Vakuḷābharaṇa is the 14th mēḷakartai in the sampūrṇa mēḷa systemii. It is the second raga in the third chakraiii (Agni chakra). This rāga was known by the name Vāṭivasantabhairavi in the asampūrṇa mēḷa systemiv. The svarasv occurring in this rāga are ṣaḍja, śuddha riṣabha, antara gāndhāra, śuddha madhyama, pañcama, śuddha dhaivata, kaiśiki niṣādavi. Its ārōhaṇavii and avarōhaṇaviii are
S R1 G3 M1 P D1 N2 Ṡ – Ṡ N2 D1 P M1 G3 R1 S.
In Western music notation, if C is taken as the base or tonic note, then the scale is
C C# E F G G# A# C – C A# G# G F E C# C.
This scale / Raga is also found in Hindustani and Arabic music. Its equivalent Raga in Hindustani Music is known as Basant Mukhari.
It is a mūrchanakāraka mēḷaix and gives rise to Kōsala from riṣabha, Kīravāṇi from madhyama, Hēmavati from niṣāda through the process of grahabhēda or modal shift of tonic.
Gāndhāra, madhyama, niṣāda are rāgachāyā svarasx. Madhyama, pañcama are nyāsa svarasxi. Sa-ma, sa-pa, ri-da, ri-pa are vādi-samvādi svaras (consonant notes).
It can portray rasasxii like karuṇā (compassion), bhībatsa (disgust) very effectively, just as it can convey the feeling of devotion or bhakti bhāva.
Some of the signature phrases of this rāga are
S R G, M, – G R S Ṇ, – Ḍ Ṇ S Ṇ Ḍ P̣, – Ḍ Ṇ S R G, – M P M D P M G, – N N D D P P M G R, – G M P D N, – P D N Ṡ, – N D P D N Ṡ Ṙ Ġ, – Ġ Ṁ Ṗ Ṁ Ġ Ṙ, – Ṡ,ṘṠ N Ṡ, N,ṠN D N, D,ND P D, – P D N Ṡ, N D P M G, – D D P M G, – P P M G R, – G M G R S Ṇ, – Ḍ Ṇ S R G R, S,
A few compositions in this rāga are-
Yē rāmuni
Tyāgarāja
Rāmam namāmi
Mysore Vāsudēvāchārya
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
Pandit Rajhesh Vaidhya presents Raga Vakulabharana.
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