The Sangitopanisat-saroddharah

The Sangitopanisat-saroddhara is an important medieval text written in 1350.  It is attributed to a Jaina scholar-Vacanacarya Sri Sudakalasa and represents a distinctive Western Indian and Jaina stream of Musicology.  Composed about one hundred years subsequent to the great compendium-the Sangita-ratnakara there is significant difference in its approach and treatment of the subject.  The Sangitapanisat-saroddhara stands in an intermediary position between the Sangita-ratnakara and the later medieval works such as the Nartananirnaya.  While epitomising the indian phenomenon of an adherence to certain key fundamentals it unfolds and reveals many processes of interaction and focusses attention on particular aspects of form and texhnique.  it is also an important text for the change it refelcts in understanding the ragas and raginis assigning gender and visualising an iconography.