Carnatic music
Tanjavur-style tambura
Concepts
Śruti Svara Rāga Tāḷa Mēḷakarta Asaṃpūrṇa Mēḷakarta
Compositions
Gītaṃ Svarajati Varṇaṃ Kr̥ti Kīrtana Rāgaṃ Tānaṃ Pallavi Tillana
Instruments
Melody Sarasvati Vīṇā Veṇu Nādasvaraṃ Goṭṭuvādyaṃ (Citra Vīṇā) Violin Percussion Mr̥daṅgaṃ Ghaṭaṃ Morsing Kanjira Thavil Drone Tambura Shruti box
Composers Glossary

Shanmukhapriya is a ragam in Carnatic music (musical scale of South Indian classical music). It is the 56th melakarta rāgam (parent scale) in the 72 melakarta rāgam system of Carnatic music. It is called Chāmaram in Muthuswami Dikshitar school of Carnatic music.^[1][2] It is said to be borrowed into Hindustani music from Carnatic music.^[2] Many compositions on Lord Murugan and Lord Shiva are based on this raaga.

Structure and Lakshana

Shanmukhapriya scale with shadjam at C

It is the 2nd rāgam in the 10th chakra Disi. The mnemonic name is Disi-Sri. The mnemonic phrase is sa ri gi mi pa dha ni.^[1] Its ārohaṇa-avarohaṇa structure (ascending and descending scale) is as follows (see swaras in Carnatic music for details on below notation and terms):

• ārohaṇa: S R₂ G₂ M₂ P D₁ N₂ Ṡ^{[lower-alpha 1]}
• avarohaṇa: Ṡ N₂ D₁ P M₂ G₂ R₂ S^{[lower-alpha 2]}

This scale uses the swaras chatushruti rishabham, sadharana gandharam, prati madhyamam, shuddha dhaivatam and kaisiki nishadam. As it is a melakarta rāgam, by definition it is a sampoorna rāgam (has all seven notes in ascending and descending scale). It is the prati madhyamam equivalent of Natabhairavi, which is the 20th melakarta scale.

Janya rāgams

Shanmukhapriya has a few minor janya rāgams (derived scales) associated with it. See List of janya rāgams for scales associated with Shanmukhapriya.

Compositions

Here are a few common compositions sung in concerts, set to Shanmukhapriya.

• Vaddane vaaru by Tyagaraja
• Marivere Dikkevarayya by Patnam Subramania Iyer
• Parvati nayakane, Saravana bhava ennum, Andavane unnai by Papanasam Sivan
• Abhimaanamutho Nannubrovaradha by Mysore Vasudevachar
• Yake Bagila Hakiruvi By Vadiraja Tirtha
• Mooru Namagala By Gopala Dasa
• Hoo beke Parimalada, Kotta bhagyave sako, Januma Janumadali By Vidyaprasanna Teertha in Kannada
• Acharavillada nalige By Purandara Dasa
• Valli Nayakane by Muthiah Bhagavatar
• Vilayada idu nerama by T.N.Bala of USA
• Sada tava pAda sannidhim by M. Balamuralikrishna
• Omkara Pranava, a pada varnam in Shanmukhapriya by M. Balamuralikrishna
• Stava Vârdita Vikramà by Kalyani Varadarajan
• Mamava Karunaya by Swathi Thirunal Rama Varma
• Bavasagaram by Gopalakrishna Bharathi
• Saravanabhava enum by Papanasam Sivan

The compositions of Muthuswami Dikshitar, namely, Siddhi Vinayakam, Mahasuram Ketumaham,sadashraye and Ekamreshanayakim have their school's rāgam name Chāmaram mudra in them.

A composition later set to Shanmukapriya

• Muthai tharu pathi by Arunagirinathar^[3]

Film Songs

Related rāgams

This section covers the theoretical and scientific aspect of this rāgam.

Shanmukhapriya's notes when shifted using Graha bhedam, yields 3 other major melakarta rāgams, namely, Shoolini, Dhenuka and Chitrambari. Graha bhedam is the step taken in keeping the relative note frequencies same, while shifting the shadjam to the next note in the rāgam. For further details and an illustration refer Graha bhedam on Shanmukhapriya.

Shanmukhapriya corresponds to Hungarian Gypsy scale in Western music.

Notes

References