Abstract

Jagoi Rās also known as Manipuri Rās līlā represents a creative synthesis of the Rās līlā tradition of mainland India with indigenous Manipuri aesthetics, integrating distinctive ritual practices, musical vocabularies, and melodic structures. It is revered as a sacred devotional path leading to prema bhakti, understood as the highest form of eternal love for Bhagavān Śrī Krishna, which the Gaudiya Vaiṣṇava tradition regards as superior to mokṣa. Maharaja Bhagyachandra, who ruled Manipur in the latter half of the eighteenth century, is acknowledged as the visionary architect who established the foundational structure of Jagoi Rās through the codification of choreography, gesture, music, costume, and ritual practice. The tradition was subsequently enriched by successive rulers who expanded its aesthetic range through the incorporation of diverse Rāgas and Rāgiṇīs. A defining feature of Jagoi Rās is the integration of the Nuwa Rāga (a short preliminary drum mnemonics before the main performance), also known as Rāga māchā, performed through the Meitei pung (percussion instrument), along with devotional compositions based on classical melodic systems. The performance commences with the rhythmic syllables of the pung, accompanied by the resonant sound of the conch. The Rāgas and Rāgiṇīs employed are derived from the system of six Rāga Puruṣas, thirty-six Rāgiṇīs, and upa-rāgas of Manipuri Nata Sankīrtana. Typically, two Rāgas or Rāgiṇīs are employed in Jagoi Rās performance, one rendered by the sutradhāri (singer of Jagoi Rās) and another by the Gopīs. Thus, in Jagoi Rās, sound rises beyond art to become a sacred medium of realization. This paper examines the reasons behind incorporating the Nuwa Rāga of the Meitei pung and the songs of Rāgas or Rāgiṇīs in Jagoi Rās. This study adopts a qualitative and interpretative methodology, drawing upon textual analysis, performance observation, and secondary scholarly sources to examine the aesthetic and devotional significance of musical elements in Jagoi Rās.