Dwi-Madhyama Panchama Varja Ragas

Dwi-Madhyama Panchama Varja ragas is a melakarta scheme of Carnatic music of South India, mentioned in the Ashtotharasata (108) mela scheme. In this scheme the regular 72 mela ragas are expanded to 108, by including the possible 36 vikritha panchama melas. The 36 additional melakartas take both the madhyamas and do not have the panchama, in which the prathi madhyama is sung in place of panchama.

Origins

edit

S. Kalyanaraman, popularly known as SKR, was a legendary vocalist in the Carnatic tradition. Hailing from a famed musical family, where his great-grandfather was Komal Muthu Bhagavathar and his grand uncle was the celebrated vocalist Madirimangalam Natesa Iyer, S. Kalyanaraman became one of the foremost disciples of G. N. Balasubramaniam and established himself as an original musician in his own right. Kalyanaraman's music undeniably bore the GNB mudra.

Later Kalyanaraman ventured deeper into the scales and came up with the 36 Dwi madhyama panchama varja ragams.

Example

edit

For example, the scale of Mayamalavagowla is

The equivalent raga in the additional 36 ragas is Mayasri's, the scale for which is

  • Arohana : S R1 G3 M1 M2 D1 N3 S
  • Avarohana : S N3 D1 M2 M1 G3 R1 S

In above example, the Panchama (P) is replaced by prati madhyama (M2).

Extended ragas

edit

The name of the mela can be easily found out by looking at the first word. All these ragas have the suffix "Sri". Likewise the scale for all the 36 ragas can be easily derived.

Nomenclature given by Tanjavur S. Kalyanaraman is as follows :

  1. Kanakangi – Kanagasri
  2. Rathnangi – Rathnasri
  3. Ganamurthy – Ganasri
  4. Vanaspathy – Vanasri
  5. Manavathi – Manasri
  6. Thanarupi – Thanasri
  7. Senavati – Sunadhasri
  8. Hanuma Thodi – Hanumasri
  9. Dhenuka – Dhensri
  10. Natakapriya – Natakasri
  11. Kokilapriya – Kokilasri
  12. Roopavathi – Roopasri
  13. Gayakapriya – Gayakasri
  14. Vakulabharanam – Vakulasri
  15. Mayamalavagowla – Mayasri
  16. Chakravakam – Chakrasri
  17. Suryakantham – Suryasri
  18. Hatakambari – Hatasri
  19. Jhankaradhwani – Jhankarasri
  20. Natabhairavi – Natasri
  21. Kiravani – Kiranasri
  22. Kharaharapriya – Kharasri
  23. Gowrimanohari – Gowrisri
  24. VarunaPriya – Varunasri
  25. Mararanjani – Marasri
  26. Charukesi – Charusri
  27. Sarasangi – Sarasri
  28. Harikamboji – Harisri
  29. Dheerasankarabharanam – Dheerasri
  30. Naganandhani – Nagasri
  31. Yagapriya – Yagasri
  32. Raghavardhani – Raghasri
  33. Gangeyabooshani – Gangasri
  34. Vaghadheeswari – Vaghasri
  35. Sulini—Sulinisri
  36. Chalanata – Chalasri

References

edit