In Indian classical music, particularly Carnatic music, a mudra (; Sanskrit for sign or symbol) is a term woven into compositions that indicates the identity of the composer, a patron, the raga, tala, or style. A composer might use his own name or a pseudonym. Not all composers have mudras, and they do not necessarily relate to the composer's name.
List of mudras
Hindustani musicians + Mudra (English) Mudra (Devanagari) Musician Translation Gharana DetailsAdā-ranga अदारंग Firoz Khān of Delhi "Colors of Grace." Seniya Qawwal Bacche || 18th-century dhrupadiya in Rangile's Court.Ashiq-rangआशिक रंगMir Saleh "Colors of LoverQawwal BaccheAchpalअच्पलSheikh Ajmal Khan SahabQawwal BaccheBahadur Shah Zafar Teacher Abhī-raṅga अभीरंग Abhijith Shenoy Kerki "Colors of fearlessness." Gwalior, Agra, Atrauli Ālama आलम Ālamara Begum Khāsmahal Ahmeda-piyā अहमदपिया Alladiya Khan "Lover of Ahmed." Jaipur-Atrauli Akhtara-piyā अख़्तरपिया Wajid Ali Shah Amara, Amara-piyā अमर, अमरपिया Aman Ali Khan Bhendi-Bazaar Amaradāsa, Amara-piyā अमरदास, अमरपिया Navrang Nagpurkar Bhendi-Bazaar Ānanda आनन्द Pralhad Ganu Agra, Atrauli Ananga-raṅga अनंगरंग Acharya Brihaspati Azīza-piyā अज़ीजपिया Mehboob Baksh Khan Agra Bhāva-raṅga भावरंग Balwantrai Bhatt Gwalior Bindā बिन्दा Bindadin Maharaj Lucknow Chakra-piyā चक्रपिया Chakradhar Singh Chānda-piyā चान्दपिया Chand Khan Delhi Chatura, Chatura Pandit चतुर, चतुरपण्डित Vishnu Narayan Bhatkhande Rampur Chita-Ānanda चित-आनन्द Chidanand Nagarkar "Elated consciousness." Agra Darasa-piyā दरसपिया Mehboob Khān of Agra Agra Darasa-piyā दरसपिया Shafi Ahmed Khān of Atrauli Atrauli Darpaṇa दर्पण Yunus Hussain Khan "Mirror." Agra, Atrauli Deva-raṅga देवरंग Daibashish Gangopadhyay "Divine Colors." Musician, Composer, Music director Dhyāna-raṅga-piyā ध्यानरंगपिया Mani Prasad Kirana Dila-raṅga दिलरंग Azmat Hussain Khan "Colors of the Heart." Khurja, Atrauli Dina-raṅga दिनरंग Dinkar Kaikini "Colors of the Day." Agra, Atrauli Gaan-guni गान-गुणी B.Krishna Bhat Gwalior Gauhara, Gauharapyari गौहर, गौहरप्यारी Gauhar Jaan Guṇa-piyā गुणपिया Chhota Gandharva "Lover of Qualities." Guṇa-raṅga गुणरंग Fayyaz Ahmad Khan "Colors of Qualities." Kirana Guṇi-dāsa गुणीदास Jagganathbuwa Purohit "Servant of Qualities." Agra, Atrauli Guṇi-jāna गुणीजान CR Vyas Gwalior, Agra, Atrauli Guṇiye गुणिये Vasantrao Kulkarni Gwalior, Agra, Atrauli Guru-raṅga गुरुरंग Vrajotsavji Maharaj] Gyāna-raṅga ज्ञानरंग Aarshin KarandeArchived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine: Mewati Govinda गोविंद Govindrao Dantale Mewati Hara-raṅga हररंग Muhammad Ali Khan Hara-raṅga हररंग Vishnu Narayan Bhatkhande Rampur Musicologist. Hari-priyā हरिप्रिया Harishchandra Bali Agra, Atrauli Hinga-raṅga हिंगरंग Hussain Ali Khan "Colors of Hinga." Kirana Ināyata, Ināyata-piyā इनायत, इनायतपिया Inayat Hussain Khan "Lover of Inayat." Rampur-Sahaswan Ibrāhīm-piyā इब्राहीमपिया Ibrahim Khan of Tonk Rampur-Sahaswan Jasa जस Pandit Jasraj "Glory." Mewati Jyōti-raṅga ज्योतिरंग Rajaram Shukla Khush-rang खुशरंगUstad Muzaffar Khan Sikanderabad Delhi Gharana Khusha-raṅga ख़ुशरंग Aslam Hussain Khan Hapur, Khurja Kharaharapriya-dāsa खरहरप्रियादासBholanath Bhatt Benares Krishṇa-dāsa कृष्णदास Master Krishnarao Gwalior, Agra, Jaipur-Atrauli, Kirana Lalana-piyā ललनपिया Nandalal Sharma Lāla-raṅga लालरंग Chaman Lal Varma Madhura-piyā मधुरपिया Gokulotsavji Maharaj Magana मगन Chinmoy Lahiri Agra, Atrauli Magana-piyā मगनपिया Mashiyat Khan Agra Manahara मनहर Murli Manohar Shukla Manahara-piyā मनहरपिया Abdullah Khan Agra, Atrauli Manahara-piyā मनहरपिया Prem Prakash Johri Mana-raṅga मनरंग Bhupat Khan Seniya Mana-rangमनरंगMaste Khan Sheikh MazharQawwal Bacche Sikandrabad Mana-raṅga मनरंग Mahawat Khan of Jaipur Manapiya मनपिया Pamalka Karunanayake of Sri Lanka Mita-raṅga मितरंग Deviprasad Kharwandikar "Colors of Measure." Mohana-piyā मोहनपिया Aqeel Ahmed Khan Agra Nāda-piyā नादपिया V R Athavale "Lover of naad." Gwalior, Agra Nāda-raṅga नादरंग Dilip Chandra Vedi "Colors of naad." Patiala, Agra, Atrauli Nāda-raṅga नादरंग Sandeep Ranade "Colors of naad." Mewati Nātha-piyā नाथपिया Vilayat Khan Etawah Sitarist. Enayet Khan's Rajput name was "Nath Singh." Niguṇa निगुण Neelkanth Abhyankar Agra, Atrauli Prāṇa-piyā प्राणपिया Vilayat Hussain Khan Agra, Atrauli Pranava-raṅga प्रणवरंग Omkarnath Thakur "Colors of Om." Gwalior Prema-piyā प्रेमपिया Faiyaz Khan "Lover of Affect." Agra Prema-dāsa प्रेमदास Latafat Hussain Khan "Servant of Affect." Agra, Atrauli Prema-raṅga प्रेमरंग Sharafat Hussain Khan "Colors of Affect." Agra, Atrauli Prema-raṅga प्रेमरंग Ratnakar Ramnathkar "Colors of Affect." Agra, Atrauli Qadara-piyā क़दरपिया Mirza Bala Qadar of Rampur Thumri composer. Ratana-piyā रतनपिया Ata Hussain Khan Agra Rāma-dāsa रामदास Zahoor Khan Khurja Rāma-raṅga रामरंग Ramashreya Jha Raṅgile रंगीले Ramzan Khan Rangile Sikandrabad Rangeela Gharana Rasa-dāsa रसदास Arun Kashalkar Gwalior, Agra, Atrauli, Jaipur-Atrauli Rasa-dāsī रसदासी Veen Vishwaroop Agra, Atrauli Rasa-piyā रसपिया Babanrao Haldankar Agra, Atrauli, Jaipur-Atrauli Rasa-raṅga रसरंग Bade Inayat Hussain Khan Gwalior Rasa-raṅga रसरंग Anwar Hussain Khan Agra, Atrauli Rasika-piyā रसिकपिया Dhruv Tara Joshi Rasika-raṅga रसिकरंग Ashok Ranade Gwalior Musicologist Rasika-raṅga रसिकरंग Deepak Chatterjee Razā-piyā रज़ापिया Raza Ali Khan Patiala Nawab. Saba-raṅga सबरंग Ghulam Abbas Khan Agra Saba-raṅga सबरंग Bade Ghulam Ali Khan Patiala Saba-rasa सबरस Ghulam Maulvi Khan Patiala Shok-rangशोक रंगBahadur Shah ZafarLast Mughal EmperorSadā-raṅga सदारंग Niyamat Khān of Delhi Seniya Qawwal Bacche || Descendant of Tansen, dhrupadiya in Rangile's Court. Saguṇa-piyā सगुणपिया Yashpal Agra, Atrauli Sajana-piyā सजनपिया Khadim Hussain Khan Agra, Atrauli Samajh-DilसमझदिलUstad Nazeer Ahmed KhanQawwal Bacche, Delhi GharanaNizam's Court Singer Samajha-dila समझदिल Enayat Khan Etawah, Agra Sanada-piyā सनदपिया Tawakkul Husain Khan of Rampur Jaipur Thumri composer. Sanehī-piyā सनेहीपिया Gulam Qadar Khan Agra Sarasa-piyā सरसपिया Kale Khan Agra Sarasa-raṅga सरसरंग Qayam Khan Agra Shakīla-piyā शकीलपिया Nanhe Khan Agra Shōk, Shōka-raṅga शोक, शोकरंग Kumar Gandharva Gwalior Shōri, Shōri Miyān शोरी, शोरी मियाँ Miyan Ghulam Nabi Shori Lucknow Shubha-raṅga शुभरंग Shubhada Paradkar Shyāma-raṅga श्यामरंग Dayam Khan Agra Shyāma-raṅga श्यामरंग Jitendra Abhisheki Atrauli, Khurja Subha-raṅga सुभरंग Shankarlal Mishra Sughara-piyā सुघरपिया Bhaiya Ganpatrao Gwalior Sujana-dāsa सुजनदास Yashwant Mahale Agra, Atrauli Sujanasuta सुजनसुत K. G. Ginde Agra, Atrauli Sujāna सुजान Haji Sujan Khan Agra Sujāna, Sujāna-piyā सुजान, सुजानपिया S. N. Ratanjankar Agra, Atrauli Sura-raṅga सुररंग Amir Khan Indore, Kirana, Bhendi-Bazaar Taan-Rasतनरास Ustad Taanras KhanQawwal Bacche Delhi GharanaFounder Of Delhi Gharana Last Mughal Singer Tana-raṅga तनरंग Vishwanath Rao Ringe Gwalior Vyākul व्याकुल Vyakul of Ayodhya Guru of Ramashreya Jha Vedī वेदी Dilip Chandra Vedi "Colors of naad." Patiala, Agra, Atrauli Vinōda-piyā विनोदपिया Tasadduq Hussain Khan Agra Son of Kallan Khan, Agra Gharana. Vraja-raṅga व्रजरंग Vrajotsavji Maharaj Yasha-raṅga यशरंग Yeshwantbua Joshi Gwalior, Agra, Atrauli
Carnatic musicians +NameMudraNotesTallapaka AnnamayyaVenkataVyasatirthaSri Krishna/ Siri Krishna/KrishnaVadiraja TirthaHayavadanaSripadarajaRanga VitthalaJagannatha Dasa Jagannatha VitthalaGopala DasaGopala VithalaVijaya DasaVijaya VithalaPurandara DasaPurandara VitthalaKanaka Dasa Adi KeshavaTyagarajaTyagarajaShyama ShastriShyama KrishnaMuthuswami DikshitarGuruguhaGuha is one of the many names of Murugan, the deity at Tiruttani, the site of his first composition.Swati TirunalBhadrachala RamadasRamadasuPapanasam SivanRamadasanGopalakrishna BharathiBalakrishnan, GopalakrishnanHarikesanallur Muthiah BhagavatarHarikeshaNarayana TeerthaNarayana TeerthaPatnam Subramania IyerVenkateshwara, VenkateshaMysore VasudevacharyaMysore V. RamarathnamM. D. RamanathanVarada DasaM. BalamuralikrishnaMaharajapuram SanthanamMaharajanKoteeswara IyerKavi Kunjara DasaKshetrayyaMuvva GopalaSadashiva Brahmendra swamiParamahamsaT. G. Krishna Iyer (Lalitha Dasa)LalithaJayachamarajendra WadiyarSri Vidya
References