Etymology of raga names

[viggop]

Friends
Is there anything inertesting behind the names of ragas in Carnatic music? If so, please share them in this thread.

For r.g. the raga "Kamala Manohari" got its name from Dikshitar's song "Kanjadalayadakshi"

[ts]

Friends
Is there anything inertesting behind the names of ragas in Carnatic music? If so, please share them in this thread.

For r.g. the raga "Kamala Manohari" got its name from Dikshitar's song "Kanjadalayadakshi"

The name of this ragam is Manohari and not Kamalamanohari. Similarly, the dikshitar krithi "Maye tvam" is set to ragam Tarangini which is akin to Charukesi but wrongly sung with Chaturstuti Dhaivatham by calling the ragam as Suda Tarangini which doesnt exist.

[RR]

I've read that 'Mayamalava gowla' is supposed to mean a raga sung before sunrise.. Malavam - period before sunrise. Gowla - sing.

Sankaranabaranam's is well-known. So is Mohanam's.

ts, any reason why Dikshitar used his own names for some ragas? or, should I ask why common naming convention does not follow Dishitar's for some ragas?

[ts]

ts, any reason why Dikshitar used his own names for some ragas? or, should I ask why common naming convention does not follow Dishitar's for some ragas?

Dikshitar followed the Chaturdandi prakashika (CDP) of Venkatamakhin which adopts the so-called "asampoorna Melakartha" scheme. Here the melakartha ragams are Kanakambari, phenadyuti, ganasamavarali etc. and not the traditional Kanakangi, Ratnangi...

Unlike in the Kanakangi scheme, ragams here miss one or more swarams in the arohanam/avarohanam and some even have vakra phrases.

ex: kanakambari Moorchana is :

s r m p d S
S n d p m g r s

Hence technically almost all of these ragams are different from those in the Kanakangi scheme. Even ragams like Mohanam, which have the same structure in both schemes will be handled differently by Dikshitar as according to CDP, it is a janyam of Kalyani. However, you hear pure versions only in a very few concerts from a very few purists still around.


The only ragam that Dikshitar has named is "Amritavarshini" as he is deemed to have created it. The only ragams that Dikshitar has composed outside of the CDP are Amritavarshini, Hamsadhwani and Abohi (disputed).

[viggop]

TS
Yes.the ragam is Manohari for Kanjadalayadakshi but because of that particular song,it is not known as Kamala Manohari.I read this in some website.

Dikshitar is supposed to have created "Amritavarshini" raga.


Is "Husseni" a north Indian raga? Looks like a Persian name to me.Dikshitar used this raga in one of the panchabhuta krithis(Kalahasti)

Any other interesting reasons behind raga names?
Please continue to post in this topic.

[RR]

thanks ts. Is there a link to the list of all ragas under this scheme?

[RR]

viggop,
Simmendra Madhyamam - supposed to mean the majestic way this raga uses the prathi madhyamam.
Similarly 'thodi' name is supposed to reflect the usage of 'suddha gandharam'.

I'll post more as I recollect.

[ts]

thanks ts. Is there a link to the list of all ragas under this scheme?

RR Please look here

http://www.medieval.org/music/world/...dikshitar.html

This lists the ragams in the Asampoorna melakartha scheme and their equivalent.. also gives the list/lyrics for all dikshitar krithis.

For audio (of some krithis) you may go to http://guruguha.org and http://guruguha.tripod.com[/url]

[viggop]

Do all raga names starting with "Hamsa" have any connection with Swan bird? Why was it named like that?

[viggop]

WHat about the raga Kedaaram?
WHy is it named like that?
Some connection to Kedarnath