![Ṣaḍja (Sa)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/cf/%E1%B9%A2a%E1%B8%8Dja_%28Sa%29.jpg)
Shadja is the first
svara
Svara or swara (Devanagari: स्वर, generally pronounced as ''swar'') is a Sanskrit word that connotes simultaneously a breath, a vowel, the sound of a musical note corresponding to its name, and the successive steps of the octave or '' ...
out of the seven svaras of
Hindustani music
Hindustani classical music is the classical music of northern regions of the Indian subcontinent. It may also be called North Indian classical music or, in Hindustani, ''shastriya sangeet'' (). It is played in instruments like the violin, sit ...
and
Carnatic music
Carnatic music, known as or in the Dravidian languages, South Indian languages, is a system of music commonly associated with South India, including the modern Indian states of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Kerala and Tamil Nadu, an ...
. Shadja is the long form of the syllable सा. For simplicity in pronouncing while singing the syllable, Shadja is pronounced as Sa (notation - S). It is also called as षड्ज in the
Devanagri
Devanagari ( ; , , Sanskrit pronunciation: ), also called Nagari (),Kathleen Kuiper (2010), The Culture of India, New York: The Rosen Publishing Group, , page 83 is a left-to-right abugida (a type of segmental writing system), based on the a ...
script.
Details
The following is the information about Shadja and its importance in
Indian classical music
Indian classical music is the classical music of the Indian subcontinent. It has two major traditions: the North Indian classical music known as '' Hindustani'' and the South Indian expression known as '' Carnatic''. These traditions were not ...
:
* Shadja is the first
svara
Svara or swara (Devanagari: स्वर, generally pronounced as ''swar'') is a Sanskrit word that connotes simultaneously a breath, a vowel, the sound of a musical note corresponding to its name, and the successive steps of the octave or '' ...
in an octave or
Saptak
Saptak means "gamut" or "the series of eight notes". It denotes the set of swaras i.e. Ṣaḍja (Sa), Ṛiṣabha (Re), Gāndhāra (Ga), Madhyama (Ma), Panchama (Pa), Dhaivat (Dha), Niṣāda (Ni), Sadja (Sa) which comprise a musical scale in I ...
.
* Shadja is also the first and the main svara in a
raga
A ''raga'' or ''raag'' (; also ''raaga'' or ''ragam''; ) is a melodic framework for improvisation in Indian classical music akin to a musical mode, melodic mode. The ''rāga'' is a unique and central feature of the classical Indian music tradit ...
. (Not always but mostly it is. )
* The svara that is played on the
Tanpura
The tanpura (), also referred to as tambura and tanpuri, is a long-necked plucked string instrument, originating in India, found in various forms in Indian music.
It does not play melody, but rather supports and sustains the melody of an ...
for the singer is Shadja. It is played to know that one is singing on the right pitch and octave.
* Shadja is the base or basic svara. It is a very fundamental svara in Classical music.
* It is fascinating to know that after one raga is sung or played, and when one more raga is to be performed, then the svara Sa is played so that there is no confusion in mixing of svaras in both the ragas that are performed. (Specifically in ragas of the same svaras but different
Chalan or movement.)
* The svara of Shadja is never or , it is always Shuddha in any given raga.
* It is said that Shadja is the basic svara from which all the other 6 svaras are produced. When we break the word Shadja then we get, Shad And Ja. It means that Shad is 6 and ja is 'giving birth' in
Marathi
Marathi may refer to:
*Marathi people, an Indo-Aryan ethnolinguistic group of Maharashtra, India
*Marathi language, the Indo-Aryan language spoken by the Marathi people
*Palaiosouda, also known as Marathi, a small island in Greece
See also
*
* ...
. So basically the translation is :
षड् - 6, ज -जन्म . Therefore, it collectively means giving birth to the other 6 notes of the music.
* The frequency of Shadja is 240 Hz. The frequencies of the seven svaras are also given below: Sa 240 Hz, Re 270 Hz, Ga 300 Hz, Ma 320 Hz, Pa 360 Hz, Dha 400 Hz, and Ni 450 Hz, Sa 480 Hz (Taar Saptak) ........ (and so on).
Consequently, the Sa after the Ni of 450 Hz has a frequency of 480 Hz i.e. the double of the Lower octave Sa.
* There are four
Shruti's of Sadja. Previously the main Shruti not only for Sa but for all the other svaras was on the last Shruti but now it is considered to be on the first Shruti.
For example, if these are the four Shruti's of Sa then,
Previously this was the position of the main Shruti of Sa.
^
1 2 3 4
^
But now this position has become the main Shruti of Sa.
* All the other svaras except Shadja (Sa) and Pancham (Pa) can be or svaras but Sa and Pa are always Shuddha svaras. And hence svaras Sa and Pa are called Achal Svaras , since these svaras don't move from their original position. Svaras Ra, Ga, Ma, Dha, Ni are called Chal Svaras, since these svaras move from their original position.
Sa, Re, Ga, Ma, Pa, Dha, Ni - Shuddha Svaras
Re, Ga, Dha, Ni -
Ma -
* It will be fascinating for you to know that Sa is the only svara which cannot be omitted in a particular raga. So Sa can't be Varjit in any of the ragas. Hence Sa is the most important svara in the
Saptak
Saptak means "gamut" or "the series of eight notes". It denotes the set of swaras i.e. Ṣaḍja (Sa), Ṛiṣabha (Re), Gāndhāra (Ga), Madhyama (Ma), Panchama (Pa), Dhaivat (Dha), Niṣāda (Ni), Sadja (Sa) which comprise a musical scale in I ...
or in any
Raga
A ''raga'' or ''raag'' (; also ''raaga'' or ''ragam''; ) is a melodic framework for improvisation in Indian classical music akin to a musical mode, melodic mode. The ''rāga'' is a unique and central feature of the classical Indian music tradit ...
.
* For some ragas where Sa is the Vadi or Samvadi svara, Sa is played repeatedly. But for ragas where Sa is not a Vadi or a Samvadi svara, it is still played repeatedly since it the main svara.
* Ragas where Sa is the Vadi svara - Raga
Malkauns
Malkauns, known also as rag Malkosh, is a raga in Indian classical music. It is one of the oldest ragas of Indian classical music. The equivalent raga in Carnatic music is called Hindolam, not to be confused with the Hindustani Hindol.
Accordi ...
, etc. Ragas where Sa is the Samvadi svara - Raga
Kedar.
* Hypothetically speaking, Shadja is said to be the Sakar Bhrama , Sakar Bhrama as in the three main gods,
Bhrama
Bhrama (Sanskrit: भ्रम), in the context of Hindu thought, means – error, mistake, illusion, confusion, perplexity. But, it literally means – that which is not steady; and refers to error etc., caused by defects in the perceptive syste ...
,
Vishnu
Vishnu ( ; , ), also known as Narayana and Hari, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the supreme being within Vaishnavism, one of the major traditions within contemporary Hinduism.
Vishnu is known as "The Preserver" within t ...
and
Shiva
Shiva (; sa, शिव, lit=The Auspicious One, Śiva ), also known as Mahadeva (; ɐɦaːd̪eːʋɐ, or Hara, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the Supreme Being in Shaivism, one of the major traditions within Hindu ...
. Sa is made the acronym of Sakar for showing the importance of the syllable Sa.
* Shadja is said to be sourced from the cry of a
peacock
Peafowl is a common name for three bird species in the genera ''Pavo (genus), Pavo'' and ''Afropavo'' within the tribe Pavonini of the family Phasianidae, the pheasants and their allies. Male peafowl are referred to as peacocks, and female pea ...
.
* Shadja is associated with the planet
Mercury
Mercury commonly refers to:
* Mercury (planet), the nearest planet to the Sun
* Mercury (element), a metallic chemical element with the symbol Hg
* Mercury (mythology), a Roman god
Mercury or The Mercury may also refer to:
Companies
* Merc ...
.
* Shadja is associated with
Green
Green is the color between cyan and yellow on the visible spectrum. It is evoked by light which has a dominant wavelength of roughly 495570 Nanometre, nm. In subtractive color systems, used in painting and color printing, it is created by ...
colour.
See also
*
List of Ragas in Hindustani classical music
*
Svara
Svara or swara (Devanagari: स्वर, generally pronounced as ''swar'') is a Sanskrit word that connotes simultaneously a breath, a vowel, the sound of a musical note corresponding to its name, and the successive steps of the octave or '' ...
*
Rishabh
Rishabhanatha, also ( sa, ऋषभदेव), Rishabhadeva, or Ikshvaku is the first (Supreme preacher) of Jainism and establisher of Ikshvaku dynasty. He was the first of twenty-four teachers in the present half-cycle of time in Jain co ...
(Re)
*
Gandhar (Ga)
*
Madhyam
Madhyam is the fourth svara from the seven svaras of Hindustani music and Carnatic music. This article is written from the Hindustani perspective. Madhyam is the long form of the syllable म. For simplicity in pronouncing while singing the sylla ...
(Ma)
*
Pancham (Pa)
*
Dhaivat
Dhaivat is the sixth svara from the seven svaras of Hindustani music and Carnatic music. Dhaivat is the long form of the syllable ध. For simplicity in pronouncing while singing the syllable, Dhaivat is pronounced as Dha (notation - D). It is a ...
(Dha)
*
Nishad
The Nishad are a Hindu caste, found in the Indian states of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh.
In Bihar, the term refers to a group of around 20 communities whose traditional occupations centred on rivers, such as the Mallah. There have been demands for ...
(Ni)
----
*
Sa (svara)
Shadja is the first svara out of the seven svaras of Hindustani music and Carnatic music. Shadja is the long form of the syllable सा. For simplicity in pronouncing while singing the syllable, Shadja is pronounced as Sa (notation - S). It is a ...
*
Shadja (Sa)
Shadja is the first svara out of the seven svaras of Hindustani music and Carnatic music. Shadja is the long form of the syllable सा. For simplicity in pronouncing while singing the syllable, Shadja is pronounced as Sa (notation - S). It is ...
References
{{Reflist
Hindustani music
Carnatic music