Sangita Ratnakara

S'árṅgadeva, the author of the Saṅgītaratnākara The "Ocean of Music," the most definitive 13th-century Sanskrit treatise on Indian music and dance., mentions many previous writers on the subject in verses 15 to 19 in the first prakaraṇa A section or subdivision of a chapter. of the first adhyāya A primary chapter or book division.. Of these authorities, some are very well known. A detailed notice of them will be more appropriate when the whole book is out. He must have eclipsed most of them. He styles himself as Nis'saṅka original: "निःशङ्क"; meaning "The Doubtless" or "Free from doubts.". He also refers to himself as Karaṇāgraṇīḥ original: "करणाग्रणीः"; meaning "Chief of the Department of Records" or "Accountant-General.", which shows that he was the accountant-general of his king. Thus the author of the original was a high official in the service of the king; the commentator Kallinātha was a prominent figure in the royal court, held in high esteem by the king; the other commentator is a king. This shows what a close relation there existed between the government and the culture of the country.

The Adyar Library has already published two works on Music, the Melarāgamālikā A "Garland of Ragas and Scales" describing the 72 melakarta scales of Carnatic music. of Mahāvaidyanātha S'ivan and the Saṅgrahacūḍāmaṇi The "Crest-gem of Compendiums," a musical manual attributed to Govinda., which were both edited by the late Pandit S. Subrahmanya Sastri and which appeared as Nos. 16 and 17 in the Adyar Library Series. The Rāgavibodha The "Awakening of Ragas," a 17th-century work focusing on musical notation and performance. of Somanātha is already available in more than one edition and there is also an English translation. But the book is known to be out of print. The Adyar Library has already started printing a fresh edition of the work prepared by the late Pandit S. Subrahmanya Sastri, where he has been able to improve the readings in many places. This edition will be out very soon.

The plan of the Adyar Library is to publish works in all aspects of ancient Indian Culture, of which we