Basant or Vasant is a
Hindustani classical raga.
Raga
Every raga has a strict set of rules which govern the number of notes that can be used; which notes can be used; and their interplay that has to be adhered to for the composition of a tune. In the
Guru Granth Sahib Ji, there are a total of 60 raga compositions and this raga is the forty-ninth raga to appear in the series.
The composition in this raga appear on a total of 29 pages from page numbers (Ang) 1168 to 1170.
Basant denotes the changing of the season and the newness of spring. This Raag encourages the mind to brush away its selfishness, just like spring-cleaning removes all the cobwebs and creates a fresh start. There are feelings of hope and expectation of a new beginning and the start of a new cycle. However, these emotions are not dependent on the physical change of the season, but are an encouragement of an internal effort to change.
Origin
Vasant is a Sanskrit word for "spring". The word is much older than the Sikh religion and any usage of the word in relation to melody or Sikh tradition is a later rendition of the word.
The variants noted in the
Holy Book
Religious texts, including scripture, are texts which various religions consider to be of central importance to their religious tradition. They differ from literature by being a compilation or discussion of beliefs, mythologies, ritual prac ...
are Basant-Hindol and Shudh Basant which also called Desi Basant in the local language. Basant is a very old raga dating from the 8th century.
Guru Nanak Dev Ji
Gurū Nānak (15 April 1469 – 22 September 1539; Gurmukhi: ਗੁਰੂ ਨਾਨਕ; pronunciation: , ), also referred to as ('father Nānak'), was the founder of Sikhism and is the first of the ten Sikh Gurus. His birth is celebrated wo ...
,
Guru Amar Das Ji
Guru Amar Das (Gurmukhi: ਗੁਰੂ ਅਮਰ ਦਾਸ, pronunciation: ; 5 May 1479 – 1 September 1574), sometimes spelled as Guru Amardas, was the third of the Ten Gurus of Sikhism and became Sikh Guru on 26 March 1552 at age 73.
Befor ...
,
Guru Ram Das Ji
Ram Das (Gurmukhi: ਗੁਰੂ ਰਾਮ ਦਾਸ, pronunciation: ; 24 September 1534 – 1 September 1581) was the fourth of the ten Gurus of Sikhism. He was born in a family based in Lahore. His birth name was Jetha, and he was ...
,
Guru Arjan Dev Ji and Guru Tegh Bahadar Ji composed
Shabads in this raga. Performed in slow tempo, this gentle melody depicts quiet joy. The descending scale is usually found at the beginning of a composition with the ascending form follows later.
* Aroh:
* Avroh:
* Vadi:
* Samvadi:
Variants
* Shuddha Basant
* Adi Basant
* Basant Bahar
* Hindol Basant
Film songs
Tamil
Notes
References
Sources
*
See also
*
Kirtan
External links
Giani Darshan Singh SohalGurmat Sangeet ProjectRaj Academy of Asian MusicSikhnet: Shabad for PrintingFilm Songs in Rag Basant
{{Rāgas as per Performance Time
Hindustani ragas
Ragas in the Guru Granth Sahib