Melakarta

Melakarta is a collection of fundamental ragas (musical scales) in Carnatic music (South Indian classical music). Melakarta ragas are parent ragas (hence known as janaka ragas) from which other ragas may be generated.

In Hindustani music the thaat is equivalent of Melakarta. There are 10 thaats in Hindustani music, though the commonly accepted melakarta scheme has 72 ragas.

A melakarta raga is sometimes referred as mela, karta or sampoorna as well.

Rules for Melakarta

Ragas must contain the following characteristics to be considered Melakarta.

• They are sampurna ragas - they contain all seven swaras (notes) of the octave in both ascending and descending scale
• They are krama sampurna ragas - that is the sequence is strictly ascending and descending in the scales, without any jumps or zig-zag notes
• The upper shadjam is included in the raga scale (ragas like Punnagavarali and Chenchurutti are not melakarta as they end with nishadham)
• The ascending and descending scales must have the same notes

History

The mela system of ragas was first propounded by Raamamaatya in his work Svaramelakalanidhi c. 1550. He is considered the father of mela system of ragas. Later Venkatamakhin expounded in the 17th century in his work Caturdandi Prakaasikaa a new mela system known today as melakarta. He had made some bold and controversial claims and defined somewhat arbitrarily 6 swaras from the known 12 semitones, at that time, to arrive at 72 melakarta ragas. The controversial parts relate to double counting of R2 (and similar swaras) and his exclusive selection of madyamas for which there is no specific reasoning. However, today the 72 melakarta ragas have gained significant following, though to this day this system is being criticized. Venkatamakhin was known to be extremely critical of Raamamaatya.

Determining the Melakarta

Main article: Katapayadi sankhya

A hundred years after Venkatamakhin's time the Katapayadi sankhya rule came to be applied to the nomenclature of the melakarta ragas. The sankhya associates Sanskrit consonants with digits. The digits corresponding to the first two syllables of the name of a raga, when reversed, give the index of the raga. Thus the scale of a melakarta raga can be easily derived from its name.

For example, Harikambhoji raga starts with syllables Ha and ri, which have numbers 8 and 2 associated with them. Reversing them we get 28. Hence Harikambhoji is the 28^th Melakarta raga. See Katapayadi sankhya for more details and examples.

Melakarta scale

Each melakarta raga has a different scale. 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 (scales) referred to as the Melakarta ragas as follows.

There are twelve semitones of the octave S, R1, R2=G1, R3=G2, G3, M1, M2, P, D1, D2=N1, D3=N2, N3 (see swaras in Carnatic music for explanation of these notations). 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 (krama sampoorna raga). This gives 2 × 6 × 6 = 72 ragas. Finding melakarta ragas is a mathematical process. By following a simple set of rules we can find the corresponding raga and the scale associated with it.

A raga which has a subset of swaras from a Melakarta raga is said to be a janya (means born or derived from) of that 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 shuddha rishabam or with Natabhairavi which has a chathusruthi rishabam. It is popularly associated with Natabhairavi.

Chakras

The 72 melakarta ragas are split into 12 groups called chakras, each containing 6 ragas. The ragas within the chakra differ only in the dhaivatham and nishadham notes (D and N), as illustrated below. The name of each of the 12 chakras suggest their ordinal number as well.

• Indu stands for the moon, of which we have only one - hence it is the first chakra.
• Netra means eyes, of which we have two - hence it is the second.
• Agni is the third chakra as it denotes the three divyagnis (fire, lightning and Sun).
• Veda denoting four Vedas is the name of the fourth chakra.
• Bana comes fifth as it stands for the five banas of Manmatha.
• Rutu is the sixth chakra standing for the 6 seasons of Hindu calendar.
• Rishi, meaning sage, is the seventh chakra representing the seven sages.
• Vasu stands for the eight vasus of Hinduism.
• Brahma comes next of which there are 9.
• The 10 directions, including akash (sky) and patal (nether region), is represented by the tenth chakra, Disi.
• Eleventh chakra is Rudra of which there are eleven.
• Twelfth comes Aditya of which there are twelve.

Table of Melakarta ragas

The 72 melakarta ragas can be divided into two parts. viz.,. suddha Madhyamam and prati Madhyamam ragas. When a given suddha madhyamam raga's M1 is replaced by M2, we get the corresponding prati madhyamam raga. See Katapayadi sankhya for more information on how to derive the various swaras of a raga from its melakarta number.

See swaras in Carnatic music for explanation of the notations like R1, G2, N2, etc.

'Mēḷakartā Rāgas'
'Suddha Madhyamam'			'Prati Madhyamam'
No.	Raga	Scale	No.	Raga	Scale
1.Indu Chakra			7. Rishi Chakra
1	Kanakangi	S R1 G1 M1 P D1 N1 S'	37	Salagam	S R1 G1 M2 P D1 N1 S'
2	Ratnangi	S R1 G1 M1 P D1 N2 S'	38	Jalarnavam	S R1 G1 M2 P D1 N2 S'
3	Ganamoorti	S R1 G1 M1 P D1 N3 S'	39	Jhalavarali	S R1 G1 M2 P D1 N3 S'
4	Vanaspati	S R1 G1 M1 P D2 N2 S'	40	Navaneetam	S R1 G1 M2 P D2 N2 S'
5	Manavati	S R1 G1 M1 P D2 N3 S'	41	Pavani	S R1 G1 M2 P D2 N3 S'
6	Tanaroopi	S R1 G1 M1 P D3 N3 S'	42	Raghupriya	S R1 G1 M2 P D3 N3 S'
2. Netra Chakra			8. Vasu Chakra
7	Senavati	S R1 G2 M1 P D1 N1 S'	43	Gavambhodi	S R1 G2 M2 P D1 N1 S'
8	Hanumatodi	S R1 G2 M1 P D1 N2 S'	44	Bhavapriya	S R1 G2 M2 P D1 N2 S'
9	Dhenuka	S R1 G2 M1 P D1 N3 S'	45	Shubhapantuvarali	S R1 G2 M2 P D1 N3 S'
10	Natakapriya	S R1 G2 M1 P D2 N2 S'	46	Shadvidamargini	S R1 G2 M2 P D2 N2 S'
11	Kokilapriya	S R1 G2 M1 P D2 N3 S'	47	Suvarnangi	S R1 G2 M2 P D2 N3 S'
12	Roopavati	S R1 G2 M1 P D3 N3 S'	48	Divyamani	S R1 G2 M2 P D3 N3 S'
3. Agni Chakra			9. Brahma Chakra
13	Gayakapriya	S R1 G3 M1 P D1 N1 S'	49	Dhavalambari	S R1 G3 M2 P D1 N1 S'
14	Vakulabharanam	S R1 G3 M1 P D1 N2 S'	50	Namanarayani	S R1 G3 M2 P D1 N2 S'
15	Mayamalavagowla	S R1 G3 M1 P D1 N3 S'	51	Kamavardani	S R1 G3 M2 P D1 N3 S'
16	Chakravakam	S R1 G3 M1 P D2 N2 S'	52	Ramapriya	S R1 G3 M2 P D2 N2 S'
17	Sooryakantam	S R1 G3 M1 P D2 N3 S'	53	Gamanashrama	S R1 G3 M2 P D2 N3 S'
18	Hatakambari	S R1 G3 M1 P D3 N3 S'	54	Vishwambari	S R1 G3 M2 P D3 N3 S'
4. Veda Chakra			10. Disi Chakra
19	Jhankaradhwani	S R2 G2 M1 P D1 N1 S'	55	Shamalangi	S R2 G2 M2 P D1 N1 S'
20	Natabhairavi	S R2 G2 M1 P D1 N2 S'	56	Shanmukhapriya	S R2 G2 M2 P D1 N2 S'
21	Keeravani	S R2 G2 M1 P D1 N3 S'	57	Simhendramadhyamam	S R2 G1 M2 P D1 N3 S'
22	Kharaharapriya	S R2 G2 M1 P D2 N2 S'	58	Hemavati	S R2 G2 M2 P D2 N2 S'
23	Gourimanohari	S R2 G2 M1 P D2 N3 S'	59	Dharmavati	S R2 G2 M2 P D2 N3 S'
24	Varunapriya	S R2 G2 M1 P D3 N3 S'	60	Neetimati	S R2 G2 M2 P D3 N3 S'
5. Bana Chakra			11. Rudra Chakra
25	Mararanjani	S R2 G3 M1 P D1 N1 S'	61	Kantamani	S R2 G3 M2 P D1 N1 S'
26	Charukesi	S R2 G3 M1 P D1 N2 S'	62	Rishabhapriya	S R2 G3 M2 P D1 N2 S'
27	Sarasangi	S R2 G3 M1 P D1 N3 S'	63	Latangi	S R2 G3 M2 P D1 N3 S'
28	Harikambhoji	S R2 G3 M1 P D2 N2 S'	64	Vachaspati	S R2 G3 M2 P D2 N2 S'
29	Dheerasankarabharanam	S R2 G3 M1 P D2 N3 S'	65	Mechakalyani	S R2 G3 M2 P D2 N3 S'
30	Naganandini	S R2 G3 M1 P D3 N3 S'	66	Chitrambari	S R2 G3 M2 P D3 N3 S'
6. Rutu Chakra			12. Aditya Chakra
31	Yagapriya	S R3 G3 M1 P D1 N1 S'	67	Sucharitra	S R3 G3 M2 P D1 N1 S'
32	Ragavardhini	S R3 G3 M1 P D1 N2 S'	68	Jyotiswaroopini	S R3 G3 M2 P D1 N2 S'
33	Gangeyabhooshani	S R3 G3 M1 P D1 N3 S'	69	Dhatuvardani	S R3 G3 M2 P D1 N3 S'
34	Vagadheeswari	S R3 G3 M1 P D2 N2 S'	70	Nasikabhooshani	S R3 G3 M2 P D2 N2 S'
35	Shoolini	S R3 G3 M1 P D2 N3 S'	71	Kosalam	S R3 G3 M2 P D2 N3 S'
36	Chalanata	S R3 G3 M1 P D3 N3 S'	72	Rasikapriya	S R3 G3 M2 P D3 N3 S'

See also

• Janya raga
• List of Janya Ragas
• Illustration of the notes in Melakarta ragas in a Keyboard layout at Wikimedia commons

External links

• The katapayadi sankhya applied to the melakarta ragas
• Explanation of the two melakarta systems
• Explanation of the melakarta and demonstration of ragas with piano keys
• Melakarta Raga Chart
• Basic Notes and their Western Equivalents
• Carnatic-composer: A community project where you can experiment online with the Melakarta Raga system and compose little tunes in Carnatic notation