Related audava rAgams

Last Updated On: June 24, 2000

Added some MP3 samples on June 24, 2000. The information on these pages were last updated on February 9, 1998. Click on the underlined rAgams for a sample of their ArOHanam and avarOHanam.

The intent of this analysis is to bring out the close relationships between rAgams from a theoretical standpoint. Moreover, beginners and people with interest in learning more about Carnatic music may find it easier to relate to the rAgams, compared to a simple list of rAgams in alphabetical order or the order of the mELakarthA rAgams they are related to.

The tree

I am working on a computer program to generate the tree, shown in the previous page given any arbitrary starting pentatonic rAgam and the database of known pentatonic rAgams. I am also planning to create a program that creates the table of relationships shown below. This, I hope, will help many more Carnatic music lovers than the tree.

A tabular look at positions of notes

The following tabular view should help people visualize the relations in easier way. In these tables, "+" represents a higher octave.

First we begin with the graha bEdham groups

mOHanam group
mOHanam	S	_	R2	_	G3	_	_	P	_	D2	_	_	S+	_	R2+	_	G3+	_	_	P+	_	D2+
madhyamAvathi	_	_	S	_	R2	_	_	M1	_	P	_	_	N2	_	S+	_	R2+	_	_	M1+	_	P+
HindhOlam	_	_	_	_	S	_	_	G2	_	M1	_	_	D1	_	N2	_	S+	_	_	G2+	_	M1+
shudhDha sAvEri	_	_	_	_	_	_	_	S	_	R2	_	_	M1	_	P	_	D2	_	_	S+	_	R2+
shudhDha dhanyAsi	_	_	_	_	_	_	_	_	_	S	_	_	G2	_	M1	_	P	_	_	N2	_	S+
shivaranjani group
shivaranjani	S	_	R2	G2	_	_	_	P	_	D2	_	_	S+	_	R2+	G2+	_	_	_	P+	_	D2+
rEvathi	_	_	S	R1	_	_	_	M1	_	P	_	_	N2	_	S+	R1+	_	_	_	M1+	_	P+
sunAdhavinOdhini	_	_	_	S	_	_	_	G3	_	M2	_	_	D2	_	N3	S+	_	_	_	G3+	_	M2+
Now we will look at all the other graha bEdham pairs
valachi	S	_	_	_	G3	_	_	P	_	D2	N2	_	S+	_	_	_	G3+	_	_	P+	_	D2+
AbhOgi	_	_	_	_	_	_	_	S	_	R2	G2	_	M1	_	_	_	D2	_	_	S+	_	R2+

HamsaDhvani	S	_	R2	_	G3	_	_	P	_	_	_	N3	S+	_	R2+	_	G3+	_	_	P+	_	_
nAgasvarALi	_	_	_	_	_	_	_	S	_	_	_	G3	M1	_	P	_	D2	_	_	S+	_	_

bhUpAlam	S	R1	_	G2	_	_	_	P	D1	_	_	_	S+	R1+	_	G2+	_	_	_	P+	D1+	_
HamsanAdham	_	S	_	R2	_	_	_	M2	P	_	_	_	N3	S+	_	R2+	_	_	_	M2+	P+	_
gambhIranAta	_	_	_	_	_	_	_	_	S	_	_	_	G3	M1	_	P	_	_	_	N3	S+	_

karnAtaka shudhDha sAvEri	S	R1	_	_	_	M1	_	P	D1	_	_	_	S+	R1+	_	_	_	M1+	_	P+	D1+	_
amRuthavarshiNi	_	S	_	_	_	G3	_	M2	P	_	_	_	N3	S+	_	_	_	G3+	_	M2+	P+	_

shudhDha HindhOlam	S	_	_	G2	_	M1	_	_	_	D2	N2	_	S+	_	_	G2+	_	M1+	_	_	_	D2+
sAvithri	_	_	_	_	_	S	_	_	_	G3	M1	_	P	_	_	N2	_	S+	_	_	_	G3+

chandhrakauns	S	_	_	G2	_	M1	_	_	D1	_	_	N3	S+	_	_	G2+	_	M1+	_	_	D1+	_
samudhrapriyA	_	_	_	_	_	S	_	_	G2	_	_	M2	P	_	_	N2	_	S+	_	_	G2+	_

Second, we go over to the svara bEdham sets. In this I have deliberately repeated some rAgams under different sets to show the other relations, which may not be found in the tree structure given in the previous page. I have also tried to cover all the relations in that tree, at the same time did not include ALL possible svara bEdhams.

mOHanam
mOHanam	S	_	R2	_	G3	_	_	P	_	D2	_	_	S+
HamsaDhvani	S	_	R2	_	G3	_	_	P	_	_	_	N3	S+
janasammOdhini	S	_	R2	_	G3	_	_	P	D1	_	_	_	S+
vInAvAdhini	S	_	R2	_	G3	_	_	P	_	_	N2	_	S+
nirOshta	S	_	R2	_	G3	_	_	_	_	D2	_	N3	S+
shivaranjani	S	_	R2	G2	_	_	_	P	_	D2	_	_	S+
shudhDha sAvEri	S	_	R2	_	_	M1	_	P	_	D2	_	_	S+
rasikaranjani	S	R1	_	_	G3	_	_	P	_	D2	_	_	S+
valachi	S	_	_	_	G3	_	_	P	_	D2	N2	_	S+
HindhOlam
HindhOlam	S	_	_	G2	_	M1	_	_	D1	_	N2	_	S+
chandhrakauns	S	_	_	G2	_	M1	_	_	D1	_	_	N3	S+
shudhDha HindhOlam	S	_	_	G2	_	M1	_	_	_	D2	N2	_	S+
shudhDha dhanyAsi	S	_	_	G2	_	M1	_	P	_	_	N2	_	S+
shudhDha dhanyAsi
shudhDha dhanyAsi	S	_	_	G2	_	M1	_	P	_	_	N2	_	S+
samudhrapriyA	S	_	_	G2	_	_	M2	P	_	_	N2	_	S+
sAvithri	S	_	_	_	G3	M1	_	P	_	_	N2	_	S+
madhyamAvathi	S	_	R2	_	_	M1	_	P	_	_	N2	_	S+
kunthalavarALi	S	_	_	_	_	M1	_	P	_	D2	N2	_	S+
madhyamAvathi
madhyamAvathi	S	_	R2	_	_	M1	_	P	_	_	N2	_	S+
rEvathi	S	R1	_	_	_	M1	_	P	_	_	N2	_	S+
shivaranjani
shivaranjani	S	_	R2	G2	_	_	_	P	_	D2	_	_	S+
AbhOgi	S	_	R2	G2	_	M1	_	_	_	D2	_	_	S+
chandhrakauns
chandhrakauns	S	_	_	G2	_	M1	_	_	D1	_	_	N3	S+
priyadharshini	S	_	R2	_	_	M1	_	_	D1	_	_	N3	S+
priyadharshini
priyadharshini	S	_	R2	_	_	M1	_	_	D1	_	_	N3	S+
dhEvaranjani	S	_	_	_	_	M1	_	P	D1	_	_	N3	S+
sunAdhavinOdhini
sunAdhavinOdhini	S	_	_	_	G3	_	M2	_	_	D2	_	N3	S+
amRuthavarshiNi	S	_	_	_	G3	_	M2	P	_	_	_	N3	S+
amRuthavarshiNi
amRuthavarshiNi	S	_	_	_	G3	_	M2	P	_	_	_	N3	S+
HamsanAdham	S	_	R2	_	_	_	M2	P	_	_	_	N3	S+
karnAtaka shudhDha sAvEri
karnAtaka shudhDha sAvEri	S	R1	_	_	_	M1	_	P	D1	_	_	_	S+
bhUpAlam	S	R1	_	G2	_	_	_	P	D1	_	_	_	S+
rEvagupthi	S	R1	_	_	G3	_	_	P	D1	_	_	_	S+
rEvagupthi
rEvagupthi	S	R1	_	_	G3	_	_	P	D1	_	_	_	S+
sallApam	S	R1	_	_	G3	_	_	_	D1	_	N2	_	S+
gambhIranAta
gambhIranAta	S	_	_	_	G3	M1	_	P	_	_	_	N3	S+
mEgharanjani	S	R1	_	_	G3	M1	_	_	_	_	_	N3	S+

sunAdhavinOdhini and HindhOlam

We can compare mOHanam with shivaranjani and continue with shivaranjani's graha bEdham group and get back to HindhOlam. From it you can see what I meant by shifting only shadjam in HindhOlam to get sunAdhavinOdhini, as mentioned in the previous page.

mOHanam	S	_	R2	_	G3	_	_	P	_	D2	_	_	S+	_	R2+	_	G3+
shivaranjani	S	_	R2	G2	_	_	_	P	_	D2	_	_	S+	_	R2+	G2+	_
rEvathi	_	_	S	R1	_	_	_	M1	_	P	_	_	N2	_	S+	R1+	_
sunAdhavinOdhini	_	_	_	S	_	_	_	G3	_	M2	_	_	D2	_	N3	S+	_
HindhOlam	_	_	_	_	S	_	_	G2	_	M1	_	_	D1	_	N2	_	S+

More tidbits on other rAgam relations are on a separate page.

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, in terms of frequency ratios and vivadhi notes, their graha bEdhams produce good rAgams too. Not all graha bEdhams of popular rAgams have been exploited. As mentioned earlier, hundreds of audava rAgams are possible, but rAgams that are sung are so little. Add to it vakra pryOgams and addition of anya svaras 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.

More research . . . anyone?

I have not worked deeper into the mathematical aspects, like whether all the KNOWN rAgams will turn up in the tree irrespective of the starting rAgam or whether it is dependent on the specific rAgam we start with, etc. If time permits, I plan to get there too. If anyone has done any research along these lines please email me.