By Pt Shashank KattiWhen the mind is continuously attacked by unwanted, unhappy feelings, certain negative, stress-related disorders are generated in the body, giving rise to ailments like hypertension, headaches, asthma and migraine. Since these affect both mental and physical wellbeing of a person, it becomes necessary to apply musical remedies in such a manner that certain energies are activated in the body to help cure the ailment.In my research on music therapy, I have found Indian classical music to be designed according to the principles of Ayurveda, the science that tells us how to live an all-round healthy life. According to Ayurveda, every part of the body and, in fact, every cell is acted upon and governed by three energies called vat, pitta and kaph. When these energies work at their optimum level, they keep the body in perfect health. Their imbalances generate disorders and ailments in the body.Shlokas mentioned in the old book Swaramrut by Tumbaru and Sangeet Ratnakar written by Sharang Dev explain how high and rough sounds are the sounds of vat function, lower mandra and sweet sounds are those of kaph function and the solid and serious sounds are those of pitta function.This forms the base of therapy using music.Shloka:Ucchastaro dhwani ruksho vidneyo watajo budhai:Gambhiro ghansheelashcha dnytavya: pittajo dhwani:Snigdhasya sukumarasya madhura: kaphjo dhwani:Trayanam gunsanyukto vidneya: sannipataja:All therapies recognise the ‘biological clock’ running inside our body — the day-night circle of the nature. According to Ayurved, kaph dosha works in the early part of day and night between 6 and 10 am/pm, pitta dosha works in the middle part of the day and night between 10 and 2 am/pm and vat dosha works in the last part of day and night between 2 and 6 am/pm.My research revealed the raga system to be constructed using precisely this principle, thus forming an intricate relationship between music and health. By varying pitch, seven sound frequencies soothing to our ears were discovered and seven major notes and five minor ones were fixed. They were called Sa, Re, Ga, Ma and so on.A reference in Sangeet Ratnakar, which says that since the lower sur notes are those of kaph dosha, morning ragas give prominence to the lower notes in the octave Mandra Saptak. Which means that if you want to meditate and calm your mind, listening to morning Ragas like Todi and Bhairav, and evening ragas like Bihag, Yaman and Shree will uplift your spirits and take your mind into the alpha state. These ragas are called the kaph dosha ragas.Similarly, ragas like Hindol and Deskar in the early morning and those like Puriya Dhanashree and Multani in the evening use higher notes, and help alleviate the imbalances of vat dosha like joint disorders and nervousness.Noon ragas like Sarang and Bhimpalas, and midnight ragas like Malkauns and Bageshree are solid, serious ragas revolving near the middle notes of the octave — Ma and Pa. These are the ragas that balance the pitta dosha function, and help cure problems like skin disorders and fits of rage. The writer is a reputed sitar player based in Mumbai and can be reached atshashankkatti@hotmail.com.