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| - SHABAD KIRTAN or GURMAT SANGEET has been an integral part of Sikh worship from the very beginning. Hymn-singing was in fact the earliest form of devotion for the Sikhs. Even in the time of Guru Nanak, the disciples assembled together to the shabads, i.e. hymns composed by the Guru and thus to render praise to the Lord. Kirtan has since been appropriated into the regular gurdwara service. But Sikh kirtan abstains from all outward expression or frenzy in the form of clapping and dancing. Praise is offered to the Supreme Being who is without form (nirankar) and not to a deity in any embodiment or incarnation. The texts of the shabad kirtan are those that comprise the Holy Book of Sikhs known as the Guru Granth Sahib, or Adi Granth, compiled by Guru Arjan in 1604. Probably no other religion shows a closer relationship between music and its scriptures than does Sikhism. The Holy Book is organized according to ragas, 31 in number, to which the poetic hymns belong. The total number of hymns is 5,694 with 4,857 (the author's figures) contributed by six of the ten Gurus and 837 by Hindu bhagats, Sikh devotees and Muslim Sufi saints. Under each raga the hymns of the Gurus are recorded first and are arranged in the order of chaupadas and dupadas (hymns of 4 and 2 verses, respectively), astapadis (hymns of 8 verses), longer poems organized around a motif, and chants—hymns of four or six verses, lyrical in character, vars on the pattern of ballads consisting of pauris, each pauri preceded by two or more [sloka]]s, and hymns by bhagats and other devotees similarly arranged. The Gurus were highly knowledgeable of music and well versed in the classical style. Guru Nanak's constant companion on his travels was a Muslim musician, Bhai Mardana, who played the rabab or rebeck. Guru Nanak wished his hymns to be sung to ragas that express the spirit of the text and in a performance style compatible with the meaning of the hymn. The succeeding Gurus followed his example and often included musicians in their courts. The ragas named in the Holy Book were selected probably because of their suitability for expressing the ideals represented in the texts for which they were to be used. Over the centuries raga names and the exact pitch of the tones may have varied. Lack of a precise national system for Indian music indicates that the preservation of ragas has been dependent upon oral tradition. Raga variants are those melodies to which a ragi or rababi (musician), may move when beginning a new line of text or when inserting explanatory material. Over the centuries more raga variants have been approved than the few given in the Guru Granth Sahib. Raga variants have some points in common with the main raga but sufficiently different to set off the textual material musically, thus keeping the many verses from becoming musically monotonous. For example, the Gauri group offers many possibilities. A main raga from another section of the Holy Book may also be used as a variant. Talas are left to the discretion of the performer and are usually those of the classical system although regional ones may be used for the lighter forms. Vars (slokas and pauris) may be set to authorized folk tunes, some selected by the Gurus themselves, and treated in light classical style. A var is not counted as one unit but according to the number of slokas, pauris and couplets that are included in it. At the conclusion of the Guru Granth Sahib is Ragmala, a classification of ragas listing 84 measures. The Holy Book contains only 31, eight of which are not given in this Ragmala. This circumstance can be interpreted to mean that the classification was not done primarily for the Guru Granth Sahib, but was included as it had existed. The purpose of classifying ragas according to a parent and its offspring, raginis and putras, is to clarify and retain the individual character of each raga. Historically this has been the concern of music theorists rather than performing musicians. Since the basic notes of two or more ragas may be the same, the performance rules and the melodic material are the chief means of maintaining the proper mood and individual character. See also Kirtan Shabad
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