Bilaval
Bilaval is a foundational raga and the namesake thaat (parent scale) in Hindustani classical music, characterized by an all-shuddha (natural) sampurna swara set that closely approximates the Western major scale (Ionian mode).[1][2] As a morning raga performed during the first prahar (approximately 7–10 a.m.), it evokes a serene, uplifting mood of devotion, joy, and repose, often associated with the warmth of the summer sun and suitable for hot months.[3][1] The structure of Bilaval features an arohana (ascent) of S R G m P D N S' (with madhyam sometimes omitted or treated with alpatva, or restraint), and an avarohana (descent) of S' N D P m G R S, emphasizing uttaranga (upper octave) prayogas and vakra (zigzag) movements, particularly involving komal nishad (n) in some variants like Alhaiya Bilawal.[3][2] Its vadi (king note) is gandhar (G), with dhaivat (D) as the samvadi (queen note), and the jati is sampurna (for core form; shadava-sampurna in variants like Alhaiya Bilawal), rendering it versatile for elaboration through phrases like G P D N D P and P D G R G P m G R S.[1][2] Historically, Bilaval gained prominence in the 19th century as the primary scale in Hindustani music, supplanting earlier modes like Kafi, and it holds cultural significance in Sikh traditions with numerous shabads composed in it by the Gurus.[3][1] Notable variants include Devgiri Bilawal, Yamani Bilawal, and Kukubh Bilawal, which incorporate influences from other thaats like Kalyan or Khamaj, while the core raganga Bilawal maintains purity through shuddha swaras and distinctive motifs such as the 'shake' on pancham (P) and arcs between dhaivat and madhyam.[2] Though its popularity has somewhat declined in modern performances due to overlaps with similar ragas, Bilaval remains a cornerstone for teaching and evoking fulfillment and laughter in renditions by masters like Pandit Bhimsen Joshi.[1]Introduction
Definition and Classification
Bilaval serves as both a rāga and a thāat in the Hindustani classical music tradition, functioning as a foundational melodic framework.[4] As one of the ten thāats systematized by musicologist Vishnu Narayan Bhatkhande in the early 20th century, Bilaval acts as the parent scale from which numerous derivative rāgas are generated, providing a structured basis for melodic elaboration.[5] This classification system organizes approximately 170–190 prevalent rāgas into categories based on their swara (note) configurations, with Bilaval representing a core diatonic structure.[5] Bilaval is classified as a sampūrṇa- sampūrṇa rāga, meaning it incorporates all seven swaras—sa, re, ga, ma, pa, dha, and ni—in both the ascending (ārohaṇa) and descending (avarohaṇa) movements, without omission.[4] The primary swara set for Bilaval thāat consists of S R G m P D N S', employing all shuddha (natural) variants of the notes, akin to the Western major scale's diatonic progression.[6] While the core form adheres strictly to shuddha notes, certain contexts within derivative rāgas under this thāat may introduce komal (flat) re or ga for nuanced expression, though these are not characteristic of Bilaval itself.[4] Since the late 19th century, following Bhatkhande's influential reforms, Bilaval has been established as the "standard" scale in Hindustani music pedagogy and theory, paralleling the role of the C major scale in Western music due to its straightforward, unaltered note structure.[5] This positioning underscores its utility as a reference for beginners and as a melodic archetype evoking stability and serenity.[6] In Carnatic music, it finds equivalence in the mēḷakartā rāga Śankarābharaṇaṃ.[4]Etymology and Historical Development
The name Bilaval is derived from Veraval, a coastal town in Gujarat, reflecting regional naming conventions in Indian classical music where certain ragas are associated with geographic locations.[1] This etymological link underscores the raga's deep roots in western Indian musical heritage, where territorial influences shaped early melodic forms.[1] Bilaval appears prominently in the Sikh musical tradition, particularly within the Sri Guru Granth Sahib, the central religious scripture compiled in the early 17th century but drawing from compositions dating to the 16th century. Hymns in this raga span pages 795 to 859, comprising over 170 shabads attributed to Gurus Nanak, Amar Das, Ram Das, Arjan, and Tegh Bahadur, as well as Bhagats like Kabir and Ravi Das, highlighting its role in devotional expression and evoking themes of joy and spiritual fulfillment.[7] This inclusion marks one of the earliest documented uses of Bilaval in a structured musical context, integrating it into Sikh kirtan practices from the medieval period onward.[8] The raga's historical development traces to medieval Indian music traditions, evolving from ancient sampurna scales that employed all seven natural notes (shuddha swaras) in both ascent and descent, providing a foundational melodic framework.[1] While specific mentions of Bilaval as a named raga are absent in earlier treatises like the Natya Shastra (c. 200 BCE–200 CE) or Sangita Ratnakara (13th century), which focused on gramas and jatis as precursors to later ragas, its structure aligns with the uttaranga-dominant scales described in these texts, suggesting continuity from proto-raga forms. During the Mughal era (16th–19th centuries), Bilaval incorporated subtle regional folk elements from northern and western India, though it remained largely insulated from direct Persian modal influences that shaped other ragas like Yaman.[9] In the modern era, Bilaval was formalized as the eponymous thaat—a parent scale for classification—by the musicologist Vishnu Narayan Bhatkhande in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, as part of his systematic organization of Hindustani ragas into ten thaats to aid pedagogy and analysis. Bhatkhande's Hindustani Sangeet Paddhati (published 1904–1932) positioned Bilaval as the primary thaat with an all-shuddha sampurna scale (S R G m P D N S), distinguishing it from variants like Alhaiya Bilaval and establishing it as a cornerstone for beginner instruction. This standardization preserved and elevated Bilaval's status, ensuring its transmission across gharanas while adapting to evolving performance norms.[6]Theoretical Framework
Thaat and Jati
Bilaval constitutes the second thaat in the ten-thaat classification system developed by Vishnu Narayan Bhatkhande for Hindustani classical music, featuring all shuddha swaras—Sa, Re, Ga, shuddha Ma, Pa, Dha, and Ni—in its scale structure.[4] This configuration aligns with the natural major scale equivalent, emphasizing purity and completeness in note selection without any komal or tivra alterations in the foundational form.[1] The jati of Bilaval is sampurna, utilizing all seven swaras in both the arohana and avarohana, which establishes it as a fully heptatonic and symmetric raga within the thaat framework.[1] This scalar completeness allows for a balanced exploration of the octave, fostering a sense of repose and devotion in its theoretical construction.[3] As the parent scale, the Bilaval thaat functions as the basis for numerous derived ragas, including Alhaiya Bilawal, Deshkar, and Durga, where subsequent forms may incorporate selective komal or tivra notes according to raga-specific rules while retaining the core shuddha orientation.[10] In comparison to other thaats, Bilaval maintains a strict adherence to shuddha swaras, distinguishing it from the Kafi thaat, which accommodates komal Ga and Ni for a more flexible, emotive palette.[11]Equivalents in Other Musical Systems
In the Carnatic music tradition of South Indian classical music, Bilaval corresponds directly to the raga Sankarabharanam, which is the 29th melakarta raga featuring the same ascending and descending scale of all shuddha (natural) swaras: Sa Ri2 Ga2 Ma1 Pa Dha2 Ni2 Sa.[12] This equivalence highlights the shared diatonic structure between the two systems, with both emphasizing a bright, harmonious tonal palette without any komal (flat) or tivra (sharp) alterations.[13] In Western music theory, Bilaval aligns precisely with the Ionian mode, also known as the major scale, such as C major (C D E F G A B C), where the intervals match note-for-note: whole-whole-half-whole-whole-whole-half steps.[1] This mode originates from ancient Greek music theory, where the Ionian tetrachord formed the basis of the fully diatonic scale, underscoring Bilaval's universal appeal as a foundational bright mode across traditions.[14] Beyond these, Bilaval finds parallels in other global systems, such as the Arabic maqam Ajam, which employs the same major scale intervals (e.g., starting on C: C D E F G A B C) to evoke stability and joy, though maqam practice incorporates characteristic modulations and microtonal nuances not present in Bilaval. In various folk traditions worldwide, Bilaval resembles extensions of the major pentatonic scale (e.g., C D E G A in Western folk or similar anhemitonic scales in East Asian or African music), where additional notes fill out the full diatonic framework for melodic expansion.[15] Theoretically, these mappings demonstrate a note-for-note correspondence when aligning tonic notes—Sa to C, Re to D, Ga to E, Ma to F, Pa to G, Dha to A, Ni to B—revealing Bilaval's role in illustrating the diatonic foundations common to diverse musical cultures, from Indian classical to global modal systems.[16]Core Musical Elements
Arohana and Avarohana
Bilaval, as the eponymous raga of the Bilaval thaat, employs an arohana that ascends through all seven shuddha swaras in a linear, straight progression without any vakra (zigzag) movements: Sa Re Ga ma Pa Dha Ni Sa'.[](https://ragajunglism.org/ragas/bilawal/) Madhyam may sometimes be omitted or used with alpatva (restraint) in the ascent. This ascending scale emphasizes a pure, diatonic structure equivalent to the Western major scale, promoting a sense of stability and completeness. [](https://meetkalakar.com/Artipedia/Thaat)
The avarohana mirrors this symmetry in descent, returning smoothly from the upper octave to the tonic: Sa' Ni Dha Pa ma Ga Re Sa. [](https://www.sharda.org/raga-taal/) This even, stepwise progression reinforces the raga's balanced and reposeful character, with no skips or alterations that could introduce tension. [](https://ragajunglism.org/ragas/bilawal/)
In performance, all seven shuddha swaras are used to maintain the raga's sampurna jati, with madhyam receiving alpatva (restrained usage), particularly in the arohana; no komal (flat) or tivra (sharp) notes appear in the parent form, though such modifications may occur in derived ragas. [](https://meetkalakar.com/Artipedia/Thaat) [](https://www.parrikar.org/hindustani/bilawal/) Within this framework, the vadi swara Dha receives particular prominence as the king note. [](https://ragajunglism.org/ragas/bilawal/)
For illustrative purposes, in Western notation with C as the tonic (Sa), the arohana corresponds to C D E F G A B C', while the avarohana is C' B A G F E D C. [](https://www.sharda.org/raga-taal/)