Rishabha (svara)

Rishabha (Sanskrit: ऋषभ, romanized: Ṛṣabha) is the second svara out of the seven svaras of Hindustani music and Carnatic music.^[1] Rishabha is the long form of the syllable रे for simplicity while singing the syllable.^[2] Rishabha is pronounced as Re and Ri (notation - R).

Detail

The following is the information about Rishabha and its importance in Indian classical music :

• Rishabha is the second svara in an octave or Saptak.
• Re is the immediate next svara of Shadja (Sa).
• The svara of Rishabha is Komal and Shuddha.
• It is said that Shadja is the basic svara from which all the other 6 svaras are produced. When we break the word Shadja then we get, Shad and Ja. It means that Shad is 6 and ja is 'giving birth' in Marathi.^[3] So basically the translation is :

 षड् - 6, ज -जन्म . Therefore, it collectively means giving birth to the other 6 notes of the music.

So the svara Re is formed from Shadja.

• The frequency of Rishabha is 270 Hz. The frequencies of the seven svaras are also given below: Sa 240 Hz, Re 270 Hz, Ga 300 Hz, Ma 320 Hz, Pa 360 Hz, Dha 400 Hz, and Ni 450 Hz, Sa 480 Hz (Taar Saptak) ........ (and so on). 'Sa' can have any frequency but then the frequencies of other svaras increase or decrease with a common ratio or difference.

Consequently, the Re after the Sa of 480 Hz (Taar Saptak) has a frequency of 540 Hz i.e. the double of the Lower octave Re.

• There are 3 Shruti of Rishabha. Previously the main Shruti, not only for Re but for all the other svaras, was on the last Shruti but now it is considered to be on the 1st Shrurti.

For example, if these are the 3 Shruti's of Re then,

                    Previously this was the position of the main Shruti of Re.
                    ^ 
             1   2  3
             ^
             But now this position has become the main Shruti of Re.

• All the other svaras except Shadja (Sa) and Pancham (Pa) can be Komal or Tivra svaras but Sa and Pa are always Shuddha svaras. And hence svaras Sa and Pa are called Achal Svaras , since these svaras don't move from their original position. Svaras Ra, Ga, Ma, Dha, Ni are called Chal Svaras, since these svaras move from their original position.

    Sa, Re, Ga, Ma, Pa, Dha, Ni - Shuddha Svaras
   
    Re, Ga, Dha, Ni - Komal Svaras 
  
    Ma - Tivra Svaras

• Ragas from Bhairav Thaat, Poorvi Thaat, Marwa Thaat, Bhairavi Thaat and Todi Thaat have Komal Rishabha, rest of the thaats have Shuddha Rishabha.
• Ragas where Re is the Vadi svara - Raga Brindabani Sarang, etc. Ragas where Re is the Samvadi svara - Raga Bhairav, etc.
• Hypothetically speaking, Re is said to be the Rishimuni (also known as Rushimuni), Rishimuni as in, the three main gods, Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva were first created i.e. Sakar Brahma (Sa) and then these three gods created the Rishimunis (the sages) i.e. Re. Re is made the acronym of Rishimuni for showing the importance of the syllable Re.^[4]
• Rishabha is said to be sourced from the lowing of a bull.^[5][6]
• Rishabha is associated with the planet Mars. ^[7]
• Rishabha is the Name of the earliest and the very First Tirthankara of Jainism
• Rishabha is associated with Red colour. ^[8]

Difference in pronouncing

In the introductory part of Rishabha it is given that, 'Rishabha is the long form of the syllables रे and री. For simplicity in pronouncing while singing the syllable, Rishabha is pronounced as Re and Ri'. This is given because the pronouncing of the syllable Re is different in the Hindustani classical music and Carnatic classical music. In Hindustani classical music, the pronouncing of Rishabha is done as Re and in Carnatic classical music, the pronouncing of Rishabha is done as Ri.

So a Hindustani classical singer will sing the 7 svaras as : Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Dha Ni Sa.

While a Carnatic classical singer will sing these svaras like : Sa Ri Ga Ma Pa Dha Ni Sa.

See also

• List of Ragas in Hindustani classical music
• Svara
• Shadja (Sa)
• Gandhara (Ga)
• Madhyam (Ma)
• Pancham (Pa)
• Dhaivat (Dha)
• Nishada (Ni)

• Re (svara)

References