Suryakantam or Sooryakantam (pronounced sūryakāntam) is a

rāga A ''raga'' or ''raag'' (; also ''raaga'' or ''ragam''; ) is a melodic framework for improvisation in Indian classical music akin to a melodic mode. The ''rāga'' is a unique and central feature of the classical Indian music tradition, and as a ...

m in

Carnatic music Carnatic music, known as or in the South Indian languages, is a system of music commonly associated with South India, including the modern Indian states of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Kerala and Tamil Nadu, and Sri Lanka. It is o ...

(musical scale of South Indian classical music). It is the 17th ''

melakarta Mēḷakartā is a collection of fundamental musical scales (ragas) in Carnatic music (South Indian classical music). ''Mēḷakartā'' ragas are parent ragas (hence known as ''janaka'' ragas) from which other ragas may be generated. A ''melaka ...

'' rāgam (parent scale) in the 72 ''melakarta'' rāgam system of Carnatic music. It is called Chāyāvati in

Muthuswami Dikshitar Muthuswami Dikshitar (Mudduswamy Dikshitar)(, 24 March 1776 – 21 October 1835), mononymously Dikshitar, was a South Indian poet, singer and veena player, and a legendary composer of Indian classical music, who is considered one of the musical ...

school of Carnatic music.''Ragas in Carnatic music'' by Dr. S. Bhagyalekshmy, Pub. 1990, CBH Publications''Raganidhi'' by P. Subba Rao, Pub. 1964, The Music Academy of Madras

Structure and Lakshana

It is the 5th rāgam in the 3rd ''chakra Agni''. The mnemonic name is ''Agni-Ma''. The mnemonic phrase is ''sa ra gu ma pa dhi nu''. Its ' structure (ascending and descending scale) is as follows (see ''swaras'' in Carnatic music for details on below notation and terms): * : * : This scale uses the ''swaras'', ''shuddha rishabham, antara gandharam, shuddha madhyamam, chathusruthi dhaivatham'' and ''kakali nishadham''. As it is a ''melakarta'' rāgam, by definition it is a ' rāgam (has all seven notes in ascending and descending scale). It is the ''shuddha madhyamam'' equivalent of ''

Gamanashrama Gamanashrama (pronounced gamanāshrama''Sri Muthuswami Dikshitar Keertanaigal'' by Vidwan A Sundaram Iyer, Pub. 1989, Music Book Publishers, Mylapore, Chennai) is a ragam in Carnatic music (musical scale of South Indian classical music). It is t ...

'', which is the 53rd ''melakarta'' scale.

Asampurna Melakarta

Chāyāvati is the 17th ''Melakarta'' in the original list compiled by

Venkatamakhin Venkatamakhin (; ) or Venkatamakhi, was an Indian poet, musician, and musicologist of Carnatic music. He is renowned for his ''Chaturdandiprakashika'' in which he explicates the melakarta system of classifying ragas. Venkatamakhin composed g ...

. The notes used in the scale are the same, but the actual ascending scale is different, where-in the ''panchamam'' is not used. * : * :

''Janya'' rāgams

''Suryakantam'' has many ''

janya ''Janya'' is a term meaning "derive". In Carnatic (South Indian) music a ''janya raga'' is one derived from one of the 72 ''melakarta'' ragas (fundamental melodic structures). ''Janya'' ragas are classified into various types based on a varie ...

'' rāgams (derived scales) associated with it, of which '' Vasanta'', ''Sowrashtram'' and ''Bhairavam'' are popular in concerts. See List of ''janya'' rāgams for those associated with ''Suryakantam''.

Compositions

Here are a few common compositions sung in concerts, set to ''Suryakantam''. *'' Ranga Manege Baro'' By

Sripadaraja Sripadaraja ( sa, श्रीपादराज; ) or Sripadaraya, also known by his pontifical name Lakshminarayana Tirtha (1422 - 1480), was a Hindu Dvaita philosopher, scholar and composer and the pontiff of the Madhvacharya mutt at Mulb ...

*''Muddumomu elagu'' by

Thyagaraja Thyagaraja (Telugu: త్యాగరాజ) (4 May 1767 – 6 January 1847), also known as Thyāgayya and in full as Kakarla Thyagabrahmam, was a composer and vocalist of Carnatic music, a form of Indian classical music. Tyagaraja and his ...

*''Takkuvemi manaku'' by

Bhadrachala Ramadasu Kancharla Gopanna ( te, కంచర్ల గోపన్న) ( – 1688), popularly known as Bhakta Ramadasu or Bhadrachala Ramadasu ( te, భద్రాచల రామదాసు), was a 17th-century devotee of the Hindu god Rama, a sai ...

*''Sri Sambasivaiyya'' by

Muthiah Bhagavatar Harikesanallur Muthiah Bhagavatar (15 November 1877 – 30 June 1945), commonly known as Muthiah Bhagavatar, is one of Carnatic classical music's famous twentieth-century composers. He also created about 20 ''ragas''. Early life Muthiah was bor ...

*''Kanavo ninaivo'' by Koteeswara Iyer

Related rāgams

This section covers the theoretical and scientific aspect of this rāgam. ''Suryakantam's'' notes when shifted using ''

Graha bhedam ''Graha Bhedam'' in Carnatic music is the process (or result of the process) of shifting the Tonic note (''śruti'') to another note in the rāgam and arriving at a different rāgam. Its equivalent in Hindustani classical music is called a ''mur ...

'', yields 2 ''melakarta'' rāgams, namely ''

Senavati Senavati (pronounced sēnāvati) is a ragam in Carnatic music (musical scale of South Indian classical music). It is the 7th ''melakarta'' rāgam (parent scale) in the 72 ''melakarta'' rāgam system of Carnatic music. It is called Senāgrani in ...

'' and ''

Latangi Latangi (pronounced latāngi) is a ragam in Carnatic music (musical scale of South Indian classical music). It is the 63rd ''Melakarta'' rāgam in the 72 ''melakarta'' rāgam system of Carnatic music. It is called Geetapriya or Gitapriya in th ...

''. ''Graha bhedam'' is the step taken in keeping the relative note frequencies same, while shifting the ''shadjam'' to the next note in the rāgam. For further details and an illustration refer '' Graha bhedam on Suryakantam''.

Notes

References

{{Janya, state=collapsed Melakarta ragas