Revati 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 of South Indian classical music). It is an ''audava'' rāgam (or ''owdava'' rāgam, meaning pentatonic scale). It is a ''
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 ...
'' rāgam (derived scale), as it does not have all the seven ''
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 '' ...
s'' (musical notes).
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 ...
a raga that closely resembles ''Revati'' is ''
Bairagi Bhairav Bairagi jaat in Haryana
Bairagi is a Hindu caste. They are also called by different names that are Swami, Bairagi, Mahant, Vaishnav, Vairagi, Ramanandi, Shami, Vaishnav , Pujari. They are Vaishnav, and wear the sacred thread. Bairagi caste ...
''.
[''Raganidhi'' by P. Subba Rao, Pub. 1964, The Music Academy of Madras] It is said to evoke ''Karuṇa''
rasa (pathos).
This scale has also been used in chanting
Vedas
upright=1.2, The Vedas are ancient Sanskrit texts of Hinduism. Above: A page from the '' Atharvaveda''.
The Vedas (, , ) are a large body of religious texts originating in ancient India. Composed in Vedic Sanskrit, the texts constitute the ...
.
Structure and Lakshana
''Revati'' is a symmetric rāgam that does not contain ''gāndhāram'' or ''dhaivatam''. It is a pentatonic scale (''audava-audava'' ragam
[''Ragas in Carnatic music'' by Dr. S. Bhagyalekshmy, Pub. 1990, CBH Publications] in Carnatic music classification – ''audava'' meaning 'of 5'). Its ' structure (ascending and descending scale) is as follows (see
''swaras'' in Carnatic music for details on below notation and terms):
*
:
*
:
(notes used in this scale are ''shuddha rishabham, shuddha madhyamam, panchamam, kaisiki nishadham'')
''Revati'' is considered a ''janya'' rāgam of ''
Ratnangi
Ratnangi (pronounced ratnāngi, meaning ''the one with a gem-like body'') is a rāgam in Carnatic music (musical scale of South Indian classical music). It is the 2nd '' melakarta'' rāgam (parent scale) in the 72 ''melakarta'' rāgam system o ...
'', the 2nd ''
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 ...
'' rāgam, though it can be derived from other melakarta rāgams, ''
Vanaspati
Vanaspati (Devanagari: ) is the Sanskrit word that now refers to the entire plant kingdom. However, according to ''Charaka Samhitā'' and '' Sushruta Samhita'' medical texts and the '' Vaisesikas'' school of philosophy, "vanaspati" is limited to p ...
'', ''
Hanumatodi
Hanumatodi, more popularly known as Todi (pronounced hanumatōdi and tōdi), is a rāgam (musical scale) in Carnatic music. It is the 8th ''melakarta'' rāgam (parent scale) in the 72 ''melakarta'' rāgam system. This is sung very often in concer ...
'', ''
Natakapriya
Natakapriya, (pronounced nāţakapriya, meaning ''the one dear to theatre'') is a rāgam in Carnatic music (musical scale of South Indian classical music). It is the 10th ''melakarta'' rāgam (parent scale) in the 72 ''melakarta'' rāgam system. A ...
'', ''
Vakulabharanam
Vakulabharanam (pronounced ) is a rāgam in Carnatic music (musical scale of South Indian classical music). It is the 14th ''melakarta'' rāgam in the 72 ''melakarta'' rāgam system of Carnatic music. It is called Dhātivasantabhairavi''Ragas in C ...
'' or ''
Chakravakam'', by dropping both ''gāndhāram'' and ''dhaivatam''.
Popular compositions
''Revati'' rāgam lends itself for elaboration and exploration and has many compositions. Here are some popular ''
kritis
''Kriti'' (Sanskrit: कृति, ''kṛti'') is a format of musical composition typical to Carnatic music. ''Kritis'' form the mental backbone of any typical Carnatic music concert and is the longer format of Carnatic song. "Kriti" also means C ...
'' composed in ''Revati''.
*''Jagannatha anatharakshaka'' by Subba Rao
*''Nanati baduku'' by
Annamacharya
Tallapaka Annamacharya (Telugu : తాళ్ళపాక అన్నమాచార్య) ( IAST: taḷḷapāka annamācārya; 22 May 1408 – 4 April 1503), also popularly known as Annamayya, was a 15th-century Hindu saint and the ea ...
*''Dhavalagangeya Gangadhara'' By
Vadiraja Tirtha
Sri Vadiraja Teertharu (1480 – 1600) was a Dvaita philosopher, poet, traveller and mystic. A polymath of his time, he authored many works, often polemical, on Madhva theology and metaphysics. Additionally, he composed numerous poems and as ...
*''Rogaharane krupasagara'', ''Siri Ramana'', ''Venkatesha Stavaraja'' By
Jagannatha Dasa Jagannatha Dasa may refer to:
* Jagannatha Dasa (Odia poet), saint poet, author of the Odia ''Bhagabata'' and founder of the Atibadi Sampradaya of Utkaliya Vaishnavism, 15th century, Odisha
* Jagannatha Dasa (Kannada poet)
Jagannatha Dasa (Ka ...
*''Mahadeva shiva shambho'' by Thanjavur Sankara Iyer
*'' Bho shambho shiva shambho svayambho'' by
Swami Dayananda Saraswati
Dayanand Saraswati () (born Mool Shankar Tiwari; 2 February 1824 – 30 October 1883) also known as Maharshi Dayanand is an Indian philosopher, social leader and founder of the Arya Samaj, a Hindu reform movement. His Magnum Opus is the book ...
*''navaratna bhushanalankrte'' by Kollegal R Subramanian
*''Vâni Vēna Pâni'' 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 ...
Lalgudi Jayaraman
Lalgudi Gopala Iyer Jayaraman (17 September 1930 – 22 April 2013) was an Indian Carnatic violinist, vocalist and composer. He is commonly grouped with M.S. Gopalakrishnan and T.N.Krishnan as part of the violin-trinity of Carnatic Mu ...
has also composed a melodious ''Thillana'' in this rāgam.
Film Songs
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, nativ ...
Tamil Devotional Songs
Related rāgams
This section covers the theoretical and scientific aspect of this rāgam.
In Japanese/Western music Revati corresponds to
Insen scale
Insen (or In Sen; kanji: 陰旋; hiragana: いんせん) is a tuning scale adapted from shamisen music by Yatsuhashi Kengyō for tuning of the koto. It only differs from the hirajoshi scale by one note.
In D mode it consists of: D-E-G-A-C so ...
''Graha bhedam''
''Revati'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 pentatonic rāgams, namely, ''
Shivaranjani
Shivaranjani or Sivaranjani is a musical scale used in Indian classical music. There are two scales, one in Hindustani music and one in Carnatic music. The Hindustani rāga is a pentatonic scale, as is the Carnatic scale categorized as Audava ...
'' and ''
Sunadavinodini''. ''Graha bhedam'' is the step taken in keeping the relative note frequencies same, while shifting the ''shadjam'' to the next note in the rāgam. See ''
Graha bhedam on Shivaranjani'' for more details and an illustration.
Scale similarities
*''
Madhyamāvati'' is a rāgam which has the ''chathusruthi rishabham'' in place of the ''shuddha rishabham''. Its ' structure is S R2 M1 P N2 S : S N2 P M1 R2 S
Notes
References
{{Janya
Janya ragas