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JAYA SRILA PRABHUPADA 

BASIC MRIDANGA HANDBOOK November 2008 

    

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Sri Mridanga Pranama Mantra

Namo Jagannatha sutayo Namo mrdanga namah Labanga rasa madhuri

Sahasra guna samyuktang Namo mrdanga namo namah

Namo baladevayo namo namah I offer my respectful obeisances unto the son of Sri Jagannatha Misra (Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu). I offer obeisances unto the mrdanga from which sweet and necterean sounds emanates. I offer my obeisances again and again unto the mrdanga who has thousands of good qualities. And I offer my obeisances unto Lord Baladeva who assumes the form of the mrdanga to serve Lord Chaitanya.

IMPORTANT NOTES  

‐ Mridanga is also known as the khol  

‐ The sound of the khol creates auspiciousness exactly like the sound of the conch shell  

‐ The mridanga is the direct expansion of Krishna’s flute from Goloka and also of Lord Baladev, therefore it is considered and respected like the Lord’s paraphernalia  

‐ Mridanga playing is considered a type of yoga and everyday practice of 30 minutes or more is required  

‐ The mridanga that produces the best sound is 22‐23 inches in length with 4 and 8 inch diameters on the small and big heads respectively  

‐ The mantras used in this book are from the Garanhati music sampradaya originating from Narottama das Thakura  

‐ Before playing one must offer obeisances to the mridanga with the mantra above.  

‐ It is very important to say the mantra aloud when one practices. One will not have difficulty in singing and playing at the same time afterwards 

 ‐ Small head called “dayan” 

Big head called “bayan”  ‐ Put strap over your right shoulder and under your 

left arm (for right‐handed people) 

  

‐ Generally, big end goes with weaker hand. Small end goes with strong hand 

 ‐ Nowadays there are different varieties of 

mridangas: 

• Clay drums with leather straps and leather head. • Metal drums with leather straps and leather head. • Fiberglass drums with leather straps and leather 

heads. • Balaram Mridangas ‐ Fiberglass body and plastic 

heads 

‐ Clay drums produce best sound  

‐ Don’t put down mridangas with leather heads standing up when the surface is wood or ceramic (where it absorbs cold or moisture). This will ruin or tighten the big head 

 Vocabulary  Tehai ‐ repetitive finishing percussion triad (3) composition played in a pleasant meter to coincide with the opening meter (sam) is called tehai – the finishing triad.  Hatuti ‐  a pleasant and carefully setup rhythmic composition played on a Mridanga instrument with the accompaniment of cymbals (kartals) heralding the auspicious advent of Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and to focus the attention of the audience before commencing kirtana performance.  

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HAND PRACTICE I HASTA SADHANA

(very important to loosen the hands) Mantra 1. BIJA MANTRA. tere kheta….

Explanation. “te” right hand four fingers closed sound “re” right hand with thumb in middle of the small head of mridanga (open) “khe” left hand closed sound “ta” right hand with four fingers open sound.

Mantra 2. tere kheta tere tere kheta…

Explanation. same as previous. Mantra 3. tere kheta tere kheta tere tere tere kheta…

Explanation. same as previous.

Mantra 4. tikhi takhi tere kheta, kheta takhi tere kheta…

Explanation. “ti” same as te. “khi” same as khe. “ta” right hands four fingers open sound “khi” same as khe. “tere kheta” all ready you have “khe” left hand close sound “ta” this is special with thumb same as re “ta” right hand four fingers open sound “khi” same as that. tere kheta all ready you have.

Mantra 5. tere kheta tere kheta tere tere tere kheta ; tikhi takhi tere kheta, kheta takhi tere kheta

So now try to play everything together as 5. Please practice this mantra for a long time, and your hand will become powerful.

Mantra 6. ghene nere ghena geda, khene nere khena kheta…

Explanation. “ghe” left hand open sound “ne” right hand with thumb like re “nere” same as tere non different “ghe” left hand open sound “na” right hand four fingers open sound same as ta “ge” left open sound but it is not strong sound “da” right hand four fingers close sound like te but it is more stronger than te “khe” left hand close sound or flat sound “ne” right hand with thumb same as re “nere” same as tere. all ready you have. “khe” all ready you have. “na” same as ta “khe” all ready you have “ta” right hand four fingers open sound.

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**Extra Credit: Mantra 7. Ghene nere ghena geda, ghene nere ghena, ghene nere ghena khene nere khena kheta, khena nere khena, khena nere khena.

Explanation. see mantra 6. This mantra requires serious concentration

Mantra 8. tere kheta tere tere kheta tere tere tere kheta khete tete tete kheta tete kheta khete tete kheta tak tere kheta tikhi takhi tere kheta, kheta takhi tere kheta.

Explanation. “tere kheta tere tere kheta tere tere tere kheta” same as before “khe” with left hand flat sound “te” right hand with thumb like re “tete” same as tere “tete” same as tere “khe” left hand flat sound “ta” right hand four fingers open sound. “tak” right hand four fingers close sound “tere kheta” all ready you have “ti” same as te “khi” all ready you have “ta” right hand four fingers open sound “khi” same as before “tere kheta” all ready you have. “khe” same as khi “ta” same as re with thumb; this ta is special “ta” right hand four fingers open sound. “khi” same as khe. “tere kheta” all ready you have.

Mantra 9. ghene ne ghene ne ghene nere ghena, ghene nere ghena tak tere kheta,

khene ne khene ne khene nere khena, khene nere khena tak tere kheta.

Explanation. “ghe” left hand open sound “ne” right hand with thumb “ne” right hand with four finger open “ghene ne” same as before. “ghene” left hand open sound and right hand with thumb “nere” the same as tere “ghena” left hand open sound and right hand with four fingers open. “tak” right hand four fingers close sound it is stronger than te “tere kheta” all ready you have “khe” left hand close sound “ne” right hand with thumb “ne” right hand four finger open sound “khene” left hand close and right with thumb “nere” same as tere “khena” khe left hand close sound and na same as ta “tak” right hand four fingers same as te but it is stronger then te “tere kheta” all ready you have before

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HAND PRACTICE I HASTA SADHANA MANTRA SHEET

Click on mantra to view video Mantra 1. tere kheta…. Mantra 2. tere kheta tere tere kheta… Mantra 3. tere kheta tere kheta tere tere tere kheta… Mantra 4. tikhi takhi tere kheta, kheta takhi tere kheta… Mantra 5. tere kheta tere kheta tere tere tere kheta ; tikhi takhi tere kheta, kheta takhi tere kheta Mantra 6. ghene nere ghena geda, khene nere khena kheta… Mantra 7. Ghene nere ghena geda, ghene nere ghena, ghene nere ghena khene nere khena kheta, khena nere khena, khena nere khena. Mantra 8. tere kheta tere tere kheta tere tere tere kheta khete tete tete kheta tete kheta khete tete kheta tak tere kheta tikhi takhi tere kheta, kheta takhi tere kheta. Mantra 9. ghene ne ghene ne ghene nere ghena, ghene nere ghena tak tere kheta,

khene ne khene ne khene nere khena, khene nere khena tak tere kheta.

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KIRTAN SECTION I

***IMPORTANT NOTES: The official mrdanga course is divided into four parts with the practice, hatuti, kirtan, and bhajan mantras. So far we have only covered some practice mantras. There are many many hatuti mantras which are the foundations of kirtan. We don’t have the time to go through all of them, so we will only learn the first part of the first hatuti mantra (which has many parts). This mantra is the foundation for kirtana mantras throughout this section and beyond. Kirtana etiquette: “While playing mridanga it is important to follow the kirtana leader not lead him. It is also important to play softer than the song itself. The mridanga sound should not be so loud that it buries the song. In a garland, for example, the strings hold the flowers together. It is not possible to make a garland without strings, but it is not possible without flowers either. Both the flowers and strings are equally important. The flowers are compared to the song and the strings that hold it together is the mridanga. But just as in a garland the strings are not the most prominent thing, the mridanga is less prominent than the song itself. To play louder than the song is only disturbing to the song. This is the basic understanding according to the Acariyas. One must be especially careful to play properly for Krishna. Use bonafide mantras coming from a bonafide Goudiya vaishnava music Sampradaya. It is very important that junior mridanga players follow behind more experienced mridanga players.” *Mantras marked with an asterisk are not bonafide mantras so to speak. They are just there to help as introduction. Vocabulary Review: Tehai - repetitive finishing percussion triad (3) composition played in a pleasant meter to coincide with the opening meter (sam) is called tehai – the finishing triad. Hatuti - a pleasant and carefully setup rhythmic composition played on a Mridanga instrument with the accompaniment of cymbals (kartals) heralding the auspicious advent of Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and to focus the attention of the audience before commencing kirtana performance.

HATUTI MANTRA 1 FOUNDATION OF KIRTAN

HATUTI MANTRA 1 (part 1 only). jha ghenere ghena, jha ghenere ghena, jha ghena… da guru gur, da guru gur, da gur… Explanation. “jha” both hands open

“ghe” left hand open ”nere” same as tere “ghe” left hand open sound “na” right hand four fingers open like ta “jha” both hands open sound ”ghe” left hand open sound “na” same as ta

You play “jha ghenere ghena” but you have to say “da guru gur.” Saying is as important as playing, because afterwards you can lead kirtana while playing mridanga. So, for that reason, you have to make it a habit in the beginning. When you get “da guru gur da guru gur da gur” you should forget the “jha ghenere ghena jha ghenere ghena jha ghena.” At first, from the beginning, all the mantras should be played very slow and clear. Then gradually increase the speed. It is the basic system of playing and learning Mridanga.

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KIRTAN MANTRAS

ALL KINDS OF AROTI MANTRAS

FIRST SPEED MANTRA. khik khi neda gida gida dhei / ta uru tete ta Explanation. "khik" left hand only, closed strong sound

"khi" left hand closed sound "neda"- “ne” right index finger up, closed sound; “da” both hands open sound; "gida"- 'gi' left hand, open; 'da' both hands, open; "dhei" like "jha" but stronger; "ta" right four fingers "uru" like "terete" - 'te’ right four fingers; ‘re’ thumb; ‘te’ same; “tete” – first “te” is right hand four fingers closed; second “te” is like “re” thumb "ta" right hand four fingers open

If playing “uru” is too difficult at first, you can skip it and leave a pause for it. Instead of “uru” pause for a split second. Eventually you should learn it the proper way. MANTRA. khik khi neda gida gida dhei / tak ta tak thini thini ta Explanation. "khik" left hand only, closed strong sound

"khi" left hand closed sound "neda"- “ne” right index finger up, closed sound; “da” both hands open sound; "gida"- 'gi' left hand, open; 'da' both hands, open; "dhei" like "jha" but stronger;

tak - right three fingers closed ta – right index finger open thini – first ‘thi’ is right index finger closed, second ‘ni’ right three fingers closed ta – right index finger open This mantra has many variations. You will usually start the kirtan with this beat.

SECOND SPEED These mantras are played a little faster than the first speed ones. There are also many variations to these. MANTRA. da <SP> tete take dhena Explanation. “da” like jha

“<SP>” slight pause space “tete” – ‘te’ small hand index finger;

next ‘te’ both hands, big side like khe (flat) and small hand 3 fingers “take” – ‘ta’ small hand four fingers and ‘ke’ big hand open (special) dhena” – ‘dhe’ like jha and ‘na’ like ta

MANTRA. ta <SP> tete take dhena Explanation. “ta” small hand four fingers open Others are same as previous mantra.

MANTRA. daghi tete take dhena Explanation. “daghi” – ‘da’ like jha, ‘ghi’ big hand open Others are same as previous mantra.

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THIRD SPEED The first four mantras in this section are usually called “double” because they are played at double the speed than the second speed mantras. You will notice that some of the mantras are the same from the last section. But this time the mantras are played a little differently to accommodate the faster speed. MANTRA. ghe <SP> tete <SP>ke dhena Explanation. “ghe” big hand open

“tete” – ‘te’ both hands, big side like khe (flat) and small hand 3 fingers next ‘te’ small hand index finger

“ke” big hand open (special) “dhena” – ‘dhe’ both hands, big like ghe (open) and small hand 3 fingers ‘na’ small hand index finger MANTRA. daghi tete take dhena Explanation. “daghi”-- "da" both hands-Ieft, open sound; right, index finger;

"ghi" only left hand, open; “tete” - "te" right hand, three fingers close sound;

"te" both hands-left like "khe" (flat), right, index finger; “take” - "ta" right index finger, open sound;

"ke" left open, not strong (special) "dhe" both hands-right, 3 fingers open; left,open sound; "na" right index finger, open.

This third speed mantra has to be played with twice the speed of the second speed "daghi tete take dhena". MANTRA. ta <SP> tete take dhena Explanation. “ta” small hand index finger open Others are same as previous mantra. MANTRA. da <SP> tete take dhena Explanation. “da” both hands-Ieft, open sound; right, index finger Others are same as previous mantra. TRANSITION FROM SECOND TO THIRD SPEED MANTRA1: kheta kheta khe

Explanation: "khe" both left hand closed, right hand open like ta "ta" right hand open 4 fingers

MANTRA 2: khe khe khe khe kheta kheta khe

Explanation: same as above MANTRA 3: take take tak

Explanation: "take" 'ta' both hands closed like 'khe'; "khe" left hand open;

"tak" both hands closed--Ieft like "khe"; and right, four fingers open; MANTRA 4: tak tak tak tak take take tak

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These next two mantras can be played during “madhur madhur madhur baje” during gaura arotik and in some Hare Krishna kirtans that follow the same beat. Put emphasis on “dhei” MANTRA.* dhei te te, ta te te, ta te te, ta da da Explanation. “dhei” – both hands, big hand open, small hand three fingers “te” small hand index finger “ta” small hand three fingers “da” like jha MANTRA. dhei ta thei, tak ta thei, tak ta thei, tak da da da Explanation. "dhei" same as "jha" but louder

"ta" right hand four fingers "thei" both hands-left like "khe" (flat), right like "ta" (open); "tak" like "te" but with a strong closed sound; "da" both hands open.

The next mantra is a very simplified version of what you can play at “nitai gaura haribol…” You play “ta” at the first “bol” in ‘haribol’ and then continue eight times before it comes back to the first ‘haribol’ and repeat. MANTRA.* ta da da Explanation. ta- small hand three fingers open da- both hands – small hand index finger open, big hand open Or you can also play this for "Jaya Prabhupada", "Jaya Nrsirnhadeva" “Nitai Gaur Haribol” MANTRA: dhei da dheita kheta kheta

Explanation: "dhei" both hands, loud sound; "da" both hands but not strong; "ta" right hand, four fingers open; "kheta" 'khe' left hand closed; 'ta' right four fingers open.

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TEHAIS

A Tehai (ending) is often the repetition of a mantra played three times. Notice the last repetition of the three is missing a sound at the very end. That last sound is actually the sound from the next kirtan mantra you are going to play. For instance, you can play first speed “khik khi neda gida gida dhei / ta uru tete ta.” Then end with “tere kheta jha, tere kheta jha, tere kheta.” After this last “kheta” go back to “dhei / ta uru tete ta….” and so on. Same for other tehais. This is the basic system for connecting beats. These next tehais are played from “hare hare” – end of Hare Krishna mahamantra. TEHAI 1. tere kheta jha, tere kheta jha, tere kheta… TEHAI 2. kheta kheta jha, kheta kheta jha, kheta kheta… TEHAI 3. kheta guru gur dhei, kheta guru gur dhei, kheta guru gur… These next tehais are played from “rama rama” – last four syllables of Hare Krishna mahamantra. TEHAI 4. dada gade ghine jha, dada gade ghine jha, dada gade ghine… Explanation. "dada" both hands open twice;

“gade” - "ga" only left hand open; "de" same as "te" very closed sound; “ghine” - "ghi" only left hand, very strong open sound; "ne" same as "ta" open sound;

TEHAI 5. tere kheta gade ghine dheiya, tere kheta gade ghine dheiya, tere kheta gade ghine… Explanation. "dheiya" - 'dhei' like ‘jha' but stronger; 'ya' like ‘ta'. **EXTRA CREDIT.

Kot tete geghe tete kota kota geghe tete Kot tete geghe tete kota kota geghe tete tere kheta gade ghine dheiya tere kheta gade ghine dheiya tere kheta gade ghine

Kot tete geghe tete kota geghe neta kheta Ta klanta tete kota gade ghine Khi guru gur da da jha Khi guru gur da da jha Khi guru gur

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KIRTAN SECTION I MANTRA SHEET

HATUTI MANTRA 1 (part 1 only). jha ghenere ghena, jha ghenere ghena, jha ghena… da guru gur, da guru gur, da gur… MANTRA. khik khi neda gida gida dhei / ta uru tete ta MANTRA. khik khi neda gida gida dhei / tak ta tak thini thini ta MANTRA. da <SP> tete take dhena MANTRA. ta <SP> tete take dhena MANTRA. daghi tete take dhena MANTRA. ghe <SP> tete <SP>ke dhena MANTRA 1: kheta kheta khe MANTRA 2: khe khe khe khe kheta kheta khe MANTRA 3: take take tak MANTRA 4: tak tak tak tak –take take tak MANTRA. dhei te te, ta te te, ta te te, ta da da MANTRA. dhei ta thei, tak ta thei, tak ta thei, tak da da da MANTRA. ta da da MANTRA: dhei da dheita kheta kheta TEHAI 1. tere kheta jha, tere kheta jha, tere kheta… TEHAI 2. kheta kheta jha, kheta kheta jha, kheta kheta… TEHAI 3. kheta guru gur dhei, kheta guru gur dhei, kheta guru gur… TEHAI 4. dada gade ghine jha, dada gade ghine jha, dada gade ghine… TEHAI 5. tere kheta gade ghine dheiya, tere kheta gade ghine dheiya, tere kheta gade ghine…