| Daivata or Da
|
The
sixth swara (note) in the octave.
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| Damaru
|
An
hour-glass-shaped drum, with parchment leather on its two faces. It is
usually depicted in the hands of the dancing Nataraja,
a form of Siva. The knotted ends of two strings tied at the narrow
center of the drum strike the two heads, to produce a rhythmic sound. Damaru is found in all parts of India.
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| Dasavatara
|
The
ten Avataras or incarnations of Vishnu. The Carnatic composers like Jayadeva, Purandara Dasa and Tyagaraja have considered Buddha also as an incarnation of Vishnu. So the ten
Avataras are Matsya, Kurma, Varaha, Narashimha, Vamana, Parasurama, Rama, Krishna, Buddha and
Kalki.
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| Dasavatara Mangalam
|
A Mangalam song composed by Purandara Dasa.
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| Dasavatara Ragamalika
|
The
well-known Swati
Tirunal composition, 'Kamalajasya', in ten Ragas,
sung in the sequence - Mohanam, Bilahari, Dhanyasi, Saranga,
Madhyamavati, Atana, Natakurunji, Darbar, Anandabhairavi, and
Sowrashtra.
|
| Dasavidha Gamaka
|
The
ten kinds of Gamakas or movements, counted in different ways. One well-known list consists of
Arohanam, Avarohanam, Dhalu, Sphurita, Kampita, Ahata, Pratyahata,
Tripuchha, Andola and Murchana.
|
| Dattila
|
Author
of the fourth century treatise called Dattilam.
|
| Desi
|
Belonging
to the country (desa).
This term denoted the folk music that was prevalent till the 12th
century.
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| Dhatu
|
The
melodic aspect of a musical composition.
|
| Dhrutam
|
One
of the Angas used in reckoning Tala,
executed by a clap and a wave. The symbol used is 0.
|
| Dhruva Tala
|
The
first of the seven basic Talas,
consisting of one Laghu,
one Dhrutam and two Laghus.
Represented by the symbol used is 1011.
|
| Dhwani
|
A
word that means sound.
|
| Dirgha
|
Long
- a note/syllable lasting at least two units of time, as opposed to a Hrasva,
which lasts only for one unit beat of time.
|
| Disi
|
Literally
direction, of which there are ten (eight plus up and down). Hence the
word denoted the number ten, and is the name of the tenth Chakra of the Melakarta system.
|
| Divya Prabhandam
|
The
name given to a group of 4000 verses composed by the twelve south Indian
Vaishnava saints. These are in the form of Slokas.
|
| Divyanama Kirtana
|
Songs
sung in praise of God. It is intended for congregational singing and
consists of one Pallavi and many Charanams.
In most cases, all the passages are sung to the same tune, whether it is
the Pallavi or Charanam.
This is called the Eka
Dhatu Divyanama Kirtana, e.g. ‘Sri Rama Jayarama’ in
Yadukulakambodhi, composed by Tyagaraja.
|
| Dravidians
|
The
people indigenous to the southern part of India.
|
| Durbala Swaras |
Those
notes in a Raga that are used feebly, without stress or obvious repetition.
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| Dvadasha Chakras
|
The
twelve Chakras into which the 72 Melakartas are arranged. Each of these Chakras is made up of six Melas,
and is named using a mnemonic system. Thus, the twelve Chakras are, Indu (moon – one), Netra (eyes – two), Agni (fire – the three fires of the maintained by a sacrificer), Veda (the
scriptural texts, which are four in number), Bana (arrow –the five arrows of Cupid), Rutu (seasons – six), Rishi (sages – seven), Vasu (a class of gods, eight in number), Brahma (the creator, one for each of nine cycles of creation), Disi (direction – ten), Rudra (a class of gods, eleven in number) and Aditya (a class of gods, twelve in number).
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