Extending the Concept of Raga in Carnatic Music: A Proposal for Multi-Sthai Variations
Abstract
The concept of Raga has formed the foundation of Carnatic classical music for centuries, with systematic codification achieved through Venkatamakhin’s 72 Sampūrṇa Mēḷakarta framework. While this system has provided both completeness and creative scope, its application has traditionally treated the ārohaṇa–avarōhaṇa sequence as uniform across octaves, with limited exceptions such as Niṣādāntya ragas (e.g., Nādānāmakriya, Kurunji).
This essay proposes a novel extension: permitting distinct sets of notes across registers (sthāyis), thereby creating a theoretical expansion of 72² potential ragas. Practical illustrations—including the experimental constructs Charu-Priya (Śanmukhapriyā in the Madhya sthāyi, Chārukēsi in the outer registers) and Mohanarevam (Mōhanam in the Madhya sthāyi, Revagupti in the Tāra sthāyi)—demonstrate the feasibility of this approach.
Beyond compositional innovation, the framework has pedagogical value, training students to traverse different tonal palettes across octaves, strengthening vocal control and swara recognition. While many of these theoretical ragas may not achieve aesthetic viability, the system offers fertile ground for experimentation and underscores the dynamic, evolving nature of Carnatic music.
Introduction
The concept of Raga has been the cornerstone of Indian classical music for thousands of years. Across centuries, theorists, musicologists, and practitioners have refined its definition and applications, ensuring its central place in the performance, pedagogy, and philosophy of Indian music. Scholarly treatises—such as those by Śārṅgadeva—laid the early foundations, while subsequent generations of thinkers and composers contributed to its evolution.
In the Carnatic tradition, the theoretical underpinnings of the modern system owe much to the contributions of Venkatamakhin, who codified the 72 Rāga Sampūrṇa Mēḷakarta framework. This system has shaped Carnatic music for centuries, not merely as a catalog of possibilities but as a springboard for creativity among composers.
The Venkatamakhin Framework
Venkatamakhin’s 17th-century work established systematic rules for constructing Sampūrṇa Rāgas. By selecting seven notes from the twelve available in an octave, he delineated the principles for valid ragas and organized them into a set of 72 Mēḷakartas. This framework has had lasting influence for three reasons: completeness, creativity enablement (as a basis for countless janyas), and pedagogical clarity.
While this system remains foundational, there have been occasional attempts to expand or challenge it. For example, some theorists experimented with allowing both Madhyamas (dwi-madhyama ragas), effectively broadening the original 72. These efforts, however, have remained largely theoretical and did not gain wide acceptance in practice.
Raga and the Role of Sthāyis
By definition, a raga is expressed through its ārohaṇa (ascending scale) and avarohaṇa (descending scale). These sequences of svaras (notes) define the melodic identity of the raga. Importantly, the same pattern is generally employed across all registers: Mandra sthāyi (lower octave), Madhya sthāyi (middle octave), and Tāra sthāyi (upper octave).
There are, however, certain exceptions recognized in practice and pedagogy. A notable class is the so-called Niṣādāntya ragas, whose melodic movement does not extend beyond the Niṣāda. Well-known examples include Nādānāmakriya and Kurunji, both widely acknowledged to have folk inflections or origins. These illustrate that Carnatic music admits register-specific constraints, but mostly in a limiting sense.
Beyond such cases, there have not been systematic attempts to differentiate note-choices across sthāyis. For the vast majority of ragas, the ārohaṇa–avarōhaṇa krama is treated as uniform across octaves. It is precisely this gap that motivates the present proposal: to permit deliberate and creative differences between registers within the same raga.
Proposal: Multi-Sthai Note Variations
This essay proposes a theoretical extension: permitting different sets of notes for different sthāyis within a single raga. In the Madhya sthāyi, the notes could be drawn strictly from the Venkatamakhin 72 Mēḷakarta system, maintaining continuity with tradition. In the Mandra and Tāra sthāyis, however, one could select a distinct set of notes—again within the logical framework of the 72-system.
In effect, this creates a combinatorial expansion of possibilities: 72 choices for the Madhya sthāyi × 72 for the others, resulting in 72² = 5,184 potential ragas. Naturally, not all such constructs will yield musically appealing results; as with the original Mēḷakarta scheme, the task of filtering and elevating these possibilities into living ragas lies with composers and performers.
Beyond Janaka Ragas
This proposal need not remain confined to the 72 Mēḷakarta system. The same multi-sthāyi principle can be extended to janya ragas as well. Just as composers once mined the Mēḷakarta framework to create derived forms, register-conditioned variants could enrich the existing corpus of janyas. The essential test remains the same: whether the construct yields melodic appeal, lends itself to improvisation, and resonates with listeners as a coherent musical identity.
Practical Illustrations
The following exploratory examples are not fully developed ragas; they are proof-of-concept illustrations of the framework.
Charu-Priya (Proposed Name)
- Madhya sthāyi: Śanmukhapriyā (Mēḷakarta 56)
- Tāra & Mandra sthāyis: Chārukēsi (Mēḷakarta 26)
- Naming: “Charu” from Chārukēsi; “Priya” from Śanmukhapriyā.
The raga svarūpa should emerge from phrases (prayōgas) that obligatorily traverse both register-specific note-sets, rather than treating them as isolated scales.
Mohanarevam (Proposed Name)
- Madhya sthāyi: Mōhanam (pentatonic)
- Tāra sthāyi: Revagupti (pentatonic)
Note on audio: The merged track below concatenates three clips (1→2→3), trimmed to 2:43. There is a known pitch mismatch in the third segment; readers are requested to forgive the deviation—it’s an exploratory pallavi attempt.
Pedagogical Applications
Traditionally, the first step in teaching a raga is to present its ārohaṇa and avarohaṇa, and have students internalize these pathways before moving into phrases and compositions. In the extended multi-sthāyi framework, this pedagogy can be expanded by asking learners to sing from the Mandra sthāyi Pa up to the Tāra sthāyi Pa, traversing the distinct note-sets assigned to each register, and then descend back from Tāra Pa to Mandra Pa.
This regimen compels students to navigate multiple tonal palettes within a single raga, strengthening (i) vocal control and range across octaves, (ii) swarāgnāna (fine-grained note recognition) when note-choices differ between registers, and (iii) creative agility for handling complex prayōgas and improvisational contexts. Thus, even if only a subset of these new ragas prove musically enduring, the practice itself is pedagogically valuable.
Implications
- Expanded vocabulary for composition and improvisation.
- Expressive richness via register-conditioned color.
- Scholarly exploration of viable vs. non-viable combinations.
- Continuity with tradition through explicit anchoring in Mēḷakarta logic.
Conclusion
The Mēḷakarta backbone has enabled centuries of innovation. Multi-sthāyi variation multiplies possibilities while respecting that the final verdict belongs to practice: the composer’s pen and the musician’s voice. Initial experiments like Charu-Priya and Mohanarevam suggest viability; fuller realization now depends on performers developing idiomatic material.
