સંસ્કૃત સાહિત્યમાં ગીત

Summary

Written in Gujarati, this article surveys the role of songs (geet) in Sanskrit literature. The author begins by asserting that many cultural forms in India trace their origins to the Vedas, and similarly songs can be traced back to the Rigvedic hymns. Citing Bharata’s Nāṭyaśāstra and later commentators, the article outlines how songs were integrated into dramatic performances as dhruva gīti—fixed melodies that accompanied stage action. It examines how composers created songs with specific metres and melodies to set the mood and convey thematic elements. The article also explores theoretical discussions by rhetoricians such as Viśvanātha Kavirāja, who commented on the aesthetic power of music and its capacity to enhance rasa. Examples from classical plays illustrate the use of songs to foreshadow events, characterise heroes and heroines and provide lyrical interludes. By tracing the evolution of the geet from Vedic chant to classical drama and later poetry, the study highlights the centrality of music in Sanskrit literary expression.