Relationships between rAgams

First Published on web: February 17, 1998

The intent of this analysis is to bring out some relationships between rAgams from a theoretical standpoint. Graha bEdha applied
on audava-sampUrna rAgams gives other rAgams in the same category.

Audava-sampUrna rAgams and sampUrna-audava rAgams are analysed here. For quite common sixteen of the rAgams in this
category (for me), 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 :

rAgam ArOHanam avarOHanam

audava-sampUrna rAgams
danyAsi = shuddha danyAsi + HanumatODi
mallikA vasantam = gambhIranATa + mAyAmAlava gowLa
sAvEri = karnAtaka shuddha sAvEri + mAyAmAlava gowLa
kalyANa vasantam = candrakowns + kIravANi
AbhEri = shuddha danyAsi + karaHarapriyA
sAlakabhairavi = shuddha sAvEri + karaHarapriyA
kEdAragowLa = madhyamAvati + HarikAmbhOji
yadukula kAmbhOji = shuddha sAvEri + HarikAmbhOji
Arabhi = shuddha sAvEri + dhIrashankarAbharnam
dEvagAndhAri = shuddha sAvEri + dhIrashankarAbharnam
bilaHari = mOHanam + dhIrashankarAbharnam
mAnD = nAgasvarAvaLi + dhIrashankarAbharnam
mOHanakalyANi = mOHanam + mEcakalyANi
 Relationships between rAgams
sampUrna-audava rAgams
mArga HindhOLam = karaHarapriyA + shuddha HindOLam
sAramati = naTabhairavi + HindOLam
garuDadhvani = dhIrashankarAbharnam + mOHanam

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

mOHanakalyANi --- GB ----- R2 --- kEdAragowLa

|
|-- P --- Arabhi and dEvagAndhAri
|
|-- D2 --- AbhEri

and

bilaHari ------- GB ----- M1 --- yadukula kAmbhOji

Note: The svara notation used above is not capable of depicting lot of other aspects that makes a rAgam. How does one
distinguish between Arabhi and dEvagAndhAri? The jIva svaras are different between the two. The stress & emphasis on svaras
are different too, along with prayOgas, sancArAs, etc. These aspects have not been considered in this analysis.
 Relationships between rAgams
As with the analysis of audava rAgams, let us draw up a table of svaras to show the graHa bEdha. First, the mOHanakalyANi group
from above.

ArOHanam
mOHanakalyAni
S _ R2 _ G3 _ _ P _ D2 _ _ S+ _ R2+ _ G3+ _ _ P+ _ D2+
(mOHanam)
kEdAragowLa
_ _ S _ R2 _ _ M1 _ P _ _ N2 _ S+ _ R2+ _ _ M1+ _ P+
(madhyamAvati)
Arabhi and dEvagAndhAri
_ __ __ _ _ S _ R2 _ _ M1 _ P _ D2 _ _ S+ _ R2+
(shuddha sAvEri)
AbhEri
_ __ __ ___ _ S _ _ G2 _ M1 _ P _ _ N2 _ S+
(shuddha danyAsi)
avarOHanam
mOHanakalyAni
D2+ _ P+ M2+ _ G3+ _ R2+ _ S+ N3 _ D2 _ P M2 _ G3 _ R2 _ S
(kalyANi)
kEdAragowLa
P+ _ M1+ G3+ _ R2+ _ S+ _ N2 D2 _ P _ M1 G3 _ R2 _ S _ _
(HarikAmbhOji)
Arabhi and dEvagAndhAri
R2+ _ S+ N3 _ D2 _ P _ M1 G3 _ R2 _ S _ __ __ __
(dhIrashankarAbharnam)
AbhEri
S+ _ N2 D2 _ P _ M1 _ G2 R2 _ S _ _ _ __ __ __
(karaHarapriyA)
 Relationships between rAgams
And now the yadukula kAmbhOji and bilaHari pair.

ArOHanam
bilaHari
S _ R2 _ G3 _ _ P _ D2 _ _ S+ _ R2+ _ G3+ _ _ P+
(mOHanam)
yadukula kAmbhOji
_ __ __ _ _ S _ R2 _ _ M1 _ P _ D2 _ _ S+
(shuddha sAvEri)
avarOHanam
bilaHari
P+ _ M1+ G3+ _ R2+ _ S+ N3 _ D2 _ P _ M1 G3 _ R2 _ S
(dhIrashankarAbharnam)
yadukula kAmbhOji
S+ _ N2 D2 _ P _ M1 G3 _ R2 _ S _ _ _ __ __
(HarikAmbhOji)

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 prati madhyamam in
mOHanakalyANi in place of the shuddha madhyamam in bilaHari. Similarly, sAlakabhairavi, yadukula kAmbhOji, Arabhi and
dEvagAndhari have shuddha sAvEri's ArOHanam but different avarOHanam.
 Relationships between rAgams
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.

First the audava-sampUrna group.

ArOHanam
mOHanam madhyamAvathi HindhOLam shudhDha sAvEri shudhDha dhanyAsi
mEchakalyANi mOHanakalyANi N / A N/A N/A N/A
HanumathOdi N/A N/A UNUSED N/A dhanyAsi
a
va karaHarapriyA N/A UNUSED N/A sAlakabhairavi AbhEri
rO Arabhi &
Ha dhIrashankarAbharnam bilaHari N/A N/A
dhEvagAndhAri
N/A
na
naTabhairavi N/A UNUSED UNUSED N/A UNUSED
HarikAmbhOdhi UNUSED kEdhAragowLa N / A yadhukula kAmbhOdhi N / A
Now moving on to sampUrna-audava rAgams.
avarOHanam
mOHanam madhyamAvathi HindhOLam shudhDha sAvEri shudhDha dhanyAsi
mEchakalyANi UNUSED N/A N/A N/A N/A
HanumathOdi N/A N/A UNUSED N/A UNUSED
A
rO karaHarapriyA N/A UNUSED N/A UNUSED UNUSED
Ha dhIrashankarAbharnam garuDadhvani N / A N/A UNUSED N/A
na
naTabhairavi N/A UNUSED sAramathi N / A UNUSED
HarikAmbhOdhi UNUSED UNUSED N/A UNUSED N/A
 Relationships between rAgams
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 ciTTa svaras. Sometimes even experts may find it
difficult, or they may stray into the "territory" of the known rAgam.

NOTE in 2020: This article was first written in 1998 – and has not been updated with learning of some more rAgams which fit in the
table above – the names should actually appear there, instead of UNUSED.

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.