More on relationships between rAgams

Last Updated On: February 17, 1998

Audava-audava rAgams have been analysed and the relationships within these rAgams through graha bEdha & svara bEdha are on a separate page.

Audava-sampUrna rAgams and sampUrna-audava rAgams are analysed in this page. For sixteen of the known rAgams in this category, without any vakra prayOga, the ArOHanam and the avarOHanam can be drawn from known audava-audava rAgams and mELakarthA rAgams (sampUrna-sampUrna rAgams). The relationships :

Let us look at some of the above rAgams. If we take the rAgams mOHanam and mEchakalyANi, along with their graha bEdha derivatives in combination with related rAgams in the above list we find some interesting relations.

The notation used in this page is same as that used in all pages in this site and is described in rAgams main page.

mOHanakalyANi --- GB ----- R2 --- kEdhAragowLa
                       |
                       |-- P  --- Arabhi and dhEvagAndhAri
                       |
                       |-- D2 --- AbhEri

       and

bilaHari  ------- GB ----- M1 --- yadhukula kAmbhOdhi

As I had done with the analysis of audava rAgams, let me draw up a table of svaras to show the graha bEdha. First, the mOHanakalyANi group from above.

And now the yadhukula kAmbhOdhi and bilaHari pair.

This analysis also brings out the relationship between the different rAgams that use same ArOHanam with very little difference in avarOHanam or vice versa. For example, the only difference between mOHanakalyANi and bilaHari is the prathi madhyamam in mOHanakalyANi in place of the shudhDha madhyamam in bilaHari. Similarly, sAlakabhairavi, yadhukula kAmbhOdhi, Arabhi and dhEvagAndhari have shudhDha sAvEri's ArOHanam but different avarOHanam.

mOHanam and kalyANi

Let us now take the two groups generated by graha bEdha of the above two rAgams and try to put together all valid combinations. In this context "valid" means those rAgams that do not use multiple svaras (two gAndhArams not allowed) in ArOHanam and avarOHanam. For example, HindhOLam + mEchakalyANi is not considered in this analysis since G2 & G3, M2 & M3, D1 & D2 and N2 & N3 will all come into play. In the following table, UNUSED is entered for a combination that has not been defined or used (to my knowledge). A "N/A" is entered if multiple svaras come into play, as described above.

We can see that there are lot more rAgams possible within this limited category of non-vakra audava-sampUrna and sampUrna-audava rAgams and within these specifically the rAgams that use ArOHanam or avarOHanam from one of the graha bEdha derivatives of mOHanam and mEchakalyANi.

One should not forget that it is not as simple as creating these UNUSED rAgams, since it is dependent on many other issues. For one, the UNUSED rAgam may be very similar to a known rAgam, with very minute difference. In such a situation, it may be difficult to bring out the difference in the rAgams in the AlApana, the composition and chitta svaras. Sometimes even experts may find it difficult, or they may stray into the "territory" of the known rAgam.

For more details on janya rAgam rules you should have a look at Krishna Kunchitapadam's web pages.

Innovations and Discoveries

For the musically inclined with an innovative touch, this kind of analysis can help in looking for and creating new rAgams, which may be very good to listen to. Usually, if a rAgam has well spaced svaras, like combinations given above, they should be good rAgams too. Hundreds of rAgams in this category are possible, but rAgams that are sung are so little. Add to it vakra pryOgas and there is no limit to how many rAgams can be created.

There is so much to experiment, explore and exploit in the universe of Carnatic music.