Varna
वर्ण
In short
Varna is the act of singing, the way notes move. There are four varnas: sthayi, arohi, avrohi and sanchari.
गायन की क्रिया को वर्ण कहते हैं। वर्ण चार हैं: स्थायी, आरोही, अवरोही और संचारी।
What varna means
From level 3In music theory varna (वर्ण) means the way notes move when sung. The classic definition from Sharngadeva's Sangeet Ratnakar:
गानक्रियोच्यते वर्णः स चतुर्धा निरूपितः। स्थाय्यारोह्यवरोही च संचारीत्यथ लक्षणम्॥
"The act of singing is called varna. It is of four kinds: sthayi, arohi, avrohi and sanchari."
The four varnas
From level 3| Varna | Movement | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Sthayi (स्थायी) | the same note repeated or held | सा सा सा, ग ग ग |
| Arohi (आरोही) | rising | सा रे ग म |
| Avrohi (अवरोही) | falling | म ग रे सा |
| Sanchari (संचारी) | a mixture of the above, moving up and down | सा रे ग रे सा, प ग रे ग |
Do not confuse sthayi varna (a note held or repeated) with the sthayi of a bandish (its first part). Same word, different meaning.
Varnas in practice
From level 3Every phrase you sing is made of varnas. Alankars are simply varnas arranged in a fixed pattern (the Sangeet Ratnakar defines alankar as a particular arrangement of varnas), and a raga's character often shows in which varnas it prefers.
Look at Bageshree's descent, सां नि॒ ध, म प ध ग॒, म ग॒ रे सा: it is not a plain avrohi line but a sanchari movement, falling and turning. Listening for the varna in a phrase is a good way to hear what makes a raga different from its neighbours.
Exam questions
Answer these the way the examiner expects: short and exact.
What is varna? Level 3
The act of singing, i.e. the way notes move. There are four varnas.
Name the four varnas with an example of each. Level 3
Sthayi (सा सा सा), arohi (सा रे ग म), avrohi (म ग रे सा), sanchari (सा रे ग रे सा).
What is sanchari varna? Level 3
A movement that mixes the other varnas, going up and down, e.g. सा रे ग रे सा.
Examined at
Related
- Ragas
- Raag Bageshree
Learning this with a teacher
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