That which is mastered by continued arduous practice is called dhrupada. The Sanskrit language has been bound by the composition of grammar. For this reason, the Sanskrit language is called dhrupadii language. Other dhrupadii languages of this kind are old Arabic, Hebrew, Latin, old Greek and Pali. The Vedic language does not have any grammar, thus in this sense Vedic is not a dhrupadii language.

A certain type of music is also called dhrupadii. Some people mistakenly think that dhrupadii music refers perhaps to a special rága or rágińii or a composition in that raga, but this is not the case. Dhrupada is a certain type of method or style where the music is fixed in a certain scale. This method or style differed from place to place. For example, in Agra, Jaonpur, Lucknow, Gwalior, Varanasi, Betiah, Vishnupur, and so on, each music found expression in its own style. And from each of these distinctive styles arose a separate gharáńá [a particular style or school]. But it is necessary to mention that all of these gharáńás, their rendering styles being rigidly confined to only certain specific notes corresponding to a particular rága or ragińii, gradually came to the point of dying out. Their condition became like that of women wearing the veil. The music became thirsty and anxious for the slightest respite, to breathe a little fresh air [háoyá]. Incidentally, the word hává is a Turkish word. In order to reform the Turkish alphabet and spelling, Kemal Pasha (Kemal Atatürk) introduced Roman script. Similarly, in order to reform the rule-bound style of music and in the hopes of breathing a little fresh air, there was an effort in the Mughal court to breathe some life into dhrupadii music. In this case, although the correct scale was maintained, freedom was given to the vocalist to go here and there. This facility or opportunity was thus the music’s kheyál. This kheyál of dhrupadii saved the music from monotony. Dhrupadii music was cultivated in the Vishnupurii gharáńá of Bengal but it did not create its own kheyál. Bengali music hardly ever used to be sung in dhrupadii style, hence in that respect Bengali music was already somewhat free from this kind of monotony. It was for this reason, of course, that the need for kheyál was not felt in Bengali music.

When saḿgiita (the combined name for instrumental music, vocal music and dance) is not bound fast by the scale, that is, when the singer enjoys sufficient freedom in their vocals, when the dancers can direct their steps to some extent according to their own wishes, when the musicians enjoy a certain freedom with the metre while playing, then this kind of saḿgiita, that is, dance, vocal and instrumental music, can be called folk song, folk music and folk dance. However this does not mean that this folk music will always remain classified as folk music. When it becomes bound by certain rules, it will also rise to the level of dhrupadii, as has happened with Manipurii dance. This rising to the level of dhrupadii has two sides to it. On the one hand, when folk music rises to the level of dhrupadii, it gains a certain respect, a certain prestige. On the other hand, this respect and prestige prevent it from moving ahead on its path. The flowing river full of vitality gets transformed into a swamp choked with water hyacinths – the sun of its fortune sinks forever into the mud and mire.