Dwi-Madhyama Panchama Varja Ragas

Dwi-Madhyama Panchama Varja ragas is a ''melakarta'' scheme of Carnatic music of South India, mentioned in the ''Ashtotharasata'' (108) mela scheme. In this scheme the regular 72 mela ragas are expanded to 108, by including the possible 36 ''vikritha panchama melas''. The 36 additional melakartas take both the ''madhyamas'' and do not have the ''panchama'', in which the ''prathi madhyama'' is sung in place of ''panchama''.

Origins

S. Kalyanaraman, popularly known as SKR, was a legendary vocalist in the Carnatic tradition. Hailing from a famed musical family, where his great-grandfather was Komal Muthu Bhagavathar and his grand uncle was the celebrated vocalist Madirimangalam Natesa Iyer, S. Kalyanaraman became one of the foremost disciples of G. N. Balasubramaniam and established himself as an original musician in his own right. Kalyanaraman's music undeniably bore the GNB mudra.

Later Kalyanaraman ventured deeper into the scales and came up with the 36 ''Dwi madhyama panchama varja ragams''.

Example

For example, the scale of Mayamalavagowla is
* Arohana : S R1 G3 M1 P D1 N3 S
* Avarohana : S N3 D1 P M1 G3 R1 S

The equivalent raga in the additional 36 ragas is Mayasri's, the scale for which is
*Arohana : S R1 G3 M1 M2 D1 N3 S
*Avarohana : S N3 D1 M2 M1 G3 R1 S

In above example, the Panchama (P) is replaced by ''prati madhyama'' (M2).

Extended ragas

The name of the mela can be easily found out by looking at the first word. All these ragas have the suffix "Sri". Likewise the scale for all the 36 ragas can be easily derived.

Nomenclature given by Tanjavur S. Kalyanaraman is as follows :
# Kanakangi – Kanagasri
# Rathnangi – Rathnasri
# Ganamurthy – Ganasri
# Vanaspathy – Vanasri
# Manavathi – Manasri
# Thanarupi – Thanasri
# Senavati – Sunadhasri
# Hanuma Thodi – Hanumasri
# Dhenuka – Dhensri
# Natakapriya – Natakasri
# Kokilapriya – Kokilasri
# Roopavathi – Roopasri
# Gayakapriya – Gayakasri
# Vakulabharanam – Vakulasri
# Mayamalavagowla – Mayasri
# Chakravakam – Chakrasri
# Suryakantham – Suryasri
# Hatakambari – Hatasri
# Jhankaradhwani – Jhankarasri
# Natabhairavi – Natasri
# Kiravani – Kiranasri
# Kharaharapriya – Kharasri
# Gowrimanohari – Gowrisri
# VarunaPriya – Varunasri
# Mararanjani – Marasri
# Charukesi – Charusri
# Sarasangi – Sarasri
# Harikamboji – Harisri
# Dheerasankarabharanam – Dheerasri
# Naganandhani – Nagasri
# Yagapriya – Yagasri
# Raghavardhani – Raghasri
# Gangeyabooshani – Gangasri
# Vaghadheeswari – Vaghasri
# Sulini—Sulinisri
# Chalanata – Chalasri

References

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Carnatic music
Carnatic music terminology