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

Vakulabharanam (pronounced vakuḷābharaṇam) is a rāgam in Carnatic music (musical scale of South Indian classical music). It is the 14th melakarta rāgam in the 72 melakarta rāgam system of Carnatic music. It is called Dhātivasantabhairavi^[1][2] or Vātivasantabhairavi^[3] in Muthuswami Dikshitar school of Carnatic music. Hindustani equivalent of this ragam is raga basant mukhari

Structure and Lakshana

Vakulabharanam scale with shadjam at C

It is the 2nd rāgam in the 3rd chakra Agni. The mnemonic name is Agni-Sri. The mnemonic phrase is sa ra gu ma 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 R₁ G₃ M₁ P D₁ N₂ Ṡ^{[lower-alpha 1]}
• avarohaṇa: Ṡ N₂ D₁ P M₁ G₃ R₁ S^{[lower-alpha 2]}

Shuddha rishabham, antara gandharam, shuddha madhyamam, shuddha dhaivatham and kaisiki nishadham are the swaras used in this scale. As this scale is a melakarta rāgam, by definition it is a sampoorna rāgam (has all seven notes in ascending and descending scale). It is the shuddha madhyamam equivalent of Nāmanārāyaṇi, which is the 50th melakarta scale.^[4]

Asampurna Melakarta

Vātivasantabhairavi is the 14th Melakarta in the original list compiled by Venkatamakhin. The notes used in the scale are the same, but the descending scale has notes used in zig-zag manner (vakra prayoga).^[5]

• ārohaṇa: S R₁ G₃ M₁ P D₁ N₂ Ṡ^{[lower-alpha 3]}
• avarohaṇa: Ṡ N₂ D₁ M₁ G₃ M₁ P M₁ G₃ R₁ S^{[lower-alpha 4]}

Janya rāgams

Vakulabharanam has a few minor janya rāgams (derived scales) associated with it, of which Vasantabhairavi is heard occasionally in concerts. See List of janya rāgams for full list of rāgams associated with Vakulabharanam.

Compositions

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

• Gowrinatham by Oottukkadu Venkata Kavi
• Ye ramuni nammitino by Thyagaraja
• Nambinen ayya by Koteeswara Iyer
• Rama namamai by Mysore Vasudevachar
• KumĀruni valenu kĀvavĒ by Dr. M. Balamuralikrishna
• Saadhu tada, a composition by Maharaja Swati Tirunal of Travancore, tuned by Prince Rama Varma.
• Paripaahimaam siddhivinayaka by Mysuru Maharaja Jayachamarajendra Wodeyar

Film songs

Janya:Surya/Srothoswini Ragam

Ascending: S G3 M1 D1 N2 S

Descending:S N2 D1 M1 G3 S

Related rāgams

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

Vakulabharanam's notes when shifted using Graha bhedam, yields 2 major melakarta rāgams, namely Keeravani and Hemavati along with 1 minor melakarta rāgam Kosalam. For further details and an illustration refer Graha bhedam on Keeravani.

Vakulabharanam corresponds to Phrygian dominant scale in Western music.

Notes

References