Carnatic music( కర్నాటక సంగీతం written in Telugu language) prescribes a set of rules for building a melody.
Melakartha ragas classification
Venkatamakhi, who lived in the 16th century, structured the Carnatic music ragas into a mathematical table based on a scientific classification of their swaras. He identified a total of 72 ragas as Melakarta ragas or Janaka (the parent) ragas. All other ragas must be born out of one of the 72 ragas and therefore, are children ragas or Janya ragas.
These 72 ragas each have a name and are classified into two major groups of 36 each. The first set of 36 ragas all have one common swaram, the Sudha Madhyamam and the second set of 36 ragas all have one common swaram, the Prathimadhyamam. With in these two sets of 36 ragas each, they are further sub-divided into groups of six ragas for each group.
These 72 Melakarta ragas are divided into two main groups based on the madhyama swara of MA. There are 36 ragas with Suddhamadhyama and there are 36 ragas with Pratimadhyama to form a total of 72 Melakarta ragas. Each of them is further divided into groups of six ragas or Chakras. Ragas within a charka will have identical one of the following three notes: rishabam or Ri, gandharam or Ga, and Madhyamam or Ma. The following table illustrates the grouping.
|
|
Shudda madyama M1 |
|
|
Prathi madyama M2 |
|
|
Chakra 1 |
|
|
Chakra 7 |
|
1 |
kanakaangi (kanakaambari) |
R1 G1 D1 N1 |
37 |
saalagam (sowgandini) |
|
2 |
ratnaangi (phEnadhyuti) |
R1 G1 D1 N2 |
38 |
jalaarnavam (jaganmOhinam) |
|
3 |
gaanamoorti (gaanasaamavaraaLi) |
R1 G1 D1 N3 |
39 |
jhaalavaraaLi (dhaalivaraaLi) |
|
4 |
vanaspati (bhaanumati) |
R1 G1 D2 N2 |
40 |
navaneetam (nabhOmaNi) |
|
5 |
maanavati (manOranjani) |
R1 G1 D2 N3 |
41 |
paavani (kumbhini) |
|
6 |
taanaroopi (tanukeerti) |
R1 G1 D3 N3 |
42 |
raghupriyaa (ravikriyaa) |
|
|
Chakra 2 |
|
|
Chakra 8 |
|
7 |
sEnaavati (sEnaagraNi) |
R1 G2 D1 N1 |
43 |
ghavaambhodi (geervaaNi) |
|
8 |
hanumatODi (janatODi) |
R1 G2 D1 N2 |
44 |
bhaavapriya (bhavaani) |
|
9 |
dhEnukaa (dhunibhinnashadjam) |
R1 G2 D1 N3 |
45 |
shubhapantuvaraaLi (shivapantuvaraaLi) |
|
10 |
naaTakapriyaa (naTabharaNam) |
R1 G2 D2 N2 |
46 |
shhadvidamaargini (stavaraajam) |
|
11 |
kOkilapriyaa (kOkilaaravam) |
R1 G2 D2 N3 |
47 |
suvarnaangi (sowveeram) |
|
12 |
roopavati |
R1 G2 D3 N3 |
48 |
divyamaNi (jeevantikaa) |
|
|
Chakra 3 |
|
|
Chakra 9 |
|
13 |
gaayakapriyaa (geya hejjajji) |
R1 G3 D1 N1 |
49 |
dhavalaambari (dhavalaangam) |
|
14 |
vakulaabharaNam (vaaTee vasantabhairavi) |
R1 G3 D1 N2 |
50 |
naamanaaraayaNi (naamadEshi) |
|
15 |
maayamaaLava gowLa |
R1 G3 D1 N3 |
51 |
kAmavardhini |
|
16 |
cakravaakam (tOyavEgavaahini) |
R1 G3 D2 N2 |
52 |
raamapriyaa (ramaamanOhari) |
|
17 |
sooryakaantam (chaayaavati) |
R1 G3 D2 N3 |
53 |
gamanashramaa (gamakakriyaa) |
|
18 |
haaTakaambari (jayashuddhamaaLavi) |
R1 G3 D3 N3 |
54 |
vishvaambhari (vamshavati) |
|
|
Chakra 4 |
|
|
Chakra 10 |
|
19 |
jhankaaradhwani (jhankaarabhramari) |
R2 G2 D1 N1 |
55 |
shyaamaLaangi (shyaamaLam) |
|
20 |
naTabhairavi (naareereetigowLa) |
R2 G2 D1 N2 |
56 |
shhanmugapriyaa (caamaram) |
|
21 |
keeravaaNi (keeraNaavaLi) |
R2 G2 D1 N3 |
57 |
simhEndra madhyamam (sumadyuti) |
|
22 |
kharaharapriya (shreeraagam) |
R2 G2 D2 N2 |
58 |
hEmaavati (dEshisimhaaravam) |
|
23 |
gowri manOhari (gowrivElaavaLi) |
R2 G2 D2 N3 |
59 |
dharmaavati (dhaamavati) |
|
24 |
varuNapriyaa (veeravasantam) |
R2 G2 D3 N3 |
60 |
neetimati (nishhadam) |
|
|
Chakra 5 |
|
|
Chakra 11 |
|
25 |
maararanjani (sharaavati) |
R2 G3 D1 N1 |
61 |
kaantaamaNi (kuntaLam) |
|
26 |
caarukEshi (tarangini) |
R2 G3 D1 N2 |
62 |
rishhabapriyaa (ratipriyaa) |
|
27 |
sarasaangi (sowrasEnaa) |
R2 G3 D1 N3 |
63 |
lataangi (geetapriyaa) |
|
28 |
harikaambhOji (harikEdaaragowLa) |
R2 G3 D2 N2 |
64 |
vaacaspati (bhooshaavati) |
|
29 |
dheera shankaraabharaNam |
R2 G3 D2 N3 |
65 |
mEcakalyaaNi (shaantakalyaaNi) |
|
30 |
nagaanandini (naagaabharaNam) |
R2 G3 D3 N3 |
66 |
citraambari (caturaaNgiNi) |
|
|
Chakra 6 |
|
|
Chakra 12 |
|
31 |
yaagapriyaa (kalaavati) |
R3 G3 D1 N1 |
67 |
sucaritra (santaana manjari) |
|
32 |
raagavardhani (raagacooDaamaNi) |
R3 G3 D1 N2 |
68 |
jyOtiswaroopini (jyOti raaga) |
|
33 |
gangayabhooshhani (gangaatarangini) |
R3 G3 D1 N3 |
69 |
dhaatuvardani (dhowta pancamam) |
|
34 |
vaagadeeshwari (bhOgachaayaa naaTTai) |
R3 G3 D2 N2 |
70 |
naasikabhooshhaNi (naasaamaNi) |
|
35 |
shoolini (shailadEshaakshhi) |
R3 G3 D2 N3 |
71 |
kosalam (kusumaakaram) |
|
36 |
calanaaTTai |
R3 G3 D3 N3 |
72 |
rasikapriyaa (rasamanjari) |
From the names of the ragas, we will be able to identify the Melakarta to which it belongs. This is provided by the kaTapayadi scheme. According to this scheme, the first two letters of a raga will lead us to identify the melakarta to which it belongs. The following table is useful for this purpose.
|
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
0 |
|
ka |
kha |
ga |
gha |
Nga |
Ca |
cha |
ja |
Jha |
nya |
|
Ta |
Tha |
Da |
Dha |
Na |
Ta |
tha |
da |
Dha |
na |
|
pa |
pha |
ba |
bha |
Ma |
|
|
|
|
|
|
ya |
ra |
la |
va |
Sha |
Shha |
sa |
ha |
|
|