INTRODUCTION “Gian vadyam tatha nrtyam trayamsamgitam ucyate” says S@riga-deva, the author of the Samgita-ratnakara. The word, “ Taurya- trika,” in Samskrt denotes the triple symphony of song, instrumental music and dance and refers to Samgita as defined by S'arhga-deva. In accordance with this notion, Sariga-deva, in his treatise on music referred to above, devotes the seven chapters of his work toa detailed consideration of these three Afga-s {components) of music. Hence it follows, that music, shorn of any one of these components, is no music at all. Still, the term is applied in common parlance to denote, either song or instrumental music, to the exclusion of dance, which is composed of all the three elements. Of these, Gita is composed of Nada (sounds) and Akyara-s (the musical composition, made up of words), as propounded by Locana Pandita, in his Raga-tarafgini: “ Dhatu- matu-samayuktam gitam ity ucyate budhaih ;vi Tatra nadatmako dhatur miatur aksara- sambhavah ”. Although the term, ‘ Gita’, is, according to tradition, considered strictly applicable to that variety of composition, known as Salaga-siida, still, by common consent, anything that is sung is recognized as a Gita, in accordance with the construction, “ Giyata iti gitam”’. The term, ‘ Vadya ’, comprises stringed instru- ments, such as the Vina, drum-instruments, such as the Mrdafga, bell-metal-instruments, such as cymbals, and pipe-instruments, such as the flute. The various kinds of instruments, comprised under Vadya, are set forth in detail in the chapter on the same subject in the Samgita-ratnakara. Under the term, Nrtya, are comprised Abhinaya-s (gesticulations), through the various glances, poses and move- ments, of the eyes, hands and feet respectively, so as to express the various sentiments and dispositions underlying the import of the Sahitya-s (composition) of the Gita-s and also dancing to the accompaniment of time in keeping with the Pata-s (conventional symbols indicative of time). With a view to include all these Atga-s as components of Samgitavii (music), Bharata says, that Brahma, when engaged in the creation of Samgita, extracted these aspects of it from the four Veda-s, in the following passages: “‘Jagraha pathyam re- vedat samabhyo gitam eva ca; Yajur-vedad abhinaydn rasan atharvanad api”. S'arnga- deva, in his Samgita-ratnakara, deals with one aspect of this, when he says: “ Sama-vedad idam gitam samjagraha pita-mahah ”. In this connection, the relation between Sama-veda and Gita may be noted. Bharata, the first writer on music and Sarhga-deva, a later writer, both of them have pitched upon the Svara-s of the Sdma-veda alone as the S'uddha-svara-s. As the Sama-veda, as tradi- tionally handed down, still continues to prevail in the same form, even today, as it was originally chanted, on close scrutiny of the chanting of that Veda, it will be noticed that the notes, ga -- Ri-- Sa--ni--Dha--Pa--, beginning from the Tara-sthana, down to the Madhya-sthana, which correspond to the Prathama, Dvitiya, Trtiya, Caturtha, Mandra and Ati-svarya of the technique of the Sama- vedin-s, are in the descending order and that sometimes, when the ga - - is uttered, ma, which