Ban ban dhundhan jaun
Lyrics, meaning and notation.
About this composition
| Field | Details |
|---|---|
| Raga | Vrindavani Sarang |
| Form | Chhota khayal |
| Tala | Teental |
Complete lyrics, transliteration and meanings
| Section | Original script | Transliteration | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sthayi | बन बन ढूँढन जाऊँ | Ban ban ḍhū̃ḍhan jāū̃ | I go searching from forest to forest. |
| Sthayi | कितहुँ छिप गये कृष्ण मुरारी | Kitahũ chhip gaye Kṛṣṇa Murārī | Where has Krishna, Murari, hidden himself? |
| Antara | शीश मुकुट और कानन कुंडल | Śīś mukuṭ aur kānan kuṇḍal | A crown on his head and earrings at his ears… |
| Antara | बंशीधर मनरंग फिरत गिरिधारी | Baṃśīdhar Manraṅg phirat Giridhārī | The flute-bearing Giridhari wanders about. |
Word notes
Ban means forest; kitahun asks where. Kanan refers to the ears in the ornament description. Murari, the flute-bearer and Giridhari name or describe Krishna. The opening has four upper Sa notes.
Complete beat-aligned score
Rows begin at beat 9. Teental has sixteen beats, a wave on 9, claps on 13 and 5, and sam on 1. Sam is in the third division. The syllable row shows sung placement.
How to read this notation
Sa is the chosen reference pitch. Note signs used in this score:
S = Sa; n = komal Ni; P = Pa; M = shuddha Ma; R = shuddha Re; N = shuddha Ni.
↑ 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.
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 | 9–12 · wave | 13–16 · clap | 1–4 · sam | 5–8 · clap |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sthayi 1 | S↑ S↑ S↑ S↑ |
n — P M |
R — M — |
P — — — |
| Syllables | ब न ब न |
ढूँ — ढ न |
जा — — — |
ऊँ — — — |
| Sthayi 2 | M P S↑ — |
n P M R |
R M P M |
R — S — |
| Syllables | कि त हूँ — |
छि प ग ये |
कृ — ष्ण मु |
रा — री — |
Antara rows begin on sam.
| Section / layer | 1–4 · sam | 5–8 · clap | 9–12 · wave | 13–16 · clap |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Antara 1 · sam origin | M — P P |
n P N N |
S↑ — S↑ S↑ |
N N S↑ S↑ |
| Syllables | शी — श मु |
कु ट औ र |
का — न न |
कुं — ड ल |
| Antara 2 · sam origin | N S↑ R↑ — |
M↑ M↑ R↑ S↑ |
N S↑ R↑ S↑ |
N S↑ n P |
| Syllables | बं — शी — |
ध र म न |
रं — ग फि |
र त गि री |
| Antara close · sam origin | M P N S↑ |
R↑ S↑ n P |
· · · · |
· · · · |
| Syllables | धा — — — |
— — री — |
· · · · |
· · · · |
Pickups, sam and return
The sthayi enters at beat 9 and reaches sam on ja of jaun. The antara starts at beat 1. Its last row contains an eight-beat close followed by the eight-beat sthayi pickup. Dots mark the return positions; do not add a sung rest.
Learning sequence
Speak the searching scene and its description of Krishna. Learn the two sthayi rows with sam on the third division. Identify shuddha N and komal n separately in the antara; do not apply a mechanical all-Ni replacement. Count the eight-beat ending and re-enter the sthayi at 9. Exclude the separately headed exercises when rehearsing the fixed form.
Pitfalls
The sthayi and antara begin at different positions in the cycle. Distinguish the two forms of Ni and count the closing phrase.