Shuddha Saveri Explained
Shuddha Saveri or śuddha sāveri is a ragam in Carnatic music (musical scale of South Indian classical music) and Yakshagana music. It is an audava rāgam (or owdava rāgam, meaning pentatonic scale). It is a janya rāgam (derived scale)of the Melakarta ragam Dhīraśaṅkarābharaṇaṃ which is 29th Melakarta raga. In Hindustani music it is called Durga.[1] [2] According to the school of Muthuswami Dikshitar, this rāgam is called Devakriya. Karnataka Shuddha Saveri, a janya rāgam of 1st melakarta Kanakangi, is called Shuddha Saveri by the Dikshitar school.
Structure and Lakshana
Shuddha Saveri is a symmetric rāgam that does not contain gāndhāram or nishādam. It is a pentatonic scale (audava-audava ragam in Carnatic music classification – audava meaning 'of 5'). Its structure (ascending and descending scale) is as follows (see swaras in Carnatic music for details on below notation and terms):
It is a scale that uses the following variants of the swaras – chatushruti rishabham, shuddha madhyamam, panchamam and chatushruti dhaivatam.
Shuddha Saveri is considered a janya rāgam of Sankarabharanam, the 29th melakarta rāgam, though it can be derived from other melakarta rāgams, Kharaharapriya, Gourimanohari or Harikambhoji, by dropping both gāndhāram and nishādam.
Popular compositions
Here are some popular kritis composed in Shuddha Saveri.[3]
- Darinē telusukonṭi and Kālaharaṇamēla rā harē by Tyagaraja in Telugu
- Sri Guruguha Tarayashumaam by Deekshitar
- Samajavarada Niku by Poochi Srinivasa Iyengar
- Taye tripura sundari by Periyasaamy Thooran
- Janani pahi sada (Navarathri 7th Day krithi) by Swathi Thirunal
Ānalekara, by Purandara Dasa which is set to this rāgam, is one of the first few geetams (very short compositions) taught to beginners.
Film Songs
| Song | Movie | Composer | Singer |
|---|
| Sithaye Ye Sithaye | Sivakavi | Papanasam Sivan | M. K. Thyagaraja Bhagavathar |
| Vaadikkai Maranthathum | Kalyana Parisu | A. M. Rajah | A. M. Rajah, P. Susheela |
| Manjal Mugam | Karnan | Viswanathan–Ramamoorthy | P. Susheela |
| Aadiyile Perukkeduthu Aadivarum | Radha (1973) | M. S. Viswanathan |
| Swararaaga(Ragamalika:ShuddhaSaveri,Shivaranjani) | Andha 7 Naatkal | P. Jayachandran, Vani Jairam |
| Poonthendral Kaatrraga | Aval Oru Kavarimaan | R. Ramanujam | Malaysia V. Sarangapani, P. Susheela |
| Radha Radha Nee Enge | Meendum Kokila | Illayaraja | S. P. Balasubrahmanyam, S. Janaki |
| Kovilmani Osai | Kizhakke Pogum Rail | Malaysia Vasudevan, S. Janaki |
| Kadhal Mayakam | Pudhumai Penn | P. Jayachandran,Sunandha |
| Rettai Killigal | Ore Oru Gramathiley | K.J. Yesudas, K. S. Chithra |
| Malargalil Adum ilamai | Kalyanaraman | S. P. Sailaja |
| Asai Kiliyey Naan Solli | Theertha Karaiyinile | Mano |
| Sithakathi pookale | Rajakumaran | S. P. Balasubrahmanyam, K. S. Chithra |
| Nattu Vacha Roja | Aranmanai Kili | P. Susheela |
| Manamagale Manamagale | Thevar Magan | Minmini, Swarnalatha,Sindhuja |
| Adi Vaanmathi | Siva | S.P. Balasubhramanyam, K.S. Chithra |
| Sandiyare Sandiyare | Virumaandi | Shreya Ghoshal |
| Manasaoram | Ayyan | Sriram Parthasarathy, Sadhana Sargam |
| Maanada Kodi | Muthal Vasantham | S. Janaki |
| Unakagave Naan Uyir Vazhigiren | Rasigan Oru Rasigai | Raveendran |
| Vanakkiliye | Kalloori Vaasal | Deva |
| Kottungadi Kummi | Surieyan | S. P. Balasubrahmanyam, S. Janaki |
| En uyir Thozhiye | Kangalal Kaidhu Sei | A. R. Rahman | Unni Menon, Chinmayi |
| Sollitharavaa Sollitharavaa | Majaa | Vidyasagar | Madhu Balakrishnan, Sadhana Sargam |
| Athikaalaiyil Sevalai | Nee Varuvai Ena | S. A. Rajkumar | P. Unnikrishnan, Sujatha |
| Murali | Nagadevathai | Hamsalekha | P. Unnikrishnan,K. S. Chithra |
| O Maha Zeeya | Thamizh Padam | Kannan | Hariharan, Shweta |
| Mainaru vetti katti | Dasara - tamil | Santhosh narayanan | Anirudh, Dhee | |
Related rāgams
This section covers the theoretical and scientific aspect of this rāgam.
Graha bhedam
Shuddha Saveri's notes when shifted using Graha bhedam, yields 4 other major pentatonic rāgams, namely, Mohanam, Hindolam, Madhyamavati and Udayaravichandrika (also known as Shuddha Dhanyasi). 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 Mohanam for more details and illustration of this concept.
Scale similarities
- Ārabhi is a rāgam which has the ascending scale of Shuddha Saveri and descending scale of Sankarabharanam. Its structure is S R2 M1 P D2 S : S N3 D2 P M1 G3 R2 S
- Janaranjani is a rāgam which has the ascending scale of Shankarabharanam and descending scale of Shuddha Saveri. Its structure is S R2 G3 M1 P D2 N3 P S : S D2 P M1 R2 S
- Karnataka Shuddha Saveri of Dikshitar school has Shuddha Rishabham in place of Chatushruti Rishabham and Shuddha Dhaivatam in place of Chatushruti Dhaivatam. Its structure is S R1 M1 P D1 S : S D1 P M1 R1 S.
Notes and References
- Ragas in Carnatic music by Dr. S. Bhagyalekshmy, Pub. 1990, CBH Publications
- Raganidhi by P. Subba Rao, Pub. 1964, The Music Academy of Madras
- News: Joyful Suddha Saveri. The Hindu . 3 August 2012 .
