Vyas-Saṃgīt : An Endangered Intangible Cultural Heritage

 

Vyas-Saṃgīt

(An Endangered Intangible Cultural Heritage)

In the complex history of India’s intangible cultural heritage, many traditions have been misinterpreted, misclassified, or diminished in status—often unintentionally—through the cumulative effect of inherited misunderstandings. Such errors, though inadvertent, have inflicted a grievous and often irreversible blow to our cultural legacy, leaving us powerless to open the “door of salvation” for certain endangered forms. Among these imperiled traditions is Vyas-Saṃgīt, a genre now on the verge of extinction.

In the absence of rigorous historical scrutiny, superficial similarities between Vyas-Saṃgīt and the Ojā-pālī tradition led to its classification under the folk sub-type “Vyas Ojā-pālī.” Further distortions emerged when the name of its creator, the legendary Veda-Vyāsa (Vyāsadeva), was corrupted into “Biyāh,” resulting in the popularized misnomer “Biyāh Ojā-pālī.” This misclassification relegated the genre to a lower cultural category, obscuring its sophisticated historical and musical lineage. However, six years of sustained and advanced scientific research have now brought the tradition to the threshold of reclaiming its rightful dignity and scholarly recognition.

 

A textual reference of critical importance appears in the Saṃgīta-Ratnākara (13th century CE) of Śāraṅgadeva, which documents the evolution of Sām-gāna into Gāthā, and from Gāthā into Prabandha-gāna. In this framework, Gāthā songs were devoted to the heroic figures of the epics—predominantly those of the Mahābhārata, and to a lesser degree the Rāmāyaṇa. The scope of Gāthā was not confined to epic literature; it extended to the portrayal of kings, sages, and heroes from the Vedas and the Purāṇas. As the author of these monumental narratives was Veda-Vyāsa, the musical form acquired the name Vyas-Saṃgīt.

 

Unlike Sām-gāna, which is defined by the tonal framework of udātta, anudātta, and svarita, Gāthā Saṃgīt employed rāgas as its melodic foundation, along with mātra-vṛtta (metrical structures). Śāraṅgadeva describes these features in great detail, and remarkably, many of them are still identifiable in the endangered Vyas-Saṃgīt as practiced in Vyaspārā, a village near Sipājar in Assam.
 

Historically, Gāthā-Saṃgīt was integral to religious gatherings, temple ceremonies, and other public acts of worship. In these settings, the performance often took the form of Jāgaraṇ-gīt or Jāgar-gīt, devotional songs intended to “awaken” the deities. The Sāmaveda itself refers to the practice of summoning deities during Sām-gāna—performed by Sāmaga Brāhmaṇas—through ritual fire and a copper object shaped like Indra’s thunderbolt (vajra), in order to receive the soma-rasa. Epigraphic, archaeological, and copperplate evidence confirms the presence of Sām-gāna in ancient Kāmrūpa, and it is within this fertile cultural milieu that a distinctive Kāmrūpī style of Gāthā likely emerged.

 

The present study, therefore, seeks to re-establish the scholarly standing of Vyas-Saṃgīt by examining its historical evolution, musical characteristics, and ritual functions through the lens of authentic textual, archaeological, and ethno-musicological evidence. By doing so, it aims not merely to document a fading tradition, but to restore its rightful place in the cultural hierarchy of India’s intangible heritage.
 

The Twofold Structure of Vyās-Saṃgīt

 
The tradition of Vyās-Saṃgīt, rooted in the sacred and performative practices of the North Eastern region of India, represents a distinctive confluence of ritual, music, and narrative. It embodies both the continuity of ancient Gāthā-Saṃgīt and the localized articulation of religious and cultural identity through song. Structurally, Vyās-Saṃgīt is divided into two principal branches: (i) the religio-traditional stream, and (ii) the Sabhāgvā or assembly-based stream. Both serve different ritual and social functions but are united by a shared liturgical ethos.
 
1. The Religio-Traditional Stream: Jāgar and Mālci Gīts
The first stream of Vyās-Saṃgīt encompasses the Jāgar Gīts and Mālci Gīts, both deeply embedded in ritualistic worship.
 
·  Jāgar Gīts: These are invocatory hymns and songs performed as acts of divine awakening (jāgaraṇa). They integrate songs, mantras, and verses composed in a linguistic blend of Sanskrit and archaic Kāmarūpī, thereby preserving both classical and regional idioms of expression. Significantly, each performance begins with the recitation of the Praṇava Mantra (Oṃ), symbolically aligning the act of singing with cosmic order. The sequence of these hymns mirrors the traditional order of deity worship (devatā-pūjā-krama), underscoring their ritual precision.
 
·  Mālci Gīts: Sung specifically in the Mālśrī rāga, these compositions are performed during ritual pujas as hymns of praise dedicated to deities. The rāga itself, historically associated with auspiciousness and devotion, provides a melodic framework that heightens the sanctity of the ritual space.

 

2. The Assembly Tradition: Sabhāgvā Gīts

Complementing the ritual tradition is the Sabhāgvā stream of Vyās-Saṃgīt, which belongs to the sphere of communal performance. These songs are generally sung in public gatherings—particularly in the afternoons and during the later phases of the night (after the second watch). Unlike the Jāgar and Mālci Gīts, which are tied to ritual cycles, the Sabhāgvā Gīts function as didactic narratives, drawing upon the Epics, the Vedas, and the Purāṇas. Through poetic song, mythic and scriptural stories are communicated to the wider community, thus transforming the act of listening into a collective engagement with sacred knowledge.
 
3. Language and Literary Dimension
A salient feature of Vyās-Saṃgīt is its linguistic hybridity. The intermingling of Sanskrit with the archaic Kāmarūpī dialect reflects both the pan-Indian sacral idiom and the local vernacular tradition. This mixture renders the compositions simultaneously elevated and accessible: Sanskrit lends authority and liturgical gravitas, while Kāmarūpī ensures cultural resonance with the community.
 

4. Ritual and Performative Function
The twofold division of Vyās-Saṃgīt corresponds to its dual function:
 
·    The ritual-sacral function, where hymns serve as acts of divine invocation, praise, and worship (Jāgar and Mālci).
·  The performative-didactic function, where sacred narratives are disseminated and interpreted within the social sphere (Sabhāgvā).
 
This duality reflects an organic synthesis of ritual orthopraxy and cultural pedagogy, making Vyās-Saṃgīt both a vehicle of worship and a medium of community education.
 
The structure of Vyās-Saṃgīt thus encapsulates a holistic worldview wherein music is not merely aesthetic but integrally woven into the fabric of ritual practice, sacred storytelling, and social pedagogy.   By maintaining continuity with the ancient tradition of Gāthā-Saṃgīt, Vyās-Saṃgīt stands as a living testimony to the North Eastern cultural synthesis of Sanskritic and regional traditions, ritual liturgy, and communal memory…

Rāṅgelīkhāṭi and Vajra: Philological Origins and Ritual Symbolism
 
The term Rāṅgelīkhāṭi may be etymologically parsed as an adjective formed from the quality root raṅga (“colour, festivity, aesthetic delight”), the feminine charm suffix -lī (indicating grace or vivacity), and the purity/true-ness suffix -khāṭi (denoting genuineness or authenticity). Its resultant sense, “truly colourful” or “genuinely festive,” conveys not mere ornamentation but an inherent vivacity of form and spirit. By contrast, Vajra derives from the strength root vaj (“to be strong, hard”) combined with the instrumental/quality suffix -ra, yielding the meaning “the hard, powerful one.” In Indic thought, this encompasses both the indestructibility of diamond and the irresistible force of the thunderbolt.
 
Within the ritual sphere, both Rāṅgelīkhāṭi and Vajra serve as sacred instruments, together embodying a force at once colourful, indestructible, and cosmically irresistible. They are regarded as agents that “release the waters” and restore ṛta—cosmic order—thus functioning as potent emblems of divine intervention. The Vajra, long celebrated as “one of the most powerful weapons in the universe,” is also mythologically linked to Vajrayānī (Vajrayoginī), the “Lady of the Vajra,” born from its essence to vanquish demonic forces and re-establish dharma.
 
In tantric and esoteric iconography, each structural component of the Vajra holds layered symbolism: the central hub signifies primordial emptiness and the un-manifest center, resonating with the Om or Hum seed syllable; the lotus base represents purity, the Eightfold Path, and the balance between nirvāṇa and saṃsāra; makara heads indicate mastery over chaotic waters and the overcoming of obstacles; the central axis reflects the axis mundi, Mount Meru, and the awakened spine of kuṇḍalinī energy; the prongs (three, five, or nine) encode doctrinal triads, pentads, and cosmic totalities; and the pyramid tips express the incisive wisdom that severs illusion, akin to Indra’s thunderbolt.
 
Thus, these instruments, through their etymology, form, and ritual application, unite aesthetic vibrancy with metaphysical potency, serving as enduring symbols of spiritual authority and cosmic restoration.
 
 
The Kalai Priesthood and the Ritual Instruments of the Kāmākhyā Tradition:
 
Historical records from the reign of Koch King Nara-Nārāyaṇa (1540–1584 CE) in Assam mention the service of a distinguished Sun priest named Kendu Kalāi at the sacred Kāmākhyā Temple. The Sun priests, a specialized order of ritual functionaries, were renowned for their dual expertise in astronomical calculations and esoteric worship. Their lineage is deeply rooted in the ancient city of Prāgjyotiṣapura—the legendary precursor of present-day Guwahati—celebrated in both the Rāmāyaṇa and the Mahābhārata as a center of solar and tantric traditions.
 
According to oral tradition, Kendu Kalāi was the younger brother of Vyāsa Kalāi, an accomplished exponent of Vyāsa-saṃgīt—a highly specialized form of ritual music. The village of his residence, subsequently known as Vyāsparā, lies near modern-day Sipajhar. The Kalai lineage remained staunch devotees of Goddess Kāmākhyā, blending Sūrya worship as their kula-devatā (ancestral deity) with Kāmākhyā as their iṣṭa-devī (chosen tutelary goddess).
 
Their liturgical practice, preserved in the verses of their Jāgar-gīt, reflects a sophisticated tantric framework of sapta-rūpa-pūjā—the worship of the goddess in seven distinct manifestations across the days of the week: Durgā (Sunday), Kātyāyanī (Monday), Bhairavī (Tuesday), Jayā (Wednesday), Vajrayinī (Thursday), Triṇayanī (Friday), and Rākṣasenī (Saturday).
 
Central to their esoteric rites was the use of the ritual implement known as the Rāṃgelīkhāṭi. In accordance with ancient tantric injunctions, the officiant would hold this sacred object in the right hand, a bell in the left, and recite Sanskrit mantras, treating the Rāṃgelīkhāṭi itself as a symbolic embodiment of the goddess. The instrument’s custodianship was hereditary, restricted to particular dynasties wherein Kāmākhyā had been venerated as the iṣṭa-devī since antiquity. Within these households, the Rāṃgelīkhāṭi remains preserved in the devagṛha (ritual shrine), functioning as both relic and active instrument of worship.
 
In a later development, King Dharma-Nārāyaṇa conferred upon certain members of this priestly order another ritual implement known as the Mudrā. While structurally related to the Rāṃgelīkhāṭi, the Mudrā differed in design and function. It became primarily associated with the public performance of Jāgar-gīt, a ceremonial song-cycle integral to communal religious gatherings. By royal prerogative, only Sun-worshipping Brahmins who had received the Mudrā were permitted to perform these songs. Crucially, possession of the Mudrā did not imply hereditary connection to the Rāṃgelīkhāṭi tradition, nor did it necessitate Kāmākhyā as one’s iṣṭa-devī. Thus, while the Mudrā could be an instrument of public ritual prestige, the Rāṃgelīkhāṭi remained a symbol of ancient, lineage-bound sacerdotal authority.

Mudrā (Mudurā): the performance instrument
 
The Sanskrit etymology states: “Mudaṁ dadāti yasmāt sā mudrā”—“That which bestows joy (or bliss) is called mudrā.” Thus, the mudrā (ritual implement) and the Rāṃgelīkhāṭi (a ceremonial device used in ritual and performance) are regarded as instruments that generate rāṅg (aesthetic delight) and ānanda (joy). It is important to note, however, that this joy is not the ordinary or temporal pleasure (nityānanda), but the supreme transcendental bliss (paramānanda).
 
In the tradition of Vyāsa-saṅgīt, the mudrā yantra is symbolically equated with nāda—the primordial sound principle. Within spirituality, it is further revered as a symbolic manifestation of Maṅgal Cāṇḍī or Durgā Devī, the benevolent mother goddess.
 
Structurally, the mudrā yantra carries profound esoteric associations. Its apex represents the Mūlādhāra cakra (the foundational energy centre at the base of the spine), while the diamond (vajra) placed at one end of its central axis is taken to signify the Sahasrāra (the thousand-petalled lotus at the crown of the head). The vertical shaft or axis in the middle of the yantra is understood as the Merudaṇḍa (spinal column). From a metaphysical perspective, the Nāda or Śabda-Brahman (the Absolute as sound) is said to originate in the Mūlādhāra. It rises upward, piercing through the six cakras, and ultimately ascends to the Brahmarandhra at the crown.
 
A portion of this transcendental vibration emerges outward through the mouth of the Ojā (the ritual singer-leader or Maestro), manifesting itself as the sacred speech of the Vedas and allied scriptures. The remaining portion of this Śabda-Brahman disseminates throughout the entire body via the network of nāḍīs (subtle channels), thereby permeating the practitioner’s being with divine resonance.
 
Turning to the Rāṃgelīkhāṭi, it is notable that in this ritual implement the symbolic representations of the vajra and the lotus petals are absent. Since the mudrā yantra is worn across the body like a yajñasūtra (sacred thread), the Ojā himself is revered as a living embodiment of the vajra. This is because, during the performance of Jāgar-gīt (invocatory ritual songs), the Ojā becomes inwardly and spiritually united with the ritual altar (pūjā-vedī), the Rāṃgelīkhāṭi, and the Pūrṇa-ghaṭa (vessel of fullness symbolizing auspiciousness and cosmic wholeness).
 
As the Jāgar-gīt progresses, the Ojā’s Kuṇḍalinī śakti (latent spiritual energy) is believed to be awakened. From the petals of successive cakras, the primordial syllabic energies (Mātṛkā-varṇa) are drawn upward, and through the mouth of the Ojā they flow out as Nāda-Brahman, expressed in the form of sacred sound and song.

 

Mudrā Yantra in Assamese Vyāsa-saṅgīt and Pan-Indic Śākta–Tantric Traditions:
 
1.   The Yantra as a Microcosm of the Body:
In the Assamese Vyāsa-saṅgīt and Jāgar tradition, the mudrā yantra is explicitly mapped onto the human subtle body (suṣumnā, cakras, kuṇḍalinī, sahasrāra). This mirrors the pan-Indian Śākta–Tantric conception, where a yantra is not simply a geometric diagram but a cosmological map embedded in ritual and physiology. For instance, the Śrīcakra in Śrīvidyā is said to correspond simultaneously to the external cosmos and the practitioner’s inner body. Similarly, the mudrā yantra’s apex as mūlādhāra and its diamond (vajra) as sahasrāra reveals a regional articulation of this broader tantric body–cosmos correlation.
 
2.    Nāda-Brahman and Sound as Creation:
The Assamese notion that Nāda originates in the mūlādhāra, pierces through six cakras, and culminates in the brahmarandhra, parallels Nāda Yoga theories from texts such as the Nāda-Bindu Upaniṣad and Śiva Saṃhitā. In these traditions, primordial sound (śabda-brahman) is both the source and the pathway of liberation. The Ojā channeling mātṛkā-varṇas (syllabic energies) from the cakras into audible song closely resembles Tantric practices where mantras are visualized as rising through cakras, finally manifesting in articulate speech or vāṇī.
 
 
3.    Swarodoy Satra and Control of Nāda:
What makes the Assamese context especially distinctive is the historical presence of the Swarodoy Satra, a tradition derived from the ancient Swarodaya Śāstra. This discipline teaches the intimate relationship between svara (breath-sound), prāṇa (life-force), and cosmic principles. It is very likely that the early Ojās of Assam were not only singers but also practitioners of this subtle science, capable of consciously regulating the flow of Nāda.
 
Through Swarodaya practice, the Ojā could time and tune his breath and voice in accordance with cosmic rhythms, thus transforming performance into both a spiritual and energetic act. Unlike spontaneous ascent of Nāda through the cakras, here the flow was deliberately guided, giving the Ojā mastery over when and how the sound principle should manifest. In this sense, the Ojā functioned not only as a ritual leader but as a sound-yogi, whose performance of Jāgar-gīt was simultaneously a yogic exercise and a cosmic invocation.
 
This integration of Swarodaya into Assamese musical-ritual life sets it apart from many other Indian traditions, where such practices remained largely esoteric. In Assam, they became woven into the living heritage of Vyāsa-saṅgīt, offering an extraordinary convergence of yogic science, ritual performance, and musicology.
 
4.   The Goddess as Sound:
In Śākta metaphysics, the Goddess herself is identified with śabda (sound). Vāk (speech) is not only a linguistic function but a divine manifestation of Śakti, often described in four forms: parā, paśyantī, madhyamā, and vaikharī. The Assamese identification of the mudrā yantra with Maṅgal Cāṇḍī or Durgā Devī reflects this pan-Indic conception: the ritual implement embodies the Goddess as sound, joy, and transcendence. Thus, the Ojā’s singing in Jāgar is not entertainment but theophany—sound as the Goddess’s presence.
 
5.    The Role of the Ritual Leader (Ojā):
In Assamese Jāgar, the Ojā wearing the mudrā yantra like a yajñasūtra and becoming one with the altar resonates with Tantric priesthood, where the officiant (sādhaka) internalizes the deity and becomes the very seat of ritual power. The statement that the Ojā is considered as vajra aligns with Vajrayāna symbolism as well, where the vajra represents both indestructibility and the active potency of enlightened consciousness. Thus, the Ojā’s body becomes the vajra-mūrti—the living thunderbolt through which divine sound is discharged.

 

6.       Aesthetic Transcendence (Ānanda vs. Paramānanda):
The distinction made in Assamese tradition between ordinary joy (nityānanda) and supreme bliss (paramānanda) echoes rasa theory in Sanskrit aesthetics, where the highest form of aesthetic experience (ānanda) is akin to Brahman-realization. In Tantric ritual as well, the purpose of mantra, yantra, and sound is not mere sensory enjoyment but the evocation of paramānanda. The Assamese emphasis on the transformation of music into transcendental bliss shows a local but philosophically aligned expression of this broader Indic aesthetics.
 
 
7.       Absence of Lotus and Vajra in Mudra yantra:
Interestingly, the mudrā yantra differs from the Rāṃgelīkhāṭi in lacking explicit lotus and vajra imagery. This indicates a localized ritual adaptation. Yet, the symbolic transfer of the vajra into the Ojā himself suggests an anthro-pomor-phization of the yantra—the body of the performer becomes the complete yantra. This is consistent with Tantra, where external yantras are ultimately realized as inner states of the practitioner’s body–mind.
 
The Assamese mudrā yantra and Rāṃgelīkhāṭi, when studied in the context of Vyāsa-saṅgīt and Jāgar, reveal a deeply esoteric philosophy where ritual implements, human physiology, sound, and the divine are inseparably woven. Comparisons with pan-Indian Śākta–Tantric traditions show that these Assamese practices are not isolated phenomena but regionally distinctive articulations of a larger Indic vision:
 
Ø  Yantra                  = body-cosmos equivalence
Ø  Nāda                     = transcendental sound principle
Ø  Śakti                     = sound, speech, and bliss
Ø  Swarodaya           = conscious mastery of sound and breath
Ø  Ojā                       = embodiment of divine axis and vajra
 
This comparative lens allows us to appreciate Vyāsa-saṅgīt not only as a cultural heritage of Assam but also as a vital contribution to the intellectual history of Indian music, ritual, and metaphysics.
 

 

Jāgar Pūjā: the ceremonial invocation of Goddess Chandi
 
The ritual known as “Jāgar Pūjā” refers to the ceremonial invocation of Goddess Chandi, wherein the deity is ritually awakened through hymns and offerings. Prior to the commencement of worship, the officiating priest installs the symbolic “Mudrā Yantra” of Goddess Durgā upon the altar. The altar is ritually prepared with a sacred diagram, or “Mahāśakti Maṇḍala,” which serves as the cosmological ground of the invocation. At the center of this maṇḍala, a consecrated water vessel (pūrṇa ghaṭa) is placed, signifying plenitude, fertility, and divine presence.
 
The ghaṭa is ritually filled with water and its mouth covered with tender leaves of mango, fig, banyan, bakul or Spanish-cherry (Mimusops elengi), and yajña-dimburū or Cluster-fig (Ficus racemosa). Over these leaves, a coconut with its husk intact is positioned as a symbol of generative energy and life. The base of the vessel is surrounded with unhusked rice (dhān), upon which a swastika motif is inscribed in vermilion. The vessel is wrapped with red cloth for auspiciousness and ornamented with dūb grass (Cynodon dactylon) and flowers. On the northern side of the vessel is placed the “Rāṅgilikhaṭi,” while the southern side is marked with the Mudrā Yantra.
 
At the appointed moment, following the ritual sequence, the Ojā (ritual maestro) lifts the Mudrā Yantra from the altar and initiates the performance of the Jāgar gīt (Jāgar hymns). These hymns must be sung continuously by the Ojā and his troupe from beginning to end without interruption, prohibiting pauses, conversations, or diversions. This uninterrupted recitation preserves ritual purity and invokes the presence of the thirty-three crore deities to the site of worship. The textual corpus of the Jāgar hymns is composed primarily in Sanskrit and preserved in Devanāgarī script. Certain sections are composed in the Mālśrī rāga, which has led to their classification as “Mālchī-gīt.”
 
The structure of the Jāgar performance bears parallels with the Sām-gāna of the Sāmaveda, where the chanting of metrical hymns in prescribed tonal frameworks was regarded as the means of invoking cosmic order (ṛta) and divine presence. Like the Vedic injunctions against interruptions in ritual recitation, the Jāgar too enforces a strict continuity of sound, underscoring the theological principle that sacred vibration (nāda) is itself a channel of divine manifestation. Similarly, the placement of the ghaṭa and the drawing of the maṇḍala resonate with pan-Indic ritual practices, where the altar (vedi or maṇḍala) is conceived as a microcosmic representation of the universe, and the consecrated vessel serves as a locus of divine embodiment.
 
At sunset, during the sandhyā-pūjā of the goddess—marked by incense, lamps, and offerings—the Ojā and his ensemble accompany the ritual circumambulation (ārati-pradakṣiṇa) by rendering verses from the Jāgar corpus. After the conclusion of the morning rituals, the troupe takes a brief rest, and in the afternoon they resume with the performance of gāthā-gīt, narrative hymns that recount mythological and cosmological episodes from the Vedas, Purāṇas, the Bhāgavata Purāṇa, and the great epics.
 
In its ritual form and performative texture, the Jāgar Pūjā thus exemplifies continuity between the Vedic and the regional folk-devotional traditions. It operates simultaneously as a rite of awakening, a musical-liturgical performance, and an oral archive of mythic narratives. By combining sound, rhythm, gesture, and text, it situates the local community within a broader Indic ritual framework while retaining its distinctive Assamese cultural identity.

 

 

Vyās Saṃgīt classify it as Saṅgīta and not as Tauryatrika

 

Vyās Saṃgīt, a narrative-musical tradition of Assam, represents one of the finest continuities of India’s oral and performative heritage. Rooted in recitation, song, and devotional performance, it preserves a complex musical grammar while also sustaining ritual and cultural functions. To situate it within Indian performance theory, we must examine it against the classical categories of Saṅgīta and Tauryatrika as articulated in Sanskrit śāstras such as the Nāṭyaśāstra, Saṅgītaratnākara, and Saṅgītadāmodara.

 

1.       The Musical Structure of Vyās Saṃgīt

 

The tradition is marked by a highly organized pedagogy and a codified set of musical elements:

 

o   Five Instruments of Vocal Practice: Ha, A, Na, Ṛ, and Ṛta. These syllables indicate a phonetic-vocal discipline, akin to svara-sādhanā (note practice), forming the foundation of voice culture.

 

o   Five Sequences of Performance: Guru Vandana (invocation), Paatani Gīt (introductory song), Viṣṇupad (devotional hymn), Saṅgīt-ālāp (elaboration), and Jhunā (conclusion). This sequence shows that Vyās Saṃgīt is narrative-devotional and ritual in orientation, not theatrical in the Tauryatrika sense.

 

o   Five Elements of Musical Rendering: Rāga (melody), Mālita (composition), Diha (narrative song), Chalana (movement/flow), and Pada (text). These are markers of a classical and semi-classical idiom.

 

o   Dance Components: Though associated with movement (bulan), gesture (hastamudrā), posture (ora), and tempo (laya), the role of dance is minimal and symbolic, not dramaturgical.

 

o   Repertoire of Rāgas and Tālas: The twenty-one rāgas (e.g., Sāranga, Ahira, Basanta, Bhairava) and the five tālas (Saab, Chau, Jikiri, Lechari, Thoka) reveal that Vyās Saṃgīt belongs to the rāga-tāla system of Indian music, emphasizing melodic and rhythmic refinement.

 

In short, Vyās Saṃgīt is a narrative-musical art emphasizing vocal music and rāga-based performance, enriched by minor dance gestures but not bound to dramatic staging.

 

 

2. Saṅgīta and Tauryatrika: Definitions from Classical Texts:

 

o   Saṅgīta (संगीत): Defined as the harmonious union of gīta (song), vādya (instrumental accompaniment), and nṛtya (dance). It is both a theoretical category and a lived performance tradition. Importantly, Saṅgīta encompasses not just the triad but also rasa (aesthetic sentiment), bhāva (expression), and āloka (experience).

 

o   Tauryatrika (तौर्यत्रिक): From tūrya (percussion/instrument) + trika (triad). Tauryatrika is the technical śāstric term denoting the threefold art of gīta, vādya, nṛtya. It emphasizes the structural unity of the triad and is mostly used in the context of dramatic and staged performances (nāṭya, raṅga).

3. Relation between Saṅgīta and Tauryatrika:

 

o   Both are based on the same triad: song, instrument, dance.

o   Tauryatrika is the analytical definition (the “skeleton”), while Saṅgīta is the aesthetic realization (the “living body”).

o   Saṅgīta expands into rasa and bhāva, giving emotional and spiritual depth. Tauryatrika, on the other hand, is a classificatory framework rooted in śāstric and theatrical contexts.

 

 

4. Why Vyās Saṃgīt is Saṅgīta and Not Tauryatrika:

 

(i) Absence of Dramatic Nṛtya:

Tauryatrika presupposes a dramatic or theatrical staging (raṅga), where nṛtya integrates gesture and acting (abhinaya). Vyās Saṃgīt, however, is not dramaturgical; its movements are symbolic, not narrative-acting.

 

(ii) Predominance of Gīta:

In Vyās Saṃgīt, gīta (vocal music) and rāga-based compositions dominate. Instruments and gestures are supportive but secondary. This is closer to the category of Saṅgīta as “music in its totality,” rather than Tauryatrika as “theatre arts.”

 

(iii) Ritual and Devotional Orientation:

The performance sequence— Guru Vandana, Viṣṇupad, Jhunā—shows that Vyās Saṃgīt functions as bhakti-oriented music. Tauryatrika, on the contrary, is primarily tied to nāṭya (drama and secular stage performance).

 

(iv) Expansion beyond the Triad:

Vyās Saṃgīt incorporates not only the triadic elements but also narrative (diha), rāga repertoires, and spiritual functions. Thus, its scope is wider than the structural Tauryatrika model.

 

Vyās Saṃgīt should be understood as a distinct branch of Saṅgīta, where the triadic foundation of gīta, vādya, and symbolic nṛtya is present, but without the dramaturgical framework required for Tauryatrika.

 

o   Tauryatrika = the theoretical classification of performing arts in terms of the triad.

o   Saṅgīta = the practical and devotional performance that brings this triad into living expression.

 

Vyās Saṃgīt embodies Saṅgīta in its fullest sense—as a union of music, rhythm, and gesture infused with devotion, narrative, and aesthetic sentiment. It is therefore justified to classify it as Saṅgīta and not as Tauryatrika.

 

Relation between Sāma-gīt, Gāthā-saṃgīt and Vyāh-saṃgīt

1. Sāma-gīt: Its Nature and Structure

We observed that Sāma-gīt (Sāma-gāna) originates directly from the Sāmaveda, where Ṛgvedic verses are musically transformed into chants. Its structure is precise and scientific:

 

·         Units of Kalā: Each kalā is a unit of four syllables. Ancient scholars classified 228 kalās, each filled out by mātrās (time measures) and stobhas (nonsense syllables like hoi, hum, hau that give rhythm and spiritual resonance).

·         Sacred Syllables: The chant begins with Oṁ (pluta syllable), regarded as Udgītha, the seed of all sound, and also uses Hiṅ as preparatory syllable.

·         Sevenfold Structure (saptāṅga): Hiṅkāra, Oṅkāra, Udgrāha, Anudgrāha, Saṃbandha, Dhruvaka, Ābhoga.

·         Fivefold Sequence (pañca-bheda): Prastāva (prelude), Ud-gītha (main chant), Pratihāra (response), Upadrava (variation), Nidhana (conclusion).

·         Metres (Chandas): Gāyatrī, Uṣṇik, Anuṣṭubh, Bṛhatī, Paṅkti, Triṣṭubh, Jagatī, etc., are embedded into the melodic framework.

 

Thus, Sāma-gīt is both ritualistic (used in yajña) and musical (the earliest codified art of singing). Its purpose is transcendental — to connect human voice to ṛta (cosmic order).

 

2. Gāthā-saṃgīt: Definition and Character

Śāraṃgadeva describe gāthā as catur-akṣarā (four-syllabic verse form). Gāthā was a popular form of early narrative and didactic poetry, often sung with simple melodic inflections. Its features are:

 ·         Textual Base: Gāthā verses are simple metrical structures (often 4-syllable units, grouped into multiples).

·         Musical Expansion: Just like Sāma, gāthās are completed with mātrās and stobhas, and sometimes single syllables ornamented into melody.

·         Function: Unlike Sāma, which is strictly liturgical, gāthā-saṃgīt is narrative and communicative, often sung in assemblies, storytelling, or devotional settings.

·         Evolution: Gāthā forms appear widely in Buddhist, Jain, and Purāṇic literature. In musicological texts like Saṅgīta-ratnākara, gāthā is cited as a melodic vehicle that is lighter than Vedic Sāman but heavier than simple recitation.

 

3. Relation and Difference between Sāma-gīt and Gāthā-saṃgīt

 

Aspect	Sāma-gīt	Gāthā-saṃgīt
1	2	3
Origin	Rooted in Sāmaveda, sacred chants	Rooted in popular verse (gāthā), narrative, and poetic traditions
Function	Ritual, yajña, cosmic invocation	Narrative, storytelling, didactic, devotional
Musicality	Highly codified with precise metres, kalās, stobhas	Flexible, adapted to folk and semi-classical settings
Spiritual Role	Bridge to ṛta (cosmic order), divine resonance	Moral teaching, social communication, bhakti
Complexity	Technical, priestly, esoteric	Accessible, popular, communal
Evolutionary Role	Laid the foundation of classical rāga-based music	Became the carrier of narrative singing traditions, precursor to bhakti-gīt and regional epics

 

Thus, Gāthā-saṃgīt can be seen as a “folk-secular counterpart” of the sacred Sāma-gīt, though both share the structural ideas of syllabic measure (kalā), use of stobha, and ornamented syllables.

 

4. Saṅgīta and Tauryatrika: Contextual Background

 We know:

 ·         Tauryatrika is the triad of gīta (song), vādya (instrument), and nṛtya (dance).

·                Saṅgīta is the practical realization of Tauryatrika — the integrated art.

·         Tauryatrika is more of a technical definition; Saṅgīta is the aesthetic experience.

 

Sāma-gīt and Gāthā-gīt, while musical, do not qualify as Tauryatrika (because they are not necessarily accompanied by vādya and nṛtya). They are forms of gīt within the larger canvas of Saṅgīta.

 

5. Vyās Saṃgīt and Jāgar Gīt as Gāthā-saṃgīt

The components of Vyās Saṃgīt — with its fivefold structure (Guru Vandana, Pātanī-gīt, Viṣṇupad, Saṅgīt-ālāp, Jhunā) and integration of rāgas (21 rāgas, including Dhanāśrī, Mālavi, Basanta etc.), tālas, dance, gestures, and narrative.

 

Why Vyās Saṃgīt = Gāthā-saṃgīt:

 1.       Narrative Function – Vyās Saṃgīt is essentially itihāsa-kathā sung in musical form, exactly like gāthā-saṃgīt, which is narrative-verse music.

2.       Four-syllable Base – Its lyrical verses still show the catur-akṣara gāthā foundation, extended into songs.

3.       Use of Stobha and Rhythm – In Jāgar-gīt, syllables like hoi, hau function as rhythmic fillers, akin to Sāma stobhas.

4.       Performance Context – Vyās Saṃgīt is community-oriented, sung in village gatherings, much like gāthā-saṃgīt’s popular setting (not priestly like Sāma).

5.       Continuity of Tradition – From Sāma → Gāthā → Bhakti-narrative forms, Vyās Saṃgīt is a regional embodiment of gāthā-saṃgīt in Assam.

 

Therefore, we can say -

Ø  Sāma-gīt is the sacred, Vedic form of musical chanting.

Ø  Gāthā-saṃgīt is the narrative-poetic form, evolved from the same principles but applied to storytelling and bhakti.

Ø  Vyās Saṃgīt (with Jāgar-gīt) is a living survival of Gāthā-saṃgīt in Assamese tradition — it embodies all its features: syllabic base, narrative intent, use of stobhas, rāga-tāla framework, and social function.

Hence, we can strongly justify that Vyās Saṃgīt is not Tauryatrika, but a form of Saṃgīt, specifically belonging to the Gāthā-saṃgīt lineage.

 

Ancient Kāmrūpī Rāga Trāga Rāga

The study of rāga is never limited to mere melodic structures or technical frameworks of ascent, descent, vādi, or samvādī. In the Indic aesthetic imagination, rāga is an embodied and living entity—an expression of mood (bhāva), an intensification of passion (anurāga), and ultimately, a flowering into rasa, the profound aesthetic experience that ennobles both performer and listener. Within this context, the case of Trāga, the regional Kāmarūpa (Assamese) name for the more widely known Dhaneśvarī-rāga, presents a unique window into how rāga is at once musical, ritual, and cultural.

Drawing from textual fragments, mythic narrations, and ritual traditions such as Vyāh Saṃgīt, this essay explores the multiple dimensions of Trāga, its localization in Assam, and it’s fascinating linkage to the Ambubacī festival of Goddess Kāmākhyā. In doing so, it demonstrates how a rāga can embody both technical musical properties and symbolic ritual energies, becoming a bridge between the universal and the regional, the artistic and the sacred.

 

1. Trāga as a Regional (Kāmarūpa/Kamrup) Name of Dhaneśvarī-rāga:

The word Trāga appears rarely in classical Sanskrit sources but becomes prominent in medieval Assamese and eastern Indian contexts. In these sources, we find direct identification:

 Ø  “Om kāmarūpar trāga buli dhaneśvarī rāga” —

Ø  “In Kāmarūpa, Trāga is spoken as Dhaneśvarī-rāga.”

 

This indicates that Trāga was not an independent rāga but rather a regional appellation for Dhaneśvarī. Such localization is common in Indian musicology: rāgas often acquire regional synonyms or variant names that encode local sensibilities, rituals, or symbolic associations.

Etymologically, Trāga derives from the Sanskrit roots trāñc / trā (to move swiftly, to be impassioned) with the suffix -ga (to go, to move). It may thus signify “passionate movement” or “ardent going,” suggesting a rāga of emotional urgency. In Assam, where Tantric-Śākta traditions deeply influenced cultural life, this naming further resonates with associations of fervour, passion, and red symbolism connected to the Goddess Kāmākhyā.

Thus, from the outset, Trāga is not merely a melodic scale but a regional embodiment of musical and ritual intensity.

 

2. Trāga in Vyāh Saṃgīt (Performance Logic):

The Vyāh Saṃgīt of Assam is an oral-ritual music form that integrates narrative, melody, and rhythm. Its logic is performative rather than purely technical, and Trāga here finds natural ground.

The ancient narration describes:

 Ø  “gītam tāla laiyā praveś” — the rāga comes alive only when melody and rhythm combine.

Ø  “gajarati gamana” — its gait is like that of an elephant, suggesting broad, weighty melodic motion.

Ø  “lambodara” — wide-bodied, pointing to the fullness of tone in lower registers.

In performance, this translates to a rāga that unfolds slowly, with grandeur, favouring the mandra (low) and madhya (middle) registers. The aesthetic is not of quick ornamentation but of majestic expanse.

The Vyāh Saṃgīt narration also integrates mythic imagery—Mount Meru trembling, the gods speaking, the golden conch, the cosmic struggle of Rāma and Rāvaṇa—into the very logic of the rāga. This means that Trāga is not sung as abstract music but dramatized as an epic performance, where musical gestures mirror cosmic conflict and resolution.

 

3. Rāga → Anurāga → Rasa: How Trāga Operationalizes the Triad:

Indian aesthetic thought establishes a triadic progression:

Ø  Rāga: the technical melodic framework (śabda-rūpa).

Ø  Anurāga: the intensity or passion infused into rāga (bhāva-sañcāra).

Ø  Rasa: the aesthetic essence that emerges in the listener (ānanda-svarūpa).

 

Trāga operationalizes this triad with remarkable clarity:

 ·         As rāga, it is the framework of Dhaneśvarī: its āroha, avaroha, vādi, samvādī, and characteristic pakad.

·         As anurāga, its very name implies fervour and passionate intensity. The mythic narration of cosmic fear (trāsa), heroic struggle, and divine intervention provides emotional fuel.

·         As rasa, it blossoms into a mixed aesthetic experience—fear (bhaya), heroism (vīra), awe (adbhuta), and finally calm (śānta).

Thus, Trāga is a perfect case study of how rāga is not a dry structure but a living movement from grammar to passion to bliss.

  

4. Applied to Trāga in Vyāh Saṃgīt:

In practice, Trāga is enacted in Vyāh Saṃgīt as follows:

 Opening: The singer invokes the rāga through slow, deep intonations in mandra saptak, embodying gravity and stability.

      Narrative unfolding: The mythic episodes—Meru trembling, Ravana’s abduction of Sita—are rendered with heightened vocal gestures. The use of komal (flat) notes (Ga, Ni) intensifies pathos and awe.

      Rhythmic dramatization: The integration of tāla enacts the movement of battle or cosmic play, with deliberate, elephantine rhythmic gait.

      Closure: The rāga returns to Sa and Ma, resolving turbulence into purification, embodying the “steadiness of body and purification of limbs” described in the narration.

 

Thus, Vyāh Saṃgīt demonstrates the full performative life of Trāga, where rāga is fused with myth, rhythm, and ritual.

 

5. Trāga and Ambubacī of Goddess Kāmākhyā:

The Ambubacī festival at Kāmākhyā celebrates the menstruation of the Goddess, symbolizing fertility, generative power, and the cyclical red energy of creation. Trāga, with its etymological and symbolic ties to fervour and redness, resonates profoundly with this ritual.

   In Tantric usage, trāga also denotes ritual passion—an undistracted rushing of the devotee’s mind toward the goddess.

      Symbolically, it connects to the red hue (rakta varṇa), menstruation symbolism, and the goddess’s creative rajas.

      Musically, Trāga’s blend of awe, fear, and devotion parallels the complex emotions evoked during Ambubacī, when normal temple activities are suspended, and the goddess is both feared and adored in her generative mystery.

 

Thus, Trāga is not only a rāga of sound but a rāga of ritual mood, deeply woven into the sacred ecology of Kāmākhyā.

 

6. Musically and Ritually, Three Practical Bridges:

From the above, three bridges become visible:

      Aesthetic–Ritual Bridge: Trāga demonstrates how a rāga can function both as a musical mode and a ritual act, linking aesthetic delight with Tantric invocation.

2.       Regional–Universal Bridge: By being the Kāmarūpa name for Dhaneśvarī, Trāga illustrates how pan-Indian rāga traditions localize and acquire new symbolic layers.

3.       Emotion–Experience Bridge: Through rāga–anurāga–rasa, Trāga transforms technical patterns into lived experiences of awe, devotion, and purification.

 

7. Concise Synthesis:

In synthesis, Trāga is best understood as a multidimensional entity:

  As music, it is Dhaneśvarī-rāga, characterized by slow, majestic movements, emphasis on lower registers, and use of komal Ga and Ni.

      As performance, it is enacted in Vyāh Saṃgīt as a narrative-ritual form, where cosmic myth and rhythmic gait become musical expression.

      As ritual, it is tied to Ambubacī at Kāmākhyā, symbolizing fervour, red passion, and generative power of the goddess.

      As aesthetics, it enacts the triad of rāga–anurāga–rasa, culminating in an experience that is at once artistic, devotional, and transformative.

 

8. Characteristics of Trāga / Dhaneśvarī-rāga:

Drawing from descriptions and musical tradition, the following reconstruction is proposed:

Āroha (ascent): Sa – Re – Ma – Pa – Dha – Ni(komal) – Sa′

ü  Avaroha (descent): Sa′ – Ni(komal) – Dha – Pa – Ma – Ga(komal) – Re – Sa

ü  Vādi: Ga (komal)

ü  Samvādī: Ni (komal)

ü  Pakad (signature phrase): Ma–Pa–Dha–Ni(komal)–Sa′ || Sa′–Ni(komal)–Dha–Pa–Ma–Ga(komal)–Re–Sa

ü  Tempo / Gait: Slow (vilambit), elephant-like, expansive, with dramatic surges in higher registers.

ü  Rasa: Mixed — predominantly bhaya (awe, fear), with vīra (heroism), adbhuta (wonder), and closing śānta (purification).

This places Trāga within the grave, majestic rāgas of north Indian tradition, but with unique regional inflections and ritual overlays.

The study of Trāga reveals the depth and richness of Indian music as a cultural practice. It is not confined to technical grammar, or to abstract aesthetics, but flows into ritual life, mythic imagination, and regional devotion. In Kāmarūpa, Trāga as Dhaneśvarī-rāga became a carrier of both sound and passion, linking musical expression with the sacred energies of the Goddess Kāmākhyā.

Through Vyāh Saṃgīt, it operationalized the aesthetic triad of rāga–anurāga–rasa, embodying grandeur, fear, and purification. Through Ambubacī, it linked music with ritual fertility and red passion. And through its elephantine gait, mandra register, and pakad, it gave tangible musical form to mythic and ritual symbolism.

In this sense, Trāga is a paradigmatic example of how rāga in India is always more than music—it is a convergence of art, ritual, myth, and lived cultural identity.

 

 Relation between Ojāpārā Kālī Temple and Ambubāci festival:

 

The historical and legendary traditions surrounding the reconstruction of the Kāmākhyā Temple in the mid-16th century by Koch king Nara-Nārāyaņa offer valuable insights into the continuity of Śākta ritual practices in Assam. The historical reconstruction in 1565 CE is not merely an architectural event, but also a symbolic reaffirmation of the Kāmākhyā cult’s importance within the Koch polity. The parallel folk narrative concerning the expulsion of the Koch dynasty and the priest Kendu Kalāi by the Goddess suggests a localized mode of legitimizing ritual authority and preserving the sanctity of the temple tradition.

 

The settlement of Vyāsa Kalāi and later Kendu Kalāi in Vyāspārā connects the Kāmākhyā tradition to the rural ritual culture of Sipajhar, thereby diffusing the Śākta-Tantric practices beyond the core Kāmākhyā precincts. The establishment of the Ojāpārā Kālī Temple—estimated to be contemporaneous with the Kāmākhyā reconstruction—attests to this diffusion. Its identification as Śrī Śrī Daļinā Kālī Temple, linked to the Daśa Mahāvidyā tradition, places it firmly within the esoteric Śākta-Tantric framework.

 

The annual Śuddhi Pujā following the Ambubāci festival at Ojāpārā provides strong evidence of ritual continuity. The cosmological alignment of the Sun in Ãdrā naļatra (3°20'–6°40') is mythologically correlated with the menstruation (Rajasvalā) of Goddess Kāmākhyā, a belief central to the Ambubāci ritual. The temporary closure of the temple, followed by ritual purification and reopening, mirrors the Kāmākhyā tradition precisely, thereby reinforcing the argument that Ojāpārā functions as a peripheral yet authentic extension of the Kāmākhyā cult.

 

The connection with musicological traditions is equally significant. The employment of the rāga Trāga in Jagar-gīts of Vyās-Saṃgīt—and its symbolic association with the Ambubāci festival—demonstrates the integration of esoteric Śākta ritualism with performative musical traditions. This is a remarkable instance where musical aesthetics (rāga → anurāga → rasa) converge with ritual cosmology, suggesting that Vyās-Saṃgīt or Gāthā-Saṃgīt is not merely a folk tradition but a ritual-musicological extension of the Sāma-gāna heritage, deeply embedded in Śākta-Tantric worship.

 

Thus, the Ojāpārā temple tradition provides an invaluable case study for understanding the multi-dimensional continuity of the Śākta-Tantric system in Assam. It substantiates three interrelated propositions:

 

1.       Ritual Continuity – The practices described in the Kālikā Purāņa have been faithfully preserved in local temples beyond Kāmākhyā itself.

2.       Cultural Diffusion – The Kāmākhyā cult’s authority extended into peripheral regions, shaping local temple traditions and sustaining Śākta identity.

3.       Music-Ritual Integration – The preservation of Trāga rāga in Vyās-Saṃgīt links esoteric ritual to a wider musicological tradition, highlighting the role of performance in perpetuating Śākta cosmology.

 

In conclusion, the Ojāpārā Daļinā Kālī Temple exemplifies how mythology, history, ritual, and music have been woven into a continuous thread for over five centuries. It not only preserves the ritual ethos of Kāmākhyā but also demonstrates the cultural resilience of Śākta-Tantric traditions in shaping the intangible heritage of Assam.

 

Cosmic Alignments between Kāmākhyā, Natarāja, Ārdrā and the Sacred Geography of India

 

The intersection of celestial configurations with sacred geographies has long occupied the imagination of Indian tradition. A striking example of this cosmic-sacred nexus emerges when we compare the Ambubācī Mela of Kāmākhyā in Assam and the Ārdrā Darśanam of Natarāja at Chidambaram in Tamil Nadu. Both festivals are celebrated in relation to the Ārdrā constellation, associated with Rudra, yet they differ in astronomical markers, ritual character, and theological symbolism.

 

Ārdrā, Rudra and the Seasonal Festivals

In Vedic astronomy, Ārdrā (Betelgeuse, α Orionis) is a fierce constellation presided over by Rudra, the howling and stormy aspect of Śiva.¹  Two festivals crystallize around this nakṣatra:

  Ambubācī at Kāmākhyā (Assam): This festival aligns with the Sun’s transit across the early segment of Ārdrā (3°20' – 6°40'), coinciding with the onset of the northeast monsoon. Here, the Goddess as menstruating Mother Earth (Rajasvalā Devī) embodies fertility, regeneration, and the dark, chthonic energies of Rudra’s consort.²

  Ārdrā Darśanam at Chidambaram (Tamil Nadu): This festival coincides with the Full Moon (pūrṇa-kalā) in Ārdrā, during the southwest monsoon. It venerates Śiva in his cosmic dance as Naṭarāja, embodying the Raudra principle through creative destruction and rhythmic renewal.³

 

Thus, the same stellar reference (Ārdrā) is ritualized differently: in the Northeast through a feminine manifestation of Śakti as Sati-Kāmākhyā, and in the South through the masculine cosmic dancer, Naṭarāja. This juxtaposition suggests a deep pan-Indian cosmological template where stellar cycles, monsoons, and theological dualities of Śiva-Śakti are ritually synchronized.

 

Nilācala and the Cosmic Cartography of the Daśa-Mahāvidyās
 
Moving from temporal festivals to spatial arrangements, another layer of cosmic symbolism emerges at the Kāmākhyā complex atop the Nilācala hill. Visual observation suggests that the shrines of the Daśa-Mahāvidyās — Bhairavī, Kāmākhyā, Tārā, Dhumāvatī, Cinnamastā, Bagalāmukhī, and Bhuvaneśvarī (among others) — mirror the pattern of the Saptarṣi Maṇḍala (Ursa Major).
 
If confirmed, such alignment would situate Nilācala within the broader Indic practice of mapping stellar constellations onto sacred landscapes. Much as the Purāṇas narrate terrestrial tīrthas as cosmic reflections (tīrtha-māhātmya),⁴ the possibility that the temple placements replicate Ursa Major  would reinforce Nilācala as a terrestrial cosmogram: a mountain embodying both goddess-worship and star-lore.
 
Chidambaram and the Route of Agastya
 
In a complementary manner, Chidambaram, the site of Naṭarāja’s cosmic dance, resonates with another celestial marker: the star Agastya (Canopus). In Indian astronomy, Agastya is a southern star that regulates monsoons and marks the southernmost limit of visibility.⁵ The Chidambaram temple lies almost exactly on the ancient Indian prime meridian (0° longitude in traditional jyotiṣa reckoning). As the “last Śiva temple” on the Agastya route, Chidambaram thus functions as a meridianal anchor of cosmic geography.
 
In this sense, Nilācala (Ursa Major in the North) and Chidambaram (Agastya in the South) form a symbolic axis — a north-south alignment embedding India’s sacred geography within a celestial map. One embodies Śakti’s hidden generative power, the other Śiva’s manifest cosmic dance.
 
 
Towards a Science of Cosmic Geography
 
While these correlations may seem speculative, modern tools provide methods to evaluate them with empirical rigor:
 
                    I.            Geospatial Documentation: The first step is to record precise latitude-longitude coordinates of the seven Mahāvidyā shrines on Nilācala using GPS.
 
                  II.            GIS Mapping: Plotting these coordinates onto a GIS base map will allow normalization of temple orientations relative to local north.
 
                III.            Astronomical Projection: Using planetarium software (e.g., Stellarium), the Ursa Major constellation can be projected for Guwahati’s latitude (26.17° N). Both current and archaeoastronomical epochs (accounting for precession) should be tested.
 
                IV.            Azimuthal Overlay: By calculating stellar azimuths and overlaying them onto the GIS map with equal-azimuth projections, one can statistically assess the degree of alignment between the star pattern and temple placement.
 
                  V.            Cultural Correlation: If the correlation proves strong, further textual exploration (Purāṇic, Tantric, and local traditions) can examine whether Nilācala was consciously envisioned as a cosmic mountain, mapping heaven onto earth.
 
 
 
Significance and Research Potential
 
Such an inquiry sits at the intersection of archaeoastronomy, religious studies, and cultural geography. The festivals of Ārdrā already show how the same constellation structures ritual calendars differently in Assam and Tamil Nadu. Extending this to spatial correlations, Nilācala’s resemblance to Ursa Major and Chidambaram’s link to Agastya suggest that Indian sacred architecture often encoded cosmology in geography.
 
Ultimately, the juxtaposition of Kāmākhyā (Ambubācī, Śakti, Ursa Major) and Chidambaram (Ārdrā Darśanam, Śiva, Agastya) articulates a pan-Indian dialogue of heaven and earth, stars and temples, cosmic rhythm and sacred time. These insights not only deepen our understanding of ritual astronomy in India but also invite a systematic, data-driven exploration of cosmic geography that may reveal new layers of intentionality in the sacred landscapes of South Asia.
 
 
Conclusion
 
The foregoing study has attempted to restore Vyās-Saṃgīt to its rightful position within the intellectual, musical, and ritual history of India. Far from being a derivative folk tradition misclassified as “Vyāh Ojā-pālī,” the evidence presented reveals that Vyās-Saṃgīt is a sophisticated survival of the Gāthā-saṃgīt lineage, itself organically descended from the Sāma-gāna of the Vedas. Its distinctive blend of rāga–tāla frameworks, narrative structures, ritual instruments, and Tantric cosmologies marks it as a living archive of knowledge where music, spirituality, and cultural identity converge.
 
By situating Vyās-Saṃgīt alongside Śāraṅgadeva’s Saṅgīta-ratnākara, the esoteric ritual instruments of Kāmākhyā, and the local priestly lineages of Kāmarūpa, the study has shown that this tradition is not an isolated folk art but a regional articulation of pan-Indic musical and ritual ideas. The symbolic role of the Mudrā Yantra and Rāṅgelīkhāṭi, the yogic science of Swarodaya, and the identification of sound (nāda) with the Goddess herself, all testify to the philosophical depth embedded in its practice. In Vyās-Saṃgīt, the Ojā does not merely sing; he becomes the vajra-mūrti, the living embodiment of divine resonance, transforming performance into cosmic invocation.
 
Equally significant is the exploration of Trāga (Dhaneśvarī) rāga, which illustrates how a rāga in this tradition is never a mere melodic structure but a multi-dimensional entity—ritual, aesthetic, mythic, and regional. In its elephantine gait, cosmic imagery, and ritual association with the Ambubācī festival of Kāmākhyā, Trāga becomes the perfect exemplar of the aesthetic triad rāga → anurāga → rasa, moving seamlessly from grammar to passion to bliss. The study of Trāga thus demonstrates how Vyās-Saṃgīt embodies an aesthetic-ritual synthesis that resonates across centuries.
 
Furthermore, the link between Ojāpārā Kālī Temple and Ambubācī underscores the continuity and diffusion of the Śākta-Tantric system in Assam. Here, ritual, mythology, temple geography, and musical performance interlock to preserve a holistic worldview where sound, cosmos, and divinity are inseparable. The parallels with Ārdrā Darśanam of Chidambaram highlight that such cosmic-sacred correlations were not regional accidents but integral to a pan-Indian imagination of sacred geography—binding the northern Nilācala and its Mahāvidyā shrines with the southern meridian of Chidambaram into a celestial-terrestrial axis of Śiva–Śakti.
 
Taken together, these strands confirm that Vyās-Saṃgīt is not merely an endangered tradition of Assam but a critical key to understanding India’s intangible cultural heritage. It embodies the resilience of oral memory, the fusion of Vedic and Tantric worlds, and the genius of local communities in preserving cosmic visions through song. To study Vyās-Saṃgīt is to engage with a living palimpsest of Indian civilization, where ancient soundscapes continue to echo in ritual, community, and sacred time.
 
Yet, the fragility of this heritage cannot be ignored. Without urgent documentation, pedagogical revival, and institutional support, the tradition may soon pass into silence. Its preservation is not simply a matter of safeguarding folklore, but of sustaining a vital strand of India’s spiritual and aesthetic thought. By reclaiming Vyās-Saṃgīt within the discourse of Saṅgīta rather than Tauryatrika, and by recognizing its rootedness in both cosmic geography and regional devotion, we may ensure that this endangered form re-enters the cultural imagination with the dignity it has always deserved.
 
Vyās-Saṃgīt thus stands as a bridge across time—linking the Sāmavedic chants of antiquity with the living festivals of Assam, uniting Śāstra with Tantra, and harmonizing the universal with the local. Its survival and recognition are not only academic necessities but also cultural imperatives, for in its melodies and rituals lie a profound reminder: that India’s heritage is at once cosmic in scope and intimate in practice, timeless in vision and urgent in preservation.