Raghupriya
Carnatic music |
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Concepts |
Compositions |
Instruments |
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Raghupriya (meaning The one dear to Raghu) is a rÄgam in Carnatic music (musical scale of South Indian classical music). It is the 42nd melakarta rÄgam (parent scale) in the 72 melakarta rÄgam system of Carnatic music. It is called Ravikriya in Muthuswami Dikshitar school of Carnatic music.[1][2][3]
Structure and Lakshana

It is the 6th rÄgam in the 7th chakra Rishi. The mnemonic name is Rishi-Sha. The mnemonic phrase is sa ra ga mi pa dhu nu.[2] Its Ärohaṇa-avarohaṇa structure (ascending and descending scale) is as follows (see swaras in Carnatic music for details on below notation and terms):
- Ärohaṇa: S R1 G1 M2 P D3 N3 S
- avarohaṇa: S N3 D3 P M2 G1 R1 S
(the notes shuddha rishabham, shuddha gandharam, prati madhyamam, shatsruthi dhaivatham, kakali nishadham are used in this scale)
As it is a melakarta rÄgam, by definition it is a sampoorna rÄgam (has all seven notes in ascending and descending scale). It is the prati madhyamam equivalent of Tanaroopi, which is the 6th melakarta scale.
Janya rÄgams
Raghupriya has a few minor janya rÄgams (derived scales) associated with it. See List of janya RÄgams for full list of scales associated with Raghupriya.
Compositions
A few compositions set to the scale Raghupriya are:
- Khalitaka vamsa by Dr. M. Balamuralikrishna
- Himagiri kumari by Muthuswami Dikshitar
- Sadananda by Koteeswara Iyer
Related rÄgams
This section covers the theoretical and scientific aspect of this rÄgam.
Raghupriya's notes when shifted using Graha bhedam, yields no other melakarta rÄgam, like all 6 rÄgams in the Rishi chakra (Salagam, Jalarnavam, Jhalavarali, Navaneetam and Pavani being the other 5). Only these rÄgams have a gap of 3 notes anywhere in their scale, between G1 to M2. Such a gap does not occur in any other melakarta by definition. Graha bhedam is the step taken in keeping the relative note frequencies same, while shifting the shadjam to the next note in the rÄgam.
References
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