Melakarta Raaga’s

Melakarta is a collection of Ragas in Carnatic music. Melakarta ragas are fundamental ragas from which other ragas may be generated. For this reason the melakarta ragas are also known as janaka (parent) ragas. Melakarta ragas are also known as sampoorna ragas as they contain all seven swaras (notes) of the octave in both the ascending and the descending mode. There are 72 melakarta ragas.

Each melakarta raga has a different scale. The scales are constructed as follows: out of the twelve semitones of the octave S, R1, R2=G1, R3=G2, G3, M1, M2, P, D1, D2=N1, D3=N2, N3, a melakarta raga must necessarily have S and P, one of the M’s, one each of the R’s and G’s, and one each of the D’s and N’s. Also, R must necessarily precede G and D must precede N. This gives 2 × 6 × 6 = 72 melakarta ragas. Finding melakarta ragas is a mathematical problem and following a simple set of rules, we can find the corresponding raga and the scale associated with it.

This scheme envisages the lower Sa (Keezh Shadjamam), upper Sa (Mael Shadjamam) and Pa (Panchamam) as fixed swaras, with the Ma (Madhyamam) having two variants and the remaining swaras Ri (Rishabam), Ga (Gandhaaram), Dha (Dhaivatham) and Ni (Nishaadham) as having three variants each. This leads to 72 seven-note combinations referred to as the Melakarta ragas.

A raga which has a subset of swaras from a Melakarta raga is said to be a janya (means born or derived from) of tha Melakarta raga. Every raga is the janya of a melakarta raga. Janya ragas whose notes are found in more than one melakarta raga are assigned (or associated) parent Melakarta based on subjective notions of similarity. This is obvious for ragas that have less than seven notes. For such ragas it can be associated with a Melakarta which has any of the different swaras in that position. For example, Hindolam has Rishabam and Panchamam missing. Hence, it could be considered a janya of Todi (also known as Hanumatodi) which has shudha rishabam or with Natabhairavi which has a chathusruthi rishabam. It is popularly associated with Natabhairavi.

List of Melakarta Raaga’s 

 

Suddha Madhyamam (1 - 36)

1. Indu Chakra

 

1. Kanakangi                                 S R1 G1 M1 P D1 N1
2. Ratnangi                                   S R1 G1 M1 P D1 N2
3. Ganamoorti                               S R1 G1 M1 P D1 N3
4. Vanaspati                                  S R1 G1 M1 P D2 N2
5. Manavati                                   S R1 G1 M1 P D2 N3    
6. Tanarupi                                    S R1 G1 M1 P D3 N3    

 

2. Netra Chakra

 

1. Senavati                                    S R1 G2 M1 P D1 N1
2. Hanumatodi                               S R1 G2 M1 P D1 N2
3. Dhenuka                                   S R1 G2 M1 P D1 N3
4. Natakapriya                               S R1 G2 M1 P D2 N2
5. Kokilapriya                                S R1 G2 M1 P D2 N3
6. Roopavati                                  S R1 G2 M1 P D3 N3

 

3. Agni Chakra

 

1. Gayakapriya                              S R1 G3 M1 P D1 N1
2. Vakulabharanam                        S R1 G3 M1 P D1 N2
3. Mayamalavagowla                      S R1 G3 M1 P D1 N3
4. Chakravakam                             S R1 G3 M1 P D2 N2
5. Sooryakantam                           S R1 G3 M1 P D2 N3
6. Hatakambari                              S R1 G3 M1 P D3 N3 

4. Veda Chakra

 

1. Jhankaradhwani                         S R2 G2 M1 P D1 N1
2. Natabhairavi                               S R2 G2 M1 P D1 N2
3. Keeravani                                  S R2 G2 M1 P D1 N3
4. Kharaharapriya                          S R2 G2 M1 P D2 N2
5. Gourimanohari                           S R2 G2 M1 P D2 N3
6. Varunapriya                               S R2 G2 M1 P D3 N3

 

5. Bana Chakra

 

1. Mararanjani                               S R2 G3 M1 P D1 N1
2. Charukesi                                  S R2 G3 M1 P D1 N2
3. Sarasangi                                  S R2 G3 M1 P D1 N3
4. Harikambhoji                             S R2 G3 M1 P D2 N2
5. Dheerasankarabharanam            S R2 G3 M1 P D2 N3
6. Naganandini                              S R2 G3 M1 P D3 N3

 

6. Ritu Chakra

 

1. Yagapriya                                  S R3 G3 M1 P D1 N1
2. Ragavardhini                              S R3 G3 M1 P D1 N2
3. Gangeyabhusani                        S R3 G3 M1 P D1 N3
4. Vagadheeswari                          S R3 G3 M1 P D2 N2
5. Sulini                                        S R3 G3 M1 P D2 N3
6. Chalanata                                  S R3 G3 M1 P D3 N3 

Prati Madhyamam (37-72)

7. Rishi Chakra

1. Salagam                                   S R1 G1 M2 P D1 N1
2. Jalarnavam                                S R1 G1 M2 P D1 N2
3. Jhalavarali                                 S R1 G1 M2 P D1 N3
4. Navaneetam                              S R1 G1 M2 P D2 N2
5. Pavani                                      S R1 G1 M2 P D2 N3
6. Raghupriya                               S R1 G1 M2 P D3 N3 

8. Vasu Chakra

 

1. Gavambodhi                              S R1 G2 M2 P D1 N1
2. Bhavapriya                                S R1 G2 M2 P D1 N2
3. Subhapantuvarali                       S R1 G2 M2 P D1 N3
4. Shadvidhamargini                      S R1 G2 M2 P D2 N2
5. Suvarnangi                                S R1 G2 M2 P D2 N3
6. Divyamani                                 S R1 G2 M2 P D3 N3

 

9. Brahma Chakra

 

1. Dhavalambari                            S R1 G3 M2 P D1 N1
2. Namanarayani                          S R1 G3 M2 P D1 N2
3. Kamavardhini                            S R1 G3 M2 P D1 N3
4. Ramapriya                                S R1 G3 M2 P D2 N2
5. Gamanasrama                          S R1 G3 M2 P D2 N3
6. Viswambhari                             S R1 G3 M2 P D3 N3

 

10. Disi Chakra

 

1. Syamalangi                               S R2 G2 M2 P D1 N1
2. Shanmukhapriya                        S R2 G2 M2 P D1 N2
3. Simhendramadhyamam              S R2 G2 M2 P D1 N3
4. Hemavati                                   S R2 G2 M2 P D2 N2
5. Dharmavati                                S R2 G2 M2 P D2 N3
6. Neetimati                                  S R2 G2 M2 P D3 N3

 

11. Rudra Chakra

 

1. Kantamani                                 S R2 G3 M2 P D1 N1
2. Rishabhapriya                            S R2 G3 M2 P D1 N2
3. Latangi                                      S R2 G3 M2 P D1 N3
4. Vachaspati                                S R2 G3 M2 P D2 N2
5. Mechakalyani                            S R2 G3 M2 P D2 N3
6. Chitrambhari                              S R2 G3 M2 P D3 N3

 

12. Aditya Chakra

 

1. Sucharitra                                 S R3 G3 M2 P D1 N1
2. Jyotiswarupini                            S R3 G3 M2 P D1 N2
3. Dhatuvardhini                             S R3 G3 M2 P D1 N3
4. Nasikabhusani                           S R3 G3 M2 P D2 N2
5. Kosalam                                   S R3 G3 M2 P D2 N3
6. Rasikapriya                               S R3 G3 M2 P D3 N3

Tags: Carnatic, Eastern, Melakarta, Raaga