Sankarabharanam - A Raga For Creativity
By Sudha Jagannathan

This is the 29th Mela raga belonging to the 5th Chakra Bana. It is prefixed with the word Dhira to suit the Melakartha index. In Hindustani and Western music, Sankarabharanam is taken as the basic scale. It is equal to the Bilawal thaat of Hindustani Music. As the name suggests, this raga is closely associated with Lord Shiva.

The swaras in this raga form the ornaments of Shiva. The seven swaras taken by this raga are: Shadja Sa, Chatusruti Ri (Rishabha), Antara Ga (Gandhara), Suddha Ma (Madhyama), Panchama Pa, Chatusruti Dha (Daivatha) and Kakali Ni (Nishada).

These notes represent the seven ornaments of Shiva, which are Sa-Sarpa, Ri-Rudraksha, Ga-Ganga, Ma-Mruga, Pa-Puspha, Dha-Damaruka and Ni-Nishkara.

Ga, Ma, Pa and Ni are Jiva swaras. Ri, Ga, Ma and Ni are rendered with Kampita swaras. Ga, Ma, Ni and Sa are Nyasa swaras. Ma and Pa are Amsa swaras. This raga induces different rasas (moods) such as Vira rasa, Sringara rasa etc.

All sorts of musical compositions - like geetams, varnams, swarajathis, kritis and pada varnas - have been composed in this raga. This raga also forms part of many Ragamalika compositions.
Sudha Raghunathan and T.M.Krishna (Swara Raga Sudha Rasa/Thyagaraja), Bombay Jayashri (Annai Janaki Vandale/Arununachala Kavi) and Balamuralikrishna ( Seetha Kalyana ) have made these Sankarabharanam kritis popular with their delightful rendering.

Sankarabharanam is a sarvakalika (all time) raga. However, evening is the best time for rendering this raga. This raga gives enormous scope for creative music (manodharma sangeetha). A musician’s caliber is brought out in the creative rendering of Ragam, Tanam, Pallavi and Swara Prasthara, which form the ornament of a musician. This is a Murchanakaraka raga, which gives rise to a number of ragas. When the swaras like Ri, Ga, Ma, Pa, Dha are taken as adhara Sa, it will result in Kharaharapriya, Todi, Kalyani, Harikambhoji and Natabhairavi. Sankarabharanam is mentioned in the musical works like Sangitaratnakara of Sarangadeva and Sangitamakaranda of Narada.

Legendary composer Tyagaraja has done kritis like "Pahi Ramachandra" and "Paripalaya Dasarathe". Swati Tirunal has composed “Chalamela,” a Varnam in this raga. Veena Kuppayyar’s "Sami Nine Kori…", Muthuswamy Dikshitar’s "Sri Dakshinamurhte… and Rajivalochanam…" and Thyagaraja’s "Endukupeddalavale…" are some of the well known kritis in Sankarabharanam.


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Please also say in your article which songs from movies are based on Carnatic raga.