Rag Vibhas madhur
Lyrics, meaning and notation.
About this composition
| Field | Details |
|---|---|
| Raga | Bibhas, Bhairav-family variant |
| Form | Lakshan geet |
| Tala and tempo | Sultal · madhya |
Original text, transliteration and line meanings
Spacing and punctuation aid reading; they are not melody signs.
| Section | Original script | Transliteration | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sthayi | राग विभास मधुर | Rāg Vibhās madhur | Sweet-sounding raga Vibhas. |
| Sthayi | माया मालव सुर | Māyā Mālav sur | Its notes are associated here with the Maya Malav parent collection. |
| Sthayi | प्रात समय समुचित | Prāt samay samuchit | The morning is described as its suitable time. |
| Sthayi | गावत सब गुनिवर | Gāvat sab gunivar | Accomplished musicians sing it. |
| Antara | मनि सुर वर्जित कर | Ma-ni sur varjit kar | Omit the notes Ma and Ni. |
| Antara | रिध संवाद रुचिर | Ri-dha saṃvād ruchir | The Re–Dha relationship is pleasing. |
| Antara | पंचम न्यास कहत | Pañcham nyās kahat | Pa is described as a resting note. |
| Antara | शास्त्र प्रमान चतुर | Śāstra pramān Chatur | Chatur invokes musical theory as authority. |
This Bhairav-family Vibhas uses komal Re and Dha, with Ma and Ni omitted. Maya Malav denotes the parent scale. Ma-ni and Ri-dha are paired note names.
How to read this notation
Sa is the chosen reference pitch. Note signs used in this score:
d = komal Dha; P = Pa; G = shuddha Ga; r = komal Re; S = Sa.
↑ marks the upper octave and ↓ the lower octave; an unmarked note is in the middle octave.
Each separate beat position is one matra. Joined notes fall within that beat. — continues the previous sound; · is an unsung position. Padding before an entry or after a close does not add another cycle.
Parentheses mark a grace leading into the next principal note, without adding a beat.
Within-beat durations are exact only where specified. Learn the execution of glides, graces and inflection by listening.
Within a grouped column, spaces separate beats; letters joined without spaces share a beat. The column heading states the beat numbers.
Complete notation
| Section / layer | 1–2 · sam | 3–4 · wave | 5–6 · clap | 7–8 · clap | 9–10 · wave |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sthayi 1 | d — |
P P |
(P)G P |
G r |
S S |
| Syllables | रा — |
ग वि |
भा — |
स म |
धु र |
| Sthayi 2 | r — |
r — |
(P)G P |
G r |
S S |
| Syllables | मा — |
या — |
मा — |
ल व |
सु र |
| Sthayi 3 | S r |
S (P)G |
P P |
d d |
P P |
| Syllables | प्रा — |
त स |
म य |
स मु |
चि त |
| Sthayi 4 | S↑ — |
d P |
(P)G P |
G r |
S S |
| Syllables | गा — |
व त |
स ब |
गु नि |
व र |
| Antara 1 | P P |
d d |
S↑ S↑ |
S↑ S↑ |
r↑ S↑ |
| Syllables | म नि |
सु र |
व र |
जि त |
क र |
| Antara 2 | r↑ r↑ |
r↑ — |
G↑ — |
r↑ r↑ |
S↑ S↑ |
| Syllables | रि ध |
सं — |
वा — |
द रु |
चि र |
| Antara 3 | S — |
(P)G P |
P — |
d d |
d d |
| Syllables | पं — |
च म |
न्या — |
स क |
ह त |
| Antara 4 | S↑ — |
d P |
(P)G P |
G r |
S S |
| Syllables | शा — |
स्त्र प्र |
मा — |
न च |
तु र |
Cycle placement and return
All eight ten-beat rows start on sam. Sultal is grouped 2 + 2 + 2 + 2 + 2, with sam at 1, waves at 3 and 9, and further claps at 5 and 7 in this notation. It is not Jhaptal, despite having the same number of beats. There is no separate pickup. Return from the last Sa to the opening Dha on the next sam.
Learning sequence
- Establish Sa and komal Re and Dha. Do not substitute the Poorvi-family Bibhas.
- Speak the text and explain its words before adding melody.
- Count the divisions, then sing each sthayi row without changing its beat count.
- Add the antara, checking every upper-register sign and every return to middle register.
- Join the sections using the pickup or sam alignment, and sing the indicated grace notes.
Pitfalls
Check the reading “संवाद”, the Pa grace notes, and the middle-register Sa opening of Antara 3. The last two antara rows are on the following page; omitting them would truncate the composition.