The Indian Music in Its Sources in the Samaveda
Summary
Narayan M. Kansara’s essay traces the origins of Indian musical tradition to the Sāmaveda, the Vedic collection of melodies and chants. He explains that the Ṛgveda’s hymns, when set to melodic patterns (sāma), become the basis for the Sāmaveda and for the entire system of classical music. The article describes how early texts personify ṛc (verse) as mother, sāman (melody) as father and svara (tone) as creator, indicating the sacred cosmology underlying music. Kansara surveys passages from the Devatādhyāya‑brāhmaṇa and other sources to show how nature’s rhythms, such as the rising and setting of the sun, informed Vedic intonation. He discusses the development of basic scales, the role of the seven svaras and the emergence of melodic modes that later evolved into rāgas. The essay also considers how sacrificial chants influenced both vocal and instrumental music, giving rise to a rich repertoire that expresses philosophical concepts of harmony between the macrocosm and the microcosm. By connecting liturgical function with aesthetic expression, Kansara highlights the continuity between ancient Vedic chants and later classical forms.
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Conclusion
The study concludes that Indian music is deeply rooted in Vedic liturgy, with the Sāmaveda providing not only melodic material but also a spiritual framework that links sound to cosmology. Appreciating this lineage enriches our understanding of classical music as a synthesis of ritual, art and metaphysics.