Raga Bihagara

 

Raga Bihagara

It is an Indian musical raga that appears in the Sikh tradition from North India and is part of Sri Guru Granth Sahib. This sacred text contains 60 ragas and this is 22^nd raga to appear in the series from Ang (Pages) 537 to 557. The mood of this raga is of extreme sadness and pain, which gives rise to the need to find peace and understanding. The heightened emotional state is only harnessed by the craving for truth and meaning. Though this raga has not been mentioned in Ragmala and today it is classified under Bilaval Thata. Guru Nanak Dev ji, Guru Amar Das ji, Guru Ram Das ji, Guru Arjan Dev ji and Guru Tegh Bahadur ji have composed their verses in this raga.

The following represents the order of notes that can be used on the ascending and descending phase of the composition and the primary and secondary notes. Aroh in it is Ni Sa Ga Ma Pa Ni Sa and Avroh is Sa Ni Dha Pa Ni Dha Pa Dha Ga Ma Ga Re Sa. Its Vadi is Ma and Samvadi is Sa. Some of the verses composed in this raga are as follows.

Guru Tegh Bahadur ji

No one knows the State of the Lord:

And even the Yogis, the celibates and men of austerity have found it not.

In a moment, the Lord makes Kings of beggars and beggars of Kings.

And filling He empties and the empty He Fulfils. This verily is the way of my God.

He Himself has evolved His Maya, and watches Himself He all.

And Manifests He in many ways and yet keeps Detached from all.

Infinite, Endless, Unknowable and Immaculate is the Lord, who has lured away the whole world.

Leave off them all thy doubts, O’ man and attune yourself to the Feet of the Lord.

Guru Ram Das ji

O my life, Contemplate the Lord’s Name: for Invaluable is the Name one gathers through the Guru.

My mid is pierced through with the name : it loves Name, with the Name it is washed clean.

O life, if we hold our Mind with the instructions of Guru, it wavers not again.

And it gathers the fruit of your heart’s desire; and it Sings only the Lord’s Praise.

Guru Arjan Dev ji

I’ve seen a miracle of the Lord, O’ my love, that whatever He does is righteous and just.

The Lord has made this world his Play-house, O’ mylove in which the Players come and go.

It is He who created the world and destined us to be born and die.

And while the one He unites to Himself. Ushering him into His Castle, the other He makes but to wander in Doubt.

You alone know Your end., O Lord,You who Permeates all.

Nanak speaks the Truth, hear ye O’ Saints that whatever the Lord does is righteous and just.

Guru Amar Das ji

They who turn God-Wards and serve ever their True Lord through love,in state of equipoise.

Abiding in Bliss, they sing ever the True Praise of,and cherish in their hearts the Lord, who pervades both here and there.

Within them then lives God: for such is the Lord’s Writ of Karma for them.

Nanak: the Lord in His mercy unites us of Himself, with Himself.

Guru Nanak Dev Ji

The Hindus have strayed from the Path : they go the wrong way.

And as Narada instructed them, so worship they images of God.

They are blind and deaf: for they are enveloped by Darkness.

And worship they the stones, these stocks and stones.

Knowing not that the stones themselves sink: so how they can ferry others Across.

Mardana

The Kali Age is the pitcher,filled with wine of lust and the mind drinks it deep.

And wrath is the drinking bowl, brimming over with Desire, with Ego as Bar-Man.

And we have our drinking bouts in the company of ego; and so are we wasted away.

Let good deeds be the pitcher and Truth the molasses and the wine be of the True Name.

And virtues be the bread,Culture the butter, and Modesty the food. Nanak : Eat these and drink one received through the Guru, and they destroy all one’s sins.