Abstract

An indispensable resource in the history of Indian Music, the Skanda Puran is a pivotal work, offering a comprehensive record of Indian Music, from which contemporary musical texts drew massive inspirations. Despite being the largest of the Puranas, there are hardly any analytical reviews of Skanda Purana that covers the strata of music. This ancient text is an authoritative documentation covering records of both Vedic and regional musical practices. This research study provides the comprehensive musical analysis of Skanda Purana that aims to excavate the evidential musical records that have significantly contributed to the gradual development of Indian Classical Music. This Purana introduces the Raga-Ragini system, categorizing musical modes into 'Ragas' and their variations, a system that influenced later classical music traditions. The study also explores the Purana's preservation of numerous Vedic and Gandharva musical terms, showcasing the development of musical terminologies, laying the foundation for subsequent musical school of thoughts (the Shiva Mata), and also depicting a wide stratum of musical instruments. Thus, torch bearing the gradual progression from fundamental principles to complex musical performance structures.