scale employed corresponds to the 27th Carnatic melakartA Sarasangi. The vakra sanchAris, however, give it a distinct swaroopa. The Nat phrasings in the poorvAnga - S R, R G, G M - are balanced by the Bhairav's uttarAnga - G M d, d N S", N S" (N)d.

Among the finest Nat Bhairavs on record, Vasantrao Deshpande -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/bhairav/vasantrao_natbhairav.ram

Shubha Mudgal sketches a delectable composition of Ramashreya Jha "Ramrang": tana mana vAruN re tope -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/bhairav/mudgal_natbhairav.ram

Obiter dictum: Basant Mukhari's scale is also used by a rAga known as Hijaj Bhairav but there is a difference of opinion on this issue. Some insist that Hijaj Bhairav is the ancient form of what is today's Nat Bhairav. The quarrel is of academic interest only.

Raga Asa Bhairav

In this hybrid of rAgas Asa and Bhairav, the Bhairavanga is expressed only in the poorvAnga, through G M (G)r S. The rest of the contour looks to Asa: S S(M)R M P, DNPD S" and so on.

Ravi Shankar furnishes a delightful play on the theme -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/bhairav/rs_asabhairav.ram

Vilayat Khan plays an allied melody called Mand Bhairav where he uses the G M P D N S" pattern of Mand. It is a pile of rubbish, a schoolboy tantrum. He plays the big, fundamental rAgas beautifully but is singularly inept at the more 'complex' constructions. I do not mean to say this diminishes his stature or musicianship in any way anymore than it does Bhimsen Joshi's for precisely the same reason. Vilayat's desire to mount the "me-too-member-of-fancy-Ragas-club" bandwagon is understandble. But alas, he has not even a hundredth of the bandmaster's bandwidth ("bandmaster" is how Vilayat is said to have referred to Allauddin Khan). Concerning his much-touted six generations of pedigree, I say, are we talking about music or about Villie-the-Pooh?

Raga Jaun Bhairav

This blend of Ragas Jaunpuri and Bhairav was whipped up by Jagannathbuwa Purohit "Gunidas". It has a crowded swaraspace - there are two rishabs, two gandhArs and two nishAds.

Gunidas displays great skill in navigation and manages to successfully bring an aesthetic unity to his design: aba meri suno tuma -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/bhairav/gunidas_jaunbhairav.ram

Raga Kalingada

Kalingada and Bhairav share the same scale but there is no Bhairavanga in the former. Kalingada has a flippant mien, its personality far less austere than Bhairav. The gandhAr and pancham are advanced to positions of influence, the swara-lagAv is relatively straightforward and without the Andolita treatment accorded in Bhairav. Elements of Kalingada are widely found in many folk forms and in bhajans.

A sample chalan is suggested:

S r G M P, d P M P M G, M G r G
P d P d N, S" N d N, N d P, d P M G M P

Faiyyaz Khan -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/bhairav/faiyyaz_kalingada.ram

A remarkable man of diverse talents and a great master of the Harmonium, Govindrao Tembe -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/bhairav/tembe_kalingada.ram

Raga Jogiya

The last item in our menagerie takes all the swaras of the Bhairav thAT plus the komal nishAd. There is no presence of Bhairavanga here. The madhyam is a powerful presence (nyAsa bahutva) and anchors the development. The gandhAr and dhaivat are skipped in Arohi passages. The following outline should clarify Jogiya's features:

S r M, M P, P M r S, r S d' S
M P d S", S" (N)d P, M P d n d M, M r S

Abdul Karim Khan's stirring Jogiya thumri: piyA ko milan ki Asa -

http://www.sawf.org/audio/bhairav/akk_jogiya.ram

This monograph has brought within its ambit most of the important members of the Bhairav dynasty. A few traditional prakArs - for instance, Bangal Bhairav, Komal Bhairav - elude us at this time. Thinking about Bhairav is a profoundly moving experience. During the course of this compilation, I was often lead to wonder about the great rishis who saw in the primal scale the elemental patterns that finally coagulated into this wondrous melodic organism we now call Bhairav. These ruminations brought to mind the great German-English composer Handel. When his oratorio "Messiah" premiered in London to a thunderous ovation, a friend came up and said to him, "All the people seem to be greatly entertained." Handel, who had spoken of visions of the Lord's Creation during the making of his magnum opus, was not pleased. He replied, "My dear Sir, I should be disappointed if they were only entertained. My goal was to make them better." It is hoped that this mighty Raganga Raga, Bhairav, will incline those, whose good fortune it is to make its acquaintance, to a similar sentiment.

Glossary