Harikāmbhōji is the 28th mēḷakartai in the sampūrṇa mēḷa systemii. It is the fourth raga in the fifth chakraiii (Bāṇa chakra). This rāga was known by the name Harikēdāragauḷa in the asampūrṇa mēḷa systemiv. The svarasv occurring in this rāga are ṣaḍja, chatuśruti riṣabha, antara gāndhāra, śuddha madhyama, pañcama, chatuśruti dhaivata, kaiśiki niṣādavi. Its ārōhaṇavii and avarōhaṇaviii are
S R2 G3 M1 P D2 N2 Ṡ – Ṡ N2 D2 P M1 G3 R2 S.
In Western music notation, if C is taken as the base or tonic note, then the scale is
C D E F G A A# C – C A# A G F E D C.
This is an ancient rāga. Its closest equivalent in Hindustani music is Khamāj thāṭ. It corresponds to the Mixolydian mode of Western music.
It is a mūrchanakāraka mēḷaix and gives rise to Naṭhabhairavi from riṣabha, Śaṅkarābharaṇa from madhyama, Kharaharapriya from pañchama, Tōḍi from dhaivata and Kalyāṇi from niṣāda through the process of grahabhēda or modal shift of tonic. It offers ample scope for improvisation.
Riṣabha, gāndhāra, niṣāda are rāgachāyā svarasx. Gāndhāra, dhaivata and niṣāda are nyāsa svarasxi. Sa-ma, sa-pa, ri-da, ri-pa, ga-da are vādi-samvādi svaras (consonant notes).
It can portray rasasxii like vīra (valour) very effectively, just as it can convey the feeling of devotion or bhakti bhāva.
Some of the signature phrases of this rāga are
G M P D N, D, P, – P M G R, – M G G R S Ṇ Ḍ Ṇ, – Ḍ Ṇ S R G M, G, – M G M P, – N D D P M G M, – M P D N Ṡ N, D, – D N Ṡ Ṙ Ġ Ṁ Ġ Ṙ, Ṡ, – N Ṡ Ṙ Ġ Ṙ, – Ṡ Ṙ Ṙ Ṡ N D N, – D N Ṡ N D P, – M G R S R G M P D N Ṡ Ṙ Ġ Ṁ Ġ Ṙ, Ṡ, – N Ṡ Ṙ Ġ Ṙ Ṡ N D N, – D N, D P M G R, – S Ṇ Ḍ Ṇ S,
A few compositions in this rāga are-
Rāma nannu brōvarā
Tyāgarāja
Rārā phaṇiśayana
Tyāgarāja
Dinamaṇivamśa
Tyāgarāja
Enduku nirdaya
Tyāgarāja
Chani tōḍi tēve
Tyāgarāja
Oka māṭa
Tyāgarāja
Uṇḍēdi rāmuḍu
Tyāgarāja
Sākētanagaranātha
Mysūru Sadāśiva Rao
Bibliography
Hariharan, M. and Kuppuswamy, Gowri. 2011. Comparative Music- Fundamentals of Western Music. Nagercoil: CBH Publications
Keshavamurthy, R.R. 1964. Rāgalakṣaṇa mattu Rāgakōśa. Bengaluru: Gāna Viśārada Biḍāram Kṛṣṇappa Smāraka Saṅgīta Vidyālaya
Rajarao, Mysore L. 2003. Saṅgīta Śāstra Chandrike. Bengaluru: Karnataka Sangeetha Nritya Academy
Rao, B. Subba. 1980. Raganidhi. Madras: The Music Academy
Sambamoorthy, P. 2018 (reprint of eighth edition published in 1998). South Indian Music (Volumes 1 to 6). Chennai: The Indian Music Publishing House
Web Links
Sanjay Subrahmanyum plays Raga Harikambhoji for his online audience.
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