‘Sangita’ as used in Sangeeta Ratnakara is defined as that which comprises gitam, vadyam and nrittam. Gitam represents tonal music, Vadyam is a syllabic form created by the drum and Nrittam is pure dance.

Sarangadeva classified ‘Sangitam’ as marga and desi, where marga represents natya and desi a different tradition other than that expounded in treatises like the Dasarupaka of Dhananjaya.

The term ‘thala’ was first mentioned in the Natya Shastra of Bharata, but the word ‘raga’ appeared only around the 5th century AD in Matanga’s treatise Brhaddesi.


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