सात सुरांची रचना कशी झाली असावी .

संगीतातील स्वरसाप्तकाचा विकास कसा झाला हा एक संशोधनाचा विषय होईल .प्राचीन संगीतात तीन ते चार च स्वरांचा अंतरभाव होता. आणि हे ही स्वर कोठून निर्माण झाले असावेत असा एक गूढ प्रश्न मनाला पडतो . जंगलातून शिकार करताना कानावर पडण्यार्या पशुपक्ष्याच्या विविध ध्वनीची
हुबेहूब नक्कल करण्याच्या सहज प्रवृत्ती तून काही विशिष्ट ध्वनीचे आकर्षणं तत्कालीन मानवाला वाटले असावे व ते ध्वनी तो आपल्या मुखातून उच्चारू लागला . असे मोजके तीन चार ध्वनी उच्चारणे व त्या द्वारा आपल्या भावना प्रगट करणे या क्रीयेतुनच संगीतातील स्वर निर्मिती झाली असावी . प्राचीन काळी संगीत तीन चार स्वरातच गायले जाई . रीग्वेदात तीनच स्वरांचा उल्लेख आहे .:- १) अनुदात २) उदात ३)स्वारीत
सा रे ग म या चार सुरातच संगीत गायले जात. आज ही आपल्याकडे परंपरेने गाण्यासारखी लोकगीते एकली तर असे आढळते कि त्यातही केवळ दोन तीन स्वरांचा वापर आहे .

सात सुरांची रचना कशी झाली असावी :-
या सात स्वरांच्या निर्मिती बाबत जी अनेक शांशोधने आहेत त्यातील एक जास्त तर्कसंगत व पटणारे संशोधन कै. गोविंदराव टेंबे यांनी आपल्या "कल्पना संगीत " या ग्रंथात दिले आहे - त्याचा सारांश असा की पुरुष कंठातून निघालेल्या चार ध्वनीचे अनुकरण स्त्रिया ही करू लागल्या । स्त्रीयाचा स्वर पुरुषा पेखा सामान्यापणे निसर्गतः दीड पटीने उंच असतो . पुरुषांचे आवाजातील, मूळ सा रे ग म हे स्वर तसेच स्त्रीयाच्या दीड पट उंचीच्या आवाजातील सा रे ग म असे दोन भिन्न स्वर गट प्रत्यक्ष प्रचारात सतत येऊ लागले . त्यालाच पुढे स्वर ही संज्ञा मिळाली व हे भिन्न भिन्न आठ स्वर प्रचारात आले . कालांतराने हे चार स्वरांचे दोन्ही गट एकत्र येऊन एक सप्तक संगीतात सिद्ध झाले व संगीताचा प्रवास या सात स्वरांच्या माध्यमातून होऊ लागला .

सा पासून प हा दीड पट उंचीचा आहे. स्त्रीयाचा सा हा पुरुषांचा प हा स्वर होतो . आपल्या भारतीय संगीत शास्त्रात स्वर सप्तकात सा व प हे दोनच स्वर अचल मानले आहेत . ते कधीही विकृत होत नाहीत . थोडक्यात असे म्हणता येईल की मूळ चार सुरातून निर्माण झालेले सप्तक हे क्रिया मूळ चार स्वरांच्या दीड पट उंचीच्या स्वरामधून निर्माण झाली असावी.
पं.अरविंद गजेंद्रगडकर

THE ENCOUNTER
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A six year old boy was playing in the backyard of his house. There stood an iron pole inserted vertically. The children used to climb up and then slide down. The elder ones performed all sorts of exercises.

But that day he was all alone. He found a leather belt. He held it tightly in his little hand and started whipping the pole relentlessly.. His mother stood at the doorstep watching him. He whipped the pole again and again murmuring “why did you kill my father.” He was red with rage. Not knowing the child’s sudden behavior she rushed at him. He screamed “why did you kill my father.” The words deafened her ears and she consoled her young one took him in her arms. She knew she could not bring back his father. Her husband would never return! He was killed by the dacoit.

Her husband was an Inspector in the Police force. He was posted at Badnaver, in Madhya Pradesh. Everybody addressed him as Raosaheb.
Raosaheb was very handsome strongly built and a brave person. He caught hold of dangerous thieves and vagabonds and put them behind the bars.

Life went on.. he found a beautiful lady fell in love and eventually married her. They were blessed with five children. As soon as he returned home from his tour, the children would cluster round him. He played with them. He would pick the young ones and swing them on his arms. Their reverberating laughter and chuckles freshened him up.

Night was pleasant to be in parents arms. This bliss lasted for a very short period. The darkness enveloped the twinkling stars which foretold a grievous future for the family.
That very night the Inspector spoke to his wife about his plans to catch a notorious dacoit. A pall of gloom spread over her. She was dumbfounded as all her plans to desist him from venturing his arduous task.
Parting with his dear ones he strode away in the eerie jungles with his small group—a handful of men and meager ammunition. The dense forest near Badnawar in Madyapradesh was the dacoit’s hideout. They drove in the deep forests in bullocarts – it was the only means to travel in those days. The narrow lanes of the village, after village was traversed until one village was spotted for supplying huge amount of chicken meat and wines. At ones the Inspector directed his men towards that place. Soon they confronted a fierce looking person clad in military uniform with broad mustache. No doubt that he was the famous dacoit Nathyakhanjar the most wanted by the police force. He was surrounded by his men. They were well equipped with ammunition. He roared aloud to bring the Inspector before him. After much interrogation the dacoit had insisted the Inspector to give up his Police uniform his belt and guns and surrender before them. The brave Inspector preferred to fight with him unto his death. It would be an insult to his profession to go back and cowardly submit to the dacoit’s demands. A fierce battle raged between the two troops. A sepoy who fled for his life had climbed a tree and saw the drama with his naked eye. He was a sole survivor and later narrated the whole incident to the family members and the villagers all that had transpired between the two parties. The fearless Inspector was none other than the little boy’s father.

The body of Raosaheb was brought home and laid for last darshan.
The small boy caught hold of his weeping mothers hand, consoled her and promised to take care of her henceforth.

The heavens rumbled as the guns were fired.....a mark of salutations for the Martyr. The last rights were performed.

Years later,

the promise he had made to his mother had been fulfilled when his mother breathed her last. A huge void left him but this time he was not alone, his better half held him to share his grief .

The above article was published in The Hitavada dt 10/1/2010