Shivaranjani or Sivaranjani is a musical scale used in Indian classical music. There are two scales, one in Hindustani music and one in Carnatic music. The Hindustani rāga is a pentatonic scale,[1] as is the Carnatic scale categorized as Audava-Audava (audava meaning 'of 5') resulting in 5 notes in the Arohanam and 5 in the Avarohanam.
Hindustani scale
The Hindustani rāga Shivaranjani belongs to the Kaafithaat in terms of classification of the scale.[2] Its structure is as follows:
The komal(soft) gandhar(g) in place of shuddh gandhar (G) is the difference between this rāga and the global musical scale of Bhoop.
Borrowed into Carnatic music
Shivaranjani scale with shadjam at C
In Karnatic Music, this is a janya rāga (derived scale) from 22nd mela-kartha raga Kharaharapriya. It is a audava-audava rāgam in Carnatic music classification (i.e., a ragam that has five notes in both its arohana and avarohana). Its ārohaṇa-avarohaṇa structure (ascending and descending scale) using swaras in Carnatic music notation is as follows:
(the variant notes used in this scale are chathusruthi rishabham, sadharana gandharam, chathusruthi dhaivatham other than the invariants shadjam and panchamam)
Popular compositions
The opening stanza of Kurai ondrum illai based on lyrics of Rajaji
This section covers the theoretical and scientific aspects of this rāgam.
Graha bhedam
Shivaranjani's notes when shifted using Graha bhedam, yields 2 other pentatonic rāgams, namely, Sunadavinodini and Revati. Graha bhedam is the step taken in keeping the relative note frequencies same, while shifting the shadjam to the next note in the rāgam. See Graha bhedam on Shivaranjani for more details and an illustration.
Scale similarities
Mohanam is a popular rāgam which has the antara gandharam in place of sadharana gandharam. Its ārohaṇa-avarohaṇa structure is S R2 G3 P D2 S : S D2 P G3 R2 S
Abhogi is a popular rāgam which has the shuddha madhyamam in place of panchamam. Its ārohaṇa-avarohaṇa structure is S R2 G2 M1 D2 S : S D2 M1 G2 R2 S
Carnatic scale
The Carnatic scale Shivaranjani is a janya rāgam (derived scale) associated with the 64th parent scale Vachaspati (melakarta). It has vakra prayoga (zig-zag notes in its scale and note phrases) and its scale is as follows.[3]
^Chakraborty, S.; Mazzola, G.; Tewari, S.; Patra, M. (2014). Computational Musicology in Hindustani Music. Computational Music Science. Springer International Publishing. p. 3. ISBN 978-3-319-11472-9.
^Raganidhi by P. Subba Rao, Pub. 1964, The Music Academy of Madras
^ abRagas in Carnatic music by Dr. S. Bhagyalekshmy, Pub. 1990, CBH Publications