Melakarta Ragam System

 Melakarta Ragam System

The melakarta ragam system is a framework used in Carnatic music (South Indian classical music) to categorize and organize all possible scales (ragas). It consists of 72 fundamental scales known as melakarta ragas, each of which serves as a parent ragam. These parent ragas give rise to numerous janya ragas (derived ragas). Here’s an overview of the melakarta system:

Structure of Melakarta Ragams:

Each melakarta ragam follows a specific pattern and consists of seven notes (swaras) in both the ascending (arohanam) and descending (avarohanam) scales. The notes are:

• Sa (Shadjam)
• Ri (Rishabham)
• Ga (Gandharam)
• Ma (Madhyamam)
• Pa (Panchamam)
• Da (Dhaivatham)
• Ni (Nishadam)

Rules for Melakarta Ragams:

1. Seven Notes: All melakarta ragas must have seven swaras in both the ascending and descending scales.
2. Specific Order: The swaras must appear in the sequence Sa-Ri-Ga-Ma-Pa-Da-Ni-Sa.
3. Single Variant: Each swara can have only one variant (e.g., Shuddha or Chatusruti Rishabham) within a particular melakarta ragam.

Classification:

The 72 melakarta ragams are divided into two main groups based on the madhyamam (Ma):

1. Suddha Madhyamam Group (First 36 ragas): These ragas use the shuddha madhyamam (M1).
2. Prati Madhyamam Group (Second 36 ragas): These ragas use the prati madhyamam (M2).

Chakra System:

The melakarta ragas are further grouped into 12 chakras, each containing six ragas. Each chakra has a unique name, and the ragas within a chakra share the same first four notes (S-R-G-M). The differences arise in the dhaivatham (D) and nishadam (N) positions. Here’s how the chakras are structured:

1. Indu Chakra (1-6) – 1st through 6th melakarta ragas
2. Netra Chakra (7-12) – 7th through 12th melakarta ragas
3. Agni Chakra (13-18) – 13th through 18th melakarta ragas
4. Veda Chakra (19-24) – 19th through 24th melakarta ragas
5. Bana Chakra (25-30) – 25th through 30th melakarta ragas
6. Ritu Chakra (31-36) – 31st through 36th melakarta ragas
7. Rishi Chakra (37-42) – 37th through 42nd melakarta ragas
8. Vasu Chakra (43-48) – 43rd through 48th melakarta ragas
9. Brahma Chakra (49-54) – 49th through 54th melakarta ragas
10. Disi Chakra (55-60) – 55th through 60th melakarta ragas
11. Rudra Chakra (61-66) – 61st through 66th melakarta ragas
12. Aditya Chakra (67-72) – 67th through 72nd melakarta ragas

Example Ragams:

• Mayamalavagowla (15th Melakarta): S R1 G3 M1 P D1 N3 S | S N3 D1 P M1 G3 R1 S
• Shankarabharanam (29th Melakarta): S R2 G3 M1 P D2 N3 S | S N3 D2 P M1 G3 R2 S
• Kalyani (65th Melakarta): S R2 G3 M2 P D2 N3 S | S N3 D2 P M2 G3 R2 S

Importance:

The melakarta system is essential for:

• Organizing Scales: It provides a comprehensive and systematic approach to organizing all possible ragas.
• Learning and Teaching: It helps students and musicians understand the structure and relationships between different ragas.
• Composing: It offers composers a wide range of foundational scales to create new ragas and compositions.

In summary, the melakarta ragam system is a foundational framework in Carnatic music that categorizes all possible scales into 72 parent ragas, facilitating a structured approach to learning, teaching, and composing music.