Dhanyasi Explained

Dhanyasi is a rāgam in Carnatic music (musical scale of South Indian classical music). It is a janya rāgam (derived scale) from the 8th melakarta scale Hanumatodi. It is a janya scale, as it does not have all the seven swaras (musical notes) in the ascending scale. It is a combination of the pentatonic scale Shuddha Dhanyasi and the sampurna raga scale Hanumatodi.^[1]

This is the common and popular scale and is used for portraying the bhakthi rasa. According to the Muthuswami Dikshitar school, Dhanyasi is derived from Nariritigaula melakarta scale, instead of Hanumatodi scale, but nevertheless includes only shuddha rishabham.^[2]

Structure and Lakshana

Dhanyasi is an asymmetric rāgam that does not contain rishabham or dhaivatam in the ascending scale. It is an audava-sampurna rāgam (or owdava rāgam, meaning pentatonic ascending scale). Its structure (ascending and descending scale) is as follows:

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• :

The notes used in this scale are shadjam, sadharana gandharam, shuddha madhyamam, panchamam and kaishiki nishadham in ascending scale, with shuddha dhaivatam and shuddha rishabham included in descending scale. For the details of the notations and terms, see swaras in Carnatic music.

The rāgam used by Dikshitar school of music uses chathusruti rishabham (R2) in the descending scale, in place of shuddha rishabham (R1), bringing it under the 20th melakarta Natabhairavi.

Popular compositions

There are many compositions set to Dhanyasi rāgam.

• Sangeeta gnanamu, Ramabhirama Manasu and Nee chitthamu composed by Tyagaraja
• Kalayami sriramam by Swati Tirunal
• Chudamanikanda by Arunachala Kavi
• Nammina varini by Bhadrachala Ramadas
• Dasara nindisabeda by Purandara Dasa
• Vani arul purivai and Balakrishnan padamalar by Papanasam Sivan
• Sri Ranganathaya namasthe and Mayuranatham anisham by Muthuswamy Dikshitar
• Meenalochana brova by Shyama Sastri
• Ye maguva – Padhavarnam by Mysore Sadasivarayar

Related rāgams

This section covers the theoretical and scientific aspect of this rāgam.

Graha Bhedam

Salaga Bhairavi can be derived from Dhanyasi when sung from Nishadam to Nishadam.

Scale similarities

• Udayaravichandrika, also known as Shuddha Dhanyasi has a symmetric pentatonic scale, with the notes same as the ascending scale of Dhanyasi. Its structure is S G2 M1 P N2 S : S N2 P M1 G2 S
• Dhanyasi scale as per Dikshitar school uses shuddha rishabham in descending scale but is classified as a 20th melakartha janya ragam by Venkatamakhi. Its structure is S G2 M1 P N2 S : S N2 D1 P M1 G2 R1 S

Film songs

Song	Movie	Composer	Singers
Katuka Kantineeru (Potana poem)	Bhakta Potana	V. Nagayya	V. Nagayya
Sakala Kalyanabhusha	Sri Venkateswara Mahatyam	Pendyala (composer)	Madhavapeddi Satyam

References

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