Very often many people ask me , if western music tunes also are defined by Ragas, just like every tune or song of Indian music is called by a particular ragam(s).The answer is 'Yes'.I would also take this question as valid from others perspective.For example National anthem of Thailand is in Mohana Raga.Every tune falls under one of the classification of ragas.In this post,I will be writing a brief of the most captivating raga,mohana raga of carnatic ragas.
I see a lot of young talent these days with good understanding of Manodharma Sangeetam.It takes effort,interest and practice to be one among them.Great scholar Venkatamakhin of 17th century has proposed the Melakarta scheme taking into consideration,the swaras-ragas permutation in future centuries and also counting the past definitions.This Melakarta and
Janya ragas classification proposed by our great prominent scholars has huge science and calculations from which our Indian music has evolved big.
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| Mohana Ragam |
Mohana Raga,in ancient times called as 'Raghupati' is a Janya Raga of 28th Melakarta Raga,Harikambhoji.It is a audava raga,meaning,raga with five swaras in aarohana and avarohana.Nannu palimpa is a tyagaraja swamy vari kriti also set in mohana raga.This kriti being one of my guru's favourite,I began to understand the meaning of kirtana and explore about murccana or modulation.Tyagaraja, in the occasion of his daughter's marriage ,awaited long for arrival of his favourite disciple when he suddenly felt his presence give him a warmth feeling.Lord Rama's picture in his student's hand is what made tyagaraja sing the kirtana "nannu palimpa nadachi vachithivo" :).Through this kirtana his pure intention of communicating to Lord Rama that the Lord has come all the way to him understanding his faith in him ,clearly can be felt in the mohana raga composition.
In this context,let me mention an important concept of melakarta.Melakarta or parent ragas have saptaswara ragas but every saptaswara raga need not be a parent ragas.They might as well fall under a list of janya ragas.
Raga version of Mohanam is Bhopali.Vara veena mrudu pani is
a geetham praising Lord Lakshmi.
Ragam : Mohanam
Tala : Rupaka
Chatushra jathi
Aarohana
s R2 G2 P2 D2 S
Avarohana
S D2 P2 G2 R2 s
Pallavi
Vara veena mrudu pani
Vanaruha lochana rani
Charanam
suruchira bambara veni
suranutha kalyani
nirupama subha gunalola
niratajaya pradaseela
varadapriya ranganayaki
vaanchithaphala dayaki
sarasija sanujanani
jaya jaya jaya aa...aa..aa ||
