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. According to the Muthuswami Dikshitar school, the 10th melakarta rāgam is called Naţābharanam.^[1][2]

Structure and Lakshana

Natakapriya scale with shadjam at C

It is a sampoorna rāgam - rāgam having all 7 swarams. It is the 4th rāgam in the 2nd chakra Netra. The mnemonic name is Netra-Bhu. The mnemonic phrase is sa ra gi ma pa dhi ni.^[1] Its ārohaṇa-avarohaṇa structure (ascending and descending scale) is as follows (see swaras in Carnatic music for details on below notation and terms):

• ārohaṇa : S R1 G2 M1 P D2 N2 S'
• avarohaṇa : S' N2 D2 P M1 G2 R1 S

The notes used in this scale are shuddha rishabham, sadharana gandharam, shuddha madhyamam, chathusruthi dhaivatham and kaisiki nishadham. Natakapriya is the shuddha madhyamam equivalent of Shadvidamargini, which is the 46th melakarta rāgam.

Asampurna Melakarta

Naţābharanam is the 10th Melakarta in the original list compiled by Venkatamakhin. The notes used in the scale are the same, but the scales are vakra (zig-zag usage in phrases of the scale). It is an shadava-sampurna raga (6 notes in ascending scale, while full 7 are used in descending scale).^[3]

• ārohaṇa: S G2 M1 P N2 D2 N2 S'
• avarohaṇa: S' N2 D2 N2 P N2 P M1 G2 G2 R1 R1 S

Janya rāgams

Sindhu Bhairavi is one of the few janya rāgams (derived scales) associated with it. See List of Janya rāgams for a full list of its janyas.

Popular compositions

Here are some compositions set to this raga.

Type	Composition	Composer	talam
Kriti	Maara jananeem Aashraye	Nallan Chakravartula Krishnamacharyulu	Adi
Kriti	Endukinta Kopamu	Tiruvottriyur Tyagayyar	Adi?
Kriti	Idi Samayamu	Mysore Vasudevachar	Roopaka
Kriti	Geeta Vadya Natana	Tanjavur Shankara Iyer	Adi
Kriti	Paripalaya Maam	Dr. M. Balamuralikrishna	Roopaka

Related rāgams

This section covers the theoretical and scientific aspect of this rāgam.

Natakapriya's notes when shifted using Graha bhedam, yields 3 other major melakarta rāgams, namely, Vachaspati, Charukesi and Gourimanohari. 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 an illustration, refer Graha bhedam on Vachaspati.

References

1. Ragas in Carnatic music by Dr. S. Bhagyalekshmy, Pub. 1990, CBH Publications
2. Raganidhi by P. Subba Rao, Pub. 1964, The Music Academy of Madras
3. Shree Muthuswami Dikshitar Keerthanaigal, by A Sundaram Iyer, Music Book Publishers, Mylapore, Chennai