Bilāwal
Bright, settled and cheerful — the rāga of the plain major scale.
The parent rāga of its thāṭ, using all śuddha swaras. Its identity comes not from accidentals but from its characteristic vakra turns around Ga and Dha, which keep it from sounding like a bare scale.
अयं भागः भवतः भाषायां न अस्ति — आङ्ग्लभाषायां दर्शितः।
आरोहः, अवरोहः, पकडश्च
स्वरलिपिसंकेतः — कोमलस्वराः लघ्वक्षरैः, तीव्रमध्यमः M′, मन्द्रसप्तकः ˌ, तारसप्तकः ′ इति।
रागस्य गतिः
Ascent is deliberately crooked — S G R G P rather than a straight run. Nishād is touched lightly on the way to the upper Sa, and the Dha–Ni–Dha–Pa turn in descent is the phrase that names the rāga.
प्रयुक्ताः तालाः
Kavan baṭariyā gayo śyām
X = समः · 0 = खाली · 2, 3, 4 = ताली · एकं कोष्ठं = एका मात्रा · – = विलम्बनम्।
A useful first composition for beginners: the tāl is simple and the rāga has no accidentals, so attention can go entirely to the vakra phrases.