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Writer's pictureDr Radhakrishnan

RARE RAGA SERIES: MEGHA RANJANI – JANYA OF MELA (15) RAGAM MAYAMALAVAGOULA

Megharanjani is a very minor raga, not much heard in concerts, except in the Ranjani maala, which is heard sung by many musicians. This raga is an oudava janya of mela (15) ragam Mayamalavagoula, losing Panchamam and Dhaivatham from both directions; so that the ragaswaroopam can be written as:

S R1 G3 M1 N3 S // S N3 M1 G3 R1 S

Sangeetha Sampradaya Pradarshini by Subbarama Dikshithar quotes the lakshna sloka of Venkatamakhi, as:

audavi pa dha varja ri vakram syadavarohane |

sadjagrahena samyukta gatavya megharanjani ||

which shows it is an oudava raga, without P and D1; R1 appearing in vakra in the avarohanam, as : SR1G3M1N3S – SN3M1G3SR1S.

Ragapravaham by D.Pattammal also places the ragam under Mayamalavagoula mela; but shows different structures as:

S R G M N S - S N M G R S (same as normal spec)

S R G M D N S - S N P M G R S

S R M P D N S - S D P M G R S

S R M P D N S - S N D M P M R S

S R G M N S - S N M G S R S (same as SSP)

(For all practical purposes, the normal specification given first is being followed).

Though there are too many compositions are available only very few are heard sung. (It can be seen that there is a huge gap from M1 to N3 in arohanam and avarohanam; expanding the raga is very limited and mostly confined to the krithi alone).

Compositions:

Akhila devanutapade - Dr.Balamuralikrishna

Ani brahmandalencheru - Annamacharya

Are samangani majhibhakti(lkg) - Venkatamakhi

Balambikesha - N.S.Ramachandran

Devi divyanama sundari - R.K.Suryanarayana

Indulone kanavachchu - Annamacharya

Kanjaksha kayayya karunanidhiye - Vadirajar

Karunato nannu kapadu - Poochi Shrinivasa Iyengar

Ma karunai pozhi(tv) - K.Muthukumarasvami Varaghoor

Manasu karagi amruta - Dr.Muthiah Bhagavathar

Manikya makutadhara - E.S.Shankaranarayana Iyer

Maya karunai(tv) - K.Muthukumarasvami Varaghoor

Megame nee - Lalitha Sivakumar

Megha ranjani ganamruta(tv) - Pattamadai Krishna Iyer

Nilamegha - Bangalore S.Mukund

Parama pavane paravati - Dr.Muthiah Bhagavatar

Rukmini - Bangalore S.Mukund

Sarasija nayana - N.S.Ramachandran

Shevikkunavu illada(tv) - Tiruvalluvar (VSG)

Shri janaki mano ulhasa - ?

Smara bhumi sutadhipam - Mysore Vasudevacharya

Sondamum bandhamum(tv) - V.S.Gomatishankara Iyer

Venkateshvara yadava - Muthuswami Dikshitar

Vittijali badavala – Annamacharya

We shall consider the composition, “parama pAvane pArvathi” by Dr. Muthaiah Bhagavathar. This is a composition in the raga on Goddess Parvathi, the lyrics:

“pallavi

parama pAvanE pArvati paripAlisau

anupallavi

sarasijapadE sAvitri sarasvati gAyatri

caraNam

mahEndrAdi pUjitE mAtE harikEsha hitE guha gajamukha mAtE gOvinda sahajAtE” .


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