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 the above example, the Panchama (P) is replaced by prati madhyama (M2).
Extended ragas The name of the mela can be easily found 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