Chakravakam or Chakravaham (pronounced chakravākam) is a
rāga
A ''raga'' or ''raag'' (; also ''raaga'' or ''ragam''; ) is a melodic framework for improvisation in Indian classical music akin to a melodic mode. The ''rāga'' is a unique and central feature of the classical Indian music tradition, and as ...
m in
Carnatic music
Carnatic music, known as or in the Dravidian languages, South Indian languages, is a system of music commonly associated with South India, including the modern Indian states of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Kerala and Tamil Nadu, an ...
(musical scale in South Indian classical music). It is the 16th ''
Melakarta
Mēḷakartā is a collection of fundamental musical scales ( ragas) in Carnatic music (South Indian classical music). ''Mēḷakartā'' ragas are parent ragas (hence known as ''janaka'' ragas) from which other ragas may be generated. A ''melak ...
''
rāga
A ''raga'' or ''raag'' (; also ''raaga'' or ''ragam''; ) is a melodic framework for improvisation in Indian classical music akin to a melodic mode. The ''rāga'' is a unique and central feature of the classical Indian music tradition, and as ...
m (parent rāgam) in the 72 ''melakarta'' rāgam system. According to the
Muthuswami Dikshitar
Muthuswami Dikshitar (Mudduswamy Dikshitar)(, 24 March 1776 – 21 October 1835), mononymously Dikshitar, was a South Indian poet, singer and veena player, and a legendary composer of Indian classical music, who is considered one of the musical ...
school, this rāgam is called Tōyavēgavāhini.
[''Ragas in Carnatic music'' by Dr. S. Bhagyalekshmy, Pub. 1990, CBH Publications] Chakravakam is similar to Raga ''
Ahir bhairav
Ahir Bhairav is a Hindustani classical ''raga''. It is a mixture of Bhairav and the ancient, rare ''raga'' Ahiri or Abhiri,Bor 1999 or perhaps a mixture of Bhairav and Kafi.
Important traditional Compositions
Some of the most important traditi ...
'' in
Hindustani music
Hindustani classical music is the classical music of northern regions of the Indian subcontinent. It may also be called North Indian classical music or, in Hindustani, ''shastriya sangeet'' (). It is played in instruments like the violin, sit ...
.
[''Raganidhi'' by P. Subba Rao, Pub. 1964, The Music Academy of Madras]
''Chakravakam'' is a raga that is known to incite feelings of devotion, sympathy and compassion in the listeners.
Structure and Lakshana
It is the 4th ''melakarta'' in the 3rd ''chakra- Agni''. The mnemonic name is ''Agni-Bhu''. The mnemonic phrase is ''sa ra gu ma pa dhi ni''.
Its structure (ascending and descending scale) is as follows (see ''
swaras in Carnatic music'' for details on below notation and terms):
*
:
*
:
The notes in this scale are ''shadjam, shuddha rishabham, anthara gandharam, shuddha madhyamam, panchamam, chathusruthi dhaivatham'' and ''kaisiki nishadham''.
It is a
''sampoorna'' rāgam - rāgam having all 7
swara
Svara or swara (Devanagari: स्वर, generally pronounced as ''swar'') is a Sanskrit word that connotes simultaneously a breath, a vowel, the sound of a musical note corresponding to its name, and the successive steps of the octave or '' ...
ms. It is the ''suddha madhyamam'' equivalent of ''
Ramapriya
Ramapriya (pronounced rāmapriya) is a rāgam in Carnatic music (musical scale of South Indian classical music). It is the 52nd ''melakarta'' rāgam (parent scale) in the 72 ''melakarta'' scale system of Carnatic music. It is called Ramāmanōhari ...
'', which is the 52nd ''melakarta''.
Chakravakam is different from Mayamalavagowla in some ways, while playing. The Ri Ga ma notes are played a bit flatter than Mayamalavagowla, making it sound more restrained than Mayamalavagowla. The Da and Ni are played somewhat like Hari Kambhoji, giving the overall tune, to be restrained and devotional essence
Asampurna Melakarta
Tōyavēgavāhini is the 16th ''Melakarta'' in the original list compiled by
Venkatamakhin
Venkatamakhin (; ) or Venkatamakhi, was an Indian poet, musician, and musicologist of Carnatic music. He is renowned for his '' Chaturdandiprakashika'' in which he explicates the melakarta system of classifying ragas. Venkatamakhin composed ge ...
. The notes used in the scale are the same and the ascending scale and descending scale are same.
[Shree Muthuswami Dikshitar Keerthanaigal, by A Sundaram Iyer, Music Book Publishers, Mylapore, Chennai]
Janya rāgams
''Chakravakam'' has quite a few ''
janya
''Janya'' is a term meaning "derive". In Carnatic (South Indian) music a ''janya raga'' is one derived from one of the 72 ''melakarta'' ragas (fundamental melodic structures). ''Janya'' ragas are classified into various types based on a varie ...
'' rāgams (derived scales) associated with it, of which ''Bindumalini'', ''
Malayamarutam
Malayamarutam is a rāgam in Carnatic music (musical scale of South Indian classical music). It is a ''janya'' rāgam (derived scale), as it does not have all the seven ''swaras'' (musical notes). This scale is used in Hindustani music in recent ...
'' and ''
Valaji
Valaji or Valachi is a rāgam in Carnatic music (musical scale of South Indian classical music). It is a pentatonic scale (''audava'' or ''owdava'' rāgam, which means "of 5"). It is a ''janya'' rāgam (derived scale), as it does not have all t ...
'' are popular.
See
List of ''Janya'' Ragas for a full list of its ''janyas''.
Popular Compositions
''Etula Brotuvo teliya'' and ''Sugunamule'' by
Thyagaraja
Thyagaraja (Telugu: త్యాగరాజ) (4 May 1767 – 6 January 1847), also known as Thyāgayya and in full as Kakarla Thyagabrahmam, was a composer and vocalist of Carnatic music, a form of Indian classical music. Tyagaraja and his ...
''Kānakkankoti vendum'' by
Koteeswara Iyer
''Gajānanayutham'' By
Muthuswami Dikshitar
Muthuswami Dikshitar (Mudduswamy Dikshitar)(, 24 March 1776 – 21 October 1835), mononymously Dikshitar, was a South Indian poet, singer and veena player, and a legendary composer of Indian classical music, who is considered one of the musical ...
''Mullu Koneya Mele'' By
Purandara Dasa
Purandara Dasa (IAST: Purandara dāsa) ( 1470 – 1565) was a Haridasa philosopher and a follower of Madhwacharya 's Dwaitha philosophy -saint from present-day Karnataka, India. He was a composer, singer and one of the chief founding-prop ...
''Kada Beladingalu'' By
Sripadaraja
Sripadaraja ( sa, श्रीपादराज; ) or Sripadaraya, also known by his pontifical name Lakshminarayana Tirtha (1422 - 1480), was a Hindu Dvaita philosopher, scholar and composer and the pontiff of the Madhvacharya mutt at Mulb ...
''Sarojanabha'' by Maharaja
Swathi Thirunal
( ml, സ്വാതി തിരുനാള് രാമവർമ്മ) (16 April 1813 – 26 December 1846) was the Maharaja of the Kingdom of Travancore. He is also considered as a brilliant music composer and is credited with over 40 ...
''Sri Amruta Phalâmbike'' by
Kalyani Varadarajan
Kalyani Varadarajan (8 October 1923 – 28 October 2003), commonly known as Kalyani, was one of Carnatic music's famous twentieth-century composers. She created carnatic compositions in all 72 melakarta ragas, besides scores of janya ragas.
Ear ...
''Pibare Ramarasam (version by
Balamuralikrishna
Mangalampalli Balamuralikrishna (6 July 1930 – 22 November 2016) was an Indian Carnatic Music, Carnatic vocalist, musician, multi-instrumentalist, playback singer, composer, and character actor. He was awarded the Madras Music Academy's Sangeeth ...
) by Sadashiva Brahmendra''
Film Songs
"Albela Sajan" from "Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam" (Hindi), "Poochho Na Kaise Maine Rain Bitai" from "Meri Surat Teri Ankhen" (Hindi) and "Raakkili Than" from "Perumazhakalam" (Malayalam).
Language:
Tamil
Tamil may refer to:
* Tamils, an ethnic group native to India and some other parts of Asia
** Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil people native to Sri Lanka also called ilankai tamils
**Tamil Malaysians, Tamil people native to Malaysia
* Tamil language, nati ...
Janya:Rasikaranjani Ragam
Album
Related rāgams
This section covers the theoretical and scientific aspect of this rāgam.
''Chakravakam's'' notes when shifted using ''
Graha bhedam
''Graha Bhedam'' in Carnatic music is the process (or result of the process) of shifting the Tonic note (''śruti'') to another note in the rāgam and arriving at a different rāgam. Its equivalent in Hindustani classical music is called a ''mur ...
'', yields 2 other major ''melakarta'' rāgams, namely, ''
Sarasangi
Sarasangi (pronounced sarasāngi) is a ragam in Carnatic music (musical scale of South Indian classical music). It is the 27th '' melakarta'' rāgam (parent scale) in the 72 ''melakarta'' rāgam system of Carnatic music. It is called Sowrasena ...
'' and ''
Dharmavati
Dharmavati is a rāgam in Carnatic music (musical scale of South Indian classical music). It is the 59th '' Melakarta'' rāgam in the 72 ''melakarta'' rāgam system of Carnatic music. It is called ''Dhaamavati'' in Muthuswami Dikshitar school ...
''. Graha bhedam is the step taken in keeping the relative note frequencies same, while shifting the Shadjam to the next note in the rāgam. For an illustration refer ''
Graha bhedam on Dharmavati''.
Notes
References
External links
Carnatic musician Charulatha Mani describes Chakravakam (Tamil)Carnatic violinist Aishu Venkataraman performs Chakravakam
{{DEFAULTSORT:Chakravakam (Raga)
Melakarta ragas