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THE
MELAKARTA SCHEME
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| Each of the twelve purvangams can
be combined with the six uttarangams to obtain a total of 72
melakartas. The melakartas are then identified by combining the chakra
name with the Pa - Sri designation. Thus, a melakarta described as
Rudra-Ma (or no. 65, Mechakalyaani) corresponds to an arohanam and avarohanam
containing Shadjam - Cha- tusruthi Rishabam - Anthara Gandharam -
Prati Madhyamam - Panchamam - Chatusruthi Dhaivatham - Kakali Nishadam - Shadjam. The following
table lists all the 72 melakartas and the swaras used in each of them
using the chakra and Pa - Sri notation as described. The first
36 melakartas use Suddha Madhyamam and melakartas 37 through 72 use Prati
Madhyamam. These two groups are sometimes identified as Suddha Madhyama
melakartas or Purva melakartas and Prati Madhyama melakartas or
Uttara melakartas respectively. The table is organized in such a fashion
that a Suddha Madhyama melakarta and its Prati Madhyama pair (the
melakarta which shares all swaras except the Madhyama) occur on the same line. Thus
to find out what is the Prati Madhyama (or Uttara melakarta) pair of
Maayaamaalavagowla, one just reads across the table to find Kaamavardhani (which is
also known as Pantuvaraali). If it were not for the gamakkas, such pairs
would sound very similar and be different only when the Madhyama
occurs. |
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The Melakarta Scheme |
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