Mrdanga Lessons

Mrdanga Pranam Mantra

Mrdanga Brahma rupaya

Lavanam rasa madhuri
Sahasra guna Sayukham
Mrdangaya namo namah

I offer my respectful obeiscences to the Mrdanga drum which possesses a spiritual form,
is attractive full of sweet rasa and endowed with thousands of Good qualities.

BEAT HEAD FINGURES CLOSED\OPEN REMARKS

Te Small 4 fingers Closed
Re Small thumb Closed
Khe Big 4 fingers Open
Ta Small 4 fingers OPen
Thak TE+KHE both same time
Ta* Small thumb Closed TA*=RE
Ghe Big 4 fingers Closed
Tin Small 4th or middle High pitch sound
Finger pivot Index Finger Hit between the
Index Finger Hit garb and the rim
Te Small 4th Finger Open Te=Re

1) Te Re Khe Ta

2) Te Re Te Re Te Re Khe Ta

3) Te Re Khe Ta Te Re Khe Ta
Te Re Te Re Te Re Khe Ta

4) Te Re Khe Ta Khe Ta Te Re

5) Te Re Khe Ta* Khe Ta* Te Re Khe Ta

6) Te Re Khe Ta Khe Ta Te Re Khe Ta Thak

7) Te Re Khe Ta Khe Ta* Te Re

Khe Ta* Khe Ta Te Re Khe Ta

8) Te Re Khe Ta Thak Te Re
Khe Ta Khe Ta* Te Re Khe Ta
9) Ghe Te Te
10) Ghe Te Te Ghe Ta

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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.

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

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“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
-5-
HAND PRACTICE I
HASTA SADHANA
MANTRA SHEET

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.

This story from purana describe about creation of the holy mridanga .
by SRI MRIDANGA on Monday, 28 December 2009 at 20:11
This story from purana describe about creation of the holy mridanga .

Tripurasura(wicked demon) performed severe austerities to please lord Shiva. After appearence lord
Shiva , Tripurasura wanted a benediction of three airplanes, Those can be controled only by him, can
travell any where, air-conditioned. seats should be arranged as per capacity of traveller. should
never be mechanical b...reak down,should be made of gold, copper, and silver, and equipped with all
kinds of weapons.

After attaining his benediction, Tripurasura began to fight with Lord Shiva himself. Tripurasura also
had a nectar well.Nobody could kill him,If anyone tried to kill he at once drank that nectar and for a
large period he became imortal.After long war lord Shiva felt to kill the demon and took shelter at
the lotus feet of supream lord Krisna. For saving to shiva lord Krisna as vishnu disguised himself as a
form of cow and drank all the nectar from the well. Lord Shiva killed the demon Tripurasura .

This story from purana describe about creation of the holy mridanga .

First study about Tripurasura given below.

After death of tripurasura earth became red and mudy by his blood.Lord Bramha made Mridanga by
red mud and presented to Lord ganesha ,and Lord ganesh was performing mridanga solo first and
earth became free f...rom all devils.later three lord (Bramha, Vishnu and Shiva)joined and sang the

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dhrupada(classical music for chanting the holy name).Every devotees should play mridanga ,it can
destroy the devils.

Radha shkhi(friend) Vishkha and Tungavidya performe mridanga at rasa lila

Hasta-Sadhana Level 1
Posted By Rami |

Hasta means ‘hand’ and sadhana means ‘that which makes perfect’ (hence the term
‘practice makes perfect’?) These mantras are essential for serious students but are good
for more casual students who want to get their hands used to the wrist motions used in
mridanga playing. The famous mridanga virtuoso, Bablu Mashai says in one of his
books:

“These hand practices are essential for learning to play the mridanga. They enable you
to master the different techniques and mantras and help you to understand the basic
rhythms. Practicing hasta-sadhana is like learning the letters of the alphabet. Practice
them steadily every day.”

———-

HS 1.
tere kheta

Translation:

te – RH 4 closed

re – RH thumb closed

khe – LH closed

ta – RH 4 open

———-

For a description of what the translations mean, and how to practice tere kheta at the
beginning, go the How to Practice Mantras page.

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This mantra is the foundation beat of the mridanga; the wrist motions are used in almost
every other mantra. Masters recommend practicing this mantra every day for at least an
hour for the first year of their playing. This is ideal, but it takes a level of determination
and dedication to the art not often seen nowadays. For everyday, practical playing, it’s
probably better to practice whatever mantras will keep you motivated to practice.
(Though working on what you have trouble with is generally what benefits your hands’
coordination and your sense of rhythm the most.

Notation:

Shown on the How to Practice Mantras page.

Notes:

Bablu says the ideal speed for tere kheta is 160 beats per minute (bpm), where tere kheta
gets 1 beat. That means that if you have a metronome ticking at 160 bpm, and you are
playing one tere kheta mantra per beat, you are playing the mantra 160 times in the
minute (Yeah, i know… my math skills are unbelievable.) It might take a few months to
build up to this speed.

Make sure the te is a strong, closed sound. Some beginners tend to emphasize khe,
making it sound like the mantra is kheta tere. To avoid this, accent te until you get used
to it.

Remember: always say the mantra as you play it. it will helps you remember the mantra
so you communicate with other mridanga players better.It also gets your tongue moving
which prepares you to sing while you play, and you can do the mridanga bols, which is
the mridanga language for beatboxing…it makes quite a performance of its own.

After about 2 weeks, or when you can play this clearly at speed 4 at about 80-100bpm,
you should be able to start working on the next mantra, but it might be good to keep
practicing tere kheta along with all other practice for a while.

———-

HS 2.
tere kheta tere tere kheta

Translation

tere and kheta same as above

———-

Notation:

Graphical breakdown:

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Notes:

This mantra is very important to master because the tere tere prepares the right hand for
many mantras to come, and since it has an unusual number of beats (for most
westerners), it strengthens your sense of rhythm.

For this beat, follow the same general guidelines, but if you are using a metronome, you
will only be able to practice at 3 speeds rather than 4, because there are 5 beats to this
mantra at speed 3, and if you double speed, then the mantra would only take up the time
of 2 ½ beats, and so you would be starting every other mantra in between two metronome
ticks ticks. To train faster, you can keep going at speed 3, but just crank up your
metronome (or just play without a metronome.)

Mridanga mantras, in general, should start on a strong beat, and so the only way you
could play at speed 4 is if you extend the mantra. If you want to try speed 4 anyway,
maybe try think about the mantra being tere kheta tere tere kheta tere kheta tere tere
kheta… the same mantra, just two times; think about it as a complete unit.

———-

HS 3.
tere kheta tere kheta tere tere tere kheta
tikhi takhi tere kheta kheta takhi tere kheta

Translation

First line:

Tere and kheta same as before

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Second line:

tikhi – RH 4 closed, LH closed (the comma (,) means first one, then the next. A plus (+)
would mean both strokes simultaneously)

takhi – RH 4 open, LH closed

terekheta same as before

kheta – LH closed, RH thumb open (different from usual)

takhi – RH 4 open, LH closed

terekheta same as before

———-

“[This] is the basic Hasta-Sadhana mantra. It will accompany you for the next few
months. At least once or twice a week you should practice this mantra for one or two
hours. By doing so, your hand will become very smooth and you will gain a clear, sweet,
and powerful stroke.” –Bablu Mashai

This mantra should be practiced in two parts:

A. tere kheta tere kheta tere tere tere kheta

and

B. tikhi takhi tere kheta kheta takhi tere kheta

Get comfortable with each part before you put them together.

No need for notation here because it’s the same as tere kheta in that there’s an even
number of beats. Every set of 2 words takes up the same amount of time at tere kheta.

These are all of the mantras Bablu recommends practicing for the first month of playing.
Even if you’ve been playing mridanga by observation for years, you can get your hands
in really good shape by training with these mantras.