Gaavat Durga ragini
Lyrics, meaning and notation.
About this composition
| Field | Details |
|---|---|
| Raga | Durga |
| Form | Lakshan geet |
| Tala | Ektal · 12 beats |
| Tempo | Drut |
Complete lyrics, transliteration and meanings
| Section | Original script | Transliteration | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sthayi | गावत दुर्गा रागिनी | Gaavat Durga raagini | They sing the ragini Durga. |
| Sthayi | औडव सुर शुद्ध बानी | AuDav sur shuddh baani | Its five-note expression uses natural notes. |
| Sthayi | वर्जित गनि अत शोभिनी | Varjit gani at shobhini | With Ga and Ni omitted, it is especially lovely. |
| Antara | वादी सुर वर मध्यम | Vaadi sur var madhyam | Madhyam is the distinguished vadi note. |
| Antara | समवादी षडज कहत | Samvaadi shaDaj kahat | Shadja is called the samvadi. |
| Antara | धीर वीर अत गंभीर | Dhir vir at gambhir | Composed, heroic and deeply serious. |
| Antara | समय कहत तिन यामिनी | Samay kahat tin yaamini | They say its time is at night. |
Word notes
AuDav means five-note; gani combines Ga and Ni. Baani means musical expression or utterance and var means eminent. Dhir, vir and gambhir describe the character of the song. Yaamini means night.
Complete beat-aligned score
Ektal has claps at 1, 5, 9 and 11 and waves at 3 and 7. Every row below retains twelve beat positions. The separate syllable row shows where the words fit; it is not an additional melodic row.
How to read this notation
Sa is the chosen reference pitch. Note signs used in this score:
D = shuddha Dha; M = shuddha Ma; P = Pa; R = shuddha 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.
¦ marks a phrase separation, not an octave change or extra 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.
| Section / layer | 1–2 · sam | 3–4 · wave | 5–6 · clap | 7–8 · wave | 9–10 · clap | 11–12 · clap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sthayi 1 | D — |
M M |
P D |
M — |
R S |
D↓ S¦ |
| Syllables | gaa — |
va ta |
du ra |
gaa — |
raa a |
gi ni¦ |
| Sthayi 2 | R — |
M M |
P P¦ |
P M |
P D |
P —¦ |
| Syllables | o — |
Da va |
su ra, |
shu u |
dha ba |
ni —¦ |
| Sthayi 3 | D S↑ |
D R↑ |
S↑ D |
M P |
MP DP |
MM RS¦ |
| Syllables | va ra |
ji ta |
ga ni |
a ta |
sho-o o-o |
bhi-i ni-i¦ |
| Antara 1 | M — |
M — |
P D |
S↑ D |
S↑ — |
S↑ S↑¦ |
| Syllables | vaa — |
di — |
su ra |
va ra |
ma — |
dhya ma¦ |
| Antara 2 | D — |
S↑ — |
R↑ —¦ |
S↑ R↑ |
S↑ D |
P M¦ |
| Syllables | sam — |
vaa — |
di —, |
sha Da |
ja ka |
ha ta¦ |
| Antara 3 | D — |
M P |
— P¦ |
MD P |
M R |
— S¦ |
| Syllables | dhi — |
ra vi |
— ra, |
a-a ta |
gam bhi |
— ra¦ |
| Antara 4 | D↓ S |
R M |
P D¦ |
D S↑ |
DS↑ R↑S↑ |
DP MM¦ |
| Syllables | sa ma |
ya ka |
ha ta |
ti na |
yaa-a a-a |
mi-i ni-i¦ |
Pickups, sam and section joins
Every row starts on sam. The sthayi has three twelve-beat cycles and the antara four. Sing all seven in order. The final MM rearticulates Ma twice within beat 12; return on Dha at the next sam.
Learning sequence
Speak the technical terms first, then count all twelve beats of Ektal. Learn the sthayi’s lower Dha and its two upper-register leaps separately. In the antara, distinguish a held note from doubled MM. Keep each joined pair inside one beat, including DS↑ and R↑S↑ in the ending. Restore the full sequence before choosing repetitions.