Asampurna Melakarta

The Asampurna Melakarta (transliterated as Asaṃpūrṇa Mēḷakarta) scheme is the system of 72 ragas (musical scales) originally proposed in the 17th century by Venkatamakhin in his Chaturdanda Prakasikha. This proposal used scales with notes that do not conform to the sampurna raga system. Skipped notes or repeated notes, etc., were used in some of the ragas. Some of the ragas of any Melakarta system will use Vivadi swaras (discordant notes). The original system is supposed to avoid such ill-effects and was followed by the Muthuswami Dikshitar school. The naming of the original system followed Katapayadi system. Muthuswami Dikshitar's compositions use the name of these ragas in the lyrics of the songs and is still referred to by those names even in radio / TV announcements of these songs.

Later Govindacharya came up with a more mathematical and regular system of 72 ragas, which is currently considered fundamental ragas (musical scales) in Carnatic music (South Indian classical music). These melakarta ragas were sampurna ragas. Some of the names of the ragas had to be modified to fit into the Katapayadi system.

Rules for Melakarta

In the Asampurna Melakarta system, there is no set rule for the ragas in contrast to the currently used system of Melakarta ragas. Some ragas though are the same in both systems (like 15 - Mayamalavagowla and 29 - Dheerasankarabharanam), and in some cases the scales are same, while names are different (like 8 - Janatodi and Hanumatodi, 56 - Chamaram and Shanmukhapriya).

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 (also known as asampurna melas as opposed to sampurna ragas). However, today the 72 melakarta ragas use a standardized pattern, unlike Venkatamakhin's pattern, and have gained significant following. Govindhacharya is credited with standardization of rules and giving a different name for such standard ragas, which have different structure but same swaras as that proposed by Venkatamakhin. The scales in this page are those proposed by Govindhacharya.Template:Citation needed

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 agnis or the holy fires (laukikaagni - earthly fire, daavaagni - lightning, and divyaagni - the Sun).
• Veda denoting four Vedas or scriptures namely Rigveda, Samaveda, Yajurveda, Atharvaveda 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 represents the eleven names of Lord Shiva.
• Twelfth comes Aditya of which stands for the twelve names of Lord Surya or the Sun God.

Melakarta table

The 72 melakarta ragas can be divided into two parts: suddha Madhyamam and prati Madhyamam ragas. 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.

'Shuddha Madhyamam ragas'
No.	Raga	Arohana	Avarohana	Sampurna raga equivalent
1. Indu Chakra
1	Kanakambari	Template:SvaraC	Template:SvaraC	Kanakangi
2	Phenadyuti	Template:SvaraC	Template:SvaraC	Ratnangi
3	Ganasamavarali	Template:SvaraC	Template:SvaraC	Ganamurti
4	Bhanumati	Template:SvaraC	Template:SvaraC	Vanaspati
5	Manoranjani	Template:SvaraC	Template:SvaraC	Manavati
6	Tanukeerti	Template:SvaraC	Template:SvaraC	Tanarupi
2. Netra Chakra
7	Senagrani	Template:SvaraC	Template:SvaraC	Senavati
8	Janatodi	Template:SvaraC	Template:SvaraC	Hanumatodi
9	Dhunibhinnashadjam	Template:SvaraC	Template:SvaraC	Dhenuka
10	Natabharanam	Template:SvaraC	Template:SvaraC	Natakapriya
11	Kokilaravam	Template:SvaraC	Template:SvaraC	Kokilapriya
12	Rupavati	Template:SvaraC	Template:SvaraC	Rupavati
3. Agni Chakra
13	Geyahejjujji	Template:SvaraC	Template:SvaraC	Gayakapriya
14	Vativasantabhairavi (Dhativasantabhairavi)	Template:SvaraC	Template:SvaraC	Vakulabharanam
15	Mayamalavagowla	Template:SvaraC	Template:SvaraC	Mayamalavagowla
16	Toyavegavahini	Template:SvaraC	Template:SvaraC	Chakravakam
17	Chayavati	Template:SvaraC	Template:SvaraC	Suryakantam
18	Jayashuddhamalavi	Template:SvaraC	Template:SvaraC	Hatakambari
4. Veda Chakra
19	Jhankarabhramari	Template:SvaraC	Template:SvaraC	Jhankaradhwani
20	Nariritigaula	Template:SvaraC	Template:SvaraC	Natabhairavi
21	Kiranavali	Template:SvaraC	Template:SvaraC	Keeravani
22	Sree	Template:SvaraC	Template:SvaraC	Kharaharapriya
23	Gourivelavali	Template:SvaraC	Template:SvaraC	Gourimanohari
24	Viravasantam	Template:SvaraC	Template:SvaraC	Varunapriya
5. Bana Chakra
25	Sharavati	Template:SvaraC	Template:SvaraC	Mararanjani
26	Tarangini	Template:SvaraC	Template:SvaraC	Charukesi
27	Sowrasena	Template:SvaraC	Template:SvaraC	Sarasangi
28	Harikedaragaula	Template:SvaraC	Template:SvaraC	Harikambhoji
29	Sankarabharanam	Template:SvaraC	Template:SvaraC	Sankarabharanam
30	Nagabharanam	Template:SvaraC	Template:SvaraC	Naganandini
6. Rutu Chakra
31	Kalavati	Template:SvaraC	Template:SvaraC	Yagapriya
32	Ragachudamani	Template:SvaraC	Template:SvaraC	Ragavardhini
33	Gangatarangini	Template:SvaraC	Template:SvaraC	Gangeyabhushani
34	Bhogachayanata	Template:SvaraC	Template:SvaraC	Vagadheeswari
35	Shailadeshakshi	Template:SvaraC	Template:SvaraC	Shulini
36	Chalanata	Template:SvaraC	Template:SvaraC	Chalanata
'Prati Madhyamam ragas'
7. Rishi Chakra
37	Saugandhini	Template:SvaraC	Template:SvaraC	Salagam
38	Jaganmohanam	Template:SvaraC	Template:SvaraC	Jalarnavam
39	Dhalivarali	Template:SvaraC	Template:SvaraC	Jhalavarali
40	Nabhomani	Template:SvaraC	Template:SvaraC	Navaneetam
41	Kumbhini	Template:SvaraC	Template:SvaraC	Pavani
42	Ravikriya	Template:SvaraC	Template:SvaraC	Raghupriya
8. Vasu Chakra
43	Girvani	Template:SvaraC	Template:SvaraC	Gavambhodi
44	Bhavani	Template:SvaraC	Template:SvaraC	Bhavapriya
45	Shivapantuvarali	Template:SvaraC	Template:SvaraC	Shubhapantuvarali
46	Stavarajam	Template:SvaraC	Template:SvaraC	Shadvidamargini
47	Sauviram	Template:SvaraC	Template:SvaraC	Suvarnangi
48	Jivantika	Template:SvaraC	Template:SvaraC	Divyamani
9. Brahma Chakra
49	Dhavalangam	Template:SvaraC	Template:SvaraC	Dhavalambari
50	Namadeshi	Template:SvaraC	Template:SvaraC	Namanarayani
51	Kashiramakriya	Template:SvaraC	Template:SvaraC	Kamavardani
52	Ramamanohari	Template:SvaraC	Template:SvaraC	Ramapriya
53	Gamakakriya	Template:SvaraC	Template:SvaraC	Gamanashrama
54	Vamshavati	Template:SvaraC	Template:SvaraC	Vishwambari
10. Disi Chakra
55	Shamalam	Template:SvaraC	Template:SvaraC	Shamalangi
56	Chamaram	Template:SvaraC	Template:SvaraC	Shanmukhapriya
57	Sumadhyuti	Template:SvaraC	Template:SvaraC	Simhendramadhyamam
58	Deshisimharavam	Template:SvaraC	Template:SvaraC	Hemavati
59	Dhaamavati	Template:SvaraC	Template:SvaraC	Dharmavati
60	Nishadham	Template:SvaraC	Template:SvaraC	Neetimati
11. Rudra Chakra
61	Kuntalam	Template:SvaraC	Template:SvaraC	Kantamani
62	Ratipriya	Template:SvaraC	Template:SvaraC	Rishabhapriya
63	Gitapriya	Template:SvaraC	Template:SvaraC	Latangi
64	Bhushavati	Template:SvaraC	Template:SvaraC	Vachaspati
65	Shantakalyani	Template:SvaraC	Template:SvaraC	Mechakalyani
66	Chaturangini	Template:SvaraC	Template:SvaraC	Chitrambari
12. Aditya Chakra
67	Santanamanjari	Template:SvaraC	Template:SvaraC	Sucharitra
68	Joti	Template:SvaraC	Template:SvaraC	Jyoti swarupini
69	Dhautapanchamam	Template:SvaraC	Template:SvaraC	Dhatuvardani
70	Nasamani	Template:SvaraC	Template:SvaraC	Nasikabhushani
71	Kusumakaram	Template:SvaraC	Template:SvaraC	Kosalam
72	Rasamanjari	Template:SvaraC	Template:SvaraC	Rasikapriya

Popular Melakarta scheme

Template:Main Govindacharya learnt the 72 ragas scheme above of Venkatamakin and later proposed the symmetrical scales that is more in vogue today in terms of the official Melakarta scheme.

See also

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

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