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Writer's pictureDr Radhakrishnan

EKA-KRITHI RAGAS: MANJARI – JANYA OF MELA (22) RAGAM KHARAHARAPRIYA

This raga seems to be popularized by Saint Thyagaraja, or might have been created by him. Anyhow, there is only one composition heard in this raga; and that was composed by Thyagaraja. This is one of the rarest raga, slowly disappearing from concerts. It produces deena rasa; a janya of mela (22) ragam Kharaharapriya, with a vakra-sampoorna arohanam and same avarohanam of the janaka ragam. The structure can be represented as:

S G2 R2 G2 M1 P N2 D2 N2 S // S N2 D2 P M1 G2 R2 S

Ragapravaham by D.Pattammal gives the same specification as above, along with three other as:

S G R G M P N D N S // S N D P M G R S

S R G R G M M P N D N S // S N D P M G R S

S R G M D N S // S N D M G R S

S R G P N D N S // S N D P M G R S

The raga first appears in the Sangrahachudamani and has the scale of: S G R G M P N D N S // S N D P M G R S. There is a raga of the same name in Hindustani music but it is different.

Compositions:

Patti viduva radu - Thyagaraja

In the above composition, Sadguru asks Lord not to leave his hand.

Meaning:

“You took hold of my life, blessed me, committed me to unflinching devotion for you from the day I was born .You safeguard my honour at every turn .Do not let go of my hand now. You taught me to discriminate between what is eternal and what is transistent; between right and wrong . You convinced me that you alone are the absolute presence, complete from all angles and foremost among all that is manifest. Having accepted me as your servant it does not behove you to abandon me now.”

Different renditions are available, the major ones are (1) by Semmangudi Swami, which is at a faster pace, and (2) by Sri. Voletti Venkateswarlu, which is at a comparatively slower pace.


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