Etymology of raga names

[viggop]

Friends
Is there anything inertesting behind the names of ragas in Carnatic music? If so, please share them in this thread.

For r.g. the raga "Kamala Manohari" got its name from Dikshitar's song "Kanjadalayadakshi"

[ts]

Friends
Is there anything inertesting behind the names of ragas in Carnatic music? If so, please share them in this thread.

For r.g. the raga "Kamala Manohari" got its name from Dikshitar's song "Kanjadalayadakshi"

The name of this ragam is Manohari and not Kamalamanohari. Similarly, the dikshitar krithi "Maye tvam" is set to ragam Tarangini which is akin to Charukesi but wrongly sung with Chaturstuti Dhaivatham by calling the ragam as Suda Tarangini which doesnt exist.

[RR]

I've read that 'Mayamalava gowla' is supposed to mean a raga sung before sunrise.. Malavam - period before sunrise. Gowla - sing.

Sankaranabaranam's is well-known. So is Mohanam's.

ts, any reason why Dikshitar used his own names for some ragas? or, should I ask why common naming convention does not follow Dishitar's for some ragas?

[ts]

ts, any reason why Dikshitar used his own names for some ragas? or, should I ask why common naming convention does not follow Dishitar's for some ragas?

Dikshitar followed the Chaturdandi prakashika (CDP) of Venkatamakhin which adopts the so-called "asampoorna Melakartha" scheme. Here the melakartha ragams are Kanakambari, phenadyuti, ganasamavarali etc. and not the traditional Kanakangi, Ratnangi...

Unlike in the Kanakangi scheme, ragams here miss one or more swarams in the arohanam/avarohanam and some even have vakra phrases.

ex: kanakambari Moorchana is :

s r m p d S
S n d p m g r s

Hence technically almost all of these ragams are different from those in the Kanakangi scheme. Even ragams like Mohanam, which have the same structure in both schemes will be handled differently by Dikshitar as according to CDP, it is a janyam of Kalyani. However, you hear pure versions only in a very few concerts from a very few purists still around.


The only ragam that Dikshitar has named is "Amritavarshini" as he is deemed to have created it. The only ragams that Dikshitar has composed outside of the CDP are Amritavarshini, Hamsadhwani and Abohi (disputed).

[viggop]

TS
Yes.the ragam is Manohari for Kanjadalayadakshi but because of that particular song,it is not known as Kamala Manohari.I read this in some website.

Dikshitar is supposed to have created "Amritavarshini" raga.


Is "Husseni" a north Indian raga? Looks like a Persian name to me.Dikshitar used this raga in one of the panchabhuta krithis(Kalahasti)

Any other interesting reasons behind raga names?
Please continue to post in this topic.

[RR]

thanks ts. Is there a link to the list of all ragas under this scheme?

[RR]

viggop,
Simmendra Madhyamam - supposed to mean the majestic way this raga uses the prathi madhyamam.
Similarly 'thodi' name is supposed to reflect the usage of 'suddha gandharam'.

I'll post more as I recollect.

[ts]

thanks ts. Is there a link to the list of all ragas under this scheme?

RR Please look here

http://www.medieval.org/music/world/carnatic/dikshitar.html

This lists the ragams in the Asampoorna melakartha scheme and their equivalent.. also gives the list/lyrics for all dikshitar krithis.

For audio (of some krithis) you may go to http://guruguha.org and http://guruguha.tripod.com[/url]

[viggop]

Do all raga names starting with "Hamsa" have any connection with Swan bird? Why was it named like that?

[viggop]

WHat about the raga Kedaaram?
WHy is it named like that?
Some connection to Kedarnath

[RR]

Do all raga names starting with "Hamsa" have any connection with Swan bird? Why was it named like that?

I guess there should be some other meaning for 'Hamsa'..

I checked up on 'kedar', it means 'mountain lord'.. This may be an inspiration. Incidentally, 'kedar' in Hindustani is a totally different raga - a hamir kalyani variant.
Similarly 'todi' is also different raga in Hindustani, but 'gandharam' is same as in Carnatic todi.. So there may be some truth to the meaning I mentioned in a previous post.

[viggop]

RR
What is the meaning of "Dhwani"? Does it mean music in Sanskrit?

[viggop]

HamsaDvani is supposed to be the best raga to start a concert.

HamsaDvani--- SwanSong?

[RR]

dhwani is sound.. I used to think 'Hamsadhwani' is 'amsamaana sound' ;) . Actually if you play the hamsadhwani notes on the keyboard, you can see that all the notes sound nicely harmonic. In a similar sense, I feel that 'hamsanaadham' notes also sound 'good'.. Could just be my perception.

[RR]

I guess origin of 'Chakravagam' is well-known.

[viggop]

RR,
I do not know Chakravakam origin. Please write about it.I am only a newbie

[RR]

In the Chakravaga bird family, the male & female apparently live separated at night (due to Rama's curse). The chakravagam raga is supposed to reflect the plight of these birds.

Ilayaraja has tuned a nice song in this raga in the film 'Keladi Kanmani'. The song 'nee paathi naan paathi kanne' is almost like the two birds singing and longing for each other!

[RR]

malayamArutham - malai + mArutham. mArutham is breeze, so it means breeze from the mountains. This is supposed to have healing powers, so is singing in this raga.

My source for these explanations (or theories) is a tamil book I happened to read couple of years back. I can't recollect the title or author, at present.

[viggop]

Tansen is supposed to have created a "deepa" raga which bring fire?

[RR]

yes, it's the Deepak raga.

Malhar is supposed to bring rains. Mal - bad things. Har - clear. Meaning to bring wealth thru rain.

Malahari - basically the same meaning, but not in the sense of rain.

[viggop]

WHat is the etymology of Bilahari?

[Badri]

The chakravagam raga is supposed to reflect the plight of these birds.

So that is why there is so much of an anguish in the raaga...it is my favorite raga, but I can't hear it without tears springing into my eyes...

Same with Charukesi...it also has this nenjai urukkum quality to it...any ideas on its etymology?

By the way, the other thing to the Chakaravaga birds is that they live by drinking the waters of the rain....this was captured in the song...Chinna Chinna Mazhai Thuligal

"Chakaravagamo mazhayai arunthumaam
Naan Chakaravaga paravaiyaveno"

[viggop]

Is Boopalam raga associated with morning time?
Whi is HamsaDhwami considered the best way to start a concert?

[ts]

Is Boopalam raga associated with morning time?
Whi is HamsaDhwami considered the best way to start a concert?

bhUpAlam is associated with Morning time .

Venkatamakhi in his work Chaturdandi prakashika, says

bhupalassagrahopeta audavo ma ni varjitah
pratah kalesu gatavyas sarvasampatpradayakah

He says that it is an audava raga (5 notes on arohanam and avarohanam) and does not have the swaras "ma" and "ni" (ma ni varjitah)

It brings prosperity (sarva sampath pradayakah) if sung in the morning (pratah kalEsu garavyas).

This ragam has sadharana gandharam (as in Todi) and it is a popular mistake to call Revagupti as Bhupalam.

Hamsadwani has a perfect harmonic swarams. In this ragam, the gandharam is very pronounced and hence the sruti would set very easily. Hence this is sung in the early part of the concert.