Spotlight
Varjya and vakra raga-s

Janya raga-s can be
classified into varjya raga-s, vakra raga-s, upanga raga-s and bhashanga
raga-s. In this instalment of Ask SRJ, we deal with varjya and vakra raga-s.
Varjya
raga-s
Janya raga-s need not
be sampoorna either in the arohana or avarohana or both taken together. One or
two or sometimes even three swara-s may be absent or deleted. This aspect is
technically known as varjya. Varjya raga-s are of three varieties: arohana
varjya, avarohana varjya and ubhaya varjya – with both arohana and avarohana
varjya. Besides these three, there are also krama varjya and vakra varjya
raga-s.
Krama varjya raga-s can
be sampoorna, shadava, audava, or swarantara.
In a sampoorna raga all
the seven notes are present in both arohana and avarohana. If only six swara-s
are present either in the arohana or avarohana, it is described as a shadava
raga. A raga with only five swara-s in the ascent and descent is described as
an audava raga. Curiously a raga with four notes is known as swarantara.
The arohana and
avarohana should individually be described if the number of swara-s present is
different in each one of them.
A minimum of four
swara-s is required individually both in the arohana and the avarohana to
constitute a raga.
We deal with varjya and
vakra raga-s in this instalment. Only five examples have been given for each
category. The number given within brackets against each raga indicates the
serial number of the mela varga to which the raga belongs.
Arohana varjya raga-s
Saveri (15) s r m p d S
S n d p m g r s
Arabhi (29) s r m p d S
S n d p m g r s
Bilahari (29) s r g p d
S S n d p m g r s
Dhanyasi (8) s g m p n
S S n d p m g r s
Salagabhairavi (22) s r
m p d S S n d p m g r s
Avarohana varjya raga-s
Saramati (20) s r g m p
d n S S n d m g s
Kaikavasi (60) s r g m
p d n S S n p m g r s
Dundubhi (48) s r g m p
d n S S n p m g r s
Chaturangini (66) s r g
m p d n S S n p m g r s
Garudadhwani (29) s r g
m p d n S S d p g r s
Ubhaya varjya raga-s
Mohanam (28) s r g p d S S d p g r s
Hamsadhwani (65) s r g
p n S S n p g r s
Suddha Saveri (28) s r
m p d S S d p m r s
Madhyamavati (22) s r m
p n S S n p m r s
Nagaswaravali (28) s g
m p d S S d p m g s
The eight varieties of
varjya raga-s are:
Sampoorna shadava:
Bhairavam (17) s r g m
p d n S S d p m g r s
Shadava sampoorna:
Kambhoji (28) s r g m p
d S S n d p m g r s
Sampoorna audava:
Saramati (see above)
Audava sampoorna
Kedaragaula (28) s r m
p n S S n d p m g r s
Shadava shadava
Malayamarutam (16) s r
g p d S S n d p m g s
Shadava audava
Kapinarayani (28) s r m
p d n S S n d p m g s
Audava shadava
Bauli (15) s r g p d S
S n d p g r s
Audava audava
Varada (59) s r m p n S
S n p m r s
Vakra
raga-s
If in a janya raga, the
inherent swara-s do not progress in the regular order of arohana avarohana
krama but with an interrupted course of progression, it is known as a vakra
raga. We may say that in a vakra raga we find a swara or two or even three
repeated in the arohana avarohana krama. Thus Begada is a vakra raga. Its
arohana is s g r g m p d p S. Here we find the swara-s ga and pa repeated
twice. So it is known to have a vakra arohana. Similarly in Reetigaula: s g r g
m n d m n n S. Here we find ga, ma and ni repeated. In the avarohana also we
find vakratva (S n d m g m p m g r s). We find ma and ga repeated.
But there are also
vakra raga-s with no repetition of swara-s as mentioned above but still having
vakratva. For example:
Kuntalavarali — arohana
s m p n d S
Nalinakanti — arohana s
g r m p n S
Kathanakutoohalam —
arohana s r m d n g p S
Saraswatimanohari —
avarohana S d n p m g r s
Thus, it is not the
repetition of swara-s that marks out a vakra raga but also the interrupted
progression of the swara-s in the arohana or avarohana.
Like varjya raga-s,
vakra raga-s also may be arohana vakra, avarohana vakra, ubhaya vakra (both
vakra).
Arohana vakra raga-s
1. Poorvikalyani (53) s
r g m p d p S S n d p m g r s
2. Anandabhairavi (22
or 20) s g r g m p d p S S n d p m g r s
3. Manjari (22) s g r g
m p n d n S S n d p m g r s
4. Devamritavarshini
(22) s r g m n d n S S n d p m g r s
5. Janaranjani (29) s r
g m p d p n S S d p m r s
Avarohana
vakra raga-s
Gaula (15) s r m p n S
S n p m g m r g m r s
Darbar (22) s r m p d n
S S N d p m r G G r s
Umabharanam (28) s r g
m p d n S S n p m g m r s
Suddha Bangala (22) s r
m p d S S d p m r G r s
Sree (22) s r m p n S S
n p d n p m r g r s
Ubhaya
vakra raga-s
Reetigaula (22) s g r g
m n d m n n S S n d m g m p M g r s
Sahana (28) s r g m p m
D n S S N d p m G m R g r s
Deepakam (51) s g m p d
p S S n d n p m g r s
Kokilavarali (20) s r g
r m p d n d S S d n d p m r g r s
Kannada (29) s m g m p
m D n S S n s D p g m d p g m R s
Natakurinji (28)* s r g
m n d n p d n S S n d m g m p g r s
* Note: Though the
panchama figures in the scale format, it must be put to spare usage (alpatva).
Vakra raga-s and varjya
raga-s can be intermingled. That means a vakra raga can be varjya or sampoorna
either in the arohana or avarohana or both and vice versa. Examples are:
Sahana – vakra
sampoorna in both the arohana and avarohana
Reetigaula – vakra
shadava arohana and vakra sampoorna avarohana
Anandabhairavi – vakra
shadava arohana and krama sampoorna avarohana
Bangala - vakra audava
arohana and vakra shadava avarohana
(Aro: s r g m p m r p S
Ava: S n p m r g r s)
The classification of
janya raga-s into vakra and varjya raga-s is purely theoretical in scope.
Vakra swara and
vakrantya swara in vakra raga-s
In a vakra raga, the
swara at which the regular course of arohana and avarohana gets interrupted is
the vakra swara and the swara where the vakratva ends is the vakrantya swara.
For example, in Poorvikalyani, the arohana is s r g m p d p S. Here the second
panchama is where the interruption takes place. So it is the vakra swara. The
next swara, tara shadja is where the vakratva ends. So it is the vakrantya
swara. It may be noted that the vakra and vakrantya swara-s are placed adjacent
to each other in the above example. Sometimes they may be away from each other.
For example in Anandabhairavi, the arohana is s g r g m p d p s. Here ri is one
vakra swara. Its vakrantya swara is dha and again pa is the vakra swara and
tara shadja is the vakrantya swara.
Ekaswara, dviswara and
triswara vakra raga-s
Vakra raga-s are
classified into ekaswara vakra raga-s, dviswara vakra raga-s and triswara vakra
raga-s.
The arohana and
avarohana of vakra ragas may be individually one of the three types mentioned
above. For example,
Sahana S r g m p m D n
S S N d p m G m R g r s
Here the arohana is ekaswara
vakra and the avarohana is dviswara vakra.
Reetigaula S g r g m n
d m n n S S n d m g m p M g r s
In this example, the
arohana and avarohana are both dviswara vakra. How a vakra raga is reckoned as
ekaswara, dviswara or triswara has reference to the number of swara-s repeated
as explained above.
There are only a few
swarantara raga-s in vogue. A swarantara raga with only four swara-s in the
arohana and avarohana individually can hardly have a melodic stature. A raga
like Mohanadham, s g p d S - S d p g s with antara gandhara and chatusruti
dhaivata can be just about tolerable. Similar is the case with a swarantara
raga with sadharana gandhara and suddha dhaivata. All such raga-s would be
swarasthana pradhana raga-s with little melody. Swarantara raga-s in
combination with shadava, audava or sampooma (in the arohana or avarohana):
Navarasakannada (28) s
g m p S S n d m g r s
Vivardhani (28) S r m p
S S n d p m g r s
The
possible number of varjya and vakra raga-s
Varjya raga-s of the
eight kinds of shadava, audava and sampoorna varieties could be calculated as
follows:
Sampoorna sampoorna –
72 mela raga-s
Sampoorna shadava – 6
(from every mela)
Shadava sampoorna – 6
(from every mela)
Sampoorna audava – 15
(from every mela)
Audava sampoorna – 15
(from every mela)
Shadava shadava – 36
(from every mela)
Shadava audava – 90
(from every mela)
Audava shadava – 90
(from every mela)
Audava audava – 225
(from every mela)
But it may be found
that a major number of the above types are repeated under more than one mela,
for example, raga-s with arohana-avarohana like Mohanam, Suddha Saveri, Suddha
Dhanyasi, Amritavarshini, Hamsadhwani, Hindolam, Madhyamavati and Revati.
The swarantara
combination mixed with audava, shadava and sampoorna varieties can be worked
out as follows:
Sampoorna swarantara –
20
Swarantara sampoorna –
20
Shadava swarantara –
120
Swarantara shadava –
120
Audava swarantara – 300
Swarantara audava – 300
Swarantara swarantara –
400
Totally, the
swarantara, audava, shadava, and sampoorna varieties of varjya (krama) will run
to some thousands. All this is only of academic interest. Survival of the
fittest is always the governing principle in practice.
Only raga-s with melody
survive in practice. The same theory holds good in the case of vakra raga-s too.
Only certain aesthetically beautiful vakra patterns like s m g m, s g r g, s p
m p, m n d n, p n d n, m d p d, S p d p, g d p d, p d m p, s r g r, p d p S, S
d n d, m r g r would stay. The remaining possible vakra patterns would not
sound melodious. The possible number of vakra raga-s is infinite.
S.R.
Janakiraman
Renowned musicologist