Shulini (pronounced shūlini) is a
ragam in
Carnatic music
Carnatic music, known as or in the 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, and Sri Lanka. It is ...
(musical scale of South Indian classical music). It is the 35th ''
melakarta'' rāgam in the 72 ''melakarta'' rāgam system of Carnatic music. It is also spelled as ''Sulini'', ''Shoolini'' or ''Soolini''. It is called Shailadesākshi
[''Sri Muthuswami Dikshitar Keertanaigal'' by Vidwan A Sundaram Iyer, Pub. 1989, Music Book Publishers, Mylapore, Chennai] or ''Shailadaeshi''
[''Ragas in Carnatic music'' by Dr. S. Bhagyalekshmy, Pub. 1990, CBH Publications][''Raganidhi'' by P. Subba Rao, Pub. 1964, The Music Academy of Madras] in
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 of Carnatic music.
Structure and Lakshana
It is the 5th rāgam in the 6th ''chakra Rutu''. The mnemonic name is ''Rutu-Ma''. The mnemonic phrase is ''sa ru gu ma pa dhi nu''.
Its ' structure (ascending and descending scale) is as follows (see
''swaras'' in Carnatic music for details on below notation and terms):
*
:
*
:
The notes used in this scale are ''shatsruthi rishabham, antara gandharam, shuddha madhyamam, chathusruthi dhaivatham'' and ''kakali nishadham''.
As it is a ''melakarta'' rāgam, by definition it is a
''sampoorna'' rāgam (has all seven notes in ascending and descending scale). It is the ''shuddha madhyamam'' equivalent of ''
Kosalam'', which is the 71st ''melakarta'' scale.
''Janya'' rāgams
''Shulini'' has a couple of minor ''
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. See
List of ''janya'' rāgams for list of scales associated with ''Shulini''.
Compositions
A few compositions set to ''Shulini'' are:
*''Prana natha'' 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 ...
*''Paramukhamadeno'' by
Koteeswara Iyer
*''Nalinanarayani'' by Dr.
M. Balamuralikrishna
*''Paalayaashumaam Shulini'' by Dr.
M. Balamuralikrishna
Related rāgams
This section covers the theoretical and scientific aspect of this rāgam.
''Shulini's'' notes when shifted using ''
Graha bhedam'', yields 3 other ''melakarta'' rāgams, namely, ''
Shanmukhapriya
Shanmukhapriya is a ragam in Carnatic music (musical scale of South Indian classical music). It is the 56th ''melakarta'' rāgam (parent scale) in the 72 ''melakarta'' rāgam system of Carnatic music. It is called Chāmaram in Muthuswami Diksh ...
'', ''
Dhenuka
In Hindu mythology, Dhenuka, also known as Dhenukasura, is an asura (demon) killed by Balarama, the elder brother of Krishna.
The ''Harivamsa'' states that Dhenuka, with his host of attendant demons, all in the form of donkeys, as ruled over a for ...
'' and ''
Chitrambari
Chitrambari (pronounced ''chitrāmbari'') is a ragam in Carnatic music (musical scale of South Indian classical music). It is the 66th '' Melakarta'' rāgam in the 72 ''melakarta'' rāgam system of Carnatic music. It is called Chaturangini''Sri ...
''. ''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 further details and an illustration refer ''
Graha bhedam on Shanmukhapriya''.
Notes
References
{{Janya, state=collapsed
Melakarta ragas