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Lesson 10: Prabhupada/Dasapahira Talas

 

The rhythmic cycles taught in lesson 9 were eight beats in length. For the most part, the kaherva rhythms are used in bhajans and kirtans.

 

The rhythmic cycle of this lesson is another very common and very important rhythm in bhajans and kirtans. It is known in ISKCON as Prabhupada tala. Prabhupada tala was named after Gour Mohan De, Srila Prabhupada’s father, who taught this rhythmic cycle to him. It’s also known as dasapahira tala amongst the Bengali tradition.

 

 

Here is Srila Prabhupada playing the mridanga. Jaya Srila Prabhupada!

 

This tala has sixteen matras per cycle.* The cycle, including the theka, is prone to many variations.

 

The theka is as follows:

 

X										0						2
1	2	3	4	5	6		7		8	9	10		11		12	13	14	15	16
dha		ti	tā	tā	ra	ti	ra	ti	tā	ki	ti	ki	tā	ghe	dhā	dhin	dhā	dhin	dhā

 

 

This is divided 8+4+4, with the tali on the sam and matra 2, while the khali is on matra 9.

 

Now, at the first look, this rhythmic cycle looks a very difficult compared to the relatively simple kaherva tala and its prakars. The best way to approach this rhythmic cycle is to study it based on each set of four matras.

 

 

PART ONE: dhā PAUSE ti tā

 

✇AUDIO CLIP 10 – 1:   Vibhag 1 A

 

 

To help you keep time, make sure you actually say the word PAUSE. We had a couple of prakars in kaherva tala where there were spaces. Likewise, the first two beats is occupied by the bol “dhā.”

 

PART TWO: tā rati rati tā

 

✇AUDIO CLIP 10 – 2: Vibhag 1 B

 

The bol “ti ra” occupies one beat.

 

 

PART THREE: ki tiki naghe dhā

 

✇AUDIO CLIP 10 – 3: Vibhag 2

 

 

Just like in PART TWO, the bols “tiki” and “tāghe” has the duration of one matra each. Remember that baya bols have vowel tolerance, so “ki” and “ghe” are the same as “ka” and “gha” that we studied in Lesson 3.

 

PART FOUR: dhā dhin dhā dhin

 

✇AUDIO CLIP 10 – 4: Vibhag 3

 

 

PRABHUPADA TALA CYCLE:

 

✇AUDIO CLIP 10 – 5 A: Prabhupada Tala Theka

 

To give you an idea of how this fits with kartals, please listen to the following clip.

 

✇ AUDIO CLIP 10 – 5 B: Prabhupada Tala with Kartals

 

The only way to get better with this rhythmic cycle is only through practice. Again, we will use the mahamantra as our practice template. For this specific tune, the first matra falls on the first syllable of the first “Krsna” in the mahamantra.

 

 

✇ AUDIO CLIP 10 – 6: Prabhupada Tala Theka Practice

 

 

 

VIDEOS:

 

 VIDEO CLIP 10 – 1: Prabhupada Tāla Theka Part 1

 

 VIDEO CLIP 10 – 2: Prabhupada Tāla Theka Part 2

 

After putting the pieces together, this rhythmic cycle is a very common one. It is usually found at the start of kirtans as well as slow tempo bhajans. Therefore, make sure this rhythmic cycle is mastered before moving onto the prakars or any other cycle.

 

 

*EDITOR’S NOTE: For many reasons due to tāla structure, it can be argued that Prabhupada/Dasapahira tala is an eight beat cycle. I have taught this in the past and I realized that this became a source of confusion when we discussed accompaniment, due to layakari differences. Hence, this is presented as a sixteen beat cycle.

 

UPDATED: June 22, 2011