Vachaspati (pronounced Vāchaspati, meaning ''Lord of speech'') is a
rāga
A raga ( ; , ; ) is a melodic framework for improvisation in Indian classical music akin to a musical mode, melodic mode. It is central to classical Indian music. Each raga consists of an array of melodic structures with musical motifs; and, fro ...
m in
Carnatic music
Carnatic music (known as or in the Dravidian languages) is a system of music commonly associated with South India, including the modern Indian states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Telangana and southern Odisha.
It is o ...
(musical scale of South Indian classical music). It is the 64th ''
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 derived. A ''melaka ...
'' rāgam in the 72 ''melakarta'' rāgam system. It is known as Bhushāvati according to the
Muthuswami Dikshitar
Muthuswami Dikshitar (Mudduswamy Dikshitar) (, 24 March 1776 – 21 October 1835), mononymously Dikshitar, was a South Indian poet, singer, veena player, and a prolific composer of Indian classical music. He was the youngest member of what is re ...
school.
[''Raganidhi'' by P. Subba Rao, Pub. 1964, The Music Academy of Madras][''Ragas in Carnatic music'' by Dr. S. Bhagyalekshmy, Pub. 1990, CBH Publications] It was borrowed into Hindustani music, like many other ragas from Carnatic rāgams.
Structure and Lakshana

It is the 4th rāgam in the 11th ''chakra Rudra''. The mnemonic name is ''Rudra-Bhu''. The mnemonic phrase is ''sa ri gu mi pa dhi ni''.
Its ' structure (ascending and descending scale) is as follows (see
''swaras'' in Carnatic music for details on below notation and terms):
*
:
*
:
This scales uses the notes and . It is a
''sampoorna'' rāgam - a rāgam that has all seven ''
swara
Swara () or svara is an Indian classical music term that connotes simultaneously a breath, a vowel, a note, the sound of a musical note corresponding to its name, and the successive steps of the octave, or ''saptanka''. More comprehensively ...
s'' (notes). It is the equivalent of ''
Harikambhoji
Harikambhoji (pronounced harikāmbhōji) is a rāgam in Carnatic music (musical scale of South Indian classical music). It is the 28th ''Melakarta'' rāgam (parent scale) in the 72 ''melakarta'' rāgam system.
One of the first scales employed ...
'', which is the 28th scale.
''Janya'' rāgams
It 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 vari ...
'' rāgams (derived scales) associated with it, out of which ''Bhooshavali'' and ''Saraswathi'' are popular. See
List of ''janya'' rāgams for all scales associated with ''Vachaspati''.
Popular compositions
''Vachaspati'' is close to ''
Kalyani'' (which is 65th ''melakarta'') and differs only in the ''nishādham''. Still, this rāgam does not have many compositions. At the same time many composers have used this rāgam for composing 1 song each.
Popular compositions in this rāgam are
*''Pahi Jaga Janani'' by
Swati Tirunal
*''Kantajoodumi'' by
Thyagaraja
*''Paraatparaa'' by
Papanasam Sivan
Paapanaasam Raamayya Sivan (26 September 1890 – 1 October 1973) was an Indian composer of Carnatic music and a singer. He was awarded the Madras Music Academy's Sangeetha Kalanidhi in 1971. He was also a film score composer in Kannada cinema a ...
*''Sahasrakara Mandithe'' by
Muthiah Bhagavatar
*''Ennaadu Ni Kripa'' by
Patnam Subramania Iyer.
*''Râjarâjeswari'' - Pada
varnam
Varṇam is a type of composition in the Carnatic music system that encapsulates the key features of a raga, and considered as a foundational element in the learning path. Varnams capture the essence of the ragam in terms of typical swara patt ...
by
Kalyani Varadarajan
Kalyani Varadarajan (8 October 1923 – 28 October 2003), commonly known as Kalyani, was one of Carnatic music's famous twentieth-century composers. She created carnatic compositions in all 72 melakarta ragas, besides scores of janya ragas.
Ear ...
*''Shri Sachidananda Kandam'' by Meesu Krishna Iyer
*''Ennathai Sonnalum'' by
Oothukkadu Venkata Kavi
Oothukkaadu Venkata Kavi (-1765) or Oottukkaadu Venkata Subramanyar was one of the pioneering composers in Indian classical Carnatic music. He lived in South India in the present-day state of Tamil Nadu. Also known by the name Oothukkaadu V ...
*''Ihapara Sukha Dayaka'' by
Koteeswara Iyer
*''Antharangamellam Ariyayo'' by
Shuddhananda Bharati
*''Nutintu Sadambuja '' by Dr
M. Balamuralikrishna
*''Veru Thunai '' by Ramaswamy Sivan
*''ADAda Manam ADum '' by Neela Ramamurthy
*''dEvi JaganmOhini '' by Neela Ramamurthy
*''shrIpatE Jaya '' by Thulaseevanam
*''Pachai Nayaki Paksham Vaithu Endhan'' by D.Pattammal
*''Vandanamu - Thana
varnam
Varṇam is a type of composition in the Carnatic music system that encapsulates the key features of a raga, and considered as a foundational element in the learning path. Varnams capture the essence of the ragam in terms of typical swara patt ...
'' by
Tiger Varadachariar
*''Velanidam Poi Solladi - Pada
varnam
Varṇam is a type of composition in the Carnatic music system that encapsulates the key features of a raga, and considered as a foundational element in the learning path. Varnams capture the essence of the ragam in terms of typical swara patt ...
'' by T Sethuram
*''Vachaspati - Thana
varnam
Varṇam is a type of composition in the Carnatic music system that encapsulates the key features of a raga, and considered as a foundational element in the learning path. Varnams capture the essence of the ragam in terms of typical swara patt ...
'' by Nallan Chakravarthy Murthy
Film Songs
Language:
Tamil
Tamil may refer to:
People, culture and language
* Tamils, an ethno-linguistic group native to India, Sri Lanka, and some other parts of Asia
**Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil people native to Sri Lanka
** Myanmar or Burmese Tamils, Tamil people of Ind ...
Janya Ragam: Saraswathi
Related rāgams
This section covers the theoretical and scientific aspect of this rāgam.
''Vachaspati's'' notes when shifted using ''
Graha bhedam
''Graha Bhedam'' in Carnatic music is the process (or result of the process) of shifting the Tonic (music), Tonic note (''Śruti (music), śruti'') to another note in the rāgam and arriving at a different rāgam. Its equivalent in Hindustani cl ...
'', yields 3 other major ''melakarta'' rāgams, namely, ''
Charukesi
Charukesi (pronounced chārukēśi) is a rāga in Carnatic music (musical scale of South Indian classical music). It is the 26th ''Melakarta'' rāgam in the 72 ''melakarta'' rāgam system of Carnatic music. It is called Tarangini in Muthuswam ...
'', ''
Gourimanohari
Gourimanohari or Gaurimanohari is a ragam in Carnatic music (musical scale of South Indian classical music). It is the 23rd ''Melakarta'' rāgam in the 72 ''melakarta'' rāgam system of Carnatic music. The 23rd ''melakarta'' rāgam as per Muthus ...
'' and ''
Natakapriya
Natakapriya, (pronounced nāţakapriya, meaning ''the one dear to theatre'') is a rāgam in Carnatic music (musical scale of South Indian classical music). It is the 10th ''melakarta'' rāgam (parent scale) in the 72 ''melakarta'' rāgam system. A ...
''. ''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 of Vachaspati''.
Vachaspati corresponds to the
Acoustic scale
In music, the acoustic scale, overtone scale, Lydian dominant scale (Lydian 7 scale), or the Mixolydian 4 scale is a seven-note synthetic scale. It is the fourth mode of the ascending melodic minor scale.
:
This differs from the major scal ...
in Western music.
Notes
References
{{Janya, state=collapsed
Melakarta ragas