Shuddha Saveri

Shuddha Saveri (pronounced "Shuddha Sāveri", sanskrit शुद्ध सावेरि, tamil சுத்த ஸாவேரி) is a rāgam (musical scale) in Carnatic music (South Indian classical music). It is an audava rāgam (or owdava rāgam, meaning pentatonic scale ). It is a janya rāgam (derived scale), as it does not have all the seven swaras (musical notes).

The equivalent of Shuddha Saveri in Hindustani music is "Durga" "Ragas in Carnatic music" by Dr. S. Bhagyalekshmy, Pub. 1990, CBH Publications] "Raganidhi" by P. Subba Rao, Pub. 1964, The Music Academy of Madras] . According to the school of Muthuswami Dikshitar, this rāgam is called "Devakriya" . "Karnataka Shuddha Saveri", a janya rāgam of 1^st 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 "Nishādham". It is a pentatonic scale (audava-audava ragam in Carnatic music classification - audava meaning 'of 5').Its IAST|ārohaṇa-avarohaṇa structure (ascending and descending scale) is as follows (see "swaras in Carnatic music" for details on below notation and terms):

*IAST|ārohaṇa : S R2 M1 P D2 S
*IAST|avarohaṇa : S D2 P M1 R2 S(Chathusruthi Rishabham, Suddha Madhyamam, Panchamam, Chathusruthi Dhaivatam)

Shuddha Saveri is considered a "janya" rāgam of "Sankarabharanam", the 29^th Melakarta rāgam , though it can be derived from other melakarta rāgams, "Kharaharapriya", "Gourimanohari" or "Harikambhoji", by dropping both "Gāndhāram" and "Nishādham".

Popular Compositions

Here are some popular "kritis" composed in Shuddha Saveri.

*"Dari nee telusu konti" and "Kalaharana melara hare" by Thyagaraja
*"Thaye tripura sundari" by Periyasaamy Thooran

"Ānalekara", which is set to this rāgam, is one of the first few geethams (very short compositions) taught to beginners.

Related rāgams

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

Graha bedham

Shuddha Saveri's notes when shifted using Graha bedham, yields 4 other major pentatonic rāgams, namely, "Mohanam", "Hindolam", "Madhyamavathi" and "Udayaravichandrika" (also known as "Shuddha Dhanyasi"). Graha bedham is the step taken in keeping the relative note frequencies same, while shifting the Shadjam to the next note in the rāgam. See Graha bedham on Mohanam for more details and illustration of this concept.

Scale similarities

*"Sālaga Bhairavi" is a rāgam which has the ascending scale of Shuddha Saveri and descending scale of "Kharaharapriya". Its IAST|ārohaṇa-avarohaṇa structure is S R2 M1 P D2 S : S N2 D2 P M1 G2 R2 S
*"Yadhukula Kambhoji" is a rāgam which has the ascending scale of Shuddha Saveri and descending scale of "Harikambhoji". Its IAST|ārohaṇa-avarohaṇa structure is S R2 M1 P D2 S : S N2 D2 P M1 G3 R2 S
*"Ārabhi" is a rāgam which has the ascending scale of Shuddha Saveri and descending scale of "Sankarabharanam". Its IAST|ārohaṇa-avarohaṇa structure is S R2 M1 P D2 S : S N3 D2 P M1 G3 R2 S
*"Devagāndhāri" is a rāgam which has the ascending scale of Shuddha Saveri and descending scale of "Sankarabharanam". Its IAST|ārohaṇa-avarohaṇa structure is S R2 M1 P D2 S : S N3 D2 P M1 G3 R2 S (Note that there are differences in intonation, swara phrases, prayoga, bhava and rasa between this rāgam and Ārabhi, though scale notation in simple terms are same)
*"Janaranjani" is a rāgam which has the ascending scale of "Sankarabharanam" and descending scale of Shuddha Saveri. Its IAST|ārohaṇa-avarohaṇa structure is S R2 G3 M1 P D2 N3 S : S D2 P M1 R2 S
*"Karnataka Shuddha Saveri" of Dikshitar school has "Shuddha Rishabham" in place of "Chathusruthi Rishabham" and "Shuddha Dhaivatam" in place of "Chathusruthi Dhaivatam". Its IAST|ārohaṇa-avarohaṇa structure is S R1 M1 P D1 S : S D1 P M1 R1 S.

References